Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.26)

We are again back to the second floor. Aphnaidel became very quiet after getting his life back, he even led us the way kindly. After reaching Baron's room in the central of the second floor, I told Aphnaidel:

"Please ask the baron out, keep your volumn low."

Aphnaidel did as I said, quietly asked the Baron to come out. The baron seems to be having a nice sleep, he didn't wake him.

"Don't you have the key?"

"No."

"Never. Well, As the memorial of the return of my OPG."

I pushed the door with my hands without any hestitation. Whew! The whole door flew away. I said quickly:

"Good, Sanson! You take Baron out! I will stop those servants."

Sanson moved his body swiftly. Then I started looking at those servants, after they heard the sound of me destroying the door, they are in a commotion. They tried to look around the second floor, but they can't see clearly since it's too dark. After a while, they lit the candles and lanterns, once they saw our faces, they all creamed. Sanson has already captured Baron Silikian, he dragged him out.

"You damned people! You know who I am, how dare you! Do you really want to die?"

Baron swore a lot of harsh words. He really doesn't know the situation! I grabbed the guy's feet, he roared:

"Bas, bastard! How dare you! Put me down!"

"If I was your servant, I would listen to you."

Then I hanged the Baron outside the railing. Those maid below screamed.

"Uh ah!"

There are bubbles in Baron Silikian's mouth. I shook my arm up and down and said:

"You are really heavy!"

"Bastard! How dare you do this to me, do you think you can survive after this?"

"If you keep being this noisy, do you think you can survive after this?"

The baron then became quiet. Because as soon as I release, he will become the "Past" Baron Silikian. He shouted desperately:

"You, you, catch me! Ah, no, come up and kill these guys!"

The Servants ran in panic beneath Baron, then raised their hands. I tooka step to the left, those servants moved the to left immediately. And when I stepped to the right, those servants cursed and rant to the right. Really funny! So I moved left and right several times.

The baron's head is facing downwards, so he became disoriented after being moved around by me. But he is still shouting, continued to curse me. Karl could not stand and said to me:

"Enough, Nedval. Don't do this this, better put him down."

I smiled, and then let him down. Once Silikian was down he immediately wanted to run away, but I held the guy's shoulder. So he can only use his free mouth to hurt me as much as possible:

"You nasty people! Dirty rats in  sewage! Don't you know how to respect people! You really want to be dead so much huh! Dare to be rude to me These dirty bastards!"

The baron's mouth is really amazing. He should be very dizzy now, and he actually can keep cursing. Karl wanted to speak, but he shook his head and gave up. 

"Seems we can't really talk to him. Nevermind, let's go." 

"Idiots! You think you can escape? Do you want to flee to your rat hole? No way! You will first be teared in half! You dare to do such a nasty thing on me, and think that you could survive? Even kind person like me won't spare you mercy! "

I said to Karl: 

"Just throw him away. He is really disgusting!" 

"What did you say? Brat, what's wrong with you? You callow boy! How can you treat me this way?" 

Karl almost asked me to throw him out. 

"Throw him away.... is not right." 

At this time, the door was violently opened, the private soldiers rushed in. They are really quick! Only now they appear! They ran to the second floor, after they saw the Baron  became a hostage, they shouted: 

"Hey! You, hic! We are surrounded, ah, no, you are surrounded!" 

I shouted at their faces: 

"Can't you even speak! Stupid soldiers! You actually can still deploy, I am really amazed!"

The private soldiers are all drunk, they can't even walk properly, and some even wear their armors in a wrong side, and some people put the shield on their head, hold the helmet in their hand, really. They don't look scary no matter how you look at them, really ridiculous. These private soldiers ate what kind of guts? How dare they be drunk like this? The baron seems to have the same feelings as me. He shouted at the private soldiers with me. Private soldiers didn't even hear a word from the baron, they are all falling around, some even sitting on the floor and vomitting. Really amazing! If we knew it, we should have came from the front gate! Karl looked at those private soldiers and said: 

"Well, this should be enough!" 

Sanson and I are surprised, we looked at Karl. Karl bowed to the Baron Silikian properly , and then said: 

"Mr Baron, let's make a bet?" 

"Bet, what bet?" 

"We bet if Mr Baron disappears, whether those soldiers would plunder all your property How about that? I bet if we take you away now, the soldiers will plunder the gems you care, the clothing and important documents I bet "they will', and Mr Baron you will probably bet "they won't", right? Because you believe in the loyalty of these soldiers." 

Baron's face finally emerged fear. 

"You, you, how can you...." 

"Nedval, knock him out." 

Once I heard these words, I punched the baron head, The baron then fell to the ground like a frog. Karl is looking at the bottom, he said to Aphnaidel: 

"Mr. Aphnaidel, Where is baron's family?" 

"He has no family. His wife has passed away, and his daughter  has already married long time ago." 

"So we don't have to hestitate. Mr. Aphnaidel, you will probably want something, won't you" 

Aphnaidel giggled. But he noticed Iruril's eyes, then lowered his head. Karl said: 

"In the permitted range of your conscience, take something. As the salary of serving the baron." 

"Forget about it. I will get my baggage. I already earned enough tonight. I learned a new magic."

Karl smiled and said: 

"You are indeed a wizard. I thought you'd say "You spared my life". You can leave now. If possible, please go back to your teacher." 

After Aphnaidel thanked to us, he went back to the basement. Karl quickly ordered: 

"When the private soldiers is making the mess, we can't let those servants get injured. Percival, Nedval, take away the private soldiers' weapons and equipment, make them all unconscious. They are all drunk, this should be easy right? And, all you manservant and maids here, we will take this guy away, you can take whatever you like! "

"What, what do you mean?" 

Karl exposed a cunning face and said: 

"If you don't hurry, you'll miss a lot of things." 

The eyes of the servants finally turned sharp. Then I laughed with Sanson, jumped off the stairs. 

"Ha!" 

Punch... Slap... Toss... Kick... 

We rode and left the Baron's house. Iruril took a horse out from the baron's stable. Really surprising. I laughed and said to her: 

"Elves also do this kind of thing huh?" 

"This is a very reasonable behavior. Those horses have lost their master anyway, they could be sold, or taken away by those private soldiers. Because there is no owner now, so I will be its owner. Because it is reasonable choice, put it the name "Reasonable" is that good? "

"Good, because what you did is  'reasonable '. "

I smiled slightly, and Iruril also smiled, only Sanson is with a bitter face. Now he can't ride the same horse with Iruril, but with the baron. I asked Karl a question: 

"But if we just leave, isn't this kidnapping? Won't the municipal government send people after us?" 

"This guy had such a big influence at the municipal government, was only because of his money. Now he has no money, the municipal government will no longer be afraid of this guy. And we also have a method. "

"What method?" 

After we reached the city hall of Renus, we finally knew what method was. 

On a small road near the city hall, I prepared a paper, ink and pen. After we bought these, they finally come in handy. Karl asked the baron to write a statement to donate the arena to the government. Of course, it is impossible that Baron would wrote that statement willingly. 

"What, what? This is impossible!" 

Immediately after Sanson shook his head, he whispered a few words in the baron's ear. Soon, the baron turned to a green face, he quickly began to write the declaration. I asked Sanson: 

"What did you say?" 

"That doesn't matter. I don't want to say that again anyway." 

Baron wrote a Statement regarding to donating his arena to the municipal government. And luckily, we have three people here, because Iruril is not a Vyseus citizen. Anyway, under the signature of the baron, Karl, Sanson and I signed. 

"I'm not an adult, seems that I can't be a witness." 

Karl shook his head and said: 

"No, thane of Heltant can decide whether you are officially an adult or not. And I am now the deputy of the thane of Fief Heltant, so your name written below my name, can receive the same treatment as mine do. "

Ha! That is great! I finished my signature. Karl picked up that piece of paper and shook a few times to make the ink dry. Then he said: 

"Good, if the municipal government received this property, they don't have any opinion on us anymore. And....." 

Karl took out another sheet of paper, quickly write some words on it. After he finished, he said: 

"Renus City government will not be chasing after us, Didn't Mr. Cherine say that we are not on the criminals list? So there is no reason for the city government to capture us. I wrote," Arena to exchange our freedom! ", if the mayor's brain is functioning, he must agree to my proposal. If they want to treat us as criminals, and arrest us, baron's declaration will become invalid. Because criminals can't be witnesses. "

"Wow!" 

Sanson and I praised from the bottom of our hearts and nodded. Is Karl a former criminal or impostor? We ran some distance away from the city hall, Karl tied the two sheets of paper on an arrow, and fired at the city hall. It's like a signal for us, we galloped to leave the Renus City.

Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.14)

I really don't know how did I arrive the hostel. Anyway, after I arrived, Jusina's brother, that beardy , walked to the entrance. He saw my appearance and widened his eyes.

"Jusina told me... Sir, please wait a minute."

"Ah?"

That beardy lifted me up. What's going on?

"Well, just a little sprain! I would feel embarrassed if you do this!"

That beardy just moved me upstairs like this, Karl, Sanson, and Iruril also followed. After we entered the hostel, he brought me into a room next to the dining hall. It should be his room.

He put me on a table and checked my feet. He pressed my legs, and then asked:

"Does it hurt?"

"Well, why don't you look at my face?"

"Ha, it's swollen. The bones are not broken.... Probably cracked."

Iruril then went out. After a while, Iruril came back with something on her hand. I feel like I have seen that thing before? Ah, it looks the bottle of medicine that was given to the Urcs.

"Drink it, Huchi."

"Does it work for broken legs?"

"Well, haven't you seen that this even heals huge wounds?"

I nodded, then took the bottle and took a sip. The beardy is startled, looking at Iruril. But soon, the pain on my legs subsided completely. I jumped down from the table happily.

"Oops, I made the table dirty."

"Ah that, that doesn't matter, I'll clean it up. But how is your leg?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore. But I'd need to take a bath. I am really making a mess in this hostel."

"Jusina is preparing the bath water. Please come with me."

Oh, so she ran back to prepare for these! Very nice. I should really thank her. Strange. Impressive.

※ ※ ※

After a while, I cleaned my body and changed clothes, and then neatly sitting in the hall. Everyone else also gathered together. Each of us ordered a beer. Later that beardy also sat down at our table. His name is Cherine. I was shocked when he mentioned he is the owner of this hostel.

Beardy Cherine nodded and said:

"It was my father's, but he died last year, then I took it over and operate this hostel. Mother is living in another place in the urban area, she is not interested in business. When father was here, I was the chef, Jusina is responsible for accounting and cashier, so I usually just cook. "

"Jusina seems very capable."

Then Karl asked a question:

"But why could there be a sudden appearance of trolls?"

Cherine seriously thought.

"I am not sure as I didn't see it. They might escape from the arena. I have sent someone to ask for it."

"Arena?"

"Yes, there is an arena in this city. I've heard that there are a few trolls, so it could be them."

What is Arena? That halfing name Butter Duhon also mentioned that yesterday, but I am still looking at Sanson confusedly, Sanson also has no idea. So I asked Cherine.

"Arena, what is arena?"

"It's a place for fighting. Sometimes it could be soldiers against soldiers, and sometimes it could be soldiers against monsters."

"For what?"

Cherine looked at me with a surprised face and said.

"Of course it's for show. Also for gambling. You can bet on the result."

"What?"

We are all startled. For show? I fought against the phantom monsters summoned by Tyburn, the villagers were watching, like that right? However, those were phantoms, like acting. But those trolls just now were real.

"They fight against real monsters? They could die then?"

"Yes, they could die."

Sanson said unbelievably.

"What? People actually do crazy things like this. What kind of persons will fight there?"

"Some professional fighters.... They are usually poor.  And you can get a lot of money if you win."

"What is that, they risk their life just to make money?"

"Some people do."

Karl interrupted and said.

"But are there a lot of them? Although there should be a lot, that's why the arena can continue its business, I thought there shouldn't be many people who would give up their life to make money. And for a great warrior, regardless of how good he is, he won't define himself in this way."

Sanson made a proud expression. Karl said, like a seasoned warrior.

Cherine flashed an unhappy expression on his face. His beard obscured and we can't see clearly, but his eyes are clearly angry. Cherine said with an impatient voice.

"Have you ever heard of usury?"

Usury? That is a high interest rate loan, isn't that? But why did he suddenly mention that? Karl, however, frowned and said:

"So... The owner asks the warriors to fight in the arena, in order to cover their debts?"

"Exactly!"

"Huh! Does the Municipal Government allow this?"

"That man is very powerful. He bribed all the council staffs. Even the mayor, if he dares to do anything, he will be replaced. This is a public secret here. Even the guards of this city are like the private army of that man. He also has very powerful personal guards."

"Oh my god!"

Outrageous!

I probably know what happens here. So he would lend money to the people who need it urgently, and when they have no way to afford the extremely high interest rate, they would have to fight in the arena. He doesn't have to pay them even if they win, as they owe him the money. If they lose, of course he doesn't care. He can also make the money through the bets. Rationally I can generally understand, but I still feel incredible about that. Asking people to give up their life to pay for the debt? What is wrong with his head?


※ ※ ※

Noises suddenly came from the entrance, that's the sound of shoes stepping on the floor. Sanson tilted his head:

"What is that noise?"

Cherine looks worried, he seems to already know what the noise. After a while, eight fully armed soldiers walked into the lobby, all wearing a chain mail and holding a halberd. Nice equipment! Jusina behind tried to stop them.

"We have guests here, what are you doing?"

But those soldiers didn't even listen. Are they the guards of this city? However, Cherine said:

"They are the mercenaries I just mentioned."

What? Mercenaries are such fully armed? The Guard Captain of our thane, Sanson, looked down at his crusty armor unbelievably. Those guys looked around, and then came toward us.

"Cherine, here they are?"

Cherine gloomily nodded. Then the soldier said.

"Good. We are the soldiers of Baron Siliken. Did you guys kill the trolls?"

Baron Siliken? A nobility? Sanson nodded and said:

"What's wrong?"

"The price of a troll is 200 Purcell, so that's a total of 600 Purcell. Pay for the compensation."

I don't think I got it wrong, because Sanson is also surprised to look up at the soldiers. Karl and Iruril also did the same action. Sanson is puzzled and asked:

"Wait a minute. You asked us to pay for it?"

"Otherwise who is going to pay?"

"We helped to kill the trolls, but you didn't even say a single thank you, or give us some bonus, yet you want us to pay?"

"Scum! We use them to make money!"

The soldiers impatiently looked down, and kicked Sanson's calf bone. Sanson reluctantly kept silence, followed by fire sparks in his eyes. He angrily stood up. I stood up at the same time.

"What did you just do?"

"I told you scums to mind your behaviors."

"Scum? I am the soldier of the dignified Viscount Haltent, The Guard Captain of Fief Haltent, Sanson Percival. What did you just do to me?"

The soldiers heard the word 'dignified', issued contemptuous jeers.

"What is it so dignified about a Viscount? Which countryside village are you from? Do you know what kind of situation are you in right now?"

"Those guys from bandit villages are really troublesome. Their brains don't function properly. Pathetic. "

"He could be serving some kind of a Bandit leader deep in a mountain... Bah!"

Seems like the identity of Sanson is very funny, they are all laughing at it. This surprised Sanson that he even forgot his anger. The soldier kicked Sanson's leg again, completely treats Sanson as his own subordinates. Sanson made a groan, and bent over. The soldier is even trying to hit Sanson with the tail of his halberd.

He did not succeed. Because I grabbed the halberd. The soldier made a grim expression.

"Who is this kid?"

He tried to pull back his halberd, although I am just grabbing it with one hand, he couldn't get it back with both of his hands. Until I spin the halberd, he had to release his hands. Before he changed his face again, I held the halberd with both of my hands.

"Then how much is this?"

"What?"

I broke the halberd into two halves. The soldiers' faces are showing that they are shocked. I again held the two halves of the broken halberd in my hands, broke them into hour parts. I threw four broken parts back to the soldier, and said:

"And how much are you?"

The soldiers's surprise finally turned to fear. I said grimly:

"If I kill you all, how much do I have to pay?"

The soldier who had its halberd broken took a step back, the other soldiers are all retreating backwards. I am so angry, moved my hand to my shoulder, wanted to pull out my bastard sword. But I didn't equip my sword after shower.

Sanson drew his sword, said lowly:

"Let's go outside!"

Looks like Sanson considered about Cherine's position. The soldiers are hesitated to move backwards. They also seem to think fighting with halberd in a room is a disadvantage. They went back a few steps out and fled outside. Sanson breathlessly followed them. Karl stopped him.

"Well, Percival, what are you planning to do?"

"Our thane is insulted, insulted by the men of a Baron. We don't even know if he is a real Baron. Cherine? That Siliken, is he really a Baron?"

"How would men of a Baron behave like that?"

"I knew it, a fake Baron. We'll see!"

"But are you going to fight with so many people alone?"

"Death could occur anywhere anytime, but it's not easy to have the chance to choose when and where to die. So if I have the chance to choose, I am willing to die."

Sanson said these weird words and then walked out. I hurriedly ran to the second floor. There is no time to put the armor on, I just grabbed my sword and then rushed downstairs. Sanson and the eight men of that fake Baron are already standing outside the hostel, confronting with each other.