If You’re Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 127 - The Snake's Coil

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The ash branch Ruby held was no ordinary branch. Because a Guardian Spirit dwelled within it, its power was extraordinary.

It was an object holding a sacred power that was anathema to evil things, so the serpent-shaped souls burned to ash and were destroyed.

But Ruby didn’t let her guard down. She had to find something more important than what was visible.

This affair hadn’t been carried out to target Ivan. Ruby could quickly grasp the intent of whoever had sent these.

“This is a declaration of war sent to me.”

The one who had deliberately sent spirits at Ivan was indeed the Serpent Tribe. Having noticed Ruby protecting the surroundings of Ivan, their target, they’d sent these to warn her.

“Tsk, sending filthy beast souls and making such a fuss.”

Using a beastfolk’s soul carelessly was distasteful enough, but gathering animal souls in such a revolting heap was horrific too. Whoever had done this was clearly out of their mind.

To use souls as one pleased, a medium was always required. She moved to find the medium, destroying everything in sight first.

Then she found the place the serpent souls were guarding, their bodies woven together in a coil. It was under the apple tree in a corner of the garden.

“…Jack? Are you all right?”

Jack, who was often seen here, had climbed up the apple tree. To say a spirit looked unwell was an odd thing to say, but right now Jack’s face was terribly pale.

“Big sis!”

Jack jumped down, crying. The child quickly hid behind her, covered in wounds here and there.

“Who is Jack?”

John suddenly popped out and asked Ruby in a voice full of worry. He stamped his feet fretting, then, mindful of the surroundings, struggled to act as if nothing were wrong.

“John, don’t worry.”

“Miss…”

Ruby gently stroked Jack’s wounded soul from the crown of his head downward.

“Wow…”

A being that could wound a spirit could, conversely, also heal one, and in that respect, no one could match Ruby’s ability.

Perhaps that was all the more why her grandmother had nagged her to take pity on spirits.

After healing Jack, Ruby swung the branch again and destroyed every last one of the coiled serpents. Only then did the foul smell that had numbed her sense of smell vanish.

Ruby fixed the branch upright in the air. To be precise, the Guardian Spirit was holding it for her in her stead.

“Ruby, what are you trying to do?”

Ivan, who had quietly followed behind her for some time, asked, but she didn’t answer. She merely crouched down and dug into the ground.

Before long, a recently made burrow was found under the apple tree, and inside it she could find countless serpent sheddings.

“Ugh, Miss! I’ll take them out!”

When John, watching from beside her, tried to step in for her, Ruby raised a hand to stop him.

“Don’t touch them carelessly.”

“…Yes.”

There was no telling what sorcery might be cast on them. She studied the condition of the soil and the serpent sheddings closely. Just then, Jack sat down beside Ruby and started chattering.

“I saw it! Just before the sun set earlier, the Serpent Tribe showed up and secretly buried these here.”

“What did they look like?”

“He looked really sly. It was a male with grayish hair and murky light-green eyes.”

“Yes, well done.”

Ruby rose and looked at Ivan. Since he’d been watching her the whole time, their eyes met at once. Her face frozen cold, Ruby relayed in a grim voice.

“Your Grace, we need to catch a serpent with gray hair and murky light-green eyes. It doesn’t seem to have been long since he was here.”