Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Escort (4)
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- Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding—.
"Enemies! Eeeeemies are heeeere—!!"
The watchman's frantic shout had everyone springing to their feet almost simultaneously. The mercenaries scrambled into their gear right next to their bedrolls, while the noncombatants ducked into the wagons to hide.
Allen quickly slipped on his chain mail and took cover behind a wagon. He peered in the direction the watchman was pointing.
...Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen... Roughly that many, huh.
Beneath the faint moonlight bathing the plains, a band of mounted thieves came thundering toward them. About fifteen were heading for Allen's group, with even more gunning for Charlotte's.
Two days of quiet after that first ambush, but sure enough, these damn thief bastards weren't the type to give up that easily.
This time, they looked dead serious—their numbers were impressive. Hard to believe unless they'd banded together.
Still, his side was fully prepared. With the wagons forming a perfect wall, charging straight in was out of the question.
Sorry, but I've gotten real used to dealing with scum like you coming at me from this side.
Allen already had a clear picture in his head of how the thieves would play this.
Archer Julie, pressed tight against the wagon, shut one eye and drew back her bowstring. With a ziiing, the string stretched taut, the arrowhead giving the bow a light kiss before pinging off. The arrow arced beautifully and nailed a horse right in the head. The beast crumpled in an instant, pitching the thief headfirst to tumble across the ground.
That's right, one down.
The copper-skinned woman with the shaved head flashed a grin revealing yellowed teeth and turned to her leader, eyes begging for praise.
Of course, Allen was never stingy with free compliments.
"Nice shot, Julie."
As expected of a [Marksman]. Her stats were pretty crappy, but he'd recruited her for that one trait alone. He knew early-game a [Marksman] archer could pull serious weight.
His comrades whistled in awe at her insane skill.
"Looks like a rabbit turd, but damn, she shoots like a pro."
"Fuck you, I'll put one in your balls later."
"My balls already got an owner."
Fuck off, whoosh—another arrow whistled through the air. Hit. Another thief tumbled from his horse, rolling on the dirt.
"Incoming! Battle stations, everyone—!!"
Allen's roar had the front-line shieldbearers hoist their thick tower shields just a bit. The thieves nearing the lead wagons couldn't break their formation with a charge thanks to the wall of carts and had to dismount.
- Fuckin' bastards!
The ones burned once before hung back, slyly loosing arrows. But with four tower shields blocking the way, plain arrows without mana stood no chance of piercing.
Once their arrows ran dry, the two forces crashed together fiercely.
Allen yelled at Manuel, the new guy still shaking and unable to focus.
"Eyes front! Keep 'em front! You gotta heal the boys the second they get hurt—!"
But the crew Allen had handpicked utterly dominated the thieves. If they couldn't handle these peasant-born thief scrubs, they didn't deserve the mercenary badge.
"Fuckers! Dogshit cunts! Fuckers!"
The mercenaries spat curses as they swung their weapons wildly. The thieves barely fought back, turning into hacked meat and dropping dead one by one. A few cowards hanging back finally bolted when they saw it was hopeless. But Julie wasn't letting them off easy.
She planted arrows in the backs of two out of the four fleeing on horseback. The rest she finished by stomping the skulls of fallen thieves, severing their last gasping breaths.
Huff huff huff.
The mercenaries, thrilled by the feel of crushing human bone and flesh, fixed bloodlust-glinting eyes on Allen, awaiting orders.
"Go help Leader Charlotte. Move out."
That was the prior verbal agreement, so he honored it.
Allen's Mercenary Corps bolted straight for Charlotte's camp. With their numbers doubling in a flash, the thieves panicked and fled.
"Grab those fuckers! Kill 'em all! Kill!"
This time, no one reined in Charlotte. The mercenaries hounded the retreating thieves relentlessly, smashing skulls and stabbing hearts.
"Mercy, pleeease, guh, pleeease—."
Desperate pleas for life fell on deaf ears, drowned by blood-mad mercenaries. No escape meant no survival. Allen had no intention of sparing any.
The one-sided slaughter ended, and the two corps returned to their camps.
A few relatively intact corpses were strung up dangling by the wagons again. Meat shields, sure, but this time with an extra message.
- Come at us and die.
A warning.
And knowing their place,
the thieves didn't attack again until the groups reached the mid-sized city of Rbalra.
The famous trade city of Rbalra in the southern region.
Situated at a key hub linking to the eastern territories, this mid-sized city saw massive foot traffic. No surprise, then, that the inspection line snaking out from the city showed no sign of shrinking anytime soon.
Charlotte, who only cared about mercenary work, was clueless about this stuff...
...Waiting again just 'cause they say wait. Makes you wonder if she's innocent or just dumb.
Allen, who believed the only things money couldn't solve were death and talent, stepped up as group rep to the checkpoint.
"State your business."
The inspection chief's rude attitude flipped the second Allen flashed his house crest and a coin pouch.
"Got some urgent business, see. Hot day like this, you're workin' hard. Lemme buy you a cool one after shift."
"Oh no, sir, we can't accept that."
"Tch. Just wanna treat ya to a cold drink."
"Aw, you shouldn't... Alright, I'll have that cold one, sir."
One coin pouch, and the caravan behind them sailed through the checkpoint. What should've taken another full day got done in a breeze.
Charlotte, stepping down from her wagon at the destination, eyed him suspiciously. We shouldn't have gotten in this fast...
"Leader Allen?"
"Yeah."
"Did you... do something?"
"Do what?"
"...Nothing."
Allen wanted to bill Charlotte for those three gold coins he'd just dropped, but let it slide as payment for accepting the escort gig last time.
The two noble pair plus Charlotte and the two caravan reps who'd hired them met the ingot supplier. The snake-eyed man arrived with an appraiser and inspected the copper-loaded wagons meticulously.
"Quality's guaranteed. You know we don't peddle junk."
Allen let out a supportive fart from the sidelines. Longtime trading partners, the snake-eyes nodded without much suspicion.
"Yes. Goods checked out. Payment now."
The four from Verher handed over the goods, pocketed their cut. Boxes brimming with gold coins. They set a meetup time, then split to their groups.
Loaded with cash, time to buy goods to flip high in Verher.
Allen hauled the money box back to the inn first. The long trip had drained him; no energy left for shopping.
Of course, mercenaries for whom this was routine were already whooping it up with booze.
"Hey, Leader! Come have one!"
"Drink among yourselves. I'm beat."
"Just one long swig, c'mon Leader. Gotta say somethin' for the occasion."
So Allen went to their table for exactly one drink. He slammed back the beer Olga poured him in her sleazy style.
"You all worked hard gettin' here. Keep it up later."
"Any bonuses, though? Heh."
Bonus pay? Allen nearly snapped. Barely scraping by on this job's fee, and they want bonuses?
"Nope, fuck off. ...I'm out. Don't overdo it."
"Leader says don't overdo it! Let's drink!"
The crew cheered as one, hoisting mugs high for a rowdy toast.
Fuckin' idiots.
Allen dragged his heavy feet up the stairs to his room. He flopped onto the bed like a corpse, letting out a huge sigh.
...Gonna die of fatigue, for real...
He shut his eyes right away, then shot up with an oh shit.
No matter how tired, he couldn't skip this.
He pulled three gold coins from the money box.
The bribe reimbursement that'd gone straight into the inspection chief's yap.