Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: A Friend Like That (4)
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The leader of the kids, Huruk, hadn't risen to that position just because of his size.
There were social factors at play as well. He was the late-born son of the village's top powerbroker, the administrator.
No one in the village was free of debts owed to the administrator, and even the rowdy mercenaries were all in his pocket. Kids and adults alike didn't dare treat Huruk lightly. Thanks to that, this little tyrant wielded unrivaled power in Molden, with no one to match him.
"If you don't follow me, I'll smash your skull into four pieces..."
To Huruk, such defiance was like some freak phenomenon that could never happen in this world.
'What...? How dare he spout such nonsense at me, Huruk?'
And it wasn't just any kid—it was from that crybaby wimp, the easiest shorty to pick on, the living punching bag with no backlash even when his mom was harassed over debts: 'Dunsen.'
Huruk's eyes bulged with veins as he glared down at the kid, whose head was a full size smaller than his own.
"Hey, you... Did you eat something bad?"
"W-what do you mean 'eat something bad'? Do you think I'm some pig like you...?"
"Oh, yeah? So you're itching to lie down in a coffin already, you little shit?"
"...H-heek."
Dunsen flinched back as if he'd never taunted at all. Then he spun around and bolted into the woods. Huruk twisted his face in rage and yelled at the other kids.
"Hey! Everyone, chase that bastard down! If you catch him, snap his neck right there!"
"“Waaaaaah!!”"
Huruk and the kids grabbed their weapons and charged after him in unison.
Dunsen wasn't easy to catch. He'd always been the one running away, so he'd gotten good at it. Still, shaking off Huruk—who was charging like a furious wild boar—was impossible. The gap between prey and pursuer shrank by the second.
"Stop right there, you fucker!! If you don't, I'll really kill you!!"
But deep in the woods, Dunsen actually came to a halt.
Dunsen swallowed hard and glanced to the side. The pursuing kids slowed their steps and followed his gaze. Then they froze stiff, like rabbits facing a lion.
There sat the 'Demon Slayer.'
"Huuuuh!!"
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
Well, it wasn't clear if he was really the 'Demon Slayer'... but a savage mercenary with a ferocious enough look to make anyone think so was sitting there.
"“......”"
"......"
Once the screams died down, a heavy, tense silence fell.
Just sitting there, the savage exuded a pressure that could stop hearts. The kids trembled violently and backed away step by step. Even Huruk felt his anger evaporate, his legs wobbling like reeds.
'Right... that mercenary was brought by that bastard's dad? Damn idiot... Couldn't handle it himself, so he hires muscle to deal with us...'
But the savage just sat there like a rock, doing nothing. Huruk, who had furrowed his brows, soon guessed why.
'...Aha? The mercenary's flustered seeing me here?'
It made sense. He was the son of the administrator who commanded hordes of mercenaries— no matter how vicious, anyone would fear the fallout. Just as Huruk started regaining his confidence and was about to negotiate with the savage to side with him instead of the runt—
Dunsen, gauging the moment, asked cautiously.
"S-so... I brought them like you said... What next, mister?"
"...Just do as I taught you. First, challenge him to a duel in the name of the War God."
Dunsen swallowed and did it. In the name of Atala, he challenged Huruk to a duel. Once the declaration ended, Kadim dryly stated he'd serve as witness.
Huruk let out a hollow laugh, his face twisting in disdain.
"What the fuck? A duel? You saying you're gonna fight me?"
"Y-yeah... you bastard... If I lose this time, I'll do whatever you say from now on... But if I win, never bully me again..."
It was absurd. What toy ever negotiated with its owner like this?
He cracked his knuckles, ready to give the brat a proper lesson, when the savage's demeanor caught his eye. Huruk steadied his pounding heart and feigned nonchalance.
"Hey, uh, mister savage...? Did you fill this runt's head with this nonsense? But you're just gonna step in if he starts losing, right?"
"...The laws of the wilderness are absolute. I have no intention of interfering in a duel sworn on the War God's name. And this is the boy's fight, not mine."
"......"
He didn't get it, but... the savage seemed like he really wouldn't meddle. Of course—doing so would piss off his own father, the administrator. This was the perfect chance to torment Dunsen fair and square.
"For real? No take-backs later? Come here, punk! Let's throw down for real!"
Huruk accepted with a swagger. Dunsen pursed his lips and assumed a fighting stance. The other kids, forgetting their fear, watched with eager eyes.
"Crush him completely, boss!"
"Break his arms and legs so he never talks back!"
"Don't worry, fucker! I'll beat him so bad he won't eat porridge for weeks!"
And so it happened, just as Huruk said.
Puk, puk, puk, puk—!
"You little shit fuck! A puny runt like you! How dare you pick a fight out of your league!"
"Kuh! Ugh! Kuuh!!"
Dunsen rolled in the dirt, getting beaten to a dusty pulp. With the savage not intervening, Huruk's punches grew fiercer. The kids whistled and cheered excitedly.
"Wheee! That's it, boss!"
"Grind him into mincemeat!"
But it was different from usual.
Even as he got pummeled, Dunsen didn't cower, flee, or curl up. Nose bleeding, eyes welling with tears, he stubbornly endured and kept rising to fight back. The kids, who had cheered childishly, fell silent like mice, watching intently.
Such things aren't rare in the wild. A lion might abandon a raging boar hunt, or a stray orc flee from a frenzied goblin.
It's not fear of losing—they know they'd win. But they back off knowing a clean victory without injury is unlikely.
The terror of pain is etched deep in every creature's bones, humans included. Watching Dunsen rise and charge again no matter the beating, Huruk instinctively knew he'd end up hurt too if this dragged on.
So he raised his hands to compromise...
"Hey, hey, enough... I get it. My bad, okay? My bad, so let's call it here for today..."
"Uwaaaaaah!"
...But Dunsen had been trained to strike precisely then.
The surprise charge toppled Huruk off balance. Fists rained down on his panicked face.
Puk, puk, puk, puk—!
"Ugh, uwaaaaaah!!"
"Euk! Ack! Heuk! Hngh..."
Of course, the size difference quickly reversed things. But even pinning the opponent, Huruk couldn't bring himself to hit back. Meanwhile, Dunsen, trapped underneath, gnashed his teeth into thighs and resisted ferociously.
"Kaaaaah!!"
Huruk was the tyrant who terrified the kids, but he was still just a child. The mad, death-defying fury was too much for a ten-year-old gang leader. Face pale with fright, he backed away, repeatedly surrendering.
Yet Dunsen's assault didn't stop.
"Uwaaaaaah, uwaaaaaah!!"
With unfocused eyes, howling like a beast, he unleashed pent-up rage in a frenzy on Huruk's face. Soon, the kids' gazes at Dunsen mirrored their first glimpse of the savage.
Fear.
The first step toward respect.
"Uh, guys... I-I'm gonna go get the adults..."
"M-me too..."
One by one, kids made excuses and fled. Before long, everyone but the two had vanished. The excessively brutal brawl for a kids' fight ended only when the watching savage intervened.
"Enough, that's it, kid. Unless you want to kill him."
"Uhah... Hah, hah, hah..."
"......"
Focus snapped back to Dunsen's dazed eyes. Huruk lay unconscious, face swollen and nose gushing blood. Dunsen blinked blankly, then asked in disbelief.
"Wh-what... I-I did this...? Me, mister?"
"...Yes, you did. Congratulations. You protected your dignity with your own strength alone."
"H-heuk... R-really? B-but... what now...?"
"...Worried the adults will say something?"
"N-no... That's not it... I know from experience... Getting beat this bad hurts like hell tomorrow... Shouldn't we find some herbs to reduce the swelling...?"
"......"
Even pitying the mess after the fact—he took after his old man perfectly. Kadim shook his head at the puffy-faced kid, no different from the fainted one.
"Leave him be... We need to figure out your face first."
*
Back in his hard-won hometown home, Duncan was enjoying a deeply satisfying life.
"I mean, I beat 'Agon’s Furious Horn,' Yulia! He admitted it himself! That duel was my victory..."
"Ugh, enough with the nonsense and help with the cleaning... The floor's caked black from neglect..."
His wife didn't buy his plain truth of a tale, and Kadim and his son kept stepping out for some reason... but it was still deeply satisfying. Duncan hadn't realized seeing family faces instead of demons and monsters each morning could bring such joy.
Sadly, the peace didn't last.
For some reason, the whole village learned Duncan had made a fortune.
"Hey, Duncan! Haha, long time! Heard you made a killing on that last deal..."
"Join the village gatherings now and then, eh, Duncan? And if you've got spare cash, maybe some gifts for folks..."
"Oh, Mrs. Wheeled? How've you been? About that laundry bat last time—think there was a misunderstanding... Mind if I come in for a chat? Hohoho..."
They sniffed out whenever the savage was away and swarmed the house. If he'd been tight with neighbors, it'd be fine—but he wasn't.
'You... got chummy with the neighbors while I was gone? Helped each other out or something...?'
'...As if. Those leeches just pounced when I was a lone widow.'
'......'
The old softie Duncan would've played nice, handing out favors generously.
But the journey with Kadim changed that. No need to respect those who don't respect you or your family. He smoothly turned away the beggars or shut the door without a dime.
"Ugh, a killing? Barely scraping by to survive winter."
"Haha, sorry! Too tired for outings."
"Whoa, Mrs. Medel! Just cleaned inside—talk out here! Laundry bat? What happened while I was gone?"
"......"
Gossip spread among the rebuffed villagers, as expected. Look at him lie without blinking, changed after tasting money, how much did he make to act so uppity...
Duncan didn't budge. Like a guardian of gold, he steadfastly repelled uninvited guests. But with it happening endlessly, he couldn't help thinking it was time to leave the village.
And then the guests who nailed that thought arrived.
Bang, bang, bang—!
"Hoo, who comes pounding this late evening..."
Grumbling, Duncan flung open the door—and froze.
A decently burly build, scarred face, baggy ill-fitting leather armor, ornate scabbard at his waist. A man, trailed by a gang of mercenaries.
"Ah, long time, Duncan. We met a few times—remember me?"
"...Y-you lot..."
"Eh, doesn't matter if not. A few whacks like before and it'll come back. Klklkl... Anyway, you don't look busy... Wanna catch up intimately?"
"......"
The man barged in without permission. The other mercenaries followed, tracking mud across the floor.
Facing the administrator's debt-collecting mercenaries, the Duncans felt an ancient nightmare vividly revive.