Chapter 40

Chapter 40 - Becoming a Commander (3)

A stew containing crumbled hardtack and salted pork was an incredibly splendid field ration for the mercenaries to eat.

"Kuh! I never thought I would eat a porridge so faithfully full of solid ingredients outside."

"It's nice that the meat is salty and chewy without being greasy."

The herbs Valda had picked were the decisive factor. For a refreshing texture was added that removed the foul smell of preserved meat and supplemented the thickness of the hardtack.

Just then, the discussion moved to what weapon is the best as one mercenary boasted of his newly made weapon.

"Is it not naturally the sword? Where else would there be a weapon as versatile as a sword? It's good to use together with a shield, and you get the feeling that your skill improves the more you swing it."

"It's a weakling's weapon where the edge chips immediately if swung incorrectly. If you are a mercenary, it's naturally the axe. You save on repair costs, and its power is the absolute end."

A mercenary holding a spear tapped his neck with the spear shaft and intervened.

"Are you fellows mercenaries? For a mercenary, the best thing is unconditionally not getting hit. Gotta retire with a sound body in your later years. If need be, you can even try to struggle against cavalry."

"Ah, is that so?" The mercenary who had been plucking the string of his crossbow smirked.

"Sir Knight! Even in your thoughts, Sir Knight, is the sword not the best? You also executed the Wendigo with a sword."

The mercenary who had first boasted of the sword asked Eugene in a tone hoping for agreement.

'This fellow is cowardly pulling the Sir Knight into this?'

'Such a cheap fellow!'

The sword is like a symbol of a knight. Everyone sent a cold glare to the mercenary who was trying to ride on the employer's authority.

"I like that one the best. It's also comfortable to support you from behind when you fellows are fighting."

As Eugene pointed to the flail propped nearby, everyone nodded. It was a heartfelt agreement from everyone, not for the sake of the employer's face.

"What the priest told us in the past about a guardian angel... I understood it while fighting alongside you, Sir Knight."

It was because they had experienced the enemy they were locking blades with collapsing without even a groan alongside a loud crash while fighting in the village.

"I looked at the sky wondering if some bolt from the blue had fallen."

Everyone laughed heartily and chewed on the dates served as a side dish. The next topic was regarding the prospects from here on out.

"Perhaps we might have to fight as soon as we arrive at the House of Morad. The surrounding situation looks too bad."

"Making a fuss over such a thing. It's a common occurrence for the story heard when receiving a request to be completely different from what we see upon arrival."

Eugene, who was listening, also became curious. Since it is a world without things like labor laws, mercenaries possess at least one extraordinary story.

"Could you give me an example?"

"I once applied because they said it was a defensive mission and I thought it would be safe, but I was thrown into a siege battle. Because the castle fell while we were on our way. So we had to attack the castle with the reinforcements that arrived belatedly."

"That looks like a fraudulent request to anyone's eyes."

"But what could be done? The noble commander said he would summarily execute anyone who tried to return. Coming back alive was a heaven-sent fortune."

The mercenaries conversed comfortably with Eugene. They could not help but be deeply moved by an employer who listened to their opinions on matters such as sentry duty and march routes. Of course, they did not mistake that tolerance and cross the line. Because they were those who had sufficiently seen mercenaries suffer terrible consequences for doing so.

* * *

Led by a single knight, roughly twenty people were moving. It was a welcoming envoy sent from the House of Morad to greet Eugene.

Even though the wind was weak, the flag of the Count's family fluttered. It was because the one holding it was a boy in his early-to-mid teens. To hold a flag while riding a horse at a young age is not an easy task.

"If it is difficult, tell me."

"It is not, Sir Gauss! I am joyful to be entrusted with an honorable role!"

At the vigorous reply, Gauss stroked his son's head. The fellow who used to act spoiled following him around crying 'Father! Father!' distinguishing between public and private matters on his first mission was extremely commendable. The boy also felt good at the sound his father's gauntlet made by his ear.

"The surroundings are bleaker than imagined. If perchance the Duran fellows attack..."

The old clerk spoke worriedly. Currently, the House of Morad was in a state just prior to war with the House of Duran, which supported the Emperor.

A single knight and a young squire, ten family soldiers and six menservants and maids, an old clerk, and one carriage loaded with supplies for entertainment. Although it was a sufficient size to greet an invited guest, if a hostile family mobilized knights and ambushed them, they would face a terrible situation.

"A declaration of war has not arrived yet. No matter how unrestrained those fellows are, they will not ignore even the minimum customs."

"Sir Gauss. For my part, I know not if we can expect such a thing from the Duran fellows."

The clerk sighed inwardly. Honorable knights tend to think of the opponent's behavior patterns based on themselves.

"We cannot turn back now either. To make Sir Eugene come to the castle all alone is a shame to the House of Morad."

"That may be so."

"The other troops are also busy with their respective missions. To have been allocated even this much is something to be grateful to the Lord of the house for."

The knight also did not think of it casually. There was simply no other way under the given orders and situation.

"I wish we would meet that Sir Knight quickly."

"If only he joins us, we would have no worries."

At the servants' talk, Gauss and the clerk also agreed. If they just joined up with Eugene somehow, there would be naught to worry about on the way back.

However, things are bound to get twisted exactly at times like this. Especially if combined with an old man's worries, the probability became even higher.

When the envoy reached an intersection, a group numbering over thirty approached from the left.

"...Prepare for battle." Gauss's face distorted. At the forefront of the approaching fellows were three knights, and behind them were well-armed mercenaries. Their purpose could be glimpsed from their greedy expressions.

"Greetings! To meet the honorable Sir Gauss like this, I am truly glad!"

The knight who appeared to be the leader smiled slyly. As a vassal of the House of Duran, he was someone Gauss also knew.

"Sir Godric. This is Morad's territory; what brings you here with such a force?"

"I came to send the traitorous fellows who disobey His Majesty the Emperor on their way to the netherworld." As the three knights of Duran drew their swords, the mercenaries behind them also took up their respective weapons.

"All forces, commence attack! Strike and kill the Morad fellows!"

"You sons of bitches who know not even this much honor!" The enraged Gauss and the family soldiers also aimed their weapons.

However, both knights and soldiers were at a three-fold difference. Knowing it was a battle without a chance of winning no matter who looked, everyone had despairing faces.

"Kill, pillage, and violate! Wahahaha!" Duran's ambushers rushed upon the envoy who had come to meet Eugene.

* * *

"Sir Knight. There are people resting ahead." The mercenary who had taken the role of scout ran back and reported.

"The size?"

"It seems to be slightly more than us, and there are two knights."

"It might be those who came to meet me. For it is about time they showed themselves."

If it is a guest invited by the Lord of the house, it is only proper etiquette for a welcoming party to come out.

"To say that, the flag of the House of Count Morad which you showed us is not visible. And the atmosphere is too bloody."

Sensing the mood, the mercenaries stopped their chatter. They firmly tightened their worn armor, checked their crossbow strings, and loaded bolts.

Soon, the mercenaries resting ahead appeared. As reported, there were two heavily armored knights. As they drew closer, Eugene noticed that these fellows were in a state of having finished a battle. For there were several whose blood was flowing beneath hastily worn armor.

"Halt." The knight blocking the road shouted while extending his palm. "Who are you and where do you come from?"

"..." Eugene scanned the inside of the opposing camp instead of answering.

In a corner, there were three men kneeling tied up tightly. One of them was dressed as a clerk, unbefitting such a place.

"Kyaaah!"

"Won't you stay still, bitch? Do you wish to be hung as well?"

The mercenaries roughly gathered half-naked maids into one place. Beside a broken carriage, corpses were piled up, and on a nearby tree, a boy with his neck tied hung swaying.

"Young Master." The old man in clerk attire, forced to kneel, looked up at the tree with hollow eyes. Tears flowed down his wrinkled eyes.

Eugene took in this entire scene in an instant.

"I am asking you right now? Reveal your identities." The opposing knight asked, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The place where Eugene's gaze lastly stopped was the flag of the House of Morad covered in dirt and rolling about on some ground.

"Lane of the House of Mild." Eugene answered as he brought his hand behind his back and sent a hand signal to prepare for battle.

"...!" The mercenaries' breathing momentarily faltered, but they maintained their composure without a change in expression.

"It's a name I hear for the first time."

"I suppose it would be. For I am from a humble family on the frontier. And you are?"

"It's Godric, a knight of the great House of Duran."

The vigilance in the eyes of the two knights disappeared and changed to looking down on him. For Eugene had spoken with a commoner's accent. It was the attitude of looking at the knight son of a nouveau riche family completed with money.

"It seems you have been through a rather rough battle; could you inform me of what happened?"

"Under the command of His Majesty the Emperor, we punished the foolish fellows who stand against him. When they should have been holed up in their castle, they were roaming about like rats and were caught red-handed."

"Traitorous fellows!" The knight beside Godric spat toward the corpses. Morad's Knight Gauss had tenaciously taken one fellow knight with him even in numerical inferiority. Even though they had hanged his son from a tree in resentment of losing a friend they had known for a long time, their anger was not appeased.

"Sir Lane. What business has brought you to this place?"

"If a knight has come leading mercenaries to a land where the clouds of war hang heavy, it is obvious." The opposing mercenaries here and there let out chuckles as Eugene drew a circle with his thumb and index finger.

"Ahem." Godric, on the other hand, considered Eugene's attitude vulgar. His accent and manner of speech also seemed like a fellow who had completely lacked education.

"Have you decided on a destination?"

"That is yet to be decided." Eugene shrugged his shoulders. "I came up from the backwaters and have no connections. Hearing that a war was breaking out in Roman, I came up for now. Looking at the atmosphere, it seems finding work will be easy."

"That is well-timed. Perchance, do you have any thought of working for the House of Duran?"

"Only if they give ample pay."

"I assure you that in this vicinity, there is no place that can provide for you as generously as we can."

Eugene, who feigned pondering for a moment, nodded readily.

"You have thought well. It shall surely become an opportunity for success for you as well."

"I thank you for that. Having a decent territory in Roman to my name was a dream of mine."

Godric disliked the knight before his eyes as a person, but thought he passed the mark as a fighting force. He had good equipment, a large build, and the mercenaries following him were quite numerous, so he could be used at the level of a detached force.

'To smash the Morad family fellows and gain a new fighting force. The gods are blessing me.' Godric, who was now able to report a great achievement to the family, smiled in satisfaction.

Eugene took out a bottle of wine from his saddlebag, drank from it heartily, and approached the two knights.

Gulp, gulp!

After letting out a grand burp, he held it out to Godric. "This, too, is fate, so how about a drink?"

To refuse the sincerity of a knight who had just become an ally was also rude. Moreover, the aroma rising from the wine bottle was so excellent that his mouth watered.

Gulp.

As the wine entered his mouth, Godric's eyes went round.

"This taste is truly good. Where did you obtain it?" Astonished, Godric passed the bottle to his fellow knight.

"I received it from Benjamin."

"Ah, Benja... What?"

The knight beside him who had been drinking the wine coughed violently.

"Cough! Cough!" He must have choked properly, for he could not even raise his head properly and his upper body shook as if coughing up blood.

"He gave it as a gift, asking me to surely come to the House of Morad."

Eugene's gauntleted fist flew at Godric's face, staring blankly with an idiotic expression.

Thwack!

Spouting a grand nosebleed, Godric's body flew backwards. Since he had controlled his strength, he would not die.

"You bas... Cough!"

The fellow knight tried to draw his sword and attack, but could not collect his wits due to the wine that had entered his windpipe. Eugene grabbed his wrist holding the sword.

Crack!

"Argh!" Along with the sound of bones breaking, the sword fell to the ground. Eugene grabbed the neutralized knight by the collar and threw him backwards.

"Welcome!" The waiting mercenaries rushed in and bound him in an instant.

"You damned fellow! To pull such a dog's trick!"

"If it is a dog's trick to a fellow worse than a dog, is it not splendid treatment?" Eugene, who retorted nonchalantly, looked at the enemy mercenaries. They were half out of their wits due to the suddenly unfolded situation.

"We shall subjugate the wicked robber fellows! Follow me!" At Eugene's command, his subordinate mercenaries charged.

Wheeet-!

At Homi's signal, Eugene's crossbowmen fired their bolts as if they had been waiting.

"Urgh!"

"Ack!"

The mercenaries of the House of Duran, who were hastily grabbing their crossbows, fell in succession.

Losing their highest fighting force, the knights, right from the start, and being in a state of physical exhaustion and injury from the previous battle. Being ambushed on top of that, it was an already lost fight.

'It's finally ransom money!' Eugene was thinking of the two captured knights.

Grand Warrior compensation, subjugation allowances, spoils, even by-products from catching monsters. He, who had experienced various means for a knight to earn money, now had the single thing he had yet to taste in his grasp. It was worth the effort of putting on an impromptu act to capture them alive.