Chapter 97 – Monsters (2)

Aden’s conspiracy was stopped by Tiyo’s actions.

The garrison leader announced that the situation was over. Vigor started to return to Nameragon and citizens reappeared on the deserted streets and in the plaza. Their response was surprisingly lackadaisical.

“What? I told you that Radet was going to fix it.”

“Radet is mayor, so how could Aden overthrow him?”

“The garrison suffered, truly suffered.”

Nameragon started to return to its ordinary routine.

It would’ve been a dangerous situation without Crockta’s group, but the citizens firmly believed in Radet. It was clear how much faith he normally gave. Radet went around Nameragon to thank the citizens and stabilize the public.

“Citizens! Thank you! Thanks to your calm actions, we were able to finish the situation quickly. Hahahat!”

“Hey, thank you, Mayor.”

“No. No. This isn’t my work. Hahat! Aden was a little bit hard!”

Occasionally, there were people who became nervous about Crockta’s group. “Mayor. Who is that orc and that gnome? The situation is chaotic and…”

“Ahh, they are my friends. They helped a lot.”

“If you say so, Mayor.”

Radet toured the city once before returning to City Hall. He had yet to decide what to do with Driden and Aden, who were tied up.

Radet sighed, “Let’s hold off until Jamero returns.”

He ignored Aden’s poisonous glance and struck his back. “If you were caught in some magic, I have to consider that.”

He believed that there was a shaman who was assisting the great chieftain. Aden didn’t deny it. He didn’t think he would fall for such a trick, but he wasn’t going to throw away the chance of cutting down his punishment after being defeated. He certainly was an opportunist.

Radet’s gaze turned towards Driden.

“Driden.”

Radet called his name. Driden shook his head no emotion on his face. However a raging fire could be seen within his eyes.

“The son of Hurio.” Driden nodded in response.

Radet recalled the past.

Hurio used a pair of swords, just like Driden. His nickname was sword demon. He swung his swords like two demons were attached to his arms. And Radet killed him.

“I definitely killed him.”

Driden’s hands twitched. He was instinctively looking for his swords. However, there was nothing he could wield.

“But I don’t regret it. Do you know what your father was like?”

“……”

“He was a madman who killed everyone around him.”

That’s right. Hurio wasn’t in a normal state. He was a swordsman who traveled around the north on an adventure, but suffered critical injuries in a fight one day. The wounds could be treated, but the pain and fallout from it caused him to become paranoid, eventually turning him into a madman.

“Do you know?”

Driden dropped his head. He spat on the ground and looked back up, this time with no emotion in his eyes. “So?”

“I did what I had to do.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Driden looked at Radet’s neck. If he managed to get his hands on anything around him, he would slice away at Radet’s face. He would perform the given task without any emotions, like a butcher mechanically cutting up meat.

“I was also doing my job.” Driden responded and Radet realized something.

Driden was a sword. He was a sword that was smelted by Hurio and then wielded by Aden in order to achieve a goal. He was an incomplete weapon that could only orbit the enemy, unable to turn or stop on his own.

He only looked at his task: To kill the enemy.

“Put everyone in jail.”

“Yes.”

The garrison soldiers dragged them out one by one. They would be detained in jail. He would wait for Jamero’s advice before making the final decision.

Radet returned to his office. He sat on the chair.

“Hoo.”

Countless documents were on the wide table. This was the battlefield he was facing right now. There were a number of public works waiting for his signature, from minor administration to cooperation with Spinoa and countermeasures against the Great Clan.

Now his body was like Nameragon, so the enemy’s sword was also heading towards his body. Compared to this, it was much simpler when he traveled around the world with a sword.

He recalled the three visitors. The orc warrior Crockta, the gnome soldier Tiyo and the half elf from Nuridot, Anor. Radet was once like that. He felt envious.

“No.”

He laughed and shook his head. He didn’t want to return to the past. The memories he recalled with an ambiguous smile, they weren’t always good. Radet’s eyes always looked at the reality he faced.

In the past, his enemies were people who wielded the sword right in front of his eyes. But now his enemy was the north. The dark elves would find it hard to overcome the waves of hardship that the great chieftain would create. Therefore, he needed to be more firm.

This weapon should be something other than a sword.

Knock knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the office. Radet grinned and said, “Come in.”

It was Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. Radet pointed to the chairs opposite the desk and welcomed, “Please relax.”

Crockta didn’t sit down. “I need your permission to enter the Temple of the Fallen God.”

“Correct.”

“Please allow it.”

“Um…” Radet smiled. It wasn’t easy for him to negotiate. “Not just anyone can enter the Temple of the Fallen God…”

Tiyo puffed up as he proudly proclaimed, “We aren’t just anyone! We are benefactors who saved Nameragon dot!”

“That’s correct but…”

Crockta saw Radet’s mock hesitation and said, “Radet, stop pretending and tell us what you want.”

Radet nodded. “Crockta, you noticed quickly.”

“What else do you want from us dot? You are really shameless.”

“I’m sorry but I’m not a single body.” Radet shrugged and knocked on the table. The papers were piled up. He meant that Nameragon was his share as well. “If you go to Nameragon’s jail, Driden will be trapped.”

“Um.”

“Please bring him around.”

Tiyo frowned. “No, why do we need to bring that guy around? You do it dot?”

“I can’t do it, but it might be possible for you. Especially if it is Crockta.” Radet gazed at Crockta. “During your fight, did you see Driden’s face? He is that type of guy. A man stronger than him has to show him the way. Right now, he has lost his way and is only caught up in revenge for his father.”

Radet rose from his seat and approached Crockta. He then handed over a piece of paper. Crockta’s eyes narrowed as he read it.

“That stupid guy, tell him his fate.”

***

Crockta headed towards Nameragon’s garrison. There was a detention room in the basement. The defense leader guided Crockta. Driden was staring into the darkness with both arms tied in a corner of the detention room.

“Open the door,” commanded Crockta. The garrison leader looked at Crockta silently opening the door..

“We will be out here, so take care of it dot.” Tiyo folded his arms in dissatisfaction. He didn’t know why Crockta was supposed to take on this task.

Crockta entered alone. Driden turned his head. Crockta’s massive body filled the jail as he looked down at Driden. There was a faint smile on Driden’s face.

“Hey. Orc.”

“Dark elf.”

Driden was imprisoned without proper clothes. There were bruises all over his body and his lips were swollen from beatings.

Then he said, “It was fun.”

Crockta nodded.

Radet was right. This guy was a sword that needed constant enemies. It was understandable why his father was crazy. A sword needed to be swung at someone. So far, Aden had been holding the hilt and now Radet wanted to hold it.

“I had a moderate amount of fun.”

Crockta, no, Jung Ian, was once a sword in the hands of others. The most regrettable thing about his past actions was that they weren’t based on his own will, but on other people’s decisions. Even if he felt regret, he could tolerate if he decided it for himself. But his past self didn’t do that.

He thought of the Ian of the past every time he saw Driden. This guy was like a bird who just broke out of his shell and didn’t know anything. He just swung the blade.

Crockta lowered his head so that he was eye level with Driden. The swordsman frowned as the orc’s rugged face was pushed in front of him.

“Phew.” Crockta sighed and shook his head. He didn’t even appreciate a handsome face and was just a baby swinging a sword. “Pathetic guy.”

“What?”

“That’s fine.” Crockta got up. “What would you have done if you had killed the enemy?”

“……”

“No plans?”

“It is none of your business.”

“If it doesn’t exist, just say so.”

“……”

“No.”

Suddenly, Crockta slapped Driden.

Slap!

“……!”

Those outside who heard the sound were more surprised than Driden, the one who had been hit.

“…Shit.” Driden bowed his face after he was slapped. He checked his mouth with his tongue and spat out blood.

Crockta spoke, “Are you angry?”

“……”

Driden raised his head. His eyes were blazing. It was like he was looking at a mortal enemy with a burning anger in his eyes. His arms twitched as if they were saying that he wanted to wield a sword at that very moment.

The depth of emotion was different from when he was being beaten by the guards. The insults of others didn’t reach him. However, the slap of the orc was like pouring boiling hot oil on him.

“This look is good. When you kill the enemy, come back for revenge.”

Crockta laughed as he looked at Driden’s eyes that now looked alive. Then he dropped the piece of paper that Radet had given him.

“Judge who the enemy is for yourself.”

Driden’s gaze turned towards the paper.

“This brat.”

Slap!

Crockta looked at him and slapped Driden one more time before leaving straight away. He felt a terrifying gaze stuck on his back.

“This bad… Ugly orc!” Driden’s incensed voice was heard for the first time. The bad guy, the ugly orc left the jail.

Crockta hurriedly escaped the underground detention room.

“Phew. He has a temper.”

As soon as he left, the guard handed him something and said, “Take this.”

“……?”

Crockta accepted it.

“The mayor told me to give this to you after you met Driden.”

It was a permit to enter the Temple of the Fallen God. Radet said to give the permit, regardless of his success or failure. He was a relatively tricky dark elf.

“Thank you. Tell Radet that I did my best.”

“…That includes slapping him?”

“It is an orc thing.”

Crockta left the garrison building. Finally, he could reach his destination, the Temple of the Fallen God. He could finally go there.

“But what did it say on the piece of paper you gave to the dark elf dot?” asked Tiyo.

Crockta shrugged. “It was about his father.”

“The elf named Hurio?”

“Yes. Radet killed his father. The paper stated why Hurio became a madman.”

Hurio received critical wounds and became a murderer after that. If he didn’t get hurt, Hurio might’ve remained as a swordsman and not be killed by Radet. And the one who wounded him.

“It was an attack by an orc from the Great Clan.”

“Hrmm…”

Tiyo nodded. Driden had to choose if his enemy would still be Radet, or if he should turn his sword and become hostile to the Great Clan.

“By the way, that dark elf called Driden,” quietly interrupted Anor. There was a serious expression on his face.

“Why, did you find something dot?”

“It’s a little weird.”

“What are you saying dot?” Tiyo focused on Anor’s words.

Anor said. “Doesn’t he know any curses? Ahahahat. Bad guy, ugly orc… What a young baby. Ahahahat. Saying things like that. Really funny.”

“……”

“If I had been slapped, I wouldn’t have stopped with that. The dog bas….oof ooof!”

“Stop it dot.”

Tiyo blocked his mouth. Anor continued trying to assert himself. Crockta joined in to cover his mouth.

“Hup hup! Fuup! Fuup yop doppp! Hup hup!”

“Putting up with this dot...”

“Anor, children are watching…”

The dark elf children walking down the street were shocked and fled. Crockta shook his head. Anyhow, they somehow managed to reach the Temple of the Fallen God.

***

“Mayor, Driden surrendered. Aden and his group are separated from each other.”

“……”

Radet nodded. He was stamping the papers.

“By the way… you are truly the mayor.”

“What do you mean?”

“Bringing Driden to your side.”

Radet laughed. “Let’s see…”

“I never imagined that he would direct his grudge towards the orcs.” The adjutant spoke in a lowered tone. “In fact, Hurio’s wounds weren’t due to orcs. Huhuhut.”

“Shut up.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Radet extended a pile of paperwork. “Process these.”

“Yes. I will execute them right away.”

The adjutant scurried out of the office. Radet leaned back in his chair.

“I don’t know if it is good…”

His friend Hurio didn’t suffer a critical injury from an orc, but a creature.

Radet lied. It was so that he could use Driden to defend the dark elves in the future against the Great Clan.

Radet muttered bitterly, “I am now a politician.”