Chapter 82 – Friction (2)

Broad shoulders, a height a whole head taller, and even the greatsword on his back. Although he wore everyday clothes, Belloc’s appearance was quite extraordinary. However, the soldiers were not intimidated. Because they were brave desert warriors under the sun. Because they were the sharp swords of Altanis, the fortress of sand. In short, they trusted their background. One of the soldiers spoke pompously.

“Hey, foreigner. Didn’t you hear us? Sir Avenmaha, the son of the Lord, is currently in the blacksmith shop. If you have business, come back in a bit.”

“I can’t do that.”

“What?”

At Belloc’s calm tone, the soldier was flustered. He remained speechless for a moment with his mouth shut, and then burst out laughing. Then, the soldiers behind him laughed along.

“Aman. You seem to look like a complete pushover?”

“Are you being ignored even by a foreigner now? Huh? Is that it, Aman?”

At his comrades’ ridicule, the guard at the very front named Aman laughed hollowly, pulling the corners of his mouth, then suddenly stiffened his expression. Threateningly brandishing the shaft of the spear he held, he spoke.

“What? You can’t? Hey, you son of a bitch. Does a white bastard dare challenge the Altanis Guard now? Do you know that this is the same as rebelling against the authority of the Lord who rules this land?!”

Oh. Here it comes. Acting tough in front of comrades. Selling out the superior. A reaction that was more than familiar, to the point of being tedious. Belloc smirked. However, the group was the only one with a relaxed attitude. The citizens walking along the street, seeing the foreigners in a head-on collision with public authority, whispered and avoided the spot. Noticing this, Aman spoke, raising his chin.

“Since things have come to this, don’t think you’ll get off easy. You, big guy, get a whipping, and the women there will serve us tonight…”

“Shall I kill them?”

As Adel spoke, gripping her axe handle, Belloc shook his head. Without even drawing his sword, he walked forward with heavy steps and spoke.

“If you do that, the commotion will get too big, so just break one or two of their arms.”

“Understood.”

“Sigh. In the end, it turns out like this again. Is our rest over now?”

Leaving behind Kara, who was sighing with her arms crossed, the two moved. By then, the soldiers were truly flustered. It was because of the man and woman rushing at more than ten armed soldiers bare-handed. Aman at the front thrust his spear reflexively.

“These bastards!”

Perhaps because it was well-maintained, the spearhead glittered in the sunlight, emitting a sharp aura. The copper-colored forearms and thighs extending it also boasted hard muscles. From this single thrust, one could feel deeply how much effort the soldier named Aman had put in and what kind of talent he possessed.

‘His skill is not something to be ridiculed like that?’ Belloc swung the edge of his hand as a sign of respect. The sturdy spear shaft made of a thick tree snapped. Aman’s pupils widened.

“What?!”

A dark shadow fell over his face. It was Belloc’s fist. However, because its speed was too fast, Aman only felt a flash before his eyes. Aman rolled on the ground with a groan.

In the swirling dust, his face was a mess. His nose bridge, which could be considered reasonably high, had completely collapsed, and several of his front teeth were gone. Blood flowed steadily from his split lips. It looked like a miracle he wasn’t dead. The soldiers in the back were surprised for a moment, then drew their weapons along with curses. Spiked clubs, curved swords, and spears thrust toward Belloc.

No matter how high his stamina stat was, the blades in front of him were a clear threat. Especially since he didn’t even have armor. However, Belloc acted as usual. He lightly snatched the extending spear shaft and flicked his wrist. The sharp spearhead became a chopstick worse than a toothpick. Through that brief gap, he saw a scimitar hacking down toward his shoulder.

He extend his remaining hand before the blade could touch his body. The wrist of the soldier wielding the sword was caught in Belloc’s grip with a thud. He applied force just like that, snapping the soldier’s wrist. Then, he lightly kicked the man’s belly. As the comrade’s body flew, the other guys hit by it collapsed in a heap.

Taking down the soldiers whose formation had collapsed was an extremely easy task. The guys flailed and swung or threw the weapons in their hands, but Belloc lightly avoided or deflected them and trampled them down.

The soldiers whose ribs snapped at a single blow from his boot gasped for breath. ‘Was it cleaned up?’ When Belloc turned his head, Adel was swinging the shaft of her halberd-axe, striking a soldier’s abdomen with a thud.

“Aaargh.”

The guy sitting down vomiting was the last. ‘Now shall I go retrieve my items?’ Just as Belloc thought that, the door of the blacksmith shop swung open. Soon, two men made their appearance.

One was a handsome young man wrapped in white cloth clothes, wearing a golden crown and pendants. The other was a bald middle-aged man with better equipment and physique than the previous soldiers. The young man looked around in confusion.

“Wh-what is this! What is going on?”

In the young man’s hand, a giant spear engraved with a strange pattern was held. The fact that it boasted a dark luster made it seem correct that it was made by melting the king’s sword.

“Sir Avenmaha! Be careful! These thugs suddenly…!”

“Groan. C-Captain Haban! They are… m-monsters.”

At the dying gasps of the soldiers, Avenmaha grasped the situation. Looking at the group standing firmly on the ground, he shouted.

“You look like foreigners. Who are you?!”

“We also had business at the blacksmith shop. These friends blocked the way and brandished swords. So we resisted a little.”

“What? You caused this havoc now just for that reason? You bastards. Do you even know who I am?!”

Although the young man growled, Belloc had a lukewarm reaction. He spoke.

“I know. The son of the Lord here.”

“A guy who knows that…”

Belloc cut the young man off and spoke.

“What is important to me is not your background. Let’s just say I am the original owner of that spear you are holding.”

“Hmm? The guy the dwarf spoke of was you? So… you did all this just to retrieve this?”

Avenmaha let out a hollow laugh. His tone was dumbfounded. Soon, he flung the spear in his hand to the ground and stomped on it hard. His eyes shone coldly. They were the eyes of a noble filled with authority and arrogance, grown solely from trampling on subordinates. He spoke.

“Hey, you lunatic. Looking at your appearance, you seem like a noble or a knight of some kingdom. Do you think that grand law of your country will pass here? Huh? Do you think you can keep your neck acting as you please?”

“Arrogant dark-skinned bastard!”

Belloc stopped Adel as she tried to rush forward. Because it was still at a level where a smooth agreement was possible. Belloc shrugged his shoulders.

“So, are you going to return my item?”

The noble’s laughter grew louder. The force stepping on the spear shaft also increased. Looking to his side, he spoke.

“Haban. Great warrior of the desert and my blade. I have suffered such an insult, how long do you intend to just watch?”

The middle-aged man named Haban slithered silently. Looking at the subtle twitch of his shoulders, his stealthy yet powerful footsteps, and his posture holding the sword, one could tell at a glance. He was a master. There was no need to read the trace of an experienced killer in his emotionless eyes. Right, he was trusting this friend? As Belloc tilted his head, Haban moved.

Drawing a quick breath, he dashed forward like an arrow. The speed was immense. It was enough to raise a small sandstorm. In the artificial vortex, his curved sword flashed. In response, Belloc swung his hand. The sword shattered with a clang, and the desert’s great warrior collapsed with a thud, his teeth rattling out. The young man’s eyes popped. *Fuck.* What was this?

“Haban…?”

Belloc approached him as he let out a dazed voice. Dusting off his hands, he spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“Do you feel like returning my item now?”

Avenmaha was so flustered that he could not even take a step back. However, his trained tongue struggled to survive somehow. This time, it was intimidation.

“D-do you think you can get away with doing th—!”

That bastard was not stepping aside till the end. Slightly annoyed, Belloc lightly caressed his cheek. The Lord’s only son also coughed up blood and dropped his teeth with a rattle. Leaving behind the young man who had fainted with a swollen face, Belloc picked up the spear that had fallen. Then, he entered the blacksmith shop.

Adel followed Belloc and spat on the young man’s face, while Kara wore an expression of ‘how do we clean this up?’ before following the two. Perhaps because the reckless noble had made a fuss, the shop was in shambles. The dwarf lay on the floor, his face covered in bruises. It looked as though he had resisted and resisted before having it taken by force. He locked eyes with Belloc and let out a hollow laugh. He had instantly understood the situation from the commotion outside.

“I’ve shown you a bad sight. I tried my best to block them, but…”

“It’s fine. The whims of nobles. They’re common.”

“You say strange things even though you are also a nobleman of the kingdom.”

The dwarf laughed hollowly and shook his head. Soon, stiffening his expression, he spoke quickly.

“The work is perfectly finished. I trimmed it as much as possible without damaging the spell cast on the original. There are various auxiliary spells cast on that spear, but those are not that important. The ones you need to remember are ‘Owner’s Call’ and ‘Miniaturization’, just these two.”

Belloc stroked his chin at the intuitive words. He could guess what they were. Before the dwarf could open his mouth, Kara spoke.

“In a word, that spear. It means it returns to your hand according to your will, and can shrink to be easily carried. They are simple but excellent spells that are quite tricky to engrave.”

The dwarf nodded.

“The lady is right. And the repair of your armors is also finished.”

Groaning, the dwarf pointed to one side. The matte black armor and the pure white armor engraved with a cross revealed themselves as if they were brand new. Without waiting, Belloc and Adel helped each other put on the plate armor. The heaviness of the steel wrapping their bodies tightly brought a sense of stuffiness, but at the same time, their hearts felt reassured. Watching this, the dwarf spoke urgently.

“If you’ve put it all on, leave this city quickly! The Lord is quite a good person, but he dotes on his own child terribly. If you are caught, you will never see a good end!”

‘A sagacious ruler who failed in raising his child? I can see the future of this city.’ Belloc chuckled and infused his will into the weapon he had obtained this time. Then, the giant spearhead shrank in a flash, becoming the size of a small dagger. ‘Fucking amazing.’ A place to put this…

Belloc looked around the shop. Soon, he found a belt with a small dagger sheath attached and wore it over his armor. A fine throwing weapon was created. ‘It should be more useful than throwing stones.’ Smiling contentedly, he spoke.

“Thank you for your hard work. How much is this?”

“Just! Just take it! More than that, I told you to run quickly! Soon the Lord’s army will swarm here!”

The dwarf turned red and shrieked. However, Belloc replied calmly.

“If we just leave as we please, won’t you suffer damage? It seems the Lord or his son might harm you.”

The dwarf shook his head and shouted.

“I said I’m fine! Don’t worry and just leave quickly! I don’t want to see the guests who let me handle fine armaments hanging by the neck! So leave! Please!”

It was a plea at the very end. Although Belloc grumbled, he decided to follow the dwarf’s words considering his kind heart. Underlying that was also the thought that surely they wouldn’t kill an artisan with such excellent skill. The group expressed their gratitude once and came out of the blacksmith shop.

The workshop street, which had been full of people and heat, was cold. It was as if preparing for the coming storm. Leaving behind the hammers dropped on the floor, the half-sewn leather, and the garments dripping dye, the group moved. It was not a hurried pace either. They just walked slowly.

Belloc, who was in the lead, was the same as usual. His eyes were dry, and his squared shoulders and chest looked nothing but confident.

Adel gripped her axe handle tightly, her eyes shining as if she would break down whatever blocked the path. Perhaps she wanted to vent the discrimination she suffered from the Arian people in this way.

In the end, the worry about the future situation was Kara’s share. However, she also spoke in a half-resigned way due to the experiences she had gone through.

“I think it would be best to slip away before we run into the Lord’s army… but we are not prepared yet, right? Food, bags, blankets…”

“Right. If possible, I’d like to buy some mounts too. Since it’s a desert, camels would be good.”

“It would be good to prepare plenty of water. Also if we could obtain a map…”

It was when the group was walking like that. It was when they left the workshop street and reached the market. Suddenly, numerous footsteps echoed. Judging by the clanking armor and the jingling of weapons, it seemed to easily exceed a hundred. Soon, in the air, a few carpets flew around as they pleased, hovering over the group’s heads.

Men wearing turbans were riding on top of them. As soon as they spotted the group, they took out flutes from their clothes and blew them.

-Found them! The city thugs who attacked the young master are here!

-Hurry and contact the Lord!

-Don’t let your guard down! The opponent is a foreign knight who defeated the great warrior in a single blow!

The people gathered in the market fled screaming. The three stopped their steps in the street that had become empty once more. Soon after, copper-skinned warriors swarmed like raging waves.

Even the masters of killing, who were called great warriors earlier, seemed to exceed dozens. ‘When did that bastard go and snitch? Their response was quick.’ As Belloc thought that, the brown wave parted. Soon, a middle-aged man dressed twice as luxuriously as the young man from earlier revealed himself. Just taking the lumps of gold wrapping his body and selling them would be enough to buy several mansions. He, the Lord of Altanis, spoke.

“Is it you? The strangers who dared to harm my son?”

“I didn’t kill him, though?”

“What?! Such insolence…”

At Belloc’s calm reply, the Lord growled with shining eyes. They said he was a benevolent and wise ruler, but in Belloc’s eyes, he was just a fool for his son. Before he could raise his hand and issue an order, Belloc reached for his waist. Light flashed, and the blade the size of a small dagger instantly became a giant spear. He chuckled. Along with this, there was one more thing he wanted to test.

“It’s a magic weapon! Stay alert!”

“Attack!”

Paying no heed to the surrounding clamor, he drew up his inner power. The new power he obtained by killing the Archdemon this time, ‘Dragon Slayer’s Lightning’, wriggled.

As he raised the spear high toward the sky, the sky rumbled. Soon, a giant thunderbolt flashed relentlessly with him at the center. The surroundings instantly brightened, to the point of blinding the eyes. A ringing sound also continued to echo in the ears.

Belloc could realize one fact within this intense wave of power. The power of this skill was simple. It was not embedding lightning into the blade, but calling down a thunderstorm itself to the surroundings. *Fuck.* It makes me not envy spells. It’s like some kind of bomb. What should I do with this now? Throw it?

The moment he held the spear with intense sparks flowing and pondered, he heard the sound of metal pieces clanging. It was the sound of heavy things dropping all at once. Belloc turned his gaze. The desert warriors, who had acted as if to devour the group, were fleeing in screams.

The same went for the living weapons called sorcerers or great warriors. Due to the disaster shaking heaven and earth, the army itself disintegrated in an instant. He had defeated hundreds of soldiers just like that without spilling a single drop of blood.