Chapter 18 - Luck Or Fight

Shiro's hand was equivalent to two hands of the half-wolf, which didn't necessarily mean that he had more physical strength, but it did mean that he had an advantage in a melee fight.

From the Ebony Sledgehammer that Shiro carried, Luke could conclude that Shiro was also very skilled because this Sledgehammer had three large teeth and normal claves, have four. Sacrificing blades on a weapon made for tearing meant that all three blades had something special.

The two friends walked back to the large field that was behind the mansion. Since there was still some time left until lunch, they could settle that bet right now.

The calm wind was blowing on the low grass, which was marked by every step of Shiro's armor.

"Are you a tank?" Luke asked. Although he didn't understand much about the guild class system, he knew that one of the main characteristics of a tank was to be big.

Shiro beat his chest and said: "After that day, I betrayed the nickname 'The Protector' and ended up becoming a Berserker. I have no regrets." He was wearing a proud smile.

Luke was not surprised. "And what do Berserkers do on expeditions?"

"We just have to throw ourselves in the middle of the monsters and kill everyone, while being supported by paladins and mages."

"Eeh? That sounds dangerous."

"No doubt it's very dangerous, that's why there are no Berserkers of rank higher than B."

"Rank?"

Shiro looked with surprise at the half-wolf and, in a few seconds, understood. "It's another word for Class." At the Landford house, Shiro had the opportunity to start studying, but it didn't seem that Luke had been as lucky.

Since the field was huge and empty, the two friends knew there would be no obstacles, and it would be a straight fight.

"Shall we begin?" Luke said, taking off his hood and revealing his wolf ears.

Shiro nodded, grabbed the club from his belt, dropped it to the ground, and struck a base pose to receive attacks.

The game 'Luck or Fight' consists of three basic fundamentals.

First - No outside help.

Second - Because it is a game to measure one's techniques, weapons are prohibited.

Third - The round is only over when one of the opponents says 'Three legged Smoked Lizard' or faints.

Although the forfeit phrase may change from region to region, these are the three main rules. Since there are several ways to play 'Luck or Fight', there are also many different rules.

The two most popular types of 'Luck or Fight' are: Martial Arts and Thumb Fight.

Luke walked a bit and went to the other side while thinking what he would do to immobilize this giant because this was the most effective way to win.

"Ready?"

The half-wolf merely nodded. Shiro took off at an absurd speed, but with great technique, the half-wolf managed to block. Their forearms collided, and the metal of the armor caused Luke a little pain.

Meanwhile, Nathalia was bored, and while walking through the house, she saw the two guards fighting. For a second, she thought that the half-wolf had picked a fight with Shiro. However, when she realized that the two were smiling, she stopped to watch them.

'They are strong...' Nathalia thought as she watched the confrontation of the two from afar. However, the conversation she had had with the half-wolf earlier was still bothering her.

"I've heard that monsters aren't the only dangers inside Dungeons."

"What do you mean?" Nathalia asked, turning around. She was using both hands to cover the torn part of her blouse.

"Have you ever heard of the Laws of Dungeons?" Luke questioned, now much more serious than before. The girl denied it with her head. "A friend back in Oukiwa told me about them. Since many believe that Dungeons are another world, they also believe that the laws there are different inside. Stealing, killing, raping... all of that is liberated inside, so everyone who enters a Dungeon, has to be prepared for anything."

That sentence struck the young woman, who thought she was capable of killing many monsters, but one person? She doubted she had the guts for that.

The thud of Shiro's large body falling to the ground snapped the girl out of her trance. Tump! Luke was twisting hard on one of the big guy's arms, and he was also having his knee resting on Shiro's spine as he pressed down.

"Three-legged Perfumed Lizard!"

"Hahaha! That's not the right phrase."

"Hmph! I don't g—" Luke twisted Shiro's arm even more. "Ouch, ouch! How are you so strong?"

"I trained buddy, I trained..." Luke said with a sadistic smile.

"Three-legged Smoked Lizard!" Shiro exclaimed, but in a much lower tone than when he bluffed. Luke promptly got off him and helped him to his feet.

As they walked back to the mansion, Luke heard quiet breathing coming from the second-floor balcony. When he looked, he saw Nathalia, who blushed as she looked into his eyes and went back inside the mansion. The half-wolf didn't understand the reason for that behavior, but Shiro understood perfectly.

"Are you her bodyguard or her lover?"

"L-lover? N-No, she is a Strogueher and we have nothing in common."

"Ah, I see... And in the end, you fell in love with Meredith then?" Shiro wanted to gather more information about his friends because he didn't want to believe that Meredith and Matthew were dead.

Luke got serious and said: "Why do you want to know?"

Shiro understood the message not to touch those names anymore and stayed quiet.

Martha, who saw them approaching from inside the house, welcomed them with some towels to wipe off the sweat. Although it wasn't noon, the valley around Vasconcelos made the heat even more intense, which made Luke ponder if he hated the cold more because of the huge amount of rain or if he hated the heat more because it made his skin sticky and his fur wet.

"Lunch will soon be ready, Mister Luke. Mistress Ayumi has asked that you accompany the family at the table today, as it is your first day," Martha said.

"But I was planning to have lunch with Shiro..."

"It's okay, man. She is the employer, so you can't refuse an invitation."

"Guard Shiro is right and also, she wants to give guidance on how to proceed with your Guild application, scheduled for this afternoon. Since you have not submitted official documents in your employment, she wants to talk about it."

Even Shiro shivered for a second because only mercenaries are hired without official documentation, which should not be the case for a fixed employee. Since Luke was ignorant about any kind of bureaucracy, he didn't know that yet.

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