Ch-90: Leslie (1)

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"Cold…"

Katarina, covered in a blanket, spoke. Her teeth clattering.

Watching her, I chuckled.

"Yeah, I told you to get thicker clothes. You didn't listen to me then."

We were in the Principality of Polycia situated on the northern part of the Continent. I had warned her to buy some thick clothes in a village bordering the Elven Realm and the Principality of Polycia, but Katarina snorted and shook her head in denial.

It was no big deal.

Until we got here, into the Principality of Polycia, where it panned out like this.

"I didn't know it would be this cold…"

Katarina grumbled and made an excuse.

She then looked at her own shadow reproachfully. Hiding in that shadow was Shedia, who had been having a pleasant conversation with Katarina.

Until recently.

When it got too cold.

"Traitor."

There was no reaction from the shadow.

I picked her up with a smile.

"Hold on until we reach the next town. You can buy fur clothing there."

"Ughh… when will that town come out?"

"I don't know. If we are lucky, we may find it today, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow."

Despair crossed Katarina's face.

"If it doesn't work, ask the fire elemental to warm you up."

"It also said it doesn't like the cold and hid away."

Even the elementals aren't liking the cold.

Seeing as they have run away to the elemental realm.

Katarina trembled, but did not cease her footsteps. We continued on and by the time the sun was setting down we reached a decently sized village.

"Let's buy clothes tomorrow. For today, let's rest at the inn."

Katarina nodded her head vigorously in favor of the motion, and we entered the inn. It was evening, so the inn was crowded with people. As we entered, the noisy atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Their eyes turned to us.

Ignoring their gazes, I settled down with Katarina at a nice table. They also turned away their gazes and started talking loudly again.

"…what happened? I was part frightened when so many people suddenly snapped their eyes our way."

"They must be wary of outsiders," Cloud answered. "What would you like to eat?"

"Without a doubt something warm… Huh?"

Katarina abruptly narrowed her brows, then she sighed and stood up to walk out of the inn. When she came back, Shedia was with her. She looked disapprovingly at Shedia, to which the shorter girl tried playing innocent glancing around.

We ordered a stew and after a while we ate the prepared meal served to us.

Just when I completely emptied my bowl of stew.

One side of the inn went up in an uproar.

– Is it really true?

– Yeah, yeah. It is. How about it, isn't it tempting? It's a tournament held by the princess herself. The winning prize gotta be awesome!

– Ha, so are you asking me to become a spectacle for that witch?

– No, no. Listen to me, my friend. Who said you to become a spectacle? Just…

Two men were having a conversation so loudly that I could hear it from far away. One was the size of a normal man, and the other was a huge man half more the size of a normal man.

I got up from my seat.

Apparently their talk caught my interest, so I was going to listen more closely.

"Where are you going?"

"Wait a minute, I want to talk to those people over there."

"Really? Then I will go with you."

Katarina finished her remaining stew in a mouthful and stood up after me.

Why? I didn't ask. She said she would follow me, and I saw no reason for her not to do so. We approached the two men engrossed in the conversation.

"Hey, dudes. Can I ask something about what you guys are talking about?"

The eyes of the two men turned towards me.

Somehow, they were slightly bulging. Well, this is usually the reaction when someone others don't know approaches.

But what if the power of money is added?

Just when I slid my hand into my money bag to work up a golden miracle.

"Who is this fugly punk?"

The big man looked at me and furrowed his brow. I didn't know because I hadn't looked closely, but now that I did, he was pretty ugly.

What is the probability of him getting mad from seeing my face?

"…"

His furrowed brow widened.

His gaze turned to Katarina, who was standing next to me.

"Well you did one thing right, punk. Bringing a woman who fits me. Lady, how is this guy at night? His unmentionable's really worthless, ain't it?"

He continued, "Are you satisfied enough? Don't be excessive with insults but you can be honest. Hahaha."

Katarina frowned and glared at him, tugging my arms tighter.

I was at a loss for words because I was dumbfounded, but the man laughed out loud.

"Ha ha ha! It seems that the lady doesn't know what a real man is. I will show you what a real man means today."

The man tried to reach out a hand towards Katarina.

He didn't know I had anger issues. I let him know, kicking him in the stomach.

He couldn't overcome the strength difference and flew off and crashed into the wall of the inn. He grunted while holding onto his stomach, reeling, then got up and glared at me like he was going for a kill.

"Huh, you aren't just some weak shit, are you? It's going to be fun. A lot of fun."

Despite calling for fun, the expression on his face was grim tight.

"You picked the wrong opponent. I am Galid the Giant Slayer, who killed the giant Marcus."

Galid clenched his tunic by seams and pulled them, tearing them apart.

His writhing, hideous muscles were exposed with the loss of his shirt.

Arms the size of a woman's waist, thick chest muscles that even arrows can't penetrate, and abs like a washboard.

He hefted up the two axes slinging from his waist.

"Don't be crazy! Are you thinking of killing him, Galid?!"

The man who had been chatting with Galid shouted.

"It was him who raised my temper in the first place."

"You were the one who started the fight… No, this is not okay, this is a village! What are you going to do when the vigilantes come?"

"Kill them all and leave. Didn't you say that the princess is holding a tournament? Let's win there and leave the principality. Anyway, the principality has become too small to contain me."

The face of the man who had been halted by Galid's words brightened. Conversely, the expressions of the residents who had been drinking at the same inn deteriorated.

But no one was willing to step out.

He was famous around here, eyh?

"Then finish quickly. No matter what, it's annoying when the vigilantes intervene."

"Alright. It won't take long anyway."

Yeah, it won't. I promise.

Galid trudged towards me. Katarina breathed, looking nervous as she tried to draw her saber. Reaching out, I restrained her hand, then looked around, swiveling my head, for something suitable.

Oh. Now that would be nice.

Grabbing the round table by the leg pillar, I lifted it up, pouring mana into it.

"Take iiit!"

Galid, holding an ax in both hands, lunged at me.

He had blabbered grandiose statements such as killing a giant and being a slayer, he may have been bluffing, but his speed was quite fast. He reached right in front of me in an instant. I swung the table.

The guy sneered.

Like laughing at an asshole doing something stupid. He believed that his ax would split the table, so he heaved the ax and struck it.

His sneer didn't last long.

The ax stuck into the table, but couldn't split it.

""

The table hit his embarrassed face.

Bang!

Galid's body flew.

He hit the ceiling loudly and fell to the floor in a pitiful state. His nose bone caved in and his teeth came tumbling out.

"Huh… huh! G, Get off…!"

And also seemed to be suffering from concussions.

Seeing him still trying to get up, I hit him with the table a few more times. Then he stopped trying to stand up. Tsking, I kicked him off, knocking him away to the corner of the inn.

After hitching the ax from the table, I set it down in front of the man who appeared to be Galid's friend.

The man looked at the fallen Galid with a dazed expression, as if he couldn't believe how the situation had transpired.

Tuk. Tuk.

I patted him lightly on the cheek.

His head snapped back, then he came to his senses and turned his tensive gaze to me.

"Excuse me."

"Y, Yes?"

"Let's talk."

"Huh? Th, That my friend, he, I—"

"What friend? I just wanna talk. Hope you would comply."

"…of course," he gulped.

* * *

Unlike other sovereignties, the Principality of Polycia has a short history.

Originally, barbarians lived in tribal units, just like orcs. They made their living by hunting and plundering other tribes.

This was due to the weather in the north, which boasts sub-zero temperature all year round.

Unlike other kingdoms, farming was difficult, and adding to the woe, the food was always in short supply.

It was the late King Regner who unified such savages and received food support from the Empire along with the title of Grand Duke.

""

After Regner's death, Leslie's father, Osner, succeeded him.

Osner was weak.

And sickly. He was unfit as a ruler by barbarian standards.

Naturally, he shouldn't have been able to become the Grand Duke. However, the Empire did not want the barely stable principality to fall into chaos again, so it directly intervened and authorized Osner as the succeeding Grand Duke.

Osner faltered as a warrior, but he excelled as a lord.

The wise Osner brought several benefits to the principality through negotiations with the Empire, and thanks to his efforts, the number of people starving to death in the principality were significantly reduced in numbers.

The people of the principality cheered.

No one questioned him about his qualifications as a monarch anymore.

Everyone in the principality respected him.

However, even the wisest of North failed in parenting.

As soon as his term session was fulfilled, the Witch Leslie led her own faction and raised a rebellion.

She dethroned her father, Osner, and kicked out all of her siblings, and established a dictatorship.

That was how the anecdote went as far as the world was concerned.

And these were mostly bits I didn't know.

Because there was no detailed explanation about the Principality of Polycia in the game.

All I knew was that Leslie's father wiped out the capital of the principality and became one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's army later.

And since it was said to have happened at a festival, judging from the timing, it will probably happen at the tournament and festival that will be held this time around.

"Are you here to participate in the tournament?"

The middle-aged man with a bald head yawned and asked.

"Yes."

"You have a lot of guts to come and apply for participation on the same day. Are you the only one who wants to participate? Or the lady behind you too?"

"I am alone."

The middle-aged man, who heard me, inscribed something on a wooden plaque with a chisel and threw it to me.

"Take that and go over there and wait. When the preliminaries start, just show that shit and you can enter."

The place the middle-aged man pointed out was crowded with dozens of people. Contrary to my expectations that the barbarians' smell of savage sweat would be seething the place, there were quite a lot of foreigners.

A knight in aristocratic armor.

A martial artist in a revealing cloth suit.

Even an elf with a thin sword strapped to the waist.

Wait, why is an elf here?

I was under the impression that Elves prefer cramming themselves in their forest as per the game settings.

Did he run away?

As I was wondering, Katarina pulled my arm.

"Hey, Cloud?"

"What's up?"

"There…"

Katarina pointed her finger at something.

Someone.

Three meters tall with six arms. Its six arms were holding large axes, great swords, and hammers.

However, the skin and appearance was close to a human.

Even considering how he stunk like a beggar who hadn't taken a bath in years.

"Well, isn't that a bit dangerous? Seems very dangerous, I…"

Grimacing at the monster's ferocious appearance, Katarina looked to be considering suggesting that I back out.

I spoke, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Katarina, close your eyes and remember what we saw with the Elven King in the forest."

"Huh? Alright."

Katarina was puzzled, but she obeyed my words.

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Now then, open your eyes again and look at the walking slab of beef."

She opened her eyes and looked at the six-armed monster.

"How do you feel?"

"…stand-offish."

"That's right."

She's finally starting to get used to the adventure.

I grinned and patted her on the shoulder. However, she had a puzzled look on her face as if she did not like her own change.

It was then.

A woman emerged from the balcony above the huge arena. She brushed her grayish white, long hair to the side.

"Welcome to the home of warriors, fighters."

Princess Leslie intoned.

You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.

p(a)treon.com/Daoist02