The Guardian Chef

Warning!
This chapter contains strong and possibly disturbing content so... be prepared.

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***(?????'s POV)***

"There is no trace of the bandits we hired to raid Fago"

"What?! It's already the sixth group!" I exclaimed banging my fist on the table "Where the hell has all those bandits disappeared?!"

"With your permission, we're sure everyone has reached the hiding place we found for them, but the next day they all disappeared."

“It makes no sense that they disappeared into thin air! They knew they would be paid at the end of the job! They could refuse right away!"

"We have hired four other groups and they will arrive near Fago tomorrow."

“This time make sure they don't disappear. I'll go there personally and keep an eye on them."

"My lady?! Isn't too rash?"

"Shut up! I can't miss this opportunity"

"Opportunity?"

“They are in that village. I can't afford to waste any more time. I can't afford to miss the opportunity. Our future is at stake!"

***(Graeval's POV)***

The Harvest Festival will begin tomorrow and to the surprise of the village, word got out that Sarity and her highness Cordelia will be attending this celebration. Eventually, they had arrived before the actual convoy, which arrived practically the next day, to mask their arrival. A suitable precaution in my opinion. You never know what might happen.

Well, I'm partly happy with their intentions. Merchants of particularly important companies, once they received the news, rushed here intending to be able to have even the smallest connection with the wives of the Hero and therefore with Jack. Not just merchants. Some nobles belonging to the various factions also rushed. It seems difficult to have an audience with the Hero and he rarely accepts the various invitations using as an excuse the fact that the reforms issued are taking up all his time.

However, even if positive things happen, annoying ones follow. With the incredible increase in attendees, the provisions that will have to be used for the party may very likely not be enough, which forces me to change the menu and the quantity.

Although most of the nobles prefer to camp with their entourage as the only inn in the village is not "suitable" for them, their arrogance can be felt everywhere, even though they are not present. Not even my restaurant was spared and I was forced to ask her highness for help to prevent selfish knights or nobles from forcing me to "force my hand". The business has increased, but psychological fatigue has tripled.

I feel the need to kill someone.

***(Elliot's POV)***

Usually, the light of the moon allows you to see a little despite the darkness, but at the time it was covered by a passing cloud. Our gang had camped here on the advice of the guy who hired us and certainly the offer they made us is very attractive: 5 gold coins each and the possibility of keeping the loot and the women captured in Fago. Who knows what special that village has for wanting to attack it at any cost?

Maybe it has who knows what value though since it hasn't been raided by other gangs yet, it will still be full of riches and beautiful women. However, there is something special... but I don't remember what.

“Hey, Elliot! You're not sleeping, are you?!"

“Ugh! Of course not Lizette!"

Lizette is a member of the gang that joined before me. She is one of the few women who has been accepted and is a tough nut to crack. Although not very skilled with the bow, she is an excellent fighter. She refuses to tell anyone about her past but rumors say that was a former army officer.

"I was just thinking..."

"What were you thinking about to get distracted like this?"

"How flat you are..." I whispered so as not to be heard but somehow she heard me as there is a knife stuck in the trunk of the tree I climbed up

"I think I heard wrong... can you repeat?"

Why do women like her always have that complex?! I wondered awed by his thirst for blood

“I meant… who knows why they are all fixed with this village. I mean, there are only farmers."

“It seems you just don't understand. That village... Fago right? It is the birthplace of the Saint"

"Huh? Aren't we going to find ourselves in a lot of trouble?"

“We already are, so what does it matter if another one is added? Also, it seems that at this moment, many nobles are gathering in that place."

"But then won't it be better defended than a fortress?!"

"Not during the party... probably"

"When you say it like that, I'm really worried..."

“Hey, it's the boss who comes up with the plans. We just have to do what we were paid for."

The boss she nominated has built up a reputation in the southern areas. There is no one there who does not know the name of Shark Carlisle responsible for the raiding of numerous villages and the assault on various merchant caravans. He's ruthless but his hobbies are-

Frush

Suddenly I heard a rustle and nocked an arrow ready to shoot. Lizette has also been preparing for a possible confrontation. A figure came out from behind a bush. The cloud covering the moon at that moment was gone and the white moonlight illuminated the figure. It was a humanoid probably wearing what appears to be plain dark clothing; the hood and the cream cloak with the red interior is well-used, with holes and tears in several places but despite this, it seems to give it a solemn air. It stopped a few feet from the tree we had climbed and looked towards us. Under that hood, there was an iron mask.

I felt it... the eyes I couldn't see were staring at me, looking at me. The stranger's right hand was turned towards me, noticing that it was gloved. Instinctively, I stretched my bow to shoot the arrow-

Kakrack!

It was a dry and thundering sound, lightning seemed to sizzle in the hand of the humanoid figure but above all, I no longer felt my stomach and my right shoulder. I looked at those points: I had a hole in my stomach and my right arm was gone. Pain hit me.

"AA-!!!"

I do not know when it happened, that being was in front of me and hit me at the height of the throat blocking my scream. Lizette attacked him but as if nothing had happened, the figure blocked my superior's ax and then grabbed her by the throat.

Before the darkness enveloped me, I heard the figure say

"Thanks for the information."

***(Graeval's POV)***

Always... the usual... place... it is certainly a well-hidden point since it is quite far from the main street and quite forward. But what I keep asking myself is... why exactly that place since there are others very similar or with identical characteristics? Well... at the moment it doesn't matter.

I eliminated the two sentries from before with simplicity, even if I had to make a good mental foray into the woman since she seemed to have a certain importance, getting it right. I managed to figure out the organization of the camp, the number of bandits, the name of the chief, and his pastime. It's typical of bandits to kidnap women for their pleasure... but Lizette didn't seem to want to know about which the boss chose... apparently she managed to get that information out of her head. Anyway, even if getting into other people's heads is a great way to get information, I don't like to use this power much as I think it is unethical and as a side effect, it causes the victim's brain to explode. Well, whether by my hand or someone else's, she was still sentenced to death...

Now, let's try to enter the camp without attracting attention and since it is night there is no better time to enter. Focusing on the shadows generated by both the light of the moon and the campfire, it seemed to open a passage for me, and stepping into it, I was enveloped by it. I walked in the shadows. Nobody could see me. My target is that guy's tent... Shark Carlisle. Since he's the one who keeps the women he raids with him, I think it's the most immediate choice, so I don't have to worry so much about hostages or hitting innocent people afterward.

Arrived in front of the chief's tent, I made sure that there was no one around and went out of the shadows that had allowed me to get there. I moved the curtain back.

I shouldn't have done that.

That being... had his back to me but what he was doing ignited a wave of anger and disgust inside me that I had rarely felt: he was on top of a little girl... he beat her and raped her at the same time... her eyes were empty and yet she was crying... he laughed and enjoyed seeing her like this.

That filthy man wasn't a man... murder... rape... child abuse...

Even though I am aware that a few seconds have passed since I first laid eyes on that godless pedophile, it seemed to me that hours and every minute of those hours, hate, anger, disgust... I couldn't take it anymore!

I took it on the head and even if he had noticed it... it was too late. I projected into his mind and soul the most terrible horrors he and I have ever seen in our limited lives. Death would not be enough... he had to suffer, he had to scrape the bottom of despair and try every carnal torture.

I was just killing them out of pity. All the bandits I killed so far I just killed them. Instead this time I will kill him and make sure his soul suffers before passing away. No matter how much he begs me. For the first time in this life, I will unleash all my ruthlessness.

I gagged that scum even before it could open its mouth and threw it to the ground.

"MMMMHHH! MMMMMMMMMHHHH!!!"

It writhed as if for the beast it was. The physical pain caused by my manipulation of the blood vessels made the blood boil, tearing them apart, repairing them, and tearing them again where it would hurt him the most, while his soul and mind were torn apart by pain and despair. I've said it before... it won't have a quick and painless passing like the others. It will be only pain and despair, repeated until I feel that he has suffered enough.

As I left the excrement to the torture I imposed on him, I turned to the little girl who was on the cot. She was not just a child, but a high elf. Her dull eyes are clear blue, while her hair is blond. The constant mistreatment had ruined what must have been a beautiful face, while the calm breathing despite the tears made me realize that he drugged her. With the muffled screams in the background, I gently squeezed the child's hand and began to infuse my vitality into her, as I had done with Lilith the first time. The tears were still beginning to fall. She couldn't because of the drugs... but she wanted to cry with all his heart.

"MMMMMDDGGGH!!! MMMMMMMMMMHHHHHHH!!!"

For every tear I saw, the unclean are suffering increased.

After a while, the elf stopped crying and closed her eyes which had turned red from crying. I let go of her hand and got up. A rustle and immediately summoned some psychic lightning bolts in my hand ready to throw them. I was alarmed for nothing. That rustle came from what looks like a square table with a tablecloth. There was someone down there. When I lifted the veil slightly, I noticed that there was a metal base with many legs. At the thought that it could be a cage and what it could contain, my heart squeezed again.

"MGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

I went to the other side of the cage and lifted the veil just enough to reveal its side... other girls... two of the beastman race and one of the human race. Seeing me they were frightened and moved to the other side as far as possible from me.

They were terrified to the core. That was the first reaction they would have had after experiencing what I saw earlier.

I pulled down my hood and then took off my mask. I looked at them softly

"It's okay... now I'm taking you away from this nightmare." I stretched my consciousness, entered their minds, teasing more and more their sleepiness and when they fell asleep, I manipulated their memory center so that they could only have good dreams. “Forgive me... if I didn't arrive earlier. Forgive me for my ignorance." a tear ran down my cheek.