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The Otherworld Conquest Method of a Reincarnated Porter Chapter 154 Part 1

Retribution 5

「Well, let’s slow down a little, shall we?」

This Bartalis guy, in this situation, is not panicking and carries himself in a calm manner. Maybe it’s because he’s the ruler of this slum and a tough man who has survived many bloody battles, or maybe he has a hidden trump card. I guess it would be best to finish him off quickly. I can’t let my guard down. Appraisal!

Bartalis, Age 51, Level 29

Job: Pugilist

This guy, he’s hard to deal with. If a pugilist of this level jumps in close to me, in my current exhausted state, it’d be a close battle, no, the worst might also come to pass. I have to be careful here and recover the strength I’ve spent first.

「What is your goal, money or revenge?」

「For better or worse, it’s for revenge, now, I’m going to kill you.」

「For better or worse? What do you mean?」

「I’m doing it in the name of avenging innocent man who has been unreasonably killed by your underling, but….」

「But what?」

「Phew, I’m a weak person, you see.」

「I don’t see where this is going, what do you mean by that?」

I regulate my breath and think of Cordis, who was killed. Cordis, who would have become a promising adventurer in the future. If I hadn’t involved myself with them, even now, he would probably still be living with Michelle, poor but close together.

「You see, I just want forgiveness from the man who was killed because of my error in judgement, and his elder sister. I broke into their hideout and killed the men who directly killed him, and then their boss, to avenge him, without any regard for the danger. I desperately tried my hardest, too, so I hope they will forgive me. In other words….」

I activate body enhancement, strengthen my sword and get ready for battle.

「By Killing you, I will feel a little forgiven and refreshed. I’m doing it in the name of revenge, but in reality, it’s to regain my own peace of mind. I’m sure that the guy who died has forgiven me in the afterlife, yeah, that has to be the case, I want to believe so. That’s why, kindly die as a victim of my selfishness. Even if I don’t kill you, you’re going to die soon anyway. If the outcome will be the same either way, at least die and be of use for someone for once. Here we go.」

「Kukuku, well, hold on a sec. I’m relieved you’re not such a good person. In this world, there are crazy people with nonsensical behavioral principles, and thickheaded people who you can’t reason with and make choices that aren’t worth a penny for the sake of revenge, love, friendship, or bonds, but if it’s with you, I think we’ll be able to come into an understanding.」

What’s with this guy’s composure? Does he understand the situation he’s currently in? There are six dead executives nearby. There are no guards, and no sign of reinforcements coming. As expected, perhaps this guy has some kind of trump card.

「I’ll take you in as an executive. I’ll give you money, women, and everything you want.」

「Are you an idiot? I’ve got plenty of money. And I can find women on my own.」

There’s no way I’d join an organization that would be annihilated by the knight order sooner or later.

「Kukuku, you can say that because you’ve never seen so much money you can’t pile it all up. Besides, if you work with me, you’ll be able to embrace whoever you want, be it a child or a man, you know?」

「I don’t have such a preference. Don’t lump me together with you.」

「I see, then, here’s my trump card. It’s elf, I’ll let you embrace an elven woman.」

Elf, huh? I’m interested, but the fact that she’s this guy’s mistress kills my interest in embracing her. Alright, my breathing has become steady. I guess it’s about it.

「It looks like the time has come for you to go to hell, Bartalis.」

「Wait, potions, I also have gold potions.」

「What?!」

「Kukuku.」

Shoot, I accidentally reacted to the words 「gold potions」 and ended up getting shaken. Gold potions are extremely rare potions that completely restore vitality and magical energy, and even repair missing body parts. As I want to continue working as an adventurer, I definitely want it.

「I’ll take it after killing you.」

「Are you an idiot? There’s no way I’d leave such a valuable item in a place where anyone could find it, is there?」

「Is it somewhere else? I don’t want it then. I don’t intend to take any more risks.」

「No, it’s at the back of this room. Anyone but me can never get to that place. Kukuku, now, follow me.」

It’s a trap. This composure of Bartalis, obviously there must be some kind of trick. However, even if it means taking the risk, I definitely want the gold potions. How many are there? If there are gold potions, there must be high-grade potions, too.

It’s doubtful whether Bartalis really has gold potions. However, he has a lot of money that he’s extorted from prostitutes, and it’s quite possible that he’s used it to buy gold potions.

Avoiding his sight, I take out a low-grade blue potion and a magical energy restorative medicine from my storage and swallow them. I follow Bartalis while pointing my sword at his back.

I’d like to perform a physical search on him, but it’s too dangerous to get close to a pugilist. It seems that normally, no one comes to target his life, so he probably doesn’t carry a weapon. To begin with, a pugilist’s greatest weapon is their own fists, after all.

Bartalis holds an illumination tool in one hand, unlocks the two locks on the door, and goes to the next room. There are two doors. Both are iron doors, with two keyholes, one at the top and one at the bottom. What a cautious guy. However, that just suggests that something valuable is hidden further inside.

After opening the door and walking down the hallway, we arrive at a small room. However, this place very much looks like a dead end. Then, Bartalis slides the bookshelf to the side, and another iron door shows up. Bartalis begins to unlock it.

「You’re leading the way awfully readily. What are you up to?」

「Kukuku, well, no need to worry. This whole room is a safe, which not even the executives can enter, you see. Well, you’ll soon see why I led you here.」

Without letting my guard down, I aim at Bartalis’ back. Then, after opening the iron door, I follow Bartalis into the room. He lights up the inside of the safe with the illumination tool. I see, so that’s the case. Thanks for guiding me here, now die.

I unleash a thrust at Bartalis’ back.

He seems to have anticipated my attack, and dodges my stab with instant step. Not good, the inside of the safe is originally spacious, but a large number of bags of gold coins are stored in the shelves, making it narrow and long, which makes it difficult to swing my sword. However, the outside and the hallway are also not that different. I’ll take care of him here.

「Oraaaaaa!」

So fast! Bartalis closes in on me at a speed faster than I expected. I try to swing my sword down, but it won’t make it in time. I have to dodge here. I evade to the side with a sidestep, but Bartalis, refusing to let me get away, closes in on me again. As I thought, he’s fast! I’ve underestimated a pugilist too much. However, I’m clad in a full set of Demonic Dragon armor…

「Ugh, damn it」

I end up dropping the mithril sword I’m wielding. This Bartalis, he didn’t attack my vital points, but instead launched a fist filled with magical energy at my hand that was holding the sword. The mithril sword falls to the ground with a metallic sound. Not good, I have to pick it up… However, naturally, he doesn’t give me time to do that and launches a series of attacks at me.

「Guh, ugh…」

「Ora ora ora, what’s the matter, assassin? Kukuku, as if a magic knight without a sword will be able to defeat me, a pugilist, in this cramped space.」

「Huff, huff.」

At once, I take a big leap to the back of the safe. Thanks to the demonic dragon armor I’m wearing, the damage isn’t that substantial. However, his speed is beyond imagination, and there’s no opening to take something out of my storage. To take something out of the storage, you need to concentrate and channel your magical energy. In close combat, it’s practically impossible to use. Bartalis and I glare at each other. What to do?

「Huff, huff, I see why you led me here. One is that this cramped space is advantageous for you as a pugilist, and the other is this large number of bags of gold coins. Most likely, you can only carry two bags at a time at most.」

「Hehehe, exactly as you say. I don’t keep any magic bags here. Even if you manage to get away from here with some gold coins, it won’t be that big of a loss to me, after all. How about it, I’ll give you two bags. I won’t chase you, so why don’t we settle this matter with that?」

Damn it, are there no gold potions? No, it’s possible that they’re stored in another room. First, I have to put an end to this guy’s life. He’s on guard and ready to make a move at any given moment, so I have no leeway to use my storage. My advantage is that he doesn’t know what my job is.

「I’ll kill you and help myself with all of it.」

「You fool, you think you can beat me, a pugilist, barehanded…ugh.」

Activating body enhancement, I lean forward and unleash a high-speed tackle at him using instant step.

「Oraa!」

「Guh.」

I get hit in the head by Bartalis’ fist, but that’s within my expectations. I endure the attack and, using my momentum to press myself closely against him, push him against the wall and hold him in a clinch position.

「How’s that, you’re stronger at fist range, but if we’re this close you won’t be able to use your fists.」

「You bastard, but you can’t attack either, can you? How about it, let’s call it a draw. Take as many gold coins as you can carry. And then…」

「Bartalis, what do you think is the strongest job in close contact situation?」

「Huh? Well, it’s naturally mad knight, the strongest in terms of strength, no?」

「It’s porter.」

「What manner of nonsense are you talking… Huh?!」

I drive Bartalis up against the wall, and while sticking close against him, I put my hand into my storage and take out a black iron kunai. It’s a kunai I asked a magic blacksmith to make, and it’s extremely sharp.

「Huh, what?! Storage? You’re a porter, not a magic knight…」

「That’s right, after I kill you, I’ll take all these gold coins. Now die.」

I aim the kunai at his ear and press it against him. Bartalis desperately tries to hold back my right hand, which is holding the kunai.

「Ugh, damn it…」

「It looks like I’m superior to you in terms of strength. Die slowly, little by little, as you enjoy the fear and agony. That’s the way to die you deserve.」

「W, wait. C’mon, I really do have gold potions. But not here, at home. I also have money and magic tools. Please, stop… Guaaaah!」

His resistance is futile, and the black iron kunai slowly sinks into his ear. The feeling of gouging the flesh is disgusting. I want to put an end to it as quickly as possible, but perhaps due to the so-called superhuman strength in a moment of emergency, Bartalis also resists desperately.

「No, I don’t want to die, please, I beg… gyaaaah…」

His resistance weakens midway through it, so I push the kunai in all at once. When I appraise him, I find that he’s still alive. It’s unclear whether he’s pretending to be dead or just can’t die, but when I cut the artery in his neck, he breathes his last.