Chapter 69: Purgatory Fang
Good grief, you never know where trouble is lurking.
I sat down in an empty chair at their table and, while drinking my ale, tried unleashing my killing intent, but there was no reaction.
“That’s quite some killing intent, but that level won’t work on us.”
Along with a calm voice, I was hit by a barrage of killing intent all at once.
It reminded me of when I faced the Brown Bear, and Mii-chan on my shoulder bristled and growled.
“Don’t go scaring my cute Mii-chan. You guys really seem to come from a line that hates cats.”
“What I hate are brats like you who get cocky just because they’re a little skilled. No Mock Battle for us; let’s have a real combat training session.”
“Wait until I finish my ale, okay?”
“It’s your last drink. Take your time.”
〈Purgatory Fang and a Tamer are gonna fight!〉
〈That guy’s dead.〉
〈They probably won’t kill him, but he’ll need more than an ordinary Potion to heal from that.〉
〈He looks skilled too, but he’s picked the wrong opponents.〉
Oh well, Bee-chan isn’t responding when I call, so I guess I’ll have to rely on my own strength here.
I returned my tankard and called Hoo-chan and the others.
“Hoh, so you command two Fang Wolves.”
“No wonder he’s so full of himself and acting all high and mighty.”
“It’s a pity, but that ends today.”
“It’s real combat training, right? I won’t hold back.”
“Ooh, two Forest Wolves commanded by a Tamer. This might actually be a bit challenging.”
Idiots. I’ll take you all on by myself.
This is a world where talk of fighting fair and square is just sleep-talking. Hoo-chan and the others are here to keep anyone from interfering.
I followed them towards the training grounds, but we were interrupted.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Yo, Guild Master, we’re borrowing the training grounds.”
“Just a bit of practical training.”
“What, we ain’t gonna kill him.”
“We don’t have a hobby of bullying brats like this.”
“I cannot allow such a thing! I forbid the use of the training grounds!”
“Guild Master, we get to have a real combat training session against another person. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.”
“You…” The Guild Master sounded exasperated.
“Then let’s have a Mock Battle. You won’t complain about that, right?”
“Doesn’t matter to me. As long as I can teach this brat a lesson.”
“Alright then, I’ll ask you to be the referee.”
“Get those Forest Wolves out of here.”
Can’t be helped, I guess. I placed Mii-chan on Hoo-chan’s back and sent them outside.
“Are you sure about this? They’re all A and B-rank, you know.”
“Well, that’s a problem. But I’ll manage somehow.”
When I took out the practice staff for a Short Spear and did some swings, the Guild Master looked at me again with an exasperated expression.
It’s about 2.8m long and 5cm in diameter, I think. It’s a favorite of mine that the old man at the weapon shop brought out from the back when I asked for a hard, heavy staff.
As I faced the first guy, cheers erupted from the spectator seats, and I almost burst out laughing.
〈Big bro, get him!〉
〈Make him pay for defying Purgatory Fang!〉
“Ah~, they’re so brave when they’re not the ones fighting. Are you guys okay having people like that in your group?”
“Worry about yourself instead of others. I can’t go easy on you just because you’re weak.”
As he said that, he unleashed his killing intent. How scary.
At the signal 《Begin!》, he slowly stepped in.
With a light “Hmph,” he came slashing upwards as if to scoop me up, but I dodged with a step.
The wooden sword, having scooped upwards, then came slashing down in an arc, but as I retreated, it changed its trajectory at a right angle in front of me and attacked.
“It seems you have the skills to back up your big talk.”
“I’m inexperienced in fighting people, so thank you for the compliment.”
I gave a slight bow, and he immediately thrust at me. I jumped onto the thrusted wooden sword, and when I struck his wide-open chest, I felt a solid impact.
I kicked off his shoulder and jumped back, then simultaneously with landing, I stepped in again and thrust upwards at his stomach.
〈That’s enough!〉
〈Amaaaazing!〉
〈Hey! He actually did it!〉
〈No way! His opponent is a Tamer, right?〉
〈You guys, quickly, give him a Potion!〉
I definitely felt the impact. Maybe I hit him a little too hard.
They dragged him to a corner of the training ground, shoved a Potion into his mouth, and forced him to drink it.
“Not bad. I apologize for underestimating you. I’ll fight you seriously now.”
“How scary~. Please don’t get serious with a mere Tamer like me.”
The man was powerfully built. After swinging his staff, which he was using like a Short Spear, he smoothly pointed it at my chest.
This was my first Mock Battle against a Short Spear user, but I figured I could manage with Agility and Super Strength at full power.
I aimed the tip of my staff at my opponent’s navel and took my stance. Then, the voice called out, 《Begin!》.
True to his word about fighting seriously, a series of thrusts, looking like a single continuous line, rained down on me, but I used my Agility to dodge and parry them.
After parrying several blows, as a tip lunged for my chest, I used Super Strength at full power to scoop it upwards. With a crack, his staff flew into the air.
He ignored the staff that left his hand and jumped back, but with a jump like Soo-chan’s, I closed the distance in an instant and kicked him away.
He rolled backward from the force of the kick but then lay completely still. I guess he lost consciousness.
〈Hey, hey, the second one lost too!〉
〈Did you see that closing step just now?!〉
〈Whoa, he closed in with one step and kicked him flying!〉
〈Man, if he’d thrust instead of kicking, that guy would be dead.〉
His comrades silently carried the man, who was vomiting blood, to a corner. The next guy, however, paid no attention to his fallen comrade and was swinging two wooden swords.
A dual longsword user, huh? Looks like he’ll have a lot of attacks.
This time, there were no greetings. We glared at each other in silence, and at the signal, he charged in, swinging his dual swords.
It’s not like this is the Chinese acrobat troupe or anything. I couldn’t get close to the wooden swords being swung around freely, but the staff I held was longer than his wooden swords.
The shaft alone was about 1.8m, and it was modeled after a Demon Steel spear with a 1m blade.
No matter how skilled a dual-wielding swordsman he might be, he probably couldn’t reach an opponent with a 2.8m weapon.
Holding the butt end and the middle of the staff, I deflected his swords from below the instant they crossed in front of my body, and as he tried to resist, I struck down from above.
One wooden sword flew from his hand, but he managed to hold onto the other, though he lost his balance.
The moment I stepped forward to land a blow on his chest, he jumped backward, dropped his remaining wooden sword, knelt, and held up his palm.
〈I surrender!〉
〈Wait!〉
His voice admitting defeat and the Guild Master’s voice overlapped.
〈Damn, two A-rankers got taken down!〉
〈He’s ridiculously strong, isn’t he?〉
〈Guess he has the skills to command Forest Wolves, huh?〉
〈There are still three left, so we don’t know yet.〉
“We lose. Allow me to apologize.”
“Will the remaining three agree to that?”
“I’m the leader. Their skills are closer to C-rank even though they’re B-rank, so they don’t stand a chance.”
〈Purgatory Fang admitted defeat!〉
〈Told you so. That guy’s strong.〉
〈Hmph, people who don’t even bet money talk big and act all high and mighty.〉
〈It’s easy to say anything after the match is over.〉
“Tell me one thing. Is that staff for practice? Or is it modeled after your usual weapon?”
As expected of an A-ranker, he notices different things.
I took out the Demon Steel Short Spear from my Magic Pouch and showed it to him. It’s less of a Short Spear and more like a real, serious spear.
“You can wield something like that?”
“Guild Master, I wouldn’t carry something like this just for decoration.”
“What’s the biggest thing you’ve hunted?”
“Hmm, if it’s by myself, probably an Orc King. Hitting it with a normal Short Spear just made it stagger, so I had this one made.”
“You hit an Orc King with a Short Spear?”
“Isn’t that the wrong way to use a Short Spear?”
“Ah, also, when I went to subjugate a Brown Bear with a friend, I realized a weapon of this caliber was necessary. I figured if the spearhead was this long, I could fight with it.”
“I am Marks, leader of Purgatory Fang. You have skills that make me want to go on a big hunt with you someday.”
“I’m Shinya. I’m not particularly good at hunting Beasts, so perhaps if fate allows.”
Now that it’s over, he seems like a reasonable guy, but with group members like that…
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
Ten months ago, I left the Royal Capital and headed for the town of Tanza in Zalm-san’s Florence domain.
The Florence domain is north of the Royal Capital, in the complete opposite direction of Zandra to the south. It’s the fourth domain from the Royal Capital, a distant 14-day journey by shared carriage.
To gather Gold Mash, I could just go to Zandra, but Zandra is an unlucky place for me, so I decided to stay away from it.
If that’s the case, it’s to have an acquaintance guide me through the forests and Grasslands, and also to check if the Hailwood clan has been causing any unnecessary trouble for him.
With Mii-chan on the carrying frame, and Hoo-chan and the others arranged in front and behind, we proceeded at a run, sprinting whenever we were out of sight.
That said, since it was a main highway, I couldn’t exactly enjoy a marathon with Hoo-chan and the others all the time.
We managed to pass through the first town, Drinban in Grosas territory, without incident, but the next one, Darssen in Brandle territory, is Marquis Grandes’s domain.
Consort Cindyra is Marquis Grandes’s daughter, and since she’s related to the Hailwood family by marriage, I passed through discreetly using my Adventurer Card to avoid causing a commotion.
I had Hoo-chan and the others take a wide detour around the town, and we regrouped after I exited from the north gate.
We arrived in the town of Tanza in Florence territory just before noon on the tenth day. When heading to a town for the first time, it’s a hassle because if I stray from the highway, I’m likely to get lost.
Upon entering the town, I decided to head to the Adventurers Guild for the time being.
The Adventurers I occasionally encountered near the town gates, unlike those around the Royal Capital, were often large-bodied.
And I also spotted a few hairy individuals who looked like Beastmen, and others with protruding fangs here and there.
Fran had mentioned that subjugating large monsters is often entrusted to Beastmen, so perhaps there are dangerous large monsters around Tanza.
Or perhaps large monsters are found in places like Osius Village, far from Zandra.
Entering the Adventurers Guild, I went to the purchase counter and said I wanted to sell Horndogs and Horn Boars.
I had Hoo-chan and the others wait outside, but Mii-chan was relaxing on my shoulder.
The old man at the purchase counter looked at Mii-chan and asked, “Got a Magic Pouch, do ya?”