Chapter 417 (Patreon)

It was in the middle of the night, and the bright moon hung above the ocean like a pale eye watching the commotion below, its silver light reflecting across the dark waves as nearly every adventurer aboard the ship gathered around the two people who were about to fight to the death. 

The boredom that had settled over the ship during the long journey had vanished completely, replaced by excitement, curiosity, and the occasional whisper as people placed their bets, and most of them had already decided who they expected to win. It was hardly surprising. Kana looked like a young girl who had somehow wandered into a gathering of seasoned adventurers while holding a strange sword far too long for someone her age, whereas the man standing across from her looked like a properly equipped [Thief], complete with armor, and the posture of someone who had survived more than a few dangerous battles. To the people watching, the result seemed obvious.

There was only one rule that mattered tonight. Kana would not use any of her active skills.

Enzo had no skills available to him either, thanks to Telia's [Negate], which had sealed away his ability to use the skills he would normally rely upon to escape or turn the battle in his favor. It was a condition that should have made him feel confident. After all, he had spent years fighting people who depended too heavily on their skills, and a [Thief] who knew how to fight without them could be terrifying in the right circumstances. He still had his daggers, his instincts, his experience, and the countless little tricks he had accumulated throughout his life.

That should have been enough.

At least, that was what Enzo kept telling himself.

Across from him, Kana slowly lowered her gaze toward the weapon in her hand.

The [Ogre Sword] looked different beneath the moonlight.

Its crimson blade seemed darker than usual, almost as though the silver light pouring over it had brought out the color of something far more sinister. The sword itself was strange enough to make Enzo uncomfortable. Its sharpness seemed almost useless against anything that was not alive. When Kana had tested it against golems and undead inside the dungeon, the blade had barely done anything impressive.

But against a living target, it was a completely different weapon. Even the smallest cut could cause blood to continue flowing.

He had seen plenty of expensive weapons during his years as a thief, and he had stolen enough valuable items to recognize when something was special. That sword was not simply expensive.

It was dangerous.

I must be careful. He thought.

“Once I kill her, you will let me go!” Enzo shouted, making certain that his voice carried across the entire deck. “Tell everyone!”

Prime stood a short distance away, his expression as calm as ever despite the situation.

“You have my word,” he said loudly. “Everyone here is a witness.”

Several adventurers nodded, while others began whispering among themselves.

Enzo tightened his grip around his daggers.

Good. That was all he needed.

If he won, he would walk away with his life.

A large wave struck the front of the ship, sending a tremendous splash of seawater against the wooden hull, and the impact caused the entire vessel to tremble beneath their feet.

Prime raised one hand.

Kana was already moving.

She held the unsheathed [Ogre Sword] downward at her side, the tip hovering dangerously close to the deck as she began walking toward him with slow steps. There was no unnecessary movement in her posture, no dramatic stance, and no sign that she was trying to intimidate him.

That almost made Enzo more nervous.

He smiled anyway.

A [Swordsman] type opponent was exactly the kind of person he had fought countless times before. Their strength was usually concentrated in their attacks, and their movements tended to become predictable once they committed to a swing. A [Thief], on the other hand, survived by making the opponent attack the wrong place at the wrong time.

He only needed one opening.

One mistake.

His fingers tightened around the daggers.

Then he moved.

Enzo's feet shifted rapidly across the deck as he began his approach, his body weaving from side to side in an irregular rhythm that made it difficult to predict where he would strike. At the last moment, he suddenly changed direction, bouncing sideways before launching himself toward Kana's flank.

Several adventurers gasped.

His movement was fast.

Too fast for someone who was his size.

Kana's eyes followed him.

Enzo saw the opening.

He pushed forward, twisting his body as he slipped behind her, one dagger already rising toward the back of her neck.

For a moment, he thought he had done it.

Then Kana moved.

She did not turn her head.

She did not even look at him.

The [Ogre Sword] simply rose behind her with a sharp movement, catching his dagger before it could reach her.

CLANG!

The sound rang across the deck.

Enzo's eyes widened. How?

Before he could understand what had happened, Kana turned around and swung downward.

The sword came toward him with terrifying speed.

Enzo barely managed to cross both daggers above his head.

The impact nearly drove him to his knees. His arms shook violently. “What...?”

He had expected strength. He had not expected this. The force behind the attack was absurd.

Kana's sword pressed against his crossed daggers, forcing them downward inch by inch as though they were nothing more than pieces of wood. Enzo gritted his teeth and pushed back with everything he had, his muscles straining beneath his armor as the veins in his hands and neck became visible.

It did not matter.

Kana continued pressing down.

Her expression had barely changed.

There was no rage in her eyes, no excitement, and no desperation. She looked almost confused, as though she could not understand why he was having such difficulty resisting.

Enzo's boots scraped against the wooden deck. His knees began to bend. “Damn it...”

He tried to shift sideways.

Kana followed. He tried to push the sword towards the side but he couldn't.

His arms were trembling now, and his breathing had become ragged as the pressure continued to increase. The strength behind the sword was not something he could counter with technique. It was not a matter of finding the correct angle or exploiting an opening.

He was simply weaker.

The realization struck him harder than the sword itself.

Enzo dropped to one knee.

The surrounding adventurers erupted into shouting.

Some of the people who had bet on him began cursing, while others laughed and shouted in disbelief at how quickly the fight had turned. Enzo barely heard them. His entire attention was focused on the sword pressing down against his daggers and the young girl standing in front of him.

This was supposed to be a fight he could win. He had fought stronger-looking opponents before. He had survived situations where one mistake would have gotten him killed. He had stolen from people who could have crushed him with a single attack.

Yet none of that mattered now.

The girl was simply too strong.

His arms finally gave out. Enzo's eyes widened as the realization became impossible to deny. “I lost.” 

Kana did not stop.

Enzo gulped hard. “I lost!”

Still, Kana's cold gaze remained fixed on him.

There was no relief in her expression, no excitement from winning, and no hesitation either.

Only silence.

Enzo gritted his teeth, frustration and disbelief mixing together as he looked up at the girl who had defeated him with nothing more than raw strength and a sword.

“Damn it!” he shouted.

His voice echoed across the deck. “I lost.”

Kana continued pushing the [Ogre Sword] downward.

Enzo had already surrendered.

It did not matter. Kana had thought that was what Prime wanted. The condition had been clear enough to her. If Enzo won, he would be allowed to live. If he lost, then this would be his final day on the continent.

So she did not stop. The crimson blade continued downward.

Enzo's arms had already reached their limit from resisting Kana's strength. His crossed daggers trembled violently as the sword pushed through his defense, and then there was a sharp crack.

Enzo screamed. One of his arms gave way beneath the pressure. The [Ogre Sword] slipped past his broken defense and continued toward his forehead.

Then something appeared between them.

CLANG!

Zaa'rd's claw caught the blade.

The beastman had moved so quickly that Kana had barely seen him leave his position among the spectators. His large wolf-like hand was now gripping the crimson blade, his sturdy claws pressed against it as he stopped Kana's attack only a short distance from Enzo's face.

For the first time since the battle began, Kana's eyes widened.

Zaa'rd looked down at Enzo before slowly grinning, his long canine teeth fully exposed.

“Our young lady would have definitely killed him,” he said. “Her strength truly belongs to someone from the Northern people.”

Kana slowly pulled her sword back. Enzo remained frozen on the ground. For several seconds, he did not even seem capable of understanding what had happened. Sweat covered his face, and his remaining arm trembled as he stared at the sword that had nearly ended his life.

Then Prime walked toward them.

The surrounding crowd immediately began booing.

“That's it?”

“I thought this was a fight to the death!”

“What a waste!”

The complaints continued around them. After all, most of the adventurers had gathered expecting a long and bloody fight, perhaps one filled with clever tricks from the [Thief] or a desperate struggle from the young girl with the strange sword.

Instead, Enzo had been overwhelmed almost immediately.

Prime ignored the disappointed crowd.

“I thought you were going to hesitate,” he said as he approached Kana. “If you had, it would have affected your position within our party.”

Kana sheathed the [Ogre Sword].

Prime's eyes followed the weapon until it disappeared into its sheath. Then he smirked. “Long-range damage dealer?” he said. “No. You're clearly a close-combat fighter.”

Kana tilted her head. “I thought I needed to kill him.”

Prime paused. Then he coughed. “Sorry. I was testing you.”

Kana stared at him.

Prime looked away for a moment.

“And besides,” he continued, “killing him just like that would have been a mercy.”

Kana's expression changed slightly.

Prime pointed toward Enzo, who was still kneeling on the deck while several members of the ship's crew cautiously approached him.

“I'm planning to bring him with me to the Lawless City and sell him as a slave. With his skills, I'm sure he'll fetch a high price.”

Kana blinked. “A high price?”

Prime nodded.

Kana thought about it for a moment.

Then she said, “You'll give me my share, right?”

Prime stared at her. For a brief moment, the serious expression on his face disappeared. Then he almost laughed. “Of course.”

Kana nodded in satisfaction.

Behind them, the ship's crew finally approached Enzo. One of them carefully grabbed his uninjured arm while another secured his hands, and they began escorting him toward the small holding cell beneath the deck. Enzo looked back once toward Kana, his expression complicated.

There was anger.

Fear.

And perhaps something else.

Kana could not blame him for being afraid. He had probably thought he would die a few moments earlier.

Telia and Gerad hurried toward them. Gerad looked Kana over from head to toe, as though checking whether she had somehow been injured during the fight.

“I was worried back there,” he admitted. “I thought you were going to lose.”

Kana looked at him.

Gerad immediately realized how strange that sounded. “I mean... before the fight started. I didn't know how strong that man actually was.”

Kana nodded slowly. Then she hesitated. “There is something I want to ask.”

Prime turned toward her.

Enzo was now being escorted away, his figure slowly disappearing toward the stairs leading beneath the deck.

Kana looked at Prime. “What would have happened if I lost?”

Prime chuckled. “Lost?”

Kana nodded. Prime's expression became thoughtful. “I have a skill that allows me to see through a person's strength during nighttime.”

Prime continued. “When I look at most people, I can get a rough idea of how strong they are. Not their exact abilities or skills, but enough to understand where they stand.”

He pointed toward Zaa'rd. “I can see his strength.”

Prime finally looked directly at Kana.

“But you?”

Kana remained silent. Prime slowly shook his head. “I can't see anything. Just like Tel.”

For a moment, Kana did not know how to respond.

.Prime crossed his arms.

“I never believed you would lose,” he said. “I only wanted to see how you fought so I could determine your proper position within the party.”

His eyes briefly moved toward the sword on Kana's waist.

“I thought you were going to be our flexible long-range damage dealer. Someone who could switch between scouting, archery, and close combat depending on the situation.”

He paused. “Now I'm not so sure.”

Kana frowned. “Is that bad?”

“No.” Prime smiled faintly. “It means you're more troublesome than I expected. For now, the two of us will be at the frontline.”

Kana was silent. Prime looked toward the dark ocean beyond the deck.

The wind blew across the ship. Somewhere beneath the deck, Enzo shouted angrily as the crew locked him inside the holding cell.

Kana placed one hand over the hilt of the [Ogre Sword].

For some reason, she had the feeling that Prime was right. She still did not know what position she truly belonged in.

A scout?

A long-range damage dealer?

A close-combat fighter?

Kana looked toward the darkness stretching endlessly across the ocean. Soon, they would arrive at the Cursed Island. Maybe then, she would finally find out with the help of a party veteran’s perspective.

Post note:

Apologies for the late post. Happy weekends!

Hope you enjoy the chap.

Fifth chap of the week! 🙂

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