Chapter 95
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Ack!
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95
Ack!
‘Easier than I thought.’
I collected my thoughts as I looked at Adela, kneeling with her hands raised high.
The first move was effective.
I’d already figured Adela out during the last demon incident.
I knew her elbow twitched just before she put power into her sword. Thanks to that, I could see the timing perfectly.
The precise timing, my increased strength, and the swordsmanship the old man taught me all came together, allowing me to surprisingly subdue a knight who had conjured her aura in a single move.
Of course, it was only a momentary victory.
If Adela hadn’t tried to pull her sword back and instead thrust it forward, the situation would have gotten tricky, but her reaction was pathetic.
Landing a punch on her panicked face made things go smoother than expected.
‘She’s weak, unlike her appearance.’
If Ben looked like a typical male knight, Adela was the archetypal female knight—the kind who seemed to have a strong core and would uphold justice.
A dry laugh escaped me when that same Adela dropped her sword and cowered after just two punches.
It made my job easier.
‘That was way too easy.’
I nodded, replaying the recent exchange in my mind.
It was easier because I knew Adela’s habits, but apart from that, her skill level was also a major factor.
Considering the knights I’d met so far, this wasn't just Adela's problem.
A knight should have held a sword for at least a decade, yet too many of the knights I’d met in the East were hacks.
‘The Thump-Thump guy and Ben are decent, but the rest of them…’
I had a good idea of the cause.
Aura.
I flexed my hand and muttered.
Having tasted it myself, I could understand the knights’ characteristic laziness.
An aura that could slice through anything was like wielding a laser sword in the Middle Ages. And on top of that, it boosted your stats.
There was a reason they said only a knight could be a knight’s enemy.
With such a sweet, cheat-like ability, it was unlikely they would dedicate themselves to mindlessly swinging a sword.
And that was especially true for knights in the East.
Things had only gotten chaotic recently; this place was usually steeped in peace.
‘Of course, aura isn’t invincible.’
I clicked my tongue at the sight of Adela flinching when our eyes met.
At a glance, it might look like I’d just beaten her up, but since she had surrendered her honor to me, she was supposed to obey.
Instead, Adela had tried to kill me to destroy the evidence, so she had no room to complain about getting hit.
“Bori.”
“Ye… yes.”
A timid voice and darting eyes. It was a weasel-like demeanor that didn't match her appearance at all.
“You will answer with ‘Ack.’”
“What?”
“You will answer with ‘Ack!’”
“Aaack—? Ack!!”
Adela yelped in surprise when I raised my fist.
“Good.”
For a medieval person, her learning speed was quite fast. I nodded. However, her eyes were still darting around, which meant she needed a bit more training.
“Roll left.”
“...Ack!”
Adela winced, the bruised parts of her face probably stinging as they scraped the ground, but I paid it no mind. Knights were tough; no need to worry.
“Roll right.”
“Ack!”
Her movements grew faster.
After checking her mental state, I had her sit up again.
“I heard there’s a tournament.”
“Ack.”
“You will enter it and win.”
“Ack? Ack!”
Now much more compliant, Adela nodded vigorously.
“Your honor belongs to me. You know that, right?”
“……Ack.”
I swallowed hard, looking at Adela's face, full of defeat.
“Win and bring me all the garlic. Every last clove.”
“Ack? Ack!”
Adela replied with a shout, her hands shooting up.
With that, a sour smell wafted through the air.
“Ah, you stink. Do you even wash?”
“Ack? Ack! Ack.”
“What are you saying?”
“Washing drains your energy, so it’s not good for your health…”
“I told you to only answer with ‘Ack.’”
“Aack?! Aaaack!!”
Adela looked up at me resentfully after I hit her on the head, but I ignored it. Knights were tough.
‘...These medieval savages, I swear.’
I clicked my tongue and readjusted my plan.
‘As long as it’s not one of Count Behardt’s knights, Bori should be able to handle them. The problem is Ben… but that should work out somehow.’
If I figured out the other knights’ weaknesses and drilled the counters into Bori, getting the garlic shouldn't be too difficult.
“Get up and grab your sword. We’re doing a crash course.”
I kicked Adela’s sword, which was lying nearby.
Dropping her sword and cowering after two punches was a disqualification for a knight, but she still had potential.
*Keuk...*
Adela bit her lip and looked up at me.
This made me feel like the bad guy.
“Bori, roll left.”
“Ack!”
“Roll right twice. Don’t roll left again, roll right. Roll forward.”
“Ack! Ack? Ack!”
Adela was the one who handed me her own leash.
“Get up and take your stance.”
Bori, drenched in sweat, quickly pointed her sword at me.
‘The blade is short but thick. For a woman, her arm strength is excellent, but she lacks agility and is needlessly flashy. Plus, her calf twists slightly when she thrusts.’
Adela’s biggest problem was that her swordsmanship was all flash and no substance.
In close-quarters combat, large movements inevitably create openings.
“Bori, your sword style is flashy trash.”
I said it bluntly.
She wouldn’t admit it right away, obviously. Sure, she lost to me, but as a knight, she must have pride in her swordsmanship...
“Ack!!”
Adela’s face was still contorted with the bitterness of defeat, but her answer came immediately.
‘Not bad.’
I nodded and began the crash course in earnest.
Starting with the most problematic issue: her unsteady calf.
I pointed out the problem areas, giving her quick pointers.
And then, straight into practice.
The best way to learn is by getting hit…
“Ah, the smell. Go wash up first.”
“Ack…”
Adela replied in a timid voice, annoyed by my tone.
***
‘She’s not complete garbage.’
I nodded, looking down at Adela, who had collapsed in front of me.
A few more of these short, intensive training sessions should be enough.
Her movements had already improved considerably.
And if I taught her how to counter the other knights, she was more than capable of earning me that garlic.
“You will win.”
“...Ack.”
Her response lacked enthusiasm, as if there was something she wanted to say.
“What is it? Spit it out.”
“Ack! Ack, ack-ack. Ack!”
‘Did I hit her head too many times?’
I groaned, watching Adela lift only her head from her collapsed position and let out strange noises.
“It’s fine to talk. Speak.”
“……I want to win, too, but there are many formidable knights.”
Adela trailed off, glancing at me nervously.
“Formidable knights?”
“Yes, Sir Ben of Karzan, Sir Gerreun of Byzant, Sir Saint of Blant Castle… It’s shameful, but they are all more skilled than I am.”
Adela’s face twisted, clearly hating to admit it.
Of course, Ben would be a bit difficult, but I had a way to deal with him.
“You will win.”
“...But. Aack!”
“The answer is ‘Ack’!”
“……Ack!”
Adela clutched her head and rolled on the ground.
“And wash every day. If you smell again next time…”
“...Ack.”
After explaining the rest of the plan, I snuck out of the inner castle.
I had already memorized the layout, and with my overflowing strength, getting out was no trouble.
When I returned to the tavern, it was quite crowded.
The place was divided into sections: one for the bucket-heads, another for Ska’s crew, another for the Sector 6 guys, and even some guards… The tavern was filled with burly men.
Seeing the large tavern somewhat full, it seemed business was doing well. Not just the three stooges, but a few other familiar faces were bustling about.
“Lord Aron is entering!!”
A young lad standing by the door shouted loudly.
““Welcome!!””
‘They’re really laying it on thick.’
I gave a half-hearted wave at the thunderous greeting and headed inside.
“When you grill it, you have to cook it all the way through. What’s the point of just burning the outside? The inside is still raw.”
In the kitchen, Hana had Kanna seated and was teaching her how to grill meat.
Hana’s cooking used to be terrible, but after learning from the washing machine, it had gotten somewhat better.
‘Guess I won’t be eating burnt meat anymore.’
I nodded, seeing Kanna’s focused expression.
She was a quick learner, so she would surely master grilling meat easily.
“Aron, you’re late.”
Hana greeted me with a bright smile. I gave a casual greeting back and grabbed a frying pan and some meat before heading out.
I was hungry after all that moving, and the smell of garlic in my pocket was constantly nagging me.
It was begging to be grilled and eaten with meat.
The frying pan was made of crudely hammered, low-quality iron, its handle wrapped haphazardly with cloth.
I placed the pan on the hearth and waited. It would take some time.
“What are you doing, Boss?”
The Weasel asked slyly.
Pul and Berman were behind him.
“Grilling meat.”
“Sniff, sniff… Don’t you smell something strange?”
The Weasel wrinkled his nose and pinched it shut. Pul and Berman had similar reactions.
‘Savages who don’t even know the taste of garlic.’
I clicked my tongue, took out a clove of garlic, and peeled it.
A pungent smell wafted out, momentarily making my eyes water.
It was an uncultivated, wild variety, so its aroma was extremely strong. It was also large and black, not exactly an appetizing appearance.
It was amazing that someone had even thought of eating this.
“Aaaah! Boss! Damn it! Get behind me!”
I clicked my tongue at the Weasel’s exaggerated reaction and placed the meat on the frying pan.
The people here raised pigs like pets inside their homes, so pork was cheaper than beef.
Of course, it had a very gamey smell.
*Sizzle—*
The meat began to cook with a magnificent sound.
Juices and fat flowed from the reddish meat.
I let out a small sound of admiration and gave the pan a little shake to flip the meat. However, it was stuck to the pan and had to be scraped off.
“Dagger.”
“...Here it is! Boss!”
After a brief hesitation, the Weasel quickly handed me his dagger. Thankfully, it was well-maintained and clean.
I used the dagger to scrape the meat free and flipped it over.
*Sizzle—* The delicious sound again.
I placed a clove of garlic on top, roughly chopped it with the dagger, and sprinkled it over. The clove was so big that just one was enough to cover the pan.
“Hmm. Is that how you eat it?”
Unlike the horrified Berman and Weasel, Pul stroked his chin and asked various questions.
I gave vague answers, focusing on the meat and garlic.
‘It’s just black in color.’
It wasn't rotted; the garlic here just seemed to be naturally black.
As the garlic cooked in the meat fat, a sweet aroma filled the air. A hint of its pungency still remained, suggesting this garlic was stronger than I was used to.
“Boss, what is this… *Achoo!* It smells delicious… *Achoo!* It does! As expected of you, Boss… *Achoo!*”
Tears and snot streamed down the Weasel’s face, but he stayed glued to my side, spouting all sorts of flattery.
I turned my head and saw that everyone else, except for the Weasel, was pressed against the opposite wall.
They all looked at me as if I were grilling a demon.
‘Tsk, savages.’
I clicked my tongue and gave the pan a toss. It seemed I’d used too much garlic, but if there was a lot, I’d just eat a lot.
Soon, when it seemed cooked enough, I removed the pan. The smell of garlic, grilled in sizzling fat, was perfect.
I headed to my designated seat and stared at it for a moment.
‘Garlic.’
Just then, Hana and Kanna quickly sat down opposite me.
The Weasel hesitated for a moment, about to stand behind me, so I gave him a whack to make him sit in front.
“Aron, what is this?”
Hana’s lips twitched as if she were forcing a smile.
If even Hana couldn’t control her expression, the garlic smell must be quite strong.
The men who had gathered around us stared at me with eyes half-curious, half-horrified.
A modern man surrounded and questioned by medieval savages. A classic isekai trope.
“Ahh… this is called grilled garlic.”
I ignored the stares of the savages and brought a piece of grilled garlic, placed on top of the pork, to my mouth.
The meat in the Middle Ages had a particularly strong gamey taste, but the garlic flavor gently masked it, giving it a taste of home.
‘Ah, this is the taste.’
It had been so long since I’d tasted garlic that tears almost welled up in my eyes.
‘But this garlic is quite strong.’
Even though it was thoroughly cooked, an unsubdued pungency and spiciness hit me afterward. Spicy food was rare here, so it was a very welcome sensation.
“...Is it really that good? I’ve never seen you make that face before, Aron.”
Hana asked, her eyes wide.
The others around us looked as if they’d seen something they shouldn't have, but they all grinned when they met my gaze.
It was a waste of garlic, but to enlighten these medieval savages, I had to be generous.
“Try some.”
I pushed the pan forward and gestured.
Hana was the first to pick up a piece of garlic and put it in her mouth.
A moment of silence.
Everyone focused on Hana as she chewed diligently.
Hana’s already large eyes widened until they seemed to take up half her face.
“...It’s… good.”
A single tear trickled down from the corner of her wide eye.
‘Ah… that is what you call grilled garlic.’
As I inwardly muttered at her fervent reaction, Nova frantically looked for an iced beer.
It seemed she was crying from the spiciness, not because it was delicious.
‘Well, it’s spicy even for me.’
Spices were expensive, so the people here weren't used to spicy food.
After Hana, a few others stepped forward, saying they wanted to try.
Most of them had a similar reaction to Hana: immense surprise, followed by a forced smile and an insistence that it was delicious.
Among them, the Weasel’s reaction was a masterpiece.
“Ah, to think such a flavor existed in this world. This is the first time in my life I’ve tasted something like this, Boss.”
The Weasel jumped up and down on the spot, tears streaming from his narrow eyes. Even so, he tenaciously spouted every possible compliment he could think of for the garlic.
Finding the sight amusing, I chuckled and fed the Weasel a handful of garlic.
“...Son of a bitch.”
With his mouth full of garlic, the Weasel muttered a very quiet curse. But when he met my eyes, he started smiling brightly again and launched into another tirade of praise for the garlic.
“It’s so delicious it makes me want to dance! I love garlic! I love garlic!”
The Weasel hopped away, subtly increasing his distance.
Like the true medieval savages they were, none of them grasped the true taste of garlic and subtly fled.
The only one who ate the garlic with relish was Kanna.
She seemed to like it, following my lead and diligently placing garlic on her meat as she ate.
After she finished, Kanna, with another confident look on her face, brought the frying pan over and lit a fire.
I was nervous for a moment, but this time she played with the fire underneath the pan, so she cooked it just right without burning it.
‘A portable gas burner function has been added.’
I stroked Kanna’s round head and nodded in satisfaction.
Air conditioner, fan, gas burner, and refrigerator functions.
With just Kanna, you could say I had a full-option setup.
By then, all the savages who didn’t appreciate the allure of garlic had fled, leaving the tavern empty.
Hana, despite her streaming tears, remained by my side until the end.
***
“...A squire?”
Pulpuchu let out a groan at the unexpected words.
“Ack! ...No, that is correct. He is my new squire.”
The man Adela introduced as her squire wore a leather helmet.
He might have thought the helmet hid his identity, but his exceptional build and aura were impossible to conceal. In a way, it seemed he had no intention of hiding at all.
‘He’s getting more and more brazen.’
Whether he thought he was fooling me or was asking what I would do if I found out, Aron stood there with utter confidence.
‘But why as a squire?’
Aron had always kept his distance from the inner castle.
For him to suddenly become Adela’s squire…
‘Is he aiming for the tournament?’
Aron had participated in the last tournament wearing a strange helmet.
Like the barbarian he appeared to be, he seemed to love duels and never missed one.
But unlike last time, this tournament was hosted by Count Behardt, so I couldn’t help him…
‘But a squire…’
Adela stood with a tense expression, Aron slightly behind her.
Adela had been openly displaying her displeasure with Aron’s recent activities. It was unlikely that she would have willingly taken him on as a squire.
‘Well, he did beat that lecher Kurteun.’
Pulpuchu had a rough estimate of Aron’s strength and knew that Adela was bound to cause a major incident soon, but…
‘...This is a bit dangerous.’
He was a sword I wasn't yet sure I could wield. A sword whose purpose was unknown, whose sharpness was untested.
That sword had broken my own sharp blade and was now standing right in front of me. It wasn't a situation I could simply smile at, but…
So many incidents were happening one after another in Casedic that he couldn’t even remember the peaceful days of the past.
He didn't know Aron's intentions, but one thing was clear.
‘He is necessary for Casedic.’
Whatever his underlying motives were, he was devoted to his position as the Outer Wall Guard’s Jojang.
If you followed his actions, his intentions would naturally become clear. He protected Casedic. That meant he was likely to continue protecting it.
All I had to do was provide him with appropriate rewards to maintain the current balance.
Various thoughts came to mind, but Pulpuchu shook his head to clear them, a headache blooming.
‘Let Aron do as he pleases.’
For now, he was a necessary sword for Casedic. So much so that I needed to create reasons to tie him down even further.
“Right, Sir Adela, you didn't have a squire. It seems you’ve had a change of heart.”
“...Yes.”
Adela moved her lips as if she had something to say. Pulpuchu didn’t bother asking for the reason and simply nodded.
Adela’s arrogance had been getting out of hand, so someone needed to put her in her place.
If I had been the one to do it, I couldn't predict the backlash, and the other knights were a level below Adela, so there was no suitable opponent… In a way, this could be considered opportune.
If Adela had caused trouble with Count Behardt’s side, it would have been impossible to clean up.
“Well then, if you win the tournament, you will bring honor to the Pulpuchu family. I will give you an additional ten gold coins. Do your best.”
“……Yes.”
Adela’s monthly salary was five gold coins, so ten gold coins was by no means a small amount. Yet her reaction was incredibly lukewarm. No, it felt more like she was reluctant.
Pulpuchu simply waved his hand.
Adela bowed her head deeply, her face on the verge of tears.
‘Much better.’
This was easier to handle than her previous stiff and haughty self, who was unpredictable.
“Ah, there will be a banquet for the tournament, so be sure to attend.”
Pulpuchu finished his brief words with a wave of his hand.
‘Viscount Bonita…’
The pressing issue right now wasn't Adela.
‘An alliance, all of a sudden. What is she thinking? Is she planning a territorial war at a time like this?’
Pulpuchu pressed his temples, thinking of the inscrutable woman.
***
While the knights and nobles held their banquet, the squires had something similar.
In a fairly large room, fruits and bread were laid out on tables, and the squires were gathered together.
Knights typically had two to three squires, and a squire’s rank tended to follow that of the knight they served.
And among those squires, Pach, who served the ‘Thrice-Thrusting’ Sir Saint, was quite high in the pecking order.
Moreover, since Count Behardt’s knights weren't participating in this tournament, he was the squire of a top contender.
On top of that, Pach was now in his fifth year as a squire, making him the most senior among them.
‘...But what is that?’
This was the second squires’ gathering at Casedic Castle.
But there was a face he hadn't seen at the last one. After asking around, he learned it was someone recently taken on as a squire by Sir Adela.
The man wore a strange leather helmet, and his massive build exuded a heavy pressure.
He looked more like a barbarian than a squire. The sight damaged the dignity of the squires, and Pach frowned.
‘Sir Adela, isn’t that the female knight?’
A female knight who never took a squire suddenly taking on a large one. It was a situation bound to cause gossip.
Even now, quite a few squires were throwing lewd jokes in the man’s direction.
‘...He told me not to let the guy be.’
Pach recalled the words of the knight he served.
Upon hearing the rumor that Adela had taken a squire, Pach’s knight had been furious and had even ordered him to make the man give up being a squire at this gathering.
He’d said he would take responsibility for the aftermath, so I could be as rough as I wanted.
However, seeing him in person, his size and intimidating presence were considerable.
‘Even so, he’s just a fledgling squire.’
Worse, his armor was all leather, not iron. He must have been a hunter or something.
Pach forced himself to relax and approached the man.
Other squires followed behind him.
‘Looks like the other knights gave similar orders.’
His confidence grew with the numbers.
However, as he got closer to the man, a strange, strong smell wafted from him. A smell he had encountered somewhere before.
‘Garlic.’
They had all eaten it recently under Count Behardt’s orders. The memory of suffering after eating the garlic resurfaced, and anger welled up inside him.
“Hey, newbie. If you’re new here, you should start with a proper greeting.”
Pach glared at the man, putting force into his eyes.
However, the moment he met the eyes visible through the gap in the bizarre leather mask, he flinched. He had a bad feeling.
“Yeah! No initiation, either. ...What’s this garlic smell? Ugh—it stinks.”
Just then, the guy to Pach’s left shouted.
As if on cue, the squires began to hurl crude insults.
However, Pach kept his mouth shut due to a strange feeling.
The man was at the center of all the hostility, yet he was leisurely tearing off a piece of bread and eating it as if he couldn’t hear a thing.
“Still acting tough? You don’t seem to grasp the situation. The knights don’t get involved in squires’ affairs. Your pretty little blonde lady knight can’t protect you here…”
The guy who had been chattering excitedly shut his mouth.
No, his mouth was shut for him.
The man had somehow grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
“Right, we should. An initiation.”
Pach swallowed hard at the man’s growling voice.
*CRASH—!*
Uwaaaack!
“Racism Punch!”
“When… when was I racist…?! Aaaack!”
A gruesome scene unfolded before him.
Gelhaim couldn’t understand why these guys kept picking fights with a man of that size. Of course, he used to be like that himself, but…
‘I specifically became a squire to avoid him… why is he here…’
Gelhaim had been a soldier at Volt Castle, but after getting beaten up by the man a few times upon coming to Casedic, he had transferred to become Sir Ben’s squire.
He had been anxious when Ben said he was going to Casedic, but he thought it would be fine since he was a squire, not a soldier.
When he met the man at the castle gate, his hand had instinctively gone to his pocket, but he had managed to pass without incident.
But to meet him at a squires’ gathering… It had to be a fateful, cursed connection.
‘I even received a blessing before I came…’
Huddled in a corner, Gelhaim fumbled in his pocket with trembling hands.
Gelhaim took out one silver coin, then, feeling it wasn't enough, took out another, and stood quietly, waiting for the carnage to end.
By then, the man had beaten them all down.
He was going through the pockets of the unconscious squires, humming, “Squire's seed money—”
‘To have a guy like that as a squire. What kind of monster is she…’
Gelhaim offered a prayer for Ben, who was out at the tournament, and surreptitiously took out one more silver coin, sighing in relief.