Chapter 181 : Chapter 181

Chapter 181 : Survival of the Fittest

“Heavenly Demon, Divine Cult……?”

Bolero frowned.

He had a look on his face like he had chewed on a rotten fish.

I answered indifferently.

“It is a name I just came up with. No need to look for meaning in it.”

It was the truth.

It was something that flashed into my mind the moment I locked eyes with Bolero while looking at the Heavenly Demon.

Why Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

It did not matter to me, but I could not force Noser, a natural-born noble, and Bolero, a devout priest, to blindly act like ruffians.

However, what if we were a group of the Black Way that put forward faith but chased greed, in other words, an Evil Cult?

Then, the two of them would also be able to naturally disguise themselves as elegant yet corrupt believers without damaging their dignity too severely.

‘Heavenly Demon Evil Cult 'sounds a bit strange, so I just went with Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.’

That was good improvisation, Bihen.

At this, Noser nodded and spoke.

“That sounds interesting. I also wanted to let go of everything and cause a scene for once.”

Noser was a man with more flexible thinking than I thought. I decided to upgrade my evaluation of him by one level.

“No, do we really have to go this far?”

“Bolero. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It is not Solari or the Imperial Capital Knight Order that can govern those guys.”

“It is the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

Bolero looked back and forth with anxious eyes at me and Noser, who answered in turn. He had a face that suspected we had eaten something wrong.

“Good, that is decided for now.”

“The problem is how to naturally enter Brakenport.”

Noser and I hit it off perfectly.

The two of us looked at each other and pulled our chins toward our necks at the same time.

Just then―

“Hmm?”

Bolero turned his head.

Three boys were walking over hesitatingly.

***

Suddenly, McRay opened his eyes wide.

A scene as ominous as Deiron's death flashed through his mind. He turned around and whispered quickly.

“I, I have a bad feeling. Let’s go back. Quickly……!”

“What is wrong?”

“……They are dangerous, those people. I have a proper feeling. Trust me for real this time.”

Tiaro roughly shook off McRay's arm.

“Starting again, you crazy guy. Forget it. Let’s finish quickly and go back. Before Alkabang blows his lid.”

He walked unhesitatingly toward the three people.

“Yo― Nice to meet you, everyone?”

Seeing them up close, it was understandable why McRay made a fuss.

All three had physiques that were far from ordinary.

Especially the bald man with a mustache who was half-naked; his revealed muscles looked extraordinary.

Still, Tiaro had grown up seeing all sorts of things in the Kingdom’s worst lawless zone, Brakenport.

He was not one to be intimidated by appearances.

“This is a place where people do not come and go often. Do you happen to be lost?”

The three men exchanged glances.

Noser gestured to Bihen with his chin as if yielding the right to speak.

“It seems so. Will you help us?”

Tiaro turned his head sharply toward his group.

He shouted a silent cheer, then quickly fixed his expression and returned his head to its original position.

“Of course.”

“Where did you come from?”

“Over there― Brakenport.”

Bihen's group looked at each other and nodded subtly.

The method was very insidious.

It seemed they intended to lure us in and take us since it was difficult to openly plunder on the road.

Meanwhile, Tiaro almost felt pity for the three people who were unknowingly relieved.

Thus, his voice became softer.

“If it is okay with you, would you like to stay in Brakenport for a few days? We can provide room and board.”

“Oh, really?”

“Oh my, of course. You are precious outsiders, naturally, we should treat you to that extent.”

Bright smiles spread across the faces of the six men.

Anyway, it fit perfectly. Each was a benefactor to the other.

“I am Ellen, this is Tiaro, and McRay. We are running a tourism business in Brakenport.”

Hearing those words, Noser deliberately exclaimed aloud.

Tourism in Brakenport?

There was a limit to being brazen; he vowed to properly scold them.

“Rare young men these days.”

“Haha, it is nothing. So we would like to show the three of you around Brakenport, how about it?”

“Is there any reason to refuse? We are only grateful.”

As Noser laughed consciously, Bihen, Bolero, and even Ellen's Gang all laughed aloud.

“Instead, there is a condition.”

“A condition?”

“Yes. Since the perception of our Brakenport is bad, business is not easy. We would like the three of you to spread the word a bit.”

They were putting unnecessary effort into lies when they were going to strip us dry and kill us without anyone knowing anyway.

Thinking that, Noser patted Ellen's shoulder.

“Leave it to us. We will surely do so, if only for the sake of your commendable efforts.”

Ellen grinned and wetted his lips with his tongue. While doing so, he looked at McRay. Bad feeling, my ass.

“Where did you three come from?”

“We came from the Empire.”

“Aha, the Empire.”

The smiles of Ellen's Gang stopped abruptly at the same time.

“The Empire, you say……?”

“Our ship was shipwrecked on the way to Brakenport. We were wandering lost when we happened to meet you.”

Noser and Bolero added a word each.

“Lucky.”

“Right, we were lucky.”

The faces of Ellen's Gang hardened slightly.

The smiles of the three men felt somehow murderous.

Tiaro narrowed his eyes and asked.

“You came to find Brakenport from the Empire?”

Bihen answered nonchalantly.

“Is there a problem?”

“……Uh, of course. How do they know Brakenport in the Empire?”

“Brakenport is quite famous in the Empire too. For being a place where many of the Kingdom's skilled people are gathered.”

Only then did Ellen's Gang nod as if agreeing.

If it was for that reason, it made sense.

Tiaro became conceited for no reason and shrugged his shoulders.

“I am Bihen Benkou of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. I want to do some missionary work in Brakenport, would that be okay?”

“Eh? How exactly do you plan to do missionary work?”

“Do I have to explain it in words for you to understand? The method in this field is obvious. You guys know it too.”

Bihen shrugged his shoulders.

Ellen quickly intercepted Tiaro's turn as he was about to answer something.

The corners of his mouth were raised in a relaxed manner.

“Of course. If the customer desires, we can arrange sword fights or fistfights as much as you like.”

***

“Ere, I toaa oo dey wa eer.”

McRay spoke as if using ventriloquism with his teeth clenched.

It was while constantly glancing at the three people following behind them.

Tiaro shook his head.

“Yeah, they are weird, alright. Doesn't that mean the three of them came to raid Brakenport? They were complete nutjobs.”

“I aid, dey wa eer……”

“Stop caring. If push comes to shove, we can just sell all three as slaves to the duel arena and be done with it.”

Ellen pressed them.

Of course, he had no intention of doing so.

A preposterous imagination flashed by that perhaps business could flourish in the Empire, but it was a laughable delusion even to himself, so he did not dare voice it.

Ellen turned around and showed a reassuring smile to the three people.

The three people also raised the corners of their mouths in response.

Of course, it was a fake laugh.

Especially Bihen, who was eavesdropping on the conversation of Ellen's Gang with enhanced hearing that far exceeded the limits of a normal person.

‘Cute guys.’

Thanks to them, the entry into Brakenport, which was the biggest obstacle, was easily solved.

Originally, the more closed-off a place is, the trickier it is to cross its threshold.

‘I should make up a rough excuse to get separated and then track the Phantom Demon alone.’

In the meantime, I planned to entrust the plan of taking over Brakenport, that is, the duty of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, to Noser and Bolero.

No matter how many there were, the two of them were enough to deal with vagrants.

It was as soon as the group entered Brakenport.

A thunderous roar that seemed to tear eardrums rang out.

“Elleeennnn―!”

A huge figure soared into the air.

It was with both hands holding a mace thrown all the way back.

Kwa― ang!

He slammed it down just like that.

It was right in front of Ellen.

Pusshhh―

Steam rose from the deeply gouged ground.

It seemed he had imbued mana.

Sparks were hanging on the tip of the mace.

‘Ho.’

I, who was following behind, exclaimed quietly.

Noser and Bolero were the same.

It was because none of the members of Ellen's Gang blinked an eye.

“Fucking Rookie― El! Len!”

The giant shouted.

The volume coming from a physique that matched Bolero’s was enormous.

“My boss’s words don’t sound like words to you, huh?! Are you saying the Alkabang Gang is funny! Ang―?!”

The giant pointed as if to crush Ellen with a thick finger.

Ellen’s eyes sank dimly.

“So what are you going to do? Are you going to help with our business?”

“Th, Thiiisss―! You crawl up without knowing the fear of heaven just because we coddle you! Even though I told you you're a fucking rookie!”

Tiaro, who was listening from the side, picked his ear indifferently and spat out.

“Fucking noisy, son of a bitch.”

“Wha, Whaaat―! What did you just babble, you bastard!”

“Accept it nicely when we treat you like a senior, Johnana.”

The giant, Johnana, lamented as if it was absurd.

“……Ha! These guys are crazy as a group, completely! Aaang―?!”

Johnana's eyes bulged as if they would burst.

His burning gaze reached my group in the back.

“……Ha! You picked up some beggar bastards from somewhere again―”

Johnana took a step toward us.

He smacked his lips as if he had discovered delicious prey.

“Take back what you just said.”

Ellen raised his arm and blocked Johnana’s path.

The gazes of the two crossed from above and below.

“They are our customers.”

“……Ha! This crazy bastard.”

Just then, Tiaro abruptly cut in.

He cracked his neck left and right and grinned.

“This won’t do. Fight me, bastard. It doesn’t matter if we bleed among ourselves, right?”

As soon as he spoke, Tiaro kicked Johnana's thigh hard.

As the giant stumbled, fists landed consecutively on his face, chest, and stomach.

Peok! Peok! Peok!

It was a sound like a hammer repeatedly striking sticky soil.

Cheers erupted from the onlookers.

“Ohh! Tiaro, that guy has improved quite a bit?”

“He is a respectable family member now! He isn't a guy to be just looked down on!”

“Wow― Ellen's Gang guys, their spirit is indeed extraordinary! To touch Alkabang's Gang already!”

Kung―!

Johnana knelt and then collapsed just like that.

His eyes were half-rolled back.

Just then, McRay stepped forward.

The wrapping cloth tied at his waist came loose, revealing short hand axes held in both hands.

The two blades flashed.

It was the moment he rushed straight at Johnana and was about to strike down with the axes.

“Stop, McRay!”

Ellen restrained him.

He pulled Tiaro and McRay back.

“That is enough.”

McRay’s eyes, which had rolled back, returned to normal.

He trembled as if he had woken up from being possessed by a ghost, then quickly put away the axes.

Tiaro spat phlegm on Johnana's face and stepped back.

Ellen spoke.

“Johnana, get lost. I will report to Alkabang myself.”

Johnana trembled and crawled on the ground before running away just like that.

The voices of the onlookers grew even louder.

“Did you see? Ellen's Gang guys are not ordinary?”

“If Tiaro is that good, just how good is Ellen?”

In Brakenport, fights between factions break out every other day.

It was a common scene.

Even if it was the Alkabang Gang and a rookie, Ellen's Gang, a fight between low-ranking members did not receive much attention.

The crowd that had gathered dispersed quickly.

In that gap, Ellen approached us.

“You were all surprised, right? It is embarrassing, but this is daily life in Brakenport.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“It was a fun watch.”

“If so, that is a relief. Anyway, since the situation is like this, it is dangerous to wander around as you please without our escort here. You understand?”

Ellen clapped his hands lightly as he finished speaking.

Responding to that, Tiaro and McRay each took out carefully folded clothes from their backpacks and distributed them to the three of us.

They were long gray robes.

“Even if it is a little uncomfortable, it is for your safety.”

When the three of us draped the gray robes over our bodies, we really gave off the atmosphere of an evil cult group.

It was an atmosphere where everyone was satisfied.

Ellen took out a small flag and waved it.

“Welcome to Brakenport, you three.”