Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Vile Breed's Ambush
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“We’re marching out!”
Hoorah!
Come back victorious!
Long live the Prasia Kingdom!
The subjugation force, nearly eight hundred strong, departed from Ginchep amidst the fervent cheers of the people.
The kingdom's regular army and the mercenaries moved separately, keeping some distance between them. Aint, along with Barus, joined the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group.
“So this is the famous descendant of Armian?”
“The one who wiped the floor with our young master?”
“But can someone so high and mighty adapt to mercenary life?”
“Maybe? If he’s an Armian, a hundred years ago they were cow… ugh…!”
“Hey, show some respect. He’s from a great family. Pleased to meet ya. I’m Hector.”
The mercenaries approached one by one to offer their greetings. Each of them had hands full of scars and calluses.
The man who effectively managed the rough-and-tumble Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group was a mercenary named Hector. A giant of a man at two meters tall, with a muscular build covered in scars.
“I’m Aint.”
“Heh heh, our young master said he lost without even laying a finger on you, so I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“Don’t make things up, Hector. It was a close call.”
“Our young master has a tendency to downplay his losses.”
“It’s true, I tell you.”
Barus grumbled with a hollow laugh and whispered quietly.
“Don’t worry. They’re a bit rough, but they know how to keep their mouths shut. The fact that you’re an Armian won’t get out.”
“Thanks.”
“Follow me for a second.”
Barus kicked his horse’s flank and trotted forward. Aint followed behind him.
“You’ve heard the battle plan, right?”
“Yeah.”
It wasn’t a particularly grand strategy. The subjugation force would enter Abellare and wipe out every monster in the region.
Furthermore, they would even subjugate the Gorgon that was acting as the leader in the center of Abellare.
To do so, the plan was to start from the outskirts and systematically annihilate the monsters as they moved inward.
At least, that was the plan until a moment ago.
Bwooooo—
Dum dum dum—
“Emergency! This is an emergency!”
“Multiple monsters spotted ahead!”
“Gnolls, Dire Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Griffins, and two other types of monsters sighted!”
“Prepare for battle!”
Along with the urgent sound of a battle horn, shouts erupted from all around.
As if their previous sloppiness was a lie, the atmosphere among the members of the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group changed in an instant.
“Captain!”
Even their way of speaking changed. Barus gripped his weapon and led the mercenaries.
“We’ll lead the charge and split their formation.”
“Yes, sir! Ready to move out!”
“Yes, sir!”
The mercenaries of the Ink-Black Spear, all mounted, advanced. The distance to the monster horde, numbering nearly a hundred, was closing fast.
“Aint, you take the rear. We haven’t synced up yet, so that’ll be better.”
“Okay.”
Aint obediently followed behind them on a horse he had purchased separately.
“We split their formation in two, wheel around, and tear them to shreds.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Prepare to charge.”
“Prepare to charge!”
Though they were a band of just over thirty mercenaries, there wasn't a hint of fear in their eyes.
“Charge!”
“Chaaarge!”
Dududududu—
The horses neighed wildly and began to gallop.
“It’s the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group!”
“Follow them!”
“Crush the monsters!”
Other mounted mercenaries recognized the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group and fell in behind them. The thirty spears quickly doubled in number.
“Spears up!”
“Spears up!”
Thirty-one black spears were leveled at the enemy.
Jet-black aura blossomed at the tips of the spears.
And then.
———!
Crack—
Boom!
Clang—
Kieeeek!
Heeheeheeng!
The two forces collided. A bloodcurdling roar shook the battlefield.
The Dire Wolves, riddled with holes, were reduced to bloody pulps and sent flying through the air. Red droplets of blood scattered in every direction.
The cavalry, which had faltered for a moment, spurred their horses on, trampling the earth now mixed with corpses.
The ink-black spears sought the blood of new foes.
“Don’t stop!”
“Don’t fall behind!”
It was like a storm. They pushed forward, breaking through, piercing, and tearing apart everything in their path.
Kwoooar!
The monsters, knowing no fear, charged heedlessly.
But that only hastened their demise.
Before the thirty-one spears charging as one, all monsters met an equal fate.
In their wake, only a bloody path carved through monster blood and corpses remained.
* * *
- These fellows, I’d believe it if you told me they were a knight order, not mercenaries. To dive into a swarm of monsters without a hint of hesitation, trusting their comrades. This is the very textbook definition of a charge.
- I’d love to show this to those pompous fools who strut around calling themselves knights.
Gardner’s admiration was as good as a prediction of the battle’s outcome.
The Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group split the enemy formation in two, and just as the monsters’ attention was focused on them, the other mercenaries swarmed them from behind.
The entire field was littered with corpses, and the sickening stench of mingled human and monster blood stung the nose.
“…Ugh!”
Faced with the horrific carnage, Aint couldn’t help but retch.
He had thought he’d been through his fair share of real battles, but this was the first time he had witnessed a fight where dozens, hundreds of lives were extinguished.
“Phuhuhu, that’s what you get from a pampered upbringing.”
“Right? He was fearlessly lopping off heads during the fight, and now this?”
The mercenaries chuckled, and Barus handed him a towel.
“Wipe your mouth.”
“Thanks… isn’t this a rag?”
It was too dirty and smelly to be called a towel.
“I just used it to wipe some blood off while butchering monsters.”
While Aint was busy throwing up, most of the mercenaries were dismembering the monster carcasses to claim their share.
Barus was doing the same.
The completely butchered corpses were being gathered and burned by the kingdom’s army, which arrived late.
“Ugh. It’s making me even more nauseous.”
“Endure it. Isn’t this the kind of experience you wanted when you became a mercenary?”
“That’s true, but…”
Did I really need to wipe my mouth with a rag used to clean monster blood?
In any case, this was nothing compared to the war against the demons. Thinking he couldn’t afford to be weak over something like this, Aint forced himself to stand up.
“Captain Barus. The commander summons you.”
A messenger approached them just then.
The commander of the subjugation force was Count Pasen of the Prasia Kingdom, who was currently leading them.
“I’ll be there.”
Barus followed the messenger into the command tent and only came out about two hours later.
“According to the scouts, the monsters are scattered all over in small groups. Therefore, our forces will be divided accordingly.”
“So the mercenaries will also operate autonomously by group.”
“Right. The rights to the carcasses will belong to the subjugators, and additional payment will be given for proof of a kill.”
Owning the rights to the monsters you killed was a given.
As if they had received the same message, other mercenary groups began preparing to leave the camp, one by one.
“What about the kingdom’s army?”
“The army will also be split into squad-sized units and dispersed.”
“What if the monsters regroup?”
“For that, they’ve distributed maps marked with major rallying points within the territory.”
A total of twelve locations.
These were towns and cities where people would normally be living. The idea was that if the monsters regrouped into a large force, everyone should gather at the nearest rallying point and join forces.
There were also signal flares to be fired in case of an emergency.
“Sounds good. Then let’s go hunt the Gorgon.”
“We should. That’s the request, after all. Aint, what are your plans?”
“…Hmm. If it’s not too much trouble, could I continue to follow you?”
This first battle had taught Aint a harsh lesson.
Thanks to his swordsmanship and the nature of his aura, he was optimized for fighting demonic beasts, but apart from that, he was still lacking in many ways.
He judged it better to learn about the reality of this life under the wing of a veteran mercenary group than to wander alone and die an anonymous death.
“As you wish.”
“Thanks.”
“Then you’ll have to pay up.”
The vice-captain suddenly held out his hand.
“Pay?”
“When you think about it, this is an escort request, isn’t it? Of course, there should be a fee.”
“Hector.”
“Just kidding. Since you’re a friend of our young master, we’ll do it for free, of course.”
He chuckled, stroking his messy beard.
“Thank you.”
“Who knows? Maybe we’ll get to cash in a favor from the imperial family someday.”
The Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group rode nonstop for a full day. Their goal was the Gorgon, and they pushed toward the monster-infested heartland faster than anyone else.
Thanks to this, Aint felt the full, rewarding experience of being a mercenary.
“Are you sure it’s hundreds? Not thousands?”
Aint gasped for breath, flicking the blood from his sword. The putrid smell emanating from his entire body was so strong his nose had gone numb.
“It’s not that the numbers themselves are huge, it’s just that they’re swarming us without giving us a chance to rest.”
Barus replied while skinning a griffin.
Of course, he only meant that it wasn’t an exaggeration to call it thousands.
“How far are we from the Gorgon’s lair?”
“At this rate, it will take at least two more days. There are more monsters than we thought, so our progress is slow.”
“That’s right. There seem to be more monsters than expected.”
“Doesn’t this make it easier for us when we hunt the Gorgon? Gorgons are so ferocious that other monsters don’t approach their territory. More monsters around here won’t be a problem.”
“True, if it’s like this for us, it’ll take the others even longer.”
The mercenaries chimed in one by one in response to Aint’s question. It seemed that fighting alongside each other for two days had forged a bond of sorts.
Aint chewed on a piece of jerky.
“You’ve become a full-fledged mercenary in just two days.”
He must have adapted, as he could stomach jerky even on a battlefield of corpses like this.
“The sun will be setting soon, so let’s call it a day and find a place to make camp…”
It was then.
A wind blew.
The moment Aint felt something faint carried on that wind, a strange feeling washed over him.
What should he call this?
- Unpleasant.
Yes, it was unpleasant. Disgusting and foul.
An instinctual loathing and repulsion.
And for Aint, it was a sensation that had become somewhat familiar.
- Aint!
Gardner sent a fierce warning.
A chill ran down the back of Aint’s neck.
“Get back!”
Aint drew his sword. At that moment, black masses rained down like hail.
———!
The pure white arc he drew deflected the black flashes of light.
A roar echoed, and the ensuing shockwave shook the ground.
“Wh-what the…!”
“Ambush!”
The members of the group, startled, assumed battle stances.
Aint clutched his tingling arm and steadied his wavering posture.
“You blocked that?”
A very small, low voice. Yet, it was clearly audible.
“As expected of His Excellency's judgment. You’ve truly reached a level that can no longer be ignored.”
“Who are you?!”
“What are you, you bastard.”
Sensing an unusual aura, the mercenaries raised their spears, on guard.
“I have no interest in small fry, so get lost.”
Ah, of course, that didn’t mean he would let them live.
“For no one will leave this place alive today.”
“You arrogant bastard…!”
“Everyone, stay sharp!”
They felt a sense of foreboding but did not back down. Their fighting spirit gradually intensified.
“Aint. What is this thing? You seem to know.”
“…It’s a Vile Breed.”
“A Vile Breed?”
Barus, momentarily surprised by the unexpected name, soon broke into a faint smile.
“We’ll get the details later. For now, this is good.”
“Good?”
“Then the Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group will be the first mercenary band since the Great War to slay a Vile Breed. You all hear that?”
The members responded to Barus’s shout.
“Yes, of course!”
“A Vile Breed. I never knew those worms who sell their souls to demons actually existed, but this will surely make our group more famous.”
“Our fees will go up too!”
“Nice, very nice.”
“The important thing is bigger fees!”
Khuhuhu, the mercenaries let out cheerful laughs.
“How dare you insects treat me as prey…!”
The Vile Breed’s eyebrow twitched.
“Know your place…!”
Shweeeek—
A black flash, different from the ones the Vile Breed had shot, grazed past its ear.
“You dodged that from this distance?”
Barus muttered as he pulled out another short throwing spear.
“Impressive. I suppose you’re at least worthy of selling your soul to a demon.”
“You damn insect…!”
The Vile Breed roared.
The battle had begun.
* * *
It began with thrown spears.
Exactly thirty-one flashes of light shot out in unison.
Kwaang!
A black barrier deflected all the flashes.
Immediately after, the members kicked off the ground in unison. Black aura was honed sharply at the tips of their ink-black spears.
The Vile Breed swiftly threw a punch. Demonic energy surged. By the time the fist reached the dozens of spear tips, there was no longer a human there.
Only a three-meter-tall giant shrouded in demonic energy remained.
──!
Thirty-one spears hammered against the giant’s hide. Not a single spear was sharp enough to pierce it.
“Keuk…!”
Barus, who had taken the punch head-on, cried out and was thrown backward. But he had no time to absorb the shock and regain his posture.
“So you’re their leader.”
The black giant had immediately closed the distance.
Kwaaaang!
The specially crafted ink-black spear bent as if it would break. Another punch fell, but he managed to block that one as well. Barus forcefully swallowed the blood that rose in his throat.
“You crazy monster…!”
Fortunately, there was no third punch. Aint, who had approached in an instant, brought down his sacred sword.
———!
The sound was different, and so was the result.
The two energies writhed violently, like a battle between light and darkness, and a part of the Vile Breed’s hide cracked open. The creature let out a pained scream.
In that opening, Barus gulped and thrust his spear forward.
A blade forged by wringing out his aura hole, made as large and sharp as possible, stabbed at the Vile Breed’s heart.
─!
Aura and demonic energy collided, causing an explosion. Barus took a step back from the strong recoil.
Indeed, his full-powered strike had worked. The spear had pierced through the demonic hide.
But that was all. It was merely a small scratch, and even that was healing quickly.
‘This thing is a monster, isn’t it?’
The result was quite different from what Aint had achieved.
Barus recalled an old legend. The legend of the Armians, said to be the nemesis of demons.
“Everyone, support Aint!”
“Yes, sir!”
The veteran mercenaries realized what the surest path to victory was.
And that sight grated on the Vile Breed’s nerves.
“You fly-like bastards!”
The demonic energy that had been pulsing throughout its body was released all at once. The mercenaries were all pushed back by the shockwave that shot out with a deafening roar.
Only Aint, with his opposing power, withstood it. The Vile Breed then took a deep breath. A massive amount of demonic energy was gathered and then unleashed.
Aint thrust his sword forward.
─!
Light and darkness clashed. Fragments of severed darkness scattered in all directions.
In that brief moment, the Vile Breed was already right in front of Aint.
Kwaang, a fist came down vertically. The sword that barely blocked it trembled violently.
Kagagak, the sword that had deflected the punch slid up its forearm. The Vile Breed took a step back, and Aint closed the distance.
─!
──!
A dozen exchanges occurred in an instant. With each blow, the earth trembled, and scars were carved into the space.
Amidst that fierce battle, the mercenaries moved. Hunters who had killed countless monsters.
The flanks and the rear. The spears sought the openings that were left wide open as it focused on Aint.
But it was a trap.
Black thorns shot out from the body of the true hunter, who had been waiting for the flies’ attack.
“Keuk…!”
“Watch out!”
Tjeong, some dodged, some blocked, and some were pierced. The process was different, but the result was the same. None of them managed to wound the Vile Breed.
Except for Barus.
He advanced, his senses on high alert. He dodged and deflected dozens of thorns, ignoring the minor cuts.
And right in front of the Vile Breed, he leaped high like a grasshopper.
The back of the three-meter-tall head was visible.
The gleaming black spear pierced through space. Or rather, it was about to.
At that moment—
“Foolish man.”
An eye opened on the back of the Vile Breed’s head. A mouth soon followed, spitting out a condensed blast of demonic energy.
The black spear shattered a part of the demonic energy. But the aftermath sent Barus’s body flying through the air.
And the demonic thorns did not miss the opportunity.
Crack—
A flash of light pierced through Barus.
“…Barus!”
“Captain!”
“Captain…!”
His body fell like a puppet with its strings cut.