Chapter – 25
“Ughhh! You people! Beg right now!”
“We’re all going to die!”
The pale-faced townspeople tried to restrain Biretta’s group. They were more worried about the young men standing boldly in front of armed bandits than themselves.
Meanwhile, Biretta and Lanken exchanged glances, treating the bandits like fools, completely absorbed in their own amusement.
Their eyes clearly said, “What is this nonsense?” and “I don’t know. Strange people, I guess.”
“You’re angry because I called you trash worse than dogs, right? Huh? If you want to be called ‘bandit,’ then you should have left out that part! Just adding ‘-sir’ doesn’t fix everything, you know?”
“But that part describes your true nature. Using ‘-sir’ while insulting you was my fault, but you really are trash worse than dogs.”
Iola, whose face was the most bewildered of all, kindly explained the situation, in a posture that could have served as a model for excellent childcare instructors.
“W-What…? You’re calling us trash?!”
“No, I said you’re trash worse than dogs.”
Biretta politely inserted the missing word the bandit had skipped.
Despite being the daughter of a wealthy magnate, she treated subordinates with respect—but her thinking was fundamentally rude. Her boldness and bluffing didn’t falter even in front of three swords and axes.
She was the perfect chaotic pair with Iola, who unintentionally made others miserable without any malice. Lanken thought that if they married, they could overturn the composure of a million people and become legendary for the insults they collected.
He instinctively clapped his hands but received the bandits’ sharp, threatening glares. He flinched briefly but didn’t back down.
Lanken wasn’t as resolute as Biretta, but he was proud. He refused to grovel to a gang trying to steal his money.
In the end, no one was in a position to stop them. The bandits’ composure began to unravel.
“These little brats… daring to act so recklessly. Have they never seen blood? No long talk needed. I’ll make them understand firsthand.”
By causing a scene, the bandits increased in number to five. One of them was a grim man, a former mercenary captain.
Out of the total eight bandits, four grabbed weapons, and screams rang out from all around: “No, don’t kill them here!” Iola still looked completely confused.
“Why are you angry? We did not insult or disrespect you.”
“You say we’re trash worse than dogs and expect to survive?!”
“If being called that is an insult, then by all means you should be angry. But insults require a derogatory intent, don’t they? I merely stated a fact.”
“If calling us trash isn’t offensive, what is?!”
“Calm yourself, place your hand over your chest, and take an objective view. Breathe in deeply… good. Exhale.”
The bandits, almost instinctively, inhaled and exhaled as Iola instructed.
Once he had calmed them, Iola began explaining carefully, in terms even the bandits could understand.
“In our society, we’ve agreed to call those who live off the labor and blood of others ‘trash.’ That applies to you. Because you prefer violence, the phrase ‘worse than dogs’ is added.”
Nearby merchants and townspeople shuddered. It was the same chilling fear one feels when watching someone walk confidently into a deadly trap.
Bandits don’t kill indiscriminately, but expecting to remain unharmed after being mentally dismantled like this shows a lack of conscience.
“That might feel unpleasant. But it’s your own fault for choosing to live your lives like trash. Why are you angry at me?”
Completely incomprehensible words poured out relentlessly. Gentle in face and tone, Iola Jin shredded the bandits’ minds.
“I do not understand why you destroy your own lives and then assign undue blame to us. Ah… your habit of distorting reality to protect yourself—truly befitting trash worse than dogs.”
Finally, one bandit’s face showed a flicker of understanding—but it had a devastating effect. He nodded gently, as if he had just realized something profound.
Even Lanken, unflinching before swords, felt sweat forming on his neck. It seemed this was beyond even Biretta’s secret weapon to resolve.
Glancing sideways, he noticed Biretta’s expression darken slightly as she began to take out her trump card from her pocket.
“I see. Denying personal responsibility is the pinnacle of trash-like behavior. It suits you perfectly. Please, continue if you wish. Excuse me.”
“Ughhh!!”
The tension exploded. The bandits, unable to control their anger, swung their weapons wildly, making sure not to harm each other.
“I can’t stand this any longer!”
“If you want a proper lesson, I’ll smash you into pieces in front of the lady. Come on, say your final words if you have any.”
Generously, they were given a final chance.
“When conflicts arise, it’s better to develop the habit of dialogue, not force. Count to ten in your heart, then approach with an open mind.”
“Y-your… dialogue method… is… the problem!!”
Iola looked regretfully as he burned his final lifeline.
The armed bandits charged at Iola.
Meanwhile, at the Medlidge mansion,
The childless engagement ceremony had just concluded. Cadlurn Medlidge restrained Monain from immediately going after Iola and seated him in the mansion.
Initially, he had hoped Monain’s mercenaries would go find Biretta, but upon seeing their appearance, he changed his mind.
He had intended to leave Iola almost dead. Facing the possibility of his able-bodied son becoming incapacitated, Cadlurn put on a tearful performance.
Monain Bee had only calmed down after demonstrating martial prowess close to breaking the mansion wall with an axe.
“Phew… I apologize, father-in-law. My emotions disturbed your household.”
“Not at all. Biretta occasionally causes such trouble; we’re used to it.”
“I see. Truly, one must call her a daughter who hunts dragons.”
Cadlurn felt a bad omen in Monain’s despondent voice. He quickly served whiskey and changed the subject.
“Surely she won’t actually try to hunt a dragon? At most, she’ll just visit its nest and return. Even then, the children will give up.”
“Are you not worried about her spending your money recklessly?”
“Hmm… after calculating what she’s taken, it’s nothing. Biretta isn’t foolish; she earned the money in bets, so it roughly balances out.”
Monain’s eyebrows twitched, recalling the ‘bet’ over their children’s engagement.
“You have faith, indeed. Hearing you say that eases my mind a little.”
“But in the current state of affairs, I remain concerned. Local security is poor. I brought one mercenary along, but the local mercenaries’ skills can’t compare to those in Najin.”
“Has your daughter studied martial arts or magic?”
“She’s diligent and learned both, but talent varies. How about your son?”
In other words, he tried but lacked ability. Monain refrained from asking if she was truly going to hunt a dragon, since his son was accompanying her.
He looked troubled, ignoring Biretta’s lack of skill.
“As you know, my son was sent to a math academy in the mercenary city instead of becoming a mercenary, even though he was born to us.”
“He must be academically gifted. The bravery of the father’s line won’t disappear.”
“As you know, it’s disgraceful for a healthy man not to engage in mercenary work in Najin. I lead a massive mercenary army, and Iola is my only son. I truly wanted him to become a great warrior.”
“I understand, of course.”
It’s common for children not to meet expectations. Cadlurn’s eyes were sad, having saved only his third son Dylan among four children.
“We pride ourselves on making even mediocre children contribute. That’s why it’s called a mercenary city. But in the end, my son defied our expectations and said he would become a scholar.”
“So you mean…”
A sense of dread passed through Cadlurn.
“Fortunately, you let go of your weapons quickly. I’m glad I can spare your lives.”
In an 8:1 battle, the bandits were defeated without injuring Iola.
“Iola is strong enough not to yield to me.”
Monain said bitterly.
Iola Jin—versatile and capable in both civil and martial arts—was truly a remarkable individual.
