“K-Keuk!”
Cesc was definitely not fine after Siegfried stomped on his precious place. Fortunately, it did not look like it got injured at all, which made Siegfried wonder just how much he had been training that part.
“You don’t seem to be in much pain,” Siegfried said.
“N-No… It hurts…!” Cesc replied.
“Hmm… No, you look fine,” Siegfried insisted. He stomped on Cesc’s nether region once again.
“Hap!”
This time, it seemed that he inflicted a bit more damage, but…
“Hmm… No, it’s still not enough. This isn’t the reaction I was hoping for…” Siegfried said while rubbing his chin.
“No! It hurts!” Cesc retorted.
However, Siegfried replied in a staccato manner, “No. It. Is. Not. Enough.”
“N-No!”
“You don’t seem to be in pain as much as I want you to be.”
“Hey, you crazy bastard! I already told you it’s painful! Just what are you looking foo—AARRGH!”
Cesc screamed in agony when Siegfried stomped on his nether region with the Bloody Iron Boots, but the sadistic Adventurer was just getting started…
Puk! Puk! Puk!
Siegfried’s foot moved like a piston and stomped on Cesc’s precious place numerous times. He stomped on it consistently and rhythmically as if he were a machine…
“AAACCK! Stop! STOOOOP!”
“I thought you had no weakness?”
“Please stop…!”
“You said this is the toughest part of your body.”
“It’s not anymore…”
“Let’s see if you can still say it’s tough after it pops~”
“P-Pops? What’s going to pop?”
“What else~” Siegfried flashed a bright smile that sent chills all over the bandit leader’s body, and then he continued, “I’m talking about your eggs. Those two eggs hanging below your belt~”
“…!”
“Let’s see whether they’ll pop or not.”
“…”
Hamchi and Gringore were speechless after witnessing Siegfried’s brutality.
Siegfried was flawless in battle. He made up for his lacking speed and strength with his superior control, and he was able to emerge victorious after a long battle of attrition.
However, what he did after he won was something that would make even the devil worry about making a living from now on.
In fact, he was so evil that Hamchi and Gringore could only shake their heads while thinking that Siegfried was crossing the line here.
“That owner punk… He’s really petty…” Hamchi said while covering his eyes with his front paws.
Meanwhile, Gringore was busy recording Siegfried’s atrocities.
Sukeok! Sukeok! Sukeok!
His Majesty displayed his wisdom and courage in battle, and he emerged victorious from the battle that looked like he was going to lose.
However, His Majesty’s wrath was not quelled by victory alone—no, it burned even greater.
His Majesty’s patience is as vast as the ocean, but he displayed today that anyone incurring his wrath was going to experience what cruelty truly means.
Yes, His Majesty was so cruel that even the devil himself came out from the depths of hell to take notes from his cruelty.
Records of the Proatine Kingdom Book 1 Chapter 3
Siegfried Van Proa the First
His Majesty’s Personal Affairs
The scribe wrote it in a roundabout manner, but he had basically recorded in the annals of history that Siegfried’s temper was bad.
***
Siegfried was oblivious to the fact that his cruelty was currently being recorded in the annals of history.
“Wow… They aren’t popping at all,” he muttered.
“Eup! Euuuup!”
“I wonder if they’ll pop if I do this?”
“AAAAACK!”
Siegfried stubbornly tested the durability of Cesc’s eggs.
[Alert: You have defeated the Descendant of Supreme King Braum!]
[Alert: You have progressed 14.28% of the Quest – Master’s Regret!]
Siegfried stopped the durability test when the message that he had been waiting for finally appeared.
[Master’s Regret]
[Type: Quest]
[Details: Find and crush the seven successors of the people known as the strongest eight on the continent five hundred years ago.
[Progress: 14.28% (1/7)]
[Descendant of Thunder God Vajra 0/1]
We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google.
[Descendant of Sword Saint Murcièlago 0/1]
[Descendant of Great Sage Sieghart 0/1]
[Descendant of Blood Master Berserk 0/1]
[Descendant of Enlightened King Maugris 0/1]
[Descendant of God Arrow Windforce 0/1]
[Descendant of Supreme King Braum 1/1] ✓
There were only six descendants remaining.
Siegfried had already run into the descendants of Blood Master Berserk and God Arrow Windforce, but he still had yet to meet the other four descendants. Of course, whether he could win against them or not was something he had to see once he fought them.
“Oh, well, I guess I should continue what I was doing,” Siegfried said with a shrug before lifting his foot once again.
“H-Hyung-nim!” Cesc immediately got up and kowtowed before begging. “Can you please overlook it just this once? It really hurts… I feel like my legs are going to blow up… Please forgive me, hyung-nim!”
“Why am I your hyung-nim? Am I a bandit or something? Why are you calling me hyung-nim?” Siegfried retorted.
“N-No… but you defeated me, so I will serve you as my hyung-nim from now on!”
“Why?”
“I am a mountain bandit, and it is not strange for mountain bandits to serve someone stronger than them as their hyung-nim!”
“Nah, I don’t really fancy the idea of having bandits under me,” Siegfried said and lifted his foot once more.
“W-Wait a minute!”
“Ah… What is it this time?”
“I am fine with not serving you as my hyung-nim! I will swear loyalty to you and be your dog! Please forgive me!”
“Loyalty…?”
Siegfried’s ears twitched at the word. ‘That doesn’t sound bad at all… this guy is really strong, so it’s not a bad idea to keep him around. He can dish out decent damage and tank a lot of damage, too…’
Cesc was a mountain bandit, but he was still the descendant of the Supreme King Braum, who was one of the most powerful people on the continent five hundred years ago.
He would definitely benefit greatly from having someone like him as his subordinate.
‘Master will be delighted to hear that the descendant of the Supreme King has become my subordinate. He’s going to be happy about it, right? The descendant of the person he had failed to beat centuries ago has actually become the subordinate of his disciple…’
Siegfried was sure that Deus would be able to let go of a portion of his regret if he were to present him with this gift.
“Hey, will you really swear loyalty?” Siegfried asked.
“Yes, sir!”
“You’re not going to try and get revenge later on?”
“Not at all! I—Cesc Graham—am a bandit and the son of a poor farmer, but I still know what honor is!”
“Hmm…”
“It is a shame that I cannot become the Bandit King, but I will swear loyalty if you accept me as your subordinate!” Cesc exclaimed while thinking, ‘Giving up on becoming the Bandit King is much better than becoming a eunuch…’
Frankly speaking, the only reason Cesc was so obsessed with becoming the Bandit King was that was the only thing he knew how to do. In other words, it wasn’t difficult for him to directly give up that ambition after finding something else to do.
“Are you sure? Hmm… okay then, I’ll trust you this once,” Siegfried said.
“Yes, sir!”
“Then, you should stop being a bandit and…” Siegfried said. He stopped and thought for a second before bestowing a new identity upon the bandit leader, “…you should become our kingdom’s Ranger.”
“A R-Ranger…?” Cesc muttered.
A Ranger usually operated in mountains and rough terrain. They were in charge of carrying out guerilla tactics against enemy forces or subjugating monsters living in the mountains.
“You’re still going to be operating in the mountains, so isn’t it better for you to be a soldier rather than a bandit? You will be making an honest living, and people will like you as well,” Siegfried said.
“But the income is…!”
“Do you want your eggs popped?”
“N-No, sir! I will do it!” Cesc exclaimed.
“Hey, you guys over there! I have a feeling you guys became bandits because you can’t make a living. Why don’t you become Rangers instead? I mean, it’s better than dying a dog’s death as bandits, right?” Siegfried shouted at the other bandits.
“Hmm…”
“A r-ranger…?”
“An enlistment…”
The Supreme Mountain Bandits hesitated at Siegfried’s offer.
Siegfried let out a sigh in disbelief and said, “Hey, isn’t it better to be a Ranger than die a dog’s death later as a bandit…? Do you have any idea how good is it to become a soldier? You get a house, clothes, and food. The kingdom will pay you a steady salary as well. Oh, did I mention that you will be considered civil servants?”
The keyword civil servants[1] was enough to convince the bandits.
“C-Civil servants?!”
“It makes sense now that I think about it! It’s way better to be a Ranger than a bandit. It sounds more stable, too.”
“Yeah! A soldier is also a government employee, right? We’re not being forced to enlist, we’re simply getting hired!”
It seemed that the people of the Nürburg Continent also wanted to become civil servants like the people of Korea.
“I’ll do it!”
“Me, too!”
“Yes! I’d rather put on a uniform and make an honest living than keep being a bandit!”
“B-But, hyung-nim…”
“Yeah?”
“Which country are we going to become Rangers of…?” Cesc asked.
“The Proatine Kingdom.”
“P-Proatine? Where on the continent is that? This is my first time hearing of that kingdom… Does it even exist…?” Cesc asked.
Siegfried’s expression turned ugly.
“I’m just curious since I have never heard of that place—” Cesc continued asking, completely oblivious to Siegfried’s mood.
Siegfried interrupted him. “Hey.”
“Yes, hyung-nim?”
“Head down on the ground, ass up, now.”[2]
“E-Excuse me…?”
“I said put your head on the ground and lift your ass up,” Siegfried growled while crying tears of blood.
***
Siegfried returned to the Thierry Merchant Company after successfully defeating Cesc Graham and hiring his subordinates.
[Alert: You have successfully completed the Quest – ‘Subjugate Mountain Bandits’!]
[Alert: Guccio has rewarded you for completing the quest!]
[Alert: Affinity with Guccio has increased by 500!]
[Alert: Guccio now has complete trust in you!]
Siegfried read the message that popped up in front of him.
“Here is your Regenium,” Guccio said.
“Thank you. This is the payment,” Siegfried replied and extended the check.
“No! How can I charge you when you managed to bring our stolen goods back? Please think of that Regenium as a token of my gratitude!” Guccio waved his hands and refused the check.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
Siegfried smiled. Guccio’s refusal meant that he would be able to pocket a check that the Mercedes Workshop had written.
‘Jackpot!’
[Alert: You have obtained ‘Regenium’!]
Siegfried managed to clear two quests, acquire new followers, and obtain the Regenium for free, thanks to the chain of events. He headed straight for the Mercedes Workshop after obtaining the Regenium, but his heart and steps were heavy…
‘Please… Please let it succeed this time! PLEASE!’ he earnestly prayed the whole way back, hoping that the +12 Gaia’s Fist’s enhancement would end up being successful.
***
“Welcome back, Your Majesty. Have you brought the Regenium?” Wilhelm asked.
“I certainly did,” Siegfried replied.
He proudly presented the beautifully packed Regenium to the head blacksmith.
[Alert: You have completed the Quest – ‘A Close Call!’]
[Alert: Please proceed with the enhancement!]
Wilhelm immediately ordered. “Listen up! Put the Regenium in and switch on the enhancement machine! Prepare to restart enhancement!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Mercedes Workshop blacksmiths got busy restarting the enhancement machine.
Ten minutes later, Wilhelm returned and said, “Everything has been prepared, Your Majesty.”
“So it’s time…” Siegfried muttered.
“Yes, please try and enhance your weapon once again,” Wilhelm said while pointing at the lever of the enhancement machine. The lever was capable of sending someone to either heaven or hell with just a single pull…
‘Please… +13! Let’s go! LET’S GOOOO!’ Siegfried earnestly prayed as he grabbed the level with trembling hands.
Then, he pulled it down.
Chik! Chik! Poof!
The enhancement machine abruptly unleashed steam.
Chik! Chik! Poof!
Bam! Bam! Bam!!
Chik! Chik! Poof!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The enhancement machine spat out a cloud of steam while thumping in a way that seemed to be in sync with Siegfried’s heartbeat.
Chik! Chik! Poof!
Fwooooooosh!
The enhancement machine finally spat out its last cloud of steam.
‘Please… PLEASE! PLEAAAASEEEE!’ Siegfried prayed fervently.
He wasn’t showing it on the outside, but he was literally dying inside from the suspense.
However, the only thing that he could do was pray to whatever god he knew.
Flash!
While Siegfried was earnestly praying, the enhancement machine let out a flash of light that was incomparably brighter than the previous flash of light.
The light soon became a rainbow.
1. Just a quick explanation here. Most Koreans dream of becoming civil servants since it’s the most stable job in the country and pays very well, too on top of other benefits. ☜
2. This is a common practice in Korean military as a form of punishment, and it has nothing to do with what you’re thinking right now. ☜
