episode_0018

I cautiously led Sanchu towards the door. It was already crowded with guards.

Leaving Sanchu nearby, the priest followed me up the stairs.

From above, I could see torches scattered across the meadow. The light was slowly approaching the village.

It didn’t seem like a friendly visit. There was no reason for merchants to come looking for trade in the middle of the night, and the group was too large to be just travelers.

I asked the guard who was staring at the approaching figures with a growl beside me.

“Do we have to fend for ourselves?”

“We’ve already sent people to the nearby city before they surround the village.”

That was a relief. In a world without teleportation magic, medieval messengers took a long time to communicate.

Even if we rushed to the nearby lord to deliver the message, the village could have already disappeared by then.

“If the news is delivered in time, when can we expect reinforcements?”

“It could be as soon as half a day, but if the situation there is not favorable, it could take longer than a day.”

“Half a day, at least half a day…”

The guard said that and tightened his grip on his rough sword.

I quickly calculated in my head. Could we hold out?

Though it was hard to tell in the darkness, the enemies outnumbered the guards on the stairs, and some of them seemed to have some sort of armor. It was not the typical gear of ordinary thieves.

“Are they the rumored ex-mercenary bandits?”

“Some of them seem to be. But not all of them.”

“What does that mean?”

Not everyone who becomes a mercenary wants to become a criminal. There might be a few loyal people among them.

Even if that was the case, once they turned into thieves, they couldn’t move as a unified force like before. If their control and organization were strong, would they resort to robbery?

“Not everyone is armed like mercenaries. Some are just carrying clubs without any armor.”

“Then…”

“There might be some poor and insignificant thieves mixed in.”

Presumably, they were a fraction of former mercenaries who turned to robbery and absorbed nearby small-time criminals. It was clear that the armaments were not uniform for everyone, indicating the presence of commoners among them.

Fortunately, it seemed that the enemies didn’t have proper siege weapons with them. But then again, what could one expect from thieves?

The situation was likely to turn into a chaotic battle. Isn’t that what knights are good at? Of course, the enemy’s armament status was crucial.

As we prepared for battle, the light reached the front of the village.

As the hunters tensed up, ready for a confrontation, one of the growling bandits stepped forward and shouted.

“Is there a representative of the village here?”

The tension in the air rose, enough to wake everyone in the village. Such dialogue served the purpose of asserting dominance.

At this point, there should have been someone in the village who could respond, but strangely, there was no one answering. Perhaps it was a sign of determination not to engage in conversation with the dirty raiders. Admirable.

I looked around, expecting the guards to be preparing for battle with a serious expression, and then I noticed something unexpected.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

However, to my surprise, all eyes were on me.

Surely, unless they had blindfolds on, they would know that I wasn’t from this village.

“Could you at least tell me what’s going on here?”

“I can’t not tell you. But isn’t there a village chief or someone like that here?”

“Although I am here, upon hearing the news, I collapsed and still haven’t regained my senses.”

“Oh Lord.”

This village, where the village head is a newcomer, is it really okay like this?

The guards discreetly cleared the way, and I moved towards the center as people shuffled around me.

It seemed fine. It’s not like I haven’t done this a couple of times before. Didn’t I wrestle with barbarians in the north?

Once I found a good spot, the thieves looked much clearer than before. Only when a thief met my gaze did he shout upon seeing my armor.

“Who are you! You don’t seem to fit in this small village.”

“I’m a passing knight!”

“A knight, then what is your name?”

“I am Lavenn from Bolle!”

Upon hearing my words, the thieves started whispering among themselves. They weren’t particularly discreet; if you listened closely, you could hear everything.

Some knew who I was, some had never heard of me, and some felt like they had seen or heard of me but weren’t sure. After hearing all of this, the representative of the thieves nodded and spoke up.

“We don’t know who you are!”

I see.

Indeed, one must climb higher in society. Perhaps the reach of my name ends here.

Someday, I hope that just the mention of my name will make others step back on their own. Then, there won’t be such annoying incidents.

However, perhaps it’s not my name but the title of a knight, symbolizing a war machine, that holds more weight. The thieves began proposing something else to me.

“But the fact remains that you are an outsider with no connection to this village! So, I have a proposal for you.”

“What is it?”

“I won’t do anything against this village even if I leave! Will you accept?”

“Hmm.”

“Um, sir knight?”

For a knight, displaying power can sometimes lead to miraculous exchanges, literally turning one into a walking bank for hire.

But that’s usually the case for ordinary soldiers; things are a bit different for well-trained mercenaries.

Not just for me, but also because we’re waiting for reinforcements that may arrive at any time, Licia needs to be taken care of in this situation.

It’s a very selfish thought, but even if it compromises my social reputation, it wasn’t necessarily harmful.

Still.

“If you thought you could manipulate me with such a special trick, that would be a big mistake!”

“…Sigh.”

If you keep making excuses and avoiding helping when things get dangerous, how will you ever build a good reputation and succeed?

You’ll be branded a coward, marked with the stigma of dishonor, wandering for the rest of your life. That is something I cannot tolerate.

Just a moment ago, until I hesitated briefly, the priest, who had sent a look like ‘Oh, really?’ seemed to believe in me, as he breathed a sigh of relief.

And yet, well.

Even in a chaotic situation, rescuing a girl or two wasn’t impossible.

Moreover, with no one else to trust, should I trust thieves?

Remember, they are the ones trying to restore the looting drift by claiming they worked hard to bring peace. If there were credit ratings, they’d probably be in the negatives.

The thieves chuckled without hesitation.

“Well then. It seems like things are looking up. Good timing.”

“All troops! Prepare for battle!”

I drew my sword. Didn’t the priest say there was a good blessing on this?

Of course, the effect must have worn off by now, but whether it was psychological or not, it still seemed to shine a bit.

The taut tension of anticipation was broken by someone’s shout, and silence was shattered as the unexpected battle began in the dead of night.

*****

People started gathering at the church.

There was no underground shelter, but for those seeking peace of mind, this place was second only to home.

When faced with real threats looming before them, the knights believed in their strength, and secular lords trusted their soldiers.

But for those who couldn’t rely on such things, there weren’t many places to turn to.

“We only hope, O Lord, that you may grant us salvation.”

“Please bestow upon us the miracle to overcome this trial.”

In a world where law and order had crumbled, faith was like that, and people longed for salvation. They hoped to overcome this irrational reality with miracles even more impossible than that.

Though the Lord had answered with several miracles and signs, He couldn’t save everyone. The church, as well as the believers, were aware of this.

Yet, in desperation, they had no choice but to pray once more.

Not for wealth, not for the power to defeat an army alone, but simply to see the light of another morning unharmed.

Outside, amidst the shouts echoing through the entire village and the sounds of metal clashing and wood breaking, the church was filled with people’s prayers.

And even if one was exhausted beyond measure, there was no one who could sleep soundly until such a time.

“…Huh?”

In the midst of the commotion, a nun who had been sound asleep in a corner of the church opened her eyes.