Chapter 91

#Episode 91: The Tin Knight and the City of Struggles (10)

[‘The Tin Knight’ argues that no matter how powerful the opponent is, he must muster the courage to fight for his comrades!]

[‘The Tin Knight’ vows to repay Sophia for her revenge!]

“What the hell is this crazy guy saying?”

“…Uh, um. Ugh.”

While watching the usual antics of the Tin Knight, Dorothea and Adelheid were thinking, “What nonsense is this guy babbling about?”

“Damn it.”

Hindler felt cold sweat dripping down his back.

At first, when some man approached him with a cocky demeanor while he was wandering the street, Hindler didn’t take it seriously.

Right now, Trakus was filled with young men overflowing with hormones, and among them were plenty of idiots who would throw themselves at a beauty without a second thought.

Just today, he had chased off a group that tried to hit on Sophia twice already, so his instinct leaned towards “not again.”

Especially since the opponent appeared to be just a young man in his early twenties.

And the result of his carelessness was catastrophic.

“Cough.”

“Ughhh.”

Out of the nine members of the iron stake mercenary group, seven were groaning on the ground.

One had gone to call for reinforcements, leaving Hindler all alone.

While twirling a dagger slightly longer than his palm, the young man spoke.

“Come on, I was just trying to talk to that lady over there. Why’re you starting trouble for no reason? Nowadays, kids are just too full of energy.”

‘You said that after knocking three guys down, you idiot!’

Hindler’s silent scream couldn’t escape his lips. He was way too busy contemplating whether facing the guy in front of him or leaving Sophia behind would put his life in more danger.

The conclusion came quickly.

‘The fallen ones aren’t dead. But if I run now, I’ll die by my sister’s or the knight’s hand anyway!’

For the sake of survival, Hindler clenched his teeth and charged at his opponent.

Taking advantage of the moment the young man was busy twirling his dagger, Hindler’s sword pierced the young man’s chest.

The young man easily dodged the stab by twisting his torso and, grabbing the dagger, struck Hindler’s temple with the handle.

That incredibly simple motion was enough to make Hindler lose strength and collapse.

The young man looked like a youth but was actually a veteran adventurer who had aged enough.

Peter clicked his tongue.

“Geez, these guys never seem to disappear, no matter where you go. It’s like they’re born from dust.”

“What a shocking secret to the birth of such life. Guess we won’t have to worry about a decrease in population.”

Peter chuckled at Sophia’s calm reply.

“Don’t you feel the least bit scared?”

“Hmm? Oh, the issue of food due to population increase is indeed a quite concerning topic. It’s a scary matter as well.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Given that we’re like this now, shouldn’t you be a bit scared? That’s what I’m saying.”

“There’s really no reason to feel guilty, you know?”

Sophia’s words left Peter looking baffled.

“What do you mean, no reason to feel guilty? You’re using fake information on an adventurer like me, a top-notch adventurer, and saying there’s no reason to feel guilty? How thick-skinned can you be?”

“Ah, I’m sorry for not being able to wait until you returned. Our group is rather busy. But we did pay you properly, didn’t Kumara’s group deliver the letter?”

“They did. Although the content was nonsensical drivel.”

Peter pulled out a letter from his pocket and waved it.

“Miss, do you even have a conscience? If you’re going to lie, at least make it somewhat believable so I can pretend to be fooled?”

“Um, I didn’t write anything false in there.”

“What the hell does that even mean…”

Peter paused for a moment.

He closely examined Sophia’s face, wearing a puzzled expression.

“Wait a second, is that for real?”

“Yes. It’s true.”

“Why, though? Hmm. No, that can’t be right.”

Peter, who had looked surprised for a moment, quickly shook his head.

He pointed at the sky, waving his dagger around.

“Miss, the weather is quite nice today. The sun is shining brightly.”

“Indeed.”

“And you’re standing in direct sunlight, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Doesn’t it feel like there’s a huge problem with this situation?”

“Hmmm.”

Sophia fell into thought.

Finally, as if she had realized something, she clapped her hands together.

“Oh, do you perhaps prefer slightly tanned skin? I’m not one to comment on individual tastes, but such things would be better asked of a lover, don’t you think?”

Peter looked as if he had turned to stone.

The audience, who had been watching this bizarre situation unfold, began to murmur, “Wait, what? Was that what this was about?”

Peter was completely losing his mind.

After a moment of shaking, he spoke in a gloomy voice.

“Fine, got it. You have no intention of apologizing, huh? Then I have no choice but to collect my payment according to industry rules.”

Peter tightened his grip on the dagger again.

The audience, seeing his awkward and clumsy posture, stifled their laughter.

However, a few skilled individuals recognized the flawlessness hidden within his seemingly clumsy stance and gasped in shock.

Suddenly—

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With a thunderous sound that was far from serious, the Tin Knight intervened between Sophia and Peter.

Startled by the sharp energy that suddenly approached, Peter reflexively swung his dagger.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed as swords met daggers, not just once but dozens of times in quick succession.

Magical energy erupted like flashes of light, and sparks flew as metal scraped against metal, but instead of creating distance, they drew even closer together.

While watching the fierce battle unfold, Dorothea and Adelheid arrived by Sophia’s side.

Dorothea clicked her tongue.

“Whether he’s a legendary adventurer or not, that guy sure is persistent. Judging by the time, he didn’t just hear the news and come running. Did he wait here anticipating our arrival?”

Adelheid’s eyes widened in amazement.

“To not be pushed back while fighting against a knight, that’s impressive.”

And indeed it was.

The Tin Knight and Peter were exchanging blows, with neither side able to claim clear superiority.

“Ha!”

Peter’s dagger style was as free as his personality.

Sometimes it aimed for vulnerable spots like a snake, while other times it flowed like leaves dancing in a storm, letting the momentum of the attack dissipate.

Though the dagger’s reach was short, the threat it produced sometimes extended beyond that of a longsword or more, slicing through anything in its path.

Clang!

However, the Tin Knight and his weapons were the exception.

[‘The Tin Knight expresses amazement at the suitable level scaling, noting that this is even tougher than Grandfather’s training!’]

If Peter’s strikes resembled a windstorm, the Tin Knight’s presence reminded one of a mountain.

No matter what angle or attack Peter tried, the Tin Knight effortlessly wielded his shield, perfectly blocking every assault.

Peter’s dagger could shred any regular defense like paper, but it didn’t stand a chance in front of the Tin Knight, who countered every attack with precise magical defenses.

The way he used just the right amount of magic without wastefulness was remarkable enough to make Peter, his opponent, admire him without meaning to.

And perfect defense enabled even bolder attacks.

Screech!

Peter’s sleeve got cut, and blood flowed from his arm.

For the first time, he had to step back and create some distance, and his eyes widened with intrigue.

“Hah, I thought you were impressive last time, but this is beyond my expectations. I don’t usually get hung up on pure ‘combat’, I enjoy ‘adventures’, but… it’s been a while since I found this interesting.”

With a loud bang, Peter stomped the ground with his heel.

Incredibly, a green wind swirled around his feet, lifting his body slightly off the ground.

The Tin Knight, too, began spreading his magic across his body, moving beyond just his sword and shield.

Just as the two warriors were about to clash again—

A chill ran down their spines.

Immediately, both retreated at the same time.

Right after that—

Boom!

Something crashed down from above them.

The ground shook violently, causing the spectators to lose their balance and fall.

They all covered their eyes and mouths from the flying dirt and dust.

“Ugh.”

Adelheid was the first to open her eyes again, thanks to countless training sessions with the Tin Knight.

Being deprived of sight for long means you’ll be vulnerable for an even longer time.

With almost instinctive motion, Adelheid checked the front.

And what she saw was—

A massive greatsword, so large it looked more like a bludgeon than a sword, embedded in the ground.

A pair of gauntlets, sharp-fingered and designed like a beast, gripping the sword’s hilt.

Armor that exquisitely combined red and black, metal and leather.

A bear crest engraved on the shoulder. A helmet reminiscent of a tiger.

And a belt evoking the image of roaring flames.

The mysterious intruder pulled the greatsword from the ground.

As the intruder’s gaze, casually scanning the surroundings through the helmet, paused on Adel for some reason,

Adel realized, vaguely, that they were looking at her hair and eye color.

As the dust began to settle, the crowd murmured.

“That’s…!”

“When did they come back?”

“What, who are they?”

“You fool, don’t you know the most famous person in this city?”

Amid the growing buzz, the intruder turned away from Adel and spoke.

《That’s enough. If you lot continue to brawl here, the whole area will be blown to bits.》

The voice spilling out from the helmet had a strange resonance, making it difficult to determine their gender.

It wasn’t just due to the helmet’s structure but something almost magical about their voice.

Peter, with a sarcastic tone, replied.

“Sounds like the last one to crash down here isn’t one to talk about being heavy-handed.”

《Doesn’t seem like you’ll listen to reason. Speaking of unreasonable things, the same goes for you too. I mean, what kind of reputation would the Adventurer’s Guild have if a Gold-rank adventurer were to cause a scene in the streets?》

“Ugh, you’ve got a point there.”

Muttering his frustration, Peter obediently sheathed his dagger.

《Same goes for you… Huh? Wait, you already sheathed your weapon?》

[‘The Tin Knight is pleased to know that his prediction didn’t go wrong and retracts his weapon for a swift resolution!’]

Naturally, the intruder couldn’t hear the Tin Knight’s words.

For a moment, looking puzzled, the intruder seemed to realize they had no intention of fighting and nodded in agreement.

The intruder clarified the situation once more.

《Anyway, if you want to continue this later, the only option left is to do so in a tournament. If you’re as skilled as you appear, it should be a profitable spectacle.》

[‘The Tin Knight is proud to have his predictions confirmed!’]

“A tournament? Hmm. It wouldn’t be bad to join one after a long time, but is there something appealing as a reward?”

《Plentiful prize money. A noble title that’s exclusive for this event. Well, for someone like you, that might not be all that interesting. So how about this?》

As they said this, the intruder tapped their belt with a finger.

《It’s called ‘Amaryllis’s Belt.’ It’s a treasure that significantly enhances the wearer’s physical abilities. I acquired it from the previous champion, so it’s fair game for a new victor.》

[‘The Tin Knight beams with pride at his correct prediction!’]

The Tin Knight stared intently at Dorothea.

Dorothea’s face paled rapidly.

At that moment, the murmurs of the surrounding audience reached Adel’s ears.

“Ah, so! Who the hell is that guy, anyway?”

“Geez, what an infuriating clueless idiot!”

Someone hurled a witty retort, then revealed the name.

“That’s Kalidahs!! The champion of this city of struggles!!”

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