Chapter 159: The City Where Monsters Live (2)
“…”
Three hours after the scuffle with the burly youth.
As the sky darkened, Xanthos Bogen came to with a blank expression.
‘What just happened?’
He remembered throwing a punch.
His fist speeding toward the youth’s smug face—clearly.
But no memory of landing it.
And now he was lying on the street.
“Ugh!”
It hurt.
Xanthos Bogen touched his eye.
It was swollen. Badly.
No wonder his right vision felt narrow—it was the swelling.
“…”
Sitting on the ground, he gathered his thoughts.
The conclusion was already there.
With this much context, he wasn’t foolish enough to miss it.
He had lost.
‘But how?’
He wasn’t the strongest.
Just the second-best in the mid-sized Nadan Kingdom—plenty were stronger across the continent.
The elders of the Seed Swordsmanship Hall, the south’s top martial group, could easily handle him.
But…
‘Was my skill so poor that I lost to a kid like that?’
Shock.
And self-loathing.
Confusion clouded his eyes.
How could he accept that he, a Graduate for twenty years, was knocked out by a young man’s punch?
It was unthinkable.
‘Right. Something’s wrong. He must’ve been deceptively youthful. Or wearing a mask!’
That vile bastard!
Inducing carelessness with a youthful face and ambushing him?
Xanthos Bogen fumed, snorting.
Of course, Hagio hadn’t ambushed or tricked him.
But he was desperate.
Without thinking this way, he couldn’t salvage his shattered pride, so he searched for reasons for his defeat.
‘Right. His trickery and ambush were part of it, but I wasn’t at my best.’
‘Eating garbage food in shitty lodgings, I couldn’t rest properly. My condition was the worst.’
‘That sneaky, filthy bastard… targeting me at my weakest? Fine, I’ll have my revenge. After resting in the inner district, I’ll find you and repay today’s humiliation twofold!’
Thud!
Finishing his thoughts, Xanthos Bogen stood.
He strode toward the inner district.
There was a brief commotion with the gatekeepers, but showing his identity plaque made them tremble and usher him in.
‘That’s right. This is how it should be!’
Who was he?
A high-ranking noble!
Not just by blood but as the kingdom’s second-strongest, respected by knights.
This treatment was his due.
Smiling smugly, he spoke to the gatekeepers.
“Is there a decent inn in the inner district where I can stay?”
“You’re looking for lodging? I’ll guide you! It may not meet your standards, but I’ll take you to Marzen’s best!”
“Hmm, lead the way.”
The inn was beyond his expectations.
A magically temperature-controlled shower and a grand bath, like those in the capital.
Fresh seafood dishes despite being inland.
Attentive service in small details.
The bed was excellent too.
After sleeping in wretched conditions, a proper rest made him realize how poor his state had been.
‘That’s why. That’s why I was taken down by that brute without a fight.’
Feeling refreshed, Xanthos Bogen stretched and rose.
After a light raw meal instead of breakfast, he headed outside Marzen to check his condition.
He needed to swing his sword, but doing so in the city would collapse buildings with his aura.
Of course, this was partly his bravado, but he went to an empty lot outside Marzen and drew up his aura.
Wooooooong-!
He grinned broadly.
Satisfied.
A majestic aura surged through his body, manifesting as an Aura Sword on his blade.
The sharp, massive grayish-white energy vibrated with a wooong, woooong, ready to cleave heaven and earth.
Of course, there was no need for that.
The one he needed to cut was the burly youth from yesterday.
No, a sneaky being disguised as a youth.
‘If I meet him now, I could cut him down in one stroke.’
Not bravado.
Plain fact.
At least, that’s what he thought.
After warming up in the lot, he planned to visit an information guild to track down yesterday’s opponent.
‘Meeting Philip Portville and Harang comes after.’
His eyes blazed with vengeance.
A terrifying aura, enough to make ordinary people tremble, emanated from him.
People heading into Marzen’s gates detoured in fear, but he didn’t care.
It was too bothersome to move farther for their sake, and he thought it only right that commoners deferred to a high-ranking noble like him.
Of course, not everyone agreed.
“Hey.”
“…Did you just speak to me?”
“Yeah, you, dancing with a sword like a madman in broad daylight.”
“…”
“Don’t cause trouble and get lost.”
“…Haha, hahaha.”
Xanthos Bogen laughed incredulously.
It was only natural.
If the opponent were a middle-aged swordsman, he’d have squinted and sized them up, especially after yesterday.
But there was no need.
Barely twenty, if that.
Blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin untouched by sunlight.
Clearly a spoiled rich noble’s son.
For such a brat to speak so rudely, Xanthos Bogen couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.
‘…This feels eerily like yesterday.’
A fleeting unease crossed his mind, but he dismissed it.
Who was he?
The Nadan Kingdom’s second-strongest, a seasoned Graduate for twenty years!
His fatigue was gone.
Well-fed and rested in a luxury inn, his focus was at its peak.
“You’re done for.”
Wooong, wooooong!
Xanthos Bogen’s expression hardened.
His sword’s aura grew stronger.
A grim, sharp intent, only unleashed with killing intent, threatened the blond youth.
A chilling aura that could slice the air itself.
He didn’t plan to kill.
But he wanted to see him tremble, piss himself, and beg for mercy.
Only that would satisfy him, so he strode toward the youth, intensifying his aura.
Then—
Shing-!
Wooooooong-!
“What?”
The youth he thought a mere brat drew his sword and manifested an Aura Sword.
Not an Expert’s.
A Graduate’s perfected Aura Sword shone with majestic grace.
Xanthos Bogen was stunned.
But what followed was even more shocking.
Pop!
Claaaang-!
“…!”
The youth closed the distance instantly and swung.
Xanthos Bogen’s sword flew high, then stabbed into the ground far away.
Disarmed in a single move!
Eyes wide, he stared at his opponent’s impassive face.
The youth spoke.
“I won’t kill you. This is the outside world.”
“What? What does that…”
His words didn’t finish.
The youth’s attack continued.
Closing in further, he struck Xanthos Bogen’s abdomen with the sword’s hilt.
BOOM!
“…Urgh.”
Xanthos Bogen collapsed in a pathetic state.
Some merchants watching whistled, cheering the youth.
“…”
The youth didn’t care.
His only concern was Harang.
“…This isn’t even a warm-up.”
Muttering quietly, the youth, Gael, strode toward Marzen’s gates.
He resolved to win today.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself.
***
“…”
An unfamiliar ceiling.
That was Xanthos Bogen’s first thought upon waking.
He could guess what happened.
Some kind soul must have brought him here after he collapsed in the field.
A generous person.
Surely someone with a good heart.
But that thought didn’t last.
A far more shocking realization shook him.
‘Am I… actually really weak?’
He couldn’t help thinking so.
Getting thoroughly beaten without landing a blow—twice now.
And were his opponents strong?
No, just ordinary youths.
At least, that’s how they looked to him.
Sniffle-!
Suddenly overwhelmed, he shed tears.
He couldn’t stop.
Couldn’t control it.
He began to question his life.
‘What did I come here for?’
For his family’s prosperity?
For his son’s future?
Yes, that’s why he came, he recalled.
But in this situation, those things felt meaningless.
His shattered pride turned him from a swordsman into a middle-aged, old man.
“Sob, sob…”
Xanthos Bogen began wailing aloud.
A bucket for the defeat two days ago.
Another for today’s.
Without interruption, he might have cried until his body ran dry.
But that didn’t happen.
Instead, a deafening noise snapped him awake.
Kabooooom-!
Boom!
KABOOOM-!
“Eek!”
Xanthos Bogen let out a childish scream.
Normally, he wouldn’t, but his weakened state left him no choice.
He calmed his racing heart, grabbed his sword, and glanced around cautiously.
The deafening sounds continued.
Boom! Kaboom!
Clang-!
KABABABAM!
‘What’s this? A war? No, that’s nonsense. A war in this day and age?’
But the noise made it seem plausible.
It was so close, he felt he couldn’t stay still.
Wiping his tears, he rushed out the door toward the source.
And shortly after—
“…”
He witnessed it.
The blond youth who had defeated him.
And… the black-haired youth, Harang, who had drawn him to Marzen, clashing swords.
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