58
Chapter 58
"Eileen!"
After clearing the back to some extent, the commotion from the window finally reached my ears.
Eileen was going back and forth between both windows by herself, blocking the Goblins from entering.
As I had blocked the entrance, the remaining ones had swarmed toward the windows.
Slash!
"Kiek!"
Fortunately, the windows were small, making it difficult for a Goblin to enter without twisting its body.
Thanks to that, Eileen wasn't easily pushed back.
Furthermore, since I had already dealt with a significant number at the front, Eileen successfully fended off the Goblins at the windows.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes!"
Eileen pressed her small body tight against the window, holding her ground.
Yeah, she was doing well enough.
The problem wasn't over here.
"Ugh, get off!"
"Keeek!"
The commotion continued at the front of the carriage, near the horse.
Silon's shouts overlapped with the cries of the Goblins.
"What, did another one latch on?"
Leaning over, I saw Eileen struggling to maintain her posture.
Beyond her, Silon was wrestling with a Goblin while tangled together on the horse.
I wondered why he hadn't shaken it off yet; it seemed the creature had grabbed onto the belly as it fell.
Because of that, the horse panicked and twisted its body, blood splattering from its flank.
"......Seriously, this is driving me crazy."
If the horse became unable to run at this rate, we would all have to get off and walk.
I absolutely refused to let that happen.
"Silon! Knock that thing off! Even if you fall, you have to save the horse!"
"Damn it- I know!!"
Clatter, clank.
Because the horse panicked and veered off the path, the carriage wheels ran over gravel, shaking violently.
The impact threw off my balance, and the unstable vibrations traveled through my entire body.
Damn it, what should I do?
Just as I was debating whether I should climb over the carriage to help,
"Take this!"
Silon started to move.
He tightened his thighs firmly on the saddle and slowly leaned his body to the left.
His posture tilted more and more, until the moment he was almost in a straight line with the horse.
The horse's center of gravity shifted along with him, leaning slightly to the left.
In that opening, the belly where the Goblin was clinging became completely exposed.
A split second.
This was my chance.
[Water Bomb]
I quickly drew upon my mana and took aim at the hanging Goblin.
A blue sphere formed at my fingertips and immediately flew forward.
Swoosh.
The carriage was still shaking, and the trajectory was slightly off.
Smack!
It wasn't a direct hit, but the Water Bomb smacked right into the middle of the Goblin's spine.
"Ke-eeek!"
Due to the sharp pain spreading down its spine, the creature had no choice but to pull out the hands it had dug into the horse's flank.
And naturally, it lost its balance and was thrown off the horse.
"Kueeek!"
The Goblin tumbled backward, rolling right onto the ground.
Thud, crunch!
A jolt like the carriage hitting a speed bump shot up, and the Goblin bounced away, disappearing from view.
And then it went quiet.
With that guy as the last, no more commotion could be heard.
"Haa... Haa...."
The only sound coming from atop the horse was the rough breathing of Silon, who had held on like an equestrian acrobat.
That technique of leaning his body until he was almost parallel with the horse.
Honestly, I was a little surprised.
...Is he from Mongolia?
Well, that was that.
That wasn't what mattered right now.
"Is the horse okay?"
"Haa... Haa- Huh? Can't you see the state I'm in? Worrying about the horse-"
This bastard, he still hasn't come to his senses.
I didn't like the fact that he made such a fuss because he couldn't even shake off a single Goblin properly in the first place.
Well, he probably didn't have any other choice on his own, though.
That was none of my business.
Just as I was seriously considering smacking him.
As if he read my eyes, Silon hurriedly changed his stance.
"Let's get to a safe place first and check its condition!"
"Right..."
We were only able to check the horse's condition after leaving the forest road and entering the plains where we could clearly see our surroundings.
"Hiss... This isn't good."
"Why, does it look like it's going to die soon?"
"No, it's not that... but if it runs for a day today, it'll be stuck in a stable for a while."
That was actually good news for us.
We were only going to ride it today and never again anyway.
Silon was carefully stroking its mane with a gloomy face, as if he felt sorry for his horse... but whatever, that was his problem to deal with.
"When will you be done treating it?"
"...I'll just wrap it up roughly with an herb and a bandage for now, and then let's head out immediately."
"Alright. Hurry up."
While Silon wrapped the bandage, I roughly leaned against the carriage and caught my breath.
Beside me, Eileen was wiping her bloodstained sword with a cloth, stealing glances at me.
Thinking she had something to say, I turned my head.
"What, do you have something to say?"
"Ah, no... Um, well... am I being of any help?"
"Ah..."
So that was what she was worrying about.
Her momentum had softened a lot compared to before, but did she feel like she had actually accomplished something this time?
Judging by her tone and the look in her eyes, she seemed to be hoping for a little bit of praise.
Exactly like a puppy asking to be pet.
"You did well."
Of course, I didn't actually pet her head.
I just spoke briefly and dryly as usual.
Honestly speaking, saying things like this felt a bit awkward to me too.
I felt like adding more would just ruin the mood, so I ended it with that one phrase.
I thought she might feel like it wasn't enough, but.
Eileen nodded with a rather satisfied face and silently focused on maintaining her sword again.
Well, as long as she was satisfied, I guess that was fine.
"Considering what Riv told us last time too, we're seeing Goblins quite often."
"Yeah. Maybe something is going on."
Eileen muttered while slightly furrowing her brows.
"Of all times, right now... No, maybe it's a good thing."
"Is it...?"
"Yes. Because if this happens, other people won't have the time to pay attention to us, right?"
"Hm, that makes sense."
Even if someone was trying to keep us in check or attack us, their priorities would naturally shift if another incident occurred.
Then again, it's always easier to hide when things are chaotic.
Perhaps that was the reason why nothing much had happened to us so far.
Whatever it was, it was a good thing for us right now, given our lack of power.
"All done! Get in!"
Right on cue, Silon shouted as he hopped onto the horse after finishing the repairs.
"Let's move."
"Yes."
Facing the wind blowing against us once more, the carriage slowly started to move.
***
Clatter, clank.
After that brief commotion, we were able to travel to our destination without any issues.
At least things aren't blowing up on us back-to-back.
"Are we almost there?"
"Just a little bit further."
There was a strange sense of certainty in Silon's voice.
Even if he looked like that, the guy surprisingly had a lot of talent.
Asking him this and that out of boredom, it showed that he had been rolling around as a Mercenary for quite a while. He knew a lot of things, too.
"So, you ran away with your hometown friends to try being a Mercenary?"
"Yes... It was something like a Mercenary Group formed by friends from my hometown."
"What kind of Mercenary Group is that, punk."
No wonder.
I should have known something was off the first time I heard it.
No matter how stupid a Mercenary is, they usually know how to take care of their own life.
But to think they all got wiped out.
In the end, it was just a mediocre club made up of a bunch of nobodies.
"Also, I heard a rumor."
"A rumor...? What rumor."
"That Mercenaries can touch a lot of money just by going to war!"
War... I guess that isn't entirely wrong.
Instead, the only problem is that the probability of losing your head before the money reaches your hands is much higher.
I realized that there are quite a few kids here who dream foolish dreams about war.
A romanticism closer to dying a glorious death rather than planning to come back alive.
I've never experienced war myself, but at least it was far from the world I had seen.
"Then why were you rolling around here instead of going straight to the battlefield?"
"We were just guys who ran away because we didn't want to work, so we had nothing. We couldn't even go to the battlefield because we had no Equipment...."
"So you formed a Mercenary Group with your friends?"
"Yes, thinking about it now, it was immature. In the end, everyone died and I was the only one who survived."
Silon smiled bitterly and pulled the horse's Reins.
That smile looked more bitter than I expected, so I didn't feel like saying anything to him.
"Do you still want to go to war?"
"......Yes. I will definitely succeed for my friends' sake and return to my hometown."
I felt a heavy resolve that was different from the coldness of the dawn.
It seemed he had realized something in his own way.
"If you're going east, look for Mercenary Commander Barret."
"Huh?"
"If you give him my name, he'll help you out in his own way, even if it's not a guarantee."
"Th-thank you!"
Honestly, I'm not sure if he'll help either.
Still, wouldn't it be much better than going with nothing?
"But you're not going right away, are you?"
"Right... I'll have to look for people again and make some money."
"Yeah, good luck with that."
We didn't meet under the best of circumstances, but there was no reason to part on bad terms ei-
"Can't you take me with you too!"
A very familiar scene started once again.
Silon looked at me with desperate eyes.
"Haa... Why should I take you with me."
"I know how to do a lot of things. I know how to drive a horse, I can shoot a bow, and um... I know a bit about herbs. Oh, and swords too-"
Whether he was extremely desperate, he rambled on about his strengths.
He definitely looked like he knew how to do a lot of things, but that wasn't what was important.
"...Enough. That's not what I'm curious about."
"Pardon?"
"If I'm in danger, can you jump in?"
Receiving the question, Silon lost his words for a moment and dropped his head.
Whether he was naive or just short-sighted.
Anyway, I expected it, but.
"You're not just tagging along; if we travel together, there will be responsibilities."
"...Then, I will take care of my own food and sleep. I won't be a burden. Never!"
Since he couldn't lie, he couldn't answer my question clearly.
But as if he hadn't given up, those desperate eyes still pierced right through me.
"...Tag along if you want."
"Really?!"
Seeing him jumping for joy, it seemed he had expected to be rejected.
With my head slightly turned while on the horse, I added.
"Instead, if you mess up, I'll abandon you immediately."
"Yes! I will never be a nuisance!"
Good grief.
"Oh, and for the record, the commission split is 9:1."
"What!? What do you mean-"
"You don't want to?"
"Eek! No, no. I'll follow you."
Silon flashed an awkward smile.
His expression was funny, and it somehow put my mind at ease, so a soft chuckle escaped me.
I leaned my body back against the carriage.
Having one more person around wouldn't change much.
Still, it felt reassuring.
Thinking about the battles that could happen in the future, it wasn't a bad thing.
***
"Once we cross that hill, it's Mondak, right?"
"Yes, will you look for an inn first once we reach the city?"
"Well, I probably should."
"I want to lie down on a bed quickly."
Sharing trivial small talk, the carriage headed toward the hill.
Finally, as we crossed the hill and our view opened up, the massive fortress of Mondak revealed itself in the distance.
However.
"...Huh?"
"What the-"
It was on fire.
Black smoke soaring above the outer walls of the fortress, flames spreading out in red, and collapsed structures.
It was definitely the city I knew, but right now... it looked like a battlefield.
As we got closer, the gruesome sight came into clearer view.
The fortress was cracked in various places like a broken dam, and a huge hole large enough for four carriages to easily pass through had been blown into one side of the castle wall.
Around that gap, soldiers wearing armor stood their ground with vicious expressions, while behind them, people who looked like laborers were busily moving about carrying large stones.
On the outskirts of the city, a temporary tent village bustling with people in shabby clothes had been set up.
Faces scorched by the fire, children watching boiling pots in silence, the elderly staring blankly at the sky.
This place... was no longer the Mondak I knew.
"Hyungnim, what should we do? Will it be okay to go in?"
"Why am I your Hyungnim. ...Let's just keep going for now."
We had come all this way, and we were too far away to turn back now.
Our food had run out, and we needed supplies.
Fortunately, it currently looked like a lull right after a battle.
As we slowly drove the carriage and approached the castle gate, the piercing gazes of the soldiers shot toward us.
Eyes full of vigilance. Anyone could tell this wasn't an atmosphere where they'd easily let us in.
When we reached right in front of the castle gate, the soldier who looked the most imposing stepped forward, the metallic clank of his armor ringing out.
"Halt! Who are you!"
At the booming shout, Silon flinched his shoulders and hurriedly yelled back.
"W-we are mercenaries!"
His terrified voice almost made me let out a scoff without realizing it.
However, judging by the atmosphere, it wasn't a situation to laugh in.
"Mercenaries?"
"They say they're mercenaries?"
Murmurs spread among the soldiers who heard our words.
After whispering to each other for a moment to confirm something, the soldier who had yelled earlier slowly walked forward again.
I didn't know his exact rank, but he looked to be around a non-commissioned officer.
That soldier stared at my face for a moment, then quietly muttered.
"They're the mercenaries who left a while ago."
Seeing his face as he drew closer, a faint memory came back to me as well.
Ah, right.
He was the soldier who blocked us in front of the checkpoint when the Watcher stepped in to help.
"What brings you back?"
"We have a commission we received from the city, so we came to get our payment."
I stepped up in place of the frozen Silon.
"A commission? ...Hm, alright. Let them in!"
"Yes!"
'Huh? What is this?'
It was unexpected.
I thought he would interrogate us more or be suspicious.
Unlike back then, this time he let us pass through smoothly without saying anything.
Just like that, we were able to enter the castle amidst a slightly uneasy atmosphere.