After killing several in a row, the morale of the bandits had completely collapsed under Kronos' torture.
Some even went mad from fear and pain.
But Kronos didn't care.
If they went crazy, so be it. If they couldn't give him the answer he wanted, they would die anyway.
And there was no rush—there were still plenty of them left.
"Pfft!!"
Another bandit collapsed, lifeless.
Finally, someone in the crowd couldn't take it anymore and cried out.
"I... I know!"
"I know how many of us there are!"
At the sound of the shout, both Kronos and Konan turned their heads at the same time.
They saw a thin, trembling man raise his hand. His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Kronos.
Seeing someone finally willing to speak, Kronos said softly:
"Go on."
The thin bandit swallowed hard and stammered out his answer.
"F-Forty-three! There are forty-three of us in total! I counted—I swear it's true!"
"Five of them went to the town. They should be on their way back about now!"
"I've told you everything! Please, don't kill me! Please! Please... let me go!"
As he finished, the bandit knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly in front of Kronos.
Hearing the answer, a faint smile appeared on Kronos' face.
The number matched exactly.
Which meant... there were no survivors.
With the answer confirmed, Kronos turned to Konan and said calmly:
"Not a single one."
The bandits froze.
In the next second, a chill ran down their spines, as if they had been thrown into an ice-cold abyss.
The kneeling bandit suddenly raised his head and looked up at Kronos in horror.
"No! No! Don't kill me! I told you! You have to believe—"
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Before he could finish, Konan and Kronos moved at the same time, swiftly ending the bandits' lives.
Their shrill screams echoed, painfully sharp against the silence.
"Ugh!!"
"Ugh!!"
"Ugh!!"
Moments later, no one in the banquet hall was left alive.
Dark red blood soaked the wooden floor, and the pungent smell filled the air.
Outside the house...
Kronos stood with his eyes closed and head tilted slightly back, letting the cold rain wash the blood from his body.
Just then, he suddenly felt... dry.
But the rain was still falling.
He opened his eyes in confusion—only to see a white wing extended above him, shielding him from the rain.
Turning to the side, he saw Konan standing quietly beside him.
Noticing Kronos' gaze, Konan said softly:
"You'll catch a cold."
Elsewhere, at the tavern...
Hina rested her chin on her palm, staring at the door.
"Ha~"
She yawned sleepily and muttered under her breath.
"Where the hell did Kronos go?"
"It's so late... why hasn't he come back yet?"
Just as she complained, Erica's voice called from behind.
"Hina? Why haven't you gone to bed yet?"
"There are no more customers tonight. You don't need to stay up."
Hina turned and replied,
"I'm not sleepy yet. I'll head to bed later."
Tonight, the tavern was oddly quiet.
Normally, even on rainy nights, there would still be a few drinkers around. But tonight, not a single guest had come.
It was strange.
At the bandits' hideout...
Kronos lit the wooden house on fire.
Flames roared into the sky, illuminating the surroundings like daylight.
Kronos and Konan, clad in black raincoats, stood silently, watching the inferno consume the structure.
The building groaned and cracked as it began to collapse.
"Boom!!"
"Crack! Crack..."
Kronos didn't wait around. He turned to Konan.
"Let's go. There's one last thing to do."
"When it's done, we'll leave."
Konan nodded. "Understood."
She hoisted a sack of gold coins looted from the bandits and followed Kronos.
A man and a woman, cloaked in black raincoats, descended the mountain.
They walked through the rain toward the town.
The streets were unusually silent. Every house had gone dark.
Kronos and Konan didn't rush, walking slowly through the quiet.
Before long, the lights of Erica's tavern came into view.
The warm glow shone through the windows—it seemed Erica hadn't gone to bed yet.
Inside, Erica was trying to persuade Hina to go upstairs.
"Stop waiting. Go to sleep."
"It's raining, and maybe Kronos didn't bring an umbrella. He might've stayed somewhere overnight."
"He'll be back tomorrow morning."
Hina was about to respond when the wind chime above the door suddenly rang.
"Jingle bell~"
A figure in a black raincoat stepped inside.
It was Kronos.
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