Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Knight Hanson (4) - A Truly Insane Village
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1.
Noises erupted from the corridor. I clicked my tongue and drove my dagger into the man's throat.
Puk— Sizzle—
"Gahhk!"
The assailant convulsed before dropping dead on the spot. I yanked the dagger free and spotted another man with a vicious face peering through the doorway.
He had a sturdy build, a brutal face, and scars all over his body. They looked more like mercenaries than villagers.
'Who the hell...?'
Truth be told, only a few suspects came to mind. The mercenaries who'd ridden in the carriage with me today, and Count Bardi.
'Not likely the mercenaries.'
They'd treated me with respect ever since the goblin fight. No way they'd have the guts to come after me.
That left Count Bardi. But why? Was he regretting giving me that elixir?
"You crazy bastard!"
I'd find out once I caught these guys. I scrambled to my feet as a mercenary charged at me.
Whoosh—
I tilted my head to dodge the punch, then plunged my dagger into his chest.
"Kahak!"
He clutched at the pain in his chest, unsure what to do, before collapsing. Right on cue, a kick came flying.
Whoosh—
A crude, sluggish attack. Laughable against my training with Anne and my sharpened senses.
Bam!
I channeled a bit of mana into my fist and smashed his face, sending him crashing into the wall.
"Cr, crazy..."
"Fuck, what the hell is that guy?"
The others who'd been about to rush me hesitated and fell back. They'd realized I wasn't normal.
'Makes me realize anew just how strong I've become.'
Back when I was a porter, I couldn't even meet eyes with guys like these. Now here I was, taking on several at once without breaking a sweat.
This was why a person had to get strong first.
"Hoo..."
I finished off the rest and stepped into the corridor. The hallway was a total mess. Most of the doors hung wide open.
'Must be Count Bardi's men after all.'
If they'd just been after me, the inn wouldn't be this trashed.
I checked room by room, and sure enough, they were all empty. Plenty of signs of resistance too. Who the hell would do something like this? And for what purpose?
I returned to my room and stomped on one of the fallen guys until he woke up.
"Hahk, hahk!"
The man gasped for air, eyes bulging. His gaze wandered the room before locking onto me.
"Wh, what the..."
"What do you think? You got your ass handed to you. More importantly, why grab everyone in the inn?"
"What? The hell you talking about?"
The mercenary denied it flat out. I scowled.
"Ah, you fuckers. Would it kill you to make this easy?"
I grabbed his hand like we were buddies. He looked puzzled as I pictured flames in my mind.
Sizzle!
"Gaaah! Kraaaah!"
I pressed down hard on his writhing belly. He couldn't even scream properly anymore.
A stench of burning filled the air as tears and snot streamed down his face. My hand was red and blistered.
"Gonna talk, or keep holding out?"
"I, I'll talk! Please, I'll talk!"
"Spit it out."
"Th, the village chief told us to round up the mercenaries!"
"Village chief?"
An unexpected name.
"Why the hell?"
"F, for the colosseum... we need fighters!"
"Colosseum?"
What nonsense was this? A colosseum was a massive arena. Might make sense in a big city, but in a village like this?
'I never even saw one.'
I nodded, and the mercenary continued.
"Every three days, they herd people into the stables and open the arena! They throw in monsters too, and watch them fight to see who wins!"
"Monsters—you mean zombies? The ones that used to be human?"
"Y, yes. That's right!"
I scratched my chin at his words. What could I say? It was hard to believe.
"Why the fuck would they do that?"
"...Because it's fun!"
"What?"
"It's hilarious watching clueless idiots fight monsters barehanded and get eaten!"
An absurd reason. They were turning people into zombies just for kicks?
"Hah... so the whole village is in on it? Including this inn?"
"Y, yes."
No wonder they'd unlocked the doors. It all made sense now.
"Got it."
"S, so you'll let me live?"
I answered by smashing his head with my fist. He blacked out instantly. I grabbed my sword from beside the bed, slit the throats of the rest, and headed downstairs.
"What's all the racket upstairs? What the hell is going on!"
The innkeeper approached brazenly, one hand hidden. Slowly.
Slash!
I beheaded him with my sword. His head rolled across the floor, followed by a large kitchen knife.
"Tch."
The situation was a total clusterfuck. The village I'd thought was normal turned out to be a den of lunatics.
'Come to think of it, what about the other mercenaries?'
The ones who'd guided me here must have stayed at this inn too. And all the rooms were empty.
'They've all been taken.'
I stepped outside.
The village was dark without a single torch, but one spot blazed brightly in the distance. Instinct told me that was the colosseum. I bolted toward it.
"Hurry up and start!"
"Fuck, how long you gonna drag this out!"
Shouts and cheers grew louder as I approached. I slipped into the crowd around the stables and peered inside.
"Alright! We haven't got all our stars yet, but with all you fine folks here, let's get started!"
A middle-aged man in the center of the stable grinned wide. That had to be the village chief.
"Now, let me introduce today's combatants! First up, fresh catch Alex, nabbed today!"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
In the corner, a man struggled against iron chains and a gag around his neck. Not a familiar face.
"Next, Eddie's the miller's son, infected a few days back! He's starved for days, so he's starving. Gonna feast tonight! Right, Eddie?"
The chief turned to a gloomy-looking man standing nearby.
"Knew you'd come here looking for feed for your boy. Hahaha!"
Mad laughter.
"Quit yapping and start already, you prick!"
"Yeah, fuck!"
"Got it! No more delays—let's begin!"
The chief exited the stable, and chains snapped. A zombie charged.
Kraaaah!
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
All the bound man could do was swing his fists. He screamed at the approaching zombie and lashed out with his arm.
Bam!
"Ooh!"
"Hey, this one's got some fight in him."
The zombie recoiled from the hit to the face.
"That bastard..."
Eddie—supposedly the guy's father—cursed. But his face lit up moments later.
Crunch! Chomp!
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
The zombie Eddie tore into the mercenary wildly. Its claws ripped open his gut, and it shoveled out the entrails.
'Fuck me.'
I thought I'd grown numb to brutality, but this turned my stomach.
Slurp—
The noodle-slurping sound made me look away.
'This village is truly fucked.'
I'd thought Eddie was normal, with that guilty look. But the way his face brightened? No chance.
'Gotta get out of here.'
I turned to leave.
"Next up, another fresh one from today!"
The chief's voice stopped me cold. I looked back and saw a familiar face.
"Caught this one hammered in the mercenaries' lounge. Still drunk, stumbling around."
"Huh?"
One of the mercenaries who'd ridden with me.
"He's wasted, so special treatment: no chains on the arms!"
A villager entered and unchained his arms. His ankles stayed shackled to prevent escape.
"Alright, no delays—let's go!"
With his shout, both sides' chains released. No zombie intro this time, so probably a regular.
'What the hell do I do?'
If this guy's caught, the others are too. Help them or bail solo?
'Mercenaries don't mean much... but too many of them.'
Over eighty in sight alone. Add villagers? Way more. Even a knight couldn't handle that.
Others' lives mattered, but mine mattered more. No need to risk it.
'Still...'
After agonizing, I sighed and turned away.
2.
"Mmph!"
"Kekeke..."
Watching the mercenary dart around the stable made me smirk. What an idiot.
'Can't believe I put up with assholes like them.'
The chief lounged in a chair, enjoying the desperate flight.
"Chief!"
A villager rushed up mid-show.
"I told you not to bother me during the fights."
"S-sorry! But it's urgent!"
"Fuck... what is it!"
"Fire, fuck!"
The shout came from the crowd. The chief bolted up and whipped around.
"What the..."