21
My Villains Chapter 21
6. Broken Things (2)
The market at lunchtime was noisy and chaotic. There was no room to step between the shouting brokers, merchants organizing their stalls, and servants running errands.
"Wow, there are so many people."
"Y-yeah, there are."
Daria shrank her shoulders and clung close to me, trying to avoid a water carrier approaching from the opposite direction.
"Ugh, sorry."
"No, it's okay."
Then, with a natural motion, she clung to my arm as if hanging on.
The soft sensation felt through the thin cloth and the woman's body scent stinging my nose made me dizzy.
They say a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.
But I had the mind of a jaded office worker dwelling in the healthy body of a young knight. In that state, how did I react?
First, Kim Seung-soo's mind barely regained composure. Thanks to realizing that Ellen was sick and we needed to get medicine quickly.
But Phoenix's body seemed to be interpreting this situation a bit differently.
"Phoenix, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's nothing."
I awkwardly took a step and quickly lowered the shield I had slung over my shoulder to cover my lower abdomen.
Not now. Not now, you crazy bastard!
I looked out over the sea in the distance and internally recited the national anthem, recalling my nostalgic homeland.
Despite my efforts, this body just wouldn't listen. Try as I might to ignore it, all my bodily sensations were focused on my forearm and nose. The full feeling and dizzying scent fanned the flames burning in my lower belly.
It was fortunate that the street was so crowded. Otherwise, Daria would have noticed my... 'Physiological changes'.
Avoiding people, covering my crotch, looking after Daria - as I walked distractedly, we soon reached the square in front of the trading post.
It was then that I heard fierce and seemingly barbaric cheers.
"Woahhh!"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
Dude, how many people are there?
At a glance, there seemed to be hundreds of people swarming in the square.
They were surrounding a stage set up in the middle of the square, spitting curses and shaking their fists in the air.
That stage was a gallows.
And just now, a group of people were being herded onto the gallows like animals. These people, with dirty cloths thrown over their heads and tied together with ropes like dried fish, were... The condemned.
"Cursed bastards!"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
As the condemned climbed onto the gallows, the shouting grew louder. The people screaming what might have been shrieks or cheers almost looked like fans greeting a rock star.
I was overwhelmed by the heat - or rather, the frenzy - emitted by the hundreds of people.
"Ah, they said there would be a public execution today."
"...Public execution?"
"Yeah. Just a moment."
Daria approached an older woman watching the gallows with a friendly expression and asked her something.
After a brief conversation, Daria returned to me and shrugged her shoulders as if disappointed.
"They say it's just hanging today. Let's go."
What? Is she disappointed that it's only hanging? Why?
Before I could ask anything, Daria grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.
As we crossed the swarming square diagonally towards the granary, my eyes remained fixed on the gallows.
Men in red clothes, maybe guards or something, put nooses around the necks of the condemned. Then they simultaneously kicked them in the rear, pushing them off the gallows.
The gallows were far away and the surroundings were full of noise, but I thought I heard a cracking sound.
Some just hung limp, but most of the condemned struggled for a long time, a really long time. By the time Daria and I reached the front of the granary, the condemned had finally slackened and met their deaths.
As if they had been waiting for this, cheers erupted once again.
The corpses dangling from ropes were creepy, but even more chilling were the residents laughing and chattering as they watched.
Once again, I realized anew.
This was a dog-eat-dog world.
The rations allocated for the Ship’s Horn Inn were one sack each of oats and barley.
Daria, who had been walking, glanced at the sacks on my shoulders and made an apologetic expression.
"Isn't it heavy?"
"Hmm, it's fine."
"If it's hard, just say so. I can carry one of them..."
"I said it's fine. Let's hurry and go."
Just to be clear, this wasn't a male's show of strength. Each sack weighed roughly 20 kilos, right? Of course, 40 kilos was heavy, but not overwhelmingly burdensome. I guess this is the power of having 23 Strength.
Seeing the apologetic look lingering on Daria's face, I smiled slightly and said, "If you feel that bad, give me some service once in a while."
"Service?"
"Yeah. I know times are tough, but come on, your inn charges three coins for a bowl of oat porridge? It's too expensive to eat."
At my words, Daria covered her mouth and giggled for a moment.
"It is ridiculously expensive, right? But uncle is relatively conscientious. Don't you know flour costs a fortune these days? I hear the public ovens have completely shut down."
"Hmm, is that so?"
As I quietly nodded, Daria smiled slightly and held out her hand.
"Perilla leaves or Ostericum root. Right?"
Oh, what? We're already at the general store.
"Huh? Oh."
I lowered the sacks to the ground and took out a silver coin from my pocket to hand over.
"Ah... Sister Olga said if they don't have both, Pueraria root would be fine too."
"Kudzu root? Hmm, alright. I'll be back quickly."
I asked Daria to buy the medicine.
It was bothersome to enter the cramped general store in full armor, and I also felt uncomfortable due to the slight argument I'd had with Mr. Oreg.
"Oof."
After putting down the sacks, I glanced around and an interesting street vendor caught my eye.
Various items were placed on a torn leather mat.
More eye-catching than the mediocre goods were the three children minding the stall.
A girl who looked about twelve or thirteen, and boys who seemed to be her younger brothers. Their thin and ragged appearance unconsciously drew me closer.
“Did you make these yourselves?"
I asked in what I thought was a friendly tone, but what rose in the children's eyes wasn't welcome, but wariness or fear.
"...Yes. I made them."
At the girl's answer, I squatted down to examine the goods.
They were crude items: four-legged beasts, birds, and fish carved from wood, and bracelets and rings decorated with woven grass flowers.
It might seem a bit out of place, but I like flowers. Or more accurately, I should say I like the delighted faces of women when they're given flowers.
So during my college days, when flowers bloomed on the hill behind the apartment in spring, I'd pick them and wrap them in Korean paper to make bouquets. The girlfriends who received them all really loved them.
Of course, in this world, a crude bouquet would probably just be a cheap gift. Still, somehow seeing the flowers seemed to lift my mood.
I pointed at a flower ring and asked the girl, "How much is this?"
"...Five accessories for one coin, and the sculptures- two, no, three for one coin."
That's dirt cheap.
Thinking that, I made a surprised expression, and the kid hastily added, "I put a spell on them that I learned from my mother. They're definitely not expensive."
"...I didn't say anything. Feeling guilty?"
As the kid shut her mouth, I carefully examined the goods and picked out a few items I liked. A bracelet decorated with purple flowers, a ring adorned with white petals, and a smooth fish sculpture.
To be honest, it wasn't so much that I liked them as they were the only things that could be called products. Frankly, the rest were no different from bundles of trash.
"These three for one coin. Deal?"
"...Deal?"
"I'm asking if that's okay."
"Oh, yes. Of course."
As I took out a coin to hand over, the girl added, "The cherry blossom ring brings beautiful love. The bracelet woven with pinks and plantain brings tenacious vitality, and the dolphin sculpture brings wisdom in making friends."
"...Oh, really?"
The power of words is truly amazing. When the child explains with a confident voice, even these crude items start to look quite plausible.
I smiled slightly and handed two coins to the child.
"I'll add one more coin, so pray for that spell to become stronger."
The girl nodded with a bright smile.
As I put the items inside my breastplate and stood up, I heard a scream from behind.
"Kyaa!"
I turned around and...
Ha. Is this a 90s drama or what?
Five or six men who looked like thugs were harassing a young woman walking down the street.
"Damn it, just stay still, you bitch."
"Ugh- stop, please stop."
"Sniff sniff, wow, it smells delicious."
"Like father, like son. What do you mean 'delicious smell'? Delicious smell, my ass."
The thugs surrounding the woman were roughly twisting her wrist and spouting obscenities. Groping her buttocks and breasts at a commonplace.
Are they crazy? Even if public safety is a mess, how can they do such things on the street?
"Stop- please let me go, I beg you."
"Hehe, where should we let you go?"
"We just want to have some fun, why are you crying and making a fuss?"
The woman pleaded, twisting her whole body, but the thugs just snickered or got angry instead.
Oh, but- the light red hair of the harassed woman looked familiar.
Damn, it's Daria!
"Hey, you gangster bastards!"
I shouted and ran, delivering a flying knee kick to the back of the biggest thug.
"Ugh!"
As the guy rolled on the ground with a death cry, I immediately slapped one of the two guys holding Daria and kicked the other.
"Gah!"
"Urgh."
The fat guy who got slapped so hard it made a crack sound had his jaw twisted and fainted on the spot, while the one who got my boot heel in his stomach crumpled and wheezed.
Oh, I think I misjudged my strength. They're not dead, are they?
That thought was brief. I pulled Daria's wrist behind me and growled at the remaining frozen thugs.
"Come here, you bastards."
As I approached the remaining three guys.
"What, who the hell are you?!"
"You wanna die, huh?"
Oh? The guys are pulling out weapons like daggers and clubs.
Their stance, with their butts sticking out and weapons thrust forward... Was a quintessential thug pose.
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
"You drew first."
These guys, are they blind?
It's not like I'm unarmed, I'm wearing armor, a helmet, and even carrying a shield, yet they draw their knives?
I swiftly drew my falchion. Weapon maintenance is a fighter's basic duty. The large blade of the falchion gleamed in the sunlight.
Adding to that, when I gripped my large kite shield covered in giant reptile scales, the guys visibly panicked.
"W-wait a minute."
No need for words, and certainly no need for lectures or mercy for bastards like these.
"Drop your weapons if you don't want to die."
With this final warning, I strode towards them with my shield in front.
The sight of a tall warrior in heavy armor pointing a sword at thugs with crude weapons. It was like pointing a machine gun at robbers with revolvers.
"Damn it."
"Hey, hey. Just stop for a moment."
One disloyal but smart guy quickly ran away, while the two stupid but loyal ones dropped their weapons and showed their palms.
True to their nature as thugs harassing women, none of them were brave.
"Looks like we made a little mistake... Gah!"
I thrust the edge of my shield into the chest of the guy who was mumbling something while waving his left hand. As he tumbled backwards, another thug stammered with a panicked face.
"Y-you said you'd spare us if we dropped our weapons!"
"I am sparing you."
As I said this, I drove my fist holding the falchion into his nose.
"Uwaah..."
The guy collapsed, clutching his nose without even screaming properly.
By now, the one who had run away had disappeared into the crowd. I wanted to chase and beat him too, but I couldn't leave Daria behind.
So I sheathed my sword and ran to Daria.
"Daria, are you okay?"
"Y-yes. I'm fine."
Daria was trembling slightly with her hands clasped together. A quick look showed that fortunately, she didn't seem to be hurt anywhere.
"...Let's hurry back."
Feeling sorry, I quickly shouldered the grain sacks. And just as I was about to take Daria's hand and start walking.
"Urgh, you bastard-"
The big guy who first fell from my knee kick was glaring at me, still writhing on the ground.
"You bastard, I'll remember your face. I'll kill you soon."
Wow, all that effort just to attempt suicide?
I laughed and went over to him, stepping hard on his shin. A scream erupted.
"Arghhhh!"
"You should've said that under your blanket, you idiot. Are you asking me to kill you now, or what?"
"You son of a-! If you kill me, Lord Ubar won't let you off!"
...What's with this guy? He's practically begging to be exterminated.
Wait a minute, Ubar? I've heard that name somewhere. Who was it again?
Putting aside my doubts, I said mockingly, "Are you crazy? You said he won't let me off anyway, right? Then it'd be better to kill you now, wouldn't it?"
I said this, but I couldn't actually kill someone within the city, especially right next to the square.
Glancing around, I saw that spectators were already swarming.
"P-phoenix. Let's hurry and go. The guards will be coming."
Sure enough, as Daria said, one side of the crowd was getting noisy.
"What's going on!"
"Move aside, make way!"
Must be the guards.
These lazy bastard guards don't do any crime prevention, but they're quick only at times like this.
Suddenly, I missed the patrol car that was always parked in the alley in front of my studio apartment. It was so reassuring.
"Kuh, it might be easier on my mind to go to jail- Gak!"
"Let's go quickly!"
After kicking the face of the big guy spouting nonsense like a soccer ball, I started running, pulling Daria along.