novelraw Chapter 9 : Search
Chapter 9 : Search
Chapter 9: Search
“Here’s fifty Cooper.”
“Thank you, Mr. Burt.”
“Hey… you could’ve given us a little more. Isn’t the commission too high?”
Jeremy asked Burt slyly, but Burt’s expression was cold.
“If you could’ve gotten a better price somewhere else, you should’ve gone there.”
“I’ve got loyalty to you, sir. How could I do that?”
“Loyalty, my ass. Once you’re done cleaning, go play on your own.”
Robin bowed once more to Burt and began cleaning.
Jeremy, not really meaning what he’d said, looked satisfied nonetheless.
“It’s strange. The boss has gotten a lot nicer to us lately.”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s because you’ve been doing good work, Jeremy.”
“No, I think he’s taken a liking to you, Robin.”
Robin thought Jeremy was just saying that to flatter him.
“It’s been a year since I came here, but this is the first time the boss has treated us like this.”
“Really? Mr. Burt might look cold on the outside, but I think he’s secretly considerate.”
Letting two orphans stay and feeding them in exchange for doing odd jobs was already something most people couldn’t afford to do.
Robin also knew Burt had shown him some kindness, but he believed it was thanks to Jeremy.
“I’ve always done my work properly, but he never showed much interest. Then, ever since I started hanging out with you, things began to change little by little.”
After they brought in the promissory note from the orphanage, their meals became more generous.
When they brought back a goblin corpse, Burt would explain things they were curious about, and even allowed them to read books.
A proper swordsmanship manual cost a whopping one gold coin, but even ordinary books were priced in silver.
Robin thought all of this was simply an adult being kind to a child.
“That means we should work even harder. Let’s finish up quickly, Jeremy.”
By now, Robin had memorized where everything in the general store was.
He had cleaned early in the morning, and it didn’t take long to finish arranging and checking the inventory.
“Boss, we’re done!”
At Jeremy’s bright voice, Burt gave them a quick glance and nodded.
“Jeremy, pack your things.”
The two boys packed their bags in their room.
Remembering their encounter with the goblin, they packed an iron rod instead of a wooden sword this time.
A wooden sword couldn’t hurt a monster.
The thought made Robin feel powerless, but he believed time would solve that, and they set off.
Jeremy unfolded the map he had drawn the day before and marked a few places.
It was a hastily drawn map, but the rough geography was clear in his mind.
“Jeremy, where’d you learn how to do that?”
“Uh… I just picked it up under our great boss.”
“Mr. Burt teaches stuff like that? I should ask him sometime too.”
“No need for that… I’ll teach you!”
Robin wanted to learn from Burt, but since Jeremy eagerly offered, he just agreed.
If Burt had once been a renowned adventurer, there must be much to learn from him.
And since Jeremy had learned under him, his broad knowledge now made sense.
“There’s the subjugation squad. Looks pretty big.”
“Do you think we can follow them without being seen? We might get caught.”
“Don’t worry! I came prepared for this.”
Jeremy pulled a blotchy green cloak out of his bag.
“Tada! It’s a camouflage cloak for blending into the mountain. If we cover ourselves with this, no one will notice us following from a distance.”
“Jeremy, you’re amazing as always!”
The cloak was large enough to cover both Robin and Jeremy with room to spare.
Robin wanted to ask where Jeremy got it, but seeing him avoid eye contact, he decided not to.
The subjugation squad began to move.
Once they left the city, Robin and Jeremy followed. No guards stopped them.
It was a world indifferent to children.
“Ten-minute break!”
““Ten-minute break!!””
At the commander’s order, the soldiers took their positions.
The forested mountain made it difficult to maintain formation.
With the commander’s fast pace, the soldiers, drenched in sweat, welcomed the break like sweet honey.
“The new guard captain’s even leading the subjugation squad. He’s really moving up, huh?”
“What’s so great about a country guard captain? Even with your skills, this wouldn’t be anything.”
Calimacos had been appointed guard captain the same day he met the lord, and now he was leading a monster subjugation squad.
Paul had joined under Calimacos’ command and accompanied the squad.
Though their mission was to exterminate monsters, their true thoughts differed.
‘This is my chance to find the Mercenary King’s tomb.’
Calimacos was confident in his own strength, but he also knew that the more people he had, the easier the search would be.
He had scouted the mountains near the city many times, but never found the Mercenary King’s tomb.
Even during the break, Calimacos and Paul were busy scanning the surroundings.
“Captain, what are you searching for so intently?”
“A tomb.”
“Sir? There’s a tomb here? Doesn’t look like a place for burials to me.”
Felix, one of Calimacos’ men, looked around, but there was no sign of a grave.
“It’s not an ordinary tomb. Tsk, not here either. Tell everyone to get up, we’re moving soon.”
“Yes, sir!”
Felix went to relay the order, and Paul smiled in satisfaction.
“He’s decent enough, isn’t he?”
“He’s got potential. His skill’s still lacking, but he’s worth taking along.”
Felix was one of the mercenaries Paul had recommended to Calimacos.
He mainly wielded a spear and followed orders well.
“All right, move out again!”
““Yes, sir!””
The subjugation squad moved on in search of monsters.
Once the soldiers disappeared, two small boys climbed up onto the spot.
“Whew, adults sure move fast.”
Jeremy sat down on a rock. Watching the squad disappear deeper into the mountain, he tied a yellow ribbon to a tree.
Robin examined the area Calimacos had just searched.
When he brushed away the fallen leaves, the entrance to his secret cave appeared.
“What’s this?”
Robin told Jeremy about the secret cave he’d never revealed to anyone before.
It was where he kept all the money he had saved so far, but Jeremy was trustworthy.
“I can’t believe you’ve been hiding such a cool place all this time. Robin, you’re not hiding anything else from me, are you?”
“Haha. That’s all there is, Jeremy. If we ever get into danger, let’s hide here.”
“That’s a good idea. No one but kids like us could even fit inside.”
If they ever ended up being chased by goblins again, the secret cave would be a huge help.
Though goblins were similar in height, their bones were thicker than Robin’s, so they couldn’t squeeze through the narrow hole.
Jeremy grinned, saying it was a great hideout.
“Then let’s follow them again. We have to save Lina.”
Jeremy moved ahead, more eager than before.
He had spoken coldly earlier, but it seemed he hadn’t been at ease inside.
The two boys pulled the cloak over themselves and followed the subjugation squad diligently.
“Everyone, halt!”
““Halt!!””
As soon as the subjugation squad stopped, silence swept across the area.
Calimacos closed his eyes and listened carefully.
Paul sensed something strange and gave a hand signal for the soldiers to stay alert.
Calimacos opened his eyes and spoke.
“Monsters. They’re coming this way.”
Paul’s eyes sharpened as he shouted,
“Prepare for battle!”
Clang! Clang!
The squad drew their swords with a metallic clatter and formed up.
A triangular formation, with Calimacos at the front.
Soon, barking could be heard from afar.
“Ruff! Ruff!”
Monsters with muscular, bipedal bodies and the heads of hyenas—Gnolls.
More than ten of them spotted the subjugation squad and charged forward.
Even as the monsters approached, the squad didn’t flinch.
They waited only for Calimacos’s signal.
“Now!”
When the gnolls came within three steps, Calimacos shouted and swung his sword.
With a clean diagonal slash, a gnoll fell instantly.
The squad members charged forward, attacking the rest.
For these veteran mercenaries, the fight was easy.
“Grragh…”
The gnolls were being completely overwhelmed.
Acting purely on instinct, they couldn’t stand against a properly formed subjugation squad.
As gnoll corpses piled up, half a dozen survivors turned and fled.
“We did it!!”
“Silence! Check for injuries and stay on guard.”
When a soldier cried out in victory, Calimacos immediately cut him off.
“Any wounded? Anyone injured, step out now.”
Calimacos went around checking, but there were no injuries.
“Good. Not a single wound. Seems none of you have gone rusty.”
Paul looked at Calimacos in admiration.
No matter how easy a battle seemed, real combat was always full of variables.
Because Calimacos had crushed the gnolls’ momentum at the front, the squad’s fight had gone smoothly.
“If I were weak enough to get cut down by gnolls, do you think I’d have dared to challenge Verman?”
“Hahaha! That’s true.”
‘The gnolls came from the northwest. Not sure how many stragglers are left.’
“Attention! We move north in ten minutes.”
““Yes, sir!!””
The soldiers checked their equipment once again.
Having just faced their first monsters, tension still lingered in the air.
Gnolls ate humans—especially children.
Children’s flesh was softer than adults’, so gnolls often kept them imprisoned to eat later.
Calimacos recalled the recent string of missing persons.
‘I need to confirm their base.’
As Calimacos ordered, ten minutes later the subjugation squad marched north.
The sun was setting, and just before he could give the order to make camp, another presence was felt.
Far more numerous than before.
“Prepare for battle!”
The soldiers drew their weapons in perfect order.
There were forty members in the squad.
And the number of gnolls visible in the distance slightly exceeded forty.
Seeing the sudden horde, some soldiers swallowed nervously.
“Don’t be scared! Just do as you’ve practiced! You afraid of some mutt-headed beasts?!”
““No, sir!””
At Calimacos’s words, their fear vanished.
“Grrr! Ruff!”
The gnolls charged all at once toward the squad.
Calimacos smiled calmly and gripped his sword.
Robin’s heart pounded at the distant sounds.
Weapons clashed, and screams—whether human or monster—echoed through the mountain.
When Jeremy took a step forward to check it out, Robin grabbed his arm.
“Jeremy, it’s dangerous.”
“It sounds like a pack of monsters. I have to see what’s going on.”
“And what if you do? We wouldn’t be any help anyway.”
Robin had struck a nerve.
Jeremy, who had struggled even against a single goblin.
Judging by the sounds, the squad was likely fighting gnolls.
Far more dangerous than goblins.
At Robin’s objection, Jeremy took a deep breath.
“Then what should we do?”
“It’d be safer to go back down, but after coming this far, it feels wasteful to just leave, doesn’t it?”
Jeremy nodded in agreement.
Gnolls ate humans and sometimes kept children imprisoned to devour later.
Lina might have been captured in their lair.
‘If we could slip into their base while the gnolls are out…?’
The thoughts tangled endlessly in Robin’s mind.
What if his decision put Jeremy in danger?
What if they died before ever achieving their dream of becoming adventurers?
‘Maybe I should go alone.’
As Robin hesitated, Jeremy placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Let’s go. I know where the gnolls’ den is. Just a little northwest from here.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s a long story. This is our chance—are you just going to stay here?”
Pressed by Jeremy, Robin looked toward the northwest.
The answer was already decided.
“Let’s go.”
The two boys began walking toward the northwest.