Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Black Wolf Leader, Requiem
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# Serenia Castle, Judah's house.
There are people you hate just by looking at them. As you go through life, you encounter such people from time to time.
Because their first impression is the worst, because their words are dirtier than their appearance suggests, because their talent is too outstanding, or because they can't do anything you can. Excluding those reasons, there could be all sorts of others.
To be honest, Judah hated Cain. When they were young and learning the sword together under Caseun, he hadn't felt that way much, but now he could say for sure that he hated him.
If you asked how much he hated him, it was a bit ambiguous. Not enough to want to kill him, but he didn't want to be in the same space with him. Though they might clash swords over it.
If Caseun had shown up just a little later back then, if Cain had kept hesitating without speaking, Judah probably wouldn't have been able to hold back his irritation and would have swung his sword.
It would have been better if that had happened.
Judah stared blankly at the ceiling, lips pressed tight. After Caseun appeared, things proceeded smoothly. He got a stern scolding for chasing after the wolves on his own, but praise for taking down Requiem.
All the spoils from the Black Wolf Leader Requiem were confiscated. They said they'd return them after reporting to the lord, but... who knows if he'd actually get them back.
'But Caseun wouldn't lie, so he'll return them.'
If he said he'd return them, he'd do it no matter what. He was a man who kept his word. After that, nothing much happened. Or rather, he couldn't remember. He fell into a deep sleep and didn't wake even when the sun rose.
He opened his eyes to the sound of giggling nearby, only to find himself being carried on Tia's back, forcibly transported. Jeanne and the east gate guards walked beside them. Freshly awake, Judah blankly alternated his gaze between them as he grasped the situation. He didn't know when they'd started moving, but since they arrived at the castle soon after, he must have slept quite a while. As soon as he got home, he'd said he'd sleep more and climbed into bed on the second floor.
"Haa-"
He let out a long sigh. Now that he was home, the fatigue he'd felt outside vanished like a lie. Maybe because it wasn't his usual sleep time. He tossed and turned on the bed before calling up the system log. Right after defeating Requiem, besides the quest completion, additional messages had popped up. They were just pushed down by priority.
[Your bastard sword's durability has reached its limit.]
[You dueled the Black Wolf Leader Requiem and emerged victorious. Stamina and Agility each increase by 1.]
[The title [Black Wolf Slayer] has changed to [Black Wolf Usurper].]
[Black Wolf Slayer]
A title granted to those who have hunted hundreds of Black Wolves.
-3% additional damage when striking Black Wolves, 20% reduction in howling effects and duration.
-When hunting any kind of wolf, generates intimidation. Bosses are unaffected.
└Intimidation (Passive): Movement speed and attack speed reduced by 5%.
↓ ↓ ↓
[Black Wolf Usurper]
A title obtained by defeating the Black Wolf Leader in a 1:1 duel.
Wolves will instinctively sense danger upon seeing you.
-5% additional damage when striking any wolf, 40% reduction in howling effects and duration.
-When hunting any kind of wolf, generates intimidation. Bosses are unaffected.
└Intimidation (Passive): Movement speed and attack speed reduced by 6%, attack power reduced by 3%.
└Awe (Passive): 20% reduction in chance of preemptive attacks.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[You obtained 2 gold coins.]
Ah, his level, which hadn't risen for a while, finally went up. Three levels at once. Nodding as he recalled the decent level gap, the two gold coins were nice, and the two stat increases were satisfying. The title had upgraded nicely, but since it was wolf-specific and he wouldn't encounter wolves anytime soon, it wasn't immediately useful.
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: Black Wolf Usurper (1)]
[Level: 23]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revival Count: 2]
[Strength: 41 (C) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 41 (C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 43 (C) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 43 (C) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 52 (C) / Potential S]
[Knowledge: 17 (F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 84 (A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 8]
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Looking at his status window, Judah let out a chuckle.
'I've grown quite a bit myself.'
Comparing now to when he first arrived in this world, taking down a regional boss representative like this was tremendous progress. But since this was still just the beginning, he couldn't be satisfied yet.
Requiem had been too gentlemanly for a boss, making it easy, but future enemies wouldn't be. Some would overwhelm with numbers cowardly, some would use poison, others would show power on a different level. With his current skill, not a single one would be easy.
'I'll get Requiem's hide back and leave quickly.'
He'd planned to leave right after the coming-of-age ceremony once he got Jeanne, but he'd delayed too much. Once he got the hide, he'd make something with it and really leave this place, he resolved, closing his eyes.
He received Requiem's hide three days later. In the meantime, the castle's atmosphere wasn't great. Partly because the soldiers hadn't done much in the subjugation battle, but mainly because several unlucky ones died in the two surprise attacks. The lord held grand funerals for them and gave generous compensation to their families. To change the mood, the lord posted a long notice on the board, which seemed to be Caseun's report verbatim.
「...According to the report, Judah, enraged by the soldiers' deaths, took down the Black Wolves and chased the fleeing ones with a single torch. When the soldiers arrived pursuing them, Requiem was already dead, and Judah stood before it holding a broken sword. The Black Wolves scattered without their leader, and the soldiers mopped them up...」
One unexpected thing was that they could have claimed the soldiers took them down, but they didn't. Even if Caseun had gone alone and defeated Requiem, they probably would have reported it honestly. Afterward, invited again to the lord's castle for a meal, Judah received his confiscated spoils back and a fairly useless title.
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[Little Hero of Serenia Castle]
You protected the Eastern Forest from the Black Wolves, the object of the castle residents' fear.
The lord and residents applaud your outstanding feat.
-Ho Favor with residents of Serenia Castle +10.
-Receives discounts or extras when purchasing items.
-A statue is erected at the east gate entrance.
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A statue? He could only laugh. Still, leaving a mark here felt immensely proud. Afterward, Judah went to a clothing shop and commissioned longcoats made from Requiem's hide. Because the hide was so large, three were completed.
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[Name: Longcoat "Made from Leader of the Pack Requiem's Hide"]
[Grade: Unique _ Luxury]
[Equipment: Coat]
[Durability: 50/50]
[Defense: 70]
[Effects]
Physical Defense +15%, Magic Resistance +10%, Movement Speed +3%
Charisma +3
[Description]
A longcoat made from the hide of the Black Wolf Leader "Requiem." Crafted with utmost care for Serenia Castle's young hero, resulting in a high-class luxury item. Especially, the mane around the collar and buttons carved from claws elevate its dignity.
-Physical Resistance (Passive): Reduces damage taken from slashing, piercing, and blunt attacks.
-Magic Resistance (Passive): Reduces damage taken from magic attacks.
-Maintenance (Passive): Resists stains (blood, oil) and has low durability degradation.
-Dignified Presence (Passive): Feel the dignity only a pack leader possesses through this garment. Not easily dismissed by others.
-Moonlight Blessing (Passive): On moonlit nights, gain movement speed bonus and improved awareness of surroundings.
-Code 前: Leader of the Pack
└Acquires Charisma stat, Charisma +10
└Intimidation - Pressures opponents with intangible force, boosted by Charisma stat. More effective on targets with lower levels than you, less on higher levels.
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He'd gotten a really good item. Unable to hide his satisfaction after receiving it, Judah gave the clothing shop owner an extra gold coin, several times the advance payment. He imbued the coat he'd wear with the code from Requiem, gifted the other two to Jeanne and Tia, gave the leftover claws used for buttons to Caseun as a gift, and presented the remaining head hide to the lord.
After resting a day at home, Judah toured the market to buy spare essentials before leaving Serenia Castle. Whether due to the [Little Hero of Serenia Castle] title, people were extremely friendly.
Their goodwill was burdensome. He hadn't killed Requiem for them out of conscience. He'd gone impulsively after seeing Cain, driven by ugly emotions. He killed Requiem for the spoils, but they saw it differently. Well... good results were what mattered, so he decided not to overthink it. Judah smiled, gratefully accepting their kindness, and thanks to it, bought far more items than expected at much cheaper prices.
He thought it was a good day, but unluckily, on the way home, he ran into Cain in the plaza. Liel was with Cain, waving with a bright smile.
"Hey, Judah! Coming back from shopping?"
Judah glanced at Cain and nodded with a wry smile.
"Yeah. Where are you two headed?"
Liel shook her head with a bright smile.
"Nah, Cain said he had something to tell you, so we were looking for you. Thought it'd be easy to find a celebrity, but where'd you wander off to?"
"Just bought this and that. But Cain, you looking for me... Ah! To say what you couldn't that day?"
Judah answered Liel kindly, then looked at Cain, wiping the smile from his lips.
Surprisingly, Cain met his gaze without flinching or hesitating like before.
"Yeah. I have something to ask."
"What is it? Spit it out."
Liel, beside them, looked puzzled at the unexpectedly serious atmosphere, alternating glances between Judah and Cain. She wished someone would explain this heavy mood, but no one did.
"I saw it."
"Saw what."
"That stance you summoned from thin air when taking down the Black Wolf that day. The faint moonlight made it hard to see, but it was definitely Ea's."
Ho- Judah widened his eyes in mock surprise. But he wasn't really surprised. He'd expected suspicion. He could tell without hearing more. The corner of his mouth curled faintly.
He'd once worried Cain might notice if he used the stance, but now he liked seeing Cain suspect others like this.
"So? Tell me what you're thinking. I'll answer."
"...How do you have Ea's sword?"
Judah took a step toward Cain. The distance between them closed.
"How? You know how."
At those words, Cain flinched. After seeing Judah with her stance, Cain had gone to the west gate guards asking for Ea's entry records. No special records since her ID allowed free access, but her outstanding beauty and unique fighter position made her memorable to many. She hadn't returned to the castle after "that day" she parted with Cain. Yet Judah had her stance, whose trail ended there. Did he witness her death and pick up the sword? Or... As Cain pondered, Judah whispered as if reading his thoughts.
"Yeah, I killed her. And took her sword. What, you hoping she was alive?"
"What? Wait, Judah!"
"Your questions end here, right? You want an explanation, but I don't feel like giving one. Think whatever you want."
Cain's face hardened, and Liel beside him paled. They fell silent. Judah chuckled, finding their expressions refreshing.
"Nothing more to say? Then excuse me."
He shoved Cain's shoulder lightly and walked past. The shock must have been considerable; they didn't follow. Letting out a small sigh, he looked up at the sky. Clear and blue.
'I'll leave tomorrow.'
He'd said goodbyes to Caseun and the lord, bought what he needed, recruited Jeanne as a companion, hunted Requiem—all done. No more business in this castle.
* * *
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: Little Hero of Serenia Castle (2)]
[Level: 23]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revival Count: 2]
[Strength: 41 (C) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 41 (C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 43 (C) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 43 (C) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 52 (C) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 5 (F) / Potential A]
[Knowledge: 17 (F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 84 (A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 8]
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========== Afterword ==========
Whew-
I don't particularly like BL.
I respect everyone's tastes, though!
Wait just a bit, and a side story will go up as this chapter ends.
If the reactions are good- I might upload these side stories at the end of each chapter from time to time. Hehehe.