The Warrior's Ballad

Chapter 102

Translator: WilliaAround each flickering flame, people had gathered. And under the firelight, all they did was roll dice or play cards.

Not so much because it was fun, but because gambling and alcohol were simply a part of life.

Was it to ward off boredom on a sleepless night, or was there a reason they couldn't sleep?

It was closer to the latter. Though this wasn't a battlefield, they kept night watch to protect their families and possessions. Theft was a common occurrence here.

Of course, if one was caught, getting a hand chopped off was the least of it, they could be lynched on the spot by an enraged crowd.

The muddy ground was sporadically covered with broken wooden planks. Like irregular stepping stones, people walked over them.

Ricardt walked step by step on the planks, holding Rena’s hand.

A strong stench of feces wafted toward Ricardt from a distance. And unfortunately, the direction Rena was pointing in was exactly where that foul smell originated.

The source of the smell was a large area enclosed by a crude fence, sectioned off to hold livestock. Goats, sheep, cows, draft horses, and donkeys. On one side, there were also rabbits, chickens, and geese.

It seemed like every kind of livestock a human could raise had been gathered there. It was a place where merchants made money by buying animals cheaply from migrants and selling them at high prices.

Flickering torches. Yet they couldn’t completely drive away the darkness, so the surroundings remained dim. Rena looked around, unable to find the merchant she had sold the cow to.

Ricardt waited a moment, then walked over to a gambling table where the players were enthusiastically rolling dice and asked,

“Where can I find the merchant who buys and sells cows here?”

One of the onlookers, arms folded, turned to Ricardt. After glancing him up and down, he pointed toward another gambling table and said,

“Try over there.”

Ricardt looked up to see several bonfires burning and a fairly large gambling table set up in that area.

He walked there with Rena. Though anxious, Rena had no choice but to entrust her fate to Ricardt. Still, she felt a strange mix of anticipation and reassurance.

At the large gambling table, there was a dealer. Cards were laid face down, and gamblers placed their bets. The minimum bet was silver coins, and there were even a few gold coins.

Ricardt asked Rena,

“Is he here?”

Rena carefully scanned the faces illuminated by the firelight. Then, pointing at one of the men placing bets, she said,

“That man…”

As soon as Rena pointed him out, Ricardt immediately approached and tapped him on the back. The man, who wore a coif and had a filthy beard, turned around.

He looked up at Ricardt, unsure if it had been an intentional tap or just a casual bump, when Ricardt spoke.

“You know this girl, don’t you?”

Ricardt gestured toward Rena with his chin. The livestock merchant recognized her instantly, without even needing a closer look. And he quickly figured out why Ricardt had come.

“The deal is already done.”

“That wasn’t a deal. It was fraud.”

“If I had committed fraud, my tongue would’ve already been ripped out by the crowd. But I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“So what you’re saying is, you won’t pay the full price?”

“Haha, this guy… You should know when and where to scream bloody murder.”

Scream bloody murder? Ricardt didn’t quite understand, but it sounded like some slang used here. Probably meant to intimidate and make a scene.

Sure enough, some burly men standing around the gambling table were giving Ricardt provocative looks. A silent warning not to continue his nonsense unless he wanted trouble.

But Ricardt didn’t use words, he showed them through action. Without warning, he kicked the gambling table.

Crash!

Cards scattered and coins clinked and rolled. The surrounding people were startled and flustered.

But not all of them. The atmosphere turned hostile in an instant. Ricardt stared directly at the still-seated livestock merchant and said,

“I asked you. Even now, you can’t pay the fair price? Answer me.”

It seemed like a violent outbreak was imminent, and those who had nothing to do with it hurriedly picked up their money and quickly vacated the area. On the other hand, some people came from a distance to watch, expecting a fight.

In the midst of this, the livestock merchant didn’t get up but instead looked Ricardt up and down. His clothes were worn but clean, well-laundered, with a red cloak. No weapons, only a staff. What kind of outfit is that?

From the merchant’s perspective, it was hard to guess Ricardt’s background just by his appearance. Was he just a hot-blooded youth acting out of impulse, or was he someone with real ability and confidence?

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, a chance to glimpse Ricardt’s true nature came immediately.

“Hey, punk.”hought Ricardt was a swordsman. They truly believed he was a real wizard.

The man who had appeared with his subordinates stared down for a long moment at his own hairy, bare legs.

Quietly pulling up his trousers, he said,

“Sorry for disturbing your meal.”

With that, he held up his pants and turned around, heading back the way he came. His subordinates quickly picked up the fallen cloak and necklaces and followed after him.

By midday, someone else appeared with a group of subordinates. Unlike the one who came in the morning, this one wore a plain gambeson and a cloak, with a sword at his waist, a young swordsman.

Though his presence was formidable, to Ricardt and Marie, he seemed no different from anyone else.

However, in the eyes of the others, it looked like a swordfight could break out at any moment, and they grew increasingly nervous. Hartmann quietly reached out toward where he had left his axe.

Beside the swordsman stood the same man from the morning, the one whose trouser string had been cut. This time, he raised his hand and pointed toward Ricardt, who was once again eating. So much for apologizing for disturbing his meal.

But the new swordsman stared intently at Ricardt, then tilted his head. Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh?”

Ricardt, too, was puzzled at first, but as the familiar face stirred his memory, his eyes widened as well.

“Huh?”

He couldn’t recall the details immediately, but soon remembered. It was an adventurer he had seen when he first left home at age ten and arrived in Reinfurt. He had been the leader of the clan Sandy belonged to. Blatter, was it?

Meeting an unexpected person in an unexpected place, both Ricardt and the man stood there dumbfounded, staring at each other. What are you doing here?

****