novelraw Chapter 35 : Get Out, You’re in the Way
Chapter 35 : Get Out, You’re in the Way
Chapter 35: Get Out, You’re in the Way
Seeing his comrade collapse after being struck by a stone, the thief hurriedly opened his mouth.
“An intru— ”.”
Thunk.
Calimacos closed the distance in an instant and drove his fist into the thief’s stomach.
The thief, who had tried to announce the arrival of an intruder, failed to finish his words and dropped to his knees.
Calimacos delivered another punch to the thief’s throat.
The choking thief rolled disgracefully across the ground.
Hiding behind a boulder, Robin confirmed that no thieves were left and revealed himself.
“Captain, we need to extract information.”
“I know.”
Calimacos took the weapons from the two thieves, but they could do nothing.
The difference in ability was obvious.
Calimacos pointed his sword at them.
“What’s your name.”
“…Philip.”
“Why have you wrapped your face so tightly. Show me your face.”
Philip removed the cloth covering his face.
Calimacos nodded with an expression of understanding.
“Hideously ugly. Enough to make anyone uncomfortable.”
“…My skin is sensitive, so I keep it covered.”
“I don’t discriminate by appearance, so don’t worry.”
Calimacos scratched one ear as if he hadn’t heard Philip’s protest.
Philip’s face twisted bitterly, but when Calimacos shook his sword, he forced a servile smile.
“What do you want.”
“Spit out everything you know.”
“We’re a band of thieves operating in this area. A few months ago, we captured the captain of the Blue Wing Mercenary Band and have been impersonating them.”
The thief who had been struck earlier spoke while clutching his stomach.
Calimacos tilted his head to prompt him to continue.
“Our boss, Ralph, is skilled. We’ve looted several merchant companies. What started as twenty thieves has now grown to more than fifty.”
“Fifty? That’s more serious than I thought. Are all your bandits inside that cave.”
“Yes.”
They had joined from Vermilion as a group of twenty.
Even twenty would be difficult to handle, yet there were fifty.
No matter how strong Calimacos was, could he really face fifty alone?
Robin shook his head.
“I see. I’ll trust you. Thanks for the information.”
“You’re… letting us live.”
“If you wash your hands of this life and turn yourselves in.”
“We’ll do as you say.”
Hope flickered in the thieves’ eyes.
Calimacos agreed with the thieves’ eagerness to start a new life.
They seemed moved by his unexpectedly merciful attitude.
Riding that flow, Calimacos quietly opened his mouth.
“Young men wanting a fresh start— I support that. But hey. Do you offer sacrifices here or something?”
“Sacri… fices?”
“Yeah, sacrifices. You were shouting earlier about how there were no exceptions when it came to sacrifices.”
“…….”
As if they had made some agreement, the thieves fell silent at the same time.
Calimacos asked as though he saw no issue.
“What’s wrong? Why stop talking.”
“We spouted nonsense. Please forget it.”
“Really? No lies?”
The thieves nodded.
Calimacos stared at them intently.
Unable to bear his gaze, the thieves looked away.
“Well then. Just one more thing.”
“Yes. Anything.”
“Take off your clothes.”
The thieves looked at Calimacos with filthy eyes.
Robin also noticed the contempt hidden in those gazes.
“You want to get beaten while you strip, or just strip.”
“We’ll, we’ll take them off.”
As the thieves reluctantly handed over their clothes, Calimacos smiled in satisfaction.
When one of them started removing his underwear as well, Calimacos kicked him in the backside.
“I don’t need that, idiot.”
“Th-thank you.”
Robin watched Calimacos with a puzzled expression.
He looked at the neatly piled clothes, sighed, and moved his hand.
With a chop to the back of their necks, the thieves collapsed one after another.
“Captain, what will you do?”
“I become the Blue Wing Mercenary Band now. And you’re the intruder I found outside.”
“So we disguise ourselves, go in, and rescue them.”
‘Right. The captain isn’t someone who acts without thinking.’
Calimacos frowned as he put on the thieves’ clothes.
They were far from clean.
“Robin, hide the gear and the swords.”
“How about you use my sword, Captain?”
“If I’m going to disguise myself, I need to do it properly. Their weapons are enough.”
Robin didn’t like the idea of leaving behind the sword he always kept with him.
But with no choice, he took only a dagger and hid their belongings in the bushes.
They were ready.
“Just trust me.”
“I do.”
“It won’t happen, but if I die, hide in the forest. Hold out until help arrives.”
“Don’t say things like that.”
“It’s just in case. Don’t rush in trying to save anyone. Run.”
Robin didn’t answer.
Silently, he became Calimacos’ hostage and entered the cave.
The cave interior was as spacious as it looked from outside.
The ground was flat, without anything to trip on, and the ceiling was high.
A perfect place for many people to hide.
As they went deeper, the sound of voices became clearer.
Laughter and chatter.
The echoes bouncing off the walls made Robin’s heart race.
The light coming from deeper inside caught his eye.
“Those mercs were so full of confidence— look at them now!”
“And the merchants! How could they eat the food we made without suspicion? Puhaha!”
The Blue Wing Mercenary Band— no, the thieves— were gathered in small groups, tearing into meat.
Their reddened faces and greasy hands made it clear they were celebrating.
Among them, the biggest and most familiar face lay on his side, propping his head up with one arm.
The leader of the thieves. Ralph.
Ralph noticed Calimacos dragging Robin inside.
“Hm? What’s that kid.”
At Ralph’s single question, all eyes turned toward Calimacos.
With fifty people staring, Robin’s palms grew sweaty.
“Found him outside, boss. A kid who was following the mercenary band.”
“He came here alone at this hour?”
The man who blocked Calimacos’ path had slanted eyes.
The merchant from Vermilion—
Tupi, who had commissioned someone to punish Robin after betraying Elize Merchant Company.
Tupi looked at Robin suspiciously.
“I’m wondering that myself. How this brat found the place. Felt wrong to kill him outright, so I brought him.”
“Good job, Philip. I owe this brat anyway.”
Fortunately, no one suspected Calimacos’ identity.
Feeling triumphant, Tupi suddenly slapped Robin across the cheek.
Smack! Smack!
It didn’t stop at one strike.
He slapped him two more times in succession.
“Ptui.”
Robin spat out blood-tinged saliva and glared at Tupi.
Seeing defiance rather than submission in his eyes, Tupi’s expression twisted.
“The brat’s got no fear. Unacceptable. I’ll deal with him myself.”
Tupi disappeared into a tunnel big enough for two grown men to walk through.
The surrounding thieves cheered at the sight of him.
“Heh heh, that brat really messed with the wrong guy.”
“It’s not time yet, is it okay to start already?”
The thieves each muttered their own comments, but Ralph said nothing.
He just smiled, as if enjoying the situation.
Calimacos subtly stepped in front of Robin.
“I’ll lock this kid up where the mercenaries are. We’ve got plenty of time, so let’s enjoy this slowly.”
“What? Philip, what are you talking about. You trying to postpone the festival?”
“Why’s the guy who always jumps into torture acting like this.”
Calimacos could not push further.
With everyone watching, anything odd would raise suspicion.
‘Torture?’
Cold sweat trickled down the back of Robin’s neck.
Things were turning bad.
Step… step…
Tupi, who had disappeared, returned.
Robin couldn’t help but widen his eyes.
Tupi dragged a man across the ground.
It was Paul.
His hands were bound by wooden cuffs.
“Damn…”
Calimacos’ sigh carried a hint of despair.
Only Robin heard it.
Even though his lower body was dragging painfully across the ground, Paul did not react.
He moved as if sleepwalking, simply going wherever Tupi pulled him.
Thud.
Tupi dropped Paul in front of Robin, the corner of his mouth lifting.
He was full of anticipation for what would happen next.
“Boss, mind if I play with this mercenary for a bit.”
“Don’t kill him.”
At Ralph’s permission, the thieves’ excitement surged.
They spat out mouthfuls of liquor, unsheathed weapons, and banged them against the ground.
Robin’s mind went blank.
Tupi pulled out an awl and stabbed Paul’s thigh.
Paul’s eyes snapped open.
“Paul!”
“…Ow.”
Even though the awl was as long as a finger and pierced deep into his thigh, Paul did not scream.
Robin, who was in a panic, and Calimacos, who wore ragged thief clothes—
Both looked at Tupi, who was confused that things were not going as he expected.
“That’s not how you do it. Step aside, I’ll show you.”
Calimacos shoved Tupi away and pulled the awl from Paul’s thigh.
Blood ran freely.
Paul frowned and looked up at Calimacos.
The two exchanged a brief, silent look.
Tap tap.
Calimacos tapped Robin’s arm.
‘This is…’
The signal to run in an emergency.
Should he leave the cave now?
What about Paul right in front of him? His leg was injured—could he walk?
Were the others safe?
Was the captain really going to face all these men alone?
Questions piled up endlessly.
“Torture isn’t done like that. This is how it’s done.”
Crunch.
“Aaaaaaaahhhh!”
Calimacos slammed the awl into Tupi’s fingernail.
With the sound of the nail cracking, the awl dangled from the tip of Tupi’s finger.
Robin moved instantly.
He drew his dagger and struck Paul’s cuffs.
The thick wooden cuffs didn’t budge.
“I told you to run.”
Calimacos grabbed Robin roughly and, without looking back, threw him toward the entrance.
“No! Captain!”
Robin’s light body flew away from the thieves as if weightless.
By the time Robin rolled and lifted his head after instinctively breaking his fall, the thieves had already surrounded Calimacos and Paul.
“Philip! What the hell are you doing!”
“Look closely! This bastard isn’t Philip!”
“You idiots. Only noticing now?”
Calimacos pulled down the cloth covering his face.
The scar running across his eyepatch looked even more brutal.
He raised his leg straight up and brought it down on Paul’s cuffs.
Crack!
With a single kick, the cuffs shattered.
The act was beyond extraordinary; the thieves instinctively stopped closing in.
Fifty men, yet they were pushed back by sheer force of presence.
“Paul, can you move.”
Paul staggered to his feet, his arms hanging limp even though the cuffs were gone.
“Nngh, I can’t put strength into my body.”
“You can walk. Head outside with Robin.”
“You sure you can handle this alone.”
“Doesn’t matter if I can’t. I have to.”
Calimacos guided Paul toward Robin with slow, casual steps—
Like someone returning from the market after buying groceries.
He looked completely calm.
The thieves did not move.
“…….”
‘What’s going on. Why aren’t the thieves attacking?’
While Robin was bewildered, Paul reached him.
Surrounded by thieves, Calimacos kept his eyes on Robin.
“Get out. You’re in the way.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
More importantly, Paul was in bad shape.
“…I’ll support you, Paul.”
Paul, barely able to stand, didn’t refuse and leaned against Robin.
‘Trust the captain.’
Robin exited the cave with Paul.
Calimacos was not someone who would die in a place like this.
Not even an entire mercenary band could defeat Calimacos.
He had taken down the Goblin King with ease.
His strength was still immeasurable.
BOOOOOM!
A tremendous roar exploded behind Robin.
He suppressed the instinct to run back.
It would be fine.
Calimacos was strong.