TOPWL 222

Yudit and Carmen dancing looking a bit sloppy, but they were dancing so fast and so beautiful that few people noticed.

“They’re the best!”

“Do more, more!”

The two danced three full songs in a row amid the cheers. By the time it ended, the plaza was crowded. The city had been closed off by the war. Since something new had appeared in their monotonous daily lives, it was only natural that they were excited.

Bagon showed them off just enough, then collected the money and disappeared. He gave half of it to the guard. The guard took the money and said he would get a week off instead of three days from his superior. It seemed there was some sort of deal between them. Bagon smiled with satisfaction.

From dawn the next day, everyone was busy. They had to make use not only of Yudit and Carmen but also of the rest of the group. After enduring Bagon’s harsh training, Garen became able to play livelier variations of the music, and Edmond became the target for Shane’s dagger tricks, with an apple placed on his head. Using his excellent athletic ability, Shane performed juggling and swordplay.

None of them could complain about the near-abusive training load because Bagon took the most dangerous job himself. He strung a rope between trees and climbed up to walk on it bare-bodied, while below were sharp things like arrows and spearheads that made anyone watching nervous. His companions were no different, but Bagon walked and ran along the rope as if he were strolling in his own yard.

After that harsh training, they became able to perform quite impressive skills. However, Yudit and Carmen were still the most popular. That evening too, people gathered like clouds to see them. Even nobles were among the spectators, which showed how bored they were. They let things go when amused, but as soon as they felt even slightly bored or the mood sank, they shouted for Yudit and Carmen to be brought back.

They had once been imperial royals and nobles, so their looks were already guaranteed to some degree, but Bagon’s story must have worked well because the two were treated as great beauties. To avoid revealing their identities, they covered their faces below the nose with veils and used bold makeup with false lashes, which only made people more curious. Their performance earned the group a fortune. Thanks to that, both the guard and Bagon ended the day in a good mood.

“You worked hard again today, Yuli.”

Carmen handed Yudit a drink as she spoke. When Yudit took a gulp, a cool lemon scent filled his mouth. The drink seemed to be made with lemons soaked in honey, and after he emptied about half the bottle, he felt his fatigue fade away.

“Thanks, Carmen.”

“Everything’s packed. Let’s go. We’re going to eat and play all we want at a fancy inn tonight.”

Bagon shook a jingling pouch of coins as he spoke.

“Wow!”

Edmond and Garen shouted and jumped up and down. Their recent hardships must have been rough.

“The guard should come too.”

The guard, whose pouch was now full, waved his hand cheerfully.

“No need. I like cheap taverns with women and all-night drinking. You’re coming back here tomorrow, right?”

“I actually got a few invitations from some nobles, so I’ll visit a salon during the day and come back before evening.”

The guard spoke as if he had completely lowered his guard when he heard Bagon’s cautious tone.

“Alright, alright. Don’t forget half is mine. This whole place is under the garrison’s thumb. Don’t think of doing anything stupid.”

“Of course not. I’ll make sure to prepare your share properly.”

Satisfied with Bagon’s deferential attitude, the guard wandered off. The moment he disappeared, Bagon’s smile vanished.

“Let’s move.”

Yudit picked up his pack and quietly followed behind Bagon. His body quickly grew tired after almost an hour of dancing unfamiliar moves. He wanted to soak in hot water and eat something rich and greasy at the inn. But things wouldn’t go as planned. Someone had been following them for a while. When Yudit tried to stop walking, Bagon approached and whispered in his ear.

“It’s fine. Keep walking.”

“What are you going to do?”

“There aren’t many of them, and their tailing skills are poor. They’re probably thugs who came to rob us. There’s an empty alley over there, so deal with them there.”

“……”

Bagon’s voice sounded excited. He seemed to find this sort of incident entertaining. When he rotated his arms, saying he’d finally get to loosen up, Yudit started to feel sorry for the faceless thugs.

When they entered the deserted alley, the people following them didn’t even bother hiding anymore and came after them openly.

“Stop right there.”

Bagon turned around as if he’d been waiting. Yudit sighed and turned his head too. Bagon had said there weren’t many of them, but there were almost ten. They were all skinny, but their eyes were fierce. A man with a thick beard stepped forward.

“If you hand over everything you have, we’ll at least spare your lives.”

“Oh dear, what’s all this, sirs? We’re just people who earn a living day by day.”

Bagon put on quite the act, but Yudit could tell in the darkness that he was smiling. He must have found it dull wandering battlefields only to end up performing tightrope shows as a troupe leader.

“Nonsense. I saw your money pouch full of silver coins at the plaza.”

“If you saw us at the plaza, then you already know that we earned that money by learning and performing our skills. Don’t you think it’s too cruel to take away money we earned with sweat and blood?”

“Shut up, you talk too much. You, go shut his mouth!”

“Yes, boss.”

“Oh dear, how scary.”

A large man rushed at Bagon. Bagon smiled and stepped aside and he punched the man’s solar plexus. The man groaned as he fell.

“……”

The alley fell silent for a moment because the man had fainted. The boss recovered his composure and he shouted to his companions.

“Everyone, attack him together!”

Bagon grinned.

“Step back. You might get hurt.”

Bagon said that to Shane who stood behind him. The alley was narrow, so they stood in a single line. Shane showed a baffled face but he moved Yudit back.

“Take it easy.”

“Of course.”

Bagon uppercut the jaw of the man who had rushed him as he said that. Edmond licked his dry lips, his body itched to join the scene of violence.

“I want to fight too.”

“Don’t show your skill here recklessly.”

“That’s true.”

At Garen’s words, Edmond looked disappointed but he didn’t step forward. Yudit admired how Garen handled Edmond. Meanwhile Bagon enjoyed venting his stress. Maybe he thought he’d started too strong at first, so he set the strength of his punches and he enjoyed the fight for a while. Yudit looked at Bagon with dull eyes. Bagon had no strange tastes.

“Damn it, what are you doing? I told you all to attack!”

When one man fell to Bagon alone, the man called boss swore and he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Are you standing there in black form, idiots?!”

But unlike the excited boss, the subordinates’s reactions were lukewarm.

“If it’s just a few hits, that’s one thing, but swords are a bit……”

“What if someone gets hurt? Their body is their property……”

“You idiots, you say that after seeing his skill?”

“Don’t just order the men. Why don’t you come over yourself? Are you all body without skill?”

Bagon’s provocation made the boss snort like an angry bull.

“You crazy bastard……!”

In the end the boss drew his sword himself and he rushed at Bagon. An excited opponent made an easy prey. Yudit calmly watched their fight as if he already knew the ending.

The sword thrust forward without any skill, its momentum fierce, but it was useless against Bagon. He moved one step and he avoided the swor. Then, he hooked the boss’s leg and threw him down. The boss rolled on the dirt ground in an ugly way.

Bagon kicked the boss’s sword far away and he began to beat him while the boss still wore the scabbard.

“Ugh, ooh!”

The man screamed. Bagon hit the parts that hurt but did not render the man unconscious. The boss’s screams echoed loudly through the alley and the thugs gradually lost their fighting spirit.

“It was my fault, it was my fault, brother! It was my fault!”

Finally the boss grabbed Bagon’s pant leg and he cried for mercy. But Bagon smiled brightly and he said,

“You know you were wrong, huh? Then you’ll pay. Ten more minutes.”