18
Chapter 18
The day to depart for the request had finally dawned.
I let out a yawn, having woken up earlier than usual.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever slept in since arriving here.
No one wakes me up, but my eyes open on their own easily enough.
There wasn't really anything to be nervous about, but seeing my body react first like this...
If I had to guess, my increased stamina probably played a big part.
As I headed out to the lobby, the mercenaries already eating their breakfast caught my eye.
Seeing me come down, someone offered a slight bow.
Was it Geminic?
I think that was his name.
He had come to find me privately last night after dinner.
He had come to apologize for not warning the mercenaries beforehand.
At first, I wondered why he went out of his way to visit, but hearing him out, he had a valid reason.
Apparently, the mercenaries had placed bets on whether that rookie would get beaten up by me or not.
...Well, that's certainly typical for a mercenary.
Since I just kept my mouth shut in that kind of atmosphere, it seemed to have provoked them even more.
Plus, since I was hiding the fact that I was a magician, they might have looked down on me even more.
Thinking back on it, it wasn't really anyone's fault.
Perhaps because of that, he apologized plainly without any unnecessary excuses and left.
Still, thanks to him, the awkward atmosphere had cleared up to some extent.
I finished my meal lightly.
The bread was particularly dry today, and the soup was watery.
Maybe it was just my mindset.
Barret was already waiting where the carriages were parked.
He was stroking a horse while tying up a piece of luggage again.
As I approached, he simply shifted his eyes and gave a nod.
"You're out early."
"I just couldn't sleep today."
"Haha, it makes me nervous when a magician says something like that."
He threw out a joke while organizing the luggage.
I casually glanced over the carriages.
"There are three carriages."
"It takes at least this much for them to commission us. Honestly, even this number of people is on the smaller side."
"There are nine of us, are you still anxious?"
"Thieves rely on sheer numbers to push through, so it's never easy."
Barret had brought in three new mercenaries this time.
I only knew the name of one of them.
Tral. The guy who picked a fight with me yesterday.
He was a human troll who certainly lived up to his name.
I had no idea where they found him, but my first impression of him wasn't great.
I subtly asked Barret about the guy.
"He's some bumpkin who came up from the countryside to be a mercenary, but he handles a club pretty well."
"Is that so."
"So that's what happened yesterday. I apologize once again."
I waved off Barret, who was bowing his head repeatedly.
Even after dealing with that, did he just hire him based on skill?
...Well, I wasn't a part of this mercenary group anyway, so it wasn't my place to say anything.
But a club, huh...
Putting aside whether it fits a medieval fantasy, it definitely looks like it would hurt a lot if you got hit by it.
"All the luggage is loaded!"
Barret turned his head at someone's shout.
"Good. Let's board!"
At his words, the mercenaries headed toward the carriages one by one.
There weren't many seats left.
It seemed like only Barret, me, and about two others would be able to ride.
I felt a tiny bit of joy, feeling like I was being treated with some respect.
I slowly started walking as well.
The sound of horse hooves, the creaking of wooden wheels, and the chatter of the mercenaries mixed together, creating a strange sense of tension.
We were really setting off now.
As I got into the carriage and leaned back, Thump- the chassis shook.
It looked like we would depart soon.
It's quiet for now.
But it was like this before, too.
Things always go wrong when it's quiet.
I wondered how big of a mess would happen this time.
I was a little expectant, but also a little anxious.
Our destination was Delhar, a village on the southern frontier.
Now, it's time to depart.
***
Contrary to my expectations, nothing happened until that evening.
It was time to light a fire and have dinner.
I made do with the hardtack and jerky I brought in my pocket.
It wasn't particularly delicious, nor was it inedible, just an average taste.
"Why are you such a jerk?"
A low, sunken voice rang out.
When I turned my head, Tral and another mercenary were glaring at each other.
A strange tension flowed between the two.
"It's called confidence. You're probably just incompetent."
Tral smirked and put his spoon down.
The metal struck the rock, making a Clink sound.
As the other mercenary's hand reached toward his waist, Barret quickly stood up.
"Stop it."
His voice was low, but firm.
"If a fight breaks out here, we drop the request and all go back."
Both of them silently withdrew their gazes.
Even Tral, who had been acting all high and mighty, eventually picked his spoon back up.
...What a shame. It was about to be a fun show.
I stared into the darkness beyond the bushes.
Just then, mixed with the wind, I heard a 'Rustle' as something brushed past.
Wait. Was it an animal? Or...
"......"
Barret turned his head in that direction as well.
Silently raising his body slightly, he gave a look to a mercenary sitting nearby.
One of them quietly stood up and disappeared beyond the firelight.
It became quiet again.
Was it a thief, or a beast? I couldn't be sure.
Even so, I couldn't help my body subtly tensing up.
Not long after, the mercenary who had disappeared into the darkness returned.
"I don't see anything."
"Hmm..."
Barret stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.
...Was it just the wind?
"Is something the matter?"
Just then, Doruen, who was camping with the other merchants, approached.
"Hmm, I felt a presence, so we were investigating."
"A p-presence?"
Doruen, who looked faint-hearted, was startled by those words alone.
He sure is easily frightened.
Barret looked at him and chuckled for a moment.
"It could just be your imagination."
However, unlike his smile, his face looked a bit darker.
A presence, he said; it certainly felt like something was out there.
Doruen nodded with a puzzled expression.
"Then, are we okay?"
"Yes, we're fine for now."
Barret spoke gently.
"However, we do need to be careful."
A quiet silence flowed for a moment, and everyone sat back in their respective spots to resume eating.
But Barret's eyes alone remained fixed on somewhere for a while longer.
Right then, another mercenary spoke up.
"Are we being tailed by thieves?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
Barret said it like a light joke, but there was a deep meaning hidden in his words.
Everyone cautiously ate their food, feeling the tense atmosphere.
Fortunately, the night passed peacefully.
***
Clatter- clatter-
The sound of carriage wheels ringing out slowly woke up the quiet morning.
Nothing happened overnight, and everyone seemed to have had a more peaceful night than expected.
As the sun rose, the mercenaries all got up at once and began their preparations.
They put out the fires, boiled water, and readied themselves to hit the road.
Unlike yesterday, it was clear that today would be a longer day.
I sat atop the carriage, blankly staring at the scenery outside.
A few merchants who had woken up early were also organizing their carriages and loading luggage.
Dust and wind scattered over the road as everyone went about their respective tasks.
Barret approached my side.
"We need to be careful today."
His voice was more serious than yesterday.
That subtle presence from last night still lingered in everyone's minds.
He muttered quietly.
"...I'm anxious."
I nodded instead of answering. My tension hadn't faded.
Uncertainty would continue to follow us today and tomorrow.
A moment later, Barret gave the order.
"Everyone, board the carriages. We're departing."
As the carriages departed one by one, the Clatter- clatter- sound rang out over the road once again.
The carriages advanced without issue, and soon the sun was high in the sky.
'Are we going to arrive by evening.'
The carriages were running along the road at a steady pace.
Sunlight pierced through, illuminating the scorched earth, and the air gradually began to heat up.
The mercenaries guarded the sides of the carriages from their respective posts, with some staring blankly outside.
Tral was still spewing complaints while talking with someone next to him.
We were gradually getting used to the pace of the journey by now.
The road that had felt unfamiliar at first somehow felt comfortable today.
But tension still lingered in a corner of my heart.
I had no idea what was to come.
'If it's true that we'll arrive by evening, will it be peaceful until then.'
I took a deep breath to calm my anxious heart once again.
And then I looked at the road unfolding before me along with the sound of the carriage wheels once more.
'Hm? What is that?'
Far away, I spotted something suspicious on the road.
At first glance, it looked like it was covered with leaves, but the method was somewhat unnatural.
The covered area was irregular, and even though the weather wasn't that hot, only that part felt dark.
Something was definitely wrong.
I wasn't the only one who noticed, as Barret sent a signal to the front to slow down.
As the distance closed a bit more, the identity of the suspicious object was revealed.
It was a rope.
Stretched out long as if blocking the path, lay a rope.
It might not look like much on the surface, but it was in a dangerous enough position for a carriage to pass over.
Just then, Barret approached my side and followed my gaze.
"Do you see it?"
There was a hint of tension in his voice.
"It could be a trap left by thieves. Everyone, arm yourselves!"
As Barret's order fell, the mercenaries immediately heightened their guard and slowed the carriages down.
In my heart, I hoped we would pass through safely this time.
And in that moment, an ominous premonition pierced my chest.
Swoosh-
Thwack!
Arrows flew in along with the familiar sound of tearing through the air.
Because everyone was on guard, the arrows embedded themselves into the carriages.
"Damn it, it's an ambush!"
"Everyone, prepare for battle!!"
Barret's voice echoed from the front, and the mercenaries immediately began to form a formation.
The merchants flinched in panic, but they could at least find some relief in the mercenaries' calmness.
'Damn it, are thief ambushes a regular event in this neighborhood?'
Even though their ambush had failed, the thieves revealed themselves.
The number of thieves that appeared seemed to be more than double ours.
Still, it's probably child's play compared to last time.
Just then, the one who looked like the leader of the thieves stepped forward.
"Just quietly leave the goods behind, and we'll let you go."
"...."
Bullshit.
I quietly drew up my mana from inside the carriage.
[Water Bullet]
Right in front of my eyes, there happened to be an oak barrel filled with drinking water.
Water slowly rose from within it, gathering at my fingertips.
I poured enough mana into it to fire about four shots and gave it shape.
However, at a certain point, the size of the water stopped growing.
About the size of a human head.
Any more than that, and the shape would collapse even if I forced it to expand.
It seemed this was the limit of my current abilities.
...Which means I need to upgrade it.
Slosh, slosh.
Expanded to its limit, the water bullet wobbled precariously like a balloon about to burst.
It looked ready to burst wildly if I didn't concentrate.
Just controlling it made my hands sweat.
I turned my head toward the outside of the carriage.
The thief leader, clad in shabby cloth armor, was babbling on with his arms crossed arrogantly.
"Are you not going to answer? Then I have no choi- huh?"
Damn it, he noticed.
Then again, if a head-sized mass of water was floating in the air, even an idiot would find it strange.
But it's too late.
I thrust my hand forward without hesitation.
Swoosh-!
Smack!!
The mass of water flew, tearing through the air.
With the sound of tearing air, it struck the leader's abdomen dead center.
"Gah, urgh-!"
As the thief leader was sent flying while foaming blood, the battlefield instantly became chaotic.
As expected, you have to take out the head first.
"Wh-what? It's an ambush!!"
"The boss got hit! Attack!!"
The thieves didn't scatter as I expected.
They were surprised, but they didn't seem to have any intention of fleeing.
As I thought... They're relying on their numbers.
"Assume formation!"
Barret's shout spread like an echo.
His voice was firm, and at that single command, the mercenaries moved in perfect order.
Our side was definitely professional.
I drew up mana again from inside the carriage, preparing the next water bullet.
'I guess I should target their archers.'
Because I put so much effort into the first shot, my insides felt a subtle burn.
My mana was decreasing, and my fingertips were gradually going numb.
...At this rate, I'll be exhausted in no time.
At that moment, a massive shadow advanced from the opposite side, tearing through the thieves.
'...Tral?'
It was Tral.
"Bring it on!!"
Gripping a heavy club studded with iron nails in both hands, he charged forward alone.
He literally tore his way into the midst of the thieves.
The club he swung shattered a shield and slammed down onto a thief's shoddy armor.
Thwack.
The dull sound of bones crushing could be heard from quite a distance.
'...Ah, is that really a person?'
The thought crossed my mind for a moment.
However, the thieves were no pushovers either.
Three, no, four of them lunged at Tral simultaneously.
A thrust from the left, a slash from the right, and containment from the front and back.
It was a textbook pincer attack.
I need to help him with this.
[Water Bullet]
Swoosh! Smack!
Strike. Fortunately, I managed to hit a head this time.
"Morrison! This fucking...!"
"You dog-like magician bastard!"
As one of them fell from the flying water bullet, Tral kicked off the ground without hesitation.
He trampled the earth with his brutish legs and broke through the front.
There was no evasion, no defense.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Damn it, this guy won't stop!"
Breathing heavily like a growl, he swung his club like a baseball bat.
Its trajectory drew a massive semicircle, and one of the thieves was sent flying whole.
It felt like a sack was flying, not a person.
At that moment, the remaining two dug into his opening.
Slash!
"Urgh-!"
A short, deep wound appeared on Tral's back.
He gritted his teeth and rolled forward to escape.
Blood splattered, dyeing the ground red.
The slash wound on his back was clearly visible.
Oof, that looks like it really hurts.
I have no confidence in experiencing something like that firsthand.
...Is being a magician just in my blood?
"Kuaaaargh!!"
Tral eventually broke through the encirclement.
He let out a shout and raised his club again.
His eyes grew sharper the more blood he shed.
At that moment, Barret moved.
He didn't rush toward the enemies' rear.
He observed the flow of the battlefield.
Staying one step ahead, he was aiming for just a single opening.
The two-handed sword swung, cleaving through the wind.
Swoosh-!
Thwack!
One thief was slashed and sent flying without even being able to scream.
A brief silence fell over the blood-spattered ground, and the three thieves watching the scene instinctively took a step back.
"Tral. The guy on the left has a shield. Aim for his feet first."
Barret's order was short and firm.
"Grrr...!"
Tral briefly ground his teeth and gripped his club.
Without a word, his massive frame shot forward like an arrow.
Dust kicked up from beneath his feet.
Slam.
The sound of the massive club crashing into the shield echoed across the battlefield.
At the impact sound that resembled striking an iron plate, the opponent with the shield was pushed back a step.
...It's a good thing I didn't engage in that provocation at the inn.
If I had clashed with him out of useless pride, I'd probably be eating dirt through my nose right now.
Of course, if we fought with some distance between us, I might win.
If I launch a water bullet, hold out with a water barrier, and carefully attack while maintaining distance.
But that's only if the conditions are right.
If we had suddenly clashed in a tight space like that day.
...I would have unconditionally lost.
Magic or not, the moment I took a clean hit, it would have been over.
While Tral battered the shield, Barret didn't stay still either.
Barret lowered his stance at an angle with his sword raised.
His movements weren't fast.
However, there was no hesitation either.
It was as if he was a person whose blade possessed no such thing as 'hesitation'.
There were no wasted movements, using only as much strength as necessary.
"Haaah!"
One thief lunged at him, swinging his sword sharply.
But Barret didn't back down.
Rather, he stepped half a pace forward.
In an instant.
Clank!
His sword deflected the thief's blade as if crossing paths.
And digging right in, he pierced the thief's neck in a single breath.
"Gurgle-"
As the sword was pulled out, the thief collapsed powerlessly.
Right after that, another blade flew in from the side.
Without an inch of hesitation, Barret parried that sword upward.
Clink! Clink!
The sound of metal clashing cleanly bounced through the air.
"Aaaagh!"
"Y-you bastard...!"
Against the two rushing in consecutively, Barret didn't swing his sword right away.
Instead, he slightly twisted his upper body, pretending to swing.
After drawing his opponents' eyes with a feint motion.
Smack.
In that brief window, his rising toe struck the thief's groin.
The moment the thief slumped down with a breathless expression.
Only then did his sword move.
Short and concise, with no unnecessary movements.
Swish.
The sharply drawn trajectory ended as it cleaved along the thief's collarbone.
Swoosh- Thwack.
He didn't swing his sword widely, but that short slash cut right through the abdomen and laid the enemy on the ground.
The remaining one instinctively stepped back.
Fear welled up in his eyes.
Strong Sword. That nickname wasn't given for nothing.
I watched him while refining a water bullet inside the carriage.
...The thought crossed my mind that swords were definitely cool.
The battlefield was still chaotic.
The thief leader falling early on was a big factor.
Tral and Barret had created clear openings, but.
Numbers.
We were still losing in terms of numbers.
That simple sheer volume always weighed down the battlefield.
In a relatively even fight, numbers ultimately trumped flashy equipment.
If we started getting pushed back one by one here, we'd collapse without even being able to counterattack.
What we needed right now was a variable.
I had used up too much mana keeping the archers in check.
If I fired just one or two more shots here, my mana would hit rock bottom.
Once my mana dried up, I was nothing more than a civilian.
If so.
What I need right now is a different magic.
[Water Barrier]
The magic I had invested in the most.
No matter how I looked at it, this was my main weapon.
I caught my breath and loaded mana into my fingertips.
Mana slipped out from my fingertips.
Absorbing the water from the oak barrel, a texture of water rose like a thin film in front of me.
The faintly vibrating film began to wrap around me.
'There's no time to rest. Let's go out.'
Gripping a sword I was still unaccustomed to.
I stepped foot outside the carriage.