Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Something? (2)
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Hooo- whoosh! Whoo!
The horses that had galloped nonstop down the long road let out ragged breaths.
At Elysia's gesture, the group simultaneously slowed their pace.
"We'll rest here for a bit!"
Nine horses came to a halt one after another. Thick clouds of dust rose alongside white steam billowing from their bodies.
The soldiers dismounted and checked over their mounts with practiced motions, loosening their stiff limbs as they took a break.
Asha gave a light pat to the horse she'd ridden.
Neigh—
As if it understood the gesture of appreciation for its hard work, the horse shook its head contentedly.
Asha chuckled softly and made sure the horse could rest comfortably before heading over to Elysia.
They'd set out immediately upon hearing the urgent report, so she hadn't gotten the full story yet.
As Asha approached, Elysia nodded from where she sat on a tree stump and spoke up.
"Where should I start..."
"Shouldn't you begin with the bandits?"
Errun—the only other knight in the group besides Elysia—chimed in as he walked over.
Elysia nodded in agreement and began explaining step by step.
"A wealthy baron's family put a bounty on some bandits not long ago. Thieves stole a precious family treasure."
"Wow... They stole from a noble house?"
"Winter's coming soon, so they were probably trying to stockpile a big haul beforehand. But they went too far."
She shook her head slowly.
Her sweat-matted brown hair swayed lightly.
"The furious baron offered an unprecedented reward. Execute all the bandits, and especially bring the leader back alive, and he'll pay handsomely."
"Ah..."
In simple terms, it was a chance to make a fortune.
Asha zeroed in on one point that piqued her curiosity.
"Why capture the bandit leader alive?"
"He wants to deal with that one personally."
"Sounds like he's seriously pissed..."
She could follow so far.
But then why send the Elf Knights as support?
If it was just about the bounty, the request would've been worded differently.
When Asha voiced the question,
"First off, we got intel that the bandits passed through this area. From our standpoint, that's an invasion of our territory. Daring to use our jurisdiction as an escape route—there's a line when it comes to insulting the Knight Order."
Hmph! Elysia snorted and continued.
"It's to restore the baron's fallen honor and set right the order and law of this land. That's the main goal, Asha."
She paused for a moment, lifting a leather canteen to wet her throat.
"Next, the Elf Knights. Every year around this time, they take on expeditions to bandit hotspots, sweep through, and return."
"Same deal this time?"
"Exactly. Reports confirm the mission was completed successfully. But..."
Elysia let out a deep sigh.
Errun stepped in with the answer.
"Miss Asha, what do you think knights desire and value most?"
'Gold and treasures.'
Asha kept a straight face as she swallowed the thought.
"Honor, right?"
"Spot on. And the prime way to boost honor is through feats of arms."
"Sounds like something tasty came up."
"Sharp as ever! Yes. On the return trip, they caught wind of a rare monster."
The Elf Knights had veered off course on their own during the return.
Knight Order HQ only learned about it later via messenger.
No issue by custom.
Knights acting solo for glory wasn't uncommon.
Mission already done. Interfering would've been rude.
But the circumstances were a bit unique this time.
"Those bandits I mentioned earlier. Their projected escape route overlaps perfectly."
"Wait. With the Elf Knights?!"
"Yes, exactly. HQ figures there's a high chance they'll run into each other and clash."
"The Elf Knights don't know about the capture order, do they?"
"That's why we're rushing out like this."
Get it now? Errun added with a wry smile.
Asha nodded slowly.
She'd wondered why the support group seemed so lean on numbers...
'The core of this support is intel and timing.'
Of course, reinforcing manpower was part of it too.
Capturing someone alive took real effort.
Asha ran through a scenario in her head.
What if the Elf Knights crossed paths with the bandit gang deep in the mountains?
Even if the elves played it cautious, the bandits—fleeing in a panic—might lash out recklessly.
If things escalated...
Forget capture; the leader could end up dead.
'That's why the Knight Order's sending support fast.'
With the situation clear, Asha gave a small nod.
Errun and Elysia were discussing next moves upon arrival.
"At this pace, we might catch them around mid-mountain?"
"Probably. Hope we're not too late."
"Catching the ones who hit the mountain first... Whew, gonna work up a sweat."
"Mm. Best case is linking up with the Elf Knights before they hit the bandits, but..."
No need to insert herself.
Mountain hikes were routine for Asha anyway. No concern there.
She sat quietly, gazing up at the sky.
The sky was exceptionally clear and sharp, with scarcely a cloud in sight.
The breeze brushing her skin carried a chill that hadn't been there before.
'Winter's closing in...'
She'd been planning to get some neat new clothes anyway.
Looks like winter gear would come first.
Might as well go for sturdy stuff that'd last.
That way, no waste from constant remakes.
Asha stretched lightly and stood.
Time to head out again.
One of the Elf Knights climbing the mountain flashed a hand signal.
The group halted their horses in response.
The lead Elf Knight spoke.
"Terrain's too rough. Can't track on horseback anymore."
He exchanged glances with the other elves, then shouted.
"Horses end here! Two stay behind to watch them—the rest proceed on foot!"
As the three Elf Knights dismounted, the squires and soldiers followed suit.
They swiftly divided tasks.
Thus, the Elf Knight party began ascending from the foothills.
Scouting and vigilance fell to the subordinates.
The elves chatted leisurely.
"Void Jaguar sighting, huh? Talk about luck."
"Winter's almost here—perfect timing."
"Been itching ever since that rumor about some elf named Asha. This hits the spot."
Void Jaguar.
A fiercely rare beast-type monster that appeared only sporadically in the mountains, its name well-known despite the scarcity.
True to its predatory nature, its bites rent flesh effortlessly, while its characteristically long tail whipped from blind spots to disrupt foes.
It boasted savage temperament and monstrous strength to boot—an apex predator no average fighter dared challenge.
Yet its true fame stemmed from elsewhere.
The hide!
A blackish-blue that seemed to devour light, overlaid with faint silver patterns like scattered stardust that glimmered softly.
Like a slice of night sky, this hide fetched exorbitant prices among connoisseurs for its singular beauty.
Topped off with superb durability, season-agnostic insulation, and waterproofing.
Even knights coveted it for surcoats.
In short, Void Jaguar hide was a premium material in such short supply it was impossible to buy.
"Gotta take it down without messing up the hide too much."
"Tricky, but headshots are the way."
"Everyone knows how fast it is. Slack off, and you'll lose an arm."
Even as they spoke, the elves grinned.
Their eyes gleamed, lips curling up.
How far had they climbed?
A presence stirred beyond the slope of the dense forest.
Rustling of trampled leaves.
Irregular flickering shadows.
A fishy stench of sweat and dirt rode the wind, tickling their noses.
"Hold."
The party froze at the Elf Knight's low voice.
Right then.
Rustle—
An armed band of humans burst through the tangled underbrush.
They halted too, belatedly sensing the presence.
A sudden standoff formed.
The humans broke it first.
Shing, shing—
Weapons drawn out of nowhere!
The watching Elf Knights clicked their tongues.
"Look at these mannerless human whelps."
"Drawing blades in front of us?"
"You're all under death sentence."
No words passed between the sides.
As the Elf Knights drew without hesitation, their subordinates readied for battle in kind.