I Mistook The Genre And Became A Tyrant

✦  Chapter 9 –  Pride of the North (2) ✦

「Translator – Creator」

The victor of the hunting competition would claim everything Paimon possessed — and this included Somnia Paimon, the young lady of the house.

“Marrying Somnia means ruling the North alongside her. For a nobleman like me who was born a second son and is of no great importance, it is an opportunity to raise my status all at once.”

Del, the second son of a noble family who had been pushed aside in the line of succession, was aiming to become Paimon’s son-in-law. Everyone must have been thinking the same thing.

“Del, I don’t think you’re insignificant.”

“You’re wrong. I truly am insignificant. That’s precisely why I’m participating in this hunting competition – because I despise that about myself.”

“Is that so?”

Nevertheless, everyone present coveted the fame, wealth, and Somnia — renowned as the North’s greatest beauty. I found myself wondering what face lay hidden beneath that helmet.

Urrurur—

As the crowd dispersed from the square, we blended in and secured lodgings at a cheap inn. It was a typical tavern-inn combination, with a bar on the first floor and rooms for rent on the second floor.

“Welcome to the “Nymph’s Ditchwater” inn!”

The only unusual thing was that the beer was warm.

Was all the alcohol in the cold North like this?

After downing a drink, I voiced the question that had been nagging at me—

“So, if you win the hunting competition, you get to see what face lies behind Somnia’s helmet, right? Since she’s called the North’s greatest beauty, I must admit I’m curious too. Just how extraordinary must this woman be to have the audacity to reject the Emperor’s marriage proposal?”

“But Daniel, it won’t be easy. I heard that Somnia herself is participating in this competition. Somnia is known to be the best warrior in the North. Have you ever heard of Somnia’s duels?”

“Duels?”

“When the head of House Paimon was still alive, they tried to arrange a marriage for Lady Somnia when she turned 15, which was considered marriageable age.”

Fifteen as a marriageable age? While I was still processing this shock, Del continued his explanation.

“But Somnia refused, declaring, ‘I will not marry any man who isn’t stronger than me.'”

“Oh?”

“Countless men have challenged Somnia to duels since then, but none could defeat her. That’s why she remains unmarried at twenty-three. There isn’t a man in the world who can best Somnia.”

An invincible woman, waiting for a man stronger than herself — it was an intriguing tale that piqued my curiosity further.

“Is it truly impossible for anyone to defeat Somnia?”

“It has been so far, and it will likely remain that way. She’s the pride of the North, after all.”

“What about the Emperor?”

As I mentioned the word ‘Emperor,’ the atmosphere in the tavern seemed to cool down all at once. Del also replied calmly with a slightly cooled expression.

“…The Emperor is Somnia’s sworn enemy. She’d refuse to meet him, let alone duel. It’s already well known that the head of the Paimon family was killed by the emperor on the “Day of the Decisive Battle,” right? That’s why the Northerners hate the emperor.”

“Killed? Wasn’t he just missing? I thought the head of House Paimon was reported as missing.”

“He was definitely killed by the emperor. That’s what all the Northerners believe. And Somnia thinks the same way, so she must think of the emperor as her enemy. No one marries their enemy, right?”

“Is that so? Where I’m from, there’s a saying— ‘Love thy enemy.’“

“Pfft, what a stupid thing to say. Here in the North, we say: ‘Always slay your enemy.'”

“That’s harsh. So what if the emperor enters this hunting competition? What if the emperor defeats all the formidable competitors and wins the hunting competition? What will happen then?”

“That won’t happen. But if it did… Somnia would refuse to acknowledge the Emperor’s participation outright. They say he’s conspicuous even from afar, don’t they?”

“Conspicuous?”

“He’s the man clad in pitch-black armor. I’ve heard there’s a face as hideous as a demon’s beneath that armor. They say he’s a monster whose entire body became grotesque due to his twisted pursuit of power.”

“I’ve heard similar tales.”

“That’s why he can’t remove his armor. If he had nothing to hide, he wouldn’t conceal his face. He’s a despicable man. He must have defeated the head of House Paimon through underhanded means.”

“If you put it that way, Somnia is suspicious too, isn’t she? She’s never shown her face to anyone else, either. They say she’s North’s greatest beauty, what if she’s actually hideously ugly?”

“What?”

“What if she’s refusing to marry because she doesn’t want that to be known?”

“That’s… something I hadn’t thought of.”

Del fell silent, seemingly lost in thought. Our conversation wouldn’t have continued anyway, as uninvited guests suddenly intruded upon our table.

“Geh-heh-heh, look at these pathetic excuses for men. Not a whisker between them. Are you two… you know… that way with each other?”

“Maybe they’re male prostitutes? How much to buy your services, eh?”

“Man, are you saying you don’t care if it’s a man or woman as long as it tastes good? Don Chun, you’re something else! I’ll give you that!”

A group of men who were clearly drunk approached us, making a raucous commotion. The high alcohol content of Northern drinks seemed to make people lose their senses after just a few cups.

Such provocations were common occurrences.

That’s why I was just about to lightly beat them up and barely leave them breathing when Del slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

“Apologize at once! Daniel may not look it, but he’s more manly than any of you! He’s the savior who saved my life! I can tolerate insults to myself, but I can’t tolerate insults to my savior!”

His voice thundered through the tavern.

The men who had been picking on us had stunned expressions on their faces, as they couldn’t believe that Del, who was quite small in stature, would make such a loud noise.

Taking advantage of the gap, Del drew his long sword from his waist and swung it around.

Swish, swish, slash!

“Argh!”

“Uwaaah!”

“Gyaaah!”

The three ruffians screamed in unison as their wrists were severed simultaneously. It happened in an instant, with ghost-like skill, leaving everyone astonished.

“L-Let’s run!”

“My arm! Eek!”

“If we find a healer quickly, we might still be able to reattach them! Eek!”

The men fled in panic.

Del sat back down and apologized to me.

“Daniel, I’m sorry. Not all Northerners are that disrespectful. Let me apologize on their behalf.”

“That was impressive. Cutting off three wrists in an instant.”

“You think so? I still feel I have a long way to go.”

“No, it was excellent swordsmanship. You can be proud of it since I’m saying so. However, we’ve drawn unnecessary attention. Thanks to your display of skill, everyone is now acutely aware of us.”

All the hunters and adventurers staying in Avalam were potential competitors. It was natural for them to be wary of each other in this game of chicken to claim everything House Paimon had to offer.

Del’s single sword stroke was too remarkable, inevitably causing everyone to regard us with caution.

I had a feeling that something more troublesome than the ruffians just now was going to happen, and I thought it was going to be fun when Del said,

“Well, Daniel, I need to use the restroom.”

“Let’s go together.”

“…Together?”

“Yes. I need to go too.”

Del seemed quite flustered.

Was it so embarrassing for men to go to the restroom together in the North? Perhaps he was still bothered by what those ruffians had said.

“Why, are you worried I might be after your backside? Relax, I prefer women.”

“Ahem, it’s not that I’m particularly worried about my backside.”

Del and I stepped outside the tavern to head to the restroom.

As we entered a dimly lit alley, we were suddenly confronted.

“You two seem more skilled than we thought. But you’re out of luck now that you’ve run into us.”

“Don’t call us cowards. This sort of thing is common, isn’t it?”

Two men, swords in hand, emerged from the alley, blocking our path from the front and rear. They both appeared highly skilled.

Sword Masters? No, perhaps a level below. They were wearing masks, but I could tell they were quite skilled.

Likely, they were renowned warriors who had made names for themselves on battlefields.

“Del, this is why I suggested we go together.”

“Oh? I see.”

“So, who are you?”

“You think we’d tell you that? If we were going to reveal ourselves, we wouldn’t be wearing masks in the first place!”

“That’s right! We’re the Twin Mercenary Corps, known to silence even crying babies!”

“Ah, the Twin Mercenary Corps, is it?”

“Damn it! You weren’t supposed to know that!”

“It’s fine, we’ll just have to eliminate them and destroy the evidence!”

Whooshhh—!

Just as Del and I were about to draw our swords, a sudden gust of wind brought with it a fragrance ill-suited to this cold northern city. It was an overpowering floral scent.

Turning my head, I saw someone perched gracefully atop the wall.

Under the nearly full moon, his silver-white hair shimmered as it fluttered in the breeze. Pointed ears stood out prominently amidst his gossamer-like locks.

“How predictable, the thoughts of such worthless trash. Unable to win fairly, you immediately resort to such despicable acts.”

Whoosh—!

The sound of sharp metal slicing through the air rang out.

A white flash circled around the masked men’s necks and faces. In an instant, the elven figure who had been standing on the wall was now sheathing his sword amidst the masked group.

“You didn’t even notice me drawing my sword. It seems you weren’t even worth killing after all.”

Splat-! Splash-!

The unidentified masked twins collapsed, spraying blood.

“Anistia Barbatos…!” 

Del exclaimed in shock at the sudden turn of events, calling out the man’s name; the elven swordsman, wearing an expression as cold as ice under the moonlight, glanced at us and snorted dismissively.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t help you; I simply couldn’t tolerate the low-class antics of such trash. Once the hunt begins, don’t expect to find any such mercy from me.”

Leap—

Anistia, the eldest son of the noble Barbatos family, disappeared over the wall with the characteristic agility of an elf.

As I was comparing the faces of Dimensia and Anistia in my mind’s eye, Del spoke with a trembling voice.

“That man, his skills are incredible. He might even win this competition. This is trouble. I had no idea the eldest son of Barbatos possessed such abilities…”

“Indeed. His skills are formidable.”

“If he had such prowess, why didn’t he participate in the war two years ago?”

Well, I was not sure either.

The Barbatos family, one of the Twelve Zodiac Houses, was known for their many secrets. Even I, who became Emperor with their backing, didn’t know much about them.

However, there was one thing I knew for certain.

“In any case, I’ll be the one to win.”

“You, Daniel?”

“Yes. Del, I consider you a friend, but I have my reasons for not conceding victory even to you.”

The Sunflower and the Moonlight Stone.

I needed to obtain them for the story to progress.

I was determined to aim for victory with all my might.

— End of Chapter —

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Translator’s Notes :-

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