By Zephyria =======
Silver instinctively turned his head toward Black Weasel. The unexpected turn of events left him more bewildered than relieved. That Ice Armor Warrior bastard—could he still be drunk?
As Wolf shouldered his backpack, Black Weasel rested his axe on one shoulder.
「Attendant, you walk in front of us. Warning: if you try any tricks, I’ll actually kill you this time.」
They climbed up the mountain path. Silver and Black Weasel were both the types who couldn’t stand boredom, but this time, they walked in silence without any mischief. The cave wall in question might have been easy for Silver and Black Weasel, but in reality, even a first-class warrior would likely need at least a year of day-and-night training to manage it.
So the Attendant knew how to climb rock walls. But for a boy my age to climb that cave wall all the way to the top…
Silver glanced sideways at Black Weasel. Black Weasel’s expression had been unsettling for a while now.
Why is he smiling like that?
Black Weasel never forgave anyone who interfered with his work. Yet, a wide grin remained plastered on his face. At this point, Silver wondered if he had stumbled upon a gold nugget while walking. Was he so overwhelmed with the joy of becoming an overnight millionaire that he was being generous to the Attendant?
Silver shifted his focus to Wolf. The back of his head still felt dizzy. How could that guy…
“Hey. Silver.”
Black Weasel tapped Silver on the shoulder. Silver flinched and looked up.
“Uh? What?”
“How did you spend your time in the cave while I was gone? You and those idiots.”
“Nothing much. I hunted by day and stayed in the cave by night. The idiots stayed in the cave day and night. In my spare time, I played with them.”
“Played?”
“Played, what else? We did a prayer ritual once to get rid of moles.”
Silver stopped talking and wrinkled his nose.
“As soon as you left, those idiots tried to pull something on me, but they gave up quickly and just played. I thought they realized you’d played a prank on them. After a few days, I joined in. That’s it.”
“Wow, you really can’t underestimate those Atania bastards. They’re quite cunning.”
“I get that he hid his rock-climbing skills, but…”
“That’s not it. The idiots were pretending to play while they waited. They lured you in so you’d let your guard down and approach them on your own. Their plan was to coax you into joining their side! But looking closely, they realized you weren’t likely to fall for it. That’s why the Prince decided to save at least the Attendant and let him escape.”
“This bastard is starting again.”
Silver let out a hollow laugh.
“Back to the ‘actually, there was a plan’ routine. You didn’t see it yourself, but there’s nothing in those guys’ heads except playing. Oh, they do make plans when grilling meat. They were incredibly concerned about when to sprinkle the salt.”
“I’m telling you, they really hid their plan, kid. Just in case, the two of them probably practiced climbing the cave wall while you were gone. The Attendant succeeded, but the Prince couldn’t, so he had no choice but to stay.”
“Ah, stop talking nonsense. The Attendant is just a guy who climbs rock walls as a hobby. There are plenty of people like that in Stohl too.”
“Oh, my! I forgot to tell you that. Silver, the idiots’ hometown, Levenon, is a plain. There are no mountains, not even hills.”
Silver was speechless. Black Weasel smirked.
“I bet my magnificent beard that the Attendant climbed a cave wall for the first time right here. Atania people think a hundred times when a Stohl person thinks ten. They’re different from Stohl people who just swing their fists first.”
“But those guys are Stohl people too…”
“Growing up in Atania, they learned how to use their heads like Atania people. What do you call it… assimilation? Adaptation? Anyway, those guys might be from Stohl, but they’re Atania people to the core. They might have set a plan even more meticulous than what I’ve pointed out.”
Silver couldn’t open his mouth further. Black Weasel’s explanation was logically sound with no room for rebuttal, but it was still hard to accept. Wolf was cunning? It sounded like insisting an axe was a crossbow.
The Wolf in Silver’s eyes was… how should he put it, a Stohl person who admired Atania people. A Stohl person who tried to be like an Atania person but didn’t quite manage it. When playing role-playing games, he was exceptionally good at acting out the stupid roles, and his rough, hot-tempered Stohl side would occasionally peek through. But all of that was acting?
Right, it was acting. It was a trap.
Why think any further? Regardless of everything, the very existence of Wolf walking in front of him now revealed the truth. He was a guy who had secretly practiced climbing the cave wall while pretending to be oblivious. Acting like a ‘Stohl person who admires Atania people’ would have been nothing. Both the Prince’s and the Attendant’s behavior, which seemed so typical for their age, were all part of the ‘plan.’
A chill belatedly ran down Silver’s spine. Then I was just a ladybug crawling along, not even knowing I was standing on a frog’s tongue. Fuck, this is actually kind of scary.
‘Stohl people are very simple because they spend their lives looking only at mountains and rivers. Like freshwater fish that snap at a lure without any suspicion.’
At some point, Black Weasel had told Silver this on the ship heading to Atania.
‘For example, to a Stohl person, one plus one is two. But the Atania way of counting is different. Aren’t you curious how it’s different, Silver?’
‘Not really.’
‘Ah, you’re curious? There’s a calculation called simple interest. ★◆ gets ◎▼ attached. Also, there’s a method called compound interest. It’s a way where ●■ gets □§ attached to become ∞↑☆, and then ▼◥ is attached again. Man, isn’t that clever? Now you understand well how cunning Atania bastards are, right, Silver?’
Because he had let Black Weasel’s explanation go in one ear and out the other at the time, he couldn’t remember any words other than ‘simple interest’ and ‘compound interest.’ Silver kicked the dirt ground uselessly. Damn it, the Ice Armor Warrior bastard is actually right for once.
“By the way, you said you performed a prayer ritual? You didn’t do it alone, did you?”
Black Weasel asked, stroking his beard with the back of his hand. Silver kicked a pebble that got in his way.
“Yeah, I did it with the Atania idiots. The Prince’s hands and feet were covered in moles, so I let him join. Fuck, I wasted my kindness. If I’d known this would happen…”
“Exactly. You just gave them a rare sight for free. You can’t even see a Stohl prayer ritual in Atania even if you pay.”
Black Weasel chuckled. Those words made Silver even more furious. Even though Silver glared at him with a distorted face, Black Weasel continued to grate on his nerves.
“That Attendant is amazing. His physical abilities are surprising, and unlike some people, his head spins fast. Most of all, what I envy most is his flawless skin… Hahat! With a handsome face and a large cock, he’s the perfect protagonist for a legend. Perfect in every way, but unfortunately in his early twenties…”
“Did you eat something wrong? What protagonist? You must be getting senile, but I finished that cave wall in one go without any practice.”
Unable to take it anymore, Silver snapped. Black Weasel stopped with a “Hmm?” He stroked his beard, looked back and forth between Silver and Wolf, and then suddenly grinned.
「Attendant! Stop right there.」
Wolf’s shoulders flinched as he turned around. Black Weasel snapped his fingers toward Silver.
“A bet! Let’s make a bet, Silver!”
“What bet?”
“You and the Attendant climb down the cave wall. We bet on who gets down first. I’m betting on the Attendant.”
“Wha… what?!”
Silver was overcome with intense rage. Black Weasel shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly.
“If you’re not confident, you can bet on the Attendant too. The loser has to take three punches from the winner. How about it?”
“…If you break that promise, just watch. I bet on myself.”
Silver shot a glance at Wolf.
「Hey. Follow me.」
* * *
Once they were far away from Black Weasel, Wolf spoke.
「Silver, isn’t this the direction of the cave hole? Are we going that way?」
“….”
「Did Uncle tell you to climb down the wall? Why?」
Silver walked quickly without a word.
「Silver, did you go out to meet Uncle? You should have told me. The Prince and I were so worried yesterday because you didn’t come back. We couldn’t sleep, thinking you might have had an accident while hunting…」
He couldn’t take it anymore. Silver whipped around and threw a punch at Wolf. Wolf’s eyes widened.
“Silver?!”
Though he shouted in surprise, Wolf twisted his head. Silver’s fist grazed Wolf’s cheek and missed. Instinctively, Silver’s entire body turned cold. This bastard dodged my punch?
「Silver! What’s wrong with you!」
“You cunning bastard!”
Silver screamed. Wolf gasped and stepped back.
“How dare you trick me! You black-hearted bastard!”
「Uh, Silver. You just insulted me, right? If you want to make me feel bad, shouldn’t you say it in the Atania language?」
「Cunning bastard! How dare you trick me! You black-hearted bastard!」
Silver shouted it all over again, this time in the Atania language.
28 – Hell Execution Order