episode_0090

After a night in the shack, morning came. I pulled away from Ceris and Kara who were clinging to either side of me and stood up. With a yawn, he spread his arms and stretched.

‘It’s sore.’

Maybe it was because I slept on a hard floor, but the fatigue seemed to get worse rather than go away.

‘I got used to the bed.’

This is something I could not have imagined a year ago. I smiled and tried to go out. I felt a presence at the door.

smart.

There was a knock.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, you’re an adventurer, right? I came here because the village chief sent me.”

It was the voice of a young woman. I relaxed and opened the door. A young woman with long hair tied back to match her voice was standing in front of the door.

“The village chief?”

“Yes, they said they would like all adventurers to come together. I came to meet you.”

“Us?”

Wasn’t the subjugation tomorrow? What is the reason for calling on a morning like this? As I narrowed my eyes and lost in thought, the woman spoke carefully.

“Hey…the village chief is waiting…”

“Ah, yes. All right. I have to prepare, so could you please wait a moment?”

“Yes.”

I closed the door and shook Cerys and Kara awake.

“Umm… Mr. Yoosung…”

Cerise wrapped her arms around my neck and tried to give me a morning kiss. I pushed it away.

“Come to your senses. This is not home. Kara you too.”

“Yes…”

I woke them up and turned to Amy. She was already awake and fixing her hair. It seems he is more diligent than I thought.

After getting ready, we left the shack and followed the woman’s instructions.

“Why are you making a fuss by calling me this morning?”

Amy walked away grumbling. The woman smiled awkwardly and apologized.

“It was too early, right? The village chief, why are you here this morning… I’m sorry. I will apologize on your behalf.”

“Huh? Uh… no. There is no need to apologize.”

Amy was slightly embarrassed and waved her hands. She seems to be weaker towards kind people than she thinks. I saved that fact in my head.

“They’re all here. The village chief and other adults are here.”

“here?”

The place we arrived was not the village chief’s house. It was a house that looked like a single room, slightly better than a shack.

“We use this house when we hold meetings in the village. Then I’ll just leave.”

Without a word to say anything, the woman walked away at a brisk pace. I shrugged my shoulders while looking at the three people and opened the door to the house.

Inside, there was only one room that was slightly larger than the exterior. The room was full of sturdy men of all ages, from wrinkled old men to youthful youth.

“You came. Take the empty seat there.”

The village chief pointed to an empty seat in a slightly condescending voice. Amy’s eyebrows were about to frown, so I tapped her shoulder.

“Hold on.”

“I know. Don’t worry.”

We talked without them hearing. Then this time Kara’s expression took a turn for the worse. It’s like turning off a light and a new light coming on. I shook my head and sat down in the empty seat.

Under the table, I clasped hands with Kara so as not to be seen by the villagers. His expression relaxed a little. Now I can talk to the village chief.

“What is the reason you called us? I know the subjugation is tomorrow.”

“That has changed. I plan to carry out the subjugation this evening.”

A man other than the village chief answered my question. It was a middle-aged man wearing a breastplate. There were men in similar attire next to him, probably the guards stationed in the village.

-Another notification…

Amy muttered softly. I ignored it and told him.

“Suddenly?”

“Yeah, I think waiting until tomorrow is giving me too much time. If you do it wrong, they will run away.”

“That’s true too… but it’s a bit abrupt. We have been thinking about tomorrow since we were notified.”

I expressed my dissatisfaction with the sudden notice. However, the guard responded with a shameless expression.

“Hmm, it just happened to be like that. I’m sorry about that. Isn’t it good that you guys can go home quickly anyway?”

In response to a complaint asking why he was notified without discussion, he said it would be nice to be able to go home early.

You got the request wrong. With that thought in mind, I held back a sigh.

“I understand. I’ll find out by tonight. Is there anything else you want to say?”

“Oh, and can you take the lead when we go on a raid?”

“No.”

I was firm about this part. It may not be a meat shield, but I felt that they were using us to ensure their own safety.

The guard’s brow furrowed slightly as if my thoughts were correct. The other guards looked at me with disapproving eyes.

“We are the ones paying the money, so isn’t that something we can do?”

“I’m sorry, but there was no mention of taking the lead in the request.”

“Do you have to write it down to do it? And if the person giving you the money tells you to do it, you do it. Isn’t that right?”

“No. If you keep doing that, you won’t be able to work.”

“What? Can’t you work?”

“Yes. If you keep trying to change the request, we can’t do our job.”

“Ha… The topic of adventurers made me hungry.”

The guard clicked his tongue and shook his head. The village chief raised his voice as if he could not stand it any longer.

“Stop dagging.”

“No, Chief, you have to say this clearly. On the topic of adventurers who barely make money…”

A guard named Dale looked at us with disapproval.

Sometimes it happens. A guard who hates adventurers like that.

Most of them think they are superior to adventurers. In fact, because he received a high salary and learned swordsmanship, he was stronger than ordinary adventurers.

I thought further conversation was pointless. I hit the table and stood up.

“I understand. Let’s go back now.”

There was no reason to make this request. Because I didn’t have enough money or because I didn’t really need experience for this request. There was nothing to regret.

I tried to leave the house with Cerys and Kara, who were confused.

“Wait.”

The village chief called me over. He took a deep breath and continued speaking.

“I understand. Don’t ask to be in the lead.”

“Chief!”

“It’s noisy, Dale. Guys, I won’t make any more unreasonable demands, so just get the job done.”

“No. We have already made up our minds. Let’s get to know other adventurers.”

When he answered that, Dale got angry and shouted, pointing a point.

“Insolent! Okay, get out. Even without you, we are enough to clear out bandits. No, on the contrary, you people who have no fundamentals should be disturbed!”

Several guards nodded in agreement. On the other hand, except for the guards, the other villagers looked unappealing. However, he couldn’t bear to say anything to the guard, so he just watched his eyes.

“Stop!”

The village chief shouted loudly in his old age. The guards who had been sneering just a moment ago closed their mouths and looked at the village chief.

“Dale, weren’t you the one who said that the vigilantes and guards alone could cause sacrifices? That’s why we gathered adventurers.”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

“Then don’t say anything. You guys, I apologize for your rudeness. Could you please take on the request again?”

“No, it’s done. Find other adventurers.”

“It will be too late to find the other adventurers. Okay, I’ll give you a little more money.”

“No, the money…”

“If you wish, I will send a letter to the guild praising you for your work. Let’s say it brilliantly so that your name can shine.”

“Hmm…”

As I thought about those words for a bit, Amy next to me tapped me. He whispered in my ear.

“Let’s get it.”

“Why. Don’t you like it here?”

“That was until just now. They say it creates a good reputation. The troublesome issue has been resolved. Is there any reason not to get it?”

“Hmm…”

There wasn’t anything in particular.

As long as there are no whimsy from the guards, this request will be a very easy one.

After thinking for a moment, I nodded.

“I understand. I will accept it.”

Dale’s face frowned.

…

That night, we went out to eliminate the bandits as planned. The number of people is 29, including 20 vigilantes, 5 guards, myself, Sister Cerise, and Amy.

As I followed the villagers to the bandits’ hut, Dale looked at me with a frown.

“Just try holding the ankle. I won’t leave you alone.”

With those words, he went ahead. I shrugged my shoulders and continued walking.

The punitive force arrived at Sanchae.

The inside was empty.

* * *

The wounded bandits prepared for a surprise attack.

Now that their leader was back, there was nothing to fear anymore. I went down the darkened mountain path, relying on a torch.

“AC, I’m just going to bother you because we’re going during the day…”

Conrad, the leader of the Right Wound Bandits and an executive of the Red Hood Bandits, grumbled and took a sip of his drink. He was already quite drunk and his face was red.

The assistant pastor spoke carefully to Conrad.

“But wouldn’t it be better to have the least amount of damage?”

“Sacrifice is nonsense. I just need to go alone.”

“No. If our leader gets seriously injured, our bandit group will be finished!”

“ Hey, do you think I’m going to get scratched by those little things? And if you’re going to fail without me, it’s better to just fail.”

Conrad sneered, but his face was smiling. Because I was happy to be flattered by the assistant pastor… I smiled and drank.

“Boss, you have arrived in town!”

The bandit who was ahead ran and reported. The deputy head nodded.

“Okay, then…”

“Then sweep it away!”

Conrad pointed to the village with his bottle. The bandit looked at the deputy leader with an expression of not knowing what to do.

“Boss, let’s take a look at the situation…”

“Why? What’s there to see about the situation? All you have to do is just go and get rid of it. Or what. Were you guys really scared? Is there me behind you?”

Conrad said, looking at each of the bandits one by one. If I said I was scared, it felt like my head would be smashed in. The bandits shook their heads with thoughtful faces.

“Yes, that’s right. Who am I? Then shut up and attack quickly. I’m feeling sleepy, so let’s finish this and go back to sleep.”

Konrad yawned, releasing the force that seemed to be eating him. Only then were the stiff bandits able to move their bodies. The assistant pastor sighed and shouted.

“Everyone assault!”

The bandits ran, each holding a torch in one hand and a crude weapon in the other. Crude wooden fences were jumped over or broken into.

“You go over there!”

“I’m this way!”

They dispersed and broke in by breaking the door of a nearby house.

“Aaaaa!!”

A middle-aged woman screamed when she saw an intruder breaking through the door. As the ax was plunged into his chest, he became quiet. The bandit searched the house, looking for the biggest threat: the head of the family.

“?”

There wasn’t.

The only people in the house are the old man, the child, and the younger child.

That was the same as most other houses. By then, even the stupid bandits had figured it out.

-The paths diverged!

I started looting without any worries. A man’s pathetic begging for his life and a woman’s sorrowful screams wandered through the village.

Conrad drank and walked through it.

“Children, it’s good.”

As he walked along with a grin, he stopped the bandit who was trying to kill the boy.

“Hey.”

“Why, why are you like that…”

Why are you suddenly doing this to me? Did I do something wrong? The bandit trembled and faced Conrad.

However, Conrad did not pay attention to the bandit. He shouted to the other subordinates.

“Don’t touch the babies! I have to give it to the fanatics later.”

Following Conrad’s orders, the bandits tied up the children and threw them into a house. And then it was time to continue what we were doing.

“These bastards!”

The punitive force returned to the village. Their eyes saw their wives and children being trampled by bandits. Blood spurted out, and my internal organs were distorted.

“Oh, are you here?”

Conrad laughed at them and drank.

“These bastards!!”

Three angry vigilantes ran towards the bandits who were playing with their families. To do that, I had to get past Conrad. He swung his weapon at Konrad.

Burbubbuk.

Three bodies fell to the floor with a dull sound. There was a large dent in his head, and sticky blood was dripping from Conrad’s mace.

“It’s scary when you suddenly run at me.”

Conrad shook his head as if there was nothing he could do. I turned to my subordinates and said.

“Isn’t that right, guys?”

The bandits took a moment to understand the situation and then laughed mischievously.

“Yes! He came running towards me with a scary face and I was so scared that I thought I was going to die!”

“If it wasn’t for you, my heart would have stopped and I would have died!”

“I had to pee… Ugh! I made semen instead of urine!”

“I hate it!!!!”

Bandits laughing mischievously.

Village women scream in sorrow as they are trampled by them.

As a guard, I couldn’t stay still.

Dale drew his sword.

I will kill all those bastards with this sword.

He ran towards Conrad, who was still giggling. Even though Conrad turned the three vigilantes into a pulp in an instant, Dale was not afraid.

In the past, he recalled what the guard captain who taught him in the city had said.

-What you learned is ordinary basic swordsmanship. It’s not as great as the knights make it out to be. But if you practice hard, this alone will make you strong!

The guard captain Dale knew was never a man who talked nonsense. So, from then on, Dale trained like he was going to die. I believe that if you work hard at even basic swordsmanship, you can achieve great success!

And now, when the blood and sweat shed so far is rewarded…

Crack.

Dale’s head was smashed together with the sword. White brain matter was splattered in the air along with blood.

Everyone in the village froze when they saw that. They expected Dale to defeat those villains the moment he drew his sword. Since he was a guy who was always loud and pounding, I believed there was something there.

But expectations were betrayed. He died so easily.

“What is this idiot.”

Conrad frowned when he saw that it was Dale. I placed a mace on the floor and drew a line. He said while looking at the punitive force.

“Listen carefully. Anyone who falls over this will definitely die. If you want to live, jump now.”

-don’t do it..! Stop!!

“If I can leave my family behind.”

I giggle again. The other bandits also joined in his laughter. The bandits laughed at incompetent heads of families who could not even protect their own families.

“Ugh…”

Someone among the subjugation team gritted their teeth. His eyes were bloodshot and he crossed the line drawn by Conrad. He died with his limbs shattered and his head smashed in agony.

Then, among the punitive forces, no one tried to cross the line. Even the guards who were usually arrogant were the same. They were overwhelmed by only one person, Conrad.

“Puhuhhahaha!! Do you guys have no dick? Can’t you see your wife is fucking getting fucked? Or maybe that’s what you like? Would you at least give me some consideration so I can hit my daughter… Oh my.”

Conrad, who was laughing hard, turned around. The dagger passed by him and stuck in the neck of the bandit who was shaking his back.

-Ke, hehe…

The bandit fell. At his funeral, all eyes were focused on the person who threw the dagger, regardless of whether he was a bandit or a member of the subjugation team.

The black-haired adventurer frowned.

“What. You didn’t cross the line.”

A new dagger was thrown. Another bandit died from a double wound.