Do You Have the Confidence to Defeat Me?
“What is the matter, Sebastian?”
“It’s nothing, really. It seems like Young Master has been paying a lot of attention to Skadi. I came to inquire because I thought, as a servant, I might be able to help in some way…”
“What a terrible joke. Are you cleaning well?”
“No, I believe she’s gone to the city by now.”
Aaron’s hand stopped turning the page. His gaze shifted to the white-haired old man.
“The city?”
“The ingredients for tomorrow’s meal are insufficient, so I was asked to run an errand.”
“Normally, you would have gone.”
“This estate doesn’t require cleaning, does it? Issuing meaningless tasks isn’t like Young Master.”
It was a way of reminding him to be careful, in a sense. Since he had served Aaron since he was born, he had the right to speak that way.
However. The past when she hadn’t returned to the cottage. The sight of her, severely injured to the point where her intestines were visible, flickered in Aaron’s mind.
Aaron Patrick tapped the desk with his fingers. His calm rhythm carried a hint of unease.
“Sebastian.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t intend to blame your judgment. Managing servants is primarily your responsibility, not mine. So, regardless of my evaluation, if you are fine, I was planning to keep you.”
Aaron Patrick was expressing anger towards Sebastian for the first time, including before his regression.
However… The fact that she went out. Before she left, she could have told me.
Upon seeing the master’s first display of anger, Sebastian lowered his head deeply.
“I’m sorry, I overstepped.”
Aaron Patrick swept his hair back to suppress his emotions.
“No, rather, I should apologize. In a way, I made you judge that way.”
Aaron Patrick stood up. As he prepared to leave, Sebastian adjusted his clothes.
“Shall I guide you?”
“No need.”
There was only one woman in Skyler who smelled of demonic energy.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Please be careful, Young Master.”
Aaron drew runes with gloved hands.
[Ehwaz (ehwaz)] — May the wind dwell in my legs.
─ Swoosh!
Fortunately, the scent of the Demon King’s daughter was pungent. Without any deviation, Aaron followed her.
Being the top student, she wasn’t lacking in skill. But she was still just a student. Anything could happen.
Aaron leaped between rooftops to chase her on the shortest route.
The demonic scent grew stronger. Looking around, he saw Skadi surrounded by men. Unlike her usual self, blood was spraying from her head. He dropped from the roof beside her.
─ Boom!
A loud noise erupted. The ground where he landed cracked slightly. The thugs’ faces, which had been laughing, were filled with fear.
“Eh, Young Master, what are you doing here?”
Only after hearing Skadi’s words did Aaron realize he had been emotional. He cleared his throat.
“…When you leave, report to me. You’re worrying me.”
He continued quickly, feeling awkward.
“What business did you come all the way to the back alleys for? I heard from Sebastian that you went to buy ingredients.”
“Among the academy students, I heard that there’s someone selling good meat in the back alleys.”
“There’s no woman who goes to the back alleys just because of that. You have no fear.”
“I’m the top student of the academy, after all?” “Even so, remember that you’re still just a kid. Arrogance will suddenly snatch your life away.”
“Professor also…”
“Deduction.”
“Ah, really!”
While the two bickered, the thugs slowly moved away. The man who had jumped from the roof landed lightly. They definitely didn’t want to mess with him.
Of course, Aaron Patrick didn’t allow their escape.
“Where do you think you’re going, filth?”
He put on his gloves.
“You must bear the responsibility for trying to touch the noble’s maid.”
“I-I didn’t touch her specifically.”
“What, you tried to seduce her. Even after she refused several times, you kept clinging on.”
Unfortunately, the maid had no reason to side with the thugs. She wasn’t generous enough to forgive them with her dirty eyes.
Aaron grabbed one of the thugs’ faces. The grip felt like it could crush the jaw if he applied more force.
“Since you’re here, I should clean up this area. There’s a head of the district here. I’ll question him about responsibility. Do you know the location?”
The thugs didn’t hesitate and started blabbing.
“Renya! It’s Renya! I told you, so please forgive me!”
“Your only job is to guide me to where Renya is.”
“What are you going to do?”
Aaron replied nonchalantly to Skadi’s question.
“If the water is dirty, it must be cleaned.”
The place they arrived at, guided by the thugs, was a gambling den. The only clean building among the rundown ones in the back alleys.
“This building doesn’t suit a back-alley thug.”
It seemed like an active gambling den, with noise and people. Entering such a space wasn’t pleasant, but since he was the one coming, he had no choice.
As they approached the entrance, a pig blocked the way. Not just a big belly, but a three-meter-tall brute.
“Hey, you have to pay the entrance fee. First time?”
“It’s my first time.”
“Is that so? Good that I know now. One silver coin per person. Pay and enter.”
“I’m not here for gambling.”
The pig-like human shrugged.
“I don’t know about that, just pay the entrance fee. If you don’t want to get beaten badly, it’s better to do so.”
The pig gave a glance behind him. Behind him were thugs holding weapons, moving their necks left and right.
Even if not a friend, the pig stood in front of Aaron. The height difference was one meter, so the brute was looking down at Aaron.
Aaron’s eyebrows rose.
“Lower your gaze, you lowly thing.”
“What? I can’t hear you at all from down there~ Speak louder. I still can’t hear.”
The pig scratched his ear and mocked Aaron. The thugs behind laughed and watched the situation.
Aaron Patrick sighed and placed his hand on the pig’s shoulder.
“Don’t remove that hand, you short noble? No matter how noble, you can die in the back alleys.”
The weight of the three-meter body wasn’t light. However, Aaron Patrick thought it was too light compared to his size.
“Quite the talker.”
─ Crunch.
Aaron’s hand pressed on the shoulder. The pig’s knee bent with a crack. The viewing angle reversed.
“Gwaaaaaak!”
“Don’t make a fuss. It’s just that your knee joint is cleanly shattered. With that, you can heal with treatment from a skilled priest.”
Unlike the harsh words, Aaron’s tone was calm. He turned his eyes to the laughing thugs.
“What are you doing. Your role is to stop intruders.”
The thugs’ gazes were fixed on Aaron’s hand that had pressed down the brute. The emotion in their eyes was the same.
“Are you going to stay still?”
“You’re just a bunch of thugs. An intruder is leaving, and you’re staying put because you value your lives.”
No one moved despite Aaron’s provocation. To them, their lives were more important than the noble’s words.
“I don’t have time to waste. If you’re not going to stop me, guide me.”
The thugs looked at each other with glances. The smallest one came forward to start guiding.
No one interfered, sensing the commotion outside. They arrived smoothly in front of Renya’s office.
The guiding thug knocked on the door with a trembling hand.
“Come in.”
It was a woman’s voice far from the rough one. Aaron gave a signal to his maid.
“…What?”
“Does the owner have to open the door himself.”
“I have hands too.”
“It’s audible.”
He twisted the doorknob and entered. A flashy red-haired girl and a man were waiting. The girl was crossing her legs arrogantly.
“Even though you forcibly broke through the entrance, your attitude is quite polite?”
She looked around the age of Skadi. Leather jacket, skinny pants, sloppy t-shirt. Her face was hidden by a black mask.
Her build was smaller than average, but sturdy for a woman. In no way was she lewd like Skadi.
Next to her was a man in his early twenties. Unlike the flashy girl, the man was surprisingly plain. If anything, it was his knight-like build and taciturn appearance.
The girl said.
“You’re Renya, the one you were looking for. What business do you have coming here so rudely? If it’s not important, you’d better prepare to be sorry.”
She was shorter than Aaron, but her tone clearly looked down on him.
“Skadi.”
Upon hearing her name, Skadi poked the brought thugs and signaled them to leave. Renya expressed understanding to the unknown young man.
“What is it?”
“You’re a filthy trash in my territory. Without knowing your place, you tried to touch my maid.”
“I’m not officially a maid yet.”
The unnecessary words from Skadi were ignored by both.
“So why are you asking us, customer? It’s their fault, not ours.”
“If the upper water is dirty, the lower water is also dirty, right?”
“Ah~ So, I got scolded, so you came to correct me?”
Aaron nodded in affirmation. Renya was dumbfounded.
“What nonsense.”
“I don’t know where this insolent noble young master came from. I’m Renya. One of the three powers that hold this back alley tight. Do you think I’m easy? Bury yourself in the ground and come to your senses? Brother.”
The man standing next to Renya had drawn his sword. Power spread from him, pressing down the space.
Renya laughed arrogantly.
“Eyes.”
“Can you handle it?”
“Stop boasting, kid. It’s hard to say right now.”
Renya smiled brightly, thinking of subduing this rude young master.
“Even now, if you kneel and beg for forgiveness, I can kick you out wearing just panties. Don’t think about fighting? Our brother is the highest sword expert looking at the sword master.”
Renya added as if forgetting.
“Ah, it was an unreasonable demand for someone who can’t move?”
“Can’t move? What a funny joke.”
Aaron stood up. His relaxed appearance made Renya’s mood twist.
“Since you can’t win anyway, get out quietly. Do you have the confidence to defeat the highest expert?”
Aaron clenched and unclenched his fists.
“What a question. Rather, I should be asking you.”
Aaron looked at the young man, not Renya.
“Do you have the confidence to defeat me?”
The young man didn’t answer.