Reset Life – Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Please Don’t Call Me That (1)

A fist cuts through the air. The fist, thrust straight forward, strikes its target perfectly.

“Ugh!”

The man, who had been wielding a dagger in front, falls hard, spitting out broken teeth. With my strength and skill combined with spiked battle gloves, the so-called”one punch, three teeth”is not just a dream.

I swung my sword into the space where the man had fallen. The men who were trying to fill the empty space hesitated and retreated.

Fortunately, they weren’t carrying longswords or spears. At best, they only had clubs or daggers. But as with all weapons, it hurts when you get hit. It hurts a lot.

I took a step, cautiously keeping the men in check with my sword, but at that moment, several of them thrust long clubs into the trajectory of my sword. Sparks fly as the sword and clubs collide.

In the meantime, I had no choice but to stop, and once again I was in the depressing situation of being surrounded by burly men.

Did I manage to move forward only two steps?

I took one step back to advance two steps forward and stood back-to-back with Levidian.

It took 30 minutes to advance about 100 meters from the secret warehouse filled with stolen goods. It’s a speed slow enough to be sworn brothers with a snail.

“Whew, damn them.”

The scope of my statement includes not only the 30 or so burly men who currently surround Levidian and me, but also the mountain patrol members who are leisurely watching the situation from behind.

Wouldn’t there be an inside collaborator in the smuggling of supplies? Even if there were, there’s a limit to how much they could smuggle. And the amount of goods inside the warehouse exceeded that limit.

By this point, it’s common sense. There were already collaborators within the mountain patrol.

That would be those three standing over there. If you add the city council member who tampered with the documents and the fence who sells the stolen goods, that makes five culprits.

I didn’t think they would notice right away, but since they’re mountain patrol members, their senses seem to be quite sharp.

Anyway, the current situation is quite difficult.

If it were just 30 fighters, I could easily shake them off by using hit-and-run tactics while running towards the city. But if the mountain patrol members join in, the story changes.

The Hiltenpens Barony’s mountain patrol is one of the best in the Empire. And the 2-kilometer stretch from here to the city is their front yard. They probably know it better than the back of their hands.

As the saying goes, even a dog has a home advantage in its own yard. It’s not easy for an outsider to shake them off and head to the city.

As I made a grim face, Levidian spoke.

“Little by little…… the situation is improving.”

I admired Levidian’s stable breathing that I could feel through my back.

Certainly, it is getting better. That’s true in the sense that we’re steadily reducing the number of enemies.

First, we cover each other’s backs to eliminate the risk of attacks from behind, and as we move forward little by little, we take care of those who attack us one by one. As a result, there are now about three guys who are going to have a lot of trouble in this fight.

But if they launch an all-out attack with the determination to beat up their own allies, we won’t be able to withstand it.

Of course, Levidian, the beautiful Sword King, would be able to handle 30 men or 6 mountain patrol members without any difficulty. But I can’t handle either 30 strong men or 6 mountain patrol members.

The difference in our skills is too great to divide the roles. The proof is that I haven’t caught my breath yet.

At this rate, I don’t know if the situation is getting better or worse. Tsk.

It was when my breathing had stabilized a little more. Levidian nudged my side with her elbow. I took another deep breath and stepped forward.

“Cha!”

I thrust my sword forward without any preparatory movement. The man directly in front of me was startled and stepped back, and I didn’t miss the opportunity, throwing myself into his arms as if embracing him.

Like a shy maiden leaping into the arms of her lover, with my hands clasped together and modestly nestled in, I did something that ordinary maidens wouldn’t do. No matter how shy, no maiden would throw a fantastic uppercut with her left hand.

Crack!

Ah, it’s broken. There will be considerable restrictions on my diet from now on.

I felt the jawbone shatter through the thick gloves. And I stabbed the collapsing man with my longsword, but another man calmly swung his club to block the sword.

Clang!

“Tsk!”

Clicking my tongue, I kicked the man with the broken jaw with my left foot, quickly retrieved it, and then raised my right foot to deliver a spinning kick to the club that had blocked my sword.

“Huh?!”

The man was bewildered as he looked at the club he had so carelessly lost, and I slapped him across the face to drive home his bewilderment.

“Ouch! My nose!”

Arisein Pen Herduke. Breaking a lot of people today. The man, clutching his face, bent over, and I knocked him unconscious by hitting the back of his head with the hilt of my sword.

Stepping on the back of the fallen man, I took a step forward and swung my sword around to claim the space. Those who blocked my way were holding daggers, so they couldn’t come forward.

I threw myself forward, sword extended. Taking advantage of the gap in the encirclement, I’ll break through!

Whoosh! Thud!

But at that moment, a crossbow bolt struck my foot. I stopped, and Levidian, who had been following behind me, calmly stood back-to-back with me.

“Damn it……”

When I turned my eyes, the mountain patrol member with short blond hair was grinning, holding a crossbow. I feel like splitting that face in half.

Damn it! They’re completely toying with us?!

If Levidian and I wanted to, we could paint this whole area red with blood. Those blocking our way are not skilled, no matter how highly you rate them. They would be incapacitated after just a few good hits.

However, it’s difficult to execute for two reasons.

One is that they will become desperate, and the other is that the mountain patrol members who have been watching will actively join the fray.

Frankly, the latter is much more burdensome.

Just a moment ago, they could have shot me with the crossbow. But they clearly seemed to be enjoying this as some kind of amusement.

Ah, damn it. This is why I hate criminals. Especially the ones who shamelessly try to cover up their crimes. They’re the worst.

Anyway, they have no intention of letting us go. And provoking them will only result in bloodshed. So, we have to observe the situation and seize the opportunity.

Levidian implicitly agreed with that opinion. That’s why I’m leading her now.

Of course, in terms of efficiency, it would be a hundred times better for her to lead the way, but strictly speaking, their target is me. If they could just shut my mouth, everything would be practically resolved.

They would have to silence Levidian too, since she’s a witness, but there’s no one to corroborate her story. The stolen goods, which serve as evidence, could be disposed of beforehand.

I said to the guy whose head I wanted to split open.

“You, I’ll personally beat you up for three hours!”

“Hahaha! You’ve heard that somewhere, haven’t you? Well, are you confident you’ll be alive until then?”

“If I die, I’ll make you have nightmares for three hours a day!”

“Oh dear. What to do? I’m a follower of Achuni.”

He shrugged and chuckled. So did the others. Some of them even laughed with pity. It’s quite unpleasant.

I shifted my target.

“Hey, you guys, are you happy to be beaten up like this while listening to those guys? Okay with anyone as long as they pay you? You’d fit right in at the Imperial male brothels. Plenty of older brothers there who’ll welcome you if you wiggle your ass. How much do you charge? Huh?”

The men didn’t react much to my words. They seem to have some mental discipline. Or maybe it’s because we’re outnumbered, so it’s absurd.

I grind my teeth involuntarily. If only Joey were here, these guys wouldn’t be a match for us. No, if Joey and Levidian were here, we would have already taken care of this.

I’m realizing it now, but I’m powerless. Damn it.

“Hey, stop your useless resistance and surrender quietly. We might even let you live.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We’ll say that we investigated but couldn’t find the culprit in the end. Your honor might be tarnished, but your life won’t be in danger, right? As long as you keep your mouth shut, we’ll let you live.”

He spoke as if he was doing me a big favor.

Sure, if that happens, I’ll keep my life. But my honor will plummet to the ground.

It’s a time when the name of the Knight of Light is rising high in the Imperial Capital, but if the story of my failure spreads, it will also rise high. And the public is more enthusiastic about failure than success.

I don’t know if he knows that, but it’s certainly a preposterous offer. I said to his smooth face,

“Did you eat lunch through your anus? Why are you farting with your mouth? Shut your trap, it stinks.”

“Are you really the Duke’s second son?”

All three patrol members had dumbfounded expressions.

Well, a normal Duke’s second son wouldn’t use such language. But that’s only when the situation allows for it. How many years do you think I served in the military?

“Ha, haha. Well, you sure have a foul mouth.”

“It’s silk compared to your thoughts.”

“I like your personality. If you were my subordinate, I would have showered you with love.”

He chuckled again. From his perspective, I’m probably just flapping my gums here, completely powerless.

Even if I really am powerless, I can’t surrender. There’s a purpose I need to fulfill by resolving this matter, but there’s a more important factor.

I spoke calmly.

“I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully. I won’t sell my pride for a measly offer. You wouldn’t understand, would you? Living like a wild animal, digging rabbit holes in the mountains. Well, if you had any pride, you wouldn’t have such a petty and dirty thought as smuggling supplies. Right?”

“Pride? What’s that? Is it something you eat?”

“……”

He had the talent of making a person speaking seriously look like a fool by answering shamelessly. Ah, really, there’s nothing I can say when he acts so brazenly.

He shrugged as if it didn’t matter.

“Well, that’s enough about you. Let’s ask the lady in the back. Hey, lady. You’re a swordsmanship teacher, right? Do you have some obligation to protect his life?”

“You, what are you saying……!”

“Ah, ah, be quiet, young master. It’s not polite to interrupt when people are talking. Hey, teacher. Think carefully. Everyone can be happy if you just keep your mouth shut. It’s a bit unfortunate that someone will die, but if you just keep quiet, you won’t have to do any more hard work. Anyway, it looks like you’re here on a contract dispatch from a martial arts group, so you don’t have any loyalty to protect the kid, right?”

I made a pathetic expression. Even so, this is the first time I’ve seen someone make such an offer to Levidian. I slightly turned my head to look at her face.

She maintained the expressionless face she always wore during battle. She said,

“So?”

“Well, it’s best to live harmoniously in this world. You don’t have to protect the kid’s back, do you? Just close your eyes for about 30 minutes and forget about what happened during that time. If that’s not enough, we can offer you a small gift. What do you say?”

I couldn’t hide my disdain as I watched the guy trying to bribe the Sword King. What kind of person is Levidian that he would use such a shallow trick?

She’s a swordsman with pride and dignity. She wouldn’t preserve her life by violating what she holds more dear than life itself.

She said,

“Sounds good.”

What?

I looked at her in bewilderment. She had a faint, sly smile on her face, a smile she didn’t usually wear.

“It’s a good offer. What’s the gift?”

“Oh! We’re on the same page. When it comes to gifts, something shiny is always good. Specifically, gold. After all, what’s better than gold in life?”

“Good. I like it. What do I have to do?”

“First, put your weapons down there and come here. That’s how the deal is made.”

Levidian nodded. She sheathed her sword and unbuckled her belt, putting it down. Naturally, the dagger attached to the belt fell to the ground as well. And after pulling out the knives from both boots, she raised both hands.

“That’s it.”

“Now, walk slowly towards us.”

She nodded and slowly started to walk. I watched her retreating figure with a bewildered expression, and she glanced at me. And then she looked at the weapons she had dropped.

She said,

“Do your best.”

What? What should I do? How?

I watched her back as she moved away from me with a dumbfounded expression.

She wasn’t the type of person to do this? No, at least I didn’t think she would listen to someone weaker than her?

Near my heels were the weapons she had dropped. A longsword, two daggers, and two knives. Good quality weapons crafted by a master craftsman.

Is she telling me to fight alone with these? No, that’s not it? There are only two knives……

Ah?!

I realized her intention. I also understood what she meant by”do your best.”

I grimaced and said,

“Teacher, were you that kind of person after all?”

“Well, I guess it’s your fault for not being able to judge people.”

“So, your own life is more precious after all!”

“Of course. Is there anything more precious in this world? It’s best not to get angry about things you can’t help. It’s bad for your mental health. This concludes today’s lesson.”

She said that and stood in front of the mountain patrol members.

The guy I personally wanted to split open raised his arms grandly, welcoming her.

“Welcome! As expected, you’re reasonable. Good thinking.”

“So, this is a cooperative relationship for now?”

“For now, yes. Ah, I’ll return your weapons when we’re done.”

“Good.”

She naturally extended her hand. A gesture of a handshake. The mountain patrol member with short blond hair grinned and readily accepted the handshake. The two shook their clasped hands a couple of times.

Immediately after that, several things happened at once.

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