Chapter 178: An Approaching Crisis (2)

Chapter 178: An Approaching Crisis (2)

I headed to the office to meet Gale.

Several servants followed behind me.

“...”

I still wasn't accustomed to such treatment.

How much longer must I endure this before I become numb to it?

Taking a short breath, I spoke to the servants.

“Go take a rest. I'll manage on my own.”

It was widely known within our household that I was uncomfortable with the servants' accompaniment.

I had made it quite obvious over time.

Perhaps because of that, the servants bowed silently and stepped away from me.

Only Desmond, the head butler, continued to follow me.

Soon, I arrived in front of the office.

-Knock, knock, knock.

“It’s Berg. I’m coming in.”

I opened the door and entered naturally, meeting Gale's gaze as he was looking over some documents.

His expression wasn't bright.

He didn't even look up at me, deeply engrossed in his work.

Then, he sighed and put down the documents.

With a face full of worry, he spoke to me.

“It's never-ending.”

“...”

“I expected this...but it's really pouring in every day. It's like a horde of war monsters.”

Gale was talking about the bandits.

Just as he said, bandits were springing up everywhere.

People who had lost their homes as a consequence of the war.

People whose land was too contaminated to farm.

People who had fallen out of mercenary life...and so on.

All choosing the path of becoming bandits.

The end of the war didn’t mean a paradise-like future was awaiting us.

The whole kingdom was still groaning under unhealed wounds.

As a result, the Red Flames group frequently roamed to exterminate bandit groups...but it was impossible to eradicate them all.

We had too many other tasks to focus solely on dealing with the bandits.

Gale spoke lightly.

“...We might as well bring the remaining mercenary groups under our command. At this rate, nothing will get done.”

“That’s-”Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates

“Just a thought. But...it's true that we are short-handed, Berg.”

It was something he had been saying habitually lately.

“...I understand.”

The situation was anything but bright.

Due to last year's poor harvest, this year's crop had to be a success.

Only then would we prevent people from starving.

But amidst all this, bandits were rampant.

The problems didn’t end there.

The plague that spread since last year showed no signs of abating.

Its influence was growing.

Many people had lost their lives to the plague and were continuing to do so.

Of course, there was a significant distance between the affected regions and Stockpin.

It wasn't very dangerous yet, but it was a concern.

Additionally, reports of sightings of Krund were coming in from various places.

Despite the war being over, the mention of that name stirred emotions within me.

It was my lingering regret for not being able to let go of Adam Hyung.

...Maybe it was because I hadn't avenged him yet.

These complex issues were all intertwined.

I sighed and tried to offer some hopeful words.

“Still, this year’s harvest will be good. We’ve cleared all the fields and prepared thoroughly.”

Gale shook his head.

“I know that. But...can you be sure? We believe we’re ready, but that confidence might stem from ignorance. What do we, who only wield swords, know about this?”

“...”

“And who knows? The plague might reach us. If that happens, this year’s harvest will be severely impacted. No matter how well we’ve planned, it’s meaningless if everyone falls ill.”

In the end, I had no choice but to remain silent in response to his persistent worries.

They were all questions I couldn’t answer.

“...”

“...”

In the silence that fell upon the office, Gale apologized.

“...I’m sorry, Berg. I’ve been spouting nothing but worries since you arrived.”

“It’s alright.”

“I must have been pondering too long. I’ve become sensitive. I keep trying to fix it, but it’s not going well.”

“...”

I looked at Gale, who was working hard for us.

It had almost been two years since I met him.

Compared to then, his wrinkles had deepened.

His gray hair was increasing.

He often said his body wasn't what it used to be.

It was the natural process of aging, but I couldn’t help but wonder if his efforts for us were accelerating it.

I felt both sorry and grateful.

Watching Gale as he took a breath, I smiled and called out towards the door.

“Desmond.”

A reply came from outside the door.

‘Yes.’

“Please bring two cups of tea.”

Desmond brought out tea for Gale and me without hesitation.

It wasn’t much, but it was my way of showing a little appreciation.

Gale seemed to understand that as well.

Smiling, he continued to sigh, as if trying to change his complex mood.

I spoke to him.

“Take a breather. If necessary, you should rest today.”

He shook his head.

The team responded to my command as one and set off after the bandits.

****

Burns, riding his horse, nocked an arrow to his bow.

The tension of the bowstring felt tight in his right hand.

Following Berg’s command, the members were chasing the scattering bandits.

Burns was no different.

He was pursuing the bandit he had singled out first.

Having participated in numerous raids as part of the former Head Hunter unit, Burns found manhunting not particularly difficult.

Especially when the enemy was fleeing, there was nothing simpler.

With his thighs gripping his horse tightly, he slowly aimed the arrow at the bandit’s leg.

“...Got you-”

-Neigh!!

“Whoa!”

Just as he was about to release the arrow, Burns’ horse reared, lifting its front legs high.

The sudden movement caused Burns to lose his balance and fall off the horse, still holding his bow and arrow.

-Thud!

“Oof!”

Realizing the situation was going awry, Burns quickly got up.

Sure enough, the bandit he was chasing and two more who had been hiding were charging at him.

“Die!!”

They seemed intent on killing him, taking his horse, and escaping.

Burns drew his sword, aware that he had no allies nearby to help.

“Damn it...!”

-Swish!

He reminded himself that these weren’t just bandits; they were former mercenaries.

“Ha...!”

Burns exhaled sharply, steadying his mind.

He had faced countless dangers before.

He had learned well from Adam and Berg how to break through a deadly situation.

As the three bandits closed in, Burns’ training and instincts took over. With a focused mind and steely determination, he prepared to engage in a fight for his life.

.

.

.

“Gah... Gah... Gah!!”

-Crunch!

Burns was pressing down on the last bandit's neck with his hand, his bloodied sword in the other.

Fortunately, he had managed to subdue all the bandits without sustaining any injuries.

As he cut down the bandits and captured the last one, the pent-up tension released, giving way to anger.

“How dare you ambush me...?”

The last bandit Burns captured was a dwarf.

The bandit had dropped his sword and was struggling desperately to keep breathing.

“Gah...! Gah... Gah!!”

Burns placed his sword on the ground and punched the bandit in the face.

-Thud!

The bandit, completely demoralized, couldn’t put up any resistance.

He could only breathe shallowly, pleading for mercy.

“Gah... Gah...! Please...! Spare my... Gah!! Spare my life...!”

Burns threw the bandit to the ground, releasing his grip on his neck.

He had no choice but to cut down the other two bandits, but Berg always preferred capturing bandits alive.

...So he would let this one live.

Once he had vented his anger.

Burns climbed on top of the fallen dwarf and continued to punch him.

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

From a distance, other members of the Red Flames who had spotted him were approaching.

“Burns!! Are you alright?!”

Burns looked at his comrades and shouted.

“I’m fine! Just this one!”

-Thud!

“Needs a little!!”

-Thud!

“Beating!!”

-Thud!

The bandit, gasping for air, suddenly coughed violently.

“Cough!! Cough!! Gah! Gah!!”

With the cough, red blood sprayed onto Burns’ face.

-Splatter!!

“Ugh!”

Burns gritted his teeth in disgust.

“...This bastard...!”

He roughly wiped the bandit's blood from his face and raised his fist again.

“Stop!”

At that moment, Shawn’s voice rang out.

“Burns. It's over. That’s enough, calm down.”

“...Huff... Huff...”

Burns took deep breaths, looking down at the bandit.

His teeth were missing, his face was bruised and swollen, and his beard was soaked in blood.

“Cough...! Cough....!”

The bandit clutched his crushed throat, continuously coughing.

Burns finally wiped his bloody knuckles and stood up.

Berg approached on his horse and asked.

“Burns. Are you alright?”

Seeing his captain’s face helped calm Burns’ nerves.

He kept wiping the blood off his face as he responded.

“....I’m fine, Captain.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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