Wild Burst increased the threat level when using it. However, this level of threat did not provoke people, unlike monsters. Just as Dwalkie had once told me: «Ummm... It was a very strange feeling. It was like my mind knew there was nothing dangerous, but my body was telling me I should run...»
The timid shrank in fear, but the brave, on the contrary, exhibited a feeling of competitiveness. And what about this guy?
«Ha!» The answer was the second. He shuddered at the scream I threw in his face, but he soon came to and finished brandishing his sword. If I had my shield in my left hand, as always, I could have deflected it.
Now it wouldn't make much difference.
It was the same either way. The body of a tank on its rails existed solely to block enemy attacks.
Slip.
The hand I removed from the ax moved towards the path of the swinging sword. A dull sound followed.
¡Kagak!
A question formed in the eyes of the bastard who believed he had secured victory. He must have been curious. A sharp knife and a bare arm; When would you hear this sound coming from these two things? Their eyes began to move, searching for an answer, and soon they reached their destination.
«Confused?»
At my question, he nodded without understanding. Why did his sword cut the skin, but not the bone? There were many reasons for this: bone strength, physical stamina, my innately large and sturdy skeleton, increased body stats due to wild outburst, etc. It would have been even more absurd if he had cut my wrist with a single slash.
No need for a lengthy explanation.
Since he was a barbarian, this was enough. «You are weak». After spitting that out I realized how cheesy it was, but the effect was significant. As if he had received the greatest insult, he took out the sword stuck in my arm. It was bad judgment.
¡Splash!
Fresh blood splattered as he took out the blade.
¡Chhhhh!
The next sounds were those of corrosion and a moan of pain.
«Aaaaaah! What a dirty trick...»
What do you mean? I'm standing here.
It was clear that something was wrong with his head, so I reached out and grabbed him by the neck. It would be a headache if he ran away. As the blood cut from his brain, whatever it was called, he began to writhe. This was already a fact. One turn of the neck and he would die.
[You have taken off your equipment. Your combined item level decreases -495.]
However, I left the gun in my hand. The reason was simple.
¡Cry!
According to the butler, the double-edged battle ax was bought with a lot of money just for today. If he knocked her over this guy's head, he couldn't use it as an excuse «he had no intention of killing».
Besides, I promised.
I promised the three gentlemen that when we met next time, I would get rid of the problems in their heads.
Aprieta.
With a fist the size of a watermelon, I hit his temple with all my might.
¡A slap!
«¡Behell-aaaaaaaaaaah!»
If there was a problem in the head, it had to be removed. Yes, a barbarian would surely think like that.
Or not.
Silence: state in which there is little or no sound in the environment. That state was prolonged.
«…»
It was a very anomalous vision. In a place where so many people gathered, even in the middle of a festival, how could a crowd of hundreds of people create silence without tacit agreement?
«D-where is the priest!» The silence came to an end when a knight pulled whatever-it-is-called out of the amphitheater with his head half crushed.
I approached the referee. «Don't you have to proclaim the winner?».
The referee seemed startled by my question, and then shouted to the crowd: «The winner is Bjorn Yandel, from the House of Baron Martoin!».
At first, I wondered if he was discriminating against me for being a barbarian. However, judging by the crowd's reaction, it seemed that was not the case.
«Woahhh!»
«Barbarian! It's the best!»
«I have never seen such an exciting duel! How liberating!»
«But isn't that gentleman dead?»
«It's too horrifying. Feel this. Can you feel my heartbeat?»
«U-uh...I-I think so...»
«It is not the first time that someone dies in a duel. A wound at that level can be treated by the priest».
The reaction was much hotter than after the first duel.
«¡Behell-aaaaaaaaaaah!»
I let out another shout to the crowd and walked off the stage towards the tent. Not in the one where the baron would wait, but in the tent to which the call-to-be-treated was moved.
«You! How dare you come here?» As soon as I entered the barracks, a howl of rage erupted from the remaining two of the three knights.
Without responding, I approached the priest who was carrying out the treatment. «Is dead?»
«...It is not deadly». Even as he answered me, the priest gave me an unfavorable look. «Couldn't you have taken the circumstances into account?».
Hearing a follower of God say that made me shudder a little, but I had my excuses. «I didn't know it would turn out like this. He is a gentleman! I even put down my ax and used my fist! How was I supposed to know he would faint from a punch?».
At my sure response, the two little pigs blushed with shame, and the priest opened his mouth as if that were absurd. «Faint? His brain was dripping from the wound, but he fainted.«.
«If he's alive, he's passed out!»
It was a choice of words that even Ainar, who taught me the life of a barbarian, would bow to. At that, the priest pursed his lips. He had judged that any other conversation was meaningless.
There was an awkward silence in the store. I wondered if I should leave when the bastard wakes up just in time.
«W-where... am I...?». He muttered with blank eyes. The divine power of a high-ranking priest had impeccably healed his crushed head, but it was not a cheating key to everything. «I remember I was going up into the sand...».
At the murmurs, the priest explained the situation. There was a tournament, and he had suffered a serious brain injury. However, the treatment had just ended, and memory would recover over time.
«I see. Thanks for your...» When the bastard who was thanking the priest for his kind information saw me in the room, he stiffened. «Why are you...?»
His gaze was closer to fear than confusion. It was a bit doubtful. If he had lost his memory during grief, how could he react like that?
«Hmm, do you really not remember anything?»
«N-I don't remember. I-So, go».
It didn't seem to be a lie... Still, I should confirm things since I was here. «If you do one thing for me, I'll leave right away».
He looked at me questioningly.
«It's nothing special, just repeat what I tell you». After telling him exactly what he had told me before, I asked him to repeat it.
«If I say that, will you leave...?».
«Of course.»
When I nodded, as-it-was-called he swallowed, and then repeated exactly what he had said. «I heard it's called that because it is...». Suddenly, he trembled like a poplar and grabbed his head. «Ahh...! I-I remember!» It seemed like the memories that had been temporarily lost had returned as he remembered the past.
«Good. Continue.»
At my insistence, whatever it was called hardened like a statue, and then began to launch an attack. «Stop... I was wrong. So please...»
Apologize? An attitude he would never have imagined from his past self. I breathed a sigh of relief. «Fortunately, the problem in your head seems to have disappeared».
«Yeah. So please leave. The patient needs to rest».
«Clear.» At the priest's words, I left the barracks without remorse.
«I-I'm leaving here. I-I don't need to get out quickly!»
A faint commotion could be heard from beyond the barracks. Listening to it, I could tell. I was neither a doctor nor a priest with divine power, just a barbarian living in this wild world. But so what?
As I thought, barbarians are trickster characters.
Today I solved a problem that not even a priest could solve.
When I returned to the waiting barracks, the baron greeted me. «Good job. The truth is that I didn't expect it to end so quickly... But where have you been?». When I told him that I had gone to see his name and condition, the baron smiled. «You are a peculiar guy. Did you attack him so ruthlessly and still worry about something like that?».
Without mercy? That's a little harsh.
«If it had been in the maze, I would have hit him with an axe».
«Well, yes...»
«To be honest, I didn't know he would be so weak. I thought it would at least be sturdy since it's slow». This was an answer he had prepared beforehand in case any problems arose.
For some reason, the baron laughed. «Yes, who could blame him? It's your fault for training poorly».
«But is it okay to continue like this? They may be apprentice knights, but aren't they noble too?».
«Hey, are you really worried about the future? Don't worry about that. It happened during a duel».
«But aren't gentlemen family property? What if the nobles swore allegiance to harm me?»
«I said don't worry! Why would an apprentice knight participate in a diversion like this instead of an official knight? Because there won't be a big problem, even if they die». The baron gave a firm response, saying that no one would try to blush with him over such a trivial matter, and that he would stop him even if it happened. It was exactly what I wanted to hear. «So focus on winning. Everyone's reactions to you were positive. The more you destroy, the happier the count will be».
Well, in that case. I thought I could break all heads without worrying. Apparently before, the priest's skill was no joke either.
«¡El ganator es Sir Tillen de la Casa del Vizconde Henslvania!»
Afterwards, I watched the duels with the baron and waited my turn. It was pretty fun at first, but I soon lost interest. The fighting methods were all the same. I could see why everyone was so frantic during my shift.
Even as collaterals, they remain aristocrats. There is no show.
I was a little tired, so, with the baron's approval, I went to take a nap in the corner. How long had it been since then?
The butler woke me up very carefully. «...Eh, uh, you, there's someone looking for you».
«Looking for me?»
It was unexpected, but before he could ask, the butler said only what he had to say and disappeared. So I went to check it out.
What is this now? Three little pigs?
Two of the trio in question were standing there. Before I had time to ask them what they wanted, one of them reached out to grab my neck. I didn't know his name, but he was the one who had slandered me with Payasito.
«Bitch!» When I backed away and avoided his hand, Little Clown stiffened in shame and continued. «A-ahem. You! What did you do to Sir Sylvania?!»
«¿Sir Sylvania?»
When I scratched my ear and tilted my head, the guy was furious. «You don't even know the name of the person you dueled!»
So that was his name. «Syl...mania...»
«¡Es Sir Sylvania!»
«Yeah he. Has something happened to you?»
At my question, they both trembled with rage. «Are you kidding? Every time your name comes up he loses his mind and goes crazy».
«How can you be so evil? No matter how much resentment you harbor, bringing a person to that state... Do you have no mercy or honor?».
Piety or honor? That's not what a bastard who said he'd slit my throat in 10 seconds should say. I made a final diagnosis. «...I never thought the situation would be so serious.»
A quick resolution of the problem was necessary.
«What are you doing here?» The commotion ended when Baron Martoin stuck his head out of the barracks. Bouncing, the duo left as soon as they saw his face. «...Who are those men?»
«No es nada».
«Well. Anyway, come this way. I have a great idea and I want to know if it's really possible».
After that, I returned to the barracks and had a trivial conversation with the baron to kill time. The first round ended before I knew it and the quarterfinals of the tournament began. Was this the «hero's destiny» the shaman was talking about?
«Sir Quartean of the House of Baron Serpia and Bjorn Yandel of the House of Baron Martoin, take your positions!».
Surprisingly, I faced one of the three knights in the second round. He was the bastard with a tendency to brag.
«Don't expect it to be the same as before». Although the duel had begun, the bastard blurted out a phrase. «I don't want to say this with my own mouth, but Sir Sylvania is the weakest of-»
Rather, it was easier than the first duel. Taking advantage of the gap created by his murmur, I launched myself forward.
«Eh, ¿eh…?»
Whether or not he brandished his sword in a fit of surprise, I stretched out my hand, grabbed him by the neck, and sent a sincere punch to his temple.
¡A slap!
Soon, the flesh and bones of his head were crushed and he fell helpless to the ground. It happened three seconds into the duel.
«Woahhh!»
«Please crush it like this next time too!»
«Crusher knight! He's a knight-crusher!»
Even though it was a duel that ended in an instant, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers. It was really ironic.
I can't believe they like seeing people's heads crushed so much.
At this point, I didn't know who the savage was here.
[Your reputation has increased +10.]
[Your reputation has increased +10.]