51. Act 1, The Abandoned Mine Haunted by Undead (2)
*
“Your Excellency! Your Excellency!! There are people over there!”
In the dense forest, Kirhas burst into laughter like a mischievous bandit. They had been hiding near the road, scouting for merchant caravans passing by for three hours now. The Barony of Cardus was a trade route in the southern region of the Dane Kingdom, so it wasn’t unusual for merchant groups to pass through at any time.
“How many?”
“About twenty? Six of them are armed soldiers!”
“You’re really starting to sound like a bandit with that intel… Contact Abel. Let’s begin.”
Fernandez’s words sounded like those of a bandit leader, making Kirhas chuckle. Fernandez smiled back and tightened the reins. The horse gradually picked up speed as it moved through the forest. Just as Kirhas had said, they soon sensed movement.
*
Kailen was a merchant. He wasn’t leading a massive caravan or particularly wealthy, but he was doing quite well for himself. He and his merchant association managed most of the fur and food supplies in the area.
So, the Barony of Cardus wasn’t a particularly threatening place for him. The trade route was well-maintained, and the security was decent.
Kailen sighed as he looked at the half-asleep mercenaries walking alongside him. Calling them mercenaries was generous—they were more like inexperienced guards that a small caravan could afford. Truly skilled mercenaries were usually hired as proxy soldiers for territorial wars.
But with a dozen well-armed soldiers, at least bandits with half a brain wouldn’t dare attack. Kailen imagined the inn in Verdes. A warm bath, a busty barmaid… His lips curled into a slight smile.
“…? What’s that, Captain?”
“Huh…”
Before the bushes near the road rustled. Kailen frowned and looked where the mercenaries were staring. Bandits? Even if they were crazy, why would they attack a group this size? He hadn’t heard of any bandit group large enough to take on this kind of force around here.
-Rustle.
The bushes rustled, and something fell to the ground with a thud. At first, he thought it was a large rock, but upon closer inspection, it was anything but. In the dim evening light, with the forest path limiting visibility, it was hard to make out clearly.
“Is that…?”
A head. A goblin’s.
“A head…?”
“Damn it! Draw your weapons! Why are you just standing there… Aaahhh!!!”
-Crash!!
-Neigh!!!
A rock whizzed past the mercenary captain’s head and slammed into the carriage. The impact tilted the carriage, and the horses panicked. The captain screamed as he rolled on the ground.
“What, what’s going on!!”
“Enemies!!! It’s an ambush!!”
The commotion jolted the drowsy mercenaries awake, and they quickly drew their weapons. Damn it, wasn’t this supposed to be a simple escort job? The mercenaries swallowed hard in the tense atmosphere. Soon, a massive shadow emerged from the forest.
“I-It’s a rock troll!!!!”
“Damn it! Spears! Get the spears!!”
-Groan!
With skinny arms and a protruding belly, a massive gray-skinned monster growled as it appeared. Its eyes were red with hunger and madness. It dangled what looked like a goblin’s scrawny arm as it lumbered onto the road.
“Captain! Did you hear about trolls around here?”
“If I had, I wouldn’t have taken this job!! Crossbows!! Fire the crossbows! Quickly!! Bring fire!!”
The captain gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly. A troll was a monster that couldn’t be handled with this small a force. You needed monster hunters or knights! Or at least twice as many soldiers.
Fear of death flashed in the captain’s eyes. Should he just abandon everything and run? But reputation was everything for a mercenary trying to make a living. If he did something like that here, he’d have no choice but to become a bandit!
“A t-troll?! Hey, a troll? Why is there a troll here?!”
“Ask the damn thing! Before it makes you its midnight snack!!”
Fortunately, the troll was just standing there dumbly. For something that had just hurled a rock so viciously, its reaction was oddly lukewarm. It hesitated, looking around as if it were being chased by something.
“Why isn’t it attacking?”
“Pray a little harder, anyone. Maybe it’ll just leave on its own.”
“H-how about hunting it? A rock troll’s hide is worth a fair bit of coin.”
“…”
The only reason the captain didn’t smack Kailen on the back of the head was because the troll was staring right at them.
“Grooaaah!!!”
Suddenly, the troll twitched as if having a seizure. It quickly scanned its surroundings and shivered for a moment. A menacing aura emanated from its eyes. Foaming at the mouth, it roared and charged straight at them.
-Thud, thud, thud!
“Aaahhh! Spears! Thrust the spears! Crossbows!!!”
-Thwack!
Before the captain could finish his sentence, a mercenary with a loaded crossbow fired a bolt. It struck the troll’s shoulder perfectly, but the troll’s thick hide made it hard to deliver a significant blow.
-Thud!
“Graaah!!!”
The troll swung its massive club as if nothing had happened. A trembling mercenary who had stepped forward to block it was sent flying by the blow.
The troll’s charge was brutal and relentless. It didn’t seem to have any particular intention of eating or killing anyone. It was just charging forward honestly. One by one, it cleared whatever stood in its way.
The mercenaries blocking the way were being thrown around like ragdolls.
“Move!!!”
– BOOM!!!
The troll’s body crashed into the carriage. The carriage made a grotesque sound as it twisted. The carriage, loaded with furs and wheat, made a horrifying noise as it was pushed back. Incredible strength! Kailen trembled and collapsed.
– CRASH!
The carriage shattered, and fruits and turnips spilled onto the ground. Kailen staggered backward and crawled away. Fortunately, the troll didn’t seem interested in him. The troll just wanted to move forward, whether there was a carriage or mercenaries in the way.
Perhaps because the troll had no clear intent to attack, there were no fatalities among the injured mercenaries yet. The mercenary captain tightly gripped his shield, feeling relieved inside. He clenched his short spear and counted to three in his mind.
That’s it. Power surged in the mercenary captain’s grip. The reason he had survived as a mercenary and risen to this position was because he had this half-baked power. Even though it took a long time to prepare and wasn’t very effective, it was still magic!
– RUMBLE.
A warrior at their peak is imbued with magic. Though not to that extent, a clear power was in his hand. His hair stood on end. Soon, he charged like a lion. The troll’s back was wide open, and the troll paid him no attention!
– CRASH!!
The mercenary captain’s arm shot forward, driving the short spear into the troll’s back! Success! He could clearly feel the spear piercing through flesh. He smiled triumphantly and tried to pull the spear out with a tingling hand. The spear lodged in the troll’s body—
“GRRRRRRR!!!!!”
“Damn it…”
The spear stuck in the troll’s back was caught between its rough muscles and wouldn’t budge. And soon, the mercenary captain saw the troll’s enraged, twisted face right in front of him.
“GRRRRR!!”
“AHHH!!!”
The troll stopped smashing the carriage and grabbed the mercenary captain, lifting him up. Its mouth opened wide, revealing razor-sharp teeth. The troll twisted its eyes as if mocking the captain. A foul stench and death loomed!
– SHWING!!
– THUD!
“GRRRR!!”
The mercenary captain gasped from the rough impact and realized he was rolling on the ground. He looked at the struggling troll with a face covered in spit and tears. A long spear was lodged in the troll’s body.
‘Where? Who?’
The pain made it hard to form coherent sentences. He forced his blurry eyes open and looked in the direction the troll was facing. Far away, against the setting sun, someone was on horseback. Even from a distance, he could see the man’s icy blue eyes.
They were gloomy, shadowed eyes. A beastwoman standing beside the man chattered as she looked at the troll.
“Direct hit, Your Excellency!”
The man silently raised his lance from the saddle. He adjusted his posture for a moment, then firmly gripped the reins. The well-armored horse galloped with a rough trot!
– CLIP CLOP!!
“Clear the way!”
“EEEEK!!”
The sound of hooves was like a death sentence to the mercenaries. From the perspective of mercenaries, who were the first to die when knights or cavalry appeared, an unexpected cavalry charge was traumatic. The mercenaries panicked and threw their injured bodies aside.
– CLIP CLOP!!!
In an instant, the man accelerated down the path the mercenaries had hastily cleared. His lance gleamed in the sunset. Soon, the blade struck the troll’s chest—
– CRASH!!
“What?”
“…What?”
“…Huh? Huh?? HUH???”
The lance pierced through the troll, literally ‘hanging’ it on the tip of the lance as the man charged forward! The mercenaries, forgetting their pain, stared dumbfounded at the surreal scene. The man had dragged the troll all the way to the end of the path. Did he do that with one arm? Is his shoulder okay? The mercenary captain stared in shock at the knight.
– WHINNY!!
Thick troll blood stretched along the path. Its chest was torn to shreds by the impact of the cavalry charge, with bones and entrails spilling out. The knight looked at the troll’s head, still gasping for breath.
– SWISH.
The knight drew a longsword with one hand and slowly lifted the troll hanging on the lance. A sharp flash scattered in the air, and soon the troll’s head rolled on the ground.
– WHINNY!
The mercenaries snapped out of their daze at the sound of the horse’s trot. The knight turned the horse’s head and approached the group. Blood dripped from the sword in his hand.
“Ahem!”
At the commanding voice, the mercenary captain turned his head. A beastwoman who had approached him picked up an apple that had fallen to the ground, brushed off the dust, and took a bite.
“That man is Sir Albert of Sernerd!”
“Albert of Sernerd…?”
The mercenary captain stared blankly at her. The woman watched the approaching knight with eyes shining with passion and earnestness.
– CLICK.
A shadow fell over the mercenary captain’s head. Against the setting sun, the knight’s face became visible. Among his messy black hair, emotionless blue eyes were visible. The eyes of a high noble, one who lived by honor and conviction.
“Brave.”
– SWISH.
The mercenary captain flinched as the bloodied spear descended before his eyes. But the knight seemed to have no intent to attack. The mercenary captain reflexively took the spear. It was his own short spear, which he had driven into the troll’s back.
“Thanks to your struggle, we were able to catch it. On behalf of the locals, I thank you.”
“Ah… so you were…?”
“I was chasing it. The damage it caused to the civilians was severe.”
“Ohh…”
The knight’s face, bathed in the sunset, seemed to shine with the steel-like chivalry. Even he, worn out from years of mercenary life, couldn’t calm his trembling heart at that moment. Perhaps it was because he had just escaped a life-threatening situation and had become sentimental.
“Stand up. I am Albert of Sernerd.”
“I-I’m Melmed! Sir Knight! It’s an honor!”
Albert nodded and grabbed the mercenary captain’s arm, pulling him up. The mercenary captain staggered to his feet from the rough strength.
Albert. Fernandez smiled inwardly as he looked at the troll’s corpse that Abel had brought. The fact that there were many eyes watching pleased him.
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