Chapter 71 – The Magic Bandits
All the villagers, except children, gathered in front of the village chief’s house.
Seojun, Ian, and Lily were also there, and the mercenaries were also mixed in with nervous faces.
The young men lined up in an orderly fashion, bringing spearheads prepared for such occasions. Some were already standing on the fence, staring out over the hill.
There was a tall wooden fence along the road in the village, so they wouldn’t be able to enter without permission.
Du-du-du-du-hee hee…!
The sound of horses hooves and neighing could sometimes be heard in the distance. Every time that happened, people were surprised and looked around with their heads all the way out and their eyes wide open.
The guys who appeared on horseback stood here and there with their heads sticking out, looking down at the village for a long time before disappearing.
Even though they acted as if they were about to attack at any moment, they only looked at them from afar and then retreated repeatedly.
“They keep hovering around town like that, blocking the town’s passage. I’m blocking the road in case someone tells the viscount’s troubles in the village.”
It was the blond-haired mercenary captain, a horse from Saxony. He said that he himself had suffered from them, and he talked about their ways.
“It looks like you are looking for a place to break through at the same time. Where is the weakest defense of the wooden fence?”
In response to Saxon’s question, the mercenary leader, the young man holding the spear point pointed to one side.
That place collapsed during the last heavy rain and hadn’t been repaired for a while, and it was the busy farming season, so there was not enough repairs because there were not enough workers.
Saxon muttered, covering his smile with the palm of his hand.
“They’re not petty thieves who have robbed a village or two, they’re gangs of bandits riding horses and setting fires all over the place, devastating them. No amount of troops can stop them. It’s dog death to face. Why don’t you just surrender…? I have to save my life…”
Saxony sneakily looked at the village chief to find an easy way.
However, the village chief, whose face had turned black, shook his head with a hardened expression.
“I will defend the fence more firmly and sit-in. I have heard rumors of how cruel my people are. We will not put our necks together for surrender. Women and girls will be raped and children will be slaughtered.”
At the village chief’s words, the men who were shaking their legs in fear took a deep breath and calmed their beating hearts.
An old man from the Holy Church, Bishop Luton said, sweeping his wrinkled face down.
“I have a copybook. If you send a call with it, you will arrive at the viscount’s house in one day.”
“That too will be blocked.”
The person who answered Bishop Luton’s words was Cain, a mercenary who had been splinting his leg for an injury.
He had a youthful face, as if he hadn’t even come of age yet, but the scars that ran from his cheeks to his lips made him look like a tough guy. However, perhaps because of his always friendly smile, few villagers were reluctant to him.
The Bishop of Luton immediately asks Kane back.
“How are they stopping you?”
“Those bandits are from Manchuria. Having grown up with horses in the highlands beyond the Thorn Mountains to the west, they handle the bow as if it were their own body. It wouldn’t be a job to hit a pigeon flying in the sky.”
At Kane’s words, the mercenaries nodded. Saxony added.
“So was the village we stayed in before. I sent three pigtails, but they all died from their arrows.”
The faces of the villagers were stained with despair. There was no way to see how to get through this crisis.
“Huh, what if I told you to give up all your possessions and leave?”
To the Bishop of Luton’s question, a mercenary man named David clicked his tongue and denied it.
If you bring them all, the satisfied people will all run around, and their share will be less. I had to stop that kind of thing in order to sneak away.
“Didn’t you hear that those chideul were from Manchuria? Satisfying people don’t have anything in the pot, so even if you throw a shiny jewel, you can’t tell it apart from a pebble on the roadside. Karak- Twa! Well, rumor has it that they sometimes slaughter and eat people when they are hungry… Those bastards should be especially careful…? They’re so thin that people who are satisfied will love them…”
Saxony pointed at the fat Thompson with a bulging belly and licked his lips with his tongue. Thompson shook his legs as if he were going to pee.
“In the end, we have no choice but to fight…!”
The village chief repeated those words.
If there was no way to save them even if they handed over their wealth, they had no choice but to fight back in the end. It’s better than standing still and being killed by dogs.
“Still, I have to send the electronic mail immediately. We’re lucky, and who knows if even one of them gets there alive. Chief, I will go to the Holy Church. And you guys. What will you guys do…?”
Asked Bishop Luton, looking at the mercenaries, David, the goatee mercenary, shrugged his shoulders.
“We have to fight too. There is no escape hole anyway.”
“That’s good. If I can keep the village safe, I will reward you somehow.”
“Thank you for that.”
Saxon smiled coolly, showing his yellow teeth.
…
Seo-joon glared at the mercenaries exchanging something with only glances.
It was Kane, a young mercenary, who usually gave detailed instructions.
Nom was of Manchurian origin, and although he was born and raised in the Thorn Mountains, his body was dwarfed and he didn’t look like a warrior.
Instead, he was quick-witted and smart-but it was also his plan to use the mercenaries in order to reduce the damage of the Satisfied Warriors, the bandits who are sweeping the West.
From the standpoint of the mercenaries, it was a good sister-in-law and a good brother-in-law.
It was inevitable that mercenaries, like all those who live on a knife, were cubs who risked their lives.
Even though those guys didn’t go through any particular risk, women were women, and money was money. You probably don’t want to miss this one.
So, these mercenaries will create a good environment for the bandits to rob the village without damage.
Like just before, they would try suggesting surrender with a hint of mouth, cutting off contact with the outside world, exploring places where the town’s defenses were weak, and setting fire to wooden fences to incapacitate them.
Hee hee…!
Ian and Lily came into the crowd belatedly. Seo-joon called out with a hand gesture saying that he was here.
“Ji, is it the real bandit, the bandit…?”
“Yes. Keep your mind straight And I think, those mercenaries are suspicious…? Not sure yet. Just in case you don’t know.”
At Seo-joon’s words, the two stiffened their bodies in a lot of tension. When Seo-jun warns them not to look at the mercenaries, the two belatedly take care of their eyes.
“Let’s watch first.”
At his words, the two nodded.
The village chief immediately ordered men and women of all ages to reinforce the wooden fence. In particular, more personnel were put into areas where defense was weak.
They will pile stones around the barriers and reinforce the doorways.
Even because of the barrier, they will have to get off their horses, and that alone makes it difficult for the bandits to enter without permission.
The population of the village was close to 150 people. Excluding non-powered personnel such as the elderly, children, and pregnant women, the number of people who can hold a sit-in is about 100.
They planned to gather non-powered personnel in the largest village headman’s house and hold a sit-in at the wooden fence.
In addition, Ian was the one who chose the fastest young man to send a warning and request for help to the neighboring village of Dejero.
People knew that Ian was running around the streets every evening, so they decided to give him the role.
“We need to get back as quickly as possible, Ian. Perhaps the fate of the town is up to you.”
“Yeah···!”
Ian nodded his head nervously. The blonde-haired mercenary captain hints at the village chief.
“We will look around the village. I’ll see if they can sneak in.”
“Please. Thank you.”
At the words of Saxon, the mercenary leader with blonde hair, the village chief shook his head.
“Captain, I will stay here and help the people.”
“I get it.”
Except for Kane, the mercenary who still had a splint on his ankle, the rest of the mercenaries dispersed in pairs.
The mercenary captain Saxon and David headed south of town, while the mercenary shields and the archer Daryl headed east.
The south side was where the Holy Church was, and the east side was in the direction of Dehero, where Ian was supposed to go.
Before Ian left, he kissed his mother, Sophia, and her father, Jack, and nodded while looking at Seojun and Lily.
Lily stares at Ian’s back as he runs straight to the next town, Dejero, with a hardened face.
Seo-joon asked her too.
“Lily, prepare yourself too.”
“What···?”
“If, as I guessed, the mercenaries are in the same league as the gangsters, they will definitely try to stop Ian. It would be annoying if the two villages united.”
At Seojun’s words, Lily opened her eyes wide. Seo-Jun caught her as she tried to run to Ian right away.
“Shush… Calm down for now Don’t roll your eyes because it’s obvious. Those guys will start moving when Ian enters the lonely mountain road.”
“…”
“Aim for that time. Can you…?”
“Brother is···?”
Lily was anxious. I think it’ll be fine if he’s with me… From what he said, it seemed that he was going somewhere else.
“The two of you can do it.”
Saying that, Seo-joon patted her on the head.
“Go. Take care of yourself.”
“Your brother, be careful too… Don’t get hurt.”
Lily also ran somewhere.
Seo-joon, who sent the two of them, glared at Kane, who was helping to reinforce the wooden fence.
With a good-natured smile on his face, he continued to survey the situation in the village.
If they finished the work as planned and started setting fire to the wooden fence, the bandits would attack immediately.
This was the beginning.
Seo-joon also began to prepare to move slowly.
