Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Insult
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"Wh-what nonsense! Such vulgar language! Are you insulting me?!"
"You're a real blockhead."
"What gives you the right to butt in? What's your relationship with these ladies?"
Butt in? Why would I butt in...
This guy's brain really is a bit off.
Or maybe all nobles are like this?
"What relationship? All three of them are my women."
"Oh my?"
"What?!"
"Un-ho, you slyly reveal your outrageous desires like that."
At my words, the lord's third son wore a genuinely incredulous and deeply offended expression.
"Don't lie! As if beauties like these would ever go for a face like yours!!"
"......"
-Thwack!
"Gah!!"
His line-crossing remark made my fist fly out before I knew it.
The guy went sailing from my massive fist to the jaw, smashing through a restaurant table and collapsing.
He twitched but didn't get up—looks like he was out cold.
-Tap, tap... roll...
In the silence, his bloodstained white teeth finally clattered to the floor from his mouth.
"Y-Young master!"
Seeing their young lord beaten unconscious, the two knights belatedly charged at me.
I took a quick, powerful step forward and slammed my huge frame's shoulder into the first knight charging in.
-Boom!
"Guh!"
The guy hit by my shoulder crumpled, his breastplate dented, rolling across the floor into a corner.
He didn't move either—knocked out.
Seizing the gap, the other knight's sword aura came slashing at me.
I caught the sword aura with my bare hand.
"S-Sword aura... with his bare hand?!"
The knight gaped at his sword gripped in my hand.
It needed to be an aura blade at least; mere sword aura couldn't even scratch my hand.
My mana-wrapped staff struck the stunned knight's side.
His armor caved in, ribs shattering.
"Urk!"
I drove my knee up into the jaw of the knight crying out in pain.
-Crack.
Bones snapped as he flew into the air and crashed to the floor.
In an instant, all three were beaten senseless.
I held back since killing them would cause headaches.
The restaurant patrons stared at us with eyes wide as saucers at the sudden turn of events.
"You handle that so well. A mage who sings about spells but beats them down with fists."
Liliana piped up at the sight.
"Ahem. This was... the Strength spell."
"That flapping mouth of yours rivals a mage's incantation."
"Un-ho! What if you cause trouble like this! You chewed me out before for not causing any!"
Liliana was followed by Ayla joining in to scold me.
"Ayla. Even a man has lines he can't cross. That noble crossed it. No choice now. Gourmet tour's over. Time to leave."
I'd beaten up the self-proclaimed lord's third son.
Obviously, we couldn't keep wandering restaurants like nothing happened.
We had nothing left at the inn anyway, so departing Raventa like this was no issue.
"But first, grab what we can."
I rummaged through the fallen men's pockets.
Some gold came out.
As expected from the noble bragging about being the lord's third son—he had the most.
About 70 gold in total.
Not bad as side income.
I handed about 10 gold to the owner like a generous tip.
"For repairs."
The owner took the gold politely with both hands, dazed.
Even I thought I was a model citizen, yet flies buzzed around to rile me up...
And now the original plan was ruined.
Thinking of the lord's third son again made my anger surge.
'What? Something about my face?'
I admitted I wasn't handsome.
But I didn't think it warranted that level of insult.
I kicked the leg of the still-unconscious bastard.
-Crunch.
His leg snapped, twisting grotesquely.
The restaurant patrons paled at the sight.
He twitched as his leg broke but showed no other reaction. Feeling a bit disappointed he was out cold and not feeling the pain, I left the restaurant.
"Marie, sorry. Something came up. Our fates end here."
After leaving the restaurant, I bid Marie farewell.
Beating the lord's son was major trouble—I couldn't drag her along.
But Marie's reaction to my words exceeded expectations.
"My lord! Please take me with you!"
Marie suddenly bowed deeply before me.
"Hm?"
"May I follow you too, my lord? No one's ever treated me as kindly as you."
"I just beat the crap out of the lord's third son. Still want to come?"
"It's fine. I have no family anyway. If you'll have me, I'll serve you as my master, Un-ho."
I'd noticed her stealing glances at me subtly over time.
I'd beaten the lord's son.
She might get executed under guilt by association, yet she was abandoning her hometown to follow me...
This was... a green light.
'Hm... The forest of beauties aside, am I the type women go for in this world?'
High mage, seemed rich.
Plenty of reasons for her to fall for me.
A female coachwoman was rare.
Merchants and hotel managers struggled to find them.
During the gourmet tour, aside from Marie, I'd seen no other female coachwomen.
"Fine, Marie. If you want to follow, I won't stop you."
"Thank you! Un-ho—no, Master!"
"Then head to the south gate ASAP. We need to leave this city fast."
"Yes!"
We boarded the carriage and raced toward the south gate.
"Master! The gate's shut. Soldiers are up ahead!"
At Marie's words, I stuck my head out.
The gate was already closed, blocked by soldiers and barricades.
'Quick response.'
I climbed onto the carriage roof.
I poured a massive surge of mana into my staff.
A black mana orb swelled to basketball size.
The staff trembled as if begging me to stop.
Instinct told me more would shatter it.
I usually used Explosion at baseball size.
This was basketball.
'Wonder how powerful it'll be...'
Could it breach the gate?
If not, I'd punch through with my body.
The gate might hold, but this size Explosion would wipe out the soldiers ahead.
Classic case of underlings dying for a bad boss.
Too bad, but unavoidable.
"Ugh... such a brute."
Sighing, Liliana emerged from the coach seat, opened her parasol, and mysterious runes glowed faintly on its surface.
Her delicate hand swept through the air.
"Whoaagh!! Wh-what, my body!!"
"M-Magic!"
Her spell swept the blocking soldiers aside like a broom clearing dust.
'She's softer than I thought... cleared them so they wouldn't die.'
"Here goes. Full-power Explosion."
I solemnly launched the fully charged Explosion from my staff toward the gate.
The black orb rocketed forward, slamming into the gate with a deafening roar.
-KABOOM!!
The gate shattered spectacularly, opening the path.
The full-power Explosion's clean, flashy destruction was satisfying.
'But... this is the limit.'
"Marie, path's open. Destination: Slurver."
"........Yes? Yes! Got it, Master!"
Marie gaped, stunned by my grand magic.
She snapped to at my order and whipped the carriage forward.
With the soul-shocked soldiers—who lived thanks to Liliana—seeing us off, we escaped Raventa.
Michael was receiving a report from his subordinate.
"Beat up Raventa lord's third son, demolished the south gate with one spell, and left... What about Marie?"
"She left with him as his coachwoman."
The man named Un-ho had obliterated the gate with an absurdly powerful Explosion.
"Even a 7th Circle mage couldn't shatter a gate that easily with Explosion."
"Th-then?"
"He's a Transcendent, as expected."
Michael had been skeptical hearing the guy wandered restaurants like a playboy with women.
Now he was convinced.
"What about Viscount Raventa?"
"Heard the gate was blown by one Explosion and seems to have given up pursuit."
The rational choice for any normal lord.
His son wasn't dead.
Just beaten up—turning a high mage into an enemy wasn't worth it.
Slim chance of catching him anyway.
"If he'd arrogantly pursued without knowing his place, we might've seen his face. But he knows better."
Michael stood and said,
"Contact the capital. And we tail Marie."
"Yes, sir."