novelraw Chapter 43 : The Vigilantes of Messen (3)
Chapter 43 : The Vigilantes of Messen (3)
Chapter 43: The Vigilantes of Messen (3)
It wasn't just Kadim who caught on; the entire party instantly recognized the true nature of the group blocking the bridge.
These thugs were masquerading as a vigilante group.
Young men from small villages banding together to form vigilante groups wasn't exactly uncommon. But that only made sense in places with shit security, terrible infrastructure, and zero access to proper law enforcement. Messen didn't fit any of those criteria.
If an armed group popped up where there was no real need for one, their purpose was pretty damn obvious, and that is extorting people using what little power they had. Blocking off a public bridge and charging tolls was just the tip of the iceberg. They were definitely running other shady rackets on the side.
Obviously, Enrico had never authorized this kind of crap. If he'd stumbled across this scene under normal circumstances, he would've had everyone involved arrested on the spot and thrown into Remtana's underground dungeons.
But right now, he was traveling incognito.
Revealing his identity would solve the immediate problem, but word that the Consul had left his post could reach the wrong ears.
"……."
A cold silence settled over them. Even Otram sensed the shift in atmosphere.
He thought he needed to sweet-talk his way through this if he wanted to avoid friction.
However, what he presented as an olive branch was merely this.
"Normally, we charge 200 Luden per person and 100 Luden per horse for passage. But you all look like you're on important business, so this time, we'll only charge for the people, and at half price! You can guarantee yourself safe travels for just 800 Luden. That's practically free!"
Otram shot a look behind him.
Right on cue, his vigilante members jumped out and put on a half-assed show of protesting. They whined about how that wasn’t enough and how they’d make zero profit.
"Of course it's a huge loss for us, but we're not doing this for the money, right boys? We always put travelers and the village's safety first!"
"Captain, you're too generous...!"
"You folks are incredibly lucky! Our Captain rarely shows this kind of goodwill…"
800 Luden was nearly ten times the normal toll. It was so ridiculous you couldn't help but laugh.
"…Ha."
He had seen enough of this pathetic charade. Kadim gripped the hilt of his sword and looked back at the Consul. The soldiers were ready to spur their horses forward, just waiting for the order.
But Enrico didn't command them to cut down the vigilantes.
"Pay them, Feldric."
"…Excuse me?"
"Give it to the hardworking Captain here. 800 Luden."
"…"
The soldier reluctantly followed the Consul's orders. When Captain Otram received the gleaming silver coins, his mouth fell open wide enough to catch flies.
"Hahaha, thank you for your cooperation! May Remilion's golden blessing be upon you! If you run into any trouble in Messen, feel free to come find our vigilante group anytime!"
Only then did the vigilantes clear the path. The soldiers entered the bridge with a trudge, unable to hide their disgust. Kadim's expression twisted into something fierce for a moment, but he quickly smoothed it over and urged his horse forward with indifference.
Before crossing the bridge, Enrico casually asked the Captain a question.
"By the way, how long are you planning to keep this vigilante thing going?"
"Hahaha, until my dying breath, of course! Keeping the village and travelers safe is my sacred duty after all."
The Consul pulled his hat down low and spoke with loaded meaning.
"I see. Then by all means, keep it up for a long, long time."
***
Messen was small, but its location between the Golden Road and Remtana meant it got decent foot traffic. The Consul's group had no trouble finding an inn with stables and a dining hall attached.
But the atmosphere there wasn't exactly pleasant.
"Everyone raise your glasses!! A toast to the safety of our hometown and the Alliance!!!”
"Ahhh! Stop your whining and give me my damn cup, Samson!! I'm not drunk! I can handle at least ten more!"
"My plate's empty! Hey, old man, what the hell are you doing?! I told you to have food ready before we run out!! Huh?!"
"We are! The brave! Brothers of Messen! If not us, then who, will protect this plaaace!!"
All because of the drunks shouting and causing a scene in the dining hall.
Judging by their matching leather armor and spears, they were definitely those vigilante bastards. Other guests frowned at the sight while the innkeeper sweated bullets, looking completely overwhelmed.
To avoid any confrontations, the Consul's soldiers had already been sent back to their rooms. Only Kadim, Duncan, and Enrico sat around the round wooden table. Enrico shook his head as if he couldn't bear to watch and looked away.
"This is embarrassing... all I'm doing is showing you the ugliest parts of my jurisdiction. I've been so focused on other problems lately that I completely neglected this area…"
Enrico then started rambling about some dirt he’d picked up on the vigilantes.
Like how they carefully only robbed people leaving Remtana, how the Captain seemed to have connections with the village chief, how the increased taxes after the Twin Gorge got blocked seemed to be what triggered the formation of this vigilante group in the first place…
None of that interested Kadim. He just chugged a beer that had some weird cloudy chunks floating in it. Maybe it was because it was warm, or maybe because they didn’t filter the crud out, but the beer here tasted awful.
He washed it down with some dry rye pie and asked.
"So, you want me to go chop off that loudmouth bastard's head, Consul?"
"…No, forget it. If I wanted that, I would've said so already. I'm planning to arrest the vigilante Captain after we return from Delutana and deal with him myself.”
"Then hurry up and get some sleep. My job is to cut down threats and protect you, not listen to you complain."
"…"
The Consul closed his mouth with a complicated expression, then let out a deep sigh.
"Haa… You're right. If we're going to ride hard for the next two days, I need to conserve my energy. I'm going to head in and rest, so you two should also get inside before it gets too late… Whoa."
"Are you alright, Consul!"
He nearly knocked over the entire table when he stumbled. Duncan helped the exhausted Consul to his room.
Only Kadim remained, finishing off the food and draining the shitty beer.
That's when he felt footsteps approaching.
Kadim turned his head. One of the rowdy vigilante members was heading his way, carrying a sloshing cup in his hand.
"Oh, who do we have here! The great Son of the Wasteland who crossed the mountains to settle down! A warrior born with the blood of Atala, a fellow countryman of the renowned Agon’s Raging Horn! What brings you to our hometown, Messen, where the Silver River flows…"
BANG—!
Kadim slammed down his empty mug hard. The loud noise echoed from the table, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"……."
The room went quiet for a second, but the guy waved his hand at his buddies like it was no big deal, and the noisy racket started up again right away.
A cold fire flickered in Kadim's pupils. He had no idea how much longer he'd have to endure this goddamn “Agon’s Raging Horn” bullshit. If he weren't on escort duty, he definitely would've smashed that skull instead of the table with his mug.
The man must have sensed something because his attitude immediately became more subdued.
"Ahem, I’m sorry if I said something that offended you. I'm not very familiar with Atalan customs. This is meant as an apology, so why don't we share a drink first?"
"……."
Kadim didn't accept the cup.
The man cleared his throat awkwardly and slipped into a seat anyway, nodding his head.
“Ah, I get it. You didn't like us shouting our heads off, did you? But try to understand. The vigilante group doesn't just guard the roads. We solve problems for the villagers, listen to travelers' complaints, sometimes even take on requests and handle them… The work is so grueling that if we didn't blow off steam like this every day, we couldn't handle it."
Kadim didn't tell him to shut his mouth with that nonsense. He just stared down at him expressionlessly.
The man mistook this for silent permission to keep talking. He even finished off the drink he'd brought over by himself, babbling excitedly for a while before eventually leaning in and getting to the point.
"…You see that woman over there? Yeah, the one sitting alone at the corner table."
There was no need to look. He'd already noticed her earlier.
Slender lips and slightly sun-kissed skin, eyes that gleamed yellow like jewels, wearing a tunic that was a bit too large yet still showing off the balanced curves of her body. A woman in her prime with dark brown hair braided down to her back.
She didn't really fit in a place like this, so at first he'd wondered if she might be connected to the Mage Tower. When she showed no reaction even after the Consul left, he'd stopped paying attention.
But everyone else except Kadim was still very interested in that woman. The rowdy vigilante members kept sneaking glances at her, and this guy was outright leering at her with disgusting eyes.
"Hehehe, she's quite a catch, isn't she? She’s got everything in the right places… We get a lot of travelers, but you don't see a woman like that every day.”
"……."
"She said she's some kind of scholar from Galentana University, I think? Apparently she's searching for some ruins. But no matter how you look at it, she's suspicious. Traveling alone without any companions, carrying around a bunch of weird items…"
"……."
“Funny thing is, she hired us to guide her to those ruins. We took the job, but since she’s so suspicious, we’re planning to do a secret, private ‘inspection’ on the way. We’ll check every inch of her stuff, and while we're at it, have some fun too… Hehehe, you get what I mean?"
"……."
"But it'd be nice to have someone with your build to hold her down while we have our fun. How about I let you join in on the 'inspection' too...... You interested?"
The man was burning up with base lust and booze. That's why he didn't notice the heavy disgust that settled in the barbarian's eyes.
Kadim stared at him and asked in a dry voice.
"…Fun? What kind of fun are we talking about?"
"Hehehe, don't play dumb! The kind of fun you can have with a woman who's built like that is obviously…"
"You mean the kind of fun your mother taught all those men?"
The air turned ice cold.
It took him a second to figure out what was said. Even after he got it, it took another second for the anger to hit. If the guy had any brain cells left, he definitely would’ve looked for a way out of this.
Unfortunately, the man's judgment was clouded by alcohol.
"What the fuck did you just say… Guhk!"
The moment he stood up with his fist raised, the barbarian's hand shot out like lightning. A rough, massive hand seized his throat with vicious force. Even grabbing the fingers with both hands and trying to pry them off did nothing. It felt like trying to push away a golem's grip.
"Guhk, kkk, guhhhhh……."
The man's face turned red like a ripe strawberry. But soon it took on a bluish tinge like a moldy strawberry, and finally became a dark shade that contrasted with his rolled-back white eyes. His skull was ringing like a bomb had gone off inside, and he started to black out.
Kadim only released his throat right before the man died. The man who'd returned from the brink of hell coughed violently and vomited up everything he'd eaten and drunk all evening.
"……Huuughk! Cough, cough, cough! Bleehhh……."
Even that was only because Kadim had controlled his strength. If he'd used full force, the man's throat would've already been crushed and every bone shattered.
“Mo-Moren! Damn it, Moren! You okay?”
"What the hell just happened!"
"Guhk, that bas-, that bastard, guhk, bleehhh……."
"……."
The man's companions didn't seem too thankful that he was alive. They glared daggers at Kadim and raised their spears.
But they couldn't actually swing their weapons. When Kadim stood up, the vigilante members actually flinched and took a step back. Facing the barbarian's incredible bulk, brutal muscles, and massive shadow that nearly reached the ceiling, they sobered up instantly as fear took over.
"Wh-what the…"
"How can a person be that big…"
While they hesitated, Kadim turned and headed for his room.
Normally, he would've slaughtered them all on the spot to leave no future problems. But right now, he couldn't do that on his own initiative.
The Consul was Kadim's employer and also an accomplice who'd helped cover up the Paladin murder. There was nothing to gain from causing bloodshed on his own and souring that relationship. If the Consul held a grudge and reported the incident, he wouldn't get away unscathed either, and Kadim's journey would definitely face serious setbacks.
That said, he couldn't just leave those bastards alone either. Fear without the pain of broken bones and torn flesh evaporates like melting snow once the source disappears from sight. Now that they held a grudge, they'd retaliate for sure.
He didn't regret what he'd done, but he needed to deal with the fallout. Kadim planned to wake the Consul and ask him before deciding.
'Either slaughter the entire vigilante group right now, or leave the village immediately without anyone knowing.'
But the retaliation came faster than expected.
—Neighhhhh!
Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard desperate screaming from outside.
The door burst open and Enrico rushed out in a panic. Still half-asleep, he blinked rapidly and asked.
"Wh-what's that sound, Kadim? I thought our horses were the only ones in the stable…”
Kadim's lips pressed into a tight line. The faint smell of blood and the rapidly fading tremors in the ground. Even without seeing it, he could easily guess what had happened at the stables.
"…"
It looked like continuing their journey while leaving these rotten so-called vigilantes alone wasn't going to be an option.