106
My Villains Chapter 106
27. Mountain Lodge (2)
*Swish!*
Leaning against Utequais, I quickly raised my shield.
*Ting.*
An arrow covered in feces stuck to the shield.
"Damn it. Utequais, jump out!"
Before my words even finished, Utequais suddenly pulled out a stone hammer and threw himself toward the forest.
"Come on!"
A battle cry in Milanol language. This enemy's response is quite fast.
Dozens of arrows rained down on Utequais rushing into the bushes, but as a black light flickered, they all stuck into the ground.
I watched the scene and shouted, "Don't worry about the left! Look to the right!"
While shouting, I groped inside the carriage.
A familiar grip. The moment I grabbed the spear, I threw it with just shoulder strength.
"Kiheak!"
A small shadow holding a bow was pierced through the stomach and bounced off a tree.
A child-sized body, green skin, a hooked nose, sharp teeth, and an irritating voice. It was a goblin.
The creature trembled in pain, scratching the ground, but there was no time to finish it.
Second spear. I grazed a goblin hiding among tree branches, holding a dagger.
*Thump!*
The missed spear stuck in a tree. The spear shaft swung widely, striking the camouflaged goblin's face.
"Kek, Geek!"
It grabbed its face and rolled on the ground. Goblins are weak to pain.
Third spear. Targeting the swaying bushes, something was pierced. Lucky.
At that moment, something transparent flew past my eyes.
*Swoosh!*
Following the sound, I saw a goblin with icicles on its forehead falling backward. It was a frost spike thrown by Ellen from inside the carriage.
"Koagral—!"
With a murky shout, goblins burst out from between the bushes.
Even in close combat, I can't let my guard down. They indiscriminately shoot arrows, not caring if the arrows hit their own companions' necks.
"Hoop!"
Still maintaining my defensive position, I swung Hrunting at the charging enemies.
Three ugly heads dangling from my waist rise into the air, splitting and shattering.
"Toviak! Quaksaka!"
Despite the death of their companions, about seventeen goblins continue to wave crude spears and daggers, driven by hunger and foolishness rather than courage or passion.
The blade, soaked in goblin blood, pulsates with a dark green glow.
"Hmm."
My cooled body heats up again.
"Kiek!"
"Ardai! Tzatguwi!"
Frost spikes shot from the carriage pierce the goblins' heads. I'm grateful to have these annoying ones cleared out, yet somehow a bit disappointed.
Blocking occasional arrows with my shield, I systematically cut down the charging goblins.
Then it happened.
*Ka-ga-gak!*
"Ugh, damn it."
An arrow shot from a nearby tree grazed my helmet.
My instinct immediately commands me to kick the ground. I grit my teeth and suppress the instinct. What's important is not revenge. I must protect Ellen.
At that moment, Ellen's angry voice rang out,
"Thulam, ex pruin-eom!"
Spells chanted in succession.
Four or five frost spikes are shot in order. With a nervous bombardment, a goblin archer falls from a tree with a pierced arm.
By the way, three frost spikes are worth one fireball. Such inefficiency!
"Ellen, save your magic!"
"...Phew, I'm still okay."
Just as the frightened goblins hesitate, welcome guests arrive to receive my anger
"Gowaaa-eok!"
Heavy footsteps and powerful battle cries. Simultaneously, a massive figure leaps from the bushes.
"Koag, shahaa—!"
*Boom!*
A dull but heavy axe strikes the shield. The scale fragments that were already worn drop in chunks.
But my mood isn't bad. Orcs are that kind of existence to me.
"Guweo-eok!"
I thrust Hrunting between the wildly swinging axes. The greedily extended blade licks the tough leather and thick neck.
"Aosh! Zork!"
Orcs have strong fighting spirit and camaraderie. The first orc's death only makes the following orcs more violent.
"Koag tha hum!"
Seven enraged orcs revealed themselves.
Over 180 cm tall, with a sturdy body appropriately mixed with muscle and flesh, protruding canine teeth reaching to their cheekbones, crude and heavy weaponry... While even skilled mercenaries would hesitate to face them one-on-one, personally, I'm ten times happier to see them compared to goblins. Because they don't shoot arrows.
Cutting off my short contemplation, a frost spike suddenly flies. An unlucky orc gets his eye pierced.
"Kkeuak!"
I barely suppressed the unconsciously rising irritation. Then I shouted,
"Ellen, deal with the goblins, not the orcs!"
I kicked the ground at the same moment.
"Shahaa—!"
An unidentifiable iron club rushed targeting my head. While slightly stepping back, I struck the chest of the orc holding the club with my shield's edge.
"Kagak,"
Simultaneously, Hrunting rode up the spear swung by another orc. The blade, jumping like a salmon, sent several fingers flying.
*Sseogeogik.*
When the blade strikes a thick neck, my entire right arm tingles with resistance.
Orc blood is particularly hot. Their blood splashes, wetting my neck. It feels warm, like wearing a winter scarf...
"Ghr, zivoel?"
"Quaksaka!"
Distrust rises in the orcs' eyes. They can't believe their companion's head was just cut off.
To wake them up, I quickly gathered my sword and shield and lifted the rolling head.
And then, a blood storm.
*Kwagagak!*
The blood flowing from the severed neck rose again before touching the ground. The scattered blood, like rotten green juice, wildly clawed at the orcs.
"Gaaak!"
"Kaha!"
"Tzatgu! Yaksa tzatgu!"
While they panic in surprise, I threw a chunk of flesh and kicked the ground. Simultaneously, I swung my sword.
One before stepping on the ground, another while taking a step after landing.
As two more heads fell, the disbelief in the orcs' eyes disappears.
"Geu, Geurgeuk,"
The one with eyes pierced by a frost spike writhes on the ground.
*Puk.*
Crushing its head underfoot, the remaining orcs' yellowish pupils waver.
"Aigarak!"
But only for a moment, they let out a sharp cry and simultaneously charged. A truly orcish fighting spirit.
A short battle. They ultimately couldn't defeat me. They died with necks cut, bellies split, and hearts stabbed.
"Whew, whew."
Even after they died, I kept my shield raised and scanned the surrounding bushes. No other signs were detected.
"Ellen, are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Any injuries? Anything hit you?"
"None at all."
"Then, meditate. Just in case."
After glancing at Ellen closing her eyes, I surveyed the surroundings.
"....Damn."
The damage is quite significant. Just a rough look suggests over ten casualties.
"Papa, papa!"
"No, darling. Please-"
Two members of the traveling family are crying. The husband and father was killed by a blind arrow.
"I'll pull it out in three counts."
"Groan,"
"One, two, three!"
*Pak!*
"Kkeueuuk!" Eode, who was just exchanging jokes moments ago, trembles biting his clothes. Pulling out arrows in the field isn't very wise, but leaving a goblin arrow embedded would cause serious infection.
"Damn, what do we do?"
"Just pack your things. Load the wagon, and distribute the excess."
The merchants from Albivton, surrounding the donkey killed by a spear, let out a deep sigh.
"First aid only! We must move quickly!"
Perso encourages the group, but well, it doesn't seem they'll be leaving soon.
At that moment, Utequais appears, breaking through the bushes. White steam rises from his shoulder.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"Correct. But I'm healing."
He was limping, bleeding from his thigh. However, the wound visible between his pants was slowly healing.
Come to think of it, his mouth is covered in dark green blood, as if he's chewed several monster hearts. He must be recovering through the ring's power.
"...But won't he get something like roundworms?"
"O—"
Utequais, leaning against the tree stump, glanced at the orc corpses. Then he clicked his tongue.
"There were orcs."
"Nothing on your side?"
"Correct. Only goblins, and they were quite fierce."
If they could wound Utequais, they must naturally be fierce creatures. In an open plain, they wouldn't have been much of a threat. They would have tucked tail at one of Ellen's fireballs.
"Of all places to get attacked. Luck is quite poor."
As I exhaled and pulled out a leather water flask, Utequais quietly shook his head.
"It's not about luck, Phoenix. They were waiting here."
"...How do you know that?"
"Greenskins do this. They occupy good ambush points and hunt."
I flipped the water flask and sprinkled water on myself. The orc blood washes away, and the heat slightly cools.
"But isn't this the first time? Until now, they've always rushed in en masse on the plains."
"Greenskins like mountains. They often fight over mountain territories. Those on the plains have been driven out of battles."
I started putting on padded clothing and then armor. Tightening the breastplate straps, I nodded.
"Ah, in other words, the ones here are the major players.
As I finished donning my armor, the caravan resumed moving. When the wagon jolted, Ellen briefly opened her eyes.
"Magic?"
"Almost depleted. I've recovered a bit, but..."
"Depleted already?"
She narrowed his brow and glared at me.
"If you hadn't wasted energy cooling down, it wouldn't be like this."
"Hey, waste? Without that, I would've been sprawled in the carriage until the goblins shot arrows."
Ellen's magic was depleted, but I wasn't particularly worried. As long as I was fully armed, these Greenskins weren't a major threat.
Ellen muttered something and closed her eyes again. Continuing meditation while the wagon jolted showed her characteristic concentration.
The mountain path was downhill for a while. Thanks to the dense bushes providing shade, there was no disaster of the armor heating up. It was still suffocatingly hot, but still bearable.
After some time, the caravan stopped in front of a mountain lodge.
"...Can we even call that a lodge?"
As I scratched inside my helmet and muttered, the middle-aged soldier accompanying Perso gave a bitter smile.
"I heard it was built without the lord's permission. They couldn't call it a castle or fortress."
A large boulder propped up, a fence of logs placed on top, an entrance guarded by armed soldiers, high watchtowers, and sentries with crossbows.
It feels more like a military outpost than a lodge. In the game, it seemed a bit more chaotic. Well, whatever.
"So, are you planning to stay?"
"Yes. We'll take care of the injured here today and plan to depart at first light tomorrow."
As we approached, the lodge's gatekeeper spoke.
"Six copper coins per mercenary and soldier, two silver coins for everyone else."
A monster-infested mountain area. Sleeping in a safe shelter was an enormous privilege, and they demanded a correspondingly high price.
Perso narrowed his brow slightly and asked, "Why do you charge less for mercenaries and soldiers?"
"Simple. They must fight together if bandits or monsters attack."
"If that's the reason, I'll pay three silver coins for everyone. In return, exclude us from fighting."
The gatekeeper firmly shook his head at the guide's proposal.
"Those who can fight must fight. That's the lodge's rule. We'll make exceptions for the injured."
"Kkeu—"
The guide let out a small groan and paid the fee, and the caravan entered the lodge's fence.
The scene unfolded was very different from what I remembered on the monitor.
In the game, one side of the wooden fence was destroyed, and the inn-like building was burned down, leaving only ashes. On one side, corpses were piled up, and an old lord who had fled was grinding his teeth, thinking of his stolen territory and young wife.
But reality was different. Campfires lit everywhere, with mercenaries, merchants, and farmers sitting around them. A large lodge, a noisy tavern opposite it, and market stalls spread out around the well. It was a bright and lively scene.
What could be the cause of this change? Mixing memories and speculation provides an answer.
It's because the Bandit Baron Albienne is dead.
The original scenario was Albienne, who escaped from South Harbor, leading his subordinates to occupy Longville. Dealing with Albienne and rescuing the lord's wife was one of the main quests in Chapter 3.
Looking at the lodge's appearance, Longville might also be peaceful now.
Well, somehow I feel a bit proud.