Chapter 52

Chapter 52

***

A headless person was holding his own head in his left arm. Rickart was looking at that person's back.

When he slowly turned around to look at Rickart, he was none other than Steiner.

The head separated from where it should originally be opened its mouth and spoke as if still alive.

"What is the difference between you and me?"

"......"

"You are much worse. Compared to you, I'm just at the level of a Demon King's minion. Isn't that right?"

"......"

"I simply didn't possess it. A harmonious family, and wholesome friends. God, the world didn't allow it, so is that my fault?"

"......"

Rickart opened his mouth wanting to say something, but words just didn't come out. It was frustrating to the point of going crazy.

Steiner snorted 'hmph', said one last thing, and walked away into somewhere in that abyss.

"Life is suffering, and reality is hell, friend. I understand those words."

Rickart wanted to run and grab Steiner and shout that you and I are different. But limbs didn't move, and words only stayed in the throat.

Struggling from frustration, he woke up from the nightmare abruptly raising his upper body with a scream.

But as soon as he woke up, he felt someone putting their head on his chest.

"Aaaack!"

"Aih, you startled me!"

Rickart moved reflexively without knowing. Grabbing the hair of the unknown person and bending it back sharply, he took out the dagger he kept at the bedside and stabbed.

No, the tip of the dagger stopped under Marie's chin.

Rickart stared at Marie with eyes wide open in surprise. Marie also had surprised eyes with her head bent back.

Their faces were close as if about to kiss. Each other's surprised breath was felt.

Rickart flinched and hurriedly let go of her hair and retrieved the dagger.

"So, sorry."

"I... I'm fine."

Rickart gathered his wits and looked around. It was inside a tent, and Bori-bori was sleeping soundly covered with a blanket in the corner. His two fingers were wrapped tightly with bandages.

And a wet towel had fallen on the floor nearby. It seemed it had been on his forehead.

"You were groaning, so I wondered if you had a fever......"

Marie said, smoothing her hair.

"Sorry. Really sorry. I had a bad dream. It's usually not like this, sorry."

"......"

Awkward silence hovered. Rickart touched his forehead for no reason, picked up the wet towel and said.

"Thanks."

"No, we're helping each other, what."

"Did you sleep a bit?"

"Yeah......"

"You couldn't sleep well because of me."

"No......"

Rickart was still somewhat disoriented, but suddenly realized his front was open. Wait, someone had their head on my chest earlier?

"That! That! Need to listen to the heart, heartbeat sound. Originally patients..."

Marie said, flustered.

Rickart tilted his head. Was there such a thing?

"Really? Anyway thanks. Get some shut-eye. I think I'm fully awake."

"I... I also slept enough. It's fine."

Rickart continued to feel sorry and thankful. Anyway since his sleep was gone, he fastened his clothes and went out of the tent. Outside, the day was already brightening.

Some people of the Widowmaker Clan were seen standing guard, and Bolka and Delphi were sleeping hugging each other inside a tent without an entrance.

Last night, surprisingly no one died among the allies. Enemy damage wasn't big either. Roughly examining the highland, ten-something corpses were all.

Even that, most were people pushing each other, or mistaking and stabbing or cutting to death. There was also a person who died hitting his head on a rock rolling down the highland.

Flames that burned all night were sending up cooled smoke. However, enemies were unexpectedly not fleeing far and still sleeping or loitering around the Kaitz area.

The truly unfathomable thing was, if they were normal soldiers they would have fled to their hometown immediately, but perhaps because they were adventurers, they didn't seem to have much shock of defeat.

Actually most didn't think they lost even if the guild lost. Low-rank adventurers were like that.

People whose position was sensitively influenced depending on whether the guild rises or falls were at least middle-rank adventurers or above.

Day brightened gradually, and Rickart suddenly turned his head to look at the eastern horizon.

Although it hadn't revealed its appearance yet, the sun was revealing its presence bluishly from below the horizon far away already.

Rickart sat and waited for the sun to rise. And, Marie also sat beside him and looked at the same place.

Then Rickart felt something placed gently on his shoulder.

"If you're leaning, lean comfortably. You look too tired."

"Uh, uh? Is, is that okay?"

"Asking after already leaning, what to do."

Rickart burst into a chuckle and wrapped his arm around Marie's waist gently pulling.

Surprised, Marie almost froze her body, but Rickart held her head and made her lean on his shoulder. Marie was scared her heartbeat sound would be heard.

Rickart watched silently the sun rising. Although the sun rises and sets every day, that magnificent spectacle presented indescribable emotion.

The sun poked its head out, rose slowly and stretched a hand of light to the whole world in an instant. Who could be there to imitate that.

Rickart naturally had a humble heart, and watched the sunrise with Marie.

"Ricky."

"Hmm?"

"You are...... No."

"What."

"Just, it's good being together."

"Me too."

Words neither light nor heavy went back and forth. But their hearts seemed somewhat crossed. Marie felt that subtle part. So she thought, this is good too.

Time passed and people woke up one by one. Reinhardt urinated below the rock cliff starting from the morning. Drinking so much alcohol, the urine stream didn't stop for a good while.

"Ugh, refreshing."

Bolka and Delphi, Bori-bori even woke up, and five people circled around lighting a bonfire and had breakfast. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, smoked ham stuff as always.

"Hey, yesterday was really gratifying. I was honestly a bit scared you know? But it wasn't much."

Bolka spoke packing a sweet potato for Delphi first. But Rickart shook his head.

"This somehow doesn't seem to work."

"Huh? Why? Didn't you say it was doable?"

"Enemies don't run away as much as I thought. Looking long term, it's not very good."

"Can't we fight like yesterday?"

"We can't. That's just a fight left to luck. Not planned. If an incident happens, we can't act matching then and there. Once or twice might produce a good result. But doing it many times, if we slip even once, we all die."

Since it was a fight between groups not controlled properly, Rickart also couldn't predict what would happen.

Rickart interpreted and accepted the situation based on his past life experience, but didn't feel only bound to it. A guild war was certainly a first experience for him too, so he was observing continuously.

First, no one knew what sudden situation would happen. There was no proper commander, and even if one existed, adventurers didn't listen to words so really one couldn't know what would happen.

So, it meant that once a situation happens, they have to judge and act taking profit within that situation, but flowing like this, eventually the few side was disadvantaged.

"Then what to do? That pig doesn't seem communicative."

Bolka said, pointing at the defense tower side. Rickart sighed through his nose then said.

"For the time being no problem. Enemies also got beaten hard. But looking long term HQ needs to support. Or at least the HQ side needs to know how the situation is."

Rickart wanted to grasp the overall composition. But currently he couldn't know. How the war situation was going, really no alliance at all.

"Who goes?"

"Ideally Bolka, you know the HQ location. Go with Delphi."

"Will it be okay?"

Two people missing might make one wonder what big difference in combat power, but it was bigger than thought. The personnel was so few, and the Viola Clan was only five. Moreover Bori-bori was in a state of injured fingers.

"Bori, are you okay?"

Rickart asked looking at Bori-bori's fingers.

"Yeah."

"Just don't say it, you really okay?"

"Used a potion. It's wasteful but."

"Still don't move your fingers rashly for three days."

"Got it."

Rickart looked at Bolka again and said.

"Let's do this. First watch the situation for a few days, and if we deem it okay, you two go to HQ."

"That would be good."

With this, the Viola Clan decided their policy in their own way. They wondered how good it would be if they linked with Widowmaker well, but worried if words would communicate.

When Rickart went to Reinhardt and asked what to do going forward, perhaps seeing yesterday's Rickart, he didn't speak gruffly like usual and seemed somewhat hesitating.

"I just plan to guard here......"

"But they attacked rashly yesterday."

"That's because those bastards acted cowardly."

"Then who guards the defense tower?"

"Anyway it's guarded."

Rickart was speechless. Wow, how does his thinking process work?

Still he obtained a sure realization. Thinking to handle adventurers at will was wrong itself. Adventurers were never soldiers, and a guild or clan wasn't an army.

Anyway, like this, the Viola Clan decided on an independent policy, and had no choice but to match hands with Widowmaker best at times.

Rickart examined the enemies from atop the highland. There was no sign of defeated soldiers at all. And playing separately was the same for the enemies too.

Some groups showed movement just trying to pull out from the war, other groups seemed to go get food.

Roughly 40 out of 80 people scattered moving to other places.

And people seemingly of clan master class or above gathered seemingly talking, but judging by waving hands or shaking heads seemed opinion unification wasn't working there well too.

Around becoming noon, suddenly a group of people climbed the highland. Not coming receiving some instruction but on their own will.

"Hey! Red Cloak Ricky! Let's have a bout!"

A man tall like a beanpole taking off his shirt shouted leaning a two-handed sword on his shoulder.

By sword classification method 'Two-handed sword' meant a sword larger than a Greatsword. The sword Rickart used in his past life was a Greatsword.

The opponent's sword length from handle to tip was bigger than Rickart's height. Superficially looked quite threatening.

But Rickart jumped out as if he waited. Actually acting as he willed was the same for Rickart too.

Only, Rickart stepped up judging it would help if he killed the enemy's skilled person surely besides the melee situation. Not stepping up for showing off or proof.

As Rickart stepped up, unlike the previous day, Widowmaker Clan people and friends also came down. And searched surroundings thoroughly monitoring if any guy was ambushing uselessly again.

Enemies also knowing the meaning of that action, took somewhat flat ground in the highland as a duel place.

Rickart's opponent perhaps trying to suppress his spirit, spread long arms wide making his already tall height look taller.

"I am 'Iron Horn' Volk of Thanburg!"

Rickart wasn't one to be discouraged by such things. Just drew his sword and threw the scabbard to where an ally was whish.

"Viola Clan, Ricky."

Thus the duel began. The man holding a large sword swung his sword drawing a big circle whoosh. While doing so he measured distance carefully.

Rickart held his longsword in one hand, putting the blade face on a shoulder tuck, didn't take a separate stance and just walked around Volk nonchalantly first.

While circling the outskirts as if drawing a circle, he narrowed the distance subtly, indeed the opponent also not ordinary swung his sword swinging whoosh toward Rickart powerfully.

Huuung!

Since the sword was so big wind pressure was felt, attack range exceeded imagination and destructive power was also great.

But Rickart bent his upper body closely almost touching the ground rather digging into the opponent's side. The sword was leaning on one shoulder, and the other hand touched the ground.

Volk knew his attack missed. But since his reach was so long he retreated quickly in his own way. But as Rickart narrowed distance persistently, he struck with that big foot.

And Rickart stepped on the ground then swung his sword strongly.

Hung!

Thud!

Volk's knee was severed. He closed his eyes tight.

As his body tilted sideways falling, before his head touched the ground, and before a scream burst out, his neck was cut.

Rickart struck up his sword as soon as he cut the opponent's leg. What to say, his skill handling the sword was truly ghost-like.

Whish!

Thud!

Flop.

The giant man lost one leg and his head, falling and spewing blood. Rickart leaned his sword on his shoulder again examining the enemies. His breath didn't become rough, inhale and exhale were stable.

But the surprising thing was, almost no one was scared and most had an expression as if they watched a good thing, seemingly clapping soon. Watching at day is fun.

Just as nobles don't have the concept of dying for their country, adventurers also didn't care much if others died or not unless they were from the same clan. So they just admired purely and watched with interest.

Only, a few minority observed Rickart closely with shining eyes.

Volk's colleagues approached retrieving the corpse.

Rickart walked thump thump looking around enemies as if asking if anyone else was challenging more. It seemed no one was stepping up yet, so he went up to the defense tower again.

Only when the next day came there was a person requesting a duel, and there was the next day too. Seemed challenging analyzing Rickart's fighting style putting heads together in their own way.

But challengers all died. Because Rickart fundamentally had no form to break.

Rather most people died not displaying their own skill properly fighting clumsily trying to break Rickart's swordsmanship.

But as days passed an absurd thing happened. Suddenly civilians started gathering near Kaitz, then just sat down.

The reason they came was no other. They came to watch the duel.

In an era where public execution is also a show, a duel risking life and death was a rare spectacle to people.

Rickart couldn't even guess how the situation was going at all. Is this exactly a guild war?