Chapter 104: Lawless City (5)
To cut to the chase, Khan did not leave Bates immediately. It wasn’t that he ignored the bald man’s warning. He merely adjusted his plans upon receiving unexpected news.
‘I thought they were all dead that day.’
In the past, Khan’s stay in Bates was very brief.
Initially, it was a light-hearted stopover on his way to the Argon Kingdom. Upon entering the city, he was greeted by lunatics rushing at him, screaming about selling him into slavery.
‘Surely, I dealt with them all back then.’
The number of city dwellers that fell by Khan’s hand that day was not small, and among them was a leader of the faction that the bald man was once a part of. Naturally, he wiped out the underlings who assailed him as well…
“Using a magic tool that’s useful for playing dead to survive… that’s astounding.”
The bald man himself, who had served as a lieutenant under one of the residents, had managed to save his life using a magic tool. Furthermore, he had leveraged the wealth of his former boss to gain entry into the central district, making Khan an unwitting benefactor in his eyes.
But then, “There’s another who didn’t die that day?”
The bald man said, “Remember the officer whose arms you completely severed? That guy, he didn’t die. In fact, he’s become much stronger, amassed a force larger than his former boss, and is living quite the high life. I’m nothing compared to him…”
It rang a bell.
A madman who enjoyed tearing apart his opponents’ flesh. Khan remembered personally cutting off his arms as a reminder for him to reflect on his actions.
“He should have bled out and died shortly after?”
“The, the boss had stashed away a potion. He used it on himself. Drank it with his mouth. Plus, he must have gotten on the good side of some dwarven artisan because he showed up with sophisticated prosthetic arms. They call him Iron Arm Aaron now.”
“Iron Arm, huh…”
Looks like I’ll need to deal with him too.
‘But, I must not forget my original purpose.’
After all, his main objective was the ‘Relic of Mortalia’ that will be up for auction. Past connections were merely to be dealt with along the way. Of course, if he could gain a little extra income in the process, no one could fault him.
“When’s the auction?”
“Tonight.”
“Good timing.”
“What do you mean…?”
“As you promised initially, go to the auction and bid on the relic. Then bring it to me. In return, I’ll make sure you’re amply rewarded.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Someone I know has made it big, it seems. I should at least go and offer my congratulations.”
Realization dawned in the bald man’s eyes at Khan’s jesting remark, bulging as if they might burst from his skull.
“If you understand, then get moving.”
After a long while, the sight of the Central District was as chaotic as ever.
The only people to be seen were collectors moving around corpses, slaves of the residents, or the dregs who served them, accepting disgusting scraps in return. It was as if the word despair had been forcibly crammed into one place.
Nevertheless, amidst all this, things he hadn’t seen in the past caught his eye anew.
‘The buildings seem disorderly due to haphazard additions and demolitions, but… if you look closely, there’s a sort of order to it.’
The expansions to the buildings seemed mostly limited to about four stories above ground, with more emphasis on underground extensions. With every step, my detection skill conveyed the life reactions beneath, suggesting an expansion akin to an ant colony.
‘It’s bustling.’
The detected reactions were so numerous they were difficult to count. If the city’s residents were to confront Khan in earnest, it might as well mean facing an adversary the size of an entire legion. But Khan was certain that such an event would not occur.
‘It was the same before.’
These people were merely reigning over their own desires. Whether a fellow resident was suddenly murdered made no difference to them; they were beings who would do anything as long as it fulfilled their selfish interests—it was a natural response.
Above all, to these selfish beings, the existence of others was merely that of competitors vying for a slice of the Bates pie.
Moreover, most of their attention was likely focused on the black market opening tonight. Except for ‘Iron Arm Eron’, who had a direct grudge, it’s unlikely any resident would show interest in Khan.
Khan realized his calculation was accurate upon arriving at one of Eron’s businesses, a pub named ‘Haegeum.’
‘His main business targets nobles from other countries or their merchants’ children. Haegeum can be considered a sort of waiting room. Simply put, it’s a space dedicated to indulging the vile hobbies of the noble folks without restraint.’
Contrary to what the bald man had explained, haegeum looked more like an elegant, traditional pub rather than a brothel. This was likely specially designed to cater to the nobles obsessed with appearances. The hidden grotesque truth of its neat exterior was buried underground.
Creak.
It was before Khan himself had opened the door.
“Please come in.”
As if welcoming his arrival, a well-dressed waiter opened the door to greet Khan. Khan glanced around with disdain at the beautiful men and women lined up on both sides, snorted, and headed inside.
“Have you grown jealous hanging around nobles?”
“Well, not really jealous. They’re probably more envious of me. Being able to live fully for my own desires. Though… Kell seems to think he wants to become like the nobles.”
“Who’s Kell?”
“…The bald guy you encountered.”
“Ah. So, his name was Kell.”
The conversation sounded like that of old friends catching up. However, both were not unaware of the blatant murderous intent hidden within their words.
“Hmph. To you, we’re not even worth remembering our names, I take it.”
“Remembering the names of those I thought dead would be enough to give me early-onset dementia.”
“… But I am grateful to you.”
Clank.
Mechanical noise flowed from Aaron’s arm as he leaned on the table to stand. It was the sound made by the dwarf-made prosthetic arm that had played a major role in bringing Aaron, with his iron arm, to his current position.
“No, not just me. The other guys are also feeling thankful to you. Because of you, our illusions have been shattered.”
“Illusions?”
“We thought we had immense power. That was our delusion. Influence in the city? Financial power that could rival the owners of trading companies? All of that meant nothing. There’s only one true power.”
Rip!
As Aaron tore off his shirt, the firm muscles honed by constant training were revealed. And there, alongside the scars of amputation on both shoulders left by Khan himself, were the prosthetic arms, integrating as naturally as real ones.
“It’s strength. Overwhelming strength is the most effective and actual way to rule. Only after realizing this could I truly become a resident of the central district. That’s why. Thank you.”
“If you’re thankful, maybe you should buy me a meal.”
“That might be difficult─!”
The fight began with Aaron’s surprise attack. While some might call it cowardly, Khan found himself wanting to praise him instead. The man who had once been all about blindly rushing in had shown much more skill.
‘He’s seen many battles.’
Khan was right in his assumption. After replacing both arms with the dwarf blacksmith’s prosthetics, Aaron had pushed himself mercilessly. He climbed the Potsral Mountains to fight monsters and used nothing but his fists to fight the Greenskin warriors expelled from the land of warriors.
He repeated feats that his natural body and skill could not have managed, for a year.
Thus, he became a real strong man, different from his past self.
‘I’m not the same as before…!’
Creak!
The distinctive noise of the dwarf prosthetics tinkled in his ear, and Aaron’s punch, thrown with the full weight of his body, squarely hit the center of Khan’s face.
Bam!
Khan winced as he parried Aaron’s blow with his bare hand, and Aaron burst into laughter.
“This isn’t the end…!”
Creeeak!
The sound of the prosthetics intensified. Then, the fist caught by Khan slowly pushed him back, and the resultant shockwave made Khan’s body tremble.
Aaron, judging that Khan’s response was delayed by the unexpected blow, swung his other fist hard.
Bam!
The force emitted by the swinging prosthetic caused the chandelier on the ceiling to violently sway. Khan, unwilling to release the grip he had caught, had no choice but to retreat to avoid the punch.
“It’s different from before, huh?!”
With a strong stomp on the floor, Aaron swung his fist, and Khan, focusing solely on dodging without any counterattack.
Bang! Crash─!
Their fight left the finely crafted luxury furniture destroyed, turning the once elegant bar into a total mess. Yet, seeing his business, which had been built up over a long time, trashed did not bring even a hint of regret to Aaron. Rather, he wanted to tear down every wall of this cramped arena.
“Come on! Rage like you used to─!”
The memory of that time still haunted him, tormenting him whenever he tried to sleep.
The memory of the day when the leader, who had been a resident of the central district, was helplessly defeated by a single barbarian warrior, and the tower they had built over more than a decade was destroyed overnight.
Aaron couldn’t do anything at that time.
He could only watch the barbarian’s axe descending towards him, like a prisoner facing execution, and then miserably crawled to the ground to bite and swallow the potion of the leader who had died instantly from the strike.
That’s how he survived. Dishonorably, pathetically.
“Come at me─!”
Screech!
At the moment when the noise from the dwarf’s prosthetic arm reached its peak, Aaron’s fist finally hit Khan.
It was a strength capable of crushing even the trolls of Potsral Mountains alive. His prosthetic arm was a device designed to allow an ordinary human warrior to overpower a troll. Aaron had fought against Khan as if he were a troll from the Potsral Mountains. His accumulated experience told him so.
It’s over!
One of the special features of the prosthetic. Instead of emitting the power generated by the prosthetic outward, this strike concentrates all the power at a single point, delivering a death that’s equal to anyone on the receiving end.
Aaron had used this technique to bring down many of the central district’s strongmen, swallowing them whole.
‘You’ll be no different!’
Finally, the nightmare that had been tormenting him for so long was over. Thinking this sent a thrilling pleasure up his spine.
Of course, he wouldn’t kill him right away.
He’d make him suffer for as long as he had suffered.
“Pfft.”
And in the end, he’d shove him into his business establishment. The place was often sought out by noblewomen with vile tastes, so it would be quite profitable-.
“What are you trying to do, then?”
“……?”
“What you were going to show me. When are you going to show it?”
That nonchalant tone, the leisure that brought back memories of the nightmare, drew out anger from the depths of Aaron’s heart. Aaron, who had risked output enough to break his life’s equivalent, the prosthetic arm, threw his fist.
And then.
Crack.
“Huh.”
“Are you playing with me?”
The moment Khan’s fist made contact, the prosthetic arm was crushed like a squeezed can. A nightmare. No, a sight more dreadful than any nightmare, made Aaron tightly shut his eyes.
Khan, disappointed, broke the middle of the remaining prosthetic arm by gripping it hard and said,
“Tsk. What a waste of time.”
Thud.
That word became Aaron’s never-ending final nightmare.