The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 34: You Look Soft

Ignotus walked through them, the bandits too confused to say anything.

"Sorry guys, sorry guys, coming through~."

Felix, ever the coward, stayed back and kept behind the same bushes. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ever relaxed, Ignotus stopped before the person he assumed to be the leader of the guards.

He was a much larger wolf-folk, only a few inches shorter than Ignotus, though well built, with long bluish hair and similar blue eyes to his Lord.

"You, big wolf, what’s your name?"

The guard flinched before stuttering out:

"I... I am Disciple Ulv, Guard of Lykos of House Death."

Ignotus’s calm paused, and his eyes widened a little.

"Did you just say House Death?"

Ulv took a defensive stance, noticing the change in his demeanor.

"Yes... yes, I have. Are you our enemy?"

Ignotus sighed and looked down.

’Are you hearing this, Eris?’

She chuckled.

’You truly are Fated.’

Ignotus was going to help them after extorting them a little, but now...

Now he saw that he NEEDED to help them, as this Lykos kid’s life was something he could use... perhaps a final card when all else failed to force Lord of Death, Nex, off him.

Turning around to face the bandits, he stepped back and stood by Ulv’s side.

"For now, consider me your ally."

Smiling, Ulv nodded deeply and roused his kin.

"You heard the man! Take a stance; we’ll live through today!"

Ignotus glanced behind him, at the one Ulv called Lykos, who was no more than a fluffy pup of a human, and looked forward once more.

"Follow my lead."

With that, he rushed at the bandits.

But just as he did... steam, emanating from a bandit’s hand, flew at him.

Following it, the mud beneath them shot up, intent on wrapping around both his legs.

Ignotus, without even looking at the attacks, jumped up and, using the strong mud as a bouncing board, kicked himself forward. He’d dodged the steam completely and found himself before a bandit.

His sword lashed out, a clean stab aimed at their leader.

Eyes trembling, the bandit blocked the attack with his sword at the last possible moment, being forced back a little, his feet digging into mud as he let out a pained groan.

"CHARGE!"

One that was swallowed by Ulv’s roar as he joined the battle, hope returning to his eyes.

Using that loud distraction as an opportunity, Ignotus deflected the bandit’s sword and sent away his own to the inventory. Before the bandit could react, Ignotus grabbed his hand and pulled it towards himself, forcing the bandit’s own sword against his very neck.

"STOP."

Ignotus couldn’t allow them to fight.

If they knew that he was only a Seeker with a Luck Rune, death would be a near guarantee.

He had to make them think that he had the upper hand and only wanted to avoid casualties.

And sure enough, his actions broadcast that well, as everyone paused and looked at him.

"This man is your leader, is he not? If you wish him death, then please..."

He forced the sword closer, cutting the bandit’s neck a little.

"Continue."

Blood seeped, and their breaths held.

It seemed that his gamble succeeded.

One might think that every bandit was out for themselves, especially here, but again, Ignotus knew people, and he certainly knew people such as them.

Just by looking at them, he knew they held some sort of loyalty to this man.

If death hadn’t claimed him, they’d be sure to stop it from doing so.

"Let go of him, you bastard!"

"An inch closer and we’ll kill you!"

"If you kill him, YOU WILL DIE!"

That last one was right.

Ignotus couldn’t kill him, but they didn’t need to know that.

Thanks to his tall frame, maintaining his lie of strength was pretty easy.

All he needed to do was keep up his act of dominance.

"Stop with your warnings, you filth, and listen."

He stepped backwards towards the wolf-folk while forcing the bandit in his grip to be still.

"You’ve seen how easily I’ve seized this boy."

"Our leader is not—"

Ignotus cut the bandit off:

"YOU know that I can kill many of you... victory for your lot is impossible, and that is a fact. The only thing you’d be doing in continuing this fight is killing a few of these guards."

He chuckled and pushed the sword in deeper.

"You won’t even see their Runes before I kill you, do you understand?"

What met his question was only fear.

...They fully believed in what he was saying.

The lie turned into a truth and an undeniable fact.

One that they couldn’t help but accept.

"So... so what do you propose?"

Ignotus grinned, blood trickling onto his hand.

"Swear a Rune Oath that you will never harm me, or these people, again."

The same man who had interrupted last time stepped up.

"W-We can’t do that! If they attack us, we’d have no way to defend ourselves!"

As the rest of them nodded in agreement, Ignotus loosened his hold on their leader’s hand, allowing him to push away his sword from digging into his neck.

"What do you say, Leader~? They don’t want to save you~."

"P-P-PLEASE LISTEN TO—"

His grip tightened once more.

"Alright, enough of that."

Sighing, he looked at their spokesperson bandit.

"Fine, I can show you mercy; only swear that you’ll leave us and the land we are in, never to return until we reach our destination, which’ll be..."

Ignotus glanced at Ulv, who revealed three fingers to him.

"Four days from now, do you accept?"

The bandit quickly nodded his head, surprised that he got Ignotus to ’rethink’ his decision.

"Y-Yes, I accept!"

Ignotus’ smile widened a little more.

"Then we’ve come to terms..."

He gestured for them to go ahead.

"Now please, all of you."

One by one, the bandits held Divinity in their tongues and spoke, following the words of the one closest to their enemies:

"If these people before me do not attack us, we will not attack them, and we will not return to this land or be seen anywhere near until four days from now. We Swear This Oath Upon Our Runes."

Cracks in reality formed, golden chains descending from them, latching onto the Runes of everyone present, binding them all to the Oath, before quickly disappearing.

"Good."

Ignotus had a few words he wanted to change, but he ultimately found them acceptable.

He’d led them along this far, making them actually believe that he was merciful when he only gave them that first demand to make the second one seem not so impossible.

Playing around now would only ruin all that he has done so far.

"You may leave now."

Letting go of their leader, Ignotus walked back while his eyes remained trained on him.

"Leader!"

"Are you alright?!"

"Get him a potion!"

He didn’t have the leader join the other in the Rune Oath for an obvious reason.

It might be seen as too much, making them extremely resentful and emotional.

Emotional and logical actions didn’t exactly walk hand in hand.

"Y-You..."

Coughing up a storm, their leader wiped his lips, his neck slowly healing.

"What’s your name?"

Ignotus paused a little, only to nod to himself.

"Hm, call me Stranger."

The bandit stared at him and then turned around.

His people crowded him as he left, acting as if the wolf-folk weren’t there.

’It seems they cared for him a lot more than you expected.’

Eris was right, but well, that didn’t matter; what was done was done.

Yes, he could’ve exploited them a little more, but the rest could pick up their slack~.

Turning around, Ignotus faced Ulv, who now looked at him with a big smile.

"It seems the Gods have Blessed us to have us meet in such a dire moment."

Patting the wolf’s shoulder, Ignotus passed him and stopped before Lykos.

Again, the boy was much like the rest, a human with wolf-like characteristics, only a bit...

"You look soft."

Fluffier.

"W-W-W-What did you just say?!"

Lykos’s blue eyes trembled as he pointed at Ignotus.

"SEIZE THIS MAN FOR HIS INSOLENCE!"