Chapter 124: Patrol
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 124: Patrol
So they did have something to rely on.
Why would commoners willingly shackle themselves and become serfs?
Because the farther one is from civilization, the greater the threat from bandits, robbers, and monsters. That’s why they enter a lord’s protection, even if the taxes are shit.
But this village was built in the wilderness, without even a proper road. This was proof that they had a protector powerful enough to make them forsake the lord’s.
I never thought someone would be brazen enough to act up in my domain.
This was an age with more uncharted territory than settled land. The central government's administrative power grew fainter the closer one got to the continent's edge.
Why else would a lord grant hard-won land to a vassal? Because they couldn't manage it directly, so they sent a proxy to at least collect taxes.
I’m getting a little sidetracked. The point I’m trying to make is that there are quite a few ruffians who exploit these gaps.
Rootless upstarts who call themselves nobles.
I’m talking about those who build castles in the middle of nowhere, gather a following of thugs, occupy the land, and declare themselves nobility.
However, if even these self-proclaimed nobles expand their power and build a force that can’t be ignored, they can sometimes be incorporated into aristocratic society.
Considering that, I was lucky to have found them now. The village before me, with a population rivaling a small city, seemed to be right on the cusp of that stage.
“Sir! Are you mad? A javelin, just like that!?”
Archbishop Raceni rushed over belatedly and raised his voice.
Meanwhile, the blue-eyed, hairy man I had attacked was having his injured forearm bandaged with the help of those around him.
The way the bastard glared down at me was as fierce as a wild beast's. So much so that I wanted to gouge his eyes out.
“These people are criminals who have fled from justice.”
I raised my voice so that all the villagers looking down from the palisade could hear.
“That’s just conjecture! You didn’t even know a village like this existed, did you? So how…”
“One does not need to see to know. You know as well as I do that I don't exploit my subjects like other nobles. In fact, my domain is the best place for the innocent to live. And yet, they turned their backs on such towns and cities to build a nest in this wilderness. Why do you think that is?”
“That’s…”
The archbishop was at a loss for words. The faces of the people on the palisade were also a sight to see.
“And now they're pointing their weapons at me, the rightful owner of this land. How long am I supposed to watch these thieves pretend to be the masters of the house?”
“Still, we don’t know their circumstances! To just kill them is…!”
“Who said anything about killing them?”
I retorted as if I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“What? Didn’t you throw a javelin without even hearing them out!”
“I merely made a disrespectful cur pay the price.”
“…Give me a chance. I will look into their situation, and if they are guilty, I will see that they receive a just punishment.”
“That won’t be easy.”
If they had any intention of doing so, wouldn't they have already opened the gate, knelt, and bowed their heads?
I shrugged as if to say, be my guest. With the archbishop, things might be different.
As someone who needed labor to build a new capital city, I would welcome a workforce the size of a small city.
Having received my permission, Archbishop Raceni slowly approached the palisade. Among the people on the wall, the few holding crude bows turned their aim toward him.
“My name is Raceni! I am, however humbly, the head of a diocese! There seems to be a misunderstanding, which I will mediate. Rest assured and open the gate.”
The people on the palisade looked at each other. Even after hearing the name of an archbishop that even a snot-nosed kid would know, they didn't look relieved. Instead, their faces turned deathly pale. Their eyes trembled like the ground in an earthquake.
In that instant, my instincts blared like an alarm bell. Something was wrong.
“Piole—!”
I spurred my horse. Startled, the horse kicked off the ground in a hurry. The fine steed I’d received as a reward from the mock battle closed the distance to the archbishop in a flash.
The archbishop, spotting me late, widened his eyes. He even held up a hand, telling me to stay back.
That idiot—
Cursing inwardly, I stretched out my arm and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Then I immediately pulled the reins in the opposite direction.
Using the momentum, I threw the archbishop backward. Piole, who had started at almost the same time as me, caught him with ease.
“Got him!”
“Gack. Let me go—!”
Swoosh.
It was just as the archbishop began to struggle. An arrow struck the spot where he had been standing.
The archbishop’s face, which had been about to rebuke me again, turned white as a sheet. He looked up at the people on the palisade with an expression of disbelief.
“Why…?”
Considering his reputation, this must have been the first time he’d received such treatment. The blue-eyed, hairy man who appeared to be the leader pointed his sword and shouted.
“We don’t welcome outsiders! You’d be wise to leave while we’re being nice!”
The people on the palisade roared in agreement.
“Just you try it! We’ll kill you all! We’ll kill every last one of you!”
“Fucking noble bastards! Fucking priests! Take one more step! We’ll slit your throats!”
“Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!”
Piole, having dropped off the still-dumbfounded archbishop in a safe place, returned and asked me, “What’s with their confidence?”
There were quite a few people positioned on the palisade, but their level of armament was no better than that of peasants. In other words, their forces couldn't even stop a single proper knight.
“Are they trusting in the palisade?”
Even for a knight, facing an enemy with a palisade taller than a man is difficult.
It would have been a different story if we had ladders. But as we were, bare-handed, there was no way to attack the enemy. That must have been why these mere peasants were so emboldened.
An ordinary knight would return after gathering siege weapons or more troops. But I was not an ordinary knight.
“I’m going ahead.”
“Huh? Hey!”
Ignoring Piole’s shout, I spurred my horse. The horse kicked off the ground again.
“He’s c-coming! That bastard is coming—!”
The enemies on the palisade were clearly startled. They must not have expected me to charge so recklessly.
“Stay calm! He can’t get over the palisade by himself!”
The blue-eyed, hairy leader pointed his sword at me. On his signal, the few archers they had let their arrows fly. The sound of them cutting through the wind was chilling.
I lowered my posture and spurred my horse once more. The horse accelerated again. Arrows flew past over my head.
“Don’t let him get close! Throw anything you can!”
As I closed the distance to the palisade in an instant, the hairy man’s voice grew more urgent.
A variety of farm tools and stones rained down from above. The horse didn’t slow down. On the contrary, it made a final spurt as if to leap over the man-high palisade.
It seemed a bit too excited. I patted the horse’s neck and immediately jumped off.
Hee-hee?
Only then did the horse slow down, its bright eyes looking at me as if to ask, Aren't you going to jump the palisade?
It was a fine steed, both fast and intelligent.
“Just watch.”
As I stood before the palisade gate and drew Trollsverd, the enemies looked down at me with dumbfounded expressions.
They were probably thinking, What can he do to a thick palisade with a sword? It’s not a siege weapon. That expression vanished the moment I swung my sword.
CRACK!
“Huh…?”
With a sound like a bomb exploding, a large hole appeared in the palisade. When I raised my sword high again, the people on the wall grew frantic.
“W-Wait! Everyone, get back—!”
Before the enemies could flee, another full-power swing struck the palisade.
“Aargh!”
Its base shattered, the palisade swayed back and forth. It looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Some of the enemies who were trying to get away fell, while others clung to the wooden posts to hold on. I kicked the hole to widen it and calmly entered the village.
Hee-hee.
Leaving my horse behind, which was staring as if in disbelief.
The enemies on the palisade turned to look at me in shock, while the people inside aimed various farm tools at me, the tips trembling slightly.
I took in the village scenery beyond them. All the houses were made of wood. There were no buildings made with plaster or stone, evidence that they had no contact with the outside world.
In the center of the village was a two-story building with a conical spire. It was the typical location for a church, but instead of a cross, there was a triangle with a red circle inscribed within it.
“A cult?”
It was the symbol of a cult that ran rampant in the game when the monotheistic religion’s corruption reached its peak.
Come to think of it, wasn’t there a special event related to a cult around here?
It was an event I had ignored because I didn’t like the reward and it was harmless as long as you left it alone.
But it seemed someone had triggered it. It was probably the hairy leader who had dodged my javelin.
“Who… who are you!?”
Just then, the man spoke, looking down at me with an incredulous face. The sight of him still looking down on me from the palisade was truly displeasing.
“You’ve set up shop on my land, and you don’t know who I am?”
I spun around and swung my sword at the same time. When my transcendent strength was combined with rotational force, the palisade offered no resistance and immediately collapsed.
Just before its support gave way, the man leaped desperately. Despite jumping from a palisade taller than a man, he landed as lightly as a cat.
Knowing what the reward for the cult event was, I was certain after seeing that. He had triggered it.
“Giant Slayer! I thought it was just an empty title…!”
“So you knew this was my land, yet you committed this outrageous act.”
“Hmph, when all is said and done, you're nothing but a human who's a little strong. Why should I, who have received a god's blessing, hesitate!?”
The man shot forward, kicking off the ground. In terms of speed alone, he was faster than anyone I had ever met.
Even in my slowed perception of the world, his movements felt ‘nimble.’ Reaching me in an instant, he thrust his sword straight out.
It was an attack that disregarded all defense, as if his only thought was to plunge his sword into my body.
Then again, at this speed, most opponents wouldn't even be able to react.
The smirk on his face, as if he had already won, was laughable. I saw his limits in that attack, which gave no thought to what came after.
He had clearly never been properly trained in technique. He was just a lucky bastard who had stumbled upon a reward.
No, could you even call that luck?
From the moment he kicked off the ground, I had raised my sword above my head, and I immediately swung it down.
The man’s eyes slowly widened as he witnessed my much faster sword. He had perceived my attack. His dynamic visual acuity was excellent, though not as good as mine. Of course, that didn’t mean he could dodge it.
“Kaak—”
He was thrown back at more than double the speed of his charge.
He only stopped after his back slammed into the palisade, which he grabbed to pull himself up. A new gash had appeared under his eye.
It was a deep wound; a little deeper and he might have died instantly.
“That was shallow.”
Just before my sword reached its target, he had withdrawn his own sword to use as a shield and used the recoil to narrowly escape the attack's range.
As I thought, his speed alone seemed to be on par with mine. He glared at me, his face a mask of disbelief.
“H-How…!?”
“It’s simple. You are weak, and I am strong.”
I readjusted my grip on my sword and approached him. His sword had been shattered to pieces in our earlier clash.
The faces of the people watching from the palisade were colored with bewilderment.
“Lord Dauphin, in a single blow!?”
“N-No! We’re all going to die. We’re going to die!”
The man’s face turned deathly pale, as if he shared their thoughts. He glanced around, looking for an escape route. Then, as I drew near, his body began to tremble.
I knew it was all an act. If the event’s reward was just a slight increase in speed, why would I have ignored it? It wasn’t far from my base, nor was it a difficult event.
That’s why I started acting too. I gave him an arrogant smile and pointed my sword at him.
“It is not I who will kill you, but your own ignorance and arrogance.”
As if he had been waiting for it, the man’s eyes lit up, and he charged at me. Instead of a sword, he extended his hands, his fingernails growing long and sharp like a beast’s claws.
His forearms had doubled in thickness, and his skin and shaggy hair faded to a gray color.
“Kuhung! Die!!!”
He must have thought I’d let my guard down, but I mocked him by taking a half-step back diagonally to dodge the attack.
At the same time, I took a stance with my sword tip pointing down and swung upward, aiming for his outstretched arm. It was a fluid sequence of evasion and counterattack.
“Kaak!”
The severed arm flew through the air, droplets of blood decorating its path. The man rolled a few times before clutching his arm and jumping to his feet, glaring at me.
“You… monster…!”
“I’m not sure who’s calling whom a monster here.”
I sneered, looking down at the monster’s arm lying on the ground. The man’s face contorted.
“You’ll regret this!”
I didn’t try to catch him as he fled without a backward glance. In the first place, I had a perfect opportunity but had taken his arm instead of his head because I wanted him to run.
It was because I now had business at the event location where he was heading to gain even greater power.
A cult, a man who had turned into a monster, and an event location where traces of an old god remained. Weren't these all elements that would make the archbishop rejoice beyond measure?
“We must catch that Devil's Minion!!”
And just as I expected, the archbishop, having seen the man flee, rushed over and shouted.