Chapter 76
BOOM! THUD! CRACK!
“How is it? Still fun even like this?”
“H-heh… hehehe…”
The man who had been laughing at Teraden moments ago now hung limp from his collar, drooping and moaning weakly.
“You’re already out? That’s a shame. Where did that qualification spiel, that little outing excuse, go to?”
“K-ku…”
A sob slipped out of the groaning man.
“Hey, crying like that makes me look like the villain.”
“…Teraden, that’s enough.”
“Just a sec.”
Teraden opened his palm, stopped mid-sentence, walked into the center of the space, and scanned the surroundings.
“If you still have any complaints…”
“…”
Everyone who had witnessed the final moments of those who had mocked us swallowed hard.
“Ugh…”
Even those who hadn’t actually attacked us had secretly looked down on us and could only tremble without meeting our eyes.
“Well then, I guess we’ll stop here.”
*Thud.* *Clack.* *Clack.*
Teraden released his grip on the collar and brushed his hands several times.
*Crack!* *Crack!*
Following Maru’s direction, the ones who had attacked the corner where she stood were all beaten to the ground, groaning.
“Are you injured anywhere?”
Jubern asked while looking back at Maru.
“Yes! Maru is completely fine!”
“That’s good to hear.”
Thanks to Jubern’s protection, Maru hadn’t suffered even a scratch.
“Kuuu…”
“Uwa, ah…”
Even though they had charged in with great vigor, all of them now lay on their backs, unable to avoid moaning.
“Excellent.”
Jubern, who had come closer with Maru, shook his head vigorously up and down.
“Even considering that you were not at your full strength, you both achieved a level of accomplishment that far surpasses what you did during that sparring session.”
“Even so, if we face Jubern-nim again in sparring, the result won’t differ much from that time.”
“Hmm… I don’t think so. Looking at the two of you now, it seems unlikely.”
“Er… uh… uh… Could you tell me from where you all came?”
The deputy of the O-Grand Alliance, who had spoken so casually after defeating so many, looked bewildered and asked.
It seemed he was quite startled, and with rabbit eyes, he stared blankly at us for a while.
“We are from the National Academy.”
“Ah! The National Academy! You are the ones who came from the National Academy! I-I’ll guide you this way!”
The deputy’s expression brightened at the mention of the National Academy, and from then on, he spoke with utmost deference.
“Hey, you.”
“Yes, Second Pillar Master.”
“These are the people who have come to help the Grand Alliance Master’s difficulties. While the wounds are healing, do not withhold support, and if anyone wishes to return, pay them appropriate compensation and treatment fees.”
The Second Pillar Master, who had spared those who had fallen, summoned the people around and gave stern instructions.
“Understood.”
“Well then, follow me, the ones who have come from the National Academy!”
After that, guided by the Second Pillar Master, we headed straight for the location of the O-Grand Alliance Master.
The Second Pillar Master walked for a long time down a long corridor and stopped in front of an extremely luxurious sliding door.
“Grand Alliance Master. I am the Second Pillar Master. May I enter?”
“Enter.”
As soon as the Second Pillar Master finished speaking, a hoarse voice came from inside.
“You may enter.”
*Screeech.*
The sliding door was opened, and we all entered carefully.
Beyond the door, the room was narrower than expected, but what caught the eye immediately upon opening was a massive man sitting on a fluffy cushion.
His substantial build, impeccable bodyguards, and the reactions around us indicated that the middle-aged man before us was the one who had gathered everyone together. It must have been the O-Grand Alliance Master.
But currently, despite his large stature, he looked extremely frail both physically and mentally.
“Grand Alliance Master. These are the ones who have come from the National Academy.”
The Second Pillar Master, who had entered behind us, bowed to the O-Grand Alliance Master.
The Second Pillar Master’s words made the O-Grand Alliance Master’s hunched back and sunken eyes move at once.
“From the National Academy… you say you came.”
“Yes, that is correct. My name is Haru. And these are my companions.”
“Welcome. For now, please… sit here.”
The O-Grand Alliance Master gestured weakly toward the cushion in front of him.
“First, I want to hear the exact story.”
Sitting on the cushion, I asked about the recent circumstances, and the O-Grand Alliance Master took out a handkerchief from his pocket with trembling hands and kept rubbing the corners of his eyes.
“My only daughter… a while ago, she was taken by vicious people. She is such a frail girl, yet she resembles me so much that she does not fall short of the continent’s greatest beauty, and I wonder how she is faring among those vicious people… I am worried beyond measure.”
The difficulty of the request is directly proportional to the compensation. That’s natural.
The higher the difficulty, the greater the danger, and with no one to solve it, they lure skilled people with high payment.
That was why Jubern had agreed to accompany us. The compensation for this request was so high.
The position of Grand Alliance Master, which allowed accumulation of vast wealth, and a problem with the safety of his only blood relative, meant that the reward for this request would be a sum large enough to make jaws drop.
“Here.”
The O-Grand Alliance Master rummaged through his pocket again and took out a single sheet no bigger than a palm.
“Pffh! Damn it!”
It was a portrait of his daughter who had disappeared, and when Teraden received it, he suddenly covered his mouth.
“You shouldn’t smile. Ah, I’m sorry.”
Teraden took a deep breath and then spoke calmly.
“Is this your daughter?”
“That is correct.”
“Such a person being taken… I would have folded her in half with the head, chest, and abdomen like the ones we saw in the ruins of the Seven Stars. What the hell? Is this a trap?”
Teraden muttered to himself with a puzzled face.
“Teraden.”
“Huh? Why?”
“That’s not what I meant. You said you would fold her in half.”
“No, you go look. I don’t think there’s any need for concern. Here.”
Teraden handed the portrait of the O-Grand Alliance Master’s daughter.
Inside the portrait was a woman with a magnificent physique resembling the O-Grand Alliance Master.
According to Teraden’s words, judging by appearance, in terms of physical ability, this woman seemed even stronger than Blanser and Junior, who might have to fold in half.
…The beauty that resembles me so much that she doesn’t fall short of the continent’s greatest beauty… the front and back don’t match.
“Hey, isn’t what I said right?”
“You and… is your blood relation correct?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
The O-Grand Alliance Master’s eyes, which had been wiping tears with the handkerchief, suddenly turned sharp.
“I once went to a country of goblins called Gaya, and my daughter… was there with the goblins… uh!”
Teraden hurriedly reached out and covered his mouth, whispering softly.
“Goblins? Hey. What if I tell you honestly? That’s not what you should be saying.”
“Just now you said ‘goblins,’ right?”
At the O-Grand Alliance Master’s question, Teraden, having removed his hand, said.
“The beauty in this world is not one that even goblins cannot resist. Well, that seems to be what he was trying to say.”
“You have discerning eyes, as one who came from the National Academy.”
“So then, whether this is a gold-iron monster or a forbidden hell valley, retrieving my daughter…”
“Gold… what? Well, anyway, that’s it.”
“That’s simple. Good. Then let’s charge in and take them all out.”
Teraden, who had returned the portrait to the O-Grand Alliance Master, stood from the cushion, and the O-Grand Alliance Master tried to stop him.
“If you do that, I would be grateful, but if I do that, those vicious people might harm my precious daughter, right? They will come soon, so just a little… no, can you wait for a day or two?”
“What? Come? What are you talking about?”
At the unexpected words, Teraden’s head tilted to one side.
“$%&#@$!!”
From far away came a messy yet rough shout whose meaning was unclear.
“The ones who took my daughter send messengers from time to time. They demand countless gold items unilaterally, and we have no choice but to comply. But looking at the commotion outside, it seems their messenger has arrived…”
Tigers say they come when called, and this was probably what it meant.
“Yes, I’m sure the one sent by those people has arrived outside.”
The Second Pillar Master, who had gone out for a situation check and returned, whispered as quietly as possible.
“Already…? That’s too early…”
The O-Grand Alliance Master’s already dark face grew with worry and wrinkles.
“Come here!!”
Since there was no response, a more violent roar came from closer by.
“Even if they catch your eye, there’s nothing good about it, so let’s hide our appearances and quietly listen to the story.”
“Understood. Do as you please.”
*Screeech!*
As soon as we hid behind the screen, the sliding door opened violently, and the messenger of the kidnappers revealed himself.
He was intoxicated, smelling of alcohol, staggering, and acting as if this were his own home with endless arrogance.
“Gathering people again? The old man just needs to stay silent and hand over the money. The leader’s orders. Twenty gold coins… kyu!”
“What? No, this time you’re demanding twenty coins each? Just four days ago you received fifteen coins…!”
*Bang!*
When the messenger, whose face reddened with anger, slammed his fist on the floor as the startled O-Grand Alliance Master continued speaking.
“Shut up and hand it over quickly! Have you forgotten who we are holding right now? Kyu!”
“Then, please tell me one thing, Hong-i. Is the child safe?”
“Hand it over!”
The messenger angrily snatched the gold coins from the O-Grand Alliance Master’s hand.
“Ah, two days later, the ruins east of the city. Prepare one hundred gold coins by then. I’ll return your daughter.”
After completing his task, the messenger left staggering.
“Aah, damn it. What trash did he eat? What kind of smell is that.”
Teraden, pinching his nose with thumb and forefinger, made an extremely arrogant face.
“Charging in and demanding twenty gold coins? Conscience is completely gone. Grand Alliance Master, are you okay?”
“Kuuu…! Uuugh!!”
After calming down through conversation, the O-Grand Alliance Master let out tears like chicken droppings, then suddenly started sobbing.
“This won’t do. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“I have to take out those bastards! First, take out the drunk one and crush him. I can’t stand it anymore.”
“U-um… teachers. That’s… a bit difficult.”
Instead of the crying O-Grand Alliance Master, the Second Pillar Master blocked Teraden.
“Why?”
“If we appease those people, the messenger might cause an incident, and the young lady would not be safe.”
“That’s obviously nonsense. If anything happens to my daughter, this threat becomes impossible, but at least it guarantees some safety.”
“Even so, there’s the ‘but’ part. And those people’s skills aren’t ordinary. I have sent mercenaries to follow them several times, but none have returned.”
“Ah, we are different from those weak people. You saw it, right? We knocked out all the ones who attacked.”
“That’s true, but…”
As the Second Pillar Master trailed off, unable to decide.
“Please. As long as Hong-i is safe, I will do anything!!”
“Don’t worry. Trust us. We will definitely bring back your daughter safely.”
The O-Grand Alliance Master, who had stopped sobbing as if he had made a big decision, clenched his fists.
“First, let’s catch the one from just now and obtain information about the thieves’ group. Is that okay?”
“I will trust only you.”
The O-Grand Alliance Master nodded resolutely with a firm face.
“Good. Let’s go clean it up right away.”
“I agree. I couldn’t hold back either.”
“Let’s go.”
Teraden, with his unique sinister smile, led the way out of the room without anyone being able to stop him.