Chapter 65

Chapter 65. Dunmore (7)

Balun chased the bandits of the withdrawal team for two days without sleeping even once, and what made that possible was one single thought.

‘If I do not kill every last one of these damned archer bastards, I am not human.’

Desperate. There was no word that described Balun’s pursuit over the past two days better than that.

He simply could not stop. His entire body throbbed, and he was exhausted, but he still moved. A powerful sense of crisis, the feeling that he would be the one to suffer retaliation if he did not catch them all, made that possible.

Balun truly chased after the withdrawal team as if his life depended on it. He ran stubbornly through the rugged mountains and swam across rivers. When they hid themselves in caves or rough terrain, he gathered all his focus and found their traces.

In the end, Balun succeeded. He caught every last member of the withdrawal team without missing a single one.

At dawn on the second day, as darkness faded and the sun slowly began to rise, he subdued the last fleeing group at an unknown stream that continued beyond the Bled Mountain Range. At that moment, Balun roared while shedding tears of joy.

“Uaaaaaah!”

The feeling he had then had truly been indescribably wonderful. Even thinking about it now.

‘You damned archer bastards. In the end, I did it. I did it!’

He did not think he would forget for a long time the memory of that moment, when he had cried and laughed like a madman, snot streaming from his nose, while punching the members of the withdrawal team wildly in the face.

“Hehehehe.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because I feel good.”

“Madman.”

Belia shook her head beside him, but Balun did not care. What was he supposed to do when merely thinking about it made him keep laughing?

‘Ah, that feels refreshing.’

Balun kept stroking his chest. Though he had done nothing, he felt relieved, refreshed, and clear, as if his chest had been opened wide. It was as though he had eaten about fifty thousand peppermint candies.

‘As expected, it is right to get rid of every future problem. Even if I have to suffer a bit more. How am I supposed to live peacefully if I leave behind something that might cause trouble later?’

Of course, to Belia, Balun’s appearance was nothing less than that of a madman.

He had done something that would not have been enough even with twenty lives, yet what did he say after returning? That he felt good, while grinning?

“I have lived long enough, but I have never seen anyone like you. When I heard that you had not appeared for well over two days, I thought you might have died, but what? You chased down all the withdrawal team rangers?”

Belia crossed her arms and looked down at Balun with fed-up eyes as she continued.

“Well, fine. You could chase them. I would never do that, but since you possess extraordinary courage, I can accept that you might make such a decision.”

“But listen. You thought about chasing every last one of them without missing a single man and killing them all? Those masters of escape, who are said to lose to no one when it comes to fleeing?”

“Do you even know how reckless that was? They were the Shadow Claw Unit. They are the pride of the Kingdom of Valtrien, known to be second to none in hit-and-run tactics. Their ghostlike skill is so impressive that they even earned the infamous name Nightmare of the Greenwoods.”

“To engage in a pursuit against those people. You are truly…… haah.”

After speaking at length like a rapid-fire barrage, Belia sighed, and Balun nodded at her words.

“They certainly were good at running away. Balun is confident in pursuit, but they were not easy. Of course, Balun won.”

“Winning is not everything. Haa, never mind. What am I even saying to a Barbarian?”

Contrary to how he looked completely unaffected by Belia’s scolding, Balun was actually reflecting on himself and giving himself feedback.

‘It certainly was reckless. I could have done it a little more carefully.’

Now that he thought back on it, he saw things that he had not seen at the time.

Back then, he had thought that he was thinking as rationally and reasonably as possible, but looking back, rather than being rational, he had only been excited and run wild like a madman.

Of course, the situation had been what it was, so it could not be helped. Even so, if he had maintained just a little more composure, there would have been much better results.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I rested well.”

“What is there to thank me for? I am only repaying a debt I owed anyway.”

Now, a full day had passed since his return to Dunmore, and Balun was staying at Belia’s house.

With her help, he had washed his blood-soaked body and treated his wounds. Of course, by treatment, all she had done was smear herbs all over him, but it was still better than doing nothing.

Balun’s body was still covered in wounds. It would probably take some time for them to heal. Even though Balun’s natural recovery ability was exceptional.

Eight arrows in the mountains, and three more while chasing the withdrawal team. How could a body that had been struck by eleven arrows in total recover easily?

“A debt? What debt?”

“Patem.”

“That is strange. Why is that a debt? Did we not settle that by making the request fee free?”

“That is not something you need to worry about. I have my own principles, and I am simply trying to keep them.”

“I see.”

“Enough of that. Hurry up and go to the inner castle. The Lord wants to see you.”

“The Lord?”

“Yes. It must be because of the bandit subjugation.”

“Understood.”

Balun nodded and stood up, brushing off his backside. His whole body throbbed, but he could move well enough.

‘Somehow, my body feels a little itchy……. Why?’

He was not sure if it was just his imagination, but since morning, he had been feeling as if earthworms were wriggling under his skin.

Balun scratched his body roughly as he went outside. When he entered the inner castle and gave his name, a guard guided him inside.

As they walked down the mansion corridor, the guard recited points of caution.

“Do not hold your head up stiffly in front of the Lord. Bow your head.”

“Do not worry. Balun is polite.”

“Polite, my foot. There is no way a Barbarian knows anything about manners.”

“It is true.”

“I do not expect that much from you. Instead, do not be rude to the Lord. No matter how great your achievement is, rudeness will not be tolerated.”

Balun shrugged at the guard’s threat and entered the room. There, he saw a man who looked to be in his forties, sitting in a chair with his arms resting on a desk. He was Lothar, the Lord of Dunmore.

“Good to meet you. Balun is Balun. You called, so I came.”

As soon as Balun saw Lothar, he bowed his head. A young man from the Eastern Nation of Courteous People was naturally polite.

Of course, that etiquette did not look particularly satisfying from the perspective of the nobles of this world.

Perhaps because of that, or perhaps for another reason, Lothar somehow looked displeased.

With his gaze fixed on the documents atop his desk, he glanced up at Balun, who had bowed his head, and spoke.

“So you are Balun the Barbarian?”

“That is right.”

“You subjugated all the bandits of the Bled Mountain Range?”

“Correct.”

“Impressive. To think you solved a difficult problem that no one else could solve.”

“I only accepted a request and solved it.”

“You mean the Family Head’s request?”

“Family Head?”

“I am speaking of His Excellency Count Rotenfeld.”

“That is right. The Count.”

Balun tilted his head.

How did he know? Balun had never told the Lord separately.

‘Does he have an information source?’

Or had he somehow happened to hear it by chance?

“So that is how it is.”

After saying that, Lothar looked Balun up and down, and there was a subtle displeasure in his eyes.

How should he put it?

It felt as if the man found him irritating.

‘What is with that look?’

Balun could only feel puzzled.

What had he done wrong for the man to look at him that way?

“Very well. You did well. The bandits of the Bled Mountain Range were a long-standing headache for me. Since you solved that problem, I shall duly praise you. What you did well was indeed done well.”

“Thank you.”

“However, did you really have to do that?”

Balun blinked.

Do what?

“There are laws and procedures to all things, yet why did you attempt this without following proper procedure?”

“What does that mean?”

“Tch, you cannot understand me. Is it because you have learned nothing?”

No, who would understand if he spoke like that?

As Balun stood there bewildered, a butler quickly approached and whispered in his ear.

“Er, guest. Our Lord is asking why you subjugated the bandits without obtaining his permission.”

“????”

Balun’s head automatically tilted.

What in the world was this dog barking nonsense supposed to mean?

He had to get permission before subjugating bandits?

Then, if the Lord did not grant permission, did that mean he could not subjugate the bandits?

‘To begin with, could a mere Barbarian mercenary like me even meet the Lord?’

If he asked to see the Lord, would he not simply be told, “How dare a monkey bastard like you try to meet the Lord? Get lost”?

Even if he muttered, ‘I came to carry out Count Rotenfeld’s command, so open the way at once!’ would they really listen?

It would be fortunate if they did not shout, ‘This madman dares to use the Count’s name! You bastard!’

Perhaps thinking that Balun could not understand, the butler added an explanation.

“The subjugation of the bandits in the Bled Mountain Range is, strictly speaking, the duty of Lord Lothar, the Lord of Dunmore. Someone else accomplished that duty, so the Lord’s mood has been soured.”

“Even though Balun came under Count Rotenfeld’s orders?”

“That is precisely why you should have obtained the Lord’s permission all the more. If you simply subjugate the bandits without doing so, from the Lord’s position, he has no choice but to lose considerable face. Even if it was something His Excellency Count Rotenfeld ordered.”

‘No.’

Balun barely held back the snort that was about to burst out. It was truly an absurd reason.

“So, what that means is…….”

“No more explanation needed. I understand.”

Balun pushed the butler back. If Balun were truly a Barbarian, he might not have understood, but Balun was a proud awakened citizen of twenty-first-century Korea. There was no reason he could not understand something this simple.

‘So, basically, he feels offended because he was bypassed?’

Balun snorted inwardly. He had wondered what this was about.

‘Well, I suppose a noble lord with such a high opinion of himself might feel offended if he was bypassed.’

If he had been another Barbarian, he might have shouted angrily, asking how they dared mistreat a Warrior who had returned after accomplishing a feat. However, Balun was not an ordinary Barbarian.

Inside a powerful body that could tear metal apart with bare hands resided the salesmanship of a twenty-first-century Korean who had served countless customers.

‘It is nothing. I should soothe his mood.’

Balun soon curled the corners of his mouth and put on a professional smile.

His mouth moved naturally.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something, my Lord.”

“A misunderstanding? What do you mean?”

“Balun did not disregard my Lord. Rather, Balun moved for my Lord’s sake.”

“What nonsense is tha…….”

“Balun received an order from the Count to assist my Lord properly. That is why Balun came all the way here and subjugated the bandits.”

Lothar tried to open his mouth to say something, but Balun did not give him time to speak.

“But Balun is a Barbarian, so Balun could not meet my Lord. That is why Balun had no choice but to subjugate the bandits without permission.”

“…….”

“But does that mean Balun disregarded my Lord? It does not. Balun subjugated the bandits in order to offer the achievement to my Lord. Balun even brought the heads of the bandit captain and Vice-Captain. To offer them to my Lord.”

“A-Ahem. The captain’s head, you say? You intended to offer it to me?”

“That is right. It is the truth without the slightest falsehood.”

It was a lie without the slightest truth.

He had only brought the captain and Vice-Captain’s heads just in case he needed proof.

However, Balun shamelessly lied and pounded his chest as though he were a genuine Barbarian.

“Therefore, this achievement belongs to my Lord. From the beginning, all things that happen in this land are my Lord’s achievements. Is that not so?”

“Ahem, th-that is true. If that was the case, you should have said so earlier.”

Lothar cleared his throat with a flushed face, as though embarrassed.

After his anger softened, he asked, “But listen. If this achievement is mine, why did you say you moved under the Family Head’s command? Would that not make it the Family Head’s achievement rather than mine?”

Balun slowly shook his head.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because from the beginning, Balun was a gift given to my Lord by the Count.”

Of course, Balun had no intention whatsoever of becoming this Lord’s gift, but he did not care, since this man seemed to have at least a rat’s tail worth of pride.

What would he not do to secure one business client?

“A gift?”

“If a gift accomplishes a feat, does the feat belong to the person who gave the gift, or to the person who received it?”

“Mm. That is true.”

Before he knew it, Lothar’s expression had softened, and he nodded with satisfaction.

“I understand. If that was the case, then even if you violated procedure slightly, it is acceptable. I can overlook that much with generosity.”

“Thank you. My Lord is the best. A splendid noble.”

When Balun raised his thumb and grinned, the corners of the Lord’s mouth rose along with it.

That was because receiving praise from a proud Barbarian was no easy thing.

It was truly ironic.

He looked down on such beings so much, yet he still enjoyed receiving their recognition…….

“Good! Balun the Barbarian. Brave Warrior. I greatly commend your achievement, and I shall bestow a great gift upon you!”

“Thank you!”

As Balun bowed his head, he thought, ‘Yes. Successfully secured another business client.’

Easy. How easy.

What kind of great gift would he give?

‘Money would be nice, if possible. Or an insanely good magic item would be fine too.’

And Lothar’s thoughts were as follows.

‘The Family Head wanted to help me. Does that mean he views me favorably? Hehehe.’

He was not merely spreading the wings of imagination. He was sinking into a world of delusion.

Without even knowing that it was a lie.