Chapter 151: Welcome, Double Dragon (2)
Chapter 151: Welcome, Double Dragon (2)
Giant Bill.
He was originally a mercenary, a skilled one who had reached the 3-Star level. Thanks to his abilities, there was a time when he was highly sought after, commanding a hefty price for his services.
But perhaps his violent temperament was the problem. He clashed with his comrades multiple times and eventually became a criminal after murdering one of his own. While many mercenaries lived on the edge of the law, killing a comrade was a cardinal sin.
Bill was immediately blacklisted from the mercenary world. And, like most fallen mercenaries, he changed professions.
He became a bandit.
For a 3-Star mercenary turned bandit, building a following was easy. Possessing skills on par with an average knight, Bill quickly rounded up other outlaws. Before long, he became the leader of a large-scale bandit group with over 300 subordinates.
He settled in the northeastern region of the Atronia Kingdom, where he ambushed traveling merchants and raided small nearby villages. Naturally, the local lords didn't take kindly to this and tried to subjugate him, but they failed every time.
For starters, there were no lords with significant military power in the immediate vicinity of Bill’s stronghold. It was difficult to recklessly attempt to wipe out a bandit group of over 300 men.
The lords eventually formed an allied force to drive him out. However, whenever they did, Bill would simply flee far away. Once the allied forces gave up and disbanded after a fruitless search, he would return and reclaim his territory.
After repeating this process several times, the subjugation efforts were eventually abandoned. Bill’s bandit group continued to grow until their numbers exceeded 500. In the end, he established himself as a major bandit lord that even the local nobles dared not touch.
*
"Hehe. This is what I call a successful life. Don't you agree?"
"Please, don't do this."
Bill was currently harassing a village girl his men had captured and brought to him. She had fair skin and a slender figure that didn't look like it belonged to a country girl, and he had been putting effort into her for several days. He could have taken her by force, but in his own way, he was exercising patience to make her his mistress.
Of course, it wasn't working.
"Let me go. Please..."
She struggled to escape the arms Bill had wrapped tightly around her. But she was no match for the strength of a powerful man. As she continued to resist, Bill whispered in a repulsive voice.
"If you're too stubborn, your entire village might just burn to the ground."
"Ugh..."
The strength drained from the girl's hands. Seeing this, Bill laughed triumphantly.
"If you can't escape anyway, just accept it. Being my woman will be much better than struggling in the dirt."
"Sob... huff..."
As the girl went limp and her resistance vanished, Bill’s hands began to grope her body without hesitation.
"Hehe. Yes. That’s more like it."
He had been patient for days, which was a long time for a bandit. Just as he was about to pin her down to finally make her his...
"Boss, we have a problem!"
"What is it?" Bill snapped back, his voice laced with irritation. Being interrupted while spending time with a woman was something he loathed.
But the subordinate seemed desperate, rushing in out of breath. "An... an enemy attack!"
"Enemy? Who?"
"I don't know who they are, but they're incredibly skilled! Only four of them are taking down all our boys!"
"Four? What kind of nonsense is—"
K-Boom!
In that moment, Bill saw it. Someone had just blown the door to his quarters off its hinges.
The intruder held a sword in each hand, and blood—presumably from Bill's subordinates—was dripping from the blades. Most notably, the man wore a savage smile on his face.
He spoke to Bill. "Are you the boss of this bandit crew?"
"Who... who are you?"
"Patrick Schneider."
"Who asked for your name? Where did you come... Huh?"
Patrick Schneider? That name sounded familiar. It was definitely...
"Double Dragon?"
"Oh, so you've heard of me."
"..."
Of course he had. How could he not? The winner of Arcana and the monster among monsters who reached the 7-Star realm at the youngest age in continental history. Why would such a monster appear in his life?
As Bill stood there, losing his sense of reality from the sheer absurdity of the situation, Patrick gave him a bright smile.
"Now, time for a beating."
"Wa—Wait!"
WHAM!
Bill, who had been trying to talk his way out of it, was struck in the face by a kick and sent flying backward. Patrick approached him and said, "Did you just tell me to 'wait' without using honorifics?"
"Ugh..."
"Where does a bandit bastard get the nerve to speak so casually to his elder? Huh? You've got no manners."
"L-Let's settle this with a conversation."
"A conversation?"
"Yes. If we just talk... Gack!"
SLAP!
This time, it was a slap. Bill didn't even see it coming, but the single blow sent his body spinning through the air. As Patrick stepped toward the fallen Bill, he continued.
"Conversation, my ass. Talking to Unorthodox Faction bastards is the forty-fifth thing I hate most in this world. You piece of shit. Got it?"
"How can you hate so many... Gack!"
"Why so many? Because I feel like it, you bastard!"
And then, Patrick began to systematically stomp on the fallen Bill.
Thud! Crack! Bam! Crunch!
The feast of brutal violence was more than enough to strike terror into the village girl trembling in the corner—even if the one being beaten was the bandit leader she loathed.
*
While Patrick was dismantling Bill, the bandits outside were mostly taken care of as well.
"That was easy."
"Tell me about it."
"None of them escaped. It's thanks to the Young Master's order to block the entrance."
The three others besides Patrick: Matthew, Isabella, and April.
Though there were only three of them, taking down a bandit group was child's play. Even Matthew, the least skilled among them, was at the 4-Star level. Isabella had recently reached the 5-Star level, and as for April, there was no need for words. She was a martial artist walking the same unique path as Patrick, possessing strength that defied conventional star-level classifications.
Against such monsters, what could a mere bandit group do? Their only choice was to surrender and grovel if they didn't want to die. Just like they were doing right now.
"Everyone, heads on the ground. The moment I catch any of you bastards making eye contact, today becomes the last day of your life."
"..."
"..."
Faced with such sincere threats, the bandits slammed their heads against the dirt in unison.
Matthew, a young man raised as the precious son of the Elvador Merchant Group, had once been a person of naive and diligent character. He was so naive that he was often considered slow-witted. Because of that, he had been bullied by his peers and targeted by his seniors.
However, after spending three years with Patrick Schneider...
WHAM!
"Agh!"
He had become a real man capable of expertly shattering someone's jaw. Matthew approached the bandit he had just sent flying and continued to stomp on him while barking orders.
"Does this bastard think my words are a joke? Didn't I say you're dead if you lift your head? Where do you think you're looking? Huh?"
"I-I'm sorry. Gack!"
"Why do something you'll be sorry for? Huh? Why do it?"
"Gack. Please... spare... Aaaargh!"
"Spare you? Did you just ask me to spare you?"
Matthew’s gaze shifted to the people gathered on one side. There were women who had suffered terrible things and emaciated villagers who had been used as slave labor. He looked back at the bandits and...
"A piece of shit like you wants to live? Huh? You want to live!"
Matthew’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"Aaaagh! Ugh!"
Matthew trampled the bandit mercilessly. These bastards who had ruined and trampled the lives of the weak had the audacity to beg for mercy the moment they became the weak ones. Mercy and forgiveness were luxuries for such people.
"Die! Just die! You bastards aren't even worth the air you breathe!"
"Agh! Argh!"
While Matthew was busy beating an anonymous bandit, Patrick appeared, dragging something behind him. It was a living creature so swollen it was unrecognizable, yet it was still barely breathing.
"Is that the boss?"
"Yeah. But why are you stomping on that bandit?"
"He pissed me off."
"Ah, bandits tend to do that."
"Right?"
Hearing their conversation, the bandits trembled in terror. Only this morning, they had been a massive group of over 500, exuding power and authority, but now they were nothing but pathetic captives.
And all because of just four people. They thought it was impossible, but if the opponent was that Patrick Schneider, the story changed.
Damn it, the Double Dragon...
Why is a 7-Star swordsman picking on us?
Big shots like him are supposed to play with other big shots!
This is cheating.
The bandits felt a sense of profound unfairness. Regardless, the Bill Bandit Group, a long-standing plague of the northeastern region, had been crushed. That was the reality.
"What should we do with these guys for now?"
"Hand them over to the nearest territory. Let's tie them up and move out."
And so, Patrick rounded them all up, gave them a thorough beating, and handed them over to the local lord. Some tried to escape midway, but after Patrick neatly sliced one into sixteen pieces on the spot, the others didn't even dream of running.
After dealing with the bandits...
"Ah, I know! I'll do it! Stop nagging me!"
Seeing Patrick shouting at the sky, Matthew asked, "Who are you talking to?"
"Someone. A very naggy person."
Clicking his tongue, Patrick moved to finish the cleanup. A short while later...
*
"Amy!"
"Father! Mother!"
For the middle-aged man, it felt like a dream. His daughter, who had been taken by bandits with no way of knowing if she was dead or alive, had returned safely. His wife hugged their daughter and sobbed with joy, while he could only watch, trembling, unable to believe his eyes. If this was a dream, he felt he would be happy never waking up.
Similar scenes were unfolding all over the village.
"Jamie!"
"Honey!"
Those who had been captured were returning to the arms of their families. Since they had thought they would never see each other again, the joy was beyond words.
"Who... who saved you like this?"
At her father's question, the daughter wiped her tears and spoke. "Those people over there saved us."
"Those people...?"
What the middle-aged man saw were four men and women. One was an incredibly beautiful, dignified woman with black hair. Another was a man in a neat uniform, but his beauty surpassed even that of the woman. Beside him was a fine young man with a sturdy impression. And next to him...
"Tsk, why am I doing such a tedious chore..."
With a look of blatant annoyance, he spat on the ground and stood with a slouching, delinquent posture. Usually, the word used to define such a young man was...
"A thug?"
Someone whispered it and quickly covered their mouth. Unfortunately...
"Hoho... A! Thug!"
That thug had very good ears.
His daughter hurriedly spoke up. "Father, that person is Patrick Schneider."
"Child, I wouldn't know a noble's name just by hearing it."
"You know! The one they call the Double Dragon..."
"Double Dragon... Gasp!"
Only then did the villagers jump in shock. To rural folk, nobles other than the lord who ruled them were just vaguely high-ranking people. they never saw their faces and naturally didn't know their names. However...
"Pa... Patrick Schneider?"
"The Double Dragon?"
Even they knew that name. Unless one was deaf and blind, it was impossible to live without hearing of Patrick. Then it made sense. No matter how great the Bill Bandit Group was, they were just bandits. If the world-renowned Double Dragon had stepped in, the result was obvious.
Patrick gave the villagers a crooked greeting. "Howdy. I'm the thug, Patrick."
He was sulking. He was clearly very sulky. Fortunately, his pettiness didn't last long. Once they realized Patrick's identity, the atmosphere among the villagers shifted completely.
"To think that man is Patrick Schneider..."
"The youngest Arcana winner."
"The 7-Star swordsman who reached the supreme realm."
"The future strongest man on the continent who even defeated the Sword Saint's successor."
Respect, awe, gratitude, and admiration. With every word the villagers spoke, the corners of Patrick's mouth twitched upward.
"Ahem, it's not like someone that important showed up..."
He tried to act indifferent, but his smile was widening by the second. Watching him, Matthew and Isabella whispered.
"He's loving it. Absolutely loving it."
"You have to understand. Where else would he ever get this kind of praise?"
"That's a fair point."
"He's so simple-minded."
Regardless, Patrick, now in a great mood, spoke up. "Ahem, Ace, bring what we prepared."
"Yes, Young Master."
At Patrick's command, April brought over a heavy pouch. She dropped it in front of the villagers with a heavy thud.
"What is this?" the villagers asked cautiously.
Patrick replied, "I found it on the way here."
"...Pardon?"
"Just take it."
"But, what is it...?"
April, who had delivered the pouch, supplemented the lacking explanation. "It is a gift from the Young Master. Please open it."
At the words of the butler, who was so beautiful it was hard to believe he was a man, the villagers untied the drawstring. And then...
"Gasp!"
"Gold coins?"
Inside was a fortune they had never even touched in their entire lives. To the stunned villagers, Patrick said, "It's the money I took after raiding the bandits' base."
"H-How can you give this to us?"
"Tsk, just take it. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep peacefully."
No matter how much Patrick loved money, pocketing that gold would make it hard to sleep. He knew his Master's voice would appear in his dreams to nag him, so how could he keep it?
"Please accept it without hesitation," April added.
The villagers were overwhelmed with emotion. Not only had he rescued their kidnapped families, but he had even returned the wealth stolen from them...
"Oh, heavens, I didn't recognize such a person... I am so sorry, Sir Knight."
The man who had called Patrick a thug just moments ago was now shedding thick tears as he apologized. Patrick gave him a smirk.
"Forget it. Just stay healthy from now on."
"Sir Knight, won't you stay for at least a day?"
"We aren't knights yet. We're Academy students."
"No, you young lords are greater knights than anyone else."
"That's right. Please, stay for a day."
"We will serve you with everything we have. Our family sheep is a bit old, but if we slaughter it, the meat is quite plump..."
Seeing the villagers trying their best to show hospitality despite their poverty, Patrick sighed.
"Forget it. We're busy, so we're leaving."
He brushed off the villagers trying to hold him back and departed. The villagers watched the four figures receding toward the setting sun with wistful eyes.
"Ah, to leave just like that..."
"So people like that really exist."
"O Yupinel, please bless their future."
To the villagers, it felt as if they had been helped by knights straight out of a fairy tale. Knights who protected the weak and vanquished evil. They would never forget the name Patrick Schneider for the rest of their lives.
*
After leaving the village, Matthew spoke to Patrick.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"This good deed. It's so unlike you."
"Why? Is it weird if I do something good?"
"Yes. Extremely."
"Honestly, I agree," Isabella chimed in.
Patrick wore a look of profound grief. What do these guys take me for? Even if I look like this, I was the Radiant Dragon Hero, famous for my chivalry and righteousness in my past life.
"Spit it out. What's your angle?"
"Did you get a new quest from the Demon World or something?"
This is strange. They weren't like this before. One had been a kind and gentle boy, and the other had been a cold-blooded girl who barely showed emotion. Why had they grown up to be so crooked?
'I have no idea what the cause is.'
You don't? You really don't?