Chapter – 21
Late at night. Inside a dark alley.
Mikhail slightly rolled his eyes toward the road outside.
The thugs from the armory, Neil and his group, were passing by noisily chattering.
“But, Neil. The rumors going around lately are a bit strange. That bastard Mikhail. They say there’s no sign of him going back to the north. Plus Edwin said there was no expulsion verdict…”
Neil smacked the head of the group member who was blabbering.
“Ugh, you idiot. Edwin? You believe what that dumb bastard says?”
“……”
“Besides, like you guys said, if the expulsion really disappeared, there’s no way that bastard would be this quiet. Wasn’t he the one causing a scene every other day until the expulsion verdict?”
“Ugh, that’s true.”
Lloyd, who’d been quietly listening to the conversation, glanced at Mikhail and giggled.
“Want to go out and tell them? That unfortunately, there won’t be any going back to the north for a while.”
“You only say that to people who’ll listen.”
“What, why are you talking weak for once? If they don’t listen, you just make them listen, right?”
“Conduct score. If I get caught this time, it won’t end with just point deductions.”
Lloyd’s giggling grew a bit louder.
Along with it, the voices of the bad guys grew fainter.
Mikhail slipped out from the alley where he’d been hiding and looked at the place where the thugs were disappearing.
‘That place.’
A harbor city where everything came and went.
The back alley that continued winding around its outskirts.
There, poor-quality gambling, strong alcohol, and items of unknown origin circulated secretly.
‘Among them, a place worth paying a bit more attention to would be… somewhere that trades information.’
That’s when it happened.
Tap tap.
A familiar silhouette reached his gaze that had been staring at the alley.
A boy with a neat impression heading deep into the alley while constantly looking around anxiously or unfamiliarly.
Silver-gray eyes shining from under a deeply pulled hood.
…It was Ethan Welton.
‘What?’
Mikhail froze in an instant.
His thoughts, unable to accept the fact he’d witnessed, suddenly stopped. His heart began to pound as if it would burst.
‘Ethan… why? Why is he here?’
Ethan entering the harbor city’s back alley. That was supposed to happen after the first main storyline ended.
But wasn’t it just the beginning of the first main storyline now? There shouldn’t be a development where he’d set foot in the back alley.
…Then what on earth was the situation before his eyes?
“……”
Mikhail bit his lip and clenched his hand. Having confirmed a movement different from usual, he couldn’t overlook it.
It was the protagonist’s actions, no one else’s.
The existence that should stand at the center of the main storyline and block incoming threats head-on.
For Mikhail’s own safety, and to reach an intact ending, the journey must not waver.
He had to understand the whole story and restore the progression.
“Lloyd, go back first. I’ll go later.”
When Mikhail tried to pass Lloyd’s side. Lloyd let out a hollow laugh and reached toward Mikhail.
“Hey, wait.”
The advancing steps stopped by the hand gripping his shoulder.
Mikhail turned his head toward Lloyd.
Lloyd looking at him had quite an absurd face.
“What’s the whim this time? You said if you cause more trouble, it won’t end with just point deductions. But why are you trying to go where those guys are?”
Mikhail lowered his eyes without answering.
As Lloyd said, at this rate, there was a high probability of encountering the bastards who were desperate to eat him alive.
It wouldn’t be strange if they threw punches out of nowhere.
Even so.
‘There’s no time to delay.’
Mikhail thought for a moment, then raised his eyes again. He looked straight at Lloyd and said.
“The debt you told me to keep earlier. I’ll collect it now.”
“……”
“Don’t ask anything, just go.”
Lloyd’s expression crumbled and an empty breath escaped.
He clearly looked dumbfounded, but nevertheless Lloyd slowly released the hand gripping Mikhail’s shoulder.
The two people’s eyes briefly met and fell away.
Mikhail lowered his gaze first as a substitute for farewell, then ran toward the inside of the alley.
“……”
Lloyd, left alone on the road, looked at the alley where Mikhail had disappeared and let out a hollow laugh. He rummaged through his clothes.
What lay on his hand was the runestone he’d obtained before.
Lloyd stared quietly at the runestone. On his indifferently settled mouth, the usual smile didn’t remain.
About twenty minutes passed from then.
On the dim back alley.
Mikhail frantically ran through the back alley lined with cheap taverns and low-grade pawn shops.
Finding out Ethan’s whereabouts was easy.
The gruff beggars readily spilled the drifter visitor’s trail as soon as he flicked over cigarette money.
‘You mean the clueless guy with the hat pulled down? He was asking about the most inconspicuous tavern here.’
…Information exchange, Black Carrier Pigeon.
A place where slightly private rumors or miscellaneous news carried on ships crossing the sea routes gained value.
However, to some, that place would be no different in appearance from a run-down general store or old warehouse.
Tap tap.
It was the moment a gray pillar like a milestone entered his running vision. An irritating voice stabbed his ear.
“How can one palm-sized bottle be this expensive? Did that snake old man set the price hoping someone would get caught?”
“Who cares? Just grab it while they’re distracted.”
Low laughter echoing under the night sky.
Unfortunately, the source was adjacent to the clearing Mikhail would enter. At this rate, he’d soon face the bastards.
‘I want to pass quietly. A way…’
Mikhail looked around.
What surrounded all sides were towering walls and walls. Besides the path he was taking now, no alternative was visible.
Mikhail chewed his lip and looked forward.
…The distance to the punks was barely seven or eight steps.
“Neil, you drink first. They say this alcohol can be used as medicine too. Your injury needs to heal quickly.”
“Right. I need to pay back that bastard Mikhail more than what I got. Before he tucks tail using expulsion as an excuse!”
The corner to turn was right ahead.
Just one more step forward and….
“Kekeke…. Right, good! He’s going to be kicked out by the north anyway, so I should at least break his legs─!”
Tap.
Mikhail stepped into the clearing entrance. The gazes of the thug group tilting bottles immediately focused.
“What…!”
The thugs with vicious expressions all stiffened.
“No, who the hell is this?”
Among them, Neil was the first to react.
Neil snatched the bottles his group was holding and gulped down what was inside at once. He kicked the empty bottle away.
Crash!
“I knew it, once a noble always a noble bastard. Look at him come running like a damn dog after hearing talk behind his back.”
When Neil sneered and threatened, the thug group began to snicker in agreement. They exaggeratedly loosened their bodies as if to pressure Mikhail.
Mikhail narrowed his brow and threw out a comment.
“Move. I don’t have a hobby of scuffling with someone who’s already settled.”
“Keke, with just that mouth alive…. I don’t care what happens to you, but I need to pay you back what I owe.”
A determined smile clearly appeared on Neil’s lips.
“You dared to crush my hand…. There are no watching eyes and no one to interfere, so mark my words, you’re dead today.”
The thugs led by Neil slowly stepped forward.
Disagreeable faces approached, threatening. Mikhail stared ahead, then glanced down at his hand.
‘Can’t be helped.’
Using magic or something equivalent to it against fellow students, even if it was just brawl-level power.
Generally, that was a trip to the disciplinary office. If it was Mikhail himself, he’d be dealt with along with all the past grudges.
…But he couldn’t be blocked by worthless guys.
Fizzle.
Mikhail took a deep breath and raised his head again. The mana gathered in his hand pulsed and was loaded.
Neil standing in front was swinging a wooden club as thick as his forearm. His continuously sneering expression didn’t fade.
“Bitter cold among bitter colds. The most dangerous region on the continent…. No matter how much of a legitimate son of the family, an incompetent bastard can’t inherit such a place. Right? You pathetic bastard.”
It was the moment the two people faced each other with a distance of about five or six steps. A thunderous shout burst from Neil’s mouth.
“Die!”
Whoosh!
Neil’s eyes sharpened as he rushed in.
At the same time, Mikhail stretched his arm forward. His fingers spread. A flash quickly passed before his eyes.
Crack!
“─Gack!”
The bursting sound and choking sound rang almost simultaneously.
“……”
However, Mikhail remained in the position of stretching out his hand. The mana gathered in his hand also hadn’t been fired.
Only Neil rolled his eyes back and fell backward.
Thud!
“I knew this would happen.”
What echoed under the black night sky was a smooth voice that didn’t suit the confrontation situation.
A nimble silhouette landed lightly in front of Mikhail.
Tap.
Mikhail’s lips drew a faint arc.
Looking at the one who appeared, he slowly lowered the hand he’d extended, and the other person also turned and met his gaze.
A boy with a noble impression carrying a wooden sword on his shoulder. Sky-blue eyes shone clearly over a relaxed smile.
“This time, I’m putting myself in debt. Right?”
Lloyd Cloelle.
As expected, he didn’t miss the opportunity presented.
Wasn’t he someone who liked holding useful cards? Mikhail had guessed he’d seize the chance to put himself in debt.
Mikhail surveyed the clearing and smiled.
“Well, it’s a bit early to say for sure.”
“What, don’t tell me you’re trying to pretend you don’t know….”
It was right after Lloyd narrowed his eyes and expressed doubt.
Noisy footsteps suddenly grew closer.
“There! Those bastards stole our alcohol!”
In an instant, a tough-looking old man and about ten sturdy men approached from the end of the clearing.
The old man rolled his eyes to survey the clearing, then pointed at the shattered bottle on the ground and jumped around.
“That’s it! That very alcohol! It’s worth five whole gold coins! I won’t let these bastards go! Catch them all!”
At the old man’s pointing, the sturdy men moved in unison.
The men struck the knees or solar plexuses of the thugs who were confused while not fully sober, subduing them in an instant.
Crying sounds echoed from all around. Lloyd, watching the commotion, scratched his cheek and muttered.
“This is really unfair. How did I get lumped into the same group as those idiots? Can I explain…”
Crack!
Lloyd couldn’t finish his words due to the sturdy man attacking from behind. Lloyd immediately struck the opponent’s solar plexus with his elbow, then followed with an uppercut to the chin.
The next incoming attack too, after lightly dodging, he grabbed the sturdy man’s back of the head.
Bang!
The sound of smashing a face into the ground rang loudly.
As two people went down in an instant, all eyes on the clearing focused on Lloyd and Mikhail.
Sharp gazes that stabbed their cheeks hotly. Mikhail narrowed his brow and took a step back. He said to Lloyd.
“I’m going right. Cover me.”
“What should I do. I didn’t know things would blow up this much.”
Lloyd replied spinning around while swinging his wooden sword.
Thwack!
In an instant, the clear sound of flesh being struck echoed.
Along with it, one more person sprawled on the ground.
“…!”
At the clean single blow, the sturdy men stepped back in surprise.
Lloyd stepped forward as if he’d been waiting. He extended his wooden sword and raised the corners of his mouth as high as possible.
“Come at me as much as you want! Whether it’s thieves or whatever doesn’t matter, but I don’t decline fights that come to me!”
“……”
While the sturdy men swallowed dry saliva and exchanged bewildered looks.
Lloyd quietly told Mikhail.
“…Go. Before I change my mind.”
