The Mercenary Band
The next morning, Ion descended to the inn's dining hall in leisurely fashion and placed his order for breakfast. As he did so, he asked the innkeeper, Louise, a question. “Regarding rumors in the area, who should I speak with?” “Rumors?”
Louise, who had been about to carry over the food, scanned the surroundings and called out to the man sitting alone with a beer. “Andre!” “Why the call?” “You’re the one who wants to know things, sir.” “I see.”
The mid-forties man who appeared to be a short-statured mercenary picked up his beer mug and came forward to bow deeply in front of Ion. “My name is Andre, a mercenary.” “Free knight Ion. Sit.” “Yes. Thank you.”
Once Andre took his seat, Ion ordered another beer for him. Andre gulped down the beer he had been saving and accepted the fresh mug. “A-ah, thank you. What would you like to know?” “Where is the Kval Mercenary Group located right now?” Ion’s direct question caused Andre’s expression to change as he happily sipped his beer. “Eh? K-Kval Mercenary Group…” “Why the surprise?” Andre glanced around to see if anyone was listening and lowered his voice. “…They are terrifying people. Unlike ordinary mercenaries like me, who take on simple jobs in the nearby regions, they are true war mercenaries.” “So I heard. Five hundred of them, right?” “As far as I know, that number is only mentioned when a village-wide war breaks out. Normally, they operate with fewer than a hundred. Still, those who remain would be stronger than the other four hundred.” Andre’s assessment seemed accurate. Five hundred was probably the peak when the group had the largest membership and greatest prestige. “That makes sense. They can’t keep five hundred men on hand at all times. So you know their location?” “I don’t have exact information. But a few months ago, I heard they participated in a village war in the Kuluzy Kingdom about a fortnight’s travel to the west of here. If you go that way and ask, you should be able to get detailed information.”
After listening to Andre, Ion decided where to head next after leaving Whirote. Curious about how much fear he truly inspired, Ion asked, “Thank you. But it doesn’t seem you’re afraid simply because they’re war mercenaries. Is there another reason?” “Many mercenaries have told me that this mercenary group is a place where rough, unpredictable men who might turn bandit at any moment gather. Quite a few of us like me have suffered at their hands.” “Attacking fellow mercenaries?” “That and forcing them to join village wars. They tell us like us to act as shields.” With such a large organization, problems were bound to arise, but what Andre described was a far graver matter. As for the issue of the organization, Ion had no deep involvement, but the fact that they struck fear into other mercenaries was information worth noting.
Ion handed three coins to Andre. “Thank you. You’ve been a great help.” “A-ah! Thank you so much.” Andre pocketed the coins and stood from the table, returning to his own seat. The village a fortnight’s walk away wasn’t particularly close, but it wasn’t far either. With a bounty on Ion’s head large enough to send knights all the way to other kingdoms, it was possible that someone knew his face. From now on, he would have to move carefully.
Once he had decided on his destination, there was no reason to wait. After dining that evening, Ion left Whirote Estate and followed the western road. After walking along the narrow path for three days, he arrived at a small village at the foot of the mountains. The village was quiet, but strangely, it had an inn. It appeared that many travelers stayed here because it was a village along the route between regions. It was a bit smaller than other regions but still a solid two-story inn. He tied Yan to the stable next to the entrance, opened the door for Lotte, and stepped inside. As soon as Ion entered, the lively chatter in the dining hall fell silent. The villagers and merchants carrying loads and selling goods, who had been sitting and chatting, quieted down for a moment at the sight of the unfamiliar knight. But soon they turned their heads and the noise rose again.
Ion sat at an empty table and ordered food. Normally, when visiting a regular inn, he would order bones for Lotte too, but this time he didn’t, and Lotte didn’t complain about being hungry. “Haha, so you see…” “I earned a bit this time…” “Next time, instead of wheat…” They clinked glasses together while chatting among themselves, but Ion felt a strange unease. He glanced around: the inn’s windows were covered with wooden planks. Soon a waitress brought beer, bread, and stew to the table. Ion, as usual, removed his gauntlets and tore into the bread. Wrapping the meat in the torn bread, the stew’s broth dripped onto the black thread ring on his right index finger. The black color faintly blurred, turned silver, and then returned to black. “Poison!” The strange unease he had felt upon entering the inn was confirmed, and red dots appeared on Ion’s map. Sixteen on the first floor—dining hall and kitchen—and eight on the second floor—rooms—were visible. There was no one in this inn building who wasn’t an enemy.
Ion put his gauntlets back on and gently stroked Lotte. “Stay out of the way while I fight. Got it?” Lotte perked up her ears, her eyes sharpening. She was smart enough to dodge well on her own. Ion stood and drew his sword. Clang! As Ion rose and drew his blade, the noisy dining hall fell silent; everyone stopped talking and stared at Ion. Then, exchanging glances, their eyes turned toward the second floor. The leader of this group was apparently on the second floor. Ion saw a man in his thirties looking down from the second-floor railing. “Enough with the useless theatrics! Come at me!” The man grinned. “I don’t know how you sensed it, but you’re overestimating your own strength, young knight.” “You’re the leader, aren’t you? Don’t throw away your precious life—come fight me!” “Haha, knight sir. We’re mercenaries; we don’t know what you’re talking about.” The man laughed wickedly, then changed his expression and issued orders. “Put out the fire and attack!” Following the man’s command, the mercenaries extinguished the flames from the stove and oil lamps on the walls. Then came the sound of scraping tables and pulling out weapons. The reason the windows were boarded up was clear now. In the pitch-black darkness where they couldn’t see, the mercenaries seemed to have some form of vision—perhaps from training. Ion had no ability to see in the dark, but he had the map. Red dots approaching Ion appeared, their steps muffled.
Ion slashed his sword fiercely toward the dots. Clang! A weapon clashed, sparks flashed for an instant, and a scream followed. “Kheugh!” The force in Ion’s sword was not something one could easily block. The mercenary’s blade flew away from the unexpected collision, and a sword pierced his body. Red dots swarmed toward Ion. Ion stepped sideways, dodged the rushing dots, and slashed with his sword. “Gah!” It seemed not all the mercenaries were visible. That meant he had no reason to be more careful. Ion walked toward the red dots one step at a time, stabbing and swinging his sword. “Ugh!” “Kyaa!” “My arm!” In the darkness, all that could be heard was the sound of swinging swords and screams. They had extinguished the lights to gain an advantage, but Ion was the one gaining the upper hand. “What? Why is he so sharp-eyed in the dark?” “He can see in the dark too!” “Operation failed! Light the fire!” Seeing the red dots move toward the wall, Ion approached it. Snap! Flint struck, sparks flew, and Ion’s face appeared. “Hah!” The mercenary who had drawn the flint looked startled, mouth open, when Ion’s sword stabbed straight through it, silencing him. Ion continued pressing against the wall, dispatching the mercenaries trying to light the fire. When they realized the darkness was not their advantage, the red dots began to gather. “Stay together!” “Stab them all with your swords while they’re clustered!” “Closer to the wall!” It was as if spearmen had gathered to thrust their spears, but these men were not spearmen. Moreover, the mercenaries were carrying short swords, which were shorter than Ion’s longsword, making them easier to hide.
Ion circled the group of red dots, swinging his sword, and one by one they fell, screaming. As the mercenaries panicked and the gathered red dots began to scatter, “Run!” “We have to get outside to survive!” “No! If we do, we’ll die!” The mercenaries scattered in panic as Lotte burst out and attacked them. “Grr!” “Kyaa! It’s a wolf!” “Gah! My leg!” With Lotte joining the fray, the mercenaries were thrown into greater chaos. They couldn’t even find the door and staggered around until they fell one by one to Ion’s sword. Then someone courageously found and opened the door. “Hah!” The interior of the inn lit by the moonlight streaming in was horrific. Mercenaries lay cut down and stabbed, bleeding out, their bodies strewn about. Blood soaked the entire inn. In the middle of it all stood Ion, sword in hand, covered in blood, and Lotte the red wolf— a sight that would instill fear. The man who had opened the door was the one who had given orders to the mercenaries from the second floor of the dining hall. The man could not move as if frozen. “Who are you!” “I-I am Wagner, one of the six executives of the Kval Mercenary Group.” One of the group’s executives was not unusual to have twenty or thirty subordinates. And the mercenaries here numbered about twenty. “When did you start chasing me?” “Since we crossed into the Bask Kingdom. This place… is our territory.” It seemed people had recognized Ion from the villages he had passed through and relayed the information. Given that a young knight with a red wolf was traveling together was uncommon, it made sense. “Where is your leader? Is he still in Kuluzy?” “…” Wagner did not answer, but his body trembled. It seemed he was still in the Kuluzy Kingdom or nearby. Ion walked toward Wagner and shouted, “Come at me! You can’t run or survive!” Wagner took a step back and retreated outside the open door. Wagner stopped in the open space in front of the inn, holding his short sword and dagger, and assumed a stance. Ion followed him out and faced Wagner. He wiped the blood from his sword and gripped it with both hands. If the opponent fought seriously, he would respond in kind. With a proper stance set, Wagner’s eyes changed. He threw the dagger. Thud! Ion deflected the dagger with his sword, and Wagner, who had been reaching into his pocket, scattered something gray. “We mercenaries don’t know about duels!” The gray powder spread, and Ion dusted it off. If it was a deadly poison, Wagner, who had thrown it, would not attack and would instead retreat several steps. And he was waiting for Ion to be poisoned. Ion frowned and brushed off the powder on his body. When he showed no signs of being poisoned, Wagner’s eyes widened. “Even like this, the poison… doesn’t work?” Ion gripped his sword tightly. “So you really meant to fight seriously!” Ion stepped forward and swung his sword down. Clang! Wagner’s eyes widened at the direct collision with Ion’s sword. “T-this is power beyond orcs…” Wagner’s judgment was correct. He had apparently fought orcs before. Of course, it had probably been with more than one person. Wagner tried to dodge Ion’s sword to find an opening, but that was only possible if he could withstand the force. Wagner continued retreating. “A monster… We weren’t enough!” Wagner kicked the ground and thrust his sword with all his might. Clang! Ion deflected the sword as if striking it, then drove his elbow into Wagner’s jaw, sending him staggering. Crack! Wagner let out a sound of his jaw breaking and spun once before collapsing to the ground. Then Ion pushed his sword into Wagner’s neck, eliminating all the red dots on the map. He sheathed the sword and looked around. Many people were hiding in the nearby houses, watching Ion fight Wagner through the windows. The villagers, who had been greatly surprised by the sight of the mercenaries storming the inn and fighting, were likely terrified.
Ion shouted so that the villagers could hear. “I am free knight Ion! I have dealt with everyone inside the inn. Please come out safely, owner of this inn and village chief!” There was no response at first. Then, after a moment, an elderly man in his sixties opened the door of one house. The man bowed deeply and spoke. “I am the village chief of this village, Rinu.” “Where is the owner of this inn?” The village chief Rinu answered with his head lowered. “The inn is mine as well.” “Really? There are many corpses inside the inn right now.” The chief sighed. “Yes, I understand. Truly, thank you.” “Did the mercenaries rent the inn by paying?” “No. They forcibly drove us out and occupied it.” That made sense. There was no one who would have paid. “Understood.” “Thank you again for finding the inn for us from those bandits.” “No. They were people I was waiting for anyway.” “Still, thank you.” The village chief Rinu continued bowing his head, and Ion nodded and asked, “Do you have a place for me to stay the night besides this inn?” “You may stay at my house.” “Very well. I’ll take you up on that.” Ion headed to the chief’s house with Lotte.
He spent the night at the village chief’s house. In the morning, he returned to the inn to examine the bodies of the mercenaries. He did not find any clue that would tell the exact location of the mercenary group, but trusting Wagner’s reaction, he decided to head to the Kuluzy Kingdom for now. The human unconscious often reveals the truth at the most unexpected moments. Ion recovered only the money from the mercenaries’ pockets and entrusted the weapons to the villagers. It was the cost of disposing of the bodies. Processing more than twenty bodies would require quite a sum. Only the village chief, whose stomach was in knots, looked gloomy, but he kept bowing and greeting Ion every time, simply for having helped them find the inn they had been unlawfully occupied. He even treated Ion to a feast of utmost respect last night while constantly apologizing. Ion left the village, receiving the villagers’ farewells.