(97)
Author’s words
I just uploaded it again to make a reservation .
I don’t know if I’ll upload it a day earlier later .
I guess I shouldn’t post when I’m sleepy … I stayed up all
Read from noble mtl dot com
Night, so I’m going to bed.
＜ 16. Prisoner and Hero (4) ＞
Marcus, the centurion of the Helios army, was sitting in front of the table with a sad face .
“ So… it will take a little longer for the priests to get here ?”
“ Yes, it is. The damage is severe not only here but also on other fronts… As you know, there aren’t many priests who can be put into the battlefield anymore, right ?”
The messenger swallows saliva after saying that. He also didn’t take on the role of conveying such a sad news. Marcus managed to resist the urge to tear his bangs with both hands .
‘ It’s not that it takes time, it’s that you don’t intend to come. You mean to give up on the Campus Plains altogether. We are now discarded chess pieces …’
Under the right conditions, a single priest was tactically worth hundreds of armies. The enemy still had priests like that, but going into battle without priests on this side was tantamount to facing a heavily armed opponent naked. Extermination was now only a matter of time as the priests were pushed out of the priority list .
Marcus managed to keep his spirits together. But it was still too early to give up hope. There is one news I haven’t heard yet .
“ Okay, so what’s the other news? Since the support from the priests is delayed, are you saying that even the supplies you asked for last time will be reinforced ?”
“ No. Other places were also in a situation where supplies were in short supply… that too became difficult. Instead, I brought information about trends on the Nelasgun side .”
“… tell me .”
“ Nelas-gun is gathering mercenaries with special powers from various countries. Those who are born with excellent dragon power, those who have been blessed by God… and even those who have contracted with the devil. We have received information that some of them may be deployed towards the Campus Plain .”
“… that’s something we already knew. We even found out that the one who made a pact with the devil is already at the enemy garrison. Is that the end of the news ?”
“ Uh… yes. Yes .”
“ Ha… Let me go .”
Marcus finally couldn’t hold back his sighs. The messenger nodded with a puzzled expression and stepped out of the barracks .
Let alone good news, even the sad news was news that had no nutritional value. If I could, I would like to hit the messenger’s head with a mace .
The Campus Plain was by no means a tactically unimportant place. However, it was common for one side to give up on this place. This is because there are no hills and there are coniferous forests that are easy to attack, and the terrain was naturally advantageous for attacking rather than defending .
‘The upper heads think that they can restore it later anyway, and they plan to push other wires first. Offer our troops as scapegoats …’
It was not incomprehensible when viewed macroscopically. Throughout the crusade, the Helios army had been chronically inferior, so it would be difficult to give up the other fronts that were barely holding on to victory. However, from the point of view of the person who was sacrificed, it is inevitable to feel betrayed .
The retreat request has already been rejected. The only option now is to walk down the path of annihilation with the troops. Marcus buried his face in his hands and was in anguish .
‘ No. If you give up, you are already dead at that moment. There must be some way… ‘
Then, a letter on the table caught Marcus’ eyes. It was a letter from a bishop who was somewhat familiar with him .
The contents are the news that he has gathered mercenaries from Nelas Army, and that he will send those with special powers among the mercenaries he knows. When I first saw it, I brushed it off because it was just a show, but …
‘ Now this is all I can believe .’
I had to grab everything I could get my hands on, whether it was straw or rotten rope. That’s because his current situation was desperate .
‘ It’s been a long time since the letter arrived, so if the mercenaries had really been sent, it would have been time to come …’
It was around the time Marcus was thinking about that. One soldier came into the barracks and reported that there were visitors looking for the centurion outside the garrison .
The timing is so amazing even if it’s a coincidence. Marcus intuited that they were the ones he had hoped for .
“ Tell me to come in right away .”
*
Marcus opened his eyes narrowly and looked at the people who came to him. A slender man in a black coat with a cape on it, a woman in a clergyman’s garb looking around with frightened eyes, and a handsome man wearing a chain breastplate and covering his face with a mask .
‘ Um …’
The masked man seemed to be using quite a bit of strength, and the woman was wearing a priestly uniform, so it was obvious that she was a priest, but the other one was not very trustworthy. It’s not that the power of the body is all about dealing with strange powers, but I couldn’t help but lose trust .
“ Is it true that Bishop Dominic came here through an introduction ?”
A man in a black coat spilled the letter he had handed over as if he had eyes. It was torn, but the seal on the wax was definitely the bishop’s. It was certain that these were the mercenaries the bishop had spoken of .
But a man in a black coat took a step forward and spoke first .
“ First, I want to ask you, have you ever seen a hunter around here with a big mouth and a big bow ?”
“…? I’ve never seen anyone like that .”
Tsk, a man who clicks his tongue. I wanted to bite my lip and lower my head for a moment, but then I raised my head again and said only my own words .
“ Then, other than that, I want to hear some information about the enemy. I heard that there are mercenaries like us over there .”
Marcus ran a finger through his throbbing hair. He didn’t want the mercenaries to be polite. However, even so, that black coat was very rude in the way it treated itself as a centurion .
‘ Besides, the one who looks the weakest …’
Marcus decided that in order to deal with them smoothly in the future, he had to take the initiative .
“ Even if I came under the bishop’s order, I am the commander here. We cannot carelessly give information about the enemy to mercenaries whose identities are unknown. And it is also forbidden to act arbitrarily, and you must follow my instructions only .”
“ Mercenaries only follow the orders of the person who gave them money. That bishop obviously told you to cooperate, not to obey ?”
Andrea speaks naturally as if she were a real mercenary. Role-playing like this was familiar to him by now. Marcus let out a sneer .
” That’s not something a mercenary who has never experienced a proper battlefield can say .”
Andrea, who had caught all the grotesque monsters in the dungeon, was full of energy, but he didn’t show it and calmly accepted it .
“ If you go through a proper battlefield, can you live even if you get stabbed in the head ?”
“… What nonsense are you talking about? “
“ Ah, I am a mercenary who has never experienced a battlefield properly, but I can organize that .”
“…?”
“ I will stay where I am. Throw the dagger on the table at me. If you stick it in my head, I will absolutely obey you, and if you can’t, we’ll just receive information and act autonomously .”
Marcus seemed to be contemplating how to respond to this provocation. Common sense would have it that the dagger would not miss at this distance, where the nose would touch it if it fell face down. Furthermore, a situation in which the other party declared that they would not even avoid it .
Soon Marcus guessed why the author had made this suggestion .
‘… You hardened the skin with the power of the priest .’
If so, it was a lousy trick with no ability whatsoever. Even a baby can do it if he can receive the priest’s blessing. Marcus took out his dagger and threw it with a disappointed look in his eyes without saying that he would accept the offer .
Whoo !
However, what happened easily exceeded Marcus’ expectations. The moment it touched, the head turned translucent, and the dagger flew through the back without doing any damage .
A sight you just can’t believe. It was a ghostly effect caused by the effect of the ‘Lunar Eclipse Hermit’s Costume’, but to Marcus, it was only seen as his own mysterious ability .
“ Now, then, would you like to tell us some information about the enemy ?”
Andrea’s attitude became more elated after winning the bet. But to Marcus it no longer seemed rude and arrogant. If all three of them had such abilities and specialties, they were mercenaries who deserved to behave like that .
The centurion made a decision. After all, he had no other options. Marcus declares with a resolute voice .
“ Okay, I’ll tell you all the information about the enemies we’ve identified. But instead, there is one condition .”
*
Bruno was certain that today was the most unlucky day among the days he participated in the holy war .
He has always cleverly avoided reconnaissance or being called out for special missions with a presence that seemed to be there or not. However, with only a few heads left in the garrison, even the squad he belonged to couldn’t avoid the mission.
‘ You guys will go out to the battlefield with those mercenaries. to assist them in their battles. But there is something more important than winning or losing a fight. If those mercenaries show suspicious behavior or show signs of contact with Nelas, subdue them if possible and bring them to the garrison .’
The centurion, who handed over the information to the mercenaries, thought he should block the possibility of them spying. Therefore, the real role of the soldiers, including him, was a kind of containment and surveillance under the guise of combat assistance .
However, the soldiers who saw the mercenaries fighting realized that it would be absolutely impossible for them to subdue them .
In the vicinity of a coniferous forest, just a few hours after starting the journey. They were able to encounter Nelas-gun without difficulty. The enemies numbered almost thirty, completely outnumbered, but the aspect of the battle was like fighting scarecrows of almost the same number .
After the man in the black coat suddenly melted into the shadows and disappeared, soldiers whose faces collapsed with a heavy blow sounded one after another. They died screaming without knowing what had happened to them. Those who luckily spread the distance were showered with stones .
Above all, the highlight was the masked man holding the hammer. When the battle began, the man who disappeared and then suddenly appeared left an unforgettable impression on allies and enemies alike .
As the masked man swung his hammer, the five or six soldiers surrounding him instantly turned into a bundle of six pieces. Everyone became contemplative after seeing the incredible power that was unbelievable for a human being .
Bruno decided that if he had to fight these mercenaries, he would choose to run away without hesitation. It was clear that he would never see his daughter and wife anxiously waiting for him back in his hometown if he went against their wishes .
But Bruno had the feeling that the masked man had been glancing at him from earlier. With a gaze that I can’t understand what emotions he put in. Every time that happened, I felt the coldness like ice water pouring down my spine .
‘ What, what did I do wrong? ‘
Bruno looked hard inwardly to see if he had done anything wrong. It’s obvious, but since there’s nothing wrong, there’s no point in pointing it out. But he didn’t have the courage to speak first, so Bruno just lowered his head and deliberately avoided his gaze .
Meanwhile, Andrea had a hunch that remnants remained. A life-threatening threat that cannot be ignored. The soldiers they had just faced off were no more than sacrificial lambs sent to gauge the level of their party. Nelas’ mercenaries, who could be called real enemies, hadn’t even revealed themselves yet .
But Andrea suddenly frowned. There was a familiar sign among those in hiding .
Kkeudeudeuk .
The very subtle sound of pulling a bowstring. Andrea shouted urgently towards the party and soldiers .
“ Everyone bow down !”
Wedge – Liquid !
Puck !
The arrow narrowly missed the soldiers and hit the tree behind them. At that moment, the tree had a huge hole in its trunk and fell down without overcoming the impact .
Gigiggeek, thump !
Turning her back on the horrified soldiers, Andrea traced back the direction the arrow had come from. Then I was able to catch the look of a familiar hunter half-hidden behind a tree. Andrea noticed that something had gone awry .
‘ Tricia, why are you there ?’
＜ 16. Prisoners and Heroes (4) ＞ End