Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Episode 165: Trick And Treat – N After finishing my meal, I fully prepared to head to the Lanche Baron’s estate. Rutricia’s situation was the most important of the things I had to do right now. It couldn’t be postponed, and I couldn’t refuse. Meeting a new friend was quite meaningful, but another friend was in trouble. Right now, the one in trouble was more important. “It was nice seeing you after so long.” “Me too.” I lightly kissed Emily’s cheek as she smiled innocently, then looked at Aiden. “Want one too?” “No, thanks.” “Okay. Then next time we meet… I’ll give you one lower down.” “….” He understood what I meant, right? Aiden made a sour face but didn’t reply. I chuckled, looking at him. “You’re not saying you don’t want it?” “…Just, go quickly.” I left him sighing and bid farewell to both of them. Unlike me, they had to stay in Tritia. Emily had to sort out her work, and Aiden had to coax his superior to get some kind of tool. If it was a thief’s magic tool, I could guess a few things, but hearing exactly what it was would have to wait until I returned to Tritia. In the end, I was the only one moving. “Layla.” “Yeah?” And before I left, Aiden gave me one request. “…Don’t worry too much about the herb. It’s not like she’ll die without it, and if that girl is on our side, there’s no reason for her to steal it.” “…Okay.” I nodded at his words, but the thoughts in my head were different. We still didn’t know what situation Trisellina was in. Until we knew, we couldn’t make any assumptions, so I would only take Aiden’s request as advice. It was too early to give up, and too early to decide. Everything would be confirmed after I met her. After leaving Tritia’s main gate, I took out a map from my subspace pocket and unfolded it. “Hmm…” The map, which detailed the kingdom’s terrain, was created by countless Wyvern Knights under the command of the Kilkard royal family, who shed blood and sweat to make it. However, the map made in that way flowed into the underworld with surprising ease. Distributing it was punishable by death, but there were many people in the world for whom money was more important than life. It might sound like a joke that the empire didn’t invade even with things like this being distributed, but the way armies were operated in this world was a little different. Even if they weren’t strong, they had wide-area magic, and there were Dragon Knights who ignored the concept of numerical superiority. In such a world, the operation of armies was bound to be much more complicated. At least, the great wars of attrition from the world we were born in were impossible. In order to invade, they needed a large number of soldiers, but the operation of a large army was impossible. What choice did they make to solve that seemingly contradictory problem? War in this world was siege warfare. The war between moving castles and unmoving castles. I smiled bitterly, recalling the military books I had read as a hobby. ‘…Rather than complicated, it might be simpler.’ I folded the map with a bitter smile and checked the distant mountain range. ‘As expected, it’ll be faster to go through the mountains, right?’ The northern part of the Kilkard Kingdom bordered the Astaltine Empire. The Altarkin Mountains, which stretched out from the empire, extended their influence to the northeastern part of the kingdom. The road from Tritia to the Lanche barony was blocked by the Altarkin Mountains. ‘Okay, then…’ I took out a compass, checked the direction, and nodded. If I used a carriage, I would have to go a long way around, but if I walked, there was no need. Considering that, I had plenty of time left. Having made my decision, I started walking towards the Altarkin Mountains in the distance. / Unlike when I came to Tritia, I didn’t use Light Steps. There were too many eyes watching in the wide-open horizon and the small villages I passed on the way to the mountains. I thought it would be fine to use Light Steps when I crossed the mountains. With that thought in mind, I entered the foothills of the mountains. “…Hmm?” “What, a woman?” I encountered a group entering the mountains at the same time and place. There were ten of them in total. Most of them were wearing leather armor, and they had weapons on their waists and backs. They looked like they had seen their fair share of fighting. “….” “….” If I hadn’t seen them at all, it would have been one thing, but having made eye contact, it was hard to ignore them. At the end of a strange standoff, the one who seemed to be their leader spoke to me. “…Are you traveling alone?” At the leader’s words, I gave an awkward smile and nodded. “Yes. Well…” Then, the way they looked at me changed subtly. There was no need to elaborate on how dangerous it was to cross the mountains alone. That wasn’t just the case in this world. Moreover, since a woman was crossing the mountains alone, it was no wonder they looked puzzled. ‘…No, rather than puzzled… is it something else…?’ I endured the strange gazes directed at me and pointed to the magic tome tied to my waist. “Even so, I have something to rely on.” When a woman travels alone, a magic tome is more convincing than a sword. A magic tome with Spellcraft engraved on it was a convenient item that allowed you to use magic if you knew the simple startup method and complex maintenance methods. Of course, I was strong enough not to need a sword, but others didn’t know that. “A mage?” “Hoo…” When I revealed that I was a mage, the mercenaries’ eyes changed once again. That was, in a way, natural. Even if the technique of magic wasn’t difficult, it certainly wasn’t easy. A mage had to be able to handle the energy of the mind, the data of thought, like the ‘contract’ of a magic tool, and control the magic tome through that thought. In short, a mage was the most versatile type of magic tool user. That wasn’t an easy task. Was that why? “Miss. It’s dangerous to travel alone, wouldn’t you need a guard?” “Of course. No matter how great a mage you are, it’s dangerous to cross the mountains alone.” “Normally, we’d charge for this kind of escort, but we’ll do it for free for a beautiful mage like you.” When I revealed that I was a mage, the men rushed to persuade me. It was an understandable measure. From the mercenaries’ point of view, the difference between having a mage and not having one was clear. And at their suggestion, I tilted my head as if I was pondering. “Hmm, I don’t know…” In fact, there was no reason to refuse. I had plenty of time to head to the Lanche barony anyway, and there was no problem even if I traveled with them. Besides, there were ten men. If they were genuinely trying to help me, it would be a little disappointing, but… “Heo, we’re only saying this for your sake.” “Do you know how dangerous it is to cross the mountains alone?” “You won’t regret it. We’re experienced mercenaries.” “Maybe you’ll have a good time too… Hehehe.” …It seemed that they weren’t just trying to help me with pure intentions. In particular, the man who was chuckling lewdly in the back was blatantly scanning my body, as if he was about to pounce on me right now. …Did they think I wouldn’t notice? If so, they must be quite stupid. But imagining being brutally attacked by such men was quite enjoyable. And that wouldn’t just end with my imagination. Secretly anticipating that, I smiled at the men and replied. “…Hmm, sure, let’s do that.” Having finished thinking, I nodded at their suggestion. Then the man who seemed to be the leader of the men approached me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Haha, you made a good choice!” Feeling the large, firm hand on my shoulder, I smiled slightly, following his lead. It seemed that something quite interesting was going to happen in the future. …Surely, that wasn’t just my imagination. I hoped it wasn’t my imagination. If it was, I would be very sad. / I thought something interesting would happen, but the scope of that premonition was wider than I expected. For example, the conversation with the mercenary captain while walking along the mountain path. Even if it wasn’t stimulating pleasure, there was a small amount of fun in traveling with them. “Our Truinbel Mercenary Corps is a pretty famous mercenary corps in the northeast, you know.” The northeastern region where the Altarkin Mountains continued was a region where the mining industry was developed. The nobles who formed the ‘Iron Brothers’ alliance were the main forces supplying high-quality iron to the Kilkard Kingdom, and it was a region that had developed in a different form from the base cities of the Mesheen Great Forest. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it…” “Hmm, you’re not from the northeast?” “Ah, how did you know?” “If you were, you wouldn’t not know us.” “…Aren’t you too proud?” If the Mesheen Great Forest was a habitat for various monsters, the northeastern region was the cradle of countless goblins. The Altarkin Mountains, which crossed the border between the empire and the kingdom, were politically and environmentally ambiguous regions to send troops to, and therefore, they were nothing more than a paradise for wild goblins. The reason there were mercenaries was because of that. Knowing that, I asked him in a subtle tone. “What kind of work do you mainly do?” “Haha, how much work would a mercenary in the northeast have? Mainly goblin extermination.” “Hee…” “However, we also capture them, which is different. Only excellent mercenaries can do that.” There were several races that corresponded to demihumans, but goblins held a unique status among them. They used tools, had their own language, and formed societies. They stubbornly survived even in harsh environments. It was easy to kill them, but it was difficult to completely exterminate them. Also, the nobles of the northeast had no reason to completely exterminate those goblins. They brainwashed the goblins and used them as slaves, driving them into the mines. They could be used at a lower cost than humans, and there was no need to worry about the church’s interference, so the nobles of the northeast treated goblins as a kind of hunting resource. “Goblins… I’ve seen them too.” “Haha! So, you’re a lady who already has experience!” At the mercenary captain’s words, which could be interpreted in two ways, I smiled as if I agreed. As he said, I had experience in both ways. “But it’s better to be careful. They’re dangerous.” “Dangerous?” “Since they’re originally intelligent, they occasionally invade villages and commit looting. Even if there’s a militia, it’s not easy for small villages to prevent their invasion. Thanks to that, many women have been caught by them and had a hard time.” “What kind of hard time…?” I roughly guessed, but asked as if I didn’t know. Then the mercenary captain made a scary face and whispered softly. “Of course, bearing their children.” “Pardon…?” “Haha! You must be very surprised. But don’t worry, miss, at least you won’t be dragged away and bear their children.” Was that an indirect way of saying that I would bear the children of the men here, not the goblins? Even if they were a famous mercenary corps, it didn’t seem like they would easily rape women, but a man’s boasting in front of a woman was one of the least trustworthy things in the world. Knowing that, I smiled at the mercenary captain, pretending to be innocent. “That’s a relief. I’m lucky to have met such reliable people…” If I had reached out to his chest with a subtle smile here, I could have had a good time right away.

However, considering the possibility that these guys might actually be the kind of trash who would assault a woman without hesitation, I decided against it. If my hunch was right, rashly seducing them would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Life is all about timing. It’s not every day you get the chance to be forcibly violated by a group of men while screaming that you don’t want it. Yurkin’s hunters were just a bit rough, but mostly innocent and kind, and Aiden wasn’t the type to do that either. I didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity that had come to me of its own accord. For the sake of future enjoyment, it would be better to be patient now. With that in mind, I smacked my lips, and their conversation seeped into my ears. “…Anyway, it’s the nobles who are the problem. They don’t release money to fill their own pockets, so the goblins are running wild.” “Hey, Maxen. Things aren’t as easy as you say. Do you think they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t hate it?” “Of course, they hate doing it. Can’t you see they’re running goblin brothels? They see those annoying bastards as money-” …Wait, what did he just say? “…Excuse me?” “Huh? What are you curious about?” “Ah, no, I thought you just said brothel…” Surely they wouldn’t jump me just because I reacted to that. They’re not adolescent boys, they wouldn’t get that horny. Thinking that, I asked the mercenary captain, who shot a sharp glance at the man named Maxen. “….” But only for a moment, soon he wore a gentle expression again and explained the reason to me. “What he said isn’t what you’re thinking, miss.” “Then what is it?” “Heh… I don’t know if I should be telling you this in front of a young lady…” “Ha, I’m all grown up, you know? I know everything I need to know. I’m curious, so tell me. What kind of brothel is it?” I asked with a sulky expression, and the mercenary captain smiled helplessly and replied. “To be exact, it’s not a brothel, but a goblin farm. It’s a farm that produces slaves, and sometimes they let the female goblins out to sell their bodies.” “…To whom?” “Who else would they sell them to?” “…Wow.” It was an unimaginable truth. Are humans just human after all? At the mercenary captain’s question, I could only nod silently.