Chapter 72: Godok (2)
Village Rank 9, Aratus, was strong and resourceful from a young age.
No, he was born with a genius that couldn't be explained by such simple expressions.
Even as tens, hundreds of talented children died in droves in the village, he didn't feel any particular threat to his life.
Swordsmanship, physical ability, mental strength.
In every aspect, Aratus was at the top, and for him, the village's early curriculum was nothing more than a slightly thrilling game.
‘There was a time I thought that.’
A year passed, two years passed, five years passed.
By the time something transcending malice was etched onto the faces of each surviving child, he realized.
This game was not one you could survive by being moderately good.
It was a mad game where you could only survive if you were ‘Number 1.’
‘Impossible.’
That's right.
It was impossible.
Aratus possessed skills that overwhelmed most of his Peers, but it wasn't as if there was no one ahead of him.
Gael, who had come down from 1st place but still boasted an unchanged genius, was one.
Maya, who had climbed madly from some point to achieve Rank 2, was another.
Though not as good as them, Rank 4 and Rank 5 were also formidable opponents he couldn't hope to surpass.
However, the one who gave him the greatest sense of despair was someone else entirely: Harang.
A genius who had never once lost the 1st rank since entering his 3rd year in the village.
An unmeasurable monster with the insane talent to make swordsmanship his own just by watching, and a rock-solid mental fortitude that never let his expression falter in any situation.
As long as such a person existed, winning this damned race of death was an impossibility.
Fortunately, there were a few others who thought similarly to Aratus.
An alliance of seven Peers who were similar to him or slightly inferior, meaning those who were running at the top at that time.
They agreed to eliminate the monster named Harang before the gap between them widened further, and launched a joint attack during the regularly held ‘Indiscriminate Slaughter.’
No one helped the 1st rank.
The risk was a factor, but it was also as if everyone had tacitly agreed to eliminate the strongest competitor.
And…….
‘They died. All seven of them.’
A one-sided defeat.
It was a result no one had expected, and a result no one could easily accept.
I still remember it.
The sight of even the great Maya and Gael, their faces filled with shock, stepping back as they looked at Harang.
It was probably from then.
Aratus thought that distancing himself from Harang, by any means necessary, was the way to prolong his life.
But now.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“What's wrong? I said I'm glad to see you, but no one's saying anything.”
He had come face to face with him, at an extremely close distance.
He couldn't run away.
He didn't feel like fighting either.
It was only natural.
Aratus felt he could take on anyone in the village, but… a fight within the top 3, especially against Harang, was an exception.
He wanted to avoid it at all costs.
He glanced at the Godok accompanying him.
It didn't look easy.
Seeing even Rank 7 Cecilia, mad for slaughter, and Rank 10 Verner with stiff expressions, said it all.
Regardless of numbers, they were already losing in terms of Presence.
‘Dammit……. I thought Harang, Maya, and Gael wouldn't show up at a place like this.’
Aratus cursed inwardly.
Still, the fortunate thing was that the monster wasn't showing any particular hostility.
Of course, letting his guard down was forbidden.
He didn't know when he might suddenly change.
No one could read the true intentions beneath Harang's expression, which was like an Iron Mask.
Of course, that didn't mean they could continue this silence indefinitely.
‘This is a meeting I convened. I need to lead the flow!’
Gulp, Aratus swallowed dry saliva.
The indulgent thought of exchanging useful information had already vanished far away.
I don't wish for such things; let's just maintain a peaceful atmosphere somehow.
Let's focus only on leaving this place quietly and safely, without bloodshed.
Having finished his thoughts, he forced a smile.
And with a gentle voice, he called the other's name.
“……It's been a while, Harang.”
“Ah, yes. It's been a while, Aratus.”
“About 8 months, I suppose.”
“Ah, has it been that long already? Time flies. Hmm…… But why are the others still silent? We didn't gather here just to look at each other's faces, did we?”
“……Right. It's been a while.”
“It's been a long time.”
“You were alive…… Well, if we're alive, there's no way you'd be dead.”
“That's true.”
“Umm…… Well, you never know. Even one of the village's chief administrator, no, one of the top three administrators, would be too much for the people here to handle, right? Us gathering here safely might just be pure luck.”
“That's right, Harang.”
Aratus responded with a slightly more relaxed expression.
Harang was right.
No matter how strong they were, having reached the Graduate stage, the village's power was immeasurably vast.
The chief administrator who exuded immense pressure every time he came to educate the Godok.
The three high-ranking administrators who usually had no presence but displayed terrifying martial prowess whenever necessary.
The gap between them was so large it could never be closed in a short period, and that was precisely why the freed Godok were still living in hiding.
Who could resist if the village's ‘true masters,’ who were said to have been attacked but were still holding strong, appeared?
“……So, to prevent such a thing, we need to exchange information with each other. So that we can enjoy our current freedom for longer, possibly forever.”
“Hmm.”
“That's why I'm asking everyone gathered here. If you have any grudges from the village, I hope you'll put them aside, at least here. Now that we're liberated from the village, there's no need for us to fight and kill each other anymore. Our enemy now is…… ‘the village itself.’”
“…….”
“…….”
“Is there anyone who disagrees?”
Aratus put strength into his eyes and looked around.
At this, Rank 21 Mets nodded.
Rank 19 Grizel also clenched his fist as if in agreement.
The worrisome Rank 7 and Rank 10 fraternal twins, Cecilia and Verner, were the same.
At this, a sigh of relief almost escaped Aratus' lips, but he forcefully held it back.
Because the biggest mountain still remained.
“I also agree with Aratus' opinion. There are many things I want to ask about related to the village, and stories I want to tell…… And I'm also curious about the whereabouts of a few individuals.”
‘……Done!’
Only then did Aratus, his tension released, let out a long, thin breath.
It was a relief.
Truly, fortunately, Harang, the most unpredictable yet strongest being, affirmed the need for an alliance.
Rather, in terms of ‘trust,’ he was better than the Cecilia-Verner duo, so Aratus felt a heavy stone disappear from his chest, his heart lightened.
However, that too was brief.
Rank 9, upon hearing Harang's following words, couldn't help but furrow his brow without realizing it.
“But, there's something I want to do before such a stiff exchange of information.”
“What is it?”
“Catching up.”
“……Catching up?”
“Yes, catching up.”
“Is that now…… No, I mean, umm…….”
Aratus, at a loss for words, let out a groan.
It wasn't that he didn't know the meaning of the word ‘catching up.’
Recent situations, well-being, and the like.
It was the kind of relaxed talk that would emerge when friends met after a long time, completely unsuited for a dangerous and urgent situation like the present.
But, for such a word to suddenly come from the mouth of Godok Rank 1?
‘Perhaps there's a hidden meaning I don't know?’
Aratus, deep in thought, glanced around.
He was curious how the others were perceiving this situation.
But it was futile.
Cecilia, Verner, Grizel, Mets…… all of them were just staring at Harang's face with blank, uncomprehending expressions.
It was rather fortunate.
If he alone couldn't follow the context, he would have been frustrated and worried, but since everyone was in the same situation, he thought Harang would offer some additional explanation.
Sure enough, Village Rank 1, after looking around for a moment, opened his mouth again.
“Hmm, indeed. It's better if the person who brought it up speaks first for this kind of talk.”
“……What?”
“And you guys aren't good at talking, are you? No, or do you just not do it? Anyway, I've changed a bit from before. I met a lot of people, learned various things. Shall I say I've learned to open my mouth first to lighten the mood among grim assassins like now?”
“What does that mean…….”
“Alright. So…… where should I start? Ah, right. When I first met the merchant guild and did Mercenary work…… Hmm, is it still too early to call it Mercenary work? Was it menial labor? No. But it's true I succeeded in an escort mission, so I guess it could be considered Mercenary work……”
And so began Harang's story.
It was truly a collection of trivial and miscellaneous information, which, in a way, was useless to the Godok.
How he felt when he first saw a city.
Which foods were delicious, and which were not.
What he felt watching the haggling between Mercenaries and Merchants, and what sentiments he fell into amidst the sunset where day and night intersected.
In what ways he felt the inside of the village and the outside world were different.
Watching Harang endlessly pour out such things, the Godok's expressions couldn't help but gradually harden.
It couldn't be helped.
For them, the current gathering was a precious opportunity seized while shouldering considerable risk.
To avoid being dragged back to the village.
To prolong their lives.
To not lose the freedom they had barely obtained again…….
It was supposed to be a place to exchange information for that purpose.
Listening to a useless and unwanted ‘Harang's life story’ like this was definitely not what they had hoped for.
Of course, no one could speak their inner thoughts aloud.
No, actually, there was exactly one person.
It was Village Rank 19, Grizel.
“What is this nonsense?”
“Hmm? What is?”
“I asked what kind of nonsense this is.”
“What kind of nonsense, you ask? Everyone seemed burdened to talk about themselves, and the atmosphere felt awkward, so I started talking first……”
“It seems you don't understand the nature of this meeting. We didn't gather here to listen to your useless life story. We gathered to obtain information that would help our survival and freedom.”
“…….”
“You heard Aratus earlier, didn't you? Information related to the village, information about the forces that attacked the village, or information about some of our Peers who particularly weigh on our minds…… Those are the things that should be coming out of your mouth right now. Not stories about whether Marzen's apple pie is delicious or if Ruibil Castle's sculptors are skillful!”
Hoo, hoo, hoo…….
Rank 19, Grizel, who had emotionally poured out his words, panted to cool his temper.
And.
“…….”
He immediately regretted it.
The thought that his usual fiery temper had finally ruined things made goosebumps rise on his spine.
‘This is crazy…… Did I just get angry at Harang? At that Harang?’
Grizel, his face instantly drained of color, looked at Village Rank 1 with trembling eyes.
Fortunately or unfortunately, he was watching him with an expression not much different from before.
The problem was…… in that state, with silence and stillness dominating the surroundings, a considerable amount of time was passing.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Time continued to flow.
Time flowed endlessly.
Even during that, Harang merely watched his opponent without a word, and Grizel, receiving his gaze, was caught in intense deliberation while sweat poured down like rain.
Should I apologize even now?
Isn't it already too late?
If so, should I draw my sword?
But even if I fight him with a sword, can I beat this monster?
But wasn't it still wrong to talk like that at a meeting that had barely come together?
……As such thoughts stormed through his mind.
Finally, Harang's answer flowed from his lips.