142
My Villains Chapter 142
37. The Baroness's Request (3)
"Phew-"
I took a deep breath.
The cold air of dawn awakens my mind, and the fresh mountain air soaks my body.
"Gaaah!" Bald Steedman swung his axe with a rough shout. When I held out my shield, he hooked the leather-wrapped axe blade onto it. Steedman gritted his teeth and pulled down the shield.
"Grrrr!"
Veins popped on his bald head.
Despite the quite powerful force combined with his body weight, the load I felt wasn't that great. But if I resist here, the training won't progress.
I lowered my shield as if being dragged and thrust my club. Freckled Mira, standing next to Steedman, deflected that attack with quick movements.
"Now!"
At leader Amias's shout, two six-foot poles rushed in, aiming for my neck and shoulders. Steedman was holding onto the shield, and Mira was watching the wooden club.
"Al-right!"
As I let out a cheerful shout and released the shield,
"Ugh,"
Steedman momentarily staggered. I lowered my posture and pushed forward. The two six-foot poles aiming for the upper body sliced through the air.
"Mira, now!"
At Amias's shout, Mira swung her wooden sword. The thrust aiming for the neck was quite sharp.
"Hup,"
Keeping my posture low, I hooked my club around Steedman's leg and pulled hard. He fell heavily, colliding with Mira.
"Get out of the way, you shorty!"
"What did you say? You bi-" Leaving Mira and Steedman's voices behind, I rushed at Amias.
"Damn it!"
The axe strike coming down is terribly vicious. Although the blade is wrapped in thick rawhide, it's a blow that could break bones if it hits properly.
I watched the trajectory of the axe and carefully thrust my club.
Thwack!
The club struck the side of the axe blade and bounced into Amias's chest.
"Gak!"
The moment Amias fell on his backside, I did a forward roll.
Whoosh!
A whistling sound scattered above my head. Even knowing it's an arrow without a tip, it still raises goosebumps on the back of my neck.
As I got up, I alternately hit lanky Boonie and quiet Jenessa. When Boonie dropped the six-foot pole, I quickly picked it up. Then I threw it towards the fence as if throwing a javelin.
"Ah!"
While archer Cole twisted his shoulder to avoid the six-foot pole, I rushed at Steedman and Mira.
The mock battle that wasn't really a mock battle soon came to an end.
Amias, who had taken off his chain shirt, loosened his quilted jacket. Steam rose as his body cooled in the dawn air.
"Ugh, damn it."
A bluish bruise was imprinted on his hairy chest. Groaning, Amias slumped down, leaning against the fence.
Steedman, sitting nearby resting with his comrades, asked with a snicker.
"Did you break a bone? Why are you whining so much?"
"Whining, my ass."
Amias was about to flare up in anger but then let out a deep sigh.
"Don't pick a fight. I don't want to waste energy in the morning."
"There's no energy left to waste." Mira grumbled, rinsing her mouth with cold water.
"It's been quiet for the past few days, but what's with this bolt from the blue today?"
"Don't complain. Do you think opportunities like this are common for small fry like us?"
Boonie chimed in with Amias's words.
"That's right. Our skills have improved a lot thanks to the training."
"Tch, who says they haven't? I'm just saying we can complain about it being tough. We're not monsters like Phoenix or Mr. Hatanka."
As Mira grumbled, the gang turned their gaze towards the open space.
"Hehe. Use your head, Phoenix."
"Huff, hoo-"
In the open space, Phoenix and Utequais were wrestling shirtless.
Although Phoenix was over 190cm tall, next to the bear-like Utequais, he looked just like a growing boy.
Phoenix, who had grabbed Utequais's knee, gritted his teeth.
"Grrrr!"
The muscles on Phoenix's back and waist split wide. He was trying to uproot Utequais's leg and throw him down.
At a glance, that attempt seemed to succeed, but,
"You're acting like a bull again."
Utequais simply regained his balance by spreading his legs sideways. At the same time, he pressed down on the shoulders, and Phoenix stretched out long as if lying face down.
"Ugh,"
"Don't straighten your back!" With a shout, Utequais's two arms wrapped around Phoenix's waist. The huge tattooed body exerted explosive strength.
Whoosh!
Wet grass and dirt flew as the two large bodies rotated once.
"Damn it-"
Phoenix was violently thrown to the ground, and Utequais firmly secured his position on top.
"Move, Phoenix!"
"Grrrr-!"
Phoenix struggled in every way possible to shake off the solid back mount.
As the two strongmen writhed, the surrounding soil and grass were torn up, turning into a mess. It looked like bears or bulls fighting.
Amias swallowed dry saliva.
"...Of course, we're neither Lord Phoenix nor Mr. Hatanka. But if we could be even half, no, a quarter of that, we'd make a name for ourselves in the surrounding areas."
Boonie chuckled at those words that sounded like a pledge.
"You want to be a quarter as good as the undead and the giant? Want to make a contract with the devil?"
Before Amias could respond with a frown, Cole said in a firm tone.
"Lord Phoenix is not undead, and Mr. Hatanka is not a giant. So we don't need to make contracts with devils either."
"Cole is right. We just need to do what we can at our current level. We've got an opportunity, so we should think about moving up."
"...Well, I guess so."
Boonie closed his mouth at Amias's words. He didn't seem very convinced.
The wrestling between the two strongmen continued for a long time. Phoenix persistently attempted counterattacks, and Utequais skillfully dealt with them.
The wrestling only ended when the sun had fully risen and a group of visitors were knocking on the lodge door.
People were seated at two large tables in the tavern, divided into groups of more than ten. At my table sat Utequais, Amias, Cole, and the morning visitor.
Today's breakfast was black bread, aged cheese, and turnip stew.
Of course, it's called turnip stew, but thanks to slipping a few silver coins to the kitchen, quite luxurious menu items appeared on the table.
The stew, flavored with flower petals and gardenia, contained more seared pork belly than turnips, and was finished with raw eggs and sheep's milk. Yeah, you need to eat this much in the morning to have strength.
"Ah, now I can live."
As I emptied my stew bowl and leaned back deeply in my chair, the young man sitting across from me quickly asked a question.
"Are you going to answer now?"
"Why are you so impatient? Wait a moment."
When I called the waiter to order food, the young man's face contorted.
"Sir, are you ordering again? You've already had three bowls..."
"That was stew. What I ordered now is fruit."
"...Ugh."
The one groaning was a young man named Beldin.
He was an acquaintance from hunting festival-related matters and also a scribe from Longville. Unlike his usual neat appearance, he was now a mess from night dew and dirt.
I took a sip of beer and asked.
"By the way, how did you get here? The path must be crawling with Anupads."
"We came through the forest path under cover of night."
Beldin pointed to the soldiers he had brought and continued.
"They're both natives of this area, so they know the local terrain inside out."
"Hmm."
I nodded and rummaged through the fruit that the waiter had brought out. Then I took out a flawless green apple and split it in half.
"Want some?"
"...No, I'm fine. I don't have an appetite."
I took a big bite of the apple. The sweetness was so weak that my tongue felt astringent.
It tastes terrible. I'll have to throw it away.
"You said you came to deliver the Baroness's message?"
"Yes, that's right. The Baroness wishes to ask for your help, sir."
"Help, huh. What's the exact situation now?"
Beldin, who had been shaking his leg throughout the meal, answered before I finished speaking.
"The lord has gone missing, and less than half of the soldiers remain."
"Who's in command?"
"It's Sir Chester. He's the training captain of the domain."
"Training captain?"
I've seen him a few times. He seemed like an experienced soldier, but he wasn't a knight.
I frowned while eating some raspberries.
"What about Sir Killian?"
"Well..."
Beldin's expression darkened as he sighed. Then, moistening his dry lips, he spoke.
"He's disappeared."
"Sir Killian is missing too? Along with Baron Malory?"
"It's a bit different. Sir Killian didn't go on the expedition."
What nonsense is this?
"The domain's only knight didn't go to fight the monsters? Then what was Sir Killian doing?"
"He was guarding Longville. It was the lord's will."
"...This is frustrating. Then how did Sir Killian go missing?"
Beldin hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly.
"...I'm not sure. All I know is that Sir Killian disappeared the day after news of the lord's disappearance arrived."
As I fell silent, Steedman, who was eating stew at the next table, shook his head and muttered.
"He ran away."
"No! Sir Killian wouldn't-"
Beldin turned around with angry eyes, but,
"What?"
He closed his mouth upon meeting the eyes of the intimidating bald man.
The young scribe fumbled with his beer mug with ink-stained hands and looked back at me.
"...What's important now isn't Sir Killian. We need to protect Longville."
"How many soldiers are left?"
"Just under a hundred."
Hmm, that's few.
"There are mercenaries too, right? If you block the palisades and hold out, you should be able to drive off the Anupads."
"We're holding out for now, but we don't know what will happen when the Anupad sorcerer recovers his magic power."
"Anupad sorcerer?"
"Yes. According to Sir Chester, there's an Anupad that casts all sorts of evil curses."
An Anupad sorcerer casting curses, huh.
I scratched my eyebrow and asked.
"By any chance, does this Anupad have two heads? One black and one white?"
"...That's correct."
'Kalchak and Ullio', I see.
As expected, it's the worst combination this time too. The other random named ones are probably 'Female General Ounshi' or 'Solid Bone Gishta'.
"How do you know that?"
"Oh, I have my own sources of information."
"...I see. So you've been keeping an ear to the ground in this area too."
"Huh?"
At my evasive answer, Beldin showed a faint smile as if somewhat relieved.
"I was worried because you didn't seem very interested in my story. Even after hearing the Baroness's words."
"...What did the Baroness say?"
"She said you're a very warm person. Someone who understands chivalry."
"...Who? Me?"
"Yes."
Utequais, who was gulping down beer next to me, burst into laughter.
"That woman must have rocks for eyeballs!"
"You bastard."
"Hahaha!"
Ignoring Utequais who was pounding the table in glee, I shrugged at the scribe from Longville.
"Tell her I'm grateful for her kind words."
"You can tell her yourself, sir."
"No, I have other plans."
"Plans?"
"Plans to deal with the Anupads."
I continued, crossing my arms.
"There are still over hundreds of Anupads. But they're not all gathered in one place."
"You really do know a lot, don't you?"
"I told you, I have my sources."
This time it wasn't evasion, it was the truth. I heard the news from Atalante's subordinate.
"You're right, sir. They're just lurking around, showing no signs of attacking."
"They don't have siege weapons. They're probably waiting for Karamek, I mean, the sorcerer to recover his magic power."
"I suppose so."
"In this situation, there's no reason for me to go into the encirclement too. We can use this place as a base for guerrilla warfare."
"Hmm." Beldin quietly furrowed his brow as if something was bothering him.
"Um, Sir Phoenix. Actually..." He was about to say something in a lowered voice.
"Oh, Miss Ellen?"
At Boonie's shrill voice, I turned my head to see Ellen entering the tavern, wearing white pants and a white shirt.
Seeing Ellen, Amias's gang uttered in bewilderment.
"Huh?"
"...She's walking?"
Ignoring those voices, I quickly approached Ellen.
"Why are you up so early? You should sleep more."
"I'm hungry."
"Oh, you're hungry?"
I caught the passing waiter, ordered a meal, and guided Ellen to the table. Then, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Am I invisible?"
"Atal, Atilia?"
"I feel a bit hurt."
Atalante, who gave me a gentle glare, yawned long while covering her mouth.
Then she stretched her long arms and legs. The abs and forearms revealed between her thin clothes relaxed smoothly.
"Ugh- My whole body aches because of someone, you know."
"...Oh, really?"
"Yes, rea-lly."
As Atalante smiled playfully, Ellen narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
At that moment, I completed an answer surprisingly quickly, even to myself.
"Atilia got hurt by the ghouls because of me, remember? She said she had a hard time getting rid of the curse."
"Ah."
Ellen spoke as she headed back to the table.
"...Try mixing jipshin grass with angelica and red thistle in honey. It's effective for purifying the body."
After frowning at Atalante, who shrugged her shoulders, I followed Ellen.
"Could you move aside?"
"Oh, yes."
At Ellen's words, the young scribe reluctantly gave up his seat. Amias and Cole quickly stood up and cleared away the scattered dishes.
Then, Ellen said something completely unexpected.
"Thank you."
"...Pardon?"
"I said thank you. Amias, Cole."
A brief silence fell.
"Uh, well."
While Amias was confused, the relatively calm Cole quickly responded.
"It's nothing to thank us for."
Leaving Cole wiping his cold sweat behind, I sat down following Ellen.
"Why did you come out when you're tired? You should have waited in the room."
"I was hungry, and I wanted to get some morning air."
"...Hmm. Aren't you sleepy?"
"I am. Can I sleep more after eating?"
"Huh? Yeah, of course."
What is this? What's with this gentle expression and soft voice?
Utequais, who had been quietly observing the conversation, wore a worried expression.
"Magic poisoning, serious. Must go to the priest."
"It's okay, I'm much better."
Ellen looked up at Utequais blankly and added.
"Thank you for worrying."
Taking advantage of even Utequais's confusion, Atalante pulled a chair next to me. Then she pointed at the beer mug in front of me.
"Nix, can I?"
"Huh?"
"The beer. Can I drink it?"
"Oh. Yeah, go ahead."
After gulping down the beer, Atalante let out an exclamation and grinned.
"Ahh, I thought I was going to die of thirst."
"Want me to order another one?"
"Let's eat first. I'm hungry too."
After catching a middle-aged waitress and placing an order, Atalante sniffed at my shoulder.
"You've been sweating since morning?"
"Oh, I was training. I've been slacking off for the past few days."
"Hmm, impressive."
Atalante brushed up her hair and leaned towards my neck.
"Hey, wait a minute."
"Oh, what."
"It's, uh, a bit uncomfortable."
"What's uncomfortable?"
While pushing Atalante away and bickering, I kept an eye on Ellen's reaction.
Ellen, who had just dipped her spoon in the stew, glanced at Atalante and then, pff.
She let out a smile.
It was a rather relaxed smile, tinged with mockery or sympathy.
I don't know what to say.