Ch.258Toothless Tiger

The confrontation between Kaiser and me in the Aquatic tribe’s village of Beckya ended in my overwhelming victory, leaving no room for excuses.

Hmm. Hey there, legally-loli dwarf, having trouble controlling your expression?

I’m telling you, it was a victory with absolutely no room for excuses by anyone’s standards.

As a result of this fight, the influence of the hardliners who had advocated for all-out resistance literally plummeted.

After all, they had clearly witnessed the humiliating defeat of Kaiser, the self-proclaimed strongest warrior of the tribe, in hand-to-hand combat—the very form of battle in which the Aquatic tribe prided themselves above all other races.

If there was a possibility of defeat based on individual physical ability, in addition to their numerical disadvantage and the fearsome nature of guns, then their call for “total resistance” had become synonymous with “mass suicide.”

Furthermore, Kaiser’s disgraceful behavior during the arrangement of this confrontation delivered the final blow to the hardliners’ dissolution.

His actions of detaining and assaulting the tribe’s legitimate representative, supposedly to boost the hardliners’ morale.

His statement about inciting his people’s fighting spirit through suicide attacks involving even children, without any clear vision of victory.

And how he hastily challenged me to a one-on-one duel with forced excuses as soon as he realized his opponents weren’t just pioneers, only to be utterly crushed.

The name “Betem Ar Kaiser” had become worthless in Aquatic tribe society, not even worth a crumb of bread.

“Well, now that the fight is over, we need to handle the aftermath.”

“…There’s no excuse for Kaiser’s actions. But please, as the victor, show mercy, at least for the children…”

“Hey, wait, stop. Don’t just proceed with the conversation on your own.”

Grand Mother Marinda, freed from captivity and having regained her negotiation rights as representative, immediately prostrated herself and begged for mercy upon arriving at the negotiation table.

Understandably so, as Kaiser, who had ousted Marinda and usurped her authority, had spoken not of a duel or localized conflict against us, but of war between the pioneers and the Aquatic tribe.

And he had done so in front of the Elves, Dwarves, Cat-folk, and Dark Elves.

In other words, this confrontation was not a personal fight between “William J. Kim vs. Betem Ar Kaiser,” but a battle conducted as part of a war between the pioneers and the Beckya Aquatic tribe.

According to Seti’s explanation, we as the victors had the right to exact a price from the defeated Aquatic tribe, which was why Grand Mother Marinda was lying flat on the ground, pleading for mercy.

“First, let me make it clear that we have no intention of treating this confrontation as part of a war between pioneers and the Aquatic tribe.”

“Is… is that true?”

“Yes. From the beginning, this incident was just Kaiser and some hardliners acting on their own, right? I understand you never legally transferred your position as tribal representative to him, correct?”

“That’s right. I swear that his series of actions never represented the collective will of our Beckya Aquatic tribe.”

“Then we’ll leave the punishment of Kaiser and his followers to your tribal rules. Let’s have a more constructive conversation.”

“Constructive?”

The essence of this incident was that a minority of residents impersonated the tribal representative’s authority and committed violent acts before being stopped.

We can’t just let it go without any consequences, but on the other hand, if it escalates into an inter-racial diplomatic issue, it would negatively impact the improvement of relations between pioneers and the Aquatic tribe.

So we decided to entrust the cleanup of Kaiser and the hardliners to Representative Marinda and the moderates, while we return to our original messenger duties.

“First, I’d like to hear the Aquatic tribe’s official response to Director General Geronimo’s request for dialogue. I have a rough idea, but it’s necessary to hear it directly from the representative.”

“Of course, the Aquatic tribe is willing to respond to that request. However, as you can see, we’ve just experienced a minor internal conflict, so I’d appreciate about a week’s time until we’ve finished dealing with the aftermath.”

“OK, I’ll relay that to the Director General.”

The conversation with Grand Mother Marinda continued to progress smoothly after that, discussing details such as not attacking other pioneers if spotted nearby, and designating specific locations at the forest edge for contact with pioneers.

Having fulfilled our role of assessing the Aquatic tribe’s situation and establishing initial contact, we can leave the rest to Director General Geronimo and his experts to handle somehow.

“OK, next is our business as an adventurer party, not as messengers of the pioneer representative.”

“Business as adventurers?”

“Yes. I hear you’ve been experiencing a series of unfortunate events since moving here? I have some rather significant information related to this.”

Judging from the appearance of the buildings, there’s no doubt that the Aquatic tribe dismantled that ruin and used it as building materials.

If so, I have a pretty good idea about the problematic stone that supposedly absorbed the spirit’s curse.

Come on, spit out everything you know.

~ ~ ~ Underground in a building in the Aquatic tribe village ~ ~ ~

Betem Ar Kaiser, leader of the hardliners and self-proclaimed strongest warrior of Beckya, sat in a corner of an old basement, staring blankly into space.

His eyes, once burning with hatred and fighting spirit against the pioneers, now held only deep despair and lamentation.

‘What am I doing now…?’

He had been praised since birth as one destined to lead the tribe.

He had awakened the Berserker skill at just 10 years old and killed a giant bear with his bare hands before reaching adulthood.

The name Betem Ar Kaiser was thought to remain in history forever as a symbol of hope for the Beckya Aquatic tribe and a symbol of fear for the pioneers.

That prologue of the great warrior Betem Ar Kaiser had ended in the worst possible way—being beaten unconscious by a human adventurer in front of everyone.

It wasn’t just Kaiser’s personal defeat, but the defeat of all hardliner warriors who had called for the extermination of pioneers.

‘Is that guy a monster…?’

He doesn’t think he was weak.

That human man named William was just impossibly strong.

Despite his painful efforts to learn how to deflect bullets with his bare hands in preparation for the decisive battle against humans, that man didn’t even draw his gun and knocked him down with his bare hands.

It should have been impossible considering the physical differences between humans and the Aquatic tribe.

“Damn it! Why does a mere pioneer have such power…!”

*BANG!*

Seeing the small crack where he had struck the wall, Kaiser quickly withdrew his strength.

This place where he was confined was the basement of a storage warehouse.

If it collapsed by any chance, his life couldn’t be guaranteed.

For a moment having such a thought, Kaiser let out a hollow chuckle.

‘How ridiculous. Worrying about my life at this point.’

I might die if the warehouse collapses?

Didn’t I say I would fight the pioneers to the death, that it wouldn’t be a waste if I could ignite my people’s fighting spirit even if I died?

Since when did Betem Ar Kaiser become so afraid of death that he would hold back?

Kaiser found it hard to accept that he could become this weak after just one defeat, in just a matter of hours.

Grr.

As the face of the man called William appeared in his mind again, Kaiser unconsciously gritted his teeth.

But only for a moment.

As a throbbing pain surged from his clenched jaw, he had no choice but to relax his facial muscles and nurse his hot jaw.

The left side of his jaw, where William had hit him last before he lost consciousness.

Apparently, four broken teeth had been scattered around him as he lay collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

“…Damn it, I’m literally a toothless tiger now.”

He had lost everything—his people’s praise, his title as the strongest, and the strength and skills he had honed for 20 years.

Whatever punishment Grand Mother Marinda would impose on him, even if it cost him his life, he would feel neither anger nor fear.

Today, having lost his cause, his honor, and even his pride as an Aquatic tribesman, Betem Ar Kaiser’s life was as good as over.

“Ah…”

A sigh mixed with resignation.

It’s natural for a warrior experiencing his first crushing defeat.

Especially for a young man who had built up his pride before internalizing honor or courtesy.

“Since it’s come to this, I wish everything would just fall apart.”

The selfishness of wanting everything to be destroyed if he couldn’t have it.

While not an admirable mindset, it’s not easy for anyone to completely shake off such feelings.

If these words had come from someone versed in ancient curses or black magic, it might be different, but from the mouth of a young man without even basic knowledge in the magical arts, there was no need to pay attention.

If this place hadn’t been Beckya, the new hiding place of the Aquatic tribe.

If the material for this village’s totem hadn’t been a “magically charged stone” discovered in ancient ruins.

And if the true nature of that stone hadn’t been a medium that sealed a “spirit lord,” a curse with physical form.

If the storage warehouse basement where Kaiser was confined hadn’t been built right next to the shrine where that totem was enshrined.

If just one of these many coincidences could have been avoided—the incident of this day would never have occurred.