Chapter 61
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: I Won't Fight Battles I Can't Win
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I hurriedly stepped in front of Ibu.
The axe girl, whose axe had been blocked by my hand, glared at me with axe-like eyes.
"Put the axe down. He's under my protection."
"You bastard. Protection?"
Ibu squinted, pondering the meaning of the word "protection."
Then, like someone who'd just had an epiphany, her eyes widened.
"You bastard. Like Ibu?"
"Yeah. I protect you, I protect the power of the stars, and I protect Hama too. I'm a holy knight, after all."
Oh man. So many things to protect. I must be one busy guy.
"You bastard. You're a busy guy."
Oh, jackpot.
Ibu nodded vigorously, as if she'd fully bought it.
'Well, looks like it worked.'
I'd aged ten years in that moment.
If Hama had gotten hurt, I'd have felt bad for Delma.
Ibu slung her axe over her shoulder and circled around Hama.
Her lower lip jutting out, strutting like the perfect little thief.
Ku-uuu-!
Hama lifted its chin defiantly, glaring right back at her.
Their staring contest ended with weird noises.
Kwarurung-.
Thunder rumbled under a clear sky.
The heavens were silent, but the earth shook.
Kwarururung-.
It was coming from Ibu.
They called her a dragonkin, and sure enough, her stomach growled like a foghorn.
"Sounds like you're starving."
"You bastard. Yeah. Kalluk's smart, as always."
……Is that a compliment?
"Let's hurry. There'll be food."
I picked up the pace toward the fortress.
I wasn't running, just walking fast, but powered purely by physical strength, I was faster than when sprinting before.
"Ibu, I learned a neat trick from you."
"You bastard. First time I've tried it too. Usually you're weak after waking up, but I feel weirdly full of energy."
Probably the Toolsep's effect.
The elixir's benefits go beyond strengthening the body and replenishing stamina.
'You can use it like mana. Took me a while to figure it out.'
Wait, didn't I mention this before?
My mind flickered.
Forgetting words I'd said, thoughts I'd had, then rambling them out again.
It felt like those times struggling not to go mad amid the pain from the stars.
'Kinda like that transient amnesia I had…….'
After the accident where I lost my comrades, I blacked out standing and woke up in the hospital.
That's when I lost years of memories.
The doctor called it transient something-or-other.
To recover, I muttered every little thing over and over, forcing it back into my brain.
'But the stars aren't bothering me now, so why is this happening?'
My head fogged up in real time.
'No. No.'
No my ass! Accept it!
If Silver Star were here, she'd probably yell that at me.
Back to reality.
Ibu was naturally drawing out the power inside her body. My Insight Ability didn't miss it, and I easily mimicked her.
"Hama must be dying for a bite."
"You bastard. Dying for a bite? Is Hama tasty? Should I kill it?"
Ku-uuu-!
"Dunno. Not food—it's a kid I'm protecting. No drooling."
"You bastard. Got it. Kalluk's got a ton of stuff to protect."
Good thing she listens to me.
She must've listened to her old guardians, those two elders, too—enough to live hunting ogres to keep people safe.
"Here's my plan for now."
I shared the short-term strategy without slowing down.
First priority: lay the groundwork so the beggar thieves can settle and live in the fortress.
Dragging all those bandit beggars around draws too many eyes and risks.
Sure, the numbers kept mid-tier monsters at bay, but they only held off because the beasts were half-assed anyway.
Danger in Earr isn't just monsters.
It's people who kill the most people, right? Or not.
"If we go to a city, some of those guys are dead meat. I killed all the bad ones and only saved the ones who didn't do wrong."
"You bastard. The ones to save. Got it. Ibu's super noble, loves saving people."
"The fortress is surrounded by pastures."
"You bastard. Used to be cornfields, rye fields. Barley, herbs, and—."
"Farm or ranch it up, and the thieves can settle in."
"You bastard. Planning's hard. Kalluk handle it. Ibu'll eat and sleep."
"Fine."
Huuu-. My chest tightened.
All that chatter, and that's the response I get.
At least she's not saying she'll cause trouble.
Kwarururung-.
"You bastard. Hungry."
"Me too."
"You bastard. Can't eat Hama. It's Kalluk's protected beast."
"Good girl."
"You bastard. What about thieves?"
"Humanely speaking, best not eat people."
"You bastard. Humanely. Got it. Super super hard, but I'll try."
I'm super super tired from talking to you.
Maybe I shouldn't have woken her.
But looking at her face, it seems like a good call…….
Not because she's pretty.
I'm not some shallow guy who falls for a woman's looks.
Plus, inheriting Luke's traits means beauty traps don't work on me.
'Her face just puts my mind at ease.'
Probably relief from gaining a powerful ally with endless potential.
"You get it—weak gets hunted in this world. I'm still being chased."
"You bastard. Which fuckers? Those bird fuckers?"
Ibu pointed her axe at the sky.
Birds circled overhead, chirping like they had something to say.
No Silver Star, so I couldn't understand them.
"Those birds are neutral. Not on my side, but cooperating somewhat. The ones after me haven't shown up properly yet. For now, it feels like Draven and Hellite are targeting me."
Ibu looked puzzled, then pointed at me accusingly like she'd figured it out.
"You bastard! You, standing there, no way! You trusted that face and banged the saintess! But she sniffed out you're not the Star guy!"
What the hell?
While I fumbled for words, Ibu put on a prim face and launched into terrible acting.
"'Oh my! Who might you be, entering my chambers? Kyaa!'"
Sigh, reeks of idiot.
My fuzzy head's probably from the moron stench surrounding me.
"How'd the saintess sister know? Your techniques didn't match the Star's! That's how she caught you! Right? Right? How's Ibu's deduction? Super plausible, huh?"
Finishing her retarded reasoning, Ibu looked smug as hell.
"Think whatever……."
Best not to engage.
Why's no one around here sane?
The ally I needed, this guy I met less than a day ago getting close—should be good.
But conversations should make sense.
'Why can't I have nice things!'
Ku-uuu-.
What the hell's this one saying?
No Silver Star means no chatting with Hama either.
'Ah, shit.'
Saepsaek-.
Crossing the plains like walking on water, we reached the fortress.
"Shh-."
"Ah, you bastard. Why?"
I put a finger to my lips, and even Ibu's swearing volume dropped.
I cupped a hand to my ear, focusing on the sounds from inside.
It was like sobbing.
Familiar voices of the beggar thieves.
No Fred, Requiya, or Yuderg.
Someone was barking orders—voice I didn't recognize.
"Someone must've broken in while we were gone. A strong one."
To take down Fred, Requiya, and Yuderg? Knight-level for sure.
"You bastard. Ibu'll axe 'em dead."
"Why kill first ask questions later?"
"Ah, you bastard. Kalluk's brothers are crying."
Is that how it works?
"Still, let's check the situation. They haven't noticed us yet."
"You bastard. I like stealth. Ibu can't sense mana."
Neat summary, thanks.
"Kalluk senses a bit of power."
"He's hiding it. You're too close."
We crept up silently and peeked through the open fortress gate.
Quick-witted Hama hugged my side, holding its breath.
Fred, Requiya, and Yuderg lay still like corpses—knocked out, probably.
All the thieves knelt, heads bowed low.
One barking in front, one pacing with arms crossed.
Silver armor, faintly glowing.
'Holy knight…….'
Wanted to charge and flatten him, but after what I told Ibu, I held back.
Told her to stay cool—can't go berserk now or what does that make me?
"Daring to invade a holy site! I'll feed you lot to the hama and uphold the Holy Kingdom's dignity!"
The mana-laced shout of the holy knight echoed through the fortress.
"We didn't invade—we followed our captain—."
"Shut it! Any who speak out of turn won't be forgiven by this Steron's sword!"
That guy's Steron?
One of the holy knights Luke mentioned.
Low chance of same name.
Steron was one of the gatekeepers of Hellite's inner castle, known for patrolling between fortress and Hellite to protect pilgrims.
'Said to be taciturn and kind.'
Maybe just inside the kingdom, or to superiors.
Either way, exactly the asshole type I super super hate.
'The other one's probably Roginin.'
Roginin, another gatekeeper, Steron's buddy.
If Steron's a sword master, Roginin's a shield expert who wields it like an extension of himself.
'That massive shield, big enough for a front door. Gotta be Roginin.'
While Steron yelled, Roginin silently scanned the surroundings, lips tight.
Wait, is that scanning? Looks more like bored sightseeing.
"Scum without proper swords or magic daring to challenge holy knights!"
"We never challenged—."
"Shut it! If not for the holy knight order's no-kill rule, you'd all be dead!"
That guy's tone is off.
Not regional…….
What is it?
What's weird?
"When's this fake holy knight coming back, huh? That bastard dares wear the captain's skin and commit these atrocities!"
Fake holy knight.
That bastard dares.
Captain's skin.
Commit atrocities.
'His speech is weird, and so are his words?'
The odd feeling lasted only a moment—then murderous rage surged in my chest, like spotting a troll with a sock puppet account.
Or like gut pain from food poisoning, bubbling up.
Ibu reacted the same.
"You bastard. That fucker's annoying. Can I kill him? Won't eat him."
"Wanna be Hellite's most wanted?"
"You bastard. Nah. Wanted tastes bad."
"Then wait. I won't fight battles I can't win."
Ibu tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Don't wanna die."
"Why?"
"Dead means pointless. No tasty food, no fun games."
"You bastard. Yeah. Can't even get married."
Why'd it end there?
Feels like educating a kindergartener, not a mighty dragon Ibu.
Ibu, imagining marriage maybe, blushed and giggled like a maniac.
Uhihung-.
Definitely not right in the head.
But that laugh was the problem.
Steron pointed his sword at our hiding spot by the gate and yelled.
"Hiding like rats! Think tucking your chicken heads away is enough?!"
Fuck.
You got us spotted, asshole!