Chapter 125

Chapter 125 - Struggle for Survival (5)

"I wanted to launch a night raid if possible, but it can't be helped."

Waiting until night was difficult since captured survivors were confirmed. They might be in the bellies of the Rakshasas by then.

'As expected, a knight is a knight.'

At that sight, the subordinates ruminated on Eugene's identity. They often forgot because of his unique tendencies, but seeing things like this, his core was a knight.

As mercenary subordinates, they wanted to attack at night regardless of whether complete strangers died or not. The reason they still followed without a single sign of displeasure was undoubtedly because trust and respect toward Eugene had accumulated.

"If the bastards take the survivors as hostages, ignore them and attack."

"Hm?"

"Even if the hostages die doing so?"

Therefore, they couldn't help but be bewildered by the next order that fell. It was too cold-hearted for an instruction from someone who abandoned a night raid for the sake of survivors.

"I am not saying to recklessly pierce through them including the hostages. Try to mind the hostages as much as possible, but just attack if there is no other way. Otherwise, the bastards will only become more arrogant. The sacrifices occurring in that process are entirely my responsibility."

"That won't happen. Please trust us."

At the confidently speaking tribal warriors, Eugene nodded.

"Sir Hind. We will skip blocking the retreat path this time. We must all charge in at once and cause the maximum confusion."

"Understood. The bastards lack horses anyway, so they won't be able to escape even if we pursue them a little late."

Hind, who mainly performed the role of a detachment, also stood side by side near Eugene.

Silence lingered for a moment. Except for the occasional snorting of horses, only dry wind and faint screams could be heard.

Eugene's palm, raised high, clenched into a fist. The warhorses, receiving their riders' commands, advanced simultaneously. The noise was greatly suppressed because they had covered the horse hooves with cloth.

"Draw the veil. Hide our scent."

The spirits of wind summoned by Marbas brought forth a headwind defying nature.

The metallic smell of the stealthily approaching army and the body odor of the horses. So that not a single gulp of it would be caught by the Rakshasas' keen sense of smell.

* * *

It was through the vibrations of the horse hooves that the Rakshasa settlement noticed the ambush.

They panicked and hurriedly bolted out at the cavalry approaching without sound or smell, but it was too late.

Crack!

Smashing through the flimsy fences, the cavalry scattered a rain of steel in all directions.

"Kyaaak-!"

"Kehek-!"

Bleeding Rakshasas collapsed here and there.

"■■? ■■■■!"

"■■■!"

This was the territory of the Sain-folk existing outside humanity's civilized sphere.

Surrounded by a hostile environment, humans struggle to even find a path. If an army enters, their invasion is bound to be known immediately while creating loud dissonances everywhere.

This was also the reason why the large-scale subjugations attempted by Tripol City a few times in the past failed.

They could not have imagined they would easily find the path in a single stroke by working the Smallfolk living here through hypnosis.

"Ppiik!"

A clear whistling soared amidst the screams of Rakshasas being slaughtered from all sides.

Homi's sharp sense of smell caught something. She pointed at a large tent. A thick scent of bamboo was wafting from inside it.

Indeed, several Rakshasas of the warrior class could be seen desperately charging toward that tent even while taking arrows.

"That's the armory! Burn it down!"

At Eugene's shout, the gazes of his subordinates simultaneously shifted that way. Simultaneously, oil-soaked torches poured out toward that direction.

Rakshasas holding bamboo spears sprinted out from the tent where fierce flames surged, but failed to thrust even once.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

"Kyauk-!"

Struck intensively by arrows, they fell to their knees having failed to advance more than a few steps.

The bamboo spears thrown with their final ounce of strength lodged into the ground not flying very far.

The culprit making those bastards the most threatening was their spears no matter what. Powerful weapons capable of halting even cavalry without needing any special technique.

It was a perfect pairing fitting the characteristics of the Rakshasa tribe, which had prolific numbers, grew quickly, and an entire population functioning as an army.

However, resolving simply their spears made them no different from humans with sharp claws and four plump breasts.

Fwooosh.

The Rakshasas contorted their fox-like faces hideously while watching the blazing armory.

"Phew, check out this smell."

The mercenaries, on the other hand, curled up the corners of their mouths.

Not only were they pleased with the frustrated bastards' expressions, but the smell was also excellent. Because an abundance of bamboo was piled up, a faint refreshing scent wafted out.

Arrows, javelins, and sword strikes flew from all directions. Facing an unprecedented ambush, the settlement was being devastated without being able to mount a proper response.

"It's a male! Catch that bastard!"

A small-statured male was discovered among the Rakshasas fleeing in all directions. A tribal warrior immediately threw a lasso.

"Kek-!"

The bastard, with its breath choked off, grabbed its neck and resisted, but there was no way it could overcome the strength of a muscular Dark Elf and a warhorse.

It spat out a pathetic scream as it was dragged away.

"!!!"

"!!!"

That stimulated the instincts of the Rakshasa female warriors. They stopped fleeing and rushed in blindly attempting to rescue the male.

"Kill them all!"

Their protective instinct was sorrowful, but charging like a rabble without weapons or armor merely made them easy prey.

"Just as you said. I will surely reward you for your excellent advice."

"I-it was merely trivial knowledge."

The adventurer accompanying them bowed to Eugene with a pallid complexion. Because it was such a brutal scene of slaughter, his body froze despite his abundant experience.

In contrast, the young mercenary who looked like he had barely lived half his life was excitedly swinging his sword and harvesting heads. As expected, it seemed he did not have the constitution to live by selling his sword.

"There's one over there too!"

"Hahaha! Your husband is right here, you bitches, do you intend to leave him behind?"

The tribal warriors who properly tasted the effects of the hostage situation cheered. They yanked males caught with lassos and dragged them around everywhere.

'I worried about our hostages, but it feels like things are reversed.'

Eugene shrugged his shoulders at that sight.

"S-save me!"

"Please save us!"

People stripped naked and placed in cages bawled while gripping the bars. The cages and their locks were also comprised of bamboo.

"Step back!"

When the people retreated at Eugene's shout, he swung his flail just like that.

When the bundle of three maces slammed the lock, even the door shattered and swung wide open.

However, the people did not dare step out while lying flat. Upon gaining their freedom, they belatedly realized a battle was in full swing.

'It's horrific.'

It was an era lacking anything like prisoner human rights, but the Rakshasas were far worse. Stripping them naked regardless of gender and not even providing a chamber pot. The sight of people standing on their own excrement was reminiscent of a pigpen.

"Sir! Our daughter is inside there!!!"

A woman who couldn't even think to cover her breasts pointed at a tent.

The ground dyed crimson suggested it was a place that had already drunk much blood. Smoke rose from the roof.

That alone required no further explanation. It must be the bastards' kitchen.

"You could be ambushed inside, so do not enter the tent. Drag it outside."

At Eugene's order, the tribal warriors surrounded the kitchen in a fan shape.

"This is our area of expertise."

"Hook it!"

Fitting their nomadic heritage, they knew very well how to handle situations like this. Hooking grabnels onto the parts corresponding to the tent's frame, they spurred their horses together.

Craaaack.

Then, alongside the sound of breaking wood, the kitchen was ripped away just like that.

"Kyarrrrr-!"

The Rakshasa butchers taking an ambush posture inside were crushed and collapsed by the collapsing tent.

However, they immediately swung massive butcher knives to slice away the pieces of cloth covering them.

Only to subsequently collapse gripping the arrows piercing their chests and necks.

The exposed kitchen was full of nothing but meat undergoing butchery everywhere one looked.

The most numerous were the Smallfolk, appearing to have been captured after attacking the defeated Rakshasas.

Four of them were skewered consecutively from anus to mouth on a massive wooden stake, roasting and sizzling.

Beside it, a Smallfolk was being boiled in a large, bubbling cast-iron pot. It looked somewhat comical seeing it flip over this way and that in the bubbling water due to its small size.

A Lizardman being smoked with its skin peeled off could also be seen. The skin was soaking in a water basin, presumably being washed to be used as armor.

A large-built desert Orc, unlike the Smallfolk, was skewered vertically on a stake. It was being eaten while having chunks of flesh pulled off here and there like Döner kebab, already fully roasted.

And there were humans.

"Kyaaaak!"

"Annie! N-noooooo!"

Survivors bawled.

"Goddammit."

The mercenaries also frowned. Although they had experienced all sorts of hardships, an overly gruesome sight was unfolding.

"Kill... kill... me."

"Pleease... finish it..."

Only the humans had their lives still attached, but they were in a horrific state where dying would rather be better.

Victims with numerous organs extracted while having their limbs fixed on worktables begged for a merciful death.

As Eugene nodded, the mercenaries immediately swung their swords to grant them peace.

"I expected it would be like this as well."

"Have you seen similar sights?"

The adventurer nodded at Eugene's question.

"Another characteristic distinguishing Sain-folk from monsters is their enjoyment of gastronomy. Because despite being wicked and barbaric, they harbor their own culture. They also roast or boil meat to eat just like us. But when they capture humans..."

The adventurer trailed off, but judging by the atmosphere, the rest of the sentence was easily anticipated.

"You're saying they eat it raw?"

"That is correct. To them, human flesh is considered a clean, tender, and fat-rich delicacy."

"It would also be seasoned well since salt is spread all over the body."

While there are animals that sweat, cases where sweat glands are evenly distributed all over the body like humans are very rare.

Rex, who had been listening to their conversation, approached and added a remark. The Blackhand tribe had far more experiences of this kind than any average mercenary or hunter.

"Whether wild beasts or monsters, they universally favor internal organs, but human organs are even more special. Because humans eat significantly diverse cuisines and spices compared to wild creatures."

"You mean the scent is infused?"

It wasn't strange either since they all had keen senses of smell.

"Therefore, it is difficult to rescue them intact when a human is captured. I have also granted the sword of mercy a few times."

The battle was quickly coming to an end. The diverse hostile races captured and being butchered reversed meant they had suffered that many ambushes.

"We found the medical ward."

A blood-soaked Hind reported.

Cra-aaack!

As the tent was ripped away by the grabnels, numerous wounded Rakshasas groaning here and there lay sprawled out. The number seemed to be around 80.

The bastards, incapable of even standing up properly, glared sharply at the intruders with fierce eyes.

Thump!

Stab!

The heavy cavalry led by Hind charged in and thrust their spears.

"Kuak-!"

Some mercenaries simply rode their horses over the wounded instead of piercing them with spears.

They seemed enraged by the miserable sights of victims processed as human meat, and the prisoners bawling having lost their families.

Among the wounded was the matriarch who led the pack when ambushing humans on the trade route.

One-eyed with an arm severed, she struggled to grasp a weapon, but her neck fell vainly to an unnamed mercenary's ax.

The warriors capable of fighting, the warriors incapable of fighting, and the males that prevented them from fleeing mostly met their deaths.

"Leave this place to me and you guys chase down the few that fled."

"Understood."

The tribal warriors adept at horsemanship and tracking and killing chased the Rakshasas scattered in all directions.

Eugene, Hind, and the heavy cavalry hooked their grabnels onto the last remaining tent.

"Hiyah!"

Crack!

As the exceptionally sturdy tent was uprooted, terrified eyes looked up from a low position.

"Oh come on. Again?"

The final things remaining after all members were eliminated were young Rakshasas.

"Did you not expect this when you knew these bastards don't sprout from the ground like bamboo shoots?"

"We expected it, but directly facing it is a different story."

The mercenaries grumbled, gripping their weapons tightly.

The cub freshly given birth by the pregnant Rakshasa during the trade route ambush had many wrinkly features, so it was somewhat better.

However, the individuals right before their eyes were somewhat grown up.

'A mammal is a mammal.'

Eugene clicked his tongue.

Unlike the adults with distorted fox faces, the young ones possessed an incredibly adorable appearance.

They undoubtedly knew in their heads that this was a dangerous race that had to be exterminated. Trying to swing a sword at pure, innocent faces shuddering in terror was not an easy task, however.

That was a repulsion only those who had dirtied their hands with blood and killed something with a beating heart could truly understand.

A situation where the mercenaries merely aimed their weapons while surrounding them, unable to step forward.

"Everyone look at this."

Eugene lifted the flag Homi handed over.

"Ah!"

"That's!"

It was the flag made of human skin that hung at the settlement's entrance.

Shamanistic patterns were painted on the skin with dye, and only empty holes lingered where eyes and lips used to be.

Eugene stared at the young Rakshasas. They also gathered their gazes on Eugene. They seemed to possess the instinct to identify him as the leader of the intruders.

"It is true that children are innocent."

Eugene leveled the human skin flag at the young Rakshasas.

"However, there are also wars where one must discard tolerance and arm themselves with selfishness and unreason."

Setting the flag down, Eugene pulled out his flail.

The rattling, bloodthirsty noise caused the young Rakshasas to look up with even more pitiful eyes. Eugene's expression, however, remained like ice.

"Children of the Rakshasa. I know humans were the ones who stole the Samur land you originally lived in. And it was humans who drove you to the barren deserts and jungles."

Even though they wouldn't understand human speech anyway, Eugene continued speaking calmly.

"However, this is an issue of survival competition. The territory where humans can live like humans is limited. If your parents live, human parents die. And as many of you who are kept alive, human children die in equal measure."

Gripping the handle of the flail, Eugene infused strength into his arm muscles.

"I am merely doing the work I must do as a human soldier. Though there would be no possibility of it, those surviving among you might grow up in the future and come to harm my children. Then that, too, is your right."

Whooosh!

Finishing his long death sentence, Eugene swung his flail, splattering blood in all directions.

Eugene did not stop there and continued swinging twice, three times. Corpses fell over from all sides along with the loud cracks of small, fragile skulls shattering.

"Kyao-!"

Then, the Rakshasa children instantly erased their cute and pitiful faces from a moment ago.

They transformed into sewer rats with fully bared teeth and claws and charged in.

"Pr-protect the knight!"

The mercenaries, finally snapping to their senses, grew panicked and rushed in forgetting even the title of Lord.

Since Eugene was standing out front alone and silently slaughtering, he could have been overwhelmed from all sides at any instant.

That following moment, however, everything was resolved with Homi's roar.

"Hiyaaahk-!"

"Keeeek-!"

The Rakshasa children sheathed the claws they had pulled out and fled in all directions. Some drooped their tails, wrapped their hands around their heads, and sprawled flat on the ground.

Doing so only turned them into chunks of meat on the spears and swords thrust by the mercenaries since they were already surrounded anyway.

Watching the final Rakshasas dying all around, Eugene felt fatigue in battle for the first time.