Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Netori or Die
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Netori or die. Choose, hurry up lol
The mansion sure was big.
They said he held high office, and sure enough, it looked like it was screaming, "I'm loaded as fuck."
The place was downright grandiose.
>But for all its flashy exterior, it lacked any real noble dignity.
It felt like overdone makeup, you know?
"......"
The knight was still staring up at my face like an idiot.
His expression screamed, "What the hell is going on here?"
I mean, if some random dark-skinned dude suddenly shows up saying, "I'll spare you, so fuck off lol," you'd be like, "What the fuck is this shit?" too.
Just leave him be.
If he comes at me, we'll scrap together.
I'll hold back a bit, at least.
And with that, I smashed the back of the head of the little bastard who'd dared try to trap me.
"Argh!"
Maybe because it was right in front of his house, but his screaming was so damn annoying, like he wanted everyone to hear.
If he wanted to scream that bad, I should help him out.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Ack! Ack... ack..."
His cries gradually died down.
What a wimp.
That's when the knight who'd been sitting there dumbfounded jumped to his feet.
"S-Sir! You can't do that!"
"Is that so."
The cautious big lug had mentioned a knight named Mail who was the only decent one.
This guy seemed to be him.
The kind of guy who reads the room, and even he hinted that Mail was a good person, so his relationships must've been solid.
His personality definitely checked out as decent.
But while his words were trying to stop me, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.
I could really feel how much this little bastard had tormented people.
That's when Mail glanced at me and spoke up.
"Um... Are you... Sir Dre?"
"......"
Why the hell was my name coming up here?
"Ah! N-No, don't misunderstand! I'm not some stalker or anything. It's just, back when you were framed, the Hart Clan knights distributed wanted posters with your portrait! You look just like the drawing..."
Oh. So they handed those out, huh.
That fucking bitch Yulis.
"That's right. Now that you know who I am, are you going to try to stop me?"
"Uh... um..."
Mail hesitated.
"You asked me earlier to let the servants go. I feel the same way, and I plan to release them."
"No... that's..."
"I'll take responsibility for everything that follows. Do as your heart desires, freely."
And with that, I smacked the back of the little bastard's head once more.
Ah. This is addictive.
Maybe I should keep this punk around for a month and smack him whenever I'm bored.
The sniveling little bastard glared at Mail.
"M-Mail... you... don't just stand there... h-help... me..."
"Uh..."
He looked troubled. Let's help him out.
"Leg."
The sleazy little bastard Leg jumped at the sound of his name.
I heard your name crystal clear from way over there, you fucking prick.
"Go home. Gather everyone. We won't interfere in any way."
The little bastard trembled like a leaf in the wind, then wailed "Waaah!" and bolted into the mansion.
He was running full speed, but all that flab made him slow as hell.
"D-Dre?"
"...?"
What the hell now with this guy.
The cautious big guy who'd escorted me here was staring at me with wide eyes.
Staring daggers the whole way like no matter how tough I looked, I'd get wrecked at the mansion, so I'd marked him for a beating later.
But his attitude had flipped now.
Like he'd poked the wrong bear. That was his face.
...Am I famous or something?
Anyway. As I waited, I started sensing a group approaching from inside the mansion.
They weren't up to any bullshit; they were moving pretty fast.
What bullshit? Worried the little bastard might lure people away with sweet talk and rape the father-daughter duo in the stables or something.
That's why I'd had those two leave them with someone reliable on the way.
Finally, people became visible beyond the gate.
Man, that gate was huge.
Big enough for three carriages side by side.
The massive gate swung wide open, and knights marched out in perfect formation, trying to look intimidating.
Probably meant to intimidate me, but I just felt confused.
Knights, right?
The knights I knew wore thick full plate armor covering every inch, like Repelt.
But these guys' outfits were light.
And the pressure they gave off was all middling at best.
They stopped about ten meters from me and glared.
Suddenly, like the Red Sea parting, they split in two, and a white-haired man with a stylish mustache strode forward.
Just from looks, he had some gravitas.
"Hmmm."
He eyed me, Mail, and the big lug back and forth, then narrowed his eyes.
"You're the one who mercilessly beat my son?"
"Yes."
I answered boldly, and his mustache twitched.
Soon, a wail echoed from afar, and the little bastard came running, clinging to his father's pant leg.
The snot-nosed, teary little bastard looked so pathetic, it was hard to believe he carried Count Serton's blood.
Surprisingly, the prickly-looking Count Serton didn't care about his clothes getting dirty and stroked his son's head.
No wonder the little bastard turned out a total prick with that pampering.
"I am the head of the Serton family, Count Oren Serton."
"Is that so."
"Is that so?"
Count Serton mimicked me and let out an exasperated sigh.
The kind of sigh that says, "How do I deal with this clueless peasant?"
"Who backs you?"
"No one."
"No one? Then what gave you the balls to pull this shit?"
"Your son looked like he needed some education."
"What?"
His eyebrows shot up.
"If you can't explain properly, you'll die."
"Is that so."
"Insolent cur... Go on, spout your excuses. Defend yourself with that mouth."
Let's try talking it out.
He might be more reasonable than I think.
"Your son nitpicked and tried to force some family's precious daughter into servitude."
Count Serton glanced down at his son, then back at me.
"And?"
"So I stopped him."
"No. I'm not asking what you did after. So what if he did? What's your point?"
"......"
"My son doesn't lie. He's a good boy. You're the one nitpicking. Knowing his personality, he probably said that peasant committed a grave crime but he'd mercifully make her a servant instead. How generous is that?"
Fuck.
This guy's even worse than his son.
"I can prove it was nitpicking."
"Getting desperate, eh? Suddenly value your life?"
What the hell.
"Lowly scum. Burning with misplaced justice, thinking you're in the right? The price for that is your life."
His voice was stern, but his words were pure bullshit.
"You're a brain-dead fuck logic won't work on."
"......Hah."
In response, Count Serton silently gestured to his knights.
Yeah. This is more my style.
"Th-This man is the Outsider Dre!"
That's when the cautious big lug shouted from the side.
He glanced at me like he was gauging my reaction.
The hell are you butting in for?
I glared, and he flinched, mumbling softly.
"S-Sir Dre, surely you don't want bad blood with a count's family over something like this? You're about to enroll in Prynar Academy soon—imagine if this stains your name and they revoke your admission."
"......"
I stayed silent, and thinking it was his chance, the big lug gesticulated wildly as he ranted on.
"He may not look it, but he wields massive influence in the political world. Connected to even the Ten Great Families! Sir Dre, you already have beef with the Ten Great Families, especially the Hart Clan, right? Just chalk this up as a mistake and let it go."
"Letting it go is fine."
The big lug's face lit up at my words.
"But what about that father and daughter?"
"Uh... well... you'd have to give them up..."
"Is that so."
I stepped toward him, and the flinching cautious lug whispered in a shrinking voice.
"......Am I getting beaten too?"
You know it.
Clang!
I smashed the hilt into his crown, and the cautious lug crumpled.
The knights reflexively lunged, but Count Serton raised a hand to stop them.
"The Outsider Dre...? The one who beat Lady Yulis, the Hart Clan heir's direct subordinate, annihilated a bandit gang, and is surrounded by all sorts of bizarre rumors?"
Bizarre rumors? Like Prostia?
Heard the dragon-blocking rumor had spread.
"Yeah. Confident in your skills, huh? You lowly dog. Thinking your petty talents let you humiliate nobility?"
"......"
No need to listen anymore.
Time to wreck them all.
"I heard you've rebuilt ties with the Ten Great Families. Impressive, going from blood enemies to that. I'll give you credit for the cunning."
What do I care, asshole.
Gonna shave off that mustache first.
"But do you think you're the only one connected to the Ten Great Families, especially the Hart Clan?"
That made me freeze.
Was Gold actually buddies with this trash? Or bluffing?
If the former, I'd be hugely disappointed in Gold.
I'd paused at the thought, but misreading it, the bastard smirked smugly.
"I guarantee it. If the Hart Clan had to choose between you and me, it'd be me, obviously. The Serton family has a storied history of stably governing Milf Village. Comparing that to some slightly skilled Outsider? Laughable."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. So kneel and bash your head on the ground until I'm satisfied. Then I might forgive you and take you as a subordinate."
Right. Got it.
I knelt as ordered.
Pfft. Puhaha.
Laughter mixed with mockery erupted here and there.
Mail's disappointed sigh beside me.
The sleazy bastard's face shifting from woe-is-me back to cocky prick confidence...
And the moment Count Serton's dignified mustache curled up with his smile...
Boom!
I'd knelt to build momentum!
Such an obvious move, I figured someone might call it, but no one did. Hilarious.
Like a bullet, I closed in before the count and his son even registered.
Clang!
Bounced off a sword. What the hell.
Stepping back a couple paces, I saw a knight in actual armor, unlike the others.
"Y-You bastard. Did you just attack me?! Get him on his knees now!"
The gray-haired knight who'd blocked me grinned at Count Serton's furious shout.
"The famous Outsider Dre, huh... They say you beat Lady Yulis, but your skills are underwhelming."
"......"
"I've sparred with Lady Yulis too. Great match. I lost then, but now I'd win in a rematch. So don't think beating her lucky means you can beat me."
"Is that so."
"Damn right. Oh, late intro. I'm the Serton family's Knight Captain..."
"That arm."
"Hm?"
"Hold onto it."
"...What?"
"If you don't want to die, hold it."
He burst into disbelieving laughter at my words.
In that instant...
Slice.
His sword arm slid off like butter, and the knight captain stared dumbly before screaming at the top of his lungs.
"My... arm!!!"
Clang!
I closed in again and cracked his skull, knocking him out.
Way worse than that hack Yulis. What a joke.
Cutting power too good is a problem too.
It sliced so clean it hung on for a bit instead of dropping.
Didn't even cause proper pain.
I moved straight for the count, but knights swarmed from all sides.
A quick glance—they all had swords of uniform length.
Unoriginal bunch.
Slash. I swung to push them back, then stepped backward.
The knights charged right after.
Two tried evacuating the count and his son amid it.
This might sound random, but skills supposedly come naturally from repeating set patterns of actions.
For Outsiders, you get a notification of which skill you acquired.
I hadn't gotten a skill name yet, but I could mimic it.
I stabbed the ground with my sword, then slashed forward.
Rooooar!
Rich mana boiled up from the earth—no, Prynar's energy followed my sword aura, forming a powerful slash that became an energy blast.
Fantasy Dark Chase!
Or Power Wave?
Either way, my projectile zipped like an arrow and exploded in the knights' midst with a boom!
"Gahhh!"
"Argh!"
A dozen knights flew like bowling pins.
Even half-assed, the power was decent.
Spamming this would mop up these low-level scrubs easy.
"You worm!"
"Haat!"
Still, I prefer close quarters.
They want it too.
So, as you wish—I'll cut you down personally.
Slash! Slice!
"Waaah!"
"Argh!"
The two charging clutched severed arms and rolled.
One. Two. As I sliced the arms of the third trio lunging behind, the rest hesitated.
Not coming?
Fine. I'm coming to you.
Tatata—I rushed, severing wrists.
No guilt.
Learned all about the Serton family's atrocities on the way; except Mail, no bystanders—all accomplices.
Divine punishment it is.
The brawl was spreading; people started gathering.
"Y-You bastard! Aren't you afraid of me! The Serton family! And the Hart Clan?!"
As knights fell like autumn leaves, the terrified Count Serton yelled.
I paused at the shout.
Didn't want misunderstandings, so I spoke quick.
"If."
"......?"
"If Lord Gold is truly close to scum like you and has tolerated your actions... I want no friendship with him."
"......"
"Same for the other Ten Great Families."
Count Serton's mustache quivered as he roared.
"You... arrogant frog in a well! Do you even know what the Ten Great Families are...?!"
"I don't. But one thing I do know."
I raised my sword and fired a light space slash.
Bang.
A hole pierced his fancy mustache; his philtrum tore, blood flowing.
To his dumbstruck face, I spat one line.
"Before they help you, you'll die miserably by my hand. Even a lowly cur like me knows that much, Count."