Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Promising Heroes Are Weird from the Start (2)
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“Uwaaak!”
I punched the face that suddenly popped out, shoving it away. My fist throbbed from the impact. The mystery man’s head snapped back, but he didn’t fall since he was still gripping my collar.
“W-what did I even hit?”
I pried off the wrist still clinging to me. My heart, which had stayed calm even as that building-sized Viridis flailed about, was now pounding like mad.
“What the hell are you?”
I grabbed the man’s collar in retaliation and yanked him up. His lowered chin lifted, revealing a somewhat dazed young boy. His whole body was caked in dust, and his black hair was so filthy it looked gray. His face seemed young, but he was taller than me. His posture was awkward from me holding him.
“What are you?”
I already had a good guess at his identity, even as I asked.
It was Pippin.
I could tell just from those glossy blue eyes. The one who’d thrown the blade at Viridis’s brow and then attacked me out of nowhere—the hero Pippin. Right here.
Should I just beat him down now? Size-wise, he might overpower me.
Damn, too late for that.
Pippin’s expression made it unclear if he was even looking at me. He seemed dazed, almost drunk. Not that he would be.
He mumbled in a small voice.
“Master took it... my leg...”
“Leg?”
I glanced down at his eyes only, but his legs looked fine.
“Bullshit.”
I irritably released his collar. Pippin staggered, turning his head toward Viridis. His eyes somehow gleamed fiercely.
Let’s check his status window.
=================
Name: Pippin
Class: Berserker
Personality: Rage - Accuracy decreases, but gains constant attack power boost
Trait: Confirmation Kill - Final strikes always land critically
=================
What the hell is this ridiculous description?
“Berserker with Confirmation Kill?”
Pippin’s back was already receding. He scaled up to Viridis’s brow like he’d forgotten gravity. I saw him yank out the blade lodged there and grip it like a sword.
An alien energy gathered around him. Thanks to still having Black Eyes active, I could see it with my eyes too.
Golden energy, like the sun at dusk, converged on his arm. Viridis’s head split in half in an instant.
“So that’s Confirmation Kill.”
A needlessly cool trait.
Viridis’s green fluids shot up into the sky before raining down like a storm. I shaded my forehead with my hand. A fishy stench and sweltering heat enveloped the area.
In the distance, villagers ran toward us with farming tools. Among them, clumsily sprinting over, was Dandel.
“I was hoping for an easier opponent. Should’ve hit him a few more times back then.”
I clicked my tongue in regret when suddenly, I felt something standing beside me.
I turned casually and found a specter staring right at me. She had black hair down to her waist and puffy eyes. Her mouth was... slathered in strawberry whipped cream. It was whipped cream. Definitely whipped cream.
Absolutely not blood foam...
This was the shadowy figure who’d been lurking near Pippin earlier. For some reason, she was now staring holes into me.
I pretended not to notice and stared straight ahead.
“Maybe I should dispel my ant legion...”
I reopened the Door of Death to summon the sweet horde, then released all my skills. I was sure I’d deactivated Black Eyes too, but...
[If you keep pretending not to know me... I’ll curse you...]
The ghost glared and approached me. I’d released the skills, yet I could still see the specter. What was going on?
Could I keep seeing anyone I’d once made eye contact with?
No thanks. I wanted to ignore her to the end. Seeing specters was a necromancer’s job, but even necromancers needed time off. I wasn’t a 24-hour convenience store clerk greeting every ghost with “Welcome, necromancer here.”
I moved my creaky legs toward Dandel, adding pointless mutterings.
“Ah, monsters are so scary. Monsters are really scary. Gotta get back inside the village quick.”
[The horde of specters that devoured Viridis’s leg... your familiars... I know all about it...]
“Dandel! Hey, Dandel! Over here!”
[I know all about it...]
The specter stuck to me persistently. I kept ignoring her and walked until I met Dandel. He hugged me with a tear-streaked face, letting out sounds that were a mix of words and sobs.
I sneaked a sidelong glance. The specter had moved to Pippin’s side.
Calming down a bit, I realized there might be a connection between Pippin and the specter. Both had black hair and blue eyes. Their skin tones were iffy—pale for her, but that wasn’t racial, right?
“Sniff, Duke, it was so scary. That monster, sniff, collapsed right in front of me, sniff.”
“Calm down. If you get snot on my clothes, I’ll throw you in jail.”
“Sniff, Duke, but you were right.”
While Dandel clung to me sobbing, Pippin approached with his usual dazed look. Unfortunately, the specter attached to him came closer too. Was I suddenly this popular?
“The boy you mentioned, Duke, he’s incredible. The moment Viridis looked at him, he charged in and severed its tendon. He even used magic. Right as his attack hit, some fog stuck to it, and in a flash, only bones were left.”
That magic was probably my sweet horde. And...
“Master. Sorry for the misunderstanding earlier.”
Pippin strode up, bowed low toward me.
“I thought you were stealing my prey... I smelled the same scent. The mana that attacked Viridis’s leg... same smell...”
Pippin shoved his nose toward me and sniffed. His long arms dangled limply downward, shaking. Silver blades on his arms glinted and swayed with them.
What Pippin had pulled from Viridis’s brow was a saw. A wood-cutting saw. Viridis’s green fluids dripped from its jagged teeth onto the ground.
Pretending not to be freaked out, I turned to face Pippin. I forced a calm, cold expression as I asked,
“Taking down that monster alone—impressive. What’s your name?”
“...”
Pippin blankly turned his head toward Viridis. Brains and fluid poured from its bisected head.
“Pippin. Pippin sells meat.”
“...”
“Cheap. Real cheap.”
Thud, splat! Half of Viridis’s brain rolled onto the ground. Nearby villagers screamed and scattered. The specter behind Pippin pointed at them, laughing hysterically. Her waist literally bent backward. Even then, her bluish eyes fixed on me.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Without a hint of disturbance, Pippin muttered in the same tone.
“Real cheap meat. But leg meat... gone.”
“...Like I’d buy it. Leg or no leg, not interested.”
Pippin’s shoulders slumped a bit.
“...Then hide? Cheap. No leg hide. Gone...”
Berserker Pippin. Even for a berserker, did he have to be this berserk? The ‘berserk’ level was off the charts. How insane was the crown prince who’d take this guy as a retainer?
“Pippin, you lunatic! Sorry! So sorry! Pippin! You bastard, wrecking the village!”
A stout old man charged at us swinging a staff. A dozen villagers followed with farming tools and torches.
Suddenly, I wanted to go home.
***
“Truly sorry! So sorry, Duke Gluttony! No words to offer! If this old man’s life pleases you, take it as atonement!”
The village chief prostrated before me. Locals supported him, sniffling. They insisted he’d done nothing wrong, urged him to get up.
I raised a hand lightly.
“Quiet.”
“Yes! Listen up! The Duke says quiet! All of you, shut your mouths...!”
“If you don’t shut up right now, I’ll make sure you stay shut forever.”
“...”
Everyone fell deathly silent. I heard Pippin sniffle beside me. I glanced with just my eyes. Ignoring the villagers’ paling faces, Pippin snorted, then wiped his nose on his sleeve. Impressive in all sorts of ways.
Among the ragtag bunch, I scanned for someone who seemed reasonable. As I looked around, a burly man burst into the village hall. He looked like he’d eaten nothing but protein and trained seven hours a day for ten years. His exposed limbs were covered in scars.
“What happened in the village? It’s a total mess!”
“Shh, shh!”
The chief signaled him to quiet down. The man spotted me, froze, and rolled his eyes. Among those I’d seen here, barring Pippin, he had the most unusual vibe. And somehow familiar.
High chance I’d seen him in the game.
“Pippin! Don’t tell me you again... You okay? No injuries?”
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Name: Kaku Pyres
Personality: Loyalty - Favorability changes slowly; performs better the higher party members’ favorability
Class: Retired Mercenary Captain
Trait: Confirmation Kill - Final strikes always land critically
=================
As expected. No wonder he felt familiar. He was Pippin’s guardian.
Kaku eyed me sharply, then cautiously approached Pippin, even stepping in front to shield him.
“You seem like an important person. What brings you to a backwater village like this?”
For some reason, the answer came from Pippin.
“Rich customer. Monster meat. Special discount...”
“No. I said I’m not buying. Stop trying to sell.”
I cut off Pippin. He pouted his lips a bit sulkily.
“I was scouting the territory for hidden talents in these mountains. But the moment I entered this village, I met a giant monster instead of talent.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“What the hell happened? A monster that huge appearing near homes is impossible. Unless someone summoned it on purpose.”
I swept my gaze over the villagers. They all bowed their heads, avoiding my eyes. In the silence, Pippin’s lips twitched, but Kaku clamped a thick hand over his mouth and explained instead.
“Seems like a misunderstanding. Monsters near homes are rare, but not impossible. Viridis travel in packs. One could’ve gotten lost crossing the mountains and fallen behind...”
“That thing looked like it could smash mountains, not climb them. Even if its eyes are decorative, how does something that size lose its pack? It’d find them just from the ground shaking.”
Everyone panicked, glancing at each other.
This was my chance.
A chance to pin the blame on Pippin.