Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Oops! My Hand Slipped and I Cracked His Skull?(3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At first, I tried to settle things through conversation.
After all, he'd come all the way here in person. His past sins wouldn't just vanish, but if he was genuinely repentant, I figured I could at least give him a chance to explain himself.
But from the start, he plopped down in his seat with an air of arrogance, staring me down. No matter how I looked at it, he didn't seem like someone who'd come to atone for his mistakes.
Still, maybe I should at least hear him out. I tried to think positively. Or at least, I tried to until he opened his mouth.
"I want you to give my daughter back."
"I never took her. She came here on her own."
"You didn't trick some clueless little girl into following you?"
"......"
He wasn't considering my attitude at all. He was just bulldozing ahead. Even Virahl, sitting beside him, was shooting him warning glances, but the man didn't care one bit.
I tilted my head. Even for someone of high status, was this level of rudeness normal?
This was the Royal Knights' headquarters, after all. Anyone with a brain knew mouthing off like that here wouldn't do them any favors. So why was he acting this way?
"I don't know the details, but Ruby apparently ran away from home as a kid and made her way here."
"Yeah, something like that. Around seven? Or was it eight?"
"How bad must it have been for a child that young to run off all the way here?"
"Are you trying to provoke me right now?"
That line made it crystal clear. This guy didn't see Ruby as his daughter at all. Otherwise, how could he not even know she'd run away?
In other words, he was only after her now because he needed her for some reason. And this was the same man who'd been abusive in the past. My course of action was obvious.
"I refuse. Ruby's a full-fledged member of the Royal Knights. She's not some object I can hand over at whim."
"Come on, let's not be like that. There's a way we can all be happy."
"A way for everyone to be happy?"
"Yeah. Say, some anonymous sponsorship?"
"......"
I wondered what nonsense he'd spout next, but it was so clichéd and cheap that I couldn't help snickering. No matter how strapped for cash we were, I wasn't selling out a member.
"I'll front you 50,000 gold. If you successfully hand over Ruby's custody, another 100,000. What do you say?"
......That was too much money to just brush off with a scolding.
Whoa! No. Bad idea. Just for a split second, I nearly wavered. Trading a member for money? Unthinkable. Our trust would shatter completely.
"No offer will change my mind."
"I can't believe it! That's an insane amount of money!"
"True, rebuilding the Royal Knights does require funds."
Why was I going through all this hassle in the first place? My ultimate goal was to return to my original body. The problem was there were too many obstacles before that.
There had to be clues somewhere in this world to get back. But the biggest issue was that over half the continent was under demon occupation.
So, for my own safe return, rebuilding the Royal Knights right now was the way to go. That way, the alliance of races wouldn't crumble like in the original story.
It would make finding a safe path home easier. Demons like that Comfritchico I'd seen before wielded bizarre powers by default.
Some even had cheat-level abilities like time stop. Against them, I couldn't guarantee 100% safety.
"But some things can't be bought with money."
"Like what?"
"Trust."
In the end, I was rebuilding the Royal Knights for my own goals. Money was necessary, sure. But could everything be solved with cash alone?
No.
Say I sold Ruby for 150,000 gold. What then? Could I rebuild with that? No way.
I'd lose all trust in exchange. A captain selling out his own for money? I'd look like a third-rate villain. My top priority was rebuilding the Royal Knights.
Money helped, but if it didn't actually aid that goal, I didn't need it. My firm resolve only fueled the man's rage.
"What the hell do you know?! She's mine!"
"Hold on, calm down..."
"I won't hand her over to anyone!!"
"......"
Wrong move. He'd lost all reason. Virahl was trying to intervene, but he ignored him completely. At least I knew this guy was out of his mind.
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
For a madman, I'd respond in kind. I picked up the cup Cluna had brought. It had a mug-like handle and was nice and thick.
I raised it high overhead like a hammer and brought it smashing down on the man's head. With a loud crash, he crumpled to the floor, blood trickling down.
"Oops! My hand slipped and I ended up cracking his skull?"
It was a lame excuse that wouldn't fly, but I gave it anyway. Offering to sell a member for cash wasn't much better than my alibi, after all.
"Captain...?"
"Uh..."
And of course, Ruby walked in and saw the whole thing.
Why are you here right now...?
Dwarves follow their craft blindly.
They believe their skills define their worth and love their masterpieces like children. Sure, some take it too far, and other races mock or condemn them for it.
No dwarf ever cared. But right now, one dwarf sensed something was off. Dwarves did follow their craft blindly.
But not to the point of sacrificing family or comrades for "progress." They weren't that insane. Such cases weren't unheard of entirely.
But all of dwarf society proudly endorsing or tolerating it? That was exceedingly rare. Yet it was happening now, and not infrequently.
Even a nation of craft-obsessed maniacs had laws to uphold. But now, those laws were cracking in absurd ways.
It started with one of the four jewels upholding the Dwarf Dukedom. With Ruby. The man who'd become her father-in-law unveiled an absurd holy sword before everyone.
[The material for this sword is a loved one. The more you love them, the greater its power.]
That ridiculous line sent dwarf artisans into a frenzy, one after another. The whole scenario felt contrived. Dwarves prided themselves on their skills.
That pride meant they didn't sway easily to others' words. Yet this man's single phrase had them all entranced, using loved ones as sacrifices to refine their craft.
And it was poisoning the dukedom. No matter how wild the Dwarf Dukedom was, they weren't iron-brained enough to start alliance disputes or territorial fights amid this chaos.
'Choosing the Royal Knights' captain was the right call!'
Virahl, who'd been pulling the man away, had stars in his eyes. A man with steel-like resolve who wouldn't sell out his own? He'd never just roll over.
"Captain, I have a request."
"A request, in this situation?"
"Yes, Captain. You already know, don't you?"
"......"
"That the Dwarf Dukedom isn't normal lately."
In Virahl's eyes, this captain was no ordinary man. He'd single-handedly subdued the Comfritchico plaguing the dukedom and held the upper hand in negotiations.
Sure, it looked like the dukedom won by haggling prices, but the Royal Knights had gained more than money. Not the dukedom.
That didn't mean he liked the captain. He respected the skill, but past personal grudges soured his feelings. Even so, he knelt.
He ordered his attendants to bind the man who'd been smashed with the cup and collapsed. Then he sat on the floor and knelt. Not content, he pressed his forehead to the ground.
"Captain, please. You're the only one I can trust and rely on."
"Accepted. Details?"
"......Yes?"
"Captain!! Have you forgotten what they did to us?!"
"Even I found it repulsive!!"
The captain's crisp acceptance sparked massive backlash. Even Virahl stared in stunned silence. It was that shocking.
They'd barely handled the request, got shortchanged on payment, and now this thug show. Virahl had been prepared to offer his life if needed.
For his homeland, he'd do anything. Yet the captain accepted so readily. Even the silent members gasped in protest...
"How could you accept so straightforwardly...?"
"Does saving people need a reason?"
"......"
That simple retort hit heavier than any words Virahl had ever heard. Ignoring grudges or personal feelings to save lives.
It was the noble hero straight out of a fairy tale, standing right there. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Virahl could only bow his head and swallow his tears. But did he know?
'The Dwarf Dukedom has a divine sword that can bet everything on. If demons show up, I can use that as an excuse to secure it...'
That Hans was thinking something entirely different.