I Became the Older Brother of a Villainess - Chapter 14.2
While Dandel held onto me and cried, Pippin, with his characteristic dazed expression, walked over to me. Unfortunately, the spirit, who was attached to him, also got closer to me. Was I really this popular?
“Your Grace, that young man you mentioned is truly remarkable. The moment Viridis looked at him, he rushed in and severed the arteries. Seems like magic too. As soon as the attack hit, some fog-like substance clung to him, and in an instant, only bones remained.”
If that magic is what I think, it’s probably my sweet legion. And…
“Your Lordship, I misunderstood earlier.”
Pippin approached with deliberate steps, bending forward to greet me.
“I thought someone was trying to steal my prey… I detected the same scent. The magical essence that attacked Viridis’s leg…”
Pippin sniffed the air towards me, his elongated arms hanging limply.
The silver blades attached to his arms shimmered in tandem with his movements. The tool he withdrew from Viridis’s forehead was a saw, the kind used for cutting wood. Viridis’s green ichor dripped from the uneven teeth, creating a rhythmic tap on the ground.
Maintaining a façade of nonchalance, I turned towards Pippin and calmly inquired, “To single-handedly bring down that monster is quite impressive. What’s your name?”
“…”
Pippin dumbly turned his head once, casting a vacant glance at Viridis’s bisected head oozing brains and cerebral fluid.
“Pippin. Butcher Pippin.”
“…”
“Actually, I’m quite affordable.”
Thud, clunk! Half of Viridis’s brain rolled onto the ground. The villagers, who had gathered nearby, screamed and scattered.
The spirit, standing behind Pippin, chuckled, finger-pointing at the tumbling villagers. Her spine was visibly twisted, and those crimson eyes were fixated on me in that contorted stance.
I tightly shut my eyes. Pippin, with unwavering composure, murmured in the same tone.
“I’m selling it really cheap. But the leg meat… it’s gone.”
“Do you think I care? Whether the leg is there or not, I have no intention of buying.”
Pippin’s shoulders slumped a bit.
“…Then, how about leather, cheaply. Excluding the leg. Since it’s not there…”
A fierce warrior like Pippin. No matter how much of a berserker he was, did he really need to be this berserk? Perhaps the concentration of ‘wrath’ was too much. How crazy must a crown prince be to choose such a man as his follower?
“Pippin, you crazy fool! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Pippin! You, destroying the village like this!”
A stout old man was rushing towards us, brandishing a cane. Ten villagers followed with farming tools and torches.
I suddenly wanted to go home.
***
“I truly apologize! I’m sorry, Duke Glutoni! I have no words to offer! If taking this old man’s life would bring forgiveness, please take it and pardon us!”
The village chief bowed deeply in front of me. The townspeople were supporting the chief, their voices choked with tears. The chief insisted he had done nothing wrong.
I raised my hand casually.
“Silence.”
“Yes, yes! Look here! The Duke says to be quiet! All of you, shut your mouths…!”
“If you don’t shut up immediately, I’ll make sure you stay quiet forever.”
Everyone fell silent as if a mouse had died. I heard Pippin sniffle from the side. I turned my eyes towards him. Despite the pale faces of the villagers, Pippin sniffled, wiped his nose with his sleeve, and truly lived up to his reputation in various ways.
Among the chaos of fools, I found someone who seemed reasonable. After wandering around for a while, a robust man rushed in. He looked like he had been exercising for seven hours a day, consuming only protein for the past ten years. His exposed arms and legs were covered in scars.
“What happened in the village? It was a mess with all the commotion!”
“Shh, shh!”
The village chief signaled for the man to be quiet. The man paused, rolled his eyes, and hesitated as he looked at me. Among the people I saw here, excluding Pippin, he had the most distinctive appearance. Somehow, he felt familiar.
I probably had seen this character in the game before.
“Pippin! Don’t tell me you… Are you hurt?”
=================
Name: Kaku Pyreus
Personality: Loyalty – Affection levels don’t change easily; higher party member affection results in enhanced abilities
Occupation: Retired Mercenary Captain
Trait: Confirmation Kill – The final blow is always fatal
=================
As expected. It felt familiar for some reason. He was Pippin’s protector.
Kaku scanned me with sharp eyes and cautiously approached Pippin. It seemed like he was positioning himself as if to protect Pippin.
“You seem like an important person. What brings you to such a small village?”
The response, strangely enough, came from Pippin.
“A rich guest. Monster meat. Special discount…”
“No, we’re not buying. Stop selling.”
I intervened to stop Pippin. He pouted slightly in response.
“I was scouting the territory, hoping to find some talent in this rural area. However, as soon as I entered this village, instead of finding talent, I encountered a gigantic monster.”
“That must have been quite an ordeal.”
“What on earth happened? It’s impossible for such a massive monster to appear in a village, unless someone deliberately summoned it.”
As I scrutinized the villagers, they all avoided eye contact, bowing their heads in silence. Pippin clicked his tongue, and Kaku, covering Pippin’s mouth with his thick hand, offered an explanation.
“I believe there might be a misunderstanding. While it’s rare for a monster to appear in a village, it’s not entirely impossible. Viridis is a herd animal that roams together. Perhaps, while traversing the mountain range, one of them got lost and ended up here…”
“Lost in the mountains? It looked more like it smashed through the mountains. Considering the size, even if those eyeballs are decorations, does it make sense for a lost creature to be so massive? Just by seeing the ground shake, you’d know it was searching for its herd.”
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances.
This was an opportunity.
An opportunity to pin the blame on Pippin.
