114
My Villains Chapter 114
29. Hunting Festival (2)
A dozen Anupads troops and the Amias gang were literally engaged in a fierce battle.
"That bastard's starting again! Steedman, come back!"
"D-die, you damn dogs!"
Bald Steedman, with his head turning bright red, was wildly swinging his axe. Though slightly short, his sturdy build meant that even his reckless axe swings were forcing the Anupads to retreat.
The problem was that one of only three on the front line rushing forward had completely collapsed the formation.
"Uh, oh!"
Leader Amias was blocking with a shield while stepping back, and Jenesa, holding a long spear, was standing behind him aiming forward.
"Jenesa, how long are you going to keep doing this? Stab quickly!"
"O O at"
Jenesa's long spear pierced through Anupad's neck.
"Cole, here, here!"
Freckled female swordswoman Mira quickly stepped in to dodge the enemy's attack, then struck down a weapon with her shield and slashed, killing one Anupad.
"Damn it, Mira!"
Boonie, who was tall and lanky, was hiding behind Mira and exposed himself to the enemy's attack, screaming.
Just before Boonie was skewered by the Anupad's short spear, their archer, Cole shot an arrow to save him.
"Huugh!"
Boonie's hammer struck the Anupad who was staggering with an arrow in its side. The heavy hammer head on the long pole smashed the Anupad's head.
I, who had cut down three charging Anupads, let out a deep sigh looking at the scene.
Ellen snickered and said, "If you were going to do this, wouldn't it have been better to finish with a fireball and just put out the fire?"
"....."
I scratched my head and handed the shield to Ellen.
"Okay, position 3."
"Position 3? Now?"
"Want to do position 4?"
"...No."
Ellen pouted but crouched down, gripping the shield with both hands. After confirming her small body was completely hidden behind the shield, I immediately stomped the ground.
My target was the one holding an axe-spear and barking among it's subordinates.
Grr! Bark!
Four Anupads blocked my path. Though they swung short spears and axes, I deflected or dodged with my armor and wielded Hrunting.
Swoosh!
Like paint spreading on a white canvas, the milky white blade, piercing the heart, was drenched in blood. The stale smell from the Anupad's body was covered by the blood's stench.
Hrunting was now neither a one-handed sword nor a two-handed sword in length. For others, this ambiguous length might have been a disadvantage, but not for me.
"Hup-"
Gripping the sword handle with both hands, I raised it beside my forehead. From this bull-like stance, I stepped and executed a horizontal slash.
Kye-ah!
The Anupads' weapons were flung away as if swept by Hrunting, and three heads flew into the air.
Growl! Enraged by his subordinates' deaths, the leader snarls and rushes.
By game standards, he'd be something like an 'Anupad Sergeant'. Was his experience points 600?
Stepping and twisting my shoulder, heavy axe-spear brushes past my nose. Wrapping the axe-spear shaft with my left arm, I extended Hrunting in my right hand.
The leader tilted his head with an animal-like movement, but the red blood coating the blade lewdly stuck out its tongue.
Swish! In an instant, the blade, now a foot longer, swept across the neck. The Anupad leader couldn't even scream before collapsing.
Turning my head slightly,
"Cole, Cole! Over here!"
"Steedman, pull yourself together!"
"Everyone gather here! Don't scatter!"
The Amias gang was still in the midst of battle.
Hmm, my head hurts a bit.
"What are you doing?"
With me and Utequais's joining, the battle was instantly concluded. Amias, breathing roughly, swallowed hard.
"Huff, whew. Well, such large groups are rare."
"Large? Twenty is considered large?"
"...Well, it's not a small number."
I scratched my eyebrow and looked around. Including Amias, all five were sprawled on the ground.
Unlike other colleagues who showed no vigilance, the archer Cole was scanning the surroundings with an arrow nocked.
That one's worth something. The rest are a mess.
I clicked my tongue internally and spoke to Amias.
"We can't hunt with guys like you."
"What? But,"
"What do you mean 'but'? How long have you been mercenaries? Have you been at it for two months?"
At my irritated tone, the lanky youth Boonie shrugged.
"Two months feels like a year."
"Spouting nonsense. A year? And you're still this terrible?"
My harsh words made the mercenaries shut their mouths.
"And you said you've been here a while? And you hunt like this?"
Leader Amias answered, "Actually, we tried to join other mercenaries, but with limited experience and equipment, we were getting very little share. Eventually, we missed our chance and couldn't join another group."
"Ah, I see. Seems you only met wise mercenaries."
"Anyway, just get lost. Whether we do this ourselves or save others, we'll handle it."
"Hold on a moment,"
Leader Amias quickly continued.
"We were just surprised when they suddenly swarmed us. It's not usually like this."
"Yeah, sure. I understand, so scram."
"We've only been together as six for a short time. Just give us a little time, and we'll soon work in sync—"
From his speaking, it seemed he understood their problem.
"Six together? What do you mean? Weren't you originally one group?"
At my question, the six mercenaries exchanged glances. Then the bald Steedman carefully spoke.
"Me, Boonie, and Jenesa were more like, well, cleaners rather than mercenaries."
"...Cleaners?"
"Yes. Clearing monsters from city sewers."
"Ha, you cleaned sewers? What kind of city's sewers were cleaned by guys like you?"
"Linneh, Vygard, Earls Castle, places like that..."
Boonie, fiddling with his padded jacket's torn part, quickly added, "Oh, northern cities don't have large sewers. It can't be helped because the ancient empire flourished in central and southern regions, so the north—"
"Shut up."
"Oh, yes..."
"Cleaners or whatever, you shouldn't be here. Go back to Longville and look for merchant caravans heading to other regions. If they don't hire you, offer money to tag along."
My decisive advice made the mercenaries clam up.
"What? Why aren't you all leaving?"
Leader Amias and bald Steedman's faces reddened slightly. Lanky Boonie and quiet Jenesa looked lost, while archer Cole remained expressionless as usual.
Freckled swordswoman Mira glanced at Ellen sitting on a rock behind me and carefully spoke.
"Actually, we're broke."
"...What?"
"We invested all our remaining money after hearing there was a chance to make it big here."
"Invested?"
"Chain armor, shields, hammers, and other things."
"So what? Go back to Longville, sell a few items, and leave."
Amias, who had been tight-lipped, sighed softly and spoke in a helpless tone.
"We can't do that. If we retreat from here, we'll return to our hometown completely broke."
"What's wrong with that?"
Amias looked back at his colleagues and answered, "We all came out into the world with our own goals. If we return home as complete failures, in our entire village we will become a laughingstock."
"It's better than dying in a foreign land."
"Dying in a foreign land might even be better. So, give us just one chance. We'll show you we can do our part."
I stared down at Amias. His green eyes wavered momentarily but soon looked up directly at me.
While he was conflicted, Utequais suddenly spoke up.
"Phoenix."
"Hm?"
"We must work with these mercenaries."
"...Why?"
Utequais, placing a hand on the Maul, spoke, "We can save these pure young people. It's a worthwhile endeavor."
"I'm not trying to kill these guys by sending them away."
"But these young people will die. They're weak, clumsy, foolish, and yearning for death. They'll all die soon."
The mercenaries' faces grew complicated. The words were harsh, regardless of intent.
"And those who wish for death can become warriors. These young people are pure. They will become good warriors. If you and I help them."
I glanced at the mercenaries. The young mercenaries were looking up at me with desperate eyes.
Except for one. The archer Cole maintained an expressionless face, as if he didn't care what happened.
He's good with a bow. Certainly not up to the level of Prince Ulkar, and a step below Arnal, but he'll be enough for one person.
Looking ahead, when we face the Anupad Queen, there will likely be a large-scale battle, so it might be good to increase our numbers for that time.
But can these guys do it?
I scratched my eyebrow for a moment, then eventually nodded.
"Okay. Let's try it."
The mercenaries' expressions instantly brightened.
"But, you're just one part."
The mercenaries' expressions remained bright. I corrected their misunderstanding.
"Six of you together count as one part."
"...What?"
"Me one part, Ellen one part, Utequais one part, and you six as one part. And I'm being generous even with this."
Amias and his colleagues looked stunned for a moment but ultimately had to accept my proposal.
When leaving Longville's mountain region gateway, you encounter a fork in the road.
A path leading southwest and a path leading north.
The northern path is where Chapter 3's boss, 'Anupad Queen Ramashida', has positioned herself with her army.
Due to the suddenly appearing Anupad army driving out the mountain residents, the area near Longville had become overrun with various monsters.
So, we who chose the southwestern path, the mountain lodge route, could easily encounter monsters.
"It's a bear!"
"Stick together!"
What appeared before us while searching near the mountain path were three bears.
In this world, there's rarely a distinction made between fierce beasts and monsters. Wolves or crocodiles are simply treated as monsters.
In that sense, this family of three bears were excellent monsters.
Grrrr!
As if their territory had been invaded, the bears simultaneously attacked.
"Ellen."
"Yes."
Ellen flew from my arms and began chanting a spell. Utequais shouted and charged at the largest bear.
"Orrendae!"
Next, archer Cole drew his bowstring. Holding his breath, eyes gleaming, he released the arrow.
Pak!
One bear was hit in the head but survived thanks to its thick hide. Enraged, it roared and charged.
"Jenesa, spear!"
Jenesa, standing behind the vanguards, bit her lips in fear while aiming her spear at the charging bear.
I momentarily fiddled with my throwing spear, and then hurled it at the first of the two creatures rushing towards the shield wall.
Swoosh!
Thanks to my luck, the spear pierced deeply into its eye socket!
As the creature let out a final groan and collapsed, Ellen's spell was completed.
"Flammae, ensa-ra!"
As the clear voice chanted the spell, six weapons burst into flames simultaneously.
"Uwah!"
"D-Don't panic!"
The mercenaries were shocked when flames erupted from their weapons, but they quickly regained their composure at Amias's shout.
The fiercely charging fire bear struck Steedman's shield with a powerful blow.
Bang
"Kuhok,"
While Steedman staggered from the attack, Cole's arrow and Mira's sword plunged into the fire bear.
Krrung!
As its front paws caught fire from the burning sword, the fire bear began to writhe in pain.
Amias and Mira drew its attention with their shields. The fire bear instinctively retreated from the flame-encircled weapons.
But only for a moment. As wounds and burns multiplied, the fire bear rose and charged toward the seemingly vulnerable mercenary.
"Uwah!"
Standing on its hind legs and swinging its limbs, the fire bear forced Mira to quickly roll aside. Seizing that moment, Jenesa and Boonie swung their long spears.
Pierced in the armpit and with its snout crushed by a pole hammer, the fire bear collapsed.
"We did it!"
While Boonie and Mira cheered, leader Amias struck the fire bear's neck with his axe.
"Phew, it's over."
Only after confirming the creature's breath has stopped did the archer Cole, quiet Jenesa, and bald Steedman exhale in relief.
As they were quietly observing the mercenaries, Utequais, who had scratch marks on his arm, approached.
"These young ones are useful. Already, quite enough."
"Just wipe something off your mouth and speak."
Utequais, who had strangled the bear to death, wiped the heart piece from his mouth's corner. Then he gave a slight smile.
"Our numbers have increased. We can aim for larger prey."
Sniffing. Small, sharp eyes scan the surroundings.
"Ashin. There's a smell. Not far."
"What's an Ashin?"
"A troll."
"...A troll? A troll?"
Utequais smiled deeply and nodded his head.