Volume 1 Chapter 45 Despicable Challenger II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”A duel, huh? Ridiculous. Do you really think I’m going to sign those papers?”
Kian grimaced as he held a torch up to the thrown documents.
Serena, standing right next to him, stepped forward to protect him.
”Enough already, Funnelwing. A 23 to one duel? That’s just a lynching. The Guild would never approve that.”
”Hah! Are you stupid? ‘Dead men tell no tales.’ Honestly, if we kill him, we can come up with any excuse later!”
”Wha…! You…! Franciska! And you, Rosen! Do you even realize what you’re doing?!”
At Serena’s sharp voice, Franciska looked down in silence.
She had no agency.
She was just following along because her friends said to.
Serena clicked her tongue softly and glanced at the delinquent monk, Rosen.
He laughed with a “Kekeke”.
”Step aside, Serena. I’m about to take care of this ‘garbage scavenger’!”
”Do you think I’ll let you? Right now, Kian is a member of my party. If you attack him, I’ll attack you too!”
As Serena said this, a chilling aura began to rise around her.
Unconsciously, an immense amount of magic power was being released from her slender body.
Her light blue eyes sparkled fiercely as she lowered her center of gravity close to the ground.
The adventurers, numbering over 20, flinched and took a step back, as if faced with a predatory beast about to pounce.
”Wait a second, Ms. Serena! We’re only challenging that ‘garbage scavenger’ over there. We’re not picking a fight with you. You’re an unrelated outsider. If you hurt us, you’ll face consequences from the Guild. You might even end up wanted as a mass murderer! So back off quietly if you understand!”
”What gall! This duel is invalid! You’re the ones who started the fight! If you think you can sweet-talk me into submission, you’re dead wrong!”
Serena’s light blue eyes widened in fury.
”And I’m not fooled…! I can clearly hear the sound of your heartbeat. It’s pounding against your ribs like a rapid drum. You’re feeling more anxious than ever.”
Funnelwing’s handsome face twisted into an ugly grimace as she spoke.
”…It seems I can’t get through to you. This is why I dislike brainless muscle-heads who live by instinct. If you insist on doing this, then so be it. Hey, get the crossbow ready. First, aim for the elf magician in the back. Franciska, start the incantation──”
”Wait!”
Kian interrupted Funnelwing’s command, raising his voice.
”If I accept the duel, you all won’t make a fuss, right?”
”──What!? Kian, what are you saying! You don’t have to listen to these guys! Step back. I’ll take care of all of them!”
Serena shot an angry glare at Kian.
Kian called out to the handsome swordsman with cat-like hair.
”Funnelwing, give me a moment.”
As he spoke, he focused his magic power and sent a command for the crows to gather.
”Hah, are you begging for your life?”
”I’m not planning to run. If you all are coming to kill me, then I’ll break through you head-on.”
”Then!”
”But before that, let me talk to my companions. If you’ve been watching, you should know that our high elf sister is borrowed from the Western Church. If anything happens to her, it won’t just be our responsibility.”
”Hmph…?”
Funnelwing opened her narrow eyes and looked at Aliona.
Aliona had a confused expression, her hand on her cheek.
Kian continued.
”Let Serena and Ms. Aliona speak. I’m willing to accept the duel, but they’re confused and can’t grasp the situation. I want to explain my intentions to them.”
”‘Your intentions’? Kian, you can’t possibly think you can take on this many by yourself?”
Serena looked at Kian with a serious expression.
Her gaze was directed at the weak weapons like wooden swords and clubs.
”That’s my intention.”
”No way, I’m fighting too!”
”…Hmph, fine. Three minutes. I’ll give you 3 minutes.”
Funnelwing signaled, and over 20 adventurers lowered their weapons and stepped back into the field.
Kian returned to Aliona with the furious Serena in tow.
”Ms. Aliona, there’s no need for you to intervene. You were planning to activate your magic the moment Serena lunged, weren’t you?”
As soon as he spoke, Aliona furrowed her brows.
”Killing people will tarnish your record. If you kill 20, it’s a major incident. …Ms. Serena shouldn’t get involved either. I could silence those kids with just a flick of my finger, so I’d like you to leave this to me.”
”You had some magic prepared to subdue them, didn’t you, Kian? But Ms. Aliona, I think we can’t let those guys go here. Gathering this many comrades for an attack is too dangerous to let slide. We should kill them all right here.”
Serena said this with a stern expression.
As expected from the strongest mercenary group, ‘Storm Herd,’ she showed no mercy or leniency.
Those foolish enough to challenge them would pay with their lives──her light blue eyes burned with a fierce flame of anger.
Kian shrugged his shoulders.
”I thought you were a kind girl who hated killing.”
”I don’t like killing, of course. But sometimes you have to kill depending on the situation. Even the weakest mercenary groups learn this first. This situation is exactly that. We have evidence in the form of duel documents, and it’s better to kill them all under the guise of ‘self-defense.’”
”I think killing them all is excessive…”
”But if we kill them, we can’t be accused of excessive defense. We’re near a labyrinth, and we can feed the bodies to monsters, so there’s no problem. Anyway, there’s absolutely no way we can let them escape! It concerns our lives going forward.”
”Ugh, well… as a sister of the church, I can’t actively promote killing…”
”I thought opinions would differ like that, so I called for a halt.”
Kian said this, looking back and forth between the two.
He continued speaking.
”I’ll handle the duel by myself. Serena and Ms. Aliona, please don’t intervene.”
”Why? I can’t accept this.”
”Kian, think carefully. There’s a way to avoid signing the duel contract, you know?”
”No, Ms. Aliona. Just a moment ago, I thought about a way to avoid the fight, but… they probably plan to surround us and kill us even if I don’t agree to the duel. They’re full of murderous intent, and it wouldn’t be wise for us to let them go here. I foolishly thought that at the very least, I should sever their limbs’ nerves so they can never fight back again. ──Serena.”
”What?”
”You need to gather funds to avenge your brother, right? There’s no need to get your hands dirty in a petty fight like this.”
”You are an important ally. And I will never abandon my allies. I will protect you with pride.”
”Don’t put your pride on the line so easily. This isn’t about justice; it’s just a place for murder. Leave it to me. This is my problem. I don’t want to trouble you all.”
”But!”
”…Well, if you’re going to bring up pride, then I will too. I will face them all here with pride to move forward.”
”…So, you’re seriously going to accept their challenge as a warrior? Do you have a chance of winning?”
”If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be willing to accept the duel.”
”I see…”
Serena still looked like she wanted to say something but reluctantly backed down.
Her right hand remained on the hilt of her longsword.
If Kian got into danger, she would likely draw her sword without hesitation.
”I’m really sorry, Ms. Aliona. It was supposed to be just an investigation of the labyrinth, and now we’re caught up in this situation.”
”Don’t worry about me. Are you really okay? It’s not good to put on a brave face.”
”I’m fine. Please trust me. With the protection of a goddess like you, I am invincible.”
”Even at a time like this, flattery leaves me at a loss for a response…”
”────Three minutes!”
Funnelwing shouted loudly.
Adventurers who had been waiting in the wilderness began to approach in a group.
”Let’s hear your answer, ‘garbage scavenger’!”
”The duel will be fought by me alone. The two behind me are unrelated. Absolutely do not interfere.”
”Hehe, that’s a good mindset. We don’t want to engage in unnecessary killing either. …Ms. Serena, and you, madam over there, please step out into the wilderness. It would be terrible if a stray arrow hit you.”
”Hahaha, hey, ‘garbage scavenger’! You’re with us! It’s a one-way ride to hell!”
The delinquent monk Rosen said this in a crazed high-pitched voice, pointing at the ‘Labyrinth of Roses.’ It seemed he intended to fight in the square in front of the maze.
”Kian…! Good luck in battle!”
For some reason, Serena stepped forward with a slightly tearful expression, while Aliona quietly clasped her hands together.
Kian raised his right hand in response to them and moved forward until he was surrounded by Rosen, standing in front of the ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ wall.
”Not yet!”
Funnelwing stood in front of the Roses wall, holding his greatsword on his back, and with determination, he slashed at the Roses wall.
The wall was easily cut through, opening the entrance to the maze.
Inside was a rectangular garden, about the same size as the current plaza.
It seemed that the master of the labyrinth was also showing interest in this grand spectacle.
It was just the right space for a duel.
”If you go inside, you won’t have their support. If you’re scared, you can always run away, you know?”
”I’m not planning to run.”
Calmly, Kian stepped into the duel space surrounded by the Roses wall.
The Funnelwing members who followed him drew their weapons, surrounding Kian.
”23 against one──it’s not going to be a one-on-one, is it? You’re all coming at me at once.”
As he pulled out his wooden sword from his back, Kian glanced at those with crossbows aimed at him.
Seven in the vanguard.
Eight in the rearguard.
Five were in the skirmish line──more like they were inexperienced in battle and were floundering about.
The Funnelwing’s ‘Falcon Brigade’ stood directly in front of Kian.
”This is really a lynch. Can’t you face the enemy without grouping up? Cowards.”
”Call it being cautious. …Everyone, be careful! This guy uses strange techniques!”
Holding his greatsword at the ready, Funnelwing’s handsome face twisted in determination.
The male and female adventurers in the vanguard readied their large daggers.
”Hey, vanguard team, let’s all charge at once!”
”Haha! I’ll cut that off and stuff it up your ass! Self-an(l-fuck!”
”Franciska, start the chant!”
”Uh, okay, Senior Rosen… Spirits, spirits, please!”
A flawed magician named Franciska, who doesn’t even understand the laws of magic, begins to pray to the heavens.
Kian opens his mouth while carefully observing his surroundings.
”Can I ask just one thing before we start?”
”What is it?”
”Not you, Funnelwing. I’m talking to the 20 adventurers around you. Do you all have a reason to kill me? Some of you I’ve never even spoken to before.”
”Huh? What are you talking about?”
The female thief from the vanguard snickered.
”If we kill a low-level adventurer, we get paid by the ‘Falcon Brigade’!”
”I’m just frustrated after being fired! I want to kill you just because!”
”It’s your fault I got fired, ‘garbage scavenger’! That’s why I’m going to kill you!”
”That black coat of yours looks like it could sell for a good price! I’ll kill you, strip it off, and use the money for tonight’s drinks!”
Kian sighed at the adventurers who were shouting these things.
”I see. So, you’re all just a bunch of trash.”
”Huh? The trash is you, ‘garbage scavenger’! If you try to sneak away, I’ll kill you!”
(They really don’t get it. Are they on drugs or something?)
’Hoho. What amusing clowns they are. No need to worry. Enjoy bathing in blood and make it your sustenance.’
(I don’t need to be told that.)
Kian summoned the magic power sleeping within him and enveloped it around his wooden sword.
He positioned the sword in a ready stance, shifting his position while constantly scanning left and right.
Funnelwing shouted.
”Go! Kill him!”
* * *
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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