35 – Episode 35 Mud Bath
＜Episode 35 Mud Bath＞
“Mosquito spotted!”
“Mosquito spotted!”
The light illuminating the sky,
And the sounds around.
The Swiffer Mercenary Corps halted their attack and stepped back.
“Commander.”
…
The Swiffer commander quickly turned his head.
‘The light must be a signal.’
‘Are they waiting for reinforcements?’
‘If so, the numbers here aren’t many.’
‘Should we deal with the mercenaries and even take out the observers?’
The commander slowly nodded.
They don’t know where the enemy reinforcements are.
If they are closer than expected…
Are there many numbers there?
“We must be prepared for total annihilation.”
“We’re leaving this place. Hurry!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Led by their captain, the mercenaries quickly departed.
“Is it okay if we don’t finish here?”
“We’ll aim for the next opportunity. After all, our identities haven’t been exposed.”
It was all thanks to enduring discomfort by wearing robes.
10 minutes.
20 minutes.
The Swiper Mercenary Unit ran without rest.
After running for about 20 minutes, the captain signaled to halt.
“We’ll rest for a moment. Then we’ll move swiftly from here on.”
The members, exhausted, responded in small voices before collapsing for a break.
Or they tried to.
Bang! Bang!
“What the—!?”
“Dammit! Just sat down!”
The mercenaries’ gazes all turned towards the captain.
The commander’s mind spun rapidly once again.
‘Are they following? Should I deal with them now?’
The commander turned his head, surveying the surroundings.
A forest dense with trees and grass.
Finding someone in this place was not an easy task.
Time was not on their side either.
The light illuminating the sky could be a signal to the reinforcements.
“They’re on the move.”
Until now, the Sweeper Commander and his members hadn’t been overly concerned.
They were not only hunting monsters but also humans.
Unlike the less intelligent monsters, hunting humans proved to be much more challenging.
Having overcome such difficulties before, they believed they could overcome this crisis too.
At least until the light illuminating the sky caught up like a spider’s web.
**
**
Monster Island.
Orc territory.
The bright light flickered and disappeared.
“Remarkable stamina. I won’t let them slip away like this, will I?”
He turned his head to Kai, walking beside him.
“It’s okay. No matter how good their stamina is, they can’t run as well as us.”
After the first signal,
The scattered hunters and slaves headed towards that place.
They might think they’re escaping, but in reality, they are being surrounded by allies coming from all directions.
“And you said they’re quite skilled?”
“Yes. Among the mercenaries we’ve encountered, some were quite skilled.”
“It’ll be easier to catch them after they’ve exhausted all their stamina.”
.
.
The nocturnal pursuit ended only after the sun rose.
12 assassins.
More than a thousand people gathered around them.
Hans leading 1,300 slaves.
Miller’s uncle with 350 hunters.
30 mercenaries, including Kaiman.
I stood in front of the mercenaries with Kaiman.
They also seemed to have given up, as they removed their robes covering their faces.
“The Swiffer Mercenary Corps…”
“Do you know them?”
“They’re mainly those who take care of dirty work. In other words, they can be called cleaning experts.”
The one who appeared to be the leader of the Swiffer Mercenary Corps took a step forward.
“Lord Kaiman, long time no see. We met once before, remember?”
“What are you talking about? And do you have to say such things?”
The leader smiled slightly and threw the sword to the ground.
“There was a clash between mercenaries in the field. We will explain this to the Mercenary Guild.”
…”
The situation was strange.
The one offering surrender smiled,
while the one with decision-making power remained impassive.
“Lord Kaiman, what’s the situation?”
“If you surrender, you have the right to be investigated by the Mercenary Guild.”
“So?”
“The Swiffer Mercenary Corps does dirty work. So, I’ve prepared a backup plan with a background in the guild’s upper echelons.”
The situation became somewhat clear.
Even as we were talking, the leader of the Swiffer Mercenary Corps remained confident.
“Conflicts in the field are common, aren’t they? We’ll tell everything when the Mercenary Guild investigators come. So, for now, return.”
Plop.
The sound of Kaiman’s light footsteps was heard.
Yet, Kaiman did nothing.
Both Kaiman and Aine want to change the current Mercenary Guild, but that doesn’t mean they dislike the Mercenary Guild.
Rather, it’s because I love the Mercenary Guild.
“So you intend to uphold the system created by the Mercenary Guild? Even when villains right in front of you might escape?”
“… I’m sorry. It’s not that the system is bad…”
Naive.
No wonder I’ve never been able to change the Mercenary Guild.
“Well, I’m no different, after all.”
That’s how I was on Earth.
No, it was worse.
Always avoiding conflict by saying good things are good.
But.
I’ve been through a lot and changed.
Coming to this world.
Experiencing death here too.
“For now, let’s start with the interrogation.”
“… Understood.”
Kaiman and the mercenaries collected the weapons of the Sweeper Mercenary Corps and tied their hands.
Even now, their expressions were contrasting.
The Sweeper Mercenary Corps was relaxed,
while the other mercenaries’ faces were distorted with anger.
Those mercenaries only survived by luck.
Anytime, it was a situation where one could die in the Swiffer Mercenary Corps.
Nevertheless, how agonizing it was to let them live.
After enduring the siege,
Kaiman and the mercenaries surrounded the Swiffer Mercenary Corps.
And they were heading towards the Frost River, where the Mercenary Guild was located.
Thunk.
Until I raised my arm to stop them.
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“Lord So, what’s the matter?”
“Deal with the mercenaries. I have something to say to them.”
Kaiman let out a small sigh.
“I understand Lord So’s feelings, but to run a mercenary guild, you must abide by guild law.”
“Of course.”
I have no intention of violating guild law.
As long as the mercenary guild is needed, conflicts with them should be avoided as much as possible.
Thud. Thud.
They stood in front of the Swiffer Mercenary Corps.
Kaiman guarded my side, seemingly unable to do anything.
And Hans, who commanded the slave soldiers, also stood beside me.
“Captain of the Swiffer Mercenary Corps.”
“Why do you call?”
“Do you think you’ve won?”
“Heh, what are you talking about?”
The mercenary captain’s smile deepened.
He deliberately crafted it to show me.
“In my experience… mercy doesn’t always yield favorable outcomes.”
“hahahaha. How long have you lived to say that? Do you think I haven’t investigated Lady Soyoung? And Lady Soyoung needs the Mercenary Guild. I also know she won’t violate guild laws recklessly.”
“Well aware. But you know, there’s one thing you missed.”
“What are you saying? What did I miss?”
I showed him the same mocking smile as the mercenary captain and moved away.
Despite the captain calling me from behind several times, I ignored him.
Instead, I gave Hans a specific instruction.
A while later,
“W-What is this madness?!”
The Swiper Mercenary Corps standing alone in the square.
And hundreds of crossbows aimed at them.
The phalanx unit guarding the front of the crossbowmen.
In the midst of the sudden change, Kaiman and the mercenaries retreated.
“L-Lady… Lady Soyoung!”
Kaiman also called me in a surprised voice.
Instead of answering, I slowly unsheathed my sword.
With a whoosh, the tip of the sword pierced the ground.
“I, as the lord of the Frontier, hold the duty to protect the Frontier territory and the rights to do so. In particular, the River Region is land under my direct management, granting me the authority to judge all crimes that occur here.”
The Mercenary Guild is undoubtedly a formidable organization.
Yet, they are not the strongest in the world.
There existed organizations stronger than them.
One of which is the empire to which I belong.
If the empire shines brightly like the sun, the Mercenary Guild can’t even compare, not even to the passing moon.
Events within the empire take precedence over guild laws.
There are numerous reasons, but they need not be explained.
If I were to give a reason, it’s because the empire is stronger.
Hence, even the Mercenary Guild acknowledges this.
“Execute the Sweeper mercenary captain and members who systematically murdered within the Frontier territory. Hans!”
“Yes! Crossbowmen, aim!”
Amidst the rapidly unfolding situation, the mercenary captain shouted in despair.
“My lord! No, milord! Please, calm yourselves for a moment! Listen to me!”
“We’ve already heard the victim’s statement and completed the comparison of the deceased’s wounds with the sword. Hans!”
“Fire!”
At Hans’ command, hundreds of bolts poured down upon the mercenaries.
They were skilled mercenaries, but…
There was no way to avoid the bolt.
My hands were tied and my weapon stolen.
Although the mercenary captain managed to evade here and there, it was at the level of protecting vital organs.
“Crossbow reload!”
“Fire!”
One. Two. Three.
After three rounds of Japanese fire, there were no standing members of the Swiffer Mercenary Corps.
That’s the power of authority.
That’s the power one must obtain by any means necessary.
If Breeilda gains power, I’ll have to flee the Frontier Territory as if running for my life.
“But even after leaving, I won’t be able to live in peace.”
“Hans, take care of the bodies.”
“Yes, sir!”
While the slaves were handling the aftermath,
Kaiman approached.
“Lady Soyoung… she’s definitely different from us.”
“…”
“I’ll express our gratitude in place of the mercenaries.”
“No, this is something I must do as well.”
After crushing the Sweeper Mercenary Corps,
River and the surrounding areas regained stability.
Office of the Governor of Suryeongju.
“You found it in the Frontier Zone?”
“Yes. More precisely, it’s in the area where goblins have been spotted.”
With the incident involving the Sweeper Mercenary Corps, hunters were heavily deployed to thoroughly comb the area.
And they discovered a phenomenon previously unknown.
She lowered her eyes and read the report again.
To summarize the contents:
– Thick magic so dense that it’s hard for people to approach.
– Goblins seen entering the area, though not thoroughly searched.
“Well, what do you think?”
“According to the hunter who made the discovery, they were much larger than regular goblins. And considering the area, there might be quite a few in number.”
“Is that so?”
After organizing her thoughts for a moment, she spoke up.
“Go to the Mercenary Guild and commission a goblin extermination. Set a generous reward.”
“Got it.”
This time, she intended to loosen the purse strings for the mercenaries.
To capture those whose hearts wavered due to the Sweeper Mercenary Corps incident.
