The Red Hat and the Red Nose (Part 4)
The Red Hat and the Red Nose (Part 4)
"Wh-what is this! Don't tell me you did this, you bitch!"
A man with an unusually bright red, bulbous nose and a muscular, pig-like build.
The man presumed to be Red Nose pointed his greatsword at me, absolutely furious.
Behind him, about twenty bandits were pulling a carriage along.
So that's where they went. They must have just returned from a raid.
I calmly assessed the situation.
Individually they'd be nothing, but one Aura user with twenty lackeys would be too much to handle together.
A temporary retreat was the correct choice for now.
I quickly stepped back.
"You bitch! You think I'll let you get away?!"
Red Nose roared and came charging toward me, his feet pounding the ground.
Despite his ferocious appearance, like he wanted to chew me up, his running was somehow sluggish and clumsy.
Was that really his top speed?
He was at least twice as slow as me.
There was no reason for him to hide his strength in such a critical situation.
I stopped retreating and raised my sword.
At that level, it seemed I could even attempt to escape after the situation deteriorated.
"I'll crush your skull!"
Red Nose, who had charged alone, swung his ridiculously large greatsword down in a chop.
An attack I could easily dodge.
But I didn't evade. Instead, I gripped my sword with all my strength and blocked it.
"Grrk...! You're not bad, wench!"
A heavy impact traveled through my grip as our blades clashed.
We struggled for a moment with raw strength before simultaneously disengaging and stepping back.
Our physical strength was on par.
He may look like that, but he was the one leading a bandit force of nearly thirty.
He didn't become an Aura user for nothing.
As we stood in silent confrontation, Red Nose subtly took a step back.
His fierce expression had also stiffened rigidly.
Seems he realized my skills were nothing ordinary.
He stayed back and pointed at me violently, shouting fiercely.
"Boys! Get her! I'll give a big reward to the one who performs best!"
"Yes, Boss! Everyone, charge!"
"Charge!"
Led by a man who seemed to be the ringleader, the bandit horde swarmed forward.
Their eyes were a mix of lust and ambition.
Even after seeing me trade blows with their boss, they still want to attack? Relying on numbers, these murderous bandits have completely lost their fear.
Even if there are twenty of them, they're just ordinary people without a shred of Aura.
As long as I protect my vitals and avoid being surrounded, my chances of winning are sufficient.
First, I need to break through and force a chaotic melee. I cut down the two bandits at the front with a single stroke and plunged into their formation.
"Hey, what are you doing! Stop her!"
"I, I can't stop her! Gyaaah!"
The formation collapsed in an instant.
They didn't seem to expect such a reckless breakthrough, and I could see the bandits panicking and flailing about.
I took advantage of the confusion and swung my sword repeatedly.
Bloodstains painting the air and endless screams erupting.
Like a wolf among sheep, I swept through the area freely in all directions.
It was less of a battle and more of a one-sided massacre, an exercise of force.
"B-Boss! Help us!"
"You useless things! Why are you struggling so much against one woman?!"
Only eight lackey bandits remained now. Perhaps realizing this couldn't continue, Red Nose rejoined the fight with a reluctant expression.
"Follow me! Strike down that vicious wench!"
He must have some leadership, as he shouted like a knight of justice, boosting his underlings' morale. Eight strong men and one Aura user.
I briefly considered fleeing but decided to continue the fight. It was because Red Nose seemed like a more manageable opponent than I thought.
"Die, wench!"
I easily dodged the man's greatsword and cut down one bandit. Red Nose's fierce attack came again, but I evaded it with footwork and stabbed another bandit in the stomach.
"Eeeek! What are you all doing?! Surround her so she can't dodge around! Surround her!"
Red Nose was fuming with rage, but it was entirely his fault. So what if he's strong? His movements are unnecessarily large, making his sword's path entirely predictable.
He probably got his Aura through luck and never received proper training. His skills were clearly inferior to the other Silver Badge mercenaries I'd seen so far.
"Yes! That's it! Keep pushing her!"
Still, as they gradually coordinated their attacks, I also started getting more wounds. If I openly use healing here, they'll immediately sense something's wrong.
Enduring the blood flowing from various parts of my body, I only blocked vital spots. Revealing my healing ability publicly is a last resort.
I only adjusted my condition enough to not hinder my movement. Anyway, there weren't many lackeys left now. "Guhhaaak!"
Finally, after taking down the last bandit, only the two of us remained on the battlefield. Covered in blood, I faced Red Nose.
"You're alone now."
"Ha! Don't get cocky. You think you can beat me looking like that?"
No need to answer a man who's about to die. I wiped the blood from my face and charged at Red Nose.
I had an overwhelming advantage in speed. I rapidly unleashed a vertical slash followed by a horizontal slash.
All Red Nose could do was barely block the consecutive attacks. By the time he was exhausted and his guard broke, I finally withdrew my sword.
This still isn't satisfying enough. Like with Jack of the Red Hat, I planned to spar with him at least ten times.
"Grrk, you bitch...! Are you toying with me?!"
"Yes. I am toying with you, so I'd appreciate it if you'd put in more effort."
I have no intention of preserving the human rights of murderous bandits. His final role is to serve as fertilizer for my growth. I planned to work him to the bone until his grip burst and his arms broke.
"This time it'll be a diagonal slash, so get ready."
Vertical and horizontal slashes are already mastered. Now it's time to attempt the advanced stage: the diagonal slash. I added a slight variation to my stance and swung my sword diagonally in a wide arc.
Unlike before, Red Nose blocked my fierce assault without seeming particularly strained. The coordination between my sword and body must be lacking, resulting in weaker power. In other words, insufficient proficiency.
Using him as a practice dummy, I continued with the diagonal slashes. This was indeed better for gaining experience than just slashing at the air.
Red Nose, who had been foul-mouthed, now kept his mouth shut tight, focusing entirely on defense with a grim expression. He probably didn't even have the energy to curse anymore.
Around the eighth time of repeating this cycle of rest and fight, Suddenly, the man let out a roar like an angry tiger.
"Uroooaaah!"
An explosive fighting spirit that made me hesitate for a moment. Red Nose, seizing the momentary opening, brought his greatsword down on me. A monstrous strike containing brute force so immense it created a rough gust of wind.
Staring at the descending greatsword, I quickly racked my brain. It was already too late to dodge, and blocking it seemed too burdensome. In the end, there was only one answer.
I twisted my body to the limit and thrust my sword with all my might. What it reached was a solid chest.
As my sword pierced through Red Nose's solar plexus, his greatsword shattered my shoulder as if crushing it.
"Kuhhat...! How does it, taste...!"
Red Nose, with a sword stuck in his chest, coughed and bared his filthy teeth. I looked at him with indifferent eyes, pulled out my sword, and stepped back.
The most intense pain I'd felt in a long time. My arm dangled precariously from my completely crushed shoulder.
It was literally the most fatal of fatal wounds. A body damaged this severely probably couldn't be healed even if I offered a pile of gold coins at the temple.
"...Not bad."
It seems he had been secretly storing up strength bit by bit while I was toying with him. I dismissed him due to his typical stupid bandit appearance, but it was an unexpected ploy.
"I, may die here... but you won't live comfortably from now on either, you won't...?"
The shattered bones repaired themselves as flesh, muscle, and skin knitted back together. In just a few seconds, my shoulder was completely healed.
"Won't...?"
I turned my head to look at Red Nose. He was blinking his eyes with a face like he'd seen a ghost.
"Good work. Try to be born kindly in your next life."
"Wait, wait...! You, what are you?!"
I stabbed Agony's Ecstasy into Red Nose, who was flailing and struggling desperately.
He had exhausted all the strength he had stored up with that earlier strike. In the end, he met his end with his eyes wide open.
Now, I was the only one left in this vast campsite. I caught my breath and checked my attire. Not only my blouse, but even my camisole underwear was torn far more severely than I thought.
Fortunately, my nipples weren't exposed, but the amount of bare skin showing was greater than the covered area. My cloak was also full of holes, making it difficult to conceal my figure.
I need to get my hands on the Dire Wolf armor soon so I won't have to worry about this. I didn't want to be treated like an exhibitionist pervert anymore.
Keeping an eye out for any possible remaining bandits, a large carriage caught my eye. It was a sturdy-looking four-horse cargo transport carriage.
Come to think of it, that must be the loot Red Nose's gang had just plundered. I wonder what's inside.
It could be valuable fabrics like silk or satin. Or perhaps luxurious spices like saffron or expensive crafted jewels are stored inside.
High-end liquors like bottled whiskey or wine would be good too. If I get my hands on something like that, I should immediately give it to Madam Rosalia or Sir Vulcan.
With expectant steps, I approached the cargo compartment at the back of the carriage. When I pulled aside the cloth blocking the entrance, an unexpected scene was revealed before my eyes.
Two women, their hands and feet tightly bound and their mouths gagged. They were looking up at me with faces full of fear.