The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 652 - 101 - The Village Of Flui (2)

After making sure we had cleaned ourselves, we headed back toward Flui Village.

We could not very well return there while still drenched in blood and reeking of death. So before that, we had gathered the corpses of the bandits we had slain, piling them up like broken dolls at the edge of the clearing. Then, with a wordless nod, Alice set them ablaze using her fire magic. The dry crackle of burning flesh and the rising stench of smoke filled the air, but none of us flinched. It had to be done.

Afterward, we moved to the river to wash away the grime and blood clinging stubbornly to our skin.

"It has been a long time since we last bathed here, has it not, Leon?" Alice asked, her voice carrying a gentle warmth, almost wistful.

"Come to think of it, you are right," I replied, my own tone softened by memories.

When we were children, this river had been our little haven. We used to come here together, splashing around as we bathed, laughing as we cleaned our laundry under the bright sun. The image was so vivid in my mind that it almost hurt. I had not expected her to recall it so clearly either. It was... strangely heartwarming.

"Now that the bandits are gone, we can return here again for our laundry, can we not? They made it impossible before. I could not even do such a simple task properly," Alice said, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"Well, now the river is ours again," I said with a smile. "Now that the bandits have been slain..."

"Yes..." Alice murmured, her gaze drifting toward the gentle flow of water.

Though Alice had assisted us during the battle, she had not taken a single life herself. It was Rose and I who had delivered the final blows. Even in a fight for survival, she had chosen to help without crossing that final, grim line. That spoke volumes about the kind of person she was... kind, even in bloodshed.

"Oh? Leon, look," Rose said, pointing excitedly toward the water.

My eyes followed her gesture, and I saw them. They were sleek shapes darting through the river's crystal-clear depths.

"Oh. Fish..." I muttered in mild surprise. "I did not expect to see fish here... I hardly remember finding any back when we used to bathe here as children."

"Well, it is summer after all," Alice explained, crouching down to observe the river closer. "Sometimes, the waters where they usually live become too hot, so they migrate here."

I nodded thoughtfully. That did make sense. Nature had its ways of surviving.

"Since we are already here, why do we not take a proper bath?" Rose suggested with a bright smile. "And perhaps catch some fish too. You know, for lunch or even dinner."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," I said. Turning to Alice, I asked, "Is that acceptable to you?"

"Yes," she said, returning my smile with a nod. "I am feeling quite hot myself. If not for the smell of burned corpses lingering in the air, this would have been the perfect time. It would be even better if everyone else were here with us."

"That is true," I said, glancing toward the dense forest beyond. "Unfortunately, the forest is far too soaked in blood to let the children enter."

Exposing them to the aftermath of battle with the scorched bodies and the thick scent of blood still hanging heavy in the air was something we could not allow. It would be far too graphic for their innocent eyes.

"Well, for now, we can enjoy it ourselves," Rose said cheerfully. She stepped forward into the river and dipped her feet into the water, letting out a soft sigh of satisfaction. "Ahh... The river feels so cool against the skin..."

"Did you not soak in the bath just last night?" I asked with a slight chuckle.

"That was at night," Rose said, splashing a little water with her toes. "It is much more refreshing to soak your whole body in a running river under the sun than it is to sit in still bathwater, right?"

I had to admit, she had a point.

Following her lead, I stepped into the river as well, letting the cold water envelop my tired feet. A slow, almost intoxicating relief spread through me as the river's current massaged the ache from my muscles. It was a simple pleasure, but one I had missed.

"Now then," I said, beginning to strip off my clothes.

Without hesitation, Rose did the same, peeling off her garments with an ease that spoke of familiarity and confidence.

As I pulled off my shirt, a small, flustered gasp reached my ears. I turned just in time to see Alice staring at me, her crimson eyes wide, before she quickly averted her gaze, her face flushing a deep crimson.

"You really have changed, Leon..." she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You truly have no sense of tact, do you?" Rose teased, casting me a sly glance. "Casually undressing in front of a lady without so much as a warning... Then again, considering how often you have shamelessly removed your clothes before them, I suppose such behavior has become second nature to you."

Though her tone was playful, there was truth beneath her words. I could only laugh awkwardly, accepting the jab.

"Well, that is indeed rude, huh? I'm sorry, Alice."

"No. It's alright. I was just surprised at how much you have muscles. I would have never expected you to have such a good body even though when you are clothed, you are so lean." said Alice. She looked really surprised... and embarrassed.

***

When we finally made it back to the village, I wasted no time. I gathered the villagers around, feeling the heavy weight of their expectant stares pressing down on me.

"The issue regarding the bandits has already been taken care of," I announced clearly, my voice cutting through the tense air like a blade. "For now, I don't think those bastards will dare try anything stupid around here anymore."

"Really?" a doubtful voice piped up from the crowd.

The villagers exchanged uneasy glances, their faces etched with both confusion and suspicion.

I couldn't blame them, honestly. It sounded way too easy, even to me. Problems like bandits didn't just vanish overnight.

"You don't have to worry," I added, trying to sound more reassuring. "I managed to drive them off. They won't be coming back to mess with the village again. Not now, not ever."

Even though my words were firm, I could still see the lingering hesitation in their eyes.

But when Alice stepped forward and calmly explained the situation herself, it was like a switch flipped. The tension in the air loosened.

She was someone they trusted deeply, and her presence alone seemed to soothe their fears.

It felt damn reassuring having her next to me, especially in moments like this.

Several villagers even came up to me afterward, smiling warmly as they recognized me.

They commented on how much I had grown.

Hearing those words from faces I hadn't seen in years... it stirred something deep inside me.

It was a bittersweet kind of warmth, seeing them all again, older now, weathered by time just like I was.

"For now..." I said, clearing my throat as I shifted gears, "can I take this bandit with me?"

One of the older men furrowed his brows deeply. "What exactly are you planning to do with him?"

"I'm going to hand him over to the authorities," I lied without hesitation, keeping my voice steady.

The truth was, this bastard didn't deserve anything resembling mercy.

He had almost raped one of the villagers here—if we hadn't shown up in time, who knows what would've happened?

He deserved a hell far worse than any jail cell.

Right now, he was still out cold, completely unconscious.

We'd messed him up badly, enough to knock him into dreamland for who knew how long.

Still, I wasn't about to let him enjoy a peaceful sleep.

No... he wasn't getting off that easy.

Dragging his limp body away from the curious eyes of the villagers, I set my plan into motion.

First, I secured a noose around his neck, the coarse rope digging into his skin harshly.

I threw the other end over a sturdy tree branch, tying it off with a cruel tightness.

Underneath his feet, I conjured a thick, solid block of ice, giving him just enough surface to stand on... just enough to delay the inevitable.

I wasn't done.

I bound his hands tightly behind his back, making sure he couldn't free himself no matter how much he struggled.

I shoved a gag deep into his mouth too, preventing him from biting off his tongue to escape the fate waiting for him.

There would be no easy way out today.

Only slow, creeping terror.

Grabbing a battered bucket of freezing cold water, I dumped it over his head, the water soaking him instantly, jerking him awake with a violent shiver.

"Hello," I said with a chilling calmness, watching his eyes snap open wide with panic. "Well, not much of a hello, I guess. More like... a goodbye."

I crouched down in front of him, my voice low and steady.

"Right now, you're going to die. Why'd I bother waking you up? Simple... it wouldn't really be a painful death if you stayed asleep, would it?"

His gagged cries filled the air. It was muffled, desperate and pathetic.

"H-Huh? Waiff... Whafff?" he whimpered, tears already pooling in the corners of his eyes.

He twisted and pulled against the ropes, but there was no escape.

His hands were bound too tightly, the noose was snug around his neck, and the block of ice he stood on was already melting under the brutal heat of summer.

Slow at first... but for him, it must've felt terrifyingly fast.

Every small drip of water was a countdown to his death.

I stepped closer, my voice barely above a whisper now.

"The magic circle on your neck... once you die, it'll ignite. It'll burn you up, reducing you to ash," I said.

"That way, no one will have to see just how pathetic your end really is."

Without sparing him another glance, I turned on my heel and walked away.

"W-Whhhaif... Pweasf! Whhaif!" he tried to scream, tried to beg, his body jerking helplessly.

I didn't stop.

I didn't look back.

I just kept walking as the sound of his strangled gasps faded behind me.

And soon enough... he died.