Chapter 76
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Ogre Raid
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The sun had been rising since the previous chapter.
The sun rising over the mountains overlaid the dark predawn sky with its light. Dawn had already passed. The nightmarish darkness was over. The rain had stopped too. The thunderclouds had lost their power and scattered, allowing rays of light to pour down through the gaps.
"Ohohoho! Hohohohoho!"
The Young Lady pressed the back of her hand to her lips and laughed endlessly. She looked so delighted that I started feeling good too. Laugh, laughter brings good fortune. Sitting there in the sticky mud, I chuckled softly.
Ah, my legs gave out.
—Kur...
The fierce battle was over. The ogre was still alive.
But it was basically a corpse on the mountain.
It looked like a kimbap roll split open on the side—pretty gross, but appetizing. We'd killed it. All that was left was to claim the reward and rest.
"I'll behead the ogre!"
The Young Lady, circling the fallen ogre with glee, made her declaration.
She raised her greatsword high, looking more majestic than a triumphant general. A greatsword dropping from that height could be called divine punishment. Monstrous fiends always deserved the gods' wrath.
—Kuuurrrr...
The ogre weakly lifted its head to look at the Young Lady. It seemed to be trying to communicate something with its dying movements.
But words wouldn't work, and even if they did, there'd be no conversation.
"Hah!"
The Young Lady gathered her energy showily. Red aura swirled around the greatsword. She was preparing a devastating strike.
I watched in admiration, but I wonder how the ogre felt.
—Whoosh!
The greatsword fell like a guillotine blade.
—Clang!
The ogre's head flew into the sky.
The impact far exceeded the creator's expectations.
The ogre's head soared high before plummeting. Even Red Bull couldn't give it wings against gravity.
"Our victory!!!"
Zaurus shouted. He hadn't been much use in the fight, but this cheer was pretty good. His cry drew cheers from the twenty or so survivors.
"Woooooo!!"
"Yaaaaaaaah!!"
But hey, wasn't your daily pay just 3 silvers? Base 1 silver plus 2 silver success bonus—that's it.
No, 3 silvers a day is huge, but today it felt like pocket change. That motherfucking ogre had killed so many people; it felt like we deserved more than that.
Ah. Thinking about it, those bastards hadn't done shit.
They just ran away the whole time and got a free ride.
"I'll call roll! Everyone gather at the ruined watchtower!"
We assembled in front of the collapsed watchtower, and Zaurus called names. Anyone who didn't respond was dead. The runaways probably weren't alive either.
"Fuck, I really thought we were goners back there."
That was my honest feeling. I sighed and stood up.
"Heh heh heh. For someone who thought that, you sure thrust your sword at the end?"
"If I'm gonna die, I'll go down cursing."
"You did well. Really well."
Claudy burrowed into my arms. I wasn't sure if she was happy because I listened or because I showed bravery. Probably one of the two. Kobson came over and slapped my shoulder.
"Think the barbarian's gonna swallow a whole gold? If you do, you owe us a round."
"I'll treat for sure, you piece of shit. Name whatever you want."
"For real?"
"Nah, kidding."
"Crazy bastard."
"Joking. Get ready to drown in booze."
As the battle high faded, my body grew languid.
I felt like I was floating in the air. Like I might drift away any second.
"One gold."
As promised, I'd made a big contribution, so the Young Lady might award me one gold. I'd love that, but if not, well, calling her a bitch wouldn't change it—I couldn't rebel anyway.
No point grabbing her by the collar over it.
Anyway, I felt like I could sleep blissfully now. As I tried to savor Claudy's warmth in my arms, the Young Lady atop the ogre's corpse called out.
"Barbarian!"
Clearly calling me, I stepped forward to the corpse. She looked down at me, then leaped down to stand before me. I immediately bowed my head.
"Raise your head! Your bravery led to the ogre's slaughter! In recognition of your merit, I shall bestow the promised reward!"
"...!"
The Young Lady, in super high spirits, pulled a leather pouch from her bosom and took out a shining gold coin. I was stunned. The dazzling golden light blinded me. The sunlight reflecting off it outshone the sun itself. It looked utterly unreal.
"You did splendidly! You are a role model for warriors!"
I took the gold coin with trembling hands.
She gently placed it in my palm.
My hand shook uncontrollably. Unable to contain my emotions, I shouted.
"Th-thank you! Thank you, thank you! Lady! I am truly grateful for this grace! Ha, haha! Hahaha! Ah—haha hahahaha!!"
"What a hearty laugh! Excellent! Let's laugh together! Ohohoho~hohoho!!!"
I laughed maniacally with the Young Lady. My tension skyrocketed like a madman's. She spouted some formal praise, but it didn't register. After talking for a while, she left with the soldiers. Zaurus followed her.
"Juuuwaaaaaack!!!!!"
Unable to contain the soaring high, I shook my body with a primal yell.
I grabbed Claudy's hand and danced around, bent Kobson at the waist and leaped over him high. By the time I hit midair triple kicks (taekwondo third dan), it was just awe-inspiring. I dashed around the clearing like a mad beast.
"Eeeeeeeyoooong!!! "
One gold. One gold. Holy fuck, one gold. One gold means a hundred silver coins. What couldn't I do with this? As Claudy said, I could get a nice room, upgrade my gear.
Above all, with this fortune, anything was possible. It was lottery-level. Euphoria seized my whole body. I surrendered to the flow and danced wildly.
—Hey, you crazy little shit, hello.
Suddenly, the Teletubbies appeared and slapped me silly.
Overjoyed hallucination, probably.
Surrendering to them felt like sinking into a happy dream—comfortable. Nice to see you, purple one. Watched you a ton as a kid. Tinky Winky, Dipsy, you shits too? Po, doing well? Nin hasn't grown up yet?
"...Blacky, happy?"
"Huh?"
As I was like that, Winia approached. Seeing her face, my high crashed like a lie. The Teletubbies shattered like broken illusions, crumbling to dust forever. I reached out, but couldn't stop them vanishing. As they faded, they waved goodbye.
I straightened up and faced her.
Winia glared at me too.
"That happy? You crazy, Blacky? Don't you know we almost died? Is that why you're acting like this? Ah—no, you really don't know. Dumbass Blacky wouldn't even notice if he nearly died."
"Huh?"
"That girl told you to, right? Horny Blacky does whatever a girl says? What if you died? Fucking pathetic. You need to use your judgment."
Winia suddenly approached and started chewing me out. From what I gathered, she was pissed because I risked myself following Claudy's words. Hearing that made my blood boil.
"I knew I wouldn't die, bitch. And whether I live or die, what's it to you?"
"..."
"Yeah, Claudy told me to, and I knew I wouldn't die. Shut your fucking mouth and get lost already. I'm in a great mood—don't ruin it. Seeing your face makes me sick now."
Winia nagging was weird. Talking about doing whatever told, like she forgot all the shit she'd pulled on me. No, she remembered and was doing it on purpose.
"I'm not leaving, you worthless bitch! Get lost now!"
I yelled.
Winia fell silent for a moment.
Looking up at me, her expression was unreadable.
"...Bastard."
"What?"
"Fucking bastard. Fucking shit. Retard. Retard, retard. Retard! Blacky like you, Blacky like you! Talking to me, to me like that...!"
Spitting curses, Winia bowed her head. Her body trembled. But so what? I had Claudy. This shit could die mad now.
"Annoying! So annoying! Why should I worry about a worthless Blacky!"
After shaking in rage for a while, Winia spun around and left.
Coming and going—enough already.
"Stupid bitch. Disappear forever."
Winia was out of my life now.
I deliberately called Claudy and Kobson loudly. Time to head down. We'd gotten our pay. After a night of pure battle, now we could wash and sleep.
"Hmm..."
Claudy made an odd noise, looking behind me.
"What?"
"No, nothing."
We descended the mountain. I felt great in many ways, but exhausted too. I leaned on Claudy as we went. She stroked my hair nonstop, praising me. It felt amazing.
"Eek."
Soon after descending, we saw gruesome sights.
Body parts torn everywhere—the ogre's atrocities from the night. Maggots blooming on corpses like flowers; just looking shaved off my sanity.
Elise came to mind. She'd say we need to recover the bodies.
But to me, the dead were dead, the living alive. In this hellish world, no gods or afterlife. This world's gods weren't gods in my eyes.
That's why I don't believe in isekai gods.
Strangers' corpses were just that. No courtesy owed; grabbing valuables was proper. That's isekai.
I considered looting gear, but touching scattered bodies for that wasn't worth it. Couldn't carry much anyway—with one gold, that was enough.
No intact gear either. Like the middle-aged torso in the tree. His armor was 'ripped.' Helmet crumpled with the head.
"Barbarian, we've got a tail behind us."
"..."
I gritted my teeth.
I knew.
Winia was following at a distance.
Looked like she had a lot to say. But I wouldn't look back. No talking, no seeing her face. No reason to care about her inexplicable mood. One girl was enough to worry about—Claudy.
It was over. The longest connection since isekai, but time to cut it.
"Claudy? What, something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, no. Nothing. Just thinking a bit."
Claudy had seemed deep in thought since earlier. Made my heart murky, like she was worrying about Winia. No need for that.
We reached the city like that. Even past the gates toward downtown, Winia trailed alone. No—not us. Me.
"..."
I stopped. And turned around.
Winia flinched. Her venomous face from before was long gone.
She looked so fragile, it pissed me off.
"Fuck, seriously!"
I yelled in anger.
"Get lost! Just go! Disappear from my sight, you fucking bitch!"
Winia said nothing.
"Why are you clinging to me! Do I look that worthless! Huh?! That pathetic?!"
Out of my mind, I stormed toward Winia. She said nothing—uncharacteristic. Normally she'd whack me with her staff, mock, or curse.
But Winia didn't.
She just hunched her small shoulders, head down, trembling. Like any ordinary girl.
"You beat the shit out of me all this time! Cursed me nonstop! Ripped me off for fucking money! After all that bullshit, don't pretend to be friends and cling! It's disgusting!"
That sight enraged me for some reason. I vented years of pent-up rage. She shouldn't crumble like this. She had to stay the bitch always riding my ass. Half-hoping that, I hurled abuse.
But Winia just shrank before my yells. Like her usual bravado was an illusion.
"Fucking bitch, fucking bitch! If only you weren't in my life...! Please! Leave me alone now! Just fuck off forever, you shit!"
I couldn't understand Winia's feelings.
Even if she had some twisted affection, accepting it was impossible. I just wished she'd vanish as my eternal villain.
"Fuck off! Get out of my life! Say something, you cunt!"
"...Hic."
But Winia.
"Hic, kuhic. Hnng! Kuhic!"
"Wha... what?"
Unbelievable sight. Cringing Winia. That Winia.
Burst into tears.
"Hic! Hng! Hic, hnng...! Fuck, fuck you Blacky. Blacky like you...! Fuck you Blacky...! Hic!"
"Y-you're crying?"
"Waaah, waaaaa...! Hic, hic! Hnng, hnng!"
I panicked. My head wouldn't work.
Winia crying? Unimaginable.
She wept endlessly.
"F-fuck, I don't know! You asshole! Deal with it yourself!"
No need to watch more. I turned away sharply.
My heart wavered.
I went to Claudy and grabbed her hand. Its warmth cleared my muddled mind. I pulled her.
"Let's go. Fuck, I'm tired."
"Katt."
But Claudy didn't move.
She gazed at my face seriously, calling my name.
"What."
"Go to her. She's crying."
What?
"What's it to me? She's got nothing to do with me."
"Katt, remember what I said before?"
"Huh?"
"I'm a half. Halves can't get pregnant."
Shocking words from her mouth.
No, why say that now...? Thought it was a joke, checked her face. Deadly serious.
"Wh-what? Why suddenly?"
"You need to have kids too."
"????"
"Go."
Claudy pushed my shoulder. That bombshell left me blank. What? Did I already die to the ogre? Dreaming now?
"Claudy, you... what do you mean saying that shit?"
Suspicious since the Teletubbies. I gritted my teeth and demanded, but Claudy just waved.
"I'll be waiting."
"Say something that makes sense!"
I pinched my cheek. Hurt. This was real.
"Not gonna sow your seeds?"
Her words left me dumbfounded.
"Only with you."
"But I can't receive them?"
"..."
"You're mine anyway, Katt. So it's fine. I'll bind you forever..."
She's insane.
"I know what it means to leave no heirs for a human."
I underestimated non-humans.
"So go."
Claudy's mindset was beyond me.
Non-human values differ from humans'. For a half non-human, even more twisted—no surprise. Her past wandering deserts, caught between dark elves and humans, surfaced.
What thoughts kept her alone in the sands for ages?
She genuinely thought lending me to Winia was fine. Madness gleamed in her eyes. I felt terror. Sticky tar-like dread rising from my feet.
I backed away.
Betrayal hit too.
Different values or not, sending me to another woman? Unacceptable. Betrayal bred fury.
All of it.
Because of Winia.
If not for her, none of this.
I looked at Claudy. Couldn't read her face.
Irritated, I turned back.
"Winia."
Stood before crying Winia again.
"Hic...! Hic! Hng! Go away, fuck off...! I don't need a Blacky anymore... hnng!"
Seeing me, she collapsed fully, sobbing floods.
Winia's thinking was incomprehensible too. My modern background? Huge gap with isekai folk.
Amid chaos, I knelt to meet her eyes.
"Why are you like this, you bitch. Stop crying."
Tears soaked her cleavage, pooling between.
Anger, hate, pity, sympathy—emotions I didn't grasp swirled. I reached out.
"I don't cry in front of you. No reason for you to bawl. If anyone's crying, it's me, fuck. Why are you collapsed crying? Fucking ridiculous."
I wiped her eyes.
"Hng, hic! Hic, waaaaa...! Blacky, Blackyyy... hic! While I was gone, you got a girlfriend, y-you... really. Really... hic!"
I pulled up Winia by the hand.
Her tear-streaked face was one I'd never seen.
"Don't cry. No crying. Blacky's here."
Why had Winia always ragged on me?
Simple reason. No need to say it.
Just didn't want to admit.
Winia hugged my waist with her small frame. Well, tried—her chest got in the way. I lowered to pat her back.
After crying long, Winia looked up.
I knew that face was a woman's.
Looked back.
Claudy waved casually.
Winia took my hand gently. No force, soft touch leading me.