Chapter 43: Go taste your own medicine
Those lying on the ground were merely begging the Lion King for their lives, offering as much money as he wanted, just to spare them. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Adeline realized that the woman in her arms was trembling all over like a leaf. Even after getting off the carriage, the woman couldn’t grasp the reality and remained in fear. There were many ways to handle this situation. She could comfort her slowly and gently or use harsh words to bring her back to reality.
But Adeline chose neither. She took the dagger from her waist and placed it in the woman’s hand, speaking briefly. “Find the one who did this to you.”
The dagger, barely held, fell weakly to the ground. The woman stared intently at Adeline.
“If you think you’ll feel any guilt, don’t do it. What matters is your heart. These men will face their punishment anyway.”
It didn’t take long for the woman to make up her mind. The woman, with trembling legs, knelt on the ground and picked up the dagger with both hands. Then she crawled on her knees toward the men. Her gaze lingered on a few faces.
No one spoke.
In that fleeting moment, no one knew what she was thinking.
Holding back her ragged breaths with determination, her black eyes blazed with fire. Her grip tightened on the dagger.
Some of the kidnappers, realizing what was about to happen, shook their bound hands and shouted.
“What are you doing! Get away, get off!”
“Go away! We’re just, damn it. Don’t, don’t do it!”
Of course, their words didn’t reach her ears.
“Huu… Ugh, ughhh!”
It was a clumsy attack. She stabbed their necks and backs, but they didn’t die instantly, so she repeated the motion several times. Blood splattered, and screams filled the air. The woman didn’t stop until the man she targeted first stopped breathing. Even after he was completely dead, she swung the knife several more times, as if her anger wasn’t yet appeased. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The kidnappers were crawling on the ground, trying to escape.
“Don’t move.” The Lion King started to kick them. The dull sound of impact mixed with pleas for mercy. “This is for what you did. You should endure at least this much.”
No one in this place felt any sympathy for the kidnappers.
After killing two more men, the woman collapsed, still holding the knife.
Adeline carefully laid the trembling woman on the ground, holding her in her arms. The woman was crying.
“They killed my husband… my husband.”
“Yes.”
“They killed that poor man right in front of my eyes. They laughed like beasts while toying with him… He begged for his life, pleaded not to be killed like that…”
“Yes.”
“They deserve to die.”
Relief, guilt, anger, and resentment. A whirlwind of emotions surged through her. The woman clung to Adeline, sobbing. “Please. Please… save the people inside.”
Adeline nodded and stood up. The second carriage was also secured with the same kind of lock. Using the key again, she opened the door, and a similar foul stench wafted out. They were free citizens destined for the arena. Their growling, twisted bodies fixed their gaze on Adeline. They were bound in chains to prevent any resistance. None of them appeared unharmed; some had lost consciousness due to severe blood loss. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Adeline spoke to them. “We’re here to rescue you.”
They stopped moving.
**
The Lion King’s subordinates quickly reclaimed the stronghold and returned. They took the kidnappers and the captives to the now-empty stronghold, reversing their roles.
“Lay all the injured on the beds. There should be some medicine around here somewhere.”
Fortunately, some of the free citizens who had been held in the carriage were able to move. As soon as they were unchained, they stretched their stiff bodies and then rushed at the kidnappers. Punching and kicking was the least of it. They stomped on their groins to incapacitate them and even broke their limbs in reverse.
“Thank you… for saving us.” With awkward and uncomfortable expressions, they came forward to express their gratitude.
Adeline asked them, once they had vented their anger, to lend a hand to the injured. There was plenty of medicine in the stronghold for treating the injured slaves. They couldn’t sell dead slaves, after all.
“There is also food and weapons.”
After surveying the stronghold, the Lion King placed spears, swords, and bows in front of the free citizens. “Listen carefully. We know there’s another of their strongholds nearby. We plan to strike there tomorrow night.”
“We will go, too—no, we will go with you.”
“I can’t have the injured fighting. You need to stay here, guard the kidnappers, and protect the others.”
“We can fight!”
Most of the freed citizens were young people around the Lion King’s age. They couldn’t hide their anger and shouted that they’d rather die fighting those scum. Even the women who had only recently come to their senses ran to pick up swords. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“We are not pirates. Just because we are free citizens living on an island doesn’t mean we steal other people’s ships. We just came to visit relatives on the mainland! But those bastards…”
“I need to find my sister who was sold before me. She was about to get married. Please… I am good at work. I will do any chores diligently. Please take me with you!”
“I am confident in a brawl. There’s a reason they wanted to sell us to the arena!”
They shouted with great enthusiasm.
The Lion King waited silently until they had said everything they wanted. Then, when they quieted down, he slowly removed the black cloth covering his nose and mouth and spoke.
“I am the Lion of Baltica, King of Odium.”
The first to fall silent were the free citizen warriors. They stared at the Lion King in disbelief.
“I heard that the slave traders of Marma invaded my land and hunted people, so I came here.”
“Is it true?”
“We must see this through. We can’t stop here.” He meant they should not act rashly and wait for the right opportunity.
The free citizens finally acknowledged that they couldn’t fight at full strength due to their injuries. The boiling anger gradually subsided.
Adeline watched from a distance as they clumsily tried to comfort the weeping women.
“Adeline.” The Lion King approached. “I’ll leave my subordinates here, and the two of us should return to the inn.”
Dawn was about to break.
She took his hand and mounted the horse. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
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