Arms Snapping Like Rice Crackers
The guy clutching his arm—snapped like a rice cracker—collapsed in a heap. I swallowed my boiling rage and crouched down beside him, slinging an arm around his shoulders as I muttered.
"Ugh—"
"Shh."
"Scream again and I'll rip your fucking mouth open."
"Huff, huff, huff."
Rough breaths leaked through his clenched teeth. Terror etched into his wide eyes. I pulled my hand away from the trembling bastard and scooped up Nadia from behind me with both arms, carrying her safely to the grassy patch over there.
"Nadia, you okay?"
"Hans, I, I—"
"Yeah. I'll get it back in a sec."
Nadia pointed at the notebook in the crazy bitch's hands with her shaking fingertip. I nodded and kicked off the ground.
Thud.
The distance closed in an instant. By then, her escorts had already drawn longswords from their waists.
One of them hesitated, aiming his blade at me. There— the fucker who'd shoved Nadia earlier.
"Hey."
"H-Hiiik!"
He thrust his sword, but my leg reach was way longer. A light low kick, like sweeping the base.
Whoosh—!
Dust and sand swirled up from the ground. Crack. His leg bone shattered outright, sending him flying off.
His face twisted in agony, drool spilling from his gaping mouth... Whatever.
I approached and calmly twisted his right hand.
"Ugh—"
"Scream and I'll rip your fucking mouth open."
"Huff, huff, huff."
"It was your right hand, right? The one you shoved her with."
"Grk—!"
Crunch.
I crushed the hand that had pushed Nadia, then ignored the foaming, passed-out prick and stood up.
I could feel them without turning. Hesitant steps. Vermin approaching me just because they had longswords.
I spun around and stamped my back foot lightly.
"U-Uwaa—"
"Die."
A few running steps, then boom.Crack————!
The lead guy, kicked by my powered front foot, toppled backward, the followers dominoing into a pile behind him.
Now only that rude bitch remained, stunned as her escorts flew past her face.
"……Notebook."
"Uh, u-uh—"
"I said notebook!"
"Hik!"
I raised my voice a notch, and tears welled in her eyes as she trembled, holding out the notebook meekly.
"Try touching it. See what happens."
"Kyaaak!"
I snatched the notebook with one hand and grabbed the back of this bitch's neck with the other, slamming us both to the ground.
Wham!
I stood in front of sniffling Nadia, still gripping the neck, and handed over the notebook in my left hand, muttering quietly.
"I didn't see what you wrote in here, Nadia. Didn't hear a thing. For real."
Nadia stared at me with teary eyes. She sniffled, wiped her tears, and took the notebook I offered.
Seeing her cradle it preciously in both hands made my blood boil all over again.
"………Thank you, Hans."
"Don't thank me. More importantly, this bitch has something to say to you?"
"Kyak!"
I tightened my grip on the noble's neck, forcing her head down, then whispered through gritted teeth into her ear.
"Apologize properly, or I'll scatter your limbs across the entire continent."
"Hik!"
"Who told you to touch it like a retard?"
"Th-That—"
I released her neck and pointed my chin at Nadia.
"S-Sor, sor, sorry—"
"Bow deeper."
"Hiee, sor-sorry! I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
"That's right."
As the noble practically smashed her forehead into the dirt apologizing, Nadia stood, bowing slightly in return.
"Thank you for saying that. Sniff! I'm totally fine now."
Classic Nadia.
But what about my anger?
"Thank you! Th-thank you!"
"Not yet. You and I need to talk separately."
"Hans."
As I grabbed her neck again to drag her somewhere secluded, Nadia—tears wiped away—flashed a bright smile and changed the subject.
"Ahem! I'm really okay. Hehe. More importantly, Hans, wanna read this?"
"……Isn't it a secret?"
"I can share one page with you now. Hehehe."
"……Honored."
"Right?! Hehehehe."
……What about those red-rimmed eyes?
Nadia had swallowed her tears and shifted topics. Thinking about it, she had a surprisingly big heart. No jealousy, envy, or malice—just pure treatment of people.
"Before that, hold on a sec?"
I let out a long sigh, grabbed the noble bitch's head, and whispered a compromise.
"Pick an arm or a leg. I'll break just that one clean and call it even."
"Hiiiik!"
"Better take it now. I guarantee it."
"Sp-Spare meee!"
"Hans!"
As Nadia looked at me worriedly and the screaming bitch's wails grew louder.
"No, this is for your sake. If we don't end it now, that crazy old man of yours will really fuck her up."
"Guards! Guuuards!"
"Way better to take my hit and be done."
"Guuuards!"
I meant it.
Drakan. That mad old bastard watching from somewhere wouldn't let this rude shit who messed with Nadia slide.
And as the bitch, humiliated after ignoring her until it bit her in the ass, called for guards while I avoided Nadia's eyes and went to smack that ass hard—
Smack——!
"Kyaaaaak!"
"Stop!"
Spearmen poured out from beyond the inner castle. Probably reported the commotion—more spearmen flooded in, and their captain spoke from behind.
"Save me! Here! Over here!"
"Ha. Come sooner if you're coming."
"Help! Monster! It's a mooonster! He hit meee!"
"When? Where?"
I flung the red-faced noble—burning with shame and humiliation—to the ground and faced the charging spearmen and their captain.
"Everyone, it's fine."
A voice came from atop the inner castle. Tap. A black-haired man dropped from the sky, landing between me and the gate guards. The captain's eyes widened at the sight.
"C-Captain!"
"Captain. It's fine."
"Hail the Captain!"
The reason the captain saluted the captain so formally was simple. That man used honorifics toward the captain, but their ranks in the kingdom were incomparable.
Knight Captain Fabian. He was the youngest captain of the kingdom's elite Golden Knights, handpicked from the best of the best.
"The commotion was just reported—"
"What's the problem?"
"Pardon?"
"That lady over there brought armed force to insult the innocent lady there, so this fine knight restored her honor, and the lady bravely showed mercy."
"Ah—"
"Go back. I'll vouch for it."
'Oh ho.'
The captain nodded at the vouching words and retreated. The crazy bitch watched with disbelief, rubbing her stinging ass as she yelled at Fabian.
"C-Captain! You can't just end it like that!"
"End it like what?"
"Do you know who I am!? Insulting me like this!? If you knew where I came from, you'd treat me like VIP—"
"Montella Ducal House."
The bitch's face went blank at Fabian's reply. He continued flatly.
"The family that leaked our alliance's info to the Empire during the last Continental War. They're still maintaining powerful private soldiers with the money they got then."
"Th-That's—"
"Even after betraying the kingdom, we maintain ties out of lingering loyalty to the founding merits. Personally, you should be grateful it hasn't gone further."
"How dare you! Lumping my house in like that?!"
"Think I lack the authority?"
"W-Well—"
Her face flushed beet red at his words, and she scurried off, ass wiggling in pain, forcibly rousing one of her groaning escorts. Quite the sight.
Once she vanished from view, Knight Captain Fabian stood before me and Nadia.
He bowed 90 degrees.
"I'm Fabian, Captain of the Carbon Kingdom's Golden Knights. I apologize on behalf of the kingdom for the displeasure you shouldn't have endured."
"I-I'm fine!"
"The lady is truly merciful."
"Uh-uh—"
"If it's not rude, may I ask the lady's name?"
"……Nadia."
Look at her—face red as a tomato, fidgeting with the notebook as she answered Fabian.
"It's Nadia."
"Nadia. Can you promise me one thing?"
"A-Anything."
"Forget that earlier mess entirely. Let it slide. I don't want the palace ball—before it even starts—to be tainted by such a trivial encounter. For your sake, and mine."
"Uh… okay, but."
"Anything."
"Are you a knight, Fabian?"
"Yes. Captain of the Golden Knights, and proudly granted a title by the Carbon Kingdom."
"Then—"
Then.
Nadia squeezed her eyes shut and burst out.
"W-Would you dance with me?!"
Fabian stared at her blankly for a moment. His eyes sparkled like a child's, and he spoke sincerely.
"I'm sorry. I was so oblivious."
"Ah, aaa—"
"To make Nadia say it first."
"Huh?!"
He dropped to one knee.
Proposing a dance at the palace ball.
"Nadia. Fabian, Captain of the Carbon Kingdom's Golden Knights, formally asks. Will you dance with me at the ball?"
"Yes! I'd love tooo!"
"Then. Dance with me first tomorrow."
"I will!"
Her voice cracked, man.
I barely held back laughter, memorizing lines to tease her with later.
Fabian stood and extended a hand to me.
"Impressive earlier. Knight Captain Fabian."
"Hans."
We shook lightly. Truth be told, I didn't mind this guy.
Knight Captain Fabian. Even in the original Young Poison full of weirdos, he had solid character.
'Like earlier.'
I'd sensed him vaguely. He'd heard that crazy bitch blab Nadia's bucket list, but acted like he hadn't caught the part about dancing with a handsome knight, so as not to embarrass her.
And his skills were decent.
"By the way, do you train any specific martial art?"
"Just whatever at home."
"……Family style, then. Hm."
"Not a giant or half-giant. Just ended up like this."
"Ah, no offense intended. Your build is just exceptional."
"It's fine. Used to it now."
"I see. Here as Lady Nadia's guard?"
"Yes."
"Understood. See you later."
He nodded to the gathered guards and called one over with special orders.
"Can you escort these two to their quarters first? Skipping a few in line, but after that surprise, I want to take care of it personally."
"Of course, Captain."
"Then, Nadia. See you tomorrow."
Nadia blushed at the farewell. A smile returned to her sniffling face—much better than before.
We followed the guiding guard into the inner castle. Behind us.
"Alright! Everyone who's waited, you can enter now!"
Knight Captain Fabian's booming voice rang out.
.
.
.
It still lingered in his mind.
"Captain, we can handle the guiding now."
"Haha. Just up to those folks over there, then I'll head back."
Fabian finished guiding at the inner castle entrance and returned to the palace.
As the kingdom's pinnacle, Golden Knights Captain.
Passing the guard post, stepping on the armory roof, kicking off the stable roof, heading to the towering knights' quarters.
He couldn't forget that scene.
'……What the hell was that guy?'
The man named Hans.
The Montella Ducal House escorts he'd dispatched like kicking a stray dog—each one was an elite in their own right.
Treated below VIPs due to their family's betrayal, but in raw power, Montella was formidable. Their lady's closest guards passed tests rivaling knight orders.
The gate spearmen hadn't dared intervene because they knew that strength.
And not just that.
Knight Captain Fabian, who had tried to step in when the Montella lady crossed the line.
But he ultimately hadn't.
To watch how it played out? No.
He hadn't intervened.
Precisely, he couldn't intervene.
Because of the intruder's uncanny movements.
'How the…… hell?'
In other words.
He had to admit it.
He, the Golden Knights Captain hailed as the kingdom's best—a Swordmaster—couldn't even follow half of that stranger's moves.