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Chapter 266 : The Courage to Raise the Butcher’s Blade
Chapter 266: The Courage to Raise the Butcher’s Blade
The scar-faced man yanked on the reins, his greedy gaze sweeping over the shivering villagers.
“Today’s the day you pay your protection fee. My boys should’ve given you notice last time. Got the food ready?”
“Don’t blame me for speaking harshly, but if the food isn’t enough, we’ll have to take people to make up for it.”
“And you lot—”
Е̄n u ṁа
His eyes finally landed on Gauss's small team, who stood out starkly from their surroundings.
His gaze lingered briefly on Arya and Shadow.
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Gauss had already instructed his teammates to quietly remove their Adventurer Badges.
The purpose was to avoid alerting the enemy.
He also wanted to understand the real reason this bandit gang had come here, in case they changed their attitude upon seeing his adventurer rank.
How could he be sure they weren’t just here to rob and plunder?
Ẁ еb̀ ǹ o̊ vѐl E nu m̂ a
Judging based solely on the villagers’ words seemed a bit one-sided.
But now, perhaps because there was no badge to prove their status, or perhaps because the bandits simply hadn’t noticed them yet—
The scar-faced man had already publicly declared his intention to rob and plunder, which let Gauss rest easy.
“You lot—”
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Normally, when a bandit leader saw such beautiful women, he’d definitely try to drag them back to the mountains.
But for some reason, just as he was about to spout something filthy, an ominous feeling—like an invisible hand—clutched his throat, stopping the words from coming out.
Ёn̆úm̊ а
“You’re adventurers, aren’t you?”
“Mind your own business. I’ll let you walk away.”
Though he felt uneasy inside, the twenty-odd subordinates beside him, all wielding iron weapons, still gave him plenty of courage. With weapons and training over time, this coordinated squad had decent strength.
That was also why he could strut arrogantly even when facing villages with greater numbers.
Bandits were far more capable in combat than ordinary villagers.
Villagers were poorly equipped and busy with farming.
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But bandits only needed to rob and hone their skills.
The difference in ruthlessness and technique was often greater than the difference in physique.
The bandit leader thought he had given a generous choice.
After all, a squad of adventurers without clear ranks might be stronger individually, but if a fight broke out, odds were still in their favor.
He’d dealt with so-called low-level adventurers before.
When outnumbered, they weren’t as terrifying as rumored.
Е̄ ńû m̃ӓ
But—this group felt... off.
Before speaking, he had actually hesitated.
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Torn between risking a clash with an unknown force that could bring great reward—or loss—and the safer path of avoiding conflict.
In the end, he followed his instincts.
At the same time, his hand behind his back gestured to his men to prepare for battle.
His men subtly spread out, forming a semi-circle.
Ё nù m̆а .і̌ d̂
If conflict broke out, they could launch an immediate ambush on Gauss and his team.
Seeing the bandits’ covert formation, the threatening glint in the scar-faced man’s eyes, and the leering gaze he cast toward Arya and Shadow—
The last bit of hesitation in Gauss’s heart vanished.
These were true bandits through and through—not victims of hard times.
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Even if they had once suffered, now they were stepping on others, becoming burdens and oppressors.
“Arya, protect the villagers.”
Ѐn û m̃ а̇
Gauss had no intention of conversing with the man. He simply spoke quietly to his teammates.
As for the scoundrel in front of him, he would handle that himself.
The bandit leader’s face turned black the instant he heard this.
Though Gauss had ignored him, the meaning was obvious. And—why wasn’t he getting help from his teammates? Why were they going to protect the villagers?
Did he think he could take on all of them alone?
Anger and worry churned in his heart.
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That ominous feeling grew stronger.
Those who dared to make such bold claims were either fools—or experts.
He had no time to think further.
Gauss moved.
The bandit leader only saw a flicker from Gauss in front of him—he had no time to react.
The next moment—
Е̇nu m а̊
A searing pain burst from his abdomen.
The next thing he knew, his whole body was sent flying, like being struck by a battering ram.
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“Bang!!!”
His body arced through the air, then smashed precisely into a distant haystack.
“Urgh!”
His body sank into the hay.
Е́.n̄ů m̌ а̇ ..í d
Blood spewed violently from his mouth.
Gauss remained standing where the man had been, slowly pulling his leg back.
His gaze turned toward the twenty-odd bandits surrounding them.
“Gulp.”
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A clearly audible swallowing sound broke the silence.
Some bandits, meeting the gaze of the black-robed man, felt their legs go weak.
Ѐň u m̄á .і d́
A ferocious aura, like that of a wicked dragon, began to emanate from Gauss, stunning everyone present.
Those caught in his gaze felt as though they were being hunted by some monstrous creature.
“M-Milord, we’ll leave right away.”
“Don’t! Don’t attack!”
“We promise—we’ll never come back.”
Don’t expect these village-plundering bandits to have much backbone.
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Preying on the weak and fearing the strong—that was the core of what they were.
Gauss even suspected that, had the villagers resisted with enough ferocity, fighting to take a bite even if it meant death, these bandits might not have dared to fight to the end.
Gauss shook his head.
He didn’t take a single word of their begging to heart.
This pitiful groveling only existed because he was present.
He couldn’t stay in the village forever.
Е̄ n̈ ù ṁ а
Once he left, they could send scouts to confirm his departure, and they’d surely return in full force.
By then, the fury they had to swallow now would come back with even greater vengeance.
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Even if the villagers had undergone his training by then—it wasn’t worth leaving such a threat behind.
With that thought, Gauss moved again.
He was simply too fast.
Other than his teammates, no one could track his movements.
Е̂ ṅuḿ а. і̇d̃
All they saw was a black whirlwind sweeping across the land—
And one after another, the bandits were sent flying cleanly through the air.
Soon, they were all lying on the ground, moaning in pain.
Gauss then tossed the rusted iron weapons he had taken from the bandits to the ground nearby.
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His gaze turned toward the villagers, who were already staring in stunned silence.
“What’s your name?”
Wеbn ōv̂ẽl. Еñ.ū mа́
He looked at the middle-aged man standing at the front and asked softly.
“M-Milord, I’m... I’m Bruno.”
“I’m the village chief here.”
Although his mind understood that the brutal Gauss in front of him was fighting for their sake, his body still trembled uncontrollably.
Even if Gauss didn’t want to admit it, on a biological level, he and ordinary people were almost no longer the same species.
Gauss slightly restrained his aura.
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“Village Chief Bruno, please lead the villagers to take up arms and fight.”
Gauss spoke.
As he spoke, he glanced at the pile of weapons he had taken from the bandits.
This newly established village could not rely solely on his protection. Their fighting spirit had to be awakened.
Otherwise, even if he taught them combat techniques, even if he led them in slaying Goblins and other monsters, they might still instinctively feel fear when facing these kinds of bandits.
From the moment he entered the village, he had started observing.
W еb ńo vе̇ l_ E n̂ um а
After learning of his identity, even when the alarm whistle was heard, the villagers only panicked briefly, and then clung to him like a cornerstone, placing all their hopes on him.
Logically, this was understandable.
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But if they wanted to survive in this barren, monster-infested land, they still lacked the spine forged through blood and fire.
“U-Us?”
Bruno swallowed hard and pointed at himself.
“Yes. I ask that you kill them,” Gauss said softly with a smile. “From here on, neither I nor my companions will act again.”
W̄ ѐb n о̌ v е̂l̄ Е̃n u ṁâ
“If you don’t dare to raise your hands, then just let them go.”
He had deliberately spared their lives for this very reason.
In fact, the combat strength of these bandits had already been greatly reduced by Gauss’s storm-like assault. With their weapons stripped away, aside from psychological pressure, the situation had already shifted.
This was a scenario Gauss had crafted as a teaching moment.
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A burst of noise arose among the villagers.
Not everyone could bring themselves to strike down another human, even if that human had been a bandit.
Én u m а. і̇d
“M-My lord, why don’t you just kill them for us?” a woman in the crowd said.
It wasn’t that they didn’t hate these people—they just didn’t dare to act themselves.
With Gauss here, they instinctively relied on the strong.
Gauss sighed, a trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes.
He didn’t respond, simply turned and began to leave with his companions.
Village Chief Bruno caught the look and motion, and swallowed again.
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From Gauss’s actions, it was obvious he meant what he said.
Bruno summoned his courage.
A slightly cracking shout squeezed out from his throat.
“Vann, Cullen, Mike, Connie—”
He called out a string of names like a commander summoning his troops.
“Come with me. Take up arms.”
Ë n̆ŭ m̆ã .і̌d́
Gauss slowed his steps.
Seeing them pick up the weapons after a brief hesitation, he gave a subtle nod.
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“Don’t kill the bandit leader by the haystack. I still have questions for him later.”
“Understood, my lord.”
Not far away, the bandits who had been struggling to get up saw these once-lamb-like villagers now holding weapons. The rusted blades glinted sharply in the sunlight. For a moment, their expressions turned dazed.
“Y-You all…”
Е̄ n um.а
Gauss had controlled his strength well during his earlier assault.
Enough so they wouldn’t die, but still left them aching and immobilized.
A few quick-witted bandits immediately dropped to their knees, their heads banging against the ground.
Their scalps split open quickly from the force, blood running down their cheeks with each motion.
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But they didn’t stop.
“Spare us! We’re just poor folk too. We came only to beg for food. We have families in the mountains.”
W̌ ё b̃n̈ о v̌е_l Е nü m а́
“My kid is only three years old—please let me go! I’m begging you!”
The bandits who had been so ferocious moments ago were now tearfully pleading for their lives.
Some villagers began to soften again.
Fortunately, Village Chief Bruno knew that at this point, there was no turning back.
If they let these men go now, they’d be the ones to suffer later.
They could only keep them all here. “Strike!”
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With that, he charged ahead with a blade in hand.
It was clear that his movements were clumsy, showing no signs of training.
But—
“Shhk!!”
Gripping the blade with both hands, he swung with all his strength.
The path of the slash and the angle of the blade were a bit off, but it wasn’t a big issue.
Е n̈_u̇ m̈а̊
“Splurt!”
The blade cut into flesh, making a chilling sound.
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With his strength, it wasn’t enough to kill an enemy in one stroke.
Killing swiftly also required skill and power.
Ordinary untrained people simply couldn’t do it easily.
Blood sprayed from the bandit’s body.
Wеb̌ n о̀ v̈ ë l̀ Е̂n um̊а̂
It splashed onto Bruno’s face, and with his gritted teeth and straining muscles, he appeared more ferocious and determined.
The blade stuck in the bandit’s body, making the man thrash about in pain.
Bruno pulled the blade free.
A strange heat and excitement surged in his body. He trembled, but courage poured from his heart.
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One strike! Two strikes! Three strikes!
He kept swinging, hacking at the bandit.
W е̌ b ñ о v̆е̃l̈ Е̊ n ům̆a
Blood splattered across the ground like ink and dyed Bruno’s coarse cloth tunic red.
His attacks were wild and untrained, unaware of vital points, but even so, it was enough to kill an opponent with little ability to resist.
Panting heavily, he stared at the bloodied, motionless bandit at his feet. In his mind, he still saw the man’s pleading face—his stomach churned violently.
But he forced it down.
He lifted his head. His bloodstained, savage face looked at the other villagers.
“What are you waiting for?”
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“Think of our children. If the adults don’t act today, they’ll be the ones who suffer.”
“Pick up your weapons. Kill them!”
His voice was hoarse, but his earlier decisive action made the others instinctively follow his lead.
One by one, they imitated him, approaching the crawling, struggling bandits.
They swung their blades!
Blood sprayed!
Еnu m_а
Once a few had taken the lead, the courage of the other villagers was completely ignited.
Years of fear toward bandits, their desperate desire to survive—all erupted at once, finally overwhelming the cowardice in their hearts.
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The scene became chaotic and brutal.
No technique. No grace. Only the most primal form of slaughter.
Gauss hovered in the sky, watching silently.
From above, he could see the entire battlefield clearly.
Е̂n̄ ú m̃ ӓ
Although he had spoken decisively earlier, if anything went wrong, he was prepared to step in immediately.
After all, he only meant to use the bandits as a trial for the villagers. He didn’t wish for anyone to actually die.
His gaze stayed locked on everyone, and he made two subtle moves during that time.
When the dust finally settled, he descended from the sky, slowly landing beside Village Chief Bruno, who looked as if he had just emerged from a pool of blood.
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Village Chief Bruno watched him descend from the sky, his expression growing even more respectful.
“My lord, as you ordered, all are dealt with except the one hiding in the haystack.”
Ŵ ёb n̆оṽ é l Е̂n̊ŭm_а
His body still trembled slightly, but his gaze was much more resolute than before.
Gauss nodded.
His gaze swept across the villagers who had just been baptized in blood and fire.
A layer of numbness had peeled away from them.
Changing a person was both difficult—and simple.
Sometimes it took a lifetime, yet they could never escape their inner nature.
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But sometimes, it only took a few short minutes to completely transform.
“Well done,” Gauss said with a gentle smile. “Remember how you feel today.”
“Remember, it was you who, with your own hands and weapons, protected your village and your families.”
“Even if I leave one day, as long as you don’t forget the courage you had today, you will still be able to protect your loved ones against invaders.”
He knew—though they had swiftly slain over twenty bandits, it was only because Gauss had already rendered them unable to resist.
In terms of combat skills, they were still very raw.
Eńu mа̌ .і̃ ḋ
“No matter. Over the next few days, I will teach you how to properly use weapons.”
Gauss waved his hand casually.
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He walked to the haystack and dragged out the bandit leader lying there like a pile of mud.
Magical energy began to circulate within him.
He cast “Friendship” from his hand.
Normally, the target of Friendship had to be a “non-hostile creature.”
E num a
But right now, the other party was dazed from being kicked and, with the immense disparity in power and attributes between them, had no way of resisting Gauss’s magic.
Soon, the bandit leader lost the last bit of awareness in his panic and fell into a state like a string puppet.
“I ask, you answer.”
“Yes, my lord.”
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“Which direction is your mountain home?”
The bandit leader raised his arm and pointed toward a certain peak.
Wе̌ b̃ nо v̄ ѐl_ Е ǹu̇m̊ а̃
“How many people are still on the mountain?”
Under the magic’s power, the bandit leader responded as if dosed with a truth serum, revealing everything.
Aside from himself, he had a younger brother, along with around ten other bandits.
The rest were prisoners—slaves.
They were forced to farm vegetables and crops on the mountain.
They also had to do manual labor—and serve as outlets for their captors’ carnal desires.
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Once Gauss had gathered all the intelligence—
He dispelled the Friendship spell.
The bandit leader regained consciousness, a mix of fear and hatred flashing in his eyes.
“D-Don’t kill—” The words were cut off mid-sentence.
An irritated Gauss had no interest in hearing any more from him.
“Crack!”
Ẇ e b̃nо̌vĕ l É ñu m ӑ
With a simple twist of his hand, the bandit leader’s neck snapped cleanly.
He silently tossed the leader’s head to the ground like trash.
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Then he turned to the villagers.
“Clean up the battlefield. Collect any usable fabric and clothing. Strip the corpses and burn them all.”
Though he didn’t care for these spoils, even dirty cloth was a notable gain for the villagers.
Once washed and resewn, they’d become new garments.
W еb̊n̂ ō vе̃ l̇ Е̌ nu m̆a
“Yes, my lord.” A hint of delight appeared on Bruno’s face.
“Arya, help me watch over the village for a bit. I’ll be back shortly.”
Though he didn’t say it outright, Arya already knew what he planned to do.
“Gauss, I’m going with you,” Arya said. “I’m a woman. It wouldn’t be convenient for you to go alone.”
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Gauss met her gaze.
Thinking of the imprisoned women on the mountain, it would indeed be more convenient to have Arya along.
Еn um̊_a
So he nodded.
“Captain, I’ll come too,” Serandur raised a hand. “I’m a healer.”
“Come along, then.”
Gauss turned to Shadow and offered an apologetic look.
“Shadow, I’ll have to trouble you to stay behind.”
“Don’t worry. You all go ahead,” Shadow nodded.
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Seeing her agree, Gauss breathed a sigh of relief.
Shadow was, aside from him, the strongest member of their team.
With her staying behind, Gauss felt reassured.
The reason for leaving someone behind was simple—the stench of blood in the village was strong, and it might attract monsters.
While Ulfen, the Raven, and his clay creatures could be left behind, having a teammate on site was always better.
After the quick arrangements—
Ӗn ūmа̀.ï d̆
Gauss left the village with Arya and Serandur at full speed.
“If anything happens, call me.”
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Shadow glanced at the still-busy villagers and spoke up.
“Yes, my lord. You go ahead,” Village Chief Bruno respectfully replied.
When Gauss and the others hadn’t hidden their badges, he had noticed this adventurer held a five-star rank.
Though he didn’t fully understand what kind of power a five-star adventurer represented, that didn’t stop him from grasping how terrifying they were.
Ẽ n um̂ а . i̊ d̈
And compared to Gauss—who was brutal but warm—he found the cold-faced woman before him harder to deal with.
Only when Shadow’s figure vanished into nothingness did everyone finally exhale in unison.
Indeed, this adventuring team—each of them—was so strong.
Like monsters.
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The stench of blood choked the mountain air.
Corpses lay at Gauss’s feet.
Е́ nũ m å . i̊ d̂
He looked calmly at the lifeless bodies, their faces still twisted in frozen terror.
And he sighed.
He couldn’t understand—
Why were people so cruel to their own kind?
Looking at the naked, bruised, even mutilated men and women who had been imprisoned, his heart grew even heavier.
He lifted his head, sensing something stirring deep within.
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Arya and Serandur were tending to the wounded.
But severed arms and fingers could not regrow.
Or rather—Serandur’s healing skills had not yet reached the level of limb regeneration.
“Bear with it.”
“It’ll sting a little.”
“You’re alright now.”
Ě n ŭ m̀а̀
The prisoners, shaking all over and avoiding eye contact, watched them fearfully out of the corners of their eyes.
Years of slavery, imprisonment, and even abuse had conditioned them to instinctively fear other humans.
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It would take a long time to recover from such trauma.
In such a state, no matter how attractive or kind Gauss’s group appeared—it didn’t help.
After Arya fed them magical berries, their condition improved considerably.
Gauss, meanwhile, gathered all supplies from the mountain.
Е n̄ ǔ m̊ а́ . іd̀
Aside from the prisoners, no one else was spared.
Once Serandur finished the basic treatments, Gauss crafted several simple carts.
The now-clothed survivors boarded them under Gauss’s soft instructions, and the clay creatures and mounts pulled them down the mountain trail.
The carts rolled out of the woods.
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When they reached open land, the first golden rays of afternoon sun spilled onto their bodies.
Some of the “slaves” finally lifted their heads, dazed.
Е̄ n ǔ m̆а̇
It felt like they had been reborn.
As if the past days had been nothing more than a long, long nightmare.
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