Minor Lord of the Chasers (2)

After posting a massive recruitment drive.

It was about two days ago that I realized there were too many people.

Rona came running up to me out of nowhere and told me that there was a large group of people, so I went out thinking it was about twenty people.

I could see a bunch of people standing around in a performance hall with swords drawn.

How did this get so big all of a sudden?

I was like, "I'm an asshole, I'm trying to organize a unit, and I'm getting shot in the head by this group of assholes." What's going on? Is my reputation getting better... I'm sure it's not.

I quickly interrupted my happiness circuitry and stepped outside.

"Is everyone here?"

"Yep. All 1192 men and 126 women who pre-applied are here. Looks like it's going to be a pretty long test."

"I see."

"Annoying. It's going to be in moderation, not all of a sudden, what is this?

Just as I was thinking that, I saw a figure waving from the back of the room.

It was Grine, Nox's second brother, and now my confidant.

I get it now.

He's the one who started this.

'I didn't even ask him to....'

He hadn't even turned up his nose at me when I returned from the Chasers the other day after hearing about his arrival. I figured he'd been gambling over there.

But I didn't think much of it. What's done is done, right?

There's no point in thinking about anything else here.

After all, if I can hire good resources at a reasonable salary, what could be better than that?

Things aren't going so badly.

I just need to showcase some of my abilities in moderation.

As easy as this is, is it too easy?

For a moment, I thought to myself.

"Just tell me what the test is and how to take it."

At that moment, a questioning voice cut through the audience.

'Oho. Look at this.'

This guy has some serious magic. Someone who is at least at the level of an Eldain initiate.

I looked at him with that thought.

He has a scar running vertically across his rough face, and his body is a coppery color. He doesn't look very strong, but his body is serviceable.

This is not the kind of man I want in my private army.

I don't know who paid for this, but it's laughable. How dare any lord have such a trashy attitude toward a ragtag bastard from House Reinhafer.

I was convinced.

'First. It's Garen.'

Garen started to keep me in check.

He must have heard my news, but so be it.

Someone with this much power shouldn't be able to take me on.

I point my finger at him with an innocent expression.

"I'll teach you. You'll be the first one up."

"Sure."

An octagon of smoke.

Hundreds of people crowded around the spot where I fought my first battle. But I'm not nervous at all. A trait? That would be one reason, of course.

But right now, my heart is pounding with joy.

I need to rip off that asshole's face and show him why he's an asshole. I've got some fun things in store for him.

"The rules are simple."

I rhymed dryly.

"You will try kill me by any means necessary. I declare right here and now that I will not be held responsible if you kill me in this battle."

The more provocative the game, the better.

Turn your head to face the entire audience and continue.

"The same goes for all of you. I want you to be ready to kill me, and I want you to stumble over your pyramid scheme, but keep one thing in mind."

I smirked, my lavender eyes shining.

"If you come ready to kill me, come ready to be killed yourself."

* * *

Daniel.

The copper-skinned, long-scarred man is lost in thought.

He grips his sword, his unruly gray hair in front of him. He looks at the lavender-eyed boy.

'This feels strange. Why?'

When he had first been ordered by Garen to attack the youngest, he had thought it would be nothing more than a battle with the bastard of House Reinhafer.

A chance to earn 1,000,000 Imperial Gold Coins for killing a mere idiot?

What fool would pass that up?

Not only that, but he had secretly spent all of his personal wealth on himself when he heard about the gambit. This was a golden opportunity!

'The commission, plus the 20 silver pieces I've invested… what a deal!'

The opponent was Nox. A scumbag from House Reinhafer. He was so confident of an easy victory that he hadn't even considered losing.

But guess what?

Somehow, things started to take a different turn. Nox was being overly confident.

Had he lost his cool, to say the least?

His claim to be the top dog at the academy was probably a lie, and I couldn't understand how he could be so misleading and smile so coldly.

Perhaps he's borrowed the power of an artifact, and if that's the case, I'm sure the vassals will protect him… ….

I've heard that the Reinhafers are very serious about their swords.

It doesn't make sense for something else to intervene, or for them to cheat.

Theo would never have willingly given up an artifact for his youngest child.

There was no point in thinking about it now.

The battle would begin soon, and he would defeat him, take the gold, and leave this estate.

Perhaps Nox would bow his stubbornly held head and admit defeat to himself, and he felt a thrill in his chest at the thought.

They are all tied together under the same name, but Daniel.

A knight like him cared less about honor than he did about breaking someone and the pleasure he derived from it.

"If you would all please stand and be ready."

The vassal speaks in a calm tone. I and Nox nodded, both ready for battle about five meters away.

"Let's begin!"

With that, the voice of the vassal organizing the duel sounded.

Daniel quickly kicked the ground. With a thud, his vision narrowed and he quickly began to close the distance between him and Nox.

'What a fool!

Nox yelled, unable to even react to his speed.

What a fool, this is the kind of guy who raises an army?

What does he think being the son of a lord makes him?

'I will show that arrogant bastard his place!'

...It was then that I thought.

Stumble.

"Huh?"

"Your movements are too big. Is that how you fight?"

I heard a voice say.

It was a little young, but it was starting to get a good mid-bass now.

It belonged to a boy.

Intense pain shot through Daniel's body, and a scene began to unfold that he couldn't quite believe.

Nox had somehow managed to dodge his attack and was now holding a sword to his throat.

What the hell is going on?

Before you can figure it out, his voice speaks again.

"I will give you one more chance."

Nox von Reinhafer.

An overwhelming wave of energy bursts from him, and he begins to feel his body being overwhelmed by it. It's too much for him to handle, and it's strangling his heart.

It soon spreads to every part of his body, making even the hairs on his body stand on end.

The sound of Nox's voice made Daniel feel completely helpless.

He had no idea what was going on or why he was in this state.

It's not surprising, really. It's not just talent. Nox had been pushing himself to the limit to survive all this time, and now it was starting to show.

Even if Daniel is older at twenty-three, this is the Nox who didn't fake his way to the head of Eldain.

It didn't matter if people believed it or not.

Nox von Reinhafer.

He only proves himself as a villain.

So arrogant, yet so calm. With that eerily cold gaze that seems to look down on everything.

Again, he speaks with his sword.

"You'd better mean it, or I'll blow off one of your arms."

* * *

'This… I thought about it, but it's too weak…?'

I am genuinely perplexed as I look at Dan or Daniel from the front. The thought "why are you so weak" crosses my mind.

A guy with quite a bit of magic came at me, so I waited until the last second to dodge his attack with enough ki to keep him alive.

But he wasn't talented enough, and he was too careless.

As a result, he didn't show his true skill.

This brought unnecessary attention to me.

Already, some people were clicking their tongues at the fight between Daniel and me.

From what I've heard from Zitri, Daniel was a mercenary drifter who was quite skilled. She'd already figured out that he was in Garen's employ.

It was indeed the analytical skills of a [Throne Genius].

But...

'It has to be this level of skill.'

Shit.

(jegilal.)

No matter how much I love growing my units, it doesn't change the fact that they're not good enough.

No matter how realistic it is, Inner Lunatic is still an open-world game where the absolute strongest can easily wipe out hundreds of the weakest.

I can't help but be troubled by this.

So I sighed and decided to give him one more chance after seeing how stupid he was.

He's at least useful, and I might be able to get some information out of him about Garen, so I figured I might as well get him on my side for now.

"Didn't you hear? I'm giving you one more chance. Take the sword."

So I had no choice but to say it.

But guess what?

The unexpected words came out of his mouth.

"'I'm sorry. Please… forgive my rudeness."

"...?"

I don't know why this Daniel asshole is suddenly apologizing to me.

I'm sure I was being generous and giving him a chance… but I wonder what he intends to do with this rotten mindset.

He probably came to humiliate me under Garen's orders in the first place, so it's absurd that he's this good.

'Well, if he had sent someone too strong, that would have raised suspicions as well....'

Anyway, it's not funny at all.

I slammed my fist down on his unfortunate face.

His face spun and a couple of white teeth popped out.

"Scum like you don't have the guts to join the Temp Unit. Now, who's next to challenge me?"

There was silence for a moment after my words.

Why? What the hell?

Isn't that pretty docile for a bully?

…Meanwhile, a smile tugs at the corner of Grine's mouth as he watches.

At that moment, I finally realized why.

'That bastard...!'

I wonder how much money he's making now thanks to his reverse betting?

* * *

Grine watches his youngest brother, Nox, compete with a tearful smile on his face. He was sure that his brother would be like that, but he was wrong.

Nox is probably in top form.

Grine is genuinely impressed.

'To grow up like that… Now this hyung has nothing to teach...!'

He hadn't taught him anything to begin with, but he was taught again and again by him. It was the line that had already had a filter put on it since it had already passed a reasonable amount of time in his mind.

Much less.

From the sounds of it, the bet would generate about the same amount of money as recovering the Griffin's body.

It wasn't a lot of money for the second son of the Reinhafer family, but that wasn't really the point.

At last, his youngest brother, his only brother.

Nox von Reinhafer had begun to impress the lord with his skills.

'Now all that remains is to give him wings.'

It would also boost his reputation, Grine was perfectly certain.