Chapter 61
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: I Almost Smacked Aron in the Head
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Gesher Wynd of the Imperial Eastern Management Bureau cautiously placed a steaming, ornate teacup in front of his superior, Ben Hart, and watched his reaction.
“What is it?”
Ben Hart, who had been smiling just a moment ago, scowled at the sight of Gesher Wynd.
*Such a temper…*
Gesher Wynd swallowed hard and began to speak.
“The Society has failed.”
“What?”
Sighing internally at his superior’s irritated question, Gesher Wynd continued.
“The Society sent the Nightmare Eater and the rookie, but they failed to take Casedic Castle and also failed to abduct the young lady.”
“Why?”
“The rookie was blocked by a Casedic knight and an Inquisitor… As for the Nightmare Eater, his fate is unknown, but the Imperial Intelligence Bureau suspects he was defeated by the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor was apparently not seen before he went after the rookie…”
“What? The Nightmare Eater lost to a mere Inquisitor? Those damn freeloading bastards—”
As Ben Hart reached for the teacup in front of him, Gesher Wynd quickly interjected.
“Ah, that Inquisitor was apparently demoted from the Holy War Knight Order.”
“Hm. As expected of the Intelligence Bureau. If he’s from the Holy War Knight Order, he’d be a Class 2 management target, so… But can you even get demoted from the Holy War Knight Order? Aren’t they all raised by the Order itself?”
*Honestly, his temper…*
Gesher Wynd breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s classified information within the Order, so they couldn’t find out. It seems they decided it wasn't worth investing the manpower to dig deeper, though they could if they wanted to.”
“Hmm…”
Gesher Wynd sipped his hot coffee, which was placed next to him, and waited for Ben Hart’s silence to pass.
*Why do those fanatics in the Order call this wonderful stuff the devil’s drink?*
Of course, Gesher Wynd of the Imperial Eastern Management Bureau knew very well that coffee was not the devil’s work. They managed demons, after all, and there was no demon named Coffee on their lists.
“We’re fucked.”
Gesher Wynd nodded at Ben Hart’s sigh-like remark.
No other expression could have been more accurate for the current situation.
Recently, a group called ‘Black Blood’ had been rapidly expanding its influence in the eastern part of the empire.
To counter this, the Imperial Eastern Management Bureau had leaked information to their rivals, ‘The Society,’ but those idiots couldn’t even take a single barony, completely shattering the balance.
This was a clear miscalculation. According to the plan, Casedic Castle should have fallen long ago, allowing ‘The Society’ to use it as a foothold to expand their power, check ‘Black Blood,’ and maintain a level of tension in the east.
But Casedic Castle was still standing, and ‘The Society’ had only grown weaker.
If ‘Black Blood’ continued to expand like this, they would have no choice but to intervene directly. It had already surpassed the ‘appropriate’ level of threat the empire required.
Thinking about the investment poured into both ‘Black Blood’ and ‘The Society’ only brought on another sigh.
*...Is there something special about Casedic Castle?*
Gesher Wynd and Ben Hart sighed in unison.
“Then he’s going to make a move, isn’t he? That leader of ‘The Society,’ the ‘Great Darkness.’ That demon-wielding warlock bastard.”
“Yes, given his temperament… he will surely ignore the guidelines. The losses he suffered this time have completely destroyed the balance with ‘Black Blood,’ so he’ll be desperate.”
The very action taken to maintain balance had instead shattered it completely. Once again, the sound of sighing filled the space.
“What are the chances of Casedic holding him off?”
“Even if ‘Great Darkness’ is barely a Class 1 figure… a single Holy War Knight and one other knight… The only knight left there is barely a Class 2 himself…”
In any case, if they left ‘Great Darkness’ alone, the outcome they initially wanted might come to pass, but the problem was that he would be violating the guidelines.
That was an act of defiance against the empire, something they could not let slide.
Just then, Ben Hart came up with a clear solution.
“Send him. What’s his name… Knight Kour-something?”
“You mean Sir Kurteun, ‘The Lecher’?”
“Sir, my ass. He’s just a guy who’s crazy for women.”
“But regardless of his character, his skills place him at the upper end of Class 1. He doesn’t move easily…”
“Isn’t there some pretty maiden in Casedic, the Flower of the East or something? If you mention that to him, he’ll come running. While he’s at it, tell him to ‘appropriately’ clean up the Black Blood guys… No, on second thought, just have him wipe them out and we’ll start fresh. We have a few other prospects besides them, don’t we?”
Understanding Ben Hart’s intentions, Gesher Wynd swallowed hard.
Ben Hart was planning to completely reset the board in the east. This was an excessive response to a mere Class 1 figure violating the guidelines.
Normally, such a problem would be simply resolved by eliminating the target and those associated with him…
“If you don’t nip these things in the bud, you never know where variables will pop up. Besides, if he’s called ‘Great Darkness,’ he must be a big guy, right? You have to keep big guys on a short leash from the very beginning. I know from experience. Big bastards act all dull and then stab you in the back when you least expect it…”
Gesher Wynd guessed that Ben Hart’s overreaction was related to a certain incident that had gotten him demoted from the central office to the east.
Ever since coming to the Eastern Management Bureau, Ben Hart would fly into a rage whenever the topic of big guys came up.
*Anyway, Great Darkness and The Lecher… This is the end for Casedic.*
Gesher Wynd offered a small prayer for the tiny, distant castle.
Casedic had survived its crises through some incomprehensible luck, but this time, luck wouldn’t be enough.
Given the constant turmoil Casedic had recently faced, the atmosphere there was bound to be grim, even without these new threats.
Gesher Wynd offered a brief moment of silence for the small sacrifice that would be made for the greater good.
***
“You’ve worked hard. You were victorious. I’m proud of you.”
“Sniff… Jojang!”
“Don’t get too close. You’ll get it on me.”
“Yes, sir.”
I patted the weasel’s shoulder in front of me.
Wiping his tears, the weasel nodded.
Honestly, I didn’t understand what constituted a foul.
This wasn’t a knightly duel; it was a fight to become a squad leader for the Outer Wall Guard. What fouls could there be? The winner is the winner.
*Although, hitting him there was a bit…*
But after hearing the story, I got it. Yeah, that was definitely a foul.
“Th-th-th…”
“Breathe, Daejang. Breathe.”
Blant, the leader of Squad 1, stood next to the Daejang, playfully poking him and giggling. The Daejang’s cheek twitched.
It was probably for the best that he was eliminated here. If he had won and met Choco, it certainly wouldn’t have ended well.
A monk with a sour expression led the weasel away for treatment.
The selection match for the 5th squad leader continued after that, but there was nothing much to see.
When Choco stepped into the arena, a strange chant of “Two Arons?!” erupted, and contestants began forfeiting one after another, speeding up the process considerably.
And so, Choco advanced to the finals without fighting a single match.
In the finals, Choco’s opponent was Chueotang from the 5th squad.
Chueotang pounded his chest with his fists, trying to build up his fighting spirit. Choco simply faced him, a slight smirk on his lips.
Whether Chueotang was foolish, brave, or both, he chose to face Choco, a man half a head taller than him.
And as always, the reward for courage was not particularly sweet.
The men of the sands, who wore no iron, fought with all their might against any opponent, as a single mistake could cost them their lives.
And the Fifth Star, the man they revered, was no exception.
*Crack—.*
A sickening sound that made one cringe filled the air as Chueotang’s arm was twisted in the wrong direction.
*Guh…*
The excruciating pain left Chueotang unable to even scream, and the cheering spectators fell silent.
*Crack.*
Choco’s massive fist slammed down on Chueotang’s shoulder, crushing it and forcing him lower.
He may have been rusty, but Bermunt was still the Fifth Star.
Knowing what Bermunt would do next, I quickly kicked off the ground and rushed forward.
Thankfully, I managed to smack Bermunt in the head before he could make his opponent’s head detachable.
“What is it, Star-Slayer?”
Bermunt asked, his eyes filled with a fiery gaze as he looked at me. It was the look of a predator that had tasted blood.
“Don’t rip his head off.”
“I was only going to imitate it.”
Bermunt finally let go of Chueotang and answered, scratching the back of his head.
I wondered why he felt the need to imitate such a thing, but I didn’t voice the question.
“Urgh…”
Looking to the side, I saw the Daejang groaning with a strange expression, his gaze shifting between Bermunt and the lord’s seating area.
Over by the lord, everyone’s faces were pale.
It seemed Bermunt’s blood-soaked fighting style hadn’t left a very good impression on them.
“The winner is Chanda… No! Bermunt! From now on, Bermunt is the leader of the Outer Wall Guard’s 5th squad!”
The Daejang forced a smile and shouted at the top of his lungs. The frozen crowd gave a subdued round of applause, and Bermunt, back to his usual Choco persona, raised both hands in the air.
“This is great fun! When are the selection matches for the other squad leaders?”
At Choco’s sudden plan for a guard takeover, the watching squad leaders flinched and took a step back.
“Aron! Get him out of here!!”
The Daejang gestured frantically, and I dragged Choco out of the arena.
The lord stood up and said a few words, and the people cheered in response.
Choco disappeared somewhere, saying he was going to meet the men who would become his subordinates.
“Jojang, have some of this.”
Thanks to the lord’s long speech, I had some time to spare. Berman handed me a piece of hard bread he’d gotten from somewhere.
*All the bread here is hard, though.*
It had no meat in it and was practically a weapon, but I tore into it like a cracker. It was a miserable piece of bread, so bad I felt sorry for the wheat that had been sacrificed to make it.
Just then, Kel dragged a red-faced Brick over to me.
“Jojang! Can you believe it? This gentle soul Brick is thinking of proposing to Charlotte!”
Kel shouted, pointing at Brick with a very angry expression.
“Well… ahem… I thought it was about time…”
Brick, his face red enough to burst, nodded while his cheeks trembled.
Hmm…
Despite Brick’s excited declaration, the reaction was a bit lukewarm.
It was only natural. Given the nature of the guard, we often got involved in various conflicts, which meant we inevitably got dragged into the domestic affairs of married couples. And among the marital disputes that came our way, very few were pleasant.
The most troublesome of them all was the ‘the kid looks like the man next door’ problem. In truth, for commoners who didn’t eat well, everyone looked more or less the same, so it didn’t matter. But if a handsome man was involved, it became a huge issue. Of course, it usually ended with the kid becoming the family mascot.
*Why would he choose such a path…*
And since it was Brick, the only gentle one among us, it was hard not to groan.
“Wh-why is everyone reacting like that?”
“Hey, Brick. Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”
“Yes, of course. Marriage is a serious matter…”
“Hmm, does Charlotte have some money saved up? Brick, marriage is more terrible than you think. Think carefully.”
A variety of advice and questions poured in from all sides.
“Alright, let’s start with the simplest thing— Brick. Have you ever spent the night with Charlotte?”
“…What? Why would you ask something like that?”
“It’s important. Very important.”
At Kel’s uncharacteristically serious face, Brick scratched his cheek. After a moment of hesitation, he gave a small nod.
Kel’s eyes widened as he opened his mouth.
“How many silvers would you be willing to pay for that night…”
“Hey— you bastard.”
I quickly smacked Kel on the back of the head to shut him up. Kel muttered something, but another smack quieted him down.
“Charlotte is just a serving girl, so if you compare her value to your mother’s shop…”
Snake-eyed Pul offered some very Pul-like advice.
“Could you die for her? Brick. I believe that is the most important…”
Berman said something befitting a virgin.
*Hmm. Brick getting married.*
Marriage among commoners was surprisingly simple. If both parties agreed, they just had to go to the chapter house and get it certified.
Separately, there was a strange custom where a true marriage required the approval of both families and even their neighbors, but if the couple just went to the chapter house and got the stamp, there was no way to stop them.
No one dared to raise objections regarding matters of the Order, as saying the wrong thing could be hazardous to one’s health.
I didn’t know what Charlotte thought yet, but it was clear she wouldn’t refuse. Brick was a young man who possessed sincerity and honesty, the most important virtues in this era.
“Then we’ll have to prepare the ‘Visiting Night’!”
Kel shouted, his face somewhat excited, and the others nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere heated up in an instant.
“We have to make it the best.”
I nodded and replied.
“Y-you don’t have to do all that…”
Brick, his face pale, shook his head, but…
Brick’s opinion no longer mattered.
***
‘The Visiting Night.’
This was a tradition where, during courtship, a man would overcome harsh trials to enter a woman’s window.
The more arduous the process of climbing through the window into the woman’s room, the greater the man’s sincerity was perceived to be—a dangerous tradition, but for onlookers, there was nothing more entertaining.
To amplify that entertainment, the four members of Squad 4, excluding Aron and Brick, gathered in the basement of the Laughing Rabbit.
“Let’s get some of Ska’s boys and lay them out at the bottom. It’ll look good and he’ll have to use some real strength.”
Kel explained excitedly, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Isn’t that not enough?”
“Stop nitpicking and give your own idea, Pul.”
“If we’re going to do it, we might as well go bigger and call in the guys from the outer wall.”
“Then let’s call them too. The street in front of Charlotte’s place is wide, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It’s for Brick, so we have to make it the best. So legendary it’ll be remembered in Casedic Castle forever.”
*Legendary—.*
At the word from Pul’s lips, everyone repeated the sweet word as if enchanted. The word ‘legendary’ instantly lit a fire in their hearts.
“Is that enough to be legendary? While we’re at it, shouldn’t we call the new guys too and just overwhelm him with numbers…”
“Hyung-nim! Even that’s not enough! To be legendary, there should be some fire coming out of the walls…”
*Forget marriage, will Brick even survive this?*
Berman swallowed hard as he watched the situation unfold.
“And of course, the finale…”
At the weasel’s murmur, everyone nodded.
The finale of the ‘Legendary Visiting Night’ was already decided.
“But isn’t that… a bit too much?”
At Berman’s mutter, everyone nodded in agreement.
“…But the Jojang was already grinning from ear to ear.”
At Pul’s subsequent words, everyone groaned.
*This will definitely become a legend.*
Perhaps an unfortunate accident would occur during the process, making him a legend in that way, but that was still a legend.
***
*Hoo…*
Brick let out a long breath, feeling needlessly tense.
“Let’s go, Brick! You can do it! Win Charlotte’s heart! Beat them all!”
“Ooooh! Ooooh!”
*Did I make a mistake by telling them?*
Brick swallowed hard amidst the surrounding clamor.
He knew they were crazy, but they had blown this completely out of proportion. The alley was already packed with spectators. It seemed even more people had gathered than for the selection match during the day.
*That’s why I told them as late as possible, but how did they… in just one day…*
It hadn’t been long since he’d told them, but these madmen had already finished their preparations.
“This will be a ‘Legendary Visiting Night’!!”
The constant shouting of the word ‘legendary’ was deeply unsettling. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what these crazy people had planned.
However, he couldn’t back out now.
If he did, Brick would become the biggest coward in Casedic Castle, pointed at by children and destined to live his life alone.
*I can do this, Brick!*
Brick steeled his resolve, thinking of the beautiful woman who had enjoyed his fish bread. Everyone else who had received his fish bread had either punched him or slapped him, but she was the only one who had eaten it with relish.
There couldn’t be another woman like her. He had to win her over, no matter what.
His guard colleagues had each lent him a piece of equipment, so Brick, clad in iron like a knight, took a step forward.
Woooooah—!
The cheers from the crowd were overwhelming, but he forced a smile and headed towards Charlotte’s house.
*First alley.*
The street he often walked with Charlotte looked different than usual.
*…You crazy bastards!*
Ska’s boys, shirtless, filled the alley.
He had to pass through three alleys, and the first one already had ten burly young men! Forget passing through; the strange heat emanating from the street made him instinctively want to avoid it.
*Do they think I’m Jojang Aron or something?*
Brick wanted to turn around and run, but he couldn’t.
*Living alone forever… I’d rather die!*
Brick drew the sword Berman had given him. Its edge was dulled, making it more like a blunt iron club, but it gave him a small sense of comfort.
“It’s gentle Brick! How dare he try to get married before us!!”
Then, Ska’s boys charged forward—
With a sense of resignation, Brick ran to meet them.
However.
“Aaargh! He’s too strong! Gentle Brick!!”
Every time he swung his sword, men he hadn’t even touched screamed and fell. Their acting was so awkward it gave him goosebumps, but it was still much better than a real fight.
“My god! Brick defeated ten men all by himself!!”
“Unbelievable! I never knew Brick was this strong!!”
Having dispatched ten men with four swings of his sword, Brick’s lips twitched at the playful cheers.
Praying for this embarrassing and childish night to end, Brick started walking again.
A massive figure, Ska, blocked his path.
“Brick!! I will stop your foolish choice! That is a path you must not take! You are being deceived by your lower body!”
Ska, spewing his indignation, charged, and Brick swung his sword as before.
However, unlike the previous men, Ska didn’t fall even after being hit by the sword.
Instead, he punched Brick in the face.
“You may not understand now! But the future you will surely thank me…”
Brick’s mind went hazy from the powerful punch.
As he was about to collapse, Ska’s huge hand grabbed him by the collar and shook him.
“Listen carefully—! Brick! Your decision to marry is a flawed judgment, brainwashed by custom. Marriage is the most terrible creation of the empire…”
“Ska?”
“…Cathy?”
Ska, who had been passionately delivering his speech with spittle flying, suddenly stopped at the sound of a woman’s voice from above. With a crackling sound from his neck, he turned his head.
A moment later, Ska, his face as pale as if he’d seen a demon, fled the scene.
“Wo…ahhh…, Brick defeated the bear, Ska!”
At the somewhat deflated cheer, Brick forced himself to focus and started walking again.
The next obstacle was the motley crew of guards from his and other squads.
They put on a better performance than Ska’s boys, falling to Brick’s sword, but in the middle of it, Kel, who looked similar to Ska, tried to stop Brick for real.
Berman, who had been pretending to be unconscious, hit Kel on the back of the head and stopped him.
Brick gave a deep bow to the fallen men who were now chatting amongst themselves and started walking again.
Just then, Brick felt a strong impact on the back of his head and pitched forward.
“Ahaha! You let your guard down, Brick hyung-nim!”
“Dylan! You crazy bastard!”
“But when I see the back of a head, my hand gets itchy…!”
By the time he came to his senses, the people around him were gone. Brick rubbed his throbbing head and moved on.
Next was a curtain of fire.
*Crazy…*
As if they really intended to set a fire, flames blocked the middle of the alley. Looking closely, he saw Kanna, Hana, and the men from the Laughing Rabbit Inn nearby.
He didn't know how they were doing it, but Kanna was splashing water from a large bucket with her hands, preventing the fire from spreading. The men next to her were also helping by constantly throwing water.
*Even so, this is…*
As Brick hesitated.
“Brick! You can do it! Charlotte prepared ten fish breads for you!”
At Hana’s shout, Brick gathered his wits.
*Fish bread! Charlotte!*
Brick took the deepest breath he could and ran towards the flames. Just before he plunged into the fire, Kanna muttered something and threw a long stream of water, and a momentary chill enveloped Brick’s body.
As Brick passed through the fire, surprised that he felt no heat at all.
“Brick, who leaped through fire for love!!”
The cheers erupted once more.
In response, Brick turned his head and expressed his gratitude towards Hana and Kanna, who were now upending their water buckets as if to extinguish the fire.
Kanna didn’t even look at him, but Hana gave him a thumbs-up. The men next to them were frantically patting out flames that had caught on their clothes.
*I’m almost there.*
Brick looked up at the building in front of him.
Charlotte’s room was on the second floor.
There were sharp objects stuck to the wall, but since he was wearing gauntlets, it was no problem.
His body felt heavy, but Brick tenaciously climbed the wall and entered Charlotte’s room through the window.
*Thud—.*
Falling inside, Brick tidied his hair and wiped the sweat from his brow while still on the floor.
The moment he smelled Charlotte’s familiar scent, Brick felt more nervous than when he had faced Ska’s boys, confronted the guards, or passed through the flames.
Finally, he knelt like a knight he had once seen and slowly raised his head—
“Took you long enough.”
He froze at the sight of the massive figure before him.
*Even the Jojang… you crazy bastards.*
A fully armed Aron stood with Charlotte in front of him like a hostage, one corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.
His chilling presence exuded a pressure that could make any observer feel despair.
*Gulp—.*
Even though Brick knew it was an act, his hands sweated and the hair on his arms stood on end. He felt a pang of pity for all those who had stood before Aron until now.
*It’s… an act. The Jojang’s nickname might be ‘Ruffian,’ but he’s not really like that!*
Brick kept repeating ‘it’s just an act’ to himself, trying to suppress the tension that made even his fingers stand on end.
He had come this far; he couldn’t run away looking pathetic.
*It’s an act. That’s an act.*
Brick continued to mutter to himself, desperately trying to build up his confidence, and then charged forward.
Uwaaaaah!
Brick screamed at the top of his lungs to hide his trembling hands.
As he got right in front of Aron, who remained motionless, a small hope blossomed in Brick’s chest.
If you asked any member of Squad 4 what their wish was, the first one would be the same for everyone.
‘To hit Aron in the head.’ The thought that he might be able to fulfill that wish, and the hope that he might gain the cool nickname ‘The One Who Smacked Aron in the Head’!
Convinced that this was the greatest gift, Brick’s lips began to curl upwards.
*Thwack—.*
A massive impact, and Brick’s consciousness instantly faded.
“Aron!!”
“Ah, sorry. It’s a habit.”
Charlotte cried out as she quickly caught the unconscious Brick.
Aron shrugged as if genuinely sorry. Charlotte cradled Brick, who was now drooling in his sleep, and glared sharply at Aron.
“We agreed you’d just pretend! Why did you hit him!”
“Ah, habit. Habit. Besides, what kind of guy faints from one punch? He’s weak. That’s what he gets for eating things like fish bread…”
“Aron! Even a knight would pass out from your punch!”
*Ahem—.*
Aron cleared his throat awkwardly and pulled something out from his tunic.
It was a leather pouch, clean as new.
He didn’t know what was inside, but it was clearly stuffed full.
“Anyway, congratulations on the marriage.”
Aron held it out with an awkward smile.
“I haven’t said yes yet! I mean, he can’t even ask me now!”
As Charlotte shot back, Aron raised both hands in surrender and quickly headed for the window.
Perched on the windowsill, Aron gave a thumbs-up and said.
“Brick’s a good guy.”
“Then why did you hit the good guy…”
Before Charlotte could finish her sentence, Aron dropped out of the window.
*THUD!!*
“B-Brick knocked out Aron!!”
Hearing the commotion outside, Charlotte looked down at Brick in her arms.
*…He’s not really going to be out for good, is he?*
Charlotte poked Brick’s puffy cheek with her finger.
Unfortunately, Brick became ‘the Brick who only slept on his first night.’
***
I had landed on my back, so it was incredibly stiff.
I was rolling my shoulders and heading towards the inn when a black-hooded figure suddenly blocked my path.
*The inner wall… what the hell are those honey-pot bastards doing…*
I groaned at the sight of the young lady, who had appeared again after only a day.
This time, unlike yesterday, she had a black hood pulled down low, but the elegant curve of her chin, barely visible beneath it, was unmistakably that of the same blockhead.
“Huhu…”
“Lady Vivian?”
“Ah?! How did you?!”
At my question, the young lady started in surprise, her eyes widening as she looked up at me. Then she began sniffing herself and clearing her throat, making a fuss.
It seemed she was wondering how her perfect disguise had been foiled.
*This is not good.*
If a rumor started about me meeting a soon-to-be-married noble lady alone at night like this, one of our heads would surely roll.
Of course, it would most likely be mine, but if that happened, Casedic Castle would also…
I shook my head to clear the thought.
“How did you know?!”
Her eyes were filled with genuine bewilderment; it seemed she was the only one who didn’t know.
“I’m just observant. But what can I do for you?”
It was a rather rude way of speaking, but judging by her attitude, she didn’t seem to mind, so I threw it out there.
“Ah! We didn’t get to finish our conversation last time! Because you tricked me!”
*Why does she raise the end of her sentences?*
I wondered, but simply nodded.
“This time, I’ll lead the way, so follow me! You won’t be able to trick me again!”
The young lady lifted her hood slightly to glare at me, then strode forward confidently.
I followed her for a moment, then discreetly slipped away. When the distance between us grew, I heard her shout from afar, “Aargh! I was tricked again!!”
On my way back to the inn, I encountered some Outer Wall Guards and gestured to them that the young lady was over there.
The sound of a whistle spread through the area, causing a commotion, and in the distance, I heard the young lady’s scream of disappointment, bringing the incident to a close.
Entering the inn, I ran into Choco, who was about to head out for his shift. If I had the day patrol, Choco had the night patrol—our shifts were exact opposites.
“Don’t go ripping the guys’ heads off. And don’t be too hard on them. This isn’t the front lines.”
“Haha! I won’t rip any off, so don’t you worry!”
Choco’s enthusiastic reply was a bit unsettling, but I gave a rough nod.
“Daughter of Aron! Wife of Aron! Servants of Aron! I’m off!”
A cough escaped my lips at his booming declaration as he raised his hand. I turned to see Hana avoiding my gaze and the refrigerator with sparkling eyes.
I quickly grabbed Choco and firmly instructed him not to say such things outside. Choco nodded with a somewhat smug smile.
“In that moment…! I threw my fist, pow! The fear on his face, bam! My mind was hazy! But I, Dylan! A man among men! I don’t go down that easily! I grit my teeth! And fair and square…!”
I saw the weasel sitting with the trio of pushovers, excitedly recounting his tale. When the weasel saw me, he bowed a full 90 degrees, and the trio followed suit.
*I’m not some kind of gangster.*
It was absurd.
The weasel went back to excitedly describing his morning deathmatch with the ‘Evil Incarnate, the Log Murderer.’
I sat down, had the refrigerator imbue my armor with the frost attribute, broke off the arm of the ice statue that had grown on my breastplate, and dropped it into my lukewarm beer, taking a sip.
Just then, Hana sat down next to me in an awkward posture. She suddenly straightened her back, pushed out her chest, and started rubbing it against my arm.
Finding it ridiculous, I looked at her, and Hana wiggled her eyebrows. She couldn’t even raise them properly, so they moved up and down alternately like a wave.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Ah… um… Charlotte said to do this…”
Hana stammered, pulled away, and then shot up and disappeared to the back.
The ‘chest rub’ that Charlotte had mentioned she’d do to Brick had somehow made its way here… it was absurd.
*But what was she thinking, rubbing it against my pauldron?*
I shook my head lightly, watched the refrigerator’s bizarre dance, finished my cold beer, and went up to my room.
I could feel that the demon I had consumed after backstabbing the knight and the Inquisitor had finally been digested. It was time to see the results.
*It was four seconds last time, so will it be eight seconds now? Or maybe six?*
I locked the door by jamming my scabbard into the handle and readjusted my grip on my sword. I felt a sense of anticipation.
‘Tenant.’
—I shall show you. A power both faint and yet magnificent.
As soon as I called, the tenant replied as if it had been waiting. Along with its overly excited voice, I felt a power that made the hair on my body stand on end.
A searing pain, as if hot lava was flowing through my veins from the center of my chest, spread through me, and my limbs trembled.
*…What is this?*
—Behold.
I wanted to retort to its still-arrogant voice, but my concentration was wavering, and it felt like my limbs would turn to dust if I lost focus. I glared at my sword, concentrating.
Soon, a brilliant blue light erupted from the sword, like a rising blue sun, filling the room.
My jaw dropped at the immense power, greater than any aura I had ever seen.
I was now emitting an aura that seemed capable of burning the world, like a hero from a legend.
However, the problem was…
*Wheeeewwww… huff…*
*Why is it two seconds again?*
The aura vanished in the blink of an eye.
*The duration definitely didn’t increase…*
Then, I instinctively understood.
The tenant, obsessed with destructive power, had focused the entire increased amount into a single, instantaneous burst.
*The duration decreased to two seconds, but the firepower increased.*
I groaned and looked down at my sword.
I knew, instinctively, that negotiating with this thing was impossible. It wasn’t even satisfied with the current level of firepower.
*Firepower, huh.*
I didn’t know if it would continue to increase like this, but it wasn’t a bad option.
On the front lines, victory was always decided in an instant. If used correctly, this could be more effective than a longer duration.
*So it’s a one-shot-kill type of deal?*
I muttered, looking down at my hand, which had felt like it was burning just moments ago.
*A two-second one-shot…*
I closed my eyes for a moment and ran through a few virtual scenarios.
If I compared it to the demons I had faced so far…
*It’s enough.*
If I were in a one-on-one situation, it would be more than useful.
The chances of me needing to borrow a demon’s power to face multiple opponents were slim to none, and in a one-on-one fight, a firepower-focused one-shot was actually better.
Still…
*Two seconds… it’s a premature cannon.*
For some reason, my own pride felt a little bruised. I muttered to myself as I sheathed my sword.
Forget the demon; with a duration like that, I could never proudly show it off to anyone.
***
*Burp—.*
“…All gone.”
A large, elderly man looked down at the bones in front of him and licked his lips with regret.
He then popped a bone into his mouth, crunched it, and spat it out. Unfortunately, the bones were inedible.
The man lightly stomped on the remaining bones, crushing them to powder, and then tossed the powder into the air.
“Casedic Castle, is it…”
The white powder scattered on the wind.
The man gauged its direction and nodded.
It was a method of navigation he had specially devised.
The Knight Hunter left the bones behind and moved in the direction the wind had shown him.
The wind was blowing directly towards Casedic Castle.