The Berserker’s Second Playthrough Novel - Chapter 92

Chapter 92
## Chapter: 92

### Chapter Title: A Sharp Blade (2)

—

A full hour had passed since his entry into the council hall to face the representatives of the Agon faction.

Kadim’s temperament was deteriorating rapidly.

“……The physical proof and the severed remains of the monsters are currently being held for inspection in the impound building. Therefore, noble council members, I formally request the disbursement of 1,454,000 luden to this sellsword—representing the final balance for the hunt, once the initial 146,000 luden deposit is subtracted from the total 1,600,000 luden.”

“Understood…… Your journey here was long and arduous, Captain of the Ninth Gate. The verification of the spoils is complete, so you are dismissed from these proceedings.”

Kadim’s annoyance hadn’t truly peaked while the military officer was finishing his report or when the politicians agreed to the transaction without a fight. In truth, a faint sense of appreciation had almost taken root when they mentioned providing an extra gratuity for his exceptional service.

“Please, make yourself comfortable, mercenary. Our assistant will require a moment to retrieve the funds. Why not remain and exchange a few pleasantries with us while we wait?”

However, the moment the council members used the gold as leverage to keep him in his seat, that budding goodwill vanished instantly.

“The stories of your prowess have reached our ears, warrior. The Slayer of Fiends who painted the Golden Highway crimson with the blood of monsters! At first, the accounts seemed like mere legend, but after witnessing the piles of trophies brought in yesterday, we are convinced of your lethality!”

“Not even the most decorated high paladins from the empire of Elga could match such results. If the divine Elga himself realized we possessed such a specimen within the Alliance, he might turn green with envy, haha!”

The dialogue from the officials started with shallow praise……

“We were informed of the disturbance you had with those city criminals yesterday. It seems they were harboring a treacherous element, were they not? They were a blight we would have eventually purged for the sake of public order, so we are grateful you took the initiative to sweep them aside.”

“On that note, the city has been plagued by a series of strange events since yesterday. While we have the good fortune of welcoming a guest of your caliber, we also face the grim news that a high-ranking councilor has vanished…… Despite his difficult personality and our frequent political disagreements, I truly hope he comes to no harm……”

Then it moved into transparent interrogation regarding the previous night’s activities……

“Our faction has consistently fought to ensure that those of Atala blood are granted superior status. You’ve met the fighters of the Horde, haven’t you? They were once nothing but mediocre brawlers of no consequence. Without our intervention, they would still be rotting in cage matches, breathing in the arena’s grime, haha!”

“Today, our reach extends far beyond Agon, touching Galenta and the surrounding provinces. It is no exaggeration to say that even children in the street recognize which way the winds of power are shifting……”

It devolved into arrogant boasting about their own prestige and wealth……

“Tell me, mercenary, are you aware that the Atalains are still viewed with contempt in many corners of this world? Ever since Agon’s Furious Horn took the championship, our reputation in the Alliance has risen, but in the eastern regions near Vesta, many still dismiss our people as nothing more than ‘savages’……”

“……Furthermore, the imperial Church of Elga continues to brand them as heathens, dragging away blameless Atalains to face their judgment……”

“Should you choose to commit your blade to the Horde and oppose the rival factions, no one on this continent would ever dare look down upon the Atalains again. And for your loyalty, we guarantee a position and rewards that would satisfy the commander of the Horde themselves……”

……And finally, they dropped the mask to show their true intentions.

The only reason Kadim had not silenced this exhausting lecture was the commitment he had made to the warrior with one arm. Had it not been for that vow to listen to the council’s pitch, he would have told them to be quiet and produce the money long ago.

But his endurance had reached its limit. The assistant tasked with bringing the payment was already nearing the entrance. It was obvious they intended to withhold the gold until he accepted their terms.

Kadim’s brow furrowed as he forced his voice through grit teeth.

“Forget it. I have no interest in serving as a dog on a leash. If the talking is done, give me the money and let me leave.”

The council members stared at him as if he were speaking a foreign tongue.

Assuming their bribes were insufficient, they began promising even more sordid lures: vast wealth, concubines, estates, and ancient artifacts. Kadim did not flinch.

Seeing this, the councilors’ expressions grew cold. Their tone shifted from enticement to overt intimidation.

“What a shame, sellsword. We respect your pride. But you will likely lament this decision. A chance like this will never present itself a second time……”

“I suppose it can’t be helped. If you prefer a moment of selfish wandering over the honor of your bloodline. Though many of your kin across the lands will continue to endure misery and hatred…… we cannot force the unwilling.”

“Of course, when handling a budget exceeding a million luden, certain protocols must be followed, yes? Usually, the verification window lasts about three months. We treated this as an emergency until now, but since the threat is gone, perhaps it is time to return to standard procedure……”

“Oh, and regarding Councilor Vittorio. We must find the one responsible and make an example of them. He was one of us, after all—if necessary, we might even deploy the Horde to hunt the culprit……”

“……”

Kadim glared at them, his eyes veiled in shadow.

The councilors, seated at a distance, failed to notice the shift. Only Adonis, who was positioned directly in his line of sight, felt a sudden, freezing dread.

He signaled frantically for the others to stop and addressed Kadim.

“Wait, there is no need for concern, mercenary. We cannot change the rules of the budget after the fact, so you will get your payment without fail. It is simply a massive amount of coin, so there may be a small wait—I ask for your patience. Do you have business elsewhere after this?”

“……I’m going to Agon. And then to the Magic Tower.”

Adonis forced a smile, pretending this was pleasant news.

“Headed to Agon? How fortunate. That is our home territory; we can provide any aid you require. What brings you to that city?”

“I’m going to kill Agon’s Furious Horn.”

“……”

““……””

The temperature in the room seemed to drop to zero.

Adonis and the rest of the Agon faction representatives sat frozen, looking at Kadim as if the life had been sucked out of them.

**CRASH!!**

Kadim brought his bare fist down on the stone table, shattering it. He bared his teeth, his face contorting into a mask of pure violence as he spat out his words.

“And if you don’t produce that reward this instant, I’m going to start by butchering everyone in this room.”

““……””

An aura of pure slaughter filled the air, turning their blood to ice.

Every councilor present went pale as a ghost.

Adonis signaled wildly to the aide hovering at the door, demanding the gold be brought in immediately.

The hallway outside the chamber was filled with people in a state of shock.

The guard captain’s eyes were wide with terror, the merchant was nervously biting his nails, and Perun stood with the other Atalain fighters, their faces carved from stone.

They all knew something catastrophic had just happened inside. Kadim walked out with a ghost of a smirk on his face.

It hadn’t been a tactical move.

He had already caused enough of a stir in this city. To keep things simple, he should have played nice with these men. Instead, he had threatened their lives and effectively declared a blood feud by promising to slay Agon’s Furious Horn—conflict was now a certainty.

But he felt he had no alternative.

If he hadn’t made his position clear, they would have kept stalling and hounding him. Since they were going to be enemies regardless, it was better to take the money and leave them paralyzed with fear.

In the end, his primary goal in Galenta was complete.

The base pay was 1,654,000 luden, plus the added bonus. Combined with the captain’s earlier payment, he had roughly 1.8 million luden. Kadim carried heavy sacks of gold coins that hung from his hands like overripe fruit.

Duncan was the first to approach, whispering urgently.

“M-my lord…… what happened in there? Did you get the full amount? Did they suspect us for what happened last night? If they did, we should probably start running……”

“……”

Kadim gave a small shake of his head and walked toward Perun.

“Did you catch the conversation?”

“……”

After a long, tense pause, the warrior spoke with difficulty.

“……I heard it, brother Kadim.”

“I am not your brother. And I am not your comrade. I did what I promised—I spoke with the council and listened to their words. We are finished. There is nothing else between us.”

“……Even so, the fact remains that we bled on the same field. You took the heads of the demons to honor the loss of my arm—that truth doesn’t go away.”

Perun balled his hand into a fist and looked Kadim in the eye.

“I can understand why you killed Tundal, the hunt master. But this? This I cannot grasp. Tell me. Why would you travel to Agon just to murder the man who leads our people……”

Kadim’s gaze was as cold and empty as a desert night.

“Do you honestly believe that Agon’s Furious Horn is the true Great Warrior of Atala?”

“……”

Perun wanted to protest the question. But the intensity in those eyes silenced any argument. Wrestling with his own inner turmoil, he found himself nodding slowly.

Kadim’s lip curled in a cynical sneer.

“Then there’s nothing left for us to discuss. Except this—if you want to keep your heads on your shoulders, there is only one path.”

“……”

“By the laws of the wastes, challenge me to a duel and try to kill me here.”

Perun’s eyes went wide.

Those deep, dark eyes were locked onto him. There was no deception in Kadim’s voice; he meant every word.

Perun could feel the storm of emotions inside himself. There was doubt, terror, and fury, but rising above it all was the warrior’s instinct to strike down a powerful enemy and protect his sovereign.

He lifted his metal hook as if to accept the challenge, his lips trembling on the verge of a shout.

“……”

“……”

……But the words never came. He eventually lowered his arm and bowed his head in silence.

When Perun refused the fight, the other warriors stood down as well. Kadim gave them a dismissive glance and walked over to the guard captain, tossing him a bulging purse of coin.

*Clink!*

“Keep it, Captain.”

“W-what is this for?”

“For the horses. You worked hard pulling that wagon all the way here, didn’t you?”

“……”

Yulitan looked inside the bag. Even a quick glance told him it was more than several years’ worth of his pay. Under any other circumstances, he would have been thrilled…… but not today.

“N-no, wait…… what went on in that hall? I heard the sound of something breaking…… You didn’t actually threaten those men, did you?”

“I did. We need to move before they find their courage again. I still have a use for you, so move.”

“Wh-what?”

Before he could tell if Kadim was joking, Yulitan was being hauled away by his collar, with Duncan trailing behind the stunned pair.

A heavy, oppressive silence followed.

The Atalain warriors were the only ones left in the corridor. They stood like grim monuments, watching the spot where Kadim had disappeared.

One of the fighters stepped toward Perun.

“What’s the plan, Perun? He just said he was going to kill the ‘Great Warrior’…… are we really just going to let him walk away?”

“……”

After a long moment of internal struggle, revisiting the visions of the wilderness behind his eyes.

Perun finally looked up.

“Brothers, have any of you ever……”

“……”

“……”

“……Never mind. Let’s go check if the councilors are alive first.”

The rest of the thought remained unspoken, and the warriors were left in the dark.

Perun was consumed by doubt. They didn’t understand yet. Even if they had seen what he had seen, or heard the words of Agon’s Furious Horn, would they still feel the same loyalty?

*’Perun. If I hadn’t encountered that shaman…… I would be a nobody. That shaman is the reason I am Atala’s Great Warrior.’*