Chapter 19: The Fox and The Hound

Swoosh Clang! Swoosh Clang! Swoosh Clang!

Thump! Swoosh thump!

Damn it, she is quite good on defense. Blocked all my hits. She is still standing and panting. She is holding a gun, a <windbreaker>, as a staff and wearing a cloak.

While I am here holding my own thunderstick as a staff on my right hand and my dagger on my left.

So far, she parried my dagger strikes and my staff swing with a spin of her gun. Clashing staves and a dagger stab on her face, she countered by knocking the other end on my body to push me away. I rushed in with my thunderstick, she parried and I used that momentum to make a backstab. She noticed and swung. I dashed away.

****

We clashed and disengaged. We take aim and are ready to shoot.

Bang!

Both of us fire. She barely dodged it and I parried the shot away.

"What a frightful fight" She sweats and drops her weapon

"Thank for a fight like this"

"What rank am I?"

"So far, you are the second one that I have had a hard time winning against. So <eldritch>" I open my thunderstick and reload a shot. The <bullet> turned into ash after opening my thunderstick.

"What is that? This is new to me"

"This thing? A secret trade weapon. After all, Its purpose is to be more convenient to kill enemies of mine"

"You are the strange one."

"Using <gun> as a staff was quite a creative move but do not rely on the blunt force alone. Get a dagger and train your arm. It is more effective to do so. There were many time that I saw opening and yet, you cannot make me hesitate to stab you in the neck"

"I understand. I should get a dagger soon"

She leaves the area. I lay down and look the sky

****

"That <windbreaker> girl, is she good?"

"Still not good enough. Although she is good at maneuvering her <windbreaker>, she is not good if someone approaches her with a dagger on her face. She had to bash me with her gun. She might lose potential to finish fight quickly without a proper dagger"

"You know how to judge people. Don't you?"

"I will go to the bar" I turn around and wave

****

"Another round!"

"Dare to say that I am weak eh?"

"Why you little..."

As lively as ever, when I step into this bar. The moment they see me, they stop the fights.

"Waiter, give me a mug of narsog" I sit down on a chair

While waiting for my drink, I pull a wooden stick out. I carve it based on something in my mind. The details are leaves and flowers. These kinds of details are hard to carve. It takes my patient

"Here your drink, mister"

"Well thank you" I hand her a silver coin

I continue carving as I take a sip.

This kind of peace, I feel flattered

"WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS..."

The moment a thug enters this bar, it seems he is in trouble. This bar is filled with those mercenaries after work and they always bring weapons.

"Sorry to bo..."

Thump.

I threw a knife right on his hand.

"Listen here, you dared to interrupt my art with your barking. The next time I hear your pathetic bark. This knife will be in your neck. Understand?"

"Yeeesss."

I pull the knife out. His hand is still bleeding.

He stands up and runs away. I put the knife back in my belt and continue my drink

****

I walk outside of the bar. I felt killing intents around here. But it is gone. They fear me eh?

The night seems bright and the moon is halved. I whistle a song that I remember when I was a jester. Hmmm, it seems there is someone watching me and praying that I would not notice and walk away. Yaddy yaddy yah. I throw my knife out. I pull my dagger out and ready to stab. The prey seems to be stuck in the wall. I hit him right on his leg eh?

"Tell me. Did you want to mess with my favourite bar? It seems tonight could be your last. Spill the name out before this thing claims one of your eyes." I slowly put my dagger to his eye

"Okay, Okay. Please, I will say the name out. The name is Gartel Narwil"

"I will spare your life for now. If I ever sense your stare again, I will <pig dismantle> you alive. Understand?" I pull the knife off his leg

He slowly walks out with his injured leg. I put my knife back to my belt and sheath my dagger

It seems the night is beautiful eh?

****

The first thing I need to do today is to find that Gartel Narwil and threaten him. Dare to touch my favorite place, he shall see the abyss.

I walk outside, I should try to find some information where that man is. It seems I have to talk to the jester or someone in the mercenary guild.

My option would be…

****

"Gartel Narwil? A wanted criminal. You can kill him if you want to" the receptionist sways her hand

"Thank but I need the location"

"It seems like his hideout should be around the forest. Would you need an escort or something?"

"Escort for what?"

"To protect the ones who surrender, from you"

"Really? Is that sarcasm?"

"Not really, it is sarcasm"

"Alright, I make sure his gut wraps around his neck then"

I walk out of the guild.

****

Welp, here I am. Standing in front of the hideout

"We are doomed. <The mad merchant> is here"

"Jeez, maybe that guy is an imposter"

The two guards are arguing whether I am <the mad merchant> or not

"Would you two mind telling me where is Gartel Narwil?"

"He is..." The other covers that guy's mouth

"Who are you?" He glares at me

"Just a passing by, a weapon dealer"

"Give me 20 Quinks now, Marell"

"I guess I was wrong"

"Your boss is in there right?"

"Yeah"

"Thanks"

I swiftly decapitate both of them. I walk deeper into the hideout.

It seems organized and cleaner than other hideouts of bandits that I had cleaned out before. It seems it doesn't matter if I paint this one a bit prettier with some red eh?

"Why do I sense something dreadful nearby?"

"I also think the..."

Shut up you two, piece of annoyance. Welp their heads flew.

Let's see, I think I need around four more heads and also a few torsos to decorate the grand entrance. Oh damn, I almost forgot the main course, Gartel Narwil.

"JUST WHO ARE YOU?" the main dish hides behind his underlings

"Just a merchant" I shrug

"GET HIM"

"But chief..."

He decapitated one of his underlings. One less fly to deal with eh?

Around twenty flies and a big main course. It seems these are more than enough to redecorate this hideout

I rush into the horde of flies. Their heads just fly and their limbs are scattered. The organs are spilled and pools of blood are formed. I feel satisfied, I need this to be a bit longer. I will savor this lingering.

****

Hmmmm, around ten alive and their chief is dead eh? What should I do with these survivors? Well, I tied them up before they gain their own conscious

Perhaps, they will have to eat their own comrades to avoid my boredom eh?

"These are your comrades eh?," I point at the scattered corpses ", Now with only your mouth, I will spare the one who eats the most and kill the rest. Remember, any attempt to escape or denial, I will <pig dismantle> you slowly and alive," I point at the hook that I prepared after killing the chief ",It hungers for those who disobey"

They hurry to eat those bloody corpses. It seems this is more entertaining than I expected. They are dogs after all, selfishly fight for their own life rather than protect their own dignity.

"Did I see a maggot vomit?" I unsheath my dagger

I slowly grab that one's legs with my arm. I hook him on his foot. He screams in agony while wriggling. I slowly slit his belly out, the cut seems shallow. Maybe I should open further. Their eyes scream out the terror.

"What are you staring at? Don't you want to be a companion with this one?"

They quickly return to finish the corpses.

Something leaks out eh? The intestine of his eh? Well, time to pull it out

I guess he is dead but the fun is where his comrades watch this with a terror in their eyes.

I laugh like a mad jester.

****

The one who ate the most is this one eh?

Willing to ditch his own dignity to save his own skin eh?

I kill the rest but the last one. And then I hang the one who betrayed his own comrades and ditched his dignity.

I slowly skin his face and keep him alive.

"The more you move, the more pain you get"

Eventually, I stab him with a sharpened stick on his heart. He is dead

****

"Wait, why did you just do the literal thing like this, <mad merchant>?" She frowns me

"Well, if they dare to mess with my peace, they will have to pay the full price" I smile

"Fine, I confirm this bandit chief is dead"

Everyone else in this mercenary guild has their face white all over. What is wrong with them? Can't they see a masterpiece of a man who has his own gut tied onto this neck? The beauty of this thing is one of the kind.