HOT NOVEL UPDATES

Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 11




Hint: To Play after pausing the player, use this button

Chapter 11:

Components for the Black Scabbard 

FOR THE NEXT FOUR DAYS, I was devoted to the hunt. I barely had a coin to my name, and I needed to earn money to pay for both my lodging and the scabbard I’d ordered. Here in Galia, it didn’t matter how many orcs you took down. There were always more. So far, I’d faced nothing on the level of a large-scale stampede, but it seemed Galia suffered no shortage of monsters. 

This day was no different. I’d secured a nice, big haul, three whole burlap sacks full of orc ears taken from the heads of three squadrons. Those sacks, dripping with blood, were the gory proof of my work. As I carried them through the gates of Babylon, other adventurers looked on with envy in their eyes. 

At first, everyone had assumed I was some kind of errand boy. However, as the days went by and I kept hauling in enormous numbers of orcs, their estimation changed. They admired me. Because I never joined a party or teamed up with anyone, though, I also drew much ire and jealousy. 

In Greed’s opinion, any adventurer who got angry at a rookie over a minor territory dispute had no business in Babylon. Nevertheless, a group of these like-minded, petty sorts formed a gang, and on my fourth day of hunting, they blocked my path to the Babylon trading post. 

“Oi! You, there! The runt!” 

Twenty adventurers this time. They’d gone recruiting. On the third day, there had been only eight. Still, I could tell at a glance that none of them was anything special. No wonder they relied on numbers. 

Do these guys really think they can beat me because there are a few more of them, or are they just stupid? 

Whatever their strategy, they trotted out the same old line I’d heard every day since they started. Today, it was the burliest, bearded adventurer who spoke. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave those sacks right there, and as penance for stealing our hunting grounds, you’re going to let us beat you to a pulp.” 

The street exploded into a sea of combat before I had a chance to reply. To be honest, I was getting tired of this routine. None of them ever listened to reason. 

“You lot really don’t learn from your mistakes, do you?” I said. “Don’t you understand you don’t have a chance?” 

“Shut up, skull-face! Ever since you started hunting around here, we can’t get any work,” the bearded man growled. 

“Say what you want about my methods, we share a goal. I need money.” 

That blustery adventurer, who really did have quite the impressive beard, brought his long sword down in a slash toward my neck. I caught it between my thumb and index finger, stopping it in place. 

“What the hell? What kind of monster are you?! Release my sword, you scrawny, skeletal idiot!” 

“If I let go, you’ll just attack me,” I said, which I thought entirely reasonable. 

“Of course I’ll attack you! I’ll chop off that arm so you can’t ever hunt again!” 

Didn’t I just say they never listened? So much bluster. The adventurers surrounding the bearded one shouted angrily and rained blows down on me, forcing me to twist to avoid their strikes. In a way, these ambushes made for good training. But come on, I was on my way home from hunting three orc squadrons. I just wanted to relax and have some time to myself. 

I flipped the long sword out of the bearded adventurer’s hand and into my own. Then I drove it into the cobblestones. The shriek of steel echoed through the streets as the blade snapped in half. 

“What have you done?! That sword cost me ten gold…” The bearded adventurer crumpled before his broken sword, weeping. 

Ten gold? That’s a whole high orc bounty, I thought. Guess his sword was more expensive than it looked. Well, at least that’s one of them out of my hair. 

Seeing that bearded adventurer wilt into his soul-crushing defeat gave me an idea. 

Greed caught on to my plan just as I thought of it. “Time for an encore, Fate.” 

“Yeah, it seems like the most efficient way to take care of this.” 

I set my three bloody sacks on the ground and unsheathed Greed. The instant I did so, the arrogant adventurers lost their bluster, the whole group taking a few steps back. If this was how they acted the moment a weapon was drawn, they wouldn’t survive long outside these walls. In that sense, I was doing them a favor. 

“Damn that bony bastard! He thinks we’re scared because he drew his damn sword?! Get him!” 

The bandanna-wearing leader of the gang gave his signal, and the rest rushed in with a collective roar. They bristled with equipment—swords, spears, bows, and even a spellcaster’s staff. If I let this brawl go on too long, we’d cause serious trouble for anyone walking by. We’d also draw the attention of any nearby soldiers, who would come running toward our commotion. It was past time for me to relieve myself of this nuisance. 

“Let’s do it, Greed!” 

The black sword laughed. “Let nothing stand before my blade! Slice those sorry jokes they call weapons into pieces!” 

As Greed cackled, I dashed straight through the crowd of adventurers, in and out before they had a chance to react. My swift strike was followed by shouts of surprise and the clatter of breaking metal. I turned to watch the shards of their shattered weapons fall to the street. The sorrowful cries of the adventurers wafted to my ears. 

“My spear…! I spent fifteen gold on it!” 

“No! Not the bow! I saved eight whole gold for that!” 

“This staff was a family heirloom… What do I do now?! What will I tell my parents?!” 

It seemed all these bullies had spent quite a sum on their arsenal. However, had they been worthy of quality weapons? I hoped this setback encouraged them to stop bothering people and take their frustrations out on worthwhile targets—you know, like orcs. 

“Looks like you’ve lost your weapons,” I said. “You wanna keep going, or…?” 

One of the adventurers spat on the road. “We won’t forget this!” he snarled. 

The rest stamped their feet, faces red with rage, but one after another, they turned and ran off down the street. I had a feeling they’d be back soon enough. I’d just have to break their weapons all over again. Eventually they’d run out of money, right? Hopefully, they’d soon be too busy to bother me. 

Greed chuckled. “What remarkable patience, to endure such trivial annoyances for so long. How very like you, Fate.” 

“Yeah, well… Let’s get out of here.” 

Our little ruckus had drawn a crowd, and it wouldn’t be long before soldiers showed up. I hefted the three sacks I’d left on the ground over my shoulder and continued to the trading post. On the way, a few soldiers ran past me toward the intersection where the fight had broken out. The clank of their armored footsteps soon faded into the distance. Luckily, I seemed to have escaped a second confrontation. 

The kingdom managed Babylon’s trading post, and no one else posted bounties for hunts. No matter how many monsters I slew, I’d have no way to earn compensation if they banned me from the trading post for misbehavior. As long as the soldiers never caught me beating up those blockheads, I was fine. 

I strolled down the main street until the gates to the Military Sector came into view. Somewhere beyond those gates, Lady Roxy worked. Four days had passed since our surprise reunion at the trading post. It wasn’t far from the main gates, so her presence there wasn’t uncommon. I figured she had to be too busy to keep a close eye on the post…but, just in case, I peered inside the building before I entered. 

“Looks like we’re in the clear.” I sighed with relief. 

“You are absolutely pathetic, Fate. I keep telling you: Be bold. Be ambitious. Be confident! Don’t just scurry around, live it up!” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But I have to work my way up to your kind of confidence!” 

No matter what Greed said, I couldn’t quite rid myself of the guilt I felt whenever I met Lady Roxy while wearing my mask. I worried she’d discover my true identity. 

“You call yourself the wielder of the black sword Greed?! The man who holds this mighty blade should live with such confidence that petty concerns wither before him!” 

“Easy for you to say, you’re a sword. But for me, well…” 

The boy Fate was supposed to be living safely back at the Hart estate. I didn’t want to be found out by Lady Roxy. I tried explaining myself to Greed again, but he insisted I had the wrong of it. I could sort of see his point. 

“I know, I know,” I said. “I get it. I’ll try to at least be the same fellow I was last time I came through here.” 

“That’s what I’m talking about. Then you’ll truly have the right to call yourself the man who wields me!” Greed cackled as I stepped into the trading post. 

As always, the wondrous light from the stained-glass window set high above filled the hall. 

“It doesn’t matter how many times I see this place, it still looks absolutely astounding,” I said. 

A voice I knew all too well responded from behind me. “It really does, doesn’t it? It was originally built as a shrine to the god Laplace. Hello again, Mr. Corpse.” 

I turned to find Lady Roxy standing right there. But I was so careful! 

Oblivious to my surprise, Lady Roxy continued. “It looks like you’ve hunted even more than the last time we met. Nearly everyone in Babylon has heard your name by now.” 


“I still have a long way to go,” I said. “The famed adventurers of Galia hunt more monsters than me, and with ease.” 

“You think so? I haven’t been here for very long, admittedly, but I’ve yet to meet another who hunts the way you do.” 

I shrugged that off with a laugh, then ducked aside to make my escape. 

Lady Roxy called after me. “Wait! I want to ask you something! Why are you always running away?!” 

She began to sprint after me, but her attempt was interrupted. A few soldiers had arrived with an urgent message. Whatever the matter, it looked serious, because she left swiftly through a door marked for authorized personnel. The resolute look on her face didn’t at all resemble that of the cheerful young woman I’d grown used to. 

“I wonder what that’s all about?” I said. 

“Who knows? A stampede, maybe?” 

“Must be small, in that case. If it were a large-scale stampede, the sirens would ring.” 

“Even in small stampedes, there can be groups of monsters too feisty for regular adventurers to handle. But enough yammering, go get your money.” 

Ever since my fight in the trading post, strong soldiers had been put on guard duty to watch over the place. Thanks to them, nobody started anything in here, so I could cash in my bounty without worry. Unfortunately, the presence of guards didn’t stop people from whispering about me. 

“Look, it’s that Corpse. He’s here again.” 

“Three sacks?! He’s going to make a killing today. If he keeps this up, there’s going to be nothing left for the rest of us!” 

“You said it. That rookie’s too big for his britches. To think we invited him to our party, and he turned us down…” 

The whispering group nodded and mumbled in agreement. They were a real pain in the neck. They couldn’t say anything to my face, so they muttered their grievances behind my back. 

“What’s wrong, Fate?” asked Greed. “If I were you, I’d strike some real fear into the hearts of those losers.” 

“Let it go. They’re cockroaches. There’s always more.” 

I called out to the girl at the counter. Since I hunted in such large quantities, I now got directed to a specific, somewhat-private trading counter. On one hand, it was great, because I didn’t have to deal with the line. On the other hand, special treatment bought me the scorn and envy of my peers. 

I put my sacks on the cart below the counter. “Just here to turn in today’s hunt,” I said. 

“Yes, sir! Wow, it seems like you hunted a few more orcs than usual,” said the girl, her ponytail swaying energetically as she spoke. “You know, you only just got here, but you’re already one of the top three earners in Babylon, Mr. Corpse!” 

It was nice to receive such a kind compliment, but because most of the money was going toward Greed’s scabbard, I didn’t feel like I’d actually earned much. After a short time counting up the ears and preparing my money, the girl returned to the counter. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s see here… So, in total, we’ve got six hundred orcs plus three high orcs. All together, that’s a hundred and fifty gold coins.” 

One hundred and fifty gold was quite the sum, and also quite heavy. Walking around with all that would get cumbersome. Thankfully, I could let the trading post handle it. 

“Please send the money to Jade Stratos,” I said. “He’s a craftsman in the Merchant Sector with whom I have an exclusive deal.” 

“Understood. You’re sending him this as payment, then?” 

Regular trading posts never handled money in this way. However, because the monster situation in Galia was so extreme, the Babylon trading post allowed this kind of transaction. Some people kept their earnings at the trading post until they withdrew them all at once when they left Babylon. 

I took my receipt from the girl at the counter and rushed off to Jade’s armory. I’d finally paid off the scabbard, and the only task left now was to pick it up. 

I headed north via the main street, entered the Merchant Sector on the east side of Babylon, and went down a few small side streets to the door of Jade’s armory. Inside, the relaxed air of the shop invited me to slow down and peruse the weapons and armor neatly arranged throughout. The whole setup felt like a perfect reflection of its owner. 

The doorbell rang as I stepped inside, and at the lively sound, a young man poked his head out from the workshop at the back. Judging by the dark circles under Jade’s eyes, he’d only just woken up. 

“Ah, Corpse! Good morning.” 

“Jade, it’s already noon,” I said. 

“Oh, is it? Well, good day, then.” 

Jade had completely lost track of time. 

“You seem tired,” I said. 

His eyes widened with manic passion. “I’m so close to finishing your scabbard—just one step away! But I’m out of a necessary component.” 

That component, according to Jade, was a special crystal gathered deep within Galia. Usually, the kingdom’s army stockpiled it during their expeditions into the region. However, army deliveries had recently stopped. Jade had tried to find a substitute, but despite all his research, he couldn’t find any materials with the crystal’s specific properties. He’d searched so frantically that he’d lost sleep, which was why he looked so exhausted. 

“Do you have any idea when the next shipment of this crystal is due?” I asked. 

“It’s called duskstone, specifically. Though I don’t know the particulars, I’ve heard it only grows under very specific circumstances. The kingdom’s army completely controls the supply, so if they say they don’t have any shipments, there’s nothing I can do about it.” 

In other words, until the army trekked out to get more—whenever they felt like doing so—we had no idea when we’d get hold of any duskstone. 

“A pity,” I said. “And just when I finally paid off the scabbard.” 

“I’m sorry,” said Jade. “I know you were looking forward to it, and I couldn’t meet the deadline we agreed to…” 

I understood just by looking at him that he’d done his very best. He’d obviously done everything in his power to find a duskstone substitute. 

Jade’s eyes suddenly lit up. “What if you go and gather the crystals? I can even throw in a little discount—you’d be doing me a big favor.” 

“Me? Is duskstone easy to gather, then?” 

“Quite so, I hear. The difficult part is getting to it. It’s found deep in the Galian wastes. That’s why only the army harvests it, typically, and only on the most arduous expeditions. But I don’t think it would be a problem for you, Corpse.” 

“I think you might be overestimating me, Jade.” 

“You think I haven’t heard the news? You’re one of Babylon’s top three earners!” 

I knew just who’d told him. That ponytailed receptionist was a real gossip. At this rate, my landlady would hear about it in no time at all. What a terrifying thought. I could already see my hard-earned wages dancing off into her pockets as she went above and beyond to provide me with richer foods, rarer wine, and even more exceptional service. 

“Someone as strong as you should be able to make the trip there and back, surely,” Jade said. “Especially if you’re the trustworthy, reliable adventurer I think you are.” 

It seemed I didn’t have much of a choice. I’d meet Jade’s expectations in the hopes that he’d meet mine for the scabbard. 

“All right, I’ll do it. But I’ll need a map so I know where to go.” 

“Hold on, just one second.” Jade searched a neatly arranged bookshelf. He took an old parchment from a shelf, along with an old map. “I got this from my master back when I apprenticed as a blacksmith. He was in the army and drew this map himself when he was young. It documents where they gather the duskstone. I’ll give you a copy.” 

“Thank you. Wow, it really is quite deep into the region, isn’t it?” 

When Jade said the kingdom’s army gathered duskstone on arduous expeditions, I hadn’t realized he meant such long ones. This trip went even farther into Galia than Myne and I had traveled to her ruined village. According to the map Jade gave me, the crystals were several times farther south than that. It pointed to a great canyon carved out of the land, inside of which I would find my new target. 

“There’s supposed to be a host of other rare materials as well. You could make a great deal of money collecting some.” 

“Now that’s interesting.” 

The Divine Dragon hadn’t been seen near the border recently, so it was a good time for me to head out. If I happened to get my hands on other valuable materials, I could earn myself a hefty bonus, too. Also, with my increased stats, I could run at an unbelievable speed for a considerable distance. Even if I took it easy, I figured I could make it to the canyon and back in about four days. 

“I’ll see you soon then, Jade.” 

“I’ll be counting on you!” Even through his exhaustion, Jade had an excited gleam in his eyes. 

“You got it!” 

With that, I headed out. 



Share This :


COMMENTS

No Comments Yet

Post a new comment

Register or Login