82
My Villains Chapter 82
22. The Witch (2)
Lord Ariad, who had been watching the argument between the two knights, stepped forward with a sigh.
"My lords, you are core members under our lord and nobles of high status. It's unthinkable that you would volunteer for what amounts to scaling castle walls."
"Ha, are you suggesting we let riffraff take the vanguard? Is that what you'd say to knights?"
Even to Liam's sneering question, the old knight responded calmly.
"While it's virtuous for knights to lead the charge, rushing recklessly into danger without reason is disloyal. Why are you so eager to throw away your lives when we can take the castle without choosing such a dangerous path? If we bring ballistas from the walls and break down the portcullis to advance steadily-"
"Ballistas? How long would it take to drag and set up those heavy things?"
"Better to take some time than have you lords and soldiers get hurt."
"You seem to have forgotten about the thieves swarming outside. If we're distracted by what's behind us, we can't focus on the enemy ahead. We need to end this chaos before our lord returns!"
Wait, why are these old men fighting among themselves with the enemy right in front of them? And what's this about 'before our lord returns'? Does that mean Prince Ulkar isn't here? Where did he go?
Then Lord Langbolt spoke up.
"Liam is right. Moreover, we don't know why the royal guard is resisting. While the Count might be acting to protect his wife, it's possible an informant has taken control of the castle. If we don't hurry, the Count could be taken hostage or hurt..."
Langbolt suddenly closed his mouth and stared at Lord Ariad. Then he narrowed his eyes and asked sharply, "...Don't tell me that's what you're aiming for?"
"I haven't said anything, Lord Langbolt."
"You still don't understand our lord? That's not what he would want."
"...This isn't a conversation we should have in front of outsiders."
When the old knight glanced at me after saying that, the other knights also fell silent.
What the hell? They were talking just fine before, why give me the eye now?
Unable to stand the frustration any longer, I spoke up.
"So what are you going to do? Use the ladders, or wait for the ballistas?"
I looked around at the knights as I spoke, but they all seemed lost in thought.
"Well then, why not bring in some mages?"
"Would the Count's mages help attack Salt Castle?"
"There's Master Rimond."
"He... Is on another mission."
No prince and no mages either? What are they doing?
"Well, whatever."
I said, gathering my shield and Hrunting in my left hand.
"You handle the other issues yourselves, I'm going up. Just have the soldiers set up the ladders."
"What? A mere mercenary dares-"
As Lord Liam was about to shout, I quickly cut him off.
"Wait, who did the prince put in charge of this mission?"
"...What?"
"The prince put Lord Ariad and me in charge. We got this far because I uncovered the informant's existence. Isn't that qualification enough?"
Lord Liam's expression hardened, but he soon lowered his visor. I then turned to Lord Ariad.
"As you know, I'm a mercenary. Actually, since I'm not even employed by the prince, I'm basically a conscript."
"...Let's say that's true. So?"
"It means the prince has nothing to lose if I die. Just set up the ladders."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I know some people inside. One of them is my comrade."
"...A comrade. Hmm."
The old knight stroked his chin with an odd expression. Then he asked the other two knights, "It doesn't sound bad... What do you lords think?"
Lord Langbolt silently looked at me and shrugged.
"With your skills, well, it should be fine."
Finally, Lord Liam. When all eyes turned to him, he grudgingly ordered Gilbert, "Sergeant, you take command here."
"Yes, Lord Liam."
Phew. I was worried he might be stubborn, but thankfully not.
By the way, it seems I'm using my tongue more than my sword today... I hope it stays that way.
"...Once you get in, go straight down the stairs. There'll be a hallway after you open the door there, and at the end of the hallway there's a room-"
"Turn the winch to raise the gate?"
"Right. You know it well, friend."
"Of course. I've heard the same story five times already."
As I tightened the shield strap on my wrist, Gilbert scratched his chin awkwardly.
"Did I really say it five times?"
"Yeah. So let's get started already."
"...But are you sure you don't need any soldiers?"
When the sergeant asked uncertainly, I smirked and asked back, "Would you give me your men?"
"That's not possible. Since Lord Ariad said..."
"Then forget it. Bringing along dead weight would just get in the way."
From what I've heard, South Harbor currently has about a thousand soldiers. Of those, around three hundred are from the gate guard, harbor guard, and security forces, while the rest are forces from outside.
The external forces are also diverse. Prince Ulkar's direct forces only number one hundred and fifty, territorial armies borrowed from surrounding barons are about one hundred and fifty, and the militia gathered through conscription is around four hundred.
...Good grief. Not ten thousand or twenty thousand, but how can an army of just a thousand be so messy?
Anyway, there are about a hundred soldiers behind Salt Castle now.
Of those, the dozen or so under Sergeant Gilbert are obviously the prince's direct forces. They're elite soldiers equipped with flat iron helmets, chain mail, and armed with spears, axes, shields, crossbows, and longbows.
Not only is their equipment good, but judging by their eyes and behavior, each one seems to be a veteran.
The ones preparing to charge with ladders are militia.
They're a motley crew with mixed armament, origins, status, and professions. While there are skilled fighters like mercenaries, sailors, and merchant guards, there are also beggars, fishermen, barbers, and peddlers mixed in.
The ones just holding torches and making up numbers around them are territorial forces. Though they're called territorial forces, they're really just serfs dragged here without knowing why.
They're rabble wearing shabby clothes with hoods, not even armor or helmets, carrying pitchforks, hand axes, or wooden clubs as weapons.
I might trust the veteran prince's soldiers, but I can't trust my back to militia of unclear status or serf-looking peasants.
"I was planning to go in alone from the start anyway. Let's just begin."
"Ugh, alright."
With Gilbert's nod, the operation began.
The militia with shields took the front, followed by those carrying ladders on their shoulders. The mass of soldiers slowly moved forward.
"Raise shields!"
"Damn it! Stop stepping on my foot!"
"Keep your shoulders together, you idiots!"
What a complete mess.
Thanks to those with combat experience encouraging those around them, the soldiers somehow managed to keep in step.
Then, crossbow bolts and rocks rained down from the collapsed tower. Most missed or were blocked by shields, but some pierced shoulders and crushed heads.
"Fire!"
As if he'd been waiting, Gilbert gave the order, and the prince's archers along with conscripted mercenaries and hunters let loose their arrows.
While the enemy soldiers in the tower cowered, the soldiers carrying ladders picked up their pace.
"Quickly, faster!"
"Raise the ladders! You guys in the back, what are you waiting for, push!"
Hmm, this is quite an interesting experience. Over a hundred people struggling just to make space for me to charge in.
And while it may be humble, this is something like a siege battle. To play the protagonist in a place like this - something I could never have dreamed of when I was Kim Seung-soo.
"Whew."
I caught my breath lightly, then began running while gripping both sword and shield in my left hand.
As I reached the rear of our soldiers, the ladder was set against the tower, and I quickly began climbing it.
"Push! Push it away!"
"One's coming up! Shoot him!"
Holding my shield up, I moved my right arm and both legs without rest.
Arrows and rocks poured down from above, and the ladder shook below.
Several militia soldiers stubbornly held the base of the ladder, but the enemies were pushing the upper part with long wooden poles.
Creak.
"Ah, aah!"
The ladder that had been leaning at an angle was slowly being pushed back!
Ugh, damn it, I was almost there!
By the time I reached the last rung, the ladder was standing straight up instead of leaning.
"Ohhh—"
I maintained my balance by gripping the ladder's spine while stumbling. Then, internally shouting 'To hell with it!', I kicked off and leaped into the air, and
"Aah—"
The soldiers below let out shrill cries as the ladder fell backward. But my eyes, cutting through the air, were fixed on the enemy soldiers in the tower.
"Ugh!"
Crash!
Rolling through while crushing a wide-eyed soldier with my shield.
"Kill him!"
As shouts rang out, a spear blade grazed the back of my neck, and I quickly rose to take a stance.
...But, there are quite a lot of them.
The narrow room of the tower with its broken ceiling was packed tight with about fifteen soldiers.
Not just the numbers, but their equipment was also a problem.
As befitting the lord's personal guards, they wore chain mail reinforced with plate armor and dish-shaped iron helmets with chain mail coifs. Additionally, they wielded quality weapons like longswords, morning stars, and battle axes.
"Damn it,"
After briefly surveying them, I cursed and thrust my sword. This was because the soldiers came charging all at once, led by one shouting.
What followed was chaos.
The heavily armored enemies charged aggressively, and I desperately swung my shield and thrust my sword.
Even while ignoring the blade attacks aimed at my thighs and stomach and only blocking attacks targeting my head and heart, I could barely keep track of everything.
In the midst of this, I took down one of them, staining Hrunting's bronze blade red.
The enemies kept charging relentlessly, unconcerned by their comrade's death.
I struck down an enemy approaching from the front with my shield's edge, took a morning star from the left with my shoulder, and drove my sword into the neck of an enemy soldier clinging to my right.
"Kehuk,"
The one with the pierced throat gritted his teeth and, showing remarkable willpower, grabbed my arm.
"You crazy-"
I quickly swung my blade to shake off my arm, but the enemies were already bringing down their weapons.
Crack, clang!
"Urgh, kuk."
Retreating frantically from attacks raining down on my shield, shoulder, head, and shins, I instinctively raised magical power to shake off the fighting spirit.
Then the blood splattered on the floor transformed into fragments and burst upward,
Splash!
"Ugh! What is this?"
"My eyes, my eyes!"
The startled enemies stepped back.
Ugh, it seems my weak magical power couldn't tear through their armor. The only damage I managed to inflict was one unlucky guy getting his eyes hurt.
Still, just buying time was effective enough.
"Huu, whew-"
As I drew up my fighting spirit, my vision instantly turned red. Feeling my whole body's senses awakening clearly, I kicked the ground like lightning.
"Kughk!"
Bang!
The guard raised his shield to block, but the full-power slash made him fall backwards.
Without even turning my head, I deflected an incoming sword with my shield and finished off the fallen one.
Gulp.
"Kh, khurk."
The blade that tore through the chain mail and lodged in his throat flicked out a red tongue, greedily drinking up the blood.
Damn, I didn't want to drink human blood... Such regret was brief. My body, which had been weighed down by fatigue and wounds, became thoroughly soaked in strange vigor.
...Right, it's fine. Nobody's watching anyway.
It doesn't matter since everyone here will die.
I forcefully pulled out Hrunting and charged at another enemy.
"Push him into the corner!"
"Don't back down!"
The enemies were still attacking relentlessly. However, for some reason, their attacks felt slow and dull.
I threw back my head to dodge a blade, thrust my shield to crush a shoulder holding an axe, and tackled the one with the hammer.
Even while taking three or four attacks during this, it didn't feel particularly painful.
Is the armor worth its price?
...No, that's not it. The enemies were getting weaker. Why?
"Heh."
A faint sneering laugh could be heard from somewhere.
I dispersed that unpleasant sound while thrusting my sword. The speed at which enemies died gradually increased.
"A mere mercenary..."
Though only half had died, fear began to seep into their voices.
"Hehe."
The sneering grew a bit louder.
Not knowing what expression I was making, I swung Hrunting. Even while doing so, I savored the momentary vigor each time I drove the blade into an enemy's body.
Before I knew it, only three enemies remained.
From somewhere, a loud laugh rang out.
Two threw down their weapons, and one fled to the stairs. I swept my blade across the throats of the two who showed their palms, then lunged after the one who fled.
Even as I descended the spiral staircase, the laughter followed me.
As I drove my sword into the back of the enemy scratching at the door, the laughter subsided.