Ch.268[Episode 268] We Have Rights Too.

Sir Dominic smiled brightly as he addressed the executive.

“I’ve been commissioned to give that fellow a good thrashing.”

The statement was so absurd that both the executive and the debtor felt their brains momentarily freeze.

From the debtor’s perspective, he had thought Sir Dominic was a savior who had appeared magnificently to rescue him, but in reality, he was a contractor who had accepted someone’s commission.

Both the executive and the debtor silently stared at Sir Dominic.

The debtor with a blank expression, the executive with a look of verification.

“…I never thought a knight who upholds chivalry would engage in such a scam.”

The executive licked her lips as she tried to gauge Sir Dominic’s intentions.

“What do you want?”

“That man over there.”

Sir Dominic stretched out his hand, pointing at the debtor.

“Hand over that man, and I’ll leave peacefully.”

“That’s not possible.”

The executive shook her head.

“As you know, he’s a debtor who borrowed money from us. Until the money issue is resolved, his person belongs to us. We have the right.”

“How ironic.”

Sir Dominic slightly bowed his head and stared intently at the executive.

As a shadow slightly fell across his face, his fierce gaze became even more prominent.

“I have rights too. His parents have agreed to pay off his debt in exchange for giving me the opportunity to discipline him.”

“Pay off the debt?”

The executive sneered in disbelief.

“Do you have any idea how much he borrowed?”

“Well, that’s for them to figure out.”

Sir Dominic drew his sword and shield.

It was a silent warning that he would use force if negotiations failed.

“So, will you hand that man over to me?”

“…”

The executive pressed her temple with her thumb as if she had a headache.

As an executive of Mountain Bridge Marsh, she was well aware of who Sir Dominic was.

The bad blood between Mountain Bridge Marsh and Sir Dominic was short but deep and thick.

Although this executive wasn’t a high-ranking one but merely a low-level executive, like all members of Mountain Bridge Marsh, she too was wary of Sir Dominic.

The executive took a step back and glared at Sir Dominic.

Sir Dominic was still tier 3, but his own specs and diverse experiences combined made him a force to be reckoned with.

No, rather, those who could defeat Sir Dominic within Mountain Bridge Marsh could be counted on one hand.

Even the swordsman who was confident in his combat abilities went around saying that if he fought Sir Dominic fair and square, it would either be a draw or he would have a slight advantage.

Of course, the swordsman said this assuming the current duel rule that if no decision was reached within 10 minutes, the winner would be determined by judgment.

He was confident that he would definitely win if they fought without restrictions, but how would his subordinates know that fact without detailed explanation?

Such thoughts flashed through the female executive’s mind, and she showed a slightly intimidated demeanor from her previously confident attitude.

The standoff between Sir Dominic and the executive continued for quite some time.

The executive racked her brain trying to resolve this situation somehow.

Her pupils darted around rapidly, reflecting her thoughts.

“Ah.”

At that moment, the female executive suddenly found a way out in Sir Dominic’s words.

There was a loophole in Sir Dominic’s statement.

The female executive returned from her intimidated state to a confident one.

Checkmate.

In the executive’s mind, this move could resolve the entire situation due to a fatal loophole.

“I’ll acknowledge Sir Dominic’s rights.”

“Then hand over that man immedi-“

“But Sir Dominic only obtained the right to beat this man, right? Nowhere does it say that Sir Dominic has the right to take him away?”

The female executive narrowed her eyes to thin slits and smirked.

“The right to beat this man… well, that’s a bit harsh. I’ll grant you the right to ‘discipline’ him. But we’ll keep this man until he pays off his debt.”

The female executive placed her arms on her waist and puffed out her chest.

Then, leaning back, she looked at Sir Dominic as if looking down on him.

“We’ve adhered to legal interest rates and registered our business. Even if you report us for illegal activities, there’s nothing to catch us on. Checkmate. Any objections?”

“…”

If the executive had just been using all her brainpower to find a way out, now it was Sir Dominic’s turn.

Sir Dominic sighed at the executive’s words.

From Sir Dominic’s perspective, the executive’s words had no loopholes.

“Indeed. Finding and exploiting the loophole in my words was fatal. I admit it. You’re quite… troublesome.”

Sir Dominic put away his sword, organizing his complicated thoughts.

“As you said, the right I have is to beat that man. Not to take him away.”

It was essentially Sir Dominic’s declaration of surrender.

The Mountain Bridge Marsh executive pressed down her fedora, trying hard to suppress her laughter.

Now wasn’t the time to burst into victorious laughter.

Laughing unnecessarily might provoke Sir Dominic and cause problems.

The executive thought so and tried her best to hold back her laughter.

“Good. Then let’s go our separate ways now. We’ve wasted enough time. And time is money.”

The executive adjusted her collar as if eager to leave this place.

However, Sir Dominic, as if it wasn’t time yet, called out to stop the departing executive.

“Wait.”

“…What?”

The executive was puzzled by Sir Dominic’s sudden call.

Everything had been settled, so what else was there?

“You just said it yourself. I have the right to beat him.”

“Ah.”

The executive realized the hidden meaning in Sir Dominic’s words.

“So, you want to exercise that right now?”

“Of course.”

Sir Dominic crossed his arms and looked at the executive as if asking if there was any problem.

Sir Dominic’s gaze was burning fiercely like an intense fire, making it seem like he would pounce immediately if she refused.

“…Fine.”

The executive reluctantly stepped aside.

She made way for Sir Dominic to go and beat the debtor directly.

The executive was quite objective about herself.

She knew well that she couldn’t defeat Sir Dominic with her abilities.

“Thank you.”

Sir Dominic slowly moved towards the debtor.

“Why… why?”

The debtor was currently in a serious panic, probably shocked that his father, Kanku Musa, had commissioned Sir Dominic to discipline him.

Sir Dominic approached the debtor step by step.

The shadow cast by the backlight behind Sir Dominic’s head reached the debtor’s face even faster than Sir Dominic himself.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Just twenty to twenty-five steps.

A distance that could be considered short or long, but to the debtor, the sound of Sir Dominic approaching seemed louder than thunder.

“W-wait! There must be some misunderstanding! My father wouldn’t do this! My caring father wouldn’t do this!”

The debtor denied this moment.

But Sir Dominic’s steps didn’t stop.

“Stop right there! If you don’t stop, if you don’t stop—”

The debtor expressed his anger towards Sir Dominic.

If he hadn’t accepted the commission, the debtor wouldn’t have had to beg so pitifully, right?

But Sir Dominic’s steps didn’t stop.

“Please. Take me to my father. If I apologize to him, he’ll surely cancel the commission.”

The debtor made a proposal to Sir Dominic.

But Sir Dominic’s steps didn’t stop.

“…I see. Father probably wanted to knock some sense into me by having me beaten.”

The debtor resigned himself as he watched Sir Dominic approaching closer and closer.

Naturally, Sir Dominic didn’t stop walking.

“Fine. Fine. I’m ready. Hit me with all your might. No, please do.”

Finally, the debtor accepted everything and spread his arms wide, ready to be hit anywhere.

The debtor confirmed that Sir Dominic was only about five steps away and tightly closed his eyes.

As if preparing for the imminent pain.

A thud sound echoed through the narrow alley.

“…?”

But Sir Dominic’s fist hadn’t reached the debtor.

When the debtor waited but felt no pain despite hearing the thud sound, he slightly opened his eyes to check the situation.

And his slightly opened eyes soon widened to the point of popping out, and the debtor’s brain momentarily stopped working.

“Why, why?”

The scene the debtor saw was Sir Dominic swinging his shield with all his might at the executive.

…

Just before, Sir Dominic had slowly walked towards the debtor.

And at the moment he passed by the Mountain Bridge Marsh executive who had made way—

Sir Dominic swung his shield at the Mountain Bridge Marsh executive.

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, the executive, unable to respond, collapsed to her knees due to the equipment effect on Sir Dominic’s shield: stunning upon shield impact.

“Why, why?”

The executive, surprised by Sir Dominic’s sudden ambush, opened her eyes wide and clutched the area she was hit.

The surprise attack was all the more shocking because there was no reason for Sir Dominic to attack her.

Whether aware of the executive’s feelings or not, Sir Dominic approached her.

“I have no intention of infringing upon your rights. Nor do I intend to broadly interpret my own rights.”

“T-then why…?”

The executive looked at Sir Dominic, not understanding.

Looking down at the executive, Sir Dominic bent down and whispered in her ear:

“But tell me, have Mountain Bridge Marsh and I ever been on such good terms that we would make concessions to each other?”

At those words, the color drained from the executive’s face.

Like a rusty, broken machine, she creakily looked up at Sir Dominic.

In her eyes, Sir Dominic wore a chilling yet happy smile.