Chapter 97

"Even if it's a war!"

When I came to the guild, Chuck was making some kind of noise.

He occasionally makes such noises, not just in summer. Ignore him.

"Mongrel! I'm talking to you, you!"

"Ah, it's me. What's up all of a sudden? I'm about to report on the city cleanup."

"Ah, you're being such a good boy! If that's the case, you finish your report first, then we'll talk...!"

"Ah, you'll wait for me. Sorry, I don't know what it's about."

I know it's probably some trivial matter anyway.

After receiving the meager reward for the city cleanup, I got a pint of ale at the guild's bar counter and sat down at Chuck's table.

At the same table, the elite members of "Harvest Sword" were drinking. They are young guys like Chuck, skilled but a bit cocky.

"Mongrel... I heard... I heard..."

"What did you hear? That I turned 30?"

"Seriously? Congratulations. But that's not it, man! I heard that you gave a gift to Josette to get her attention!"

"I don't know what you're talking about... It was just a thank you for the fishing rod and reel casting he did for me. There wasn't anything else... He just said if there's another interesting order, he'll give it to me."

"Who did Chuck hear this from, anyway?"

"Old Orietta from the shop across the street saw it and testified!"

"Another one of those mysterious old ladies..."

"Mongrel, Chuck is more of a ladies' man in that regard."

"That's true. This guy is liked by old ladies."

"Shut up! I want to be popular with young girls!"

Chuck's cry was so earnest and pitiful. Well, I can't really say much about him not being popular because of his character...

"Hey, Mongrel. Chuck is irrelevant, but..."

"Hey!"

"What is it?"

"Didn't you hear that 'Death' came to Regal a while ago? It seems that the black warhorse is still in the noble district."

"Ah, that cool warhorse. It's been three days since it arrived, so it's still staying in Regal, huh?"

"Death of the Moon" is a special unit directly under the state. They usually rush around the country in a hurry, and when they're not, they're supposed to be in the capital.

"From what I heard, they're training the guards and soldiers in Regal. I haven't seen it myself, so this is just a rumor. I don't know the actual situation."

"Hmm, 'Death' is personally training them in combat. That's good, it might be tough but they'll learn a lot."

"Ha, I can't do that fancy swordsmanship for soldiers."

"Ha ha ha... Chuck, you're weak in one-on-one combat. You always lose to the 'Shield of the Earth' guys in mock battles."

"Shut up! I'm strong against monsters!"

Soldiers and guards inevitably prioritize one-on-one combat.

They are trained to deal with criminals in the city or enemy soldiers in war. You have to be strong against thugs to be a guard.

The members of "Shield of the Earth" are skilled in that kind of swordsmanship, so they are strong. Chuck is also quite strong, but the way of fighting against monsters is quite different, so it's inevitable.

"Still, how strong are 'Death' really? They are cavalry, right? Can they even use that huge great halberd when they dismount?"

"Mongrel, you have that weapon too, right? What do you think about it?"

"Well, I've never used it in actual combat, so I don't know."

"What!? Why did you buy it!?"

"For show, of course!"

"Idiot!"

I was called an idiot by an idiot. The one who calls others an idiot is an idiot.

"But I don't think 'Death' cares about that. They can hold the great halberd with one hand without wobbling. They are top-notch in terms of reinforcement and have more than six skills."

"Really!? Even the strongest guards only have about four skills..."

"Can they maintain their magic power with so many skills...? Oh, maybe they have enough magic power as mages..."

"They are monsters..."

I think they are actually monsters. They have spear skills, axe skills, and scythe skills for the great halberd. They can quickly switch and use the appropriate one in the right situation. They also have body reinforcement to support the large weapon and long-range magic. Honestly, I think they have some kind of cheat. They might be reincarnated. I might be a general guild member who believes I am reincarnated.

"Damn... But I want to try a mock battle... I want to know my current strength..."

"Hey, Chuck is saying something pretty humble."

"Of course! I'm going for gold, gold!"

"If Chuck goes, I'll go too! But I'm still at silver 3 first!"

"Even silver 3 is far away..."

These guys have a surprisingly straightforward ambition, which is good.

I wonder why they don't have the same refreshing quality as "Shield of the Earth"...

"If I can make 'Death' kneel in a mock battle, maybe it will be a bonus point for the next promotion review!"

"Can you make them kneel?"

"Chuck can't, but I can."

"What!?"

"Chuck, dream only after you can beat Mongrel first! Ha ha ha!"

"Mongrel, you!"

"No, I didn't say anything in the conversation just now."

"Fight me!"

I don't get how it turned into this.

"Sure, why not... I'm free anyway..."

"Alright! Let's go to the training ground!"

"Be careful, you might fall because you're drunk!"

"Let's watch, let's watch!"

In a strange turn of events, I ended up having a mock battle with Chuck.

"One good hit and it's a win! Stopping short is also allowed!"

"Sure, the usual rules. Ugh... these loaner armors... I'll take mine off."

"Hey, Mongrel, put on the armor! You might get hurt!"

"It's fine, Chuck's attacks won't hit me, and even if they do, this sword won't hurt."

The training ground's floor is well-trodden soil. Falling will hurt a bit, but it's not as bad as the city's bricks or tiles. It's a good field for training, easy to move and less likely to get injured.

"Mongrel... Don't underestimate me too much."

"Hey, are you sobering up a bit?"

"Hey, Mongrel, you're provoking Chuck too much."

"Both of you, no real fighting, okay?"

"I know."

"...Mongrel! Is this wooden sword okay? You can use a shield and a longsword too!"

"Training with different weapons is good. Besides, with this bastard sword, I'm the strongest man in the world."

A wooden training sword, a thin wooden sword with some cloth wrapped around it. The cloth isn't thick enough to make it soft, and a strong hit will still hurt. It's a proper weapon, better than the crude sticks goblins sometimes use.

"...I've never liked your cocky equipment... Today, I'll show you the strength of the longsword, Mongrel!"

My wooden sword is about a meter long, a bastard sword size, while Chuck's is a longsword, probably 30 cm longer.

He doesn't have a shield, but with the gauntlet, he can wield the longsword with both hands, which is good for both offense and defense. It's a classic setup for a swordsman in this world.

"Hey, look, Chuck is having a mock battle over there!"

"Against Mongrel? That sounds interesting!"

"Go get 'em, Chuck! Show your silver skills!"

"Mongrel, put on the armor!"

"I don't want to, it smells! Make sure to wash and dry it after you use it!"

"What is he saying!"

Chuck, standing in front of me, is already focused.

He has a sharp, thug-like look, but his skills are real. He's not just a silver-ranked name. Once the match starts, he will attack fiercely.

...It's been a while. I haven't stood in a regular mock battle like this, not as an examiner.

"Alright, be careful not to get hurt... Begin!"

The referee's voice rang out, and Chuck's eyes widened.

"Ugh, come on!"

"Let's go, come at me!"

I countered his overhead swing with my own overhead swing. A brute force clash. His sword is bigger and longer. In terms of the power of a single overhead strike, he should win. Normally.

"Ooh...!?"

"What's wrong, Chuck! Are you drunk!?"

"Damn, this is nothing...!"

But I'm strong. Chuck probably came with all his might, but he can't win in a strength contest against me. I won't lose in a sword clash! Use your reach, Chuck! Fight on your terms, not mine!

"I'm not going for a fancy match, you know!"

"Ugh!"

I kicked him in the knee, but he barely guarded it with his knee.

We moved apart, and the match was back to square one. ...The cheers from the crowd are annoying. This isn't a show... or maybe it is.

"You damn fool... What's with this brute force...!"

Despite his angry words, he seems to understand the situation. He readied his sword and prepared to fight at a distance. This time, he approached slowly, paying attention to the distance.

"Hey, if you can't even kick a bronze 3 like me, a match against 'Death' is a dream within a dream."

"..."

He didn't fall for the provocation and quickly swung his longsword horizontally from a distance.

It's a fighting style that takes advantage of the longsword's reach. If he can maintain this distance, he can win one-sidedly. Normally. But I'm not normal.

"Really, Chuck, you're not good at one-on-one combat, are you?"

"Ugh!?"

I countered his sword attack by hitting his sword.

He probably thought he could attack safely from a distance, but I won't let him swing lazily. I hit his sword to disrupt his stance.

"Let's have a sword clash! I don't have much technique, so let's go for a strength contest, Chuck!"

"Ugh, oh...! Damn...!"

I closed the distance and forcefully deflected his attacks.

There's no finesse or swordsmanship in this movement. I just closed the distance and hit his sword with mine.

It's a brute force tactic, relying on my strength.

...Well, I could fight in a more technical way if I wanted to, but everyone is watching. I won't.

"Take this!"

"Ah!?"

Chuck held out, but after about twenty clashes, my horizontal swing sent his wooden sword flying. It landed far away, out of reach. Now Chuck is weaponless.

"Match over! Winner: Mongrel!"

"Haha! What do you think? I'm not that weak to be beaten by a drunk kid!"

"Damn! What's with this brute force fighting! You have no technique or anything!"

"Winning is all that matters! Haha!"

Chuck is shaking his numb hand and growling, but it was a one-sided match. The content was super simple, but the outcome was clear to everyone.

"Mongrel is strong."

"You do your regular tasks like this too, right?"

"Of course. Strength is power in this world."

"Ugh... My hand is still numb...! What's with his sword strikes...! I can't even deflect them...!"

"Good job, Chuck. I didn't expect you to lose... but it can't be helped."

"Mongrel is still as strong as ever..."

Well, I play the strong guy, so it's fine.

I actually have a pretty intellectual side. I'm not a brainless musclehead. Don't get that wrong!

"Chuck, if you want to beat me, you need to study more one-on-one swordsmanship."

"Damn... What a reasonable lecture... I don't want to hear it from someone who doesn't practice swordsmanship...!"

"Haha! Hey, I won, so buy me a pint of ale!"

"What!? We didn't make that deal!"

"It's a study fee, a study fee!"

"Don't spring it on me now!"