Chapter 14: The Strange Old Man (3)
The managers of the village were mostly taciturn and strong.
And they had no mercy.
Just looking at how they reduced the number of 1,000 children down to 30 proved it.
If they hadn't escaped due to some unknown incident, that number would likely have shrunk even further.
Among such trash-like managers, if one had to pick a slightly better one, most peers would probably pick this guy.
The Head Manager of the village.
The one who taught himself and the other children the most, showed the most consideration, yet was more feared than any other manager.
Such a man had become a 10-meter-tall giant, looking down at me from a dizzyingly high place.
‘Even for a dream, this is too much.’
Harang wore a dumbfounded expression.
The fact that I was aware I was dreaming wasn't important.
What was far more important was that even in a dream where everything should be under my control, the guy was depicted as an insurmountable opponent.
Would it be different if I became stronger?
If I grew even more than now, to the point where I could plunge a sword into his nape, would the giant's fortress-like physique shrink even a little?
I couldn't know.
- Today’s topic is assassination from the front.
Kwaaaaaaaaaa-!
As I looked up with a sullen heart, the Head Manager of the village began speaking indifferently.
Then, a deep and heavy sound flowed out like an echo spreading through a cave.
Pouring out like a tidal wave, it crushed and blew away my peers.
In the eyes of the Godoks who survived the scene, which resembled a natural disaster, a sense of awe could be glimpsed.
Regardless, the Head Manager paid no mind.
His story continued.
- The basics of an assassin are stealth and patience. For that single chance to strike down a being stronger than oneself, nothing can be done carelessly. Of course, if the skill difference is significantly large, handling them from the front is fine, but the problem arises when the opponent is stronger than you. Now, assume your stealth has been detected, and you are in a situation where you must face the enemy one-on-one in an exposed state. The opponent is vastly stronger than you, and there is no escape route. In this case, how should you respond?’
- ‘Do your best within the limits of your strength, and create an opportunity. No matter how strong the opponent is, as long as the possibility isn't zero, you must not give up.’
This answer, standard to a fault.
It was Gael, ranked 3rd.
The guy had been enjoying tea at a stylish table, unfitting for the ruined landscape, listening to the story, but the situation had become a complete mess due to the Head Manager's voice.
However, even with tea spilled and his hair disheveled, his posture remained upright, making me think it was just like him.
But there was an even more impressive presence.
- Kill them.
- I told you to state the method.
- Kill them somehow. By any means necessary. Even if my limbs are severed and my innards spill out, kill them. Unconditionally kill them.
Maya, ranked 2nd among the Godoks, giving an obviously insane answer.
The girl wasn't even in human form to begin with.
Seeing her appear like a slaughter doll with blades protruding all over her body, the Harang in the dream nodded.
‘Indeed, she’s definitely a crazy bitch.’
Let's not get involved with her further in the outside world.
Thinking that, I looked around with a slightly wider perspective, and everyone's appearances were bizarre.
Someone looked like a rock.
Someone looked like a Monster.
Another looked like an incredibly grotesque reptile…….
It was such a mess that finding someone in their original human form was difficult, and as these guys relentlessly poured out answers, it was no different from a marketplace.
However, the manager shook his head at everyone's answers.
A moment later, the story that came from his mouth was unexpected.
- Lower your presence. Remember. Not erase, but lower. Since you've already been detected, attempting stealth again is extremely dangerous, so avoid trying it unless absolutely necessary.
- Lower our presence?
- Yes. Make the opponent underestimate you to induce carelessness.
‘Ah.’
Only now did I realize.
This was a teaching I had learned in the past, and simultaneously, a story I couldn't sympathize with.
It had reappeared before me again, borrowing the form of a dream.
Of course, Harang's thoughts remained unchanged.
It was laughable.
During the years spent in the village, all the guys who let their guard down ended up dead.
Whether eating, sleeping, or relieving oneself, one absolutely had to maintain vigilance.
In fact, the ones who survived until the end were terrible enough to give their all even against a newborn baby.
However, the Head Manager of the village continued to preach the importance of lowering oneself for a long time after that, and conversely, emphasized not falling for it.
Just as truly outstanding stealth techniques were deceptively magical, one could be captivated by this without even realizing it, he said.
And now.
“…….”
Harang, awakened from the dream, felt goosebumps rise on his skin.
‘That old man wasn't an ordinary beggar.’
The emotion I first felt towards him was merely curiosity.
The conversation, which started with how he could gain endless favors from people, flowed into what a beggar is, what the difference between a beggar and myself was, and what was most important in begging, allowing Harang to absorb various pieces of knowledge.
Although not all questions were resolved, it was a somewhat satisfying encounter.
Thinking up to this point, he once again retraced his meeting with the old beggar.
And retraced.
And retraced.
Retraced, retraced, and retraced again.
And he realized.
The vigilance he hadn't let down even once since coming to the outside world had vanished without a trace when dealing with him.
“……So this is what the Head Manager was talking about.”
Was it because he had relaxed after leaving the village?
No, it wasn't.
Rather, Harang's senses were sharper than ever.
Although he had been liberated from the detestable village due to an incomprehensible event, he didn't think the village managers would let him go obediently.
‘Of course, I hate hiding and doing nothing because of those guys, so I’m doing whatever I feel like, but…….’
Separate from that, his vigilance was sufficient, was the point.
Despite that, he let his guard down with the old man.
He didn't consider him a threat at all, and even thought about whether he should repay him somehow for teaching him various things.
“Get a grip.”
Harang reprimanded himself.
Of course, the old man's true identity was still unknown.
Perhaps he was just an ordinary beggar, or maybe I was overreacting.
But if, by any chance, he was truly an extraordinary figure, and had intended to harm me.
“…….”
I didn't really want to think about it.
For the first time since coming to the outside world, Harang felt a sense of crisis.
But was this a bad thing? If he asked himself…….
‘Never, it’s not.’
That's right. It was actually a good thing.
Nodding, the black-haired young man got up from the bed and closed his eyes.
He focused. On the encounter with him.
He recalled. The words he spoke. The actions he showed, the feeling, the sensation.
To someone else, it might just be trivial behavior, but for Harang, it was a clue to embody the ‘Head Manager’s teaching’ that he still hadn't understood…….
He fiercely analyzed and grasped it in his mind.
Like that, 10 minutes passed, 30 minutes passed, and around the time an hour had passed.
“……Seems about right.”
The aura Harang exuded was completely different from the appearance he had shown until now.
Originally, he radiated an utterly ordinary atmosphere, neither easy to deal with nor particularly strong-looking.
It was natural. He was a swordsman and an assassin simultaneously.
To move stealthily, it was better to moderately conceal the power he possessed and belong to the average, rather than reveal it.
But now, it wasn't like that.
His outward appearance itself hadn't changed.
His straight back, clear eyes, and other parts were the same as before.
But strangely, he gave off a pitiful feeling.
As if he had lived at the bottom since birth, a trivial and lowly atmosphere that would convey the impression 'He's beneath me!' the moment you met him, perhaps?
It was so thick and intense that even the sword held in his hand looked like a cane for support rather than a weapon.
Shuuuk
“Not bad.”
Harang, stopping the ‘act of pretending to be low,’ smiled pleasantly.
Complex thoughts were contained in the smile.
The first was the joy of gaining enlightenment, and the second was intrigue about the outside world.
Perhaps, the outside world was a place with far more to learn than he had thought.
Having thought this far, Harang immediately put on the dirty clothes and stepped out of the lodging.
Creak
The twilight of dawn still lingered.
He paid it no mind.
He headed towards the plaza in the outer city district with steps neither slow nor fast, then spread out his spot and sat down.
It was to confront the old beggar.
Since he appeared at unpredictable times and disappeared at unpredictable times, it was better to be out early.
Another purpose was for begging.
Although he had gained some understanding of ‘pretending to be low,’ he still lacked certainty and satisfaction.
There was a need to refine it further, and also a need to confirm how much progress he had made.
‘Normally, I would have used it in front of my peers for a practical test, but…….’
Since the 27 peers presumed to have survived seemed scattered all over the continent, for now, he had no choice but to test it on ordinary people.
‘Alright. Let’s consider it a success if I collect 100 Cooper, 1 Silver, before noon.’
An amount that was mere pocket change compared to the money taken from the bandits.
However, for a beggar, it was not an insignificant sum.
In fact, Harang had only earned 7 Cooper over the past three days.
“But this time will be different.”
I hoped the old man would show up late, if possible. Because I wanted to show him my growth (?).
Perhaps because he was so focused on achieving his real-world task?
Harang ultimately failed to notice.
Just as the appearances of all the figures seen in the dream were bizarre, he himself existed in a form darker than usual.
* * *
To state the result first, Harang’s objective was half successful. To be precise, only the begging was successful.
He managed to collect 100 Cooper in the short time before noon.
“Oh dear, look at that person. How difficult must it be?”
Clink
1 Cooper from the bosom of a passing woman.
“Mommy! That uncle, that uncle!”
“Hm? Oh my, our Sam wants to do a good deed! Yes, here! Go put it in the bowl!”
“Cheer up, mister!”
Clink- Clink-
2 Cooper from a small child holding a meat skewer, running over with short steps.
“Sigh…… Truly a pitiful-looking fellow. Here, it’s not much, but buy yourself some black bread.”
Clink- Clink- Clink-
3 Cooper, no, 5 Cooper from the pocket of a physically fit hunter!
As various people competed to give alms like that, he reached his target much faster than expected.
‘Good. It needs more time for mastery, but…… it’s usable right now. I’ve learned a good technique suitable for creating unpredictability in any situation.’
Of course, Harang wasn't one to stop at this level.
His legs cramping and back aching from lying prostrate?
It wasn't a problem at all. Patience and persistence were basic qualities for an assassin.
He decided to continue begging until the old beggar appeared, and his proficiency in ‘pretending to be low’ increased to the point where not only copper coins but also a few silver coins were mixed in the bowl.
However, even after lunch passed, evening passed, and most shops except for taverns closed their doors, the desired person did not appear in the plaza.
It was strange.
The old man who showed his face at least once a day no matter what, why only today?
‘Could it be, he’s avoiding me?’
That thought occurred momentarily, but it wasn't certain.
Therefore, Harang once again placed the empty bowl before him and enacted the ‘act of pretending to be low.’
He was someone who had once hidden for three days and nights to target an objective.
Barely 20 hours had passed, he couldn't give up already.
Thus, reaffirming his resolve, he bent his waist and was about to lower his head to continue begging.
Ssk, someone emerged from the alleyway and poked Harang with a finger.
“Excuse me, Boss.”
“……What is it?”
Harang lifted his head and replied politely.
He wasn't flustered. He had known for a while that someone was watching him.
However, he hadn't thought that someone would be a fellow beggar, so curiosity arose.
‘Perhaps, like the conversation with the old beggar, I might gain something again.’
Thinking that made him feel naturally pleased. Finishing his thought, he assumed a comfortable posture to continue the conversation.
However, the opponent had no such intention.
Glancing around, he forcefully grabbed Harang’s sleeve and pointed towards the alleyway.
“First, let’s hide! We need to hide, Boss!”
“Hide? Why?”
“You didn’t get permission! To beg here!”
“……What did you say? Does begging require permission?”
The black-haired beggar asked with an utterly bewildered expression, and the young beggar, after briefly surveying the surroundings, whispered.
“Put away the money bowl for now. Before the Beggar Boss finds out.”