Chapter 14
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: A Tough Body
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A Tough Body
“Well, well, look who’s sleeping again.”
A familiar voice reached my ears.
“Let him sleep. This job was especially long. Leave the rookie be and let’s roll the dice.”
I’d heard this conversation before. It was only a few years ago, yet it felt as distant as if it had been decades.
‘…Is this a dream?’
Even with my eyes closed, the scene around me was vivid. A rather long job had just ended, and we were all gathered at a tavern to celebrate its completion.
Wayne the gambler was, as always, trying to coax Gorgai into a game, but Gorgai, having lost big last time, was refusing.
“I’m not playing with you.”
“Hey, Gorgai. Don’t be so petty for a guy your size. How did you survive in the arena with such a narrow mind?”
“Those are loaded dice. I saw them roll on their own when they went into the cup.”
“Is that true?”
“Yeah, ask Avery if you don’t believe me.”
“How dare you try to cheat me, Gorgai!”
Gorgai, having seen through Wayne’s trick, flipped the table and shot up from his seat. I scrambled to catch the falling mugs.
“Wait! Gorgai! We’re comrades! It was just a joke! It’s not even that much money!”
“The amount is not important.”
“The total is 1 gold and 32 silver, sir.”
“On second thought, the amount is important. Get up.”
Startled, Wayne the gambler threw his hands up in surrender, but Gorgai didn’t accept it and lunged at him, setting off a huge brawl.
As the rookie, I tried my best to hold back my laughter watching them, but when a choked Wayne started making duck noises, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“That’s enough.”
Just before Gorgai could rip Wayne’s head off, the Captain stopped them.
‘…And then he told me, the rookie, to pour him a full drink.’
“Rookie?”
A soft voice called out to me.
At that, I opened my eyes.
In a black, empty space, a pair of amber eyes that filled the world were staring at me.
- Ahh, truly delicious.
An infuriatingly cool, deep voice whispered.
***
*Drip. Drip.*
Raindrops tapped against my shoulder.
The sound of the rain filled the air.
‘…It’s quiet.’
I was sitting, leaning against a nearly demolished wall.
In front of me lay the corpse of a creature more hideous than any zombie. Its face was mangled beyond recognition.
‘I survived again. I really thought this was the end.’
Every part of my body screamed in pain, but I was in much better shape than I had expected.
My body had always been tough and healed quickly, but this time I had been pushed to the brink of death. Even if I survived, I should have been bedridden for at least a few weeks, yet my condition was surprisingly good.
My body was sore and aching, but I could move. In fact, I felt more powerful than before.
I looked up at the still-dark sky and opened my mouth.
I caught the rainwater and swallowed. My throat stung as if pricked by thorns.
“Are you all right?”
A voice I’d heard somewhere before spoke.
I turned my head to see the black knight from before. His magnificent black armor was shattered, and one of his shoulders was wrapped in a bandage.
The knight, his face etched with exhaustion, collapsed in front of me. His eyes, though sunken, were clear as they stared intently at me.
‘Is he challenging me to a staring contest?’
I had no desire to fight anymore today, so I subtly averted my gaze.
“Ah, my apologies. Your battle was just so impressive. Honestly, I thought I was watching two demons fight. So I prayed. If one of those demons had to win, I hoped it would be you, the one I was at least acquainted with.”
“Is that so. I felt your support. It gave me great strength.”
“Haha! You have a decent sense of humor. I’m quite the joker myself, you know. Though I’m a bit too tired for it right now.”
As he rambled on nonsensically, his hand twitched slightly. I instinctively checked the half-broken rapier in his right hand and the nasty wound on his shoulder.
‘If he twitches, I’ll immediately shove my fingers into his shoulder. When he drops the rapier, I’ll pick it up and stab him in the neck before he can muster his aura… I’ll survive again.’
I habitually flexed my fingers, calculating the possibilities.
“…Are you a demon?”
he asked in a dead-serious tone.
At his stupid question, a wave of exasperation, indignation, and resentment washed over me. You saw me go through all that shit to kill a demon, and you’re asking if *I’m* the demon? Son of a bitch.
“…If I were a demon, would I have fought like such a goddamn maniac—aaargh—”
The absurdity of it made me let out a dry laugh, but then a stream of dark red blood trickled from my mouth. Once it started, it wouldn’t stop, and my words slurred and dragged on.
*Gack— Hrk.*
The blood stopped with a rather pathetic sound effect. I had just killed a demon, and I’d wanted to look cool and composed, but instead, I’d shown him this undignified side of me.
“Pfft… Right, you’re definitely not a demon. I misunderstood. I am truly sorry.”
He suddenly bowed his head deeply, his voice thick with sincerity. His polite demeanor, so out of place in the medieval era, reminded me that he was a knight.
Knights were quasi-nobles.
He was clearly of a higher station than me, but I had no desire to start speaking formally now.
‘He doesn’t seem to mind, so it must be fine.’
I considered it a tacit agreement.
“Apology accepted.”
“Thank you. Are you feeling any better?”
“I’m pretty tough.”
“…Watching you fight, I’d say you wouldn’t have survived if you weren’t incredibly tough.”
He shook his head, a look of revulsion on his face.
“I’m really tough.”
Tough enough to survive on my own, at any rate… I swallowed the rest of the thought and forced the corners of my mouth up. He looked at me for a moment, then smiled back.
“I am Ben. On behalf of everyone here, I thank you. Your battle was more noble than any I have ever witnessed. If not for you, something terrible would have happened.”
“…I’m Aron.”
I scratched my beard, feeling awkward at his flowery words, and replied. Anyone could see it was a dogfight, but his ability to dress it up was quite impressive.
“Right, Aron. Aron… a good name.”
“A very good name.”
“Ah, I will take credit for killing the demon. It will be better for you that way.”
Ben said, his face a strange mix of guilt and self-loathing.
‘Does he want the glory? But he doesn’t seem like that kind of guy…’
I wracked my tired brain, trying to understand the meaning behind his words.
If it became known that I, a mere patrol leader of the Outer Wall Guard, had killed a demon, and not Sir Ben…
‘The Order would come looking for me. It would definitely be a pain.’
The Order was full of people who were all smiles one moment, but the instant demons were involved, their eyes would glaze over as they brandished their hideous weapons.
It might be different for someone with the status of a knight, but it was anyone’s guess how the men of the Order would treat a mere patrol leader like me. They might decide they sensed a dark energy in my eyes and split my head open to pull out the demon inside.
The Order was teeming with fanatics that crazy. It was best to avoid getting entangled with them, so it was better for me if Ben took the credit.
‘It’d be a huge problem for a knight if he was caught lying to the Order, though.’
Slaying the demon would become his achievement, but if his lie were ever exposed, it would surely cost him more than just his knighthood. They would probably try to pull the demon out of his head, too.
‘…Savage medieval bastards.’
Even in this world teeming with savage and ignorant fools, the most radical and ignorant of all were gathered in the Order, the ones who shot light from their hands and flaunted it as proof of their god.
“Thanks.”
It was a good offer for me too. There was no reason to refuse, so I quickly nodded.
‘Besides, the others wouldn’t have even looked this way, what with it being a demon…’
I didn’t have to worry about witnesses. To them, a demon was something not to be seen or heard, so they were surely hiding somewhere with their eyes and ears covered.
My answer made Ben frown.
“…Does it not bother you? You killed a demon. A demon that turned a village into a hell and tried to kidnap a noble lady. This is an accomplishment worthy of praise. You are yielding such a great achievement to me. …You might even receive a blessing from the Order.”
Ben pressed, his voice full of disapproval.
‘What does this guy want from me?’
It was absurd that he would make the offer and then ask why I wasn’t bothered. Judging by his contorted expression, he seemed to be suffering from a guilty conscience.
I thought about it for a moment.
‘Am I disappointed? No, not at all.’
I shook my head.
In the end, I had beaten that ugly bastard to death, and I had survived. That was what mattered most.
And I had no desire to get involved with the Order, which was full of lunatics, nor did I want their blessing.
‘I don’t believe in God, anyway.’
This was a world where miracles were as common as vending machines; a person so crippled they couldn’t walk could spring to their feet after a single prayer, provided they made an appropriate offering to the Order.
But just as there are people who have faith without proof, I refused to believe in God, even in the face of clear evidence.
“What’s there to be disappointed about? If you feel that bad about it, just split the reward money with me.”
He seemed like a decent guy for a knight, so maybe he’d give me three-tenths of it. I was secretly hopeful. Even that would be several times my monthly salary as a patrol leader.
“…I understand. If I receive any, I will give it all to you.”
Ben bit his lip, nodded, and readily agreed.
‘He’s an even better guy than I thought.’
I considered giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze but stopped when I saw the bandage there. Judging by the fluid seeping through it, his wound looked quite severe.
If I touched that, my hand would surely get dirty.
“Ah! Also, the young lady hasn’t woken up yet. Do you happen to know how to wake her? I’ve tried shouting and shaking her, but she won’t stir.”
Ben gestured with his head toward the reclining young lady.
She was lying under the only remaining piece of roof. The woman in the light armor was next to her, and both lay with peaceful expressions, as if they were taking an afternoon nap.
‘So carefree. With all this chaos going on right next to them…’
This whole mess started because of that woman, and here she was, sleeping soundly… Of course, it wasn’t by choice, but I couldn’t help feeling a twist of irritation.
“A way to wake her… I tried slapping the mercenary’s face, but she didn’t wake up…”
“I know how!!”
A loud voice suddenly cut in from the side. I turned my head to see the weasel, his pockets bulging with something, with his hand raised high.
‘He survived, too.’
He’d been lying there with his arm around a zombie, so I hadn’t expected him to die easily, but he looked much better than I’d thought.
“And you are?”
“Dylan, sir!”
“Ah, I see. Dylan, you’ve been through a lot. You say you know how to wake the young lady?”
“Yes! I woke up all the mercenaries earlier and had them fight the corpses! I can wake her in an instant!”
The weasel’s confident answer made me uneasy.
“What’s the method?”
I asked, trying to suppress my anxiety.
“Ta-da! If you just stab her thigh about half a chi deep with this, she’ll wake right up with a jolt! I’ve done it to the mercenaries more than ten times, so you don’t have to worry! I can stab her to the perfect, most appropriate depth.”
The weasel, holding up a dagger dripping with red blood, answered with a brilliant smile.
‘…Crazy bastard.’
The bullshit he was spouting so cheerfully made me want to curse.
“So… you’re saying you’re going to stick a dagger into the young lady’s body?”
Ben stammered in disbelief. His right hand twitched toward the hilt of his sword.
‘Go on, just stab him and shut that mouth.’
I resolved that if a hole somehow appeared in the weasel’s head, I would bury him alongside the demon’s remains.
“Yes!”
However, the weasel’s reply was so overflowing with confidence that Ben’s hand paused. He seemed to be wondering if there was something to what the weasel was saying.
“Why?”
“It’s a demon-related matter, so you never know! If she sleeps too long, the curse could worsen, or she might never regain consciousness! A dagger stab will hurt a little, but a potion will fix that, won’t it? Commoners like us just spit on a wound like this and call it a day, but the young lady is a noble, so she must have potions with her!”
‘…Why does that sound strangely plausible?’
It was clearly nonsense, but it was strangely convincing. In a way, it even seemed like a wise decision.
Of course, that didn’t mean I could let him stab the young lady’s thigh with a dagger.
Ben, who should have been angry, was looking back and forth between the young lady and the weasel with a very serious expression. The frown on his face told me he was seriously considering the weasel’s stupid proposal.
“Just leave her. She’ll wake up. If she doesn’t, we can take her to the Order.”
I spoke up quickly, afraid Ben might actually nod in agreement.
“Th-that’s right. How could I let a blade touch the young lady’s body? Put that knife down.”
The way he flinched at my words made it clear he had been tempted by the weasel’s suggestion.
*Plink.*
The raindrops, much lighter now, tapped on my shoulder.
I looked up to see the dark clouds that had filled the sky retreating. In the empty space they left, the sun, perched on the horizon, was slowly beginning to rise.
It had only risen a fraction, but the dark world had become much brighter. The surroundings were a wreck. The village was completely destroyed, and dozens of corpses were tangled together. It was a scene straight out of hell.
All the soldiers seemed to have been killed; not one was in sight. The only ones moving were the mercenaries, and there were fewer than six of them.
The mercenaries moved among the corpses, rummaging through them.
One of them was trying to strip the armor off a body. When it wouldn’t come off, he took out an axe and brought it down on the corpse’s arm. He chopped off the arm, finally removed the armor, put it on, and grinned.
His smile was filled with the same satisfaction as a man who had just received a hefty wage after a hard day’s work.
‘…Savage medieval bastards.’
I clicked my tongue in disapproval and saw a man carrying four swords.
He was bald and covered in tattoos. Apparently, four swords weren’t enough, as he was rummaging through a zombie’s corpse. He only had two hands, but his greed was boundless.
There were too many swords at his waist, and my own was conveniently empty.
“Hey. You there.”
I raised a hand and called out to him.
The man looked around, scowling, but when he saw the knight in front of me, his expression softened and he approached.
He reeked of a terrible mixture of rot and blood.
As he got closer, his eyes scanned my forearm. He must have noticed the scar there and realized I was the toughest man in the East, because his gaze became much tamer.
“…Yes?”
“The second one from the right. Yeah, that one.”
I pointed a finger at the sword hanging from his waist.
“Huh? …This one, you mean?”
The mercenary tilted his head and held out the blood-soaked sword, scabbard and all.
I took it from him, drew the blade, and examined it. It was a bit longer than my old one, but it was much sharper and in better condition than the cheap sword I’d been using. I liked it.
“Yeah, I lost it during the fight. Thanks for finding it.”
“…Huh? But… that was on a dead mercenary…”
Ignoring him, I slid the scabbard onto my belt. I finally felt a little more at ease.
The dumbfounded mercenary muttered a curse under his breath and went back to the corpses.
- Ahh, can you hear me? Damn… More power than I… *Hoo*… What is this… Ahh?
It sounded like a mosquito buzzing, so I shook my head lightly, and it went quiet.
- Damn it, too much power… Ahh…
I picked up a waterskin rolling next to John’s naked body—someone had already stripped him—and brought it to my lips.
‘They mixed too much water in this.’
I clicked my tongue at the bland taste.
I tossed the empty waterskin next to John’s resentful-looking corpse and got to my feet.
In any case, I had survived. It was time to move.