## Chapter 1033 – A Man of Many Questions
“Damn, it’s been a while, you son of a bitch. But why are you sprawled out there? Is this your living room or what?”
A welcome face.
I immediately squatted down, looking at Cobson, whose eyes were swollen black, and spoke.
It really has been a long time since I’ve seen this guy.
I distinctly remember the last time I saw him, he lost all his money doing some crazy, fucked up gambling… Or, was that the last time? Did I see him once more after that? My memory is a bit hazy, but it’s probably close.
“…”
Cobson was looking up at me with a bewildered expression. After blinking for a moment, he rubbed his eyes and opened his mouth.
“I, it really was the Barbarian bastard…”
“Would it be a fake Barbarian then?”
“What even is a fake Barbarian? No, more than that, I have no idea if this is a dream or reality. Suddenly, the Barbarian bastard appears… And how did you change so much? I almost didn’t recognize you for a moment. You were already tall for a barbarian, but now you’re a complete giant…”
Perhaps he was so confused from getting beaten up and then suddenly meeting me that Cobson was rambling. This guy probably thinks he’s delirious from getting his ass kicked and that’s why he’s seeing me.
Well, I have gotten a lot taller.
“Ten years can change the landscape.”
“I believe it hasn’t even been two years.”
“Two years, you idiot. That’s a damn long time.”
It’s the time it takes for a newly enlisted soldier to be discharged.
“Anyway, get up. What are you sprawled out there for?”
I immediately grabbed Cobson’s wrist and tried to pull him up.
“Th, that is… right now.”
Cobson, held by me, glanced slightly behind him.
“…”
The knight behind him was standing with his arms crossed, wearing an unpleasant expression. That son of a bitch dared to assault my friend Cobson?
From what I heard before coming down, it seems to be a contract issue.
You’re dead meat.
“Is it because of that bastard behind you?”
“Th, that bastard?! Barbarian bastard! I remember you saying you became a quasi-priest and left for the capital, but that person is a noble knight belonging to the Royal Knights! If you recklessly use rude language…”
It’s okay, you idiot.
It seems Cobson is just a commoner adventurer, so he’s afraid of knights. So, a resourceful guy like him was getting beaten up helplessly.
In fact, it’s impossible for an adventurer to stand up to a noble knight. Considering their social status and power, it’s almost impossible to resist.
Of course, I would have been the same in the past.
But not now.
I let go of Cobson’s hand and walked towards the knight.
“…Who the hell are you?”
Then the knight said in a tone that seemed to drip with displeasure.
“Who the hell are you to interrupt me, let alone ignore me? Really, just like the trash adventurers, you don’t know your place. I’ll have to educate you about hierarchy this time.”
“And who the hell are you?”
“Wh, who the hell?”
His expression twisted at my words, and he soon turned red in the face and shouted.
“How dare you, you barbarian bastard!!! Who do you think you’re talking to like that!!!”
—Swish!
He quickly tried to draw his sword.
But he wasn’t a very strong guy. Compared to C-rank adventurers, he’s not even close, but to me, he’s just a pushover.
—Whoosh.
I immediately shot out my hand, snatched the sword he was trying to draw, and threw it behind me.
“What?!”
This guy doesn’t even have the basics down. Warriors must be wary of attacks even when drawing their swords. Doesn’t he know that carelessness is a shortcut to defeat?
“I’m a Paladin of the Brass Sky Church.”
“What?!”
“And a Baron of the Kingdom.”
“What…!”
His face was filled with embarrassment upon hearing my identity. Now I need to find out what happened. Seeing Cobson getting beaten up, I can’t just let it go.
“What happened here? You better answer properly if you don’t want to die.”
“…”
The hesitant guy closed his mouth and glared at me.
“I’ll ask again, knight. What happened here?”
“…Nothing much.”
After a moment of silence, the guy changed his tone, speaking without hostility or caution.
“I was carrying out a mission. Even if you’re a Paladin and a Baron, it’s not something you should interfere with, right? I’m the commander and person in charge of this unit. And I’m a War Knight of the Royal Knights. You’re not my superior, so what are you trying to question? I can’t tolerate such an abuse of authority.”
“Hmm.”
Abuse of authority, huh.
And War Knight is a total nobody.
“From the looks of it, you seem to be somewhat acquainted with that adventurer sprawled out there, but this is a military operation. Those rude trash adventurers committed the grave crime of disobeying orders first. Surely you’re not here to say that educating them is unethical? You’re a frustrating person.”
As he spoke, he seemed to regain his confidence, making social gestures with his hands and arms, confidently spewing out words.
“And you say you’re a Paladin and a Baron, but frankly, I don’t know. First, show me proof.”
But this guy?
“Hey, aren’t you from the capital?”
Isn’t he a guy who lived in the capital? If he’s a knight in the capital, he should know me for the most part. It’s not just my ego; that’s the reality. But there’s also a chance he was dispatched somewhere and hastily summoned, so he’s not up to date on the rumors.
“What does that matter?”
The guy frowned and answered.
I have no choice.
I immediately rummaged through my pockets and took out the Paladin’s emblem and the Royal Baron’s seal to show him. As soon as he saw the evidence, his eyes widened, and he scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.
“I, it seems to be correct… But nothing changes. It seems you don’t like my command style, but you can’t just do this because you don’t like it, right? I formally request that you cease your abuse of authority. Of course, I will report all of this to the higher-ups.”
Abuse of authority my ass, you son of a bitch.
“Shut your yap.”
“What?”
“I’m asking you what happened.”
“No, this person keeps pushing it… You can’t just do whatever you want…”
“Cobson!!!!!!!!”
“What!”
Since he didn’t seem like he would tell me what happened until the end, I called Cobson. Turning around, Cobson was almost jumping in surprise.
“Cobson!!! Tell me what happened!!!”
“Ba, Barbarian bastard… Th, that’s…!”
“Tell me, your friend!!!”
“…!”
After hesitating for a moment, Cobson nodded and took out a piece of paper from his pocket.
“Alright. I’ll tell you what happened.”
Taking out the paper, he handed it to me and began to explain.
“Right now, we formally contracted to take on a supply train escort mission… But that knight suddenly ordered us to be deployed in an attack operation. So, thinking it was a breach of contract… we protested for a moment, and then.”
“That’s how it turned out.”
“Exactly.”
While listening to Cobson’s words, I examined the contract.
The adventurer’s guild contract, which I’ve seen countless times, never lies. In fact, a D-rank adventurer like Cobson would never misread a contract. They know very well that nothing is more important than the contract.
They do the work written in the contract and receive the money written in the contract. It was so obvious.
And the supply train escort mission specified in this contract was literally a defense and escort mission, excluding attack operations. There were no clauses for other exceptions.
“So.”
I looked at the knight.
“You’re saying our knight not only violated the contract but was also assaulting innocent adventurers.”
He tried to use the adventurers for something not in the contract, and when they didn’t listen, he beat up Cobson and his friends.
“Ha! Nonsense!”
Pointing that out, the knight, his face red, shouted confidently.
“Clearly, the contract doesn’t say anything about deploying them in an attack operation! But people need to be flexible! An opportunity to defeat demons arose, so you want me to just stand by and watch!!!”
That’s the most ridiculous bullshit I’ve ever heard.
“Then did you negotiate to give them more money? Judging by how you beat them, I don’t think you did?”
“Not a single bastard dared to ask me for such a thing!”
“Adventurer nobodies are going to say that to the knight bastard who’s beating them up, you son of a bitch.”
“You keep insulting me… Even if you’re confident in your skills, there’s a limit! I’m willing to show you why the Royal Knights are so scary!”
“Enough, you bastard. You were just trying to sacrifice the adventurers for your own achievements, weren’t you? Isn’t that right?”
“That’s an insult to my honor!!! I won’t tolerate any more abuse of authority! A formal complaint will be filed with your church!!!”
“Cut the bullshit, you son of a bitch!!!”
“What!!!”
No longer able to maintain my reason, I immediately slammed an Asura Piercing Blood Fist into the guy’s abdomen.
—Kwaaaaaaaang!!!
“Ogooooooooooooooooooooooooook!!!!!”
The knight, who let out a bizarre scream, no, a seemingly nutritious shriek, was punched and flew away, crashing into an old tree.
—Thud!
The knight, who paused for a moment as a deafening sound rang out, soon fell to the ground, sprawled out. Leaves, dislodged by the impact, fell onto him.
“This son of a bitch dares to spout bullshit and beat up my friend!!!!!”
If there was some kind of basis, I wouldn’t care, but the sin of beating up my friend for such a shitty reason is not light. This kind of son of a bitch needs to be crippled so he can never be a knight again!!!
“Co, cough! Cough… Ggh… Guheok…! Wh, what kind of crazy!!! Crazy bastard!!! What kind of Paladin are you! Crazy…! Kahak!”
The knight, whose abdominal armor was dented, spat out blood and glared at me.
“I’m not a Paladin!”
“What…!”
“Say that kind of bullshit to your mother’s pussy, you son of a bitch! She’ll love it, because it’s so fucked up!!!”
“Wh, what!!”
“Die, you bastard!!!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!”
I relentlessly poured violence onto him. He was spouting nonsense about abuse of authority and command, but in the end, wasn’t he just doing shitty things? These kinds of bastards need to be beaten to their senses.
“Die! Die, you shitty bastard!!”
“Ugh! Ugh ugh!!”
I punched him in the head, stomped on his ribs, completely shattering his bones and armor. From the middle, I used the Wilderness Blood Jade Hand, tearing off his steel armor with my bare hands.
Like peeling the shells off crabs and lobsters.
“Ong, o… Onggoooooooook…!”
Eventually, the knight, his eyes rolled back, was sprawled out, completely crippled.
“Shitty bastard.”
If these kinds of bastards with underdeveloped personalities act like knights and swagger around, what will become of this country? If bastards who treat contracts and promises like shit try to play above people’s heads, what will happen?
Finishing the violence, I turned around.
—…
—…
—…
Silence.
The adventurers and soldiers were just standing still in their places, mouths agape. Cobson was the same. The slumped guy pointed at the crippled knight, looking back and forth between me and him.
“Ba, Ba… Ba…”
“What, are you Tarzan?”
—Abaababababababababa!!!!
I drummed my lips with my hand, making a Tarzan sound, and approached Cobson.
“Ba, Barbarian bastard!! What is this!! You crippled a knight!! No, crippling him is incredibly surprising, but being able to cripple him is even more surprising!!! What is going on!!!”
Cobson seemed very confused.
“What should we do! Barbarian! Can you handle this!! I’m worried! There are knights everywhere, and if they find out about this, they’ll all go crazy and come to cripple the Barbarian!!!!”
“Don’t worry.”
I was just telling him the truth.
“You just heard it.”
“…”
“I’ve become incredibly strong.”
Not only that.
“And I’ve become a Paladin and a Baron. The Royal Knights? They can’t mess with me.”
“Th…!”
Even though he had already heard it, Cobson hesitated for a moment, unable to believe it.
And then.
“That’s!!! I can’t believe it, Barbarian sir!!! What are you talking about!!!”
He suddenly used honorifics and shouted.
“Ah, this guy. Why are you suddenly speaking so formally, you crazy bastard.”
Ah, damn, that’s so funny.
I burst out laughing at his attitude, which was like flipping a pancake.
“Hehehe, ah damn it. Ah. This bastard.”
“D, don’t laugh! This is a very serious matter… Keu, keueu… Keu, keukeu. Ah damn, I shouldn’t laugh, it’s so… crazy… Keuk, Ba. Barbarian bastard…! Kehahahaha!!!”
“Hehahahahahahahaha!!!!”
I put my arm around Cobson’s shoulder and laughed loudly.
