Chapter 56: Roar Of The King

I’ve noticed this before.

But the Rangin tribe friends fight quite inefficiently, or perhaps romantically. 

They divide one side of the battlefield, creating a separate area where the leaders can fight fiercely, pulling each other’s hair and brawling. 

Borrowing a familiar expression, it’s a duel! In that sense, there’s a romantic aspect to it, emphasizing the importance of the leaders’ combat.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the subordinates are just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. 

Outside the duel area, they’re fighting normally, clashing and exchanging blows. Logically, it would make sense to have Enya lead the charge, but…

‘It’s tough at first, but you get used to it as you drink? Soon, you’ll be able to down beer in one go, gulp, and go ‘Ah~’. Let’s go!’

SD Ari flew around Enya with a meaningful smile, offering encouragement that wasn’t quite encouragement.

Our Ari has grown so much.

She used to hate it so much that I would give her mid-grade or efficient low-grade drinks instead of the lowest grade. 

But from now on, I think she can handle the lowest grade.

With a satisfied smile on my lips…

‘Ha, you’re just a lowly wench from Darangdae. Bring it on.’

‘I’ll pull out those arrogant fangs of yours.’

We deployed Renatel as our ace card. 

Since it’s the Rangin tribe, it makes sense both story-wise and performance-wise. 

A sword versus sword duel would be quite entertaining to watch.

Naturally, the rest of our team would have to face the Rangin tribe’s forces. 

The difference in numbers is at least ten, no, twenty times.

‘Everyone, be careful. If it seems dangerous, retreat immediately.’

I handed Saha her new weapon, an iron rod, from the inventory and gave her some advice.

Rumi just needs to loosen her fists a bit, and Tina doesn’t need any special preparation since her psychic magic deals damage anyway.

Saha’s hammer is a weapon in itself (obviously). 

If she swings the hammer, it’ll smash everything, but with the iron rod, it’ll just break bones at worst.

If the duel is like WWE, then this is UFC. 

They’re wielding real swords, and we’re trying to stick to a non-lethal route, which puts us at a disadvantage.

A sense of tension naturally filled the air.

‘Everyone, attack Enya!’

‘Awoo!’

‘Awoo!’

Annoyingly, the cat-like beastman at the back started meowing, and the Rangin tribe friends began to surge forward with fierce looks in their eyes.

Checking Enya’s status, who’s treated as a temporary party member, she’s still level 27. 

With the enemy’s average level soaring to the mid-40s, level 27? 

She’s barely on par with a regular mob A in a 1:1 fight.

She’s essentially out of the fight.

At this point, let’s check the victory conditions.

[★☆☆ : Subdue all enemies.]

[★★☆ : Complete the mission without harming the Rangin tribe.]

[★★★ : Capture the Myoin tribe shaman ‘Mio’.]

‘Rumi?’

‘Ok!’

Rumi, who seems disappointed that she can’t beat up the queen candidate herself, with her ears slightly drooping, I called her over.

‘Over there, we need to catch that cat. Only you can do it, Rumi.’

‘Only Rumi can do it……………! Woof! I’ll do my best, Jooin-nim!’

Her ears perked up, her tail wagging. 

Rumi, with her clear emotional expressions.

Lick.

‘……Here too?’

‘Hehe, I like Jooin-nim, woof!’

Suddenly, she leaned her face towards me and licked my cheek again. 

It’s not like she’s marking her food or anything.

***

Renatel.

And the tension between her and the queen candidate, who hasn’t officially gone through the succession process (Arthas), was palpable.

Of course, Renatel wasn’t particularly tense.

Even though she’s been humiliated by the canine tribe multiple times, had her eyes and nose smashed, and was utterly defeated by Enya.

But that was the old Renatel.

After enduring the gruesome torture of gulping down liquid for dozens of minutes.

The current Renatel, with a clearer mind and stronger power than ever, could calmly observe her opponent.

Just a quick glance.

That’s a novice.

I’m an expert.

A clean assessment.

‘Why are you smiling like that?’

The queen candidate, displeased with the smile on Renatel’s lips, expressed her  dissatisfaction.

‘Are we going to fight with words?’

Renatel immediately responded with a taunt.

And then.

One strike.

Clang!

Renatel’s sword clashed with the queen candidate’s sword.

‘Growl……!’

The queen candidate’s body slid back.

The power behind Renatel’s sword was on a completely different level.

With just that one move, Renatel confirmed her superiority, and her smile deepened.

‘Disappointing. To dare claim the title of queen of the Rangin tribe with such meager skills.’

The queen candidate bit her lip in frustration.

But biting her lip wouldn’t improve her lacking skills.

What followed was indiscriminate beating!

Whack!

‘Kyaa!’

As if real swords weren’t even worth using.

Renatel’s sword had already changed from a real sword to a wooden one.

And that wooden sword struck the queen candidate’s head for the third time, whack!

‘Ugh, it hurts……!’

‘Sh!’

Whack!

Once more!

Hitting the same spot again.

Even though it wasn’t a special move, just a straightforward attack, the queen candidate couldn’t block it.

It was just that fast.

If you couldn’t follow the trajectory with your eyes, you had no choice but to get hit.

Just moments ago, the queen candidate was furious, demanding that Renatel draw her real sword immediately.

But with the intuition that if it were a real sword, she’d already be in sixteen pieces like cube steak.

She couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

Even if she had surrendered earlier, it wouldn’t have been enough.

The only reason the queen candidate was still holding on was one thing.

‘Just a little, just a little more…………..!’

She was waiting for the effects of the miraculous medicine given by the great Cat God to kick in.

If it gets tough, take this medicine.

In five minutes, the tiger’s energy will surge!

At first, she was determined to win without the medicine, which is why she’s in this defensive position now.

That cunning Darangdae wench must have taken something similar beforehand, right? That’s why there’s such a gap in skill.

Whack!

‘Kyaaang……!’

Enduring the pain of her skull splitting, she kept counting the time in her heart. 

Just one more minute, no, fifty seconds. 

Fifty seconds and…………!

Tch!

Of course, Renatel wasn’t foolish enough to miss such a shallow trick.

But Renatel was foolish in a different way.

‘You’re plotting something, aren’t you? Go ahead. You’ll never beat me anyway.’

She even provoked her with a sneer.

Like a Saiyan princess toying with a second-stage green bug monster, carelessly watching the final transformation.

‘Tch, let’s see how long you can keep that smile on your face…………!’

The queen candidate, who had been shown mercy, just gritted her teeth.

Her pride had taken a huge hit, but pride doesn’t guarantee victory.

As she chewed on her humiliation, counting down twenty seconds, ten seconds…………!

But.

The queen candidate never reached the great awakening from the drug.

‘Kyaooooo-!’

A massive roar erupted from the midst of the Rangin tribe soldiers.

‘What the…?’

‘Kiiing……………!’

At first glance, it sounded like a typical roar from a beastman in the heat of battle.

But the resonance, the weight, the authority, the pressure that made you want to kneel immediately…..

Renatel’s sword, which was about to strike the queen candidate’s head for the sixth time, stopped.

The queen candidate, who was trying to block with her arms, also froze.

Her body, stiffened, began to tremble violently.

And then.

‘Uweeeek……!’

Unable to withstand the sudden shift in atmosphere, she vomited the medicine just before awakening.

Renatel wasn’t faring well either.

‘Kreeuk…………!’

Feeling her limbs uncontrollable due to the instinctive fear, Renatel forced her head to turn towards the source of the roar.

Clang, thud, flop.

The sound of weapons dropping, the sound of legs giving out.

The Rangin tribe soldiers, who were standing fine just moments ago, lost their will to fight.

And at the center of it all stood…

‘Ru…… Mi…….’

The canine tribe warrior.

Rumi.

Indifferently scanning the Rangin tribe soldiers kneeling before her, Rumi’s gaze eventually landed on the soldiers’ rear.

‘Cat! You were hiding there!’

Looking at the Myoin tribe, who were also trembling with their legs giving out, Rumi pounced.

And then, with a leap, she dashed forward and grabbed the Myoin tribe by the collar.

Lifting them high, she proudly declared,

‘Jooin-nim! I caught the cat!’