Chapter 219: The Refugee Camp (2)
“Is that all?”
“So weak.”
“No… this can’t be…!?”
Heinz’s dozen or so henchmen were easily subdued by Leo and Lappy. When Leo struck with his strength which was far beyond that of a child, the ruffians screamed and flew through the air. Lappy, whose forte was bare-handed combat, delivered precise blows to their jaws, causing them to collapse without even a chance to cry out. The two of them effortlessly handled this level of threat without using any fighting spirit or spiritual power.
The henchmen, weak in both fighting spirit and spiritual power and clearly lacking even the basic knowledge of how to use them, stood no chance against the two. To me, this outcome was expected, but for Heinz and the surrounding onlookers, it seemed an unbelievable sight. The former was in despair, while the latter appeared both shocked and pleased.
It was clear that Heinz had been using the threat of violence to have his way until now. His humiliating defeat must have been a liberating sight for those who had been oppressed by him.
“N-now that happened…!”
Heinz found himself in a situation where everyone else had either fainted or was writhing in pain, unable to move. And instead of fleeing, he unexpectedly drew a knife he had been concealing in his cloak. Even though we have shown him the great difference in our power, he still wants to fight? It seemed like he had lost his cool and was unable to make a sound judgment.
The crowd gasped as the knife was drawn. While the crowd was abuzz with murmurs, Leo and Lappy remained completely unfazed in the face of such weapon. They weren’t trained to be intimidated by an amateur wielding a knife.
However, letting children fight against an opponent with a knife while I did nothing would reflect poorly on me. I gestured for the two to step back and unfolded my arms before stepping forward.
“Diiiieee… Ahh!?”
I caught the blade with the palm of my hand, which had softened to resemble the skin of a normal human. However, this skin was strengthened with fighting spirit, so it didn’t tear or break upon contact with the sharp blade. My skin, strengthened with fighting spirit, could not be damaged by Heinz’s knife, which lacked both fighting spirit and spiritual power.
I could have easily resolved this situation in one go by reverting my exoskeleton to its normal state without going through such a roundabout process, but it was impossible to do so while we were exposed to the public eye. Instead, I defended myself using a technique that would be possible for a veteran warrior, like my master or members of the “Dragon Blood Knights” led by my master.
Having stopped the knife, I then crushed its blade in my grip. At this moment, I wasn’t using my fighting spirit. I was originally a scorpion, and at that time, my most reliable weapon, the pincers, were integrated into my arms. This meant that my gripping strength was dozens of times that of a human.
The poor quality of the steel also played a part, and the knife easily bent and broke under my grip. As I clenched the blade in my palm, Heinz seemed to lose his nerve and fell to the ground on his butt.
“Never get involved with us again. There won’t be a second time. Next time, I will kill you. Understand?”
“Y-Yes! Aaaaahhh!!?”
The blade, which had become a small ball due to the pressure, was tossed into Heinz’s chest. He screamed and fled with his body trembling. This effectively destroyed his reputation. It would be difficult for him to continue dominating as a rogue in the refugee camp.
If he dared to think of revenge, I was prepared to truly kill him. Although I doubted he would dare after being so frightened, the thought processes of the desperate can be unpredictable at times. He might not be a threat, but he warranted caution.
“Make way!”
“Move! Let me through!”
After Heinz had fled like a startled rabbit, a group of people made their way through the crowd of onlookers. There were five of them, each carrying spears… no, they seemed to be just wooden sticks, as they lacked spearheads. Regardless, they were a group armed with these weapons.
The group maintained a certain level of coordination, moving as a cohesive unit. Furthermore, they were not met with fear by the onlookers; in fact, some even showed relief at their arrival.
“We’re the vigilante group! We heard there was a disturbance here… huh?”
“Sorry to have you come out, but the situation is already under control.”
It appeared that they were the vigilante group of the refugee camp. They had likely come in response to reports of Heinz and his gang’s extortion. By the time they arrived, Heinz’s henchmen had already been beaten, and Heinz himself had fled. They were just a moment too late to intervene.
The vigilantes, though initially bewildered, began to capture Heinz’s subordinates. It was likely that these petty ruffians had been involved in various misdeeds. There was no hesitation at all from those who detained them.
Some tried to resist as they were being tied up, but a stern look from Lappy made them contort their faces in fear and submit quietly. They had been freshly imprinted with terror. It was no surprise that their will to resist quickly evaporated.
“Well, it’s about time for us to leave.”
“P-please wait! Could you possibly come to the vigilante’s base and share your story?”
“Hmm…”
We had come to the refugee camp as part of our information-gathering mission. Our goal wasn’t limited to just hearing stuff from Nord. It was also okay to eavesdrop on conversations at the vigilante base and pick up what the refugees were discussing.
Moreover, when it comes to vigilante groups, they were more likely to be well-informed about the camp. If our sole purpose was to gather information, it might be beneficial to follow them and use the opportunity to ask various questions.
However, this meant that I would miss the chance to hear about Yaro, who had become a part of me through Nord. I also told Nord that Yaro was my benefactor, and that was indeed the truth. Prioritizing him seemed like the right thing to do.
“I’m sorry, but…”
“Wait a minute! This mister came all this way to hear from me, right? I’d be in trouble if you took him away! Right, mister?”
Before I could decline, it was Nord who had wedged himself between the vigilante leader and me. For him, this was an opportunity not to miss; it was a chance to earn easy money just by talking about old times. I could see the desperation on his face.
I intended to go with him in the first place, so his desperation was unnecessary, but upon seeing Nord, the young man who seemed to be the leader of the vigilante group frowned in displeasure. There was a look of contempt in his eyes that we were all used to seeing.
“Nord, huh? I can’t believe a warrior of his caliber would have any business with a lowlife like you. Get lost…”
“Eek…!”
The young vigilante was intent on driving Nord away as he brandished his stick without restraint. His actions showed a clear disregard for Nord’s well-being, and it was clear he was unconcerned if the guy got hurt in the process.
I grasped and halted the stick aimed at Nord. I had questions for Nord and couldn’t afford him getting injured. Besides, even though he might be a wrongdoer, I disliked the act of inflicting pain on someone weaker than oneself without a just cause.
“Nord is telling the truth. He knows my benefactor, and I’ve come all this way to learn about him. If you drive Nord away, I can’t fulfill my purpose.”
“Is that so…?”
The young vigilante, seemingly unconvinced, alternated his gaze between Nord and me. He had sensed my abilities from the beginning. Although I had concealed my fighting spirit and spiritual power, he seemed to have judged my capability based on my posture and the absence of any openings. Even without sensing fighting spirit or spiritual power, there are ways to assess someone’s strength.
It appeared difficult for him to readily accept that someone as well-dressed and strong as me would have a benefactor acquainted with a small-time crook like Nord. So, I decided to offer him an olive branch.
“Nord, where were you planning to tell me this story?”
“Eh? In that case, there’s a tavern nearby run by a bald guy named Duncan.”
“Then, after dealing with Heinz’s henchmen lying over there, I’d like you to come to that tavern. After hearing about my benefactor from Nord, I’ll visit the vigilante’s base.”
“That’s fine. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
The young vigilante’s interest in hearing my side of the story was clear; he wanted me to visit the vigilante base as well. Rather than refusing outright, agreeing to go later seemed to leave no room for complaint. Perhaps it was my commitment that finally led to a compromise; the vigilante group then took Heinz’s henchmen to their base.
After watching the retreating backs of the vigilantes, I let Nord lead us to the tavern. The destination was indeed quite close to the place where Heinz had attacked us. The tavern itself was built from scrap wood, and we could hear the chatter of people from inside.
“Ugh…”
“Big brother, are you okay?”
“I hate the smell of alcohol.”
However, even as we approached, my keen sense of smell picked up the scent of alcohol in the air. For someone like me who has an exceptionally weak tolerance for alcohol, it seemed like a tough environment to be in. Even though the door was closed, I worried that just the smell might be enough to make me pass out. I have to stay strong.
Leo looked up at me with concern, and Lappy covered her nose with her hand, trying to block out the smell. After I assured them that I was fine, I followed Nord who entered the tavern with a burst of energy.
“Hey, old man! Can you set us up in the back room?”
“…”
Nord greeted the tavern owner, a thin man with a bald head, who silently gestured with his chin. The other customers in the tavern cast curious glances at us, but we ignored them and followed Nord to the back room.
The room was small, furnished only with a single table and four chairs. Given that the tavern itself wasn’t large, the cramped size of the room was to be expected.
Nord dropped heavily into one of the chairs, and I carefully took a seat opposite him, being careful not to make any noise. Leo sat next to me, and Lappy chose to sit on my lap. The chair next to Nord remained empty; it seemed no one wanted to sit there.
“Well then, shall we talk about Yaro?”
“Yes, but we should order something, being in a tavern and all.”
“Hahaha! That would be the case at any other tavern in town. But this place is a dump of refugees, you see? The only drink here is a homemade variety made by the old man, and the only food is a soup made with whatever he can get his hands on each day. So, we bring our own.”
As Nord explained this, the tavern owner brought over just two wooden goblets. It appeared that the only available drink was alcohol, and he had no intention of serving it to children.
The contents of the goblets were a thick, cloudy white liquid. From the smell, the alcohol content seemed low, mixed with an odd odor. Since I was weak toward alcohol I couldn’t tell for sure, but it was clear that this was not a fine liquor. Leo curiously peered into the goblet, while Lappy simply turned her face away in disgust.
“Then, let’s toast.”.
“To what?”
“To a common friend!”
“…To Yaro.”
Saying this, Nord and I clinked our goblets together. Watching Nord gulp down the contents in one go, I finally felt relieved, knowing that I would soon hear the story.
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