Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Monstrosity [Youth]
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Somehow, I survived.
...
And fifteen years passed.
...
I stood in front of the mirror.
A frame rusted through, glass cracked like its owner—worn down and dilapidated, just like the landlord.
"Hm..."
My height was decent enough.
A little over 170, maybe.
Since I'd grown up half-starved as a kid,
I was on the smaller side compared to other guys.
Well, unlike girls who mostly finish growing in elementary and middle school,
guys have more variation in their growth spurts, so all I could do was hope.
Come on, you damn growth plates, work with me here?
At least I'd shed that malnourished, scrawny look.
Thanks to getting beaten and rolling around every day, my shoulders had broadened nicely.
The lean muscles clinging to my frame like snakes made for a pretty decent body.
"Sexy as hell. A hot bod that'd have the ladies lining up to suck it dry."
The problem was still my face, though.
I swept my bangs up.
My left side was fine.
As the years ticked by, the baby fat melted away bit by bit,
leaving a sharp jawline honed like a well-sharpened blade.
In my past life, I could've done ads for triple-blade razors.
Clear features with a touch of class from my mother's side,
blue eyes still gleaming coldly,
a face handsome enough to earn whispers of "pretty boy gigolo."
But turn my head just a bit, and the story changed.
"......"
The right side. From just below my ear, along the jawline, and down the nape.
The scar left by that inferno fifteen years ago writhed like a red serpent.
Wrinkled, twisted skin, melted ear grotesquely mashed together.
A face where peak male beauty coexisted with horror-freak vibes.
Half-seasoned fry, half-zha jiang mian, mala clear-and-hot broth—
a man satisfying both normal pervs and weirdos in one go.
That was me.
"Anyone can see that's a disgusting mug. Why bother staring in the mirror?"
A gravelly voice flew from behind me.
Crunch crunch.
Through the mirror, I saw a massive guy sprawled on the bed, chomping an apple.
Kain. His hair was a bit whiter now,
but that grim face and bear-like bulk were unchanged.
"Like I always say,"
I turned around,
"old timers like you don't get to judge faces."
I clenched my fist, sticking just my thumb out between index and middle finger.
A polite gesture wishing him anal violation anywhere, anytime.
"Heh heh. Fair enough. Like I always say till my mouth hurts,"
Kain spat apple bits while laughing,
"with that ugly mug, you'll never get married. Give it up."
He mimicked me with a much bigger fist.
"Bullshit. Who said I wanna get married? I ain't."
"You can't."
"Check this out, old man."
I yanked my underwear down right there.
Plop.
Pants tangled at my ankles, something heavy swung free.
A truly majestic, enormous barrel.
My other self, grown far finer than in my past life.
"Feast your eyes on this overwhelming might."
I thrust my hips back and forth, swinging it flop flop.
"And you think this gets chained to some 'marriage' and left to rot servicing one woman?"
"......"
"That's a loss to humanity. A national disaster."
I preached passionately, pointing at my pride and joy with a serious face.
"I'm a nice guy, a broad-minded philanthropist.
So I've got a duty to spread happiness to as many ladies as possible with this noble beast."
The true noblesse oblige. The duty of the gifted, right?
But Kain, hearing my grand ambitions,
didn't even pause his apple-munching, replying flatly.
"Bullshit season's in full swing."
"......Jealous?"
"Put away that rotten sausage. Ruining my appetite."
Kain spat out an apple peel.
"And 'noble'? Looks like a pupa to me."
"Pupa? Eyes going dim already in your old age?"
Kain chuckled, nodding at my crotch.
"Plus, a virgin who can't even use it talks a big game."
"Saving it. A famed sword isn't drawn lightly."
"Bullshit. You just can't."
The dog-ass old fart nailed me right on the head.
The last fifteen years. Honestly, I'd been too busy scraping by to chase women.
Or more precisely...
[Whoa, look at that face.]
[Gross... half-melted.]
The faces made by maids in the mansion or village girls when they saw me.
My pride wouldn't let me push past that.
"Hmph. You'll see."
I grumbled, pulling up my underwear.
"Some woman'll recognize this body's true value."
"Sure sure. Dream on; it's free."
Kain stood, stretching.
Crack. Pop. His joints sounded like a tree crashing.
Fifteen years watching, and he was still a monster.
"Time to head out. Grab your gear."
"Can't we rest today? Or you go alone, old man."
"Wanna get beat then prep, or prep then get beat?"
Why's there no 'no beating' option?
"Sigh... what a shitty life."
No choice, I grabbed my outer clothes and dressed.
Twenty years old.
Great body and cock,
but including past life, still no sexual experience,
hooked on some weird chick who saddled me with massive debt,
shacking up with a stinky old geezer, wasting my prime as a lifelong slave,
dragged daily into filthy, dangerous jobs,
barely surviving day by day in misery and shit.
That was me.
...
BAM—!
The hefty mansion gate exploded inward.
Guards jumped, spears raised, but too late.
"Wh-who are you?!"
"Halt! Do you know where this is...!"
"Who else."
From the dust cloud, I strode in.
Debt ledger in one hand, cheap dagger in the other.
"Here to collect."
Whoosh. I lunged forward.
"Gurk?!"
A red line slashed the lead guard's throat.
No time to admire the blood fountain; I kicked off his shoulder and leaped.
Fifteen years. Two things beaten into me daily by the old man:
One, beating people.
Two, killing them.
Mixed with street brawl scraps from the slums,
a brutal, practical killing art with no fancy lineage.
Squelch!
"Gaaah!"
Fingers jammed precisely into the knight's helmet gap.
Sticky, wet V-finger.
As he screamed and fell, surrounding guards edged back.
"No way......"
"K-Kaintrea's 'Monstrosity'."
"Who you calling monstrosity, you mob trash."
Keep framing me like that, and ladies run away.
It's decent if you look close, but gaslighting...
"Sigh... mon... pfft... Monstrosity... kuhak!"
"Don't laugh."
"Fits you so damn well, every time."
In a foul mood, I turned the garden into a bloodbath and pushed into the main building.
Severed limbs rolled over manicured flowerbeds.
"Here."
The biggest door on the third floor.
I kicked it without hesitation.
Crash!
"H-heek?!"
A fat middle-aged man behind the desk shrieked.
Trembling like aspen leaves, sword aimed defensively,
but his grip screamed "only for carving meat."
"Nice to meet you. Jir... Jil? What was it?"
Jinternal cumshot?
"Jiren Baron."
"Ah, right. Baron Jiren."
I wiped my bloody dagger on my thigh and approached.
"You know why I'm here. Time to pay up the loan."
"K-Kaintrea! You mad bastards...! The duke sent thugs?!"
"Harsh words. This is legitimate debt collection."
I perched on the desk edge, looking down at him.
"Principal 500 gold. With interest, 650. Hand it over."
"N-not now! Just... a bit more time...!"
"We waited three months."
I clicked my tongue.
"Our lady's short on patience. Can't wait longer."
"Th-this is illegal! I'll report to the royals! Territory law violation!"
The baron flailed and screamed.
Troublesome.
"Quiet down."
Slice.
"Aaaagh—!!"
Dagger flashed; his right ear hit the floor.
He clutched the stump, rolling.
"That's 5 gold off for now."
Useless probably, but noble body part—someone might buy.
"No money, huh... Guess I'll take goods instead."
"G-goods...? Nothing left worth money! Already sold...!"
"I know. So,"
Right on cue, Kain snuck back in, grinning.
A sack over his shoulder like luggage.
Muffled screams leaked from the wriggling bag.
"Your daughter's a cutie."
The baron's eyes rolled back in agony.
"Y-you inhuman dogs!! Let go of my daughter! Rozhi!! Rozhi!!"
"Don't worry. Won't kill her. Yet."
I hauled him up by the collar.
Shoved my handsome face close—regardless—and whispered.
"Till you pay, she'll 'serve' at our mansion."
"N-no... please... I'll get the money somehow...!"
"One more week."
Thud. I dropped him.
"650—no, 645 gold. Bring to Kaintrea.
Or your girl's ears match."
"Ah... aaa......"
He collapsed, soul gone.
Sobbing amid blood and piss—quite the sight.
"Let's go."
Business done. I turned.
"Any valuables?"
"Nah. Just this girl."
"Didn't pocket extras alone?"
"Shut up and carry."
I caught the tossed sack two-handed, slung it over my shoulder.
One hand round waist, other groped the tit-ish bulge briefly.
We sauntered out.
Behind: baron's wails over his ear,
[Mmph! Mmmph!!]
oral-ish sounds from my shoulder.
"Behave, bitch."
Smacked the round bit (ass, probably).
And,
"Right, Rozhi?"
[......?]
"Quick question, miss. Virgin?"
[......!!]
The sack stiffened.
...
Kaintrea Ducal Mansion.
In that grand estate's second floor, an antique room.
Thud.
I gently set the sack down.
Untied, Baron Jiren's lady tumbled out.
Mussed hair, tear-streaked face. Pure terror.
"Mission complete. Took collateral instead of cash."
I bowed formally, reporting.
Before me, a woman crossed her legs on red velvet sofa.
Sharl de Kaintrea.
The bratty kid who'd confessed to me fifteen years back
had bloomed into a seductress no one dared meet eyes with.
Silver hair cascading elegantly to her waist,
figure so voluptuous her dress strained.
Yet those silver eyes, laced with arrogance and cruelty, remained.
"Good work, Leon."
Sharl set down her teacup lazily.
Her gaze shifted to the trembling girl on the floor.
"Hm... pretty cute."
"Yes, she is."
She rose gracefully, approached.
Lifted the girl's chin with slender fingers.
"Name?"
"H-h... R-Rozhi..."
"Rozhi, then. Your dad's not paying up."
Sharl smiled kindly, brushing her hair.
"So you'll serve instead. Got it?"
"S-serve...? What're you gonna do to me...?"
"Nothing much. Just..."
Sharl's eyes gleamed oddly.
"Make me happy."
She turned to me.
"Out, Leon."
Dismissed. I shrugged,
"Just asking, but,"
"Hm?"
I put on my most serious face.
"No watching?"
"Out."
Click.
And soon after.
[......!!]
Rozhi's scream from beyond the door.
[Ah, ah... not here... please...]
[Stay still. You're a virgin, right?]
Sharl's sticky, lust-drenched voice too.
[Don't worry. I'll pop you nice and gentle.]
[Haaang...! N-no... not there... eeeek!!]
"......"
Female-on-female moans echoing the hall.
I met eyes with Kain, arms crossed against the wall.
"Let's go."
"What, no watching like you said?"
"Booted."
Kain chuckled nastily, slapping my back lightly.
Even that hurt like hell, eyes watering, but I held it,
and we walked off.
The changes weren't just mine alone.