Chapter 94
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Barley
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Knight Gimyr was dumbfounded.
No, the word “dumbfounded” couldn’t fully capture this feeling.
His sense of reason had died.
Yes, that was probably the only way to describe how he felt right now.
“Delfgu! I’ll take the right!”
“Got it! Adolgu, I’ll take the left!”
The two of them naturally split to either side.
They were clearly accustomed to joint attacks; their approach was anything but ordinary.
‘A knight ganging up on another knight!’
As fists flew at him one after another, Gimyr staggered backward.
As a visitor from another castle, he couldn’t draw his sword.
No, drawing his sword would only put him at a disadvantage.
*Thud.*
Driven into a corner, Gimyr clenched his teeth and threw a punch.
He managed to block the male knight’s fist, but the female knight’s punch, coming from his blind spot, slammed into his jaw.
*Thwump.*
A heavy thud, and his mind went momentarily blank.
A brief opening.
In that short gap, they unleashed a barrage of punches.
They must have made a habit of such despicable acts, as their teamwork was truly exquisite.
The punches came one after another, leaving no room to breathe.
If it had been a simple one-on-one, he was sure he would have won, but facing them two-on-one, he was out of options.
Gimyr raised his forearms, doing his best to protect his face.
The punches didn’t stop.
‘What about the others?’
Maybe the soldiers could do something…
“Strategic collaboration! Strategic collaboration!”
The soldiers were surrounded by people and couldn't even be seen.
‘What kind of town is this, where they use such shameless gang tactics so naturally…!’
*Thwack.*
Two fists landed simultaneously, and Gimyr collapsed backward.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in front of a cleric with his hair swept back.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Where am I… Wait.”
Gimyr hesitated for a moment, then his mind cleared as he saw the two knights behind the cleric.
The two were bumping their fists together, celebrating their victory.
Seeing their shameless display, a fire of rage erupted in Gimyr’s chest.
“You crazy bastards! You ganged up on me?! And you call yourselves knights?!”
Gimyr judged that with a member of the clergy present, they wouldn't dare throw punches like before.
“Do not get excited. You need to rest.”
“Rest?! After what I’ve been through, how can you expect me to stay calm! I was beaten up by two knights!”
“Calm down and speak slowly. What happened?”
The man’s voice had a strangely calming effect, and Gimyr slowly explained what had happened to him.
He admitted that he had spoken harshly first, but that it was common posturing between knights.
But then they had suddenly started throwing punches, and even ganged up on him like common street thugs!
However, since this was another noble’s castle and he was speaking to an abbot, Gimyr chose his words as carefully as he could.
“Those two ganged up on me! Have you no honor? No honor at all!”
“It wasn’t a gang-up! It was a strategic collaboration!”
“A strategic collaboration!”
Their attitude was so bold, as if they had nothing to be ashamed of.
The sudden use of a difficult word made Gimyr scratch his head.
“So you were the one who used harsh language first? Why did you do that?”
“As I said before, it’s common posturing among knights. But for them to suddenly throw punches and even gang up on me! This is clearly a cowardly act that defiles the honor of a knight!”
“It wasn’t a gang-up, it was a strategic collaboration. I don’t know how many times I have to explain it.”
‘What the hell is a strategic collaboration!’
Faced with such a confident rebuttal, Gimyr was at a loss for words.
It sounded like a sophisticated term, and he couldn’t bring himself to ask what it meant.
“Hmm… I see. So, are there any rules or regulations for this knightly posturing?”
“What? No, it’s an unspoken understanding between knights…”
“No rules or regulations? Then how can you say their… no, their strategic collaboration was a wrongful act?”
The man, who looked so meticulous and intelligent, pointed this out in a low voice, and Gimyr was left speechless.
“And from the moment you insulted another, did you not take responsibility for what might follow? You call it knightly posturing, but that is also a personal standard, so I cannot pass judgment. The scriptures say…”
The man’s sudden sermon left Gimyr blinking.
He had no idea what this had to do with the current situation, but the sermon continued on, smooth and uninterrupted.
Listening to the dizzying sermon, Gimyr hastily admitted his fault.
It seemed like the only way to escape the situation.
“Yes, both sides were at fault. Honorable knights shouldn’t be fighting in a tavern like this. That makes you no different from ruffians.”
When he came to his senses, he was shaking hands with those trashy knights.
‘…Just you wait. You cowards.’
Gimyr vowed to get his revenge later.
As he was about to leave the tavern with his soldiers.
“Hic… Hic… My business is ruined for today…”
“Ruined. So sad.”
A woman was sobbing as if her tavern was truly ruined, and a girl stood awkwardly beside her.
The woman’s acting was so good that he actually felt a pang of guilt. Besides, Gimyr was partly responsible for the mess.
‘But… were those chairs and tables even here before?’
The broken items were noticeably shabbier than the ones placed to the side.
“I’ll compensate you. How much will be enough?”
Wanting to leave quickly, Gimyr didn't argue and opened his coin purse.
“Ah… this table was a memento from my late father…”
‘…That’s not broken, it’s burned, isn’t it?’
Though he had his doubts, Gimyr opened his purse and gave the woman what she asked for.
***
‘What was that smell?’
After Count Behardt passed by. The scent lingered, captivating my mind.
It was definitely a familiar smell, but I just couldn’t place it.
When I asked Pul and Dylan, they both said it was just a strange odor.
‘Ignorant fools, calling that a strange smell.’
It was the kind of smell that made you hungry just by getting a whiff of it.
I was so fixated on the scent that I couldn’t properly focus on the inspection.
Pul and Dylan had no choice but to take over, which, when I thought about it, wasn’t much different from usual.
Even after the inspection ended and we returned to headquarters, I was still lost in that smell.
“Jojang Aron, there was a big fight at Hana’s tavern.”
Kel, his face weary, reported to me.
“A fight?”
It’s only been a day since she opened…
“Yes, it seems Viscount Bonita’s people got into it with the Namaiyad group. There were even knights involved.”
‘Bonita… that black widow? If it’s her people… Knight Tyrano? Or someone else?’
I mentally reviewed the features of the people I’d noted during the inspection.
“Why would knights get into a fight at a tavern?”
“They said the other side started it. Abbot Brighton mediated, but you know how these things get more complicated afterward.”
I nodded at Kel’s words.
Unlike mercenaries who would just curse and throw punches, fights between knights had messy aftermaths.
After all, a knight was the face of the noble they served, so it would lead to a second round between the nobles behind the scenes.
‘Viscount Bonita… She seemed difficult. The Lord is going to have a headache.’
But what could be done? When a dog misbehaves, it’s the owner who gets blamed and has to clean up the mess.
“Some of the tavern furniture was broken, but besides the ones who fought, everyone else is fine.”
No knight, unless they were insane, would dare harm a civilian in another noble’s castle.
Especially not now, with Count Behardt in the castle.
Everyone was trying to stay on the Count’s good side, so they would have been told to behave. It was strange that knights had gotten into a fistfight at all.
‘But the furniture was broken?’
Suddenly, I remembered Hana not throwing away the shabby chairs and tables from the old tavern, instead moving them to the new one.
The newly opened tavern was already full of new chairs and tables, so when I asked why she bothered moving the old ones, Hana had replied, ‘They’ll come in handy.’
‘…They certainly came in handy.’
I was quietly impressed.
After the brief report, I left headquarters and headed to the tavern.
The place was a wreck.
Broken tables and chairs, bottles rolling on the floor, and blood splattered here and there.
But the owner of this chaotic scene, Hana, was cleaning up with a huge smile on her face.
The broken debris looked very familiar.
‘But I thought she hadn’t brought out the old stuff yet. Why is it broken?’
A question arose, but I didn’t bother asking.
“To Namaiyad’s victory!”
““Strategic collaboration!!””
In one corner, a group of men wearing foolish-looking helmets were raising their cups in celebration. There were no knights in sight.
‘…Why are those guys mixed in there?’
Among them were some of the loafers who used to hang around the old tavern.
“Ah! Aron! You worked hard today, too!”
Hana spotted me and greeted me with a bright smile.
I nodded in return and sat down at my designated spot.
A seat by the window where the sun shone in, cool and with a clear view of the entrance.
Kanna quickly ran over and sat opposite me, grinning as she showed off a necklace.
‘…Executive?’
The word ‘Executive’ engraved above a drawing of Deokgu raising his arms in victory was incredibly distracting, but I didn’t ask.
Hearing the story would only give me a headache.
Kanna handed me a beer with slushy ice floating on top.
If you looked closely at the ice, you could see a drawing of me, something I was now somewhat used to.
The problem was that just as I got used to one thing, Kanna would always come up with something new.
Especially when she had that mischievous grin on her face.
*Clap, clap.*
Kanna clapped her hands briefly, and the washing machine brought over raw meat and a hot plate.
‘…Raw meat and a hot plate?’
A sense of unease crept over me.
Then, Kanna placed the raw meat on the hot plate and spread her hands wide.
A fierce battle between a giant darkness and Deokgu, recreated in flames.
The only problem was that their battlefield was a piece of meat.
Kanna was cooking the meat with those spectacular flames.
‘…Why?’
Faced with such a surreal sight, a question rose to my lips, but I forced it down.
*Sizzle-.*
As the great darkness slammed the ground, the meat sizzled deliciously.
*Sizzle. Sizzle.*
The more intense the battle grew, the more delicious the aroma that wafted from it.
Within the flames, Deokgu flew through the air, slicing through the giant darkness’s attacks with a single stroke of his sword.
Her mouth was pursed in concentration, and sweat trickled down her round forehead.
Faced with this cute yet incomprehensible situation, I forced a smile and watched the flashy but impractical meat-grilling performance.
Finally, as Deokgu tore the giant darkness’s head apart with his bare hands.
Kanna’s strange meat-grilling session came to an end.
Despite my true feelings, I had no choice but to applaud at the sight of Kanna’s anxious, upturned eyes.
Instantly, a smug look appeared on her face as she offered me the cooked meat.
‘…It’s completely burnt.’
An object whose identity lay somewhere between charcoal and meat.
I felt a pang of pity for the pig that had died just to become charcoal and offered a small moment of silence.
As I hesitated, Kanna’s eyes grew anxious again.
I put the lump of charcoal in my mouth.
‘Wow—crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.’
The outside was indeed crispy, but the inside was as moist as steak tartare. A curse rose to my lips.
‘I’d rather have the fish bread.’
However, contrary to my inner thoughts, I clapped and marveled at the proud expression that bloomed on Kanna’s face.
‘You little devil.’
Curious from watching me eat, Kanna reached for a piece of meat, and I quickly slapped her hand away.
Kanna’s eyes widened.
I hastily stuffed the remaining lumps of charcoal into my mouth.
It was a relief that there were only a few pieces.
With a smug grin, Kanna stood up and ran towards the back.
Her excited retreat filled me with a deep sense of foreboding.
Just then, the door opened and Nova entered, her face a mask of annoyance.
Nova quickly scanned the room and approached my table.
As she got closer, a familiar scent wafted from her.
It was the same smell from Count Behardt earlier.
As the scent mixed with the flavor of charcoal lingering in my mouth, I finally identified it.
“Garlic!!”
How could I forget the smell of garlic?
The people here despised garlic, making it incredibly hard to find. As a result, I hadn't seen a single clove since I arrived.
From the distant corners of my memory, an image of garlic sizzling next to pork belly surfaced.
The sad, burnt piece of pork brightened at the appearance of garlic.
“Is the smell that strong?”
Nova, sitting opposite me, asked with an irritated look.
“Garlic?”
“Yes, garlic. Count Behardt suddenly made us all eat garlic…”
“Garlic!!”
“What… what’s wrong with you?”
Seeing Nova’s bewildered face, I forced myself to calm down.
“…Count Behardt brought garlic?”
“Yeah, a whole cartload of it. The castle reeks of garlic. That’s why I came here. …Do I smell that bad?”
‘A cartload of garlic.’
I swallowed hard without realizing it.
My mind raced, calculating the situation.
‘I’ve already memorized the inner castle’s layout. If I get a plausible helmet and armor and sneak in…’
They would surely think no one would try to steal garlic, so security would be lax. And while Behardt’s knights were decent, they weren't a significant threat.
‘This isn’t theft… right, it’s scrounging. Just scrounging.’
Just by changing one word, I suddenly went from a thief to a mischievous prankster.
Yes, I was a scrounger.
“Why do you look like that? Don’t make that face. You always cause trouble when you look like that. Relax your eyes. Stop it! I don’t know what it is, but… stop it!”
Nova waved her hands frantically.
“So why did he bring the garlic?”
At my question, Nova narrowed her eyes and stared at me for a moment before speaking.
“…Everyone gathered for Vivian’s birthday, and he’s holding a knights’ tournament to foster goodwill. The garlic is the prize. It’s supposedly worth twenty gold coins in total, but who would pay gold for something no one buys…”
“I heard Deokgu used to be a knight…”
“No! Absolutely not! The opponent is Count Behardt! A Count! No! I don’t know why you’re like this, but no!”
Nova reacted vehemently.
As if that wasn’t enough, she shot up from her seat, grabbed my head with both hands, and firmly repeated, “No,” about ten times.
Her fierce reaction only made me want to do it more, but I gave up when I heard the tournament was exclusively for nobles.
If that was the entry requirement, there was no way for me to get in.
“…Don’t tell me you’re acting like this because you heard garlic was the prize?”
At Nova’s horrified expression, I gave a small nod.
‘I’ll get a new helmet and become the Garlic Scrounger…’
If the direct approach didn’t work, I just had to use another method.
Sometimes you can’t see the path because you’re too close.
From a distance, there are always multiple paths.
“You like garlic?”
“Yes.”
“……That stuff?”
Seeing the shock on Nova’s face, I shook my head slightly. This was a primitive medieval era; these people didn’t know true flavor.
Everything they called food was either bland or foul.
“R-Right. I guess you can. I have some leftover garlic in the office that I couldn’t eat…”
At Nova’s next words, I shot to my feet.
I stood up so quickly because I saw Kanna bringing out more raw meat from the back.
“Let’s go.”
“I was going to rest a bit… Alright.”
Nova sighed softly and stood up as well.
On our way out of the tavern, we ran into Hana.
“Aron? Where are you going?”
“My office.”
“Oh my, I didn’t realize you were here too, Nova.”
Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing, they seemed to be quite close.
***
The smell of garlic filled the castle.
I savored the scent as I headed to Nova’s room.
Once inside, Nova rummaged through her desk and handed me a single piece of garlic. It wasn’t a peeled clove but a whole head, and its shape was odd.
‘Why is it this color?’
Not only was it as big as my fist, but its color was an ominous black, as if it were black garlic.
Even for me, who knew its taste, its appearance was unsettling.
No wonder these people called it the devil’s ingredient.
Furthermore, its smell was much stronger than any garlic I knew, so pungent it hurt my nose.
It was a wonder anyone would even think of eating this.
Of course, regardless of all that, it was precious garlic to me, so I carefully put it away.
“You really like it, huh?”
Nova asked, looking at me with a strange expression, half-curious and half-horrified.
“A beautiful orange who gives me garlic.”
“What are you talking about? Anyway, a lot of people hate it, so I think I can get you some more.”
Her face flushing slightly, Nova averted her gaze and snapped her fingers.
“Follow me.”
With a smile like an employee who’d just received a bonus, Nova led the way.
Nova entered rooms without hesitation and easily collected garlic. Funnily enough, the people who gave it away were more grateful, but Nova would get annoyed whenever she was thanked.
‘A quirky orange.’
As we made our rounds, we came across a familiar face in the hallway.
It was Adela, her face covered in sweat.
Adela was walking confidently until she saw me, at which point her body trembled.
“Sir Adela.”
As Nova gave a small bow in greeting.
Adela quickly bowed her head deeply to me.
When Nova straightened up, Adela was biting her lip and avoiding eye contact.
Adela scurried past us as if fleeing.
‘…Adela? The knights’ tournament?’
Seeing her anxious face, a plan struck me like a bolt of lightning.
“Will Count Behardt’s side be participating in the tournament?”
“No, since the Count is providing the prize.”
“I see.”
“Why are your eyes like that again…”
‘If Behardt’s people aren’t in it… then even Adela could…’
I saw a possibility.
“Don’t. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…”
‘Princess Knight Maker.’
I looked in the direction Adela had disappeared and stroked the garlic.
“No! Don’t do it! Stop!”
*Clang, clang, clang.*
Nova tried her best to get his attention, but Aron’s wayward gaze did not return.
***
‘…Why is that man in the inner castle?’
Adela was so tense that she clenched and unclenched her numb hands.
‘Damn it, why did I have to wager my honor…’
She hadn’t thought for a second that he could open what she, even using her aura, had failed to open.
There must have been some trick, but in front of the other knights, she had already lost a wager with her honor on the line.
She had no choice but to back down.
In the end, it was as if she’d handed her honor over to him, so Adela hadn't left the inner castle since then unless absolutely necessary.
But for all her efforts, to meet him in the inner castle of all places!
Adela chewed on her lip in rising anxiety, pacing her room.
‘…I can’t live like this.’
He had left her alone so far, perhaps not understanding the meaning of honor to a knight, but there was no telling what he might demand in the future.
Adela thought of Kurteun’s women and gripped the hilt of her sword.
‘I have to resolve this before then.’
The simplest method was assassination, but there were always people around him.
If there was even the slightest bit of evidence, Adolf would testify about their wager on honor, so there could be no witnesses.
Just then, a small breeze blew in.
‘I thought I told them not to leave the window open.’
It seemed the maid had ignored her words again.
Frowning, Adela lifted her head.
“Have you been well, Barley?”
The man was standing before her, a chilling smile on his face.
‘How?’
The question flashed through her mind, but Adela quickly assessed the situation.
Whatever the case, this was her room.
Adela was a knight, but she was also an unmarried maiden.
For him to sneak into a maiden’s room through a window…
It was an act for which he could be killed without consequence.
Since he had taken her honor, any trial would likely dismiss the case, but…
‘The dead have no voice.’
After a moment’s thought, Adela drew her sword.
The blade flowed naturally, shooting forward as if to slice him in two.
Adela poured everything she had into it, even drawing upon her aura.
A blue line cut through the air.
Too late, the man drew his sword.
Even in the unlit, dark room, a particularly deep black line was drawn in front of him.
‘…Trying to block an aura with a sword. Foolish man.’
Adela sneered, confident of her victory.
His sword was unusual, but he had no aura. An aura could only be blocked by an a…
*Claaaang-!*
Sparks flew in the air as Adela’s sword was pressed down.
The weight was so immense that Adela felt as if her sword was being crushed by a mountain.
His sword bypassed her aura, naturally guiding her blade to flow in another direction.
‘Such swordsmanship…!’
Adela gritted her teeth and tried to twist her sword, but it wouldn't budge.
‘Overpowering me with strength while I’m using my aura?’
The shadows on the man’s scarred face deepened and lightened with every passing moment.
His unchanging, emotionless eyes, the sword that wouldn't move no matter how much strength she applied.
Adela couldn't understand.
How could a mere guard captain possess such power…
But that thought didn’t last long.
“For a dog that bites its master…”
An incomprehensible phrase, followed by a dull punch.
Not letting go of her sword was Adela’s final act of pride.
“A stick is the only cure.”
Of course, the force behind that punch was so enormous that she dropped her sword after the second one and quickly curled into a ball.
***
‘Hmm… I think I’m starting to understand.’
Swalloyts nodded, looking at the goblin corpse.
In his hand, he held a still-warm heart.
Swalloyts glanced down at the heart for a moment before turning to the goblin tied up beside it.
“Kee… Kee-heeek! Kee-heeek!!”
The goblin shrieked bizarrely, but Swalloyts simply waved his hand lightly.
At his gesture, the goblin’s chest was instantly split open.
This was the important part.
There were so many vessels connected to the heart that he had to concentrate to an extreme degree.
‘If it were Kanna, this would have been simple.’
Suppressing his disappointment, he moved his fingers to sever the connected vessels. Then he lightly froze the area to stop the bleeding.
A drop of sweat from Swalloyts’s forehead fell into the goblin’s blood.
Swalloyts finally extracted the heart and placed it aside.
He then took the heart he had removed and brought it to the other goblin.
Threads made of mana moved slowly, suturing the connection points—
*Thump.*
“It’s done.”
Swalloyts wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled.
“Ah… congratulations…”
At the gloomy voice from beside him, Swalloyts nodded.
“It is thanks to you for finding the book on chimeras. I am truly grateful.”
“Ah… to succeed through self-study just by reading a book… As expected of Swalloyts, ‘the one who killed his parents.’”
Swalloyts gave a small nod and turned his gaze.
There lay a tangled heap of dozens of goblin corpses.
‘It would be more accurate to experiment on a human, but security has been tightened recently…’
Swalloyts clicked his tongue.
He had been practicing on goblins, which were the most similar to humans, but he couldn’t help feeling it was a poor substitute.
Since he didn’t know the man’s identity, he had to be cautious.
‘The Symbol and the heart.’
If he could give both to Kanna…
‘I will advance the world of magic with my own hands.’
Swalloyts looked at his hands, stained with green blood, and chuckled.
…Kee-yeeek!!
Just then, the mana threads vanished, and the goblin coughed up green blood.
“I’ll need more goblins. And mana stones to maintain the magic.”
“Ah… yes.”
At the meek reply, Swalloyts stared at the woman for a moment.
A gloomy figure that fit in perfectly at the Gray Magic Tower.
‘The Gray Magic Tower… They spoke of the end.’
It was a story passed down through rumors about the Gray Magic Tower.
“What is your end?”
“Ah… that is…”
At the woman’s subsequent answer, Swalloyts nodded.
***
*Knock, knock, knock.*
“Who is it?”
“It’s me. I heard you were looking for garlic…”
Nova nodded at Blossom, who was peeking her head through the door.
Aron had already left, but she planned to collect it all and give it to him later.
Blossom placed the hideous thing on the table and cautiously left.
‘The smell.’
Nova scowled, glaring at it before standing up.
‘…This is supposed to be delicious?’
Nova had never seen Aron smile so brightly before.
Hesitating for a moment, Nova gritted her teeth and peeled the garlic with her bare hands.
Soon, a black something was revealed.
Knowing its sharp and pungent taste, Nova tensed up.
She was so nervous that her palms began to sweat.
After glaring at it and poking it tentatively with her finger, Nova made her decision.
She took out one of the giant cloves and—.
*Crunch.*
Nova squeezed her eyes shut and took a big bite.
“……!!!”
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
A strange noise echoed from Nova’s room, and the soldier guarding the floor rushed over.