## Chapter 112 – Soul Ascension Battle
That bitch, seriously, she’s lacking exercise.
The mage, who only knew how to spout nonsense like “Barbarian” and other bullshit, had barely walked for an hour or two before collapsing on the spot, completely exhausted.
Watching the scene from afar, I could only grit my teeth and swallow my anger.
“Goddamn it. That bitch.”
“W-well… let’s… go closer…”
“If I go, it’ll only lead to trouble… Well, let’s go anyway.”
I sighed deeply and, standing behind Custo, approached the two women who were ahead.
The closer I got, the more I could hear the mage whining in her shrill voice. In all my life, I’d never heard a voice more irritating than Winia’s at her worst.
Why are all mages such assholes? Back in Krasheim’s Gremlin Cave, the mage who screwed around and ruined the party was the same. Basically arrogant and convinced they’re always right.
“I told you we should have taken a carriage!”
“Roel, if we take a carriage, the fare will cost more than the commission.”
“Ugh, I don’t care! I’m tired! Let’s take a break!”
Roel screamed and collapsed, sprawling out on the ground.
Her green hair blended into the surrounding meadow, making her look like a weed. Will we even be able to harvest Confeito today? Judging by the looks of it, she’ll probably collapse again after walking for a short while, even after resting.
As I glared at the two of them, the mage noticed my gaze and went ballistic.
“What are you staring at? Got nothing better to do? Can you get lost? You smell like a barbarian.”
I had an urge to immediately fly up and slam a Vajra Fist into her gut, but I decided to hold back for now. Thinking about it, I was always treated like this when I was F-rank. In many ways, she reminded me of my past.
Haa.
It’s been a while since I’ve experienced something like this, so it felt disgustingly fresh. The only difference compared to then is that I don’t get beaten up anymore. And I don’t get my money stolen. It’s gotten better in many ways, but the hair color is still a problem.
“…Custo, let’s rest for a bit since she’s tired. There’s no point in forcing her to go when she can’t move anyway. It’ll only make things worse.”
I ignored her, knowing that if I replied, I’d be showered with insults, and spoke to Custo instead. Hearing my words, he gave a good-natured smile and scolded Roel, who was lying down, sweating profusely.
“Y-you knew… there was no carriage… And you said… this was a request… from the Magic Tower… Y-you said you’d do it… no matter what… so if you… do this… it’s… troubling…”
“But it’s hard. Can’t we just take it easy? I didn’t even want to do it in the first place, and I’m only doing it because I’m being forced to.”
“Then… the time… it’ll be… late… If we’re late… we might not… be able to… g-get back to the city… at night…”
“Ugh, I don’t care! I’m resting! Let’s take a break!”
The mage screamed.
…It’s okay. It’s still okay. She’s just resting because she’s a little tired. People can rest when they’re tired, right? I should be grateful that she hasn’t abandoned the quest yet.
She’ll get up after resting.
“Roel, so we’re just taking a short break?”
The martial artist also spoke with a slightly troubled expression. It seems like the martial artist is giving in to the mage a bit.
“Yeah! I can’t walk any further in this state.”
“In that case, let’s take a break for a while.”
And so, less than half a day after starting, we entered a rest period. I think resting for about 10 minutes would be appropriate, but judging by the atmosphere, it seems like it’ll take up more than 30 minutes.
Goddamn it. I want to get promoted and go back quickly.
I took out some dried rations from my pouch and chewed on them. My stomach acid was rising to my throat, and I felt like I needed to eat something to calm down. Where’s the Gaviscon, damn it? Help me, white men.
As the break time began, the three of them, who already knew each other, sat together and started chatting.
Most of the conversation seemed to be aimed at calming down Roel, who was whining. There was no need for me to join in, and I didn’t want to talk to them anyway, so I found a spot a little away from them and sat down.
“Can’t you go eat somewhere else? The chewing is really annoying, you know?”
Suddenly, the mage glared at me and snapped in a sharp voice. I was so dumbfounded that I almost drew my sword.
I deliberately sat away from them, anticipating something like this, but it’s still not enough?
“I’m already far away, aren’t I?”
“I’m telling you to get lost in a roundabout way. I guess barbarians don’t have brains that work? And don’t open your mouth. You smell disgusting. Please close your mouth, I’m begging you.”
Oh, you little shit.
“Ah, goddamn it, seriously.”
A curse reflexively burst out of my mouth in response to her incredibly provocative words. The will to endure a little longer was about to shatter into pieces.
“What? Goddamn it? Serka, is this savage cursing at me right now? Seriously? Is this how I should be treated? Am I the weird one here?”
“…Swordsman. How about having some manners? But I guess it’s too much to ask from someone who cowardly resorts to swordsmanship.”
Something.
Something is happening.
I felt a kind of huge, transcendent malice. My mind started to fade.
That was genuine, to the point where you couldn’t force someone to say those things even if you hit them over the head with a hammer and deliberately ordered them to.
They were true bigots.
It was like the old days when the KKK, an atrocious white supremacist armed group in America, slaughtered innocent, kind, and good-hearted black neighbors with guns and swords in a cruel and merciless manner. Despite the black people’s pleas for mercy, they tore apart the limbs of black people, even women and children, while they were still alive, and held parties while devouring the brains of their corpses. They even went so far as to record the miserable cries of dying black girls on records and listen to them every night before going to dreamland.
The fuming mage stood up, holding her staff.
If she had a mustache on her philtrum, she would look like Hitler.
“You’re just the one I was looking for. I’ve always hated seeing barbarian savages acting all high and mighty in the city. I guess I should do some cleaning up this time.”
I felt like my forehead would burst with anger. My hands trembled. The hard rations crumbled into powder and scattered.
My specialty and advantage, which was to draw my sword and start slashing whenever a dispute like this arose, was useless right now.
Because beating up or killing the mage would lead to my death.
Even if that bitch shot magic at me and I killed her in self-defense, not a single kind mage would listen to my side of the story. They would just assume I was the bad guy and turn me into dust.
“Oh my, Mr. Goddamn Elder. You were whining about being tired, but suddenly you’re overflowing with energy? Why did you get up? Just sit down and rest.”
So, all I could do was talk shit.
Should I just go back and tell the guild? That the mage tried to kill me? Then the guild would say, ‘Oh, really? Is that so? But what about it?’ That’s what an E-rank adventurer’s opinion is worth. No matter how much you complain about someone you went on a quest with acting like an asshole, they won’t do anything.
Whatever I do, I’m at a loss.
Isn’t this too unfair?
As I stretched and stood up, the mage pointed her staff at me.
At this point, there’s no choice. Either give up the promotion battle and take the penalty and go back alone, or engage in a life-or-death struggle. I’ve endured enough insults. Even Buddha has his limits, but her provocations have already gone beyond the pale.
Even if I don’t want to draw my sword, I can’t just sit here and die. Even if I end up being chased by mages, I have no choice but to draw my sword if they act like this.
“Roel, I’ll take the front line.”
“Thank you, Serka.”
Even the martial artist joined in.
“No, this is hilarious. You little shit.”
Why is she so confident?
The mage is one thing, but the martial artist is really useless.
No, it’s not about gender, it’s just that low-level martial artists are useless. Things might change when you get to a higher level, but low-level martial artists are just pathetic losers who get killed by back alley thugs with daggers.
No matter how great your martial arts skills are, you can’t be anything special at the E-rank level, and fighting a knife-wielding thug with your bare hands is practically suicide.
How have I been winning against thugs all this time? It’s because I’ve been using my bastard sword to fight them when they come at me with daggers.
“It’s like hunting a monster.”
“That’s right, it is a monster. A barbarian is a monster, isn’t it?”
“That’s true. Hey, swordsman. Come at me.”
Her fighting spirit, hating swordsmen, was irrational.
Could it be that these guys are a barbarian hunting duo?
I’ve heard of them, but I know they exist.
“…Stop!!!”
“Oh, Custo.”
It was harem king Custo who intervened between us.
At his shout, the mage lowered her staff and the martial artist lowered her arm.
“I-I told you not to fight!!! Why do you… keep fighting!”
“Custo. Didn’t you hear? That barbarian started it first. It’s not our fault this time.”
“That’s right, Custo. I can’t just let this go this time.”
I was so curious about the source of their amazing way of thinking.
How do you have to grow up to think like that?
I’m so pissed off that I feel like my heart is going to explode.
“D-don’t say such… nonsense…! If you keep… doing this… I’m n-not going to… p-p-party with you… ever again…!”
It seemed he didn’t have much talent for speaking at length. Seeing his frustrating state, I felt like my rising anger would be directed at his way of speaking instead.
He continued to speak with difficulty. As I naturally focused on it, my anger strangely subsided. Was the secret to mediating fights in this peculiar way of speaking? It’s just that the direction of my anger changed because I was frustrated.
“Custo. I wanted to work hard too, but I’m in a really bad mood now. Being in the same party as a barbarian is really unpleasant. Cursed people. I get goosebumps just being near them.”
Nevertheless, the mage’s tantrum didn’t stop.
“Hey, swordsman. Custo is going this far for you, so why don’t you just get lost? Honestly, we just needed one more person as a porter and escort, but at this rate, it’ll be impossible to go together.”
The martial artist said with a smirk.
I see, that’s how it is.
This is the end.
I’ll try my best to explain to Cloudy, and I can just work hard on something else and get promoted again.
“Okay, fine, I’ll get lost. But this is purely your fault, and it’s not my fault, right? But if I just go back like this, I’ll get penalized by the guild. So.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying give me money. Money to make up for my loss.”
I decided to propose a deal.
“Just give me 2 silver. Then I’ll quietly get lost. Got it?”
This was the most rational way to end it.
After saying that to them, I said it again to Custo. It’s obvious that the two bitches have no intention of giving me anything, so I don’t care if I get it from Custo. He’ll be reasonable.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Are you crazy? Why would I give you money?”
Like this.
“I told you. I’m getting lost because of your circumstances, so give me compensation for that.”
“As expected of a barbarian, our thought processes are a bit different. Is it okay to kill him?”
“No, do you think you can beat me?”
These little brats.
They’re obviously minors, so there’s no way they have more practical experience than me. The martial artist will be a 10-second kill the moment she attacks, and the mage probably doesn’t have Memorize, so I can just stab her with my sword before she finishes chanting.
But I won’t do that.
“Huh?”
“Honestly, it would take me 1 minute to catch and kill you bitches, you idiots. Custo. So, are you going to give me the money or not? Honestly, this won’t lead to anything good. Let’s just settle it with money? Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to kill both of you and kill you too.”
“T-that’s…”
“Custo! Don’t listen to him! Let’s just burn him!”
Contrary to their wishes, Custo tried to explain to me as rationally as possible.
“U-um. K-Kat, please calm down… I-I don’t have… that much money… I-I’ll try to calm… the children down…”
“I’m not giving it to him! Custo! Don’t listen to him!”
But listening to him, it didn’t seem like he was going to give me the money.
Then there’s only one thing to say.
“What? You can’t give me the money? Then I’ll follow you to the end, I’ll follow you until you die! Got it? KIEEEEEEEEEK!!!! I’M GOING TO FOLLOW YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!”
I was so pissed off that I roared in the middle of speaking.
“W-what is that!”
“Is he crazy?!”
