79. You son of a b*tch
79. You son of a b*tch
The first Northerner I've ever seen, and a priest Magna with a unique way of speaking.
She straightened her back rigidly and said while looking at me.
"Nice to meet you, male."
"...N-Nice to meet you too."
Her way of talking is so hard to get used to no matter how many times I hear it.
Still, I get it. It's better than her picking and choosing words all sparse-like.
I told her to be casual from the start anyway.
I finished climbing the stairs and sat diagonally across from Magna.
"You two, we're heading out."
I stared blankly out the window, got bored, and struck up a conversation with Magna.
"Magna. Isn't the church in the central district? Why are you on board first?"
Magna straightened her back rigidly, then shuddered once.
-brrr
"...?"
"I was investigating."
...So what exactly were you investigating?
I don't have the skill to infer subjects, so I asked more.
"What?"
"Focus for a bit."
"Ah... Okay..."
I tried to recruit her for the same party, but with communication this tough...
'...Is she okay?'
Thinking back, she showed super reliable sides inside the Labyrinth.
Perfect frontline tank, recovery felt a bit lacking.
But from the start, she prevented situations where anyone would get hurt.
Is this that kind of healer who eliminates the cause of injuries?
Her skills are definitely solid.
Magna really is the optimal choice.
As I inwardly showered Magna with praise, she started sniffing.
"...Sniff! Sniff sniff!"
"Magna? What's up?"
"Male. You in heat?"
...Pardon?
"W-Why all of a sudden?"
Magna said in a calm tone.
"Be careful. In the North, you'd get fucked. Like a male dog."
Is this sexual harassment or pure concern?
Her face is so expressionless, hard to tell.
I sniffed my own body.
"Sniff sniff! Do I smell?"
"Yeah. Smells super arousing."
This is... a Northerner...? A woman...?
It was so absurd, I wasn't even mad.
"I don't notice it though..."
"Semen smell. The scent males spray begging to get fucked."
Semen smell leaves me speechless.
But I definitely showered before coming out?
Looks like her 'focus' was ramping up Ki Sense.
Senses get sharp like that, so I threw on an extra layer of clothes.
-swish swish
"How's that..."
"Better. Thanks. And don't go to the North."
Guess she's... worried... right?
Talking to her is tough...
'Well, we'll get closer or she'll practice polite speech. As long as no sudden outbursts...'
Right then, Magna gritted her teeth.
-grind!
"Stick to the schedule."
"...?"
Magna grabbed the carriage door handle while it was moving and turned it.
-clunk clunk!
"Damn..."
Some safety lock must be on it—door wouldn't open.
Magna yelled and smashed the handle.
"Haa!!!"
-crunch crack!
-W-What? What's going on! What the hell are you two doing!!!
Yeah... what the hell is this?
Magna kicked the door open and threw herself out of the moving carriage.
-bam! whoosh!
Cool stuntman move straight out of an action flick.
Rolled a few times on the ground, then bounced into an alley like she was shot out of a cannon.
Just two seconds after I thought 'no sudden outbursts.'
"...Sigh."
No reason to follow, but since the carriage stopped, I decided to check it out.
Can't be too cold to a future teammate.
Stepped out to chase, and the knight came panting over.
"J-Jang Ryu-o-nim? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Wait here a sec!"
"Huh? Jang Ryu-o-nim! If you go like this, I'm dead!!!"
I bolted into the alley where Magna vanished.
Following the sound of footsteps deeper and deeper...
-thud! thwack! crunch!
Magna was in a 4-on-1 brawl with some thugs.
Behind her, a small kid clutching a bundle was bleeding.
Magna simply slipped a punch and smashed the thug's shoulder with her fist.
-chin! splat!
"Aaaagh! What the fuck, you bitch!"
"The priest hits people..."
-thwack!
"Gack..."
One thug sneaks up behind Magna to stab her back.
I stepped in with footwork and snapped his wrist.
-chin... crack!
"Aaaaagh!"
-clang!
Magna must've known too—she glanced back and finished laying out the rest.
"What the hell is this..."
"Aagh! Aaaagh! Grugh!!!"
-thud!
"Haa!!!"
-boom!
"Sigh..."
She spotted the kid fleeing into the alley?
But why chase? Related to what she's looking for with the kids?
I glanced at Magna while thinking that and this.
'Whoa... yeah. She fights well alright.'
Bit of wasted motion, but covers it with that unique springiness and raw power.
Just like a beast.
Really craving her now.
Looking forward to the future big time.
I get why Master was so thrilled with me.
-thwack!
That wrapped up the thugs...
Magna placed her hand on the kid's head and channeled Divine Power.
-whirr
"Ugh..."
"You okay?"
"...Priest-nim...?"
"Yeah."
Magna laid down the staggering kid and closed their eyes.
"Dizzy. Stay put."
"Yeah... snoooore..."
Magna approached the fainted thugs.
She ripped open the female thug's chest and inspected closely.
-flap! pat pat!
"Hmm..."
The one next to her too.
-reeep!
Picked up a male thug's knife and sliced above the thigh.
-reeep!
"Hngh!!!"
I dragged over a thug with a dislocated jaw to Magna.
-drag drag
"Here."
"Mm. Thanks."
-reeep
"If you're grateful, explain. What the hell is this?"
Magna said while tearing clothes.
"Looking for tattoos."
"...What kind?"
-rustle rustle
"Hardin Count."
I inferred quick.
"Like, tattoos with the Hardin Count House crest?"
"Oh..."
-nod
Easy to guess so far—what next?
"Hardin Count hiring thugs? Huh? The Count?"
"Close."
"So, find what you wanted?"
Magna shook her head and tossed the thugs into a corner.
-fling! fling!
"Haven't found it yet."
I said to Magna as she picked up the kid.
"No matter how long it takes, explain calmly back in the carriage."
I'm dying of frustration here!!!
"...Got it. Thanks."
We headed back to the carriage.
When we returned, the knight who'd guided us was talking with his colleagues.
"Requested backup, should be here soon."
"Yeah, I'll track them right away..."
I yelled at the knights gearing up for a big search.
"We're back!!"
"Guests!!!!"
The knights—now three of them—rushed over.
"Are you alright? What happened?!"
I glanced at Magna.
"...?"
She seemed to have zero thoughts on it.
Guess it's fine to just say.
"We just went to rescue a kid."
Suddenly. Sorry.
"Ah... a kid... I see... Please, from next time, don't go yourselves—leave it to us and we'll handle it swiftly, so just tell us first..."
"Yeah, got it."
He was really spooked.
Separate Duchy knights took the kid to the orphanage where Magna stays.
We hopped back in the carriage one way or another.
"Alright, now explain."
"You use casual speech too."
"Suddenly?"
"I use casual too. You do too. We're comrades-in-arms."
Comrades-in-arms... nice ring to it, made me smile.
"Yeah. We're comrades-in-arms."
Magna looked at me and furrowed her brow.
"...Be careful. You'll get fucked."
"......"
Is the North a place where no one smiles?
I changed the subject.
"Sigh... explain quick. What's going on?"
Magna nodded and started explaining.
"A while back, saw a kid dragged into a back alley."
"..."
"Tried to save the kid. Fought. But the human trafficker was strong... Then... mm..."
Right at the key part, the carriage stopped and the door opened.
-knock knock! Hardin Jenin here!
-jingle~
Jenin entered under knight escort, jewels on her jingling extravagantly.
Like lights from a karaoke bar...
"Woo-hoo! Thanks! Oh? Hello, Jang Ryu-o-nim~ Haha..."
Her bright greeting froze when her eyes hit Magna.
-grind!
"Barbarian..."
"...Dog dick bastard."
How do they lock eyes and start growling instantly...
Enemies in a past life?
"Stop. Nice to see you, Jenin. Sit."
"Ha! Yes~"
Pretty feminine... kinda overwhelming.
Every gesture and speech so...
Still, top-tier skill. Second in party kill count. Living bazooka!
To that living bazooka, Magna pointed and said.
"Human trafficker's chest was see-through. This dog dick's mom's house."
Jenin bristled again at the random finger-point.
"Huh? Suddenly dragging in my mom?!? Who the hell are you? What were you even talking abou—"
"Both of you stop. I'll explain to Jenin."
"Grr... Yes, Ryu-o-nim..."
I explained to Jenin...
"So this barbarian caused a... scene because of that?"
"Yeah."
"Tsk tsk... This is why education matters. Time of day?"
"Night."
"Even in the dark? Evidence flimsy, no logic, can't even picture the scene. Say hypothetically my mom used people to kidnap kids. Our family knights would chew you up—you're a snack. Real talk, zero chance, but say she hired thugs! A thug with our family crest tattooed? Who tattoos a family crest on themselves? Think all Northies with tats are like that? If you're slow, at least investigate properly! From the start, not our family crest? Tsk tsk... Anyway... our family does free education programs..."
Unlike Magna, Jenin fluent to the point of word-vomiting.
True noble-born, tongue honed in high society.
Magna's face soured more and more.
More to explain, but head not organized feeling.
Frustration of wanting to rip open her skull and show her thoughts!
Magna seemed to decide and opened her mouth.
"Dick bastard."
"Pro... pro... What?"
"Dog dick bastard."
""............""
Ma... Magna?