[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Chapter 66: I'll Let You Live
How far had I walked?
"Hey, you—yeah, the guy with dog-like face. Got a minute to chat?"
Finally, sothing took the bait. I turned around with a wide grin.
“Oh, you called for ?”
There they were—five n standing there, trying their best to look tough. A bunch of nobodies just barely making it to the 1st-tier, huh.
But then, I spotted the massive spider tattoos etched across their faces.
‘Jackpot.’
How could they bite the bait the mont I threw the line?
“Today must be my lucky day.”
I spoke like a hunter who had stumbled upon his prey after days of trailing it.
“Lucky? Are you sure you’re not confusing ‘lucky’ with ‘unlucky’?”
“Why would I? Don’t be stupid.”
The man in his mid-30s, who had just been insulted out of nowhere, chuckled dryly.
“Well, this is wild. What the hell are you relying on to run your mouth like that?”
"Of course, I believe in the Lord, my spiritual guide and shepherd."
“A devout little priest strolling in here alone at this hour? What are you, drunk on sin and debauchery?”
“Sharp guess, but no.”
I studied the man, who seed to be probing , trying to figure out who or what I was.
“So, are you the district guards? The law enforcent? Vigilantes? The terror of the streets? Flas of righteousness? Legendary swordsn? Masters of martial arts? Protectors of the night?”
“…Is this guy mocking us?”
“Oh.”
Thankfully, they had enough brainpower to recognize sarcasm. That was… sowhat surprising.
“Who sent you?”
The man asked.
“What are you even talking about?”
Such baseless accusations were honestly insulting.
“Sent ? Who’d send here?”
If anything, it was fate that brought here. But even I had to admit saying sothing like that would make sound like an idiot, so I kept it to myself.
“You ca here looking for trouble, right? Spill it, bastard. Was it One-Eye who sent you? Or Hook-Hand?”
“I’ve no idea who they are, but what pathetic nicknas. Why are none of them in one piece?”
Then again, in a place like this, it was probably hard to stay intact.
I walked right up to the five rough-looking thugs.
“By the way, where’d you get those tattoos? I can’t even tell if it’s a spider or an ant.”
“…What?”
“If you’re going to get inked, at least pay for a good artist. Doesn’t your organization cover that?”
“...Hah!”
That seed to hit a nerve. The man who looked like the leader swaggered up to .
“You really don’t get it, do you? Just tell who sent you if you don’t want to die, you little punk.”
I replied with complete indifference.
“Stop right there.”
“…What?”
“It’s honestly shocking how careless you are. Is it because you’ve got numbers on your side? If I had been serious, you’d already be dead five tis over.”
“!”
At my words, the man flinched slightly, but he quickly pointed at the tattoo on his arm, trying not to lose face.
“Do you even know what this tattoo ans? It’s proof that we’re backed by none other than the famous Bisakino Brotherhood.”
I looked at the man flaunting his supposed connections and let out a chuckle.
'Oh, you little street rats. You're adorable.'
The group laughed as if I was the joke.
“Boss, this bastard’s laughing at us.”
“Lost his damn mind, hasn’t he?”
I gestured at them casually.
“I don’t care if your so-called backers are the Bisakino Brotherhood or the Three Little Pigs. At best, you're just a lower-level sub-organization of a sub-organization who can barely lick these guys' shoes, yet you act so high and mighty."
“...!”
The color drained from their faces at my brazen insult toward the Bisakino Brotherhood or whoever they thought was protecting them.
“You must be out of your mind.”
Their leader barked sternly, trying to reassert his dominance.
“Watch your mouth, kid. No one in this district has ever insulted the Bisakino Brotherhood and walked away with their tongue intact.”
Hearing that kind of pompous threat from a third-rate gang of street thugs made laugh again. They were really on a roll today.
“Pathetic assholes. That’s what I call ‘A fox borrowing the tiger’s authority.’”
“What the hell did you just say?”
“The quality of your weapons, your clothes, your tattoos, your fighting skills—all of it screams that you’re nothing but bottom-feeders. You’re so insignificant you’re not even worth dirtying my hands over. Go fetch your boss instead.”
Their response to my sincere advice?
“This guy’s nuts.”
“He’s completely out of it.”
“Should we just kill him?”
“Let’s chop his damn head off and toss it into the sea!”
The leader nodded at their chorus of angry voices.
“Do it. I give you permission.”
At his command, weapons appeared from all directions as if on cue—knives, daggers, hatchets, maces, spears...
“Wow, that’s so collection. Just judging by the arsenal, I'd say you're so kind of fancy rcenary group.”
The leader sneered at , noticing that I wasn’t drawing a weapon of my own.
“And you? Barehanded, huh?”
I casually brushed my fingers over the bracelet hidden beneath my long sleeve. These guys weren’t even worth unsheathing my sword.
“Yeah, for now.”
“…You’re seriously insane, aren’t you?”
They must have decided I wasn’t anyone worth worrying about. The tension in their faces gave way to cocky smirks.
“I don't know where you ca from, but did you think you could take us on with your bare hands?”
“Yep.”
“Unbelievable. Boys!”
The leader raised his blade, giving the order.
“Kill him!”
Weapons ca flying toward in a chaotic frenzy. It wasn’t a coordinated attack—just a reckless flailing of steel.
‘But they were determined to kill .’
That sealed their fate.
I twisted the wrist of the thug holding a mace, disard the one with the hatchet, and brought it down on his arm in one fluid motion.
“Aaargh!”
The scream was pitifully mournful.
I smashed the shaft of a spear clumsily aid at my side with the hatchet, splintering it cleanly. Without pause, I hurled the broken shaft straight into the collarbone of the thug wielding a dagger.
“Gaaaah!”
As the dagger clattered to the ground from his pain-wracked hands, I kicked it up with my foot and caught it mid-air.
“Die, you bastard!”
A blade ca crashing toward as though chopping firewood. I ducked under it, dodging narrowly, and struck back—slashing through the side of his torso and severing the femoral artery in his thigh.
Spurt!
The swordsman collapsed, blood gushing from his leg and side, dying in monts.
“Eeeek!”
As one thug turned and fled, I hurled the dagger into the back of his head.
Thunk.
Another one down.
“...”
Now, only one remained—a wiry man who had been wielding a spear earlier. He stood frozen in place before .
“You’re lucky.” I said calmly.
“H-hic...”
The man pissed himself.
I had fought with brutality matching the savagery of their own thods, and my ruthlessness had utterly shattered his nerve.
“The mont you decided I was an easy target, you ca at with the intent to kill. That’s why you’re all dead now.”
“S-spare ... I-I didn’t know who I was ssing with...”
Just then—
Whoosh!
Sensing the dagger flying at from behind, I instinctively raised a hand to the back of my head.
“!!!”
Without even looking, I caught it mid-air.
The piss-soaked man in front of started foaming at the mouth.
“Gkkk!”
“Why are you the one freaking out? I’m the one who should be surprised.”
I said, shaking my head.
Slap!
I struck his cheek hard enough to knock him unconscious but not kill him.
“Idiot. If you can’t throw a knife properly, why even bother trying?”
I threw the dagger back to him as he backed away in a crouching position
“Here, take it back.”
The man clutched at his throat where the dagger had lodged, collapsing to the ground.
“That.”
I said, watching him fall.
“Is how you throw a knife. Maybe study up on so manuals next ti.”
If there even is a next life for you.
I sighed, looking down at my hand where a shallow cut had ford from catching the blade. A trickle of blood ran down my palm.
‘Hmph, I didn’t manage to catch that part in ti.’
If it were soone like Ulbhild, they would’ve sensed the attack before it even happened. I was still a step behind in comparison.
“Well, blocking it is enough, I guess.”
Without thinking, I licked the blood from the small wound. Fortunately, none of these idiots had thought to coat their blades with poison.
“You two.”
I gestured at the thug whose wrist I’d twisted earlier and the one whose shoulder I’d crushed with the hatchet.
“Y-yes!”
“Co here.”
Grasping at their knees, they crawled towards .
“Now, remind —what did you say earlier? Sothing about whether I could take you all on barehanded?”
I pointed the dagger toward the one who had been acting all high and mighty before.
“That… I’m sorry!”
I slapped the man across the face, hard. He rolled his eyes back and collapsed unconscious. Watching him crumple, I turned to the guy with the mace and asked.
“Do you think we can have a constructive conversation now?”
“W-what kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
“Nonsense? Haha.”
I scratched my cheek before grabbing him by the hair and slamming his head into the ground.
Once. Twice. Three tis. And then…
“Please, stop! I’m begging you!”
Before the fourth slam, he scread desperately.
“Still talking down to , huh? I just gave you a chance to live, but you’re running your mouth wrong. You planning to die for that?”
The thug’s face turned pale.
“I-I’m sorry! Please, just spare my life, sir!”
Only then did I let go of his hair. Blood and teeth scattered onto the ground.
“Spare you?”
“Yes, yes! I beg of you!”
“Good. Now you’re finally ready to talk.”
Karzan wasn’t the kind of man to show rcy to his enemies.
These thugs had already tried to kill by ganging up on while I was unard.
If I had been as weak as they assud, I’d already be a corpse tossed into the sea. Showing leniency to scum like this wasn’t my style.
“From now on, you’re going to answer my questions. And just so we’re clear—if you try to hide anything, play mind gas, suddenly clam up out of so misplaced sense of loyalty, or pull any kind of stupid stunt—”
I paused, eting his trembling gaze. The fear in his eyes suggested he wouldn’t dare, but I finished my statent calmly.
“I’ll break all your limbs and wake up your unconscious buddy over there to show him the ss I’ve made of you. So make the smart choice. I’m looking forward to it.”
“...!”
The thug shook violently, consud by terror.
I knew well that cold, unflinching hostility was what n like him feared most.
“I-I’ll tell you everything!”
“Good.”
That’s more like it.
In a much softer tone, I said.
“Now, tell everything you know about your organization.”
“W-why do you need to know that…?”
So I can figure out whether it’s worth taking over.
Of course, I didn’t owe him any explanation.
“Questions I didn’t permit are off-limits. Take note.”
“!”
“So, are you going to talk or not? I don’t have ti to waste. Let’s get straight to the point.”
“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!”
“Good. Smart choice.”
If the information proved useful, I’d consider letting him live. After all, I was a man who kept his promises.
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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