Chapter 43: Two Weapon Merchants
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Two Weapon Merchants
[I would be grateful if you read today's afterword. Please, please read it!]
*
The western city of Aia was primarily managed by the Saint Knights Order. Typically, a small group of humans formed what was called a clan, and as their numbers grew, they became a guild.
The Saint Knights Order, being massive in scale and possessing numerous powerful individuals, was a ‘guild.’ The Red Cross Clan was just one of the many subordinate clans under its banner. Much like how the Green Goblin Clan currently protected our Blood Dagger Clan, the Saint Knights Order assisted and protected the Red Cross Clan.
Only then did I realize why Choi Seulgi had been undertaking such a troublesome ‘job’ in this area.
It was because the Red Cross Clan managed the beginner hunting grounds and the entrance leading to the western forest.
‘That son of a bitch…’
Lee Youngdon, the master of the Red Cross Clan. I had heard rumors that he was a dirty character, but who would have thought that bastard was the source of all this?
Worse, in my past life, Lee Youngdon had even accused Park Youngwhan of a crime and had him executed. I remembered watching that scene with Choi Seulgi. He must have been caught by the Saint Knights Order and, worried that the trouble might reach him, decided to dispose of the evidence.
I slowly thought about Choi Seulgi once more.
The fact that those bastards were still roaming around here… meant there was a high probability that Choi Seulgi was also still here. No, she was definitely lying in wait somewhere, looking for an opportunity.
I couldn't be sure exactly where she was, but Choi Seulgi was undoubtedly targeting Lee Youngdon.
Of course, it would be impossible for her to hunt down Lee Youngdon by breaking through his numerous clan members. No matter how strong we had become, our opponent was still the master of a clan. Since she had initiated the fight, she must have had some kind of plan, but it certainly wouldn't be easy.
If we took them lightly, we would be the ones getting devoured. However, this wasn't a fight with no chance of victory. In the past, the members of the Red Cross Clan had been beings far beyond my reach. That was certainly true then.
But now…
The fact that the Green Goblin Clan’s assassins, who were supposed to be watching over us, hadn't appeared meant one thing. They had judged that the Red Cross Clan had no exceptionally powerful individuals among them. They believed that our Blood Dagger Clan was more than capable of defeating them. It had been a short time, but the Blood Dagger Clan had grown strong. Our tribesmen were clever and intelligent, and they were waiting for the chance to test their strength.
I quickly turned to the Blood Dagger Clan and spoke. It was only a guess, but now that my thoughts were somewhat organized, there was no time to stand around gawking.
“Everyone. Quietly. Prepare for battle.”
“Victory. For victory alone. Kkrik. Kkrik.”
At my voice, which echoed softly through the forest, my warriors quietly responded. Expectation and excitement flickered in everyone’s eyes. My slightly tense tone must have made them realize that this battle would not be as easy as the previous ones. I could see the faces of the Orcs, their eyes bloodshot as they snorted impatiently.
“Kruk.”
“Kkrik…”
The Saint Knights Order was composed of warriors, holy knights, and a small number of priests and magicians. It was a well-balanced clan, one you could call good. Lee Youngdon, who had advanced to a special class, was especially formidable. Despite his pig-like build, I had heard countless rumors of his strength.
For us, a clan composed mainly of assassins, swordsmen, and archers, you could say it was a poor matchup, to say the least.
However.
The Blood Dagger Clan never fights a battle it will lose.
Victory. For victory alone. And so, we slowly began to conceal ourselves.
*
Why were the goblins, hobgoblins, and even the orcs of the Blood Dagger Clan so obsessed with me? I was, of course, aware that a few of the goblins had noticed me throwing daggers from a distance, not participating directly in the first battle. The Blood Dagger Clan was formed partly because I was the first to evolve, but also because my fighting style had left a strong impression on them.
‘We are the despicable Blood Dagger Clan!’
‘We are despicable! The despicable Blood Dagger Clan.’
‘Our Chieftain is despicable!’
Literally, the identity of the Blood Dagger Clan was despicableness and cowardice. It was a way of thinking that didn't quite fit with the honor-venerating Green Skins. The Blood Dagger Clan used camouflage and did not hesitate to retreat. If we judged an enemy to be unbeatable, we would turn back. If we thought we could win, we would chase them down without fail. We would hunt. There was only one thing I always demanded of the tribesmen who went out to hunt.
‘Come back alive.’
Of course, this didn't mean that the members of our clan didn't value honor. They were still aggressive and honor-bound, as befitting Green Skins. When I lost my honor after being defeated by the Queen of the North, they cried for me and even shouted that we should go reclaim it together. They cleanly accepted defeat in the duels held under the chieftain's banner and respected one another.
That was why I couldn't understand it.
Why were these cute creatures so fanatical about me? I was despicable, weak, and would resort to dirty tricks to win. Naturally, I had once asked Mev for the reason.
‘Well, of course. It’s obvious. It’s because all of us, including me, are weak.’
Of course, there were no weaklings in the current clan.
The First and Second Brothers had successfully completed their class change to Orc Swordsman and put on impressive displays every time they entered battle, and it went without saying for the assassins who were on the rise these days. The same was true for the three goblin sisters, who were forging their own path. And it would be a shame to leave out the archers led by Mev.
Despite all this, the Blood Dagger Clan always thought from the position of the weak. They were individuals who had been particularly weak, even among goblins. The place where they had gathered was the Blood Dagger Clan.
Battle is fun, of course. But winning is more fun. Our chieftain always lets us win. That was what they were thinking.
“Kkrik. For Blood Dagger.”
“For Blood Dagger.”
And so, we descended upon the figures in red armor before us. The speed at which we burst from our hiding places was instantaneous. Since they were searching every corner of the ‘forest’ for the Weapon Merchant, they seemed to be operating in ‘several squads.’ Naturally, this was far more advantageous for us. The goal was to annihilate them all before the enemy even realized they were under attack.
“Kuaaaaaah!”
“Sh… Shit! It’s the Weapon Merchant! The Weapon Merchant! Location! Give the location!”
“The Green Flower… The Green Flower is here too!”
Their numbers weren't small. But since they were split into squads, we could easily devour this many. I charged forward, wielding my massive greatsword. A fire spell shot up into the sky in an instant. That magic, of course, wasn't meant to attack us. It was likely a spell to inform their fellow Red Cross members that a battle had begun, that the Weapon Merchant was here.
But I couldn't let them reveal our position so easily.
A magic arrow fired by Mev perfectly pierced the fire spell as it began to rise into the sky.
‘Nice.’
“Kuaaaaaaaang!”
I swung my greatsword with enough force to split them in half. Seeing the massive blade rushing toward them, the shield-bearing warriors actually charged forward. They were trying to disrupt my attack point, even by a little. Their shields, filled with mana, certainly looked too sturdy for my greatsword's edge to penetrate.
But…
“Krrrrrng.”
I used the flat of my greatsword to simply smack their shields away.
“D… Dammit!”
The shields were naturally knocked away from their bodies. And then came the rain of arrows from the archers and daggers from the assassins. In an instant, their bodies were turned into beehives.
“Uwaaaaaaack!”
“Aaaaaack!”
They must have been warriors with high vitality, as they were still alive. I felt the priests pouring holy power toward them, so I immediately smashed the heads of the off-balance warriors with my greatsword.
With a “CRUNCH,” their blood and brains splattered across my face. Without realizing it, my eyes had turned red, and I began to shout to the Blood Dagger Clan.
“Kill the humans spreading the bright light first! The humans spreading the bright light!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
The first to react to my voice was the valiant First Brother. The three goblin sisters also stopped their stealthy movements and instantly dropped into the enemy's rear. Instead of trying to break through the holy knights and warriors guarding the front, their small bodies allowed them to circle around toward the priests. With their high agility, this was quite threatening. In the end, the holy knights and warriors began to divert their forces toward the three goblin sisters, which meant our Orc Swordsmen could penetrate their ranks more easily.
The First Brother, having changed his class to a swordsman, was parrying the holy knights' blows as he approached the priests. The Second Brother was performing just as impressively.
“Krrrrrrng.”
We had the numerical advantage, and given our class composition, we were naturally stronger in a chaotic melee. The story might have been different if their front line hadn't completely collapsed, but the vanguards were currently preoccupied with keeping me in check. The holy knights hastily stepped forward, but it was a world of difference from having warriors hold the front. Assassins constantly popped out, thrusting their daggers, while swordsmen pushed into the enemy lines, creating space with their blades however they could. Of course, Mev's arrows were there to support the two Orc Swordsmen.
Her arrows, striking at the perfect moments, narrowly saved them from crisis.
“Uwaaaaaaack!”
“Aaaaaack!”
“Aack! My… my eyes!”
Thanks to her, the screams were endless.
And before long, the First Swordsman perfectly carried out the order to kill the humans spreading the bright light. The sight of him instantly leaping in, grabbing the neck of some nameless female priest, and shouting was, frankly, so impressive he seemed too good to be serving under me. Caught up in the excitement of battle, he began to roar.
“For Blood Dagger!”
And his sword accurately pierced the priest's skull.
“CRACK!”
“Krrrrk.”
Seeing that, I couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. The first battle was a complete victory for our side.
The problem was what came next, now that our location had been somewhat exposed. We had managed to stop the fireball from rising into the air, but there was no way to stop the screams from leaking out.
I slowly turned my gaze to Jung Hayeon. She slowly nodded and opened her mouth.
The reason I hadn't used Jung Hayeon in the first battle.
The answer was that the outcome of this entire forest battle rested in her two hands.
“Y-Yes!”
At last, Jung Hayeon began to speak as a green light emanated from her staff.
“.........”
Simultaneously, the tree roots began to move, little by little. It wasn't obvious, but slowly, very slowly, she was changing the terrain around us.
Roots continued to wrap around the ground. Some stopped midway, while others brazenly climbed up other trees and began to slowly bend them. The vines did the same. She was even starting to move trees from beneath the ground. The sight of a tree, which should have stood firm and unmoving, shifting even a little was truly a masterpiece.
Jung Hayeon's expression soured slightly, likely from using an excessive amount of mana, but if this was the extent of it, we definitely had a chance. I patted her head as a sign of praise. Her face immediately brightened. In this battle, Jung Hayeon would not use any other magic.
Instead, very slowly, she would change the terrain with every ambush. In the end, she would invite them into the Blood Dagger Clan's anthill.
When I subtly raised my hand, our clan members began to spread out in all directions, shouting.
“Victory! For victory alone!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
And so, the battle that our Blood Dagger Clan wanted had begun.