Chapter 104

Chapter 104 - Hunting a Hero (3)

The knights realized the polearm Eugene held in his hand was somewhat familiar.

"Sir Salvatore. That staff is definitely..."

"Isn't that the one he used in the tournament?"

Everyone clearly remembered Eugene wielding that in the arena and acting like a human windmill.

"So that was the true form of that weapon."

At the sight of the brutal deadly weapon with clusters of maces hanging from it, Salvatore let out a hollow laugh.

-To bring something like a quarterstaff to a sacred tournament. I will teach him a lesson.

He was the one who had ignored it like that, only to feel a threat to his life the moment he faced that staff.

He felt ridiculous about having racked his brains trying to figure out a countermeasure for that staff since then. Back then, Eugene must have basically come out feeling like he was just exercising.

Thump thump!

Might, who had always maintained his composure on the battlefield, nervously kicked the ground for the first time.

Because he instinctively realized the massive Gnoll before him wasn't simply a strong mutant.

A descendant of a hero who received a god's blessing. The aura exuded by such an entity naturally shook the souls of all who faced it.

"Calm down, Might."

Of course, compared to the master currently riding him, it was nothing special. As Eugene firmly secured his torso with his legs and stroked his neck, Might's trembling vanished.

Might wasn't the only one feeling anxious. Rex believed in Eugene's martial prowess, but seeing him actually standing face-to-face with the Gnoll leader made him tremble.

Because the weight class difference between the two was way too extreme.

"Sir Knight! Will you really be alright?"

"There is nothing to worry about. He cannot reach me, but I can reach him."

Eugene calmly raised his flail and took aim.

The true protagonist of the battlefield, overcoming the passage of time and even the leaps in military technology.

The sole entity boasting its prestige for eternity ever since humanity held a stone in their hands.

That is precisely range.

The reason Eugene chose the flail as his main weapon instead of the sword, the symbol of a knight.

Since the space between himself and the leader was filled with multiple deaths, as long as the bastard had only one life, there would only be one outcome.

"Bring out the broadheads!"

"Create an opening for the knight to attack!"

The tribal warriors nocked broadhead arrows from their secondary quivers onto their bowstrings.

It was a vicious arrow that could bring down an incredibly tough giant boar in one or two shots and make even a bear howl in agonizing pain.

However, if it didn't pierce, it was useless.

"Damn it! He's sickeningly tough."

Against the Gnoll leader, who was clad in armor and possessed tough skin himself, not a single shot landed as an effective hit.

As the massive axe fell from the sky, a mound of dirt scattered with tremendous force.

However, Might, having already read the leader's movement, leaped to the side on his own.

Every time the smell of blood on the battlefield entered Might's lungs, it washed away the fear his instincts secreted.

"As expected of a Barcian warhorse."

"Damn it."

Although frustrated, the tribal warriors had no choice but to admit it.

Brrrt!

Neigh!

Because their own horses, despite being quite far away, were terrified and constantly trying to escape their control.

Bang! Bang!

Taking advantage of the lull in the arrow attacks, the Gnoll's axe struck the ground twice more. However, it couldn't hit Eugene, who was determinedly dodging.

Meanwhile, the flail unexpectedly flew in.

Smack!

A cluster of maces struck the wrist of the leader holding the axe.

"Kwuoooh-!"

The leader dropped his weapon due to the pain of his wrist bone breaking, but quickly grabbed it again with his other hand.

He swung the axe filled with rage, but meaninglessly cut through the empty air.

Grind!

Grinding his teeth, the Gnoll leader felt a sense of unfairness he had never experienced in his life.

Even if he braved the danger and approached, his attacks couldn't reach at all, while that human just ran around swinging his weapon roughly, yet sent chills down his vitals.

Whooosh!

Seeing the cluster of maces flying horizontally at his ribs, the leader tried to raise his axe to block it.

Was he wary of that completely unhuman-like monstrous strength? He could be seen pressing his rugged arm against the side of the broad axe blade to brace for the impact.

"Pfft."

Because it was a sight that didn't suit a massive monster at all, some mercenaries unintentionally let out chuckles.

However, there was a part the leader overlooked. The point that when Eugene wielded the flail with both hands, one shouldn't be certain of its direction until the very end.

Clench!

The wrist holding the rear part of the staff bent roughly 70 degrees, delivering a strong downward snap.

Then, the horizontally flying cluster of maces abruptly dropped to the ground as if bouncing.

"Kwuh-?"

The leader felt as if the cluster of maces that had been flying while covering his vision suddenly vanished.

Crunch!

Immediately after, he had to taste the agony of all his right toes breaking and his shattered claws popping off in all directions.

"Now is the time!"

"Pierce his throat!"

Under the pouring arrows, the leader had to cut his scream short. He hurriedly covered his face with the shield attached to his arm.

Even in the midst of that, his red eyes remained fixated on Eugene, the greatest threat. Seeing the momentum of him charging with the flail raised, the leader kicked the ground, sending a mound of dirt flying.

It was a clever judgment.

Eugene and Might circled to the side to avoid getting their eyes hit, taking the dirt and sand.

However, since the leader kicked the ground so hastily, he ended up having to use the foot with entirely shattered claws.

"Kwaaaargh-!"

He howled at the powerful impact and the pain of the dirt and sand digging into his wounds.

At that time, spears and axes flew from behind the leader and battered him. Having recovered a little stamina, the Gord knights commenced their characteristic powerful throwing attacks.

"You can't pierce the helmet he's wearing. Give up on the head."

"Aim behind his knees!"

Bipedal creatures inevitably lack vigilance regarding their lower bodies. Especially places like behind the knees are vulnerable spots even for the sturdiest monsters.

Enraged that even insignificant bastards who weren't the monster knight in front of him were being bothersome, the Gnoll leader let out a furious roar.

"C-can't you stay still?!"

The horses startled and bucked, causing several tribal warriors who were about to loose their arrows to fall off.

"Ugh!"

Exposed to the roar at close range, the Gord knights staggered as their minds and bodies were shaken.

The leader was satisfied with this sight that only a true strongman could enjoy, but he didn't even have the leeway to savor it.

Because he was busy dodging the flail falling from the sky.

Eugene, scattering attacks with overwhelming range and arm strength.

Might, maintaining a selfish distance while perfectly harmonizing with his master.

'A selfish offense and defense.'

It was a battle that could be explained with just this one sentence.

Having swung and missed for the umpteenth time, the leader leaped up. It was to escape the cluster of maces that came sweeping across the ground.

However, immediately after, he realized he had made a mistake. Because the process of his claws breaking just a moment ago flashed through his mind.

Clench!

To meet that expectation, Eugene's hand holding the rear of the staff gave a snap. Instantly, the cluster of maces bounced diagonally upwards.

The maces properly struck his shins and knees, which were defenseless in mid-air.

Crack!

Crunch!

Everyone on the battlefield could hear the sound of the leader's legs shattering.

The massive black-furred body rolled pathetically on the ground.

The bone protruding above his knee poured out blood, and his severely damaged shin was folded in half.

A fatal wound. And the worst kind of injury that eliminated mobility.

"Yeeaaaah!"

"It's over."

The mercenaries letting out shouts of victory and the knights softly nodding their heads.

The leader still threatened his surroundings with burning eyes, but the moment he became unable to even walk, the outcome was decided.

"Cease fire!"

When Eugene raised his hand, Rex and the tribal warriors lowered their bows.

If they were going to kill it anyway, catching it with minimal damage yields far greater value. Everyone understood Eugene's intention without needing an explanation.

Clank.

Dismounting his horse, Eugene walked over, still holding his flail.

"Kwuooo..."

The sight of the executioner embodying death approaching. The aura of a supreme ruler completely evaporated from the massive Gnoll's face.

What remained was an ordinary Gnoll shivering in terrible fear.

* * *

Looking at the Gnoll leader whose breath had been cut off, Salvatore paid his respects.

"Thank you for the rescue."

"It's what anyone would duly do as a fellow knight. Even if the situation were reversed, you gentlemen would have acted exactly the same."

Eugene's figure calmly replying was that of a true knight in both martial prowess and character.

"It truly was a resounding revenge."

"A miserable death fitting for that bastard."

The knights, having relieved their resentment, chattered simultaneously.

The Gnoll leader, who belonged to the ranks of a hero among monsters, was literally beaten until he died.

Watching that sight, the knights felt a refreshing sense of satisfaction. They all grasped Eugene's hands and expressed their gratitude.

'I wasn't particularly doing it for your sakes, though.'

Eugene merely wanted a taxidermy mount with as few wounds as possible. Even if the muscles and bones turned to mush, the hide would be fine as long as no blades were applied.

"Pour it out."

"Disgusting."

A large cauldron overturned, and pale broth and gray-boiled corpses spilled onto the ground.

With not only humans but also wild beasts and other monsters mixed in, it boasted a hellish visual.

"Blegh!"

At that sight and smell, some of the mercenaries went to the corner and vomited.

Eugene took Valda's scarf out of his chest pocket and covered Homi's prominent nose.

"Don't force yourself."

Nod.

For her, who possessed the most sensitive sense of smell here, it was bound to be agonizing.

Homi's pale face became peaceful thanks to the scarf exuding the body scents of both Valda and Eugene.

As if accustomed to this kind of work, the tribal warriors aligned the corpses and began an investigation.

Because judging by the keepsakes gathered by the slave Orcs and Goblins, there were knights mixed in as well.

"We have identified the knights."

"Cremate them here. Returning them to their bereaved families like this would be an even greater tragedy."

After taking one or two items to prove the identities of the corpses, including their signet rings, Eugene ordered.

"If this causes any problems, we will stake our honor and testify on your behalf, Sir."

"My thanks to everyone."

The standard procedure for corpses of those killed in action during wars or monster subjugations was to send them to their families for funeral rites.

An outsider arbitrarily cremating them on-site like now could become a source of controversy.

However, the Gord knights firmly pledged they would clear things up for Eugene.

* * *

If you win a battle, you must claim the spoils. The greatest treasure from this battle was naturally the corpse of the Gnoll leader.

Among nobles, showing off and competing with their family's sources of pride is an extremely everyday occurrence.

For a knight's family, their prestige was determined by the monsters they brought down, even more than gold or jewels.

"It's too big to load onto a wagon."

"It's fine. We will work on it right here."

Rex and the tribal warriors' eyes sparkled as they held sharply ground skinning daggers and tools.

"Isn't this guy also our family member to be hung in the hall now? Staking our clan's name, we will process it perfectly."

"Our family member..."

Eugene managed a bitter smile at Rex's somehow creepy wording.

"Sir Knight. You can especially look forward to this masterpiece."

"Because you beat it evenly all over, it peels off exceptionally well."

With the tribal warriors humming and clinging to it all at once, the once magnificent massive Gnoll became naked in an instant.

Watching the tribal warriors skillfully engage in the butchering work, Salvatore and the knights were in awe.

Aside from their notoriety for arrogance, a sense of chosen elitism, and contempt for nobles, they had no choice but to acknowledge their abilities.

Their martial prowess in sweeping away Gnolls like autumn leaves aside, their skill in assisting a knight outside of combat was also excellent.

Because how a knight's honor is processed is just as important as acquiring it.

"Just how did Sir Eugene befriend them, or rather, earn their loyalty?"

The knights looked at Eugene with envy.

Because even to unknowledgeable eyes, a bond far superseding that of an employer and mercenaries connected them to each other.

Meanwhile, an unexpected object came out from the Gnoll leader's body.

"It's a mana stone, isn't it?"

"Though it's smaller compared to the one taken from the Wendigo."

Eugene wore a puzzled expression at the magical stone Rex brought.

"It seems he wasn't simply a naturally occurring entity, but otherworldly energy was involved in some form. That's not a strange occurrence in the Demonic Region, though."

Marbas, who had examined the mana stone, said.

"I will hand this over to those knights."

"Isn't that a waste? Since they weren't much help anyway, they wouldn't be able to utter a squeak even if you took it."

"Their mercenaries formed a square formation, and the knights drew the leader's attention. If I greedily swallow everything by myself, they might harbor resentment."

"You say that, but the eyes looking at you are full of goodwill?"

"People's hearts are things that can change as time passes. Like, 'Come to think of it, doesn't it piss me off?'"

"Hahaha!"

At the vocal impression and facial mimicry at the end, Marbas laughed heartily.

Certainly, with the mana stone alone, the costs Salvatore's group incurred in this expedition would be fully covered, with profits remaining.

"What about the meat or blood? Will they be useful?"

Marbas shook his head.

"Even if he was an incredible guy, his foundation is merely a Gnoll in the end. Besides, since he's from the Demonic Region, his flesh, blood, and entire organs contain pollutants, so they can't even be used as alchemy materials."

"Does he harbor poison?"

"Not poison, foreign substances. If used as materials for reagents or magic items, the quality deteriorates. What do you think the outside monsters usually eat?"

"Probably similar to beasts of prey. Things like rabbits, deer, or pigs. There'll be some that gnaw on tree roots or bark as well."

Not all medium-sized monsters were exclusively carnivorous. There were quite a few that preferred an herbivorous diet like Minotaurs.

"In the Demonic Region, everyone eats everyone. The distinction between predator and prey is meaningless. And those who consume meat naturally accumulate karma in their physical bodies. Normally, when a corpse returns to the earth, the karma is resolved, but..."

"You're saying that before that happens, they tear into each other, so the karma continuously accumulates?"

"Exactly that."

It being the era that it was, even a sage like Marbas spoke of abstract and religious concepts like karma.

However, Eugene couldn't help but come up with a more realistic thought.

'Is it like a kind of biomagnification?'

The Demonic Forest merely wasn't filled with water; in some aspects, it was similar to a marine ecosystem.

A small one is swallowed by a bigger one, the bigger one is swallowed by an even bigger one, and when the even bigger one dies, small ones cling to it from all sides and gnaw on it.

In that process, an abundance of bad things couldn't help but accumulate. Whether they were physical or spiritual.

The meat of the demons that poured out of the Moving Castle was probably of a higher grade in terms of cleanliness than that of the monsters from the Demonic Region.

* * *

"Gentlemen. I entrust this to you."

"This is not something for Sir Eugene to ask. This is what a knight of Gord duly ought to do."

Having received the keepsakes of the identified knights, Salvatore thumped his chest with a solemn face.

Praising that honor, Eugene also handed over all the equipment of the victims who had arrived first.

If one recovers the corpse of a knight killed by bandits or monsters, one can claim ownership over their equipment and horse. With the exception of a few items that could substitute as keepsakes, like signet rings, that is.

"You really didn't have to take care of us to this extent."

"For an honorable deed to go unrewarded, would that not be an injustice in itself?"

"...Thank you."

Salvatore, having completely erased any lingering feelings of resentment or jealousy from the tournament, embraced Eugene.

"If you ever pass near our family's domain, please be sure to stop by! We will entertain you to the best of our abilities!"

Watching the knights departing first, Rex smacked his lips.

"While I respect your magnanimity, Sir Knight, isn't it excessive? I feel the mana stone was already enough."

"If I hadn't sent them off using the escort of the keepsakes as an excuse, they probably would have tried to act together with us."

"Ah!"

"Even if that much was fine, if they followed us all the way to the castle, we'd have to entertain them, wouldn't we? I hate that."

"It's not just one or two people, so it certainly would be bothersome."

"Right. You gotta clear things away when you can."

Since they weren't mere guests but comrades-in-arms they had fought alongside in their own way, he would have had to treat them properly, even accounting for their mercenaries' shares. If not, Eugene's reputation would be tarnished.

To think Eugene, who had consistently maintained a dignified posture after bringing down the Gnoll leader, harbored such shallow inner thoughts.

Rex couldn't hold back his laughter.