The Price of Survival
Shrieking and causing a commotion, the man ranted on. Capier fixed him with a cold stare.
"Hey, didn't I ask you a question?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you ignoring me right now?"
"N-no way...! I was just saving the girl."
Capier glanced back and forth between the girl and the man. "Well, I don't really care what you were doing." Then, in one swift motion, he severed the man's arm. "I just hate liars."
A horrific scream echoed through the forest. "Gaaah... fuck..."
Capier drew closer to the man step by step. The man writhed in agony, still spewing curses. To Gerient, Capier said quietly, "Watch your fucking mouth, you piece of shit. It makes me wanna kill you for real."
"S-sorry..."
In an instant, he sliced off Gerient's ankle. "Guh... h-heuk... what the hell was that for this time..." Gerient wailed in excruciating pain. He no longer uttered any curses.
"Oh, just in case you tried to run. It didn't really mean anything." Capier then grabbed Gerient's head—still slumped face-down—and yanked it up.
"I'll ask again. What were you just doing?"
Gerient, groaning in torment, rolled his eyes around before answering. "I... I saved the g-girl... and as payment... I was gonna take her body..."
"Hmm. What does saving the girl have to do with taking her body?"
"Th-that's..."
"Never mind. You don't have to answer. People don't usually have grand reasons for what they do anyway."
"P-please... spare me."
"Why the fuck should I?"
As Capier grinned menacingly, Gerient seemed to realize he was done for and began thrashing like a madman. "Fuck why!! It's not just me!! Plenty of other assholes do this shit too, so why me—"
In that moment, a gruesome sound rang out as the man's head exploded.
"Noisy fucking retard."
The girl had been trembling in fear at the goblin. Capier had dispatched that goblin in one blow, then toyed with and killed the man like he was nothing. Frensia, shaking violently, looked up at Capier. Their eyes met, and she immediately started backing away.
Capier sighed at the sight, speaking in a voice devoid of any emotion. "Pathetic bitch. Can't even protect your own body, so why'd you leave the kingdom? Or were you just out here to kill yourself?"
The girl shook her head frantically. "...Money..."
She mumbled softly, and Capier scowled fiercely. "Speak clearly. I can't hear a fucking word you're saying."
"I need... money...!"
"Why do you need money?"
"To buy food..."
"Ha, if you need money for food, just get a job. Why the hell are you hunting monsters?"
"....."
The girl fell silent. Capier pondered for a moment before speaking. "Still better than those retard bastards out there. At least you're trying something to survive."
"..."
"But to me, you're just pathetic. That untrained body of yours— a woman alone trying to take on goblins? Ha. Aren't you living life a bit too romantically?"
"...Just like you said, I did it to survive. There was no other way."
"And..." Frensia glared at Capier with eyes full of resentment. "My life has never been romantic."
Capier let out a sigh, then pulled three gold coins from his pouch and tossed them onto the ground. "Three gold coins. With that, you could sit on your ass for months without working and still eat."
"Wh-why are you...?"
"Seeing you shake like a pathetic retard pisses me off. It's pocket change to me anyway— I make that in less than a day."
She didn't move, just stood there frozen. "I'll give you two choices. First: take the money and fuck off back to the kingdom on your own."
"Second: give up the money. In exchange, I'll teach you how to hunt goblins."
There was no kindness or expectation in Capier's eyes. He looked at her with utter disdain, as if she were truly nothing. Strangely, that attitude put her at ease. No sweet-talking to lure her in. No hidden hopes. Just pure contempt, like she was worthless.
"Teach me... how to hunt goblins."
With her decision made, she spoke to the man. Capier picked up the gold coins from the ground and hurled them far away. They vanished into the distance in an instant.
"Since you didn't choose it, I'll toss it."
"Why? Don't you feel cheated? Think I should've just given it to you since I was throwing it away anyway?"
"No. It wasn't mine to begin with."
"Good thinking. There's no such thing as favors without a price. And if you'd taken the gold..." He pointed to the goblins lurking in the bushes. "You'd have been torn apart by those things before making it back to the kingdom."
"I wouldn't have lifted a finger to help. All I promised was three gold coins."
"The only reason I'm helping you is for my own amusement. I'm curious if a pathetic trembling bitch like you can even kill one goblin."
In truth, the girl was trembling.
Whoosh.
Capier tossed the iron sword from his back. Its edge was chipped in places, but it could still serve as a proper blade.
"As you can see, it's basically trash now. Was gonna throw it out, but I'll sell it to you for 30 silver."
"You got no money, so bring me three goblin ears instead. Though you might die before you manage it."
No matter how chipped it was, a sword held its value as long as it kept its shape. Swords themselves were precious items. 30 silver for one— or even trading goblin kills for it— was unheard of.
Only then did the girl faintly realize it. This man was showing her kindness.
'His rough words and actions must be to ease my burdens...'
In fact, his brutish demeanor made it impossible to suspect ulterior motives behind the favor.
"Th-thank you..."
She bowed her head and gripped the sword. Her stance wobbled— it didn't match her strength at all— but she gritted her teeth and held firm.
"When swinging a sword, your lower body balance is key above all. Plant your feet solidly and find your center. Only then does real power flow into the blade."
He added a few more pointers: how to grip the sword, how to swing it, how to counter if the enemy dodges. All practical, battle-ready advice.
"Alright, now go catch a goblin."
It had been a short lesson. No telling if this alone would let her kill one. But now she had a real sword. And advice from such a powerful man. She couldn't back down here.
"Keeek!"
The man dragged over a goblin. "Fight it."
With that, Capier sat by a tree piled with small stones.
Frensia slowly advanced toward the goblin at his command. She wasn't skilled enough to charge while swinging yet, so she'd wait for it to come to her.
"Kiiieeeek!"
Sure enough, the goblin lunged at her soon after.
Clang!
The goblin's club clashed against her sword and bounced off. She quickly reset her stance, bracing for the next attack.
Clang! Clang!
After a few exchanges, confidence started building in Frensia.
'I might actually win this.'
His advice had included goblin habits. She caught their subtle tells before attacks, parrying every time.
Clang!
"Grrr..."
This time, the sword didn't bounce— it locked with the club. She feigned a strength contest, then twisted her body to deflect the club. The goblin, pushing forward, lost balance and toppled headfirst, club aimed at the ground.
'I got it.'
Certain of victory, Frensia raised her sword. One slash to the falling goblin's head, and it was done.
"Kiek."
In that instant, with a bizarre cry, the goblin grinned. A dagger gleamed in its hand— no telling when it had drawn it.
'I'm dead...!'
Her sword was fully raised. The goblin was nearly in her face. One stab to the throat, and she'd be gone.
Yet she didn't give up. Eyes wide open, accepting death if it came, her gaze locked on the goblin. She swung down.
But the goblin was still faster. She sensed her end.
'In the end, I die without accomplishing anything alone.'
As she resigned herself—
Thuk!
"Kieeeek!"
Something hurtled into the goblin's eye at blinding speed. The sudden pain froze it mid-motion.
That split-second changed everything.
Slash!
No time to identify the projectile. Frensia cleaved the goblin in half.
Her first goblin hunt: success.
"Not bad. Now go get the next one."
The man spoke flatly and turned away.
'What the hell flew in...'
Whatever it was had saved her. Without it, she'd be the one on the ground.
She stared at the fallen goblin's eye.
"...!..."
There, an unbelievable sight unfolded.