Red Riding Hood - Chapter 55
The man in the crow mask cackled as he inspected a sharp skewer laid on the tray.
“Been a while since I’ve seen some eyeballs up close!”
The man in the boar mask, meanwhile, picked up a sharp knife and rubbed it against a shiny leather strap, grumbling,
“You like this, huh? Well, I don’t! Sudden jobs like this always have consequences. That’s why you and I are hiding out in this backwater village in the first place.”
Ylfus pleaded desperately,
“Right? That goat’s insane. Why not stop this madness, cut these chains with that knife, and wait for my knights to arrive? I’ll give you gold equal to my weight.”
The boar man burst into a coarse laugh.
“Hey! Do you know the secret to how my crow friend and I have stayed alive, hiding out in this dump? It’s simple: we serve only one employer at a time.”
Holding up the sharp blade to inspect its edge, he continued,
“Look, I don’t care who you are. Doesn’t matter! I’m just the hand holding the knife, and the employer’s the head. If the hand tries to split the head in two? That’s suicide!”
The crow twisted his body as he let out a raucous laugh.
“I just want to dig out some eyeballs. I hope the master lets me take one.”
“Ask later,” the boar replied. “For now, let’s drain some of that brute’s strength. Wrap the chain around his neck and hang him from the altar.”
Terrified, Ylfus curled his body and kept rambling,
“Hey, guys! How can you do something so wicked to a poor man like me—battered inside and out from the battlefield? Let’s talk this out!”
The crow, circling behind him, snapped sharply,
“Shut up already!”
The crow wrapped a chain around Ylfus’s neck.
At that moment, Ylfus suddenly jerked upright, slamming the back of his head into the crow’s jaw.
Thunk!
The sound was like metal smashing against rock. The crow didn’t even have time to scream before blood gushed from his mouth and nose as he collapsed backward.
“Crow!” the boar shouted angrily, his breath heavy as he charged, raising his knife.
Just as the boar brought the blade down toward Ylfus’s neck, Ylfus dropped flat on his back. He then kicked the boar’s chest with both feet, which were still bound together.
Bam!
The sound was like a battering ram striking a castle gate.
“Urgh!”
The boar flew backward like a man kicked by a horse, crashing into a row of benches with a loud clatter. He lay still, unmoving.
Panting, Ylfus sat back up.
“That scared the life out of me!”
He gritted his teeth and strained his arms, which were still bound behind his back.
“Gahhh!”
But it was difficult to exert strength with his arms tied so awkwardly.
“Phew…”
He closed his eyes, breathing heavily. He had to save Cinq.
If they were willing to do such terrible things to him, who knew what horrors they’d inflict on her?
He steadied his breathing and, for the first time in a long while, prayed to his god.
“My Lord, I know I am far from a worthy apostle. I shed my paladin’s armor and ventured into godless battlefields, using Your command to cherish all life as an excuse to take a wife. But, my Lord, I have returned alive because I loved Your teachings and the life You granted me. Here stands Your daughter, radiant as if crafted by Your hands, shining even in the muck. Through her, I understand Your will completely. Please grant me the strength to protect her…”
With clenched teeth, Ylfus opened his eyes wide. He poured every ounce of strength into his wrists bound by chains, pulling them apart.
Snap!
The sound of breaking chains echoed.
***
Cinq stood atop the sharp, slanted roof, gasping for breath.
“Haa, haa…”
At the point where the roof connected to the tower, there was a small door. She tried opening it, but it didn’t budge, seemingly locked from the inside.
She turned her gaze toward the temple’s main building on the opposite side of the steep gabled roof.
Would there be an entrance over there, too?
Even if there was, what if it was locked from the inside, just like this one?
She would be stranded on the roof.
Cinq looked down over the edge of the roof. The drop was dizzyingly high. If she fell, she’d be seriously injured.
Getting hurt wasn’t just about the pain—it would leave her incapable of doing anything. She wouldn’t be able to save Ylfus or escape the temple to summon the knights.
As she searched for options, her eyes caught sight of a large barn in the shadowy part of the temple grounds. Fortunately, it was surrounded by stacks of straw used as feed for the horses.
