Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Black Mage's Request
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It's probably a matter of pride.
Just like these kinds of violent thugs, pride was the most important value in their otherwise worthless lives. The moment they backed down, they'd have to close up shop. And especially if they got beaten by some random barbarian savage they'd never seen before, they had to set things straight right away.
"Come at me, you fucking cripple bitches."
The moment I came out strong, the guys noticeably flinched.
"Friend. You really don't want to settle this with words? Let's change the terms. If you just return the knife you took from my friend, we can end this nicely."
"Where'd you sell the compensation knife for?"
"Now that I think about it, we did start the provocation first. So let me apologize like this—forgive us just once and give the knife back?"
We faced off, weapons drawn.
"Oh, come on, you rip out a guy's heart and think a sorry fixes it?"
"Of course. As mature citizens of the city, we should have the magnanimity to forgive minor mistakes from others."
"Fuck, this robber bastard talks real smooth. Almost had me convinced."
This guy's teeth-grinding looks more like a voice phishing scammer than a robber, doesn't it?
The standoff dragged on.
Then a sudden thought hit me.
"Huh."
This bastard's got a pretty slick tongue...
And right then, I sensed movement from behind.
"Heh heh heh... Is that the guy?"
"Hey! Is this him?!"
"Touching our little brother? Ballsy enough to pop out of your own gut."
I half-turned my head and looked back. One, two... three.
A total of three new faces emerged from the alleys, each wielding a work hammer, knuckles, and a knife.
"Oh dear, heavens."
We're fucked. Encirclement formation.
I'm done for now.
"Your friends are crawling out from the back too?"
No wonder they picked a fight with me despite checking my gear. They had something to rely on. Not just dumbasses, then. More like intelligent robbers... gonna need the special crime unit for this.
"Kuhuku... Stupid fuck. Now we can talk nice and easy. Drop the sword and get on your knees. Might let you live. Though living won't feel like living, hehahaha!"
"Bro, you look the total barbarian type. Bet you'd fetch a good price as a male prostitute. Know plenty of guys with that taste. Thanks for offering up your ass for us. Even our sick mom would be thrilled."
Things were going their way, so they were all puffed up, joking about male prostitution. Judging by the threat level, it was probably from their 18+ experience repertoire.
—No more words needed.
I tightened my grip on my sword and braced my lower body.
"Yeah, that's how it is, huh..."
The situation was turning sour fast.
I admit it now—in my mind, I'd underestimated these guys. I don't like killing much. Didn't want to see human blood, so I tried to resolve it peacefully. My mistake.
But now, if there's no other way but to kill, I could discard any hesitation or mercy. Like Rishia said earlier, I'd already killed five people up to now. I was a notorious serial killer bastard.
—Step, step.
—Step, step.
—Step, step.
The footsteps from behind grew closer.
My senses, amplified to the limit in this extreme situation, measured the distance between them and me.
Up front: two armed, one unarmed. Behind: three armed men approaching. Time to decide.
Life.
Or.
Death.
That decision.
In this life-or-death duel with real blades, my mind spun at high speed. Countless real combat experiences flashed through my brain. Finally, it arrived at the optimal answer.
—Theoretically, ambush one, kill him, then take out another with skill, and I win. No one but born warriors would stick around after seeing two of their own drop. These back-alley robbers sure as hell aren't that brave.
—Dash!
With that thought, I burst forward like a sprinter, ignoring everything behind me.
"...!"
I felt the air resistance part as my body shot out like a cannonball. The month of extreme physical training at the swordsman guild had skyrocketed my leg muscles.
—Stab!
With explosive power from my legs, I closed the gap in an instant and plunged my sword into the gut of the club-wielding thug.
"First strike wins."
"...Gurk!"
In his dying moment, he tried to block with his club, but that shit couldn't stop a sword. Against me already charging and my blade gaining momentum, he couldn't even react properly before his eyes rolled back.
"...W-What the."
The hand-axe thug beside him muttered in stunned disbelief. His earlier bravado about selling me off was gone. He never saw this coming. Neither did I.
—I wasted time talking too, but you idiots should've rushed me the second you saw me and beaten me down. That's why you're the ones ending up dead.
I yanked the blade out through the club thug's back. Splurt! Thick red blood clung to the sword like tar and poured out. He collapsed immediately.
In a life-or-death duel where you intend to kill, there can't be any hesitation or mercy. Selling me as a male whore? Not trying to kill me in a deathmatch was your fatal mistake.
"D-Die!"
The guy snapped out of it and charged, swinging his hand-axe down. Still not running? He really hadn't learned. Fuck, can't even let this end nicely.
All I could do was sigh at what he planned to do with that short thing.
—Slice.
"Irony, you fucking retard."
I swung my sword horizontally. His moves were all visible, easy to predict, and above all, that hand-axe was too short. No way to breach the superior reach of my sword.
His wrist was half-severed, blood spraying out.
"U-Ughk!"
The hand-axe guy rolled on the ground clutching it. First strike is the best tactic. Whoever lunges first and lands the sword blow wins, no matter what.
Using that, I took out both in under ten seconds. You punks could never beat me. The quality of my real combat experience is just different.
I stabbed down into the side of the guy curled up screaming on the ground. He convulsed more dynamically than ever before and went still, foaming at the mouth with blood.
"You, come here. Pucker up that ass."
The unarmed guy who'd been yapping about my ass moments ago—the one whose knife I'd taken, sparking this mess—stared at my face in utter disbelief.
"H-Hey, bro."
He said that and turned to run.
But no way an untrained slob could outrun me. I caught up instantly and stabbed into his back.
"Gehk!"
Low-level shits like you picking fights with me? Been a hundred years. I've got my own experience as a slum rat. I shook the blood off my drawn sword with a swing.
"Right. Forgot you fuckers were here."
I turned around.
The back-alley trio was just frozen in shock. Even I'd be stunned if some dark-haired guy popped out and butchered three of my friends in seconds.
I took a deep breath.
"Kieeeekeeeeee!!!"
"Uwaaaahk!"
I let out a monstrous screech to scare them off, and they bolted in panic. Not even a hair's breadth of loyalty among them.
"...Fucking assholes. That's why you don't pick fights, seriously."
My karma score jumped from 5 to 8 in just one minute. Damn, gotta visit a church this week off-day. Find one that says nice things instead of the violent types.
"What the fuck, killing three kids in one day."
Feeling a bit down, I rummaged through the corpses. Had to kill them, and they were scum where killing was practically a public service, but offing three people didn't feel good. Still, gotta do what needs doing.
Soon enough, I scored the club, hand-axe, and a total of 21 coppers from their pockets. Dragged the bodies deeper into the alley by the feet. Blood trails everywhere, but in the slums, spur-of-the-moment murders were as natural as morning wood.
No investigation for a few dead robbers. Back when I first got isekai'd and lived as a total beggar slum rat, I never even saw city guards come to the alleys.
I trudged back to the inn. Hour and a half walk. Blood splattered my clothes, but most adventurers wore blood-soaked rags anyway, so it looked normal. Human or monster blood, it's all red.
Flopped on the bed, I pulled out the paper from my pocket and read the list.
"Hm."
—Mana Grass x5
—Corpse Mushroom x2
—Limonium Herb x2
Stuff I'd gathered a few times in life. Mana grass grows in damp caves sometimes, corpse mushrooms only on human bodies, and limonium herb is a bit rare...
"Should be doable somehow."
I kept reading the list.
—Gremlin Eyes x3
—Scale Wolf Hide x1
—Male Troll Penis x3
"Huh?"
—Goblin Testicles x3
—Kobold Brain x3
[P.S.: Materials can be a bit rotten, so take your time.]
"What the fuck is this shit!"
I nearly fell over in shock and tossed the paper.
"This bitch is totally insane!"
Why the hell do you need that, you fucking cunt!
What? Troll dicks, goblin balls, kobold brains? Is this psycho making interspecies sex toys!
I could overlook the rest, but that freakish lineup made me recoil.
"Holy shit, fuck this. This ain't right."
A vague terror gripped me. Blinded by 5 silvers (huge money) and her hot looks (fucking gorgeous), I stepped on a landmine. Thinking about it, black mages aren't normal. That's why they slap "black" on them—creepy heretics doing weird shady shit.
No way guys like that are sane.
[P.S.: Reward is 3 silvers.]
I saw that line again and calmed down.
Valued the list roughly: about 2 silvers 60 coppers worth. If she's buying that for 3 silvers, hell yeah, I'd clap with both hands. 40 coppers profit.
Money thoughts cheered me up a bit.
Wasn't feeling great, about to nap it off, but nah. Gotta head to the smithy now.
Pockets are fat for once—time for some new gear.