CH 195

Dispute

***---***

After spending the night in a village in the Irosun Great Forest and getting ready to leave for Volzard, something seemed to be happening on the highway.

Guild staff were stationed at the entrance to the village, and just like when we entered the forest, they adjusted the order of departure so that the strength of the people traversing the highway was even.

Around the guild staff members, perhaps waiting to depart, there was a large mass of people crowding.

"Johannes-san, I'll take a look."

"Don't, you can't get close because of that crowd."

"No, I can hide in the shadows, so it's okay."

"Ou, is that so, then go and ask them what's going on."

"Understood."

If I hide in the shadows, no matter how many people there are, I can make my way to the center.

It seemed that the commotion was caused by the guild staff not giving permission to leave.

"When exactly are you going to let me leave?"

"The people we sent to the scene have not returned yet, so we do not know what is going on. It seems that violent attacks are continuing."

"Is it completely impassable then?"

"For now, consider it to be so."

"The prospects of a solution ... what about that?"

"I can only say that I don't know anything about that."

After listening for a while, I came to understand the situation, albeit vaguely.

According to them, a small settlement a little further from Slakka in the direction of Volzard was attacked late last night.

It seemed that not only the residents of the village but also the people who stayed there suffered casualties, and it seemed that Bakkenheim and Marburg were at odds over the raid.

The Irosun Great Forest was located on the border between Bakkenheim and Marburg, and there was a checkpoint set up by both families at the midpoint of the highway that passed through the forest.

Even within the same Landshelt Republic, there were items that were prohibited from being distributed, and it was said that it was a facility to check to prevent such items from being brought in or taken out.

In terms of Earth, it would be like a border checkpoint for a landlocked country such as Europe.

The checkpoint was set up across a buffer zone of about 50 meters in width, and although it was usually a place to go through the procedures for passage, it seemed that a skirmish was happening currently as it was like a mutual fort.

I didn't know the details, but it seemed that due to the continued confrontation between Bakkenheim and Marburg, traffic on the highway had become impossible.

When I reported what I heard to Johannes-san, he told me to go with him to Augusto-san.

"Then you have no idea when we'll be able to leave?"

"Yes, it seems that the guild has given instructions to postpone departures from the village to the direction of Volzard at this time."

After hearing Johannes-san's report, Augusto-san sank into his own thoughts for a while with his arms folded.

"Kent, is it possible to use shadow movement to scout?"

"Yes, I can. If I dive in and approach them, they won't even notice."

"Okay, then go on reconnaissance to grasp the current situation, then come back and report to me."

"Understood. The escorts here are as solid as yesterday's, so please rest assured."

When I dived into the shadows, Reinhardt was waiting for me.

[ Kent-sama, I have sent Kobolds to the attacked village. It is better for you to understand the current situation. ]

"Alright. Let's go there first, then the checkpoint, and then go back to Volzard."

The village of Lindahl, which was attacked, was in a terrible state.

Most of the buildings had burned down, and there was a burning smell in the air.

People who appeared to be soldiers of Bakkenheim were collecting the bodies, perhaps from Slakka or the checkpoint, but most of them were burnt to the point that it was difficult to determine their gender just by looking at them.

[ It's probably the work of raiders. ]

"Is there no possibility of monsters?"

[ Most monsters are afraid of fire, with the exception of fire-attribute monsters such as Salamanders. Besides, you can see cut marks and stab wounds on the corpses. ]

I couldn't help but turn my eyes away from the terrible state of the corpses, but when I made up my mind and took a look, there were indeed deep cuts on the shoulders and chest that looked to have been caused by a knife.

Among the corpses, there were also those that looked to be young children.

Being shown such cruel methods, bandits and thieves, I agreed with the policy of the death penalty as soon as they were caught.

"It's the Marburg guys. They're the ones who did it. I saw it with my own eyes! Marburg soldiers. Those uniforms belong to Marburg's soldiers!"

Next to the soldiers collecting the corpses, there was a middle-aged man shouting.

His clothes, which covered his hands and face, were black with soot, and some of his hair even had burnt marks.

He sat by the roadside, his tears running down his cheeks stained with soot and falling to the ground in black drops.

"My wife, my children, my house, my horse, they are all gone. I beg you, I beg you, take revenge. Kill the guys from Marburg ..."

The soldiers surrounding the man had various expressions on their faces.

Some had a sorrowful look on their face, others were clenching their fists with anger and gritting their teeth, and others were drowned in thought with their arms crossed.

[ Kent-sama, it seems that this is the cause of the uproar. ]

"Hearing that the men who attacked the village were wearing the uniforms of Marburg's soldiers, do you mean that there were people who attacked without even checking?"

[ Even if you think about it calmly, there are people who can't make normal decisions when they see such a scene. As a result of such people carelessly getting ahead of themselves, there are cases where it develops into a big conflict. ]

"Fred, come back for a minute."

I summoned Fred, who was investigating the state of the royal castle, with a shadow summon.

[ Did you call me ... Kent-sama ... ]

"Can you command the Kobold Corps and chase after those who attacked?"

[ The area around the village ... cannot follow the smell because of the fire ... but, if you go a little distance, you should be able to catch it ... ]

"Chase them and look for a hideout."

[ Roger ... Leave it to me ... ]

Fred and five of the Kobolds would form a tracking team to find the attackers.

"Reinhardt, let's go to the checkpoint."

After leaving Lindahl and moving to the checkpoint, the situation was worse than expected.

"Uraa, dieeee!"

"Don't screw with me, you raiders!"

In the buffer zone, Bakkenheim and Marburg soldiers were fighting with swords.

Just looking around, there were nearly 100 people fighting and no one was trying to stop them.

Attack magic fireballs, water arrows, and bows and arrows flew about, and there were soldiers who were lying still and not moving.

[ This looks bad, Kent-sama. If the fight continues to intensify, it could turn into a full-fledged battle. ]

"No, no, to me it already looks like a full-scale war situation ..."

[ If the number of casualties increases, they will hold a grudge against each other, and the resolution of the dispute will be delayed. ]

"But, even if I tell them to stop, if it's all messed up like this ..."

[ What, it's easy. All you have to do is throw in something that poses a threat to both sides. ]

"I see, Zeta, Eta, Theta, surround them and intimidate them as much as you can. Nero, while running through the buffer zone, cut down two or three large trees!"

"Leave it to me, Nushi-dono."

"Leave it to Nero, nya."

The roar of Zeta-tachi shook the air of the battlefield, where swords against swords, swords and shields clashing, the roars of the soldiers, and screams swirled.

"WOoooooo!"

"WOoOOooooo!"

"WoOooooo!"

The roar that surrounded the battlefield from three sides caused the soldiers with swords to jump back and take their distance, sending wary looks at the surroundings.

Then, Nero kicked through the air and ran over the soldiers' heads like a gale, brandishing its claws.

Nero's wind blade cut the surrounding giant trees into shreds, and thick branches and trunks rained down on the buffer zone.

"Storm Cat! Return to the checkpoint!"

"Lend a hand to the injured, hurry up, go back!"

Zeta and the others jumped out of the shadows and ran through the soldiers who began to return to their checkpoints in a hurry.

"Uwaa, Gigawolf!"

"Where did they come from!"

"Hurry up and get back to the checkpoint!"

Yeah, they probably wanted to appeal that they could run as well as Nero.

[ Now, Kent-sama, please ... ]

"Eh, please, what?"

[ If they just stop fighting, they might start a skirmish again. If they fight any more than this, they will face an S-rank adventurer, so please warn them. ]

"Haa ... I'm not good at standing out ..."

However, just as Reinhardt said, even if the battle ended, the possibility that something would trigger another skirmish could not be ruled out.

In the middle of the buffer zone where Bakkenheim and Marburg were glaring at each other, I put out a shield of darkness and went out.

"Hello everyone! I am Kent Kokubu, an S-rank adventurer based in Volzard."

"What business does an adventurer of Volzard have here!"

"I think both sides have their own reasons, but please end the skirmish first."

"Why should we take your orders."

"That's right! People who have nothing to do with it should go away!"

When I proposed they stop fighting, I got a lot of boos.

"Then, how did you all plan to end the battle? Ah, kill all the opponents ... I don't need such a stupid answer."

"Such a thing, Marburg can just hand over the culprits!"

"Don't screw around! Show me the proof that Marburg did it!"

"Don't be fooled, there are people who have properly witnessed it!"

It felt like a verbal tit-for-tat, they were so emotional that they couldn't even have a calm discussion.

"Yes, yes! That's enough! If everyone continues to skirmish, who will be looking for the raiders? Aren't the people who attacked being carefree? Do you want to help the raiders get away?"

"Then, what should we do!"

"Don't say you haven't thought of anything!"

"I'm sending my genus to find the raiders' hideout. I'll let you know as soon as I know the location, but are you dissatisfied with that?"

"Is that true? How are you looking for it?"

"My genus Kobolds are in the process of searching for them by following their smell. It will be difficult because of the burnt smell around the village, but after the raid, there must be a smell of blood left behind. If they track it down, they should be able to find the hideout. What do you think, can you put an end to this useless fight?"

There was no objection from either Bakkenheim or Marburg, and it was decided to collect the fallen people in a disarmed state.

The bodies of those who died in battle were horribly damaged, with no arms or legs, or decapitated.

If I continued to live in Volzard, I might have more chances to see such corpses.

This was the second time since Nero and Zeta-tachi exterminated the bandits of Rivarre Pass, but seeing a real decapitated corpse was tough mentally.

[ Kent-sama ... Found the hideout ... ]

"Really? I have to let the people here know, so could you draw a map for me?"

[ Roger ... It's not too far from the highway ... ]

The raiders' hideout was in the woods on the Bakkenheim side, not in Marburg.

It seemed that more than 40 raiders were hiding in a cave that was dug over a small hill after going about 500 meters from the road into the forest.

After both sides finished collecting the soldiers' bodies, I brought out Zeta-tachi to show off.

"These kids are my talented genus. As you just saw, they can enter and exit freely within the shadows. I'm letting these kids watch over whether the truce is being respected, so please don't even think about resuming the battle. If you start a fight, I'll make them gobble you up from your feet, so with that in mind ..."

When Zeta-tachi bared their fangs and growled, they had no choice but to agree.

While returning Zeta-tachi, I also dived into the shadows and moved to the checkpoint on the Bakkenheim side.

"Who is the person in charge?"

Most of the people were looking towards the buffer zone, so when I called out to them from behind, they all turned around in surprise.

"I'm the one in charge, Vanel, but are you a dark magician?"

"Yes, I can't tell you the details, but more importantly, my genus discovered the raiders' hideout."

"Really, where is it?"

"In the woods on the Bakkenheim side."

"That's stupid ... The people who attacked us wore Marburg uniforms ..."

"Don't you think it's strange to attack in such an easy-to-understand outfit? If the assailants were really from Marburg, they wouldn't act in a way that would expose their identity."

"Are they really, truly on the Bakkenheim side?"

"There is no Bakkenheim or Marburg for thieves. Aren't they enemies of virtuous citizens?"

"Umu ... That's right. So, can you guide me?"

"This is a map showing the location. Do you understand?"

Looking at the map Fred drew, Captain Vanel nodded several times.

"It's okay, we also patrol the forest on a daily basis, but this is outside of that route."

"Then, the other party is aware of your movements."

"I guess so ... What's the mark here?"

"It seems that there are guards lurking there. There are four places in total, and two people are stationed at each place."

"Probably a watchman and a messenger. Alright, we'll take care of it from here on out."

"It seems that there are more than 40 people in total, but do you need our support?"

"There are so many people ... We might miss them alone. Can we ask for help?"

"I don't mind, as long as I receive a reward."

"It depends on how much help is possible ..."

"Let's see ... How about putting all the guards to sleep and encircling them so that there are no raiders running away?"

"Is it possible to put the guards to sleep?"

"Yeah, it's easy."

It's easy if I used the sleeping pills I prepared when rescuing my classmates from Lastock.

The rest would be checkmated if the Kobold Corps surrounded the area.

When I was thinking about negotiating the amount with Vanel-san, Mirt, who had been left as a liaison, showed up.

"Wafuu, Goshujin-sama, Basten is back, and there's going to be a riot."

"Understood, I'll be right there. Vanel-san, I have to go back to Slakka, so could you come after me? Let's meet at the guild's office."

"Understood. I'll catch up with you right away once we've got our staff together."

I hurried back to Slakka, there was an uneasy atmosphere in the village.

"Collect the guys from Marburg! If you hide them, we won't let it be!"

"Ora, this way! Don't dawdle, walk faster!"

"Guaa ... What did we do, stop being violent!"

It seemed that there were some people who had gone out of control in Slakka, and they were gathering travelers from Marburg in the square in the center of the village.

Some of the men who were gathering travelers were wielding swords soaked in blood, and it seemed that the bloodshed had already progressed.

Most of the male tourists in Marburg had bruises on their faces, and the cloth that covered their foreheads was soaked with blood.

The people from the Dukas Company who we helped on our way to Slakka were also there, but there was no sign of the escort.

The gathered travelers were surrounded by village men and adventurers armed with sticks and swords.

From among them, a fat man with a bloody sword stepped forward and raised his voice.

"Okay, that's good! I'll avenge Lindahl now! KIll all these bastards!"

"Oooooo! Kill them! Make an example of them!"

"Who's first? A kid? A woman?"

The people who surrounded the people from Marburg had bloodshot eyes and mentally deviated from their normal state.

When I was thinking of asking Zeta-tachi to threaten them again, someone called out to the men who turned into a mob.

"What are you doing! What right do you have to detain these people!"

"Who are you, you bastard!"

"I am Augusto Volzard, the eldest son of Klaus Volzard, the Lord of Volzard."

"N, Noble-sama, this is a problem between Bakkenheim and Marburg. You're unrelated, so please withdraw!"

"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way we can overlook a violent act of execution without judicial investigation in the Landshelt Republic."

"Sh, shut up! Those guys from Marburg set Lindahl on fire! What's wrong with getting revenge!"

"Then show me solid proof that it was burned down by Marburg."

"Someone who survived said it was the work of Marburg soldiers!"

"Something like that doesn't count as evidence. Show me proof that identifies the identity of the attacking soldiers! In the first place, for what reason would Marburg attack the village. Marburg's main industry is mineral resources. It's number one customer is Bakkenheim. If Bakkenheim stops buying ore, Marburg will be in trouble. Far from a gain, it's a big loss!"

The pressure of Augusto-san had lowered the tension of the gathered mob.

This was the place to put out the finisher, wasn't it.

As if to show off to the mob, I put out a shield of darkness diagonally behind Augusto-san and stepped forward.

"Augusto-san, I found the hideout of the raiders."

"Kent, as expected of an S-rank adventurer, you work fast!"

The emergence from the shield of darkness and the words 'S-rank adventurer', sent the mob into turmoil.

"Kent, where is the hideout?"

"Yes, in the forest on the Bakkenheim side."

Hearing my words, this time the people who gathered the people from Marburg raised their voices.

"Don't screw with me! They have nothing to do with us!"

"These guys ... They did whatever they wanted, how are you going to make up for that!"

"Calm down! Compensation for the victims will be handled by this Augusto Volzard. Keep your cool! Everyone surrounding them, disarm immediately."

"L, lies. Such a story has to be a hoax. I heard, the guys from Marburg did it, I definitely did!"

The fat man who had been confidently raising his voice until just a moment ago was trembling with a pale face.

The sword that he held in his right hand was undoubtedly stained with someone's blood.

Since he pretended to be an ally of justice and turned into a criminal, he wasn't at peace.

"Augusto-san, I don't see the soldiers ..."

"Maybe they're headed for the checkpoint."

"I see, so the people who could restrain these guys are ... not here."

"It seems like that, Kent, can you hold them down?"

"Of course."

The people who surrounded the people from Marburg had gathered and started discussing something.

From from disarming themselves, their eyes looked bloodshot again.

I hadn't confirmed it, but I think they killed a few people.

Among the people who were gathered, there were some who were seriously injured.

After the discussion, the mob seemed to split into two groups, one side facing the gathered people from Marburg, the other side facing me and Augusto-san.

Furthermore, when several men started chanting after that, a fireball with a diameter of 2 meters appeared over their heads.

"Not good, compound magic, huh ..."

I immediately crouched down and put my hands on the ground to make a hole about 3 meters deep at the feet of the mob.

The figures of the rioters disappeared into the hole, and the fireball also fell from above.

"Ugyaaaaaa!"

Along with the screams of the mob, a pillar of fire blew up from the bottom of the hole, but they're not dead, right?

I wanted to sprinkle water on them, but I didn't have the water attribute yet.

"Hot!! Ho ~ t, water, waterrrr!"

"Quick, quickly water, it burns, fiiiire!"

The people from Marburg who were forcibly gathered were holding their stomachs and laughing.

"E, excuse me. If there is someone with water attribute, could you pour some water on them?"

When I asked for it, people with water attribute started throwing water balls from above, err, it's not water spears, so they won't die.

The water balls continued being thrown until the white smoke from the bottom of the hole stopped.