The Tale of the Teapot Hero’s Revenge

Chapter 7

A Bottle of Wine in Hand

Carion Stux was originally a commoner, born as the third son of a farmer in the small country of Deltirad. He was forcibly drafted into the military by his family about twenty years ago. It was because their family was poor and couldn't afford to support him.

Around that time, Brutogyu ascended to the throne, and the war of aggression against neighboring countries began. Carion continued to fight on the front lines, relentlessly killing enemy soldiers and rising through the ranks. Gradually, the small kingdom grew into a mighty military nation, and Carion himself was promoted to the rank of Major General.

Even after becoming a great power, the Kingdom of Deltirad did not cease its advance. It now sought to engulf even the territory of the demon race, launching further wars of aggression. However, Carion himself had ceased to advance. He was satisfied with his current position as a Major General. And after acquiring enough wealth to live a life of leisure and a large mansion, he began to focus only on self-preservation. The once renowned hero who had fought on the front lines had now disappeared without a trace.

"Late... That Galare, taking too long... Tomorrow we're supposed to go to the castle...! How am I supposed to explain this to the king...!"

The order to kill the Hero was personally given by the king. The reason Carion was assigned the task was, of course, because the king trusted him as a seasoned warrior. And there was also another reason that could not be overlooked.

(Now that I have secured her, as long as I present her to the king, my position will be secure...)

That other matter had been successfully accomplished. In comparison, taking care of the Hero was nothing to be concerned about, or so he thought.

Unfortunately for Carion, he did not understand the gravity of the situation. He should have given it his all, not entrusting it to his subordinates or bringing back only half of his forces. He should have given it his all, like a lion hunting down a rabbit. He would come to realize that this mistake would bring his own life to an end.

---

I was inside a box. Inside the bottom of a very large wooden box, riding on a rattling wagon, in an even smaller space within a double bottom. Joana-san was with me, making it even more cramped, but she also had business in the mansion, so it couldn't be helped.

Each member of the resistance has a legitimate occupation, as a matter of course. Among them, one member ran a liquor store, slowly earning trust over time and becoming a valued supplier of the Stux Mansion.

And now, we were hidden in a wine crate of the said liquor store and was sent into the mansion. I was surprised when they explained this plan to me later.

Before this, they also took the time to treat my injuries, which was greatly appreciated. And so, we have successfully infiltrated without incident. It's not exactly a graceful situation, being cramped and suffocating, in a position like a flattened frog lying face down.

"We'll stay hidden like this until evening. We'll take action after that."

"... Like this? Just the two of us?"

"Don't make that face. Smile, smile."

... Well, if I could kill Carion, this much was nothing. I thought it's already evening. I hadn't slept for a long time, and I actually wanted to sleep, but I still hadn't fully trusted these people. I just agreed to this plan because I could kill them at any moment even in this position.

I took a deep breath and waited patiently.

"It's about time, Hero-san."

"Yeah, it's about time."

The light that was coming through the cracks of the wooden crate disappeared, and the inside of the box became pitch dark. The long-awaited moment had finally arrived.

The hidden lid of the double bottom was designed to open easily from the inside. Joana carefully pushed the side, and the bottom of the wooden crate opened, allowing fresh air to flow in. No light came in, as it was already nighttime and dark.

"I'm getting suffocated. Let's get out first."

Before receiving a response, I crawled out from under the wooden crate. I quickly stood up and stretched. I also loosened up my body. My joints cracked.

"How was it? The comfort of the special delivery?"

"Atrocious. I never want to do it again."

"I feel the same. We seem to get along well."

Looking at the wooden crate again, there was a narrow gap at the bottom. It's hard to believe we spent hours in such a place. Joanna removed the upper part of the double bottom to eliminate any suspicions and took off the bottom board. Now, there should be no suspicion on the part of the liquor store owner.

We were brought into the food storage room. I received a layout of the mansion and memorized it. This place was definitely on the second floor, eastern side.

"Now, from here, we'll split up. I'll gather information, and you'll go after Carion's life."

"What's the escape plan?"

"I'll tell you later. Let's meet up here."

"Got it. ...Give me one of these."

I asked for a bottle of wine from the wooden crate.

"A young girl with a taste for alcohol?"

"Not particularly. This one is for Carion, not me. I intend to treat him to something hot."

"Oh my, how scary."

Although not everything, I'd explained some of my abilities to Joanna so she still seemed to have figured out what I intended to do with this bottle.

I gently opened the door to the food storage room and observed the hallway. Carion, my target, was probably in his own room. Since this was the second floor, we had to go downstairs first. There didn't seem to be any servants in the corridor. Joanna gave the go-ahead, and we split up.

We hurriedly descended the stairs, skipping a step. There were four guards on duty. The first two were watching the front gate, while the other two were always inside the mansion. The waiting area was on the first floor.

(If we make too much noise, will they notice?)

It seems like Carion's room was far from here, but if he shouted, it might still be heard. ...I had to kill him quietly.

Relying on the floor plan, I made my way to the storage room. From there, I removed the boards on the roof and climbed up into the attic. I proceeded cautiously towards Carion's room, even though it was a bit dusty.

(...Light is leaking.)

The attic was bright because of the light leaking through the gaps in the boards. How many lamps was that guy using? I relied on the unmistakable landmark and made my way up to his room.

(There he is, no doubt. It's him.)

The middle-aged man who had ordered the massacre in the village. He was sitting in a chair, pouring wine and saying something.

"Late... Galare, you're too slow..."

Galare... Ah, that man’s name. He's probably become food for wild animals or monsters by now.

"I can't believe he failed to kill just one young girl... Tomorrow, we're going to the castle...! How am I supposed to explain it to the king...!"

To the castle... Ah, he’s going there. To report to the king that he burned my village, killed everyone, and tried to kill me too. But he failed to kill me and now he's panicking.

No need to worry, though, because it's you're going to die now.

I gently remove the ceiling boards without making a sound. From here to the floor, it's about three times my height. With my current abilities, I could safely jump down. The floor was covered with unnecessarily soft carpet, so my landing wouldn’t make any noise.

"..."

I silently jumped down, making no sound, and landed behind Carion. Quickly, I put my hand over his mouth.

"W-who... are you...? Mmmph!"

It would be bad if he screamed. I covered his mouth and then...

"First, the eyes."

I boil the moisture in his eyeballs, causing them to burst.

"Mu-guuuuuuhhhhhh!!"

Yes, now he would not be able to see anymore.

(I won't kill you, okay? Not yet.)

Not until I get what I wanted to know.

And not until you regret being alive.