Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Vengeful Ghost and Beastification
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"Please raise your head, Gold."
Even with my quiet words, Gold didn't lift his head.
I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but his resolve felt ironclad.
For some reason, anger welled up inside me, and I snapped harshly.
"What exactly are you sorry for? I supposedly sold you, your family's forces, and a bunch of elite adventurers to the monsters, then shamelessly tried to save my own skin."
"Exactly right, Gold! What a shameless bastard!!"
Shut up, Yulis.
She'd been ice-cold just moments ago, but now she looked ready to explode.
Yet Gold's words calmed the rage that seemed about to erupt.
"There's no way that's true."
His confident voice left me speechless.
He wasn't using any magic, but his words rang out clearly to everyone in this wide street.
"G-Gold! Why do you think that?!"
That's when Yulis's eyes locked onto someone. I followed her gaze from the bitch I'd been glaring at... and spotted him amid the crowd. A massive build, a ferocious face, and muscles that made him stand out even more.
Blan.
"Blan?! You...! I heard you were in a coma—did you wake up?!"
"I got lucky."
Yulis showed a flicker of joy, but it vanished as she quickly hardened her expression.
"...Blan, don't tell me you... lied to Gold?"
"Lady Yuli..."
Blan closed his eyes, his voice laced with regret.
Yulis cried out in disbelief.
"How could you do this to me?!"
"Enough, Yulis. Blan only told me someone needed my help. He didn't say or do anything else."
"Then why, my lord?! Why defend this shameless scum?!"
Gold's already sharp gaze grew even fiercer.
As Yulis flinched, he spoke in a disappointed tone.
"That day I lost to the female slime. I saw exactly what happened with my own eyes."
"What?!"
No way.
Gold had been unconscious, right?
"Why defend this trash with excuses like that?!"
"Excuses? Are you calling me a liar?!"
Fury entered Gold's voice for the first time, and Yulis hastily bowed her head.
"N-No, that's not—"
"I was pathetically on the verge of passing out, sure. But I saw it."
Gold thrust his palm toward me and shouted.
"I saw this man slice through the female slime's tentacles—ones no one else could cut—in an instant!"
"......!!"
...Come to think of it, when I got close that day, Gold had just closed his eyes right then.
Did he see it after all?
Yulis was sweating bullets.
But she soon cried out in a cracked voice.
"But afterward, he judged we had no chance and sold us out!"
"Oh? That's odd. In your report to the guild and the main house, you said he sold us out from the start. That's what it said."
"That... was a momentary lapse in judgment on my part..."
"......"
Gold stared at her silently.
His gaze overwhelmed Yulis, the crowd, and even me.
He'd been dismissed as a flashy pretty boy with his blond hair slicked back... but not anymore.
This guy really stood head and shoulders above others.
Just standing there exuded such dignity that weaker-willed people crumpled under it.
But Yulis, having spent years with him, seemed immune and brazenly shouted.
"Urgh...! You Outsider bastard! You bewitched Gold with your vile skill!"
What the hell? Is this bitch for real?
As I stared in disbelief, Yulis thrust her sword toward me.
Her blade, glowing blindingly white, flashed brighter, and a truck-sized ice blade came hurtling at me.
...What now?
The moment I moved to parry it.
Crack!
Someone stepped in front of me and blocked it perfectly, shattering the ice without budging an inch. It was Lepelt, the knight standing beside Yulis.
"Lepelt! What are you doing?!"
Lepelt sighed.
"Yuli~ Stop it. You can still make up for your mistake."
"Lepelt! Even you accuse me?!"
The bitch muttered in a trembling voice, then screamed.
"You know me! You know who I am! And yet?!"
"That's exactly why I'm saying this! Don't disappoint Gold any more!"
At Lepelt's shout, Yulis groaned and looked at Gold with pleading eyes.
"Gold! Do you believe this Outsider over me—over Yuli, who's served you since the day you were born?!"
Gold narrowed his eyes at her emotional plea.
"You're my best subordinate. No, more than that."
"Then—!"
"I'm not believing what Outsider Dre says."
Gold's eyes flashed wide as he shouted.
"I'm believing my own judgment!!"
"......!!"
"I thought it was strange. That female slime was horrifyingly powerful! She survived full-force attacks with our great ancestors' items and neutralized me!"
Gold took a breath and glared sharply at his knight, Yulis.
"You know what it means to withstand attacks using the Ten Heroes' artifacts, right? Yulis."
Under his demanding gaze, Yulis replied in a trembling voice.
"...It means resistance to magic... or to Prynar itself."
"Exactly. To an astonishing degree. Your report said Blan fought desperately, and you froze her in a frenzy, barely escaping."
Gold sighed and drew all eyes to him.
He hadn't meant to—it was just second nature.
"I know your ice magic fused with that special sword is exceptional. However."
Gold inhaled deeply and bellowed even louder.
"It was nowhere near enough against that female! If your attacks and magic didn't work, no one there could have damaged her! Everyone but a few adventurers was a mage-type!"
".....!!"
"And if anything could stop that monster! It was! This man!"
Gold jabbed a finger at me and practically roared.
"Only this man, who severed those massive tentacles with his sword aura alone!"
"......!"
"In that situation where I was captured, Yulis—did you have any way to save me with your attacks? Your signature wide-area ice magic could've critically wounded not just the slime but me too! And your close-quarters skill is just average knight level!"
Yulis winced at the roundabout jab at her melee weakness.
"Or are you saying someone else besides you or me stopped the monster?! Who?!"
"......"
"I woke up a day after passing out and heard your report. It kept nagging at me as wrong! The Outsider Dre I saw might stand by at times, but he's a good man! He tried to save people! For him to suddenly turn and sell everyone out to flee?"
Gold exhaled, calming himself as he spoke gently.
"He wasn't that sly."
"I-I can explain. It was—"
"So I investigated thoroughly. I got those you tried to silence to talk."
At that, Yulis finally fell silent.
Or so I thought—she lashed out desperately.
"Gold! Even you can misjudge! Please reconsider!"
"Me, misjudge?!"
Gold's eyes blazed.
"Do I seem so foolish—as the future head of the Hart Clan, the pillar who'll bear this nation, this world—that I'd cast out my closest ally on a bad call?!"
"Urk...!"
Yulis dropped her head.
She had no fight left for rebuttals.
Seeing this, Gold turned from her and declared.
"Halt the public announcement of crimes immediately! And hear me, everyone here! Outsider Dre is no petty traitor who sold me and the Hart Clan out to save his skin! He's the benefactor who showed valor to save me—and was betrayed by the Hart Clan despite that!"
Pale-faced Yulis wailed amid the murmurs.
"Gold! That's not true! It was me—I did it all! It's solely my fault! Gold and the Hart Clan have no part!"
"A subordinate's sin is my sin."
"Urgh...!"
...Fuck.
What is this.
How to put it...
He's fucking cool.
It's not just because he's helping me.
His sheer dignity, his willingness to own the blame—it gave me chills.
Is this what a Ten Great Clan heir is like?
No.
It's the measure of the man called Gold, clan aside.
"Outsider Dre! No words can erase the stain on your honor. I'll prepare fitting compensation!"
"...That's..."
"But this alone won't suffice. Dre, name your desire. I'll grant any wish within my power. My entire fortune if you want, or make me your subordinate."
"Eh?!"
Even Lepelt gaped in shock.
"I won't dare ask forgiveness with this. Just... tell me. Could you ever forgive me, the Hart Clan, in time?"
As Gold bowed again, I spoke.
"Raise your head, Gold."
"......"
"I won't forgive you if you don't."
Gold snapped his head up, standing at attention, awaiting my words.
"I hold no grudge against you, or the Hart Clan."
Precisely, I do against the fuckers who sided with that Hart Clan bitch Yulis.
But judging by Yulis's statements so far, her influence in the clan must be massive. They probably had no room to take my side.
Few people could win against the situation.
I get that.
I can forgive them.
But.
"But I can't forgive Yulis."
"What do you want?"
I turned from Gold, who seemed to guess it, and approached the kneeling Yulis.
As everyone watched, I said.
"Stand up, Yulis."
"You... pitying me?"
"Pity?"
Shing.
I drew my sword and pointed it at her. Yulis flinched and raised hers in defense.
"I want one thing. A duel with Yulis."
"A duel."
I nodded to Gold as he repeated it.
"Not an ordinary one."
"Then?"
"A deathmatch. Life or death."
The crowd fell deathly silent, like ice water had been dumped on them.
...Did they not get it? It's a wuxia term—maybe add clarification.
Thankfully, Gold understood and replied quietly.
"...No."
"Beyond even your authority?"
I'd sneered it like "Something this trivial?", but Gold didn't bristle and just shook his head.
"Outsider Dre. I know you're strong... but you're a novice Outsider who's barely been in this nation. Yulis is strong enough to beat even top-tier Outsiders."
In other words, no fair fight.
She thinks my win over Yuna was a sneak attack, and I'm weaker than Yulis.
An ordinary duel might be fine, but not one where I could die.
Yeah, I get you're looking out for me.
"...How about this? Yulis can't kill me, but I can kill her. Sound good?"
"Hm."
The crowd buzzed.
"Isn't that a bit cowardly?"
"Nah. Sounds like he got royally screwed, so those terms make sense."
Public opinion split.
Yulis stared at me in disbelief.
"Yulis."
"Yes, my lord."
Her despair gone, knightly deference returned.
"No mistakes allowed. If Dre dies, so do you. Understood?"
"Yes. That won't happen."
Her eyes were viciously cold.
She wanted to tear me apart right there.
This lying bitch who framed me and drove me to despair still didn't know her wrong, glaring like that.
I swore it.
I'll rip those eyes out.
"Outsider Dre. You seem heated too—why not set a date later?"
"Appreciate the thought."
I got Gold's kindness.
Buy time to get stronger. Avoid even injury.
But I couldn't wait another second.
I wanted to sever that bitch's neck ASAP.
"But."
"I beat the female slime Yuna one-on-one, if only briefly."
Gold's eyes widened in surprise.
"Does that not qualify me?"
"...If you say so."
Gold and Lepelt stepped back. The crowd edged closer.
Fear of the powerful gone, eyes lit for the spectacle.
"Ha, haha..."
Yulis laughed hollowly.
Her surroundings flashed white for an instant, and an ice hill erupted in seconds.
"Whoa!"
"What the hell?!"
"That massive spell in seconds...!"
Shocked gasps everywhere. Impressive even by this world's standards.
From afar, Gold's dignified voice.
"What do you think, Blan?"
"It'll be a brawl. He looks like a half-baked pretty boy gone mad, but his strength is real. Lady Yuli's is too, though..."
Compliment or insult, Blan?
True, it might turn chaotic.
I could shatter her ice thrusts instantly, but she could spam endless ice barrages.
A guild staffer stepped center, hands out, separating us.
Referee, probably.
As Yulis's sword glowed white, he stopped her.
Magic after the duel start call.
She snorted and dimmed it. Just intimidation.
Saying she could make shredding ice in seconds.
And.
"Countdown to duel start!!"
10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
Ten seconds felt eternal.
"5! 4! 3!"
First just the guild ref, then the crowd joined.
"2! 1!!!"
"Prepare yourself, Outsider!"
Countdown ended. Yulis targeted me instantly... I just stood there.
Her brow twitched.
"What? Frozen in fear now?"
"No. The ref stopped you earlier, right?"
"What?"
"Charge that sword fully. Glow it up. Duel starts after."
"...You show cowardice with penalties, then say this?"
Cowardice, huh.
I chuckled loud enough to hear.
"Hurry. Or the duel voids. Another punishment awaits you."
"...You fucking bastard!!"
Raging Yulis's sword glowed white. One second... two... good enough.
"Charged enough?"
"Enough to butcher you!"
I advanced slowly, sword raised.
Yeah. Yulis is strong.
I sought the Flame Sword assuming a fight with her, piled up feats for stats and EXP.
Even thought of dumping all stats into strength.
Now I wonder.
Why bother for trash like her?
"Brace for losing an arm or two!"
Boom!
Yulis slashed diagonally.
Ice shot out. I kicked off the ground.
Gold gasped. Blan yelled my name.
Slash.
...That sound.
Thud! Crash!
The ice plummeted.
Clang.
Amid shattering fragments, something severed rolled, clanging metallically.
"Wha...?"
Her sword was halved, glow extinguished.
As Yulis stared blankly, slice... her other wrist—unguarded—severed cleanly.
Spurt!
Blood fountained. Yulis screamed in agony.
"KyaAAAAAHHH?!"
Clutching her stump, she knelt.
I flicked ice off my blade and looked down at the kneeling loser.
No one made a sound.
Silence reigned.
I broke it.
"I win."