Chapter 49

Chapter 49

***

The Adventurer's Guild building at the bottom of the hill in Beringen City was as quiet as an empty house. This was because not only Dunkel, but not a single adventurer was present.

Only the sound of rain falling patter-patter outside could be heard, and a young clerk was sitting in front of the fireplace, guarding the building alone.

It might seem too defenseless, but since the real Guild Headquarters was inside the castle on the hill, it didn't matter if this place was raided.

Especially when war broke out between guilds, the location of the command center and gathering points were top-secret information. Unless they were fools, they wouldn't use the headquarters they used in peacetime as is.

It was late at night. Had midnight passed? Without being able to observe the sky, it was impossible to know exactly.

The young clerk, dozing off while feeling the warmth of the roaring fire, woke up with a start at the sound of someone banging on the door. What was going on? They said this place was safe.

Thud thud thud.

Someone knocked on the door again. Accordingly, the clerk's heart also pounded thump thump.

The clerk walked cautiously to the door. Then, he slid open the small window on the door that allowed him to look outside. Outside the door, people wrapped in cloaks stood like reapers.

Among them, the person at the very front took off his hood, revealing his face, and spoke.

"It's me. Bolka."

It was a familiar face, so the clerk swept a hand down his chest in relief.

"Ha... Bolka-hyung, you surprised me. You should have said so earlier."

"Idiot, what if an enemy heard my name? Just open up quickly."

The clerk unlocked the latch and opened the door. Five people with soaking wet cloaks walked into the building clack clack. Water dripped drip drip from the hems of their cloaks.

Coming all the way from the Academy to here in the rain for five or six long hours was quite a tough task.

Perhaps because of that, Bolka went straight to the fireplace, threw in a few logs to stoke the fire, then took off his cloak and hung it nearby.

Rickart, Bori-bori, Marie, and Delphi also took off their wet cloaks first and dried them by the fire. Just sitting in a chair felt like coming back to life as their legs cooled down.

Bolka leaned his body back fully against the chair backrest, tilted his head back, and rested his legs on another chair.

"Ah... this is good. I don't know how I used to commute there. It's fucking far, seriously, ah."

Bolka had actively traveled back and forth between the Academy and the city more than anyone, but looking back after graduating, it seemed terrible.

However, when he took off his cloak, Bolka's unique armor caught the eye. Iron plates connected in multiple layers like those of an arthropod covered his entire left arm.

Although not visible on the outside, there were also iron plates protecting his chest and abdomen under his coat. It was armor that protected the body's vital points while maximizing mobility.

"Hey, take off all your gear and rest. You should wipe off the water."

Delphi said as she organized her own gear and luggage.

"Rest a little first."

"Sigh, if it weren't for me, you really would have..."

Saying that, Delphi stuck to Bolka and helped him take off his gear.

Rickart drew his sword first and maintained it. There wasn't particularly any moisture on it, but he wiped it once with a cloth and then meticulously applied camellia oil. Marie and Bori-bori did the same.

After sitting and catching their breath for a while, the young clerk spoke.

"Bolka-hyung, do you want something to eat?"

"Is there anything left?"

Bolka asked back. Since most of the necessary supplies had been scraped away, nothing proper remained here currently.

"Breadcrumb soup. Jerky for solid ingredients. There are some potatoes too, though."

"Let's eat even that."

The clerk guarding the building alone brought wooden bowls. Then he opened the lid of the pot that had been on the fire and ladled out the soup that had been boiling continuously.

One bowl, then another, distributed to each person; Rickart also received one, blew on it hoo hoo, and drank it slurp.

It was just whitish gruel with a moderately salty taste. Rather than taste, it was closer to just warming the belly hotly.

When Rickart had eaten about half the gruel, he asked Bolka.

By then, Bolka had taken off his top and was wiping his body with a towel. His chest and belly were hairy.

"So, where are we going?"

"Keitz. We'll join up with the Widow Maker Clan there. We have too few people to take charge of one whole flank."

The Viola Clan had four members, making it a minimum-scale clan. Large clans could have nearly dozens of people.

It was the same logic as nobles having grand dukes or archdukes, and then small-scale nobles. Large clans could even control the entire guild.

Although rare, they sometimes even became completely independent from the guild.

"The mission?"

"Just, you know, guarding the path."

"I guess a proper fight hasn't broken out yet?"

"I heard there were sword fights here and there, but it seems there are few casualties on our side. The guilds seem to be gauging each other too."

"Gauging what?"

"First, shouldn't they distinguish between enemies and allies?"

It was possible for guilds to form alliances with each other. Of course, whether that alliance could be trusted or not depended on the Guild Master's judgment.

"War is certain to happen, but no one knows when it will start in earnest."

"Yeah. But, recently the signs are definitely bad. Guys wandering around wearing weapons are increasing gradually."

"What are those Widow Maker people like?"

"They're hot-blooded people. The problem is they're stupid."

Delphi, who was even maintaining Bolka's gear for him, answered instead.

"Ice is nearby too. I heard he already killed five enemies. So right now, he's the number one target for the enemies."

"If it's Ice, well, that could happen."

"Ice..."

When the name of the person she had been compared to came up even though she didn't know who he was, Marie muttered to herself unknowingly. At that, Bolka and Delphi looked back at her.

"You said you were Marie? Introductions are late. I'm Bolka."

"I'm Delphi. Nice to meet you."

"Hello, I'm Marie. I heard a lot about you from Ricky and Bori."

"Speak comfortably. We don't know when we might die, no need to stand on ceremony. We didn't graduate that long ago either."

"Bolka, you speak too harshly. Come here, I'll comb your hair."

Delphi said as she went behind Marie holding a comb.

"Yes? Ah, thank, you..."

"Don't mention it. And speak comfortably."

Delphi also maintained Bolka's gear for him, and approached Marie to comb her wet hair. She was truly a kind person who took care of others before herself. Her first impression was a bit rough though.

Rickart warmed himself by the fire, ruminating a little on the past days spent with them, then turned to Bolka and called him.

"By the way, Bolka."

"Yeah, speak."

"Do you think this war is worth doing? Are you just doing it because you belong to the guild?"

"No."

"Then?"

"If a new active area is created, wouldn't a new Branch Manager be needed? I can't live as a swordsman called here and there until I die. I have to prepare to settle down and live from now on. Honestly, the North isn't great, but still, I have to grab the opportunity when it's there."

"Do you think you'll become a Branch Manager when the war ends?"

"I don't know that. How the higher-ups will act. Anyway, it's a life earning meals with a sword, and there's nothing else I can do differently. If I save a lot of money, I'm going to reclaim empty land and create our own manor. I intend to live there with Delphi. Until we grow old and die."

"......"

Delphi, who was combing Marie's hair, said nothing. She didn't give a playful rebuke like usual, and just blushed slightly.

"Bolka is like an adult."

Bori-bori, who was eating one more bowl of whitish gruel, said. Bolka just tilted his head back against the chair again and smirked.

"You guys need to take care of yourselves too. Even if I look like this, I'm the Captain of the Viola Clan. If you have nothing to do later, come plow the fields at our manor."

This time Rickart smirked. It had been like this since their Academy days, but Bolka seemed to have a strong sense of responsibility.

"Let's rest here a little, then depart in the morning. Those who want to wash, wash. Of course, it'll be cold water. You know now isn't the time to be picky about that, right?"

Bolka said. As per his words, they warmed themselves by the fire for a while, then Rickart, Bori-bori, and Bolka went to the well in the backyard of the building.

The men washed roughly by pouring water on their bodies there, and the two women washed by receiving water in a tub, although they couldn't heat it.

After that, they dried their clothes by the fire, and entering empty rooms separate for men and women, they closed their eyes even for a short while.

The sound of rain tapping on the roof and windows was an excellent lullaby, and they were able to sleep deeply, albeit briefly.

Patter. Patter-patter. Patter...

When morning came and they packed their gear and luggage again and came outside, a clearly cleared sky welcomed Rickart's party.

"Take care of yourselves."

The young clerk said. Guarding the building alone seemed admirable. Of course, it wasn't fighting against enemies but just dusting and clearing cobwebs, though.

The wet world looked fresher than usual, but the ground was muddy. Still, leaving the city and walking through the fields was somewhat better.

The party followed Bolka and Delphi toward the southwest. The place called Keitz was a kind of highland where people didn't live.

However, there was a defense tower that had outlived its usefulness and become a ruin long ago, so occupying that place could influence the surrounding area.

Since one could come down from the highland and raid the road at any time, if that place wasn't occupied, movement itself would become difficult.

In short, it was an important strategic point.

The party walked with Bolka in the lead scouting the surroundings, and Rickart walking at the very back. Although there were only five of them, they maintained a formation in their own way.

It was a place open on all sides, but rather, such places had to be navigated carefully.

Just because it was flat land didn't mean it was truly flat; the terrain rose slightly or dipped, so there were places invisible from afar that could only be seen when close. Especially in spring or summer when grass grew, it was even better to hide one's body.

Because enemies could hide in such places and ambush, one had to examine the surroundings well even when passing through open terrain.

Rickart also passed the road with his nerves on edge, but he didn't feel anything catching on his sharp senses.

The party hastened their steps, and by late afternoon, they reached a terrain where short grass and rugged rocks rose on a gentle slope. This was the start of Keitz.

By the way, after coming this far safely, they ended up encountering five or six people. They had been hidden by the mountainside and were invisible, then appeared as they turned around.

They were armed people, and their armed state was unique and individual, which was because they wore equipment familiar to each of them. They were adventurers at a glance.

The distance from them was roughly 40, 50 meters. A short if short, far if far distance. A distance one could pass sufficiently if ignoring each other. A far distance for an ambush. A distance where shouting could be heard.

That is, it was an ambiguous distance, and that meant they had encountered each other without knowing of each other's existence.

"Hey!"

"Where are you affiliated!"

The other side shouted first. Should we fight here or ignore them and just go up?

Bolka immediately raised his head and looked up the road heading to the defense tower. But, people blocking the path appeared, seemingly having appeared from nowhere again.

They were watching what was happening below quietly.

While the enemies felt strange because there was no answer to asking their affiliation, Rickart shouted urgently.

"Brabant!"

The Brabant Guild was the guild closest to the Central North along with the Beringen Guild. That is, thinking there was no way they would be on the same side as them even if they died, Rickart shouted exercising his wit.

The judgment itself was good, but it was a shallow lie.

"Brabant? Is Brabant coming too? Hey! Not the guild! Tell us the clan!"

It seemed deceiving them was wrong after all.

"Let's go up. Bolka, break through the path. I'll take the very rear."

Rickart said so only his party could hear.

"Yeah."

Bolka nodded. There was no time to argue this and that. They couldn't run away from here either. Shaking off pursuit would be more dangerous and difficult. It was better to break through forward and join quickly with the Widow Maker Clan at the defense tower.

Without needing to unify opinions, Bolka nonchalantly went up the path first. Because they hadn't revealed their blades to each other yet.

When they reached a certain distance, the people above noticed something was strange and spoke.

"Don't come any closer. We will regard you as enemies."

"Oi! Hey! Put down your weapons!"

"These bastards are Beringen guys!"

Starting with that, Bolka rushed at the enemies above like a bull.

Seeming not to be just clumsy beginners, they instantly faced him holding swords or maces.

An enemy's sword was swung toward Bolka at the very front, but Bolka deflected it with the iron plate equipped on his left arm and just rammed with his body.

Thud!

At the same time, he put one arm between the opponent's legs, lifted his whole body up, and threw him onto the slope where the enemies were.

"Uh uh!"

"Damn it!"

"Block them! Don't let them go up!"

Because of the person Bolka threw, several enemies fell in a heap, but the unhurt ones tried to catch Rickart's party with all their might.

Bolka drew a short and broad sword from his waist. And he fought aggressively. It was a style of sticking close and punching, grabbing and throwing, or stabbing with the sword.

Since it was quite a rough fighting method, there were bound to be some gaps, but Delphi filled those gaps amazingly.

Bolka broke through the enemies in one chaotic struggle.

Marie and Bori-bori followed quickly behind him, and as Rickart, who followed sticking to the last with his scabbard slung diagonally, was moving, one enemy who ran frantically tried to stab Rickart's back with a knife.

But Rickart, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, suddenly spun around whoosh and swung his sword quickly.

Clang!

The enemy's sword broke, and Rickart's meteoric iron sword cut the enemy's jaw and slashed his throat at the same time.

"Keuk!"

One person was done for, but they rushed at Rickart from both sides. It was when the broken sword was still in the air.

There was a slight time difference in the attacks coming from both directions. It was a chaotic melee. Rickart faced the attack coming from the right first, pushing forward ziing as if thrusting the sword.

Clang!

A metallic sound was heard once again, and when the left attack cut through the empty air, Rickart used his wrist to rotate the interlocked sword whirl to pull it out and swung the sword immediately.

Whoosh!

Then the enemy sticking close had his neck cut, and the enemy on the left had his windpipe severed. He had cut two people at once with a single sword stroke.

The broken sword flying hwik hwik through the air hit a rock around that time.

Tang!

At the event that happened in the blink of an eye, the enemies chasing wildly hesitated. Ice was making a name for himself by killing five enemies, but Rickart had slashed three people as soon as he arrived.

Holding the blood-stained sword, Rickart stood on the gentle slope and looked down at the enemies. The wind blew and the red cloak fluttered slightly.

One of the enemies seeing that appearance seemed to realize something with a flash, then pointed at Rickart and shouted loudly.

"You! Red Cloak! Red Cloak Ricky!"

"You know me?"

Rickart, who had killed three people in an instant, asked, bewildered. However, the man didn't answer, and like a shepherd announcing a wolf had appeared, he ran through the highland field shouting.

"It's Ricky! It's Red Cloak Ricky!"

Following him, other enemies also ran away in a herd. At that, Bolka and Delphi, and Bori-bori and Marie, who were in the middle of going up, looked back without knowing the reason. The most bewildered one was Rickart himself. Why are they acting like that?

The enemies continued to shout the same words.

"It's Red Cloak Ricky!"

"Ricky is here!"

Rickart didn't particularly want to chase the enemies, but he was curious who they were announcing it to that they shouted like that. So he chased them and ran across the highland field.

Then, when he turned around the mountainside, he unknowingly inhaled a breath of vain air.

"Heok!"

Because a number of people that seemed to be well over a hundred were swarming below the highland far away.

Bolka and the rest of the party who followed behind were also equally surprised seeing that spectacle.

"Oh my god..."

"What is this... are we fighting a real war or something?"

Guild wars were different from real wars. It was just swordsmen having sword fights here and there and killing each other. At most, dozens were mobilized.

Although the scale was different for each guild, even a guild that could gather a hundred people didn't gather personnel in one place all at once like this. That is, it looked like several guilds had allied.

Anyway, it seemed clear that things were taking a serious turn.

The enemies Rickart's party had encountered ran to the place swarming with adventurers and continued to shout. Rickart's name spread in all directions on the highland.

"It's Red Cloak Ricky!"