The Sword and The Shadow

"Who doesn’t need this job? Buzz off!" Leguna snapped and pushed the girl behind him, or at least, that is what he imagined doing.

For some reason, he had the desire to pick on her as well. Even though she looked rather pretty, she seemed like a pitiful stray dog that nobody wanted. That pitiful look wasn’t like Eirinn’s, which only moved others to care for her. For some reason, this girl seemed to trigger the sadistic side of others.

In other words, she was so pitiful to the point Leguna wanted to pick on her too.

Naturally, a kind-hearted do-gooder like him wouldn’t actually go through with it. He was quite the traditional macho man and he usually treated ’weak’ women with special care. That was why he didn’t mind the fact that Annelotte and the other girls were above him in the food chain.

It wasn’t like he was afraid of them or anything, he often told himself, as much as he disbelieved the notion.

Either way, he still made sure to put the girl in front of him above himself.

He looked down at her and smiled. "Don’t worry, I won’t bully you."

"Thank... thank you! Thank you so much!" the girl said gratefully.

Hey! I only promised not to pick on you! That’s akin to ignoring you on the streets you know! Is that worth thanking me for that? Your gratitude is rather cheap! What would you do to repay me for helping you instead of doing nothing then? Paying with your body? Wait, that sounds rather nice. I wonder if I should nab you back... Then again, it wouldn’t be easy to explain this to Annie and the rest... Wait, why am I worried about them anyway? My harem, my rules! he thought after hearing the unwarranted words of gratitude.

"Who doesn’t need this job? Buzz off!"

Someone behind them repeated the words Leguna had in mind exactly. Even though Leguna didn’t feel like picking on the girl, the laborer behind him had different ideas.

The girl had thought that she could finally get in line properly, but people like Leguna were the minority. Now, another mean person jumped out of nowhere.

She looked at the man and couldn’t help but shudder. He was 1.9 meters in height, standing a head above Leguna. She had to turn her head up to the point her neck felt sore to see the man’s head. The gigantic sense of pressure coming from him frightened her greatly and the man didn’t look to be in the mood for talking.

Then again, it wasn’t like anyone would kindly talk and ask to be let ahead in the line.

When she saw that there wasn’t any room for negotiation, she caved and wiped her tears off before stepping back two steps without a word.

Leguna gave her a look and made up his mind to stay silent. He was in enemy territory after all and it was best not to cause a commotion. Even though he wanted to help her, he had to take into account of his safety and endure it. It wasn’t like he could help every single person who needed it.

Little did he know that he would also be on the receiving end of the bullying thanks to how easily the girl caved.

Hey! You, go back too!" the man said as he patted on Leguna’s back with the intent of pulling him back.

It went without question that bullying the girl put the man on the roll and he also set his sights on Leguna after seeing how lanky he was. Leguna popped a vein, but, to avoid trouble, he let the man pull him back in front of the girl.

"I’m sorry..." she said remorsefully.

She knew she was the one who had caused this, but what could she do? She was just a weak little girl who couldn’t hold herself in a fight. All she could do was keep quiet. That was the best option available to her.

"I’m fine. It’s not your fault," Leguna responded with some annoyance before he continued to wait.

However, it wasn’t just going to end there. With someone succeeding in cutting, the other also tried to do the same. The two of them were displaced to the back of the queue nonstop and the others didn’t seem to have any qualms about it, choosing to mock them instead.

Finally, Leguna snapped when the third person cut in line.

"Hey! Get to the back, you!" Even though the fourth person wasn’t as huge as the first three, he appeared more burly than Leguna and pushed the two to his back.

But when the man reached his hand out halfway, Leguna gripped it with lightning speed and exerted force with his thin fingers.

The man wasn’t too surprised at Leguna’s resistance, but he wasn’t planning on backing down. Leguna looked like a scrawny monkey, anyway, so how could he be defeated so easily? He pulled Leguna back and prepared for a strike.

What surprised him was how Leguna didn’t budge even after the pull as Leguna’s hand was still gripped on his. He felt scared initially, but two seconds later, Leguna’s hand exerted even more pressure.

"You all..." Leguna looked up gradually, the muscles in his face twitching furiously, "Enough!"

"Ugh..."

The man let out a pained groaned in fear of Leguna’s strength.

"If you don’t want me to cripple your arm, you better stay down!" Leguna threatened.

The man knew that he wouldn’t be able to match him in strength, so he whimpered as he carefully pulled his hand back.

That wasn’t enough for Leguna to vent his anger, however. He looked at the girl, who was staring back with surprise, and said, "You really want this job?"

"Yes!"

She nodded frantically, shaking her ponytail all over the place.

"Follow me," he hissed.

He turned around and touched the back of the person who cut the line before and the person fell to the ground clutching his stomach instantly.

Leguna had used Shadowedge to tap the person’s pressure point to produce the pain he felt in his belly. In fear of pissing Sartre off, the fellow didn’t dare to scream in pain and endured it while clutching his stomach.

Leguna ignored him and pulled on the girl’s arm and continued forward.

Everyone who had their backs tapped by Leguna knelt on the ground clutching their stomachs.

Is it the god of bowel movements? Why does everyone touched by him look like they have to go to the washroom? the man who had a contest of strength with Leguna thought.

The girl’s eyes widened at the sight. She didn’t know what Leguna had done.

......

"You have decent strength. Can you prepare food?"

"I can. I’ve worked temporary banquet jobs before and have some experience in handling food. I’m also good with a knife."

"Very well--" The butler nodded and handed the middle-aged woman a coin-sized metal badge the shape of many knives. "--Take this and report ahead. This is a kitchen post and you’ll be paid 55 silvers after the job. Your food and accommodation will be provided too, is that alright?"

"Yes, thank you so much!" The woman received the badge happily and entered Sartre’s mansion under the envious gazes of the rest.

"Next!"

The butler looked up... and was shocked at what he saw.

Two people stood in front of him, one a slender young man with short, black hair and another petite, pitiful looking girl. Oddly, the tens of applicants behind them were clutching their stomachs and groaning. What in the world happened?

"Umm..." Leguna felt his anger vanish after taking out the others. He scratched his nose awkwardly and said, "They seem to have diarrhoea or something, so I came forward. That’s fine, right?"

"No... no problem," the butler said blankly.

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