Chapter 93
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Unjust
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“Team Leader Aron! Good morning!”
As I arrived at headquarters, Mareun, the kid from Team 6, greeted me brightly. He was about a hand's breadth taller than the last time I saw him.
“You look a little taller.”
“…Hehe, I recently bought a fang that makes you taller.”
At my words, Mareun grinned widely and scratched the back of his head.
*…A fang that makes you taller? Fangs have that effect too?!*
I was deeply impressed by the fang's limitless efficacy.
The Flamengo Effect, based on the scientific principle of belief, had no clearly defined limits.
“So, what’s going on?”
“Ah, the Captain called an assembly today. Said he had something to say.”
Come to think of it, there were quite a few guys milling about.
I nodded and headed inside. Kel and Berman followed me in, their faces etched with exhaustion.
“Team Leader Aron, you’re here.”
“Yeah.”
Accepting the weary greetings from the guys around me, I went to change my boots.
“What are you doing?”
Kel was a short distance away, grunting and struggling to change his boots in a corner for some reason.
When I asked, Kel jumped in surprise and hid his boots.
“You really can’t! Rosa bought these for me specially.”
“Your feet are too small, they won’t even fit me, you punk.”
“Who are you calling small! I’m big!”
Kel shouted, flaring up.
When I teased him, saying, “You are small,” Kel brought the boots over and placed them next to me himself.
They looked small, but when I shoved my foot in, they stretched with a creaking sound.
It seemed they had some kind of size-adjusting magic built in.
“Oh, they fit perfectly. Thanks.”
“Huh? W-wait, Team Leader, that’s not… Ah, these were really expensive! You have plenty of money, why do you keep…”
“I’ll give them back after I use them. Hey, I said I’m just borrowing them for a bit.”
In truth, the boots Dylan gave me were perfectly fine, but Kel’s reaction was so amusing that I even stood up and did a little tap dance.
“Th-thank you. Team Leader, I trusted you.”
When I handed the boots back, Kel was moved to tears with gratitude.
They were originally his, but I graciously accepted his thanks.
“They… they stretched out…”
Ignoring Kel’s whimpering as he put on the boots, I went upstairs to where the guards were gathered.
*Why are they acting like that…*
The guys from Team 5 caught my eye.
Team 5, once led by the giant Flip, had been a bunch of rough, simple-minded guys. Now, they radiated the aura of a Germanic tribe that had just fought its way through a battlefield.
Their team leader, Bermunt, was watching them with a satisfied expression.
“On this battlefield, the thickness of your muscles is the thickness of your lifeline.”
At a gesture from Bermunt, the Team 5 members dropped to the ground and got back up.
*…Still hasn’t shed his desert habits.*
The Byzante Kingdom, which had revered only strength to withstand the Empire’s pressure.
They pursued strength to the point where they would accept anyone, regardless of origin or status, as long as they were strong.
Consequently, primitive and barbaric training methods were rampant, but their skills were the real deal.
Whether because Bermunt was personally overseeing them, Team 5’s spirit was quite impressive. It seemed a bit excessive, but considering the recent situation in Casedic…
“The guys in Team 5 are saying they’re going to die because of the new team leader. Even the ones who used to love drinking and occasionally visited Rosa are now so worn out after work that they can’t think of anything else since that man took over.”
Kel, who had somehow recovered his composure, sidled up and explained.
“Is that so?”
“…Team Leader, why are you making that face?”
“When was the last time you guys trained?”
At my muttering, Kel’s and Berman’s faces turned pale simultaneously.
Just then, Dylan stepped onto the platform at the front.
“Alright, folks, let me tell you about this item here! For the married men who feel their lives are in danger! For the young men who feel their stamina waning! This is a marvelous item that will save you all!”
Dylan shouted, pulling out a handful of fangs. His uniquely irritating voice was reminiscent of a street peddler.
“You can grind it into a powder and eat it! You can wear it on your body! Use it however you want, this amazing item shows incredible effects! A chance to get it at a special guard-only price!”
Brick came up next to Dylan.
Brick had three fangs tied to his belt.
“Don’t believe me? Well, here we have Brick, a living testament to the fang’s effects!”
Brick, his usual meek face now stern, raised his hand high.
“Me, Brick! Was afraid to go home! But three fangs! Made Charlotte run away instead! Brick! No longer afraid of wife!”
*What’s with the way he’s talking?*
Maybe he had stage fright, because his speech was incredibly crude, but to these ignorant medieval brutes, that kind of talk seemed to inspire more trust, and the reaction was explosive.
“Just by wearing them, your virility increases? Does that even make sense?”
Just then, Team 2’s leader, Mad Dog Chart, asked with a frown.
An unexpected counterattack.
The answer came from somewhere else.
“I felt the effect too! I’ve gotten taller since I started wearing this fang! Can’t you see!”
The kid from Team 6, Mareun, shot up and shouted.
Since the skinny kid had actually gotten taller, a huge commotion erupted.
“Team Leader Chart! You don’t know anything. This fang has the Placi…go effect. You’re not telling me you don’t know what the Placigo effect is, are you?”
Dylan countered with a sly grin.
*…It’s Flamengo, you ignorant fools.*
I clicked my tongue but kept my mouth shut so as not to ruin the heated atmosphere. It wasn’t the first or second time these idiots had gotten something wrong.
“Your height and virility increase just by wearing it?! You’d have to be an idiot not to buy one!”
As Pul yelled from the crowd and raised his hand, the other guys hurriedly shot their hands up too.
Dylan bustled around with the fangs.
*He’s a good salesman.*
It looked like he could sell all the remaining fangs right here.
Even amidst the bustling atmosphere, the men of Team 5 remained perfectly still, like disciplined soldiers.
A moment later, the Captain came forward.
Seeing the bit of blood still on the Captain’s nose, it was clear he hadn’t washed up.
“Everyone, quiet.”
The Captain shouted, his face unusually stern.
The men, who would have normally been snickering, shut their mouths and focused.
It was a sign of respect for the man who had become a legend.
The Captain had finally earned their recognition through his incredible achievement.
“I’ve called you all here to announce increased security for Lady Vivian’s upcoming birthday. From now on, checkpoint duty and patrols will be in groups of three. Count Behardt will be visiting this time, so stay sharp. That said, no need to overdo it. Just don’t cause any trouble and do a decent job. Just decent.”
As the Captain finished, the men started chanting, “Captain who stuffed ten silver coins in his nostrils!”
At that, the Captain pulled silver coins from his pocket, stuck one in each nostril, and stepped back.
The cheers for his amazing performance grew even more intense.
After the Captain stepped down, I took his place.
I raised my fist, and the noise vanished instantly.
“Hana’s newly opened tavern is offering beer at half price to the guards, so keep that in mind.”
The tavern had gotten bigger, which meant incidents and accidents were sure to become more frequent.
This was my own way of preparing for that.
Of course, even at half price, it was still more expensive than the cost price.
“Hana, Aron’s wife!!”
The guy who yelled it met my eyes and immediately smacked himself in the head.
***
I took Pul and Dylan with me to the checkpoint.
Bringing the two sharpest members of my team felt like setting a game to auto-hunt.
I leaned against the castle gate and watched the two of them work.
Pul and Dylan were a fantastic duo.
Pul would assess an accurate value, and Dylan, standing beside him, would instinctively inflate the price slightly.
Pul didn’t seem to approve, but he acknowledged Dylan’s skill.
*Anyway, to think the magic is lasting…*
I muttered, shaking my water canteen.
I hadn’t seen much of Ggwobarou lately.
I’d wondered if he’d stopped teaching Kanna, but seeing Kanna perform new magic, that didn’t seem to be the case.
This morning, Kanna had suddenly taken my canteen and fiddled with it for a long time.
I figured she was just drawing another weird picture, but on closer inspection, it wasn’t a picture but a magic circle.
*…A magic circle.*
It only managed to turn lukewarm water slightly cool, and even that effect seemed to fade quickly, but it was amazing that the kid had inscribed such a complex magic circle.
It felt like watching a little kid solve university-level math.
I don’t know much about magic, but looking at this complex drawing, I could really feel that Kanna was a genius.
Of course, judging by the lukewarm contents of the canteen, I wasn’t sure if it was actually effective.
“Welcome!!”
Dylan’s shout broke me out of my thoughts.
I turned my head to see a carriage, clearly belonging to a noble, approaching.
*The Kembain family?*
The baronial family that ruled Blant Castle, famous for its high tax rates.
They had visited before, but they had passed through without stopping.
I thought it would be the same this time, but contrary to my expectation, it slowly reduced its speed.
*He wields a greatsword. A bit shorter than mine.*
I habitually sized up the knight in front.
The knight announced that the eldest son of the Kembain family had come at the lady’s invitation.
It was just a formality anyway, so we stepped aside without any further questions.
The carriage and the knight entered.
After that, more noble carriages passed by, but they all carried the eldest sons.
On her birthday last year, the heads of the families came themselves, but this time it was mostly the eldest sons.
*It’s true the family heads aren’t in a position to leave their castles… but something’s up.*
The average entourage was one eldest son, one knight, a few people who looked like attendants, and two or three soldiers.
I observed the knights accompanying the eldest sons as I let them through.
There were no knights who stood out enough to make me tense.
Just as Dylan was grumbling that today was a bust because of all the nobles.
A massive carriage, twice the size of the others, approached.
*Count Behardt.*
Behardt’s seal was the first thing any member of the Outer Wall Guard had to memorize.
Casedic Castle bordered Count Behardt’s domain.
Of course, it wasn’t part of Behardt’s domain, but that was just on the surface.
The territories bordering Behardt’s domain, including Baron Pulpuchu’s, were as good as under the Count’s control.
Count Behardt would summon Baron Pulpuchu, not the other way around, so this was the first time I had seen the seal in person.
I quickly bowed my head.
I glanced to the side and saw Dylan was already prostrated on the ground, while Pul was bent at a perfect right angle.
*……Why is it stopping?*
The carriage slowly came to a halt.
There were three knights at the front of the carriage, all exuding a sharp aura.
I quickly scanned them from head to toe.
I committed their weapons and arm lengths to memory.
The knights surveyed the area without a word.
The carriage door opened.
*What is this smell…*
As the door opened, a strangely familiar and mouth-watering scent wafted out.
I frowned, trying to identify the strangely familiar and nostalgic scent, but I couldn’t place it.
I bent my torso lower, bringing the hilt of my sword up next to my neck.
The man who stepped out of the carriage had the feel of an old bear. He was large and his eyes were sharp, but the corners of his eyes drooped, giving him a rather comical look.
*Count Behardt.*
Count Behardt glanced around for a moment, then pulled something from his coat.
It was a large leather pouch, and Behardt scattered its contents toward the castle gate.
*…Flower petals?*
It was an incomprehensible situation, but I didn’t question it.
After scattering petals from the carriage to the gate, Count Behardt nodded in satisfaction and got back into the carriage.
*There was another knight at the back.*
To have four knights as personal bodyguards…
It was an escort befitting the title of Count.
As the carriage passed, the strange scent disappeared.
I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth and examined the petals on the ground.
*Kanua? Isn’t that the flower said to ward off bad luck?*
There was a superstition that scattering Kanua flowers would ward off bad luck and bring good fortune.
However, they were incredibly expensive, so it was common for ignorant mercenaries to scatter maybe a single petal. To see him tossing them around so freely…
“Hee hee hee.”
I turned at the bizarre laughter to see a mud-covered Dylan picking up the fallen petals.
“If you pick those up, all sorts of bad luck will come your way.”
There was a saying that even brushing against a fallen Kanua flower would bring misfortune.
Even Pul was backing away with a look of disgust.
“It’s fine! I’ve already got you, big brother. And since I’m going to sell them, won’t the bad luck go to the buyer?”
Dylan grinned as brightly as an elementary schooler who’d just found a four-leaf clover.
*‘I’ve already got you’?*
His tone was strangely irritating, so I promptly smacked him.
“That’s what you get for picking up Kanua flowers.”
Pul muttered quietly as he watched Aron hit Dylan.
***
The nobles who had RSVP'd to Vivian’s birthday had sent their eldest sons instead.
With the exception of the inscrutable Viscountess Bonita and Count Behardt, everyone else was an eldest son sent as a representative.
*Hmm… Either the state of their castles is so chaotic they can’t leave, or if not that…*
Pulpuchu surmised the situation as he looked at the eldest sons around him.
Pulpuchu stared at Count Behardt, who was sitting on a chair strewn with Kanua petals.
There had been such a rumor.
That Count Behardt was so taken with some shaman that he never left his castle.
The Count’s blind faith in superstitions had long been famous.
He’d had his doubts, but the cloaked figure behind Count Behardt proved the rumor was true.
Count Behardt normally despised having people behind him. That was why he even positioned his knights in front of him, not behind.
So, the presence of a strange figure behind such a man did not look good.
*The rumor was true.*
Pulpuchu thought that sending the eldest sons might be a display of discontent toward the Count.
It wasn’t a bad situation for Pulpuchu.
In fact, it could be seen as a good thing.
While reconsidering the marriage with the Penner family, he now had a chance to assess the eldest sons of other families.
This was the birthday marking the end of the year Vivian came of age.
If she didn’t marry within the year, baseless rumors about Vivian were sure to start circulating.
Pulpuchu calmly examined the faces of the eldest sons.
“Things must be difficult if you have to send your children instead of coming yourselves.”
Just then, Behardt spoke.
At his strange tone, several of the eldest sons straightened up in surprise.
“Of course, there are some who handled the situation admirably and escaped with little damage. Bolt Castle was one, I hear?”
“Yes. We consulted with the church and doubled the number of worship services to fend them off.”
At the proud voice of the Penner family’s eldest son, small sneers broke out here and there.
Everyone knew that worship services had little effect on vampires. That was why the Inquisitors resorted to such dangerous methods.
However, they didn’t show it openly in front of Behardt.
“Worship services are supposed to be ineffective against vampires… You were lucky. But I know a method that is truly effective against them. It is… this.”
At Behardt’s gesture, the cloaked figure took something out.
Then, the foul smell that had been lingering since earlier grew stronger.
*…Garlic?*
It was a product from the northern part of the Empire.
Its smell and taste were so foul that it had even earned the nickname ‘devil’s ingredient’. He’d heard it was quite expensive because few people sought it out.
Pulpuchu struggled to keep his brow from furrowing at the repulsive smell.
“I recently discovered that vampires despise garlic. The reason Plitun suffered little damage from vampires is all thanks to this.”
Behardt continued, but everyone was too busy enduring the smell to pay attention.
*…Are vampires the only ones who hate it?*
If hating that thing was a sign of being a vampire, then the world would surely be full of them by now.
“I brought plenty for all of you, but just handing it out would be no fun.”
The smell intensified every time Behardt opened his mouth.
It seemed he was eating garlic for all three meals.
“Let’s hold a small dueling tournament. I shall give all the garlic I brought to the winner. Its value alone should exceed twenty gold coins.”
Behardt said with a satisfied smile, but everyone remained silent.
“And in addition to that…”
Behardt’s next words made Pulpuchu’s headache worse.
***
Plitun Castle, in Count Behardt’s domain.
In a corner of the ‘Fairy in a Bottle’ tavern, a man sat with a black hood pulled down low.
Pros Haizentar, the vanished leader of the Black Blood and now a public enemy of the Empire, sipped at a sour, cheap beer.
He had always hated alcohol for clouding his reason, but now he couldn’t live without it.
“Kuh—I hear all those vampire bastards got wiped out!”
“They dared to declare war on the Empire, I heard. It was a foregone conclusion. Stupid vampires.”
*We didn’t declare war…*
For a moment, tears welled up in Pros’s eyes, and he hurriedly drank his beer.
It was hard to keep his sanity without drinking, with the strange rumors he heard everywhere he went.
He had somehow managed to escape the Empire’s pursuit, but he had lost too much.
First, his fangs.
Pros had pulled out his own fangs.
To a vampire, fangs were their identity and their pride.
No, they were everything.
For a human, it would be like pulling out their own genitals to escape pursuit.
These were people who would normally gag you first, claiming that even listening to a demon was a sin.
How had people like that come up with such a vicious method as pulling out all the fangs…?
No matter how much they wanted to live, few vampires could endure having their fangs pulled out.
But Pros had pulled out his own fangs to survive.
That day, for the first time in his life, he had sobbed his heart out.
What made it possible was a deep, burning desire for revenge.
*Takgu…*
Pros intended to somehow catch that ‘Legendary Vampire Hunter Takgu’ who had ruined his plans and show him hell.
He had endured the excruciating pain of pulling out his fangs with only that thought in mind.
“Still, you never know, right? There might be some vampires left…”
At the sudden remark, Pros lowered his head deeply.
Even so, he could feel sharp gazes on him.
The men were staring at him with hardened faces.
One of them was already holding a hammer.
Pros hurriedly showed them his teeth.
His empty gums where his fangs should be.
Just showing this was enough to allay suspicion.
“No fangs. But that’s not nearly enough.”
*…Not nearly enough?!*
A murderous intent surged through him at their words, but he suppressed it. He couldn’t die until he had torn out that bastard Takgu’s throat.
“Unlike other stupid castles, we have a surefire way of identifying vampires.”
At the tavern owner’s confident voice, Pros swallowed hard.
Taking care of these guys would be easy, but this was Plitun Castle, in Count Behardt’s domain.
If he committed murder, the aftermath…
“Here, eat this.”
The man confidently handed him some food that gave off a terrible smell.
*…Garlic?*
Pros couldn’t understand their intentions and frowned. However, as the atmosphere grew hostile, he quickly took the bread.
A repulsive, pungent smell.
Under the focused gazes, Pros swallowed and slowly ate the bread.
*…It’s spicy.*
It was so spicy it brought tears to his eyes, and the taste was bizarre, but compared to pulling out his fangs, it was nothing.
“…Delicious.”
Pros chewed thoroughly, then gave a thumbs-up and smiled.
“Not a vampire, then. Sorry about that. The drinks are on the house, so drink up.”
Pros felt so pathetic and insignificant for feeling relieved that he sniffled.
*…If it’s them, the ones who even deceive the Empire.*
Pros thought of them, whose names he didn’t even know, and steeled his resolve.
Although he knew nothing about them, he had an invitation he’d received a long time ago.
*Just you wait, Legendary Vampire Hunter Takgu.*
*Ssssp—.*
Pros muttered, sucking air through the gap where his fangs used to be.
***
The ‘Wonderful Aron Rabbit’ tavern.
Figures clad in lumps of iron were gathered there.
It was a tavern, but the atmosphere was heavy, unbefitting a tavern.
Everyone swallowed and watched intently.
A man in armor with a bucket on his head stepped into the space cleared in the center.
Adolf, a fervent member of Namaiyard, looked around at the assembly.
He saw figures wearing thick helmets.
The one thing that united these people, who had all lived different lives, was…
*‘Hero.’*
A word that stirred the soul.
Every knight had a desire they could never give up, though it took different forms for each.
Adolf had dreamed of becoming a hero since he was a child.
When he passed the knight’s exam, he had hoped he could achieve his dream.
But then came his failure to get into the Imperial Knight Order.
He saw things he hadn’t known when he wasn’t a knight.
To them, a knight who couldn’t become an Imperial Knight was trash.
Though they were treated well wherever they went simply for being knights, those who failed to join the Imperial Order knew they were failures.
But there was one who had single-handedly crushed such a knight from the Imperial Order.
That alone was thrilling enough, but he hadn’t stopped there.
He was a hero.
Adolf, lost in thought, shook his head lightly and began to speak.
“Amidst the recent series of hardships, we, Namaiyard, have helped everyone on the front lines, guided by the will of our hero Deokgu: ‘Strategic Collusion.’ Although Deokgu is… ‘politically omitted,’ we could not ignore those in need. Impressed by Namaiyard’s actions, our numbers have grown. And today, we have finally reached fifteen members.”
*Thump, thump, thump, thump—!*
Instead of clapping, everyone drummed on their helmets, Namaiyard-style.
“To govern these numbers, I, Adolgu, and Delphgu have decided to appoint an officer. Today is the day we announce our choice.”
*Thump, thump, thump—!*
Adolf turned his head, checked the second floor, and nodded.
“The new officer who will bear the heavy responsibility of carrying on Deokgu’s will, not just in Casedic but across the entire continent… is, chosen unanimously, Kangu!!”
*Thump, thump, thump, thump—!!*
The sound grew fiercer.
Kanna leaped down from the second floor, adjusted her bucket, and walked proudly up to the stage.
“Kuh!!”
“Kuh!”
Adolf received Kanna’s salute and stepped back.
*…Did she have a necklace like that?*
The necklace Kanna was wearing caught his eye.
The necklace, bearing a seal of Deokgu with both hands raised, seemed to have been custom-made for an officer.
As Kanna stood at the front, one of the members shouted, “Salute!” At that, the members gave a resounding salute.
Kanna looked them over calmly and accepted the salute with a quiet “Kuh.”
“First, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for appointing me to such an honorable position. Furthermore, from now on…”
Adolf nodded at her fluent speech, which was unfitting for her age.
Kanna, a mage, was smart enough to occasionally use difficult, high-level vocabulary. They hadn’t appointed her as an officer for nothing.
She might fall short of the genius strategist Deokgu, but she was sure to become the brains of Namaiyard.
Just then, the tavern door opened and strangers came in.
It was a knight with an impressive aura and armor of unusual quality, along with some soldiers.
The seal on his chest belonged to another baronial family.
“I heard this was the biggest tavern, but it turns out it’s just a playground for a bunch of morons.”
The knight’s taunt.
It was the kind of light-hearted posturing that sometimes happened when knights met outside. The kind of spat that, unless it escalated to a duel, would end in a fistfight at worst.
In the past, he would have endured it. The opponent was bigger than Adolf, and his gear looked good.
But now, Adolf was not alone.
No, Adolf was Adolgu.
Delflan met his eyes and nodded firmly.
“Strategic Collusion!!”
At that, Adolf let out a war cry and charged forward first—.
“Strategic Collusion!!”
Delflan’s voice rang out behind him.
“Wh-what the. Knights ganging up on someone! You crazy ba—”
The bewildered knight muttered, but his words were quickly drowned out.
“It’s not ganging up, it’s Strategic Collusion!!”
Adolf’s lips curled up at the thrilling feeling of his fist connecting.
“Oh my, if you fight in here…!”
Hana, pretending to stop them, slyly pushed shabby chairs and tables into their path.
Kanna, watching from the side, diligently helped her.