Chapter 117

Chapter 117 - Desert's Method (2)

Although this was an era where rumors took a long time to spread, the Moving Castle was an exception.

The final and greatest relic of an ancient kingdom. Furthermore, it had descended during a tournament hosted by Duke Ismar, the ruler of the North.

The spectators who experienced that chaos included numerous mercenaries, adventurers, merchant guilds, and even nobles. It was only natural for the rumor to spread across the entire continent.

"I saw it right there with my own eyes! The massive castle vanished in a flash of lightning!"

"The tents of the nobles were all knocked down by the storm. I heard that in one place, a soldier was even whipped for poor management because their flag snapped."

Rumors always intermingled with exaggerations. However, the subject of the rumor this time was already a magical castle from legends.

Interestingly, because it dealt with an entity that was difficult to believe in the first place, falsehoods mixed into the speakers rather than the content itself. Storytellers all claimed they had been at the scene and saw it with their own eyes.

Amidst this, a large-scale slaving organization operating in the shadows of Samur was completely dismantled overnight.

"Who is there? Do you realize how far past curfew it... Wait, Lord Treasurer?!"

"Shh! Shh! Keep it down!"

The city guards of nearby Tripol were flustered at the sight of a city noble returning covered in sweat and dust.

Even though Eugene had released him, this was a mishap that occurred due to hastily fleeing from the hideout where a battle was unfolding. Having lost his escorts and frantically running back with only a little travel money, his return journey had been arduous.

Internal power struggles were fierce, befitting a free city, and it was only natural for those who exposed their weaknesses to be bitten and torn apart.

"I never knew you were colluding with illegal slave traders."

"Colluding is an exaggeration! I just stopped by briefly to hear out some business proposals."

"Have you not been accepting bribes from them all this time? I wondered how those bastards always slipped away like ghosts during every crackdown."

"I am innocent! I am telling you, I am a victim too! Do you know how anxiously I fled from that scene of slaughter?"

The 'guests' who were attacked by their political rivals defended themselves desperately. During that process, a fierce army composed of Dwarves, Humans, and Dark Elves was mentioned.

On top of that, reports of seeing an abnormal lightning strike on a bright, sunny day kept pouring in consecutively through merchants and travelers.

"Were the rumors true?"

"I heard a lightning bolt struck from a clear sky over in Bonyard, and a castle appeared."

As circumstantial evidence continued to surface, the number of people in the city who believed the Moving Castle had appeared nearby rapidly increased.

"How about we just hire them taking this opportunity? We happen to be in a situation where we need military power anyway."

Naturally, the influential figures of the city began thinking about forming an alliance.

"Listening to the story, they came to punish the slave traders who were playing dirty tricks on the Blackhand tribe. They probably don't hold any particular ill will towards our city."

Tripol was a port city in northeastern Samur. It was a place that reaped immense revenue from trade thanks to ocean currents suitable for sailing.

Furthermore, a vast desert and wild jungle, difficult for civilization to reach, stretched out just a short distance away.

Because they were threatened by both humans and monsters, they constantly thirsted for military strength. The threat level was high this time, so recruitment officers had been dispatched to various regions.

The rumor that the Moving Castle had appeared nearby drew the footsteps of one brave and challenging recruitment officer.

"I think it would be best to turn back even now."

"Keep quiet and follow me."

The recruitment officer dismissed the soldier's advice.

"We are not scouts or adventurers, are we? We are strictly tasked with a conscription mission..."

The soldier gasped while looking at the young men following behind. It had been two days since they entered a place disconnected from villages, cities, and trade routes alike.

Those gathered from regular villages that had been established since the past already wore expressions of regret. The forcibly conscripted men from slash-and-burn farming villages managed to somewhat maintain their perseverance.

"At this rate, there will be bastards running away when we make camp."

"If we beat one of them half to death as an example, they will become docile."

If he brought them to such a remote area and handed down that kind of punishment, they would not be able to keep up with the march. It practically meant executing them while getting his hands only half dirty.

It was perilous for untrained commoners to be away from a village for even a single day.

"Does that legendary castle really exist?"

"I wouldn't have believed it either if it was just a single rumor from Roman. But didn't they say it appeared in Bonyard and Gord as well? Would those face-conscious nobles bluff about it?"

"That is true."

In three different regions, two of those rumors inevitably involved high-ranking noble families.

Nobles became bigger braggarts than mercenaries when speaking of their martial prowess on the battlefield, but they acted solemnly about maintaining their dignity on topics like this. It was certainly not a false rumor.

"Those ragtag troops gathered in a hurry won't be of much help anyway."

The young knight who took over the castle and led a powerful army was always mentioned together when the Moving Castle was brought up.

This was because it was a magical castle controlled by a human's will, which naturally attracted this much attention from people.

"Did you say the Mayer family? That legendary knight from Bonyard."

"He worked as a grand warrior in a free city until last year, and he is the one who recently took a commission from Count Andar in Gord. He is definitely worth trying to hire."

He was a terrifying recruitment officer to commoners, but he couldn't help but shrink infinitely in front of a real noble lord.

The opponent was a knightly lord without even a baron title, however. Looking at his record of being hired here and there, he seemed strapped for money and wasn't likely to take such a commission request as disrespect.

"Only if the castle actually exists, that is."

The recruitment officer also showed signs of half-doubt, but his challenging spirit was properly rewarded.

"My goodness!"

"It... It really exists!"

In front of the massive castle existing like a mirage in an uninhabited area, the recruitment officer's group stared up with their jaws dropped.

In terms of sheer area, there were places larger than the castle before them. Those, however, were merely structures surrounded by walls with bare land and small buildings jutting out inside.

The Moving Castle, on the other hand, was like a single gigantic ship. Every part that entered their view was packed tightly with stone, making it feel suffocatingly heavy just looking at it.

"The ground sank."

The earthen foundation had sunken downwards, unable to withstand its weight.

They could not even imagine how many people it could accommodate inside, or how much supplies and wealth it could store.

"I heard it was a small castle where about a hundred people stayed."

The most disoriented person among the completely overwhelmed group was the recruitment officer. This was because the rumors regarding the scale of the castle had been vastly downsized.

... A mere hundred people can control such a large castle?

People reduced the scale of the castle every time they retold the story they had heard. This phenomenon emerged from their efforts not to be treated as liars.

Eugene, who took over the castle, was not some great lord but a knight who mainly led a force of around a hundred people.

As everyone added a dash of realism, the rumor that reached Tripol described it as being about the size of a galley ship.

"Sir Recruitment Officer."

"I know."

Anyway, he couldn't just return empty-handed after coming all this way. The recruitment officer cleared his throat and looked up at the castle.

Scale aside, the aura of mystery subtly emanating from the entire castle drew out instinctive fear in those who did not know magic.

"We have come from Tripol! We would like to request an audience with the Lord!"

As he shouted until the veins in his neck bulged several times, the firmly closed, magnificent castle gates began to open.

Ruuuumble.

Beyond it, a Dwarven guard stood in formation in a wide, splendid hall, radiating sharp glares.

The young men, pushed back by that fighting spirit, averted their gazes and then spotted a massive, jet-black Gnoll.

"M-monster!"

"Calm down, you fools. It's stuffed, isn't it?"

The soldiers had to calm down those who panicked and tried to flee at the sight.

They didn't intend to treat him as an equal, but showing such an ugly display from the start was not good. They would end up entering negotiations while being overpowered.

Conversely, the Dwarven warriors felt proud inwardly. Giving off a commanding presence to opponents is the most pleasant moment in a warrior's life.

* * *

"The young greenhorns were on the verge of running away. They came in trembling even after knowing it was stuffed."

"They still held their ground without fleeing, then. This makes me want that trophy even more."

Giving an imposing impression to visiting guests not only established a noble's honor but also accompanied practical benefits.

The opposing party might take a subservient stance in negotiations, or useful warriors might visit and request an appointment on the spot.

"This is all thanks to you, Lady Valda."

"Leave the decorations to me from now on. This is a field that requires a woman's touch."

At Eugene's praise, Valda unusually crossed her arms with an arrogant expression. She seemed satisfied to see the half-day she spent diligently setting things up for her knight rewarded.

Meanwhile, the recruitment officer's group being guided to the reception room received wary glances from everyone they encountered.

"Is this a dream? To think I'd see elves of the forest."

"Nancy was nothing. I definitely made the right choice leaving the village."

The clueless young men sent gazes of awe at the Blackhand tribe performing cleaning, repairs, and other tasks all over the place.

"You bastards. Do you think you're here to play?"

"You'll snap out of it once your eyes get plucked out."

The soldiers, who knew the notoriety and exclusivity of the Blackhand mercenaries, roughly grabbed the young men's shoulders and warned them. And exactly as they had said, things escalated.

"I told you not to run in the hallways... Hmm?"

"Kyahahaha... ah?"

From women of pure beauty carrying baskets to children running around with adorable faces.

The moment they spotted outsiders, their expressions changed. It was like how a viper glares at a rat that entered its den.

They were a tribe of natural-born warriors indeed. Grown men were pushed back by the momentum of the women and children, lowering their eyes.

From the outside, it was a mysterious magical castle, but stepping inside, it was practically a hornet's nest.

"You want to hire me?"

"I-it is not a hiring, but a commission request."

At Eugene's question, the recruitment officer corrected him with a very polite posture.

"What is the difference?"

"There is a difference between words that sound similar but mean differently. How could we treat a knight who has established great achievements like a simple mercenary?"

The recruitment officer had dealt with countless beast-like mercenary captains and wandering knights, but the imposing presence exuded by the young man in front of him was on a different level.

It was not purely because of his outstanding martial prowess as a knight. A creeping threat that felt like it would tear at some part of the recruitment officer's soul emanated from him.

'Is this the form the influence of assimilating with the castle takes?'

Marbas, sitting beside them as an advisor, observed with interest.

Hell is a fearsome place that devours human souls. Eugene had become one with the magical castle that contained that hell.

When inside the castle, he radiated the aura of a predator without even holding a single weapon. An overwhelming chill spilled over, making it feel as if he would devour their souls rather than their flesh and blood if he were to become angry.

This was another reason why Eugene did not worry about rebellion despite accepting an outside group much larger than his own.

"This is a very remote area, yet you managed to find your way quite well."

"I listened to the villagers from the surrounding settlements speaking in unison. They said a massive lightning bolt struck, and terrifying warriors began to appear."

He was referring to the cavalry under Eugene roaming around for reconnaissance.

"No matter how I think about it, Sir..."

"He is the Lord."

The heavily armored soldiers nearby cut him off and glared fiercely.

"Yes! I had no choice but to think that the Lord had arrived! Would it not be better to serve the Lord alone rather than a thousand mere mercenaries or conscripts? Naturally, I had to seek an audience and implore you."

While the armored soldiers nodded with satisfied faces, Eugene felt puzzled.

"What kind of danger are you facing to act like this? I know Tripol to be a city with considerable underlying strength. They have settled most disputes through negotiations without shedding blood thus far."

"That is because the threat that has fallen upon our city this time comes from those whom negotiations will not work with."

"Pirates?"

Befitting a city that built its wealth on maritime trade, they had fought tiresome battles with pirates roaming the seas.

Let alone minor pirate bands, foreign pirates dispatched from beyond the East would even form fleets.

Among them, those who landed on vulnerable shores to pillage were true headaches.

"Pirates would actually be better. Those guys retreat on their own once they get their hands on enough gold coins, after all. It's not like negotiations are entirely impossible."

"Then nobles?"

Powerful nobles constantly eyed Tripol, which laid golden eggs. Sometimes alone, sometimes in coalitions, and sometimes by planting traitors inside.

Since they were people who already lacked nothing financially, they were also difficult opponents to negotiate with.

"The enemies targeting us do not want money or power. They want our flesh."

"Ah, monsters."

"Not just monsters, but the Sain-folk."

Those who possess a conscience and intelligence to enjoy a civilized life, like Homi the snow leopard Beastkin, are collectively referred to as Beastkin.

The Sain-folk, on the other hand, are Beastkin much closer to beasts or monsters.

Although they were the epitome of barbarism, they had formed their own tribal societies, possessed skills, and had considerable intelligence. Naturally, they were far more dangerous than average monsters.

Samur, heavily overgrown with jungles and deserts, was teeming with these Sain-folk. After all, humanity had driven the Sain-folk out of the prime lands and established nations there in ancient times.

"They have been attacking the trade routes traveled by caravans, leading to immense damage."

"Paying a toll and passing through is out of the question, I suppose?"

"A mercenary who barely escaped told us that the merchant and mercenary captain who attempted negotiations were thrown straight into a boiling pot."

"Pots again? The Gnolls we met last time did the exact same thing; surprisingly, they don't just eat their food raw."

He thought they would tear off raw meat like monsters, but there were quite a few cases where they cooked it properly. Does boiling human meat produce a tasty broth or something?

"Their threat wasn't to this extent originally, but it worsened rapidly starting from around last year. At this rate, they might even target the city itself."

This was a decisive difference between Sain-folk and monsters. When their numbers increased, they would directly attack cities.

Unlike humans who had to mobilize ladders and siege towers in siege warfare, some species excellent at climbing inclines could even scramble over city walls.

Therefore, when the Sain-folk ran rampant, housing prices near the city walls plummeted. This was due to rumors that those bastards climbing over the walls at night would kidnap sleeping citizens.

"If you lead your army and come to our rescue, my Lord, the city will surely repay your grace."

The recruitment officer bowed his head deeply. He had completely forgotten about the men he had diligently recruited through footwork over the past two weeks.

Before his eyes was a knight who had already built a terrifying reputation by slaughtering hundreds of bandits, the grand warrior of Gord, the Emperor's knights, and all sorts of monsters.

"... My Lord?"

When no answer returned, the recruitment officer lifted his head and saw Eugene lost in deep thought.

"A hero being born among the Gnolls, and the Sain-folk suddenly going on a rampage... it all feels somewhat suspicious."

"What you are thinking is likely correct."

At Eugene's words, Marbas nodded.

"It is the aftermath of the Spiritual Tide. The physical and spiritual planes drawing closer is akin to a disaster for ordinary people. Ancient gods who had been losing their influence will exercise their power, after all."

In such an environment, those who act most unrestrained are not the gods that people serve and that care for people.

Offerings, sacrifices, rituals of praise. Evil gods unconstrained by morals or conscience in all these aspects have no choice but to grow stronger.

"The winter of the human world has arrived. It seems it will be particularly long and arduous this time."

Marbas mumbled with a sorrowful face. For a summoner who researched and peered into the spiritual plane, it seemed as if he could see the future of the people who would suffer.

"That might be true outside."

However, Eugene remained impeccably calm as always.

"But I will safely look after my own people right here."

He had no particular intention of becoming a hero or savior from an epic tale.

Providing peace and a stable life to those who followed him even if the world went up in flames. That was Eugene's sole interest.