Chapter 35

Chapter 35

“Get up, you pigs! Enemies.”

Donovan kicked at the mercenaries who had just gotten comfortable. It was an emergency.

“How did the chase party catch up to us already?” The mercenaries all wondered the same thing. It was strange as they had traveled only on mountain trails where horses could not trot on.

“This is strange. Even if they mustered their men right away, it should have taken them at least a couple of days, but they caught up to us already?”

The mercenaries complained as they rummaged through their loads to take out their armor and weapons. They helped each other lace up their armor.

“What do you think, Urich?” Sven came up to Urich and asked. He gripped his double-handed axe as he pressed down his horned helmet.

“They aren’t the guard captain’s troops. Chasing after us from the city should have taken them at least two days to catch up. Also, it’s not like we took our time marching, either. It’s strange that they’re catching up to us, regardless of how hard they were chasing.”

Urich pondered as he brushed his chin. There was no reason for them to be caught up by the city guards already.

“That probably means that the young noble’s little group was already being chased even before they got to that city, and were only half a day, or a day ahead, at max,” Sven said as he glanced at Phillion and Pahell.

“If Phillion knew of the chase party, he would have told us. I don’t think he expected one to be so close behind. Man, this employer is a handful,” Urich laughed as he kicked his tongue.

‘They have about two dozen men, but we’re over fifty.’

They were outnumbering their enemies.

“They’re not idiots, Urich. They are engaging because they think they can beat us,” Sven warned Urich as if he had read his mind. It was never a good idea to underestimate an opponent.

“Yeah, I know. Numbers don’t always win.”

Urich drew his sword as the other mercenaries and guards finished their preparation for the battle. Pahell was the only non-combatant.

“Nock your arrows, they’re within range!” Donovan ordered as he eyed the distance of the enemies. The mercenaries with the bows pulled their bowstring far back.

The enemies were only protected with light armor since their main focus was the pursuit.

“Shoot them!”

The mercenaries released their arrows, weaving through the dense forest.

Thuck!

The arrows struck the trees, failing to hit a single enemy. They hid behind the trees or raised their shields.

“Damn, you see that? They dodged all the arrows. They have some skills. We’re not gonna get to them with our arrows,” Urich said as he spun his axe. The enemies had a special movement to them, showing how experienced they were as warriors.

“Shoot them again!”

The mercenaries released another wave of arrows, but the enemies stayed hidden behind the trees.

“Keep your bows up so they can’t come out of the woods,” Donovan said to the archers.

“Sven down the left, and Donovan down the right! I’m going down the middle. Bachman, you stay with the young noble and keep him safe!” Urich ordered as he raised his sword in each direction. The mercenaries marched forward with their weapons to gain the advantage of surrounding their enemy.

“Follow me, my piggies!”

Urich led the line with a shout. He darted forward with his axe and sword in each of his hands.

“Woahhhhh!”

The enemies faced the mercenaries, and they were soon in a pandemonium of screams and cries.

“Ahhhhh!”

Urich swung his axe and slammed it down on the enemy’s shield. He tried to slice through the enemy’s shield and get all the way into his neck.

Woosh!

A spear whizzed past him in front of his eyes. With a quick twist of his head, Urich dodged the spear. It nearly impaled his head.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

Screams came from all sides. Some mercenaries had failed to dodge the launched spears and had a hole punched through their heads.

‘They’re attacking in pairs?’

The enemies were warriors of considerable skill. They fought in pairs, where one held a sword and shield while the other held a spear.

‘When one of them blocks an attack with their shield, the other stabs the enemy with their spear. Their movements are in sync as if they’re a single body.’

Urich repeatedly stepped back to dodge the spear blades.

“Dammit, get the wounded out of there!”

‘Phillion.’

Phillion was the one holding the bow. He looked at Urich.

“Why did you kill him?”

“I thought he was attacking you,” Phillion said casually.

“Attack? I was going to capture him alive.”

Urich narrowed his eyes but didn’t say much else.

The enemies began to flee, and the enraged mercenaries had no intention of keeping them alive. They crushed the skulls of anyone they could catch.

“Huff, huff.”

The battle was over. The mercenaries fell to the ground to catch their breath, with their eyes still burning from the heat of the battle.

“Take care of the bodies.”

After catching their breaths, the mercenaries rose to their feet. They stripped the bodies to collect their loot, then gathered all the dead men in one pile.

“Oil.”

They surrounded the bodies with firewood and covered them with oil. Oil was a necessity for the mercenaries, as cremation was their staple mode of funeral.

“Oh, Lou.”

The mercenaries recited their prayer. They cremated their brothers and their enemies alike since all souls were headed up to Lou, anyway. Everyone was equal before Lou.

“Isn’t it hard to bury all of them individually?”

Urich squatted down and looked at the northerners. Their mode of funeral was burial.

“What’s so hard about it?” Sven shrugged off Urich’s question and continued to dig with his shovel.

Urich observed the northern funeral. They buried the body of their fallen brother along with the armory that he used in this world. There were some mercenaries who smacked their lips at the wasted armory, but they were well aware that Sven would crush their skulls if they tried to take it from the ground.

It took the mercenaries until sundown to finish cleaning up the battle scene. The exhausted mercenaries finally got to have some rest.

“You fought well, I’ll make sure you get your extra pay,” Phillion said, looking at Urich, as he acknowledged his work. Urich stared at his employer.

“Arrest him,” Urich said as he raised his fist. The mercenaries who had been informed by Urich earlier pounced on Phillion and his guards.

“W-what are you doing, Urich! Didn’t you swear on your integrity on the name of Lou?” Phillion yelled. Urich only looked at him with cold eyes.

“You’re the one who broke the promise of integrity first.”

Phillion’s face turned pale at Urich’s words.

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding here, just give me a chance to explain, Urich.”

Urich didn’t bother to let Phillion finish and waved to his mercenaries. They gathered Phillion and his guards together and put their weapons against their necks. Any silly movement would see their heads fall off.

“You tricked me and my brothers. Now, speak.”

Urich plunged his sword into the ground. He gripped the hilt with locked hands and glared at his employer. It wasn’t as if he had any proof or hard evidence that Phillion lied, but he accused him regardless. Suspicion alone was enough to act on, as evidence was something that could be dragged out of someone with violence and force.

“I don’t know what you’re on about... Master!”

Donovan grabbed Pahell by the back of his head and dragged him out to the rest of his entourage. Pahell, whose face was covered in tears, stared at Phillion.

“S-sir Phillion, do something, please! Let me live, please!” Pahell cried out, and Donovan grinned beside him.

“Sir Phillion, you’d better start talking before your master’s tongue drops to the ground,” Donovan threatened as he dug his fingers into Pahell’s mouth and grabbed his tongue.

“U-ugh!”

Pahell was losing his mind at the taste of metal against his tongue. His crotch was drenched in yellow urine.

“Stop! Please, stop! He is...”

Phillion stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, then carried on with quivering lips.

“Varca Aneu Porcana. He is the sole and rightful heir to the Porcana Kingdom.”

Donovan let go of Pahell’s tongue with a dumbfounded look.

“R-royalty?”

Pahell, with his tongue now free, exclaimed.

“How insolent! Get on your knees, you bastards! I will personally send you all to the gallows. Ugh!”

Urich booted Pahell in the stomach. It was just a light kick for him, but for Pahell, it felt like he had been struck with a boulder.

“Shut up, I’m talking to Phillion right now. Keep talking, Phillion, before I turn your precious master into a pulp.”