Chapter 42

Chapter 42
## Chapter 42: Messene’s Brothers (2)

A light wind played through his messy hair, and on the horizon, the silhouette of a massive tree stood out against the flat plains.

Kadim squinted, focusing his gaze.

The distant tree, which had started as a tiny speck, expanded in his sight until it reached the size of a fruit, then a melon, and finally a large gourd. He slowly tightened his fingers around the handle of his weapon, the tendons in his forearm pulling tight like bowstrings. With a sudden, violent rotation of his hips, he whipped the axe in a horizontal arc. The blade sliced through the atmosphere with a savage hiss, followed shortly by a distant, echoing boom that vibrated in his ears.

…Kwaaanggg… Craaaack….

From where he stood, he watched the thick trunk shatter, the wooden pillar swaying precariously. The subtle aroma of fresh wood chips drifted back on the breeze, teasing his senses.

Kadim reached out his hand and breathed a quiet command.

‘Return to me, Salmon.’

Pulverizing what remained of the trunk on its backward trajectory, ‘Salmon’ soared through the air.

…Kwaaanggg… Whoosh, whoosh, whing, whing, thud!

As the weapon drew close, the metallic wings of the axe retracted, and it landed squarely in his rough, scarred palm. Kadim snapped ‘Salmon’ onto his weapon belt and looked down at his own powerful physique.

The transformation was undeniable. It wasn’t just that his armament had been upgraded; his very physical essence had reached a new peak.

His vision was now as sharp as a raptor’s. He thought back to the fortress, where he had efficiently slaughtered monstrosities in the suffocating darkness without needing a torch.

His hearing and scent were more acute than a predator’s. With more practice, he felt he could detect an approach from miles away without ever laying eyes on the source.

His physical power was on another level entirely. Compared to the beginning of this second life, his strength had increased by a staggering margin of points.

It seemed the relentless combat against trolls, the Arch Paladin, and ogres had served as the perfect catalyst for his evolution. At this pace, he might regain the peak of his former life’s power within just a few years.

That was, of course, assuming he didn’t lose his mind before then.

….

Suddenly, he felt a presence nearby.

Shifting his focus, he noticed Shin-young had arrived, though he remained calm. Duncan, however, was visibly winded, gasping for air as he shuffled forward with uncertainty.

“M-Master… The plenipotentiary is asking for you. He says it’s nearly time to leave…”

Kadim gave a short nod. He had spent two weeks in Remtana waiting for the official to wrap up his affairs. His muscles had been craving movement, and he’d been growing impatient. He had even considered striking out on his own if the delay lasted much longer, but the timing was finally right.

Kadim began to head back, his pace quick. Duncan didn’t follow immediately, though. He lingered, looking as if he were struggling with a heavy secret, before finally catching up and holding out a heavy, jingling sack.

“M-Master… please, take this…”

“What is this for?”

“It’s… the gold from selling those huge demon scales a while back, along with some coins I managed to save by selling trinkets during our stay in Remtana… I felt it was finally time to give it to you…”

“If you earned it, why are you handing it over to me?”

“B-But you were the one who killed that demon! And since we started, you’ve paid for my food and my bed, while you were out there risking your life, I was doing nothing… I-I just wanted to pull my weight somehow…”

Duncan’s voice trailed off into a timid whisper. Kadim looked down at the man, his expression unreadable.

He knew well that money never changed hands without an underlying reason. Even this merchant, who followed him around like a shadow, was no different. If he was offering gold, he wanted something in return.

“What do you want from me?”

“P-Pardon me?”

“Don’t play games. You’re giving me this because you have a request. Say it—I won’t be offended.”

Duncan looked like he was being torn apart internally. He opened his mouth several times, only to snap it shut again. He was clearly in the middle of a fierce internal debate.

Just as Kadim’s patience was about to run out from the stalling, Duncan finally found his voice.

“Master, would you… show me how to fight?”

….

“O-Obviously, I could never be a legendary fighter like yourself… but I want to be useful when things get dangerous. As your traveling companion, I need to do more than just stand there…”

“You already act as our scout, don’t you? That is enough.”

“B-But a scout needs to be able to survive, right? We’re going to run into more demons and monsters. If I stay like this, I’m just a liability who’s going to get killed!”

….

Kadim stared intensely at the merchant, his gaze unmoving. Duncan, terrified that he had crossed a line, gasped and clapped his hands over his mouth, before finally letting them drop in defeat, staring at the ground. A light wind blew, but the silence between them felt as heavy as a mountain.

Finally, Kadim spoke.

He unfastened ‘Mosquito’ from his side and tossed the blade onto the ground in front of Duncan.

“Try to stab me with that.”

…”W-What?”

“Pick it up and stab me. If you have the stomach for it, I’ll train you.”

Duncan just stood there at first, his mind failing to process the command.

Slowly, the meaning settled in like ink bleeding through water: first confusion, then a total breakdown of his composure as horror took over his face.

“W-What are you saying? Stab you, Master? That’s insane… I-I could never do that…”

“If a man can’t bring himself to strike an enemy who isn’t even defending himself, what do you think you’re going to learn? Don’t act like you want to be a warrior; go learn how to hide in a hole instead. You’ll live longer that way.”

….

The words were a direct strike to his dignity.

Duncan ground his teeth in frustration, and after a moment of visible agony, the merchant lunged for Mosquito, his eyes burning with a sudden spark. The barbarian’s mouth twitched into a tiny smirk. At least the man wasn’t a total coward.

But the momentum stopped there. Gripping the sword, Duncan shook like a leaf in a storm, unable to make a move. In truth, just picking up the weapon had required more bravery than he’d used in his entire life.

Kadim decided to give him one last push.

“If you’re too scared to just do it, try screaming an insult as you charge. Words have a way of forcing the body to move.”

Duncan took the bait.

“D-Die, you bastard!”

Whoosh!

Kadim effortlessly caught the sudden, desperate lunge between his pointer and middle fingers.

….

A look of disbelief flashed in Kadim’s eyes, quickly replaced by genuine curiosity.

Duncan, suddenly realizing what he had done, turned white with terror.

He was shocked first by the fact that Kadim had caught a live blade with his bare fingers, and second by his own audacity. He began to tremble, imagining the punishment he was about to receive.

Instead, Kadim offered a compliment.

“You actually have a natural talent for the sword.”

…”R-Really, Master?”

“No, I’m messing with you.”

….

The silence returned for a moment.

Kadim flicked his fingers, taking Mosquito back. He turned his back and started walking.

“Go back to the inn and get your things. We’re leaving. I’ll show you a few things when we have a break on the road.”

….

Duncan stood there with his mouth hanging open. Then, snapping out of it, he scrambled to catch up with Kadim.

At daybreak the following morning, the group destined for Delutana gathered outside the residence of the plenipotentiary.

It was quite an impressive sight: the plenipotentiary himself, four of his top-tier guards, the elderly smith Ironhammer, the merchant, and the massive barbarian. With their horses, the group consisted of fourteen individuals.

While it looked significant to an outsider, it was actually a very small group for a man of the plenipotentiary’s status. They had kept the numbers low to ensure his departure remained a secret.

“It isn’t wise for a man in my position to be away from the city for long… and we need to avoid drawing the eyes of certain groups. Specifically the Vesta council or the Magic Tower… We must keep our identities hidden unless there is no other choice.”

Kadim looked over at Enrico.

The man’s face was buried under the shadow of a wide hat, revealing skin that looked as worn as an old piece of leather. He hadn’t slept in days, busy tying up loose ends and creating cover stories. He was currently swaying in his saddle, looking like he might fall off at any moment.

“You’ve been busy. Is everything settled?”

…”The big things are done, the rest is in the hands of my lead assistant. He’s a good man—nothing to worry about. His family in Delutana is entirely dependent on my house; they owe us over twelve million luden.”

….

It was a cynical definition of a ‘reliable’ person, but a debt that large was certainly a powerful leash. Kadim nodded and moved the conversation along.

“Tell me about the path and what we might face. I want to be ready if there are trouble spots.”

“It should be a quiet trip. About half a day to the river; once we cross the bridge, we’ll be at Messene village. We’ll sleep there, then it’s a two-day straight shot to the Golden Highway. It’s a secure route with almost no monsters or bandits—but keep an eye on anyone we meet, just to be safe.”

In reality, an escort wasn’t strictly necessary. Enrico had hired Kadim more to secure a future alliance than for immediate protection. Still, fifty thousand luden, a horse, and travel gear was a fair trade for Kadim.

* Prrrruk, prruk….

….

Kadim tugged the reins, slowing his pace to look over the rest of the group. As his eyes met the guards’, they stiffened up instinctively. One by one, they let out awkward coughs.

“Ahem…”

“Khem, khm…”

Clop, clop –

With every step of the horses, the bits of hydra scales stitched into their gear clinked together loudly.

….

Kadim didn’t say a word. It was their money; if they wanted to wear scale armor or scale underwear, that was their business.

The merchant and the smith were riding behind the guards. Kadim moved his horse closer to the elder smith, Gullak. The old man was beaming, clearly excited to see his relatives again.

However, Gullak’s supplies were minimal: just a coin bag, his smithing hammer, and a few small tools.

Kadim tilted his head, curious.

“Is that everything, old man? I told you to pack light, but this is almost nothing.”

“Hah, carrying junk just slows you down—I left all the heavy stuff with that idiot at the central forge. You have that blade, so anywhere you stand is a war zone, right? For me, as long as I have this hammer, any place can be a forge.”

Gullak gave a wide grin, showing off his missing front teeth. Kadim gave a dry laugh. The man was a master of his craft, but he certainly had an ego to match.

They moved through the quiet morning streets and passed through the northern gate. The sun was just starting to climb, its rays reflecting off the dew-covered flowers in the fields. The smell of crushed grass rose up as the horses trotted along. It was a warm morning; summer was definitely on its way.

* Neighhh, hiiing!
* Trot-trot….

Clop-clop, clop-clop….

Listening to the rhythm of the hooves, Kadim reflected on how long it had been since he’d ridden.

Even in his first life, he rarely used horses. Normal animals tended to lose their minds around demons—making them useless on the paths he traveled. Outside of demon territory, his group usually found it faster to run than to find horses that wouldn’t bolt.

Despite that, Kadim was a natural in the saddle. The warrior blood of Atala meant he understood the animal instinctively. He sat firmly, looking like a natural rider, though his massive frame was clearly a heavy load for the beast.

The trip was as dull as Enrico had promised. Other than the plenipotentiary nearly falling asleep and tumbling off his horse, nothing happened. As the afternoon sun began to dip, they crossed the plains and approached their first stop, Messene.

However, as they got closer to the river bridge outside the village, Kadim noticed something off.

“Stop—hold up.”

* Neighhh!

The group stopped instantly at his word. Enrico looked around, confused.

“What is it? Did you see something?”

“The bridge over that river leads into Messene, right?”

“Yes, that’s the one…”

“There are people blocking the entrance. About six of them, carrying spears and axes.”

Enrico pushed his hat back and squinted. He could see a bit of dust in the distance, but there was no way he could count people or see weapons. He knew better than to doubt the barbarian, though.

“That’s strange… the river is too deep to wade across—you have to use that bridge to get to Messene. It’s supposed to be public property…”

“What’s the plan? If they’re going to be a problem, I can take them out now so we can pass.”

“Haha, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You can’t even see them clearly yet…”

Enrico laughed nervously, but as he turned, he saw the sunlight glinting off the axe in the barbarian’s hand. He wasn’t joking.

“Wait! We don’t know who they are. Let’s try to talk to them first—save the fighting for if they don’t listen!”

….

Kadim thought it was a waste of time, but he stayed quiet. He was a hired hand, and he would follow the client’s lead.

It didn’t take long for Kadim’s suspicions to be confirmed.

“Stop right there—no further!”

The group was indeed blocking the path to the bridge.

A man with small, squinty eyes and a wide, friendly-looking smile stepped forward. He looked like a typical village youth, but he was nearly as large as Kadim and had a massive axe strapped to his back.

The man looked over the party, maintaining a polite tone.

“Welcome, travelers. Sorry for the wait. Could you tell us who you are and where you’re headed?”

“You go first. Why should we identify ourselves at a public bridge?”

Kadim’s voice was cold and demanding. The man’s smile faltered for a split second before he smoothed it over.

“We are the Messene security force. I’m Otrram, the captain. Things have been dangerous around here lately, so we’re keeping things orderly and asking for a small toll from those passing through. It’s for your own protection—we’d appreciate the cooperation…”

“Dangerous? I was told this area was quiet.”

“Hahaha, it’s not just about monsters. There are thieves, rogue fighters, and the occasional demon. Without us here, you’d be in trouble before you ever reached the Golden Highway.”

This was the exact opposite of what the plenipotentiary had said. Kadim’s brow furrowed.

…”And who gave you the authority to charge people for crossing?”

“The plenipotentiary of Remtana, of course. You think we’d just stand here taking money without permission from the top? Hahaha!”

The man answered with an easy, cheerful laugh. Kadim shifted his gaze toward the plenipotentiary.

Under the shadow of his hat, Enrico’s face had turned a dark, furious shade of red.