Beaten by a Human Brat?
“Beaten by a human kid who's barely a teenager? Is that what you're spouting right now!!”
Bam—!!!
A chair flew straight at his face. It shattered into pieces with a deafening crash, shards scattering everywhere.
“……My apologies.”
But the man struck by the chair merely bowed his head as if utterly unfazed.
“What the hell do you think the people on the streets will say about us!! They'll think the White Claw tribe is full of worthless scum!”
“……If Sagael hadn't interfered, that bastard's head wouldn't be attached to his shoulders anymore.”
Though he was apologizing, boiling rage seeped through his voice. The one bowing his head was none other than Skutum, a senior dragon rider of the White Claw tribe—one of only five in the entire tribe.
“What good does that do! That punk's still alive and kicking, and all humans will remember is that you came back having lost your subordinate!”
“He's no ordinary human. He claimed to be the son of Hien from the Ulan tribe. And he came straight from Crul's forge.”
His response made the face of the one who'd hurled the chair moments ago harden. At a glance, the man looked far smaller than Skutum, and his barking tantrum seemed almost childish and ridiculous.
Kelop, the third son of the White Claw tribe. But the seal of the White Dragon's direct lineage was stamped on his shoulder.
That seal signified a difference in status. Before it, skill meant nothing. No matter that Skutum was one of the tribe's elite senior dragon riders, he couldn't defy him.
“So you're saying Ulan figured out we're after Gold Death Gorge.”
“Not yet. But we'll have to confirm.”
“……Damn it, this is a headache. What the hell have you been doing until Ulan makes a move!!”
“However……”
“Shut your mouth.”
One of Skutum's subordinates, unable to hold back his frustration, tried to speak up but was quickly silenced by his superior.
“What the hell do you think you're doing in front of me? Looks like your precious subordinate has something to say to me.”
“No, that's not it. Forgive our indiscretion.”
“Indiscretion?”
Thwack—!!!
Kelop's fist slammed into Skutum's cheek. His head snapped to the side, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
“……”
“Indiscretion is this. I'm sorry. It was my indiscretion. You little shit.”
Skutum said nothing, simply wiping the blood from his mouth.
'Damn it, if it weren't for Lord Skutum, he'd already be dead……'
'He ran here like a coward after losing his position……'
The White Claw warriors watching the scene all shared the same cold glare.
“Get the hell out!!!”
Kelop snarled irritably. His subordinates hurriedly opened the room's door.
But in that instant, the door exploded inward, staggering the subordinate gripping the handle.
Krraaang—!!!
“Guh?!”
The door's hinges ripped clean off, crushing the subordinate beneath it.
“Kuh, kugh!!”
A groan rose from under the fallen door as he struggled desperately to escape. Then, a foot slowly pressed down on the door above him.
“Who said anything about leaving? It's a pain to gather everyone again, so stay right there. Make any funny moves, and I'll cut you all down.”
“Who…… guh!!!”
A soldier by the door frantically drew his sword. But before he could swing, something slammed into his face.
A fist-sized rock.
Whoosh……!!
A sudden gust of wind swirled around the now-unconscious soldier, accompanied by faint chattering whispers.
Wind spirits.
“Don't even think about drawing your blades. Don't think I'm being stingy. I'm still showing mercy for the rudeness of drawing steel on me in the market. But that's as far as it goes. Anyone who assumes a stance from here on out gets cut for real.”
Adel strode past the fallen soldiers and stopped in front of Skutum.
“We meet again. Looks like you're having a rough life yourself, huh?”
He gave Skutum a casual wave.
“……Why are you here? I figured you'd gone with the crushers.”
“Why?”
“I thought you'd seek help from the Storm King. Since you've made enemies of the White Claw tribe.”
Adel smirked at his words.
“Why would I bother with White Claw trash?”
“……What?”
“Guys who get cold feet over a single monster—why fear them enough to beg for help?”
Skutum's face twisted at that.
“You're the bastard who killed my subordinate in the streets!! Crazy fool, walking right into our den!”
Kelop, who'd been momentarily stunned by Adel's sudden intrusion, flailed his arms and bellowed.
“What are you idiots doing!! Kill him right now!!!”
“Quite the racket.”
“……”
Adel stared at him impassively. Skutum remained silent.
“Not saying anything? Even when your lord's barking orders.”
“He's not really my lord. Just following the chief's command.”
“From what I know, the White Claw have five senior dragon riders. And the chief has three sons. Excluding the two guarding him personally, the rest serve his sons……”
“What are you getting at?”
“You didn't choose that guy yourself, did you?”
Skutum stared at Adel, his expression saying he didn't grasp the implication.
Bam—!!
Krraang—!!!
Adel didn't wait for an answer. As White Claw warriors surged forward at Kelop's shout, drawing their swords, Adel's blade sliced the throat of the lead one first.
Slash—!!
A crisp whoosh of wind accompanied the severed head hitting the floor.
Sizzle……
The cut was so clean not a single drop of blood beaded on the stump.
Thud—!!
Adel kicked the corpse with all his might. The warriors behind it tumbled backward from the impact.
“Damn it……!! What the hell is this guy……!”
“Surround him! He's just one man!!”
The warriors pinned under the door, forgetting their pathetic state, shouted desperately.
“Raaah!!”
One leaped up from the pile of fallen bodies.
But before his sword could connect—slash—Adel's blade severed his arm.
The White Claw warrior had swung first, but his blade hadn't even reached halfway to its arc when Adel's had already finished its stroke.
Difference in skill aside, Nazas truly lived up to being the spirit king's gift—light as if wielding nothing at all.
“Argh, aaagh!!”
The warrior thrashed in agony just before his severed arm hit the ground.
“My arm……! My arm!!!”
The blade cut without hesitation, sending a strange thrill through him.
Adel stomped the writhing warrior's abdomen with full force.
Bam—!!!
The body flew up from the impact, slamming into the wall.
“Ugh……”
Groans filled the room.
“You worthless idiots……! What the hell are you doing!! To a single human!!”
Kelop trembled as his subordinates fell in an instant, screaming.
“Skutum! What are you standing there for!! Bring me that bastard's head right now!!”
“……”
But contrary to his orders, Skutum didn't move. Instead, Adel approached him, and as the distance closed, Kelop's face drained of color, backing away.
“Wh-what?! What are you doing!! Stop him!!”
Thud.
His back hit the wall. Realizing he could retreat no further, Kelop stared at Adel in panic.
“D-don't you dare lay a finger on me……”
“I'm not going to do anything.”
“……What?”
“I warned you clearly. Don't draw your swords. They ignored me, so I showed them.”
As Adel said, the two warriors he'd struck down were the only ones who'd drawn weapons.
“No grudges between us, so no need to spill more blood than necessary. I only went to Crul's forge on a Leviathan commission.”
Tap—tap—
Adel lightly patted Kelop's cheek.
“You jumped to conclusions and attacked me. Thought I was the Storm King's lackey or something?”
“H-heek……”
As the tip of Nazas touched under Kelop's chin, a stinging pain made him jerk his head up unbecomingly.
“Wh-what are you……”
“You got the wrong idea, and a big one. When I ran into you in the streets, I had no ill intent.”
“Th-that's……”
Kelop's mind raced. He quickly scanned Adel.
White Claw warriors outclassed most kingdom knights.
“R-right! You're correct!”
Not just the skill to casually behead such warriors, but that sword of his was no ordinary blade.
'Where the hell did this monster come from? I thought we'd wrapped things up by buttering up the Storm King……'
“Y-yes, indeed…… Looks like there was a misunderstanding. I'm regretful about what just happened too. As you said, how about we talk it out?”
“Sure, sounds good. Talking.”
Adel grinned at Kelop.
“But that only works when there's no malice involved.”
“……What?”
“Now there is. Malice, I mean.”
Gulp.
Kelop swallowed dryly without realizing it.
“I heard the gist from Crul. You want the phoenix egg, right? But can you pretend you don't know?”
“What do you……”
“Let's hear it first. Why you thought you could just take our stuff without a care. No matter how I look at it, you saw us as easy marks.”
Adel leaned in close, bowing his head toward Kelop's face.
“Gold Death Gorge is Ulan territory.”
His sneering face felt colder than the wind sword itself.
“……Huh?”
“You dare eye Ulan land? Do you think Ulan's a joke?”
“N-no way!! We've never encroached on Ulan territory!!”
“You haven't done it yourselves, but you're pressuring the Storm King to fetch the egg for you? Even using the lives of kingdom citizens as collateral.”
Adel changed tack.
“Do White Claw lives mean nothing to you?”
“N-no…… That's……”
Kelop floundered, unsure how to respond. With every fumble, the blade edge crept closer.
Click—
In that moment, the sound of a lock releasing echoed.
“……Enough games. Pressuring him won't get you anything.”
“……”
Skutum, standing behind Adel, spoke with a low sigh.
“Do you think so little of the White Claw? This is within Zen Kingdom, but it's firmly White Claw territory granted to us by the Storm King.”
Adel hadn't turned, but he knew Skutum had assumed a stance to draw his greatsword.
“We are under the White Dragon's protection. Pointing a blade at us is the same as making an enemy of dragons.”
He asked.
“Do you think dragons are a joke?”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
Adel answered without hesitation.
“……?!”
Bam—!!
And faster than the words, the sword had already moved.