Wolves of Hader

Chapter 128

Beds were set up in the merchant guild building.

Five officers, battered and bruised, were groaning as they lay on the cots.

None of them could move their bodies.

"Ughhhh..."

"Oh... I'm dying."

"Haa! What did you do to us?"

Anyone watching would think this was a wartime situation.

Everyone was wrapped from head to toe in bandages.

Their faces ended up like that because they got hit by Nabak's brawler.

As I watched them while sipping tea, Kudo and his men came in carrying porridge.

Kudo also sat next to me, drank tea, and watched the officers.

"My, my, look at that—turning people into rags."

"W-who are you?"

"What does it matter who I am. Boys, feed these gentlemen. They can't eat on their own."

"Yes, sir!"

The men propped up the officers and began feeding them porridge with spoons.

The officers wanted to refuse, but couldn't do much about it.

"Hey, get that away from me."

"Just sit still for a second!"

"I said I don't want to eat."

"It's not like I'm enjoying this either. Just keep still!"

"Here, open wide."

"That's it, gulp—good job, you're eating well."

"Hey, I'm not a kid! What if I spit it out!"

"You brats~!"

"This one is refusing to eat, sir!"

Kudo spoke solemnly.

"You need to eat to live, even if you have no appetite. If you don't eat at least this much, you'll spend your life as a cripple, you know."

"A-a cripple?!"

"I'm not a cripple!"

"Damn! Now you've knocked over the bowl!"

"I told you not to move, geez!"

Kudo asked me,

"When will you be leaving?"

"I'm planning to go today."

"I'll tell them to get ready right away. Will you be taking these folks with you?"

"Yes, they're coming as well."

"It'll be rough for them with the carriage bumping around."

"They'll have to endure."

At this, the officers started shouting.

"Endure what!"

"Where do you think we're going?"

"Where are you planning to take us?!"

I put down my teacup.

"Someone will be coming from Urada. They'll take over the Barako Merchant Guild's inn, so Kudo, give them any support they need. For now, just keep running the business as it is."

"Yes, yes. Oh, spring has finally come to wretched Kudo, who only ever knew the winter wind. Spring comes on its own, but I'll make sure the flowers bloom with my own hands."

Kudo said this with a laugh.

He sure knows how to say something fancy.

Well, he's always had a way with words.

/ / /

Clatter-clatter. Clatter-clatter.

The road to the territory of Urada was quite uncomfortable.

Even lying on a cot, my body bounced with every bump.

"Aaaargh!"

"Help!"

"Somebody stop this carriage!"

Screams erupted from the carriage behind.

The officers and the crew were all traveling in separate carriages—myself, Allen, and the others each in our own.

The officers were receiving a sort of massage.

By loosening up their blood vessels, feeding them recovery potions, and striking their bodies, they could recover faster—and their magic power paths would fully open too.

This was a method our guild had devised in my previous life.

I discovered it after a guild member who had suffered a major internal injury recovered and saw their skill improve.

As for the officers' six-month leave of absence, Count Watts agreed to deal with it.

He arranged it as sick leave due to an accident during vacation.

I had already explained everything in detail to Count Watts for that reason.

Upon hearing the report, Count Watts apparently burst out in roaring laughter.

He laughed so loudly it echoed through the restaurant, then willingly entrusted the officers to me—including his own second son.

Count Watts is probably only half-convinced.

He'd already suspected something; the fact that myself and my subordinates had unusual abilities must have told him that something was up.

Clatter—thunk—

"Aagh! Go slower!"

"Where the hell are we going?!"

"Oh, shut it, you bastards!"

"And who the hell are you!"

"Shut up! I can't get any sleep!"

"You! You're that dwarf, aren't you?"

"Who just said that! Which bastard called me a dwarf?!"

Haaa. Oren or Allen...

One's as bad as the other.

/ / /

"Thank you, young lord."

"You've done well."

I shook hands and hugged Steward Aldo.

His wife and son, who had been kidnapped, bowed deeply in gratitude.

"How about the facilities?"

"They've all been set up. This way, please."

Steward Aldo led me to the knight's hall. At my request, he'd prepared a secret space beneath the hall.

The five officers had suffered great pain for several days.

By the time we reached Urada castle, at least they could walk.

Soon, they'd realize their bodies had changed.

"Where are we?"

"Aren't you feeding us? You gonna starve us to death?"

"Hey, can't you guys be quiet?"

The officers shut their mouths tight.

It was just a few days ago.

Allen, unable to restrain himself, rushed to the officers' carriage and gave them a good beating.

After getting beaten twice by Allen, the officers had to keep their mouths shut for the rest of the journey.

My crew and I could at least hold back, but Allen couldn't.

"Allen. Don't let them escape."

"Why me?"

"You don't want that silver armor, right?"

"Fine. If even one tries to run away, I'll break all five of them."

Once inside the knight's hall, I saw new stone and iron doors had been installed.

There were even four soldiers standing guard.

Passing through the iron door, there was a staircase leading down.

When the inner iron door opened, I found a space where the floor had been neatly leveled.

Supplies were stacked perfectly in a corner.

"The mana stones were delivered just as you ordered, young lord. Is the space big enough?"

"This should be just right. Let's go."

"Then please have a meal first."

With Steward Aldo, I left the space.

"The soldier recruitment is done, right?"

"Yes, they're training as new recruits at the encampment north of the castle. Most are former Urada deserters. Knight cadets are training in the castle."

"How about the drilling operations?"

"We did some test runs before deploying to the field—everyone was amazed. We don't have skilled technicians yet, so we're doing trial drilling as a test."

Drilling was started from the desertified south.

For this, we hired a highly-paid expert in underground water veins.

The drilling machines we are making ourselves are still in the performance-testing phase.

"How many people do we have now?"

"Sixteen staff. Four handle administration at the castle, the rest are out at Tris or the construction sites. As for taking over the inn business, I'll handle that myself."

"For the Barako Inn, take over the staff as is, but also hire about three times more. We'll also need to recruit about twenty exclusive miners."

"Exclusive miners?"

"Yes. There are mana stone veins and some gem ores. Mainly in the central mountains and the southern hills."

Steward Aldo nodded.

He doesn't ask how I know these things.

Everyone who works with me is like that—it's a kind of unspoken rule that developed during the four years I secretly rebuilt our house.

Maybe Urald whispered something to them too.

I planned to set the magic array so it would activate by inserting just ten magic stones—the sequence would only be told to Steward Aldo.

No one but him would be able to open the Gate of Magic.

Even so, since one could storm into our fortress from Urada through the gate, I intended not to open it unless absolutely necessary.

Even if an enemy did open the gate, I can just close it from the fortress inside.

/ / /

"Master Roger is coming!"

Bwooo—

The sound of a horn echoed.

Six carriages crossed the barracks.

The recruits, over a hundred people, paused their training to watch the procession.

As soon as the carriages stopped, I got out.

Russell was waiting at the front of the barracks headquarters.

"Thank you for your hard work, young lord."

"You finished soldier recruitment quickly."

"In fact, these were selected at a rate of fifty to one. We had so many applicants, sorting them out was tough."

"Five thousand applicants?"

"Yes. People came not just from the east, but many from Urada and the eastern coastal cities. There were also many refugees from Beltern."

The soldiers exchanged awkward greetings.

Even though training would be tough, they looked cheerful.

Everyone in the east knows our knights were originally soldiers. They also know we offer better treatment and higher skill than other houses.

"These are the priests who came with you."

"Yes."

"It's been a while, Russell."

"It has, priest Roman."

Priest Roman and twelve other priests also greeted us.

All were still wide-eyed, astonished at the barracks and fortress.

The Tuji brothers were just as surprised.

"These are the Tuji and Uson brothers."

"I heard you're master archers. Welcome."

"Thank you, commander Russell."

"Hey! Is our young lord back?"

Urald, Wundbark, Bellen, and Lok also came out from the fortress.

All four looked like they had something to brag about.

"You're here, young lord."

"Yeah. Why are you so excited? Did you invent a new spell?"

"Yes, Lok did too."

"We developed new spells and made magical weapons."

"Alright, let's look around slowly."

Judging by their achievements with elemental weapons, the ten Elin people must have something to announce too, as well as the converted mages.

"Hey, old men. Did you finish making my armor?"

"We're not your servants!"

"So it's not done? What've you been doing then?"

"You little—!"

"Allen!"

Donnie quickly separated Allen and the two Drans.

Russell stepped in again.

"Let's head to the castle."

"Let's go in!"

Allen strode out in front like he owned the place, with the priests and Tuji brothers following.

We headed to the castle, but the officers just stood there looking lost.

"Are you going to keep standing out there?"

"Are we training here now?"

"What the hell is going on?"

Without Allen around, the officers regained their confidence.

They couldn't openly curse, but their eyes burned with suspicion.

They seemed surprised, too, by how sturdy the castle was and the number of soldiers.

"Let's go in."

"Alright."

With Donnie leading, the officers reluctantly followed.

They may not obey me, but they wouldn't go against Donnie.

Probably because Donnie and Allen butt heads so often.

The Tuji brothers walked in front.

Urald quietly eyed the bow Uson carried, and Lok had been glancing at it for a while, too.

"That friend's bow is unusual."

"It's Yan's bow."

"Oh?"

"Do you think you could make one?"

"Why? Is it better than ours?"

"Even though it's small, its range is more than double. It's easier to draw and more accurate, too."

"That little bow?"

Urald and Wundbark were quite surprised.

"I bet it's made of buffalo horn and sinew. Most of the Yan tribe are expert marksmen—some are even called divine archers. The bows are small, so they're easy to carry."

"If it's made of horn, it'd be really springy. But there aren't any buffalo in the East, are there?"

"We'll have to get some. Travel to Yan."

"Just bring one back. I'll make a bow even better than Yan's. If the range is double... at close range it could pierce even an armor plate."

Inside the castle, I hugged Ross and Rozie.

Johnny greeted me cheerfully.

"Good job. I was worried that public opinion would turn against us because of the Order, but there's less backlash than I expected."

"I guess people knew."

"Yeah. Criticizing the Order must not have been easy. Let me take care of the guests. You get some rest. Johnny also has some things to report."

"Alright."

"You're not hungry?"

"I could use some of my elder sister's cooking for the first time in a while."

"Just wait a bit."

"Okay."

Ross greeted the priests and officers, Rozie headed for the kitchen.

Russell, who had come along, returned to the barracks—he was busy training the soldiers.

The weddings are set for early winter.

Rozie and Russell will go first.

Ross and Jena will follow in the spring.

I went straight to my room with Johnny.

I planned to get a quick report and rest.

"What news do you want first?"

"Anything from Parde's territory?"

"Yes. The shipment was transported safely to Tris and the cargo loaded onto the Racrom. It will arrive in Mouk in five days."

"How about the eastern merchant guilds?"

"No big changes in other businesses. They're preparing a second round of trading."

"Alright. How's the new territory?"

"No major issues, but there's... um..."

Johnny scratched his head.

As if explaining was going to be difficult.

"What, is there a problem?"

"Strangers have arrived."

"Strangers?"

"They said they're not like us. Their appearance is different, and we can't understand their language, so they've been put in isolation. I haven't seen them myself."

That was hard to immediately understand.

"How did they get here, and where from?"

"A shipwreck."

"Shipwreck? Who's living in the eastern sea?"

"Exactly. Ten days ago, we found some unfamiliar people hiding—they looked like barbarians."

There's only a vast ocean beyond the eastern seas.

Farther still is the continent of Aindel, Elin's land.

The southern part below the eastern sea is the long stretch of this continent's south.

For people here, the far side of the eastern sea is an unknown world.

Some believe there's a continent of the dead to the north, and they say you have to cross the western sea to reach Aindel.

So it's possible there's another civilization in the east we don't know about—which makes them something to fear, as they could be potential invaders.

Are there barbarians living east of the mountain range?

The Tak tribe is said never to cross the range, as it's so treacherous. Our new territory lies east of it.

So just where did these people come from?

I'll have to meet them soon.

And maybe build a temple while I'm there.