Only then did Xiya notice the dagger lodged in the priest's neck.
Dick shook out his wrist. He hadn't expected such a technique to become available after activating his Witcher Senses a second time. Once he marked the location of someone's heart, he could sense that mark, a mingling of red and darkness, in his mind even with his back turned.
Then he could throw a dagger while the target wasn't paying attention and kill them with the right angle.
He turned around and looked at the priest, who was still twitching.
Dick crouched down, gripped the dagger, and gave it a hard twist. The priest died instantly.
He wiped the blood off the dagger on the priest's robe, then cut the ropes binding the apprentice sorceress.
"Are you all right?"
Xiya stared blankly at Dick without speaking.
Dick wondered if Xiya had been brutally tortured earlier.
But apart from a few ligature marks on her wrists, there weren't any other marks on her.
The next moment, a warm, fragrant body nestled into his arms. Xiya clung tightly to Dick and said, "Thank you, Dick. I really didn't expect you to be the one who came to save me."
Dick relaxed inwardly and finally deactivated his Witcher Senses.
The dozen or so minutes of stealth and assassination had been neither particularly long nor short, but keeping his dual Witcher Senses active to mark the locations of his enemies' hearts had left him utterly exhausted.
He gently patted Xiya's back. "All right, it's all over. Let's leave."
Xiya murmured her assent. Her cheeks were already slightly flushed. She didn't know why she had suddenly found the man before her so dependable that she had acted so rashly.
The door swung open with a clack, and Kebi declared with determination written all over his face, "Xiya, I've come to save you..."
Then all he saw was the two of them embracing.
"You... you two...
"It seems I've come at the wrong time."
For a moment, Kebi froze, his expression shifting. He seemed to understand why Xiya had rejected him.
"No, you've come at just the right time. I'll need your help with something shortly," Dick said with a smile.
"Thank you for coming to my rescue, Kebi."
The apprentice sorceress gently pulled out of Dick's arms and looked solemnly at the apprentice knight.
Though her words were respectful, they held no trace of affection, and she offered no explanation of her relationship with Dick.
Dick tried to explain, "The two of us aren't..."
Kebi merely waved a hand, cutting him off. "I understand. I understand everything.
"I was wondering why Lady Xiya rejected me. Though I'm the lord's son, she's a sorceress. It's just as she said: she's long-lived and is destined not to be with an ordinary person.
"And witchers are long-lived too. Why didn't I think of that before? Don't worry, Dick. I won't rashly intrude on you two again."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Wait." Kebi turned back in astonishment. "Dick, after all this, do you still want to mock me?"
"We'll leave together in a moment. But before we go, let's take all the horses in their stable. There are over a dozen fine horses there. They should be useful to your Odinburg."
"You're right to remind me. Business comes first."
"And..." Dick paused thoughtfully. "I smelled a strong stench of blood and corpses in a room nearby. They should be the villagers' bodies. Let's go take a look together."
Hearing this, Kebi stopped dwelling on matters of romance and nodded solemnly. A moment later, the three of them arrived outside that room.
Dick was about to open the door when Kebi said, "My father is the lord of this land. Let me open it."
At that, Dick stopped and took two steps back with Xiya.
The apprentice knight opened the door, took a single look, and immediately shut it.
Then he crouched on the ground and vomited.
After a long while, he stood up and wiped the filth from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with fury. "Those bastards aren't human at all!
"Dick, what should we do? We can't dig a pit and bury these villagers' bodies now, can we? There isn't enough time."
"Burn them. Burn them all."
"What? Though there aren't any living people here now, people will still live here once the war is over."
"Since we don't have time to bury the bodies, we'll burn them all."
Dick explained, "These bodies will gradually attract Ghouls and Rotfiends. The bacteria breeding on those two types of monsters will turn this into an uninhabited zone of disease. By then, no one will be able to live here anyway."
"Then we'll do as you say."
Then Xiya said, "Let me."
With a flick of her wrist, a fist-sized fireball appeared in her palm. She waved her hand lightly, and the fireball struck the thatch on the roof, setting the house ablaze.
Watching the flames grow, Dick reminded them, "We need to leave now."
Both of them immediately understood what he meant:
The smoke billowing here might well draw those Jatu soldiers back.
They returned to the stable. Xiya mounted one of the horses, while Kebi found a rope and linked the horses' halters together.
Kebi certainly had a knack for it. He actually managed to get the horses to follow him obediently.
Along the way, Xiya relaxed considerably and even began chatting and laughing with them.
Kebi, too, seemed to have adjusted his attitude. He no longer fawned over her as before, instead becoming a courteous young gentleman who knew how to keep his distance.
As for Dick, he chimed in now and then, feeling a little surprised inwardly.
Because a notification had appeared on his panel:
Commission completed. Energy Points gained: 50. Total Energy Points: 150.
A commission? Who gave me a commission?
But after a moment's thought, Dick understood. It was a commission from Kebi.
Before Dick infiltrated the village, Kebi had said, "You must save my father or Miss Xiya."
Dick rubbed his chin.
Could that count as a commission too?
I'd thought I'd get nothing out of this. I didn't expect an extra reward.
Soon, they arrived outside Odinburg, whose gates were already tightly shut.
When the wary soldiers on the walls saw them, they immediately waved their arms. The gates slowly opened a crack, and the group led the horses inside. The two soldiers behind the gates quickly lifted the bar and secured them again.
"Why the rush?" Kebi asked Fisher, who stood before him.
"Young Master Kebi, we spotted signs of the Jatu nearby earlier. They might attack the castle."
"Attack the castle? How is that possible? Though we don't have many soldiers in the castle right now, the Jatu are all cavalry."
Fisher looked at Dick. "They have a priest who's tamed a few trolls-Rock Trolls."
"What? Those creatures are enormous, practically impervious to blades and spears, and unafraid of arrows. They can also lift stones weighing several hundred pounds and hurl them at the walls. In other words, they're using those Stone Trolls as catapults," Kebi said in surprise.
"That's right. From a distance, we did see two Stone Trolls, and they even seemed to be there willingly.
"So, Dick, we'll need your help defending the castle when the time comes. After all, you're a professional witcher."
Before Dick could answer, Xiya objected from beside him. "Though Dick is a witcher, he doesn't interfere in your worldly affairs. Witchers adhere to the principle of neutrality."