Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 13: Escort (4).

– Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding—.

“It’s an enemyyyyy——, an enemy has appeareddddd——!!”

At the noisy shout of the night watch, the people almost all simultaneously woke up. The members quickly donned the equipment they had placed right next to their mats, and the non-combat personnel hid themselves inside the carriage.

Allen also quickly put on his chain mail and took cover behind the carriage. He looked in the direction the night watch’s finger was pointing.

‘……Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…. Roughly about that many.’

Under the faint moonlight shining over the field, a group of horse-riding bandits was galloping towards them. Roughly about fifteen seemed to be heading towards Allen, and a slightly larger number towards Charlotte.

After the first surprise attack, it had been quiet for two days, but as expected, those damned bandits weren’t the kind to give up so easily.

This time, it seemed they were really determined, as their numbers were quite significant. It was hard to understand how they gathered such a crowd unless they had formed an alliance among themselves.

Still, they were fully prepared on this side as well. Moreover, with the carriage walls perfectly erected, they wouldn’t dare to charge.

‘Sorry, but I’m quite experienced in this area—.’

Allen had a clear idea of how the thieves would act.

Archer Julie, sticking close to the carriage, squinted one eye and pulled her bowstring. With a screech, as the string stretched, the arrow’s butt lightly kissed the bow before flying off with a ping—. The beautifully arched arrow hit the horse’s head precisely. The horse collapsed instantly, and the thief tumbled forward, rolling on the ground.

‘Right, one down—.’

The copper-skinned woman with cropped hair turned her head to look at the group leader with a grin that showed her yellowed teeth. With eyes that sought praise.

Of course, Allen was never stingy with praise that cost him nothing.

“Go—od job, Julie.”

Indeed, a skill worthy of a [Sharpshooter]. Her stats might have been a bit lacking, but he had recruited her for that one trait alone, knowing how valuable having a [Sharpshooter] archer could be in the early stages.

Her colleagues also whistled in amazement at her incredible skill.

“Ya look like rabbit shit, but damn, you can sure shoot an arrow…”

“Son of a bitch, I’ll shoot one at your balls later.”

“My balls already have an owner.”

As she cursed, “Fuck off, you retard—,” another arrow flew. And it hit its mark again. Another thief fell from his horse and tumbled to the ground.

“They’re coming, everyone get ready for battle—!!”

As Allen shouted, the first row of shield bearers slightly lifted their thick tower shields. The bandits, having reached near the group, couldn’t achieve their goal of breaking the formation with a charge due to the wall made of carriages and had to dismount.

‘- Damn bastards!’

Those who had been seriously burned by what happened previously, knew they could not easily hit them and cowardly shot arrows instead. But with four tower shields blocking the way, arrows without any magical power couldn’t penetrate.

And when the arrows were all spent, the two forces clashed fiercely.

Allen shouted at the trembling Worshipper Manual, who was still unable to focus on the battle.

“Don’t look away. Don’t look away! If they get hurt, you need to heal them right away!”

However, the skills of the members Allen carefully selected overwhelmed the thieves. If they couldn’t easily defeat such lowly bandits of peasant origin, they might as well remove their mercenary badges.

“Shit… Son of a bitch… Shit!”

The mercenaries cursed fiercely as they swung their weapons violently. The thieves couldn’t properly retaliate and just dropped dead like pieces of meat. A few cowards, who had been merely looking on from behind, decided it was hopeless and started to flee. But this time, Julie didn’t let them off easily.

She shot arrows into the backs of two among the four fleeing on horseback. The rest of the fallen bandits had their skulls, crushed completely, severing their last breaths.

Huff huff huff.

Excited by the feel of crushing human bones and flesh, the mercenaries waited for Allen’s next command with eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

“We’re going to help Group Leader Charlotte. Move out now—.”

Since that was their prior verbal agreement, he moved to honor it.

The Allen-Mercenary Group immediately headed towards Charlotte’s camp. As the number of mercenaries doubled in an instant, the thieves panicked and started to flee.

“Capture those bastards—! Kill them all—! I said kill them—!”

This time, no one tried to stop Charlotte. The mercenaries relentlessly pursued the fleeing thieves, smashing their heads and stabbing their hearts.

“Please spare me, pl, ack, please—.”

The desperate cries for life did not reach the ears of the mercenaries, who were already consumed with the intent to kill. If one couldn’t run away, no one survived. Allen didn’t bother to spare them either.

After the one-sided slaughter ended, the two mercenary groups returned to their respective camps.

A few relatively intact bodies were again dangling beside the carriage. Of course, they served as a meat shield, but this time, there was an additional element.

– Attack and you die—.

A warning.

And, knowing their place, the bandits did not dare attack anymore until the two groups arrived at the mid-sized city of Reubala.

Reubala, a famous trading city in the southern region.

Located at a strategic point leading to the eastern region, this mid-sized city had an exceptionally high population flow. Because of this, the inspection lines stretching near the city seemed never to shorten, even after a long wait.

At least Charlotte, who was only somewhat interested in the mercenary business, was clueless about such matters….

…To be told to wait and then actually waiting. Seeing this makes one wonder if it’s naivety or just plain stupidity—.

In this world, the only things money can’t solve are death and talent—, so thought Allen, who represented the group and headed to the checkpoint.

“What brings you here?”

The checkpoint officer’s unfriendly demeanor changed in an instant when Allen presented the family crest and a purse of money.

“Just in a bit of a hurry, you see. Well, on such a hot day, you’re working hard, so I thought I’d buy you something cool to drink after you finish—”

“Oh my, you shouldn’t have, sir.”

“Hmph. I just wanted to buy you a cool drink, that’s all.”

“Oh, you really shouldn’t… Yes, I’ll have a cool drink, sir.”

With just one purse of money, the merchant group waiting in line behind them passed through the checkpoint in no time. What would have taken a full day was resolved in a flash.

Upon arriving at the destination and alighting from the carriage, Charlotte seemed puzzled, thinking that they shouldn’t have been able to enter this quickly.

“Group Leader Allen?”

“Yes.”

“Did you, by any chance, do something?”

“What do you mean?”

“…Never mind.”

Allen, for his part, wanted to charge Charlotte the three gold coins he had just spent… but he let it go, considering it as payment for her acceptance of his previous proposal to accompany him.

The two nobles, along with Charlotte and the representative of the trading company that had requested their escort, totaling four people, met with the merchant who was to receive the supply of copper ingots. The merchant, with snake-like eyes, came to the carriage loaded with ingots along with an appraiser and meticulously checked the promised goods.

“The quality is guaranteed. You know well that we don’t sell shoddy products.”

Allen let out a discreet fart next to him. Since they had been dealing with each other for a long time, the head merchant with the snake-like eyes nodded without much suspicion.

“Yes. The goods have been checked. We’ll pay immediately.”

The four from Berge handed over the goods and received the payment. It was a box full of gold coins. After securing their share, they agreed to meet again in a few days and then dispersed to their respective groups.

Now that they had a substantial amount of money, it was time to buy more goods. Goods that could be sold at a high price in Berge.

Allen first took the money box and returned to his lodging. His body, weary from the long journey, had no strength left to go out and buy more goods.

Of course, for these mercenaries, such days were routine, and they had already started a lively drinking party.

“Ah, Group Leader—! Come and have a drink—!”

“Drink among yourselves. I’m tired.”

“Just have one long drink. Ah, Group Leader. You should at least say something for the occasion.”

So, Allen went to the members’ table intending to have just one drink. He gulped down the beer that Loose Cunt Olga had sneakily poured for him in one gulp.

“You’ve all worked hard to get here, and you’ll have to work hard later too.”

“But, by any chance, is there no bonus? Hehe.”

At the mention of a bonus, Allen momentarily flared up. He was already struggling with the fee for the request, what bonus—!

“There’s none, you bastard. …I’m off. Don’t drink too much.”

“The group leader says not to drink too much—! Now, drink up—!”

The members, united in spirit, all raised their beer glasses high and toasted noisily.

‘Damn brats.’

Allen, with heavy feet, barely managed to climb the stairs and enter his room. Flopping down onto the bed, he let out a big sigh first.

‘…I feel like I’m dying from the travel fatigue, seriously….’

He immediately closed his eyes, then suddenly, with a start, sprang up from the bed.

‘No matter how tired I am, this is unbearable.’

He took out three gold coins from the money box.

The charge for the bribe that went into the mouth of the checkpoint officer.