Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

An Old Knight in His Twilight 

AFTER STOCKING UP AT SUI, where the city eater slept, our cart headed back out on the road. As we traveled farther and farther from Seifort, towns and cities grew few and far between. The closer we got to Galia, the less habitable the land became. 

The barren environment was indisputably a result of the monsters pouring across the Galian border. Since Lady Roxy’s father had died to the Heavenly Calamity of Galia, leaving the border without holy knights to hold back the horde, the situation had only worsened. Having fought my share of monsters to get this far, I felt foreboding in my bones. 

Monsters from Galia now menaced even faraway regions. If this incursion grew any greater, the effect on the kingdom would be grave indeed. Such thoughts troubled me as our cart approached a small village, only to be scattered when a loud noise echoed from the bottom of the cart and we rattled to a halt. 

“Ah, curses,” our driver said. “The left wheel’s busted.” 

After checking the damage, he uneasily declared that he’d need three days to repair the wheel and get us back on the road. In other words, for the next three days, we’d be staying in the small village we’d happened upon. 

I expected Myne to burst into anger at being stuck in the middle of nowhere when we could’ve been continuing toward Galia, but she just shrugged. 

“It’s only a matter of time. We’ll be back on the road eventually,” she said, then wandered down the road to check out the village on her own. 

Always walking to the beat of her own drum, that girl. 

While Myne did whatever it was she was up to, and the driver cursed at the broken cart, I decided to search for the village elder. If we wanted to stay here for the next three days, we’d need their permission. 

“Tell you what, though,” I said. “It sure is peaceful here.” 

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve got someone powerful to protect them,” said Greed. 

He was probably right. We were already halfway to Galia, but this little village felt nearly as peaceful as Seifort. We’d been fighting off monsters as we traveled, but here, I detected no hint of monstrous presence. For such a rough area, the villagers went about their business with a curious air of reassurance. 

As I walked on, I found an old man sitting on the stump of what had once been a large tree. He’d tied his hair back into a ponytail. 

Perfect timing . I’ll ask him where the elder is . 

As I approached the old man, he spoke first. “I thought I sensed a couple strong auras. Yours must be one of them. At least you don’t seem hostile.” 

The old man smiled and put out a hand. “I’m Aaron Barbatos, the village elder in these parts,” he said. “Welcome to our humble home, young traveler.” 

So, he was the guy in charge. 

“I’m Fate Graphite,” I said. “I was wondering if it would be okay for us to stay here? Our cart’s broken down, and we’ll need a few days to repair it.” 

“You can stay as long as you need,” said Aaron. “On one condition—a duel.” 

He drew a shining golden sword from the grass by the stump. I knew the hue. That was a holy sword, which meant this Aaron Barbatos was a holy knight. He must have seen our arrival and prepared himself and his weapon while he waited for us to enter the village. He’d said I didn’t seem hostile…but if I didn’t meet his expectations, I didn’t doubt that he’d cut me to quivering chunks of human jelly, no questions asked. 

“I must refuse,” I demurred. “I’m not strong enough to compete with a holy knight.” 

Aaron laughed. “No need to play coy with me, young one. My Identify skill tells me you’re only Level 1, yet your stats suggest a different story.” 

Not just in charge, nor just a holy knight—he had Identify. I hadn’t expected that, and it had cost me. He’d caught me off guard. 

“So, what are you saying, then?” I began to unsheathe Greed. 

Aaron raised his left hand to stop me. “I’m saying exactly what I said earlier. I don’t sense any hostility in you. I’m not asking you to fight to the death, either. All I want is a chance to see your true strength with my own eyes. So, how about it?” 

The old man unsheathed his sword as he waited for my reply. He was eager to get started. There was nothing left for me to do but humor him. I drew Greed from his scabbard and settled into a fighting stance, my blade pointed at the old man. 

“Hm. There’s a wildness to you, isn’t there?” Aaron said. “Looks like you learned swordsmanship from goblins and kobolds.” 

“Is that a compliment?” 

“It is not.” 

However, my fighting style was not something I’d had a say in. I didn’t have a teacher. My sword techniques were my own. I didn’t need to know if my stance was correct or proper. I only cared that it killed monsters. 

“You may well be capable of felling monsters, young man, but I suspect you’ll have trouble in a duel with another warrior,” Aaron said. 

“Is that so? If you really do have Identify, then you must have seen my stats. You know what those numbers mean…” I replied. 

“Care to put them to the test, then?” 

In the next instant, Aaron’s blade was inches from my nose. This old man was quick! 

“You certainly appear strong,” he said, “and all your stats surpass two million. Yet they count for nothing if you can’t put them to good use. It looks to me like your body still isn’t used to the power you’ve received.” 

“So what?” 

“How about this? While you’re here, let me teach you the way of the sword. Indulge an old man and his eccentricities. That’s my one condition for your stay. How about it?” 

Indulge him? The way of the sword? I was hesitant. The old man might be hiding something sinister behind that kind smile. At the same time, his assessment was right on the money. Ever since my stats had surpassed two million, I’d felt unpleasantly uncoordinated, as though I were improperly connected to my body. 

This might well be a perfect opportunity. If the old holy knight would really teach me swordsmanship, I needed his knowledge. The fighting style I’d developed from my wild goblin teachers, so to speak, could only take me so far. 

“You’ve got yourself a deal. While we’re here, you’re my teacher.” I sheathed the black sword and bowed to Aaron. 

“Excellent, Fate. To be honest, I’ve long dreaded withering away of old age in this quiet village,” he said. “So many years I’ve waited for the right young traveler to appear that I might teach them everything I know. And, as luck would have it, here you are!” 

“Uh, just to be clear,” I said, suddenly a bit overwhelmed, “my party is, uh…only here for three days, okay?” 

“In that case, we’d best get started immediately!” 

With those words, I expected Aaron to unsheathe his sword once more. Instead, he came right at me with his bare fists. The attack caught me off guard, and though I attempted to stop his punch, the sheer weight of it sent me flying backward. The old man was in much better shape than his appearance let on! 

“Ha!” he exclaimed. “You blocked my surprise attack, even at such close range! But how about this?!” 

“How about wha—?!” 

Before I had a chance to finish my sentence, Aaron flipped acrobatically over my head as he launched his next attack. How can an old man be so agile?! 

In this way, Aaron beat hand-to-hand combat techniques into me until evening. If I hadn’t had the Health Regen skill, my body would have been a tapestry of bruises. 

“Hand-to-hand combat teaches control of your stats and hones your body more directly than a weapon,” Aaron said. “But let’s call it a day, shall we? Let me show you my home.” 

As I dreaded what kind of torture Aaron had in store for me next, I noticed Myne walking toward us. When Aaron saw her, a flash of surprise spread across his face. 

“But that’s impossible…” he murmured to himself. 

“Is something wrong?” I asked. 

“No, it’s nothing. Are the two of you traveling together?” 

“Yes. Her name’s Myne. She’s got a temper on her, so tread carefully. She’s a bit like a wild horse.” 

“Sounds like quite the handful,” Aaron laughed. 

I was serious! “Yeah, it’s not so funny when you’re the one traveling with her.” 

Myne must have realized we were talking about her, because she sneezed as she walked toward us. As she approached, she glared directly at me. 

Uh oh . What am I in for this time?