No Longer the Coward
A resounding thud!
Hans tumbled backward, narrowly dodging the paralyzing needle.
Just then, a goblin wielding a stone axe loomed over him, raising it high to strike.
A figure moved with blinding speed—not a man, but a boy.
Hans gaped at the youth who had stepped in front of him, his voice laced with shock.
"Y-Young master…?"
Arthur closed the distance to the goblin in an instant.
He seized the goblin's wrist as it swung the stone axe and twisted it with deceptive gentleness.
Crack!
"Kiek."
Arthur snatched the falling stone axe and brought it down on the goblin's head with all his might.
Splat!
As the goblin crumpled, Arthur swiftly rummaged through its belt pouch and pulled out a long bamboo tube used to fire paralyzing needles.
He turned it on the other goblins nearby and unleashed a volley.
Every shot hit its mark without fail.
Arthur glanced back at Hans.
'Th-those eyes….'
A chill ran down Hans's spine in that moment.
Was this truly the young master he knew?
Arthur's gaze was utterly cold and hollow, the kind that wouldn't hesitate to kill even a fellow human.
"Get up."
"Y-Yes…."
Hans scrambled to his feet on instinct. He watched as the goblins struck by Arthur's needles staggered and collapsed.
"What in the world…."
It was beyond comprehension.
Even Arthur would have thought the same.
"I-Is that really the coward Arthur?"
"Did you see those moves?"
Murmurs rippled from the back of the group.
Those who knew Arthur couldn't help it.
The kid who'd been mocked as a coward who couldn't even kill an ant had just effortlessly slain a goblin.
But Arthur saw no need to respond.
The moment Hans stood, Arthur bolted forward.
Whoosh!
He leaped high, kicked off the wall, and drove his knee into a goblin with crushing force.
Squelch!
'…Not enough power.'
Arthur, the man once called the only human to approach the Great Overlords in strength.
But now, everything had reverted to the past.
Time to use his skills.
He yanked a rusty dagger from the fallen goblin's belt and dove into the fray with ferocious speed.
Stab!
Stab! Stab! Stab!
The dagger's short reach meant it had to be swung fast.
Three goblins dropped in seconds, their throats pierced, blood spraying as they fell.
"…."
Hans was speechless.
"Ho."
A gasp of admiration slipped from Kellon's lips.
'No wasted movements. He targeted only the throats.'
As Kellon made that assessment, Arthur returned to Hans's side.
"Young master."
"You're a knight's son."
Short and to the point.
Arthur's father was a knight hailed as a hero of Brat Territory.
He'd earned a baronetcy for his past feats as a knight.
That's why Arthur, his son, had been branded a coward.
Hans couldn't make sense of it.
But he knew now wasn't the time for that.
Arthur looked at him and said,
"Don't protect me—protect yourself."
"…Understood."
Though he said that, Hans would throw himself into danger if Arthur were threatened.
"…You're fighting well."
Kellon approached, his expression clearly hoping Arthur would take the lead.
The people behind felt the same.
They'd gained a highly efficient fighter.
Those who'd mocked him daily as a coward had changed their tune.
It was laughable, but Arthur stepped forward anyway.
He had no intention of lurking in the rear like a coward.
The group pressed on.
Splurt!
Goblins toppled like dominoes under Arthur's swift movements.
After the third skirmish, Kellon rubbed his chin.
"Thanks to you, no one's died yet."
There were injuries, but no fatalities.
Arthur didn't reply, just stared.
"You've got a quick body. How about a proposal?"
Kellon glanced around at the others as he spoke.
"What if you take point up front and lure the goblins in small batches?"
"Small batches…."
Arthur's brow furrowed.
Something felt off about the idea of luring them.
'This bastard.'
The thought flashed through his mind.
Arthur smirked inwardly.
But he listened quietly.
"The goblin numbers will only increase as we go. There might even be hobgoblins. But you're fast, so you lure them. If you spot a hobgoblin, shake it off and warn us ahead of time."
"…Is that really necessary?"
A questioning voice came from the rear.
They were progressing fine as is.
"You say that because you don't know hobgoblins. One hobgoblin has the strength of five or more regular goblins. If it shows up with others, it'll get messy. Casualties are inevitable."
"…I see."
The man nodded at the mention of casualties.
In truth, Kellon was the leader of this group.
Having once commanded an ogre squad, they assumed he had more experience and knowledge than them.
Kellon looked at Arthur, awaiting his answer.
Arthur's response was simple.
"No."
"…Of course it's scary. But if you step up, we can get out of here more easily."
"I said no."
Even Hans furrowed his brow.
The bait bore the greatest risk.
Hans knew that much.
But the people behind were different.
"Come on, do it."
"If you suffer a bit, our survival odds go up, Arthur."
"Sorry for calling you a coward before, Arthur. But why not play the hero like your dad in this situation?"
"Yeah, Arthur. It'll make things easier for us."
"Please, just do it."
They clamored relentlessly.
Arthur cut them off curtly.
"Fuck off."
"…."
"…."
Silence fell instantly.
His expression was ice-cold.
His eyes promised violence if they spoke again.
"Would you do it if I told you to? You won't go yourselves but send others? Your own lives matter, but others' don't?"
Pfft.
Humans were selfish.
Arthur knew that all too well.
"You think it's fine to send an old fart like you or a kid like me out as bait?"
It hit the nail on the head.
No one had a retort. Some averted their eyes.
But one man spoke up.
"St-Still, if you sacrifice yourself, we all might live! And being bait doesn't mean certain death, right?!"
"These assholes mocked the young master every day, and now…!"
As Hans shouted, Arthur raised a hand to silence him.
"Then here's my counteroffer."
Kellon nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
"I won't be bait. Instead, I'll go ahead first. And I won't be coming back."
"What do you mean?"
"Anyone who wants to come with me can. But if they're dead weight, I'll ditch them. If they pull their own weight, I'll take responsibility and bring them to the end. That's my promise."
It meant everyone—man or woman—had to fight.
But if they did their part, at least they'd be giving their all.
Arthur's words forced a choice: Kellon or him.
Even Kellon looked surprised by the unexpected reply.
Hans immediately stuck to Arthur's side.
He'd follow Arthur no matter what.
Hans had anticipated this group would corner Arthur if they stayed.
And his action played right into Arthur's expectations.
"…Crazy bastard, isn't that X-fucker too much?!"
"Arthur, I didn't think you were like this. Isn't that over the line?"
"Asshole!"
"Shame on your father!"
The outcry erupted again.
Profanities flew.
Not a single one sided with Arthur.
Arthur extended his hand to them.
They rejected it.
That was that.
He wasn't a hero.
He wouldn't risk himself for the unnecessary.
Saving them wouldn't benefit his future anyway.
The decision was swift.
"We're going ahead."
He turned and walked away.
"Ugh…."
Kellon wore a troubled expression.
Those who knew Arthur hurled vicious insults at his back.
Arthur advanced silently with Hans.
As they vanished, one man approached Kellon.
"Sir, we're counting on you alone. You led an ogre squad, after all. Those bastards will die soon. No, they deserve it. Damn them."
"…No choice."
Kellon watched their retreating figures with unease as they delved deeper into the dungeon.
Arthur pressed deeper inside.
No goblins appeared during that time.
But a familiar sight caught his eye.
A faint sliver of light seeping through a crack in the wall.
It was around here.
Arthur gave a wry smile.
His memories weren't crystal clear, but Kellon's bait suggestion had jogged them.
Back then, Kellon had told Hans to be the bait.
Hans had entrusted Arthur to Kellon.
But when Hans entered alone, the coward that he was worried and followed despite the others' protests.
And there, he saw it.
Hans, surrounded by goblins, fighting desperately.
Nearby goblins lunged at Arthur.
Despite weapons embedded in his body, Hans charged in.
He blocked their strikes with his own flesh and yelled for Arthur to run.
And Arthur did.
He fled nonstop until he tripped, shoving the wall with his hand. The wall gave way, ejecting him outside.
A hidden escape route in the dungeon.
Not a common occurrence.
Almost miraculous.
'What a fucking idiot I was.'
Judging his past self, Arthur passed by the spot.
He could have escaped easily that way.
But Kellon's 'bait' talk changed his mind.
'Maybe I can get the Specialized Lord Nurturing Device here.'
The Specialized Lord Nurturing Device.
The regular Lord Nurturing Device was used in the Monarch Game.
Randomly summoned lords received one, influencing quests, lord leveling, records, and more.
This specialized version was far more unique.
Its original owner was Bakalos.
He was called the future-seeing lord, gaining advantages others lacked, but he was trash.
He later allied with the Great Overlords to threaten humanity.
Arthur had killed him.
Before dying, Arthur asked how he'd earned that title.
Bakalos, sensing his end, said,
'The Lord Nurturing Device I have is a specialized one.'
'Specialized? What special power does it have?'
Bakalos didn't answer.
He only revealed how and where he got it.
'You won't get it anyway. The moment I die, this specialized device vanishes!'
Arthur had beheaded him without hesitation.
'Bakalos was one of the few participants from the Asgard Continent like me.'
Arthur nodded to himself, hopeful.
He didn't know its exact power yet.
But he was certain: Bakalos couldn't be allowed to have it.
Arthur scanned the dungeon depths.
'No more goblins will come at us in force.'
He was sure of it.
"Young master."
Arthur turned to see Hans smiling faintly.
Even in this situation, he bared his teeth in a broad grin.
"Blood will tell, after all."
Arthur gave a wry smile. Hans must think he took after his late father.
But he was wrong.
His father was a hero. Arthur was not.
He simply advanced to do what must be done.
"More importantly…."
Hans trailed off, hesitant to voice what now?
It would sound too despairing.
Right then.
"Huff… huff… huff…."
Ragged breathing echoed from behind.
From the path they'd just taken.
Human breathing, unmistakably.
Kellon appeared soon after, pale as a ghost.
'Just as expected.'
Arthur's face remained impassive, but he was certain it was playing out as planned.
Panting wildly, Kellon shouted as he ran.
"H-Hobgoblins! They were hiding in the walls!"
"R-Really?"
Hans stepped forward.
Arthur followed.
Kellon closed the gap rapidly, his face desperate, on the verge of collapse.
"Huff… huff… yeah."
Arthur watched, thinking,
Feels real enough.
Kellon even glanced back.
"What about the others…?!"
As Hans began to ask, Kellon was upon them.
The honed dagger hidden in his robes flashed toward Hans's throat.
In that instant.
Claaang!
A rusty dagger appeared swiftly, batting it away viciously.