Chapter 29: Man of Steel (2)

Not long after leaving Stout and hitting the road, we came across a party fighting a group of monsters.

However, the battle was already in its final stages, so there was no particular need for us to intervene.

So, even though they were blocking our path, we could have just taken a wider detour.

『Pierce!』

“Kieek!”

But, how could I resist watching a good fight?

On top of that, there was one person who was so eye-catching that I had no choice but to stand by and watch.

“One last one left, brothers!”

The one who just shouted, a halfling youth clad in heavy armor, was the star of the show.

His noble and handsome appearance with blonde hair and blue eyes was, of course, very noticeable, but it wasn't just that.

The fact that he was wearing heavy armor was the most eye-catching part.

In the first place, heavy armor for halflings was not something you could see often.

And a halfling standing on the front lines wearing that heavy armor was an even rarer sight.

Perhaps that's why Rine and Ibi's gazes were also focused on the halfling youth.

──As you might have guessed by now, this encounter was not a simple random encounter.

It was a fixed fate, in other words, a fixed script that one encounters on the way to the 「Forgotten Stareon Temple」 after leaving Stout.

“A halfling knight. What a peculiar fellow.”

Where you meet a character you can recruit as a new companion for the first time.

“I've heard of guys like that, but this is the first time I've seen one in person.”

“He's probably thinking the same thing about you.”

The halfling youth's role was clearly that of a ‘tank’, just as it appeared.

While he stood at the front and blocked all the monsters, the other men, who seemed to be his party members, were intercepting from a safe distance.

In truth, their interception wasn't of much help, and it was mostly the worn-out shield wielded by the youth that subdued the monsters.

“Hyaap!”

Thwack!

With a dull thud, the last one was sent flying, and all the monsters had fallen at the halfling youth's feet.

Not a single one had managed to get past his range.

This meant he was an excellent tank.

However, “What are you doing?”

His party members seemed to think differently.

“It's still breathing, isn't it.”

At his party member's indication, the youth immediately snapped to an at-ease posture and replied politely.

“Ah, yes, sir. I judged that it would be more convenient for your interception if I subdued them first…”

“Kill it.”

“…Pardon?”

“It's over, so you finish it.”

One of the party members who said this took out a sword from his waist and threw it towards the youth.

“Don't tell me a knight can't even kill a single monster?”

At that, the youth, who had hastily released his hands from behind his back to catch the sword, seemed to hesitate for a moment, then soon raised it high above his head.

“…!”

And then, with a flinch, he froze on the spot.

“Useless bastard. I knew it.”

The party member who saw this jeered and approached the youth.

Then he snatched the sword back from his trembling hand and stabbed the stunned monster to death.

Slap!

Then, a dry sound echoed.

The man who had sheathed his sword had just slapped the halfling youth's cheek with all his might.

“What kind of knight can't even kill a single monster properly? I knew it from the moment a half-pint bastard like you started acting like a knight.”

Get lost.

The man said with a sneer.

“You’re fired.”

“B-Brothers!”

At that, the youth, who had been staring blankly at the ground since being slapped, quickly raised his head.

“I was greatly lacking! I will do better! So please, just don't fire me…!”

“Who’s your brother?”

But the man just sneered at the youth who was desperately trying to grab him and pushed him away coldly.

“We don't need a half-wit who can't even kill a single monster properly.”

Not just him, but the other guys who were snickering and watching from behind all had similar expressions, which meant the entire party was in on it.

“Ugh…!”

The youth seemed to have finally realized it after seeing their expressions.

“I-I understand…”

Perhaps that's why the youth, who had a pained expression for a moment, no longer tried to hold onto him.

“Then, if I could just get my pay for this request…!”

Instead, he tried to claim his rightful share, but.

“What did a half-pint like you do to share the pay with us? Get lost.”

As expected, all he got in return was sneers and contempt.

“We hired him because he was cheap, but a halfling is a halfling after all.”

“Go drink some more milk, you shorty. At least you should be half as tall again as you are now to even pretend to be a knight, don't you think?”

The racist remarks that had been flowing out as naturally as breathing since earlier were a bonus.

“……Kuh.”

Instead of getting angry or talking back, the youth chose to swallow the humiliation alone.

And, Ibi, who was watching this development that felt like the intro to a somewhat outdated banishment story, “It’s obvious what their game is.”

Yawned a long, drawn-out yawn.

The exaggerated gestures she mixed in were probably to emphasize how bored she was.

“They probably took on a request, whether it was a subjugation or a search, and completed it together. And now, on the way to get the reward, they’re just picking a fight over nothing to kick him out and take it all for themselves? Jeez, what an old-fashioned trick that even elves wouldn't pull.”

“Aren't you an elf too, for starters?”

“Half. Elf.”

Putting aside the latter part, she was right.

“Are there still suckers who get tricked by such obvious ploys these days?”

It was too obvious a ploy, so the halfling youth must have noticed it too.

“…….”

However, he just stood there with his head hung low.

As if it were only natural for him to suffer this humiliation.

“How frustrating.”

From Ibi's perspective, such a sight must have been very unsatisfactory.

“If it were me, I would have buried those bastards' heads in the ground and then spit on them, saying, ‘Who's the shorty now?’”

Even a worm will squirm if you step on it.

Ibi muttered in discontent, but that was as far as it went.

“So, is the fight-watching over? Shall we get going now?”

She seemed to have no intention of interfering whatsoever.

As if that was just the law of nature.

It was an attitude like passing by an animal that was being preyed upon.

“Huh? Hey, where are you going?”

Well, the part about it being the law of nature wasn't entirely wrong.

“Hey, fellas!”

“…?”

As I said before, this was all a predetermined flow.

“Skipping out on payment. That's not right.”

Just as I was now standing in front of them as they were about to leave, blocking their path.

“…Who the hell are you?”

At that, a man frowned and asked.

It was the one who had just coldly dismissed the youth.

Meanwhile, Ibi, who had never thought I would intervene, ‘What the hell are you doing now, you bastard…?!’

Was silently shooting me a look that seemed to say just that.

“If that friend had truly not done his part, the corpses would be gathered at your feet, not at his.”

Of course, the halfling youth's teary eyes were also directed at me.

Though he seemed more surprised by the sudden intervention of a stranger he didn't even know the face of yet.

“Or, you would be the corpses, crushed under the monsters' feet.”

“Ha. Seriously, what is this guy?”

The man directed the same sneer he had shown the youth moments ago towards me.

“Just go on your way, what do you know to butt in all of a sudden?”

“At the very least, I know that you should pay your companion who saved your life what was promised.”

“Why, are you friends with that half-wit or something?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“What?”

『Shut your mouth.』

“…!?”

At my 「Word Command」, the man immediately clamped his mouth shut.

Then he began to touch his tightly closed mouth with a very bewildered gesture.

But his other party members, who were only looking at his back—even the mage—didn't notice this at all and were still busy sneering at me.

“Judging by your looks, you seem to be some kind of bard. Why? Run out of stories to tell?”

One of them said with a snicker, looking at the lute on my back.

“Or, did you suddenly feel like imitating the heroes in the songs you sing?”

Ah, for reference, it was that lute.

I had picked it up on my way out of the party hall.

I couldn't just keep making instrument sounds with my mouth forever, could I?

“Ah, that's it, that's it. A half-as──”

“I think we all have a good idea of the situation, so let's be civil, gentlemen.”

I interrupted their words and politely clasped my hands in front of my waist.

“Leave our friend's share and get lost quietly.”

“──What?”

“I said, hand over the share that our friend should have rightfully received, and leave quietly from here.”

At that, one of the party members, his smile fading slightly, asked.

“…Are you a robber?”

“I am a robber.”

It seems the new mask is effective(?).

In the past, they would have just asked if I was a robber as soon as they saw me.

“So, choose.”

“Choose what?”

“Whether you'll quietly hand over the share you were supposed to pay and get lost, or just hand over your necks and have everything squeezed out of you.”

I glanced at Rine, who had come to stand next to me at some point, and said.

“Rine.”

“Yes.”

“If these guys look like they're about to try anything funny, blow them away immediately.”

“Understood.”

At that, Rine nodded and immediately raised her staff, and a magic circle appeared in front of it.

“…!?”

As soon as he saw it, I could see the mage flinch.

He hadn't noticed my casting of the 「Word Command」 earlier, but even a guy like him was still a mage, so he must have realized it as soon as he saw it.

“H-Hey…”

That it was a magic circle of a being on a completely different level from his own shoddy skills.

“Everyone, wait a moment…”

Thanks to that, the mage, who seemed to be the first to grasp the situation, was calling out to his other party members, and soon a dice check began.

--

[Intimidation]

Difficulty 10

--

As expected, it was an easy difficulty.

At that, I turned to Ibi, who was still standing in the same place, looking dumbfounded, and.

“……Hah.”

Ibi, whose eyes met mine, let out a deep sigh, and then.

“Hey! Didn't you hear, you bastards!”

She finally came to my side like Rine and started playing along.

“Hand over everything you have and go, if you don't want to die.”

But what should I say, the line itself was ordinary, but her tone, expression, and even her gestures seemed like she had done this a few times before.

“Let's go nicely when I'm being nice, okay? Nicely.”

A shakedown that reeked of experience…… huh?

“Wait, everything?”

It seems I wasn't the only one who misheard.

“…? E-Everything…?”

The men, who were on the verge of surrendering, also asked back with a look of confusion.

At that, I gestured for the men to wait a moment, then leaned my head close to Ibi next to me and whispered.

“I just told them to leave the kid's share?”

“Hey, f*ck, we're robbing them anyway, aren't we? You're not a good guy, they're not pitiful guys, why are you being selective when you're just committing a robbery?”

“…Hmm.”

“Enough, just play along, bard.”

Well, she might have a point.

After coming to an understanding, I, ahem, deliberately cleared my throat once and then said to the men again.

“Yes, hand over everything you have.”

“E-Everything…?!”

“That’s… different from what you said before…”

“The terms have gone up a bit in the meantime.”