novelraw Chapter 44 : The Vigilantes of Messen (4)
Chapter 44 : The Vigilantes of Messen (4)
Chapter 44: The Vigilantes of Messen (4)
Out of the six horses, two had lacerations on their hind legs, and four had been stolen outright.
Half of the stolen horses were found at the village entrance, the other half down by the river. The ones at the village entrance were relatively unharmed, but the ones found by the river met with tragic fates.
"Goddammit... They tied them up so they couldn't move and just stabbed the hell out of them. What kind of bastard does this to an animal that can't even talk back? By the gods... They wrecked the saddles, the stirrups, even the damn bridles..." Gulak grimaced and clicked his tongue in disgust.
Just as he'd said, the two horses lay dead. They were bound tightly with rope and covered in deep wounds. Flies swarmed chaotically around the corpses, drawn to the blood and spilled entrails.
Duncan frowned and tilted his head in confusion.
"Why'd they go through all the trouble of dragging them out here just to kill them? If they wanted to steal them, they wouldn't have killed them. If they wanted to kill them, they could've just stabbed them right there..."
"Probably started out just planning to tie them up and leave. Riding around on horseback must've sobered them up a bit and got them worried about the consequences... Then the horses kept making noise, so they panicked and killed them. Those damn bastards are worse than maggots in horse shit..."
"..."
Losing their means of transportation put a serious wrench in their journey plans. There was no way they could just let an incident like this slide.
Enrico headed to the vigilante office with Kadim in tow.
After hearing their story, the Captain widened his beady little eyes and made a big show of concern.
"Good heavens, such an unfortunate incident occurred? Well, as someone responsible for Messen's public safety, I simply cannot overlook this. I'll launch an investigation immediately and root out the culprits..."
"There's no need for any investigation. Your prided vigilantes are the ones who did it. They picked a fight with one of our mercenaries here and pulled this petty stunt."
Despite Enrico's furious accusation, the Captain played dumb with an innocent face.
"Pardon? What on earth are you talking about? Our boys would never do such a thing. They all take pride in protecting travelers and the village. They're the proud Brothers of Messen. Boys, did any of you touch these people's horses yesterday?"
"No, Captain!"
"..."
"There you have it. I think there's been some misunderstanding. Did you actually see our boys do this? You're not making baseless accusations, are you?"
The dozen or so men standing nearby adjusted their grip on their spears as if on cue. The Captain's eyes narrowed into slits, gleaming with a sinister light.
That look said it all.
Even if I cover my eyes and play dumb like this, what can you really do about it?
It was the look of someone who acted in line with their true self.
BANG—!
A sudden explosive sound made everyone flinch.
The source was where Kadim stood.
His fist struck the wall like a sledgehammer, causing it to crack and crumble some plaster off.
Kadim casually dusted off his hand.
"This town has a lot of flies."
"..."
"Flies that buzz around thinking they'll never get swatted, no matter how much noise they make."
The men swallowed nervously, fear creeping into their eyes. But the Captain wasn't fazed. A tense atmosphere hung between Kadim and the Captain as they glared at each other.
However, Enrico decided to move before the whole thing exploded into a bloodbath. He shot the Captain one last glare before grabbing Kadim and quickly pulling him out of the office.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Enrico spoke in guilt.
"Damn it, I'm sorry that you keep seeing disgraceful things in my territory. Honestly, part of me wants nothing more than to watch you slaughter those vermin right now. But this place is under my jurisdiction after all. If a bloodshed occurs, the residents will panic, and the cleanup will put our plan out of the window."
"..."
"...Of course, I'm not planning to just let this situation slide. Last night, I secretly sent a soldier to Remtana. He'll return with horses to replace the dead ones and some reinforcements to suppress the vigilantes. Could you please just wait until then and avoid causing any disturbances?"
Enrico looked exhausted as he said this. He hadn't been able to rest properly, even in a place where he should have been able to.
Kadim smiled bitterly.
How was he supposed to rein himself in after watching the whole shitshow thrown at him?
He started thinking he should never have taken this escort job in the first place.
But soon enough, Kadim shifted his thinking in a different direction.
"My job is to escort you, Consul."
"...That's correct."
"So, if those bastards posed a threat to you, I must deal with them at all costs, correct?”
"..."
No answer came.
***
The soldier who'd gone to Remtana wouldn't be back until tomorrow at the earliest.
Since he had some free time today, Kadim decided to keep his promise to the merchant.
When he offered to teach him how to fight, Duncan followed him out to the fields at the village entrance with an oddly expectant look on his face.
It didn't take long for that expectation to turn into pain and despair.
"Spears and blunt weapons are the best for a beginner like you, but since we don't have either right now, we'll use a sword instead. What do you think are the most important factors when fighting with a sword?"
"Uh... well, judging by how you fight, my lord... overwhelming power that can split someone to the bone?"
"Wrong. Long reach, quick footwork, and the ruthlessness to thrust your sword without mercy. Those are the correct answers. Whether it's a person, a monster, or demons, most living things die if you land one proper stab with a sword."
"...B-but what about monsters or demons that swords can't pierce? What if I run into one of those when you're not around, my lord?"
"Run away or die. You weren't actually thinking you could beat something like that on your own, were you?"
"..."
A faint disappointment crossed Duncan's face.
Kadim let out a derisive snort.
"Well, if you roll around getting your ass kicked enough, maybe you'll manage to scratch one of those things eventually. Now pick up that sword and come at me. I'll face you with this stick."
After a ridiculously brief theory lesson, they moved on to the practical part. Duncan wielded a longsword while Kadim held a wooden stick about three hand-spans long.
Obviously, no matter how much Kadim held back, it wasn't even close to a fair fight. While Duncan got whacked dozens of times on various parts of his body, he couldn't land a single touch on Kadim.
"Argh! Agh!"
"Hold the sword grip with your right hand and grab the pommel with your left. It's important to maintain balance so you can move again immediately after each swing."
"Argh! Ah!"
"Unless you identify yourself as a son of turtle, don’t curl up just because it hurts. You need to extend your weapon, so always keep your arms and shoulders fully stretched."
"Ahhhhh!"
"You're still hesitating. Swing that sword like you really mean it. In a real fight, you'd already be a chunk of meat with all your limbs cut off by now."
It was a symphony of screams and advice.
The sparring session only ended after Duncan's entire body was painted blue with bruises.
Kadim's assessment of his aptitude was simple:
Terrible.
Maybe because he is a merchant, his stamina isn’t bad, but his durability and coordination are absolutely dogshit. And he doens’t have the typical ruthlessness required in the mercenary workfield. Even if they trained like this for months, he'd probably still lose to some random street thug.
But even so, Kadim could see one potential in him.
"Urgh. Ahhhh... hnngh..."
"..."
Kadim stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Is that potential alone enough reason to continue teaching him? He was weighing that question when—
"Hahaha! Oh my, that's some rough training! Someone might mistake this for an assault!"
An unwelcome guest suddenly interrupted with his band of vigilantes.
Kadim glared coldly at the hulking Captain who was grinning at him.
"You’ve got plenty of time on you for taking a stroll at this hour."
"Ah, come on, don't be like that! I'm working diligently, you see? I was on patrol when I happened to find a mercenary beating up an innocent traveler."
"..."
A thick vein bulged on Kadim's forehead. It had been a long time since his patience had been tested like this.
The Captain burst into laughter and waved his hand dismissively.
"Hahaha, lighten up! Just joking, just joking! Anyway, you're training, right? Mind if I join in?"
"..."
"I'm not just someone who buzzes around like a fly. I'm fairly confident in a fight."
Those words carried a bitter edge.
The Captain's mouth curved like a crescent moon, but his small eyes weren't smiling at all.
Kadim bared his teeth like a predator and responded.
"If you don't mind dying."
"..."
"If you don't mind dying, I'm willing to spar with you."
The killing intent from the barbarian made every hair on their bodies stand on end. The men stepped back nervously, then tried to dissuade their Captain, saying this didn't feel right and maybe he should back off.
But the Captain wasn't listening.
Backing down here would be a massive loss of face.
"Hahaha... that won't do. How could someone who's supposed to protect travelers have a death match with a traveler?"
Unfortunately, his pride as a leader paralyzed his survival instincts.
"..."
"However... Unexpected incidents sometimes happen during training. We regulate the spars to avoid injuries, but we won't hold each other responsible for any unexpected accidents... Am I right?"
It was a proposal with no reason to refuse.
The Captain smiled deviously and gripped his massive axe.
Kadim cracked his neck and raised his longsword.
Two unusually large men are facing off like this. At a glance, it might have looked like worthy opponents meeting for the fight of the century.
But the outcome was disappointingly simple.
CLANG—!
Kadim lunged in like a tiger and struck the axe head hard with his pommel.
"Huh?"
A tremendous shock rippled through the Captain's forearm, causing him to pathetically lose his grip on the axe handle. Kadim kicked the axe aside, then grabbed the Captain's wrist and spun his body viciously.
"Wh-what..."
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
The thick forearm rotated one and a half full turns.
The shoulder and elbow cartilage were torn to shreds. The twisted radius and ulna crushed each other as they ground together. The bicep, wrung out like a rag, had its tendons snap and bunch up like a dumpling. The Captain stared at his mangled arm that hung like meat in a butcher shop with his eyes wide in disbelief.
And a moment later, he screamed so loud that even Duncan paled in comparison.
"Wh-what... AHHH! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The Captain writhed on the ground in horrific agony.
Duncan felt goosebumps rise all over his body, so much so that he forgot his own pain for a moment.
The vigilantes stood with their mouths hanging open in shock.
While everyone else reeled, Kadim remained calm. He walked calmly to the Captain and apologized.
"Looks like an unexpected accident happened. My bad."
***
As the last traces of twilight faded, evening descended on the Messen’s vigilante headquarters.
"C-Captain, are you alright?"
"How's your arm...?"
They'd applied medicinal herbs to the broken arm, splinted it, and wrapped it in bandages. But even after all of that, the pain was still unbearable, so Otram downed a bowl of strong liquor to ease the pain. But even then, the agony showed no signs of fading.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his bloodshot eyes glittered with burning rage.
"Bring him here. Right now..." Otram muttered through gritted teeth.
"...What?"
"WHAT?!"
The men were horrified, thinking he'd ordered them to capture the barbarian. But Otram wasn't an idiot. There was no way these shrimps could handle that monster that he couldn't even defeat himself.
"Bring him, the guy with the hat pulled down. He's that damn barbarian's employer. If we hold the employer's life hostage and threaten him, even that reckless barbarian will have to listen..."
"...!"
Their momentary relief at not having to capture the barbarian directly was short-lived as they soon realized they'd still end up facing his wrath either way. The vigilantes just looked at each other nervously, none of them willing to step outside.
Otram decided to help them make their decision.
SLAM—!
It was remarkably effective help. After seeing their Captain bring down his massive axe with his remaining hand, the vigilantes rushed out to carry out his orders. The certain threat of an axe right in front of them was naturally more frightening than the uncertain anger of the barbarian.
"Damn it, ugh..."
Left alone, Otram groaned. Moving recklessly had triggered another wave of excruciating pain. He awkwardly got to his feet to fetch the liquor bottle, but carelessly bumped the table, sending a copper cup clattering to the floor.
Clatter...
"Fucking hell, ugh... hm?"
He bent down to pick up the cup, but someone else picked it up first. At first, he thought it was one of his men who hadn't left yet and was about to yell at him. But Otram quickly realized that couldn't be right.
None of his vigilantes had a frame that massive.
"How's the arm?"
"AHHHHHHHH!!!"
Otram shrieked like he'd seen a ghost.
His pupils trembled and dilated.
How long had he been there?
How had someone that big concealed his presence so effectively?
Buried within the darkness, Otram couldn't make out the barbarian's expression at all.
"Looks like a serious injury. It'll take quite a while to heal."
"..."
"You should probably lay off vigilante work for a while. Best to go somewhere quiet and recuperate."
Otram swallowed hard.
There was no way this was a friendly visit.
Had he overheard what Otram just said?
If so... what should he do?
Even if he took the employer hostage, what good would it do if he got caught right here...?
Otram's mind spun frantically, trying to figure out how to survive.
Kadim didn't care and simply delivered his message.
"But you know, I've been thinking, I feel pretty bad about what happened. You showed me kindness, and I accidentally repaid that kindness with harm."
"..."
"So I came to return the favor you showed me. It's a gift from my heart, so don't feel like you need to refuse."
"Wh-what the hell are you talking about..."
TING!
With a metallic sound, something glinted in the darkness and vanished. Immediately after, Otram felt something strange embedded in his thigh.
"...Huh?"
TING!
The metallic sound rang out again as a flash of reflected light flickered. He felt the same sensation in his other leg, and his leg strength gave out completely.
Thump!
He collapsed and fumbled at his thigh.
His thigh got torn flesh and warm blood flowing outside. Deep inside his flesh, a flat foreign object was embedded.
Otram clenched his teeth and pulled out the object with trembling hands.
A silver surface soaked in blood, with a pattern engraved on it.
It was a 100 Luden coin.
"Didn't you charge us half price for the bridge toll before? I'm paying the remaining half I owed you now."
"Wh-what, what is, this, what are you..."
"It was 200 Ludens per person, but you gave us a discount to 100 Ludens, right? That means I only owe 600 Ludens more."
TING! TING!
"AHHHHH!! AHHHHHHHH!!!"
Each time Kadim flicked his fingers, a silver coin flew like a bullet. Six coins rapidly embedded themselves on the Captain's abdomen, forearms, and chest.
With holes all over his body, Otram left a trail of blood as he desperately crawled to escape,
Kadim looked down impassively at the worm-like Captain writhing on the floor.
"Where are you going? This is what you wanted so badly, so you should accept it gratefully."
"P-please! Please spare me! I'll return all the money... No, I'll give you all the profits our vigilantes have made! Everything! Just please spare my life..."
"What are you talking about? I haven't even finished paying the toll yet, and you're talking about returning it?"
"...?"
Kadim pulled out his coin purse. He rummaged through it and tilted his head slightly.
"Oh dear, I'm out of silver coins."
He reluctantly scooped up a handful of 10-Luden copper coins.
"The toll for horses was 100 Ludens each, wasn't it?"
"..."
Otram’s face turned an ashen gray.