episode_0375

***

“Where are you walking?”

John was confused when the captain who always accompanied Anna came looking for him.

“Around the forest.”

The captain roughly pointed with his finger toward a forest dense with trees.

“Uh… Yes. Okay.”

It didn’t seem like he was joking (he wasn’t the type to joke in the first place), but it seemed like he had something to say, so John stood up, shaking the dirt off his body.

With the appearance of the captain, the members who were beating him turned their backs and whistled as if they had never done so before.

‘You bastards.’

I gave you certain information, but you returned the favor with vengeance. I will never introduce you to a good business again. John made a promise.

“Do you have anything to bring?”

As John asked as he put on his leather armor and his bow, the captain looked his outfit up and down.

“Paper, pen.”

“Yes?”

John frowned at the slightly strange object.

“I guess I should bring some paper and pen.”

The captain, who made an incomprehensible sound, walked out of the camp first.

John hurriedly followed him and took paper and pen from the crew.

The crew looked in the direction where the captain and John had left, then sat down again and started talking about a new topic.

In the end, it was proven that the punishment for John was just a game for the bored crew.

John never knew this.

***

The footsteps of people and horses were not enough to leave traces on Mother Nature.

Dense trees and overgrown weeds made walking difficult.

In fact, leading a horse deep into the forest was itself a wrong decision.

You might not know if you are hiding without being detected at all, but if your location is discovered, you will become prey to the fireworks.

However, the situation was urgent, and the cavalry, who had to hide for a moment to buy time to treat their captain, entered the forest crying and eating mustard.

And that continued to bother John.

John placed his hand on a very old tree and swept its bark.

I could feel the traces of bumpy times.

John maintained an appropriate distance from the leader ahead of him.

“Captain, you didn’t really call me to ask if you were still gambling? Well, it’s not like it used to be. You don’t have to worry because you have set your money and are using it for gambling. Hahahaha.”

The captain remained silent despite John’s numb confession.

He just told me to follow him and didn’t say anything else.

“Tsk. Isn’t this it?”

Since he was always a quiet captain, John didn’t think it was strange.

However, I was curious as to why they called me and not Anna.

The captain continued to move in a direction away from the camp.

Sweat beaded on the two men’s foreheads, as if it was difficult to get through the confusing forest.

“Captain, where are you going?”

“I have something to tell you.”

It was a random answer, but Yohan understood it as meaning that he would use a pen and paper.

“If you go this way, this is where the imperial army is. Well, more accurately, it should be called the main territory. It looks like the imperial army is all over the forest anyway.”

“Did you know?”

When the captain ahead looked back, Yohan shrugged his shoulders.

“I found out while hunting yesterday. Although they are maintaining a reasonable distance, they are deploying troops on major roads.”

“Anna didn’t seem to know.”

“That’s proof that I’m better than Anna. So, I told you, I’m better suited to be the unit commander than Anna. Oh, of course, I’m not saying that because the unit commander’s salary is higher.”

John smiled, showing his teeth.

“As I watched, it seemed like he got along well with the crew.”

The captain said, looking at his smile.

“Yes? Ah… Well, it’s not like we’re particularly on bad terms or anything. Aren’t they the ones who have been with the mercenary group from the beginning?”

Yohan laughed as if asking why he was asking such an obvious question.

“What are the crew thinking now?”

“What do you think….”

“After one more day, we will have to face the imperial army.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

John tilted his head and scratched his head. The paper and pen in my pocket were stuck.

“Are there any personnel who want to avoid battle? Feeling afraid.”

“A-Where are those guys? You’re asking something strange.”

John opened his eyes wide and said, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“I see.”

The answer that came back was brief.

I walked and walked, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the border of the forest.

As I looked further into the distance, I saw a huge imperial military camp.

“I want you to write a letter. My hands haven’t listened yet.”

“Please just call me.”

Yohan answered, taking out a crumpled piece of paper.

The captain looked at the military camp and opened his mouth, and John wrote down his words on paper.

Perhaps because he was transcribing his thoughts, the content of the letter felt somewhat chatty compared to his usual letters.

He showed the completed letter to the captain, who glanced at it indifferently and then spoke to John.

“Attach it to an arrow and fly it over there.”

“You shouldn’t throw it at people, right?”

“Of course.”

“It’s a shame.”

John had a truly regretful look on his face.

John hung the letter on an arrow and tied a red string around its body.

Place the arrow on the bowstring and pull it straight. His sculpted muscles were revealed.

Flying, an arrow flew through the air. It was clearly visible because of the straps attached to the body.

It flew as if tearing through the sky and landed in front of the enemy’s sentry. Perhaps, if the captain had given permission, he could have let it fall on the guard’s head.

“Go back.”

When the sentry who found the arrow went in with it, the captain said:

***

On the way back to the camp, John couldn’t control his itchy mouth and asked the captain.

“But, will there be an emperor?”

“It will come out. Because you’ll want to see me.”

“…….”

“Why is that so?”

“No, that’s something unlucky to say. The captain said, I just thought it was like that.”

The captain chuckled at John’s words. The rare smile made Yohan feel good too.

It’s always nice to see people smiling.

“Captain. I heard this from Anna… that there may be a traitor among us…”

John asked cautiously.

“It’s not that it could be, it is.”

“…Isn’t it the captain’s mistake?”

“I wish so, but unfortunately.”

The captain blurted out his words.

“…Fuck. What kind of bastard doesn’t know grace.”

“Grace?”

“They are all people who received help from the captain. There may be a difference in degree, but I can’t believe that there is a bastard in the cavalry who returns favor with vengeance. No, I don’t want to believe it.”

“I see.”

“Are you okay, Captain? You treated me like family.”

“Hmm… I guess I might have been disappointed. Or, you know but you pretend not to know.”

The captain spoke as if he could sense other people’s emotions.

John pursed his lips in response to the puzzling answer.

“So, what are you going to do? If we catch the traitor, wouldn’t we be able to rub shoulders with you a little?”

“John. Do you trust me?”

“I believe it.”

“Then I guess I should do my job as a cavalry leader.”

The captain who was ahead stared at John.

“What you would choose if you were a cavalry commander.”

Suddenly, Yohan felt that the captain was unfamiliar.