Chapter 99
Chapter 99
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Maxburg Reeducation (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A few days before the war broke out, the Count of Kroitel showed up at our Black Bat guild, leading Lieutenant Short and his band of thugs.
The Count eyed us with the kind of contempt you'd shoot at a pack of rats.
"The Maxburg bastard must've hired you to assassinate me. How much did he pay you? I'll double it. Join up with me."
Our guildmaster sneered back.
"A thousand gold coins. Sure, we're the kind of human scum even Deus has forsaken, but we can't just ditch our first contract. Kill us if you have to—otherwise, the rest of the guild loses faith, and we'll never survive in this line of work."
Hearing that, the Count burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Looks to me like your head's stuffed full of horseshit! What are you waiting for? Lieutenant Short, smash this devil's horseshit skull already!"
After that, the Count killed our guildmaster on some ridiculous pretense and hired the rest of us for two thousand gold.
Then he gave us our orders in a quiet voice.
"Don't bother straining yourself targeting nobles or officers in Rothringen city. Just get inside the castle and make the townsfolk fight it out with the serfs who fled from the countryside. When it comes to the serfs and citizens, only make attempts on their lives. That's the most efficient way."
Orders were orders, so we'd follow them to the letter. But if we're doing this, wouldn't it be better to slaughter commoners and nobles alike without discrimination?
The Count must have his reasons for giving those instructions.
Lost in those thoughts as we hurried toward Rothringen, a voice called out from behind me.
"Sir Switz, we'll reach Rothringen soon."
"Got it."
Next, the village chief rubbed his hands together as he approached me.
"That said, sir, we've escorted you this far and done a fine job of it, haven't we...? We'd appreciate some compensation... Otherwise, a few loose-lipped folks might start talking."
The Count had given me money for situations like this, but to think they'd be this brazen just a week after barely escaping with their lives...
"Here's forty more gold coins. You know what to do, right?"
"Of course, sir..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days later, we finally arrived at Rothringen.
At the city gates, refugees who'd heard the Count was coming and fled here were arguing with the gate guards.
"Come on, sir! When the hell are we getting in? We've been sleeping out in the cold for days—kids and parents are dropping dead!"
"I told you, we wait for the garrison captain's say-so!"
"At least let the kids in first! That wicked Count Kroitel is hot on our heels!"
"His Grace the Duke of Maxburg will surely drive off that filthy count! And you're still complaining? You a spy or something? Keep it up, and I'll sew that mouth shut."
"No, no!!"
The more chaotic it was, the easier it'd be to slip in.
"Chief, you know if word gets out that we paid you, neither you nor your villagers will survive. Got it?"
"Of course, sir."
"Who are we?"
"Victims of that evil Baron Frost who fled and joined up with us, right?"
"That's right."
We waited until the sun was high in the sky, and finally, it was our group's turn to enter the castle.
As we stood before the gates, a guard who looked like he held some rank—wearing a crudely made helmet and low-grade armor processed at Kroitel's forges—approached the chief.
"What group are you with?"
"Oh, sir! I'm Rober, chief of Miles Village. The folks behind me are my villagers."
"How much food did you bring?"
"Only enough for five hundred to last a week... That Kroitel vermin was too vicious..."
"Useless serfs! Hold on, I gotta fetch the garrison captain!"
Damn, if some high-and-mighty garrison captain spots us, he might haul us off as suspects...
No choice—time to grease some palms here too.
"Sir..."
The soldier who'd been off to fetch the captain snapped irritably.
"What 'sir'? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Please, take this."
I slipped five gold coins to the guard in front of me.
"Can't be helped. Your loyalty to His Grace the Duke of Maxburg touches me... Ahem, go on in. Settle under Watchtower 20 on the walls!"
"Thank you, sir."
And with that, we passed through the gates.
Once we'd reached Watchtower 20 along the walls, I called the chief over and told him,
"If you want to live long, don't breathe a word that we're the Count's men. If we get suspected because of you, neither you nor your villagers will die pretty."
"Of course..."
With that, I and the twenty soldiers the Count had infiltrated split off to an inconspicuous corner of the walls.
We confirmed no one was around and started talking.
"Sergeant Switz, what's the plan now?"
"I'll peel off from them for now. You lot stay with the villagers. Once ugly rumors start flying, spread word to the other villagers from Romania that 'a spy sent by Count Kroitel has slipped in.' Then, when the rumors heat up, drop hints that some low-ranking knight or captain of a hundred plans to open the gates."
At those words, the fools blinded by ambition—who didn't even know the Count planned to purge them—eyed me with eager anticipation.
But the Count had already said it.
"I'll put any survivors in the intelligence unit, but nine out of ten will die by the enemy's hand. And if they die, good riddance. Feels nice putting these insubordinate trainees from training to some use."
No need to crush their will to live by telling them the truth—they'd get real rewards if they made it back alive.
"This is a critical mission. No failures. Get moving. I'll handle my part."
After that, I grabbed the black robe, dagger, throwing darts, and other tools hidden in my luggage and slipped away quietly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Time passed, night fell, and three-quarters of the guards at the armory, castle, warehouses, and walls headed off to sleep.
The remaining soldiers, bored expressions on their faces, held torches in one hand and weapons in the other as they started chatting.
"So anyway, I grabbed that Bella from the inn and threw her down, right? And that slutty Bella, she sees my handsome face and falls for it—loosens her top and shows me her tits. Those little hills were..."
"Bullshit. Sure, Bella's hot, but she'll seduce anyone with coin—even the balding captain of a hundred. Not just you, you unmarried old bachelor Brandon."
"Why, you..."
Idiots. We hadn't even besieged the castle yet, and they were yapping away on guard duty like that...
What would they do if someone looted the armory behind them? Pathetic.
Well, that's why we're the assassins here to give these pathetic fools a deadly education.
"Hey, if I just confess to Veronica this time, we'll get married on the spot! Even the priest said he'd officiate."
"Yeah, right. But seriously, why'd Veronica turn down the chance to be a knight's concubine a few months back?"
"Isn't it all because of this handsome gentlema—"
I flung a dart from afar, nailing that idiot right in the throat.
His buddy panicked, waving his torch around, but I closed in quick and slit his throat with my blade.
"Whew, if I had a bit more time, I'd torch this place too... No time, though. On to the next."
As I grumbled, I sensed movement behind me.
I spun around, dagger already in hand on instinct, to see one of my squadmates waving awkwardly.
"Master who came in with us says don't think about burning the armory—scare the village serfs first."
"I know. Where's the master? He say where to meet?"
"Just come out in three days. And bring as many of the other riffraff who made it inside."
"Crazy."
"Tell me about it. But orders are orders."
With that, I darted out of the armory, snuck up to the sleeping village chiefs leaning against the walls, and smashed the hammer down near their heads on the ground.
There was a loud bam, dirt flying everywhere, and all the startled chiefs and villagers turned to me.
"Aaaah! Assassin!!"
"Guards! Guards!!!"
"Grab every damn tool you've got!!!"
"Can't go down like this—grab your tools and kill 'em all!"
With that, the serfs snatched up the farming tools piled nearby and came chasing after me.
"Get that bastard! Kill him!!!"
"Damn it, we fled the Kroitel army to get in here, and now this—we ain't dying!!!"
Chase all they want—they wouldn't catch me.
And so my fellow assassins and I kept picking off guards whenever we got the chance, terrorizing the serfs to maximize the unease.
By morning, the results were in: the serfs, driven mad with fear, grabbed guards and bellowed at them.
"His Grace promised to protect us, didn't he? Then why's it so damn dangerous here!!"
"I heard from a guy I fled with yesterday—assassins walking around bold as brass means there's traitors among the soldiers. Kill the bastard!"
"Guarantee our safety!"
As the shouts dragged on, the castle garrison captain stepped out.
"To catch the assassins, I'm doubling the guard shifts from yesterday. There are no traitors among us! Rest easy. And anyone spreading rumors about insiders will be hanged!"
The moment he said that, my comrades and I slipped quietly into the mansion of a major noble we'd already killed.
And the guildmaster told us,
"From now until the Count arrives, keep up the assassinations and sabotage—but on a smaller scale than today."