The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 149



Only Krnovel

Episode 149. One Friend Like That (4)

The children’s leader, Hurek, did not rise to the position simply because of his size.

Not only physical factors but also social background played a big role in Hurek becoming a captain. He was the eldest son of the most influential person in town, the office manager.

There was no one in the town who was not indebted to the clerk, and all the mercenaries, even the rough ones, were under the clerk’s command, so not only children but even adults did not dare to treat Hurek carelessly. Thanks to this, this little tyrant enjoyed unrivaled power in Maltana.

“Oh, if you don’t follow me, I’m going to split your skull into four bones… … .”

To Hurek, such a provocation was like a strange phenomenon that could never happen in the world.

‘What… … ? How dare you say such nonsense to me, Hurek… … ?’

It was a provocation by Dunsen, not another child. A crybaby, the most easy-going little boy, a living toy that suffers no harm even when its mother torments her for indebtedness, a provocation from ‘Dunsen’.

Hurek’s eyes grew bloodshot and he looked down at the boy who was a head smaller than him.

“Hey you… … . “Did I eat something wrong?”

“Now, you’ve made a mistake, don’t you think I’ve become like you… … ?”

“Oh, right… … . So you’re starting to want to lie down in the coffin, you son of a bitch?”

“… … Hehe, hehe.”

Dunsen flinches back as if asking when he was provoked. She took a step backwards, then turned around and ran away into the forest. Hurek’s face scrunched up and he shouted at the children.

“hey! Everyone chase that bastard! “If you catch me, I’ll tear off your head right away!”

““Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!””

Hurek and the children took up weapons and went in pursuit.

Dunsen was not easily caught up. Because he always played the role of running away, he became good at running. Still, it was difficult to beat Hurek, who chased after him like an enraged wild boar. The distance between the fugitive and the pursuer was narrowing by the minute.

“Stay right there, you punk!! If you don’t stop, I’ll really kill you!!”

But as he reached the depths of the forest, Dunsen actually stopped.

Dunsen swallowed his saliva and looked to the side. The children who followed also slowly slowed down and looked away. Then I stiffened like a rabbit facing a lion.

There sat the ‘Demon Slayer’.

“Huhhh!!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaa!!”

No, it was unclear whether he was really a ‘demon slayer’… … but anyway, there sat a barbarian mercenary with a vicious appearance that was enough to make one think so.

““… … .””

“… … .”

As the screams die down, there is a tense silence.

The barbarian exuded a breathtaking intimidation just by sitting still. The children all trembled and took a step back. Hurek also felt his anger disappear and his reed-like legs began to sway.

‘that’s right… … . You said you brought that mercenary, that bastard Abby, right? Damn it, you idiot… … . Since he can’t do it on his own, he’ll bring mercenaries to deal with us… … .’

But the savage just sat there like a rock, doing nothing. Hurek, who had been furrowing his eyebrows, soon guessed why.

‘… … aha? That mercenary, he was embarrassed when he saw me there?’

It was understandable. He was the son of an officer who commanded numerous mercenaries. No matter how evil a man was, he could not help but fear the consequences… …. Slowly regaining his confidence, Hyurek was about to negotiate with the barbarian to side with him instead of the little boy.

Duncan asks cautiously after observing the situation.

“Oh, so… … I brought her like you told me to… … What should I do next, sir?”

“… … Just do what I was taught. “First, start by challenging that guy to a duel in the name of Tushin.”

Dunsen swallowed and did so. In the name of Atala, he challenges Hurek to a duel. After the declaration, he dryly recited that Khadim would be a witness to this duel.

Hurek laughed in vain and wore a sly expression.

“What, you bastard? duel? “You’re going to fight me now?”

“That, that’s right… … You bastard… … If I lose this time, I’ll just do whatever you say from now on… … . But if I win, don’t ever, ever bother me again… … .”

It was ridiculous. What kind of toy in the world would negotiate with its owner like this?

I immediately cracked and unclenched my fists and tried to give him a firm mental education, but suddenly the appearance of a barbarian caught my eye. Hurek tried to calm his trembling heart and spoke calmly.

“Hey, that barbarian man… … ? Is this what you did to this little guy? But if you just say this and it looks like he’s going to lose, won’t you step in and help him?”

“… … The precepts of the wilderness are absolute. I have no intention of interfering with the duel sworn in Tushin’s name. And this is that child’s struggle, not mine.”

“… … .”

I don’t know what he’s talking about… … but the savage really didn’t seem like he’d interfere. Well, if he did, his father, the officer, wouldn’t stay still. So this was the perfect opportunity to get a fair excuse to harass Dunsen.

“Really? You won’t say anything later, right? Hey, come here, kid! Let’s have a real fight!”

Hurek swaggered and accepted the duel. Dunsen pursed his lips and took a fighting stance. The other children had forgotten that they were scared and were now looking excited.

“Captain, take it all down!”

“I’ll break his arms and legs so he can’t do anything again!”

“Don’t worry, fuck! “I will beat you up so badly that you won’t even be able to eat your blood for a while!”

And it happened just as Heurek said.

Thud, thud, thud, thud – !

“Oh my, you bitch! You are worse than a rat! “Where, without even knowing my own means, start a fight, shake it off!”

“Ugh! Ugh! “Keuuuuu!!”

Dunsen rolled on the dirt floor and was beaten to dust. When the barbarian did not intervene, Hurek’s punches became even harsher. The children whistled and cheered excitedly.

“Whew! Yeah, good job! Captain!”

“Chop it up into small pieces of blood!”

But it was different than usual.

Even though he was beaten like that, Dunsen did not lie down, run away, or cower. Even though his nose was bleeding and he was crying, he somehow endured it and continued to stand up. The children who had been cheering without thinking were now quietly watching the duel as if they were dead mice.

In the wild, such instances are not uncommon. A lion abandons the hunt at the sight of an angry boar, or a wandering orc runs away at the sight of a glowing goblin.

It’s not that he’s afraid of losing the fight. He’s definitely going to win, but he’s stepping down because he knows it’s going to be hard to win completely without getting hurt.

The fear of getting hurt is deeply engraved in the bones of all living creatures. Humans are no exception. Watching Duncen, who would get up and attack no matter how many times he was beaten, Hurek instinctively felt that if he continued to fight like this, he would eventually not be safe either.

So I raised both hands and tried to compromise, but…

“Hey, hey, it’s okay… … . Okay. I was wrong, I was wrong. Since I was wrong, let’s stop here for today… … .”

“Ewwhhhhhhhhhhh!”

… … Dunsen was trained to pounce on his opponent at moments like these.

Due to the surprise charge, Hurek lost his balance and fell. A harsh punch rained down on his embarrassed face.

Thud, thud, thud, thud – !

“Ugh, ugh!!”

“Ugh! Ugh! Gasp! Huh… … .”

Of course, because of the difference in their physiques, the situation between the two quickly reversed. However, even though Hurek was under him, he couldn’t bring himself to hit him. On the other hand, Dunsen resisted viciously by biting his thigh while being under him.

“Kuaaaaaaah!!”

Hurek was a tyrant who was feared by many children, but he was still a child after all. The ten-year-old bully’s determination to die was too much for him to handle. He said he had lost, that it would be over, and he stepped back with a tired face, repeatedly declaring surrender.

Nevertheless, Dunsen’s attacks continued.

“Eww, eww!!”

With his eyes unfocused, he howled like an animal and slapped Hurek’s face fiercely as if he was venting all the anger he had accumulated. Then, the children’s gazes at Dunsen began to fill with emotions similar to when they first saw the savage.

fear.

A feeling that can be said to be the first step toward respect.

“Well, guys… … I’ll go and get some adults… … .”

“I, I’ll go too… … .”

One by one, the children made excuses and left the scene. Soon, all but two of them disappeared. The bloody fight, which was excessively brutal for a fight between children, ended only after a savage who had been watching intervened.

“Enough, stop there, kid. “Unless you want to kill him.”

“Ugh… … Haha, haha, haha… … .”

“… … .”

The focus of my eyes, which had been relaxed, came back again belatedly. Hurek fainted, her nose bleeding and her face already bloated. Dunsen blinked her eyes blankly, then asked in disbelief.

“Uh, uh, uh, this is… … I, I, I am like this, sir?”

“… … Yes, you did. Congratulations. You saved your toes with just your own strength.”

“Huh, huh… … Me, really? Well, but… … What should I do now… … ?”

“… … “Why were you worried about what the adults would say?”

“Oh, no… … . That’s not it… … Well, I know this because I’ve been beaten a lot… … If I get hit this much, it will hurt a lot tomorrow… … . Hey, shouldn’t I at least find some herbs and apply them to the wound to make it less swollen… … ?”

“… … .”

Even to the point of feeling sorry for someone so late after committing such a crime, he is just like his father. Kadim looked at the swollen face, not much different from that of a child who had fainted, and sneered.

“Leave it alone… … . I guess I need to figure out how to do something about your face first.”

*

Back home, where he had barely made it back, Duncan was enjoying a very satisfying life.

“No, so I fought against that ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ and won, Yulia? That’s right, she admitted it with her own mouth! That duel was my victory… … .”

“Oh my, stop talking nonsense and come and help me clean up… … I forgot to pay attention for a while and the floor got dyed really black, the dye… … .”

Even though his wife did not believe the saga, which was only the obvious truth, and Kadim and his son, who were supposed to be on his side, were often away for some reason… … Still, it was a very satisfying life. Duncan didn’t even know that it was such a happy thing to be able to see the faces of his family every morning instead of the faces of demons and monsters.

But unfortunately, the peaceful time did not last long.

Somehow, everyone in town realized that Duncan had made a lot of money.

“Hey, Duncan! Haha, long time no see? It’s nothing much, but I heard you had some fun with this business… … .”

“You attend village meetings sometimes, don’t you, Mr. Duncan? And, if you have the time, you give people gifts or something… .”

“Oh, Mrs. Wheeled? How have you been? It’s just that I mentioned the clothespin last time, there seemed to have been some misunderstanding… … Could we go inside and talk for a moment? Hohoho… … .”

They would sense the savage’s presence and come to Duncan’s house like ghosts. If they had been on good terms with their neighbors to begin with, that would be expected, but the problem was that that wasn’t the case at all.

‘You… have you become close with your neighbors while I’m away? Well, when things get tough, you help each other out and things like that… ‘

‘… … That must have been so bad, with those helpless humans. She said she was married to a man who had no husband, and at this time, she was very excited and just biting.

‘… … .’

If it had been the sloppy Duncan of the past, he would have believed that he should get along well with his neighbors and would have been generous.

But his journey with Kadim changed Duncan’s thinking. There is no need to respect those who do not respect themselves and their families. He gently kicked out neighbors who came to him begging, or gave them a rude welcome at the door without giving them a single penny.

“Oh my, it was fun… … I barely made enough to eat, so I have no idea how I’m going to get through this winter.”

“Hahaha, I’m sorry. I’m so tired, I don’t have the energy to go out and do something like that!”

“Oh, oh, Madame Madel! I just cleaned the house, so let’s talk outside! And what about the clothespin? Did something happen while I was away?”

“… … .”

It was natural for gossip to arise among the villagers who were driven out. Hey, look at how he lies without even blinking an eye, saying that he changed as a person after tasting money, and making such a foolish campaign by saying how much he earned… … .

Still, Duncan didn’t budge. Like a gatekeeper protecting gold, he steadfastly chased away uninvited guests who came to his house. But as this happened countless times, I couldn’t help but think that I might have to leave this village.

And then, finally, guests came to drive a wedge into that idea.

Boom, bang, bang – !

“Whew, why did you come here in the middle of the night like this… … .”

Duncan muttered and opened the door, but then froze.

A man of moderately strong build, with a scarred face, wearing baggy leather armor that didn’t fit him, and carrying an ornate sword sheath at his waist. And a group of mercenaries following him.

“Oh, it’s been a while, Mr. Duncan. I’ve seen you a few times before. Do you remember who I am?”

“… … Well, you guys… … .”

“Well, actually, it doesn’t matter if I don’t remember. If you get beaten up a few times like that time, you’ll remember it, kkkkkkk… … . Anyway, it doesn’t look like you’re particularly busy… … “Shall we talk about it in private for the first time in a while?”

“… … .”

The man entered the house without permission. Other mercenaries followed suit, leaving muddy footprints on the floor.

Looking at the clerk’s mercenaries who had come to collect their debt, the Duncans felt as if an old nightmare was vividly coming back to life.