episode_0042

The outbreak of the Filah’s bandit apocalypse had been going on for ten days.

The usual looting and arson that followed the occupation of the city… surprisingly didn’t happen much.

This was going against common sense.

“No! My property, my house! Everything I’ve worked my whole life for… what?”

“What’s going on? Why is my house intact?”

The morning that greeted those who had huddled in churches or corners of their homes, trembling in the unprecedented chaos of the night.

Only then did the people of Filah, who cautiously peeked out from their hiding places, scratch their heads in disbelief that everything hadn’t turned to ashes.

Of course, there were instances of bringing out plenty of beer from the city underground and running away with valuables from the church.

But considering that the city had fallen into the hands of bandits, these were minor crimes bordering on playful mischief.

There were cases of seizing wealth and fleeing outside the city amidst the chaos of the first day, but those who remained opted for a more moderate level of thievery.

Of course, they didn’t suddenly awaken to morality and the value of sharing and generosity.

“Looting is good. Looting! Looting! Loot- Ouch! Why did you hit me?!”

“Get a grip, will you? We can all have it soon anyway, so is there a need to fight over it?”

“Even if the treasure in front of your eyes is tempting, you can’t ignore the future. Think about the land we can hold!”

They say if you don’t eat one marshmallow now, you’ll get two later, and there’s no denying that.

It was a matter of exercising some restraint and suppressing greed with even greater greed.

The forces that occupied the city could be broadly divided into two groups.

One consisted of disgruntled or crisis-ridden knights and mercenaries. They were a group without future plans, whether exploding in discontent or impulsively rioting.

The other group consisted of bandits who had infiltrated from the outside.

These bandits, who called themselves the Black Fingers, were an organization made up of former mercenaries who turned to banditry due to not receiving their wages on time.

And they had plans, as they were the ones who led the rebellion.

The goal had always been the same. After months of pursuing it, they were now on the verge of achieving it.

“Let the disgraced and fallen knights loot as they please, we search for the relic!”

“Tell us what it looks like so we can find it!”

“It’s a relic held by a knight named Raven. If he hasn’t sold it, he must have it himself, so find him!”

Seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos, they snatched the compass. The reason they had transitioned from mercenaries to bandits in the first place was to get their hands on that relic.

They never expected a traitor to succumb to greed and flee with it, offering it up to some knight in a small village along with their own neck.

So they set out to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. And as always, they planned to utilize their skills.

Upon hearing that Raven had entered the city, they quickly prepared to attack Filah.

“Captain, captain!”

“Yes, did you find something? Have you located the knight?”

“We did find him, but… he left Filah yesterday.”

“What?”

But plans always crumble easily for the most trivial reasons.

With the vivid testimony of the guards that their target had left Filah just before, the bandits who had been eager to make a quick hit and leave the city lost their purpose and drifted away.

They never imagined that the knight would arrive in Filah, make a pledge, and leave immediately.

Knights usually engage in battles of church and pride, or use them as an excuse to tear something apart.

“Now we have nothing to do. Shall we just go looting as usual?”

“Plunder is good. Plunder! Plunder! Plunder!”

But there was a plan in place for such a situation. The compass was just one of the items they had targeted.

The leader of the band of thieves, Marcus, confidently spoke to the hesitant ones after carrying out the task.

“No, it went well. I received a promise that we will be able to get a favorable response from the Emperor. We just need to hold on.”

“Really? Then who made you the promise?”

“I received it from a high-ranking clergyman who follows the Emperor. I personally know who he is, so you can trust the promise.”

Recently, the Pope had started enforcing oaths in churches throughout the Empire, using his specialty of extortion.

With loyal clergy who blindly followed the orders of the Papal See, the Emperor was furious at his actions.

However, it should not be forgotten that just as the Pope had bishops under his control all over the world, the Emperor also had bishops who had turned their backs on the Pope.

Self-proclaimed as the most faithful bishop to the Emperor, Gilberto whispered into Marcus’s ear about the dissatisfaction of Filah, prompting Marcus to engage in thievery nearby.

Although they missed the compass they were after, Marcus decided to focus on establishing his own territory.

Marcus did not trust individual bishops. He believed that their goals aligned with his own, that their interests were mutual.

The bishops, in turn, did not trust Marcus, but merely believed in human greed.

Rather than building trust through righteousness and morality, Marcus found this method much more reliable.

So, if he waited a little longer, the Emperor would negotiate with the Pope appropriately and resolve the situation. Time was on his side, all he had to do was wait.

“…Let’s forget about the compass for now.”

“Understood. I will go prepare to defend Filah.”

Nevertheless, it was regrettable to give up the relic that had been painstakingly crafted by an adult.

First, he needed to deal with the urgent matter at hand before considering anything else.

Upon hearing the news that the attack had begun with the last act of the Marquis, Marcus decided to put aside thoughts of the relic for the time being.

*****

Unfortunately, reality did not offer a save point even when resting at an inn.

Dying did not result in resurrection by the church.

Plans easily crumbled for trivial reasons, as this was not a movie.

And enemies did not wait for one to finish a cutscene, as this was not a game.

The first to act was, as expected, the more experienced one. Drawing his sword in preparation for such a situation proved to be effective.

With a swift motion, the sword was tightly gripped, and a faint light flowed along the blade, leaving a thin trail in the direction it swung.

The mouths of the thieves opened slightly, perhaps to scream, but before anything could emerge, two heads flew into the sky without warning.

When I picked up the sword, still unstained with blood, a knight next to me covered the mouth of the remaining thief and then pushed him against the wall, stabbing him in the abdomen.

“Ah…!”

“Suck!”

The dull sound of the body hitting the wall and the short gasps were the only sounds left.

The cries that could not escape beyond the metal-reinforced gloves lingered briefly before fading away. His struggles gradually subsided as well.

With a final thud as the last remaining thief dropped his head, his hands were finally released. His body, devoid of any will, collapsed weakly.

There were only three people behind the door earlier. The one who fled… there were no sounds of footsteps afterwards, so they were gone.

Despite trying to handle it quietly, the small cries and the sound of weapons hitting the ground could not be completely concealed.

In case of any unexpected situation, I held my breath for a moment and scanned the area for more enemies, but it seemed like I hadn’t been discovered, as there was no sound other than the noise of the siege starting on the opposite side of the castle.

Infiltration, successful.

With no witnesses left in this world, the infiltration was a success.

Only then did the tension ease, and the knight, a nobleman by birth, exhaled heavily and asked, “Nice sword. Is that a fluorescent sword?”

“Yes, it is. Envious?”

“A little.”

“Let’s talk later, for now, let’s at least try to hide the bodies.”

“Do you know where to go next?”

During the operation, small talk was kept to a minimum, it was time to move on to the next step.

It wasn’t possible to completely hide the bodies and bloodstains, so it was necessary to hurry before anyone else saw this scene.

“Um…”

“Get yourself together. Which way do we go now?”

“…Yes? Oh, sorry. First, we need to enter through the door where the thieves came out. It leads to the place where the guards usually wait for patrol. From there, we need to find the stairs leading down again.”

In an instant, two heads were separated from their bodies, and the soldier who had skewered the remaining one while it was still alive, a little late in regaining his composure, but to fulfill his duty, he rolled his head.

Everyone around understood this as a sign and nodded slightly before entering through the door.

As they entered the building, the sounds of the siege faded, and the creaking sound with each step they took was disturbing.

It was inevitable due to the weight of the armor. Nevertheless, it seemed that everyone had left for the siege, as there were no thieves appearing upon hearing that sound.

And then, they stopped in front of the next door.

The reason was that the voices inside were chattering.

“I patrolled all night, I want to sleep…”

“If you do that, you’ll be dragged to the siege for being lazy.”

“Yeah, I have to pretend to be busy. I saw all the guys who were sleeping a while ago being sent away through the door.”

This time, it was going to be difficult to pass by quietly.

Looking at the soldier who was supposed to guide them if there was another way, he shook his head slightly and whispered softly.

“There is, but you have to go too far, and you might encounter more enemies by going back.”

I peeked through the crack in the door.

Their armaments were indeed weak. But it seemed difficult to handle them all without causing a commotion.

Five of them. And they were scattered in the room, so even with a fluorescent sword, it was impossible to take them all out with a single blow.

But not if I was alone.

I fixed my sword and pretended to throw it. The other knights hesitated for a moment, but nodding their heads, it seemed they understood what I meant.

Throwing the sword was one of the knights’ last resorts, along with throwing sand in the eyes.

It was a sword throwing technique.