Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Chapter 5. Tree and Iron
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He wore a crude leather outfit patterned with tiger skin, as if to show it off, along with a bow and arrows slung over his shoulder and a dagger at his waist. He looked every bit the hunter. What emanated from him wasn't hostility so much as a faint fear. His hand gripping the bowstring and arrow trembled slightly, as if he might loose it at any moment.
"Ah!"
If he shot, they would all die. Arhil turned around anxiously with a distressed look on her face. The elves, unwilling to tolerate the hunters' hostility, had already nocked arrows aimed at them. To defuse this tense standoff, Arhil opened her mouth and stepped forward.
"Th—!"
But her words were cut off before she could even begin. Judah extended his hand, blocking her path. She had no choice but to stop. Looking at Judah's face, she saw him glaring at the hunters and shaking his head, as if telling her not to go.
"Why?"
She asked for a reason, but Judah didn't answer. Looking ahead again, she saw one of the hunters aiming an arrow directly at her. Though he hadn't fired yet, the sight made Arhil flinch.
"That was a wise choice. If you'd shot, you'd all be dead right there."
"......"
Judah, who had been silent, glared at the hunters and spoke. At his words, the oldest-looking one among them frowned and lowered his bow. He tapped the shoulders of the other hunters lightly, then cautiously backed away. Once some distance had opened up, the elves lowered their bows, and the hunters bolted without looking back.
"You're letting them go?"
An elf from behind asked in a cold voice. It was the kind female elf who washed dishes with Arhil every evening and shared out the plates. But that kindness was nowhere to be seen now. She stared at the fleeing hunters' backs with icy eyes. Arhil had often seen her smiling, but she had this side too.
"They only kept watch—they didn't shoot arrows, did they?"
"...You're too soft. They have no idea how close they came to dying. And without knowing that, they'll head back to the castle and bring people."
"Probably."
"It'll cause trouble. Right now, in this moment, you'll regret letting them live. If you find it hard to kill them yourself, let me and a few others go take care of it."
Judah pondered the elf's words briefly. Hunters could be a day or two late returning to the castle without anyone coming looking. It happened sometimes. And the elves could surely track and kill them silently and cleanly. No need to worry about them stirring up trouble and leading people back. For the sake of smoother travels ahead, asking the elves to handle it didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Please decide."
Urged by the elf, Judah was about to give permission but glanced at Arhil. Seeing her shake her head as if to say no, he let out a small sigh.
"No, just let them go."
"Why?"
"They weren't fated to die here, I guess. Let's go. If people come swarming, I'll handle it."
"...Understood."
The elf said nothing more. Judah glanced once in the direction the hunters had fled, then led the group onward. They had a long way to go and couldn't afford delays. He hoped the hunters wouldn't report back to the castle, but sadly, that was just wishful thinking. After walking some more, taking a short break, and walking again, Judah felt the ground trembling faintly.
"Haa."
He sighed softly. The elves had all noticed, but Arhil seemed oblivious.
"Where are you going?"
As Judah moved to the rear, Arhil, who had been chatting with the elves, looked back curiously.
"Do you really want to know?"
Grinning mischievously, he asked, and Arhil let out an "ah" as realization dawned. She grinned and nodded.
"Whew, you were munching away alone earlier while everyone else was taking care of business... I won't pry about your business trip, so go ahead."
"You and the elves go on first. I'll catch up right away."
"Sure~ Take your time. Hehe."
Heading in the opposite direction from the group, he gestured for the elves—who had flipped back their hoods, perhaps feeling stuffy—to pull them down again. They caught on from his lip movements and gestures, nodding silently as they adjusted their hoods and passed by.
Once enough distance had opened up, he looked back and reinforced his body with mana. His languid limbs surged with energy, like he'd been injected with drugs. He kicked off the ground lightly and ran. The ground rumbled roughly, suggesting more than a couple of riders on horseback.
'Looks like they're definitely coming this way.'
The hunters must have reported back to the castle. Otherwise, why would mounted pursuers suddenly appear? Judah positioned himself on what he assumed was their path and waited. After about three or four minutes, scattered groups pursuing from all sides spotted him and signaled. In an instant, dozens of cavalrymen followed.
"Tch."
Seeing one cavalryman gallop past him toward the rear, Judah immediately dashed that way, drawing the cheap dagger from his waist with his left hand. He gauged the horse's speed and the trees in between, then threw it.
Whoosh!
The mana-infused dagger seemed to veer oddly off course but stabbed precisely into the horse's right front leg at that exact moment. The horse stumbled, lost balance, and crashed. The rider flew forward, tumbling roughly across the ground.
"Where do you think you're going?"
It wasn't flashy, but his actions had instantly drawn the cavalry's attention. The fallen horse whinnied pitifully, and the soldier sprawled on the ground groaned from the impact. Impressive that he hadn't passed out. No broken bones apparently, as he tried to rise, but the fall's shock was severe—he staggered and leaned against a tree trunk before slumping down.
Seeing Judah approach, the soldier groped his thigh, then his face hardened in dismay as he spat a curse.
"Damn it!"
Judah had wondered what he was searching for as his eyes scanned the ground quickly. Looking down, he spotted a crossbow lying there. Sturdily made, it had survived the fall intact, still loaded. Ignoring his pain, the soldier lunged for the crossbow on the ground, aimed it at Judah, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Judah watched the bolt fly toward him at fierce speed, twisted his body aside, and reached out. Could he grab it? The thought flashed, but thanks to his high agility—or luck—he didn't miss.
'Ah, got it—'
Judah, who had snatched the crossbow bolt mid-flight, was even more surprised than the soldier.
"Huh. Nice shot. Aiming right for the face at that moment. Must've practiced a lot."
He spun the captured bolt between his fingers, pinched it between thumb and forefinger, and flung it back at the soldier.
"Looks like it."
"Urk!"
The bolt flew lightly like a dart and embedded in the soldier's thigh.
"Don't make such a fuss. It's not gonna kill you."
Walking toward the gritted-teeth soldier, Judah kicked away the crossbow he was trying to reload, sending it airborne, then smashed it down.
Crack!
"Huh!"
The soldier gasped as the crossbow shattered.
"Haha, what are you so shocked about? Oh, was it precious to you? But not as precious as your life, right?"
Come to think of it, to this soldier, the crossbow might have been like a soldier's rifle. If he returned alive, he'd probably face severe punishment. But Judah had no sympathy for that. The metal-reinforced crossbow was ruined beyond use from a single kick.
"Grh, who... are you!"
"I'll tell you later. Don't make me repeat myself annoyingly."
The soldier glared at the approaching Judah with a groan but quickly averted his eyes upon meeting Judah's gaze. A beat late, several crossbow bolts flew toward Judah from elsewhere. Sensing them, he ducked to dodge two, drew his waist dagger, and cleaved a third in half.
Thud. The two pieces hit the ground, and Judah's eyes widened. Not the time or place, but that move just now...
'Was cool!'
It felt like he'd perfectly recreated a dramatic scene from a TV show, filling him with pointless pride. The cavalry ahead wheeled around, surrounding him, crossbows reloaded and aimed as they closed in.
"Don't move!"
"Whether I move or not is my business. You lot have no right to order me around."
Judah smiled faintly, looking up at the mounted cavalrymen. Their eyes twitched, as if they'd fire any second. Leisurely scanning their gear, he continued.
"From the castle? The hunters must've reported. Should've just killed them."
"Enough nonsense. Drop that dagger nicely. Sneaking past the castle into Silan Kingdom without passing through? Even adventurers can't get away with that."
What pains.
Judah reached into his pocket. The mounted men looked ready to fire, but he ignored them, pulling a pendant from <Bag>. It was the one called [Fragment Retriever] he'd found in Count Jinmu's mansion after killing him in the Magic Kingdom <Calypso>. The cavalry blinked in confusion at the suddenly presented pendant.
"I'm a member of <Radiance>, acting on Duke Iyes's orders. Quit wasting my time and bring your commander."
As he spoke, Judah released his mana. An oppressive aura surged outward. The Spirit Sword Bearer's presence terrified the horses, and the soldiers involuntarily held their breath, eyes wide. Though he retracted it quickly, they stared blankly at him for a while.
In the frozen moment, Judah spoke irritably.
"What are you doing? Didn't you hear me say bring the commander? Duke Iyes's name isn't that light... Or are you lot ignoring a subordinate of the Duke?"
"P-Please wait a moment!"
One cavalryman met Judah's eyes, yanked his reins, shouted, and galloped off. Watching him go, Judah hummed in satisfaction. Then, to the surrounding crossbow-wielding cavalry:
"What? Put away those crossbows."
Glancing at each other, they cautiously lowered their weapons.