Chapter 156: The Battle for Harang (2)

“Hoho, this is quite amusing. The kingdom’s top talent, Sir Ransel Grantz, facing off against Marzen’s stalwart, Patriarch Philip Portville.”

“…”

“What do you think? Who’ll win? Ransel Grantz seems the likely victor, doesn’t he? Of course, Patriarch Portville’s experience can’t be ignored, but that alone won’t be enough to handle one of the top three in the capital.”

“…”

The beggar old man, suddenly appearing and casually predicting the duel’s outcome.

I, Harang, silently observed him.

‘I know now. There’s no beggar like this in the world.’

At first, I didn’t suspect a thing.

It was only natural.

With my limited experience, I lacked the common sense to form biases or stereotypes about what a “beggar” should be.

I dismissed his unusual behavior and vast knowledge as insignificant.

But traveling with Sheratiya Viyan changed that.

No beggar was like him.

Not in the Nadan Kingdom.

Not in the Crove Kingdom.

Not in any other city or village—none thought beyond daily survival.

Only this old man displayed insight beyond a beggar, astonishing me.

So… I wasn’t surprised.

Even though he slipped past the Portville family’s numerous guards to stand beside me, it felt natural that he could.

‘The strange thing is… why reveal his strength now after hiding it all this time?’

I vividly remembered.

A year and a half ago, when I trained the Eddy Mercenary Corps for their confrontation with the Portville family, this old man had fainted—or pretended to—under my presence.

Why, then, could he now follow me effortlessly without a hint of strain?

My thoughts grew tangled.

A cascade of questions overwhelmed me, leaving me unsure of what to say.

But that moment didn’t last long.

“…Do you know about the village?”

A question thrown out impulsively.

The sudden mention of “village” made the beggar old man’s eyes waver, if only for a moment.

I could tell.

This old man knew exactly what I meant!

Certain of this, I unleashed a sharp, narrow aura, like a long needle, aimed at the unassuming old man’s vulnerable spots.

…But he didn’t care.

Focused solely on my words, he wore a serious expression, lost in thought, before finally speaking.

“Harang.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“I can roughly guess what you think of me.”

“…”

“You must be very anxious. If it were just you, maybe not, but now you have precious connections, don’t you? Eddy, Pale, Thomas, Kennedy, Glen, Darren… and the rest of the mercenary corps. Not to mention Lady Sheratiya Viyan, Philip Portville, and Hagio, the orphanage teacher.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, it’s not a threat. It may be hard to believe, but… I’m not the kind of being you’re worried about. I can’t say I’m entirely unrelated, but I can assure you here and now that I will never harm you or those around you, no matter what happens.”

“…”

“Of course, it’s hard to believe. Haha… If I could, I’d show you my heart.”

“I don’t understand.”

I unleashed a fiercer aura and spoke.

“Why reveal your hidden strength now? Is it because something in your heart has changed? You’re showing what you’ve concealed, trying to have a deeper conversation with me, aren’t you? So… why are you still speaking so vaguely and frustratingly? Elder, what’s going on in your head?”

I couldn’t raise my voice.

If I did, Ransel Grantz and Philip Portville, about to start their duel, would notice our stealth.

So my voice, instead of growing louder, turned into a low, beastly growl.

The beggar old man’s expression hardened, his eyes growing complex and subtle.

I couldn’t decipher it.

The emotions within were too many, like tangled threads—unless I sliced them apart with my sword, I’d learn nothing.

With that thought, I wore a grim expression.

My hand moved to the sword at my waist.

Being caught didn’t matter anymore.

I needed to uncover the secrets.

About the village.

About the beggar old man.

Resolved, I was about to take my final step when—

“How about this?”

The beggar old man’s mouth opened.

After a moment’s hesitation, I answered a few seconds later.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to fight you. Not now, not ever. But I don’t have the confidence or courage to answer your questions right now. I’m sorry, truly sorry. Following you today wasn’t calculated. It was an impulse. One I’ve suppressed for decades… but I still don’t know if this is the right choice.”

“So what are you proposing?”

“…A bet.”

“A bet?”

“Yes, a bet. Phew…”

Exhaling deeply, the beggar old man looked ahead.

Ransel Grantz and Philip Portville, who had been arguing, finally drew their swords and unleashed their aura.

Wooong.

Wooooong-!

A pair of sharp Aura Swords rose.

They radiated keen intent toward each other, and the beggar old man, watching, spoke.

“Who do you think will win?”

“What?”

“I’ll let you choose first. If the person you pick wins this duel… I’ll tell you everything I know. Without hesitation, all of it.”

“…”

“Why that look?”

“It’s nothing.”

I shook my head.

Then I looked at Ransel Grantz and Philip Portville.

My thoughts hadn’t changed.

Philip Portville’s swordsmanship had improved recently, but it wasn’t enough to threaten Ransel Grantz.

I voiced this honestly and added a question.

“Why propose such an absurd bet?”

“What’s that?”

“You know, don’t you? Patriarch Portville can’t beat Ransel Grantz.”

“Hoho… You think so?”

“At least from what I see. And I believe you see it the same way.”

“I see, I see.”

“…”

I was about to say more but closed my mouth.

I turned my gaze to the duel that had just begun.

I still didn’t understand.

Why add this pointless process when he could just tell me?

Was it to delay as much as possible?

Why?

Having revealed this much, why hesitate at the very end?

‘…I’ll find out soon enough.’

I nodded.

Yes, I’d know soon.

Whether the old man was from the village.

Or from those who freed me from it.

Or perhaps a third party connected to them… I’d know shortly.

At least, I thought so until five minutes into the duel.

But—

“…”

“This doesn’t seem like the right day to tell my story.”

The duel was decided.

Or rather, it was nearly settled.

Shockingly, the outcome defied my expectations.

Ransel Grantz, who had the upper hand early on, looked exhausted, while Philip Portville, though struggling, relentlessly pressed his attack.

I glanced to the side.

The beggar old man’s calm expression came into view.

That’s when I realized.

Frowning, I glared at him and said.

“…You knew. That Patriarch Portville would win.”

“At least from what I saw.”

“How did you know?”

“What?”

“To me… Ransel Grantz’s victory seemed certain.”

I still couldn’t believe it.

In technique.

In physical condition.

In the sharpness of his Aura Sword, Ransel Grantz was clearly superior.

I thought Philip Portville had more total aura, but that alone wasn’t enough to tip the scales.

Yet the result was unexpected.

From the mid-point, as if awakened or possessed, Patriarch Portville overwhelmed his opponent, leading me to conclude the old man had known this outcome all along.

That meant—

‘This old man sees things I can’t!’

With that thought, I looked at the beggar old man with a more serious gaze.

He was strong.

Stronger than I thought.

Stronger than Konjinyu, the leader of Acanthus.

Stronger than the Mercenary King Austin.

Perhaps…

‘Even stronger than Sword Master Heitz!’

My mind snapped awake.

Sweat ran down my spine.

I pushed the Delkaro Kingdom Aura Cultivation Method to its limits to ease the tension gripping my body, but it wasn’t easy.

The realization of his presence, his shadow, steadily gnawed at my heart.

“Calm down.”

Whooosh-!

“…!”

Then, a calm voice flowed from the old man’s mouth.

Astonishingly, the tension eating at me melted away like snow.

Haha, I let out a small, hollow laugh.

The gap was immense.

From a height I couldn’t fathom, he looked down at me.

A complete defeat.

A humiliation.

The first time I felt such defeat without swinging my sword, except against the village’s General Manager.

“You don’t need to blame yourself.”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course. You’re strong. The problem is the enemies you must face are even stronger… but that’s a matter time will solve. You might think time is short, but from what I can tell, you still have some leeway. I haven’t fully grasped what the ‘village’ is thinking, but…”

“…You still won’t reveal who you are?”

“I don’t know myself. Honestly, I’m too scared and afraid to say anything.”

“…”

“Let’s meet again. Oh, and by the way… pay close attention to Philip Portville’s sword and the emotions he holds. They could be the key to your next level.”

Swish.

With those words, the beggar old man vanished instantly.

I stared in the direction he disappeared for a long, long time.

And I thought—

‘Afraid? Someone of his caliber?’

My expression hardened.

A stifling feeling, like something heavy in my chest, persisted, and the old man’s evasive gaze lingered in my mind.

‘Perhaps…’

The village might be a far more formidable organization than I thought.

A shadow fell over my expression.

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