Building Honor (3)
-Boom... Boom...
The sound of trees snapping and splintering echoed from the distance. A massive flock of birds took flight from the direction of the noise, making the location of the Draig clear. Though the beast was hidden deep within the forest and not directly visible, the way the lesser monsters were scattering through the trees confirmed it.
Adam didn't hesitate to initiate the operation. Standing still would only stiffen our bodies with tension; moving quickly was the best way to steady both body and mind.
“Krian.”
“Understood, Captain! Good luck to you! Let’s go, boys! Dian, the God of War, watches over us!”
Krian, one of our officers, led his squad toward the forest. They were the bait, tasked with drawing out the monsters surrounding the Draig.
“Theodore.”
“See you later, Captain! Hiyah!”
Theodore, who handled the support duties, moved out with his men. Dust rose before my eyes, and the tremors shaking the ground grew more intense. The mercenaries began to shout, fueling their own morale.
Meanwhile, Gidin and I remained, glaring at each other, the tension of the battlefield crackling between us. It was a strange, ongoing war of nerves.
Adam continued to call out his officers, and those who had already memorized their orders plunged into the subjugation with their squads. As the names were called one by one, Gidin finally spoke when our group still hadn't been summoned.
“The men are charging in so valiantly, yet the Vice-Captain is hiding quite well.”
I looked at him and replied, “...I look forward to seeing how valiant you are, Gidin.”
After that, more than half of the mercenaries had departed. Adam called out the last officer, excluding me, and then turned to look at us.
“...Berg. I’ll be back.”
“See you later.”
Gidin furrowed his brow. “Captain, where are you going? We haven't even—”
“Berg will move at the right moment. I hope you trust him, Gidin, and follow his lead when that moment comes.”
With that, Adam departed, and the remaining members followed him. Only the thirty men of my elite squad and Gidin’s thirty followers were left, staring into the forest where the others had vanished.
“...”
“...”
Soon, we could see the riders moving through the dense trees, and the sounds of shouting and screaming began to drift out from the forest, one by one.
Gidin, watching me stand still, continued to express his doubts. “...Vice-Captain. Why don’t you be honest now? Is it even possible that your elite squad is only this small? You expect me to believe your elite squad is... only twenty, thirty men? ...I suppose one of the officers who left earlier must have the real elite squad?”
“...”
Gidin’s words were filled with dissatisfaction and suspicion, but the fear hidden beneath them was gradually surfacing. The man who had been talking about valor just moments ago had tucked his tail between his legs.
But then again... it was natural for him to think that way. Everywhere else, the elite squad was the largest. But the Red Flame Mercenary Corps’ elite squad was smaller than any other unit. It must have been hard for him to believe this was the elite force.
Shaun, standing behind me, cracked another joke. “Young Master. If you’re afraid, you can just rest here. We’ll take care of it ourselves.”
“...”
Gidin couldn't even retort to the jab. Even the pride of noble status becomes secondary in the face of the fear of death.
-Boom...! Boom!
As the long wait ended, monsters began to burst out of the forest one by one.
“...They’re coming,” Baran said.
And following them, the massive Draig revealed itself. With a shockwave that made my ears ring, the Draig let out a roar so visceral it made my skin crawl.
It seemed Adam had succeeded in pulling the Draig out of the forest. Shaun whispered as he looked at the colossal beast.
“...This is... insane...”
Jackson followed suit, praying to the God of Courage. “...Mend... grant us your grace.”
It was a size I had certainly never seen before. It was like a small fortress. Gidin, who had already seen the monster once before, began to breathe heavily.
“Let’s go.”
I spoke to my men and immediately spurred my horse forward. The men, who had been harboring anxiety, killed their emotions and followed my orders without hesitation.
Looking back, I saw Gidin’s group reluctantly following us. I drew my sword from my waist.
-Shing!
At the signal, the men drew their weapons as well. Following the plan we had laid out, some readied bows, some spears, and others, greatswords.
“Baran!”
“Yes!”
Baran pulled a horn from his belt and sent a signal across the entire battlefield.
-Boooooo...! Boooooooo...!
The signal that we had engaged the boss. From now on, the Red Flame Mercenary Corps would finish the battle with the lesser monsters and flee. To increase survival rates, shorter engagements were better.
But at the same time, the threat to our elite squad would intensify. The monsters, having lost their target, would flock back toward the Draig. So, we had to finish this before that happened.
If the boss was removed, the monsters would either scatter or be purified. It was a structure where all the danger was funneled into my elite squad... but it was the strategy the Red Flame Mercenary Corps had chosen to save as many men as possible.
Gidin, who had caught up to my side, shouted while riding. “Vice-Captain! Are you crazy?! With this number, how on earth...! We should wait until the other members return—”
“If you’re scared, go back!”
I shook the reins and increased my horse’s speed. My men followed, all of them pulling their reins tight.
The Draig drew closer. Every time the four-legged monster stepped on the ground, a tremor rippled through the earth.
-Boom...! Boom...!
But no matter how close we got to the Draig, I didn't slow down. My men trusted only me and didn't ease their pace either.
“Vice-Cap...! Ugh...!”
In an instant, Gidin turned his horse’s reins. The many Wolf-kin who followed him broke away as well. Looking back, it seemed Gidin intended to circle the Draig and attack it with arrows. It might have been the standard method, but we didn't have that much time. In any case, we didn't need them.
I refocused on the target ahead.
“We’re going under its legs!”
When I shouted, everyone responded with a loud roar. Through long training and the time we had spent together, the men’s trust in me was unshakable. They were the kind of men who would follow me even knowing death was right in front of them.
-Boom!
Soon, the Draig’s massive foot passed over our heads. A giant shadow fell over us, and the Draig’s torso came into view.
“Attack!”
I gave the final order. From here on, everyone had to act on their own judgment.
-Thwack!
Some fired their bows.
-Slash!
Some raked their swords across the Draig’s legs.
Baran raised his spear from the side and threw it upward with all his might.
“Hup!”
-Thud!
The spear embedded itself into the Draig’s torso. The blood that burst out showered over our heads. A harsh, guttural cry erupted from the Draig once more.
The subjugation had begun.
****
Neir couldn't figure out the source of the trembling that had started that morning. Her heart kept pounding, and she couldn't stay still no matter what she did. It was a different feeling from when the Wolf-kin usually went out for subjugation. She had been anxious then, too, but now, a strange emotion was layered over that anxiety.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't find the answer. She simply found herself staring at the forests and nature beyond the Blackwood territory whenever she regained her focus. Occasionally, the roar of a monster could be heard from far away.
“...”
Why did she feel this way? Neir tried to calm her heart and think clearly. Was it because she was hoping Blackwood would be liberated by this event? Was she worried about the Blackwood soldiers and her brothers who had gone out with the human mercenary group? Was she afraid this subjugation would fail?
“...”
...That couldn't be it. That kind of anxiety was something she had felt for a long time, and it hadn't felt like this back then. Neir tried to be more honest with herself.
...Perhaps it was because of Berg. Once she admitted it, it felt like the answer. Maybe it was because she hadn't been able to share her energy with him that morning. Maybe she felt a resistance to the idea that someone who had become her ally would die.
She didn't like Berg, but that didn't mean she wanted him to die. Probably. Of course, it was true that Berg had treated her kindly... but that didn't mean Neir felt a bond deep enough to give her body and soul to him. She still wanted to leave him if she could. She had only been with him for a few days.
She couldn't help how she felt. Even if Berg would be disappointed if he heard her inner thoughts, it was her true heart. Nevertheless, Neir wandered around, trying to calm her unsettled mind. They said it would take two or three days for the results to come out... she wondered what Berg was experiencing right now. She hated being connected to him, but she couldn't stop wondering about his well-being.
Neir let out a long sigh.
“Neir.”
As she wandered, she naturally ran into her sisters.
“...”
Since the incident, Neir hadn't known how to treat her siblings. The battle she had won with Berg on her back. Now, that Berg was out on the battlefield. But even her sisters didn't seem to want a big fight right now. Instead, they just threw light taunts.
“...You were full of yourself with your husband on your back... but that was only for that moment.”
“...”
“Our brothers will achieve greater merit than some Vice-Captain of yours. I looked into it... no one even knows who that Vice-Captain is.”
Neir furrowed her brow. Her already foul mood was tainted with even dirtier emotions. She was their sister too, so why did they have to draw lines like this? Every time, a stinging sensation rose in her chest. And this time, it was worse.
Neir kept her head bowed as she stood near them... then turned her back and walked away. She didn't want to deal with them today. The further she got from them, the faster her steps became. A terrible loneliness found her once again.
****
“...Haa... Haa...”
-Thud... Thud!
With one final burst of strength, the Draig’s neck was severed. The monsters that had gathered nearby were scattering, and the battle was coming to an end.
I wiped the monster’s blood that had soaked my face and looked around. The members of the elite squad who had participated in the subjugation gathered around me one by one.
“Vice-Captain... haa... you did it.”
“Phew, I wanted to be the one to take it down today.”
“How on earth did you think to jump onto the boss like that?”
I was grateful they were alive, but I counted them anyway. Often, you only find out who died or was injured after it’s all over. But today, things had gone surprisingly well. The Draig was as dull as it was massive. It was an easier opponent than expected. And there were fewer monsters bothering us than anticipated.
I hoped, perhaps, there would be few casualties. Baran also approached, riding his horse. He wiped his blood-soaked face and smiled at me.
“Baran. Thanks for drawing their attention earlier.”
“It was nothing, Vice-Captain.”
“Any casualties?”
“I haven't seen any. Perhaps no one was hurt at all.”
Then, Baran looked around and said, “...Actually... the monsters flocked to Gidin’s group... so it was easier for us. It wasn't their intention, I’m sure. I don’t see them anywhere now.”
As we waited, the remaining members gathered as well. No one was missing. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief. The situation was good.
-Pa-bam...! Pa-bam...!
The sound of a horn echoed from a distance. It was Adam’s signal. I tied the Draig’s head to my horse with a rope. Everyone would soon flock to that signal. We were no exception.
Relieved by the favorable outcome, I smiled at my men and said, “Alright, let’s head back.”
.
.
.
.
As I rode, dragging the boss’s head, the men cheered. We walked through the path they created as they parted. At the end of it stood Gidin and Adam. The fact that Gidin hadn't died also came as a relief. I disliked him, but that didn't mean I wanted him dead. It felt like his survival would save me from a lot of annoying trouble.
I dismounted, and Adam approached me and gave me a firm hug.
“Berg. Good work.”
“It wasn't just me. Krian seemed to lead the monsters quite well. There was nothing to get in our way.”
After finishing the hug with Adam, I looked at Gidin. His eyes had changed significantly from before the battle. Even at a glance, his gaze seemed to acknowledge me. In this respect, the Wolf-kin were easy to deal with. They didn't easily ignore someone who had defeated them.
I looked at Gidin and said, “I’m glad you look safe.”
“...”
“And your brothers?”
“They are... safe.”
Looking around him, the atmosphere didn't seem very good. Even if he and his brothers were safe, it seemed there were casualties. I didn't want to engage in a war of nerves with him while there were dead men around. And Gidin seemed to know it without me saying a word.
None of our elite squad members had died. We, who had shown courage, lived, and Gidin’s soldiers, who had been afraid, had died. Gidin already knew who to blame. And surely, that fact must have felt like a humiliation. Since he was the one who had talked about valor, he had no choice but to blame himself even more.
I was satisfied just by having crushed his high-and-mighty attitude. I didn't want to continue the fight. Suddenly, I wondered how Neir would react when I returned to the territory. I hoped that because of me, she wouldn't be afraid of Gidin anymore.
I turned my body.
“...Vice-Captain.”
Gidin called me from behind.
“...?”
“Let me... ask you one thing.”
“...Go ahead.”
“...What is the subjugation record?”
I turned and looked at the severed head of the Draig. It was typical of the Wolf-kin to be obsessed with that record. No, perhaps he needed information to accept the current situation. Why they had died and we had lived. He might have been looking for the reason.
Baran and Adam looked at me again. There was no need to be humble now. If he wanted an answer, I just had to give it to him.
“...This makes 184.”
“...Ha.”
At those words, Gidin let out a hollow laugh.