༺ Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief (2) ༻
I imagined myself destroying the lock in front of me.
However, I was neither a spy action movie hero nor did such an image readily come to mind.
Even if I exerted all my strength, was it possible to break such a sturdy lock?
Although I had a moment of doubt, at this moment, I needed to focus on my own potential rather than negative thoughts. Using the power of imagination, I could certainly turn it into reality.
So, I needed to think of a grand ultimate move to make this happen in one shot.
“BANKAI!”
Crash— Crash—!
The club I clenched tightly in my hand began to make an ominous sound as if it were screaming, and I swung the club downward with all my strength like a thunderbolt.
“Re…quiem!”
Whoosh—!
Clang—!
My club, which fell straight down like a loaded guillotine, rattled against the iron bars of the lock without missing a beat, making a loud noise.
It sounded more like an explosion than the sound of metal clashing on metal, even my ears were ringing.
“Uwaaah!”
“Kyaaak!”
Startled by the loud noise, some in the crowd screamed and crouched. But I didn’t pay any attention to my surroundings.
Tingle— Tingle—
My hand was tingling as if it had been struck by lightning.
Maybe I’d strained my wrist ligaments.
I had exerted too much force.
“Whoo—”
I heaved a sigh to calm my racing heart.
Clank— Clang—
Right in front of me, the shackle and the thick body of the lock separated and fell to the ground in pieces. I had finally broken the lock.
Rather than the fact that my hand hurt, a strange satisfaction was bubbling up within me as I destroyed that sturdy-looking lock with my own strength.
However, the loud noise and my battle cry seemed to have startled them. The atmosphere in the room had become tense, and people’s faces were stiff with nervousness and fear.
The only thing that came to mind in this situation was Paranoy, who was licking candy.
“Ah—!!! That’s!!!”
Paranoy screamed with her eyes and lips wide open as if she had witnessed something truly astonishing.
“…T-that’s—!!! Mr. Hassan’s 2nd technique out of the 24 Ultimate Techniques!!! The Giant and Sturdy Samaritan Club…!!!”
Now I was certain. Paranoy’s mind was indeed not quite right. This was the predicament of a person whose life was constantly preyed upon, being used as a means for someone else’s gain.
“…Mr. Hassan! How could you use such a dangerous technique in a place with so many people…!!! If you weren’t careful, we could all have died here…!!!”
That little nymph was already broken beyond repair.
But the problem was the chaotic atmosphere began to stir in response to Paranoy’s words.
“Huh? What kind of ultimate technique is that?”
“…It’s an incredibly dangerous technique, right? The noise alone was so loud…”
“I thought my heart was going to explode…!”
Just like the reactions of the people, my own heart started to thump loudly. What was I doing here?
Just then, someone spoke up. A woman was wrapped in a long cloth, similar to linen material, around her head and body.
“I… have heard of it before. Samaritans carry large and sturdy clubs… Once you taste that, you’ll never want to experience it again, whether you’re a man or a woman…”
A wrinkled old man on the opposite side responded to her.
“…The warning to hide your daughters and sons from the Samaritans—I’ve heard it too. It turns out this is what the warning means. They would have been completely destroyed!”
“Me too…”
“Me—”
The market became noisy, with everyone sharing what they had heard before, one by one. How could they stare at me while whispering about me like this? It seemed that it wasn’t just Paranoy who was broken.
“More importantly, a Samaritan named Hassan, isn’t this guy who’s been causing trouble on the surface?”
“Wow… I’ve only heard rumors and songs about him. This is my first time seeing him in person. He indeed carries a big and sturdy club.”
“They said it was a club that the city’s Young Lady personally nurtured, she even gave it a name.”
Clearly, they were talking about the club, but somehow, the schlong in my lower half kept twitching.
Where was it that they went wrong to be subjected to this? What was it that I did?
Anyway, there was something about this crowd’s noisy reaction that my soft sensibilities couldn’t bear. So, I decided to quickly resolve this situation by opening my mouth to speak.
“Here, now that the lock is broken, it’s enough, right?”
“…I didn’t expect there would be someone who could break a titanium lock with brute force.”
The Thieves’ Guild’s interviewer, the masked man, mumbled as he stared at the broken titanium lock.
Clank— Thud—
He tried to reassemble the broken lock as if trying to realign it, but eventually, he gave up and tossed it to the ground.
“It’s completely wrecked. I don’t want to admit it, but in the face of sheer strength, skills and wisdom don’t matter. You pass. The Wilding is yours. But you still have to pay the 1 silver fee.”
“‘Kay.”
I handed over one silver I had exchanged for the payment and gained and had now legitimately obtained this grand prize, a wildling.
“Hassan, how did you manage to break something so sturdy like that?”
Luna asked while handing over the Wilding in her arms.
However, Luna seemed more concerned about passing the liquid-like creature she held in her arms to me than about me breaking the lock.
—Gyuing.
I remembered Luna wanted to use this strange creature to make an elixir.
Well, I didn’t have any totem to raise my strength but this is fine too.
So, I decided to just give it to Luna.
“Take it, it’s my gift.”
“…Are you serious? This thing costs 2 gold!”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“Wow, holy shh—!”
Luna jumped and genuinely rejoiced; seeing her happy made me happy too. I had felt this way before, but this was probably why lovers exchange gifts.
“Then, once I make an elixir out of it, I’ll give it to you first, Hassan! Hehe, a Wilding elixir.”
Watching someone be happy often made you want to give them anything. Watching me from below the stage, the red and tress-haired Marco spoke up.
“A Samaritan and his big, sturdy club. I found inspiration to write a great song. This is the kind of material that would appeal to affluent, older ladies. While at it, why not move my stage and activities to a more wealthy district…?”
“Shut up, bastard.”
After tucking the club into my waistband, I proceeded to massage my wrist, which was still tingling. As expected, I strained a ligament.
Conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome were common among massage therapists who used their hands often, so it wasn’t surprising.
It was like a chronic illness, too, for modern people who used computers a lot.
“It seems like the vessel can’t keep up with the strength.”
Just then, the masked man approached me from behind as he spoke.
Swish—
He handed me a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. The glass bottle resembled a smooth and transparent potion vial, and inside was a rolled-up parchment. (check)
“What’s this?”
“You’re the one they called Hassan of Samaria, right? You passed the interview. If you go to the place written inside, you’ll meet the executives waiting for you.”
Oh, right, this was the Thieves’ Guild interview.
Damn it. I had passed the interview for the Thief Guild that I should have attacked and wiped out.
Still, it was fortunate that I had gained an opportunity to get close and find out their true identity. So, I pulled out the cork stopper and unfolded the parchment inside.
Unfurl—
“What the hell is this?”
* * *
When we emerged from the underground waterway, the sky had already turned dark. Thanks to the money we obtained, our arms were heavy with plenty of goods from shopping.
Everyone had spent their money impulsively, so all the precious gold coins were gone.
Still, I felt like I had spent my money meaningfully. I bought a titanium plate gauntlet made only in the underground stores for 4 golds, so I could equip it.
Damn it, a 4-golds-worth armor.
Clang—
Apart from being heavy due to its quite sturdy metal plate, it seemed to protect my wrist well, and it should also take good care of my fingers since they were my most valuable asset.
In addition, items like gauntlets with steel plates or shoes with iron soles could also double as weapons.
Now I had gaiters, greaves, gauntlets, cuirass…
Except for the fact that the equipment was quite heavy to wear, I already looked like a seasoned adventurer.
Based on appearances alone, I could easily pass for a veteran with 2 to 5 years of experience. One who has completed numerous quests, not a rookie recruit.
All that’s left is the shoulder armor and a helmet, isn’t it? If that happens, becoming Hassan, the steel warrior, wouldn’t just be a dream.
“Well, should we have a drink before going home? There’s still some time left before it gets too dark.”
Ascending from the underground, Marco stared at the bluish moon shining in the sky and asked. After a tiring shopping day, it would be great to have a cold drink with ice in this heat.
“I want to turn this thing into an elixir quickly! I bought mandrake roots, amanita, and elm, so it’s going to be something amazing.”
—Gyuing.
Swinging the bags in her hands, Luna expressed her wish to quickly return to the cabin. Her actions reminded me of one of my friends who used to enjoy building scale models.
He also couldn’t wait to get home after buying model kits.
Perhaps Luna’s elixir-making obsession might not be much different from someone’s passion for building scale models, given how she immersed herself in it.
“Paranoy! You should come too! You have to help me out!”
“I-I also have to do it…?”
“Yes, sleep over my place today! If I have some nymph extract, hehe, it’ll surely… hehe, hehe… hehe—”
Luna couldn’t finish her sentence because she was laughing. It seemed she couldn’t contain her laughter from just looking forward to it. So, in the end, it was just Marco and me who went for a drink.
“Sometimes, guys need to spend time together, you too, Hassan!” Luna said, making sure I wouldn’t return to the cabin for a while.
Luna would often be like this when she was using secret ingredients that she wasn’t intent on showing me. At this point, I’m getting curious about what it could possibly be.
But I didn’t mind having a relaxing time with a drink and without any concerns.
So, Luna and Paranoy returned to the cabin while Marco and I decided to visit a tavern.
I couldn’t help but think that I might encounter Elfriede and her colleagues in the Nymph’s Wings Inn, where I usually went, which deterred me from going there.
Therefore, as I looked around for another place.
Marco then spoke in a very ominous tone.
“Since the girls went ahead, we should go to a tavern where only guys can go.”
“Like an underground tavern?”
“You catch on quickly. Over there, you’ll find some powder that will make you happy, and your mood will greatly improve.”
Powder that will make you happy?
Just hearing that made a cold sweat run down my back.
“Is something like that really there?”
“Hehehe, it seems you still don’t know much about the enjoyments of this continent, Brother. Today, just trust me, Marco, and follow.”
Suddenly, the back side of Marco, this bastard, seemed to grow larger, and he began to look incredibly impressive as if he had become a senior in life.
This bastard had climbed a few steps up the ladder of life without me even realizing it, steps I couldn’t cross myself.
He always seemed a little crazy, like he was on drugs. It turned out this bastard really was on drugs. I always thought there was something wrong with him but I never expected this.
“How good is it really?”
“Around here, it’s the best. Once you try it, you won’t be able to quit.”
And so, we wandered through the alleyways of the slums until we reached the entrance of a peculiar underground location guarded by several burly men.
“Not just anyone can enter here.”
They were like human pillars, blocking our way, nearly as tall as me, and looked quite intimidating. Of course, upon seeing me behind Marco, they furrowed their brows as if on high alert.
“If you plan to cause trouble inside, we can’t let you through.”
“Samaritans who’ve been drinking are known to cause a ruckus, so it’s better if you just go back.”
Damn it, I couldn’t believe this. I got cut off at the entrance and was called a barbarian. I felt a bit unjust whenever I was treated like one of those barbarian bastards just because they have black hair like mine. Samaritans, you motherfuckers.
At that moment, Marco pulled out a few coins from his pocket.
“Hey, this guy is having his first experience today. Please, let him in.”
The guards’ expressions softened as they accepted the coins.
“What? It’s his first time?”
“Hehehe, I’m really envious. I had a first time too. Right now, I can’t experience that same taste anymore.”
Swoosh—
With that statement, those men finally opened the entrance for us.
“Go ahead. Just don’t cause any trouble.”
For some reason, a strange sense of solidarity seemed to emerge among us, transcending race and age, as if we were all connected as men. Damn, what the fuck?
Anyway, with a nervous heart, I stepped down the stairs towards the underground.
I hesitated, torn between the feeling that I was about to do something really bad, the thought that maybe I should turn back now, and a massive curiosity.
Clap— Clapclap—
The sounds that started to reach us at that time were the melodies of musical instruments, clapping, and the lively laughter of people.
Instead of the dark underground club I had anticipated, what appeared before me was a surprisingly bright and ordinary-looking tavern.
The only difference was that a woman, her face hidden behind veils and wearing thin cloth, was dancing to the rhythm of claps and instruments.
With passionate red hair, revealing only the essential parts beneath flowing cloth, and a rather tanned, lean belly, she left quite the impression.
She continued dancing tirelessly, twirling her bare feet while coins continuously piled under her.
It was a Sandman Female Dancer. In this case, was she a Sandgirl?
“Isn’t she amazing? Brother Khalidur really liked this place. Come on, let’s sit over there. That spot has the best view of the dancing girls.”
Indeed, a tavern like this wouldn’t be suitable for delicate women like Luna and Paranoy. In fact, most of the customers here were men.
I followed Marco to the spot he led me and took a seat. I hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol, but I felt quite woozy, not much different than if I were under the influence.
It might be the scent of spices, or maybe it was the scent of the happiness powder, but there was a pungent smell poked at the tip of my nose.
“Owner, please take our order.”
Marco called out to the owner, a Sandman in Turban, who was approaching us.
“Drogo taking orders. Today’s menu is the Muzirak liquor. Good stuff just came in.”
“D-Damn it, Drogo!”
“Oh, Barbarian.”
