Chapter 48

Chapter 48 - Monsters and Pirates (5)

"Blargh."

"Cough! Cough!"

"Uwaaagh."

The pirates, who surrendered and barely made it to the riverbank, vomited the water they had swallowed. Since it was a situation where they were swept up in a sinking ship while dressed in armor, they couldn't swim properly.

They were mercilessly tied up by the waiting garrison. Perhaps it's a tribal tradition, but all the pirates grew their hair long, which made for a perfect handle.

"Aaaah! My hair! My haiiir!"

"I can walk on my own feet!"

The guards and mercenaries roughly grabbed the pirates' hair and dragged them ashore.

Ping!

"Ack!"

The pirates who refused to surrender were hit by bolts and floated in the river. Because even the fishing boats they had mocked were faster than the swimming of injured and exhausted men.

"There's another one over there. Let us bring the boat around immediately."

The fishermen who volunteered for the operation rowed and approached the floating pirate. Their skill from steering boats for decades was not inferior even compared to the pirates.

"You cowardly bastards! Is it fun to kill people who can't resist?"

"Yeah, it's really fun. And aren't you guys not in a position to say such things?"

The mercenaries were dumbfounded at the resisting pirates. They knew they were fellows without a conscience, but isn't this too much?

The pirates also knew it was impossible to escape, but they had no choice.

If caught while pirating, hanging is the default. Even if they were lucky, they had to row oars until their lungs rotted in hellish coal mines or their joints wore out on slave ships.

"P-Please spare me! I can't swim!"

One pirate raised both hands high and pleaded.

Ping!

Immediately, he grabbed his pierced neck and plunged his face into the water's surface.

"You shouldn't say 'spare me', you should say 'surrender'."

What mercenaries like outside of battle are free booze and gambling. What they like inside battle is finishing off helpless enemies like this.

Because it is fundamentally a job where they risk their lives, it's bound to pile up stress, and opportunities to relieve it this refreshingly were not common.

In some aspects, one might call it cruel and barbaric. However, this is also one aspect of a creature called a mercenary. Eugene, who knew the stress of battle, turned a blind eye to this much.

"I surrender! Surrendeeer!"

In a situation with absolutely no answer, the pirates also gave up everything. Because there were troops camping and waiting even on the opposite side of the river, which was their last hope.

"Are there any fellows who are dual nobles? I swear on my honor to guarantee your safety until I receive your ransom."

Eugene asked the half-living corpses of pirates, but there was no answer.

"In the inland sea, there are nobles who pillage while steering large ships. They are lord families who have built wealth through pirating over generations. However, wouldn't it be obvious if they are fellows robbing villages in the river?"

"That is true too."

At the clerk's words, Eugene swallowed his regret. After tasting gold coins through ransom once, whenever he caught prisoners, he checked their status first.

"What will you do with the fellows who surrendered? There is no place where slave traders come and go near here."

At the clerk subtly hinting at execution, the pirates trembled.

"Rather than just killing them, I should use them a bit more efficiently."

Eugene smiled coldly. After hearing about the fellows' atrocities from the refugees who came from the village upstream, he couldn't see them as the same humans at all.

Like that, wooden pillars were set up next to the Bugbear heads in the village plaza. High-ranking pirates such as the boss and navigator were stripped naked and tied up tightly.

"You fellows who received heavenly punishment!"

"You sons of bitches! Give me back my husbaaaand!"

Driven by the desire for revenge for pillaging and their blood relatives, the villagers threw stones.

"Aaaah!"

"Just kill me! Please!"

At the pain of their whole bodies being minced, the pirates screamed, but it would be difficult to die quickly. Because fishnets were placed over their heads.

It was the work of the fishermen whose anger had not yet dissipated. Even the mercenaries could not help but marvel at the sense to put rotten fish in them.

* * *

Returning to the manor, Eugene took off his upper garment and lay face down on the bed. It was due to the subtle pain felt in his right arm muscles.

Homi climbed onto his lower back, and because her proportions were so good, her weight was light compared to her tall height.

Squish, squish.

With oiled hands, she carefully massaged her lord's right arm and shoulder.

Press. Press.

Although her hands were larger than an average woman's, her fingers were slender and her strength was good. She could give delicate yet sufficient stimulation to the knotted muscles.

"I feel like I can live. Thank you."

"♪♪~"

Humming, Homi's thick tail escaped her control.

Thump! Thump!

It hit the thighs of the face-down Eugene as it pleased. The only one making a displeased face was the magician.

"I acknowledge that you possess innate divine strength, but being overly confident in your physical body is also problematic."

His joints or ligaments were safe, but his muscles were overloaded. Because he threw using only his main arm, his right arm, as he needed precise aim.

"If you had thrown a few more times, you might have injured your muscles."

"I also stopped feeling the grain of my muscles rising a bit."

"Not because you stopped after smashing all the ships?"

"Because I couldn't risk letting them escape. If they got scared and ran away, it would become bothersome to catch them again."

It was the best choice to annihilate them all at once so that what happened wouldn't be known in the inland sea.

"That bandits and pirates sprout up like weeds is the logic of the world. Since you have done your share sufficiently with the monster subjugation, there is no need to step forward to the point of ruining your body."

"I understand. I shall be careful from now on."

It sounded like nagging, but Eugene didn't hate it at all. On the contrary, it was to the extent that it even felt nostalgic.

"Homi. I think that is enough, so come down."

Valda stopped the massage and wrapped Eugene's arm and shoulder with green leaves as broad as pumpkin leaves. Knitting the stems together and tying a knot, the tight cinching was like a natural bandage.

"What is this?"

Valda chanted a spell instead of answering.

"Circulating life. Pass your vitality onto another."

"!"

Eugene felt the leaves become cold and adhere to his skin. The subtle pain circulating in his arm quickly disappeared.

"The leaves will sacrifice their own lives to advance your recovery."

'A medieval magical pain relief patch, huh.'

Eugene expressed his gratitude to Valda.

A squire and a magician who assisted him out of loyalty or friendship. Having such people by his side was a supremely happy thing as a knight.

* * *

While Eugene was receiving treatment, the garrison extracted information from the prisoners.

"It seems there are no other comrades. One could say they were caught properly while aiming for the last big score before winter comes."

Perhaps it was a harsh interrogation, but there were also bloodstains on the reporting clerk's clothes.

"Are there fellows like this in all the other rivers too?"

"Generally, yes. Because in the inland sea, if you include even the small tribes, there are over 100 pirate organizations."

"No matter how wide the inland sea is, there are too many pirates."

"Strictly speaking, you can consider that everyone living in the inland sea changes their profession at any time. Fisherman, merchant, pirate, smuggler. Whenever an opportunity comes, they change jobs at any time."

Since they were annihilated, formed, and divided at any time, tracking their numbers was meaningless.

"Then we can't leave with peace of mind. Won't new fellows appear again?"

"Even though they are pirates, they keep their own commercial morality amongst themselves. This river branch is the territory of the fellows you smashed, Sir. It will be safe for at least 3 years before other fellows cut in."

That much was sufficient. Because Eugene could not protect this place forever.

A few days later, Eugene's troops, having completed maintenance and supply, left Richwood village.

"Thank you! Sir Mercenaries!"

"They say Sir Mercenaries. Pfft."

As the fishermen who steered the boats waved their arms and the village children jumped up and down to see them off, even the rough mercenaries' hearts warmed.

"I'll absolutely come back! Wait for me!"

In the meantime, a mercenary and a village maiden who caught each other's eyes also looked at each other with determined eyes. It was a common occurrence for rookies, but because there was still contract time remaining, he had to return for now.

"Phew. We worked hard to teach him, and he just runs away like this?"

"I-I'm sorry."

A few veteran mercenaries spoke as if chewing him out, but their expressions were soft.

"It's fine, you. Choosing to quit the mercenary life and settling down like this is the absolute best choice."

"Lucky bastard."

Making a living with a sword allows one to aim for a sudden fortune, but it is dangerous, and the future is uncertain. Finding an opportunity to settle down is a good choice. If one were to blend in through marriage with a village member, they wouldn't suffer from territoriality, making it perfect.

The footsteps of the returning mercenaries were light. Because they finished the mission without a single death and had their strength intact since they stayed in a village.

Since they sent a carrier pigeon in advance, the news of the mission's completion would be transmitted soon.

* * *

Meanwhile, the House of Duran proposed a peace negotiation in exchange for a considerable compensation fee, but Count Morad rejected it with a single stroke.

"You decided when the war started, but we will decide when it ends."

"My Lord Count. With this amount, wouldn't it be better to accept it and wrap things up amicably?"

Because the amount was much larger than expected, Timothy hoped for a ceasefire.

"If the perception spreads that after seeing our blood, it can be resolved with money, the fear towards us will also weaken."

"Even so, we cannot just look towards the very end either."

Duran is not a small family that rules over only a few hundred people. They were a faction even the Emperor paid attention to and joined hands with.

For great nobles of this level, there is virtually no chance of their family being eradicated. They would have to live facing each other for a long time to come. Even if the country called Roman were to fall.

"Even if we can't see the end, we should at least cut off a few fingers. Just 50 years ago, those fellows didn't even dare to make eye contact with us."

The past heads of Morad had personalities similar to Benjamin's. However, the previous head was so good-natured that he was nearly lax, so those who looked down on them sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

If the current Count had not succeeded as the head, the House of Duran would have trampled the territory trying to swallow even more, let alone a peace negotiation.

"There is no ceasefire before receiving double the blood price."

At Count Morad's declaration, two armies led by Timothy and Roxanne respectively marched out.

Timothy mobilized a private army using the territories he inherited. Vassals and knights who wanted to look good to the successor also participated in large numbers, completing a powerful elite legion.

Because the second child, Roxanne, had no faction, the Count hired mercenaries and supported her.

'I heard Sir Eugene already finished his mission?'

Hearing the news, the siblings simultaneously requested the returning Eugene to join their army.

"Goodness, calling for him immediately when it hasn't even been that long since he finished working."

As Eugene, caught in the middle, it was merely an awkward situation.

"Isn't that because they evaluate you that highly? Count Morad probably didn't expect you to wrap things up this quickly either."

"Be that as it may, Timothy or Roxanne. It seems I must join the expedition of one or the other."

"There is also the option of returning to Goldhill as is and resting, but do you dislike that?"

It was an attractive proposal, but Eugene shook his head.

"It would be good to firmly put them in my debt when there's an opportunity. The monster subjugation in the forest also feels a bit lacking to receive a territory."

If he even served in this war, it would be sufficient.

"It's a good judgment. Since it is a war the eldest son and eldest daughter of the family went out to, you will also accompany their side rather than standing at the forefront, right?"

"Hmm."

Rationally, following Timothy is correct. Whether he is incompetent or lacking as a human, he is the successor.

"It seems you want to join Sir Roxanne's army."

"Was it too obvious? Exactly, I do not want to be together with Timothy."

While staying as a guest, Eugene gathered information about the Count and his two children.

Roxanne is a proven knight outstanding in martial prowess and leadership, who has led several battles to victory. On the contrary, Timothy was a spectacle itself. He was incompetent yet diligent, but his pride was strong, making him the worst combination.

"Then there is nothing to ponder over. You just need to join Sir Roxanne."

"If I ignore Timothy's invitation, won't there be future trouble? He is the successor after all."

"You just need to make an excuse. That Sir Roxanne's letter arrived first and you had already sent a reply."

"No, unless he is an idiot, would such a transparent excuse work?"

Valda nodded with a nonchalant face.

"It works. If the opponent is Timothy."

"..."

"Of course, it won't work just like that. You just have to offer an appropriate bribe and express your regrets."

Having been active in Roman for a long time, Valda knew the human named Timothy well.

"He's a cowardly and incompetent yet overflowing with greed for talent type of person. He will absolutely not be able to turn you into an enemy. If you just set up a justification, he'll likely hypnotize himself saying 'all's well that ends well' and move on."

"For such a person to be the successor, Count Morad must also have many worries."

"Still, what can he do? If one breaks the custom that the firstborn inherits, that's when all the strife begins."

After a moment's pondering, Eugene decided to join Roxanne.

"You thought well. Count Morad is still in his prime. Anyway, it will be a long time until the succession."

"Timothy has all the prominent vassals sticking to his side, so there won't be anything to gain even if I go."

People remember those who helped them when they were struggling and lacking. As long as the Count is watching from behind, there will be no worries about the reward either.