Chapter 259
Chapter 259: Are We Fighting Today? (2)
Doncard backed away in panic, holding his nose.
He was sure he had seen the opponent coming and was ready to throw a punch at just the right moment, but suddenly, he vanished from his sight.
As soon as he turned his head in surprise, a shock hit him, and blood gushed from his nose.
“What the…? Did he suddenly get stronger? Strong enough for me to completely miss his movement?”
This made no sense. It felt like he was haunted by a ghost.
Thinking it was a fluke, he re-engaged, but each time, Kaor effortlessly dodged and countered.
Whenever Doncard tried to evade, he was quickly met with a follow-up attack. It was as if Kaor could predict where he would move next.
Before long, Doncard was solely focused on dodging or blocking the opponent’s attacks.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
Kaor was annoyed but also feeling a strange exhilaration.
“Damn, that lord is truly a monster.”
Moving as Ghislaine suggested, Doncard’s attacks naturally missed. It was as if he knew exactly where Doncard would go, consistently landing his strikes.
The timing he maintained was downright amazing.
But it didn’t end with mere admiration. The more he moved, the more he sensed something.
“Wait, didn’t I already master all this? I’m an idiot for mastering it and not utilizing it properly!”
He realized that he was aware of the movements his opponent made when attacking, how to counter, and all the methods to respond—Kaor already knew all this.
The more he fought, the more what he already understood became familiar in his body.
Like when he fought the Knights of Cabaldy, he felt a little more comfortable and found it easier to apply what he had learned.
Ghislaine’s advice kept flowing.
— That guy is getting flustered and his movements are becoming hurried. Those who only gained skills through improvisation usually do that. You’ve lowered his level significantly, so fight as you’ve learned. Ideally, it should come out naturally but since you can’t manage that yet, you need to move with awareness.
“Tch, I know that already.”
Kaor felt a surge of irritation at Ghislaine’s condescending tone.
As expected, the issue lay with inadequate training. He needed to grind away until what he practiced became second nature.
Yet Kaor, feeling like he had trained just enough and was getting somewhat accustomed, hastily searched for a quick way to get stronger.
Otherwise, he would drink and just complain.
Even though he couldn’t properly utilize it in actual combat.
Puh! Puh!
Kaor chuckled to himself. It felt like his body could fly.
The opponent’s attacks didn’t hit him, but his own strikes landed perfectly on the other guy.
Such selfish combat suited his taste perfectly.
However, Doncard wasn’t an easy opponent. He quickly gathered himself and began to counterattack with full force.
Puh! Puh!
“Kugh!”
“Kuagh!”
Both men simultaneously took punches to the face and staggered back. Kaor still wasn’t fully accustomed to his techniques, and as a result, he missed his attack timings or got entangled in his movements.
At some point, Ghislaine stopped offering advice.
Still, having regained his confidence and composure, Kaor concentrated and launched an attack on Doncard.
Watching the two engaged in a fierce battle, the onlookers wore expressions of disbelief.
“Wow, he’s fighting pretty well all of a sudden!”
“What happened? Was he hiding his skills?”
“Maybe he was just testing the waters?”
The spectators appeared increasingly intrigued.
This was how fights should be. A one-sided victory might feel satisfying internally, but it lacked the entertainment value of a real struggle.
The crowd began cheering again. Those whose livelihood depended on monster hunting wouldn’t dislike a fight.
“Wow! That red-haired guy is holding his own!”
“Doncard, give it a stomp!”
“Or just let them both kill each other!”
Many were dissatisfied with Doncard. They had merely tolerated him as a necessary evil, succumbing to the logic of power.
Yet, amidst it all, there were those who genuinely cheered for Kaor. In fact, for the hunters, it didn’t matter who won. They thought both were annoying.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
The fierceness of their punches escalated. Doncard gritted his teeth as he deflected Kaor’s ramped-up attacks.
“Damn… why is this bastard suddenly…”
The pressure from his opponent was growing stronger with each exchange. If he lost here, he would have to leave this place. It could take an indefinite amount of time to build up his influence in another area.
No, even leaving safely was in question. If word got out that he lost to a newcomer, others surely wouldn’t remain quiet.
“There’s no choice but to spill blood…”
Swish.
He staggered back, pretending to regain his stance while stealthily retrieving a small blade from his waist.
Doncard, hiding the blade between his fingers, wore a sinister smile.
He had used this method to kill many stronger opponents before. As long as he managed to dispose of the opponent first, any cleanup could be handled afterward.
“I didn’t expect I’d meet someone worthy of using this on…”
He might earn some curses, but he was already infamous for being dirty and cowardly. His other nickname was “the Beast of Ironcliff.”
People might treat him like a king in public, but in private, they called him a beast and never stopped pointing fingers.
No one noticed when Doncard drew the blade. In fact, only after his opponent died did people realize he had used a weapon. That’s how stealthy his movements were.
Of course, Ghislaine watched the scene with an amused expression.
Having prepared himself, Doncard signaled to his followers behind him by shaking his hand a few times.
“Get ready.”
It was a signal to attack as soon as he killed his opponent.
Fearful of taking heavy damage, he had asked for a one-on-one duel, but it was better to clear the area with some harm than risk leaving as a loser.
“This guy seems the strongest, so clearing the rest should be easier.”
Puh!
Doncard purposely stepped closer and took a punch from Kaor. By closing the distance suddenly, he minimized the impact, gritting his teeth and enduring it.
Then, with all his strength, he buried his fist into Kaor’s abdomen.
Phew!
“Huh?”
Kaor’s expression shifted to one of surprise. Something had burrowed into his belly. The sound was oddly different.
In that fleeting moment, Doncard aimed for Kaor’s throat.
Crunch!
“Kuugh!”
Just barely dodging, Kaor felt the blade graze his neck as blood began to flow.
Only then did the intense pain surge forth, and Kaor quickly retreated, clutching his neck and abdomen.
When he pulled his hands away, they were stained with blood. The blade had done its job.
“This bastard hid a knife?”
Kaor, incredulous, looked at Ghislaine. Surely this monstrous lord couldn’t have missed that.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Life is about real experience. If you get too complacent just because you can throw a punch, this is what happens. I thought you wouldn’t die right away, so I didn’t warn you. Ugh, seriously can’t fight for shit.”
“….”
Frustrating as it was, Ghislaine was correct. If the blade had been poisoned or slightly bigger, this could’ve been fatal.
The onlookers stood silently, their expressions suggesting this was expected.
No weapons were visible from Doncard’s punches. In simple terms, as long as it went unnoticed, it was effective.
“Oh, you bastard! You worthless piece of shit! You can’t even compare to Alfoy or Koko!”
Kaor didn’t utter words like ‘coward’ or ‘dishonorable.’ He believed that in a fight, such notions were irrelevant.
It was even more ridiculous to try to fight with rules in a place rumored to be lawless. Hadn’t he also been beaten by Ghislaine for suggesting fair play before?
It honestly felt more comforting when the opponent acted cowardly. Kaor was well-acquainted with such dirty fights.
Whoosh!
As Kaor swung his fist, Doncard smirked, dodging gracefully. As he moved closer to land another blade-fist strike, Kaor chuckled.
“Eat this!”
Whoosh!
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, a cloud of red powder burst into Doncard’s face, forcing him to close his eyes and step back.
“You cowardly bastard! What did you throw?!”
Though he feared it might be poison, it wasn’t. However, it was so spicy that tears streamed from his eyes, making it impossible to open them.
Quickly gathering mana to shield his eyes, it might have already penetrated, aggravating his sight beyond measure.
With a continuing grin, Kaor exclaimed, “Oops, I accidentally burst my delicious seasoning pouch. Mistake, mistake.”
What he had burst was the “Spicy Attack Seasoning Powder” prepared for him by Belinda.
— You get angry often, so you should eat spicy food to relieve stress.
— What is this?
— “Spicy Attack Seasoning Powder.” If you’re in a bind during a fight, throwing it in someone’s face will have an effect. You can’t fight well anyway.
— I’m good at fighting! I don’t need this stuff.
Though he said so, he had kept the seasoning just in case he ever craved something spicy. He had discreetly taken it from his belt and tossed it.
Doncard flailed blindly, unable to open his eyes as he swung wildly. In doing so, the blade peered out from his fist.
“Huh? That bastard drew a knife? Everyone saw it! He drew it first!”
Kaor, grinning disdainfully, swiftly retrieved a dagger from his back and hurled it.
Puh!
“Kugh!”
The dagger landed squarely in Doncard’s chest. While he still swung the blade blindly, he staggered back.
In a quiet atmosphere, he could have sensed a presence and dodged, but amidst the spectators’ jeers and cheers, that was impossible.
As he attempted to pull the dagger from his chest, Kaor was quicker.
Phew!
“Ungh!”
Kaor swiftly drew the spike hidden in his boot and stabbed it into Doncard’s gut. Kaor was just as dirty as Doncard.
Phew! Phew!
Kaor repeatedly stabbed Doncard in the abdomen.
Doncard swung his fist bearing the blade indiscriminately but Kaor lightly dodged and continued his assault.
Phew! Phew! Phew!
“Ugh, urk!”
Eventually, he stabbed indiscriminately at various parts of Doncard’s body: neck, chest, abdomen, arms, and legs, leaving him bloodied all over.
“Stop… Enough…”
If he took any more punishment, he would surely die. Doncard, still stinging from the pain, cried tears as he finally opened his eyes.
What kind of seasoning was so deadly?!
Finally catching a glimpse of his opponent’s face, Doncard felt death’s chilling grip for the very first time.
‘This bastard… is smiling…’
His eyes were unfocused. The grin, which revealed his teeth, looked like that of a rabid dog.
“I… I lost…”
“Who said you can lose? Our lord doesn’t let that slide. I’m just giving it a go.”
Phew! Phew!
Ignoring those words, Kaor grabbed Doncard by the collar and kept thrusting his spikes.
It felt satisfying. The stress that had built up over time was finally releasing.
Indeed, just as Belinda had said, “spicy seasoning” was the best for stress relief.
Thud.
As Kaor ceased stabbing, having relieved his frustrations, he let go of the collar, and Doncard collapsed.
“Kugh, urgh…”
Doncard, soaked in blood, crawled across the ground and weakly shouted.
“Kill… these bastards! Quickly!”
Yet, none of his followers moved. They only looked down at him with cold expressions.
In this place, the logic of strength reigned above all. Doncard’s words, now that he was on the verge of collapse, sounded like mere nonsense.
Especially considering he had drawn his weapon first and still lost.
“R-Right! Kill them before—”
Suddenly, Kaor jumped onto Doncard’s back, grabbing his neck and head.
“Just die, bastard. Don’t act humiliated.”
Crack!
With that, he twisted Doncard’s neck, and his life ended.
“Haah…”
Taking a deep breath, Kaor stood and roared.
“You saw it! You bastards! If we fight, I win! I’m the strongest! Anyone who cursed at me before, step up!”
Though it was an utterly childish victory declaration, the crowd erupted in cheers.
“Wow! The red-haired guy won!”
“To beat Doncard, that’s impressive!”
“Seems he’s really good at hunting monsters! Not an ordinary bloke!”
Kaor, urged by the crowd’s cheers, boasted despite bleeding profusely.
Shortly after, the soldiers and knights from Turian pushed through the gathering crowd.
The Turian knight clicked his tongue upon seeing Doncard’s head twisted.
He placed a hand on his sword hilt, wearing an annoyed expression.
“In this place, murder is strictly forbidden, and you kill someone right after arriving? That’s a bit troublesome…”
Though he spoke of trouble, his face showed he couldn’t care less. In reality, he didn’t care whether Doncard lived or died. However, with so many witnesses, it would be hard to overlook it.
“Tsk tsk, if you’re going to kill, do it secretly. Why make a fuss like this? Hey, apprehend him.”
As the knight gestured to the accompanying soldiers, Kaor growled.
“Hey, you bastard! Can’t you see I’m bleeding over here? That guy drew his weapon first!”
Nearby hunters sided with him.
“Hey, it’s true Doncard drew first. You know how this goes!”
“Since when were you so concerned? Just handle the paperwork.”
“You’d be encroaching on self-defense, wouldn’t you? This place is known for its non-interference.”
Even so, the knight remained unimpressed. Here, after a while, one would start ignoring such jeers.
At that moment, Ghislaine sidled up to the knight and whispered.
“If complaints arise among the hunters because of this, it would be a loss for you in the end. The laws were made to prevent criminals from being captured or executed by nobles and thus reduce the number of hunters, right? If they take in Doncard, it would be a significant loss.”
The knight swallowed a few times before nodding. She was right. If all the hunters agreed it was justified, there was no need to haul him away.
“We’ll treat it as an accident from the duel; from now on, be cautious. And without Doncard around, let’s all refrain from fighting. Unless you want to get killed by monsters.”
After the Turian knight and soldiers made their exit, Kaor staggered back to the inn, leaving the crowd’s cheers behind.
Honestly, he was so exhausted that he wanted to crash and sleep.
Ghislaine patted Kaor’s shoulder complimentarily.
“Wow, you actually fought well today? You struggled at first, but still.”
“…. Oh, I’m naturally good at it.”
“Anyway, you did well. That guy seemed to be the chief around here. Since we dealt with him, life will be a lot easier from now on. We should just rest well today.”
“Haah, good to hear. Then let’s go hunting starting tomorrow. One day’s rest is all we need.”
“Nope, we won’t be going out tomorrow either. The hunting was meant to wrap up today.”
“Why not?”
Kaor and the knights looked at Ghislaine with puzzled expressions.
After going nonstop with training and hunting, she suddenly claimed they wouldn’t be going out. She wasn’t the type to be considerate of Kaor’s injuries.
Their suspicion about her hidden motives proved correct. Ghislaine smiled slyly and replied.
“The Monster Wave is starting soon.”
