CH 90.1

“Cold…”

Katarina, covered in a blanket, spoke. Her teeth clattering.

Watching her, I chuckled.

“Yeah, I told you to get thicker clothes. You didn’t listen to me then.”

We were in the Principality of Polycia situated on the northern part of the Continent. I had warned her to buy some thick clothes in a village bordering the Elven Realm and the Principality of Polycia, but Katarina snorted and shook her head in denial.

It was no big deal.

Until we got here, into the Principality of Polycia, where it panned out like this.

“I didn’t know it would be this cold…”

Katarina grumbled and made an excuse.

She then looked at her own shadow reproachfully. Hiding in that shadow was Shedia, who had been having a pleasant conversation with Katarina.

Until recently.

When it got too cold.

“Traitor.”

There was no reaction from the shadow.

I picked her up with a smile.

“Hold on until we reach the next town. You can buy fur clothing there.”

“Ughh… when will that town come out?”

“I don’t know. If we are lucky, we may find it today, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow.”

Despair crossed Katarina’s face.

“If it doesn’t work, ask the fire elemental to warm you up.”

“It also said it doesn’t like the cold and hid away.”

Even the elementals aren’t liking the cold.

Seeing as they have run away to the elemental realm.

Katarina trembled, but did not cease her footsteps. We continued on and by the time the sun was setting down we reached a decently sized village.

“Let’s buy clothes tomorrow. For today, let’s rest at the inn.”

Katarina nodded her head vigorously in favor of the motion, and we entered the inn. It was evening, so the inn was crowded with people. As we entered, the noisy atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Their eyes turned to us.

Ignoring their gazes, I settled down with Katarina at a nice table. They also turned away their gazes and started talking loudly again.

“…what happened? I was part frightened when so many people suddenly snapped their eyes our way.”

“They must be wary of outsiders,” Cloud answered. “What would you like to eat?”

“Without a doubt something warm… Huh?”

Katarina abruptly narrowed her brows, then she sighed and stood up to walk out of the inn. When she came back, Shedia was with her. She looked disapprovingly at Shedia, to which the shorter girl tried playing innocent glancing around.

We ordered a stew and after a while we ate the prepared meal served to us.

Just when I completely emptied my bowl of stew.

One side of the inn went up in an uproar.

– Is it really true?

– Yeah, yeah. It is. How about it, isn’t it tempting? It’s a tournament held by the princess herself. The winning prize gotta be awesome!

– Ha, so are you asking me to become a spectacle for that witch?

– No, no. Listen to me, my friend. Who said you to become a spectacle? Just…

Two men were having a conversation so loudly that I could hear it from far away. One was the size of a normal man, and the other was a huge man half more the size of a normal man.

I got up from my seat.

Apparently their talk caught my interest, so I was going to listen more closely.

“Where are you going?”

“Wait a minute, I want to talk to those people over there.”

“Really? Then I will go with you.”

Katarina finished her remaining stew in a mouthful and stood up after me.

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Why? I didn’t ask. She said she would follow me, and I saw no reason for her not to do so. We approached the two men engrossed in the conversation.

“Hey, dudes. Can I ask something about what you guys are talking about?”

The eyes of the two men turned towards me.

Somehow, they were slightly bulging. Well, this is usually the reaction when someone others don’t know approaches.

But what if the power of money is added?

Just when I slid my hand into my money bag to work up a golden miracle.

“Who is this fugly punk?”

The big man looked at me and furrowed his brow. I didn’t know because I hadn’t looked closely, but now that I did, he was pretty ugly.

What is the probability of him getting mad from seeing my face?

“…”

His furrowed brow widened.

His gaze turned to Katarina, who was standing next to me.

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“Well you did one thing right, punk. Bringing a woman who fits me. Lady, how is this guy at night? His unmentionable’s really worthless, ain’t it?”

He continued, “Are you satisfied enough? Don’t be excessive with insults but you can be honest. Hahaha.”

Katarina frowned and glared at him, tugging my arms tighter.

I was at a loss for words because I was dumbfounded, but the man laughed out loud.

“Ha ha ha! It seems that the lady doesn’t know what a real man is. I will show you what a real man means today.”

The man tried to reach out a hand towards Katarina.

He didn’t know I had anger issues. I let him know, kicking him in the stomach.

He couldn’t overcome the strength difference and flew off and crashed into the wall of the inn. He grunted while holding onto his stomach, reeling, then got up and glared at me like he was going for a kill.

“Huh, you aren’t just some weak shit, are you? It’s going to be fun. A lot of fun.”

Despite calling for fun, the expression on his face was grim tight.

“You picked the wrong opponent. I am Galid the Giant Slayer, who killed the giant Marcus.”

Galid clenched his tunic by seams and pulled them, tearing them apart.

His writhing, hideous muscles were exposed with the loss of his shirt.

Arms the size of a woman’s waist, thick chest muscles that even arrows can’t penetrate, and abs like a washboard.

He hefted up the two axes slinging from his waist.

“Don’t be crazy! Are you thinking of killing him, Galid?!”

The man who had been chatting with Galid shouted.

“It was him who raised my temper in the first place.”

“You were the one who started the fight… No, this is not okay, this is a village! What are you going to do when the vigilantes come?”

“Kill them all and leave. Didn’t you say that the princess is holding a tournament? Let’s win there and leave the principality. Anyway, the principality has become too small to contain me.”

The face of the man who had been halted by Galid’s words brightened. Conversely, the expressions of the residents who had been drinking at the same inn deteriorated.

But no one was willing to step out.

He was famous around here, eyh?

“Then finish quickly. No matter what, it’s annoying when the vigilantes intervene.”

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“Alright. It won’t take long anyway.”

Yeah, it won’t. I promise.