(EP-6.2) Flower Aira #6

006 – Evil Flower Aira #6

The man looked tall and thin from a distance. Together with his thick gray beard, it made me think of a broom.

━A plow-wielding Champion?

━It just looked like an ordinary plow. How did that become a Holy Weapon?

━Stop jesting. You wouldn't even be able to count the number of thieves killed by it!

Like what the people were talking about, the sturdy-looking man was carrying a plow, which was used for plowing the fields, on his back.

However, if that man was the chosen one and wielded a Holy Weapon, then even a plow could cut someone in half.

They were that kind of warriors in this world.

But it was not that person.

I let out a sigh, both relieved and regretful that it wasn't the person I was looking for.

Let's not confuse people.

However, just like a storm that could be created by a single flap of a butterfly's wings, I didn't know what type of variables in this world would lead to a blade being pointed at my neck.

So just in case, I was going to remember the keyword ‘Plow Warrior' in my head.

━That's amazing. But, what is a Champion?

━Ah, you ignorant bastard. But I don't know either… Isn't that just someone great?

I thought about the concept of a ‘Champion’ upon hearing this from afar.

As one lived on this land, there were times when the object they had been attached to would suddenly gain magical powers.

In the Order of Flames, they were known as ‘Holy Weapons'. Those who possessed such items were called Champions and were used for all sorts of missions or errands.

The plow man must have become a plow Champion because his plow suddenly turned into a Holy Weapon. Was he a farmer before?

Without hiding anything, the truth was that the person I was looking for also fell into the category of a Champion.

The main character of the novel ‘Villain Hunter', resembled this world, just like a mirror.

Was today’s trip a complete waste?

I obtained no news.

The weapon they used was unique, so rumors of a strange weapon wielder should have spread quickly.

━A Champion who uses a crossbow? I don't know.

━No, there is no such person here!

Even after wasting my precious time and even some money, I had no clues about the person I was looking for.

Did I just waste my time?

They surely existed in this world, right?

I was certain that they were lying low somewhere and sharpening their claws, before appearing as my greatest enemy.

Even with all the means I had, I couldn't find anything about the protagonist of ‘Villain Hunter'.

I even started to wonder if this world was different from the novel and that, maybe, that person didn't exist.

It was not entirely unlikely.

Before the sun went down, I thought I would stop by one last place.

* * *

The place I visited was a tavern in the West Gate slum district. It was quite a distance away from the main street.

The tavern was called「Nymph's Ditch」and although the name was a bit bizarre, it was a huge three-story inn frequented by many customers.

It was like a dumpster for all sorts of things.

Surprisingly, interesting rumors and ear-worthy proverbs gathered in such a place.

Of course, false rumors, gossip and all kinds of slander were bound to get mixed in, so one should always pay attention.

Dalrang, dalrang-

Upon opening the sliding door, along with the ringing of the bell, I could see the faces of people who were already drunk and wasted. It was still early in the evening…

Broken cups and spilled alcohol were scattered on the floor. I even saw a mouse with a piece of cheese in its mouth, scurrying into a hole.

“Keu, reeks of alcohol.”

The sanitary conditions were very poor. Of course, my nerves weren't so sensitive that I cared about every single thing.

After settling in a corner where no one would care about me, I ordered samgyeopsal-like food from a freckled waitress.

Now, I quietly began listening and taking in all of the conversations.

I, the evil Tae-oh, secretly had good hearing. Even in a noisy place like this, I seemed to have a magical power of being able to pick and choose the information I wanted.

━Honey, I didn't wear panties today.

━Let's eat and dip. I'll make you purr~

What about purring? No, although it was very interesting, it was not what I was looking for.

Champion.

Any words about Champions?

After listening for a while, I heard a particularly concerning story that made me wince.

━Did you hear? Lord Belmott fell on his knees and swore allegiance to the Queen!

━I heard it too! I didn't think that Lord Belmott would surrender. That Tae-oh, he really knows how to break people down…

━Why is he only using such abilities on evil things? Tsk-

They seemed to be aware about Belmott's execution incident in the Court the other day. I told them to keep quiet and not leak it to the public. But in the end, rumors were still spread.

━So, are the rumors true? The fact that Tae-oh, the dim-witted gardener, is actually a big shot?

━The Queen must have gone crazy. Keu- But even though he's such an evil bastard, I envy him. Being able to touch those big melons every night…

I had never touched them…

━A long time ago, I once caught a glimpse of Queen Aira on a trip to central street. She was really pretty! Suddenly, my wife looked like a squid. The Queen being the prettiest woman in the Kingdom wasn't just a fuss!

━She's that good?

━That's what I'm telling you!

It was common to hear stories about Aira and me at the various bars.

Anything about me was mostly profanity. However, when it came to Aira, it was a subtle mix of hatred and envy.

As you could see, just because Aira was a tyrant, it didn't mean that she was cursed at.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of passionate hooligans on this street that supported Aira.

It made me realize good looks gave very important bonus points for politicians.

Though, Aira didn't seem to be making good use of it.

But I thought it would probably work out if I helped her. No, it HAD to be done somehow.

A crashing noise suddenly sounded, snapping me out of my thoughts.

When I lifted my head, I saw the freckled waitress, who had taken my order, falling to the floor.

“Kyaak!”

“What's going on?”

In front of her, an angry weasel-bearded man was panting.

Looking at the chess piece pawn-shaped brooch on his shoulder, it seemed he was a Junior Official in the Kingdom? The yellow belt armband on his shoulder also made him look like a tax collector.

He flung his greasy hair back and made a fuss.

“Can I not like you? Ah? Is it such a big mistake that I like you? You looked pitiful, so I patted your butt to cheer you up!”

The man stretched out his skinny hand, viciously grabbing the fallen female employee's hand and lifted her up. Thanks to this, the girl screamed and cried out.

"Why, why are you doing this to me!? Let me go!"

“How dare you, slum peasant woman!?”

"I'm not a peasant, I'm an employee-"

"Shut it, Sophie! My love is true. If you trample on this pure heart of mine, you will become a real peasant!"

What?

This type of thing happened everytime and everywhere. It was common in taverns and bars.

However, the rice cakes of the「Nymph's Ditch」tavern should appear soon and beat up the Junior Official.

The person who managed this tavern was a pretty scary madam.

“Who, who, someone please help!”

“Let’s go to my mansion, yeah? I won't let even a single drop of water get on you!"

However, no matter how much I waited, the guards never showed up.

When I turned my head, I saw the tavern staff in the distance, along with other people, gloomily looking at the scene.

What was going on? Wasn't the tavern Madam not the type to sit back and just watch her place get trashed like this?

Curious, I decided to ask the old man who was clicking his tongue near me, to find out what was going on.

“Hey, do you know why people are just watching?”

The old man suddenly roared, as if he had been waiting for someone to ask.

“How can anyone make a move? Behind him is that damn bastard!”

“Who is this ‘damn bastard' you are referring to?”

“When mentioning ‘fucking bastard,' who else could it be? It's that Tae-oh, the Queen's secret lover. He took this man as his right hand man, so no one dares to interfere!"

"Ah…"

This was the first time I was finding out that I had a right hand man.

How funny.

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Rice Cake here refers to the men/staff/bodyguards. This article (click me) explains it.