Trap (1)
Raven and Sophia had taken their seats in the auction house. Though Valerius had recruited them in a somewhat forceful manner, now that they were part of the same outfit, the two had grown a bit more comfortable with each other.
"What're we grabbing here?"
"A barbarian bow."
Sophia, sitting side by side with him in the auction room, turned to look at Raven. Among the burly Black Lion mercenaries, he was the slimmest man—but packed with lean, tough muscles that filled him out completely.
"I heard all northerners are hunters."
"Spot on. Most men can shoot a bow, and women wield spears."
Yet in the group led by Valerius, there were hardly any archers. Noticing the question on Sophia's face, Raven smirked.
"The boss hates ranged DPS."
"Ranged DPS?"
"Y'know, guys who attack from afar. Says if you send one out from top lane, you'll be kissing the dirt. And get this—the best shot among us is the boss himself."
Due to his deep-seated ranged DPS phobia, most of Valerius's Black Lions were melee types.
"What a weird guy."
"Ain't he? And surprisingly, he's someone you can trust."
Raven had first met Valerius at age seven. Valerius had been eight at the time, and they'd crossed paths while picking pockets in the back alleys.
"Even as a kid, the boss wasn't your average joe."
He still remembered those sharp, gleaming eyes on an orphan. The guy had talked young Mother Seria into taking him in, dragged in all the street kids, and started training them up like they were his manpower resources.
He'd taught them skills suited to their talents, gotten them jobs, and set up a labor exchange through his inn and tavern to keep the cycle going.
"Pretty impressive, right?"
"No doubt. Sharp as hell."
Valerius was known as a bear with a fox's brain. It wasn't an exaggeration to say Rozanica's growth was thanks to Mother Seria and him.
And after racking up all those achievements, he'd finally made it north. The day he joined the Black Lions, Sophia and Yanes had heard his ambition straight from him.
'Normalize the North.'
His mighty homeland. A simple goal, but a distant and damn tough one.
Suddenly, a question popped into Sophia's mind. One of the biggest hurdles to normalizing the North was the barbarians, wasn't it?
"Speaking of, why a barbarian bow? Aren't they the enemy?"
"Barbarian bows are top-tier. Made from special wood—great elasticity."
Raven gave the textbook answer to her question. In truth, barbarian bows ranked among the absolute best available.
But Sophia saw right through it. That wasn't the only reason.
"There's more to it. We're on the same side now, right?"
At her words, Raven flinched for a second. He hesitated, sighed, and nodded.
"Barbarians lose their shit if they die to one of their own bows."
"Huh?"
"They wail and scream. 'Don't let me become fertilizer for that rowan tree!' They beg to be finished with a blade instead."
"……."
"So that's why we use 'em. To tell 'em their death was pointless. Forever."
Raven's face was ice-cold as he spoke. A ruthlessness that matched the North's biting winds perfectly. Meeting it head-on, Sophia just nodded silently.
That raw fury felt strangely familiar.
Creak.
Someone boldly shoved open the door to the inn where Valerius's group was staying. It was Bella, roped into the op against her will.
"You made it."
Valerius, nursing a drink at a table all to himself, greeted her warmly.
Bella scowled fiercely and marched over.
"Hoo. How delighted I am. War hero."
"Yeah, yeah. Good to see ya. Maid."
She sat across from him and glared daggers. But to Valerius—who'd endured Yanes's death stares countless times—it just came off as cute.
"The knight order you requested?"
"Sini Volk Knight Order's stepping up."
"Even their vice-captain?"
"……How did you know?"
Valerius chuckled. True to her roots as a dyed-in-the-wool noble brat, she was scheming as hell.
"Sacrifice pawn."
"……."
"Vice-captain who goes by 'Blue Wolf' instead of his order's name. Skilled, but central noble stock—probably a thorn in her side."
Isolde's competence was solid. Noble-style solid. Which was just another word for sneaky.
"Perfect pick to plant under a war hero she doesn't get along with. If he dies, no big loss—but it checks the box. Hell, she might even be hoping he croaks."
"……What the hell are you?"
Bella's eyes narrowed. Murderous intent flickered in those sharpened slits, but Valerius just snorted.
"Southern war hero. Rozanica's rebel. Serpia's bastard."
Just as Valerius said, Isolde wanted the Sini Volk vice-captain dealt with. It was a secret order given to Bella.
And this bear of a man had sniffed it out from circumstantial evidence alone.
"What do you want?"
"Since you're handling my headache, how about tossing in an artifact weapon?"
He was brazenly demanding access to the Serpia treasury. Bella, who'd planned to assassinate the vice-captain and fake an accident, was in a bind.
Plan exposed—any interference now meant mission failure for sure.
"……I'll suggest it."
"No skimping. Cool. Looking forward to your answer tomorrow with the knights."
Snickering, Valerius stood and approached her.
"Maid. Gonna be rough this time."
He clapped her shoulder and headed upstairs to his room, brushing past.
"Hoo. The young lady's got nothing on this guy for scary."
Shivering once, Bella bolted from the inn.
A day passed like that. The knight order finished prepping their expedition in a frenzy and rolled up with supply wagons.
"Yo. You made it."
Unlike Valerius's friendly tone, the knights looked grim.
"By the lady's command. Everyone, stay sharp."
At Bella's words, Sini Volk's vice-captain, Karl Tobfain, ground his teeth.
Who'd have thought that commoner punk from before was the southern war hero? His notoriety was infamous among nobles, leaving Karl flustered.
His own karma piling up unjustly—but nobles never owned their shit—so his rage naturally turned to Isolde.
Serving under an orphan commoner? Even for a lady's order, this was too much. Finish this job, rack up merits, report to the family, and get her reined in.
He fumed red and blue.
Watching, Valerius clicked his tongue low.
The North bonded by blood and ethnicity. Folks raised in harsh lands were clannish but tight-knit internally. Knight orders, frontline troops—all the same.
But central imports, hardcore noble elitists, taking root up here? That alone weakened the North. Like fruit rotting from inside.
And it'd taint Serpia power too.
"Alright, let's roll."
The knight order, including the vice-captain, numbered about ten. All Aura Users at minimum, plus Valerius's full crew—made for a damn strong combat group.
They left Serpia Duchy territory immediately. Knights all on horseback, plus Isolde's gift of wagons—top speed.
Should hit the target in about a week.
Sitting by the driver, Valerius mulled Forbidden Forest intel.
First thing after realizing he'd isekai'd: review original lore, memorize it cold.
No rich orphan affording fancy paper—he had to commit it to brainpower.
Luckily not a total dimwit; most stuck. Including Forbidden Forest bits.
'Limited, though.'
Heroine barely visited here, so scant details. Mentions only post-Northfall.
'Triggered the dead dragon revival event.'
When barbarians overran the North, countless northerners died. Their blood formed rivers, grudges thick as fog—reactivating the dragon corpse as undead.
Death dragon rose, melting the North away. Heroine figured it out, tried stopping it—but it beelined north to barbarian turf.
Holy Kingdom purified it after.
'Nothing else on the forest.'
There were no walkthroughs or strategy guides to rely on. But a basic scouting mission? Not too bad.
I just had to mind the White Dragon’s lingering mana quirks. The rest were just beefed-up monsters.
"What're you planning?"
Yanes asked from behind. Her gaze on the escorting knights.
"Dunno. Thinking."
Isolde wanted the vice-captain dead—not the rest. Knights cost a fortune to train.
Cheaper to ship 'em south than dog-kill 'em. Bella'd tip him off first, probably.
Goal was Forbidden Forest survey, obviously. Ducal funding—do it proper.
Vice-captain "naturally" handled en route. Easy. Leave him be, Bella'd manage.
Just collect payoff for looking the other way after.
"Into a forbidden zone. Hoo."
"Cut the chatter."
He hammered home: no dragon talk. Leak to ducal house, massive purge incoming—his cut gone.
"Ha? I'm Valbasor, y'know? Magic family."
"Got it. Got it."
Her axe-glare hit instant; Valerius flinched.
That look never failed to terrify.
"Hey. I can hear everything?"
Bella, driving beside him, shot him a what-the-hell look.
Ducal rep right there, and they're debating knight disposal like it's casual chat.
"Then ask her yourself. What's the play?"
"……I'll tip you off later. Keep the order intact for now."
"Woulda been nice sooner."
"Ugh."
His gall made Bella sigh despite herself. She'd lived hard too, but this type? New breed.
No wonder Isolde found him intriguing.
"I'll handle the vice-captain clean."
"……I'll do it. Hands off."
"Nah, mine. I'll do it—and collect for it."
"Ugh."
This the guy who secured the south front in ten years? Same Master level, but experience gap worlds apart—no contest.
"Boss."
Raven, sprawled atop the wagon scanning surroundings, called out.
"Ambush spotted."
"Ambush? Where."
"Forest entrance. Dressed like basic bandits, but hiding pros."
"Fun bandits we got here."
Valerius eyed Bella—any connection?
She shook her head. He pointed the direction.
"Like I said—knights are……."
"I know. I'll handle it, so zip it, bunny."
Brushing off Bella, Valerius narrowed his eyes.
Fake bandits. Right at the Forbidden Forest path.
Smells rotten.
"Raven. Leave one alive. Interrogation."
"Got it."
Been too long since he heard screams.