Episode 622
Episode 622
Lee Han inwardly cursed himself.
Upon reflection, it was true that criminals should be apprehended. As the Empire's famous saying went, "Only two kinds of people live in the North—knights and criminals." The North was indeed full of fugitives who'd fled there.
With its vast, rugged, and sparsely populated lands, it made for an ideal hiding place.
Capturing these criminals was also one of the duties expected of knight families.
"Would Lady Jiklin be satisfied if we caught some criminals?"
"Wake up from your dream. There's no way my sister would be content with something like that."
"......"
Lee Han grumbled internally. 'Aren't her standards way too strict?' "But is there a way to verify their identities? Can we just attack them outright?"
Just because a spirit seemed like a criminal didn't necessarily mean they actually were one.
Since spirits instinctively sensed malevolence, someone might feel like a criminal to them without actually being one under imperial law.
"Of course not. Does this look like Einrogard to you?"
Giselle replied as if the idea was absurd.
Unlike Einrogard, you couldn't just attack people outside without proper verification.
"Then what?"
"We'll have to approach and verify their identities."
"What a shame. If this were Einrogard, we could've just attacked them directly."
Giselle absentmindedly nodded before suddenly freezing. 'What am I thinking?!' It struck her anew just how thoroughly she'd been conditioned by Einrogard's ways.
"The North is truly a godforsaken land."
"Shh. Keep quiet."
The mercenaries cursed as they watched their breath turn white in the cold.
Even for mercenaries who traveled throughout the Empire, the North's chill was hard to adjust to. And if it was the North in winter? That went double.
"You're complaining about us moving our mouths now?"
"Idiots."
"What? Who're you calling an idiot? Want to throw down and warm up with some blood?"
"Don't let the quiet surroundings fool you. Monsters can appear anytime in the North."
At the words of a mercenary who'd been to the North several times, the others flinched.
Hearing that, the surrounding tranquility suddenly felt ominous, like the calm before a storm.
"...Doesn't look like there's anything around here. Nothing but snow and ice."
"That's because you're not a local. Just shut up already. Whether it's monsters, knights, or patrols, drawing attention won't do us any good."
The mercenaries glanced back at their client following behind.
While mercenaries would take any job for gold, they couldn't help but wonder about this client's circumstances.
What could possibly make someone so desperate to throw gold around, gathering mercenaries to head north in such a hurry?
They were clearly criminals who'd broken imperial law a few times—just like the mercenaries themselves—but beyond that, it was hard to guess.
"Fuck, knights!!"
"Keep your expressions in check. I said control your expressions! Hey, you. Stay still. We'll handle this."
The hooded client nodded.
The mercenaries adjusted their attire with tense expressions.
In the North, you could never let your guard down, no matter how remote or shabby the place. Knights sometimes patrolled even these far-flung areas.
And you absolutely couldn't underestimate them just because there were only one or two. The chances were high that more knights were waiting nearby. 'Thankfully...' 'They're just kids.' The mercenaries sighed in relief when they saw how young the approaching knights were.
They could handle ones that green.
"K-Knight sirs. What brings you here?"
The lead mercenary spoke with convincingly feigned fear, impressing the others. 'This guy. Now I see why he's expensive.' 'Turns out his claims of completing dozens of jobs weren't just hot air.' A mercenary's skill was proven by the jobs they'd completed.
Surviving after completing over dozens of jobs meant this one was no ordinary sellsword.
Without exceptional skills, one couldn't last that long.
Whether fooled by the act or not, the young knight greeted them gently.
"Ah, it's nothing serious. There are so many monsters in this area, you see. I just wondered if you needed any assistance."
"Oh my, is that so? Thank you very much."
The mercenary bowed obsequiously as he replied. To anyone watching, he looked genuinely moved.
"For a noble knight like yourself to care about lowly folk like us..."
"Don't mention it. Not at all. It's only natural for a knight of the North."
When the sculpturally handsome knight spoke like that, the slender and pretty-faced knight beside him stared intently.
The mercenaries wondered why he was looking at him like that.
"..."
"Quite admirable for a knight."
"Haha. Thank you."
'Ah, so that one's the superior.'
From that brief exchange, the mercenaries roughly guessed the hierarchy between the two knights.
Most likely, the slender knight had joined the order first, while the handsome one had entered later.
The handsome knight spoke again.
"We should find a campsite soon. I can guide you to a suitable spot."
"Ah, no, there's no need to go that far..."
"Protecting guests of the North from danger is a knight's duty. Please don't refuse."
'Hmm.'
The mercenaries felt awkward but couldn't refuse. Forcing a rejection would only make them seem suspicious.
Besides, the other party didn't seem particularly wary. Judging by their words, they were clearly still green knights.
'One's soft. The other seems a bit prickly.'
'Is the handsome one from a commoner background?'
'He's too good-looking for that.'
'True enough. Let's just go along with it for now.'
The mercenaries nodded.
"Oh my, understood. Thank you. May I ask which families the knights belong to?"
"I'm from the Alpha Family."
"..."
"Me too."
Borrowing the name of an absent friend's family, Lee Han and Giselle silently apologized in their hearts.
"Alpha Family, Alpha Family. We'll be sure to remember that name."
"Haha. No need. Now, this way."
The handsome knight led the group toward the base of the cliff.
It was an excellent campsite—close to the river and sheltered from the wind by the terrain.
"A place like this!"
"Is it acceptable?"
"Y-yes! It's luxurious. Thanks to you, we even found such a spot! We're truly grateful."
"Then I'll help you set up camp."
"!"
Just as the mercenaries flusteredly tried to refuse, the pretty-faced knight flared up first.
"Are you joking right now? What do you mean, help set up? Since when is waiting on traveling riffraff a knight's duty?"
"Come on. It's no trouble. What if we run into monsters?"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
The angry knight spun on his heel and stalked off, putting distance between them.
To the awkwardly silent mercenaries, the handsome knight spoke reassuringly.
"Don't worry. He's all bark."
'Doesn't seem like it.'
Honestly, to the mercenaries, the pretty-faced knight seemed more like the typical knight.
Normally, knights would snap at them, asking why they should help mercenary scum—they wouldn't go out of their way to assist.
"Sir Knight, you really don't have to help..."
"Spring forth."
To their shock, the knight pulled out a staff and swung it. Clear water gushed forth, filling a large cauldron, and the mercenaries gasped.
"You're a mage?!"
"Haha. I only know a few simple spells."
Though there were mages affiliated with knight orders, given the man's build, they'd naturally assumed he was a knight. The mercenaries were stunned.
'He really must be from a commoner background.'
'Must be.'
The mage's magic was astonishing. What would have taken much longer to prepare was done in an instant.
The mercenaries forgot even to control their expressions, openly marveling.
"Wow...!"
"Sir Mage, you're truly incredible."
The handsome mage looked deeply embarrassed.
"It's nothing special."
"Just being able to cast magic like this is amazing."
"Right, absolutely!"
As the camp's outer walls formed and the bonfire roared to life, the handsome mage bowed his head slightly and spoke.
"Then I'll be on my way now. Have a safe journey."
"Hey! At least let us offer the honored mage a cup of coffee."
"Haha. No need. You must be running low on supplies during your travels—I can drink some when I return."
The handsome mage truly didn't linger any longer and turned to leave with the waiting knight.
The mercenaries finally relaxed when they saw this.
"Phew..."
"That was really nothing."
"Honestly, I was startled. Maybe because he seemed so naive, it made me even more tense?"
"Right. Still, this campsite is nice and tidy!"
The mercenaries burst into boisterous laughter.
With the tension gone, their laughter grew louder.
"Did you see? He didn't even say a word to the client. What an oblivious fool!"
"He probably just thought they dressed like that because of the cold! Kehahaha!"
The client, who hadn't spoken a single word until now, finally opened their mouth from within their robe.
"Are we really staying at this campsite those knights pointed out? Feels suspicious."
"No need to worry. They're just soft, greenhorns. Didn't show a hint of suspicion."
"They'll just leave thinking they did a good deed. Besides, it'd be a waste to abandon such a well-made campsite, no?"
"That magic was impressive! Didn't even need to fetch water."
The mercenaries marveled at the unusually neat campsite.
Normally, setting up camp in this freezing weather would've taken several times the effort.
Digging through the frozen ground, breaking ice to get water, boiling it, gathering firewood...
All those steps were solved by one kind mage—how convenient was that?
"Coffee's ready!"
"Ugh. Pour me some first. I'm freezing to death."
"Me too, me too!"
The mercenaries, without hesitation, poured freshly brewed coffee to thaw their frozen bodies.
And then, one after another, they all dozed off.
"Hmm. Easy."
"......"
Lee Han and Giselle had been watching from afar under the effects of Invisibility Magic.
-Uh, there are quite a few of them? Even mercenaries are here.
-This is going to be a headache.
-Moradi. If we use the Moradi family's name to stop them, do you think the mercenaries would listen?
-Those kinds of guys... usually don't.
Seasoned mercenaries prioritized contracts over imperial law.
If they sensed something was off, they'd either attack immediately or scatter while buying time.
-Right? Let's subdue them peacefully.
-Is there a peaceful way to subdue them?
-There is. I'll play the good mage, so you play the bad one. That'll dull their guard.
-Seriously? You seriously want to do that?
-Don't worry. It worked in Einrogard, so it'll work outside too.
And it actually did.
Watching Lee Han mix a sleeping potion into the water when filling the pot, Giselle made a mental note to think twice before drinking anything the Wardanaz gave her in the future.
"Hold it! We need to verify your identities. Your cooperation would be appreciated."
Even as the mercenaries collapsed, Lee Han shouted at the robed client who hadn't drunk the coffee.
His wand hand wasn't overtly threatening, but it was ready to react at any moment.
"...Where the hell did you come from?"
"Northern knight families, under imperial law, hold the right to inspect passersby and, if necessary, detain them. Where are you from?"
The robed figure muttered.
"You were lying in wait..."
"Huh?"
"You were lying in wait. Right? You filthy imperial dogs."
'How did they know?'
"Lord Prahgal will descend upon you wretched schemers without yielding!!"
"Moradi!!"
At Lee Han's shout, Giselle immediately drew her twin blades and charged. The artifact blades gleamed brightly, focusing their power at the tips.
But before Giselle could strike, the pre-positioned Sharkan and Skeleton Warriors rushed in unison, attacking the fanatic.
The fanatic collapsed pathetically.
"Gahk!!"
"Whew. That was a close one."
"......"
Giselle glared at her friend, who had clearly been capable of subduing the enemy but chose to exaggerate the danger.