## Chapter 1029 – The One With Many Questions

“H-How am I supposed to believe that?!”
“This little punk?”
“Even if you became a Baron, I won’t yield!!! No, in the first place, I have no intention of listening to you, Cheonma!!!”

ㅡThwack!

Mariel, having quickly taken a step back, assumed a battle stance while growling. This bastard, seeing him after so long, he’s completely lost his mind. Daring to react like this when a Baron of the kingdom reveals his status?

You’re dead today!!!

“Alright!! Let’s settle this once and for all today!!!”
“Eek!!”

As I shouted loudly with the determination to beat him to a pulp, Mariel screamed and ran away behind her.

Behind her were Liztina and Karin, sitting at the table leisurely drinking tea. And Lisette. So they were all here. All three were quietly drinking tea and watching us.

“Former Guild Master!! Save me!!!”

Mariel shouted while hiding behind Liztina, who put down her teacup and sighed softly.

“Mariel.”
“Yes!”
“He’s really a Baron.”
“Y-Yes? What on earth…?”
“He’s a Baron. He received the title as a reward from the royal family.”
“Th-That can’t be! Is that the truth! That he received a barony!”
“Would I lie about something like this? He’s a Baron, so do as he says. There’s no helping it.”

It was like a bolt from the blue.

“N-No! Such a thing shouldn’t happen…!”

Mariel’s complexion immediately turned blue upon receiving the sentence. Mariel, in such a gullible state, opened his mouth wide and slowly turned his head to look at me.

“Did you hear that? Call me Baron from now on.”
“…”

Behold, the insane gullibility. The materialized aura of gullibility was rising from Hogu-el’s shoulders, almost visible.

If that smoke were collected, specially processed, compressed, and made into a pill, it would be the Hogu Pill that often appears in martial arts novels. If you eat it, you become an incurable sucker who answers anything you’re asked, a kind of truth serum.

“Don’t hide there, come here, you punk.”
“Ah, Aaa…!”

When I called him, Mariel moved awkwardly like a broken wooden doll and slowly walked towards me. He was already shivering like a naked mole-rat exposed to the cold.

But what’s with this guy?
Am I still that scary to him?

“You said you wouldn’t yield to me?”

Weakling Disrespect ON.

“Th-That’s…”
“Get down.”
“…!”

A moment of silence.

“Well, if that’s the case… I understand.”

Mariel, reading the room, nodded and tried to get on the floor, but I quickly grabbed his arm just before his hands and knees touched the ground to prevent him from kneeling, and then stood him up again.

“What…?”

Then Mariel, with an extremely questioning face, looked at me.

“I’m just kidding, you punk.”
“Kidding?”
“I’m kidding. This guy was really going to get down.”
“Heok!!!”

Upon revealing that it was a joke, Mariel was startled and shook off my hand while blushing.

“J-Just kidding!!!”

And then he screamed, a gesture that seemed to properly highlight Mariel’s gullibility. He really seems like a sucker every time I see him. It had been a long time since I’d seen such an endearing sight, and laughter naturally flowed out.

“Hehehe.”
“Y-You rude!!!”

Mariel, that fucking ball of fluff, is fun to tease.

Even if I don’t know anything else, this guy is someone I can treat roughly. If I were to list the bad blood I have with this guy, there would be no end to it. When I think about it, I seem to have beaten Mariel every time I ran into him. Of course, that was only in the beginning; after I matured a bit, I generously forgave him.

“And I can’t tell how much of it is a joke…!”

Mariel, having escaped from me, trembled while tearing at his hair with a blue face.

“H-Hey, you thug. Why are you bullying Mariel?”

A familiar red-haired woman put down her teacup and walked towards me.

“This punk.”

Her identity was none other than the orphan Lisette.

A high-ranking instructor taken in and raised by Liztina. She had some talent, but not as much as me. Now she’s a nobody who can’t even be my opponent.

“Is it fun to bully Mariel?”
“Of course, it’s fun.”
“What’s with your temper.”
“What’s with your temper, you’re worse. Are you still extorting the slum thugs?”
“How can I stop that?”
“Hehehe, you bitch.”

Still, you could say that’s a kind of social service. She’s a chivalrous person I acknowledge. The slum thugs caught by Lisette have no choice but to be beaten until they die and cough up everything they have. In fact, being beaten until they die is on the lucky side. Like me, she doesn’t see slum thugs as people. She sees them as wallets that can be freely killed and robbed.

She eradicates criminals and recovers their ill-gotten gains. This is an action that can be called chivalrous in its own way. Isn’t that right? Originally, the word “chivalrous” is a title given to excellent killers.

“Guild Master!”

Mariel went behind Lisette again and hid.

“Hey, hey. You fucking Hogu-el. It’s a joke, so don’t be too scared.”
“H-Hogu-el?!”
“Stop with the bullshit. But now that you mention the Martial Arts Guild, how’s Serka doing?”
“Serka quit!”
“What? Really? Why?”
“I don’t know the details, but it’s been quite a while since she quit. Don’t tell me you’re going to assault Serka!”
“Bullshit.”

I just thought of it, I don’t really care.

“Well, anyway, why don’t you sit down? And those behind you, too.”

Lisette said that and familiarly pulled out a chair to make room. As expected, a position makes a person; even someone who didn’t have manners before gains them when they become a guild master?

Come to think of it, her outfit has become a bit more modest, too.

I guess that’s what it means to be the head of the Martial Arts Guild. Even though her temper and appearance are a bit murderous, she must have some brains if she has the ability to run a guild.

“We should. Let’s go in and sit down.”

I brought Claudie and Winia, who were right behind me, inside.

“Katt? Who are they?”
“Those two? I’ve mentioned them a few times, they’re lower-ranking and higher-ranking instructors at the Martial Arts Guild. Both of them are bitches who got their asses kicked by me.”
“Ah. The ones you’ve talked about a few times?”
“Yeah. Those people.”

Claudie nodded. I’ve already told her about my murderous bad blood with them several times.

Anyway, I approached the table.

“By the way, the guild is doing well. Liz Unnie? Did you enjoy coming after a long time?”
“Well, so-so. Come and sit down.”

As I sat down in my seat, Karin, who was looking at me, chuckled and said.

“Your skill at teasing people is top-notch? Huh?”
“Hehehe, he’s someone I can tease. Mariel!!!!!!!!!”
“Sh-Shit!!”

When I shouted, Mariel curled up like a hermit crab under stress.

“Hehe, don’t bully him too much. He’s pitiful.”
“Okay.”

If you tell me not to bully him, I shouldn’t.

“But I didn’t expect you to come here. Are you done with your business?”
“Yeah. I’ve roughly finished gathering information. I had a lot of time left, so I came to let you know so we wouldn’t miss each other on the way back. How about it, do you think you’ll come in a bit early today?”
“Hmm…”

Liztina hesitated for a moment at my question.

“But it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so I’ll at least have a meal and go in. It’ll be hard to see you again if not now anyway. Is that okay?”

Then she asked for my consent, and if Liztina wants to, of course, she should.

“Do that. You’ll eat and come in, right?”
“Yes. I will. Thank you.”

Liztina’s smile.

Mariel and Lisette looked back and forth between Liztina and my face with a look as if they were seeing something strange, but they didn’t say anything in particular.

“But Nuna. How’s the Martial Arts Guild doing these days?”
“Hmm, well. It’s not bad. Lisette has been doing well.”

She explained it simply.

The state of the Martial Arts Guild was just so-so. Apart from the fact that there were a few dropouts after Liztina left and the number of new members decreased a bit, there were no major problems in running it.

In the first place, it was a somewhat popular guild, and it’s useful not only for martial arts training but also from the perspective of networking, so it’s not going to fail. Since people who punch and kick are hanging out together, it can’t help but be a place for socializing.

A business that has become like that usually doesn’t fail.

But the problem arose when these demon bastards appeared; if you’re not a proper expert in martial arts or anything else, you’re helpless against the demons, so business has been a bit slow these days.

“You’re going through a lot in many ways. Then eat and come in.”
“Yes.”
“What about Karin?”
“Well, I can’t leave her alone, so I’ll stick around and go together.”
“Do that.”

We drank some tea and talked for a while before coming outside.

* * *

After returning home, we went out to eat together. We went to a restaurant that we had been to countless times while living in Isvant, and eating here made me feel like I had returned to my hometown.

I’ve become very familiar with Isvant’s food.
It’s truly the taste of home.

“Katt-nim. I quietly felt the energy with Lisha-nim at home, and it’s true that there are a lot of demons. It seems like some of them have sneaked into the city as well.”
“Sneaked in?”
“To be exact, it’s humans who have received the power of demons who have sneaked in. Of course, they weren’t at a level that was worth paying much attention to. It seems like they came mixed in with the refugees.”
“These are the end times.”

So they’ve already infiltrated. But from what Hilde is saying, it doesn’t seem like they’re worth paying much attention to.

“There are religious people in the city in their own way, but they’re bold.”
“That’s because you can somehow manage if you’re careful.”
“But what’s the probability of you getting caught in reverse?”
“There’s none at all. I’m also feeling how strong my power has become. Right now, my identity is being hidden thanks to Lisha-nim’s artifact, but if I grow my power a bit more, I’ll probably be able to block all of my energy without the artifact.”
“That’s good news.”

She’s not just an ordinary succubus anymore.

“But Hilde. I received a High-Grade Holy Water, you know?”
“Ah!”
“It’s okay. I’ve hidden it in the backyard for now. I’ll bring it into the house if it seems okay after looking at it.”
“Yes… Please do that.”

Even though High-Grade Holy Water is good, it’s just a spare item for me. If it seems like it’s going to affect Hilde, I don’t have to use it.

“But, what do you intend to do about work?”
“Well, let’s go and see from tomorrow. Let’s just go around once lightly.”

Rest today and depart from tomorrow.

***

The next day, we went outside the city gates. The scenery as soon as we went out was very grim. There were so many soldiers standing here and there. This area had already been completely transformed into a military zone.

Nevertheless, they were extremely familiar and endearing landscapes.

Anyway, as we went straight in, we were able to find the soldiers’ camp. As soon as we reached it, a guard approached and asked for our purpose of visit and identification.

“Kingdom Baron Kim Katt. The purpose is reconnaissance and combat.”
“Ah. You were the Baron-nim. Please wait a moment?”
“Is there a problem?”
“You said you were going to do reconnaissance and combat. There’s a knight who came as the person in charge here, so I’ll report to him and get permission.”
“Is that so? Then add this to the report.”
“Say that a Paladin directly under the Brass Sky Angel Saintess has come.”
“Pa, Paladin…?”

It was the moment I revealed my identity.

ㅡWhat did you say!!!!!!!

At that moment, a thunderous voice echoed from over there. Feeling a strange sensation, I immediately analyzed the voice… A familiar voice. The owner of this nice, middle-aged man’s voice is none other than!!

“C-Captain Bakarel!!!”

ㅡOooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!!

At the same time. A roar that seemed to tear through the forest was heard. ㅡThud thud thud thud thud!!! I immediately shifted my gaze in that direction. From far away. An aged holy knight wearing familiar Sky Angel armor was running like a madman with a murderous expression, like some kind of Overlord.

ㅡWhoosh!

`That` that was running `leapt` `high`.

This was truly an extraordinary `feat` that I couldn’t help but emphasize.

“Wooooooooooooooooooooo!!!”

That, having leapt up, immediately began performing cartwheels like a gymnast monster who had been kidnapped by an evil organization and remodeled, and for some reason, I couldn’t control my boiling heart either, so I also ran towards Captain Bakarel while performing devastating windmills and back handsprings.

“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!”
“Ooooooooooooooooo!!”

Just before meeting Captain Bakarel like that.

ㅡThwack!!!

We accurately landed and braked suddenly.

ㅡThwack!

We grabbed each other’s left and right hands, lifted our left and right legs like ballerinas, and tilted our heads in different directions to look at the other side of the sky in a cross, and greeted each other.

“It’s been a long time!!!!!!”
“Captain Bakarel, too!!!!!!”