Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: I Alone Am Enough (3)
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“Those ill-mannered bastards.”
The chieftain of the Black Beak Tribe, Umtra, spurred his horse forward with fury blazing in his eyes.
It was because he had spotted lunatics leisurely crossing ‘Midcray’ as if it were their own backyard.
Though the distance was considerable, Umtra, who had spent his entire life on the plains, had no trouble spotting them.
The Palette Merchant Group’s flag fluttering in the wind.
These were people who weren’t even allowed to set foot on ‘Midcray’.
‘Did they think a modest caravan of a single wagon would slip past us unnoticed?’
They were clearly mad with a death wish.
He bared his yellowed teeth in a cruel grin.
Umtra had no intention of just standing by and watching their suicide.
“Let’s go!”
At Umtra’s shout, the bandit horde began charging across the plains.
Hooves thundered against the open field.
And moments later, as the enemy wagon drew closer into view, something unbelievable entered his sight.
“What am I seeing?”
He rubbed his eyes with the hand not gripping the reins, wondering if it was a hallucination.
Someone was charging straight toward them.
And alone, at that.
‘Is he really insane with a death wish?’
The madman was living up to his reputation.
……But something felt off.
The approaching figure was moving too fast to be human.
Even accounting for their own speed.
Then, suddenly, he came to a halt.
They were still at a distance.
At that moment, a flash of silver scales gleamed from afar.
It was light reflecting off a sword blade.
The idiot was swinging his sword from way over there.
Umtra threw his head back and laughed, exposing his rotten molars.
“Kuahaha! What a pathetic fool.”
But then.
Clatter-crash!
His subordinates began tumbling from their horses one by one, rolling across the ground.
As if struck by something mid-charge, they flipped through the air, spewing blood.
‘What the hell?’
The formation crumbled in an instant. Umtra, eyes bulging, raised his axe and bellowed.
“Damn it! Just charge!”
He didn’t know if the guy was a mage or what, but the Black Beak Tribe never turned tail once they’d set their minds to something.
It was their one unbreakable rule.
Besides, Umtra figured he could easily lop off the bastard’s head once they closed the gap.
So they charged ahead blindly.
As the distance to the lone sword-swinging maniac shrank, gaps appeared in their lines like the spaces in Umtra’s teeth.
“You damned bastard!”
Umtra’s enraged roar echoed across the plains. The guy was now close enough to see clearly.
Then, once more, the sword flashed.
This time, the light met his gaze head-on.
Crunch!
That was his final memory.
* * *
An endless plain lay beneath a night sky studded with stars. ‘Midcray’ was shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
Baikot Hill, known as the navel of the plains.
Torches pushing back the darkness began gathering one by one atop it.
Chieftains of the bandit tribes, who hadn’t assembled in nearly a decade, were arriving in droves.
‘Bandit Alliance.’
Originally divided into eight tribes, only six chieftains had gathered now.
Two were already in the afterlife.
“What a delightful bunch of faces.”
With his wild chin beard and unkempt hair, he looked no different from a beggar. He grinned widely at the assembling group.
His teeth were as black as the night sky.
“Damn it. This is a pain in the ass.”
The most well-groomed among them grumbled as he took a seat at the prepared spot.
Their standard of grooming was simple: no scars on the face.
“Quit whining. Word came that you’d show?”
A man with a scar across his lips spoke up.
“Skip the greetings. Let’s get started once everyone’s here.”
A mountain of a man took charge, his massive frame making the others look small by comparison.
As he said, the six leaders had soon assembled at the summit of Baikot Hill.
“You all know Umtra and Sugato are dead, right?”
No one was unaware of what the beggar-like man said.
That was precisely why they had gathered.
“Some tiger-nosed bastards crossed the plains alone.”
As he continued, the chieftains chimed in one after another, turning the meeting rowdy in no time.
“Should skin ‘em alive and drag ‘em behind the horses. Heh heh.”
“We gathering over just two punks? Ridiculous.”
“That moron Umtra. Knew it’d happen to him.”
“Enough with the cursing. The problem is that bastard’s insanely strong.”
The beggar-like man soothed those not grasping the gravity and refocused attention.
“They can’t be that tough.”
A fierce-looking man sneered.
He resembled a beast wearing human skin.
“Then why don’t you handle him solo?”
“What?”
His eyes flashed with murderous intent at the provocation.
But no one here feared him for that.
“Two tribes fell to him. Survivors said they dropped like sick goats, powerless. Not something you just stroll up to.”
As the tension eased, the beggar-like man pressed on.
“We all move together.”
His words split the six chieftains into two clear camps.
One favored a joint attack; the other scoffed at the idea for mere two men.
But the debate resolved quicker than expected.
Joint action bruised pride, but none stepped up alone.
Uncharacteristically united, they agreed to kill the pair.
Letting flag-waving merchants go would wound pride and weaken plain control, sparking chaos.
They sensed it instinctively.
No matter how strong, they believed full force would suffice.
With the rare accord reached, they rose.
Below Baikot Hill, their assembled troops filled the surroundings.
The bandits’ full might.
Decision made, they moved without delay.
The plains were their palm; patience was alien to them.
They advanced straightaway.
Hundreds of horses drummed the earth.
Like a black torrent surging across the plain.
Dawn was breaking.
Dozens of arihawks took to the skies, serving as their eyes.
Soon, the scattered arihawks regrouped, circling in a massive ring like a storm.
A target locked.
They charged ferociously toward it.
* * *
“Looks like those guys are begging for breakfast already.”
“Early bird catches the worm, huh.”
After breakfast, hawk-like birds circled overhead.
Allen tossed bread crumbs their way, but none descended.
Food wasn’t their goal.
“Know what those hawks are?”
“Hm. Arihawks, probably. They’re common around here, I heard. Prefer meat over bread, maybe?”
He voiced the naive thought, eyeing the gathering flock.
“They do want meat.”
Ours, though.
“Shall I toss some fresh meat?”
“Nah, waste not.”
“But we’ve still got plenty……”
He smacked his lips regretfully. Meat was ample, thanks to the chill-preserving artifact.
But.
“They’re not after that kind.”
“Then what?”
I pointed at him without a word.
Allen’s eyes widened as he jabbed at his own chest.
“Me? Why me!”
“You look tasty.”
“……You bastards! Scram!”
Allen flailed fists at the sky in futile gestures.
Then he glanced at me, tilting his head.
“Lord Jenness, don’t you feel something off?”
“What?”
“……The ground’s shaking.”
Dullard.
The faint tremors had started earlier.
Now clear enough for even Allen to feel, they intensified.
Something approached us.
“N-No way!”
He scrambled atop the wagon, shading his eyes to scan around.
Paling, he turned to me.
“Lord Jenness!”
“I know.”
I grasped his meaning.
“No. This is different from before……”
Fear laced Allen’s hushed voice.
“……The dust cloud’s way bigger than last time.”
The horizon confirmed it—vast foam-like dust billowed, incomparable to before.
Like an incoming wave.
I smirked at the sight. Looked like every local bandit had mobilized. Things would wrap up easier and faster than thought.
Rumble-rumble!
As bandits filled the view, the tremors pounded soles harder.
“……You can handle that many?”
Allen eyed me anxiously. Eyeballing it, no one man could.
“Of course.”
I replied simply, as always.
Such rabble posed no threat, even en masse. I strode toward them.
Thud!
A gust whipped behind my step. I charged, distance closing fast.
The indistinct horde sharpened into individuals.
Reining with one hand, weapons raised in the other, bandits gleamed with madness.
Weaklings, but mounted and charging united, their momentum crushed down.
To them, I was a bug to trample.
The power gap seemed that vast intuitively.
I drew my sword facing them.
Morning light shattered atop the Thundercloud Sword in my grip.
Fissh-shooo!
Black thorns erupted from afar, blotting the sky in a downpour.
Arrows rained like a torrent.
I stepped into the barrage.
No storm’s complete without lightning.
Heavenly Spirit Divine Art: Footwork Chapter.
Chapter 2: Thunder Chase.
One step, and the world slid back.
Gap to bandits swallowed in a gulp.
My blurring form trailed a long shadow tail.
Thunder Chase: one step pursuing lightning.
No mere rain could snare it.
Arrows pattered harmlessly behind.
Now the bandits loomed like a long wall, distance scant.
I gripped my sword tight.
My turn.
Heavenly Spirit Divine Art: Swordsmanship Chapter.
Chapter 1: Heavenly Severing Line.
The blade arced left to right.
A thin, thread-like sword aura etched a blue horizontal across the horizon.
Razor trajectory bloomed red flowers where it lingered.
The bandits’ front line collapsed in a breath.
Yet they pressed on, trampling and leaping fallen comrades.
I unleashed again.
Flashes trailed long, skewering foes like arrows.
Sword auras shot forth.
Each gleam swept bandits like autumn leaves.