Chapter 61

Chapter 61

***

As Marie stepped forward in her one-piece dress, Regina opened her eyes wide in slight surprise, then immediately smiled triumphantly.

"A Lady stepping up, how interesting. Is that the freedom you talked about? Stupidity is not freedom. Ohohoho!"

"Hiding behind others when handling important matters isn't behavior befitting a noble. It's just being a coward."

"Eh, does it look like I'm hiding behind them? No. This is called an order. You wouldn't be able to do it. How about putting forward your meager knight even now? Before you regret it."

"Then you'll probably die."

Marie advised without exaggeration.

At Marie's consistently cold and blatant words, Regina dropped her act as if a mask had been peeled off.

"......There's really no limit to what you say."

Marie, who was tall anyway, looked down on her and smirked. Regina lost her composure. She lost her smile too, and breathed irregularly out of anger.

Actually, the most annoying part for Regina was Marie's appearance. Because, to anyone's eyes, Marie was superior to her. Even though Regina was adorned with expensive clothes and accessories, her face couldn't match Marie's.

Still, if Marie had looked up to her subserviently, Regina might have overlooked it, but Marie was even haughty and high-handed in her attitude. In that case, she couldn't overlook it.

"Vulgar things have to taste it to wake up. Bestowing mercy as a noble is really hard to keep up. Guys, is there anyone who will ruin that face for me?"

Regina said, looking at the men standing behind her. There were five or six adult men, and they all looked like hooligans. Acting all elegant, they seemed to know how she usually played.

"Tsk, what a waste."

One of the men said. It was a remark unpleasant beyond measure.

The men looked at Rickart standing blankly behind, considering him a trivial, cowardly guy. Putting a woman forward and just watching.

But such thoughts didn't last long. Because Marie suddenly narrowed the distance and delivered a front kick with those long legs.

Thwack!

The kick struck the abdomen truly as if a spear had pierced it. That man fell to his knees immediately with a thud, and poured out the contents of his stomach like a waterfall.

"Blaaargh!"

Because Marie's movement was so natural and fast, the mediocre hooligans couldn't respond immediately; they were just dazed, momentarily wondering what had happened.

Immediately, Marie swung a fist in a full swing and planted it in another one's face.

Crack!

The sound of bone breaking was heard. His nose, philtrum, and jaw were smashed. It was a shock that could kill a person if it hit the wrong spot.

Only then did the remaining three have their hair stand on end. The thought that they had messed with the wrong person struck them suddenly.

But momentarily, their bodies stiffened so they couldn't respond, and couldn't run away either. They couldn't judge what to do at such a totally unexpected event.

Marie gritted her teeth toward the next opponent and delivered a powerful kick as if swinging a club. And swung her fist again.

Crack! Thwack!

Two more people collapsed. She didn't attack many times either. It was one blow per person.

Strictly speaking, guys just using fists in the neighborhood had no way to beat a person swinging blades and risking their life. Above all, Marie knew how to handle mana.

Just handling mana didn't guarantee winning, and didn't mean not dying, but it was clear it wasn't something a normal human level could handle.

Marie pulled out one tooth stuck in her fist indifferently and threw it on the ground with a thud, and stared at the last remaining man.

Then he froze, and only then startled, flinching and trying to run away.

But Marie snatched his nape, tripped his leg to knock him down, and lifting her foot, stomped on his face strongly.

Crunch!

Although she couldn't smash the head like a watermelon like Nameless, it was enough to break the nose, bone, or teeth profusely.

By the way, fighting in a one-piece dress meant her white legs and underwear were visible, so Rickart, watching from behind, was a bit embarrassed. Regret that he should have stepped up surged slightly.

Marie made five adult men into mush in an instant, then pushed the head she stomped last slickly and looked at Regina.

In the dark night, her blue eyes glistened coolly.

"This is real power, Cute Reggie."

Marie returned the words Regina had said about the difference between a noble and a commoner being power and authority, laughing.

But Regina couldn't hear her words. Because the inside of her head was blank, unable to accept the current situation.

Marie walked to Regina, clack clack, wearing low-heeled shoes. Regina didn't even tremble in fear, just looked up at Marie blankly with eyes wide open. Because she didn't understand what the situation was at all.

Marie raised her hand slowly, and putting her full strength, slapped Regina's cheek.

Slap!

It was a slap, but a sound like wood splitting cracked out. Regina fainted and collapsed with her jawbone breaking. As she collapsed, broken teeth were sprinkled into the air profusely like corn.

As the situation ended, Rickart walked over, clomp clomp, and looked down at Regina blankly.

"She became like some crushed rat."

Regina, who had fainted with her mouth wide open, was drooling saliva mixed with blood.

By the way, the thought that a contract with the Merchant Association side would be difficult anyway occurred to him. But the deed was already done; he couldn't reverse it and didn't want to blame Marie.

'Or should we kill her now and dump her in the waterway to cover it up?' Such a thought brushed Rickart's head briefly, but he didn't want to go that far now.

If he was going to do it, he should have processed it faster, more instantly; he thought there might be witnesses if he did it now.

"Hand okay?"

"Yeah. Won't it heal quickly if we apply Bori-bori's herb?"

"Well, honestly I can't trust that well."

"Weren't you two best friends?"

"Apart from being close, no is no."

"Heartless as expected."

Rickart passed under the overpass, just laughing. The sound of trudging and clacking became distant gradually.

The perpetrators who volunteered to be victims themselves were collapsed miserably here and there.

The next morning, Rickart and friends used the wide building as their own place, and ate a meal sitting around the table all together.

Bolka said to Marie, munching.

"So, you just beat her up? The merchant family girl?"

"Uh. Sorry."

"Since that side threatened first, there's nothing to be sorry about but...... Will it be okay? It will probably be okay, right?"

Bolka asked, looking at Rickart. An expression like 'You will settle this, right?'

"I heard somewhere that a merchant family is not a noble under Imperial Law?"

"Certain?"

"Well."

"......"

Bolka had nothing to say. Whatever happened, the one taking all responsibility was him. Of course, he trusted his friends, but honestly, cold sweat flowed a bit.

"How was the dock?"

Bori-bori answered, sucking his fingers after picking up solid ingredients in the soup with his fingers.

"The Stonemasons' Guild was occupying the dock. Merchant Association ships couldn't depart. They said it was due to non-payment of construction fees. Yesterday no particular fight existed, but they were almost living there. It seems they won't move until they get the money."

"Mm...... I see. But you know, I looked into it briefly; the Ehrenberg Stonemasons' Guild are old natives here. The Merchant Association has also been around for a long time, but their personnel or families seem to change frequently. That is, simply speaking, the Stonemasons' Guild and the Merchant Association, these two are Ehrenberg's two great forces."

"So?"

Rickart asked.

"Is it better to intervene in the two's fight, or better to just watch? Such things can get fucked up if we intervene wrongly."

"Anyway, we've crossed the Merchant Association, haven't we? We beat up the kid."

Delphi, gathering the empty bowls remaining after the friends ate, said. She wasn't blaming Marie. The situation was just like that.

"Still, we can watch without interfering."

"Then if the Merchant Association occupies the advantage, aren't we going to hell together? It seems better to take one side when we are able to."

Rickart was of the opinion to intervene actively in the two's fight.

"But what are we entwined with the Stonemasons' Guild for?"

"Receiving unpaid money; that is work adventurers did from ancient days. Very fundamental work."

"Collecting unpaid money from the Ehrenberg Merchant Association...... By the way, why didn't they give the money? They wouldn't be people having no money."

"We can find out. I'll go ask. Those uncles seemed to like me."

Bori-bori said. Honestly a bit dubious, but it was correct that Bori-bori had good affinity next to Bolka. Especially, he was popular with blunt uncles.

"Mm, good. But first let's learn your work a bit. There are surprisingly many tasks. And learn the faces of the merchants around too. Grocery store Benny, General store Glott, Blacksmith Waylon, besides the tanner, potion shop, drapery etc., you have to learn the faces of these people all. To bring goods. Know what I mean?"

Among the works the Adventurer Guild does, there was providing uniform supply to visiting adventurers.

To do so, since they have to bring in goods in advance, staying well with surrounding merchants was really important. Especially since food supply is important, one had to stay well with farmers around the city too.

Since Bolka can't do all these always, naturally as a member of the same clan, each one had to help.

"Ice, can you do it?"

Rickart asked. Because unlike Bori-bori, Ice had scarce affinity. If expressing in figures, close to zero.

"He can just stand next to me. Let's learn faces mainly with women."

Ice had a fraudulent appearance as an outstanding ability besides his talent regarding swordsmanship.

"I haven't bought goods paying full price while living until now."

Ice said as if throwing it out there. Considering what it meant, it meant merchants discounted the price by themselves.

Did he joke just now? Is it real? Everyone in the seat burst into laughter because it was absurd. Only then did Ice also smile gently.

There was a girl lying on a luxurious bed, slightly wrapping her head with a bandage. It was Regina. But one side of her face was swollen blackishly and damaged enough not to recognize the shape.

Marconis looked down at such a daughter quietly. There were other families around too but he recited as if for them to hear.

"No help at all, help...... Tsk."

He seemed closer to being annoyed than worrying about his daughter.

"When was the matchmaking with the Harpin family?"

Marconis asked, looking at his grown-up son. His son, Armen, had a greasy gloss flowing on his brown hair, combed back neatly as if greased.

"It is next month."

"Cancel it. We cannot use this like this. She will miss the marriage age if she heals completely. Stupid bitch."

It was a tone as if he had no affection towards his daughter, not even a speck of dust. He seemed to think of her just as a tool for the family.

"By the way Father, shouldn't we teach those guys a lesson?"

"Are we some country bumpkin knights? Blinded by revenge. I said always, didn't I? When doing work, must calculate profit and loss first."

"Sorry."

"But we cannot just pass over it either. Try connecting a line to the Beringen Guild side. And dig behind those two, the bitch and the bastard."

Marconis was a meticulous person. Different from a person attacking blindly out of anger.

He was definitely angry. But the source of that anger wasn't because his daughter was assaulted, but because the work went wrong.

Matchmaking, engagement, and marriage were very important works and events in the family. Because they became means to obtain an ally, or strengthen an existing ally more.

Since a setback occurred in such work, he became angry and annoyed.

Moreover, now causing conflict with the Ehrenberg Stonemasons' Guild too, so annoying things were not one or two.

Actually, the Merchant Association wasn't not giving the construction payment because they had no money. They just found fault with one of the contract contents for nothing and didn't give it; the reason was to suppress them by engaging in a war of nerves with the Stonemasons' Guild.

The Ehrenberg Stonemasons' Guild was a kind of technician group and no different from natives here. A group inheriting skill generation after generation, continuing their livelihood.

The Merchant Association's ultimate goal was putting them under command, and enjoying exclusive status after dominating Ehrenberg completely.

To do so, the present plan was squeezing their livelihood, dragging the waiting time, and opening their breath little by little, trying to manipulate them at the Merchant Association's will gradually.

Compared to this work, his daughter being assaulted wasn't a big deal particularly. Just annoyed. But it bothered him secretly like a hangnail.

Moreover, Red Cloak, Five Body Dismemberment. These two needed to be handled carefully. Because he knew how fierce and scary the Ehrenberg 5 were, and since they killed such guys, it was clear they were not normal.

A few days passed, and a letter arrived from the Beringen Guild side. But Marconis tilted his head reading the letter.

Military luck? Not good luck? Marconis was bothered by one word strangely. Because the vocabulary usage wasn't quite appropriate to write in an official letter.

Because the exact meaning of military luck meant luck in winning and losing in battle. Just unlearned guys, so wrote the word carelessly?

The hangnail bothered him more and more. Annoying to ignore, thinking more painful than the thought to tear it off, exactly such feeling.