I was surprised at first, but then I realized I had fallen into his trap...
When I wanted to attack with the Sodegarami, I found myself unable to do so because of the thorny tree. It was his plan to force me back with those random attacks...
"Excellent work, you bloodthirsty prey; you're the fifth fool to fall into my trap."
I tried to break free from the grip of the thorny tree, but to no avail. The harder I tried, the more I felt my flesh tearing...
"Stop trying, my friend; they've got you. They've bitten your flesh and bound you; you won't be able to escape... And now comes the biggest question! Who should I start with, you or that little slut... Hmm, well, I've made my decision: I'll torture that little one in front of your eyes." He turned and began to walk toward Eva.
I felt powerless. Eva picked up the sword of one of the fallen, declaring her challenge. "Just try it, fool! If you think I'll lose to someone like you, come on then!"
"Anyway, I wasn't waiting for your permission. Alright, you rude little girl, let's dance the dance of death together!"
What are you doing, you fool! Hey! Wait, triangular-mouth!!!
"Satch!"—the sound echoed.
The dagger pierced my chest! The scoundrel threw his dagger at me...
"You've repeated your triangular-mouthed insults many times; it's amusing to mock people like you, you bald fool."
Now I have two problems instead of one; I began to lose blood, and my strength started to fade... I'll lose consciousness at this rate!
Quickly, he asserted his dominance over Eva with the forceful waving of his spear, which caused her sword to drop...
The triangular-mouthed man lunged for Eva's neck, grabbing her. "Alright, that's enough! I've given you too many chances! You owe me a lot of time, you annoying little girl! Your friend killed all my men! There's no one left! Now who am I supposed to lead after they're gone?!"
"Whichever way you want to die, I'll hang you like a Buddhist priest and leave you to think about the crimes you've committed."
He raised his spear, ready to plunge it into Eva's throat...
"Aaaaggh!"—the sound of skin ripping.
I grabbed my Susano sword and charged toward Eva... but it was too late...
Mr. Gaucho had beaten me to it, appearing from nowhere with incredible speed. With his sword, he managed to send the triangular-faced man's head flying into the sky.
Before the body hit the ground, in a flash, he amputated the man's arms and legs...
Wow!!! You're amazing with that sword, painter!
"You destroyed my art pieces, you scoundrel! You treated my art like a doormat; you are not welcome in my space!"
Gaucho turned toward me, and seeing my torn body made him wonder about my relationship with the girl Eva, what she meant to me, and why I was willing to sacrifice myself to protect her...
"Why are you protecting her? And trying to involve yourself in bloody battles? Just hours ago, you were mocking the excuses I gave! Here you are doing something foolish in my eyes! Do you wish to die?"
Well, death is not an easy thing for me, and what I'm doing here is not just for this girl... It's not because I'm worried about her life... If her face didn't resemble that of my little sister, I wouldn't have involved myself in this madness...
The most important thing... it's an adventure I must undertake! I'm not sure if it's the signal the old witch spoke of... but for me, I've become convinced it is. Even if it's not, I have nothing to lose in the world of humans... No one is waiting for my return! I just want to achieve what I aspire to... to be the greatest swordsman!
Hey! After seeing your skills, you and I are of the same bohemian ilk... Our bodies only do one thing... As for our minds... man, our minds are just filled with those unique, damned ideas...
"Hmm... big words you're uttering, personal guard. Well... I won't comment on that... Eva..! My daughter Rafaela will help you tend to your wounds." Mr. Gaucho placed his sword on his shoulder and left for his room.
...
...
...
"Dad... the customer is at the gate; I'll leave you with him."
"Here you go, this is your art piece."
"Ah, yes, sir... Hah! B-but!" With a hunched back, fearful of Mr. Gaucho's reaction, he stumbled over his words... The customer saw his art piece before him broken in two...
"Don't worry about that; my inspiration dictated that for your art piece. It took me a long time to finish painting it, and that's why..."
The girl Eva interrupted Mr. Gaucho, "How much did you pay for this iconic masterpiece, customer? Don't tell me you paid less than thirty silver coins..."
"Th-thirty silver coins!!! He sold it to me for just five coins!" The customer was visibly annoyed.
"What! Is that possible, Mr. Gaucho...? Don't you appreciate art...? Hah! It's not your fault... A true artist doesn't discuss material matters... Alright, dear customer, let me say that the value of the art piece is worth much more than that paltry sum you intended to pay... If you wish to part with it, I'll take it to someone who appreciates this art."
Silence fell in the room...
I chuckled to myself at the skill of this little con artist. The customer pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his nose, which had run from the embarrassment he was put in, having broken his art piece and, on top of that, having its monetary value doubled... In the end, the customer accepted Eva's suggestion, seemingly affected and fearful of Mr. Gaucho's reaction if he refused!
After the customer left, Mr. Gaucho began to applaud Eva's marketing skills. Ha ha ha, well, not just him; Rafaela did too, and of course, I... she deserved it!
"Well, my little one, since you've received this amount of silver from selling my art piece, you deserve it entirely... For me, I also benefit from this deal. This number of corpses in the garden... it contains the color I've always sought... With this amount, you can continue your journey without having to sleep in the street, you and your personal guard."
Mr. Gaucho turned his gaze to me and said, "Bohemian, huh! The true test is when you don't feel enough peace within yourself unless you see someone else living their life the way it should be lived... Don't you think so?"
Ha ha, an ending filled with tons of nonsense...
Our journey at Mr. Gaucho's lodge came to an end; we received financial assistance from him that would allow us to continue toward our goal, as well as information about the one called Karl... how he carved his name among swordsmen by subduing all the sword gangs and their schools...
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