Chapter 13 : He’s Smiling, This Bastard
Chapter 13: He’s Smiling, This Bastard
Robin saw the fist reaching toward him as if it moved in slow motion.
Time had also slowed when he fought Goblins and Gnolls, but this was different from before.
Robin moved far faster than Marcus’s fist.
Watching clearly with both eyes, he lightly tapped the fist with his palm.
Marcus ended up swinging at empty air.
“What, what the hell!”
“Marcus is trying to scare him. Robin, aren’t you trembling, huh, heh heh.”
Jorge and the rest of Marcus’s gang had no idea what had just happened.
Marcus pretended to stay calm as he wiped sweat and pulled his fist back.
Robin, looking up at him with indifferent eyes, was no longer the same Robin as before.
What’s with this kid…?
Except for Marcus, whose mouth hung half-open, the rest of the group poked around the general store, rummaging everywhere.
“How much is this plate?”
“…10 Cooper.”
“Yeah?”
Jorge reached out with the hand holding the plate and simply dropped it.
Clang.
It hit the floor and shattered into pieces.
“Oops. My hand slipped.”
“No, Jorge. Robin broke it while cleaning, didn’t he?”
“Ah, right, right. That dimwit broke it, ha ha ha!”
It was absurd nonsense, but Robin pressed his lips firmly shut.
If he fought Marcus’s gang, the general store would obviously be wrecked.
This isn’t a good place.
Strangely, he didn’t feel like he would lose even if he fought all five of them.
But he wasn’t confident he could win without ruining the store.
If only we were out on the street, it would be doable.
Glancing at Jeremy, he could see Jeremy was also glaring at the gang, unable to do anything.
When Robin stayed still, Marcus raised his brows again and picked up another plate.
“Every other merchant agreed to pay protection money, so you can’t be exempt. You’d better hurry up. If you keep being stubborn, we’ll smash everything in here.”
Instead of picking a fight, Marcus tried to coax him.
Robin was exasperated but decided to step back.
I’ll pay for now and take it back later.
Just as he reached under the counter to get the money, the door opened.
Short-cropped gray hair. A man whose thick beard covered his jaw from sideburns to chin.
A middle-aged man with a prosthetic on his left leg.
Burt looked at Marcus’s gang, then turned his gaze to Robin and Jeremy.
His eyes caught the shattered plate on the floor, and a vein bulged on his temple.
“Why is that plate broken.”
“Are you the boss here? That kid over there broke it by accident, so what now, huh?”
Seeing Burt’s leg, Marcus straightened his shoulders and swaggered forward, standing crookedly.
Robin and Jeremy frantically shook their heads.
“What do you want.”
“Can’t you see? We’re here to collect protection money.”
“What protection money?”
“Merchants in this district pay the Red Dagger protection. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that.”
Marcus’s gang burst into laughter all at once.
Burt’s eyes narrowed at the sight of them clutching their bellies as if it were the funniest thing in the world.
“Did Timmy send you.”
“You know the Director? Good, then this’ll be quick. Pay 20 Silver a week and we’ll make sure nothing interferes with your business.”
Marcus, who had demanded 10 Silver from Robin, raised the price.
“Seems like there’s been some misunderstanding. Timmy would never ask me for money.”
“No exceptions. If you don’t want to see this place trashed, hand it over.”
Burt walked past Marcus without replying and headed to the counter.
Seeing Burt put down the groceries, Robin felt guilty.
If I were stronger, he wouldn’t have had to pay.
As Robin tried to take out the coins, Burt’s eyes widened sharply.
Not knowing what he’d done wrong, Robin froze.
Burt turned fully around, took a Silver coin from his pocket, and placed it atop his right thumb.
It was the posture for flipping a coin—heads or tails. He leaned his hand forward slightly and flicked his thumb.
Ttak!
The coin struck Marcus’s forehead and stuck there without moving, as if glued in place.
It had flown with such force that Marcus’s forehead dented the thickness of the coin.
Without even managing a scream, Marcus fell straight backward.
Thud.
Only Burt knew what had just happened.
“20 Silver is too expensive. Let’s make it 5. If—your lot can withstand it.”
When Burt took out four more Silver coins, the others shouted.
“K-kill hiiim!”
Ttak!
Jorge, who stood closest, was hit by a Silver coin and collapsed.
The remaining three rushed in during that brief gap.
Burt stared at them without interest.
Even though all three attacked at once, in the blink of an eye each was struck in the forehead and fell.
Robin couldn’t comprehend what had just taken place.
He only barely saw Burt move his hand.
There was only the result. The process wasn’t visible at all.
Robin’s heart pounded.
Could a person truly be this strong?
He tried to replay the scene to understand, but it was useless.
Is this what it’s like when a frog in a well first looks up at the sky?
“Things have been rough lately, and even brats like these are causing trouble. Robin, Jeremy. Move them to the side.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Limping, Burt walked over and removed the Silver coin from Marcus’s forehead.
“Boss Burt, the plate…”
“That thing, how much was it.”
“10 Cooper.”
“Check their pockets.”
When they searched Marcus’s gang, they found 50 Silver.
Robin gathered the coins and brought them to Burt, who grinned as he pocketed them.
“No different from treasure Goblins.”
“They’re part of the Red Dagger. Will this be okay?”
“Those fools lost their money on the street. What’s it matter.”
Burt took the money so naturally that Robin needed time to process it.
Robin had never stolen; if he had no money, he begged.
But right now, he didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt.
Handing Marcus’s own words back to him was downright refreshing.
He even felt he could understand Marcus a little.
When a thug acted up at you, it was infuriating, but if he was on your side, it felt reassuring.
Boss Burt isn’t a thug, but… he’s so cool…
“Robin, come here.”
Clap. Clap.
Jeremy slapped Marcus’s gang across the face, but none of them reacted.
“Wow, look at the coin mark on their foreheads. Robin, can you do this too?”
“Of course not. Who knocks people out with a coin?”
“You’re a swordsmanship genius. Can’t swordsmen do stuff like this?”
Just in case, he flicked a copper coin at Marcus, but it weakly landed on Marcus’s nose.
What on earth is Boss Burt’s true identity.
When Robin picked up the copper coin, Marcus’s cheek twitched.
Thinking he had woken up, Jeremy slapped him again, and Marcus’s face froze into a silly grin.
“What’s wrong with him… Boss, this guy is smiling?”
“Leave him. He must be dreaming something nice.”
Marcus’s gang woke up only much later.
The sun had gone down, and only after closing up shop did Marcus’s group come around.
Jeremy had tightly bound their hands and feet and gagged them, filling the general store with muffled groaning.
Burt dragged over a chair and sat in front of the five, then gestured to Jeremy.
When Jeremy removed each gag one by one, Marcus raised his voice.
“You think you can get away with this!”
Smack!
Jeremy slapped Marcus, snapping his head to the side.
“So you’re Marcus, huh. My cheek still stings when I think about what you did.”
The slaps didn’t end with one—two, then three followed.
“Enough.”
Marcus’s cheeks were swollen and red, and tears welled in his eyes.
The remaining four swallowed hard and dared not speak carelessly.
Had Burt not stopped Jeremy, they had no idea what might have happened to them; their bodies trembled.
“From now on, answer only what I ask.”
Marcus’s group nodded in silence.
“What’s the current situation with the Red Dagger.”
“M-may I answer.”
Jorge spoke up first.
When Burt tipped his chin, Jorge continued in a trembling voice.
“Director Timmy’s faction and the current boss Vishak’s faction have split. The two sides are fighting an unseen war in the shadows. The reason protection money collection has intensified recently is because of that.”
“Factions, my ass. Just back-alley thugs.”
Even though Burt scoffed, Marcus’s gang didn’t dare object.
“You lot belong to Timmy’s side?”
“Yes, sir!”
Marcus answered faster than anyone.
Jorge and the other lackeys frowned, but Marcus didn’t care.
“How many merchants have you extorted up to now.”
“Half the shops in Stonegoth have paid protection money.”
“You’ve been eating well.”
Burt stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Not knowing what Burt might say next, Marcus rushed in to speak first.
“If you let us go, we’ll never bother Burt’s General Store again! We’re sorry for barging in and causing trouble! As an apology, we’ll even give you compensation!”
Robin’s eyes widened as he watched Marcus grovel like a dog before Burt.
Marcus, who had ruled the orphanage like a king, was bowing his head.
And before Burt—the man he had despised for having only one leg.
So, in the end, everyone kneels before strength.
Knowing how Marcus had always behaved so recklessly, the change in attitude shocked Robin.
“How much compensation can you offer.”
“10 Silver! No—20 Silver!”
“Jeremy, untie him.”
As Jeremy untied Marcus’s hands, Marcus frantically rummaged through his clothes.
The grin he wore, like a dog wagging its tail for its owner, vanished instantly.
“Huh? Where did the money go…”
“Are you joking with me.”
“No, that’s not it… There was definitely a coin pouch…”
Seeing Jeremy snicker beside him, Marcus’s face twisted.
These bastards took it while I was unconscious!
Burt’s heavy gaze pressed down on him like a physical weight.
Marcus trembled, unsure what to do, and lowered his eyes.
“I’ll ask just one thing.”
“Y-yes! Ask anything!”
A glimmer of hope flashed in Marcus’s eyes at the lifeline thrown to him.
“I’ve noticed fewer people on the streets lately—was that your doing too.”
“Yes… It seems the protection fees got so high that some merchants couldn’t handle it and closed their shops.”
“No, not that.”
Marcus sucked in a breath at the next words.
“You kidnapping innocent people. Selling them as slaves, maybe. Using them for forced labor. Human experiments. Things like that.”
“…There’s no way we’d do that.”
A brief hesitation. Shaking pupils.
That was enough for Burt.
“You’re terrible at lying.”
Marcus suddenly shot to his feet and hurled himself toward a nearby display stand.
Plates crashed to the floor, and forks and knives scattered everywhere.
Snatching up a knife, he sawed at the rope around his ankles as if using a saw.
“Ha… when am I supposed to clean all this up.”
Jeremy shook his head.
“You’ll compensate for every bit of damage you just caused.”
“Compensate? You think I don’t know you stole my money while I was out cold?”
Cornered, Marcus shouted and bolted out the door.
Robin looked back and forth between the unexpectedly calm Burt and the wrecked general store.
“Boss Burt, why’d you let him go?”
“Does that sound like something I could’ve stopped, with this leg.”
Burt lifted his wooden prosthetic.
Robin couldn’t tell whether that was the truth or not.
“Their squad leader ran off. Boss, what do we do with the others?”
At Jeremy’s question, the remaining members of Marcus’s gang flinched.
Burt looked at them and lifted one corner of his mouth in a mocking smile.