Not a barbarian warrior.

The sound of water overflowing and bubbling came from inside the wooden barrel. Eugene watched quietly. As the bubbles rising from the water gradually subsided and the guy’s struggles weakened, Eugene quickly lifted his face again.

“Puhoo…!”

Eugene thrust his frowning face at the guy. The guy was trembling like a puppy, apparently terrified.

“I-I’m sorry. Please have mercy-”

“Shut up. Just answer the questions I ask.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Where did the kids go?”

“K-Kids, you say?”

As soon as the guy asked back, Eugene shoved him into the wooden barrel again. Seeing that he didn’t reflexively answer, it seemed he still needed more education. After going in and out of the water once more, the guy immediately gave Eugene the answer he wanted.

“Puhoo…! E-Emir! Emir’s gang recently started a new business!”

“What business.”

“They said it’s a business of taking in street children and… um… sending them to a good place for a small fee.”

“A good place?”

“As, as far as I’ve heard… I don’t know where, but anywhere would be a good place for the children in these back alleys, wouldn’t it…? Hehe…”

What nonsense about a good place. If they’re really lucky, they might be sold as servants to work under a noble or wealthy merchant, but nine times out of ten…

“It’s obviously either a mine or one of the brothels around here. You call that a good place? You son of a bitch…”

“Urgh…!”

With a splash, the guy’s face sank below the water surface again. He felt wronged. Why was he being made a scapegoat for something he didn’t do? Moreover, a mine or a brothel? This was the first time he had heard of such things.

While the guy was struggling again, Eugene fell into thought. What should I do now? He couldn’t irresponsibly go to the priestess and say, ‘I heard they were sold to a good place. Poor things… But at least they’re alive, isn’t that enough?’ Ah… damn. Things are getting complicated.

Eugene lifted the guy’s head again and said:

“Haah… You said Emir? Guide me to where that bastard is.”

“Puhoo…! Huk… Heuk… I-I don’t know…! How would I know where he is right now?”

The guy answered while breathing roughly. And he immediately regretted it. He had a feeling he would be shoved into the water again. As soon as he felt strength entering his nape, he opened his mouth again.

“…Wait! I know a few shops they operate.”

“Good. Then we’re going there.”

Eugene showed a satisfied smile. The guy inwardly let out a sigh of relief and immediately took the lead.

“Let’s go this way. I’ll lead the way.”

“Before that.”

Before leaving, Eugene approached the woman who had been repeating her request to find her daughter.

“What’s your daughter’s name?”

A very faint light appeared in the eyes of the woman who had lost her mind after losing her child.

“…Laura. It’s Laura…”

“Laura, I’ll remember.”

“Please…”

As Eugene nodded, her eyes lost their light again and became dull. Eugene looked at her with a pitiful expression and hurried his steps.

The first place Eugene headed to was a gambling den said to be operated by Emir’s gang. Arriving in front of an old, dilapidated building with numerous cracks on its outer walls, Eugene growled at the guy who had volunteered to guide him:

“You go in first.”

“Huh…? If they find out I’m acting as an informant, I’m a dead man. Hehe…”

The guy rubbed his hands together, begging for mercy. However, Eugene had no time for that right now.

“Do you want to die later by Emir’s hands, or right now by mine? Choose.”

“I want to live as long as possible, my lord…”

“Then open it.”

“Ugh…”

“By the way, you’ll die if you try to run away too.”

“…”

The guy, now confirmed as Eugene’s dedicated informant, cursed inwardly and opened the door. The door, as worn-out as the building, creaked as it opened. It was as if it was announcing the arrival of a new guest.

Entering the dim interior, people in shabby clothes sat at tables, each rolling dice or fiddling with wooden cards.

Eugene walked past the tables with the informant to the innermost part. Approaching a bald man who seemed to be running this gambling den, Eugene said:

“Where’s Emir?”

“…? Who the hell are you to casually call the boss’s name? You wanna die?”

Realizing immediately that verbal communication wouldn’t work, Eugene reached inside his robe. What was needed at times like this was not words, but sincere dialogue with the body.

Thwack!

As the iron mace struck the bald man’s head directly, he collapsed with a painful groan.

Meanwhile, as Eugene caused a commotion, the bald man’s comrades who had been sitting in the corner immediately got up and rushed in.

“Who the hell is this guy?”

“Just grab him! The guy in the robe and the one standing next to him too!”

“Eek…!”

The informant perceptively ducked under a nearby table. The other people who had been enjoying gambling escaped outside. Eugene moved his body to avoid being surrounded by the guys rushing in from all directions.

With one step, his body shot out like an arrow. Although Emir’s gang were guys who had rolled around in the back alleys for a long time, they were no match for Eugene.

The weapons they held were at best knives that weren’t rusted, or clubs made of wood. Moreover, they weren’t wearing any armor. This was a big difference compared to Eugene, who was wearing armor.

“Die!”

One guy shouted and swung a knife at Eugene. Eugene swung his mace, smashing the guy’s hand along with the knife.

“You son of a bitch!”

Then another guy swung a club. Eugene lightly blocked it and kicked the guy’s solar plexus. The guy flew backwards, tumbling along with tables and chairs he knocked over.

Eugene swung his arm diligently. He broke chairs flying at him and tended to the head of the guy who had thrown the chair with his mace. His touch was so gentle that the guy immediately fell asleep as if collapsing.

The dull sound of cutting through the air continued to ring out. The noisy gambling den became quiet in an instant. In the silence, only a few faint groans could be heard.

“No more? Is this the end?”

“Ah, it seems so, my lord…”

The informant who had been hiding under the table came out and answered.

Eugene approached the bald man he had knocked down first. He slapped the smooth scalp with his palm, and the guy responded with a groan.

“I’ll ask again. Where is Emir? And where are the children you kidnapped?”

“You… fucking… bastard…”

“That’s not the answer I want. Hey, informant.”

“Yes.”

“Go inside and see if there’s a jar or wooden barrel filled with water.”

“As you command.”

The informant quickly searched the interior of the gambling den. After a while, he came back struggling with a jar of suitable size.

“Well done.”

“Thank you. Hehe…”

Eugene repeatedly dunked the bald man’s head into and out of the water-filled jar. As a result, the guy spilled everything he knew about where Emir and the children were.

“It’s truly an amazing method…”

“Water always knows the answer. Now, we move again.”

“Um… my lord… couldn’t you let me go now, and take this bald guy instead…?”

“Hmm, what should I do…”

Eugene tapped the water-filled jar lightly. Then the informant changed his words as if nothing had happened.

“Let’s move quickly! I’ll guide you by the fastest route!”

“Alright.”

The next place Eugene headed to was a brothel.

After walking for a long time through muddy roads and winding alleys, at the end were old buildings crowded together. As they got closer, the air seemed to become increasingly stale.

The informant guided him to one of the buildings with a red rose painted on it. As they approached the entrance, two rough-looking men blocked Eugene.

“Entrance fee first.”

“Ah.”

As if he hadn’t thought of it, Eugene reached inside his robe. Instead of a money pouch, he took out the mace and swung it immediately.

Thwack! Thwack!

After paying the entrance fee with two swings of the iron club, he quietly opened the door and went inside. As he opened the door, stuffy air along with a stench poured out. It was a mixture of old mold, foul body odor, rotten alcohol and perfume, and tobacco smell.

Eugene walked down the corridor while covering his nose. The old wooden floor creaked. Along the corridor were tightly closed doors in a row. Small sounds leaked from inside the doors. They were sounds of flesh slapping as men and women mixed their bodies, women’s moans mixed with pleasure, and men’s rough breathing.

“Let’s start from here.”

“Then I’ll check the other rooms.”

“Come when I call.”

“Yes.”

Eugene swung his mace towards the closed door. With a crack! sound, a round hole appeared in the barred door. He looked inside through the hole. A couple in the midst of lovemaking was frozen with surprised expressions. Seeing this, Eugene muttered.

“Hmm, not here.”

He immediately moved to the door next to it. Again, he made a hole slightly larger than a fist and looked inside.

“Kyaa!”

“Not here either.”

Eugene repeated this act with an expressionless face.

Before long, he found small shadows crouching inside a room. He reached his hand through the hole in the door, opened the latch, and went inside.

The crouching shadows trembled. Eugene slowly approached and opened his mouth.

“This is not a place for you to be. Let’s go home now.”

As he carefully extended his hand, one of the trembling shadows, a child, spoke in a small voice.

“I… I want to see my mom…”

“Alright. Let’s go to your mom. Uncle will take you there.”

“Really…?”

Eugene nodded. The children, who had been huddled together relying on each other’s body heat, got up and approached him. As he led the children out into the corridor, the informant appeared.

“What are you going to do now?”

“First, we take the children to a safe place. Then we catch that bastard Emir.”

At those words, the informant spoke with a resolute face.

“I’ll take the children. I have a hideout that I often use…”

Eugene looked at him with an indifferent expression.

“How can I trust you? You’re coming with me.”

It was the moment Eugene opened the door and stepped outside the building. Dozens of strong men standing surrounding the outside looked at him. They were all holding weapons.

“…”

Eugene naturally closed the door again, then turned his head and said to the informant.

“Take the kids into an empty room.”

“…Yes.”

Eugene temporarily sheltered the children inside and opened the door again. He, standing guard at the entrance, opened his mouth.

“Is there a guy called Emir here?”

Then one guy standing behind the strong men revealed himself. He was a man with a face that resembled a rat.

“So you’re the one who’s been looking for me?”

“Don’t ask, just answer. I asked if you’re Emir.”

“Yeah. I’m Emir.”

That saved some trouble. Now that I see him, he’s not a dog bastard but a rat bastard. Eugene immediately gripped the mace he was holding tightly.

The guy opened his mouth with a relaxed expression, apparently trusting his subordinates standing behind him.

“Now it’s my turn to ask… The one who suddenly appeared, destroyed my shop and ran away-”

Thwack-!

Eugene rushed in instantly and planted the heavy mace into the rat bastard’s solar plexus.

Then, looking down at the guy who had collapsed with a thud, he answered.

“Yeah. That’s me.”