I’m Here to End This Fight

Chapter 17: Third Attempt, Second Selection (2)

Contrary to Yuri’s displeased expression, Johan’s face was the brightest it had been in a while.

Johan responded in a tone that suggested he had no idea why Yuri was upset.

With a touch of cheerfulness and freshness, he asked,

“What are you talking about?”

“Am I seeing things…? Why is that wretched thing here?”

“Tsk, tsk! How dare you call our Bung Bung a wretched thing! Take back those words immediately! Haven’t I told you that old items have a way of harboring spirits? Our dear Bung Bung would be hurt by such words!”

“What nonsense! Didn’t you promise? If I made it to Chrome in two days, I wouldn’t have to drag that wretched thing anymore! You said the physical training was over!”

“When did I ever say that?”

“You old geezer!”

“Heh, heh. Don’t you remember?”

“……?”

“When did I say the physical training was over? I said that if you made it to Chrome in two days, you’d move on to the next stage.”

“……?!”

Yuri’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck them at Johan’s words.

‘That’s right… He did say that.’

And then he realized.

He’d been tricked by that wretched old man’s wordplay.

The more Yuri’s face twisted in disgust, the brighter Johan’s expression became.

As if the mental anguish he had suffered because of Yuri during the last voyage was being healed, little by little.

“Puha, you foolish brat. No matter how much mana you possess, physical and bodily training are lifelong tasks!”

Yuri ground his teeth at Johan’s voice, which was filled with mocking laughter.

He tried his best to calm down and spoke evenly,

“Fine, fine. I’ll concede a hundred times that you’re right. But, old man….”

“Why do you keep calling me?”

“What the heck is that!”

He shouted, pointing at the resurrected Bung Bung.

Yuri’s finger pointed to a spot where something should have been.

But it wasn’t there.

In the face of Yuri’s anger, Johan scratched his ear.

“What? Is there a problem?”

“Problem? A problem? Did you just say it’s a problem?”

At Johan’s innocent tone, Yuri couldn’t hold back any longer and exploded,

“Where the hell did you sell the wheels?!”

That’s right.

The cart Johan brought.

The resurrected Bung Bung was now so pathetic that it could hardly be called a cart anymore.

Because both of its wheels were missing.

Johan, seeming utterly delighted by Yuri’s rage, answered,

“Heh heh heh. You’ve learned mana and your body’s stronger now. Would it be proper training if the difficulty stayed the same?”

With that, Johan swiftly climbed onto the wheel-less Bung Bung.

Propping his prosthetic leg up on the edge, he shouted,

“No time to waste, brat! Move quickly! Are you planning to spend the whole day here?”

Watching Johan shout excitedly, Yuri muttered quietly,

“Damn old man….”

Despite the curse, Yuri grabbed the cart’s handle, showing that his body still remembered the physical training from hauling the cart.

“Alright, let’s go!”

And so, on the first day they set foot in the Niger Administrative District, Yuri’s grueling training resumed once more.

* * *

Fifteen days had passed since Yuri and Johan arrived in Niger.

At the end of the Ice Wall Mountain Range, which divided the Niger and Baltan Administrative Districts.

Thud- Thud- Thud-.

As time passed, the sun fully emerged, and the sound that had been ringing nonstop finally ceased.

And from the source of the noise.

Creak-.

The door to the forge, which had been spewing white steam for two days straight, suddenly opened, revealing a massive old man over two meters tall.

A broad face, a rough white beard that had grown out stiffly.

And imposing, massive muscles that radiated power.

“Hmm….”

Ralph Schnell, who had been hammering steel just moments ago, stared at the east where the sun was rising.

His face, bathed in sunlight, clearly displayed his discomfort.

“Which bastard is causing trouble so early in the morning…?”

To the east.

A powerful killing intent rapidly approached, disrupting Ralph’s work.

The dense, concentrated killing intent was strong enough to break his concentration and force him outside.

Ralph intended to snap the spine of the rude intruder who had thrown manners to the wind.

That is, until the intruder revealed themselves.

Screech— Screech—.

A bizarre sound accompanied by a cloud of yellow dust approached.

Within it, a pair of gleaming, icy blue eyes shone.

“God… damn it… I’ll kill him… goddamn… kill him….”

The curses carried a heavy killing intent.

A strange cart without wheels.

And a boy in rags, dragging the cart with all his might.

Ralph could only stare blankly at the bizarre pair.

Minutes passed like that.

Screech—.

Finally, the wheel-less cart and the ragged boy, Yuri, reached Ralph.

“I, I’ve… arr… arrived….”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yuri collapsed forward and fainted.

“…Who the hell is this kid?”

In this unexpected situation, Ralph stared at the unconscious Yuri with a dumbfounded expression.

It was at that moment.

Creak— Crackle—.

The already heavily worn wheel-less cart completely fell apart.

The wooden planks of the cart collapsed in all directions, as if a gift box had been opened.

And in the center, a blanket was curled up.

Poof—.

“Cough!”

Amidst the dust that puffed up, the blanket wriggled, and a deep cough was heard.

Ralph’s face instantly hardened at the sudden presence of another person.

‘…?!’

Ralph Schnell, the sixth sword among the twelve masters that the Cradle had produced, felt a chill down his spine upon realizing that someone had been hiding, deceiving even his senses.

‘Who could it be?!’

As Ralph heightened his vigilance and raised his aura, an elderly voice came from the other side.

“Hey! Kid, I told you to run more gently to avoid kicking up dust.”

With a grumble, the blanket was thrown off, revealing a familiar face.

“Oh dear, poor Bung Bung… You’ve been through so much. Rest in peace now.”

Seeing the man more concerned about the broken cart than the fainted Yuri, Ralph felt all the tension drain from his body.

A weary voice slipped from his lips.

“Johan… senior?”

At the sound of his name, Johan waved his hand with a sly grin.

“Long time no see.”

* * *

The two-story house attached to the forge.

Contrary to Ralph’s burly appearance, the interior of his home was cozy and tidy.

Clatter—.

Ralph, the homeowner, placed a teacup in front of Johan and asked.

“So, what brings you here after all this time? It’s been 15 years.”

It was a reproach, asking why he had come after not visiting for 15 years.

Johan responded with a grin to his junior’s complaint.

“Don’t you have Shari? You know, that thing you bragged about getting a long time ago.”

“You remember something from over 20 years ago?”

“You must have boasted about it a lot for me to remember.”

“Ahem, anyway. Is that really why you came? I had it 20 years ago, but what if I don’t have it now?”

“Then I’ll deal with it when the time comes. Besides, knowing your personality, you would have stashed it away somewhere safe. You always liked shiny, pretty things despite how you look.”

“Judging people by their appearance isn’t a good habit….”

“Shut up. So, do you have it or not?”

“And why are you looking for it?”

“Because of that rotten bastard over there.”

Johan scowled and jerked his chin toward Yuri, who was sprawled out like a rag in the corner of the room.

Following his gaze, Ralph crossed his arms and asked.

“Hmm, I’ve been wondering since earlier… Who is that kid?”

“What do you think? He’s a damn nuisance.”

“Is he your disciple?”

“Disciple? No way. I don’t take on disciples.”

“Isn’t it about time you did? Are you planning to let the Redner family’s legacy end with you, senior?”

Johan snorted at Ralph’s words.

He downed a drink and continued.

“I’m the last head of the Redner family. Whether I ruin it or sell it off, what business is it of yours?”

“It’s a shame, that’s why! The Redner family’s magic body technique isn’t just any ordinary technique! If it were to disappear, it would be a loss for all humanity!”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“So, is that kid your disciple or not?”

“I told you, he’s not. I may have taught him a few things, but I don’t consider him a disciple. He probably doesn’t see me as a master either.”

“Oh? So, you have been teaching him something?”

“Yeah.”

“Most people would call that a master-disciple relationship, you know?”

“I said it’s not! He and I are just… working together for mutual goals!”

“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Why complicate things?”

“Think whatever you want.”

Johan waved his hand dismissively, as if he didn’t want to argue any further.

His gaze then shifted to the teacup in front of him.

His brow furrowed slightly.

“Hmm… What’s this?”

He picked up the cup and examined it, clearly puzzled. It was definitely a teacup that one would expect to see at a noble lady’s social gathering.

Johan asked in a bewildered tone.

“Is this what they’re making drinkware look like these days?”

“That’s a teacup.”

“Are you out of your mind? Are we supposed to sit here sipping tea like we’re at a cozy gathering? Bring me some liquor, dammit!”

“I’ve quit drinking.”

“The times must really be changing. Hearing you say you quit drinking….”

“Ahem. They say even mountains change in ten years… It’s been 15 years, so of course I’ve changed.”

“Bullshit. You might as well tell me that pigs can fly. You quit drinking? Do you want to bring me a bottle quietly, or should I ransack your place and take it all?”

“Ugh….”

Reluctantly, Ralph got up and fetched a bottle of liquor from the cupboard.

At the sight of the numerous bottles glimpsed through the slightly opened cupboard door, Johan had an expression that said, “I knew it.”

“Look at that. You’ve stashed away all that and you’re stingy enough to offer me tea? Are you even my junior?”

“Did I ever say I’d keep liquor just for you….”

“What did you say?”

Ralph shrank slightly at Johan’s glare and quickly brought the bottle over.

And so, the teacup was repurposed as a drinking cup.

Pour—.

The sweet fragrance of the liquor spread through the quiet room.

A few rounds of drinks were exchanged without much conversation.

Given their high level of cultivation, they couldn’t possibly get drunk from such a small amount.

But the atmosphere of a drinking session has a way of bringing up topics that are difficult to broach otherwise.

Even if they didn’t get drunk, some things could only be said over a drink.

“What happened with… that.”

Ralph finally spoke, his gaze fixed on Johan’s old wooden prosthetic leg.

Johan chuckled at the blunt stare.

“Are you asking because you don’t know, or because you want to hear it from me directly?”

“…The latter.”

“You’re a twisted bastard, wanting to hear the cripple’s story straight from the horse’s mouth. You’ve gotten meaner since I last saw you.”

“If you didn’t want to talk about it, you could have kept in touch. Did I have to hear about it from someone else?”

“Well, you know what happened, so why are you asking for details?”

“…….”

Ralph remained silent.

Seeing the determination in Ralph’s eyes, Johan sighed.

He quickly refilled his cup and downed it in one go.

“It’s nothing much.”

Wiping away the drop of liquor that had spilled at the corner of his mouth, Johan’s eyes filled with a sense of emptiness.

“As you know, it was during the battle 15 years ago….”

When he downed the second cup in quick succession, that emptiness washed away.

After he gulped down the third cup.

“…I lost my leg in exchange for my life. To that damned monster.”

The emptiness that had been washed away was replaced by a renewed, sharp resolve.