The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 40: Let’s Dance

A group stood up.

They were the ones who had been making the most noise earlier, the ones everyone else gave a wide berth to.

Six of them, all big and scarred.

They pushed their way through the crowd, knocking aside smaller patrons.

The man in the lead was the tallest of them; he was almost as tall as Ignotus.

Yet he looked bigger, no thanks to his arms being nearly as thick as Felix’s waist.

He wore a vest made of some poor beast’s hide, revealing a chest map of scars that told a story of a hundred bad fights; the same could be said for the massive axe casually resting on his shoulder.

His head was a messy mop of brown with a bald spot, likely a result of a scar, shining in the lantern light, and he had a thick, braided beard that hung down to his chest.

He stopped in front of Ignotus’s table, looking up.

"You got a loud voice for such a skinny runt."

"And you almost have a shiny head."

Ignotus looked down at him, unbothered.

"We all have gifts~."

The leader didn’t smile.

"I’m Gorm. These are the Ironheads. You want fighters? We’re the best in River’s End."

"Excellent."

Ignotus clapped his hands.

"You look sturdy. You’ll do."

"We ain’t cheap."

Gorm shifted his axe.

"What’s the offer?"

Ignotus glanced at Lykos, who shook his head.

"Well..."

He turned back and rubbed his chin.

"We are offering... exposure, experience, and, let’s say, ten coppers a day? You, Gorm, get a hundred. Plus, you get to keep whatever loot you find on the things you kill. Minus a cohort tax, of course."

The tavern went quiet again.

Ten coppers would barely buy two nights in this dump.

Gorm glared at Ignotus, a vein pulsing in his forehead.

"Ten coppers?"

His voice dropped an octave.

"You walk in here, kick my door, interrupt my drink, and insult me with ten coppers?"

"It’s a negotiation."

Ignotus shrugged.

"You say high, I say low, and we meet in the middle. Basic economics, big man."

Gorm’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer, looming over the table.

"How about this for economics?"

He pointed his axe at them.

"How about you just give us all your coin? And the butler’s shoes? And maybe we’ll let you leave with your teeth."

Felix let out a high-pitched whimper.

"Young L—Stranger... maybe we should negotiate?"

Ignoring him as usual, Ignotus looked Gorm right in the eye and chuckled.

"Robbery? How uninspired. I expected better from the ’best in River’s End.’ You look like a bearded egg, and apparently, you think like one too."

The air in the room grew heavy.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH!"

One of Gorm’s subordinates—a man with a nasty scar across his nose—stepped forward, drawing a serrated dagger.

"You don’t talk to Gorm like that!"

"Yeah! We’ll gut you, lanky twig!"

Another shouted, slamming his fist into his palm.

They circled the table, weapons drawn, ready to defend their leader’s honor.

Ignotus casually looked at them, not looking scared at all but rather... pleased.

’Hm, Loyal. They jump to his defense immediately... they’re a pack of thugs.’

He respected that. Arrogance born of loyalty was different from arrogance born of stupidity. People willing to put their lives on the line for their leader were useful. Very useful.

"Sit down, scum."

Gorm barked at his crew, though he grinned, clearly enjoying the hype.

"My boys are eager, but they’re right."

He looked back at Ignotus.

"You disrespected me in my town."

"I disrespected an egg..."

Ignotus corrected.

"If the shoe fits, you know?"

Gorm laughed, a loud, booming sound that shook the dust from the rafters.

"You got stones, kid. I’ll give you that. Stupid, heavy stones."

He slammed the head of his axe onto the floor.

Crack.

The wood splintered.

"Let’s settle this the old way."

Gorm pointed a sausage-like finger at Ignotus.

"A duel. You and me. Right here."

"A duel?"

Ignotus tilted his head.

"Aye. If you lose—and you will, quickly—you give me every coin you have, the gear too. Everything, and you crawl out of here on your belly."

Ignotus hummed, tapping his chin.

"That’s high stakes. I like it."

He leaned forward, grinning.

"And if you lose?"

The tavern froze for a second...

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Only to explode.

"HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!"

Gorm had thrown his head back with laughter.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!"

His subordinates, of course, had joined in, slapping their knees.

The rest of the tavern patrons were cackling as well.

"Did you lot hear him?"

Gorm wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"He thinks he can win!"

"Against Gorm of all people!"

"He’s gonna squash you like a bug!"

The scar-nosed man who shrieked with laughter suddenly stopped.

"If I lose?"

Gorm had raised a hand and shook his head.

"That’s... that’s adorable—"

"AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH!"

Suddenly, another laugh joined the chorus.

Though this one was even louder and crazier.

Ignotus was the one laughing.

He clutched his stomach and bent over a little.

"That’s so damned ridiculous! I’m speechless!"

The bandits’ smiles dropped, seemingly confused.

Why was the victim laughing?

Did something happen that they didn’t know about?

Or had they dug themselves a grave without knowing?

"So, so ridiculous! Goddamn outrageous!"

Ignotus gasped for air, wiping a tear from his eye.

"You? Lose?"

He pointed a shaking finger at Gorm.

"To me? A mere twig?"

He stomped his foot on the table.

"It’s so ridiculous that I’ve got goosebumps! Look! Look at my arm!"

He shoved his sleeve up, showing his bare arm to the confused giant.

"The sheer absurdity of it! It’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all year!"

Ignotus kept laughing, making the patrons uncomfortable.

"Hah... hah... heh..."

He laughed until the room went completely silent again, with everyone staring at him.

"You..."

Grim took a deep breath, barely holding himself back from attacking him right then and there.

"...that’s enough."

And just like that, Ignotus stopped, his smile vanishing instantly.

His eyes went dead and cold, staring down at Gorm.

The sudden shift was jarring.

"Yeah, this is so ridiculous... but fine."

He jumped down from the table, landing softly in front of the giant.

"I’ll accept your terms. If I lose, you get the gold."

He leaned in close, whispering so only Gorm could hear. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"But when you lose... you work for me. For free. Until I say stop."

Gorm blinked, unsettled by the sudden change in atmosphere, but his pride wouldn’t let him back down.

"Deal..."

Gorm grunted, hefting his axe.

"Prepare to bleed, runt."

"Good."

Ignotus cracked his knuckles.

"Let’s dance."