Vol. 5 ITRG Volume 5 Chapter 2.3

Vol. 5 ITRG Volume 5 Chapter 2.3



“Ack!”

Suddenly, one of the men shouted and stomped off. Aeroc turned around and saw his companion helping the fallen man to his feet, shouting “Hey, you!”.

“Is your shoulder broken?”

“Wait, it’s a broken shoulder, then I’ll have to be out for the next six months, and who’s going to take care of my wife, old mother, and five kids?”

The exaggeration sounded like a con man. Aeroc frowned and turned to leave, but the man whose shoulder had just been shattered jumped to his feet and grabbed him.

“You’ll have to pay for my medical bills.”

“Alimony, plus living expenses.”

“I thought you said you broke your shoulder? It looks fine.”

“This, my shoulder.”

Suddenly, the man grabbed his other shoulder and grunted. The way the two of them were beating the crap out of each other, it was as if they’d been planning this all along. It’s not often that he was bothered by such lowlifes. His euphoria quickly turned to muddy water. Aeroc had no desire to fall for their scams, but he didn’t want to waste time here. He didn’t want to ruin a good night.

“How much would be enough?”

Aeroc pulled his wallet from the inside pocket of his coat. Their faces changed as they saw the gold coins and bills. One of them suddenly limped.

“My leg is broken too.”

“Oh my, this is bad.”

“This will do.”

Aeroc pulled a gold coin out of his wallet and threw it at them. The gold coin struck the smirking one in the chest and fell to the ground with a loud clatter. The other, seeing the gleam of gold, snatched it up, and the one with said broken leg snatched it away. He glared at Aeroc.

“Wait, my lord. It’s mine, isn’t it? It’s too much for you to throw it away.”

Still, he clutched the gold coin tightly in his hand and refused to let go. Snorting, Aeroc tried to ignore them and continue on his way.

“Hey!”

They shouted angrily, lunging for him. Aeroc twisted slightly to the side, dodged, and hit the one that lunged for him in the back with his cane.

Thud.

“Ack!”

The one who’d been stabbed in the back fell face-first to the ground. The other one ducked and lunged, not even flinching from the cane blow. A grimy hand groped for Aeroc’s body. Even though he knew they were trying to take his wallet, he felt humiliated by that filthy touch. He was firmly angry. He raised the heavy ornament on his cane to smack the bastard in the back of the head.

The back of the hand Aeroc swung to knock the man’s hand away ended up smacking him in the cheek. It was because their distance was suddenly closer. Aeroc was inwardly surprised, since he hadn’t meant to, but he didn’t show it outwardly. Instead, Aeroc grabbed his cane with both hands in case that man lunged. Aeroc was so nervous that he shuddered slightly, knowing that this time he would surely strike him in the groin and escape.

The other man was as surprised after getting hit in the cheek. He gently touched his cheek with his fingertips. His eyes narrowed slightly.

“It’s already the second time in this place.”

Aeroc tried to think of what the man meant the second time, but then he remembered that he had punched him in the cheekbone before. Unlike then, this madman had remained remarkably calm this time. Which made it all the more intimidating.

“This is really weird, it’s like I’ve gone back in time...... No, this is a crazy idea.”

Aeroc laughed at the thought of a crazy person concluding that himself was crazy.

“You’ve never met me for real. And you’ve never committed murder. That’s why you’re so angry.”

“I don’t know where you’ve been that you said those words, but there’s a limit to being rude.”

Aeroc didn’t feel like listening to more of the man’s insanity. If he kept dealing with this man, he might end up going insane.

“But I appreciate your help. Contact my butler, and I’ll reward you accordingly.”

Aeroc was about to give away his business card, but thought differently. The man already knew the name and the location of the estate. Aeroc didn’t want to give the man a business card and give him an excuse to make up a false connection to a third party.

“Aeroc?”

“My name isn’t cheap enough to be called by the likes of you.”

“I see.”

In response to Aeroc’s cold retort, he suddenly grinned.

“If this is a new world, I’ll start over.”

He was a madman after all, rambling unintelligibly until the end. Aeroc set himself upright.

“Goodbye, then.”

Aeroc turned away, head held high in pride, but the worry in his back was killing him. But Aeroc kept walking, as he always did, at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. Aeroc expected the man to jump on him from behind at any moment, but that didn’t happen until he met the coachman near the music hall who was desperately looking for him.

The carriage swept through the streets where Aeroc had met him earlier. The collapsed man was still there, but the other had already disappeared.

“I don’t want to see him again.”

Aeroc shuddered as he remembered the ghastly creature’s maddened eyes.

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