His former hero replied with a nod. “Kobolds are no match for humans, let alone skilled combatants. I am the one who killed those five adventurers.”
“You could have simply stayed silent and let those dogs take the fall.”
“I could never let that happen. It was my fault that harm befell them. But I acknowledge that I should answer for what I have done, and so I am willing to turn myself in.”
“All right, then. We’ll see what the judge has to say once you plead your case.” A sick joy filled Wyatt, twisting his lips into a smirk. He jabbed his chin toward Gaius, and several of the adventurers stepped forward hesitantly to restrain him.
How far the great Gaius Beldarus has fallen. Serves him right. If he’d only stayed on the proper path, he’d still be enjoying life in the castle right now.
Gaius had knelt down to allow his captors to bind him, but he looked up to ask Wyatt, “If I come quietly, do you promise to leave the kobold village alone?”
There wasn’t a single trace of hesitation or regret in his eyes. A strange pain assaulted Wyatt’s chest, and he unconsciously brought a hand to his chestplate. “Why are you going so far to save a bunch of creatures...?!”
Ah, it hurt...it burned, it felt like he was being crushed. The sensation was unbearable.
Wyatt knew full well what was tormenting him: hatred. Hatred borne of a sense of inferiority...and envy. Though he loathed to admit it, once the word came to mind, he knew it was true—he envied Gaius.
Even as he sneered at the impossibly foolish man, who threw away one precious treasure after another and chose to run around with beasts in the forest, Wyatt still envied him. He envied the path Gaius had chosen for himself. That was why he’d been so agitated since their meeting.
And with that realization, in that moment, his fate as Gaius’s enemy was sealed.
“...Are you listening? Sir Wyatt? Do you promise not to harm the kobolds?” Gaius’s voice finally reached Wyatt through the murky haze.
“Of course,” Wyatt replied with a smile. “I promise. We won’t lay a finger on those dogs. Now, please don’t resist arrest, Lord Beldarus.”
“I’m trusting you.”
“And I won’t betray your trust.”
You damned fool. Still playing the hero. Just wait—I’m going to kill every last one of them. But don’t you worry, you’re off to the gallows, so you’ll be joining them soon. Then I won’t have to feel this way anymore.
“Go on then, tie him up,” Wyatt barked at the nervous adventurers. Just as they began to approach Gaius, rope in hand, a voice cried—
“Don’t fall for it!”
A dog—no, a dog-like creature—burst out from the nearby trees.
“No, Rain Grass! I’ve taken care of it!”
“He’s lying to you, Gaius! He’s gonna kill us! I can smell it in his soul.”
Gaius’s head whipped around to face Wyatt, who chuckled.
“‘My soul’...? Lord Beldarus, a talking dog is interesting enough; I had no idea they could be comedians as well. Now please hold still, or my men won’t be able to tie your—”
“You gotta believe me!” Rain Grass cut him off. “Even if this guy was telling the truth, there’s no way I’m gonna let you sacrifice yourself! How could I ever face Fog if I just let you go with him?!”
Wyatt watched as a small smile formed on Gaius’s face as he said, “...You’re right. I shouldn’t be doing this.” Slowly, he spread his arms out and brushed Wyatt’s underlings aside. He met the guildmaster’s gaze, this time with a different sort of resolve burning in his eyes.
“Sir Wyatt. Even after seeing the terrible deeds you ordered your men to commit, I forgot you aren’t a man to be trusted.”
“I don’t follow,” Wyatt replied, drawing his sword. A faint rainbow glow emanated from Sword Eater, his enchanted blade. Seeing the guildmaster unsheath his weapon made the adventurers around him follow suit.
Gaius looked at the glimmering blade in Wyatt’s hand, then looked back into the guildmaster’s eyes. “I’ll ask once more: will you turn back now?”
“I will not!”
It was clear now that there would be no more negotiations.
“That’s disappointing. In many ways.”
“I’m the one who should be disappointed here, Gaius Beldarus.” Wyatt spat out his name as though he’d tasted something foul.
At the same time, the two men took deep breaths, and shouted—
“Attack!”
＊
When Wyatt realized they’d both given the same command, he spun around just in time to see kobolds appearing from between the trees and out of shrubs holding drawn bows.
“Aim for the sorcerers!” Gaius shouted. The kobolds aimed for those holding staves, as well as those wearing only light leather gear and holding no visible weapons.
“Take cover behind those with shields! Quickly!” Wyatt shouted, but the order came too late; the arrows were already loosed. Though the kobolds’ arrows were smaller than what a bow used by a human would shoot, they were effective enough against the lightly armored targets. The five sorcerers caught in the flurry of arrows fell to the ground, writhing in pain. They would most likely not succumb to their wounds, but they were out of the fight for now.
More importantly, this first attack was all it took for the adventurers to lose whatever shred of unity they’d had:
“Damn it all! They got me in the arm!”
“Hey, back off! This shield isn’t big enough to cover both of us!”
“Shoot back at them, already! What’re you just standing around for?!”
“They’re dodging in and out of the trees! I can’t get a good shot!”
Considering the adventurers usually operated alone, it made sense. If anything, they had always been more like rivals, competing for the best quests. Seeing this shameful display, Wyatt growled in frustration before shouting out his next orders.
“Don’t just stand around waiting for the next volley—get in there and attack before they shoot again!”