Hell Mode: Volume 5, page 26
Thankfully, Rosetta’s group reached the gates first. Or so they thought.
“Impudent robber scum! You’re not getting away!”
A knight was waiting for them, weapon in hand. Having no mercy for criminals, he promptly swung his sword at Abel, who had been the one running at the very front.
“AHHHHH!!!”
Suddenly finding himself under attack, Abel froze up and instinctively brought his arms up protectively. However, he was wearing no protective gear; the knight’s sword was going to slice through his arms too.
“ABEL!!!”
That instant, a heat haze sprang up around Rosetta.
“Huh? My sword...?!”
The knight thought his sword had cut through one of the robbers, but instead, he felt himself lose his balance and start to fall. He thrust both hands out to prop himself up in the nick of time. For some reason, Rosetta now had his sword. When he looked up in a daze, the robbers were already through the gates.
“Phew. Thanks for saving me back there, Rosetta.”
“Hm? Oh. Of course. I mean, you’re the one holding all the loot! C’mon, hand it over.”
“Seriously?” Abel smiled wryly as Rosetta snatched the magic bag from his hands.
“I can’t get over it; this bag is super useful! It’s just perfect for what we do.”
The gang had obtained this magic bag when robbing another rich man’s house.
“By the way, Rosetta, what do you think about moving on to another town? There really aren’t any joints left for us to hit up here.”
“You’re right...” Rosetta broke into a cheeky grin. “How about we head to the imperial capital next?”
“Ohhh! Are we finally doing it?!”
After Rosetta’s Ring hopped around some of the major cities within Giamut, word about them had spread, putting all nearby settlements on guard. Naturally, that made it hard for them to find new targets. This was why they had taken to choosing smaller towns like this particular one, but they were nearing their limits under such restrictions. Their only remaining option was to head for the imperial capital, where the most goods and wealth gathered in this nation.
Seeing the confident look on Rosetta’s face, Abel whooped. “Hell yeah! In that case, let’s celebrate our last night here!”
“You’re on fire tonight, Abel!”
Rosetta gave Abel a good ribbing, to which he shrugged, and the rest of the gang burst out laughing together.
Their whole group was made up of children who did not belong anywhere else. More specifically, Rosetta, Abel—who was three years younger than her—and the rest of the crew had grown up together in an orphanage. Giamut was overflowing with orphans after decades of fending off the Demon Lord Army’s advances. For as far back as she could remember, Rosetta’s home had been an orphanage run by a church, her parents were nuns, and Abel and the other kids were her siblings.
Then, everything changed when she turned five.
It was revealed at her Appraisal Ceremony that she possessed the one-in-ten-million Phantom Thief Talent. After that, the nuns made Rosetta study in preparation for attending the Academy. They told her it was a place only those with Talents could attend and that she must not waste this rare gift that the deities had bestowed upon her.
Rosetta had asked what would happen to the other children without Talents. She was told there were plenty of work opportunities in the north, positions where the others would get food, clothes, and shelter. Believing this, she threw herself into her studies and successfully managed to enroll in the Academy.
The adults at the Academy had praised her for her rare Talent and gave her special training on how to effectively harness its abilities. She absorbed everything like a sponge, picking up numerous useful skills. The more she developed her Talent, the more the adults fawned over her, and their praise was exhilarating.
In her second year, Rosetta then learned the truth about what was really happening in the world.
The place with “plenty of work opportunities” in the north for Talentless children the nuns had mentioned was a bloody battlefield where the empire was fighting an endless war against the Demon Lord Army. Many people were sent there each year—if not to fight, then to build fortifications, transport supplies, or carry out any number of countless tasks needed to support the war effort; more than half of them died to monster attacks.
Rosetta ended up sneaking out of the Academy just before her graduation, returning to the orphanage in time to see Abel and other familiar faces getting carted off in a steel cage at the back of a horse-drawn carriage. She promptly used her newly learned skills to free them. Of course, she did not bring them back to the orphanage.
In order to live independently from the adults, she formed a gang of thieves with her friends. At first, she did all the stealing alone and had the rest help secure escape routes for her. However, once she trained them, they each started taking a more active role in heists until the entire group became a full-blown larceny ring. They also picked up more and more homeless orphans in the cities they hit, steadily expanding the size and scale of their operations.
When Rosetta reached adulthood, she led the group to the imperial capital, where they operated for several years.
One night, Rosetta’s Ring infiltrated a noble’s mansion with such lax security that it aroused their suspicions for a moment. However, because they had never once been caught since the formation of their gang, they were confident they could slip away even if the place was trapped. Just as feared, however, the moment they stepped into a particular room in their search for valuables, an alarm rang out.
“I knew it! Okay, we’re outta h— Shit, the window!”
Before the gang reached the window in the room, a steel shutter came down, cutting off their route of escape. They were now literally backed into a corner as the owner of the mansion appeared in the doorway, flanked by knights.
“Heh heh heh, so these are the cat burglars who’ve been tearing the city apart as of late. Rosetta’s Ring, was it? You scum are never seeing the light of day again.”
The noble proudly flaunted the magic tool in his hand, explaining that it was a recent purchase from Baukis that notified him as soon as intruders entered the grounds.
“Capture them alive! They’ve all got bounties on their heads! I’ll be presenting them to His Imperial Majesty as tribute!”
As the knights closed in, Rosetta considered using her skills to get away but remembered that Abel and the rest were all Talentless. She could not bring herself to abandon them and escape by herself, and so the entirety of Rosetta’s Ring was captured and locked up.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day, Hero Helmios happened to be having a meal with the emperor of Giamut. The current emperor believed in properly rewarding capable young people with achievements; for example, Helmios had been born a commoner, but because he had developed his abilities as a Hero and used them for the sake of the empire, he was granted the truly enviable privilege of not only being a duke but also having the right to personally dine with the emperor.
Suddenly, a member of the imperial guard came in. “Reporting, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“Speak.”
“Viscount Unuleus has reported that he has captured all of Rosetta’s Ring.”
“Hm. Is that so.” The emperor swirled his glass of wine. “Go on.”
“All of them are alive. The viscount is asking for further orders.”
“Sounds like the magic tools I passed out to the nobles have come in handy. Hm, let me see...”
Public order in Giamut had been on the decline due to prolonged war with the Demon Lord Army. There were far too many refugees with nowhere else to go forming criminal groups and targeting the homes of prominent people such as nobles. To deal with this situation, the emperor had ordered magic tools useful for crime prevention and sold them to nobles and major merchants at a significant markup.
He now considered what he should do with Rosetta’s Ring as Helmios watched on in silence, expecting some cruel and unusual form of execution.
To the Hero’s surprise, the emperor said, “First, we’ll say that it was Helmios who apprehended them.”
Helmios’s eyes widened in surprise. “Huh? Me?”
“After all, the more achievements you have, the better it is for me.”
Viscount Unuleus might have been the one to capture the gang, using the emperor’s magic tool and whatnot; however, the emperor preferred that Helmios have all the credit, since a boost to Helmios’s reputation meant an increase in his own influence as the Hero’s backer.
Thus, several days later, an official proclamation went out that Rosetta’s Ring was to be executed publicly and that all citizens were encouraged to attend.
＊ ＊ ＊
The night before Rosetta’s Ring was to be executed, Helmios found himself standing within a templelike structure with rows of massive pillars and flagstone flooring. There was a faint mist in the air, and light shone from somewhere. A man was framed within that light in a way that made it impossible to clearly see his face, clothes, or any other aspects of his appearance. However, Helmios recalled having felt his presence before.
“Where...is this? Who are you?”
“My apologies for calling you out so suddenly. I would have reached out through what you call an oracle, but there was no time.”
Helmios immediately caught on. He tried to kneel but found his body refusing to listen to him, almost as if he were half-asleep.
“L-Lord Elmea. Your Holiness.”
The God of Creation waved a hand dismissively. “You don’t need to do that. So, there’s something I must ask of you.”
“Anything, my Lord.”
“Tomorrow, a woman named Rosetta is to be executed—I want you to save her.”
“Are you referring to the thief?”
Helmios recalled that the emperor had indeed announced that Rosetta’s Ring would be executed the next day. All of the members were to be tied up and left to be eaten alive by goblins. Helmios had suggested sending them to the northern battlefront and releasing them if they survived a certain period of service, but the emperor had refused to listen.
“The very one. I have bestowed her with the power to grasp the future. That includes your future too.”
Helmios was just about to ask Elmea to elaborate when his vision shifted and he was back in his room. He sat bolt upright in bed, but found himself alone in the dark.
“The power to grasp the future, huh?”
The Hero peered through the darkness at his own hands.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next morning, Helmios descended a flight of stairs as a few men followed after him in a fluster.
“U-Um, Lord Helmios, why are you...?”
“I just need to talk with her real quick.”
Eventually, the Hero stopped before the cell holding Rosetta. He looked between the bars into the eyes of all the prisoners within, one by one, before eventually stopping on her.
“You. You’re Rosetta?”
“Wh-Who wants to know?”
The other prisoners looked over curiously.
“I’ve come to free you.”
“Huh? ...Really?! Yay!”
Despite having been in custody for a few days, there was still cheer in Rosetta’s voice.
“However, there’s a condition: you have to join my party.”
Hearing this, Abel shouted from the neighboring cell, “Huh?! The hell does that even mean?! Rosetta! Don’t listen to this guy!”
However, Rosetta merely asked in a cool voice, “You’re Hero Helmios, aren’t you?”
Everyone who lived in the imperial capital knew who Helmios was; he was that much of a champion to the people. Of course, Rosetta had also seen his face before from a long distance away.
“That’s right, I am. And my party doesn’t have a scout at the moment.”
More accurately, his entire party—excluding himself, of course—had been massacred by Greater Demonic Deity Kyubel. But he was not lying.
“So you’re asking me to fight the Demon Lord Army?”
Rosetta could not immediately say yes or no. One reason she had run away from the very institution for raising elite troops to face the Demon Lord Amy, was that she did not want to join the war. But there was also another reason.
Helmios caught her meaning and nodded in understanding. “Ah, I see. If you agree to become my party member, then you won’t be the only one I’ll be saving.”
His words had touched on Rosetta’s second reason, the one that meant she could not turn down his offer.
“In that case...”
As Abel continued shouting at her to refuse, Rosetta parted her lips to give her answer.
＊ ＊ ＊
At noon, the residents of the imperial capital of Giamut had filled the seats of the coliseum, waiting for the execution of Rosetta’s Ring to start. The circular stage at the lowest tier of the coliseum was usually where warriors dueled and knights trained. Today, however, the prostrate forms of the thieves whose syndicate had shaken the whole country were on display, their hands and feet bound.
“Dammit! Untie me!” Abel shouted. Despite being trussed up, he still tried to kick the guard who had thrown them onto the stage like mere baggage. The guard easily dodged the swipe, retaliating with a kick to Abel’s stomach with all his strength.
“Hmph!”
“Oof!” Abel gasped for breath as all the air left his lungs.
“Abel!” Rosetta cried in alarm.
“Worry about yourself. You’re all gonna be eaten by goblins anyways,” the guard spat at her, looking down at the pair as if they were hot garbage.
When all of Rosetta’s Ring were onstage, the executioner began reading out their charges into a voice-amplifying magic tool. The audience listened to the reverberating words and filled the air with jeers and verbal abuse of their own. Eventually, the executioner finished and rolled up his scroll. The bars sealing the doorways that lined the bottom tier of the stands were raised, and goblins crawled out from the darkness beyond. They made a beeline for the struggling bandits.
“Gyah, gyah!”
One goblin strutted over to Rosetta licking its lips, clearly in high spirits. It reached out to grab her head, only for its head to suddenly fly off with a psheeew! sound as blood fountained onto the ground.
The audience watched in shock as Helmios, who had wordlessly descended to the stage, went around taking out the dozens of goblins. Even the nobles and the emperor were dumbfounded.
The executioner hurried over. “L-Lord Helmios, what is the meaning of this?”
“I have to talk with Rosetta over there.” Helmios’s usual smile was nowhere to be seen. In a low, intense voice that bordered on a growl, he told the executioner to step back.
“Y-Yes, my lord.”
Helmios then approached Rosetta. As everyone in the coliseum watched with bated breath, he used the orichalcum sword that had killed all the goblins with to cut her ropes.
“Oh, what a miracle!” Rosetta got on her knees and held both hands up to Helmios in a way that seemed almost a charade. “A-Are you here to save me, my lord?!”
“I am.”
“You would forgive one such as myself who has committed acts so unworthy of forgiveness?! You are too kind, my lord!”
“I’m now looking for companions who would fight the Demon Lord Army with me.”
“I would gladly join your cause!”
The audience did not understand what was happening but stayed quiet, letting things unfold.
The Hero turned back toward the executioner. “Can I see that?” he asked, gesturing toward the microphonic magic tool.
“Huh? Uh, of course. Here you go, my lord.” The man handed it over, looking bewildered.
Helmios accepted the mic, then turned to face the audience. “I, Hero Helmios, came here today to invite Rosetta to my party and give her a second chance to use her abilities for the greater good. She has agreed, so I’m calling off her execution.”
The emperor, the executioner, and the nobles could not believe their ears. However, after a beat, applause went up here and there from the spectator seats. The fact that Helmios was forgiving a sinner and accepting her into a party that would be fighting for their homeland had moved the hearts of some people.
As planned, the rest of Rosetta’s Ring, whom Helmios had also freed, began clapping as well. This prompted even more clapping from the audience, creating a chain reaction that eventually ended with thunderous applause and cheers that shook the coliseum’s very walls.
The emperor was about to stand up but realized that this outcome would still garner him influence. Since it was the same either way, he sat back down, satisfied.
“So, why are you making me join your party? What’s the real reason?” Rosetta asked while still smiling toward the audience.
“As I said this morning, I saw in a dream that you are someone who will grasp my future for me.”
“What does that even mean? Forget the future; I want to grasp your heart now.”
A faint smile came over Helmios’s face. “Now that’s a problem. I hope you’ll go easy on me.”
Instead of answering, Rosetta merely grinned.
And so, under the eyes of a whole coliseum of people, Rosetta became a member of Helmios’s party.
Side Story 3: Meruru’s Golem
After parting with Allen’s group at the Academy, Meruru headed for the capital of the Empire of Baukis. There, she regrouped with a large number of Talented students who had been studying at Academies in Baukis or on exchange overseas.
In the war against the Demon Lord Army, Baukis was currently facing twice the enemy’s usual numbers. Although the Demon Lord Army had never once managed to land on Baukis’s shore, the Baukisian navy knew better than to let its guard down.
Meruru was then instructed to board a magic ship with her classmates from before she went on exchange. They were joining up with the Baukisian navy, which was currently sailing north on the open ocean; it was headed toward the coordinates where they would be facing the Demon Lord Army, which was sailing from the Forgotten Continent to the far north.
