Ch.360Side Story 1 – Southern Continent Travelogue (15)

“Young master, I’ll go first!”

As Jawill Wilson quickly gripped his sword and was about to charge toward the Red Moon Brigade—

“Stop.”

“….Pardon?”

Jawill Wilson turned around with a bewildered expression.

Yet my gaze remained fixed on the Red Moon Brigade.

They were clearly surrounding our carriage.

Moreover, they were armed and in attack formation.

But.

There was no killing intent.

That’s what was strange.

The mercenaries of the Red Moon Brigade had faces filled with strong pride, but their eyes lacked the hostility one typically encounters on the battlefield.

These were not the eyes of someone picking a fight.

‘What exactly is going on?’

At that moment, someone who appeared to be the leader stepped forward from the Red Moon Brigade’s ranks.

Thud!

Even their footsteps were different.

Like the heavy resonance of a massive iron block being placed on the ground.

Jawill Wilson’s eyes widened as he spoke.

“A, a woman!?”

It was impossible not to be surprised.

Though she was female, she possessed an enormous physique.

No, she wasn’t just large.

Her body was composed of solid muscle with angular shoulders, thick forearms, and sturdy thighs….

Her height easily surpassed Jawill Wilson’s with room to spare.

And yet.

She was beautiful.

Should I say she had feminine charm despite her powerful appearance?

Her dark brown hair was tied back in a long ponytail, her well-defined facial features were captivating, and her deep blue eyes reminded one of the deep sea.

Furthermore.

As she took another step closer, I could fully sense the unique atmosphere she exuded.

It wasn’t simply the intimidation of a mercenary.

A firm yet elegant charisma.

And, above all—

The composure that only the strong possess.

“I am Merin, leader of the Red Moon Brigade.”

“I’m Cassian. So what?”

“We don’t intend to harm you, so I’d appreciate if you didn’t misunderstand.”

I crossed my arms heavily and tilted my head.

“We’re surrounded by this many people, and you say you don’t intend to harm us?”

“If you were uncomfortable, I apologize. We simply wanted to have a conversation with you.”

Merin spoke with a solid voice, and her deep blue eyes showed no wavering.

I carefully considered her words while maintaining my guard, but they were certainly different in nature from the Black Tooth mercenaries I’d encountered recently.

‘An organization that didn’t even appear in the novel….’

I opened my spiritual eye once more to examine Merin and the Red Moon Brigade.

Indeed, there was no killing intent.

Those gathered here were clearly armed, but they harbored no hostility toward us.

Of course, that didn’t mean I could completely let my guard down.

I took a short breath before speaking.

“So what’s this about?”

“For now, could you please follow us?”

I stared intently at Merin.

Normally in situations like this, the possibility of a trap would be high.

However, judging by instinct, I sensed no deception in her attitude.

And even if there were some ulterior motive, there would be nothing I couldn’t handle.

I smiled faintly and shrugged my shoulders.

“Fine. I’ll follow you.”

At that, Jawill Wilson looked at me with wide eyes.

“Y-young master, are you really going to follow them?”

“Are you scared?”

“That’s not it, but isn’t this usually when you shouldn’t follow someone?”

“Are you not confident we can win?”

“What if they’ve set a trap?”

“Then they’ll die more brutally.”

“U-us?”

“No, them.”

Jawill Wilson’s mouth opened and closed before he hesitated.

Eventually, he too began walking alongside me.

The path was rough.

After crossing the desert, the forest grew increasingly dense until suddenly, the entrance to a massive rocky mountain appeared.

A huge iron gate stood between the ravine, with armored mercenaries standing guard in front of it.

“Young master, will we be alright?”

“Would you stop worrying?”

Creeeeeeak—

Soon, the heavy metallic sound echoed as the scene beyond was revealed.

The Red Moon Brigade’s headquarters exceeded my imagination.

A massive fortress that seemed carved through the rocky mountain spread before our eyes, with buildings constructed incredibly sturdily.

The torches lined along the walls reminded one of an ancient citadel.

‘They’ve practically built their own kingdom.’

I quietly observed the interior with diligence.

Mercenaries could be seen shooting arrows or wielding swords in various places, while others trained with spears on horseback.

However, no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see any men.

Jawill also stopped walking.

He seemed to have just realized this fact.

“Young master, why aren’t there any men here?”

“How would I know?”

“I can even see children, but they’re all female.”

“I have eyes too.”

“But why would they invite us to a place without a single man?”

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”

With suspicion in mind, I followed Merin’s guidance into her house.

Located within the headquarters, this place was surrounded by sturdy rocks like a fortress, but the interior was surprisingly cozy.

If this were a typical mercenary dwelling, it would likely be filled with training equipment and armor, but this place was different.

Warm-colored candles emitted a soft light in the center, and a densely woven carpet covered the floor.

On top of it were placed wooden tables and chairs that were sturdy yet intricately designed.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

“Alright.”

After Jawill Wilson and I sat down, quiet footsteps were heard from the inner room where she had disappeared.

Merin was no longer in the armed appearance I had seen before.

Instead of the intimidating figure of the Red Moon Brigade’s leader wearing armor with a large sword at her waist, she revealed herself as a woman of this place.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

“Yes, speak.”

“The Red Moon Brigade has existed for over two hundred years. This is a group of mercenaries without men. But that doesn’t mean we don’t leave descendants.”

Merin narrowed her eyes and continued with a meaningful smile.

“Every five years, we regularly seek men for their seed. The women they must deal with are all virgins who have never been with a man.”

“So you’re saying you’ve called us here to propose that we spread our seed to the Red Moon Brigade?”

“We will compensate you adequately.”

As those words fell, she lightly flicked her fingers.

I had somewhat expected this, but hearing it directly was a bolder proposal than I’d thought.

Jawill Wilson also seemed at a loss for words, his mouth moving without making a sound.

I calmly asked again.

“What if we refuse?”

“If you refuse, we will of course let you go. We never force anyone.”

Even if they do this every five years, there must have been men who visited this place….

How had rumors never spread?

I tilted my head with a puzzled expression.

“Something seems off to me.”

“Are you saying you don’t believe what I’m saying?”

“There’s no guarantee that all men would keep quiet about this.”

At that, as if she had anticipated this, Merin opened a drawer under the table and pulled out a scroll, unfolding it.

It was a “Magical Contract” that I had used before as well.

“This is why. In exchange for enormous compensation, you must keep silent about the Red Moon Brigade’s secrets for life. Without signing this contract, you cannot leave this place.”

“So you’re saying that even if we refuse, we must keep silent about everything related to the Red Moon Brigade according to this magical contract?”

“That’s right. Once you’ve come here, there’s no choice.”

“How rude to invite guests without explaining the reason.”

I narrowed my brows and released a burst of killing intent.

Instinctively, Merin stiffened and spoke with difficulty.

“I-in return, we offer substantial compensation.”

“Even if I don’t spread my seed to the Red Moon Brigade mercenaries?”

“…That’s right. So please, your killing intent…”

As soon as she finished speaking, I slowly withdrew the killing intent I had released.

Instantly, the air in the room became noticeably lighter.

Merin exhaled a thin sigh and straightened her posture.

The pressure that had been weighing heavily moments ago was gone, but the sensation at her fingertips still seemed frozen.

“Sorry, I have a habit of getting worked up.”

“N-no, it’s fine. As expected, you truly are remarkable people.”

Since a magical contract involves summoning one’s soul for the agreement, it cannot be falsified even with a different name or identity.

Despite the promised compensation, the fact that it must be fulfilled without fail made me feel uneasy.

Who knows?

Perhaps someday in the distant future, I might speak of it while drunk.

‘Then I’d just die for nothing.’

It was troublesome.

If I didn’t sign the contract, they would have no choice but to fight to hide their identity, and I would have to kill people who had shown no hostility.

That’s why my mind was so conflicted.

Step.

At that moment, Jawill Wilson, who had been quietly observing the situation, rose from his chair and took a step forward.

Then, looking directly at Merin, he spoke in a calm yet firm voice.

“Excuse me, could you give us some time to discuss this?”