The NPC's way (part 4)

"NO!"

Kenneth let out a panicked cry and attempted to jolt back, but the sturdy metal chair didn't even budge, and the only difference made was that the captured man managed to hurt himself with his bindings...

"..."

...because neither the axe nor the person wielding it has shown any immediate reaction...

"No? Alright then, you don't want to lose your arm, then your head will have to go after all.~"

"!!!"

Even so, Medea's later reaction turned out to be far more bone-chilling than anything that Kenneth expected.

*whoosh*

The black-haired boy took back the axe, taking a step back and raising it over his head with enough power to stir the air, making the captured man jolt.

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! MY, MY HAND! NO, THE WHOLE FOREARM, AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH IT! JUST, PLEASE...!"

Realizing the grave mistake that he had made, Kenneth wiggled as much as he could within his bindings and shouted with all of his might, terrified to his core.

"Deal~!"

*CHOP* *SQUELCH* *THUNK*

Medea hummed out joyfully with the most brilliant and accommodating of friendly smiles and brought down the axe, cleaving Kenneth's arm at the elbow clean off and getting the weapon stuck in the metal frame of the chair.

"GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

*plop*

The captured man howled in agony, almost biting his tongue off while Medea pulled the cut-off right hand from the chains and threw it to the side.

"We can't have you die from the blood loss now, we? Here, I got just the right magic pellet to help you out."

The boy asked, nodding his head in understanding while patting the agonizing man's shoulder with one hand while opening the pellet casket in his inner pocket and browsing through the colorful marbles.

"R-really...? A healing pellet...? But if you do, my hand... they will not be able to reattach it..."

Kenneth gritted his teeth and somehow managed to whine through the pain.

"Healing pellet?"

Medea looked at the man with a bag on his head in confusion while holding a red marble between his index finger and thumb.

"...huh...?"

*crack*

Kenneth gasped in confusion, but Medea had already put the red marble to the axe, and one side of the blade was still firmly touching the profusely bleeding wound and crushed it.

*WHOOOO* *KSHHHHHH*

The unleashed spell was a concentrated blast of fire that instantly heated up the axehead until it was glowing red, cauterizing the wound while unleashing the disgusting sound of sizzling meat and the nauseating smell of the burnt human flesh.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GHAAAAAAAAAAAAA! HGAHAAAAAAAAAA!"

Kennet's howls stopped, even resembling human speech, as the pain spread through his body and overtook his brain.

After all, even though the burning-hot axehead would be plenty enough to turn him like that, the chair and the chains he was bound to with also gained some of the heat because of being made of a great heat conductor.

"..."

His screams didn't last for too long as he managed to lose consciousness and slump down to the side, even while still being roasted alive.

"..."

*crack* *WHOOO* *KSHHHHH*

Medea looked at his victim for a moment before taking out another red marble and crushing it – unleashing the fire spell at the cut-off hand beneath his feet.

"Boss?!"

As the body part was set aflame, one of the thugs called out in confusion, not understanding the boy's motives.

How was it supposed to be recognized as Kenneth's hand if it was charred?

"Good job on getting him here. Now. Dump him somewhere close to the Rotteloss mansion and get rid of whatever will be left of that arm."

Medea nodded at them and left the room as if he had given his men a full explanation about all the questions that they could possibly have.

-------

"Medea, running another errand for mister Gerard?"

The hazel-haired Ava greeted the black-haired boy browsing through the stalls at the town square market.

"Good morning. That's right, what can I say? He is my master."

Medea greeted her back with a wry smile while lifting up a sizable bag with the groceries he had already acquired.

The black-haired boy expected why the girl did seek him; it would be weird to not know, actually...

"Did you hear...? A week ago, they found the Rotteloss family servant knocked out and with his right hand chopped off and burnt stump..."

The girl whispered, trying to be conspicuous, and leaned in as if she was checking the wares at the stall by which the boy had stopped.

"Your guess is correct; it was the boss's doing."

Medea nodded and joined her while moving his hand as if he was pointing out a particular product and commenting on it.

"...then... by any chance..."

"He lost his hand precisely because he didn't want to tell us what happened to Tee."

Ava flinched and gasped with eyes full of hope, but Medea stomped it down with a preemptive answer before the question could even be formed properly.

"Are you certain...? I can't imagine someone being in a situation like that and..."

"I know because I was the one to question him. Tee's disappearance must be more complicated than we imagined. I asked the boss to allow me to do it."

The girl fidgeted and asked nervously, doing her best to cling to whatever was left – and once again, the boy was quick to stop her from saying too much while throwing her a new lifeline she could cling to.

"Ah...! I see! We really must get you to become the new servant for the Rotteloss family then...!"

As intended, Ava's eyes lit up with new energy, and she nodded vigorously.

"If we want to uncover the truth, that is our only choice."

Medea agreed while shaking his head as if he was refusing the request.

"Say... I never managed to ask either you or Theo but... what happened between the two of you? It must have been something big because Theo left the Daakvillan... He seemed to really hate you, but you... it kind of seems that you like him – especially with how much you are helping me to find him..."

The slightly calmer Ava breathed out and asked timidly, glancing at the black-haired boy's expression.