REAPER SCANS
The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Chapter 164 - Drunkard (1)
Note: The title ‘Swordsman of Blaze’ has been changed to ‘Knight of Flames’. Similarly, ‘Swordsman of Embers’ has been changed to ‘Knight of Embers’.
As I gazed at Zion, a storm of emotions ran through my mind.
‘His limbs are intact?’
Was it because the others looked so utterly miserable in comparison? A thousand thoughts rushed through my head.
‘Did you really do that to Raven?’
Just to gain the Emperor’s favor?
Did you sell out your own comrades, who were finally on the verge of freedom after years of slavery in the Poison Palace?
“Hahaha.”
Count Kaiman let out a low chuckle, as if he could read my thoughts.
-The truth is always cruel.
That’s what his expression seemed to say.
“Th-That damn, hopeless drunkard has finally done it!”
“Oh, come on, innkeeper! Haven’t I told you over and over? Stop letting that beggar in—just throw him out!”
“Looks like today’s going to be a disaster. Innkeeper! Give me a room upstairs—I’d rather not be here for this.”
Bits of conversation drifted out from the place Zion emerged from. It was a tavern. Despite the bright daylight, it was full of customers.
“I warned you, didn’t I? No matter what happens, do not open that door.”
One of the six knights who had survived entered the building.
“My lord! We have nothing to do with that drunkard, I swear!”
“Gulp, gulp. Haaah......”
Zion, staggering, suddenly collapsed onto the floor.
“Leave me alone. Just let me drink in peace. Get lost, all of you......”
He was the very image of a drunkard.
Dropping his bottle, and licking the spilled liquor as if it were precious. He was laughing foolishly one instant and bursting into tears the other. He blinked at the sky, then slammed his fists on the ground in despair.
“......He’s fallen even further since I last saw him.”
Even Breed, the Knight of Flames, muttered in disbelief as he watched.
“Where does he even get the money? Do people still take pity on him and give him alms?”
“Is there anyone left who doesn’t know what kind of person he really is?”
McGree, the Knight of Embers, shrugged.
“Well, he was one of the key figures in building this empire. A war hero like him living like this—it’s bound to stir some sympathy.”
“Even after seeing that mess?”
At some point, Zion had stumbled back inside, causing a commotion and demanding more alcohol.
The conversation revealed something else to me.
‘......So, the people around here already know who Zion really is.’
Considering the Emperor’s cunning nature, this was unusual. If word got out that a war hero was being treated this way, it wouldn’t look good.
“Blegghhh!”
Suddenly, Zion vomited up everything in his stomach.
“Damn it!”
The people around him scrambled away to avoid the disaster. Except for one unlucky lackey of the Blazes, who got caught in the splash.
Smack!
“You disgusting bastard!”
Zion, hit hard on the back of the head, staggered violently.
Thud!
He collapsed face-first into his own vomit.
“Tsk, tsk. How did a war hero end up like this?”
“What a disgrace. To think he was one of the five most cherished subordinates of the Great Hero......”
“Ha! Subordinate of the Great Hero? That idiot? The Great Hero probably did all the fighting himself during the Unification War.”
“But wasn’t he called the Swordsman of Mana?”
“Hmph! If I had fought under the Great Hero back then, I’d have a fancy title too. That guy’s nothing special.”
Still, a few voices spoke in his defense.
“Maybe he ended up like this because of the shock of the Great Hero’s death.”
“There you go again, innkeeper. If that’s the case, shouldn’t he act in a way that honors the Great Hero’s legacy? Is this behavior acceptable?”
Of course, they were the minority.
‘Ah.’
Finally, I understood why Zion was being left to rot like this.
‘If the Emperor outright banished all of his old allies without a reason...... People would talk.’
My lips curled into a smirk as I stared at Zion.
“That’s enough for today.”
Just then, Breed, who had been quietly observing, spoke.
“Gather the others. We’re leaving, McGree.”
“What? Just like that?”
McGree frowned in displeasure. Ignoring him, Breed turned to Count Kaiman.
“Count, you don’t seriously plan on fighting us to the death here, do you?”
“I’d love to. It’s infuriating to know I was being watched.”
“If you want to see this through to the end, I won’t stop you.”
“......”
Kaiman met his gaze for a moment, then unexpectedly shrugged.
“Go ahead. My pride won’t let me leave like I was chased out.”
“That’s not the real reason, is it?”
Breed smirked.
“He’s your real goal, isn’t he?”
He nodded in Zion’s direction.
“Are you asking for a fight?”
“Well, suit yourself. But as you can see, he’s just a drunk. You won’t get what you’re looking for.”
Breed turned, shrugging.
“If anything, you’d be better off buttering up that prince over there. You might actually get something useful out of him.”
With that, he left with his men. I took that moment to sneer.
“And here you were, acting like you were going to kill them all.”
“I was planning to take an arm. His Majesty would have overlooked that much.”
“Are you sure letting them go was the right move? You know they’re suspicious of you.”
“Hahaha. This level of suspicion is fine.”
Count Kaiman then turned to look at me.
“I suppose Your Highness wants me to rush over and slaughter them all immediately? Sadly, that’s not happening.”
“You’re more of a coward than I thought.”
“I strongly disagree. If anything, it’s the opposite.”
This time, I met his gaze head-on. Soon, he grinned widely.
“Because this way, it’s much more thrilling and entertaining, isn’t it?”
“......”
“More importantly, the one who should be nervous right now isn’t me but you, Your Highness. The reason they’re retreating is because of you.”
I nodded.
“They’re planning to report to their superiors, aren’t they?”
“Your insight is truly remarkable.”
Right.
They’re not withdrawing without a purpose.
Report first, act later. In other words, at this moment, reporting takes priority.
‘If they truly believe I am the Great Hero’s successor, they wouldn’t take it upon themselves to decide whether to kill me.’
Which means that they’ll report to someone higher up. At the very least, to Theorg.
“Who knows? Maybe they’ll even attempt to kidnap you next time.”
“Then I’d better hurry back before that happens.”
“They might pursue you beyond the border, though?”
“Even a dog gets some protection in its own yard.”
“Aha! So you’re planning to make use of the home ground advantage?”
Count Kaiman’s expression grew even more amused.
“This is getting interesting. Who knows? Because of Your Highness, a continental war might actually break out.”
“As if your emperor wasn’t planning one already.”
“......!”
Count Kaiman fell silent.
“More importantly, I need to have a conversation with that drunkard.”
Count Kaiman, whose face had momentarily stiffened, made a strange expression.
“Do you really think he’s capable of a conversation?”
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
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* * *
“Hehehehehe!”
I observed Zion in silence for a full day.
“Alcohol! Please, just a little more!”
“Sigh...... Sir Zion, I can’t serve you any more......”
“I swear I’ll pay you back. Please! You’re the only one who still serves me.”
The moment he woke up, the first thing he did was look for alcohol. If I got close to him, the stench of alcohol immediately assaulted my nose.
It was an unbearable stench. He smelt like a mix of old liquor, unwashed sweat, and an indescribable foulness.
‘His body isn’t ruined—his mind is.’
I tried speaking to him several times, but it was of no use. And so, I started gathering rumors from the people around him.
That’s when I stumbled upon a particularly useful piece of information.
“A-Aren’t you an Imperial Knight?”
“There’s no need to be so tense. I’m an acquaintance of his.”
“An...... Acquaintance? Then, by any chance, would you be willing to pay off the debt he owes me for all the drinks......?”
A drunkard glanced at me and trailed off.
This was how society worked—if you showed even a bit of weakness, someone would try to take advantage of you.
“How much did you lend him?”
He must have just been testing the waters. However, my response made the drunkard’s eyes light up eagerly.
“It’s quite a lot! Probably around 1 gold coin!”
1 gold coin was the approximate living expense for a family of four for an entire month.
“You lent that much to a drunkard like him?”
“I didn’t know he was such a...... Ahem, hopeless case at first. After all, he was the famed ‘Swordsman of Mana’ back in the day.”
“He must have been in decent shape when you first lent him money.”
The drunkard’s eyes widened.
“How did you know that?”
“You wouldn’t have lent such a large sum all at once. You trusted him at first, kept lending him money...... And at some point, you realized your mistake, didn’t you?”
The drunkard let out a gasp of admiration.
“As expected of an Imperial Knight. Yes, I kept lending him money up until about three years ago. His appearance fooled me.”
My mind worked quickly, connecting the dots. Just then, Count Kaiman slowly approached.
“Ugh! W-Well, I’ll be going now. See you next time!”
Intimidated by Count Kaiman, the drunkard quickly scurried away.
“You should stop wasting time with meaningless pursuits. Do you really think you’ll learn anything more at this point?”
“I’ve already learned something crucial.”
“What?”
“First, let me ask you—what happened to the ‘Swordsman of Mana’ about five years ago?”
“......?”
Count Kaiman’s expression grew even more puzzled.
“If your claim that Zion was the one who hired you is true, he was clear-headed enough to make requests at the time and even had people lending him money without hesitation.”
“Who knows? Perhaps he was already an alcoholic back then, but just didn’t show it.”
“Then that raises another question.”
“A question?”
“Would a man obsessed with the sword really find amusement in a mere drunkard?”
“......”
Count Kaiman fell silent.
“No, I don’t think so. You don’t care about past reputations, do you? If someone is useless in the present, you wouldn’t even give them a second glance.”
“......”
“That means Zion must have still been strong at the time—strong enough to pique your interest. That’s why you accepted his request, isn’t it? If he lured you in with the promise of a duel, you’d definitely take the bait.”
Count Kaiman remained frozen for a long moment before finally breaking into a grin.
“Hahaha, this is no time for a deduction game. You have less than half a day left.”
“What?”
“I had my men stationed in various places. They’re reporting that people are starting to gather here.”
My eyes narrowed.
“The lackeys of those two men who left earlier?”
“No. This time, someone of even higher rank will be coming.”
“......”
My expression hardened. A particular face immediately came to mind.
“We should run, shouldn’t we?”
“......”
Seeing my silence, Kaiman drove his point home.
“If you insist on continuing your little deduction game, you’d better hurry up—because from this moment on, the game has changed.”
Then, he grinned widely.
“Now, it’s a timed game of hide-and-seek, Your Highness.”
* * *
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