Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Act 1 of the Performance, The Abandoned Mine Haunted by Evil Spirits (2)
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“Benefactor! Benefactor!! There are people over there!”
Deep in the lush forest, Kirhas let out a laugh like a scruffy bandit underling. They had been hiding near the road, scouting for merchant caravans passing through the area, for three hours now. The Cardus Barony was a trade route in the southern region of the Dane Kingdom, so it wouldn’t be strange for a merchant procession to pass by at any moment.
“How many?”
“About twenty? Around six armed soldiers!”
“You’re starting to sound like a real bandit now that you’ve scouted them out... Contact Abel. Let’s get started.”
Fernandez’s words sounded just like a bandit leader’s, making Kirhas burst into giggles. Fernandez grinned back and seized the reins. The horse slowly picked up speed as it advanced through the forest. Just as Kirhas had said, signs of people soon became audible.
*
Kylein was a trading merchant. He didn’t lead a grand caravan or boast immense wealth, but he was one of the decently successful merchants making a good living. He and his merchant alliance handled most of the fur and foodstuffs supplied to the area.
Thus, the Cardus Barony wasn’t much of a threat to him. It was a well-maintained trade route with fairly good public order.
Kylein sighed as he glanced at the mercenaries walking half-asleep. They were mercenaries in name only—mere escorts with little to no combat experience, the best a caravan like his could afford. Truly capable mercenaries were usually hired as proxy soldiers for territorial wars.
But with ten well-armed soldiers attached, even bandits with eyes in their heads wouldn’t dare attack first. As he rode, Kylein imagined the inn in Verd City. A warm bath and a busty barmaid. His lips loosened slightly.
“...What’s that, Captain?”
“Uh...”
Until the bushes near the road began to rustle. Kylein hardened his expression and looked where the mercenaries were staring. Bandits? Even madmen wouldn’t attack a force this size. He hadn’t heard of any bandit group big enough in the area.
-Rustle.
The bushes shook, and something thudded to the ground, rolling. He thought it was a large rock at first, but a closer look revealed otherwise. The dim evening light and restricted visibility on the forest path made it hard to see clearly.
“That can’t be...?”
It was a head. A goblin’s.
“A head...?”
“Fuck! Weapons up! What the hell are you idiots standing around for— Aaaargh!!!”
-Kaboom!!
-Hiiiing!!!
A rock flew past the mercenary captain’s head as he frantically drew his sword in panic, smashing roughly into the wagon. The massive impact tilted the wagon, and the horses thrashed wildly. The captain rolled on the ground, screaming.
“W-What?!”
“Enemies!!! Ambush!!”
The commotion snapped the dozing mercenaries awake; they drew and gripped their weapons in unison. Damn it, wasn’t this just a simple escort job? The mercenaries swallowed hard amid the tension. Soon, a massive shadow emerged from the forest.
“I-It’s a rock troll!!!”
“Fuck! Spears! Spears up!!”
-Thud!
A gaunt arm and protruding belly. A massive monster with ashen skin growled as it appeared. Its eyes burned red with hunger and madness. It chewed on a scrawny arm that looked like it belonged to a goblin and lumbered forward.
“Captain! Heard there were trolls around here?”
“If there were, I wouldn’t have taken this job!! Crossbows!! Fire the crossbows! Hurry!! Get fire!!”
The captain gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly. A troll was a monster beyond what their numbers could handle. It needed monster hunters or knights! Or at least twice as many men pushing forward.
A flicker of deathly fear crossed the captain’s eyes. Ditch everything and run? But reputation was everything in the mercenary trade to make a living. Pulling that here would leave him with nothing but bandit work!
“T-Troll?! Sir, a troll? Why the hell is there a troll here?!”
“Ask that bastard yourself! Before it makes you a midnight snack!!”
Fortunately, the troll just stood there dumbly. Lukewarm reaction for something that had hurled rocks ferociously. It hesitated, scanning the surroundings, as if fleeing from something.
“Why isn’t it attacking?”
“Pray a bit more, someone. Maybe it’ll just leave us alone.”
“H-How about we hunt it? Rock troll hide fetches a good price.”
“...”
The only reason the captain didn’t smack Kylein’s head was that the troll was staring right at them.
“Grrrraaah!!!”
The troll suddenly twitched like it was seizing. It scanned around rapidly, shuddered briefly, and a ferocious aura emanated from its eyes. Foaming at the mouth, it roared and charged straight at them.
-Thump, thump, thump!
“Aaaargh! Spears! Thrust spears! Crossbows!!!”
-Twang!
Before the captain could finish, a mercenary who had loaded his crossbow fired a quarrel in a flash. It embedded precisely in the drooling troll’s shoulder. But it was too much for the bolt to penetrate the hide and deal real damage.
-Thud!
“Gaaargh!!”
The troll swung its massive club as if unbothered. One of the trembling mercenaries blocking its path got caught and flung away.
A rough, ferocious charge. It wasn’t targeting anyone to eat or kill specifically. It just barreled forward honestly. One by one, hurling aside whatever mercenaries blocked its way.
“Dodge!!!”
-Kuuung!!!
Its body slammed into the wagon. The wagon twisted with a grotesque screech. Packed with furs and wheat, it screeched horribly as it was shoved backward. Immense strength! Kylein shuddered and collapsed.
-Crash!
The wagon shattered, spilling fruits and turnips onto the ground. Kylein crawled backward hesitantly. Fortunately, the troll seemed uninterested in him. It just wanted to go forward, wagon or mercenaries be damned.
Perhaps because it showed no clear intent to attack. No deaths among the wounded mercenaries yet. The captain gripped his shield tightly, inwardly relieved. He clutched his short spear, counting to three in his mind.
Now. Power surged in the captain’s grip. This half-baked strength was how he’d survived as a mercenary and risen this far. It took long to prepare and wasn’t very effective, but it was mana all the same!
-Rumble.
Mana dwelled in the body of a warrior at its peak. Not quite that, but definite power filled his hand. His hair stood on end. Then he charged like a lion. The troll’s back was wide open, and it ignored him!
-Kaboom!!
The captain’s arm shot out fiercely, plunging the short spear into the troll’s back! Success! He felt the hide pierce clearly. Smirking triumphantly, he tried to yank his numb hand free. The spear embedded in its body—
“Grraaaaaargh!!!!!”
“Fuck...”
The spear lodged in the troll’s back was trapped in its rough muscles, immovable. And soon, the captain faced the troll’s massive, rage-twisted face up close.
“Graaaah!!”
“Aaaargh!!!”
The troll halted its wagon-smashing hand and hoisted the captain’s body up. Its maw gaped wide, revealing razor-like teeth. It sneered, twisting its eyes. Foul stench and death loomed!
-Splaaat!!
-Thud!
“Gaaaah!!”
The captain gasped from the rough impact, realizing he was rolling on the ground. Through spit and tears staining his face, he saw the writhing troll. A long spear was embedded in its body.
‘Where? Who?’
Pain fragmented his thoughts into words. Forcing his blurry eyes open, he followed the troll’s gaze. Far off, backlit by the setting sun. Someone sat astride a horse. Even from afar, he could see the shadow-cloaked man’s piercing blue eyes.
Gloomy, shadowed eyes. A beastkin woman beside the man chattered at the troll.
“Direct hit, Benefactor!”
The man said nothing, raising his lance from the saddle. He adjusted his stance briefly, then gripped the reins hard. The well-armored horse bucked fiercely and charged!
-Thud thud thud!!
“Clear the way!”
“Hiiiik!!”
The horse hooves sounded like a death sentence to the mercenaries. From the perspective of mercenaries who died first when knights or cavalry appeared, this sudden mounted charge triggered trauma. They panicked and threw their injured bodies aside.
-Thud thud thud!!!
In that instant, the man accelerated down the cleared road. His lance gleamed in the sunset. Soon, the tip struck the troll’s chest—
-Kaaaaboom!!
“What?”
“...What?”
“...Uh... Uhhh?? Huuuh???”
It pierced the troll straight through, literally ‘impaling’ it on the lance tip and charging on! The mercenaries forgot their pain, staring dumbly at the unreal sight. The man had dragged the troll to the road’s end. With one arm? Shoulders okay? The captain gaped at the knight in shock.
-Hiiiing!!
The troll’s thick blood trailed long along the road. Its chest was shredded by the charge’s impact, spilling mashed bones and guts. The knight eyed the still-gasping troll’s head.
-Shing.
Drawing his longsword one-handed, the knight slowly lifted the impaled troll. A sharp flash scattered in the air, and soon the troll’s head rolled on the ground.
-Hiiiing!
The horse’s bucking snapped the mercenaries back. The knight wheeled his mount toward the caravan. Blood dripped from the sword in his hand.
“Ahem!”
The excited voice made the captain turn. The beastkin woman had approached unnoticed, picking up a fallen apple from the ground. She dusted it off, rubbed it on her sleeve, and bit into it.
“That’s Sir Albert of Cerned!”
“Sir Albert of... Cerned?”
The captain stared blankly at her. The woman watched the approaching knight with eyes sparkling with passion and longing.
-Clop.
A shadow fell over the captain’s head. Backlit by the sunset, the knight’s face appeared. Amid his disheveled black hair, emotionless blue eyes gleamed. The eyes of a high noble warrior who staked his life on chastity and conviction.
“You were brave.”
-Swish.
The captain flinched as the bloodied lance lowered before him. But the knight showed no hostility. Hesitantly, the captain took it. His own short spear, the one he’d plunged into the troll’s back.
“Thanks to your struggle, we caught it. On behalf of the local folk, allow me to thank you. My gratitude.”
“Ah... Then you, Sir Knight...?”
“Was pursuing it. It’s caused massive harm to the civilians.”
“Ooh...”
The knight’s face, bathed in sunset, seemed to shine with ironclad knighthood. Even he, jaded by long mercenary life, couldn’t calm his trembling heart that moment. Perhaps sentimentality from narrowly escaping death.
“On your feet. I am Albert of Cerned.”
“I-I’m Melmed! Sir Knight! An honor!”
Albert nodded, gripping the captain’s arm and pulling him up. The captain staggered to his feet from the rough strength.
Albert. Fernandez chuckled inwardly while eyeing the troll corpse Abel had driven over. The many watching eyes pleased him.