Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Hassan and the Long-Standing Grudge
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"Come at me all at once. I'll take you on."
Elfriede declared boldly in front of us. The way she growled like she was holding back her anger sent chills down my spine.
"A fight?"
"This oughta be fun. Hey, innkeeper! More roast pork over here!"
"Coming right up."
The atmosphere around us was heating up like we were in the middle of a festival, completely at odds with our dire situation.
Booze-fueled brawls at inns were one of the few entertainments in this world without much else going on, so I got it. But as one of the people involved, I couldn't muster a smile.
"Elfi, want us to help?"
Elfriede's companions were propped up at the table, flashing sly smiles with their narrow eyes. They were too busy stuffing their faces with the food in front of them to care about the situation.
They must have felt totally at ease. No way they'd think their comrade Elfriede could lose.
"Delphina, this is my fight. Stay out of it."
"Pfft. Since when do we care about that?"
"No need for spells—these guys? My fists alone will do the trick."
"Do what you want. You sure you're good, though? That Samaritan... Doesn't look half bad, Elfi. Contrary to what you said. I can sense some weird karma off him too. That's a real warrior right there."
"No chance. I know this guy better than anyone. Better than he knows himself. I can handle him solo."
*Swish, swish.*
Elfriede slid off the white gloves on her hands and set them down on the table. She was clearly raring to go.
She planned to take me on without using magic, huh.
Even without spells, Elfriede was no pushover—I knew better than to underestimate her.
Still, this felt winnable.
From what I remembered, Elfriede was level 35.
I was level 19 now.
Luna was 15.
And Paranoya was around 21?
That made it three against one. Decent odds, right?
"Lord Hassan! Please show them your true power...! You can handle her no problem, so I'll cheer you on from here...!"
Paranoya, though, had no intention of fighting. She was hanging back to watch.
Damn, did this girl seriously think I was some powerhouse warrior? That came with its own problems.
"You first."
Right then, without so much as agreeing to a duel, Elfriede kicked off the inn's wooden floorboards. They splintered with a *crack*, launching her toward us like a spring.
Her clenched fist came crashing down toward Luna's head.
"Eek!"
Sensing death closing in, Luna clutched her head and ducked just in time to dodge the punch.
As I recalled, Luna's agility was around 8. Beyond a normal person's, with quick reflexes—that's how she evaded.
"Tch, what?"
Elfriede clearly hadn't expected her punch to miss. Furious, she kept swinging relentlessly.
But in a stroke of luck, Luna dodged every single blow by a hair.
"Evasion Voodoo!"
Elfriede's fists sliced through empty air, smashing into tables and shattering plates, never once connecting with Luna.
"Hya!"
"You think this is a game!?"
Watching Luna twist and bend like a gymnast, evading attacks fluidly, left me flustered instead.
What the hell?
I couldn't wrap my head around it. Sure, Luna's reflexes were impressive, but this wasn't her shining—it was Elfriede moving stiffly, like her body was rigid.
"Come here! H-Hey, come on!"
"No way!"
"Grrgh!"
She moved like a rusty robot neglected for years, awkward and sluggish in spots.
Having spent plenty of time with her, I could tell Elfriede wasn't in her usual shape.
"Hah... Can't run forever, you little pest. How dare you try to humiliate me? Time you got taught a lesson."
Even so, Elfriede was strong.
Luna, barely acrobating her way out of attacks, suddenly found herself cornered. Trembling, she had nowhere left to flee.
"H-Hassan!"
In the end, Luna called out to me for help.
Her cry snapped me out of my freeze, and I charged at Elfriede. Fear took a backseat to the need to protect Luna.
"Shit!"
"Hmph, as if a punk like you could do anything!"
Elfriede barely acknowledged me.
Truth was, the gap between us was massive. Even if I landed a gut punch, I couldn't picture her going down.
Maybe that's why.
Elfriede looked even bigger, more intimidating than she was. The illusion I conjured myself created a split-second opening as I threw my punch.
"Still an idiot, huh? Stay put and watch."
She exploited that gap with a counterpunch straight to my solar plexus.
*Thud!*
"Guugh."
Just a fist, yet it sounded like a building collapsing. Couldn't make sense of it. Was that really the noise from my body?
Did she punch a hole in my gut?
Everything went black, the air blasted from my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I was on the verge of passing out. Back in the day, I probably would've.
"Hoh, took that and stayed up? Been training lately?"
"Hassan!"
"Where do you think you're going? You too."
Luna tried rushing to me in a panic but got snatched by Elfriede.
Elfriede wrapped an arm around Luna's squirming waist and slowly raised her palm.
"Finally caught you. This little loser's been a real pain. Quit struggling already. You think I'm gonna eat you or something?"
Her hand soon grabbed for the helmet on Luna's head. Luna flailed like a hen losing her eggs to a raccoon.
"N-No! Th-This is from Hassan!"
"Wow, what a lame gift. Don't worry, I wouldn't take it anyway. Anyway, since I've got you, let's see what you look like."
"Eek!"
Luna strained desperately to keep her helmet on. But her strength and stamina were low comparatively, so the chinstrap snapped with a *twang*.
*Whoosh.*
Out spilled her usual fun pink hair into the world.
"L-Let me go!"
Even then, Luna thrashed to get her helmet back.
Elfriede, staring at the sight, froze in shock and confusion.
"Is this... possible? Did she have some weakness on y—"
"L-Let go! Raaah!"
Luna sank her teeth into Elfriede's nape with all her might.
"Urk! H-How dare you bite me!"
The attack landed true—Elfriede yelped and dropped the girl.
Damn, that’s gotta hurt.
I'd been bitten by Luna plenty; I knew the pain well. Her personal finisher, you could say.
"Th-This!"
But truly pissed now, Elfriede hurled Luna toward the corner.
"Hweeeek!"
*Crash, bang.*
Luna bounced off a table and crumpled in the corner. Seeing it ignited my rage, washing away the pain in my chest.
That bitch Elfriede. Not content with tormenting me, now Luna too.
"You rotten bitch!"
I pushed through the pain and lunged at Elfriede. No clue where that courage came from.
Elfriede just sneered, oblivious or not.
"Lie still. You think I'd fall for such a telegraphed attack?"
"Uwaaah!"
I clenched my right fist with every ounce of strength—focused power. Didn't even consider her dodging.
Because there, in the corner, Luna had pulled a strange obsidian dagger from her waist and stabbed it into the floor where Elfriede's shadow fell.
"...Sh-Shadow Binding Curse... P-Please work... Hassan, do it..."
The Shadow Binding Curse temporarily restrained the target's movements—a voodoo spell. Success rate around fifty-fifty on similar levels.
Against a much higher-level Elfriede, the odds were worse, obviously.
But I trusted Luna.
Trusted her and my fist.
"You fucking bitch!"
Out shot my fist.
"M-My body!?"
Elfriede had been smirking arrogantly just a moment ago, but now her face twisted in panic.
"Grr, whatever spell this is... Hassan, your wimpy-ass punch won't even hurt—!"
She growled again. Good—eased any guilt about clocking a woman full-force.
"Then eat this!"
My fist finally collided with Elfriede's pale face.
"Grraaah!"
Elfriede tensed her whole body to brace, but my punch shoved against her in a contest of strength.
"Y-You little loser—! Wh-When did you get this strong—! Urgh!"
A vulgar scream unfit for her erupted from Elfriede's mouth, her body flying back and slamming into the corner.
*Crash, thud!*
Elfriede had been knocked down by my punch.
"See that, you Elfriede bitch! That's me!"
Punching down that monster Elfriede! Realization hit— all my grinding levels and experience weren't wasted. My mind cleared.
Shit, was this what they called a power trip?
Felt damn good anyway.
"Wow, he beat a Silver Tier adventurer."
"Guess tiers don't matter to Samaritans after all."
"Said he was from Deathros arena. Everyone from there's a beast..."
"Hmph, sick of out-of-towners acting high and mighty. Don't you dare look down on Sodomora again!"
The crowd buzzed around me. In front of all these people, I'd beaten Elfriede—the one who'd once lorded over me as her slave.
The fact washed over me like a refreshing wave. Felt amazing.
Maybe I'd been alive for this very moment.
It was right then.
*Shing.*
Something sharp pressed against my throat.
Shit, what?
"That's far enough. Nice punch and all. Elfi, wasn't that a bit too dramatic? Now it looks like you actually lost. Makes our party look weak."
It was Delphina, leader of that women's party called White Silver Rose or whatever.
How'd she sneak up? Even drunk on victory, I hadn't sensed her at all.
This was Silver Tier swordsmanship.
*Rustle.*
At that instant, Elfriede rose from the wrecked table.
"Hah, caught me off guard—you're stronger than I thought. Doesn't make sense. When did this Hassan punk..."
Elfriede rubbed her flushed-red face and dusted herself off. Two streaks of blood trickled from her nose.
"Hah, what the. It actually hurts. Hoo, hurts like hell... This Hassan bastard, hitting my face without a second thought..."
She even spat a glob of blood on the floor.
Damn, tough as nails.
That punch could've knocked her out for a day. High levels paid off, huh.
Elfriede's narrowed eyes glared at me—pinned by the blade—and Luna, collapsed on the floor gasping.
What now?
My meager imagination couldn't picture it.
"Guards! Over here! Big fight breaking out!"
Then, from afar, someone urgently calling the guards. Sounded like Malco. Had he been around?
That booming voice made the sharp thing at my throat—fingers, on closer look—jerk away. Thought it was a knife.
"Ehehe, busted. His Lordship said no causing scenes. Time to bolt...!"
They scrambled to move. The nun at the table, who'd been watching, chimed in.
"Eat good. Thanks~."
She could talk after all. Thought she was mute. Only the red China-dress brawler stayed silent, munching away.
"Split!"
At Delphina's word, they jumped up, grabbed their stuff. Delphina asked the stunned innkeeper,
"Innkeeper! Back door?"
"Th-There."
They bolted out the way he pointed. Just before vanishing through the back, Elfriede glanced over her shoulder.
"..."
Her flushed face seemed like she had words for me, hesitating.
Worried what fresh hell she'd spew, but then a slender woman's arm slipped out from behind her.
Delphina, hugging Elfriede from the rear.
"Come on, Elfi. Looked like your body's stiff. Massage time again? I'll work out every knot. Hee hee~."
"..."
Elfriede shot me one last venomous glare before turning away.
With that, it felt like a storm had truly passed—strength drained from my body.
"Hoo, damn..."
"...Hassan."
Only then could I help Luna up from the corner, where she trembled.
"Hey, you okay? You went flying pretty loud."
"Y-Yeah. Just noise—no pain really. More importantly, Hassan. From what I heard... you two know each other."
"W-Well..."
"What's Deathros arena?"
No hiding it now.
Might as well come clean.
"I set it on fire."