20 – The Last Request
“Heek-! So many people are a bit…”
“…Hmm.”
I reached the carriage assembly point in Leria village and spoke with the coachman. We decided to use the carriage quickly instead of walking to conserve energy.
Seeing the coachman’s troubled expression… it seemed that our large group was a bit too much to handle all at once.
However, behind us, there were only empty carriages spread out?
“What are those empty carriages behind?”
“Uh… um. Even so, the Valley of Death is a bit…”
As I pointed to the carriages behind, the coachman stammered, cold sweat running down his face.
Because rumors about the surroundings of the Valley of Death were not favorable, the coachman seemed a bit hesitant to take us.
“Fine. Then I’ll pay double the original price.”
“D-Double… double the price..?! Uh… well…”
When I mentioned doubling the price, the coachman’s eyes widened, and it seemed like he was mentally calculating or his eyes were spinning around.
“C-Cough… Still, the Valley of Death…”
“Triple it.”
“Uh… uh…”
“Make it four times the original price.”
“…Let’s leave right now-! Hurry and get on!!”
When I offered double the original price, the excited coachman leaped into action, summoning the carriages with enthusiasm.
“Not much different here, after all.”
If something can’t be solved with money, maybe it’s not a matter of lacking money; think about it again.
A moment later, the coachman brought out three carriages with horses tied to them, and other coachmen were called in to sit in their respective seats.
“Alright. Everyone, board the carriages. We’re heading to the Valley of Death swiftly from now on.”
“Three carriages…? Sir… Even so…”
Hans, who was bewildered when I gathered everyone and instructed them to board the carriages, voiced his concerns.
Considering the expensive cost of boarding a carriage, I knew very well that my words might be burdensome.
During the early days of the newly formed Scar Mercenary Corps, we lived relatively impoverished lives. We even bought our meals from cheap restaurants nearby, and our equipment was outdated, to say the least.
Moreover, most of our missions required us to travel on foot rather than by carriage, so we had become accustomed to it. It was only natural for us.
“But now, we have a lot of money. A tremendous amount, even…”
“It’s fine. We have enough money to buy all these carriages and still have some left.”
“Oh, right… Come on! Let’s get on!”
Hans must have been too used to poverty in the past. Lost in thought for a moment, he immediately got on the carriage with the rest of the mercenaries, as if realizing how much money we had accumulated.
“Hey, this is the co-driver’s seat…”
“I know. It’s a quiet road, so you can at least chat with the horse.”
“Ahahahaha! Thank you for your consideration!”
After confirming that everyone had boarded the carriage, I took a seat in the front co-driver’s seat. The only remaining seat was in the carriage where Cerise had boarded, so it felt a bit awkward. Plus, I thought it would be better to enjoy the view from the co-driver’s seat rather than being unable to see outside in the carriage.
“We’re departing! Whoa-ee!”
Slap-
hehehe-!
The carriage driver next to me shouted loudly to be heard in the back carriage, and when he whipped the horse, it made a sound of hooves hitting the ground and started running fast.
“………”
Quietly, I gazed at the distant Leria Village, rapidly fading away.
I probably won’t come back here again. Take care.
“Have you heard the recent news… about those beast-like creatures, the Therianthropes, becoming rampant again? Oh dear… they all should be captured, I tell you.”
“….Is that so?”
Hours had passed since I boarded the carriage and set off. I engaged in conversation with the coachman, especially when it got too quiet.
“In the old days, they should’ve been all captured and killed. The Emperor seems a bit peculiar, though. hehehe..”
Therianthropes. This world is home to a race known as the Therianthropes. Yes, the very ones depicted in various media.
One could consider them humans with animalistic traits. Like ordinary humans with cat ears, or having hands and feet that are different… that sort of thing.
Just to clarify, I’m not talking about the suspiciously popular ‘other side’. That’s where human traits are added to animals.
Anyway. In the past, it is said that Therianthropes and humans coexisted on the continent. A typical day, with no distinction or discrimination, whether one was human or Therianthrope.
Then appeared something known as the ‘King of Beasts’. A Therianthrope, more powerful and with greater leadership skills than any other, became the center of a massive organization.
Around the King of Beasts, the Therianthropes, as if enchanted, began to leave the human realms and joined this organization.
Initially a small group, the organization started growing in size as more and more Therianthropes joined, eventually becoming large enough to be called a kingdom.
Thus was born the Kingdom of Kivih. A world where the strong ruled over the weak, and power determined all authority.
Naturally, the King of Beasts became the king of the Kingdom of Kivih. There were some who resisted, but they were quickly subdued by overwhelming strength and power.
The formation of the kingdom was not an issue in itself. It was natural for a group, a city, to form around a superior individual.
However, the King of Beasts declared war on the human kingdoms.
Caught off guard by the sudden offensive, humans began to lose ground helplessly. They couldn’t withstand the assault of the Therianthropes, who had far superior physical abilities than humans.
This was to be expected, as there was no unity in the human kingdoms. They were just bystanders, each looking out for their own gain.
Centered around the King of Beasts, the Therianthrope warriors, as if under a spell, began to demolish the kingdoms.
Only when their own interests, and everything else, started to crumble and the entire continent was being destroyed, did the human side finally come to their senses and begin to unite.
Gathering the strong and strategists of the entire continent, they began to repel the beasts that ran towards their insatiable hunger.
Humans possessed knowledge and determination that was incomparable to anything else. However, the beasts possessed a power that surpassed it.
Thus, the intense war without a clear advantage continued for several years.
Both humans and beasts were exhausted, and the entire continent became even more ravaged.
The number of casualties and wounded increased day by day, and the war was dominated by emotions with no gains whatsoever.
In order to put an end to the horrific war, the representatives of the humans and the king of the beasts made a promise.
They agreed to select one representative from each side and engage in a duel, accepting whatever the winner proposed.
If the war were to continue any longer, only the extermination of all life would remain, without any gains.
The day of the promised battle arrived. In the battlefield where all soldiers and citizens watched, the representatives of each side faced each other.
The king of beasts, with a mane like a lion’s, and a knight reminiscent of the sunlight.
Their battle lasted for a whole week. It was as fast as a war of the gods, invisible to the eye, with strikes that pierced through everything.
The end of that battle was adorned by the sharp sword of the knight, who did not miss the small mistake made by the king of beasts on the seventh day.
The horrific war that had lasted for many years came to an end at the tip of that sharp sword.
The noble Sunrise family, who ended the war, carried that honor on their shoulders and became the royal family.
The beasts, who lost their king, scattered across the entire continent.
The price of the promise presented by the humans is still unknown to anyone.
Well, it’s a fact that has continued for hundreds of years. Recently, with the coronation of the new emperor, the treatment of the beasts has improved significantly.
As a result, the unnoticed beasts have started to appear. There are also rumors of the sale of beasts as slaves in slums formed somewhere in the eastern part of the continent.
This is the end of my knowledge, heard through rumors and books.
“… They’re beasts.”
I’ve never seen it before. If I actually see it, it would be truly amazing.
“Those damn bastards… huh…? Why are you suddenly drawing your sword?”
“Just wait a moment.”
Ignoring the shocked expression of the servant behind me, I followed the lingering mana and got off the carriage.
As the carriage came to a sudden stop, I could hear the sound of curses from the carriage behind.
‘… About fifteen of them, maybe…’
In the dense forest on both sides of the road where the carriage was running, I felt faint magical powers.
Seeing this rugged and filthy mana… definitely not human, probably monsters.
Since the journey is long… let’s finish this quickly.
Tadadak-!
-…Cr…Crackle?!
-Keyaaah-!
Chasing the mana, several playful creatures hiding in the bushes appeared.
I immediately raised mana into my body and sword, striking down several with a single sword slash.
Ping-! Chaeng!
I deflected arrows flying from behind with the side of my sword and swiftly cut the throat of one of them.
Seok- Ssweak-!
I easily dealt with the playful group. For someone like me who can capture a 4-star monster if focused, dealing with these creatures was nothing more than a warm-up.
“… Let’s continue our journey.”
“Uh… uh uh uh… yes… yes! You are truly powerful… hehehe…”
It took less than a minute to climb back into the carriage. The coachman stared at me blankly, as if he had seen something remarkable, and then promptly started the carriage again.
“Cough.”
A foreign sensation in my throat made it impossible to suppress a cough.
Wiping my mouth with the handkerchief I had in my pocket, a bit of blood seeped out.
“Cough… Cough.”
“Oh, are you… alri…”
“……Shh.”
“…….Yes.”
Seeing my signal, the coachman silently continued to drive the carriage.
‘…..It really won’t be long now.’
Coughing up blood… It seems like a sign from my deteriorating body.
But it’s alright. The promise I made with Seris, and the goals I had set… they will all be successfully concluded after this mission.
Surely, it will shine more brilliantly than even when I reigned over the entire empire.
“………”
I gazed at the setting sun in silence.