Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 20

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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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One-Strike Kill Swordmaster Episode 20

Episode 20. Bertas, the Free City (2)

Bertas, the Free City.

One of the “four great cities” located to the northeast of Middletemple.

Known as both the center of trade and the cradle of adventurers, this was a region where countless guilds and trading companies had established themselves.

As such, there was an endless line of people waiting to enter the city in front of the city gates.

“There really are a lot of people.”

Murmur murmur-.

Adelia muttered to herself while looking outside the wagon.

From merchants’ fancy carriages to rough-looking groups of adventurers. And travelers who had come to Bertas for their own various reasons.

Besides these, various types of people were mixed together, waiting for inspection to enter the city.

Having heard news that the Silk Road had collapsed, they all seemed to be caught up in tension, knowingly or unknowingly.

Adelia, slightly furrowing her brow, spoke again.

“At this rate, it’ll take several days just to get through the line, won’t it?”

“It’s fine. We’ll be using a different passage.”

Clatter, clatter-.

Along with the bald guild master’s answer, our wagon leisurely passed by the long line of people.

Before long, another gateway appeared.

A relatively quiet gate compared to the main entrance bustling with people.

Looking at this, the bald guild master continued his explanation with a voice subtly tinged with pride.

“This is a special passage that only those with verified identities can use. The inspection and customs procedures are much faster too.”

“Oh….”

Adelia seemed inwardly impressed.

And rightfully so.

Having spent her entire life in Middletemple, the Holy City, this was her first time visiting Bertas, the Free City since leaving the temple.

For her, who had been caged up until now, everything must feel fascinating and new.

“Stop the carriage and present your identification.”

Clang-!

As the wagon approached, the guards blocked the entrance with their halberds and stopped us.

Numbers floated above their heads.

【Lv. 41】

【Lv. 45】

【Lv. 39】

Levels distributed roughly from the mid-40s to late 30s.

Actually, even that level could be considered skilled enough to live comfortably anywhere.

‘Just looking at the mercenaries hired by the bald guild master, their average level was in the mid-20s, so.’

But seeing that I don’t feel particularly impressed even by guards like these….

It seems that since opening my eyes in this world, I’ve only encountered monster-like beings.

“Here it is.”

The bald guild master removed the emblem attached to his chest as if accustomed to this.

Then he also took out a bronze plaque from his inner pocket.

The guard who examined these carefully nodded and withdrew the halberd that had been blocking the gateway.

“Premium merchant, Hakun Durdarmel. Identity confirmed. Please report imported goods to the guild by tomorrow….”

Mumble mumble-.

After reciting the formal procedures, the guard soon let us pass into the city.

They didn’t separately inspect companions or imported goods.

This clearly showed the trust and treatment given to premium merchants who had received the Silk Road emblem.

‘Bertas is a city built with the blood and sweat of merchants.’

Since trade was the city’s heart and lifeblood, the city authorities treated influential merchants with utmost respect.

Of course, to receive such treatment, merchants also needed to show remarkable achievements.

“…Damn, what a disgustingly creepy monster.”

Whisper whisper-.

As we passed through the gateway, we could hear the guards’ voices from behind.

Their gazes were fixed on the Celestial Dragon’s corpse.

Come to think of it, I remember people outside the castle walls looking at us with surprised eyes earlier too.

─Whoa shit, what is that…?

─It’s a monster I’ve never seen before.

─No, what’s with that size…. It’s bigger than most wyverns….

Well.

When would they get another chance to see a monster bigger than a wyvern?

Even if they happened to encounter one, they’d immediately cross the river Styx. For ordinary adventurers or merchants, there was no way to deal with a corrupted divine beast.

They’d just die while running away. Or freeze up and die on the spot. Either way, they’d die.

…Unless they had the incredible fortune of receiving help from a Swordmaster-level expert who happened to be wandering the Uncharted Wilderness.

‘Anyway.’

Even after entering Bertas, the Free City, the attention toward us didn’t cease.

Passersby on the street cast persistent glances at the Celestial Dragon’s corpse.

Murmur murmur-.

However, most of their reactions were limited to simple curiosity and wonder.

They were merely amazed by the monster’s enormous size and extraordinary appearance.

‘It seems no one recognizes the Celestial Dragon.’

Occasionally, merchants bearing the Silk Road emblem passed by us several times.

But their reactions were no different from ordinary passersby.

Through this, I could tell how excellent our bald guild master, Hakun Durdarmel’s information network was.

‘He seemed somewhat extraordinary from the moment he recognized Adelia’s identity at a glance….’

Actually, in Roel, there was no opportunity to assess Hakun Durdarmel’s abilities.

By the time players arrived in Bertas, he had already passed away, only mentioned as the deceased husband of a widow NPC.

But the Hakun Durdarmel I met directly now was a considerably more capable merchant than I had thought.

Someone with this level of skill would be worth building a trusting relationship with for future business dealings.

“We’ve arrived.”

How much more time had passed like this?

After passing through Bertas’s splendid shopping districts and bustling streets, we finally arrived at our destination.

A golden signboard attached to a three-story building shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

【Durdarmel’s Golden Guild】

A large entrance where cargo wagons could pass through.

On both sides of it, octopus sculptures stood majestically.

Seeing this, Adelia muttered in a bewildered voice.

“Oc, octopus…?”

Right.

Pretty random, isn’t it, Adelia?

I had the exact same reaction as you when I played the game.

Usually, at entrances like this, they place sculptures modeled after gargoyles, dragons, or lions.

‘But….’

I glanced sideways at the bald guild master.

‘…Now I understand the reason.’

Originally, everyone had at least one favorite animal.

* * *

“Well then, see you next time! Let’s go, Wilson!”

Hee-haw-!

Dano departed on his way with the loudly braying donkey.

The massive warehouse connected directly from the entrance.

As soon as the guild staff confirmed Hakun Durdarmel’s arrival, they came running in a hurry.

Their faces clearly showed worried expressions.

“G-Guild Master, what happened to the carriages? Where did you get injured like this…?”

Durdarmel answered calmly.

“Don’t worry. There was just a slight disturbance in the Uncharted Wilderness.”

“…!”

“There should be some goods left on the road to Dungarrd. Form a team immediately to recover them.”

“…Yes. We’ll handle it immediately.”

The staff began moving quickly.

The Guild Master’s orders spread rapidly throughout the entire guild, and soon a special team was formed and began preparing for departure.

I quietly watched the scene. The guild’s system seemed quite well-organized.

“Young Master.”

At that moment, the bald guild master cautiously spoke to me.

“Do you have a moment to talk…?”

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing major, but I’d like to discuss the disposal of the Celestial Dragon’s corpse. And if there’s an opportunity, I’d also like to introduce my guild to you.”

Oh.

He’s approaching me first like this.

I had been secretly worrying about how to bring up the topic.

Pretending to ponder for a moment, I soon nodded.

“Lead the way.”

“Yes. I’ll escort you inside.”

Step, step-.

We followed the guild master’s guidance deeper into the guild.

Passing through the warehouse and entering the building’s interior, an even more splendid interior unfolded.

Red carpeted floors, elaborate chandeliers, and display cases filled with precious items covering the walls.

I could also see staff members busily moving about everywhere.

‘…So this is what the Durdarmel Guild was like.’

I couldn’t help but be impressed inwardly.

It was worlds apart from the appearance of [Durdarmel’s Golden Guild] I had encountered Inside the Game.

Back then, the building that had lost its owner was left desolately abandoned with only dust accumulating, but the current appearance could truly be called a symbol of prosperity.

“Please, have a comfortable seat.”

Arriving at the office on the top floor, we sat on the sofa.

…Wow, it’s really soft.

Since this was the first comfort I’d felt since sleeping at the hotel in Dungarrd, the Dark City, drowsiness began creeping in.

Well, I had spent the past few days really struggling. Once this matter is settled, I should go straight to an inn and rest for several days.

“First, you two.”

Hakun Durdarmel posed a question.

“Do you have identification cards to use in Bertas?”

I shook my head, and Adelia, who had been glancing at me, also shook her head in the same way.

Of course, Adelia would have proof of her Noble Family status, but it seemed she wanted to clean her identity while she was at it.

Hearing our answer, Hakun Durdarmel nodded as if he had expected everything.

“Then let’s go get identification cards issued right away. If I provide a guarantee, they’ll be issued quickly without any special examination.”

“Please do.”

“Of course. Oh, and this is just a slight aside…”

Hakun Durdarmel trailed off.

After pausing for a moment, he brought up the main point.

“…What are your plans for disposing of the Celestial Dragon’s corpse?”

Before I could answer, Hakun Durdarmel continued speaking.

“Usually, it’s most profitable to put rare monster corpses up for auction. But the Celestial Dragon’s case is a bit special. The number of people who know the divine beast’s identity is limited, and there’s never been a precedent of one appearing on the market. Most importantly, given that it killed an Elder’s representative, there’s a possibility of investigation…”

Blah blah-.

To summarize the guild master’s lengthy explanation, it went like this:

While disposing of the Celestial Dragon’s corpse would inevitably involve troublesome matters, if we entrusted it to him, he would promise to handle all procedures himself.

Along with the guarantee that we wouldn’t need to lift a finger, of course.

“I’m not saying this to rush you, but corpses decay, so it would be best to make a decision quickly. We’ll also take minimal commission fees…”

“That’s enough.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll trust you with it. Go quickly and secure the Celestial Dragon’s corpse.”

“…!”

Hakun Durdarmel’s eyes sparkled.

He immediately brought documents and completed the contract with us.

The conditions were extremely generous. So much so that I worried whether the guild would have any profit left at all.

Of course, the guild master’s intentions were obvious. Rather than the profit from the Celestial Dragon, he was probably scheming to establish connections with the Noble Families through this method.

“Young Master, do you have any lodging arranged?”

The guild master asked again after completing the contract.

“If you have nowhere to go, I’ll escort you to lodging as soon as the identification card issuance is finished. My wife happens to run a large inn in Bertas.”

I nodded.

We would need to meet frequently anyway regarding the Celestial Dragon corpse disposal.

Until then, it would be better to stay at lodging where I could easily contact him.

“Let’s do that.”

After finishing our conversation, we headed straight to the guild.

Just as Hakun Durdarmel had boasted, the identification cards were issued in a flash.

The administrative processing was so fast that I wondered if there would be any problems.

‘Originally, Bertas, the Free City, was among the stricter ones for examinations even within The World of Loel…’

I could truly feel the status that a premium merchant held in this city.

“Honey!”

Arriving at the inn like that, I was able to meet a familiar person.

The widow NPC… no, it was Madame Durdamel, who had now escaped the fate of widowhood.

Madame Durdamel greeted her lifelong companion with the happiest expression I had ever seen.

“By the way, who are these people…?”

“Ah, look at my mind.”

When the excitement of the couple’s reunion subsided, the guild master introduced me and Adelia as his lifesavers.

Hearing this, Madame Durdamel bowed to us repeatedly with a moved expression.

“Y-you saved my husband’s life! Thank you so much…!”

Thanks to that, we were able to rest comfortably for several days under the devoted care of the Durdarmel couple.

“Here! Please eat this too!”

“…Wasn’t the cooking finished?”

“Oh my, why are you saying that? There’s still plenty more food left.”

“…”

The kindness was perhaps a bit excessive, but well, anyway.

* * *

Step, step-.

It was now the fourth day since we had arrived at Bertas, the Free City.

Having fully recovered from fatigue, I came out to the inn’s backyard together with Adelia.

“Adelia.”

“Yes.”

“Try demonstrating your swordsmanship in front of me.”

〔Reward: The sealed talent ‘Sword Lv. Max’ will be unlocked.〕

Now it was time to test the performance of the talent worth 179,312,341 points.

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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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