The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 61

8. Liang: The Bastard is a Bad Guy

The atmosphere on the balcony turned ice-cold due to the unexpected situation.

People were taken aback by the sudden conflict, unable to tear their eyes away from me and the Pug Merchant.

Pug, on the other hand, seemed unable to grasp the situation, perhaps because he had never knelt to anyone in his life, and belatedly flew into a rage.

“You! Who do you think you are to act so arrogant!”

Did I really need to answer him?

I simply rolled up my sleeve slightly.

The blue sapphire ring on my finger emitted a chilling light.

People murmured as they noticed the ring.

“The Baron of the Elden Kingdom!”

“He looks so young, yet he’s already a baron.”

“Is he backed by the royal family? Or is he a direct descendant of a duke? Either way, he’s impressive.”

As the atmosphere seemed to shift, an enraged Pug gnashed his teeth and went berserk.

“Do you even know who I am?”

“I know. Aren’t you just some commoner?”

“A commoner? This is Liang. Whether you’re a noble or royalty, here, the one with the most money is king. And our Pug Merchant Guild is… Urk!”

I gently pressed down on his head with my hand.

“I don’t recall agreeing to make eye contact with you. If you’re a commoner, act like one and bow down.”

As someone who came from 21st-century Earth, I don’t particularly like this kind of abuse of power.

However, for guys like Pug, who are so intoxicated with their sense of entitlement that their brains are paralyzed, sometimes a display of higher privilege is the best cure.

“If you act like this, you’ll only be at a loss. If you treat a great merchant like me carelessly, my colleagues backing me won’t let you get away with it…!”

Slap!

I slapped him across the cheek.

“I said you’ll be at a loss. If you want to walk around this city in one piece, even now…!”

Slap!

I slapped him again.

“If you really come at me like this…!”

Slap!

I kept slapping him.

“Wait! Listen to me…!”

Slap!

“No, just a moment…!”

Slap! Slap! Slap!

“I was wrong! So…!!”

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

It had been a while since I’d slapped someone so hard that my palm was burning, and the chubby Pug was really feeling it.

After slapping him for a while, a burly employee rushed up to stop me.

“Sir! You can’t do this.”

I squinted and scanned the employee from head to toe. I didn’t like how he had been discriminating based on money earlier. Since I had already picked up the rod [started a fight], I decided to leave a handprint on the employee’s cheek as well.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The employee, who had fallen on his butt from the slap, clutched his swelling cheek with a dazed expression.

“Employee.”

“…Yes?”

“How are you managing the staff?”

“What do you mean by staff management…”

“I’m asking why there’s such a worthless fatty in a place where I’m eating.”

“That’s…”

The broken guy stammered.

I reached into the employee’s thick chest pocket and took out a pouch full of silver coins.

“Since you haven’t done your job properly, this is confiscated. If you’re going to manage the staff, do it right.”

The employee, who had his money stolen in an instant, pursed his lips and seemed to want to say something, but when Campbell, with his menacing look, grinned at him, he couldn’t say anything and was chased down to the first floor.

All that was left was the Pug Merchant.

The merchant seemed to realize that there was no one in this space who would help him, so he knelt down and adopted a humble attitude.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you. Please, just spare me.”

I stared at the Pug Merchant for a moment.

According to my objective big data-based physiognomy [face reading], that kind of guy is beyond redemption.

But he hadn’t killed anyone, and above all, I didn’t want to get my hands dirty catching such a fly, so I decided to just give him a little shame.

I took down the wooden sign hanging from the restaurant ceiling and carved letters on the back with Zion’s dagger.

-I will never act rashly again.

I remembered seeing scenes of middle-aged men who had been drinking and driving on Earth standing on the side of the road holding letters of apology.

I made Pug do something similar.

But a little more cruelly.

I made him take off all his clothes, exposing his disgusting flabby flesh, and kneel on the second-floor balcony in front of everyone, holding the wooden sign high.

The Pug’s face flushed so red that it looked like it would explode.

“Remember this moment. No matter where you are, there’s always someone above you. If you act without knowing your place, that’s what will happen, so reflect on yourself.”

“……”

“Answer?”

“I understand! I’m sorry!”

When I raised my hand to threaten him, Pug, whose already fat face was even more swollen, nodded frantically.

Now it was time to leave the restaurant.

As I was about to leave, I noticed three naked slaves with only their gaunt ribs showing.

“I’m taking these people too.”

Leaving Pug, who had a lot to say but couldn’t, I left the bar. As soon as I came out, I broke the slaves’ chains.

Clang.

The slaves, who had suddenly found freedom, looked at me with bewildered expressions. I calmly said to those slaves.

“You are free. So go wherever you want, wherever you want to go.”

At first, the slaves looked at each other with uneasy faces and didn’t trust me. They thought I was playing a trick and immediately prostrated themselves and begged for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t abandon us.”

“We’ll work hard every day.”

“Please don’t hit us.”

How harshly did the chubby Pug treat the slaves that they had already forgotten their egos and only learned how to obey someone?

“I’m serious. You are free. If you don’t want freedom, then you’ve given up on being human, so I’ll kill you on the spot.”

When I drew my sword and emitted a faint murderous aura, tears welled up in the slaves’ eyes as they finally confirmed my sincerity.

“Really?”

“Have you only lived being deceived? It’s true.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Waaah!”

The slaves, who had dramatically found the freedom they thought they had lost forever, prostrated themselves and wept bitterly.

Pitying them as they sobbed, Zion took out spare hoodies and covered the slaves’ naked bodies.

Two of the three slaves bowed repeatedly, thanked us, and disappeared into the back alley.

The only remaining slave hesitated to leave.

“Why are you standing still?”

“I have nowhere to go.”

There are cases like that too.

A sad case of losing everything, becoming a slave without family or relatives.

Even if they find freedom, they have no idea what to do or where to go, a life like a stranded ship in a vast ocean.

Since it had come to this, I decided to be a lighthouse and point the way for the young man who had just escaped slavery.

“Take this for now.”

I handed him about 30 silver.

“This is the amount including the fare. Bribe the captain at the north of the port, take a ship, and cross the Goblin Sea. If you go up for a few days, you’ll see the Albus Territory, get off there.”

“The Albus Territory?”

“That’s right. There’s a Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps there. If you don’t know what to do, go there. Go there and swing a sword or something and think about how you’re going to live in the future.”

The reason for this suggestion was that the slave looked to have good muscles even in his emaciated state.

The slave, who received the money politely with both hands, had tears in his eyes.

“Thank you. I will never forget this grace.”

“You can forget it.”

The slave, who put the money in his arms, took a few steps cautiously and then stopped and turned around.

“Benefactor, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me.”

“Be careful of the Pug Merchant. He’s a man who doesn’t forget grudges. He’ll do anything to get rid of you now.”

Is he worried about us in the midst of all this?

I like his personality.

I gave him a grin.

“I’d rather he did. Then I’d have a reason to beat him openly.”

“You can’t underestimate him. This Liang is a place where the self-governing corps directly run by the merchant guild has a stronger influence than the security forces that protect the city.”

At this point, I became curious about the slave.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Yucal.”

“Thanks for the good information, Yucal. Is there anything else you know?”

“I only accidentally found out about the information while serving Pug, so that’s all… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. That’s enough to help. I hope we have another chance to meet at the Blue Hawk Mercenary Corps.”

“Thank you.”

Yucal bowed repeatedly and headed north.

Even though he must have had a rough and difficult life as a slave, he has a good heart and good muscles to repay his kindness, so I have a feeling that we will be connected again someday.

After sending Yucal away, all that was left was me, Zion, Campbell, and the boy. I asked the boy, who was scratching the floor with his toes.

“What’s your name… Iji?”

I almost used honorifics without realizing it.

If he’s a colleague of Lord Lloyd, that means he participated in the battle against the Demon King 20 years ago, and even though he looks like a middle school student, he’s definitely older than me.

“Tom.”

“Okay. Tom. Do you have a place to go?”

“Maybe?”

Tom rolled his eyes.

It was obvious that he wanted to get away from us, but he didn’t actually have a place to go, so he gave a clumsy, hastily made answer.

But I can’t let Tom go.

That freckled boy was quite a big shot to just let go.

“Then why don’t you accompany us for a while? We’ll provide you with room and board.”

“Master, you might want to think about this again.”

“Vice-Captain, even so, this is a bit…”

For Zion and Campbell, who don’t know Tom’s identity, it may be difficult to understand the decision to take Tom, who has close to zero combat power, while carrying out a dangerous mission.

So I gave them the usual ‘I have a plan’ look.

Perhaps because I had been doing so well so far, the group just shrugged and didn’t step forward any further.

Tom stared at me intently with a blank expression. Then he nodded.

“Okay. Please take care of me. Mister.”

Now that we’ve left the tavern, it’s time to decide on our next destination. Zion and Campbell suggested visiting other taverns to inquire, but I opposed.

“When uprooting an organization buried in the shadows, you have to start by targeting the lowest members. Then they’ll bring their superiors on their own.”

There’s no need to go to the trouble of finding them.

As Yucal said earlier, the Pug Merchant must be furious and looking for us.

So I led Zion, Campbell, and Tom into a dark alley in the middle of the night. It was an area where a person could disappear without anyone knowing.

I think we waited for about 10 minutes.

Well-built men blocked the alley and slowly surrounded us.

The guy in the front, even though he was wearing a hood, could be recognized at a glance by his obese body.

“Hehehe, I told you. You can’t act recklessly in Liang.”

The Pug Merchant, who took off his hood and revealed his identity, still had swelling on his face.

“I’ve been waiting.”

“Ha! Waiting~? You’re probably thinking of running away, but it’s ridiculous how relaxed you’re pretending to be.”

“I was waiting for you.”

What I felt while walking around Liang all day was that this place was far from a free city and took slave trading for granted.

If this was the atmosphere from the beginning, Liang would never have been called a free city in the first place.

Then that means some loach [troublemaker] came in and stirred up the mud in the last few years, and I thought this loach might be greed.

Even if that wasn’t the case, places that operate inhumane systems like slavery had to be destroyed in the first place.

Then the fastest way was to clash with the armed group that formed the atmosphere of the city, and I was deliberately waiting for the self-governing corps that the merchant association had brought in.

As expected, the Pug Merchant, gnashing his teeth, thought it was a good opportunity and fearlessly stuck his head out without knowing whose mouth it was.

“Didn’t I tell you at the restaurant? You messed with the wrong person. I’m going to capture all of you and hand you over as slaves to make you live a life worse than death.”

“That’s good.”

“Hehehe, is this guy crazy? He’s going to be sold as a slave, but that’s what he says?”

“In other words, you’re involved in the slave market. You’ve saved me the trouble of having to do the legwork myself.”

I gauged the level of the self-governing corps.

Half were beginners, and there were quite a few users [those with special abilities].

Still, the equipment they had was quite high-end compared to their level, so they could raid a small to medium-sized territory.

“A beating is the best medicine for a madman. Beat them all to a pulp!”

“Waaaaaah!!!”

The men, holding weapons, screamed and rushed at us.

Wait a minute!

Let’s look back at the enemies we’ve faced so far.

The northern executive Jealousy, the owl bear that tears people in half, the smart goblins that set traps and try to take lives, the mercenary captain Gavin who has a hobby of skinning people, the werewolf Victor, and even the demon Dantaleon.

In addition to these, we have to include multiple experts and user knights.

After dealing with only hardcore enemies, it’s cute to see ordinary humans coming at us, even though they’re hairy, bearded men.

“Finish it in 5 minutes.”

There’s no need for me to step in.

As I leaned on one leg and crossed my arms, the figures of the two men and women on either side of me blurred.

“As you wish, Master.”

Zion’s camouflage is activated and blends into the darkness. The thugs who were excitedly rushing at her because she was a woman suddenly made stupid expressions when she disappeared from their sight.

“Huh? Where did she go?”

“Where did this bitch use such tricks… Keuhuk!”

One of the men, who was looking around, suddenly grabbed his neck. Red blood was gushing out between his fingers. It was Zion’s clean assassination skill, appropriately mixing camouflage and water lizard steps [a stealth technique].

“That damn bitch killed Thomas!”

“Catch her now! I’ll slice her up alive!”

The men still haven’t come to their senses.

Well, if they were at a level to grasp that she was such a master, they wouldn’t have rushed at her in the first place.

That’s how the thugs had their wrists and ankles cut off without even finding Zion’s shadow.

At this point, the guys also feel fear.

“W-what…”

“What’s going on? Why can’t I see her?”

“Damn it! Don’t hide cowardly and show yourself!”

Asking an assassin to fight openly.

That’s a very stupid thing to say.

The men, terrified, turned around, but it was already too late.

The thin dagger that left Zion’s hand was accurately embedded in the men’s temples.

Swaek! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thud!

The thugs fell on the street.

The situation was over on Zion’s side.

Now I focused on Campbell’s side.

Campbell’s side was even more brutal.

“This guy… is he some kind of ogre? How can someone be so big?”

“If you just look at his face, you’d believe he’s a monster.”

There was no mercy for the thugs who touched Campbell’s weak spot from the start.

Uwoooo!!

Campbell, who roared and charged with his massive body, pushed with his shoulder, smashed heads with his fists, and tore off arms with just his grip.

A terrible scene where blood splattered and flesh was torn.

The enemies, who witnessed killing machines they had never seen in Liang, wet their pants with yellow water.

“Run away…!!”

“It’s already too late.”

There’s no way I’d let them escape.

Zion and Campbell blocked the escape route.

One of the thugs, whose escape route had disappeared, looked around and fixed his gaze on Tom.

It was obvious that he was planning to grab him, who looked like a boy at first glance, as a hostage and escape from this place.

“Uwaaaa!!”

The guy rushes at Tom.

Even if I just left it alone, Tom would catch him, but I decided to pay off a small debt this time.

Chwaaaaaak!!!

At the same time as the Demonic Sword of the Heavenly Demon was drawn from its scabbard, the arm of the thug holding the sword floated into the air.

The guy, who suddenly became a one-armed man, knelt down and screamed.

“Kkeuak! Kkeuaaaa!!”

“It’s noisy.”

I silenced him by kicking his chin.

The situation ended too easily.

The Pug Merchant’s face turned as pale as wax when dozens of the men he had brought were lying on the floor in less than 5 minutes.

I approached him.

“Hiek! Don’t come! Don’t come!”

The chubby Pug, who was sitting on his butt, frantically pushed the floor with his feet to try to distance himself from me.

Of course, it was impossible.

Eventually, a shadow fell over Pug’s head, who was blocked by the wall.

My face was reflected in his pupils as he raised his head.

My smiling face illuminated by the moonlight.

It was truly the smile of a grim reaper.

“Let’s talk slowly. After all, the night is long.”

I grinned and licked the blade of the sword.

I look like a villain because of this, but I keep saying that they are the bad guys.

That’s how I put the sword to Pug.

And not long after, a desperate scream echoed in the back alleys of Liang.