The Returned Sword King Decided To Become a Tyrant Chapter 26

The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Episode 26

The Fugitives (4)

“… … What?”

The dwarf captain, who had been standing there blankly, showed his bewilderment as if asking what was going on.

But he wasn’t stupid enough to not understand the words that threatened to kill him, so his face soon turned red and he expressed his anger.

“How dare you!”

Crunch-!

The dwarf captain’s chair, which had risen abruptly, was thrown to the floor.

What the guy was holding in his hand was that round artifact.

“I was so happy to see a guest I hadn’t seen in hundreds of years, and I was so happy to see him that I started hanging out with him. His impudence was endless!”

Wheeing!

Light began to seep into the bead, cohering like a swarm of fireflies.

The artifact began to glow golden, as if it was ready to be activated.

The dwarf leader, who had been caressing the beads with a proud expression on his face, soon continued speaking with a haughty tone.

“I didn’t want to use this… … What do you think! If you leave this land right now, I’ll spare your life!”

“Hmm. Is that where your confidence comes from?”

“Yeah, yeah! I don’t want to taste anything spicy… … .”

… … Is that so?

Before the guy could finish speaking, my hand moved like lightning.

puck!

“Ugh!”

The dwarf captain, who didn’t even realize what was happening, was pushed back by something.

The artifact I had been holding was rolling around in the palm of my hand, and my hands, groping in the air, were catching nothing in vain.

The dwarf captain’s expression turned to shock.

“Wh, when on earth… …!”

He ran towards me to get back what he had taken without me knowing.

Be that as it may, I couldn’t help but laugh as I looked at the artifact in my hand.

“If we have this, aren’t we supposed to be afraid of barbarians?”

An artifact that seemed ready to release a powerful force towards the intruder at any moment.

Perseok-

It wasn’t even operating the aura.

It broke easily with just a little bit of force on my grip.

I laughed at the remains of the artifact, which crumbled into dust as if it had rotted away inside.

“Did you think I would be fooled by such appearances?”

“Oh, no!”

The debris scattered into the air, and soon it had changed to the point where it was impossible to see its original form.

I muttered as I approached the dwarf captain, who had collapsed with his legs weakened.

“There’s no way the inside of something that’s been around for a thousand years would be intact. And since that artifact was made by an elf, it wouldn’t have been easy to repair.”

“Ugh!”

“Come to think of it, the external barrier was broken more easily than I thought. Was it right before its lifespan ended?”

At least, from what I know, there is no such thing as a boundary.

In other words, the time when the guys were discovered was the time when the barrier’s lifespan ended.

I trampled and twisted the remains of the artifact.

“Even in that situation, I praise Man-Yong for trying to threaten me.”

… … But you know what?

Swish-

“Ugh!”

The new model that had been trampling on hopes melted into thin air and disappeared.

My body, which appeared before I could even blink, was fiercely grabbing the foreheads of the dwarves who were hiding while armed.

Movement that is natural, like flowing waves, yet difficult to follow with the eyes.

I put my face next to the struggling dwarves’ ears and whispered quietly.

“I don’t remember giving permission to eavesdrop like a rat.”

“Hey, you insolent bastard!”

“Let go of this!”

Whoosh whoosh!

It’s embarrassing.

Even though I tried to swing my arms to pull myself away, the hand holding my face wouldn’t budge.

With no choice, the remaining dwarves, except for the two who were held in both hands, raised their weapons with murderous expressions.

“Come and protect your clan!”

“You insolent human! Don’t even think about coming back alive!”

As long as the negotiations went wrong, humans were, as always, a detriment to them.

So, that’s why he changed his attitude like that, turning his hand over.

Of course, I was watching this and all I could do was laugh in vain.

“This is why I look like a bad guy.”

“What is it?!”

“Weren’t you the ones who chose death at the crossroads of life and death?”

“This is sophistry!”

“You think so?”

My questioning eyes no longer even shed a laugh.

I lightly pushed away the dwarves I was holding in my hands.

Then he approached the dwarves who had fallen on their butts and drew his sword.

“With your stubbornness that is out of touch with the times, you even reject the helping hand.”

Jeobuk-

“I can’t stand the greed of the moment.”

“Hey, hey… … stop it!”

Jeobuk-

“You brought great trouble upon yourself.”

“f*ck! Kill him!”

Whoa whoa!

My eyes sparkled as I saw the dwarves running towards me with shouts of determination.

“The end of you guys was already predicted.”

────!

As soon as he finished speaking, the world that had been colored turned red and distorted into a hellish shape.

“Huh!”

“Huh!”

It’s a mistake.

When I came to my senses, nothing had changed in the ‘world’, including their leader crawling on the floor.

However, if there is one thing that has changed… … .

“I, that… … .”

The fact was that an ominous aura was emanating from the sword in the man’s hand.

“… … Aura Blade?”

The blazing sword sparkled like crystal, and what I thought was distorted was actually the light spreading out like lighting and hitting the stone wall.

Definitely. Something is wrong with this.

Otherwise, the direction the sword was pointed would not have reached them.

As soon as I realized that fact, a voice with a strained throat came out of someone’s mouth.

“Run away… … .”

But no one present took a step forward.

The moment I moved rashly, it was obvious that the sword would come down.

The murderous intent overflowing from the human before their eyes was clearly directed at them, enough to be reflected in their pupils.

Roder, who had heard the commotion and came running late, was also unable to move.

‘That’s ridiculous!’

It was an unprecedented power that I saw that day.

A power that, in just a few short seconds, had created in his heart a strange feeling of awe.

But now I could understand it clearly.

The fact that the power he had been in awe of was not something that could be expressed with the shallow word of presence.

Regardless, I approached the frozen leader of the dwarves.

“You said that. I will never cooperate unless you give me 20% of the ore to be mined.”

“Save me… … .”

“Why should I do that? There is absolutely no reason for me to do that.”

Offering them a place to live was an act of confusion from the start.

In this situation where the mere presence of Mithril makes things more complicated, you bring a dwarf with you?

I don’t know how great the gains would be, but the risks involved were greater than any other option.

“The reason I suggested relocation while giving you a share of the mine was to help you, who ran away from humans. Being used with your legs cut off is none of my concern, and I just want to make sure that Esteban is not harmed.”

Not only does he take risks to prevent a disastrous future, he also gives them freedom and a ‘mineral’ to use as they wish.

The ‘price’ that I spoke of, beyond justice, was the same as saying that I would take responsibility for their future.

“If you still try to take advantage of my consideration out of petty greed, I have no choice but to push forward with the best course of action.”

I smiled faintly.

“And this isn’t a threat, unlike what you did. It really doesn’t matter to me how it goes.”

The best option, not the second best option.

It’s just a difference in efficiency, if given time, any craftsman who can handle Mithril can train them.

So, it might have been better to kill them and reduce the risk rather than appease them.

“Ahh, ahhh… … !”

There was despair in his eyes.

I can’t resist. I shouldn’t have been stubborn from the start.

The human being in this place really had no interest in the well-being of his clan, and was only moving in the direction he thought was right.

And what he did was the worst possible thing, driving his clan to death because of his greed.

“Father, please… … I will take full responsibility for this… … .”

If we leave it like this, the end of our clan will be ruin.

Even though his whole body was trembling with fear, he tried to somehow recover from his mistake.

All he could do was lie flat on his stomach and end it with his own hands.

“Please, at least spare the other clansmen… … .”

“Please save me?”

“I will take full responsibility, so please… … !”

“good.”

There was no reason to kill those guys.

To be exact, it means that there is no need to kill them right away.

I took a step back and suppressed the aura that was surging.

“I’ll let you live however you want. I don’t need your worthless life.”

“Oh, thank you!”

I called out to George, who had been watching the situation with interest behind me, asking when I had arrived.

“What’s going on?”

“Contact the Sun Knights and tell them to clear out the temporary barracks.”

“Hmm. Are you going back now?”

“Yes. Let’s move quickly to Esteban before the barbarians notice anything strange.”

“Please wait a moment!”

At that moment, the dwarf captain suddenly stands up and interrupts the conversation.

I swallowed my rising irritation and asked briefly back.

“what?”

“Are you saying we’re leaving like this? If I do, what are we supposed to do with our clan…?”

“You asked me to save you? So I said I would save you.”

“Ha, but… … If we continue like this, our clan will be in danger!”

ha.

I bent my legs and put the sword away.

I quickly got down to the guy’s eye level and explained it to him in a way he could understand.

“Does your safety have anything to do with me?”

“What is that… … .”

“No means of defense? That’s your problem to solve, it has nothing to do with me.”

I raised the corners of my mouth and laughed heartily, then added:

“Remember that my only consideration is to spare you.”

“… … I will make a contract. No, I will do anything, so please save my clan.”

“Are you saying you will follow us?”

“exactly.”

“Hey, captain!”

“Hoo.”

The dwarf captain came with a solemn expression and requested a contract.

Now that the barrier has been broken and there is no other means left, it seems they have realized that if we leave, the future will be nothing but tragedy.

Even that was useless now, since he knew that if time was delayed there would be no more opportunities left.

Of course, it is impossible to pick up spilled water.

“You’ve been threatening me, so now you’re asking for my help? What a convenient way to live.”

“… … if it is for the survival of the clan.”

“Well, it wasn’t completely rotten, was it?”

I shrugged.

The reason he tried to forcibly change the terms of the contract was also for the sake of the uncertain future of his clan.

“Okay. If you say so, I’ll do whatever you want. But for now, it’s more important to realize your situation.”

My hand, which had stopped in front of the bastard’s face, slowly opened.

It was three fingers, from the thumb to the index finger.

“I have no intention of enslaving you. Fair trade and sufficient compensation are the virtues of a ruler in my opinion. However, I cannot give you a contract on the previous terms under these circumstances.”

“That, that is… … .”

“3% of the ore you mined. That’s the final offer I can make.”

The leader of the dwarves took a deep breath.

This is significantly lower than the 5% initially proposed.

And that’s not just 3% of the entire mine, it’s 3% of the ore mined by the clan.

Still, the words that would come out of his mouth were already decided.

“… … Thank you for giving me your final mercy.”

The bastard nodded his head hastily as if he was being chased.

Yeah, just as he had guessed, this was their last chance.

A rotten rope that should have been grabbed if one had the will to do so.

I looked down at the dwarf captain in silence, then turned and went outside.

“Bring the Sun Knights into the canyon. The negotiations have been successful.”

“Oh my, with this amount of harvest, His Majesty the King will be turned over.”

George adjusted his glasses and took out his magic ball.

“What should I say? Just tell me whatever you want and I’ll tell you what I want.”

“… … I guess I need further training. As the prince’s aide, I still use vulgar language.”

It wasn’t a single wrong statement.

The dwarves that decorated the castle so splendidly, and all the dwarves frozen in place.

Because it was all our part to fulfill the contract.

That was the price of arrogance for daring to defy me.

* * *

“Wow, this is such a large quantity… … !”

The items the dwarves had made were so numerous that even if they were to line up in front of the empty wagons the Knights of the Sun had brought, there would still be plenty left over.

Even though the ones with poor quality weren’t even on the list in the first place.

A knight stuck out his tongue at the sight of a sword that had not even been noticed.

“… … Even though it’s better than my sword, it’s just being thrown away… … .”

“That must mean that the things loaded onto the carriage were amazing.”

If I had my way, I would have exchanged it right away. If not, I would have packed it in my personal bag and put it away.

It was clear that it would not be noticeable, like scooping up a handful of sand from a sandy beach.

However, the first prince left a warning with a cold expression on his face to the knights who were to collect the goods.

-If even one person takes advantage of the situation, it won’t be fun to see them.

The words not to go against the prince were like a strong warning to the advance party, so no knight was brave enough to step forward and risk danger.

In the first place, those who volunteered to fight in the front lines had no greed.

The knights who were carefully sorting the items turned their gaze to another carriage.

“… … You’re a real dwarf.”

“They’re the kind of guys you only see in fairy tales.”

“Those little guys can make such top-of-the-line equipment?”

Fifty dwarves with haggard faces were crammed into the carriage.

According to the prince, it seemed that the guys were all the dwarves who had been hiding in the land of the barbarians.

“I thought there were about a thousand people since you said you were a clan.”

“But I’m a dwarf… … .”

“Well, but why are they dead? The vice-captain didn’t tell us anything.”

“… … Well? Are you sad to leave your beloved land? Or perhaps now is the right time for them?”

“Now that I hear it, that could be true. It’s different from humans.”

anyway.

The First Prince, who had acquired the dwarves and the best weapons that were thought to have disappeared during this expedition, had gained profits that were incomparable to those gained from winning any other war.

And this will be an act of giving wings to the shoulders of the first prince who was already continuing his unconventional actions.

The expressions on the knights’ faces began to come to mind.

“Shouldn’t you be lining up to His Highness the First Prince right now?”

“Arthur. Why would a front-line knight like us get involved in politics?”

“That’s not it. I’m just saying that we should at least improve our treatment so that we can look good. To put it bluntly, you know how much unfairness we’ve been subjected to.”

“… … Is that so?”

It was just a family affair, but it was a happy enough fantasy.

It was true that, unlike the Royal Guard, they were not treated well despite fighting on the front lines.

“You never know, His Majesty may personally inspect our swordsmanship.”

The knight hummed and began to finish organizing his weapons.

“Anyway, we just need to return safely from this expedition. The ball is already in our court.”

The countless battles that took place before we got here.

It was a tough time for both the advance party and the follow-up party, but in the end, they achieved a feat that was incomparable to anything else.

So that you won’t have to fear the barbarian warriors you’ll encounter on your way back.

Their chatter continued like this until all the tidying up was over.

one side.

“It looks like it’s on fire over there.”

I shrugged my shoulders at George’s words and walked out.

“What are you going to do with the items you leave behind?”

“I’ll bury everything as planned. I won’t leave even a single dagger behind.”

“It’s a dwarven treasure trove with hundreds of years of history.”

“Anyway, these guys are destined to be thrown into a corner of the palace warehouse.”

The purpose of the fancy and nice things I am taking with me this time is to show off the results of this expedition.

Throwing it away was an investment in the future.

‘Because you never know how things in this world will turn out.’

If the barbarians were a device to divert the attention of the Federal Empire, this too could have worked in that way someday.

A place where weapons that the dwarves have been making for hundreds of years are kept.

Just by slightly changing the location, it can be said that it is sufficient to serve as bait.

George said, smacking his lips.

“You already knew, right?”

“… … .”

“The dwarves need a new home. And they’re so greedy that they’ll ruin the negotiations. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have hidden the information about Mithril.”

“Thinking is freedom.”

“Of course.”

I opened the wooden door and went inside.

What was waiting there was the leader of the dwarves, clutching his head in regret and despair.

When the guy noticed me coming in, he shivered for a moment and bowed his face as if he was dying.

Now that the hierarchical relationship was clear, I smiled and approached the guy.

“Get up from your seat.”

“… … Okay, I understand.”

If manners are firmly ingrained in his head, he listens straight to what is said.

While I watched the guy struggle to his feet, I thought back on my conversation with George.

‘Did you know?’

Of course I knew.

From the very beginning… … to be exact, from the moment we entered the land of the barbarians.

That would be the case. They acted this way both to the barbarians who came to this land and to the Federation Empire that captured them.

“Take it out.”

“yes.”

At my command, George sighed and took a piece of paper out of his bosom.

… … It was a contract written in tiny letters.

The dwarf captain’s face darkened, as if he had given up on his impending fate.

“You probably think you can break a hollow contract, just like you did in the past.”

I continued speaking before I could hear the answer.

“Well, I know it’s useless.”

Sizzle-

Fragments of the contract that were about to be written fluttered into the air, dazzling the dwarf captain’s eyes.

The guy asked with even more anxious eyes.

“Your Majesty, do you intend to revise the terms of the contract? To enslave us?”

“no.”

I will not treat you like a slave.

It was just empty words that I could break, but the ‘ritual’ that I will do from now on will reveal my thoughts transparently.

“… … !”

I stood up and drew my sword.

Then he placed the blade on his palm and moved the sword lightly as if he were swinging a violin bow.

For a moment, an eerie sensation spread through my palm, and soon drops of blood fell to the floor.

“I don’t believe in that contract either. It has no binding force.”

“… … .”

“That is merely a convention that is displayed on the outside.”

Yes. What I wanted was a companion to go together for a common purpose, not a collaborator who would hit me in the back of the head.

As I said that, I reached out with my blood-dripping hand and grabbed the guy’s forehead.

“You said you would take full responsibility? You understand what I mean by a fairy contract, right?”

“What the heck is that… … .”

A trembling voice came out of the mouth of the dwarf captain who was belatedly chewing over the contents of the conversation.

“Hey, how can a human do that!”