BBYW Vol. 1 Chapter 21
Chapter 21 – A Fool’s Demise
“Looks like it’s over.”
Shana walked towards me, looking at Sullivan’s mass of flesh, which was sinking in a pool of blood.
“Yeah, looks like it. It always ends too quickly.”
I nodded and sheathed my sword.
Thinking about it, my sword 【Siegfried】, which had the power to neutralize magic, could have negated Sullivan’s immortality, maybe.
(Oh well, who cares.)
I had no intention of letting him die easily anyway. This way I didn’t have to go to the trouble of capturing him alive and work on him later.
“Hee…heehee…I am…the king…the ruler…of this country…all is…mine…”
“Whoa? He’s still alive?”
I had literally cut him to pieces, pulled his organs out of his body, but Sullivan was still talking. His severed body parts were moving like slugs, trying to return together. At this point, his recovery power was beyond impressive, almost sickening.
However, his mind did not seem to heal: Sullivan, now only a torso, a head, and a left arm, smiled despite being immersed in a pool of his own blood.
“Why don’t you remove the bracelet? To put him out of his misery already.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Shana probably made her proposal out of pity; I sighed and accepted it.
I had the feeling he still hadn’t suffered enough — but it felt pointless to keep slicing or stabbing him.
I walked closer to Sullivan to remove the bracelet.
However—
“Gwaaahhh!!! What, what the!?!?!”
Sullivan screamed out of the blue.
“Ooh!?”
I was surprised and jumped backwards, then Sullivan’s body started exuding white smoke.
Wrapped in steam just like a sizzling teapot, Sullivan’s silhouette disappeared from sight.
I glared at the cloud of white smoke.
“Hey, hey, you aren’t going to explode, are you?”
“It could be changing form!! Cornered monsters always change to their second form, it’s a staple in the eastern countries!!”
Shana excitedly strengthened her grip on her lance. I pointed my sword toward Sullivan inside the smoke.
“Faah, haah, haah…my…bodyyyyyy!!!”
“What!? That’s….!”
“This is…unexpected…”
The cloud of smoke eventually dissipated, leaving Sullivan behind — but in a very different shape.
“Ah…heeh…aah…ah….”
“Sullivan…in the short while we haven’t met, you sure got old…”
The Sullivan that emerged from the white smoke looked like he had aged about 50 years.
His handsome noble features were now marked by deep wrinkles.
His golden locks turned completely white and fell off.
The body parts I had cut off all recovered perfectly, but his limbs were now as thin as dried twigs. I doubted that even his closest relatives would recognize him if they didn’t witness the transformation.
“M…my….booodhyyyy….”
“How…how pitiful…”
Sullivan opened his toothless mouth and Shana backed away a couple of steps from him.
His instantaneous transformation into a hideous old man probably shook her deeply.
“I see…so 【Herakles】 has this kind of side effect.”
Even the greatest legendary magic tool couldn’t be used forever unconditionally.
This was especially true for an incredible magic tool that could make you immortal.
【Herakles】 made it seem like the user did not spend any energy, but apparently it sucked the user’s youth or lifeforce.
(The first king died of illness in his thirties, didn’t he? This is a nasty piece of work…)
I reached a conclusion and walked towards old Sullivan, then—
“Boo!”
“Gweeeh!?”
I kicked him without mercy.
Sullivan rolled away and the bracelet easily fell off his now skeletal arm.
I picked up the bracelet and slipped it into my breast pocket.
“And the treasure’s mine…though the royal family will get pissed, I guess? Maybe they won’t find out if I keep quiet.”
I didn’t know if the royal house was aware that the national treasure had been stolen, but now that things turned out like this, they don’t have the right to complain even if it falls into my hands.
It was a double-edged sword, but a precious magic tool nonetheless. There were a number of ways it could be used.
“Guess I should treat it as a reward for the hard work I do every day.”
“Give it baaack…the proof of my…kingship…proof of…the ruler of…this country…”
“Shaddap.”
“Hee, heeeeehhhh!?”
Sullivan clung to my feet, so I kicked him away again.
“What a horrible view…in more ways than one.”
Shana sighed hopelessly as I repeatedly punted Sullivan.
“Why? He’s just Sullivan.”
“Heeeekkk!! Have, have mercyyyy!”
“I know that, but…when he looks like that…”
Shana looked troubled; I scratched my head.
“Can’t be helped, I’ll capture him like this. I want him to be punished rather than killed.”
“That is for the best.”
Shana and I nodded to each other, then I tied Sullivan up.
Even if I left him alive, Sullivan now had the body of a 70 year old: he didn’t have the willpower or physical ability to oppose me anymore.
“Okay then, case closed…no, wait, there was another traitor, wasn’t there?”
Stepping over Sullivan’s bound body, I looked up into the sky.
My guesses:
King – After all, he’s on the shortlist of individuals capable of handing Sullivan that national treasure. He also favored Sullivan over his other sons.
Sullivan’s Relatives – If not the king, maybe a sympathetic brother or uncle that was hoping to cut the Maxwell House down a peg or two. Wouldn’t be too unusual considering that the Maxwell House was stated to be one of the most powerful houses in the Kingdom; in the top 4, and it could have been some ploy by a rival house via the royal family, if not a member of the Royal family besides the King.
Ex-Fiancee – Unlikely, but she did betray Dyngir way back when; hence a “traitor”. It could be that Dyngir simply wishes to break her now that she has nothing. Her own husband is now a 70 year old fart who can’t even fight his way out of a wet paper bag, and is literally unfit to manage the family lands, much less create an heir.
Prime Minister – Unlikely, but he might have deliberately staged this just to see Sullivan ruined, as revenge for throwing dirt into his family’s face (figuratively speaking). It could also be a ploy that would see him indirectly invite Dyngir to a private meeting, where he could pair Dyngir up with his daughter (moreso given the throwaway line from her that she doesn’t mind mistresses). Sort of like a screwed-up “trial”/”test” if you will.
Baron Nommes or his Son – Unlikely, given that both have long sworn loyalty to the Maxwell House, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Baron Nommes thought that maybe Sullivan could overthrow the Maxwell House armed with a Royal relic. Or the Son doing it more to set up Sullivan and reclaim the position of heirship.
Just watch; all my guesses will be wrong, and it’ll be hilarious.
Atleast you put thought into it. I honestly never considered Maxwell’s Ex-Fiancee.
Thank you for putting so much thought into this.
I took away the question of “When did she betray Dyngir” I found it.
I would prefer your Prime Minister path.
He still has a young wife; but I don’t think they allow conjugal visits in their jail. For that matter, even if they did, I doubt he could even get it to stand long enough to have an heir. Much less her willingness to even try with such a weak, old man.
Oh man, it’s horrible enough already that he became abusive to her during sex, I cringe even more at the thought that his wife would still want to have a go with him as an old man…unless she’s desperate for an heir or has that fetish…definitely gross.
Right thing to do? Against a guy who hired assassins on you, stole a national treasure and all that?
Free Artifact xD
Yoink! Free artifact!
Eh while personally I would have preferred that Sullivan died, having him turn into a decrepit old man isn’t bad either.
Hey Shana gets it. The whole, “This isn’t even my Final Form!” deal.
So who could be the second traitor? The most obvious choice would be the king since Sullivan is very unlikely to have the ability to actually steal
the Declaration of Independencea National Treasure by himself so the king giving it to him would be more likely but I’m not sure if Dyngir would think about that possibility first. The only other possibility is what’s-her-face the ex-fiancee of Dyngir. She “betrayed” him by cheating on him but she’s so inconsequential that I’m not sure Dyngir would want to do anything with her. Just send her off to a convent somewhere.Thanks for the chapter, who is the other traitor??
not only did Sullivan lose his place as the crowned prince, he also lost his money, friends and the national artifact, now he’s stuck with a 70 year old body. the author really poured their wrath on him huh. Anyway, thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter.
I personally think MC should return the bracelet. It’s not because it’s the right thing to do, we all know that isn’t his style. It’s to prove that even with the power of that artifact that, no one can stand up to the MC.
I tried to read ahead on raws, but alphapolis says vol. 1 only has 16 chapters and start of vol.2 is way ahead? How do I find this chapter raw help please
Ah I knew it, a power that is too good to be true is plain impossible.
Fuk , i knew something was off…nothing is perfect
Mc: OH!! FREE LOOT
finally his got the bracelet
I knew that magic’ tool had some drawbacks…
Punishment worse than death. I see the author is an s lol
That’s one hella punishment