The Academy’s Barbarian

Chapter 93: What Happened In The Capital (5)

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At the time when the evening sunset painted the sky in hues of red, the princess's schedule was also coming to an end. All that was left was to return to the imperial palace. However, Perticia did not return immediately.

"Can't we just take a look around the night market before we go back? Please?"

If she went back now, she would be confined to the imperial palace until the day she transferred to the academy.

So she begged the escort knight, Limer.

She asked her if they could just walk around the streets a little longer, even if it was only until it was completely dark.

Of course, Limer refused.

All their tasks were already completed, and lingering further wouldn't bring any benefit. However, succumbing to repeated pleas, she eventually relented.

"Sigh, fine. Let's take a look around a little more."

"Really? You mean it?"

"On one condition," Limer held up two fingers.

First, she had to wear a mask.

Given the nature of the night market, where a large number of people gather, Perticia's beautiful face could easily catch people's attention and be remembered.

This would be a problem.

This was because Perticia was a princess whose existence had to be hidden. So Limer suggested that she cover her face.

"Okay, I'll wear a mask!"

As soon as she nodded her head in agreement, Perticia quickly covered her face with the mask she was carrying. Then, Limer added a second condition, "Next, you must promise me that as soon as we reach the end of the night market, you will return to the imperial palace."

"Yes, I promise that too!"

In case Limer changed her mind, Perticia nodded her head fervently; her face brightened.

After receiving a definite answer, Limer informed the royal guards of the change in schedule through a communicator.

It was to look around the night market.

Yes, it was fine up to this point.

She didn't even worry that there would be a problem in the first place. The night market in the imperial capital was known to have the best security throughout the continent.

'But.......

She never expected such a problem to surface.

Limer sighed, furrowing her brow. Before her, unfolded a scene where Perticia confronted the merchants and made a scene.

"This is a total scam!"

The issue arose in one of the common gambling dens that could be found in the night market. It was the one called the "Lights Out" game.

The game's rules were straightforward. Just throw darts made of mana stone fragments to hit the magic lamps on the wall. Once you hit them, the magic reaction would occur, and the fire would go out. Extinguish all five flames, and you could take any prize you desired.

'It's fine to be curious.'

The real problem came next.

She had succeeded in turning off four lights, but failed on the fifth.

So Perticia challenged again, and this time she succeeded in hitting the lamp.

But this time, the flame didn't go out.

'They must have rigged it so it wouldn't go out.'

A common sight at the night market gambling stalls.

So Limer didn't think much of it.

Perticia, on the other hand, was different.

She realized that there was some kind of trick to the magic lamp, and she started to question it.

Furthermore, she quickly figured out what the trick was. It was probably the spirit that told her.

'After all, spirits are said to be able to see things that humans have a hard time noticing.'

And that's how this whole saga came about.

Initially, when Perticia began questioning, the merchants looked flustered. However, once they realized there was no evidence to support her claims, they erupted in anger.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

"Do you have any proof that we did it?"

"Well, like I said before......!"

The argument never ended.

As Limer sighed again, contemplating how to intervene, the attendants who were with them approached and spoke.

"......Lord Rapidis."

"This is a message from the Royal Guard."

"A Grade-3 boundary target has been identified, currently approaching this location."

A Grade-3 boundary target referred to a presence that included potential threats requiring a boundary. At the same time, in the context of their duty as princess escorts, it meant the second person they faced in their duty.

In other words, someone they had already encountered had reappeared. However, there was no need to inquire about the appearance or characteristics of the boundary target.

Coincidentally, Limer had also noticed.

'A barbarian with red hair.'

You can tell if someone is a barbarian just by looking at their clothes. He was the only one in the night market who was bare-chested.

At the same time, he was also the person she had encountered at the cafe she had visited briefly earlier in the day.

'At that time, he had arrived ahead of us, so we didn't regard him with much suspicion...'

Meeting again under these circumstances was a different story.

This time, it seemed that he was the one who approached them first, so she had to be even more cautious.

So Limer approached Perticia, who was still arguing, while keeping her eyes on the red-haired barbarian.

She whispered softly, "Please, let's go back, Your Royal Highness."

"Ugh, but......!"

"There's a suspicious person here."

At her words, Perticia fell silent. She realized she could no longer persist with her stubbornness, closing her mouth with a displeased expression. The merchants, sensing the change, raised their voices in irritation.

"See! Just making a fuss for no reason, and now you can't even say anything!"

"Don't disturb our business and just go away!"

Perticia's shoulders trembled; her face was full of anger. With a stern expression, Limer, casting a cold glance at the merchants, whispered again, "Don't be too upset. I will deal with these guys severely later."

The punishment for showing disrespect to the princess would be administered promptly. With this determination, as she was about to step back, the savage suddenly approached.

Limer's eyebrows furrowed at the sight.

Was Perticia really his target? At the moment when suspicion flickered in her expression, he halted his steps.

"I want to try it too."

He was standing where Perticia had been just a moment ago, right in front of the merchants.

It seemed he had come to participate in the game. The merchants also recognized that he was a customer, as their expressions changed.

"Oh, welcome, welcome."

"The participation fee is three copper coins."

"Here you go."

The red-haired barbarian, Ulan, silently handed over the money. The merchants took it and disappeared, saying that they would be back to adjust the magic lamps, leaving them alone for a moment.

* * * * *

As they were spending time in silence,

"Wow, that's interesting."

a voice filled with nostalgia suddenly echoed; a clear voice as pure as wind chimes.

It was Perticia, his companion from his past life. Although she was much younger than he remembered her.

Meanwhile, Perticia, who was standing about seven steps away from Ulan, suddenly pointed to the ground.

And she said in a wondrous tone.

"This is the first time I've seen a wolf living in the shadows."

She immediately sensed the presence of Bai Lang.Uptodated from n0v𝒆lbIn.(c)o/m

Ulan, on the other hand, was indifferent.

Of course. She could see spirits and otherworldly beings, and she has the ability to find them easily, no matter where they are hiding.

So he didn't say anything.

Perticia then spoke again, "But you know what?"

"......?"

"Why are you walking around like that?"

"Because it's hot."

"Hmm, it has been getting hotter lately."

After exchanging some awkward conversation, the corners of her mouth, hidden behind her mask, lifted slightly. It was a scene of a gentle smile forming.

"But I'm glad."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you don't have to worry about your clothes getting wet in that state."

If Ulan had no memories of his past life, this might have sounded strange to him. However, accustomed to Perticia's abilities and expressions, he immediately understood her meaning.

"I see. You mean it's going to rain soon?"

"......!"

The eyes under the mask widened; as if she was surprised.

"H, how did you know?"

She could predict the weather by communicating with spirits. However, only a very few people know this, and even then, it was Perticia who told her.

Ulan, on the other hand, is different.

From the brief conversation they'd just had, he knew exactly what she was capable of. He was the first to recognize it.

"It seemed so."

Ulan, on the other hand, dodged the answer; he didn't want to go into a long explanation because it would be a hassle.

Perticia, who couldn't get her question answered, was about to ask again, but she couldn't.

"Customer! We are ready."

"Here, take this."

The preparations for the lights out game were complete.

A moment later, Ulan was given six darts. At the same time, the twelve magic lamps attached to the wall opposite him were lit with a bright light.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You throw these and hit the magic lamps exactly. That's how the magic reaction works and the flame of the lamp goes out."

"If you hit a total of five magic lamps, you can take one of the prizes displayed over there."

That's easy. Ulan nodded.

But then, Perticia, who had been silently watching the situation, interjected, "You should also explain this. If you extinguish all twelve magic lamps, you can choose three prizes."

A sudden additional explanation; the merchants furrowed their brows when Ulan turned to them, questioning, "Is what she said true?"

"Well, yes, but......."

"It's hard to extinguish them all off in one go. No customer has ever succeeded before."

"Of course not. The magic lamps on the outer side are coated with a substance to ensure they never go out," Perticia spoke with a mocking tone.

Perhaps annoyed by her repeated remarks, the merchants' faces crumpled, "Hey, miss!"

"You've been accusing us like that from the beginning. If you keep this up, we'll call the guards!"

The merchants scowled.

Just as another argument was about to break out.

"I understand," Ulan nodded quietly; he then grabbed the darts and said, "Then I'll blow them all off."

"Haha, you're a bold one."

"As I said before, it won't be easy."

The merchants stepped back with a smile; as if to say that it was okay to start the game.

And in that moment.

Two things began to change.

First, the wind stopped.

The wind that had been brushing against his cheeks and rustling the leaves had all disappeared; as if the area had become a windless zone.

And next...

Ulan's muscles swelled massively.

'Since I drank the elixir, I'm stronger.'

Let's throw it with only half of the maximum strength I can exert.

Immediately after making the decision, Ulan threw the dart without hesitation.

Fwoop! Kwaaaagagaga!

The dart flew with terrifying momentum; the dart, which had left his hand, pierced the center of the wall with a sound of tearing through the wind and

Kwaaang! Kwaak! Pzzt!

the magic lamps shattered with a loud noise.

However, that was not all that was broken.

A powerful shockwave erupted from the point where the dart was embedded, and the resulting aftermath blew away not only the other magic lamps but also the entire wall.

"Gwaak!"

"What, what is it?"

"Did something happen?!"

Was it because of the loud noise? Screams and commotion erupted around them.

A tremendous explosion, followed by a plume of smoke as the wall on which the magic lamps was hanging collapsed.

A moment later, after the smoke cleared

the sight that was revealed was nothing short of a mess the tent was torn to shreds; the floor was covered with debris and fragments. It was the remains of what was once a wall. As if an explosion had gone off.

And as the wall completely collapsed, the magic lamps attached to it naturally turned to dust.

The absence of any light was proof of this.

"......."

A scene of devastation unfolded before their eyes.

The merchants of the lights out game were half-witted at the sight they had never imagined; they simply stared blankly at the scene before them, as if they couldn't believe the current situation when an indifferent voice reached their ears.

So, all of them are extinguished now."

It was Ulan's voice.

He turned around without hesitation, "Then, I'll take the prizes."

Although the tent had flown away, and the wall had crumbled, the magic lamps had all been extinguished, after all.

However, as he approached the display, the merchants who had come to their senses stood in his way.

End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . .

Translator's Notes:-

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