Chapter 212. From the Ground Up (6)
“There was a definite…ringing.” The woman’s voice turned sentimental like she was reminiscing that moment, “It was such a clear feeling, and I knew that child’s blood was like mine… No, actually…” The woman was so preoccupied with her emotions that she didn’t notice Chi-Hyun turning around and disappearing.
“He surpasses me in—” The woman was interrupted when her body was suddenly lifted; she hadn’t realized that Chi-Hyun had gotten close to her.
“I really don’t get it.” With her now elevated eye level, she heard the chilling voice from below. “Don’t you all know what I think of your kind?”
“Kuh—”
“Still, I held myself back and pretended not to notice,” Chi-Hyun continued. “Shouldn’t you realize that I’m still the same as before and continue your way quietly? Doesn’t that thought cross your mind?”
The woman’s mouth closed and opened, but no sound came out.
“It’s not as if you don’t know the reason why I’m acting this way.” Chi-Hyun’s grip loosened very slightly as a pained groan escaped the woman’s mouth. “How do you expect me to react when you approach me out of the blue and talk about blood and bloodlines?”
“Cough—Cough—”
Chi-Hyun waited for her coughing fit to end before continuing, “I don’t want to know what you feel and what you’re thinking.”
“I just—”
“Also you should talk properly. He isn’t ‘your brother’, but ‘my brother’.” Chi-Hyun slowly lowered his arm, not to let go of her, but simply bringing her close to him.
“Don’t touch him,” Chi-Hyun said in a very frigid voice. “Don’t approach him or even look at him.”
“…”
“If you dare touch even the tip of my brother’s hair, that’ll be the end of you and that damn family of yours.” Chi-Hyun’s voice was as cold as his eyes. “Of course, if you don’t want that to happen, you should keep those noble lips of yours shut.”
“…”
“The thought of you and your family treating my brother like some prized stallion makes me want to puke already.”
“Brother. I just—”
“No, you should just approach him so that I have good reason to kill you, and there would be no risk of his existence being exposed to your people.”
The woman shut her mouth again.
“Since it’s a place where the unimaginable is the norm, anything can happen without attracting suspicion. Don’t you think so?” Chi-Hyun asked.
“…”
“I hope that you will make the wise choice. If I must put what relation we have between us into words, you are at best my very distant relative who’s basically a stranger, and I don’t want to believe you are that stupid.” Chi-Hyun dropped her roughly and walked past her while she lay on the ground. He didn’t look back even once.
***
To strike the iron while it was hot, Chi-Woo immediately moved after hearing Eval Sevaru’s proposal. He followed Eval to a place with a sign that said ‘Lake Bori’. ‘That’s at least better than The Colt’s Butt,’ Chi-Woo thought as he went inside.
The inside of the tavern was hectic and loud. Most of the patrons were members of the Cassiubia League.
“Let me see. There’s a seat the old man always takes…ah!” Eval Sevaru looked around and exclaimed.
“Sir!” Eval waved like he was seeing an acquaintance and strode. Chi-Woo followed him from behind and was surprised to see one person occupying a big table with a pipe in his mouth. The middle-aged-looking being had a shaggy beard with streaks of white that made him look like a mountain bandit. Although it appeared he didn’t even reach 150 cm, his physique was hard and solid. And above all, he had only one eye. There was a large, round pupil at the center of his forehead, above his nose and on top of his head was a cone-shaped horn. He looked like a goblin from old folk tales.
“Ah~ You’re here today too, mister.” Eval greeted him familiarly.
“…Hm.”
The middle-aged being glanced at Eval, and after seeing Chi-Woo behind him, he put down his newspaper.
“Okay boss, say hello. He’s the Cassiubia League’s blacksmith, Mr. Mangil from the Buhguhbu tribe.” For some reason, Chi-Woo thought the name Mangil sounded familiar to him, but the being was a blacksmith rather than a goblin.
“And this is—” Eval was about to introduce Chi-Woo when Mangil cut him off.
“Are you the human who will accept our request?”
“Ah, come on, old man. You sure are impatient. Should we get up and talk?”
Instead of answering, Mangil gestured at the chair across from him with his jaw. While thinking that Mangil appeared quite cold, Chi-Woo took a seat beside Eval, who was smiling gleefully. Chi-Woo soon felt Mangil’s eyes on him and heard his assessment as soon as he sat.
“He doesn’t seem like much of a warrior though,” Mangil questioned with a pipe in his mouth, his arms crossed as he looked at Chi-Woo.
Before Eval could open his mouth again, Mangil asked, “What is your rank?”
Chi-Woo was stunned. He wondered how a member of the Cassiubia League knew about ranks.
“Are you not aware? We’re one the species accepted by the Shalyh’s god, and the Cassiubia League was granted the growth system, which was originally exclusive to humans.”
‘What?’
“Seeing your reactions, it seems you didn’t know.”
Chi-Woo was deeply shocked. On second thought, Chi-Woo recalled what Zelit had told him—since the Cassiubia League had given many things to humans, humanity must have made a matching offer in return.
“There was a huge uproar on our side because we don’t have exclusive access to the system. Anyways, you must be a hero who doesn’t know much about the world.”
“Haha. It’s because of how busy boss is. It hasn’t been long since he moved…” By the way he talked, it seemed Eval had also been aware of the situation.
“But besides that, what is your rank again?” Mangil returned to the main point. Although Chi-Woo had been shocked by the news, he believed there must be a reason his brother had brought about this situation. Broken out of his reverie, he answered, “I’m at Iron IV.”
“Iron IV…?” Mangil’s forehead creased, and he looked to Eval for an explanation.
“Um…boss, are you still Iron IV?” Eval looked shocked to hear this.
“There’s no need to discuss then,” Mangil snorted and unfolded his newspaper again.
“No, please wait, mister.”
“I said the conversation is over. I didn’t even ask for a gold rank, but iron? An Iron IV at that? Go back.”
“Huh? Are you not going to listen then? What if you regret it later?”
“As if. You are the ones who will regret it if you don’t get out now.”
“What are you talking about this time?”
“Look behind me.”
Eval looked behind Mangil, and his eyes narrowed. Most of the patrons were members of the Cassiubia League, and thus the only humans stood out like a sore thumb. Although most of them quickly turned away, there was still a group who was looking at them warily.
“Ah, damn it…” Eval cursed quietly. “Boss. Let’s go back for now…” He was about to get up, but it was too late. As soon as he met the group’s eyes, some of them got up and approached them, each wearing a nasty smile on their face. Chi-Woo was hit with a sense of deja vu. They were beings similar yet not similar to humans: half demons.
“Don’t think about causing a commotion unnecessarily,” Mangil said with a scowl when the group of half-demons approached them. “These humans aren’t humans native to this planet. And they’re my guests.”
“Ha. Humans are all the same. And…guests?” One of the half-demons raised its voice. Turning back to its companions for assurance, it said, “That doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“…Boss, let’s go.” Eval tried to ignore them and leave, but couldn’t because a handful of them were blocking his path. Eval scowled. “What are you doing? Move it.”
“No, I’m curious. For what reason did human bastards come to a place run by our species?”
“Why? Is there a reason humans can’t enter?”
“No, but—” The half-demon smirked. “I’m just worried. So worried. You guys are poor beggars who wander around the square in search of money. What if you eat the food and run without paying?”
“What? Beggars?”
“Ah, did I go too far when we’ve decided to be buddies with the humans? Sorry, sorry. Should I give you this leftover lukewarm beer as an apology? Then we can call it even.”
A burst of laughter erupted from behind the half-demon’s back. By this time, every patron’s attention was on them. Eval’s face was bright red, but he composed himself. He and Chi-Woo were basically on their enemy’s home ground. And as the atmosphere worsened, Mangil intervened.
“I’m warning you. If this situation spirals into a problem with the humans, you all will have to be held responsible.”
“A problem? Is there anything that could become a problem? We are all trying to be friends here.” The half-demon hooked an arm around Chi-Woo, who remained quiet in his seat. “Let’s try to get along, human heroes…hm?” The half-demon laughed, and its eyes widened slightly when Chi-Woo lifted its arm off his shoulder.
“What? Why are you being so cold? I just want to be friends.”
“That’s fine, but can you keep your hands off me?”
“What? Why? Do humans not like getting touched by a half-demon?”
“That’s not the issue. It’s because you don’t seem to have good intentions.”
“Oh? Wahaha! Do you guys all hear what this human is saying?” The half-demon laughed and placed its hand on Chi-Woo’s shoulders again. “What is it? Are you afraid someone is going to eat you alive?”
There was greater pressure on Chi-Woo’s shoulder now. ‘Second time,’ he thought with a sigh. While he slowly took the half-demon’s hand off him, he said, “Shouldn’t you be able to discern between good and bad intentions?”
The half-demon looked astonished as a slimy smile formed on its face. “Ha, let’s see if you can discern this then.” The half-demon struck the top of Chi-Woo’s head forcefully with its palm.
‘And this is the third,’ Chi-Woo thought and got up. Balling his hands into fists, he pulled his arm back. Punch! His clenched-up fist struck the half-demon’s nose.
“Ah—!” The half-demon shouted and flew far backward until it crashed to the floor.
“A fight—! It’s a fight—!”
“Ahahaha! Look at him! He’s rolling on the ground like a bug!” Cheers erupted all across the establishment, and members of the Cassiubia gathered to spectate. Chi-Woo calmly wiped the blood off his hand.
“Uh, hey!”
“My nose—!”
“Shit! Look at all that blood!”
As their companion rolled on the ground grasping its nose, the group of half-demons growled at Chi-Woo.
“The human struck first! He started it!” The injured half-demon shouted, and the rest of the half-demons gathered their senses. They pulled out their daggers and radiated bloodlust at Chi-Woo. The noisy tavern became even more feverish with emotions.
“What’s happening!?” Then a figure suddenly jumped between the two humans and the group of half-demons. When the half-demons saw who the newcomer was, their faces all brightened.
“Murumuru!”
Chi-Woo also turned to see the figure. It was the half-demon he knew.
“You are…” Having recognized Chi-Woo, Murumuru stopped and looked around. It saw the half-demon clutching its nose as blood poured out and asked, “What happened?”
“Murumuru! That human attacked Lachelache!” one of the half-demons shouted, and Murumuru’s face stiffened.
“Is that true?” Murumuru took a couple of steps toward Chi-Woo and asked for confirmation.
“Yes,” Chi-Woo easily admitted.
“Why?”
“I asked them to not touch me many times, but they didn’t listen.”
Murumuru’s eyes narrowed. It could easily guess what had happened: its companions must have provoked Chi-Woo, thinking he was an easy target. But they had chosen the wrong opponent this time.
“Murumuru! There’s no need for you to step out! We will take care of this human—!” The half-demon shouted excitedly.
“Take Lachelache and go.”
The half-demon seemed to think it had heard wrong.
“Murumuru?”
“Back off if you don’t want to die.”
“Why…!”
“This human is the one who defeated Vepar.”
Their surroundings became instantly quiet then. Everyone seemed stunned.
“W-What?”
Even Mangil opened his one eye wide.
“I saw him defeat Vepar with my own eyes. You might have doubts, but believe me when I say he’s not an opponent you can handle.” Murumuru appeared displeased as it murmured annoyedly, “…This sounds as if I’m protecting that human or something.”
“W-What are you saying…? Vepar…?”
The half-demons looked back and forth between Murumuru and Chi-Woo. In the end, they took Lachelache and hurried out. The excitement in the tavern cooled off immediately from the sudden intervention, yet the monsters didn’t return to their seats. Knowing how strong a great demon was, they looked at Chi-Woo in disbelief.
“Is it true? Did you really defeat Vepar?” Mangil quickly asked. He couldn’t believe it, but it seemed to be the truth. It was a well-known fact that half-demons despised humans as much as they despised demons. Thus, there was no reason for one to lie in favor of a human.
To make an analogy, it would be akin to the world federation leaving the task of investigating a problem that had erupted inside a Japanese archeological academic department to a Korean archeological academic department. Since the feat was brought up by Murumuru, who strongly loathed humans, it seemed more credible.
“Hm…” Perhaps they had caught too much attention. Scratching his head, Chi-Woo decided to go now. He hadn’t expected to go through so much trouble after following Eval.
“Oh, I’m sorry, boss. Because of me…” Eval bowed, and Chi-Woo rose to march toward the door.
“Wait!” Mangil shouted from behind. The corners of Eval’s mouth turned upward; his expression seemed to be saying, ‘You are dead now, man.’