Klaus
Two days later.>
Under the trees on the quiet plain, a gentle breeze stirred. Yan was leisurely nibbling at the grass, while Ion lay face-down beside Lotte, using her as his pillow for a midday nap.>
Lotte’s ears shot straight up at the slightest sound. After a moment, she opened her eyes, lifted her head, and stared in one direction. Then she sprang up, tail wagging furiously, and shook the man beneath her awake.>
“You’re finally here?”>
Ion sat up, blinking. The moment he saw the group approaching—mercenaries on horseback and foot soldiers carrying spears—he called Yan over and swung himself into the saddle. He walked slowly toward the newcomers, who had also spotted him and now halted. Only three of them stepped forward to meet him at a distance where voices could be heard clearly.>
“Wandering Knight Ion Rise! The captain of the Kval Mercenary Group, Klaus Heringen, where is he?”>
The three stepped forward and introduced themselves in turn.>
“Daniel, one of the six executives of the Kval Mercenary Group!”>
“I am Julio!”>
“And I am Renato!”>
Ion raised his head and glanced back. “Is that all? Where’s the captain?”>
The moment Ion mentioned Klaus, the three stiffened.>
“You’re more than enough for us!”>
“Do we look easy?”>
“Should we attack now?”>
Ion ignored them and kept talking. “You want to complicate things over a one-on-one duel with the leader? Fine. I’ll handle all of you and head to the camp! Get ready yourselves!”>
He finished, turned Yan around, and rode back. The three stood there in stunned silence.>
“That… that?”>
“He’s really going to fight us alone?”>
“Even if he overestimates his own strength, no way—this is crazy!”>
Angry, Daniel turned to the other two. “He’s reckless, but he’ll be tough. Don’t get careless. Finish him quickly and we’ll go!”>
“Got it!”>
“All right!”>
The three rode back to the mercenaries. On Daniel’s side, the cavalry gathered; the infantry split, two behind Julio and Renato respectively, forming a tight formation. Ion waited until they spread out, then drew his short but powerful mace from the saddle. With his enhanced strength, he believed a sturdy mace would be more than enough to handle the enemy’s numbers, and the opportunity was there.>
He gripped the reins, gave Yan’s belly a light tap with his heel, and the wolf’s eyes gleamed as it began to trot forward slowly.>
Dada-dada-dada!>
Daniel and his cavalry charged to meet them. The infantry behind Daniel formed a long horizontal line, looking like a wall as they galloped.>
Dudududu!>
At the distance where they could finally see each other’s faces, the infantry charged in a wall, swinging weapons as if wrapping around Ion like a blanket.>
Ion did not dodge. He swung his mace in a wide arc.>
Klang! Klang! Klang!>
The mercenaries who collided with his mace dropped their shortswords but clutched their hands, groaning in pain.>
Ion kept moving Yan, swinging the mace again.>
Crack! Anyone who touched his mace—whether they held a weapon or not—snapped something and fell from the saddle, staggering.>
“Don’t bunch up! Scatter!”>
Daniel pulled the reins and turned, shouting at his men, but Ion whipped Yan faster, passed the chaos, and struck down heads with the mace again and again.>
Crack!>
The mercenary who tried to dodge the overhead swing slammed into his shoulder and was forced to the ground by the crushing weight.>
“Heeiiing!”>
The mercenaries who were knocked off by Ion and then trampled by panicked horses shrieked and panicked.>
“Kyeok!”>
“Uwaaak!”>
Those who managed to escape Daniel were still chased by Ion and had their heads smashed from behind with the mace.>
Boom!>
Heads burst as they fell. Daniel, now gripping his spear, charged at the infantry gathered together.>
“Not human strength! Closer together, spears ready!”>
The spearmen drew nearer and thrust their spears forward in a bristling hedgehog formation.>
Ion chased the fleeing mounted mercenaries, finished them, turned Yan, and galloped around to strike the rear again.>
He created distance, sheathed the mace at his waist, and drew the longsword. A mace was too short for the spearmen, so he lightly held the reins and tapped Yan’s belly once more with his heel.>
“Let’s go!”>
Yan lifted its front legs and charged forward powerfully.>
Dudududu!>
Even though the distance was great, it closed the gap in an instant.>
Right in front of the bristling hedgehog formation, Ion yanked the reins and turned sharply left. While turning urgently to the left, he held the reins in one hand, leaned his body right, and slashed at the incoming spear with his longsword.>
The blade, forged by a master and sharp, met his own strength and sliced even cleaner and harder. Kakakak! Every spear in the path was sliced through like bean sprouts.>
“Ah!”>
“G-giant strength!”>
Surprised, Daniel and the executives shouted as Ion passed them and turned sharply around with Yan again.>
“All throw your spears at once!”>
“Draw the crossbows and reload!”>
Darts from the crossbows would be deadly to Yan, but spears could still be dodged. While the spearmen pulled out their crossbows, Ion reduced speed as he ran and leaped off Yan’s back to close the distance with the mercenaries.>
“Kyaak!”>
“Waaah!”>
“Fire! Fire!”>
Several crossbowmen who were reloading were cut down. The first one who managed to fire, however, was too close. The bolt was sliced in half by Ion’s sword.>
Then he plunged into the mercenaries and began swinging his sword wildly. Not just slashing or stabbing—he gripped the blade with both hands, pushed with the flat, and hammered with the pommel and elbows, stomping with his feet as well.>
Because the mercenaries were packed tightly, there were few gaps. Every swing and stomp landed with crushing force; bones snapped or bodies burst as they fell to the ground.>
The three executive cavalrymen tried to circle and stab from the sides, but the mercenaries blocked them. Lotte leaped among the executives, barking and attacking the horses. The animals, terrified by the sudden noise and the “intruder” appearing right in front of their feet, lost control of their riders.>
“Heeiiing!”>
“Heehee-hee!”>
Rearing and kicking, the horses trampled the helpless mercenaries. When they fell, their riders were crushed too.>
“Uwaaaak!”>
“M-my leg!”>
“Kyuuk!”>
Daniel and Julio fared no better. Trying to control their mounts, they had to dismount when Lotte kept leaping around their feet and the horses bucked wildly. They fell hard.>
“Kyuuk!”>
“My ankle twisted!”>
“Uwaaaak!”>
Daniel rolled on the ground and slammed into something solid. When he looked up, he saw the mercenaries were all slain and in front of him stood Ion, covered in blood.>
“K-kyuuk! M-monster!”>
“Between me and your captain, Klaus—who is stronger?”>
“T-the captain has Pain! You cannot defeat him!”>
“Pain?”>
“Die!”>
Daniel, still sitting, grabbed his sword and lunged. Ion twisted aside, then brought his left fist down on Daniel’s forehead. Boom!>
The sound of a skull cracking echoed. Daniel collapsed without even a scream. Lotte circled the wounded Julio, barking fiercely. “Get away!”>
Lotte obeyed and backed off. Ion stood in his place.>
“You… you…”>
“What is Pain? Isn’t Kval the name of your mercenary group? It means Pain, doesn’t it?”>
Julio, about to answer, leaped on his one good leg and thrust his sword forward. “Pain… is the sword that pokes into your guts!”>
Clang! He blocked the thrust and drove his sword deep into Julio’s chest. “K… kyuuk!”>
When he pulled the blade out, Julio fell. No standing mercenaries remained. Lotte’s ears perked as she searched for survivors, circled once, and found none. She came back to Ion’s side. Even Ion’s body was splattered with blood, but so was Lotte’s.>
“When we see a stream on the way, we’ll wash up a bit.”>
Lotte immediately took a few cautious steps backward at the mention of washing.>
* * *>
Two days later, the Kval Mercenary Camp was in chaos. People were either riding horses to move supplies or folding tents, preparing to relocate the entire camp. Inside the commander’s tent, Klaus was wearing his black armor and had the black longsword Pain sheathed at his waist.>
Soon, executives Sergio and Luise entered the tent. “How is the preparation going?”>
“The thirty troops we pulled out for combat are ready! We can depart at any time!”>
Sergio’s report was followed by Luise’s. “It will take a little more time to organize the supplies!”>
Klaus nodded and gave them instructions. “Sergio and the troops follow me. Luise, keep organizing. The camp has to be moved anyway.”>
“The captain is going himself?”>
Klaus nodded at Luise’s question and continued. “Daniel and the executives have been gone for four days. If they haven’t returned, they must have been defeated. I don’t know what they used, but if someone single-handedly wiped out that force, I’ll go and settle it.”>
“Understood. But…”>
“But?”>
“Too many casualties have already occurred. We’ve lost many executives. Recovery will take a lot of strength.”>
“Even after being chased by me, you still don’t understand?”>
“Eh?”>
Klaus smiled coldly. “This mercenary group exists because I am here. As long as I am here, we can recover however we want. Defeating a strong enemy only raises my reputation, and subordinates can be recruited again anytime!”>
“Yes…”>
“You cannot receive a title through land wars that only sweep the backs of others. Your executives were also vassals of the Heringen family, so you should know that.”>
Sergio and Luise lowered their heads and nodded. Luise’s expression was grim. As Klaus had said, Klaus and the six executives were descendants of a count and his vassals who had fled to a neighboring kingdom after a rebellion in Herba Province of the Badfeld Kingdom. More than sixty years had passed since they lost their territory and wandered elsewhere. “Yes… I know. How could I not understand the suffering until now?”>
“Since things have come to this, it would be better to travel the entire Panotia continent and cut off the heads of those who claim to be strong. Then we can simply occupy one territory!”>
“Won’t you return to Badfeld?”>
“Where is a homeland you cannot even remember? The territory I was thrown out of in my grandfather’s generation. I have no attachment left. I will claim new territories in new places and root myself there!”>
At Klaus’s declaration, Sergio and Luise knelt on one knee. “Understood! We will follow our lord!”>
“We will follow our lord!”>
Klaus smiled satisfied and nodded. “Good. First, I’ll defeat that guy and return!”>
The power of the Kval Mercenary Camp surged forward. Cavalry on horseback led, followed by infantry with spears. Because the force occupied a wide road, passing travelers and wagons had to stop to the side. One wagon’s wooden barrier was slightly lifted, revealing Marina’s face.>
“The mercenaries are leaving for the second time. Did the first group all get wiped out?”>
Marina’s carriage was returning to Kuluzi and had met the returning mercenaries. “I heard the knight was really strong?”>
Marina had found it interesting to meet two unusual people in such a short time during her dull daily life. And she had earned money too, so she was satisfied with having plenty of stories to share with her colleagues upon returning to Kuluzi. >
* * *>
The next day, midday. Klaus rode in front, leading the way. Usually the leader of a large group would move with guards, but Klaus kept his distance and rode ahead of the others. He wanted to go fast, but the slow pace was forced by the infantry. Besides, as captain he could not move freely, and he had no horse worth riding with him. Because of his large size, even walking caused the horse to tire quickly, so he had to switch mounts often. Strong as he was, he had been forced to build his force as a mercenary instead of a wandering knight from the beginning because mounted combat was difficult. If they kept going, they would reach Gorzi Plain—the place mentioned in the letter Ion had sent—by tomorrow. Klaus crossed his arms and looked straight ahead, narrowing his eyes slightly. A rider and a large wolf came toward him over the shallow hill. Klaus raised his hand and signaled the troops behind him. Sergio, who had been following, stepped forward. “Lord, what is it?”>
Klaus pointed with his finger. “That man!”>
“Yeah, he said the knight was riding a wolf.”>
“He doesn’t look badly injured yet. He seems strong enough to defeat three executives and their force.”>
“The stronger the better. Defeating such a guy will make my name rise even higher.”>
“Yes, of course.”>
“It’s a pity that only a few people are watching, though.”>
While Klaus and Sergio talked, Ion—having spotted the mercenaries and the large man at the front—slowly walked toward them and stopped at a distance. “Is this the captain of the Kval Mercenary Group, Klaus Heringen?”>
“That’s right! You are the wandering knight Ion Rise who killed my brother?”>
“That’s right! You were late for the appointment, so I came to find you myself!”>
Klaus gritted his teeth and smiled. “Heh heh heh. I’ll tear that mouth off!”>
“If you can, try it!”>
“Good!”>
Klaus gave an order to Sergio behind him and dismounted. Sergio spread the troops wide behind him, turning the battlefield into a spectator area. Ion also dismounted from Yan.>
“Lotte, guard Yan here.”>
Lotte wagged her tail and licked Ion’s hand as if saying “keep it up.” He stroked the cute wolf’s head and walked toward Klaus. Klaus drew the black longsword and held it up with one hand. Because of his size, the longsword looked almost like a shortsword. Ion drew his longsword as well and faced him. “He looks bigger than Frederick—truly giant. If I defeat him, I become a giant slayer?”>
In legends, the one who killed a dragon was called a dragon slayer. Ion wondered if giants had a similar title. Anyway, once he defeated this size, the orc warriors would give him an appropriate name. Klaus’s head was two sizes larger than Ion’s, and his arms looked as thick as an orc’s. Ion felt no intimidation at all and had no doubt of victory. “No matter how strong, he can’t match an orc warrior! Then I should be able to win!”>
[System: The blessing of strength has increased!]