Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Something? (3)
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The word "bandit" was truly a convenient classification.
Starving serfs who fled to the mountains because they couldn't endure hunger, mercenaries hastily seeking a livelihood, outlaws who made highway robbery their trade...
All of them bundled together under one single word: bandit.
Even knights were included in the bandit category.
Bandit knights.
Those whose families had fallen into ruin or who had been exiled for committing crimes.
Ironically, they had discarded only their honor while retaining their martial prowess intact.
Having undergone formal knight training, they possessed combat strength on an entirely different level from lowly bandits.
Thus, bandit knights were extremely dangerous entities that operated on a completely different plane from ordinary bandits.
"Pursuers? And elf knights, no less..."
"Brother, can we handle them?"
"We still outnumber them. And this is the mountains, after all."
The brothers exchanged quiet words.
Roruk Dren and Milrok Dren.
These brothers were none other than the bandit knights.
With their family ruined, no money to their name, and winter closing in...
The two had resolved to pull off one massive heist.
The plan was to raid the treasure of a baron they'd long held a grudge against and flee to somewhere beyond his reach.
'Three elf knights.'
And they weren't even on horseback. From their perspective, this was fortunate.
Bandit leader Roruk had prior experience fighting elf knights in tournaments.
Elves—beings blessed with mana from birth. Their bodies were sturdy, and their belligerent nature left them unafraid of battle.
Facing them as a knight had been exceedingly difficult...
"Milrok. Avoid direct confrontation at all costs. Understood?"
"Honor went out the window long ago. I'll make it work."
In their current situation, holding numerical superiority deep in the mountains...
For men who never shied away from cowardice...
Shing, shing—
Even elves were worth facing.
Elves varied wildly in skill, and ultimately, they were living creatures with blood in their veins.
Worst case, they'd break even.
At most, death would come a little sooner—and if they won, they could make a huge score off their gear.
They had nothing left to lose.
The bandit knight brothers and their underlings drew their weapons.
"Almost there!"
"Time to climb the mountain, I suppose."
Asha's group reached the base of the mountain.
They gripped the reins tightly and began ascending the slope.
Dust billowed with every step, pebbles tumbling beneath the horses' hooves. As the incline steepened, the horses' footfalls grew noticeably heavier.
The terrain was far steeper and more treacherous than anticipated.
Just as Asha thought it might be better to dismount and proceed on foot rather than push the horses...
"Who are those?"
"Looks like soldiers from our Knight Order."
Beyond the winding path...
Two soldiers standing guard beside a cluster of tethered horses on a small flat patch along the slope were spotted.
The waiting soldiers' eyes widened as they greeted the group, then snapped to attention with crisp salutes upon recognizing their superiors.
"Where did the elf knights go?"
"They left their horses and headed up to track the monster!"
They pointed in the direction.
"Got it!"
Elysia replied loudly as she dismounted. The rest of the group followed suit, stepping onto solid ground.
Leaving two soldiers behind with the horses, they began their ascent.
"Something I'm suddenly curious about."
"Hm? What is it?"
Elysia turned her head toward Asha.
"You said the elf knights climbed the mountain because of a rare monster. What do we know about it?"
"Nothing specific was reported."
"Aha..."
"Why? What's up?"
"It's nothing, really."
Asha tilted her head side to side.
"You never know what might happen in the mountains. What if the monster shows up before we do?"
"......"
"......"
Elysia momentarily lost for words, her mouth hanging open in a daze.
Errun, listening from the side, was equally stunned.
They'd been so fixated on capturing the bandits alive that they hadn't considered such variables at all.
"They said there were three elf knights, so we could probably handle it. But wouldn't that make them look pretty silly?"
"Y-Yeah, you're right."
"So, we should just take it down if we see it, yeah?"
Monsters aren't going to understand human circumstances, after all. Elysia and Errun nodded in unison at Asha's casual addendum.
It was truly unavoidable.
As they chatted idly during the pursuit, the topic shifted to the monster.
Thanks to that, Asha picked up some useful tidbits.
Like how loot from monster kills was typically divided...
Or the fact that they had valuable hides perfect for fine cloth...
And then, at one point...
Twitch.
Asha's long ears stood straight up, picking up on the change.
"Everyone!"
...Meanwhile, with the elf knights.
"Hahaha! You're no ordinary bandit, are you!"
They were aggressively pressing the bandits in high spirits.
Whoosh—crack!
Roruk the bandit knight blocked the swung sword with his shield, only for the shield to shatter outright.
It was too powerful to withstand the relentless barrage.
The shield hadn't been of exceptional quality to begin with, which didn't help.
"Damn..."
Roruk muttered under his breath and began utilizing the terrain.
He darted into the dense trees and underbrush, maneuvering to obstruct his opponent's sword path.
"Hey! Swordsmanship worthy of a knight, yet your actions scream bandit! It suits you perfectly! Haha!"
Undeterred, the elf knight bore down on Roruk with straightforward aggression.
Even when fierce thrusts were impeded by tree trunks, he never faltered.
That was thanks to channeling his innate mana into the blade.
The sword's cutting power surged dramatically, slicing through obstructing old growth with ease.
The same scene unfolded elsewhere.
Milrok, Roruk's younger brother, was rolling every which way to evade one elf knight...
While the remaining elf knight single-handedly carved through the bandit underlings mercilessly.
Bright red blood sprayed in all directions, chunks of flesh and severed limbs littering the ground.
In the meantime, the elf knights' subordinates had cut off the bandits' escape routes.
Longtime comrades, they coordinated flawlessly without need for orders.
Escape was not an option for the bandits here.
Victory in battle, or slaughter.
Those were their only futures.
...Or so it seemed.
Grrrrowl—
Until the sudden intruder appeared.
"M-Mo-monster!"
"Void Jaguar!"
It resembled a starry night sky striding boldly through the sunlit forest—eerie yet breathtakingly beautiful.
The living night sky fixed its gaze on the blood-soaked battlefield.
And then...
Roaaar—!
With a savage roar, it leaped into the fray's heart.
"What the hell is this thing!"
"Fuck?"
The ensnared targets were bandit leader Roruk and his elf knight opponent.
Roruk deftly withdrew and melted back into cover.
The elf knight, on the other hand, thrust his sword at the Void Jaguar as if it were a stroke of luck.
Clang!
But the jaguar deflected the blade with its iron-hard claws.
At the same instant, its long tail whipped forth like a lash.
The elf knight instinctively ducked to evade it.
The tail grazed past his head by a razor-thin margin. Kicking off the ground, the elf swung for the jaguar's head.
Each movement so seamless and unhesitating that Roruk wondered if the beast might fall in an instant.
Yet the Void Jaguar was, without question, an apex predator.
It read the attacker's intent in a flash, hopping backward to dodge.
Then, powering its hind legs, it lunged forward in a pounce.
"...!"
The elf knight swallowed a curse and rolled sideways.
The jaguar's massive jaws rent the air, shredding the elf's surcoat as they passed.
It had been a near miss.
The dust-caked elf knight rose, furrowing his brow.
Watching from afar, Roruk thought...
'This is it!'
Disrupt the elf knight battling the jaguar!
Let them tear into each other, then swoop in for the spoils!
Roruk drew the daggers from his belt.
No openings amid the earlier ferocious assault, but now was different.
He began harassing the elf knight with vile precision.
"...Fucking bastard!"
As if that were the only curse he knew, the elf knight spat the same profanity as before.
Handling the Void Jaguar solo was taxing enough; the razor-sharp interference sent chills down his spine.
"You bandit scum! You won't die an easy death!"
Grinding his teeth, he dodged another dagger aimed at his head.
Right then.
The jaguar's muscular foreleg swung toward the elf knight.
He barely evaded.
But the assault wasn't over.
No sooner had the foreleg whistled through empty air than the long tail struck from his blind spot.
This time, even the elf knight couldn't react in time.
His eyes bulged as he stared at the oncoming tail—
Slash!
A sudden slicing sound rang out!
The menacing tail was severed mid-swing. A streak of golden light traced its path.
"Fortunately, I wasn't too late."
A clear, refined voice echoed through the air, mingled with the jaguar's agonized cry.
"First, a message from Raglain Knight Order headquarters."
Clang! A dagger flew off deflected. Roruk, attempting the sneak attack, recoiled in shock.
"All bandits who tarnish the baron's reputation will be executed."
Asha, landing gracefully, straightened her stance without a hint of disorder.
Whoosh—Jaguar blood scattered into the air from her light swing.
"The leader must be captured alive."
The elf knight's eyes widened round.
His pupils were entranced by the golden sword aura shimmering like a heat haze.
Yet it dispersed like a mirage, vanishing as if it had never been.
The battlefield fell eerily silent amid the abrupt turn. The elf knights turned to Asha, while the bandits eyed the situation warily.
Asha lifted her chin and asked,
"And this beast—what shall we do with it?"
At that moment, the enraged Void Jaguar lashed out with its forepaw toward Asha.
The elf knight nearby shouted in haste.
"The hide! Don't damage the hide!"
Asha, swinging to meet it head-on, twisted her blade's path at the last second.
Instead of striking a vital, the sword clashed directly with the jaguar's claws.
Crang—!
In that instant, the blade—already at its limit just enduring mana—couldn't withstand the impact and shattered completely.
"?!"
"!!!"
The old sword, her companion through countless years, had finally reached the end of its lifespan.
"Eh...?"
Asha blinked in surprise.