## Chapter 374 – The Troll’s Song
“Eek! W-what in the world is that!”
The guard, upon seeing Coolcool, pointed his spear in shock.
Usually, they wouldn’t even check who was coming in, letting anyone pass, but it seems they do care about security to some extent.
ㅡKweeek…!
That little bastard Coolcool, who had been wailing all the way to Isvant, seemed to be quite exhausted now, his cries lacking strength. I pulled on the rope around his neck and said to the guard,
“It’s a troll. I captured it and thought I’d sell it to the arena.”
“A t-troll? Is that what trolls usually look like? Did you perhaps catch a baby? If the mother comes looking for it, we’ll be in trouble…”
“It’s not a baby, but as you can see, it’s a bit deformed. See its crooked leg? And trolls aren’t the type of monsters to care for their young, so don’t worry about the mother.”
“Is that so?”
He still looked suspicious, so I immediately took out my adventurer’s plaque and showed it to him, pointing to Winia standing behind me.
“I’m a D-rank adventurer. And that lady is a certified mage from the Magic Tower. We guarantee it.”
“Hmm…”
The guard looked at my plaque and then at Winia, stroking his chin.
“D-rank adventurer Katt, huh… Your identity seems to be confirmed. Well, I’ll let you pass, but if any problems arise from this, I’ll report it immediately. Your purpose is to sell it to the arena, is that correct?”
As expected, the D-rank adventurer’s plaque is useful. Since my identity is guaranteed by the guild, the guard seems to be letting me go easily.
“Hehehe, of course. What else would I do with a monster like this?”
“I see. Still, you should cover it up with something like a sack. It might cause problems if someone sees it.”
“I understand. I’ll do as you say. But I don’t have a sack right now, so would it be alright if I wrapped it up in this cloak?”
“Do that. You’re a rare adventurer who listens to reason.”
Cloudy took off my cloak and wrapped Coolcool in it. Coolcool, having lost all its strength, didn’t resist much.
In the first place, there’s nothing this small, crippled troll could do.
“Hmph, but will they even buy something like that? The arena uses proper monsters, right?”
“Hehe. Even if it can’t fight properly, it’ll be a spectacle, so they’ll probably buy it.”
Cloudy asked, but I thought they would take it because such a troll is rare. Anyway, we passed through the gate and headed towards the arena.
If it doesn’t sell, I can always slaughter it, extract its blood, and sell it to the alchemist’s guild. Being a troll, there’s bound to be some way to make money off it.
We arrived at the arena.
I immediately told the employee guarding the entrance that I had come to sell a captured monster.
“A captured monster? What did you catch?”
“Come closer.”
He showed interest and leaned his ear towards me.
“A troll.”
“A t-troll! What! Where is that big thing!”
“No, it’s not a fully grown troll, just a small one. I’d like to negotiate the price first, so who should I talk to?”
“I-I’ll go get someone! Wait right here!”
He didn’t even check the troll’s appearance and hurried away. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a troll at the arena before.
Only low-level monsters have ever appeared.
“This fucking Coolcool is popular.”
“Hehe. Really? We got lucky.”
ㅡKyoowoowoong…!
Coolcool, wrapped in the cloak like kimbap, made a dying sound.
This disgusting bastard…!
I want to beat it to death right now!
Seeing the monster’s grotesque appearance made my anger surge again, but I decided to hold back when an old man, well-dressed and wearing a monocle, appeared.
“Are you? The barbarian who used to do the openings?”
He looked at me and said with wide eyes.
“You remember me?”
“You were quite impressive, so I remember… That Brutal Angel? It was a good match. Anyway, a troll? Did you really capture a troll?”
“Well, it’s not the troll you’re imagining. Anyway, take a look. Cloudy, the cloak.”
At my words, Cloudy took off the cloak. Then, Coolcool, drooping like a dog’s balls in summer, was revealed.
“W-well…! That’s definitely a troll! Is it an immature individual? But its legs?”
The old man raised his monocle and observed the bound Coolcool. He seems to know his way around the arena, recognizing it as a troll right away.
“Yes. As you can see, it has some disabilities. That’s why we were able to capture it.”
“It’s a wonder it’s survived this long. Anyway, you’ve come to sell it?”
Yeah, in the wild, there’s no way this troll would have survived.
“That’s right. Are you interested in buying it?”
“Hmm… But it’s too small and its legs are a problem…”
“If you don’t buy it, I’m thinking of selling it to the alchemist’s guild.”
“Wait a moment. I need to think about it.”
Judging by his reaction, he seems to want to buy it. I really did well to bring it, just as Winia said. To ease his worries, I added a kind explanation.
“Well, it’s still a troll. A deformed troll, at that. It’ll be good as a spectacle. Or you could raise it and use it to execute prisoners. Didn’t that Bulverja die at my hands? Do you have an executioner these days?”
“True. Since Bulverja was disposed of, we’ve just been hiring an executioner. Alright, how much do you want? Make an offer.”
Wow, an offer.
That’s a very nostalgic word.
“Winia. How much should we sell this for?”
I asked Winia, the expert.
“Hmm. If we add up the blood value and everything else, about 10 silver would be appropriate. If we take it to the alchemist’s guild, we’d get a little less than that. It’s a living thing, so it’s a bit expensive, but since it’s small, that should be enough.”
Wow, 10 silver for one?
That’s a price I never expected.
Certainly, trolls aren’t monsters you can easily find, and they’re useful in many ways, so capturing one and bringing it in seems to be quite profitable.
“Sir. Did you hear that? I’ll sell it for 10 silver.”
“Oh, come on. Can’t you give me a discount?”
“You can’t be stingy with money in a place like this. When else will you find a living, crippled troll?”
“That’s true… I have no choice. But it doesn’t look like it’s in very good condition. Give me a 1 silver discount. You have to acknowledge that.”
“That’s true. I’ll sell it for 9 silver.”
To be honest, it’s true that it doesn’t look like it’s in good condition, so I decided to give a 1 silver discount.
He seemed happy to have saved 1 silver, and the old man took out his wallet and counted the silver coins. He handed me 9 of them, and I put the rope that bound Coolcool into his hand.
ㅡKweeekkkkk!!!
“Its cry is quite loud! Hey, you! Pick it up and follow me!”
“Yes, sir!”
An arena employee who had been waiting nearby grabbed Coolcool’s leash.
“Then farewell, Barbarian.”
“You too, sir. Oh, by the way, do you know where Durvan is?”
“Durvan? Who’s that?”
“An arena employee.”
“I don’t know all the employees’ names. I don’t know who that is.”
“I see.”
Anyway, Coolcool was sold for a hefty sum of 9 silver.
The village will take care of the hunchback problem. The villagers may forgive him, or they may impose a reasonable punishment.
As an adventurer who gets paid for my work, I’ve done my job.
Personally, I’d like to side with those who say he should receive a reasonable punishment, but well. Everyone has different thoughts.
If this were my problem, I would follow the teachings of Fusion Confucianism, but the hunchback is a resident of Oros Village, and the victims are also residents of Oros Village.
And Oros Village has the ability to independently judge and handle this case.
So it’s not my problem.
It’s their job to take care of it.
I have fulfilled my duty as an adventurer who received 20 silver for killing the troll and revealing the truth of the incident. The village has its own order, and I cannot violate that order.
“Katt, should we stop by the guild first? Or sell the loot first?”
“The alchemist’s guild is closer from here, so let’s go there. Winia. Can you keep carrying it? Just give it to me.”
“I’m strong too, you know.”
In fact, Winia, as a mage, has better stamina and strength than the average person. Of course, it’s not because she’s a mage, but because Winia is skilled.
“Strong woman… Distorted… Anyway, thank you.”
I immediately went to the nearby alchemist’s guild to sell the troll’s blood, heart, and bone fragments that I had brought. Winia, being a mage, would negotiate the price.
After waiting inside the alchemist’s guild for a while, Winia, who had gone to the counter with her backpack, returned with a money pouch.
“Katt, Cloudy, I sold it for about 15 silver. I brought a lot of blood, so it was worth a bit more. It seems like there hasn’t been any troll blood for sale lately.”
“Wow, that’s really expensive!”
“But 5 silver went to buying a potion for Katt? Here, Katt, take this.”
Winia handed me a red potion.
“That’s a potion that’s good for healing bones. Let’s go to the monastery and get treated and then drink it.”
“I’m touched, really.”
“Just get better soon, you crippled bastard.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She handed me the empty backpack and pinched my cheeks. I’m just grateful that she cares about me so much.
“Hehehe, you’re taking such good care of Katt? I’m happy.”
“Of course I’ll take care of my man. Let’s go to the guild quickly. I want to go in and rest.”
“I’m crying.”
We headed to the guild.
Since we left Oros Village early in the morning, we still have some time to spare. On the way, I handed Winia the request form I received from the village chief. This was a request that Winia had received.
“Cloudy and Katt, sit here for a moment.”
We entered the guild, and Cloudy and I took a seat. Winia took the request form and headed towards the counter.
“Ugh, I’m still tired from staying up all night. Damn troll.”
I couldn’t sleep in the carriage because of that Coolcool’s screams. I finally felt the fatigue when I sat down in the chair. I buried my head on the table.
“You worked hard, Katt. I’ll say it again, it was really good that you were able to do that much against such a monster.”
“Hehe, I think so too.”
I calmly reviewed the battle with the troll.
Its strength and agility. And the tactics it used to gain an advantage using its long arms were commendable. Above all, it’s almost immune to bleeding.
It was a powerful monster in many ways.
Above all, it’s absolutely disadvantageous because it’s bigger than me. Its strength is so great that it can easily blow me away with a punch, even though I’ve trained my mana and body, and it also has the agility to freely switch between attacks.
Even if I were to fight it one-on-one in perfect condition again, I honestly don’t think I could win.
Of course, I think I could win two or three out of ten times with great losses.
Because I’ve already fought it once.
“Yeah, next time, I’ll have to work hard so that I can fight and win against a troll one-on-one. That son of a bitch.”
This is how important experience is. I’ve been thinking about the troll ever since I sat in the carriage. Today’s experience will save me tomorrow.
“That’s right, Katt. The ambition of a warrior. I like it very much. It’s one of the reasons why I love Katt.”
Cloudy smiled and took my hand.
Her words made me so happy that I got an erection.
“Hehe, what else?”
“Unwavering will and warrior-like fighting spirit?”
“More… tell me more!”
“You have a good body and you’re handsome?”
“More! More!”
“Your hair is wild too!”
“Tell me more, Mama!!”
“You always try hard! You listen to Mama! And you’re always manly!”
“Kieeeeeeeek!!! Mama!!!”
I had no choice but to bury my face in Cloudy’s chest next to me. This is why I live as a warrior, damn it!
“And… Katt is…”
I listened to Cloudy’s words in that state.
“You do what you believe in without doubt, and you judge without hesitation. Katt, a true warrior doesn’t need to be bound by the concept of good and evil. What you believe in is justice, and the sword you hold is good.”
“I see…”
That’s right.
She whispered to me.
“Not hesitating is a good thing. Do you need to think seriously about any problem? Most problems can be solved with a sword. I think what Katt thinks is wrong is evil.”
As Cloudy said, good and evil are ambiguous.
What is obvious to someone can be an outrageous thing to someone else.
In such a murky world, I am paving the way of Fusion Confucianism and walking towards its end.
That is the Heavenly Demon Kim Katt.
