CHAPTER 71**
The Dog Keeper, Grolbag Hound, was completely smashed.
In Aranseol's eyes, there was boundless, deep contempt.

"Hmm, Aranseol, you awakened an Attribute?"

Sohan spoke as if surprised.

"Is it thanks to Harua?"

"I did put in some effort."

When I subtly appealed, Aranseol nodded.

"That's right, it's thanks to Harua."

To think she would admit it so obediently.
Sohan looked back and forth between Aranseol and me, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, it should be fine."

He seemed to want to say something but held it back.

"I really prepared a lot of magic, though."

Then, Babiyen and Horizon appeared together.
Holding her staff, she expressed her disappointment fully.
Don't do that.
If you shoot that, Monghwagol will catch fire.

"Sohan, help move that thing."

"I hate touching men."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Sohan and I carried Grolbag and took him outside Monghwagol's main building.
It was a room on the outskirts that we had pre-arranged by asking Horizon and Karuang.
Grolbag swallowed groans intermittently, but Sohan skillfully put him back to sleep.
A short while later, upon arriving at the room, we tied Grolbag tightly to a pillar.

"Everyone, go stay at Monghwagol. You worked hard too, Sohan."

"Will you be okay alone?"

When Aranseol asked, I nodded.
Actually, if everyone is here, I end up walking on eggshells.

"Harua, don't overdo it."

"Anyway, I wish he would stop trying to take everything on by himself."

Aranseol and Babiyen left one comment each and departed.
Horizon also bowed to me and left.

"Harua."

Lastly, Sohan spoke to me.

"I don't know what happened to you for a while, but you've changed a bit."

Have I changed?
Well, it's not like I've only been through one or two things.
I've already been killed more than once or twice.
They say people change after overcoming death; I can't even guess how much I might change.

"I don't know if it's in a good direction, but don't be too impatient. You'll get sick doing that."

Impatience.
It certainly wasn't wrong.
War approaching right under our noses.
The situation changing drastically.
Having seen everything from the side, all I have is powerlessness. Perhaps in such a situation, I became impatient for no reason.

"I'll keep it in mind."

Sohan smiled briefly and walked out of the room.
Everyone talked like that, but I could feel their presence waiting outside the room.
I can't stop them from doing that.
After the others left, I pulled a dagger from my waist.
Since the day I tortured the No-Named Killer with Inferno.
In my mind, I came to handle the uncivilized people of this world—especially the ones who were more beast-like—without mercy.
As Sohan said, it seems I have changed.
Since I no longer have hesitation in these actions.
Slice!
I cut the tendon of Grolbag's leg.
Holy Magic involves studying the human body in detail.
So I knew exactly where the tendons were located.
Grolbag's eyes trembled as if he felt the pain while unconscious.
He seems likely to wake up soon.
So I opened his eyelid and aimed my finger in front of it.
Snap!
The moment I snapped my fingers, light flashed.

"Keuhak!?"

Startled by the intense light, Grolbag opened his eyes.
Having regained consciousness, he made a confused expression.
Then, as if recalling what had happened to him, he curled his legs. At the same time, he seemed to discover the blood streaming from his leg where the tendon was cut.

"Ugh, keuhuk, what, w-what is..."

"Hello, Grolbag."

When I greeted him, Grolbag looked up at me.
His eyes looking at me were shaking roughly.

"Y-you, what grudge do you have against me to do this?"

"You tried to assault my most cherished friend. Of course, I punish you."

Tried to assault a friend.
Hearing those words, Grolbag recalled Aranseol and made a ghastly pale face.
Of course, that was a trap I set, but there was no reason to tell him that.

"T-that, if it's about that, I apologize. I only did it because I thought she was a woman of Monghwagol!"

"Even though Karuang said she was a visiting acquaintance, you didn't listen."

"Kueuuugh, i-if you're a man, isn't it understandable!"

"I don't understand. How dare an uncivilized beast pretend to be like a human."

Grolbag bit his lip tight.
Since I wouldn't listen no matter what he said, he looked like he was going crazy.

"......Damn it, I was trying to let it go nicely."

Grolbag ground his teeth and flashed murderous intent in his eyes.

"Do you know who I am to do this?"

"You're the Dog Keeper."

"Yeah, I'm the Dog Keeper, huh?"

"Acting all high and mighty just for being the head of the assassin guild Hound. You. Do you know who you messed with?"
Judging by his look, he seemed to want to try suppressing me with his rank, but he had the wrong address—way wrong.

"The girl you tried to touch, that child is the Sword Lord's disciple."

"Huh, huh?"

At the completely unexpected answer, Grolbag's face went blank.
The Sword Lord.
That name was something the Dog Keeper also knew very well.

"And you are a dog-bastard holding hands with the Red Flame Lord."

Grolbag's face began to turn pale white gradually.
He had finally realized that he was caught in a trap.
It is already a well-known fact that the Sword Lord is chasing the Red Flame Lord.
In such a situation, since he joined hands with the Red Flame Lord, he had nothing to say even if he was killed along with her.

"I-I am not! I just, received a request!"

Grolbag's tone changed in an instant.
He held hands with the Red Flame Lord and even tried to touch the Sword Lord's disciple.
It was a situation where he had nothing to say even if the Sword Lord appeared and cut off his head at any moment.
As soon as he realized that fact, he became infinitely servile.

"Grolbag."

I sat next to Grolbag.
Then, without hesitation, I stabbed the dagger into his leg.
Blood sprang up along the dagger.
Grolbag held his breath for a moment then let out a scream.
The soundproofing magic Babiyen cast was working properly. No matter how much he screamed, it wouldn't leak outside.
With the dagger stuck in Grolbag's leg, I activated Holy Magic.
Then the wound on the leg healed with the sword still inside.
Then I slowly moved the handle of the dagger.

"Kueuuuuh, a-aaack!"

Groans of pain flowed continuously from Grolbag's mouth.
Before long, he was even foaming at the mouth.
Having been beaten up in various ways while training with Aigis, I now knew well how people feel pain.
Holy Magic possesses infinite possibilities for torturing people.

"You probably want to confess everything about the Red Flame Lord. Additionally, you probably want to take the Red Flame Lord to the Sword Lord. Right?"

Grolbag's eyes shook roughly.
Even in this situation, I could feel him conflicting.
It must mean the Red Flame Lord is as scary as the Sword Lord. But what he should be afraid of right here wasn't those two people.
I applied force to the dagger and dragged it upwards.
His thigh muscles split, and blood soared.
A few drops splashed on my face, but I didn't care.
Instead, his leg was forcibly recovered by the Holy Magic that seeped in again.
His pain has no end.
It was an action to imprint this on him.

"Grolbag, my Holy Magic skills are quite good."

I pulled out the dagger and healed his leg.
Then, this time, I aimed at his thick stomach.

"So aren't you curious? How long you can last. Ah, of course, you don't have to last. I have a special ability. You'll be able to wake up soon."

Looking at Grolbag, I gave him a Holy Knight-standard smile.
Grolbag's face was becoming worse than a woman wearing white powder makeup.

"The Red Flame Lord is scary, right?"

The dagger advances toward his stomach.

"But the Red Flame Lord just burns you once and it's over. On the other hand."

The dagger slowly digs into his stomach.
Cutting the thick flesh, the blade embedded itself toward the inside.

"I have no end."

He doesn't know yet that I have resurrection magic.
The moment he learns that his death is not an escape.
Grolbag will confess everything.

"S-stop, stop!"

Grolbag trembled his stomach where the dagger was stuck.
I stopped my hand that was advancing the dagger.

"Anything, I'll say anything."

Grolbag spoke with desperation.
That was enough.
I pulled out the dagger and activated Holy Magic.
Grolbag was spilling tears and snot while forcibly holding back the pain.

"Go ahead, speak."

It was the moment I finished speaking.

Snap!
The rope binding Grolbag's body broke. Did he cut the rope while I was torturing him?
A blade was protruding from his wrist. Looking at it, it seemed he had partially modified his body.
Grolbag rushes at me with his eyes rolled back.
Even though the tendons in both legs were cut, he soared up using only arm strength.
The dagger embedded in his wrist flies right in front of my nose.
For Grolbag, it was the last chance.
His dagger aimed exactly for my heart.
Puck!
The dagger digs exactly into the heart.
The moment joy appeared on Grolbag's face, a smile appeared on my mouth as well.

"To think you'd be this happy for me. I'm grateful."

"Huh?"

If he had aimed for the neck, I would have at least reacted.
Since he aimed for the heart, there was no reason to even react.
Because I don't have a heart.
Strength enters my fist fully.
The body trained through Aigis maximized its muscles by infusing Holy Magic.
The opponent is in a state where he can't even move his body properly because the tendons in his legs are cut.
There was no way he could dodge my fist.
Crack!
I slammed my fist into Grolbag's despair-filled face with all my might.
Grolbag's entire face crumpled as he was slammed into the floor.

"Kuh, heu, euuu."

Groans flowed from Grolbag's mouth.
I pulled the blade stuck in my heart, threw it on the floor, and stomped on his hand.
At the same time, buffs began to be granted to my leg along with Holy Magic.
Leg strength becomes increasingly stronger.
Accordingly, Grolbag's wrist that I stepped on began to crush.

"The arm was my last consideration."

"S-s-stop."

Grolbag struggled, realizing belatedly what I was trying to do, but it was too late.

"You don't deserve consideration."

Grolbag's wrist was crushed.
He couldn't even scream anymore and was just gasping.
I stepped on the other wrist as if it were nothing.
A person has two wrists.