I Became the Dark Knight in the Game
Chapter 13: Drunken Mule (2)

Dale spoke to the woman who was cursing outright.

“You have a foul mouth.”

“So what? Did you ever feed this foul mouth?”

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The crouching red-haired woman shot back crookedly.

It wasn’t easy to confront Dale like this.

The woman seemed to have a bold personality or perhaps she had already resigned herself to her fate.

She looked intently at Dale, who was staring at her.

“Why are you here?”

She asked bluntly.

Matching her poor attitude, Dale responded curtly.

” Why else? I came to get a room at the inn.”

“Well, that makes sense. But it’s not possible.”

“Not for a dark knight?”

“That too. But how can I give you a room in this mess?”

She pointed around with her finger.

The chaos was escalating.

Tables and chairs were flying around, and glass shattered on the floor as it was dropped.

The drunkards acted as if destroying the inn was their sole purpose.

It seems like they are all in this together.

These were not just drunkards, but more like a group of hoodlums or mercenaries.

It was typical for such types to express their discontent in this manner.

The woman seemed as if she was fed up with it and buried her head back in her knees.

“I might as well just die.”

Dale asked.

“Is it like this every day?”

“Cleaning up the broken debris has become a part of my morning routine for quite some time now.”

“Call the guards.”

“Do you really think I haven’t tried that? Do I look like a dumbass?”

“…..”

The woman, who had spoken sharply, sighed deeply and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I took out my frustration on you.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Talking to the guards is useless. They come lazily, take bribes from these bastards, then slink away. Then I end up facing retaliation and getting extorted. But why am I even telling all this to a stranger?”

The woman muttered self-deprecatingly and waved her hand.

“So, go look elsewhere.”

“That’s a problem. I came here because I heard you’d take in anyone as long as you’re paid.”

“That was my father’s principle. But after he passed away, the place turned into this mess.”

So she was the owner, not just a waitress.

Dale looked around for a moment and asked indifferently.

“So, in the end, you can’t accept me because of these guys?”

“Yes, well. Could you at least help me clean up?”

“I will.”

“Now that you understand… Wait, really?”

The woman abruptly lifted her head, which she had been burying in her knees. Dale met her gaze and spoke.

“I’ll clean everything up. In exchange, how about waiving my lodging fees for fifteen days?”

“Fi-fifteen days is too much. Let’s make it ten days. In exchange, I’ll provide you with hot water every day.”

Dale chuckled. Even in this situation, she was haggling over the price. She was a woman who wouldn’t starve anywhere.

But he didn’t let her have her way.

“Fifteen days. And you provide hot water.”

“What? That’s even worse. Who makes a deal like this?”

“It’s the price for your insults. If it’s unfair, become stronger.”

“Haa.”

Although the woman clicked her tongue in disbelief, she eventually nodded her head.

After all, she didn’t have many other options.

“My name is Dale.”

“…Kayla. I’m Kayla, the daughter of Seeger. But you’re joking, right? There’s a difference in the number of people…”

Kayla was a woman ignorant about fighting.

What she didn’t know was that there were fights that couldn’t be won, regardless of the numbers.

Dale pointed with his index finger towards the back.

“Stay back.”

“Uh. Um. If that’s the case… Ah. But you can’t kill anyone! If you kill someone, the guards won’t just stand by. Unless you hide the body too.”

“That would be a bit troublesome.”

Dale, who was about to reach for his warhammer, stopped.

He actually intended to get accustomed to his newly acquired weapon in this fight.

It can’t be helped.

There are times when not every fight has to end in death.

Although his dark knight instincts were deeply disappointed, his human side deemed it a fortunate turn of events.

Dale stepped forward.

The drunkards were still causing a commotion. None of them paid any attention to him.

Then one of the drunkards stumbled backward and bumped into Dale’s chestplate.

“Ouch, what bastard… Oh?”

The drunkard froze upon seeing Dale.

As if he was unable to comprehend the reality before him.

He was probably too drunk.

Dale decided to help the man sober up.

“Huh?”

With one hand, Dale grabbed the drunkard by the scruff of the neck and hoisted him up.

The drunkard flailed in a futile attempt to break free, but his struggles were in vain.

Dale thrust his arm forward with all his might.

“Aaaaaaaahhh!!”

The drunkard flew through the air.

Flapping his arms as if trying to fly, the man screamed before he slammed into the wall with a thud.

“…….”

“…….”

A deceptive silence fell within the once noisy inn.

Everyone’s attention was focused on him.

Dale spoke calmly.

“Choose one. Leave this place quietly, or leave with a few broken bones.”

His voice was not loud.

Yet, it was chillingly clear to everyone inside.

The drunkards looked around at each other. One of them glanced at Kayla.

“Damn it, Kayla, you slut. You brought a heathen here?”

“I’d rather have a heathen than human trash like you bastards!”

Kayla retorted sharply, causing the drunkard’s face to twist in anger.

He rolled up his sleeves and walked towards her.

“Well since this whore is pretty…”

Dale extended his palm to stop the man and said calmly.

“Either you leave quietly, or you leave broken.”

The man’s face flushed red with rage.

Intoxication. The blood of youth. A man’s pride. The many comrades.

Too many things were helping him make a foolish decision.

The man who hesitated for a moment shouted.

“Fu*k this bastard!”

He charged at Dale aggressively, followed a beat later by his friends.

Even though Dale was wearing plate armor, the attackers believed that they could overpower him if several people charged at once.

Dale acted first and he threw a punch.

He struck the side of the man who rushed at him first.

“Ugh.”

The man collapsed instantly from what is commonly known as a liver shot.

Without even checking on the fallen man, Dale swiftly turned his head.

“Dieee!”

A portly drunkard with his belly quivering was lifting a table and was about to smash it down on him.

Crack!

Dale’s fist shot out like lightning. It was but a light jab.

But it was far from light for the drunkard.

His teeth shattered and scattered as his body lurched and fell.

Dale then snatched the table from the drunkard, gripped it with both hands and hurled it forward.

Three men charging at him were hit by the table and sent flying simultaneously.

Lucky to be hit together, they probably ended up with just one or two broken ribs.

“Damn it!”

In a flash, five of them were downed. It was then that the men fully grasped the situation and they hesitantly backed off.

But the one who seemed to be the leader among these hoodlums shouted louldy.

“Attack him all at once, you idiots!”

The men hesitated for a moment in response to that shout before hurling themselves at Dale.

In the scuffle, a few were struck by Dale’s gauntlet and knocked away.

However, the rest managed to grab hold of Dale.

Dale instinctively reached for his hand axe but then hesitated.

Right, I can’t kill them.

In that moment of hesitation, more men rushed in and grabbed Dale. A dozen or so swarmed him, overwhelming and pinning him down.

They had successfully subdued him.

The leader exclaimed triumphantly.

“Good job! Now let’s remove his helmet and see what he looks li…”

The leader stopped mid-sentence.

The human mountain that was meticulously piled up suddenly quivered.

Even the face of the hefty man at the top registered confusion.

They could all feel a strong force pushing upwards from below.

“……”

It seemed impossible but the mountain was indeed shaking.

And there, buried at the very bottom of the mountain, Dale lay thinking.

It’s heavy.

Dale put strength into his knees, which were bent in a kneeling position.

The shaking intensified.

The men panicked and they tried to exert their strength in any way they could.

However, Dale slowly began to rise, lifting the men clinging onto him higher and higher.

Eventually, the mountain crumbled down.

“Aaagh!”

“What kind of strength is this!”

After hurling the last man clinging onto him far away, Dale looked around once more. His eyes met those of the dazed leader.

“Are you going to leave quietly?”

“……”

The people glanced at each other, and then, without anyone saying anything, they all bolted towards the exit.

The drunkards who had been causing a commotion until now were swift and orderly in their escape, like a receding tide.

When the inn’s customers had all but vanished, only Dale and the startled Kayla remained.

“Wow, yo-you’re quite strong, aren’t you?”

Kayla had not expected Dale to single-handedly deal with everyone so quickly and overwhelmingly.

Even to her who had no experience in fighting, it seemed impressive.

“I didn’t expect the guys who’ve been troubling me for months to be dealt with in one fell swoop…”

Dale dragged one of the few remaining chairs to sit down. The place was a complete mess. It looked like business was off for the day.

Dale asked her.

“Do you run the place alone?”

Kayla, looking around the messy interior with a sense of despair, opened her mouth.

“I used to run it with my father.”

“It must not be easy doing business with those kinds of people around.”

Especially for a young woman who had never learned any fighting skills.

Kayla smiled bitterly.

“When my father was alive, things went fairly well. He was a retired mercenary. But after he passed away, it became too much for me to handle alone.”

Dale nodded his head. It was a common story, one that could be found anywhere.

“Those guys? They seemed to be a gang.”

“Ah, that’s Jimmy’s gang.”

“Jimmy?”

“Yes. They’re thugs based in the slums, but recently, they’ve grown bolder and are looking to expand into the city.”

“And they chose this place as a stepping stone for that?”

Kayla’s eyes widened.

“Ooh, you catch on quick. Or are you well-versed in these matters?”

“Not really.”

A daughter left alone after her father’s death. An inn located in a secluded area.

Wasn’t it a situation that would make anyone drool?

“Did they tell you to sell the inn for a cheap price?”

“That would have been better! No, they told me to marry one of them! I mean, as you can see, I am quite beautiful, aren’t I?”

“?”

Kayla was shameless. No, she was a woman brimming with self-confidence.

“They said I passed as a bride because of my pretty face and big butt… well, you know. Their leering was just so creepy.”

Dale nodded in agreement.

“Certainly. Marrying you would legally grant them ownership of the inn. Not a bad strategy. It reduces the risk of future complications too.”

“…Aren’t you supposed to be angry with me right now? Why do you sound impressed by the bastards?”

Naturally, Kayla rejected Jimmy’s marriage proposal.

That’s when the harassment began.

Groups of them would come in, drink without paying, cause mayhem, and break the furniture. They’d frighten other customers and scare them away.

The mental strain was bad enough, but with the inn’s operations disrupted, her wallet was also suffering.

“Thankfully, they didn’t physically harm me; perhaps they were wary of the guards. But I was close to being forced to hand over the inn. That’s when…”

Kayla hesitated, then added,

“Thank you.”

Then she smiled brightly. Her face showed none of the heartache she must have suffered during this time.

She was a bold woman.

As Kayla tidied up the messy inn, she asked,

“Have you eaten yet? I can prepare something light for you.”

After some consideration, Dale nodded his head.

Though he didn’t need to eat, Dale intentionally didn’t skip meals.

Soon, Kayla brought out a soup made from mashed potatoes.

As she set down the tray, Kayla confidently declared,

“Try it. I guarantee you won’t find it tasteless.”

Dale, who couldn’t actually taste, chose not to mention this fact.

He unfastened and removed his helmet, revealing his face and the flowing white hair.

Kayla was most surprised by this sight, more than anything she had seen this day.

“Oh. Uh.”

“Something wrong?”

Kayla hesitated for a moment.

Then she suddenly straightened her hair, sat down gracefully, and spoke in a dignified tone.

“My lord Dale, the sight of you sets my heart aflutter.”

“What a strange woman.”

Kayla was indeed such a woman.

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