Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: 13. Festival of the Black Mages. (5)
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Allen Mercenary Leader worried right after the Blind Saintess left that maybe he shouldn't have sent her off. She was an incredibly powerful character, but he still hadn't fully grasped just how strong she was... And her opponent was a necromancer, no less.
...Fuck...!
With the Blind Saintess, who had been holding one flank of the mercenary corps, gone, it was clear as day that his men were struggling. The redhead mage was occasionally unleashing big spells here and there, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide of battle.
As Allen's anxiety made his balls shrink in real time, the ghouls and corpse monsters that had been charging fearlessly at his men suddenly pulled back and bolted off somewhere in a herd.
...What the...?
It didn't look like a retreat at all. More like they'd been urgently recalled...
Ah—!
"Fuck... What the hell is this? What's going on?"
The mercenaries, gasping for breath, voiced their confusion at this inexplicable turn of events. ...Well, at least they could catch their breath now.
Not long after, a surge of black energy shot up into the sky in the distance, and the horde of ghouls collapsed forward one after another, like toys with their switches flipped off.
That's when Allen Mercenary Leader realized the Blind Saintess had finally taken down the necromancer. How else could so many ghouls drop at once?
She did it. Fuck, she did it. Odd-Eyes actually pulled it off—!
Worried for her safety, he rushed toward the spot where the black energy had risen, his men in tow. Along the way, hundreds of ghouls lay scattered, reverted back to lifeless corpses. His men prodded them with their weapons, fearing it might be a trap to lure them in, but there was no reaction. They were definitely dead.
Ah.
Allen spotted her silhouette standing tall atop a sand dune. Bathed in moonlight that poured down like a halo, she looked almost divine.
To take down a necromancer all by herself. He'd trusted her and sent her off, but pride and admiration still swelled endlessly in his chest. ...This must be what it feels like to have a game-breaker character who's stupidly strong.
The Mercenary Leader dashed up the sand dune with all his might and stood before the saintess, who was smiling in satisfaction.
"Leader...!"
Unable to contain his surging emotions, Allen swept her into a tight embrace and showered her cheeks with kisses.
"You did great. Really. You did fucking amazing, Odd-Eyes. You're the saintess for real. You saved everyone."
"...No. It was just what had to be done."
"What do you mean 'just what had to be done'? It was your sacrifice. No one's sacrifice is a given. ...You did it. You saved them all."
"Thank you... so much..."
The Blind Saintess smiled shyly.
"You hurt anywhere?"
"No, I'm fine. Perfectly okay."
...Yeah, she's a total monster.
She'd plowed through that insane number of ghouls and even soloed the necromancer, yet she was unscathed.
Suddenly, Allen felt a tightness in his chest. It sucked that he had to let such an amazing woman go... Sure, he could recruit her again after expanding the mercenary corps midway through the story, but the time in between was precious enough to make his dick twitch just thinking about it.
...Isn't there some way?
This was a [Guild Master]-based world, but not everything followed rigid system paths. Just look at how he'd recruited the Blind Saintess. There was no righteous blind saintess out to smite evil black mages—she was just a money-grubbing woman!
If he offered a ton of cash, maybe there was a chance?
She was obsessed with money, so it seemed pretty likely. There was already precedent.
Of course, Allen didn't lavish all the praise on just the Blind Saintess. He went around to each of his men, who had endured hellish fighting, praising and consoling them one by one.
While the mercenaries sat on the sand dune, gazing down at the sprawl of corpses below, Allen examined the necromancer's death site with the Blind Saintess.
"...So, it kept moving even after its head flew off?"
"Yes. And where its heart should have been, there was some kind of orb. No actual heart, though."
Allen crouched by the traces—mere black ash and dust—and poked through it, his mind racing at full throttle.
...Had it already turned into a lich?
Yeah, the sheer number of ghouls and corpse monsters was too much for a human necromancer. That confidence must've been why it dared face the mercenaries dug in at the village.
As these thoughts swirled, Rudra Mercenary Leader arrived at the dune with the other leaders. They too looked rattled by the enemy's unexpectedly fierce assault.
Allen stood from his crouch and gave Rudra a concise briefing, pointing things out.
"She took out the necromancer herself. Seems like it had already lich-ified. No body or anything left behind."
"......I see."
The leaders peeked at the Blind Saintess Allen indicated and the spot alternately. All that remained where the necromancer died were tattered rags of cloth it had worn.
"Everyone, gather 'round."
Rudra Mercenary Leader called the rest together. Originally ten, but one was missing. Probably dead or gravely wounded.
"Report casualties first."
The leaders took turns reporting their corps' losses. Everyone except Allen Mercenary Corps had three or four dead or injured.
Rudra Mercenary Corps had one dead and two seriously hurt. Then Allen's turn.
"No casualties."
Shocked expressions all around. Zero losses amid that onslaught? It meant his corps was superior to anyone else's here.
At the same time, they recalled him running for representative back then. ...His words weren't just hot air.
"...Good work. Your corps gets the biggest credit. Even took out the necromancer."
Rudra sounded bitter but kept an objective eye on the situation. Good thing he had [Narcissism] but no [Envy].
"I'll make sure to report this to the baron and get you extra rewards fitting your merits."
"...Thank you."
He hadn't aimed for that exactly, but hey, extra pay was extra pay!
"So, what's our next move? What do you all think?"
No one spoke, just furtively eyeing each other. No easy answers...
That's when Allen stepped up like he'd been waiting.
"With one of their own already dead, the black mages won't come at us rashly. Chasing them would take too long and be too vague anyway."
"...And?"
Allen swept his gaze over the leaders and spoke solemnly.
"The situation's already spiraling out of control. We can't just sit here forever."
"True."
"The village clearly couldn't hold off the necromancer on their own."
The leaders listened intently.
"So, we evacuate the villagers and face the major challenge coming our way."
"Major challenge?"
"You think the black mage bastard will just watch us lead hundreds of people across open plains with no barriers?"
—!
"It'll come charging to devour us somehow. We're not hunting them—we're making them hunt us."
"...That's no easy task. Not one or two, but hundreds. You think we can protect them all?"
"We can't abandon them, can we? That's our mission."
Rudra fell silent. Allen loosened the leash a bit.
"Of course, we can't save everyone. Sacrifices are inevitable. But sacrificing a few to save the many—isn't that the smart choice? Staying means everyone dies. And that just fattens the enemy."
No counterarguments possible. All plain facts.
Rudra had considered evacuating the villagers too, as had the others probably. ...Fear was holding them back.
Allen scoffed inwardly at the leaders hesitating like mutes with mouths full of honey. A clear smirk tugged at his lips.
"...What the hell is this? We're mercenaries who move for money, sure, but trust underpins it all. Scared they'll be a burden?"
Suddenly, something boiled up in Allen.
"We took the fucking money, so we risk our necks. That's what mercenaries do. We came to fight black mages—didn't have the resolve? Bite off more than you can chew and get paid? Then die. That's a mercenary—!
Allen barked fiercely, glaring murderously at the leaders. They swallowed uncomfortably, averting their eyes with awkward coughs.
"Rudra Leader, decide. ...No other options anyway. Our mission is to repel the black mages and save the people."
Rudra, meeting Allen's eyes squarely, declared solemnly.
"We evacuate the people. Our job is to protect them. It's a bit burdensome, but the fight was more winnable than expected. Even if there are sacrifices, that's beyond our control—we have to accept it. ...Everyone agree?"
"...Yes."
Only then did Allen's fierce expression soften into a faint smile.
"Wise choice, Rudra Leader, and everyone."
Allen, craving money and fame, had no intention of slinking away empty-handed.
The more dramatic the situation, the more the rumors would swell.
With that monster of a Blind Saintess anchoring Allen Mercenary Corps, victory was already in the bag.