Bastard Swordsman

A Sold Quarrel

Now then. I might have mentioned this before, but I'm a half-breed.

Born from a man from the Halperia Kingdom and a woman from the Holy Kingdom of Sangareal enjoying a night together, that's who I am.

Halperians and Sangrealians, while not as distinct as whites and blacks are in today's terms, do have some noticeable racial differences.

Their facial features aren't that different, but if there's one noticeable difference, it's the hair.

Some Halperians have hair as black as night, while some Sangrealians boast hair as white as light. Not everyone fits this description, but black and white hair work as easily distinguishable aspects for discriminating between the two peoples.

And as for me, with black hair streaked with a few white strands, my appearance screams that I'm a child of both Halperia and Sangreal.

So, what do you think happens because of this?

Here's a hint: 「The relationship between Halperia and Sangreal is incredibly bad.」

Did all the good kids figure it out?

That's right, it's racial discrimination.

「Why is there a Sangreal person in the guild?」

In the middle of the day at the guild, an unfamiliar man's voice echoed loudly.

He voiced what could have been kept a silent monologue, likely to make sure I heard it.

「He probably had a Sangreal slave give birth to him.」

「His hair's like that of an old man.」

「Hahaha!」

A group of four newcomers, but they weren't amateurs judging by their gear and bearing. They had likely come to the city as some sort of escorts.

But to publicly ridicule me by name in this city, and especially within the guild itself, was rather bold.

Indeed, I am half Sangreal. Given the sporadic wars between our countries, many hold grudges, and being mistreated like this isn't all that rare.

However, due to the long-standing border between the two nations, there is a history of interaction, so hybrids like me aren't completely non-existent.

Though my mixed heritage is blatantly evident in my hair, there are others who hide their origins well and blend into society.

Publicly engaging in racial discrimination—even in a city of this world—is somewhat rash. So yeah, in other words...

「Ah, lively newcomers, aren't you? But the guild member orientation isn't today. Come back another day with the membership fee.」

「......」

Sometimes a fight is one you should pick.

Regardless, letting such comments slide with a grin never leads to anything good.

While showing a friendly face to the world is important, sucking up to idiots like this could make you lose even the respect you have.

Since I'm in the business of using my brawn, having the mindset to kill if I'm disrespected isn't necessarily wrong.

Just when I was feeling refreshed after completing my morning street cleaning, enjoying some horrid oatmeal, it's all been ruined.

I stood up, glanced at the counter, and while they seemed a bit exasperated, they didn't try stopping me.

Well, it's a 'do as you like, at your own risk' type of situation. I also sensed a hint of pressure telling me not to cause trouble inside the guild. I wouldn't do that here anyway.

「Hey, you Sangreal half-breed, don't get cocky. You're just a rookie with a cheap sword.」

「I killed 56 Sangrealians like you at Twis Plains!」

「Should I yank out that creepy white hair of yours?」

Killing 56 is definitely exaggerated. What kind of unit commander are you? If you wielded such power, why do you have a copper accessory hanging around your neck?

「This place is for people to eat. If you want to fight, take it outside.」

「Fine by me.」

So, I headed outside the guild with the four thugs.

「Die!」

As soon as I stepped outside the building, the man who had been waiting beside the entrance swung his fist at me.

Hey, that's dirty! Opting for a sneak attack over a group beatdown shows a lot of nerve.

「Heh, I figured you'd pull something like that.」

With a dull thud, I was knocked towards the road shoulder.

The guy's punch blindsided me, hitting my cheek spot-on and sending me flying.

Ugh, I might have cut the inside of my mouth...

「... Who is this guy?」

「He doesn't... even really hurt... despite how it looks... seriously...」

「Hah, idiot. Get him, guys.」

「Right!」

Thinking I'm weak, the men charged at me all at once.

It was a reckless assault full of overconfidence in an assured victory. By comparison, it was much easier than being cautiously encircled.

「You're going down, you weaklings! Take this!」

「Gwaah!」

I landed a counter and drove my fist into one's stomach, taking him down.

During that moment, the other three swung at me. I'd love to evade them stylishly, but instead, I retaliated while taking the hits.

「Ow!」

「This guy's... strong!?」

「You know what it means to pick a fight with me, the great Mongrel, don't you!?」

「Ugh!」

I don't possess some stylish combat technique to gracefully dodge while taking down opponents.

So, I allowed myself to get hit a bit, and retaliated with all my strength augmented by magic power.

It hurts, but it must hurt them a lot more!

「Please, stop, I'm sorry...」

「Shut it, fool! Weren't you the one who said you'd yank my hair out? I won't forgive that!」

「Eeek!?」

I roughly yanked out a small clump of his hair and brought him down with a headbutt. That's one down.

「I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...」

「And what's the deal with that '56 kills' nonsense?! If you're gonna lie, at least lower your kill score, idiot!」

「Agh!」

I punched him hard enough for a pathetic bruise to appear vividly on his face—two down.

「Spare me!」

「Don't think you can get away with a sneak attack! You coward!」

「Aagh!?」

Since he was infuriating and likely rotten at his core, I smashed his hand, breaking a few fingers. Writhing in pain, he's the third.

「I'm... I'm sorry. This was our fault. We won't pick a fight with you again...」

「You insulted me.」

「I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I'll never call you a Sangreal person again!」

「You mocked my bastard sword, right?!」

「Huh!? I didn't... mean to...」

「Take this, Bastard Sword Kick!」

「Gwahhhh!?」

Finally, I kicked the leader-like figure in the stomach, ending the scuffle.

Ugh, the freshly cleaned streets got dirty again.

「Never mock my bastard sword again.」

I spat at the fallen men and quietly returned inside the guild.

「Impressive, Mongrel. I watched from outside. You took on four without flinching.」

「It hurts...really hurts...how dare they...a sneak attack, for real...」

「Great work, Mongrel-san. With their poor mission evaluations and bad behavior, their party was under high scrutiny anyway. Considering this incident, we'll lower their ratings even more.」

「Knock them down a peg, Elena... Can I use the infirmary?」

「Sure, but you'll need to pay. It's fine to do so later, though.」

「I'll pay...please help...ouch....」

While part of the reason for acting as I did was to showcase some of my strength, the pain makes it not quite worth it.

If there's a next time, I'll consider a more stylish approach to dodging and fighting...

「... Mongrel, he hasn't been promoted?」

「Apparently not. He's not fond of the types of jobs that get thrown his way.」

「Really? That's a waste for someone so strong.」

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
A little ass-kicking is always welcome.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】