Chapter 103. Lawless City (4)
In any place where people gather to form a community, a hierarchy naturally establishes itself.
Even Bates, which prides itself on being ‘lawless’, was no exception. Those at the very top tier of the city, for the most part, had their residences in the central district. It was as if they were declaring their status far above the rabble of the outskirts.
And indeed, this wasn’t entirely incorrect.
‘Notorious villains renowned even across the continent. Merchants who amassed fortunes through businesses shunned by the church. Magicians who reached lofty heights through forbidden experiments. Only the strongest, obsessed with fulfilling their desires through their own efforts, could reside in the central district.’
A middle-aged man who appeared in the outskirts was no exception.
‘I, too, am part of them.’
Looking at the riff-raff fleeing from him with a satisfied smile, the middle-aged man seemed to take great pride in living in Bates’ central district. He had arrived at his intended destination.
“Hmm. I heard they sell premium spices from the Renford Kingdom here. Is that correct?”
“Ye-yes, that’s right….”
The young merchant stammered as if he lost his wits at the man’s arrival, which brought even more satisfaction to the middle-aged man, who smiled warmly.
‘This is it. All the hardships, all the struggles were for this.’
Outside of Bates, he might be treated like refuse, but here, he reigned as a king, a symbol of fear in the city. Even merchants from the outside showed him reverence. How could he not feel proud?
The scars on his face, a testament to his past struggles, twisted grotesquely as he smiled.
“Give me the same price as what others paid. And hand over all the remaining goods.”
“I’m sorry, but we’ve almost sold out. There isn’t much left.”
The smile vanished from the middle-aged man’s face. Perhaps this wasn’t the answer he was expecting.
“However, we do have some top-quality goods left, the very best. If that’s alright with you…”
“Huh. Why didn’t you start with that?”
Top-quality goods! He meant that he reserved the real treasures just for him. The corners of the middle-aged man’s mouth stretched to his ears. Every time he received such special treatment, it was as though he felt an immense happiness.
“Pay up. Generously and with utmost respect.”
Class comes from leisure, and leisure is often shown through wealth. The middle-aged man had his men lay down an amount of gold coins on the stand that was double the merchant’s asking price. Despite the merchant’s attempts to refuse, shaking his hands in denial, the middle-aged man insisted with a genial smile.
‘Even the nobles of the continent aren’t as generous as I am. Indeed, I might well be a true born ruler…’
“How’s life treating you? Baldy.”
A derisive voice pierced the middle-aged man’s ears. It was puzzling why he only noticed the man of immense stature belatedly. His gaze began to quiver uncontrollably. Sweat broke out from his bare scalp, and his body, which had been relaxed, now visibly tensed, his fists shaking.
“What? What did this piece of trash just say…!”
“Enough.”
“Barbarians are known for their rudeness, today I’ll show you how it feels.”
Thwack!
“I said enough!”
Panting heavily, the middle-aged man caught his breath. Known to toy with even the Golden Mercenaries, it was impossible that he could be exhausted just by throwing a punch. The pressure had twisted his breathing.
“Why is that bastard here…!”
He had thought he would never encounter him for the rest of his life. Rather, he had hoped for it, but his brain went blank as the worst character appeared before him.
And a pure question rose in him. After all that crazy mess, he dared to return to Bates proudly? Has he lost his mind…? Although he knew that guy was never sane to begin with, he hadn’t expected this extent.
“Long time no see. Not even greeting me, huh? This is why time is feared. Seems like I need to help you remember the old days a bit…”
“Cough! It’s just that I was so surprised to see a familiar face. Nice to see you! Really nice!”
The startled middle-aged man tried to hug Khan with his arms wide open, but as Khan’s eyebrows sharply narrowed, he hesitated and awkwardly changed the subject.
“Anyway, what brings you to Bates? Don’t tell me… it’s not what I think, is it?”
“It’s not something to discuss in such an open space. Is there somewhere quiet?”
“Of course, there is. Well, even if there isn’t, we’ll make one!”
Eto, still not fully understanding the situation, looked dazedly at the back of the middle-aged man instructing him to follow. Then, he quickly shifted his gaze to Khan who had caused this situation.
“I’ll be back in a moment. No, come with me. Leave the stall to the others.”
“Y-yes… yes.”
Whether Eto realized what he sounded like in his polite response, he watched Khan and Maya leave, then belatedly grasped that the barbarian he had stumbled upon might be a far more incredible figure than imagined.
And he thought to himself, “What should I do?”
Considering his actions had been too carefree until now…
***
“Putting on airs disgustingly.”
Unexpectedly, the feeling of reunion in an unexpected way wasn’t too bad. Especially if the other party was someone he had accidentally forgotten to kill.
“Here should be fine. We don’t have to worry about the eyes around us.”
Khan chuckled as he looked around, following the bald man who had become quite a figure to a building in a gloomy alley, exactly halfway between the outskirts and the center of Bates, clearly seeing through the bald man’s intentions.
[Scouting]
“Adding that guy, about twenty people in total. Including those we encountered on the way here, easily surpassing forty.”
He could easily guess what scenario the man had in mind, bringing him to such a place. It seemed the man had indeed made his way up since the last time Khan left Bates, but the extent of his wariness was almost pitiful.
“So…? What exactly brings you to Bates, huh?”
“Why should I tell you that?”
“Ha! Of course, there’s no need. But we’re not strangers, and if there’s anything I can help with, I’d like to offer my assistance.”
“You’ve certainly grown a lot.”
Hesitation. The bald man was visibly shaken by the seemingly casual remark.
“Uh, um, if you compare it to back then, my situation has improved quite a bit… Ah, but, you think I’ve been up to no good?! Didn’t you just see? Me, buying goods more generously than their original price!”
Right, very admirable indeed.
Khan couldn’t help but smirk at the bald man’s desperate attempt to defend himself.
“It’s nothing. I don’t plan on doing much, really. Just here to find what I’m after and leave quietly.”
“What are you looking for? Just tell me! I’ll find it no matter what!”
“An artifact going up for auction today.”
“…!”
Caught off guard, the bald man hastily tried to compose his face, but it was already too late.
“An artifact, you say. I know nothing about… Damn it.”
“I know you do.”
Khan’s smile deepened, and with it, the bald man’s face soured further. It was inevitable.
“It’s out of my hands. You know who controls the black market and its creations…!”
“I do.”
“To get your hands on the auctioned item, you’ll have to win with money. Otherwise, you’re not thinking of taking it by force, are you? That’s even less feasible! After the incident before, the security has been beefed up!”
“I have no intention of causing a scene.”
Yet, despite Khan’s assertive promise, the bald man’s expression remained grim. His face turned rigid after hearing what came next.
“But if they provoke me first, who knows then.”
“Are you, are you kidding me?! Do you think they’ll just sit idly after you cause such a mess!”
Caught in the heat of the moment, the bald man exclaimed louder than intended and then gasped in surprise. However, he had made up his mind to lay his thoughts bare, believing it to be in both Khan’s and his own best interest.
“Sigh… I’ll be honest. Leave Bates right now. If you do, there won’t be any trouble. That item… Give me the money you planned to use for the auction. I’ll add as much as I can and try to win the bid. I promise, I won’t play any tricks. However, whatever happened between us, it ends with this.”
“Hmm…”
Khan stroked his bearded chin as if pondering. The bald man, who had been showing nothing but nervousness and fear, waited for a response with a grave face.
Then.
“Um, I’m having a hard time following the conversation.… Exactly what did this person do in the past?”
Caught in the middle of their exchange, Eto couldn’t help but voice his burning curiosity in a barely audible tone.
“It was nothing much. Just a minor friction between us.”
A vague response. However, Eto immediately sensed it. Something enormous had happened in the past, beyond his wildest imagination.
“Alright. I dislike troubles too, so I’ll trust you this time.”
“Really?!”
“But remember just this one thing.”
If you break your promise, you’ll see me again.
***
The central district of Bates.
Among all the criminals gathered in this city, this place, reserved only for the worst of them, was a forbidden zone allowed only to a few individuals called ‘residents’.
“Lord Aaron…! It’s, it’s a disaster!”
Even among the residents of this central district, there was a sort of hierarchy. Among them, a man called Aaron was considered one of the top rulers.
Iron Arm Aaron.
With both arms fully replaced by prostheses made by a dwarf craftsman, his strength was said to surpass even that of trolls and could even stand against a knight’s aura.
“What is it?”
Below average height. Yet, Aaron, showing off his abnormally long prosthetic arms, responded irritably.
‘I’m already out of my mind….’
With news of the relic spreading to neighboring countries around Bates and people flocking in, Aaron’s business was booming.
His business, which allowed everyone to unleash their true nature without concern for anyone’s gaze, was especially a hit among the nobles who had to be somewhat conscious of the public eye.
However, meeting their finicky tastes required various preparations, leaving him unable to sleep for days.
“Get to the point. I have a VIP coming to the business soon.”
“It’s, it’s him! He has returned to Bates…!”
Crack!
Aaron, brushing the blood off his prosthesis, casually threw the instantly killed subordinate through the window.
“The point.”
Overwhelmed by the implied murderous intent in that short sentence, another subordinate yelled out with a cracked voice.
“Th-they say the nightmare of Bates has returned…!”
Crunch. Bang!
Suddenly unable to contain his anger, Aaron lashed out, deeply denting the wall. However, what was etched on Aaron’s face was not anger.
“Ha… Hahaha─!”
Pure joy.
No, it was closer to ecstasy.
“Finally. Finally, he has crawled into hell of his own accord─!!”
Could it be that when hatred and murderous intent exceed their limits, this happens? Aaron, laughing brightly, exclaimed while jumping to his feet.
“You, go now and spread this news to those who remember the nightmare. No, they must have all heard by now…. Yes…….”
From that moment, all expression vanished from Aaron’s face.
“It’s going to be a spectacular night. A night that will never be forgotten in a lifetime…..”