The Aesthetics of the Underling

Feeling the bitter reality of being a low-ranking member, I approached the young man.

“What the hell do you want, huh? You got a problem with me?”

He was trying his best to put up a tough front so as not to be looked down upon, but it only made him look more pathetic. Why couldn’t he see that this was only making him seem weaker?

I wanted to make a cool, nihilistic remark like a protagonist from some weird adventure, but at this moment, I was in the position of a low-ranking member.

I would do what low-ranking members do and shut the kid up in a way that fit my position.

I wore a faint smile as I walked toward the kid. He didn’t even seem to be on guard, despite me getting so close.

How could he be so unprepared when the person he’s fighting is getting closer? It’s a miracle he hasn’t been killed yet.

I read the kid’s breathing and, at the moment he inhaled, I tapped his solar plexus with the palm of my hand. The impact was light, but as I hit him, I twisted my wrist and pushed my palm out to direct the shockwave into his body.

To anyone watching, it probably just looked like a light tap with my hand. In reality, it was a light strike that wouldn’t even leave a bruise.

But my strike still did damage to this “happy-go-lucky” kid.

As he tried to inhale, I interrupted his diaphragm’s pumping motion, causing a misalignment in his bodily functions, and the suffering of not being able to get enough oxygen.

The pain shot up from his internal organs, something indescribable that made him bend over in agony, clutching his stomach.

The kid couldn’t handle the unfamiliar pain and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.

I leaned in close to his mouth, pretending to speak in a way that was clearly an amateur act.

“Eh? You were shouted at by the seasoned adventurer, the mighty king of adventurers, and you got so scared you lost your cool and shot back? You want me to buy you a drink to apologize? Sorry, kid.”

I said that, then reached into the kid’s pocket and pulled out a small pouch of coins. Of course, the kid was still groaning and didn’t say a word.

When I opened the pouch, I saw quite a bit of money inside. The reward for taking down the Clay Boar alone wouldn’t account for such a large amount.

He also had equipment that, for a beginner, wasn’t second-hand but brand new. Was he the son of some rich guy? If he’s the illegitimate son of a noble or a merchant’s heir, it might be bad if I kill him.

Thinking about this, I grabbed a few silver coins from the pouch and tossed them onto the table. Then, I carried the pouch itself toward Gonz and the others.

The kid’s party members, noticing that I took the pouch rather than the silver coins, had surprised expressions, like “You’re taking the pouch, huh?!”

The two women stared at me with cold eyes, as if I were trash. If I could at least say something like, “It’s a reward in our industry,” that would be nice, but I wasn’t like that. I was feeling drained mentally.

I thought, “I didn’t do this! I saved the kid’s life!” and mentally started making excuses in a Kansai dialect for some reason.

But now, the real test began. My skill in buttering people up was about to be put to the test. Right now, I had gotten in the way of Gonz killing the kid, and if I wasn’t careful, I might become the target of his axe.

I didn’t want to just get beaten up, but Gonz was someone I couldn’t afford to make an enemy of. He was way too dangerous.

My brain spun into action. “Think fast! Say something that’ll touch Gonz!” My mind raced. This was my moment. I had to get through this.

“Boss, someone as important as you doesn’t need to deal with a little punk like this. Leave the weaklings to me. You just sit back and relax, like the big shot you are.”

It was a risky attempt at flattery, and depending on how it was interpreted, it could have come off as an insult. But I was betting everything on this flattery.

I remembered something Gonz had said before: Big shots don’t do the dirty work themselves, they have their subordinates handle it. He didn’t like nobles who acted like they were too good to get their hands dirty.

Gonz had said that, but from the look on his face, I thought it was just bravado.

He probably wanted to be like those big nobles, but he couldn’t because he was a commoner. He didn’t have the charisma of a boss in the slums, so he couldn’t gather underlings.

He probably admired that lifestyle, but he could never attain it, and that insecurity had manifested in that comment.

If I was wrong, I might end up fighting Gonz, but now that I was accepted into the party, it was unlikely he’d try to kill me outright.

Still, Gonz was Gonz. He was the guy who would act before his brain even registered the situation. He was the kind of guy who’d end up splitting someone’s skull with an axe without thinking.

I couldn’t let my guard down.

When I reached the table where Gonz was sitting, he crossed his arms and tried to look grumpy. But I could tell he was already starting to feel better.

His eyebrows were slightly lowered, which meant my flattery had hit the mark.

“Alright, Yajin. If you took care of it, I won’t say anything more.”

His mood had already lightened. Was he really that easy to please? Gonz was too easy, and I was a little worried.

“Let’s go drink with the money the kid gave as an apology! Old man! Bring the finest liquor!”

It was best to get him drunk and let the situation blow over. But Gonz was a tsundere.

If he were a cute, blonde, twin-tailed tsundere, it would be a reward, but a muscle-bound, bald tsundere? Not much demand for that.

Though Gonz’ temper was a problem, for me, it was strangely comforting. Whenever I buttered him up a bit, he’d grin and become all cheerful.

In a town like Rock Cliff, where lies and betrayal were the norm and you couldn’t even trust your own party members, someone as straightforward as Gonz was rare and valuable.

Gonz is violent, so he doesn’t have many followers, but surprisingly, he’s loved by everyone. When he’s in a bad mood, it’s obvious, and you just avoid him, so it’s pretty easy.

Also, he has a boss-like personality and is generous. When he earns money, he treats those around him.

If the people he’s extorted from fail a quest and end up moping at the tavern, he sometimes ends up treating them to more than the amount he took from them.

I haven’t experienced it myself, but failing a quest is supposed to make a person feel miserable. Not only do you lose income, but you also get hit with a penalty fee, and the time and expenses you’ve put in don’t come back.

You want to drown your sorrows in booze at the tavern, but you don’t have any money to do that. Even if someone offers to buy you a drink, it’s still Rock Cliff.

You can’t help but wonder, “Are they trying to set me up?” But with Gonz, it’s different. He’s a straightforward guy, so you can accept his offer without hesitation.

When someone is kind to you when you’re down, it’s easy for humans to become weak. Even though Gonz extorts money from people, they somehow can’t bring themselves to hate him.

Gonz’s extortion has a side effect.

A long time ago, an adventurer who Gonz had extorted from was killed by another adventurer who took his equipment.

Gonz, enraged that they killed the person who was bringing him money, wiped out the entire party. There were four of them, so even Gonz couldn’t get out of it unscathed.

But even so, he killed four opponents of the same level by himself. Gonz’ combat strength became widely known among adventurers.

A few similar incidents happened, and as Gonz’s strength spread, an unspoken rule was established: Don’t interfere with the people Gonz is extorting from.

Even though Gonz extorts money from them, they are simultaneously protected by him. Thanks to this system, even local adventurers manage to make it as full-fledged adventurers to some degree.

They won’t get swindled by adventurers who are criminals or fugitives from other places.

Of course, some still get killed by monsters or by Gonz’s quiet execution if he catches wind of them.

But still, it’s a major deterrent.

Even if you resent Gonz when he extorts money from you, once you survive as an adventurer and realize the truth, you end up being grateful to him.

Because buying safety with money is worth far more than the amount you’re being extorted for. That’s how some local adventurers survive, and then help out their younger fellow villagers who come to the city.

If there were no locals left, it would be bad for both the adventurers’ guild and the adventurers themselves.

In a way, Gonz is contributing to maintaining order. Of course, he doesn’t have the slightest awareness of that.

It’s likely that Al has been managing him well.

Though Gonz can be troublesome at times, I’ve come to like this lovable, tsundere musclehead.

I talk the most with Al, and I’ve learned a lot from him. Honestly, I feel like he’s done a lot for me, but since he’s always scheming, I can’t fully trust him.

I can’t understand what Kimon is thinking at all. He’s simple and honest, and I think he’s a good person, but honestly, it’s a little eerie.

Compared to those two, Gonz is easier to deal with. At least when he wants to kill me, I can expect him to come at me head-on. That’s better than being ambushed with a bow or tricked by some cunning scheme.

I was planning to save up and leave the town soon, but the small kingdoms I expected to be safe turned out to be danger zones. I can’t afford to move recklessly without more knowledge and experience.

I doubt I’ll come across anyone like Al and the others again. I need to build up knowledge and experience so I can survive on my own.

I have an Asian face with black eyes and hair, and a somewhat flat face. Even if I was in my new Goblin form, I’m distinctive enough that the guards should have already been on alert if they wanted to capture me.

Either there was no accusation against me, or they didn’t care because I was some illegitimate child from a previous generation. I don’t sense any intent to capture me.

It’s probably safe to stay in this town. If my relationships with Al and Kimon deepen and we trust each other enough, continuing to be an adventurer here could be an option.

I managed to smooth things over. Gonz, having been openly challenged in front of others, had to show his power to prevent the other adventurers from looking down on him.

But if Gonz handled it himself, the opponent would definitely die. The kid was weak enough that I could step in and take charge. That would be the best course of action.

I needed to make it clear that Gonz couldn’t afford to deal with some weakling that would collapse with just a light nudge.

If I had kept up the act and kept beating the kid until Gonz was satisfied, the resentment would have turned toward me, but since I just gave him a light push, it worked out.

Phew, that went well. Good, good.

There was a time when I thought everything was going smoothly.

Why did this happen…?

Now, I’m being chased by eight adventurers through the forest. My detection skill tells me that a large goblin group is also heading my way.

Goblins in front, adventurers behind. What did I do wrong?