## Chapter 373 – The Troll’s Song
However.
“I’m not the one to deliver judgment.”
I suppressed the rage and violence threatening to erupt.
“Kheuuk…! Kheuuk! Hic!”
ㅡKyuuuuuuuuu!!!!
The hunchback wailed, embracing the troll, which licked him while emitting a horrifying scream. It might seem like a pathetic scene at first glance, but to me, it was nothing more than an unspeakable act of depravity.
To fraternize with a monster!
Maybe, because he was foolish and a misfit, ostracized by the village, the troll had become his only friend.
Perhaps, feeling a kinship, he saw his own deformed self in the misshapen troll and pitied it, raising it.
Maybe the smell wasn’t just to keep him from being detected by male trolls, but also to keep him hidden from other monsters nearby.
Yeah, maybe that was it.
But being pitiable doesn’t excuse his sin. I don’t care about his intentions. In the end, seven people died because of this hunchback’s misdeeds.
It’s a truly heinous crime.
But this isn’t a problem for me to solve. The seven victims were all villagers. It’s right to leave their fate to them.
“I should tell the villagers about this and let them decide what to do.”
I decided to do that.
This is the conclusion of Kim Katte, the chivalrous hero.
As an adventurer getting paid 20 silver for this job, I can’t just let it slide.
“What’s wrong, Blackie? I thought you’d be flying off the handle, ready to kill them.”
“I thought about it, and it wasn’t my place. Anyway, let’s go. Hand over the troll!”
I immediately snatched the troll away from the hunchback.
ㅡKkwiiiiik!!
It’s an unpleasant sound no matter how many times I hear it. I grabbed the thrashing troll’s arm, restraining it. It wasn’t too difficult because it was abnormally small, but trying to do it with one hand was a pain in the ass.
ㅡKkyuuuuuuung!!!
Seriously, trying to lift it with one hand was incredibly heavy. Even if it’s only the size of a child, it’s still a monster.
And it’s thrashing like crazy.
“G, give it back!”
“Give what back, you bastard! You’re coming with us!”
As I was wrestling with the troll with one hand, Cloudie said,
“Katte, I’ll hold the troll.”
“Are you sure? It’s a monster, you know?”
“Hehe, it’s okay. I kind of want to touch it.”
Cloudie firmly gripped both of the troll’s wrists. The troll wailed like a pig again, but it couldn’t withstand her ghostly grip.
ㅡKkwiiiiiiiiik!!!
“Koo, Kool-ah!!!!”
“Shut up, you!”
And so, we went outside.
Dawn was gradually breaking.
“Winnia, can you carry the backpack for me? Katte’s hurt right now.”
“That’s what I was going to do.”
The backpack we had taken off was standing right next to the cave.
“Sorry, Winnia.”
“You can’t carry it when you’re hurt. What are you sorry for?”
“I’m sorry for making you carry something heavy.”
“Well, carry it with your remaining hand when we get back.”
“Khut.”
The hunchback didn’t need to be dragged out; he followed us out of the cave, wailing for Kool-ah to be returned.
It’s a truly horrifying obsession.
It felt like the way cultists cling to their insane doctrines.
“Give Kool-ah back!!!”
The hunchback, now outside, tried to rush at Cloudie.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
I reached out my right hand and grabbed the back of his neck by the collar. I can just drag this guy along. Cloudie smiled at me and shook the half-limp Kool-ah.
“Kool-ah!!!!”
ㅡKkwiiiiiiiiiiiik!!!
They were both wailing at the same time; you couldn’t tell which one was the monster.
“You little shit!”
Filled with rage, I immediately scolded him. Before going to the village, I need to educate this idiot about the atrocities he’s committed.
“People died because of your Kool-ah, you know! That thing needs to be killed!”
“Koo, Kool-ah didn’t hit anyone! P, please don’t hurt him! I was wrong! Give Kool-ah back!!!”
He just reached out his arms towards Kool-ah.
“This guy’s not listening. Hey, you fucking idiot, stop whining and listen properly. Because of that Kool-ah you raised, a troll came and killed seven people! Do you understand! Do you know what you’ve done!!!”
What a devilish bastard!
“I don’t know, I don’t know! I don’t know! Give Kool-ah back! Kool-ah didn’t do anything wrong!”
“This bastard! Kool-ah did something wrong!”
“Kool-ah didn’t do anything wrong…! I don’t know, I don’t know…! I don’t know what I did wrong…!”
“I can’t believe this.”
This horrible bastard isn’t just unintelligent.
He just thinks whatever he wants and refuses to listen to or accept any inconvenient truths.
There’s no point in explaining anything to a guy like this.
I warned him so many times not to come into the forest, but he stubbornly came anyway.
“Anyway, Kool-ah is confiscated. This monster brought the troll here. If we leave it alone, more villagers will die, you son of a bitch.”
“I, I was wrong! P, please forgive Kool-ah!! I beg you…! He’s my only fr, friend!!! Give him back!!”
Now he’s even trying to negotiate.
“I’m telling you, you were wrong, and Kool-ah can’t be forgiven, you crazy bastard. That Kool-ah brought the troll and killed seven people. Do you understand?”
“I, I don’t know, I don’t know! Kool-ah is kind…!”
Only to you, you bastard.
“What’s the point of talking to him?”
There’s no use in saying anything more.
He’s not listening, and he’s just spouting nonsense to avoid the situation.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, that foolish bastard. Ugh, this is annoying. How could something like this happen? Guys like that are ruining the village. We can’t let this slide. Blackie’s hurt too.”
Winnia also expressed her displeasure.
As she said, we can never let this slide.
Wrong beliefs and twisted common sense.
And ignorance.
These things can lead to the annihilation of the village community.
This is no different from a cult.
“…You’re right.”
This world isn’t a kind place.
Monsters and cultists cruelly exploit any openings, bite without hesitation if they see a weakness, and are always plotting to annihilate humans. Like the ancient demons lurking in the deepest depths of the sea, they live with only those terrible thoughts.
We can’t let our guard down.
If the troll had been even slightly less cautious, if it had just invaded the village and started slaughtering people without hesitation, would anyone have been able to stop it?
Even if the young men with farming tools had joined forces and repelled it, the damage would have been incalculable.
We need to eradicate imperialism from its roots.
And so, we arrived at the village.
“T, the adventurers are back!!”
“Did they catch the troll!!”
“The adventurers are back!!”
I shouted loudly to the crazed villagers.
“The troll has been defeated! Here, I have brought the troll’s head, so witness the end of the monster that killed your families and friends!”
Winnia threw off her backpack, and I pulled the troll’s massive head out of it. The dead troll’s mouth was open, and its long tongue was hanging out.
“O, oh!!! A terrifying monster!!!”
“It’s so inhuman!!!”
“The troll is dead! The troll is dead!”
The villagers rejoiced and were horrified. In the midst of that, one quick-witted person pointed at Cloudie and said,
“Wh, what is that! Could it be a baby troll!”
“And why is Pasper coming with them…?”
Now a long explanation will be needed.
“Bring the village chief.”
Winnia said coldly.
“Eek.”
“Uwaaaaaaak!!!”
Cloudie pretended to throw Kool-ah, whom she was holding, at the villagers, and enjoyed their terrified reactions.
I let go of the hunchback at that point.
“Kool-ah!”
“Cloudie. Let it go now.”
“Okay.”
When Cloudie let go of Kool-ah, it jumped and ran towards the hunchback. The hunchback embraced Kool-ah and sat down, wailing loudly.
ㅡKkwiiiiiiiing!!!
“Heuek… Keuek, Kool-ah-ah!!!”
It’s not a very sympathetic sight.
“Pa, Pasper! What is that monster!”
The villagers surrounded the pathetic hunchback and the horrible monster. Even if they interrogate him, they won’t be able to find out much.
I should just talk to the village chief about this.
“Winnia. Let’s go to the village chief.”
And so, we headed towards the village chief’s house.
On the way, we saw the village chief coming with a man who had gone to tell him the news.
“O, oh! Adventurers! Thank you for your hard work! The troll…!”
“Rest assured, we killed it. More than that, I would like to talk at the village chief’s house.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Immediately, we headed to his house with the village chief. Now, as someone who was hired, let’s reveal the truth of this matter to the client.
“We killed the troll. It was quite big. Indeed, there was a reason why the commission was expensive… But. I found out something strange.”
“Something strange? What is it?”
I drank the tea that the village chief’s wife had served and organized my thoughts.
First of all, this incident can’t be seen as something that happened naturally.
The troll that attacked the village was a male troll in heat, blinded by his search for a female. But strangely, he didn’t mate and leave; instead, he continuously killed people.
When I investigated the reason, I found that the hunchback was at the center of it.
The hunchback was hiding and raising a female troll in the cave. He was even erasing her scent.
That’s why the male troll was rampaging.
He knew there was a female, but the scent was too faint, so he couldn’t find her and went crazy from the stress.
I explained this to the village chief.
“Yes. That’s exactly it. The hunchback was raising a female troll. We’re guessing that’s why the troll in heat wandered into the village.”
As I organized and told him the facts I had found out, the village chief’s face turned pale.
“Th, that can’t be…! Pasper, that bastard, dared to do such a thing!!!!!”
“More than that, please fill out the commission completion form.”
“I’ve already made it.”
With those words, the village chief took out a certificate from his pocket. It was the adventurer’s guild’s commission form. The village chief’s seal was stamped on the commission completion section.
C-rank quest completed.
I earned 20 silver.
Fuck my broken arm.
“I’m really grateful. Three villagers were injured… But I think we were lucky with just that.”
“No, I have something to say about that. Tell them to run away if a monster appears. If they just stand around and watch, the number of victims will only increase. If they’re thinking of fighting back, don’t just gather haphazardly; prepare properly. When I went to catch the troll yesterday, it was like all the villagers had gathered.”
Should I call it a lack of safety awareness? If they don’t have the guts to fight, it’s better to run away than to gather and watch.
“Ah, I understand. I will do that.”
After finishing the conversation with the village chief, I returned to the inn, packed my luggage, and returned to the scene. The carriage was already waiting.
Now that I’ve completed the commission, I can go back.
ㅡKkwiiiiiiiiik!!!
“Don’t hit Kool-ah!!!”
When I got there, the troll was already tied up. The villagers were surrounding it, and the hunchback was wailing, trying to protect the troll.
It’s a truly bizarre sight.
To protect a monster amidst a crowd of people.
“Pasper! Get away from there! Why are you protecting the troll!”
“Get out of the way! That’s a monster! The baby of the monster that killed us!”
“If we don’t kill it quickly, the mother might come after hearing its cries!”
It’s not a baby; it’s a disabled female. Of course, the troll’s mother isn’t coming either.
Well then, let’s go back now.
The village chief will take care of the hunchback.
It’s a village problem, not something I need to do.
“Adventurers! So, you’re leaving now?”
“That’s right. Let’s go right away.”
The coachman got on the horse.
As I was loading the luggage, Winnia said,
“Blackie. That troll.”
“Hmm? Why?”
“I think we can sell it to the arena. Even if it’s disabled, a troll is still a troll. We can definitely get a good price if we take it.”
Seriously, now that I think about it, that’s right?
I immediately shouted.
“It’s dangerous, so get away from the troll immediately!”
“Ah, I understand!”
The villagers who were surrounding the hunchback and the troll instantly made way. I slowly walked towards them.
“Give it to me!”
“Ah, no!!!”
I grabbed the rope tying up Kool-ah and snatched the troll away from the hunchback. He wailed for it to be returned, but he was immediately subdued by the villagers.
“Where do you think you’re going, adventurer!!! Calm down, Pasper!”
“Ad, adventurers? What are you planning to do with that troll?”
One of the men asked, so I confidently declared.
“It’s a dangerous monster, so we’ll dispose of it! To prevent further damage, we’ll take it and study it! It’s a perfect opportunity to uncover the troll’s habits!”
“I see…! As expected!”
“I’m glad we gathered money and commissioned the adventurer’s guild!”
“The birth of the village guardian!!!”
It’s a complete lie, but they believe it well.
If I sell the troll’s blood and heart that I brought, and even this Kool-ah, to the arena, the price for my broken arm will be enough.
I’ll probably have to focus on treatment for a few weeks.
“Katte! Let’s go now!”
“Okay!”
And so, the three of us and Kool-ah boarded the carriage. I had trouble boarding because one of my arms was injured, so I had to get help from Cloudie.
“Ugh, this is such a pathetic sight. Thank you, Cloudie.”
“No, Katte, you did really well. It’s not pathetic at all. It’s natural for a warrior to get hurt while fighting, right? I would have preferred if you had visible scars… Is it a little weird to think that?”
“Not at all. Ah, I should have gotten some scars.”
Cloudie smiled and stroked my head. Even though I hurt my arm, it was a good thing I made a fuss with that giant troll.
“We’ll depart now!”
And so, the three of us and Kool-ah set off for Isvant.
ㅡKkwiiiiiiingiiiik!!
“Ah, seriously, Blackie. It’s too noisy. I want to kill it.”
“Hehehe, me too.”
ㅡKkyuiiiiiiiik!!!!!
The tied-up Kool-ah looked towards the village and wailed like a pig.
That was… yes.
It was a song.
A miserable wail, a scream filled with desperation. What did Kool-ah see, what did it feel? Somehow, it felt like I could hear the hunchback’s cry of ‘Kool-ah!’ from beyond the village.
“Well… I did a good deed today too.”
Trolls will no longer appear in the village.
ㅡKyoooooooook!!!!!!
A gentle breeze blew and tickled my cheek. The peaceful atmosphere and Kool-ah’s song went together quite unharmoniously, creating a somewhat outdated jazz-like atmosphere.
Spring is almost over.
