Red Hat and Red Nose (2)
Red Hat and Red Nose (2)
The opponents were one swordsman and two archers.
Given that they were poachers, their archery skills were likely not ordinary.
I kept my guard up against vital spots and quickly closed the distance between us.
"Eh, eh! They're coming! Shoot, shoot them!"
The man with the sword, who should have held the front line, panicked and scrambled backward.
Whether he had overestimated his comrades' skills or was just stupidly terrified, I didn't know.
The important thing was that the defense had been breached, left completely unguarded.
As I charged forward recklessly, the bowstrings aimed at me were released.
Arrows surged forth, tearing through the wind.
I widened my eyes and tightened my grip on the sword hilt.
Chang-!
With a near-instinctual sense, I swung my sword and barely managed to deflect one arrow.
But I couldn't block the other one as well.
"...Tsk."
I felt the arrow that pierced my blouse digging into my breast.
One shot aimed for the head, the other for the heart.
They were lethal shots with excellent accuracy.
But it was insufficient to turn the tide of battle.
My only weakness is damage that causes instant death.
Thanks to my ample breasts providing a cushion, my heart ultimately took no damage.
On top of that, if I used Recovery, the damage was practically negligible.
Now all that was left was to slaughter the archers while they were reloading.
"Wha, what the! You're not dead! Reload quickly! Hurry!"
They frantically tried to nock arrows onto their bowstrings, but I was faster than them.
I deployed my footwork and closed the gap in an instant.
I brought a vertical slash down on one archer, who opened his eyes wide in horror.
His scalp was sliced open like tofu, and the poacher couldn't avoid instant death.
"Cr, crazy! Dead, he's dead...!"
It was already too late for regrets.
I slashed the other archer, who was reloading with trembling hands, with a horizontal cut.
The result was obvious.
His waist was torn halfway, spilling his intestines as he died instantly. A fate similar to his comrade's.
The remaining poacher was the biggest coward of them all, yet he had been the most brazen toward me with his sword.
His previously bold demeanor was gone, and now he had completely lost the will to fight.
"P-p-please spare me! I, I surrender!"
Stammering like a fool, the guy prostrated himself flat on the ground before me.
The lower half of his body was soaked wet; it seemed he had even pissed himself.
"No."
I refused indifferently and raised my sword.
There is no mercy for a vicious attempted rapist.
Just as I was about to kill him with a single stroke, the guy started screaming excuses.
"R-red Hood! I know a bit about Red Hood Jack!"
"...Oh?"
This was unexpected. He clearly said he didn't know earlier.
Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to listen.
I pressed the sword against the crown of his head and interrogated him.
"You said you didn't know earlier."
"Th-that's... the truth is, I've seen Jack a few times. Y-you see, poaching is a really unstable job. Sometimes we have to stick together and even do some banditry..."
So they were in cahoots after all.
Not really a surprising thing.
If he didn't hesitate to commit attempted rape along with poaching, what's a little banditry to him?
"Where is Jack's camp?"
"If, if you go up from here, you'll find a big rock. From there, keep going left! You'll see it right away!"
Giving a landmark like the rock was a fairly detailed explanation.
I tapped his head with the flat of my blade and asked.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I'm sure! It's the truth!"
"Good. There's something else I want to ask. How strong is Jack? You've worked together, so you should know."
The innkeeper had assumed he was weak, but you never know.
You should never let your guard down.
After my harsh experience with Archibald, I couldn't dare underestimate bandits.
"That bastard Jack isn't particularly strong!"
"No Aura or anything?"
"N-no, he doesn't! If he did, with his personality, he'd be strutting around bragging about it. But his swordsmanship is decent enough. He is the leader of a small bandit group, after all."
No Aura, but he can handle a sword.
Conditions I liked.
He was literally the perfect practice opponent.
I was already looking forward to the confrontation with Red Hood.
"A-are there any other points you're curious about?"
The poacher man raised his head slightly and cautiously gauged my reaction.
Instead of answering, I stabbed Agony's Delight into his throat.
I say it again, there is no need for mercy toward scumbags.
I put the corpse down and searched the nearby area for a moment.
Pelts of various animals—weasels, martens, deer—were neatly stacked in a box.
It seemed they had been poaching here for quite some time.
They would fetch a decent price, but I didn't bother taking the pelts.
They were raw hides from game animals for which hunting was prohibited.
If I tried to sell something like that carelessly, people would naturally become suspicious.
I could even be mistaken for a poacher myself.
Of course, I'm not some person of unknown origin but a Silver Badge mercenary, so if I explained properly it would probably be fine, but that process would be incredibly troublesome.
They likely weren't extremely valuable anyway, so it was better to just leave them here.
I roughly searched the poachers' pockets and stood up.
I hadn't come here to make money, so a few silver coins were enough.
He said to go up from here, then left from the big rock.
I moved my steps as the poacher had instructed.
The sun was still far from setting, so it seemed I could capture Red Hood and then return to the inn.
After moving along the forest path for a while, I eventually discovered a man-made structure.
A camp composed of several tents.
The sound of loud laughter and chatter could also be heard.
This must be Red Hood Jack's hideout.
I suppressed my presence and cautiously moved closer.
What soon came into view was a grand drinking party in full swing.
Dirty-looking ruffians were chugging down what looked like beer or wine as if it were water.
Sitting at the center was a man wearing a red feathered hat. Jack, the target of this request.
There were six members in total.
It was different from the information the innkeeper had given, but it didn't matter.
It was actually good for me, as I could earn more points.
Crouching in the bushes, I quietly watched for an opportunity.
After a few minutes, one of the bandits put down his cup and stood up.
The guy then staggered away from the camp.
He undoubtedly had business to take care of.
I moved stealthily and swiftly toward him.
Just as expected, the bandit undid his belt and dangled his genitals out.
I pounced on him from behind before he could fire.
"Ugh, ughhh...!"
I covered his mouth and drove Agony's Delight deep into him.
He struggled and flailed, but it was no use.
I hid the limp corpse in the bushes and returned to my original position.
My body was well-trained in stealth from the petty thievery I'd done since childhood.
Assassinating a few lowly lackeys like this was no trouble at all.
"Hey, why isn't that guy back? Did he trip and fall while taking a piss or something?"
After waiting a bit longer, another bandit, tilting his head, walked toward the bushes.
I approached immediately and severed his windpipe in the same way.
Now the remaining number was four.
Further assassination was realistically difficult. If I took too long, they would notice something was wrong.
I held Agony's Delight and aimed for the back of one bandit.
I planned to reduce their number to three with this surprise throw, then engage in a full-frontal battle.
I regulated my breathing and threw Agony's Delight with force.
The dagger flew through the air valiantly, tearing through the wind. But things didn't go as planned.
"Huh? What's that."
The bandits rose to their feet, looking bewildered.
The dagger had missed its target entirely and was stuck in the ground.
To miss at such a short distance.
I decided to practice my throwing skills whenever I had the chance after returning.
"A dagger? Why a dagger all of a sudden... u, uwaaak!"
Since the ambush had failed, it was better to strike first.
I dashed forward like an arrow and stabbed my bastard sword into the back of one guy.
I twisted it roughly before pulling it out, and he collapsed powerlessly.
That left three.
The bandits, startled, backed away from me and frantically grabbed their weapons.
Jack had a longsword, the other two had an axe and a sledgehammer.
"Hey, wait. She's alone, right? Rush her all at once!"
At Jack's command, the two bandits swung their weapons at me simultaneously.
It wasn't a particularly threatening pincer attack.
I blocked the axe with my sword and twisted my body to evade the sledgehammer.
Then, putting strength into my hand, I forcefully knocked the axe downward.
The bandit's upper body was left unguarded, crushed under my strength.
I summoned Agony's Delight into my left hand and stabbed it straight into his chest.
"Guh...! Ggaaaah!"
A metallic-sounding scream echoed through the forest.
Extreme agony must have been tearing through his mind.
The sledgehammer came flying again, but I blocked it with the body of the bandit impaled on the dagger.
"Grrk! You fucking bitch!"
I pushed forward strongly, and both guys fell to the ground in a ridiculous manner.
The bandits, sandwiched and piled on top of each other. I drove my sword through them, piercing both at once.
I finished by twisting the blade to confirm the kill.
It took less than a minute to cut down two people.
But these guys weren't my target.
I raised my head to see that Jack had already run far away.
He sent his underlings charging in and ran away with his tail between his legs, huh.
It was a wise judgment, but he still couldn't escape from me.
I kicked off the ground and leaped.
Running at full speed, the considerable distance closed before I knew it.
At this rate, I could catch up immediately.
Then, Jack glanced back, stopped in his tracks in shock.
He seemed to sense that if he kept running, he would eventually be caught.
The guy hurriedly drew his longsword and pointed its tip at me.
"D-don't come any closer!"
For someone so terrified, his stance was definitely well-grounded.
It seemed it wasn't a lie that he was somewhat skilled with a sword.
I waited for him to catch his breath and spoke.
"Are you Red Hood Jack?"
"Huff, huuu... Yeah. I'm Jack, that's right. Let's not do this."
Perhaps thinking I was someone he could reason with, Jack answered somewhat meekly.
I also lowered my sword and stared at him intently.
"I see you can use a sword, and I'm actually no pushover myself? There's nothing good for either of us in a scuffle."
"Nothing good? The innkeeper from that carriage inn put a bounty on your head, didn't he?"
Mentioning the bounty made Jack's face contort violently.
Becoming an outlaw means stepping out from under the protection of the rule of law.
Being hunted by a stronger party in return is a very natural and obvious thing.
"Th-there's a lot of valuable stuff in my camp! You can have it all! It's mostly cash and jewels, easy to carry!"
"No. I'm more interested in your hat than that."
It wasn't an empty compliment; the hat truly looked expensive.
The feather decoration on the brim had a fine sheen and would easily fetch dozens of silver coins.
Maybe I could even get gold coins for it.
"...Fuck. You think I'm a real pushover just because I'm being nice?"
The guy's previously subdued demeanor suddenly turned fiercely aggressive.
They said he cherished his hat immensely; perhaps he really valued it more than his life.
"Die! You fucking bitch!"
He lunged forward, swinging his longsword with a large step.
Although it looked like a reckless charge, it was surprisingly without openings.
I calmly raised my sword and blocked the attack.
"Die! Die!"
The fierce assault didn't stop with one blow; it continued relentlessly.
Feints aiming high, strikes coming in at the mid-section, sharp thrusts targeting vital points.
It was a sharp and fluid skill, unexpected for a bandit.
I took in every detail of Jack's movements as I continued to defend.
Even if I was going to kill him, I planned to exchange a few bouts before finishing it.
After all, my original purpose for coming here was training through real combat.
"...Tch! Just die already!"
Jack, who had been cursing like a madman, was now panting heavily as he brandished his longsword.
It would be troublesome if he got tired already.
I immediately took a step back and waited for his stamina to recover.
"Wh-what."
Perhaps not understanding my action, the guy looked bewildered as he gasped for breath.
I paid no mind and stood still, waiting.
When it seemed his breathing had somewhat recovered, I resumed the battle.
This process repeated roughly twelve times.
"Guh, you devilish bitch! Just kill me!"
Unable to endure any longer, Jack threw down his sword and collapsed as if crumbling.
His arms were trembling, and his face was flushed bright red—a picture of someone pushed to their absolute limit.
Without a word, I approached and slit his throat with Agony's Delight.
I had learned all I could from him.
The sun would set soon, so I needed to prepare to withdraw as well.
I first took Jack's red feathered hat and longsword.
I also searched the camp and found 15 Arshen in cash and a few silver accessories.
They were spoils of war far greater than the bounty.
Hunting humans is certainly more profitable.
It's not for nothing that bandits target merchants.
I had gathered everything to take care of, and my business here was now finished.
Retracing my steps, I returned to the inn feeling refreshed.
"Oh! This is definitely Jack's hat! You've delivered judgment upon him?"
"Yes. I turned him into wolf food."
"Kuh, that's very satisfying!"
When I showed the hat to the innkeeper, he recognized it immediately.
He smiled broadly, looking satisfied, and handed me 5 Arshen.
"Here, the promised bounty. Thank you for avenging my grudge. Truly a Silver Badge mercenary who lives up to the name."
Perhaps trying to make up for the paltry sum with praise, the innkeeper kept complimenting me.
I listened half-heartedly and changed the subject to ask him a question.
"Do you know anything about other bandits? It would be good if they were notable fellows like Red Hood Jack."
Having come all the way here, I couldn't be satisfied with just the poachers and the Red Hood gang.
I wanted to stay another day and take down other bandits while I was at it.
"Ah, now that you mention it, there's one fellow I often hear about. His name was Red Nose, I think? I heard he's gathering bandits from nearby to form some kind of group."
A bandit group. That was welcome news to my ears.
While swordsmanship practice is practice, you need quantity to earn a lot of agony points.
This is an opportunity to feast after a long time.
"You probably don't know the location of their camp, do you?"
"Hmm. From what I've heard from merchants, they often appear around the northern mountain range direction. It's not precise information."
The northern mountain range direction. That was a usable clue.
It's a hundred times better than rummaging through mountains and forests completely clueless.
I decided to look for Red Nose tomorrow and got a room at the inn for the night.
Swinging my sword a bit until nightfall and then going to bed seemed like it would make for a perfect day.
* * *
The sun rose without fail.
I started my search early this morning.
The target was, of course, Red Nose. The search area was the northern mountain range direction, as the innkeeper had said.
I pushed through the crowds and carriages around the crossroads and went straight up the northern mountain path.
As the foot traffic gradually thinned and then disappeared entirely, I increased my speed.
I can't walk through this vast wilderness searching every inch.
Focusing my hearing and vision, I ran swiftly while continuing to search the surroundings.
Around the time I had been searching for the bandit group for an hour or two.
A strange sound made me stop in my tracks.
At first I thought it was the cry of a wild animal, but it felt more like a human voice.
I needed to investigate the source of this suspicious sound.
Pricking up my ears, I moved my steps toward the origin.
As I got closer to the sound, I soon became certain.
This is a human voice.
And a desperate scream, crying and begging for help.
After moving a bit further, I was finally able to identify it.
A side path a short distance from the main road.
There, a middle-aged man was tied to a tree with rope.
He was even stripped naked, wearing nothing but his underwear.
"Huh? He, hey, is someone there? Pleeease, help me!"