novelraw Chapter 18 : It Wasn’t Unfamiliar
Chapter 18 : It Wasn’t Unfamiliar
Chapter 18: It Wasn’t Unfamiliar
Clop clop.
Clank clank.
The sound of horse hooves and metal striking metal brightened the surroundings.
The scent of grass carried by the wind and the cloudless sky seemed to bless those departing on their journey.
Thirty minutes after leaving the city, Stonegoth had already shrunk to the size of a fist.
Robin hurried his steps behind the six mercenaries on horseback.
Every time he moved, the various items inside his large backpack clattered in a steady rhythm.
The scabbard at his waist was dragged across the ground. Robin gripped it with both hands to adjust it.
-Robin, I regret what happened then. Take this sword.
Karmin, the blacksmith, handed Robin the blade he had painstakingly forged.
When Robin asked why, he answered in a voice tinged with remorse.
-If it weren’t for that boy Jeremy, I might’ve died. He saved me. While this old man was frozen with fear, he faced danger bravely.
Karmin didn’t explain the details, but he owed Jeremy his life.
After hearing that Robin was leaving, he personally visited the general store and handed him a longsword.
A blade with only the hilt missing. It was the sword Vishark had swung around recklessly.
Robin accepted it gratefully, but it was still too much for him to handle.
Its length was nearly the same as Robin’s height, and it was heavy.
“Kiddo! You keeping an eye on whether the little one’s following us?”
“Am I still the youngest? Robin’s clearly younger…….”
“Pff! You hate being treated like the baby that much? Felix, you’ve got a long way to go before you’re a man.”
The six rode in two rows.
At the front were Calimacos and Paul.
In the middle, Mirian and Torgen.
At the rear, Brandok and Felix.
Mirian, the only woman in the mercenary group, made a teasing joke at Felix.
“I’m keeping up just fine.”
Robin didn’t know how to ride a horse. If he had at least a donkey, he would’ve tried riding it.
For someone as small as Robin, horseback riding was too much.
The mercenary band wasn’t generous enough to buy a donkey just for him.
Still, he didn’t complain. He thought carrying heavy loads while walking would help train his stamina.
“Our little sweetheart, if your legs hurt, you can tell me anytime. Big sis will give you a ride.”
Mirian, her red hair tied back, adored Robin.
Black hair and black eyes were rare. His noble-looking appearance made her feel as if she’d gained a younger sibling.
“Tch, spoil him like that and he’ll grow up rotten.”
“Look at that. Torgen, are you jealous?”
“As if.”
The muscular giant Torgen grumbled when Mirian teased him. His hair was cut so short it was practically shaved.
“When are you two going to start dating?”
“Brandok, even you see it that way? What am I supposed to do when this guy won’t confess?”
Brandok, riding in front of Robin, scolded them in a serious tone from beneath his helmet.
He was thorough enough to wear full armor even though there was nothing around them.
The mercenaries Calimacos selected personally from Stonegoth were not only skilled but decent in character.
Considering how important companions’ personalities were in any group, the atmosphere within the mercenary band was quite good.
“Everyone, quiet.”
Calimacos, riding at the front, raised his left hand high, and the members immediately stopped talking.
Rustle.
Maybe because they were beside a mountain slope, the presence of a beast could be felt.
“Prepare for combat.”
Though Calimacos spoke quietly, the mercenaries simultaneously drew their weapons.
“Robin, this way.”
As they’d discussed earlier, Robin hid behind Felix.
Calimacos and Paul guided their horses toward the source of the sound.
The others widened the distance and surrounded Robin.
Grr! Grr!
“A pack of wolves! Let’s wipe them out, Paul!”
At Calimacos’s shout, three wolves lunged at them at once.
Two wolves leapt from both sides, and Calimacos made a sharp turn, swinging his sword horizontally.
Slice.
Two wolves were decapitated midair.
Thud.
The wolf that had jumped at Paul hung limp, its head skewered on his blade.
Even though he had impaled the wolf with one hand, he showed no sign of strain as he flicked his sword toward the ground.
With a soft thud, the dead wolf rolled across the dirt.
“Calimacos! Four more!”
When four more wolves appeared, Calimacos tightened his grip on the reins and accelerated sharply.
In the blink of an eye, a line was drawn through the air and blood sprayed in all directions.
The wolves died without even managing a whine.
“Wow.”
Robin expressed pure admiration.
The horsemanship of Calimacos and Paul was superb.
Normally, a horse would panic and flee upon encountering wolves, but there was no such sign.
Even though they effortlessly felled wolves the size of humans, the mercenaries’ expressions remained calm.
“Hold position.”
Following Calimacos’s command, they kept formation, but no further threats appeared.
Paul murmured softly beside him, and the two returned from the mountain slope.
“We’ve got meat from seven wolves. Let’s rest for a bit.”
The mercenaries dismounted and each went to a wolf carcass.
They drew their daggers and began skinning them.
Robin observed beside Calimacos.
After making incisions in all four legs, they slit the hide from the end of the hind leg toward the anus.
They were skilled, as if they’d done it countless times.
“Robin, want to learn?”
“Yes.”
“To sell leather properly, it’s best to kill with as little damage as possible. Wounds lower the price.”
Calimacos continued talking as he slit the wolf’s belly and removed the hide.
The metallic scent of blood spread, and the beast’s flesh was revealed.
“When skinning, be careful not to pull too hard. Otherwise, it might tear.”
The wolf, which moments ago had been covered in thick fur, now resembled meat from a butcher’s shop.
The exposed flesh beneath the removed hide carried a gamey smell.
“Wolf meat doesn’t taste great, but if you use spices, it’s edible. And if you smoke it, you can store it for a long time.”
Robin learned how meat made its way to the dining table.
Once the entrails were removed, a large chunk of meat remained.
Calimacos loaded the hide and meat onto his horse as they were.
Brandok and Felix were still in the middle of butchering, while the others were nearly finished.
“Could I try butchering the last one?”
“This is harder than it looks. It won’t be easy.”
“Please let me do it. I’ll carry the meat myself in return.”
He meant to stop him, but Robin’s expression was firm.
The mercenary band would only escort Robin as far as Regiville in Baron Tefir’s territory.
No one knew what would happen after that.
The baron might show Robin goodwill, or he might accuse him of killing his son.
Even if he did show kindness, there was no way to guess how far it would extend.
‘I need to become stronger—strong enough to protect myself.’
He wanted to gain the power to survive alone.
Being able to travel with a skilled mercenary band was a great blessing.
He wanted to make full use of that blessing and absorb every skill those seasoned mercenaries possessed.
“All right. Try it the way I showed you.”
“Yes.”
Using the dagger Calimacos handed him, Robin clumsily began skinning the wolf.
After their encounter with the wolves, there were no further threats.
The six mercenaries and Robin continued westward.
They walked until sunset yet saw barely any people.
Before the sky went completely dark, the mercenary band set up camp.
Crackle crackle.
A stew bubbled over the campfire.
The mercenaries dug into bowls of stew packed with wolf meat.
Robin didn’t eat immediately; he first kneaded his aching legs.
“You acted tough, but I guess you overdid it. If you’re not eating, I’ll finish it for you.”
Felix reached playfully toward Robin’s spoon.
Robin quickly took a spoonful of stew.
‘It’s delicious.’
Even with wild game that should’ve smelled gamy, the aroma was rich.
“See? It’s not bad.”
“Yes. It’s delicious, Felix. How did you make it?”
“I put in Odoraris leaves. They get rid of the gamey smell.”
The bluish-green Odoraris leaves gave off a strong fragrance.
They grew well in damp places and were easy to find, making them perfect as seasoning.
Robin stored away another piece of knowledge in his mind.
Felix beamed as he watched Robin blow on the spoon and slurp up the stew.
“Felix, how did you become a mercenary?”
“Well, of course, to make money. You can’t make real money in a rural guard post.”
“Do mercenaries earn a lot?”
“It depends on skill, but since you’re risking your life, the pay isn’t small.”
Felix’s stories about the mercenary world were fascinating.
Mercenaries hired for pay earned fame as they succeeded in missions.
Their duties ranged wildly—from going to war, to escort missions, to joining Monster subjugations.
“I want to earn as much as I can while I’m young and enjoy an easy old age. Work too long, and you’re likely to break your body and die early.”
It was a simple dream anyone might have.
The others were the same.
Mirian, Torgen, Brandok, Felix—they had all become mercenaries to earn money.
Felix’s expression as he spoke about his goals was bright, like a cheerful child.
Whoosh! Vwoom!
Calimacos, who had finished eating long before, swung his sword away from the campsite.
Next to him, Paul was also moving his sword fluidly through the air.
‘That’s swordsmanship.’
It was his first time watching someone use a longsword in actual form.
After delivering a strong cut, they moved their legs to avoid an imaginary attack.
They retrieved their swords for the next strike, watching for an opening to swing again.
Robin ate the stew mechanically while keeping his eyes fixed on their forms.
Even when there was no more stew left on his spoon, the two did not stop.
“Training diligently is a virtue, but those two are monsters.”
“So the others don’t train like that?”
“Everyone worked hard back in Stonegoth. It’s their first chance to rest in a while.”
Robin put away his empty bowl, stood, and picked up his longsword.
“Robin, where are you going?”
“I’m going to train too.”
“What—”
Before Felix could stop him, Robin walked toward Calimacos and Paul.
Whether they noticed his presence or not, the two continued wordlessly swinging their swords.
Shing.
Robin’s blade was drawn, reflecting the moonlight.
The wave-like patterns etched into the steel gleamed sharply.
He gripped it with both hands, raised it overhead, and slowly brought it straight down.
“Hoo.”
The longsword was still heavy; his arms trembled.
Slowly, he repeated the downward strike.
Over and over, he performed the same movement.
He wasn’t practicing any special technique.
He lacked the strength needed to swing a sword, so he could only strain his muscles.
It was a simple motion, yet the moment he grasped the sword, he demonstrated immense focus.
As if he were the only one left in the world.
Sweat dotted his forehead when Calimacos’s low voice reached his ears.
“You. Have you learned swordsmanship before?”
Robin stopped the downward strike and sheathed the blade.
“No. I just practiced on my own.”
“Is that so? That stance doesn’t feel unfamiliar.”
Calimacos lowered his sword as Robin had and brought it straight down.
Vwoom!
“Vom Tag. The most basic stance. Nothing special—anyone can imitate it.”
“Yes. I remembered the way you looked the first time I saw you and practiced it.”
“I see.”
Calimacos turned his body toward Robin.
Moonlight reflected off his blade in a sharp flash.
Slice.
“Huh?”
In the blink of an eye, Calimacos’s sword rose in a diagonal slash.
Robin couldn’t see the sword move.
Only after it struck did the sound follow.
“Captain?”
Blood spattered, and Calimacos’s eyes were cold as frost.