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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Based on what I heard, those people didn’t seem to be parents.
The war with the Demon King’s army seemed endless, and although it wasn’t to the level of fighting every other day, there had been many battles over the past 3 years.
Asirye speculated that the guys I beat up and the ones looking for me because of that were probably friends who had jumped out to go on an adventure, ignorant of the ways of the world, and were deliberately bringing hardship upon themselves.
It was a world where the standard for adulthood was 16 years old. They were chaotic young foals who had rushed out in the midst of their rebellious phase, unable to come to their senses, as if afflicted with hero syndrome.
“They could also be war orphans, right?”
“There’s no way such kids would be in Ogwen.”
Asirye quietly let me know that her words had an implicit meaning by staring at me, and I understood.
Indeed. Aside from our village being destroyed, there hadn’t been any wars in this area. In a normal situation, the only one who fit the special case of being a war orphan was me alone. Even I wouldn’t know what would have happened to me if it weren’t for Asirye.
Even if they were four or five years older than me, it was clear that the possibility of kids in such a situation coming all the way to distant Ogwen alone without any help was slim.
In other words, those guys were just pitiful idiots who knew nothing about the world.
“Actually, for such kids, a gradually growing city could be a land of opportunity. With few or no violent groups, if they play their cards right, couldn’t they reign like kings among the street urchins?”
“Is that common?”
“It’s common. Because of the war.”
They couldn’t live upright and instead were aiming for such meaningless opportunities, the world must really be coming to an end.
It’s no exaggeration to say it’s a disgrace to the race, considering even an elf, not a human, knows about it.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I have to meet them.”
When I gave an immediate answer because it was an extremely obvious problem that didn’t require any thought, Asirye touched her temples.
“Honestly, if we only consider skill, I’m not worried. Even without aura, you could be considered outstanding among your peers. But real combat always has variables, you know?”
“That’s why I need to experience it while I’m young. They’re not going to draw swords, are they?”
Leaving aside being adults, it’s a matter of money. In the end, they’re kids who gather in the village to act like thugs.
They’re not even kids who have already gathered and formed a force, but are in the process of gathering.
It would be impressive if someone other than the leader was even holding a dagger. Even if they drew it, what kind of crazy bastard would commit murder in the city?
“Rather, this is an opportunity. An opportunity for a safe real combat experience.”
In the first place, the reason I called those guys little brats included not only their mental aspects but also their physical aspects.
The way we grew up eating is different. I’m the one who is deliberately living for the purpose of training and discipline from the age of 8 until the day I turn 16 and am thrust into society. And 3 years was not a short time.
There might be guys who are taller, but my body, which had grown and increased in exercise volume after turning 10, was the epitome of sturdiness and was certainly not common.
If their numbers increased, it might be difficult with just physical strength, but in the first place, it was a fight with a probability of losing infinitely close to zero.
I don’t have a hobby of bullying the weak, but I have no intention of avoiding those who pick fights first. That would be an action that violates my beliefs.
No matter how much you practice, if you don’t get used to the sensation of being surrounded by people or fighting, your body is bound to stiffen up, so it’s a good experience, especially because I’m not a genius.
So when I was genuinely smiling and excited about the opportunity given by the heavens, Asirye sighed deeply and said,
“You’re really unpredictable.”
“Don’t worry too much, sis. Trust your brother. I’m not a delinquent who resorts to violence first.”
If I don’t have to fight, I won’t fight. Anyway, if I end up making a living through adventuring with the skills I learned, it will be a life of fighting for a lifetime, so why would I fill this peaceful moment with violence? That’s not what I want.
“Yeah. I may not know everything about my brother, but I know that much. There was a story that those guys were regularly stationed in front of Yance’s blacksmith shop around lunchtime. Go and check it out tomorrow.”
Based on her experience so far, she doesn’t treat me like other kids my age, but she can’t help but worry. I decided to resolve it smoothly for Asirye’s sake, and diligently cleaned the fireplace.
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After that, I was worried that I might wake up early because I went to sleep without overexerting myself in case of a possible fight, but unexpectedly, I slept soundly.
After finishing my morning routine of exercising and checking the traps set in the forest, I ate the breakfast Asirye prepared. And at an appropriate time, I rode my horse towards Ogwen.
The ride seemed to have taken about 20 minutes since I rode the horse at full speed for a change. When I waved to a familiar figure who was on guard, he waved back.
“Isn’t it Eldmia? Asirye definitely came yesterday, so what brings you here today?”
“I heard someone was looking for me, so I came to hang out, wondering what it was about.”
“Hmm. Don’t cause any trouble.”
“You worry too much, uncle. What trouble could I possibly get into while meeting someone?”
“Kids your age cause trouble even in their sleep, you brat. Be careful, especially since there’s been an increase in weird guys lately.”
The number of guards who had become familiar with our faces over the past 3 years had also increased significantly. Joking around, I entered the village and headed straight to the blacksmith shop run by Yance.
I wondered if the weird guys he mentioned were the ones I had beaten up.
It was gradually approaching lunchtime. As I walked through the lively city and arrived at the blacksmith shop, I could clearly see a group glaring at passersby from the corner.
The six children were skinny, dirty, and I really didn’t like the way they opened their eyes. At least one of them was definitely one of the guys I had beaten up.
I got off my horse at a suitable spot, tied it in front of the blacksmith shop, approached the guys, and the one who had been beaten up by me glared and picked a fight.
“What is it, you bastard? Won’t you get lost?”
“I heard you were looking for me, so I came. Should I go?”
The eyebrows of the six guys twitched strangely and then quickly turned into an “ah” expression.
They probably couldn’t recognize me right away because I had cut my hair. The guy who had been beaten shouted,
“You fucking bastard! Just the person I wanted to see!”
The guys who were squatting started getting up and began to swarm towards me. It was clearly an attempt to surround me, so I took big steps backward, and another guy shouted,
“Fuck, are you running away, you moron?”
“What are you saying? It’s clear that you’re moving to surround me, so I’m moving to avoid being surrounded.”
As I walked backwards to where my horse was, the guys glared at me, maintaining their clumsily attempted encirclement.
When several seconds passed without them doing anything, I had to speak up first.
“What are you looking at? If you have business with me, say it quickly. I came because you said you were looking for me, but I have no business with you. I’m busy.”
I spoke with a sigh because their behavior was so frustrating, and just then, a freckled guy grinned and opened his mouth. His eyes were also hazy, and he seemed somewhat lacking.
“You moron. Are you scared?”
He was truly acting the way he looked. I unknowingly frowned at his incomprehensible and illogical thought process.
“If you’re stupid, don’t even start talking. Please, can the smartest one among you respond to what I said? Why is this guy talking nonsense?”
“What did you say, you moron?”
“I came because you said you were looking for me and told you to state your business, but the blockhead asks back if I’m scared. What the hell is he talking about? You have nothing to say? If glaring at me like this is your job, can I go?”
“You fucking bastard!”
I really couldn’t understand, but the freckled guy scowled and swung his fist. Well, I don’t need to understand anyway.
-Bam!
“Ugh!”
Since that fist was aimed at my stomach, and not my face, I just took the hit and punched him back.
As expected, it didn’t hurt much, and only some dust got on me from his dirty fist, so I brushed it off and looked at the rest of the guys.
The gazes of the five guys were all fixed on the one who had been punched and was unable to get up after collapsing.
“Now, the biggest blockhead has shut his mouth, so let’s have a proper conversation. Why were you looking for me?”
“O-our boss is looking for you. Follow us.”
The guy who had been beaten by me finally spoke, stammering, but the content was quite unsatisfactory.
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“He’s your boss, not my boss. Why should I come and go as he says?”
Perhaps because what I said was true, suddenly, the guy trembled and shouted as if he was having a seizure. His shivering at the fact-bombing was truly…
“Shut up and follow us! Unless you want to see that elf bitch die!”
“…What?”
What? Elf what?
For a moment, I couldn’t keep up with the situation, so I don’t know what my expression was like, but it must have been a very dumbfounded look.
Because the five guys started laughing as if that was a signal that they had won.
“You moron. You thought we wouldn’t know? You live with that elf bitch, right? We know everywhere that bitch goes. Do you understand, you idiot?”
“That fucking bitch is raising you by selling her body, right? If you don’t want to see her getting gangbanged for free, shut up and follow us.”
Only after standing still for a while could I understand what the guys were saying.
And I could barely understand who the elf bitch, elf bitch, and fucking bitch the guys were referring to.
Aha. So they were calling Asirye an elf bitch, elf bitch, and fucking bitch!
Did they want to die so badly that they finally went crazy?
“I am Eldmia Egga.”
“What?”
“You moron, what are you suddenly saying?”
I couldn’t bear to properly look at the guys who were babbling without understanding the situation.
It was a situation where they shouldn’t be like this at such a young age, so my neck was really getting stiff. I forcibly pulled down the blood that had rushed to the top of my head and continued speaking.
“Just remember. Never mess with Eldmia Egga.”
Change of plans.
I’ll have to use these bastards as sacrifices to engrave my beliefs in Ogwen.
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Oopsie poopsie, you fucked up