Vol. 1 - Ch. 282 - Promotion and Clan (6)

I was half speechless at the end of the explanation. 

If you'd told me Fatty, whom I had happened to cross by chance, would suddenly become the overlord of Royal Capital's underworld in just six months after I tossed matter to him, I would've doubted their sanity. And yet, not only that, I was somehow the overseeing president of such a clan? 

This was, just, too fast of development. The content of explanation had gone so beyond my initial assumption that I even forgot to teach fatty a lesson......

"Now, Mad Hound has grown exponentially, and too fast. We couldn't have settled on specific rules and policy without the President's presence, so we laid out general do or do-not. The «Big Brother's Ballad» is the compilation of those rules. They're the words you had once taught us, to stick to principle, and I believe they made for it."

Souma-kun excitedly prattled. Just over a year ago, he had been the same person who tried to snatch a vulture's corpse from us, and then got beaten down in return. 

Principle? What principle were we talking about? ...Saving «A Man's Handshake is a Face-Punch», what's the logic in everything else? I was too appalled to get into the details.

"Well, then again, it was courtesy of Lady Shuri and Lady Mimosa who suggested we need those 'principles' to consolidate the situation."

Ninata-san had been listening from nearby, and suddenly supplemented with more details. Mimosa's sudden mention shocked me. Tch, she must have sniffed she could make good money out of the situation. 

Incidentally, Shuri-san was the secretary we had met during our visit to Gin-san. 

"Beside setting guidelines, we also began selling salve to kids for cheap. They suggested we pick some social welfare work, as this is the fastest way to propel the recognition of a new organisation. At first, we had been told by the church that we're disturbing the order, but that was eased by some big company named Mt. Penglai Firm, saying they support the endeavours of Explorer Ren. ...You must have pulled some strings I presume, Ren-kun?"

...It should be Riyad-senpai. It's cool of him to give his silent support, but I would've liked it if he had consulted once with me...

"There were also some big arm shops, Shingload, who helped us during tough times... You may not have been able to show yourself due to circumstances, but your silent support has helped us stand our ground, and protect the Royal Capital. —"If this frustrates you, then become strong, because freedom doesn't come lying. You have to pave the path yourself." The words you told us, when we'd clung to you, became our guidepost to bring a reform within ourselves."

Fatty led the tail of the explanation in a sobbing tone. 

Shingload... even the shop manager Rouge-san helped. Of course, I was too busy to deliver any kind of help—no, scratch it. Frankly, I had even tried to forget about them from my memories.

I suspect this wasn't mere coincidence. There had to be a mastermind behind all this, quietly pulling the strings from various fronts, making sure the situation didn't collapse. The primary suspect in my view had to be Gin-san of Crane-Dragon Union. I did feel he wasn't just an ordinary man, but must I say, he sure had pulled a heavy handed execution. It's hard to believe it's the same old man who loved baths......

"I think that's pretty much the gist, and... oh, right. Since we'd been using your alias, but you yourself hadn't shown anywhere, there were nasty rumours that Rose Familia got to you, or the clan is just a paper tiger and so on. We needed something to cement our position, and that's how we began to distribute these posters. Well, all rumours immediately lost their plot when words about your legend of «Ancient Underground Labyrinth» swooped all over though. When we saw you continue to raise another pillar of achievement, we also felt our blood boiling, and have been engaging in fist fights everyday."

Souma-kun explained the history of the poster, and as if putting on a demonstration, he punched Benze's shoulder as if it was a sandbag.

"Ugh, you are amazing, Ren-kun. ...And it hurts, you bastard!"

Benze snapped, and began punching Souma-kun. 

"I am truly awed by you. You truly are the Mad Hound, huh."

Ninata-san remarked. After her, some idiot I haven't seen before stepped out of the crowd, and uttered "So, Mad Hound, don't you think we should exchange a handshake, too?" while rolling sleeves up. No, it wasn't just him, even the gathered crowd inside, and outside the building began with the shout of "Mad Hound." 

I had already been irked by the development, and this became the final straw. I snapped.

"SHUUUT UUUUP! Who told you to put me on a high pedestal without my permission! I have decided! The only ones qualified to join my clan are those who can put me down!! I am just an ordinary explorer! I don't care the shit about Capital's law and order!"

I hollered my declaration, and started punching everyone in order.

"You're disqualified! You, too. You, you, you, and you. You all are disqualifieeeed!"

Benze tried to hold his ground, saying dumb things like "I am definitely better than you in Eat-Quick or Get Mad-Hound Face-Punch, Ren-kun...", so I thrashed him in that bullshit game. 

It wasn't an eating contest to be precise. It was just him lunging at me while stuffing bread in his mouth like a wild animal. I head-butted against him as he rushed, and delivered my fists in order. When he was even unable to hold bread in his mouth, I mercilessly delivered a face punch, telling him 'I do not like how you eat so vulgarly.' 

In the end, no one was left standing to challenge, expelling everyone from the clan effectively immediately. —The Mad Hound Clan clearly lacked enough muscle strength, thus making it unfit to handle the law and order of the Royal Capital, and so, they must leave this situation in the hands of the Crane-Dragon Union. 

I left the place with a refreshing feeling, having managed to relieve all my frustration.

◆◆◆

Ren. The aloof and charismatic explorer had cemented his position as one of the top-rank explorers, even becoming a household name.

With the recognition from Shellbul Monstel, the Frenzied Tyrant, president of Yuglia's Explorer Association, explorer Ren also became Yuglia's youngest A-rank explorer at the age of 13. Undoubtedly, he had displayed his talent to be cut above rest. 

He boasted an immovable will, like a mountain, evident with how despite becoming the overlord of Yuglia's underworld after subduing the chaos brewing in it, he unhesitatingly tossed it aside as if it never held any allure to him. 

One could say he had become the star among the explorers, gaining many admirers. While the latter had coldly pushed them off, his admirers never stopped chasing after him, and in retrospect, that motivation led to a steep rise of capable individuals in the kingdom.

It was the rise of a tremendous talent, and yet, the world had much more to see. They would see the idols he bore, and how he brought them into existence. 

This was the mere beginning of Explorer Ren and his amazing adventures.

◆◆◆

—The only one qualified to join my clan are those who bear the fist to brought me down

The echo of the statement made by Explorer Ren reverberated not only in the kingdom, but even in the distant empire, to be precise, in the air of two siblings.

"You're taking much risk, Brother. The kingdom may not have prevalent discrimination against «Devil's Blessing», but they definitely do not see it with amiable eyes. If something happens to you... then, no one would be able to help you? So, please... don't leave."

The rebel of the slum—Prince Castice wore a grief stricken expression as he relentlessly tried to change the mind of his brother. 

The Freak put his hand on the head of Rebel, and gestured with a shake of his head.

"I want to confirm for myself. Why did he let us have the qualification? Is he your enemy, or—"

The former Prince glanced at his little brother, the latter's eyes pooling with tears, and uttered what essentially read like a final farewell, which might become a reality given Freak's condition. 

"Keep up with the hard work, Kathy. I know you can be the change that this Empire needs."

With that, the Freak turned his back to his little brother, the wire coiling around his body creaking, his breath coming out as painful. 

Rebel raised his head to see him off, tears rolling out of his eyes in an endless stream, however he didn't wipe it.

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