Episode 7: Border Defense Captain Chrom (1)
Episode 7: Border Defense Captain Chrom (1)
Due to the aftermath of the Empire's oppressive rule and war preparations, numerous people are leaving in groups to take refuge.
Because the Valpurgis Empire's politics are corrupt and its military policies are coercive, all wealth is concentrated in the capital,
leaving other cities always in a state of starvation and bleeding to survive.
In such a situation, with war preparations underway, people can no longer hold on and are embarking on journeys to other countries.
However, the Empire does not permit them to leave its borders, and the gates of the checkpoints are firmly shut.
Right in front of a Valpurgis Empire border checkpoint, a settlement of refugees has formed by a huge river, crowded with masses of people.
Amidst them, a girl wrapped in a thick cloak weaves through the crowd.
The girl looked around as if searching for someone, yet she kept her face deeply bowed as if hiding her identity.
"Excuse me... have you by any chance seen a giant person?"
"Huh? I haven't...."
The girl spoke to a vagrant sitting slumped on the ground.
"If he didn't show up at the meeting place, he must have passed through here...."
The girl nodded slightly to express her thanks and muttered quietly.
And as she tried to leave the spot.
-Smash!
The vagrant grabs the girl's hand tightly.
"Now that I look, you're a pretty lady? How about something giant other than a giant person? I'm pretty big, you know~"
A swift spinning back kick flies towards the vagrant's face as he laughs with a dirty expression.
-Thwack!!
"I'm busy, so don't bother me."
The sound was so loud that the eyes of the surrounding people instantly focused on them.
"Tch...."
The girl, trying to avoid the stares, immediately dashed away between the tents of the refugees.
"He doesn't show up at the meeting place either, and they just said 'a giant man with black hair'—how am I supposed to find him with that, headquarters?"
The girl plopped down in a spot with fewer people and finally removed the thick cloak she had been wearing.
She had short brown hair and a small, cute appearance, but.
The various sized scars visible on her body, between her thin top and bottom, showed she was a veteran who had been through all sorts of battles.
"Kyaaah!! Please, don't do it!!"
The Empire's military patrols the refugee settlement.
During the process, the soldiers amused themselves by beating the elderly, and oppressed healthy people by extorting money from them.
But seeing such sights while having to hide among the refugees and just watch made her grind her teeth.
As a secret agent of the Rohim Kingdom, whose position was to observe situations across the Empire and gather information,
she couldn't recklessly step forward and risk having her identity exposed.
For now, she just had to endure and hold back her anger.
The Empire, unable to sustain its precarious situation, would soon start a war to survive.
And she would seize that opportunity to help the allied nations bring freedom to the people of the Empire.
I was just acting according to my beliefs again today.
Pushing the heart-wrenching situation aside, I stepped back out onto the street and began searching for the person.
I had heard the urgent report from headquarters a few days ago.
That Priscilla, the former Grand Sorceress and current Witch of the Swamp, had been captured by the Empire.
And that a man named Ban, Priscilla's servant, was moving to rescue her.
My mission was to provide him with additional information about the Empire and assist his covert entry.
But after waiting a day at the meeting place, this man named Ban, said to have a giant build, didn't show even a hint of himself.
Unable to delay any longer, I was loitering around the checkpoint, a place one must pass through to enter the Empire from this area.
I had thought about just reporting that we failed to meet and returning to my mission, but
headquarters had firmly stated it was an important mission, so I couldn't easily give up.
Just what kind of man is he, to look down on people like this?
Suppressing my rising anger, I moved my steps towards the checkpoint this time.
In front of the checkpoint, packed with refugees lining up with futile hopes of possibly passing through.
I hid between buildings and looked for the man with the giant build.
'There's too little information to begin with. No matter how urgent, just writing "black hair, giant build, and an incredibly large greatsword"—how am I supposed to find him with that.'
I poked my head out between the buildings to check the situation slightly, then instantly startled and pulled back inside.
'Why is the Border Captain out here, of all days?!'
Border Captain Chrom.
An Imperial noble guarding this place located at the far end of the Valpurgis Empire.
While called a Border Captain, it was just a position grabbed by a high-ranking Imperial noble's child for its money and prestige.
His hair was dyed blond, his skin looked like it was burned from who-knows-where—he was the very picture of a delinquent you could sense at a glance.
"Hmm, who should I pick today~"
Chrom, leading dozens of subordinates, wandered among the refugees, scrutinizing the faces of the women among them.
"Maybe because yesterday's was a bit skinny, her bones dug in and it hurt, you know? How was it for you guys?"
Chrom went around laughing loudly, talking about what happened last night.
"Ah~ Don't even mention it. A girl with a bit of meat is better after all. The three of us took turns, but we all finished quicker than usual because it hurt, haha!!!"
His subordinates chimed in, talking loudly as if in agreement.
Disgusting bastards.
I wanted to smash that guy Chrom's face right now and cut off his balls.
There has never been a moment when my job pissed me off as much as right now.
"Right? It's not just me, right? I'll pick a tasty one today~"
Chrom talked loudly and wandered through the refugees again with a lecherous face.
Just as they were about to reach the huge gate of the checkpoint, Chrom stopped in his tracks.
"Ba-ba-ra-bam~ Found!"
As if having won something, he shouted joyfully and snatched a girl and a woman who appeared to be her mother.
"Today's dinner is a mother-daughter donburi~"
"Whoa~ As expected, Chrom-nim's eye is exceptional. My mouth is already watering."
"Hey hey, I get first turn, so hold out till dawn~"
Chrom and his subordinates cackled as they dragged the two away.
"Kyaaaaah!! Mom!!!"
"No! Please, just this once!!"
The mother and daughter clung to each other, screaming.
Soon, a man who appeared to be the family's father also came out from among the refugees.
"Oh great Border Captain of Valpurgis!! Please, just this once. I will do anything else I can, other than this."
The man prostrated himself on the ground, crying and begging.
"Huh? Other things you can do? What can you do?"
Chrom stomped on the man's head.
"What can a beggar refugee like you possibly do? Do you have money? Do you have jewels?"
"Please... Chrom-nim."
-Thwack!! Thwaaack!!
As Chrom jerked his head and gave a signal, his subordinates swiftly began kicking the man.
Under the merciless kicks, the man was being beaten senselessly.
"Ah~ I've got a good idea!"
Chrom immediately ripped apart the top of the woman who appeared to be the mother.
"Shall I have a taste in front of you? This kind of thing gets me excited too."
"Ah... Mom!!"
Seeing the scene, the daughter grabbed Chrom's pant leg.
"I'll... I'll do it alone. Please let my mom and dad go...."
Looking down at the girl crying and pleading, Chrom grabbed her by the hair and yanked.
"Good, if that's what you want, we'll start with you."
Chrom gestured and continued speaking.
"Hey! This guy here seems to be a spy from another country!! Execute on the spot~"
Chrom's subordinates drew the swords at their waists upon the command.
Seeing that scene, my face twisted as if it would tear apart.
My guts screamed.
I could no longer hold back.
'Fuck it, I quit being a secret agent.'
I threw off my cloak and drew a longsword and a dagger from inside my clothes.
"I'll just kill you all."
And at that moment, as I was about to kick off and charge.
-Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!!!
The checkpoint's bell began ringing like crazy.
"What, what's going on?"
As Chrom shouted loudly to find out the situation, a man atop the checkpoint gate shouted, sounding panicked.
"Chrom-nim!!! A suspicious individual is approaching the gate!!! Their height is incredibly tall!! And the sword... is that a sword?"
Chrom seemed irritated as he drew his own sword.
"Speak clearly!! I can't hear well!! Should I just kill you?"
"Chrom-nim, it's!!! Eh? Eeeeeh!!!"
-Boom!!
Along with a huge sound as if the gate was being struck, the attention of everyone at the checkpoint focused.
-Boom!!!!
The ground rumbled as a massive impact sound reverberated across the scene.
"What's going on!!! Is it an enemy force?"
"The enemy is just one person!!! They're trying to break the gate!!"
-Boom!!!!!
"What the fuck! How can one person break the gate?"
The sounds only grew louder, and soon after.
-Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gang!!!
The huge gate shattered as if it were a sheet of paper, fragments and dust scattering.
In that moment of everyone's panic, a man walked through the sand and dust.
The man's height seemed over 2 meters, and the sword carried on his back was so heavy the ground seemed to vibrate with each step he took.
'Now I understand why the description in the letter was so vague.'
I could tell at a glance who he was.
Heading for the Empire to rescue the Witch of the Swamp, Priscilla...
The Great Warrior who wields a Great Sword.
It was Ban.