I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 36
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#36. Countless Requests for Handshakes
— — —
The Northern Region’s climate is equally harsh to everyone.
From the ash-gray sky, hail the size of a child’s head falls with heavy thuds.
Sharp blade-like winds slashed across the entire snowy field, fierce enough to cut down frozen coniferous trees.
The Territory Residents of Mörsolt had long since locked their doors and refrained from going outside.
Icicles formed even a span away from the fireplace, so going outside was absolutely forbidden.
Even the hunters who walked dozens of kilometers across the frozen lake didn’t roam around during this time.
Winter.
It wasn’t just a word referring to a cold season.
Winter teaches both the meaning and meaninglessness of life, and once again imprints how fragile humans are before the power of nature.
The endlessly long nights and short days, and the blizzards that filled the space between them, put every moment of life to the test.
…However.
Whoosh!
There was also a being that tested the test in reverse.
Featherback.
He was running across the snowy field with his upper body bare.
Behind him, a large bear was chasing after Featherback.
[Graaaaaaah!]
Doenseori Black Bear.
It was a beast that even experienced hunters couldn’t hunt unless they formed teams of over ten people.
This one in particular was extremely enraged because its hibernation had been disturbed.
Thump thump thump thump thump thump!
The black bear charged at tremendous speed, trying to bite Featherback.
But Featherback’s movement was faster.
Swish—
There was a streak of wind that rose against the blizzard.
The black bear confirmed that Featherback’s hands were empty.
So without any particular suspicion, it opened its maw wide.
However.
Crack—!
Blood fountains erupted from both sides of the black bear’s wide-open maw.
[Gahak!?]
Even until the moment its head was split in half, it didn’t know what had killed it.
“Hmm. Indeed.”
Featherback raised his hand.
About 47 inches away from his seemingly empty hand, crimson blood appeared.
At first glance, the blood seemed to be floating in midair.
But in reality, hidden by the blizzard and invisible to the eye, Featherback held a sword as white as snow in his hand.
The Famous Sword White Phosphorus.
This sword was of such pure white color that when placed in a snow field, it would quickly disappear from sight.
When this sword was swung in a blizzard, it looked as if one was flailing about with empty hands.
The Doenseori Black Bear from moments ago had also died because it couldn’t see the long blade extending from Featherback’s hand.
“Huu—”
Featherback let out a deep breath.
It had been good to go out for Severe Cold Training and provoke a large bear just before it entered hibernation.
But the bear was larger and stronger than expected, making it difficult to catch with just the 2-Star Realm.
“…I need to quickly reach 3-Star to be able to do anything properly. How frustrating.”
Anyone else who heard this would have been too dumbfounded to respond.
Even the geniuses of renowned swordsmanship families barely reached the beginning of 2-Star in their early to mid-twenties.
They would need to be at least thirty to even approach the threshold of 3-Star.
But Featherback, at the mere age of fifteen, and not long after his regression, had reached the end of the 2-Star Realm.
Compared to before his regression, this was an achievement faster by over ten years, yet Featherback was still unsatisfied.
Kiiiiiiing—
A cutting wind blew, cooling his heated body.
The sweat that had been pouring out moments ago had already turned into ice fragments.
“I need to move again.”
Featherback shouldered the massive black bear.
And he began walking toward Mörsolt Castle visible in the distance.
* * *
Chaos erupted at the castle gate.
It was understandable since Featherback had brought back a house-sized black bear with his bare hands.
To carry the corpse of the Doenseori Black Bear, about thirty guards had to struggle together.
“Take the entrails and divide them among yourselves, and move the rest to the slaughterhouse. I’ll butcher it myself.”
“Young Lord, you know how to butcher as well?”
“It’s my specialty.”
At Featherback’s words, the Guard Captain and all the guards gaped in amazement.
Magical Beast Butchering was an extremely difficult task, so there weren’t many butchers who knew how to do it.
But where on earth did this pale nobleman before his eyes learn magical beast butchering techniques?
However, the guards’ attention quickly shifted elsewhere at Featherback’s next words.
“Give the entrails like the gallbladder and heart to the soldiers who are weak in body.”
“Wow!? Really!?”
At Featherback’s generosity, the guard captain giggled like a girl.
“Ah, I’ve been lacking energy lately and things haven’t been going well with my wife…”
“Captain! What are you saying with all those muscles hanging on your body!”
“I’m trying to have a third child, isn’t there some support available?”
“Please let me have just one sip of bile! I’m dying from watching my wife’s expression!”
“You bastard! Where does a rookie get off! Don’t you see all the seniors are already in line? Get back!”
The guards made a commotion behind them.
Featherback brushed off the frozen sweat droplets from his upper body and headed straight across the main road toward the mansion.
Then the tightly closed windows opened and the girls of the village cheered toward Featherback.
Among them was even a girl scattering flower petals that were hard to find in winter, obtained from who knows where.
Featherback returned to the mansion with quick steps.
Thud—thud—thud—thud—
Thud—thud—thud—thud—
Someone followed alongside Featherback as he headed straight to the training hall.
“If you’re coming in from outside, please wash up a bit.”
Rorschach was running with quick steps to match Featherback’s pace.
Featherback got straight to the point.
“Have you recruited the laborers to mobilize for the merchant group?”
“That’s the biggest obstacle.”
Rorschach followed Featherback almost at a run, clutching a bundle of documents to her chest.
“The weather is going crazy, so we can’t find any laborers at all.”
“We need many porters.”
“Not a single person applied. We can’t force conscription, can we?”
“There’s a place we can draft from.”
“In this weather? That would be unreasonable, wouldn’t it? Even the mercenary guilds are refusing deployment, so where exactly?”
“Isn’t there a place where we can draw manpower 365 days, 24 hours a day?”
“So where exactly… Ah.”
Rorschach opened her mouth as if she had realized something.
Featherback spoke without a single change in his expression.
“Bring out the prisoners of Narok.”
“They’re pitiful people.”
“I released most of those pitiful people. As a special amnesty to commemorate your appointment.”
“Mm. That’s true.”
Rorschach nodded at Featherback’s words.
The two had already passed through the narrow alley and were entering the entrance of the Training Hall.
Rorschach cleared his throat as if the voices echoing from within the cave bothered him.
“Ahem— Most of the prisoners remaining in Narok now are newcomers. They’re serious criminals caught in this war on crime. Quite a few informants are mixed in among them too.”
“The more laborers the better. Bring them all out.”
“…Will that be alright? They’re violent criminals.”
Trading expeditions involved transporting precious supplies and money.
Was it right to include violent criminals who had no trustworthiness whatsoever in such work?
In normal circumstances, he would have shaken his head without a second thought… but Rorschach was watching Featherback’s reaction.
Somehow it seemed like he would give a completely different answer.
And Rorschach’s prediction was correct.
“Even better.”
Featherback continued in a dry tone.
“The worse they are, the better they are to work to death.”
“Why is that?”
“What do you mean why.”
Featherback showed slight irritation as if asking him not to question the obvious.
“Because I can kill them if they annoy me even a little.”
“…Don’t you have a human heart, Featherback?”
“That’s an impertinent question, Rorschach. I am more human than anyone.”
“But how can you talk so casually about killing people? Someone who can empathize with others wouldn’t act that way.”
“Are you curious about the reason?”
Featherback suddenly stopped walking.
Then he turned his head toward Rorschach.
His eyes visible through his disheveled white hair were red.
Despite his grimy appearance from not washing for days, a pleasant scent emanated from his body.
The scent of cutting wind and bitter cold.
The aroma of life and death, and somewhere in between.
As Rorschach quietly gazed into Featherback’s eyes, an answer came.
“The reason I can easily kill criminals is.”
“…”
“Because I empathize far more with the victims than with the perpetrators.”
“…!”
Featherback strode toward Rorschach.
And he poked his finger right below her neck.
“People like you and your parents.”
“….”
“When you put all your strength into empathizing with those people, there’s no power left to empathize with the perpetrators.”
“….”
“I have people I must protect. People I want to help live well.”
“….”
“For their sake, I’ll accept any judgment. Cold-blooded, murderer, swindler, coward, profiteer, whatever.”
“….”
After hearing Featherback’s words, Rorschach wore a blank expression for a while.
Leaving her be, Featherback turned around and walked alone toward the Training Hall.
“Gather the Prisoners of Narok. The ones with particularly heinous crimes.”
At his final command, Rorschach could only nod her head.
* * *
The Deep Section of Naraku.
There, new prisoners had gathered, creating a commotion.
Crying, groaning, cursing, lamenting, and mad laughter.
“Let me out!”
“Curse Mörsolt!”
“I’m innocent! I’m truly innocent!”
“I’m someone who shouldn’t be here!”
The Prison Guards struck the Iron Bars with their bludgeons, but the commotion didn’t easily subside.
Just then.
Creeeeeeak…
The heavy Iron Gate opened and a woman revealed herself inside Narok.
Green-gold hair cut short like a boy’s, but looking at her face, you could tell she was a girl with remarkably beautiful features.
Her name was Rorschach, impressive with her languid eyes and pale skin.
“Attention, criminals.”
Among the prisoners confined here, there was no one who didn’t know Rorschach.
Because almost all the prisoners had been confined here through her hands.
Just then.
“Ptui!”
One prisoner spat at Rorschach.
The saliva flew far and landed with a splat on her foot.
The prisoner shouted angrily at Rorschach.
“You damn bitch! You seduced the Prince of Mörsolt with that lewd body of yours, didn’t you!? I know everything! I know you two bitches stick together in the bedroom every night! How about you embrace me once instead? I’d be better at playing the man’s role than that scrawny little brat, wouldn’t I? Huh!? What do you say! A young girl like you already doing such things with your body! How can anyone endure this!? Huh!?”
These weren’t words that should be directed at a fourteen-year-old girl, but none of the prisoners here cared about his words.
Rather, they giggled or clapped, only agreeing with his words.
…However.
“Ah. Could you please execute that prisoner on the spot?”
Rorschach asked the prison guard beside her with a casual attitude.
An attitude as if ordering food and saying she’d carry it herself.
But the result was ruthless.
“Huh?”
The prisoner who had spewed obscenities and curses at Rorschach was flustered seeing the prison guards walking toward him with large strides.
And.
Crack―!
The bludgeon that fell from above shattered the prisoner’s skull in one blow.
Splatter―splatter―splatter―
Brain matter and bone fragments mixed together and scattered.
Rorschach tilted her head while watching this.
“Those who laughed earlier and those who clapped. So the bearded man in B Block Row 4 and the fat man next to him. And the dragon tattoo man in C Block Row 6 across the way and the tall thin man next to him. You all agreed and added a word or two, didn’t you? Please execute those people on the spot as well.”
The prison guards walked over without hesitation and swung their bludgeons.
…Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack! …Crack!
The prisoners died so futilely with their heads smashed before they could even beg for their lives.
“….”
“….”
“….”
A silence came to Narok as if nothing living existed there.
Rorschach cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry. I was delayed for a moment because I empathized with the victim before the perpetrator.”
She continued speaking while looking around at the Prisoners of Narok who kept their mouths tightly shut.
“Most of you here sexually assaulted children, murdered your parents, coveted other men’s wives, killed someone for hire, embezzled countless people’s money, or committed other irredeemable crimes, you pieces of trash, correct?”
No answer came back.
Rorschach knew this meant agreement.
“I’ll give you people an opportunity.”
“…!”
The prisoners’ eyes flashed open.
Rorschach smiled brightly and said.
“A high-ranking member of the Mörsolt Family is planning to travel to a distant place. Your job would be to escort that person, carry miscellaneous baggage, and things like that. In short, you’d be doing odd jobs.”
The Prisoners of Narok pressed their heads close to the iron bars and perked up their ears.
Some of them were even swallowing their dry saliva.
Rorschach said.
“If you die, that’s the end of it, but if you survive, you’ll be pardoned. Anyone want to participate?”
Then an enormous number of hands shot out through the iron bars.
“Me!”
“Pick me! Please pick me!”
“I’m really good at fighting! My body’s strong too!”
“I know all the roads in the Northern Region! Please, pick me!”
It was countless requests for handshakes.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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