Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Black Wolf Mercenary Group - 7
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I tried to lead the mother and daughter to the shelter, but a bigger problem cropped up than I'd anticipated.
The little girl's legs were in rough shape—she couldn't run.
"I'm sorry."
The child eyed me nervously, so I forced a smile and stroked her head to reassure her as I replied.
"Don't worry. Big bro's got strength to spare."
Then I sought permission from her mother.
"Excuse me for a sec."
"Kyaa?!"
"Bear with it, even if it feels weird."
Given the dire circumstances, I slung the mother and daughter over my shoulders and bolted to the shelter.
I hated leaving that limping guy behind, but we had to save who we could first.
We made it to the shelter.
The doors were still open.
As soon as I dropped the pair off inside, Carlson came over.
"The mercenaries have pulled back for now. Resistance was fiercer than they expected, so they're regrouping."
"A stalemate, then. Understood."
Things were unfolding better than I'd hoped.
But the issue now was we had no traps left and barely any arrows.
'They've got about fifty. We've got twenty.'
Could I alone overcome a 2.5-to-1 disadvantage?
'It's not about can or can't—it's gotta be done.'
To protect my family.
Of course, I knew damn well it wouldn't be easy.
...
For a ragtag mercenary band, plundering a village wasn't easy.
From the mercs' side, it was just business for coin. But for the villagers, it was life or death, so fierce resistance was only natural.
But a group on the level of the Black Wolf Mercenary Group turned plundering into child's play.
Having done it dozens of times, they were experts at it. No matter how big the village, they could crush it effortlessly.
That meant a massive mercenary leader like their captain didn't need to charge in personally.
His underlings would handle the tribute just fine.
Wolf had been watching leisurely like that, but the resistance was fiercer than expected.
It felt like a battlefield.
"Traps, arrows from the watchtower, even proper tactics? This ain't no backwater village—it's a garrison?"
Things had felt off since they arrived, but not this off.
Impressed inwardly, Wolf turned to his advisor, the vice-leader.
"What now? Losses are piling up. Aaron."
Aaron broke into a cold sweat at Wolf's words.
They'd already lost a chunk of men en route, and the village resistance had halved their numbers.
Mercs were easy to replace, but not veterans like the squad leaders.
They were the group's real assets. No more losses could be tolerated.
"Sorry, but it looks like you'll have to step in yourself, Captain."
"Haa... what a pain."
Wolf grumbled as he rose.
He'd come expecting to bed some pretty village girls, not this hassle.
"I'm too valuable for this."
"I know."
Wolf's combat prowess outstripped the entire Black Wolf Mercenary Group combined.
He was knight-class, through and through.
A lone knight could turn the tide of battle.
"Half the haul from this job."
"Now we're talking."
Wolf was the nominal captain, but Aaron, the vice-leader, pulled the real strings.
He'd founded the Black Wolf Mercenary Group and recruited Wolf in the first place.
Aaron propped Wolf up as the frontman for battles, while handling admin, payroll, and the like himself.
It was an efficient setup.
Wolf racked up the glory on the field; rational Aaron managed the rest.
Unlike Aaron, though, Wolf had no attachment to the group.
To him, it was just one way to make money.
Aaron knew that, so he kept Wolf in line with coin—like now.
"Alright, let's go!"
Wolf charged out.
With his aura reinforcing his body, his physical abilities were downright superhuman.
"Captain?!"
"Why're you here?"
"'Cause you lot are so damn pathetic."
Wolf sneered at his men getting thrashed by mere farmers, then eyed a blond middle-aged man who handled his sword well.
"Huh. One decent guy in the mix."
The blond was leading the militia, holding off the mercs.
His uphill tactical positioning was solid, even by Wolf's standards.
But not enough for Wolf.
"Let's see what you've got."
"What the—?"
Carlson swung wildly in panic as Wolf appeared before him, but Wolf dodged cleanly and counterattacked.
Carlson blocked fast, but Wolf's blade wasn't ordinary.
A magic sword forged from long-depleted mithril.
Infused with Wolf's aura, the strike cleaved Carlson's steel sword like paper.
"Gaaah!"
"Carlson!"
"Dammit, Carlson's down!"
Without their leader, the villagers' defense crumbled fast.
"Seriously? I have to handle this crap personally?"
"Haha, my apologies."
Wolf stretched without even warming up, then turned back. He'd squashed the biggest threat; the rest was for his men.
"Gaaah!"
Then.
One of his men charging ahead got ripped in half sideways.
...
"Haha, what's this? A real contender."
A clean left-right split, not top-bottom?
With pure strength, no aura?
Amused by the feat, Wolf laughed heartily.
...
Carlson was down.
Luckily not fatal, but he'd be sidelined for a while.
'The problem's that guy.'
The black-haired man radiated the confidence of a true powerhouse.
Smaller than me, but instinct screamed he was no pushover.
Thrust!
He lunged, stabbing at me.
'Fast.'
Not beyond my vision, but superhuman speed tensed every nerve.
"Well, well. Dodging?"
'That sword's dangerous.'
The blue-glowing blade had sliced Carlson's like tofu.
Blocking was out of the question.
Simple counter: don't get hit.
"Try dodging this!"
He hounded me relentlessly.
His brutal, rapid swordplay pressed hard, turning the area to wreckage, but I adapted to his speed, reading his moves.
'Easier than the Black Tiger.'
Not easy compared to that monster, but manageable.
"What the hell are you?"
After rampaging awhile, he halted, face incredulous.
"Keeping up without aura? Some monster spawn?"
"Lost, so now personal attacks."
Calling me a monster's kid?
First time for that; it was ridiculous.
"Just curious. No human matches that without aura. Ogre hybrid, maybe."
"Ogre-human hybrids exist?"
"Figure of speech, idiot."
Spitting curses, he pondered, then extended a hand.
"Hey, join my crew."
"Recruiting now?"
"Yeah. Waste to rot in this dump. And I need real talent. Tired of these morons."
No hesitation on my end.
"Sounds good, but nah. Gotta pass. I'm head of household here."
If we'd met before marriage, I might've gone.
Living cooped up in the woods got old.
But now? Married.
Had a lovely wife Chloe, family in Sylvia, Clia, Leon. Even friend Tom.
Rooted here—no leaving.
"Shame. Can't force ya. Name?"
"Sian."
"Wolf. Gotta know a man's name before killing him. Right?"
"That's my line."
To the cocky bastard, I hefted the blackwood log from the trap.
"You're the one dying."
"Crazy... ogre spawn for real."
He never dreamed I'd lift it solo. Wolf retreated, but I wouldn't miss the opening.
"Tch!"
His sword carved the blackwood easily, but too thick for the blade's length—he couldn't sever it all.
Thwack!
First hit on Wolf, but minimal; he gritted his teeth, leaped atop the log, and charged.
I'd waited for this.
"Raaah!"
"Brute!"
As he mounted, I hurled the log skyward. Wolf floated up; I springboarded after.
Ground fight turned aerial in a flash.
His earth-leveraged strikes weakened midair.
"Die!"
We swung simultaneously.
Wolf slashed my chest.
"Dammit!"
I severed his sword hand.
Hitting ground, I didn't stop.
Wounded prey turns feral—this was his most dangerous moment.
I lunged without pause.
Squelch!
My blade pierced his gut.
"You're the second to wound me."
"Fuck, honored. Heh..."
Sensing death—or shocked to die so pathetically in a village—Wolf burst laughing.
"Hahaha, dying here! Nike'll have a fit! Cough!"
Vomiting blood, he made one request.
"Hey, take this sword. Not to anyone else."
His last words. Wolf breathed his last right there.