I Became the Martial God's Youngest Disciple Episode 270

Episode 270

For so reason, this mont felt much more uncomfortable than when those heroes ganged up on . I asked myself the reason why and ca up with a surprisingly simple answer: It was probably because there was no obvious reason for their malice. They laughed just to laugh, mocked just to mock, and hated just to hate.

I hated such people. They had perfect working brains, but chose not to think.

I stepped forward, deliberately making my footsteps loud. Then the attention of those in the room shifted to .

"Uh, sir?"

Ramon's gaze was among them. I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to his feet. He looked especially shabby as he stood there.

I asked, "Senior, why are you so light? Did you not eat breakfast?"

Ramon's face turned red again. It was strange. The one who should have felt ashad right now wasn't Ramon, but those surrounding him.

Still, I deliberately didn't say anything and kept my mouth shut. Regardless of the reason, it wouldn't be very pleasant for a senior to show himself kneeling to a newcor.

The guy who had been trampling on Ramon's head pointed at and demanded, "Who are you? You don't seem to be from a lesser race."

I grabbed the finger of the guy who had just asked a stupid question.

He flinched and glared at , exclaiming, "What do you think—"

"Have you ever had a broken finger?"

"What?"

"It's more inconvenient than you think. It takes a long ti to heal. Since you're an office worker, you probably won't be able to hold a pen for a while."

"What the hell—"

There was a crack, and a desperate scream rang out.

"You look like you're in your thirties, but you're whining like this," I remarked.

Maybe it wasn't just whining. After all, those who weren't martial artists generally didn't have much tolerance for pain. This was why I usually tried to avoid having conflicts with people who hadn't learned martial arts. I usually had no intention of fighting unless soone blatantly picked a fight with .

It was the sa for breaking the man's finger like this. It wasn't satisfying and left with a bitter taste. Still, I had to endure it for now. This guy was the one who'd acted rudely first, so he had to pay the price for it.

"What a rude action!"

"How dare you do sothing like this?!"

However, the others here seed to think I was the one who was rude, based on the way they were glaring and talking.

"Sir." I patted Ramon on the shoulder. It was a signal for him to not worry, but I wasn't sure if he understood it.

In any case, there were a few talented people around who looked like guards, but they were below the level of C-class heroes at most. That ant I could take care of all of them in the ti it took to yawn.

"Does it make sense for mbers of the rchant guild to be lacking in business ethics?" I suddenly asked.

"What?" one person exclaid.

"I don't think so. A rchant company would calculate the profit and loss first, even if trading with the enemy."

I'd heard that from Zeros Silver, a classmate at the training camp, during our journey to the capital.

I continued, "Then what is with all of you? Teper is such a big city, but the rchant guild here can't distinguish between public and private matters?"

At this mont, a new person appeared from behind the reception desk. "Young hero, your words are quite sharp."

From my prejudiced point of view, he looked like a typical rchant. He was fat, half-bald, and even wore glasses.

I asked, "Who are you?"

"The branch manager of this guild."

If he was the branch manager, he had to be a veteran who had experienced many things. He must've pulled off countless high-stakes deals where a single misstep could cost him everything. Perhaps since he had been through a lot of turmoil, his gaze was definitely different. It carried weight, and not just because he was fat. In any case, the branch manager in a city as large as Teper was likely soone most nobles couldn't treat carelessly, whether it was in terms of wealth or fa.

However, I didn't want to speak politely to anyone in the guild, so I just nodded slightly.

Was he really the branch manager? Despite my rudeness, the fat man still continued talking to with a slight smile.

"Platinum blond hair and purple eyes. In addition, a sword with a strange form. Are you the Golden Fairy Luan Badniker, who has recently been making a na for yourself and who won a series of battles against the strong people of Heroes?"

This was definitely the rchant guild. As expected of a branch manager, he was pretty nimble when it ca to information, even if he wasn't physically. Indeed, it had been quite so ti since I arrived in Teper, so it was natural for rumors to spread.

I once again didn't feel like responding, so I nodded and an unrelated mory ca to mind. It was sothing the Iron-Blooded Lord had said back in the capital.

-You should have at least one or two false identities.

Now I knew the reason why. Fa could seem attractive to ordinary people, but it wasn't necessarily a good thing.

In the middle of a war, a na that was famous would carry great value. Sotis, its presence alone could change the course of a war.

However, the fight against the Dark Church usually took place in the shadows. It could be called a war, but it wasn't the type where the sides clashed in the center of the battlefield with clear attacks and defenses.

Thus, fa was a burden. It was no different from walking through a forest full of enemies at midnight with a torch.

Like a fla, fa could offer warmth, embrace , and relieve my tension. However, it could be the sa fla that allowed enemies lurking in the darkness to find with perfect precision.

"It is nice to et the famous Golden Fairy. Then, allow to officially introduce myself. I am Hair, the branch manager of Teper."

He looked three tis older than , but I deliberately spoke informally. "Yes, Branch Manager. Can I ask you one question first?"

Nevertheless, the man maintained a calm expression. I thought, Fat bastard.

"Ask it."

"Why is your training for your employees so poor?"

He said nothing.

"I only arrived halfway through, but just that was enough to make angry. Even though my senior explained his personal situation, they laughed at him, made fun of him, and misinterpreted his words. I might still be a newcor who doesn't know much about rchant companies, but isn't the rchant guild supposed to conduct trade based on trust? There was so much fuss over a carriage rental. So how is your employee going to handle anything bigger in the future?"

Hair looked into my eyes. His eyes were like small grains buried in flesh, yet there was a sharpness to them. He thought for a mont before saying, "It seems there has been so kind of misunderstanding. I apologize for their rudeness."

It was a gentle admission of wrongdoing, but that only made angrier. I could tell Hair was giving in due to my fa and background, not out of genuine remorse.

I wanted to overthrow this entire rchant guild, but now he wasn't taking the bait even when I openly provoked him. It ant I didn't have a solid reason to further press the issue.

However, I could at least slap the guy who was glaring at . "What's wrong with your look? You don't seem to want to apologize."

"Galon, what kind of rudeness is this? Apologize right away."

The employee with red cheeks bowed to and said with a voice full of anger, "I'm sorry."

This was what I wanted. However, I smiled and said, "This isn't enough."

"Huh?"

"My senior bowed even lower than this. He kneeled down as if prostrating himself."

The guy called Galon seed to have a lot of pride. He bit his lip in anger, but Hair nudged him in the back and he fell to his knees in surprise.

"I'm really sorry. Please forgive my rudeness. It won't happen again."

"Senior," I said.

"Y-yes?" Ramon exclaid.

"Step on this guy's head."

Galon's body trembled as his head was pressed to the ground.

The startled Ramon looked at with a confused expression.

I tilted my head in a genuinely puzzled manner and asked, "What is it? Don't you have to pay back what you received?"

"I-I'm really fine."

"Really? I understand." I'd expected this type of reaction.

I walked over to Galon, who was probably relieved, and stepped on his head. I remarked, "Were you called Garlic?"

"G-Galon."

"The back of your head is pretty flat. It's perfect for stepping on. How does my shoe feel? I bought a new pair to go to the north."

He said nothing.

He was older than , so I deliberately spoke as if he was immature. "Young man, act like a gentleman."

"Yes." Perhaps out of anger or sha, his voice trembled as he responded.

Then I finally stepped away and looked at the branch manager, saying, "Now, let's talk about compensation."

"What compensation?"

"It is compensation for ntal damages. You are not seriously thinking about settling everything because I hit him a few tis, right?"

A crack appeared in the branch manager's expression for the first ti. Using informal speech hadn't seed to faze him, so I'd deliberately switched to being polite. Maybe that affected him. Or maybe my absurd demand had finally crossed the line.

"What more could you want?" he asked.

"We agreed to rent a carriage in the first place, so let's follow the contract. Give us the carriage. Of course, it will be at no extra cost. It also isn't a rental, but a purchase. I want it to be bigger, better, and more expensive than the original carriage. Ah, well, I'll still pay for it. It will be the amount written in the original contract."

"Huh?" The branch manager looked at with a distorted expression. "You are saying you want to buy a carriage at the rental price? And also a much better one?"

"Yes."

"Don't you know how absurd that is?"

"What is absurd about it? You tried to unilaterally break the deal and failed. As such, you should take a loss."

"What if I don't comply?"

"I will report you."

The branch manager sneered. "To whom? The Iron-Blooded Lord?"

"No, I will tell the Hero Society."

"What?"

I also sneered. "The fact that you have a guild branch in Teper probably ans you have a pretty close relationship with the headquarters chief, right? He is practically the lord here."

From what I saw, the one who handled the actual paperwork seed to be the silver-haired man beside him. His na was Jero, if I rembered correctly.

I deliberately feigned ignorance as I continued, "I bet you had to have proven your credibility for a long ti to gain this branch store, right? You have done a lot of business and want to do a lot more. Otherwise, there would be no way you would be able to set up a branch in such an expensive spot."

The branch manager was speechless.

"Then what would happen if he found out that the business partner he trusted so much broke a contract over sothing as trivial as emotions?" I looked at the branch manager's stiff expression and continued, "Well, the deal probably wouldn't break right away. However, the headquarters chief I t was a strict and thorough person. Maybe he would consider making a deal with another rchant company. He can't continue to trust a partner whose emotions take precedence over profit."

After saying that, I looked behind and called out to Ramon. "Senior?"

"Y-yes?"

"Do you have the carriage rental docunts and contract docunts?"

"O-of course."

Naturally, I believed he would have them. Ramon was the one who had written such a strict contract for . He was probably the only administrator of Corrupted. Such a person would never forget a mutual contract signed with the rchant guild.

Most likely, these guys had distributed the papers to both sides because they knew there was nothing Ramon could do to them.

However, the value of a weapon varied depending on whose hands they were in.

The branch manager argued, "There is no way a B-class hero could get a private eting with the headquarters chief..."

I couldn't help laughing. This was what he ca up with after all that thinking?

"Do you think I am only B-class? ? Really? The Golden Fairy?"

"What else is there?" the branch manager wondered.

"I am a vigilante personally appointed by the headquarters chief. I am a next generation hero he trusts, relies on, and expects great things from," I answered.

"Vigilante? Hah! Then show your hero badge."

"Why my hero badge?"

"If you are truly a vigilante, the back of your hero badge should have an owl symbol engraved."

The branch manager seed to regain his confidence after seeing my reaction and sneered. "You didn't know that? Yet you are impersonating a vigilante. It seems you are a rookie who doesn't fear the laws of the Hero Society."

Was that so? I had never heard of it before. I'd received the B-class hero badge but never checked the back. So, I took it out and checked it.

"Ah. Is it this?"

There really was an owl symbol.

The branch manager looked at , dumbfounded.

***

"T-that was amazing! Sir! You actually convinced those stubborn and stupid bastards with words! Thanks to you, we got to rent such a wonderful carriage! It is my first ti riding a carriage like this!"

"This is not a rental. It was given to us. It is also thanks to Senior's good docuntation. I'm glad that you are so ticulous."

"Uh... Why are you using formal speech again? You can feel free to talk to politely."

"Um. Then I'll mix it up. It will be half formal and half informal."

"Yes!"

I grinned. Then I glanced back and looked at the sign of the rchant guild again. I thought I had seen this ugly gold coin pattern sowhere before. I narrowed my eyes before soon realizing where I had seen it.

"Ah!"

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Let's go."

"Yes! Then I'll go and pick up the carriage!"

I watched Ramon running excitedly before pulling sothing out. It was a dagger that had been given to by one of my brothers in the capital. At the end of the dagger, I could see a pattern that could be a gold coin.

"No wonder it was strangely familiar."

I stood in an alleyway alone and laughed like a madman.

***

In the rchant guild, after Luan and Ramon left, Hair called Galon to his office and patted him on the shoulder.

"You have suffered."

"Yes."

"Is your finger okay? Would you like to use a potion?"

"I'm okay. Rather, I don't understand it, Branch Manager. Why do we have to suffer such humiliation from a filthy lesser race?"

"It can't be helped. That was the Badnikers' Golden Fairy. He seems more important than I thought. He isn't just strong. He's eloquent and cunning..."

"So what are you going to do now?"

Galon knew that Hair wouldn't let this go. The man in front of him was a rchant who hated the lesser races more than anyone else.

"Don't worry. They will pay the price."

"Will it be okay? The other person is a Badniker."

"The Iron-Blooded Lord can't pressure us without just cause. He knows how to distinguish between private and public matters. Besides, we still have justification. You know, right? That disgusting alien race clan, Corrupted, already owes a huge sum of money to our rchant group."

Galon's expression brightened. He began, "That ans..."

"You should make the most of the contracts. Now they will learn how horrible it is to owe money to rchants. Also..." The corners of Hair's mouth twisted. "They will know what will happen if they cross us, the Zyren Trading Company."