Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Muddy Waters
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"Mosquito spotted!"
"Mosquito spotted!"
The lights illuminating the sky,
and the voices echoing from all around.
The Sweeper Mercenary Corps halted their attack and fell back.
"Captain."
"..."
The Sweeper captain's mind raced.
'The lights must be a signal.'
'Are they waiting for reinforcements?'
'If so, their numbers here aren't that large.'
'Should we take out the mercenaries and then the watchers?'
The captain slowly shook his head.
He didn't know where the enemy's reinforcements were.
If they were closer than expected...
And if there were a lot of them?
'We'd be wiped out.'
"We're pulling out of here. Move, quickly!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
Led by the captain, the mercenaries swiftly departed.
"Is it okay to let them go?"
"We'll get another chance. They didn't get a good look at us anyway."
It was thanks to the hoods they kept pulled low, despite the discomfort.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
The Sweeper Mercenary Corps ran without rest.
Only after twenty-odd minutes did the captain signal a halt.
"Short break. After this, we move at a brisk pace."
The men, exhausted, murmured their acknowledgments and collapsed into rest.
Or tried to.
Bang! Bang!
"What the hell!?"
"Damn it! We just sat down!"
All eyes turned to the captain.
His mind raced again.
'Are they tailing us? Should we take them out now?'
The captain glanced around.
A dense forest of trees and underbrush.
Finding someone here wouldn't be easy.
And time wasn't on their side.
Those sky lights were signals for reinforcements, after all.
"Move out."
Up to this point, the Sweeper captain and his men weren't too worried.
They hunted not just monsters, but humans too.
Hunting humans, unlike dim-witted monsters, was far more challenging.
Having overcome such trials before, they figured they'd weather this storm too.
Until the lights in the sky began trailing them like a spider's web.
Monster Island.
Orc territory.
A bright light flashed and vanished.
"Their stamina is impressive. You sure we won't lose them?"
I turned to Kaiman walking beside me.
"It's fine. No matter how tough they are, they can't outrun a relay chase."
After the first signal,
the hunters and slave soldiers scattered in all directions converged on the spot.
They probably thought they were escaping, but in reality, they were being surrounded by allies closing in from every side.
"And you said they were pretty skilled, right?"
"That's right. Some of the mercenaries they took down were no slouches."
"Once we've worn them out, it'll be even easier to catch them."
.
.
.
The midnight pursuit ended only when the sun rose.
Twelve assassins.
Over a thousand people had gathered around them.
1,300 slave soldiers led by Hans.
350 hunters under Uncle Miller.
Thirty mercenaries, including Kaiman.
I stood before the mercenaries alongside Kaiman.
They'd apparently given up, doffing their hoods.
"Sweeper Mercenary Corps..."
"You know them?"
"They're the ones who handle the dirty work, mostly. Specialists in cleanup, you could say."
The man who appeared to be the Sweeper captain stepped forward.
"Lord Kaiman, long time no see. We met once before, remember?"
"What nonsense is this? And is now the time?"
The captain flashed a small smile and tossed his sword to the ground.
"There was a clash between mercenaries in the field. The guild will sort it out."
"..."
The situation felt off.
The one surrendering was smiling,
while the decision-maker scowled.
"Lord Kaiman, what's going on?"
"Surrendering grants them the right to guild investigation."
"And?"
"The Sweepers do dirty work. So they have backing—high up in the guild."
The picture was coming together.
Even as we spoke, the Sweeper captain exuded confidence.
"Clashes in the field happen all the time, don't they? When the guild investigators arrive, we'll explain everything. So why not head back for now?"
Grind.
I heard Kaiman's teeth clench.
Yet he did nothing.
Both Kaiman and Aine wanted to reform the mercenary guild, but that didn't mean they hated it.
Quite the opposite—they loved it, which was why.
"So you'll follow guild rules? Even if it means letting these villains go free?"
"...Sorry. The system itself isn't bad..."
Naive.
That naivety was why they hadn't changed the guild yet.
'Well, I wasn't much different.'
Back on Earth, I was like that too.
No—even worse.
I'd avoid conflict, calling good things good.
But.
After everything I'd been through, I'd changed.
Coming to this world.
Experiencing death here.
"First, bind them."
"...Understood."
Kaiman and the mercenaries collected the Sweepers' weapons and tied their hands.
Their expressions were a stark contrast once more.
The Sweepers were relaxed,
while the others' faces burned red with rage.
Those mercenaries had just been lucky to survive.
They could have died to the Sweepers at any moment.
Yet now they had to let them go. How frustrating must that be?
After binding them,
Kaiman and the mercenaries surrounded the Sweepers,
preparing to head to West River and the guild.
Until I raised my arm to stop them.
"Heir, what's this?"
"Dismiss the mercenaries. I have words for these ones."
Kaiman let out a small sigh.
"I understand your feelings, Heir, but to run a guild, we must follow guild law."
"Of course."
I had no intention of breaking guild law.
As long as we needed the guild, we had to avoid clashing with them as much as possible.
Step. Step.
I stood before the Sweeper Mercenary Corps.
Kaiman stood guard at my side, as if he had no choice.
Hans, who commanded the slave soldiers, joined us too.
"Sweeper captain."
"What do you want?"
"Do you think you've won?"
"Hmph. What are you on about?"
The captain's smile deepened.
This was deliberate, meant to provoke me.
"From what I've seen surviving... mercy doesn't always lead to good outcomes."
"Haha. How long have you even survived to say that? Think I haven't looked into you, Heir? And you need the guild. You won't break guild law over this—I know it."
"You know well. But you missed one thing."
"What? What did I miss?"
I mirrored his mocking smile and stepped forward.
The captain called after me a few times, but I ignored him.
Instead, I gave Hans one order.
A moment later,
"Wh... what the hell is this!?"
The Sweeper Mercenary Corps stood alone in the clearing.
Hundreds of crossbows trained on them.
A phalanx unit shielding the crossbowmen.
Kaiman and the mercenaries fell back amid the sudden shift.
"He... Heir!"
Even Kaiman called out in surprise.
I answered by slowly drawing my sword.
Stab.
The blade tip plunged into the earth.
"As the Frontier Heir, I hold the duty and right to defend Frontier territory. The River area is land I manage directly, granting me authority to judge all crimes committed here."
The mercenary guild was a massive organization, no doubt.
But not the world's strongest.
Stronger entities existed.
One was the empire I belonged to.
If the empire was the radiant sun, the guild was less than the moon beside it.
Within the empire, imperial law superseded guild law.
There were countless reasons, but no need to explain.
If pressed, it was because the empire was stronger.
Thus, even the guild acknowledged it.
"In Frontier territory, the Sweeper captain and his men, guilty of organized murder, are hereby summarily executed. Hans!"
"Yes, sir! Crossbowmen, aim!"
The captain screamed amid the rapid developments.
"Heir! No, Heir-nim! Calm down! Hear me out!"
"I've already heard the victims' statements, and compared the wounds to the deceased. Hans!"
"Fire!"
At Hans's command, hundreds of bolts rained down on the mercenaries.
Skilled as they were,
they couldn't dodge.
Weapons taken, hands bound.
The captain twisted desperately, but only enough to shield vital organs.
"Crossbows, reload!"
"Fire!"
Once. Twice. Thrice.
After three volleys, no Sweepers stood.
This was the power of authority.
A power one must seize by any means.
If Brilda held it, I'd have to flee Frontier like a fugitive.
'Even then, I wouldn't live in peace.'
"Hans, clean up the bodies."
"Yes, sir!"
As the slave soldiers handled the aftermath,
Kaiman approached.
"Heir... you're definitely different from us."
"..."
"On behalf of the mercenaries, thank you."
"No need. It's my duty too."
.
.
.
After executing the Sweeper Mercenary Corps,
River and the surrounding areas regained peace.
West River Heir's office.
"Found in Frontier territory?"
"Yes. Specifically, the goblin-infested zone."
In the wake of the Sweeper incident, we'd deployed hunters en masse to scour the area.
And discovered something previously unknown.
I looked down and reread the report.
To sum it up:
-Dense demonic energy, hard for humans to approach.
-Couldn't search inside, but spotted goblins entering.
"Aine, your thoughts?"
"From the hunter who found it, they were much bigger than normal goblins. Given the territory size, there must be a lot."
"I see."
I gathered my thoughts and spoke.
"Go to the guild and post a goblin subjugation request. Set the reward generously."
"Got it."
This was my chance to spread money among the mercenaries.
To win over those shaken by the Sweeper affair.