Chapter 63

"Hey, you guys from Balca! What do you think you're doing?"

Amidst the tense standoff, a man from the neighboring village raised his voice. He pushed his way to the front of the group, weapon in hand. He wielded a large sword, a greatsword, one might say. Despite the thick and heavy blade, he moved without any sign of the weight burdening him.

His presence was quite out of place in this group. Our village's people, like most, don't have particularly good weapons. Many just grab farming tools. Spears are more commonly used as weapons for battle. The reason there are more spears than swords is economic. A sword requires a considerable length of metal from the hilt to the blade, while a spear just needs a blade attached to the end of a wooden pole. Comparatively, the amount of metal used in a spear is much less, making it cheaper. Therefore, carrying a sword indicates a certain level of economic power. In a group armed with shoddy weapons, holding a greatsword larger than a person's height exudes a powerful presence.

"Is that guy Vargas?"

"Vargas? Dad, do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know him. He's like a hero around here. He used to perform incredible feats on many battlefields."

"So he's pretty strong, huh?"

"But I heard he left this place a long time ago. He's back?"

It seems he's a celebrity from the neighboring village. People of Dad's generation and older know Vargas well. When Vargas appeared, voices rose and people started to panic. In response, the people from the neighboring village seemed to regain their composure with Vargas at the front. Even though he left this place, he must still be a reliable figure to them.

"Listen! The Fontana family has been committing atrocities against the people of Balca. We are angry and have risen up. So, you should help us!"

As I was observing the man named Vargas who stepped forward, the part-time brother stepped out in front of us and started talking. Vargas's presence with his greatsword was intimidating, but the part-time brother was a match for him. The part-time brother's equipment was the best among us, which is only natural since I prepared it.

First, the part-time brother was riding a hornless Valkyrie. Normally, farmers don't have riding skills, let alone the beasts to ride. The part-time brother, mounted on a proud, white-furred beast, was clad in a new leather armor. This armor was made from the hide of a great boar, tanned with a magic recovery potion as a catalyst. Most farmers use farming tools as weapons, and they have almost no armor, at most a wooden shield. The leather armor was custom-made to fit the part-time brother's growing body. But what was even more impressive was the weapon he held. It wasn't as large as Vargas's greatsword, but it was a hard tusk sword made from the tusk of a great boar. I had given the part-time brother one of the swords Gran made. Though not made of metal, it emitted a mysterious light. What kind of figure did the part-time brother appear to be from their perspective? They probably wouldn't even dream that he was just a farmer's second son.

"Is that equipment yours? You're the one they call the 'Great Boar Slayer' from Balca, right?"

"Huh? No, that's not me. That's my younger brother. Ars, come forward."

The part-time brother and Vargas exchanged a few words and called me over. I didn't quite understand, but if they could talk, I might as well join them.

"That guy? Hey, this must be some kind of joke. There's no way a kid like that could kill a great boar alone!"

Ah, I see. The "Great Boar Slayer" is a nickname he got for killing a great boar. Come to think of it, Gran mentioned he came to me because he heard about the great boar. The rumor must have spread quite a bit.

"Hey, I'll laugh it off as a kid's joke if you do it now. Quickly gather your people and go back."

"Are you kidding? I already said, we from Balca are fighting the Fontana family. You should help us."

"Are you kidding? There's no way I'm going to get involved in such a ridiculous story."

"Hey, what did you say?"

"What, you gonna fight?"

This is bad. The part-time brother and Vargas started bickering. But it could easily escalate beyond just words. Both sides were inching closer, weapons in hand, ready to charge.

There's no choice. I gave up on a peaceful resolution and aimed a warning shot of magic at Vargas.

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