Chapter 12: The Black Hammer Gang (2)

Sure, they were just a ragtag bunch who'd never learned proper combat techniques, but killing and brawling were everyday occurrences for them. The moment they saw their comrade's blood, the bandits reflexively grabbed their weapons.

"Shit, you bastard!"

"You crazy son of a bitch! Do you have any idea who you just messed with? You're dead meat!"

"Hey, rush him! Everyone charge at once!"

Not exactly the smartest move.

Thunk—!

"Huh... what the...?"

One bandit's eyes locked onto the hand axe that had suddenly sprouted from his forehead. Wait, wasn't that just on the other guy's head a second ago? How did it get here? He staggered around, puzzled by this mystery, before finally rolling his eyes back and collapsing.

"What the hell? Something just flew—"

"Gavin? Why are you suddenly—"

The remaining bandits didn't get time to figure out what was happening. The barbarian was already charging at them with sword raised and ready to strike.

Kadim decided to take out the spearman first. His vicious blade easily knocked aside the clumsy spear thrust, then immediately carved a line from chest to belly button.

Slice—

"Guh..."

The spearman tried to counter-attack right away, but his body wouldn't obey. He felt that chilling sensation of being cut as his severed abdominal muscles curled inward. The spear tip that had been wavering weakly soon dropped to the ground with a thud.

"You piece of shit!"

Whoosh!

A club came swinging with reckless abandon. When you're just desperate to hit your enemy without any strategy, you end up making attacks full of openings like this. Kadim stepped back easily to dodge, then flowed in like the wind to slash deep into the bandit's side.

Slash—

"Aaaahhh!"

The bandit dropped his club and clutched his side. Through the gaping wound, his spleen came spilling out in chunks. Kadim pivoted to the other side.

Slash—

"Eeeeaaahhh!!!"

When he sliced open the other side as well, the screaming doubled in volume. No matter how tightly the bandit pressed his arms against his sides, he couldn't stop the herniation. He writhed in agony before collapsing face-first onto the ground.

Taking advantage of the chaos, another presence quickly approached from behind. It was not difficult to handle. Kadim twisted his waist and swung his sword in a wide semicircle.

Clang—!

"What... how did you...?"

The bandit could not hide his bewildered expression as he watched his own sword fly off into the distance. How the hell did the barbarian notice him? It's not like he had eyes in the back of his head. And just how strong was this guy to send the sword flying that far...?

Slice—!

Kadim cut off his wondering with a sword slash.

The bandit didn't seem too satisfied with the barbarian's method of answering questions. Even as his throat was being messily carved up, his eyes still burning with doubt and confusion.

"G-Gabin...? Meden, Horsel... they're all... all dead? Fuck... if anyone's still alive, say something! Ugh..."

All the other bandits were wiped out. The last guy had completely lost his will to fight. For now, Kadim ignored him and checked the condition of his weapons.

The blade’s surface greedily absorbed the sticky blood droplets. Even though its master hadn't been injured, Mosquito was doing its job well. It might not have any special additional effects, but not having to wipe off the blood was pretty convenient. Kadim sheathed the now spotlessly gleaming sword back to his hip.

The hand axe was in rough shape. The blade was damaged and the gap between the axe head and handle had loosened up, making it rattle. Well, it wasn't made for combat in the first place, not to mention that he'd been using it pretty roughly.

'I should get myself a decent axe when I reach the castle.'

Actually, that wasn't the only way to resupply weapons. Kadim approached the last bandit he'd deliberately left alive.

“H-Huuuhk! Khh, kheuuuh…”

The enemy couldn’t even breathe properly as he scrambled away on all fours. His face showed no trace of the mockery and laughter he'd directed at the barbarian just minutes ago.

Kadim stepped on the bastard's waist and pressed down hard so he couldn't escape. The bandit writhed and shrieked like a crushed cockroach.

"Aaaahhh! Aaaaaahhh!"

"Stop making a fuss and answer my questions. OtherwiseOr I’ll shatter your spine right here.”

“Kkh, khhhhk. Khh-huuuhk…”

"Are you guys part of a bandit gang? What's your relationship with those two who ran away earlier? And who is this Agon’s Raging Horn?"

The answer came from an unexpected source.

"Agon is a city at the center of the Free Cities Alliance, my lord. It has the continent's largest arena where countless mercenaries, gladiators, and wandering knights gather seeking wealth and glory. The Agon’s Raging Horn is a legendary barbarian mercenary who won numerous championships there."

It was the merchant who had scurried up beside them at some point. Kadim glanced sideways at Duncan.

"So these guys mistook me for him?"

"Yes, most likely... But it's strange, my lord. The Agon’s Raging Horn is such a famous figure that even the mayors of major cities can't easily meet him. I doubt he would come to a backwater like this even for a king’s ransom…”

Both of them looked down at the bandit on the ground. The bandit pitifully craned his neck to look up at Kadim.

“Fucking—no! Our boss is from the coliseum, and he said they were close friends from way back! He claimed that if he just asked for help, the guy would drop everything and come right away! If the Agon’s Raging Horn really comes, you're all dead meat... Aaahhh!!"

Kadim put more weight on the foot crushing the bandit’s back. Just precisely enough to not quite break his spine. After a moment of bone-deep agony, the bandit finally became as meek as a lamb.

The story the bandit recounted was nothing special.

“We… no, dammit, I’m the only one left… I belong to the Bloody Cave Gang, and those two who ran off are with the Black Hammer Gang..."

The Bloody Cave Gang had originally been the established bandit group in this area. But a new force, the Black Hammer Gang, had used their superior numbers to wipe them out. As most of the members were killed or fled, their boss had asked his close friend, the Agon’s Raging Horn for help to drive out the Black Hammer Gang...

"Oh. You were completely fooled.”

"...What?"

"If they were really that close, do you think the Agon’s Raging Horn would have just stood by while his friend was playing boss of a bandit gang out here? He could've just given him a few gold bars and set him up with a proper shop in a big city..."

The merchant's point was completely valid. So valid that the bandit was left speechless. His eyes trembled as his last hope crumbled.

"..."

Meanwhile, Kadim had decided what he was going to do next.

If he hadn't gotten involved, that would be one thing, but since he was already mixed up in this, there was no helping it. That boss wouldn't just let it slide after six of his men got killed.

Never leave loose ends when you go.

From his first life until now, this was the guiding principle that ran through Kadim's values. Better to strike first than risk being tracked down or ambushed later.

'Plus, if the enemy is a bandit gang... I can loot their supplies without any guilt.'

Kadim lifted his foot from the bandit's waist. Instead, he grabbed the bandit's elbow with his large hand.

"I need to clean up the stragglers. Guide me to your base."

“W-What? I-I can’t do th—”

Crack—

The joint bent in an impressively unnatural direction with surprising ease.

"...!!!"

The bandit started screaming like the world was ending and began giving directions.

***

In the damp cave, shadows danced along the walls, following the light of the torches. With no one watching now, there was no need to save face.

"Haaah..."

Graham, the leader of the Bloody Cave Gang, clutched his hair and let out deep sighs.

'Fuck, where did it all go wrong...?'

Graham hailed from the renowned Coliseum of Agon. The renown belonged to the coliseum, not to him. Graham had ended his gladiator career with a pathetic record of one win and four losses.

Still, there was something remarkable about it. In that coliseum, a single ‘loss’ usually meant death, yet Graham had lost four times and managed to keep his life.

But Graham didn't go around bragging about his cockroach-like survival skills. Instead, he made up stories about being a popular gladiator with countless followers, even claiming to be close friends with the Agon’s Raging Horn.

Since his descriptions of the coliseum were realistic, surprisingly many people believed his lies. Thanks to this, Graham was able to form a small-time bandit group called the Bloody Cave Gang. All he wished was that his bluff would not be exposed and that he could continue to eke out a living as a bandit in this remote region.

His small dream was shattered to pieces.

'Black Hammer Gang, those fucking bastards...'

It was because of the rival bandit gang, the Black Hammer Gang.

Originally, they were a notorious bandit gang from the border regions. But at some point, they started creeping into this area, and now they'd set up camp nearby. Every time they showed up, his men got slaughtered, so the Bloody Cave Gang's numbers were rapidly dwindling.

'Boss, do something! Are we just gonna keep getting beaten up by those assholes forever?'

'Hey, why don't we call the Agon’s Raging Horn? You said you were so close with him!'

'Well...'

He'd originally planned to brush it off by saying he didn't want to burden his friend. Gradually, the atmosphere became one where he could no longer do so. With everyone either dead or having fled, fewer than twenty members remained. And even they looked ready to desert at any moment.

Graham had no choice but to make a decision.

‘Today, I have sent a messenger to Agon’s Raging Horn. He is a friend who would come to my aid even from the ends of hell if I call, so everyone just hold on a little longer.’

'Waaaaaah!'

'Fuck yeah! That’s awesome!’

'I believed in you, boss!'

'...'

He'd decided to postpone doom with false promises.

Still, it wasn't like Graham had absolutely no connection to Agon’s Raging Horn. He had seen him not as a close friend, but as one of the countless grains of sand in the audience. Though he had never exchanged a single word with the man, the barbarian’s overwhelming might had left a very deep impression on him.

‘Hah, for fuck’s sake… If Agon’s Raging Horn really came to help, I’d truly have nothing more to wish for…’

It was a pipe dream. Why would a legendary coliseum champion come all the way to this backwater place?

Unless it was a barbarian coming to eliminate loose ends, that is.

"Boss! Th-the Agon’s Raging Horn is here..."

"...What?"

Thunk—!

His subordinate couldn't finish the sentence.

A giant barbarian retrieved his hand axe from the back of the subordinate's head. The axe head was in tatters, a sign that it had already been used to kill a great many men in such a fashion.

“Good heavens… h-how did you really…”

The cave was lit only by weak torches. The silhouette that emerged was so massive it was hard to believe it was human. For a moment, Graham almost mistook him for the real Agon’s Raging Horn.

"...Hmm?"

Only when the figure got closer did he realize. This wasn't the arena champion; it was someone else.

...Though he looked just as vicious. He looks like he could tear people apart with his bare hands.

Unlike his clueless subordinates, Graham was a master of survival. The reason he'd survived four losses in the arena was purely because he had incredibly sharp wits.

He could tell at first glance that this barbarian was an insanely powerful fighter. The silence from his men meant they had already been taken care of. Sensing what he had to do to live, he threw away all semblance of pride and prostrated himself on the floor.

"All the money and valuables we've collected are in the chest under that table over there. If you want other equipment or food supplies, go to the very back of the cave. Oh, and if you have any grudges against my other subordinates, just let me know. I'll call them immediately and have them report to you."

"..."

"Please, just spare my life."

The barbarian didn't speak.

A gaze that pierced into his back like an awl.

A damp, oppressive silence settling down.

Graham squeezed his eyes shut. His instincts were telling him.

This is the type that can’t be swayed by words. The type that, whether you offer your liver or your gallbladder, will always see things through to the end to leave no loose ends…

'Ugh, seriously... I'm confident I could live quietly without holding grudges... just lightly robbing passing travelers...'

He felt like tearing out his own heart to show his sincerity if he could. The barbarian mercilessly raised his sword and walked closer.

A normal person would've given up on life at this point, but Graham was different. He refused to give up to the very end, scrutinizing every detail of Kadim's appearance. He couldn’t care less about what happened to others.

And finally, Graham found his way out.

From the barbarian's worn-out hand axe.

"Um... mercenary, sir?"

"..."

"Are you interested in treasure by any chance? I know the location of a ‘treasure map’ that marks the location of a very valuable treasure…”

"..."

The blade slowly rose like a guillotine. The barbarian judged that Graham was just making shit up because he didn't want to die. Growing desperate, Graham began spilling information rapidly.

"That treasure is a dwarven axe! A throwing axe that dwarven craftsmen poured their hearts into making! I heard that, uh, no matter how much you use it, the blade never dulls, and if you throw it, it automatically hits its target, and it flies around like a bird, and it’s just, it’s amazing! I’m sure you’ll love it if you try it!”

"..."

Finally, the sword stopped its ascent. Graham swallowed nervously and watched the barbarian's reaction.

For the first time, his lips parted and a heavy, deep voice was heard.

"Where is this map?"

"...Ah, well, um... first, if you could lower the sword first..."

"Where is it?"

“Uh… I’m sorry, but if there’s no guarantee that you’ll spare my life… I can’t tell you…”

Graham really did know where that treasure map was. After all, he'd hidden it himself.

But he had no intention of telling the truth. If he did, the barbarian would surely force him to lead the way, and if he went there now, it was a near certainty that he would die.

Better to point him in the completely wrong direction as far away as possible, then look for a chance to escape. That would give him the best odds of survival...

"Interesting. So a mere bandit is trying to negotiate with me now?"

"...What?"

“I, too, have a knack for negotiations.”

Stab!

The sword tip pierced through between his forearm and chest. The blade greedily devoured the flowing blood and Graham's face turned as pale as a corpse.

"Uh... uhhh..."

A horrific pain began to spread.

"Guh... gaaahhh!"

A scream erupted from deep in his lungs.

“Speak now, or I will slice open your heart.”

A fear worse than death consumed Graham's mind.

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