113
My Villains Chapter 113
29: Hunting Festival (1)
Meow.
For the past three days, BAPPOORI has been showing me gem-like eyes. Staring quietly into those pupils has become my new hobby.
It wasn't a luxury I could enjoy for long.
The director said,
"It's Panbeck."
"Pardon?"
"Panbeck. It's a virus called feline panleukopenia... Since he's too young..."
The following words.
I paid for the diagnostic kit and medical fees.
Balance: 130,000 won.
Antibody injection, intravenous fluid, hospitalization: 220,000 won.
"Panbeck is almost impossible to treat at home," Said the nurse with a hint of reproach.
"Parvovirus doesn't die easily, so every cat that comes home will get Panbeck. The problem starts with casually picking up an animal. If you've taken in a kitten, you must take full responsibility until the end."
Though I interrupted several times, the nurse's words didn't stop.
I returned home holding Bappoori.
I didn't sleep a wink for four days.
During brief moments of drowsiness, the gem-like eyes lost their luster.
I did skincare. It cost 30,000 won.
Despite being awake for so long, I couldn't fall asleep.
A lingering attachment. A 90,000 won attachment.
Meow.
The cat cried all night.
Though I wore a belt around my neck, sleep never came.
The next morning.
After finishing a hearty meal and leaving the tavern, we found ourselves in a completely unexpected situation.
"So."
I scratched my head beneath my helmet and looked around at the dozens of mercenaries surrounding us.
"You want us to join your group?"
"That's right."
"Why suddenly?"
A mercenary who introduced himself as Randall answered.
"We heard you're skilled. They say you've made a name for yourself in the south."
"...Who did you hear that from?"
"It's been a rumor. 'Ed', was it? They said you came together from South Harbor."
"Ed? Do you mean Eod?"
"Whatever. Anyway, he confirmed it. Said you're that bloody swordsman."
...That bastard must have been talking right after we parted. How could he not keep quiet for a day?
While swallowing curses internally, Randall shrugged his shoulders.
"Surely you're not thinking of going out with just the three of you? No matter how skilled you are, that's impossible."
"So, what exactly are you proposing?"
"I have just over twenty people with me. Every single one of them has been eating military rations for over five years."
I looked over the mercenaries standing behind Randall.
They were all well-equipped warriors. Half wore heavy scale armor, the other half chain mail. Just as Randall said, they all had the sharp eyes of veterans.
"In case you didn't see the bulletin board, we're leading the hunting competition."
"Huh?"
"Do you know the benefits of winning the hunting competition?"
"...You can't seriously believe that?"
"Why not? I heard the lord has no children or siblings."
The lord publicly proclaimed he would grant rewards to the top five performers in the hunting competition.
Generous gold coins, historical heirlooms, even knighthood. While various rewards were offered, the most eye-catching was naturally the prize for the winner.
That prize wasn't an object, but a right. The right to designate the lord's adopted heir.
In other words, they were putting the territory itself up as a prize.
"I have a cousin brother studying law at the royal university. I'll make that guy the lord."
What a big dream.
"Join us. We'll pay you generously."
"What about points?"
"Points aren't good. We're in the lead, but it's quite close."
I smiled bitterly and shook my head.
"I also need to collect points myself. Thanks for the offer, but I can't."
"You want to collect points?"
Randall's face slightly distorted. Wow, he looks quite fierce.
"It's pointless to collect points now. Receiving the reward is impossible."
"How many points do you have?"
"...Just under 500."
At Randall's response, Utequai, who had been silent, let out a snort.
"Kill a hundred orcs and you'll get five hundred points. You can collect them quickly."
"That's nonsense."
I shrugged while meeting his skeptical gaze.
"Isn't it 5 points per orc? A hundred would be five hundred points, right?"
"...Are you serious?"
"I am."
Randall quietly looked into my eyes and then spat on the ground.
"Good luck to you."
"To you as well."
As Randall and his subordinates retreated, other groups with similar intentions also dispersed, clicking their tongues regretfully.
While watching the dispersing mercenaries, Ellen suddenly spoke up.
"He has no children at that age?"
"Huh? Oh, Baron Malory?"
I recalled the story I heard from the Amias group yesterday.
"Didn't he have three children? They all died young."
"Died young?"
"Yes. The last child died during childbirth, along with the mother. Tragic, really."
"Then the baroness I saw yesterday?"
"Remarried. Married just before the Thousand Day War, I think."
As we were about to move, one group was still remaining.
"...What are you guys doing here?"
The group was none other than six mercenaries, including Amias.
Stidman, a bald man from Lavaton, smiled awkwardly and spoke.
"Well... good morning, sir."
"Cut the 'sir' nonsense. Get to the point."
When I chuckled and scolded him, Stidman wet his lips and spoke.
"We thought about hunting together, since we shared a drink."
"...Didn't you hear what was just said?"
"Of course we did. But we don't need points."
When I remained silent with my arms crossed, the leader Amias spoke instead.
"Just as he said. We're short on numbers, so we can't even dream of the reward. We just want to make money."
"You'll give up all the points?"
"That's right. For the bounty... each of our six gets one share, you three get two shares each. How's that?"
In hunting competitions like this, where monster ears or noses are used for bounties, it's typical for the entire group to receive the bounty and then distribute it.
Of course, since equipment and abilities vary wildly, it's natural for individual distribution to differ.
"In other words, you want us to split it fifty-fifty?"
"That's right."
...Did I miss something? What's their confidence?
I carefully examined the six mercenaries.
Amias, Stidman, and Mira were holding axes or swords with shields as large as their bodies. Amias and Stidman were wearing a set of old chain mail.
Boonie and Jenesa were carrying only short swords, and Cole had just a dagger stuck in his belt.
The first three seem to be vanguards, but what about the last three? Why don't they have weapons?
Amias, reading the question in my eyes, quickly spoke up.
"Boonie and Jenesa use long weapons, and Cole is an archer. We left our weapons at the gate."
"Hmm."
Three shields, two pole arms, and a ranged attacker. It's a somewhat balanced combination.
But I still can't understand the distribution ratio. Their equipment looks shabby, and their skills seem mediocre.
While I was pondering, Ellen spoke up.
"What are you hesitating about? It's better to go just the three of us than to drag along these useless guys."
"...Isn't it polite to lower your voice when saying something like that?"
"Why should I?"
I pointed at Ellen and shrugged towards the mercenaries.
"What about her?"
"What do you mean?"
As Ellen started to protest, I first asked Amias for a moment's understanding.
Then I began consulting with Utequai and Ellen, heads together.
"No matter how I think about it, the three of us hunting together seems a bit risky."
"So you want to drag along these mediocre guys?"
"Mediocre is better. If we had gone under someone like Randall, we might have just been pushed around."
Utequai, with arms crossed, spoke up.
"Poinix and I are strong enough. But the woman is weak."
"Want to get hit?"
"But it's the truth. The woman is strong in deception but needs protection. Two are not enough."
"...Ugh."
Utekkwai seriously said something, and Eren closed her mouth.
"Yes, that's what I'm saying. Since we have three vanguards, they'll serve as meat shields in an emergency."
"What if those guys betray us?"
"Just be careful. And I roughly talked to them yesterday, and they all seem nice. Even if they betray us, they won't be much of a threat."
Ellen reluctantly nodded, and I looked back at Amias.
It seemed their conversation had ended, and Amias looked over his colleagues and nodded to me.
"It's common knowledge that wizards are, well, difficult in personality. I understand."
"Okay. How about we decide the distribution ratio later?"
"Later? If we don't determine such things in advance, it could cause unnecessary discord."
I chuckled and shook my head.
"That won't happen."
"Well, if the knight says so."
While Amias and I were having this conversation, Ellen's gaze was fixed on one person.
The one receiving Ellen's gaze and trembling was a mercenary named Mira, notable for her freckles.
"...Ellen, just in case."
"What?"
"You're not going to stab them in the back with a frost spike, right?"
Ellen closed her mouth for a moment, then glanced at me.
"No such thing will happen."
"Well, that's fortunate."
Middleworld is inhabited by all kinds of similar species.
People often think of legendary fairies or dwarfs when they hear "similar species", but what they actually encounter are mostly monsters.
Orcs, lizardmen, goblins, giant tribes, aquatic tribes - all kinds of monsters are classified as similar species.
So, unlike the subtle intimacy suggested by the word, similar species are mostly enemies of humanity.
The half-human, half-dog monster, Anupad, was such a case.
Bark, bark bark!
As one Anupad barked ferociously, those behind it simultaneously threw spears.
"Duck down!"
Amias shouted, and the other mercenaries quickly lowered themselves behind the shield wall.
I deflected the flying spears with my shield and threw a spear back. The spear traced almost a straight trajectory.
With a clang-like cry, one Anupad fell. I was aiming for the commanding individual, but unfortunately hit the one next to it.
The Amias group was still huddled behind the shields. I got angry and yelled loudly.
"How long are you going to stay like this, you idiots! Look ahead!"
During this time, about five emerged from among the twenty-odd Anupads.
Anupads were dog-like monsters.
Large, round ears with protruding snouts. Fur mixed messily with black, brown, and white. White tails and loud cries. A group lifestyle that emphasizes hierarchy.
A monster that closely resembles the Lycaon, or 'African Wild Dog'.
The difference from Lycaon would be that their body size is comparable to an adult male, and they can grip weapons with their long fingers.
In short, they are dangerous creatures.
Grrr!
Anupads with weapons in their mouths charged on all fours. The five scout units that rushed like swift hunting dogs instantly circled around the shield wall.
"Damn it, turn around!"
The marching formation quickly became disorganized.
Not a hundred, not two hundred, but just six people. And the formation is already falling apart.
I swallowed a sigh and spoke.
"Utekkwai, block those coming back."
"Understood."
And then a shout.
"You idiots, look ahead and raise your shields! Spears are flying!"
Utekkwai blocked the scout unit, and the mercenaries frantically raised their shields to block the spears. The sharp-eyed archer, Cole, shot and killed one of the scout units. He seems somewhat useful.
"Darrve, qun-ta!"
The stone mage retrieved from the gate tore through the air and smashed a dog's head.
Clang, bark!
The other Anupads quickly stood upright while gripping weapons in their mouths.
"Uwwoah!"
Utekkwai violently swung the stone mage, but the Anupads were all quick, and their compatibility was not very good.
One Anupad with a sharp Persian weapon crouched to dodge the stone mage and then lunged at Utekkwai.
"Hmph!"
Utekkwai threw the stone mage and struck with his fist.
Smack!
The snout was instantly crushed, and the extended hand then strangled its neck.
Bark, bark bark!
The three remaining Anupads, judging that Utekkwai had lost his weapon, immediately attacked. But "Come at me!"
Utekkwai swung the dead Anupad with one hand to deflect the attacks and then stomped on the ground, grabbing a large Anupad.
Mere seconds after touching Utekkwai's hand, the large Anupad's neck and waist broke, and it died.
Utekkwai took the spiked club from the corpse's hand.
While Utekkwai was active, the Amias group colliding with the enemy's main unit......
"Uwwoah!"
"Ack, Steedman is rampaging again!"
"Cole, Cole! Here, arrows!"
"Mira, where are you going! *Ugh* You're supposed to protect me!"
It was, in a word, complete chaos.