Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Dragon Slaying Squad

Where did I go wrong?

When the bandits appeared and everyone was on the brink of death, I stepped forward. I wanted to do my job as a guard properly because if I didn’t, I’d lose my work. Just as my mother had taught me, I killed those who sought to kill me. In this world, it's either kill or be killed. There's no room for mercy.

“That’s how I was raised…”

So why did things turn out this way?

The only sound in the silence was the quiet bubbling of stew cooking over the fire. Normally, everyone would be eager to grab a bowl and eat, but now, no one moved. It was as if time had frozen.

Reluctantly, I picked up the ladle and served myself a bowl of stew. The atmosphere was such that unless I made the first move, no one else would. My hunch was right. The moment I filled my bowl, the bald adventurer hesitantly took the ladle and served a bowl to the merchant, then to the captain of the guards—something he had never done before.

Even though their stomachs were growling, no one was eating. Maybe by serving food, he was signaling that it was alright to start the meal. Yet, even with bowls full of stew, no one took a bite. Everyone was just watching… watching me.

I quietly took a spoonful of stew and put it into my mouth. That was the signal. Instantly, the others hurriedly began to eat.

“….”

Was everything my mother taught me a lie? Killing those who tried to kill me—was that really just a principle from Enorthos and not something that applied here?

…No, it couldn't be that. My father, who was from this country, never objected to how my mother raised me. Although my mother handled most of my upbringing, my father took on almost half the responsibility when it came to manners, language, and my mental development. In my memory, he never once said my mother’s teachings were strange or wrong. If anything, he seemed to encourage them, especially when it came to making me stronger.

So, everything I learned must have been suited for this world.

I let out a small sigh as I scooped another spoonful of stew.

"Hick!"

The captain of the guard gasped, dropping his bowl. "Ack!" He spilled it on his pants—must’ve burned. He might even have been scalded. But the moment I glanced at him, he clamped his mouth shut, terrified.

Yes, terrified of me.

Sigh.

Seems like I can't even sigh anymore.

The bald adventurer gave a dry chuckle, glancing briefly at me. "Don’t worry, Rafa doesn’t get angry or upset easily."

I’ve now become “Rafa.” After the incident with the bandits, no one called me a barbarian or a newbie anymore.

“Bwee-bwee?” Rella hopped around the campfire, catching the bald adventurer’s gaze for a moment before he quickly looked away. It seemed he no longer even wanted to watch Rella.

Sigh.

My hopes for a pleasant social life are long gone now. Should I have let half the bandits live next time?

“….”

No, that wouldn't work either. If they came back for revenge, it would only cause more trouble later.

As I sighed quietly, the bald adventurer stared at his bowl of stew and spoke softly. “I never got the chance to thank you earlier. Thanks… newbie.”

“….”

This man is truly kind-hearted. After the bandits were taken care of, he’d started using polite language with me, though it seemed forced, maybe because he thought I was feeling down.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

I wasn’t sure what they found so terrifying about me, but you can’t force people’s feelings. I looked up and smiled broadly. “Don’t mention it.”

In time, when they get to know me better, their attitudes will change again. People are adaptable, just like I got used to eating stew made from rotten ingredients.

Even the others, who had been huddling together on the opposite side of the fire, began to speak up hesitantly.

“I already said thanks earlier, but I’ll say it again. Thank you.”

“Me too. You saved us.”

“Thanks to you, we didn’t have to abandon the cargo. I hope you’ll guard us again in the future. Thank you.”

“…With you around, Rafa, even a hundred thousand bandits wouldn’t scare me. Thank you.”

I smiled softly, trying not to seem intimidating. “I just did my job.”

“Hick!”

“Gasp!”

“…Cough, cough…”

One of them must’ve inhaled stew through his nose in surprise because he was now snorting and coughing, spraying food everywhere. Disgusting.

“….”

I know my smile can be scary, so I tried to be careful. But maybe it was still too much. Perhaps I should practice smiling in front of a mirror.

After that, the merchant spent several days buying goods from villages and selling off lower-quality items in small towns along the way. The wagons and carts, which had been nearly empty at the start, gradually filled up until they were packed to the brim, with cargo even piled on the roofs. Finally, when there was no more room for any more goods, our journey came to an end. We returned to the city from which we had set out.

The atmosphere of fear surrounding me had slowly begun to fade over time, but people’s cautious behavior toward me hadn’t changed.

***

Once we arrived in the city, the merchant handed the bald adventurer a wooden token, and we headed straight for the guild. I didn’t know much about it, but apparently, the bald adventurer was in charge on our side. He gave the token to the guild staff, and our payment was processed immediately.

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As soon as we received our pay, everyone hurried out of the guild. They probably wanted to get away from me as quickly as possible. I was tired myself and, more than anything, I wanted to wash up. During the entire journey, all I could do was wipe my face, and now my whole body felt itchy.

The bald adventurer stayed behind to finish reporting the details to the guild staff. He was still there, talking to one of them as I left.

The next day, I went back to the guild, where Jenny, my usual attendant, greeted me. It seemed she had become my personal staff member. Whenever I appeared, the other employees would immediately call for her.

When she saw me, Jenny grinned.

“Sounds like you made quite the impact, huh?”

“….”

“I heard you were smashing heads like they were pumpkins and stomping people into the ground with just a tap of your finger. Like you could punch holes straight through bodies with ease.”

What is this, some kind of martial arts movie? Who are they even talking about?

I felt eyes on me and glanced around. Everyone nearby seemed to be eavesdropping on our conversation.

“Uh, Jenny, could you keep your voice down a little?”

She laughed softly. “Don’t worry, everyone already knows.”

Apparently, not only the bald adventurer but the others too had returned to the guild and excitedly told everyone what had happened. “They even reenacted it, showing exactly how you moved.”

“….”

“And those who weren’t at the guild heard about it in the taverns.”

She suppressed a laugh and gave a knowing glance. “You’ve noticed there are more people here than usual today, right? They all came to see you after hearing the story.”

Ah, so that’s why the guild was so crowded. I thought something serious was going on.

“….”

Not just the adventurers, but even the guild staff seemed to be listening in while pretending to work. Some of them even glanced at me nervously, though Jenny seemed entirely unaffected.

“Aren’t you afraid of me, Jenny?” I asked.

Jenny’s eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter. “If I believed everything adventurers said, half the people in here would be capable of catching dragons with their bare hands, and the other half would be kicking them to death.”

She shrugged. “If I believed that you took down over forty bandits by yourself, I wouldn’t be able to do this job. Being too gullible would mean thinking every adventurer is S-rank after meeting them. But, well, knowing you're from Enorthos helps too. I know you’re not someone to be afraid of, Rafa.”

“….”

I must have made a troubled expression because Jenny’s eyes widened again.

“Oh my, was it really more than forty?”

“….”

When I said nothing, Jenny couldn’t contain her laughter anymore.

“Looks like you’re becoming a true adventurer, Rafa. You’re picking things up quickly.”

“….”

She thought I was lying.

But I wasn’t. Later on, when I went back to scavenge the bandits' shoes, weapons, and usable clothes, I realized the number was indeed over forty. We traded the things I took from the bandits for food and supplies when we reached the next village. I had intended to share everything with the group, but the bald adventurer told me that wasn’t how it worked.

Adventurers are surprisingly strict when it comes to money. There are clear lines drawn between what’s yours, what’s someone else’s, and what’s communal.

Jenny didn’t press the matter further and instead looked at me seriously.

“A dragon-slaying squad has been formed. Usually, high-ranking adventurers would take the lead in such matters, but we’re short on adventurers this year. There’s been a lot of trouble elsewhere, and many of the top-tier adventurers have been called away.”

Ideally, they’d wait until the high-ranking adventurers returned, but with all the issues caused by the dragon, they can’t afford to wait any longer.

Jenny's expression turned serious. "I think the bandits you encountered were also on the move because of the dragon. We can't be sure, but it seems likely. With everything going on, they’re planning to overwhelm the dragon with sheer numbers this time.”

Her tone made it clear that this was no small matter.

“Rafa, I’ve already submitted your name for the dragon-slaying squad. Normally, someone at your rank wouldn’t even be considered, but the guild vouched for you and raised your rank to D."

“….”

“I have a request for you, though. It’s not just about the dragon-slaying mission itself,” Jenny said with a small sigh.

“The lord in charge will be giving a base payment to every adventurer, but there will be additional compensation based on performance. There are also other factors that could influence the amount. Here’s the tricky part. If we're not careful, the lord’s men could manipulate the records, and you might not receive what you’re owed.”

Listening to her, I realized this was about more than just killing a dragon. Apparently, there was a risk that some adventurers would be cheated out of their rewards due to their lack of literacy or understanding of numbers. Most of them didn’t know how to read, let alone calculate the amounts on the paperwork. Jenny needed someone she could trust to keep an eye on the documents and make sure no one was swindled.

"It's not a difficult task, but wouldn't it be a problem if I got involved in other adventurers' paperwork?" I asked.

"I’ve already accounted for that. It’s common for fellow adventurers to help each other when it comes to things like this, especially since many can’t read. It’d be ideal if one of us from the guild could go, but unfortunately, that’s not allowed."

The dragon was located near a mountain not far from the city, but the terrain was dangerous. No one without combat skills, including guild employees, would be allowed to join the dragon-slaying squad.

“So, we’re in a bit of a bind. Someone needs to handle the records, but finding someone with the right skills is harder than finding an A-rank adventurer. We need someone who can see through any tricks on the spot.”

Jenny bowed her head slightly. "Rafa, I’m counting on you. The dragon slaying is important, but ensuring everyone gets their due compensation is just as crucial."

“I understand. I’ll do my best,” I said.

Money was important. Working hard and not getting paid would be foolish. As I nodded, Jenny visibly relaxed, relieved. She lifted her head and continued.

"One more thing… this dragon-slaying squad will have members from various guilds and even some people from outside the guild system. It’s going to be a diverse group, so please be careful."

I gave her a questioning look, wondering what she meant. Jenny leaned closer, lowering her voice so only I could hear.

“Ever since the Helga incident, there are people who hold a deep grudge against anyone from Enorthos.”

Her warning was clear: even though we were all there to slay a dragon, some might use the opportunity to settle scores with me instead.

I sighed quietly.

“Well, it can’t be helped,” I thought to myself.

It was part of my fate, being born as my mother’s son.

***

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the political struggle within a powerful noble family was growing fierce. Securing the support of vassal families was crucial, and Manuel, the first son of the legitimate wife, was favored to succeed. He was powerful in wind magic, which gave him an edge, but his half-siblings also had their own factions and were courting allies with tempting offers.

“I need to win over as many people as I can, especially those with influence over Father.”

That afternoon, Manuel had already met with three key figures—longtime allies of his father, the duke. Each meeting involved a lavish feast, so much so that Manuel felt uncomfortably full and could barely breathe.

“I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

He paused to collect himself when one of his aides, who had briefly stepped away, approached.

“Manuel, sir,” the aide said, subtly signaling for a private word. Manuel waved the servants away, and the aide leaned in to whisper.

“There’s been contact from them. They’ve found a lead.”

Them referred to the group Manuel had hired to assassinate Klaus’s son. But so soon?

“Already?” Manuel frowned. It seemed too quick.

The aide lowered his voice even further. “It appears that a barbarian has joined a dragon-slaying squad forming near the city close to the Forest of Shadows. They suspect it might be related.”

“….”

“They must have already done some initial checks, but they’re asking for an additional payment for a more thorough investigation.”

Manuel had already sent the down payment. He had agreed to the idea of paying more if necessary, but for them to ask so soon made him suspicious.

"Could they be trying to deceive me?" he thought.

Despite his doubts, he had no choice but to rely on them if he wanted to act faster than his father. After a brief, silent exchange, Manuel gave his aide a nod of approval. The aide bowed low and quickly left the room.

"A dragon-slaying squad…" Manuel clicked his tongue in frustration.

On second thought, it didn’t make sense that Klaus’s son would join something like that. Klaus knew better than anyone how much Father coveted those violet eyes.

“If it’s really Klaus’s child, he’ll surely be heading here… to the duke’s household.”

Suppressing his irritation, Manuel resumed walking, with his servants quickly trailing behind.

That butler’s pet.

He glared at one of the servants, knowing full well that every move he made would be reported to the butler, and eventually to his father.

"One day, when I become the duke, I’ll get rid of the butler, this spy, and every last one of them."

All of them—everyone who had ever disregarded him. Including his father.

He would make them all pay, one by one.