Chapter 209

Chapter 209 - Acran Slave Market

Acran is a large city where various intelligent species once interacted. To the extent that it was called by the nickname 'Capital of the Jungle'.

A beautiful and prosperous ground incomparable to the gloomy Divide. It is of a weight class sufficient to be compared with famous cities of the old continent.

However, its civilization level is low, and since it is a city in the jungle, there are no highways or satellite cities branching out to the surroundings.

"We are almost at Acran City, but there is no organized resistance? Not even a speck of intercepting forces can be seen."

Rex, who had been meticulously commanding the scouts, said as if feeling drained.

The infamy spoken of by the Cat-folk was so great, but what they had encountered so far was merely sporadic battles.

"Though the scale is at the level of a minor kingdom, it's a country only in name, and it is closer to a warlord organization. No, even the word warlord is a luxury. It is practically a bandit group running on a 100% pillage economy."

There's no way infrastructure like border defense or alarm systems are equipped. The dense jungle serves as an excellent camouflage blanket hiding the army's march.

"If it's as the Knight says, wouldn't they perish anyway even if left alone?"

The reason the Blackhand family raises healers, witches, and various craftsmen apart from their powerful military force. That is because it is the minimum condition to maintain their family identity and survive.

"Rakshas united at that scale are like a sort of living forest fire. They will burn, swallowing everything until there is nothing left to use as fuel."

"Hmm. It is better to strike before they swell further. Because those guys breed like pigs."

"There's that, and I'm bothered by the leader capable of this level of rallying."

It certainly wouldn't be an ordinary individual. If it is a champion chosen by an evil god, there was no knowing what they would do with a swarm of this size. It is too dangerous to leave alone.

"Start getting tense. The moment we reach the city, the enemy's scale will suddenly increase drastically. The ratio of warriors compared to the population is at a nonsensical level."

"I won't let my guard down, but I'm not particularly afraid either."

All the other warriors also sympathized with Rex's words.

Although Eugene is highly renowned as a Legendary Knight, from the perspective of an army, that applies equally to themselves as well.

Entering under Eugene's command, they have fought against all sorts of enemies in all sorts of regions until now, but they had never been defeated even once.

That point was also the reason why Eugene didn't increase the army's scale further despite his enriched finances.

Because he hated blurring the synergy that occurs when an army with mature experience and martial prowess is united around their clans through external influx.

Desertion in the face of the enemy due to fear, ignoring orders due to greedy pursuit of riches or merits, internal strife due to power struggles within the unit.

These are things that cannot be suppressed no matter how outstanding the commanding ability is. However, right now, Eugene's army is capable of it.

In some aspects, it is an organization similar to the Spartan army in Eugene's memory. Of course, they are equipped with an incomparable birth rate, welfare, education, and stability compared to that place.

"Sasha. Is it that cave?"

"Yes! In there is the Big Foot Tribe. The number is 100! They hunted an anaconda not long ago. They won't come out of the cave for a while. Until they eat it all. Belly full-full!"

Moreover, the best local informant surrendered to Eugene's faction.

Herbivorous Rakshas possessed a large amount of high-quality information because they wandered all over looking for food.

Sasha's tribe was sent to Eugene's outpost, but as the chieftain, she volunteered for the guide role.

"Prepare things to burn."

"It's a smoking operation, huh?"

Rex smiled wickedly. A moment from then.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Kkiyaaa-!"

The Big Foot Tribe Rakshas who ran out shedding tears and snot became skewers in front of the densely aimed long spears.

Eugene stroked Sasha's head and asked.

"You said the first sector of Acran City right now is used as a market?"

"Right. Full of all sorts of flesh smells. It was so painful I breathed through my mouth."

The city of Acran has a structure where several large chunks are connected by passages like gateways. It is a phenomenon that occurred because there wasn't enough flat land compared to the population since it is in the middle of the jungle.

For reference, the Raksha language does not distinguish between slaves and food. Because the two are connected like the front and back of a coin. Likewise, market, slave market, and restaurant were also synonymous.

"If you exit here, Acran comes out."

The city is not a structure meticulously prepared against external invasions like the old continent. It is a structure where you enter the city immediately if you break through the jungle thickets.

"Who's there ■■?"

Thwack!

The Rakshas who were trying to go out without knowing the invading army had arrived were shot with arrows in succession and crashed down.

Thus, when Eugene's army revealed their appearance, the busily moving city stopped perfectly.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Female warriors competing to show off their piercings with a delicate male between them.

A Raksha tearing and eating a floundering live fish exactly as it is.

Rakshas lining up to defecate and urinate in an open public toilet.

The Cat-folk slaves busy scooping that up and doing tanning work.

The Rakshas gathering around and devouring a Dog Beast-man whose strength ran out and collapsed during forced labor.

All of them stared at Eugene's army.

'Though they are clearly bastards at the peak of barbarism, it's quite something that their outer appearance or atmosphere looks subtly affluent.'

Eugene clicked his tongue.

The stereotype of natives he thinks of is the appearance of quasi-primitive people with tanned skin fully exposed.

Rakshas were also naked except for some ornaments, but for them, their skin is practically equivalent to a fur coat.

Thanks to that, should one say they look like an elegantly dressed middle class? Since they gave off such a feeling, despite their viciousness and barbarism, their outer appearance wasn't bad.

The bastards seemed flustered by the group in unfamiliar attire, but soon recognized the enemies' attack.

"Shiiiik-!"

"Shaaak-!"

The fierce fox faces distorted in unison and made snake-like sounds. The bastards who were in the middle of a meal licked their blood-drop-forming fox whiskers with their tongues.

"To Rakshas, there is no concept of hostages. There's no way they will stop and threaten by putting knives to the slaves' throats, so concentrate on the battle."

Distinguishing between warriors and slaves was easy. Besides being different on a racial level, the prisoners were prostrating and trembling while wearing slave collars.

Eugene's army entered the city not in a line march but in a parallel march for rapid formation configuration.

"Intruders! Intruders!"

"■■!"

"Sacrifices!"

By the time the Rakshas exuding thick killing intent and appetite gathered in droves, the battle formation was completed.

"Feed them arrows!"

At the front are the spears and shields of the Dwarven warriors.

Behind them, the Dark Elf archer unit aiming long bows.

It is a simple but the best square formation. A solid vanguard that receives cavalry charges while not obstructing the shooters' vision. The strongest ranged firepower.

"■■■■!"

"■■ is mine!"

Finally, hundreds of vanguard Rakshas kicked up dust and charged. Having neither formation nor tactics, but with numbers and vicious wildness combined, their momentum surpassed passable mercenary corps.

Eugene struck down the giant axe blade he was holding up to the sky.

"Pour it out."

The largest scale of arrow rain in the history of this land rained down.

"...■■?"

Some of the charging Rakshas looked up at the sky at the sensation of the sunlight dimming. They wondered if the day the moon bites the sun that the tribal shaman once told them about would feel like that.

* * *

Thwack!

Thwack!

Along with the sound of flesh being cheerfully pierced, Rakshas fell from all directions.

There were also those who blocked with shields, but since the materials were woven tough vine stems or thin wooden boards, their defensive power was lacking.

Puck!

The majority were Rakshas agonizing with their wrists or arms skewered by arrows that penetrated the shields.

Eugene hoisted Blackout high. At that sight, the archer unit centurions immediately shouted.

"Cease fire!"

"Don't shoot!"

"Stop! Stop!"

Riding the large-sized Might at the vanguard, he could control the entire archer unit with a single hand signal.

"Kkeouu-."

A situation where most of the hundreds of Rakshas who set out on the first charge had crashed down. There is no need to specially waste arrows. They wait for the bastards to get close enough again.

And the 2nd wave struck in soon.

The creature called Raksha being extremely fierce contributes, but it was because the Rakshas who ran from the inside at the news of intruders attacked without knowing the circumstances.

"Shoot!"

Once again, arrows covered the sky and Rakshas fell like autumn leaves blowing in the wind. Numerous arrows were being fired, but surprisingly, there were not many getting stuck in the ground.

Archer operation of doing suppressive fire on an area unit is only common sense for human archers.

The Blackhand archer corps vomited the spirit of carrying out individual firing while operating a chiliarchy.

"Kyareuk-!"

The reckless charge stopped when gorgeously decorated Rakshas appeared.

Clad entirely in scale armor woven with bones, they were also a head taller than other individuals. One of them confidently sprang out, aimed her weapon, and chattered.

Speaking fast and complex, Eugene who learned it on a crash course couldn't understand, but with this kind of atmosphere, the content should be obvious.

"Are they perhaps requesting a duel?"

At the sight of the bone armor gladiator shouting proudly while pounding her chest, Hind opened her eyes wide.

"It is a society that determines everything with strength, so it's nothing strange either. Moreover, Rakshas have fierce competition over the opposite sex, don't they? Even herbivorous deer lock horns and compete for breeding, so how much more would those bastards?"

"But they are a matriarchal society, though."

"Women fighting each other is also no joke bloody, you know."

Sasha interpreted what the bone armor duelist chattered.

"Alpha jaguar. Says she hunted it 1-on-1. Wild boar tusks. Says she grabbed them barehanded and broke them. Says she has never lost even once in 1-on-1 fights."

"Oh! There was a Legendary Knight on that side too."

At Eugene's words, his subordinates smiled awkwardly.

"And a male to her liking. Says she has never missed even once."

"Does she brag about something like that in a place like this?"

"When aiming for a good male, there are dozens of competitors. Saying she drove them all out every time. It's evidence that she is extremely strong."

"Ah, it could connect like that."

Since she didn't chatter anymore, Eugene stepped forward on this side.

It's a society of beasts running thoroughly on the logic of strength. Asserting dominance in this kind of confrontation will hold an even greater effect than on a civilized army.

Since communication doesn't work anyway, petty explanations are unnecessary. Simply whirling around a giant axe that even a grown man would find hard to lift with two hands using one hand was enough.

Cheers erupted from Eugene's camp, and murmurs of marvel erupted from the Rakshas' camp.

"■■■?"

"■■ ■■!"

Eugene's strength is one thing, but their admiration for Blackout was greater. Because the Rakshas mistook the giant black axe blade for obsidian.

Precious stone.

Black wind.

The essence of slaughter.

Obsidian, called by various names, possessed tremendous value both religiously and militarily in this land.

'Would ancient duels have felt like this?'

Walking out on foot to the center of both armies without riding a horse was a peculiar experience.

Dung dung dung dung!

Thump thump thump thump!

Different bizarre drum sounds rang out from the Raksha side, showing off their achievements.

They are drums made by completely tearing off the skins of conquered region leaders. Pumping air fully into the sealed structure of the abdomen, their appearance was extremely grotesque.

"Hideous bastards."

"It was flags in Samur, but here they take it a step further."

However, to be intimidated by such things, Eugene's army was far too elite.

"Kiyaaaaa-!"

A Raksha gladiator swinging a pure-white bludgeon well over 1m long with both hands.

Crunch!

It's a bludgeon that has reaped numerous lives, but in front of the axe refined with hell metal, it was merely a snack stick.

Eugene purposefully reversed his grip on the axe and struck the disarmed Raksha.

Crash tinkle tinkle!

Bone fragments shattered to pieces by the bludgeoning soared like fireworks.

In between that, the gladiator foaming at the mouth rolled on the ground, but her limbs were bent in bizarre directions.

"■■■ ■■■!"

The next gladiator immediately sprang out. She was so big-boned that even Eugene had to look up at her.

This time, Eugene preemptively attacked. As he struck down Blackout, the Raksha gladiator received the illusion of black lightning falling.

Her weapon, where ironwood was strengthened countlessly with the sap of a secret tradition, could split opponents like a falchion despite being of wooden material.

Pashit!

However, it was cut in two right entirely along with the weapon she held up to defend.

Thump.

The corpse of the gladiator kneeling on both knees swayed back and forth for a while before the cross-section split open and spilled to the left and right.

"Kiiit-!"

"Shiiik-!"

Then, the remaining bone armor gladiators pounced simultaneously.

"Such cowardly!"

As the tribal knights tried to draw their swords and run over, Eugene restrained them by telling them not to come. It turned out for the better. Such an event would be more convenient to break the bastards' morale.

Keureung-.

However, as insurance, he gave an eye signal to Might. So that if push comes to shove, it could run over in an instant, ram the bastards, and rescue Eugene.

The gladiators ran in a line, then suddenly changed their formation upon entering combat distance. Their intention was to occupy Eugene's front and left and right flanks simultaneously and launch a simultaneous attack.

Tightly.

Eugene, holding the handle with both hands, turned his body greatly and launched a 240-degree rotational slash.

Kwadedeudeuk!

Broken bone armor fragments scatter blindingly. It felt like watching white firecrackers. Between that, the separated upper and lower halves of the Raksha gladiators' bodies flew away.

Flop! Flop! Flop!

They had ambushed from different directions, but they rolled away amicably in the direction Eugene swung the axe.

When their upper bodies touched the ground, the gladiators flailed their hands and searched for their dropped weapons. It seems they are under the illusion that they are still fighting.

"...?"

"...!"

Gasp gasp.

However, unable to even shout or converse due to severed lungs, they seemed to finally realize what happened. Those who shivered for a moment went limp.

And only then did they realize that the giant axe was not obsidian but something much more terrible. The same went for Eugene swinging it.

The bone armor gladiators who were sneakily reading the room tried to flee.

They threw boomerangs worn at their waists to buy time to escape. Drawing bizarre angles, several flew in, and on top of that, both wings were sharply ground and even poisoned.

Teung!

However, Eugene grabbed the axe sideways and swung the broad side, lightly deflecting them.

Thwack!

A short spear thrown as if counterattacking punched a tunnel through the face of a bone armor gladiator. Now there is only one bone armor warrior remaining.

As Eugene bounded forward kicking off the ground, she also jumped backward to widen the distance.

However, Eugene's charge was explosive, and Blackout's reach was also too long.

Spat!

Flying backward and thinking 'I dodged it at this level', the Raksha saw her own foot spinning round and round before her eyes.

And the immense pain felt from the cleanly sliced shin area. Eugene finished off the Raksha attempting to crawl away desperately.

"■■■■!!!"

A pathetic deathbed scream unbelievable to belong to that fierce warrior. It bestowed an indelible fear on the souls of the watching Rakshas.

Screams erupted throughout the city, and the Rakshas began to scatter.

'They won't come out from that side anymore.'

Eugene hoisted the axe high and issued the advance order to the army waiting behind. Then, shouts and footsteps covered the city like a tsunami.

"We don't need things like Raksha prisoners!"

The bone armor warriors weren't just individuals who fought well, but individuals who possessed their own status.

With their morale broken and no leaders to guide them, the remaining Rakshas were smashed.

Around the time the sun set and the moon descended, Mayer's banner was fluttering at the first gateway of Acran City.

* * *

"Just roughly clear away the corpses. Since it's merely a transit point and we won't rule it afterwards."

Eugene instructed his subordinates who were collecting spoils.

Fitting for Rakshas who were in Acran City, and especially in the market, the riches they possessed also included many valuable things.

"There is nothing good about staying here for long. We will move locations soon, so hurry."

But due to this damned stench, it seems hard to endure for long.

Beast-men who achieved civilization but possess the barbarism of monsters. The city where such people stayed on a large scale was a visual beyond imagination.

"Isn't it crazy to put a tanning workshop in the market?"

"These bastards have quite strong stomachs, huh."

"Do they not know the feeling of shame. In a wide-open place like this..."

The NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) phenomenon exists in this era as well, and its representative place is tanning workshops.

Because urine is used in the dehairing process, and poop water is used in softening the leather through microbial decomposition.

The process of soaking the leather in water mixed with those things, stepping on it like doing laundry, and kneading it is essential.

Such facilities are naturally placed far outside residential areas, but the Rakshas put them together in the places for sleeping, eating, and excretion. It is truly the extreme of efficiency-ism.

"Ours. Is special. Makes leather tough and soft. Better than what dogs or birds make! Much more!"

"...Sasha. You don't have to say that."

"???"

Did she expect to be praised for their usefulness, Sasha had a bewildered face.

The god-given mutation gifted her heart with goodness and pure innocence. However, it seems it didn't give her a sense of shame or refinement as well. Well, naturally so.

The toilet doubling as the tanning material supply source is divided into two. A urine tub and a feces tub.

"Even though they walk on two feet, they are indeed completely different from primates."

"The tanning work efficiency will come out well."

The Dwarves stroked their beards and found it interesting.

Humans release urine as well when defecating due to sphincter structure, but Rakshas, like canines, can release both completely separately.

"No, if you ate, you should bury it in the ground at least."

The tribal warriors clicked their tongues looking at the giant towers of bones. They are the remains the Rakshas devoured.

Since they meticulously picked out down to a single speck of sinew and a single drop of blood, there was at least no stench here.

"Heuheuk."

The Cat-folk slaves who were making weapons by grinding bones with stones there cried and expressed gratitude to Eugene's army.

At first, they trembled with faces mixed with fear, but when Yakson stepped forward, they accepted them as saviors at once.

"If you don't fill the quota while working here. You become material just like that."

"Terrible."

At Sasha's explanation, the warriors consoled and raised the slaves kissing their feet.

"This is..."

Eugene's eyes sparkled as he looked at the fruits piled up in heaps at one part of the market. At first, he wondered if they were walnuts or almonds, but looking closely, it was cacao.

"It is the currency used in Acran before it was occupied by the Rakshas."

Yakson said.

"Are there other currencies besides this?"

"Obsidian fragments, fabrics, and leathers were also used together, but the most popular is cacao."

"It seems those bastards also used it for morale-boosting."

Eugene's subordinates rummaging through the spoils found multiple cacao beans in the pockets of the Raksha warriors.

"Although there are many gold mines, gold isn't used?"

"Because their smelting technology cannot keep up."

"True."

"It rather turned out well. Gold calls forth greed and meaningless disputes. Bartering like this is better."

Having said so, Yakson smiled despondently. Since it all became meaningless the moment it was occupied by Rakshas.

The city of Acran cultivated while accumulating culture and wisdom over hundreds of years. A single flower bloomed in the jungle as a symbol of interaction and harmony became stained covered in blood and filth.

However, apart from such tragedies, the morale of Eugene's army is lofty. Already craving the next battle, they were looking at the gateway over there.

Spoils are spoils, but it's because hostility towards the enemies called Rakshas themselves sprouted up robustly.

"That place. A place to commune with gods. A scary place."

Sasha said trembling profusely.

It was the cause that made Sasha, who had remained in Raksha society while enduring abuse and contempt, lead her tribe and flee.