Download App
5.29% Lord of Caldera / Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Troll

Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Troll

In reality, if one were to trace the cause, it was Gaiden who first devised the scheme. However, that thought was no longer in his mind. All that occupied him was resentment toward the half-blood bastard and Roderick, who stuck to the bastard's side.

'This can't end like this.'

He no longer cared about the countess's orders. He wouldn't be able to sleep well unless he saw that bastard sulking.

Gaiden secretly distanced himself from Sylas and Roderick and called for the mercenary captain, Erik.

"Hey, mercenary captain. Come closer; I have something to say."

"What do you want me to do this time, sir?"

Erik sighed as he approached Gaiden. Nothing good had come from Gaiden's summons before. Gaiden's brows twitched at Erik's insolent attitude, but he held back his anger. For now, he needed their cooperation.

"It's nothing much. Guide the party to a monster-infested area instead of the original route."

"Pardon? What on earth are you talking about?"

Erik's face twisted in confusion. Why would they abandon a safe route for a dangerous one?

"Shut up. I have my reasons for giving this order, so just do it."

"Sir, this really isn't right. Can you at least explain the reason?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm your employer? If you want to get paid, just shut up and do as I say!"

'Thanks to you, I've made more than the promised payment, you bastard!'

Erik wanted to shout in response, but he held it back.

If Gaiden wasn't a knight, he would have drawn his axe long ago and cut ties. However, the other party was nobility, and there were too many ways to retaliate if they held a grudge.

'Damn it, I can't tell if they've conspired with others or not.'

Erik glanced at Roderick and Sylas. If this was Gaiden's unilateral decision, he could just report it here. But if he had conspired with another knight, it would complicate things. Ultimately, Erik sighed and nodded.

"Understood. But I won't go to a place that's too dangerous, no matter how much you pay me."

"Who said to go to a place where you'd die? A reasonable location will suffice."

There was no need for it to be too dangerous. It only needed to be a level that would scare the inexperienced bastard and make him tremble. At the very least, seeing that pathetic noble façade crumble would provide some satisfaction.

***

'So they're heading to a monster-infested area.'

Sylas clicked his tongue as he watched the direction the mercenaries were taking. He had traversed back and forth for three days to hunt for prey. Naturally, he was well aware of where the beasts were plentiful and where monsters roamed.

'Seeing the grim faces of the mercenaries, it seems like they were forced into this by that money grubber.'

It was truly impressive how he kept pushing forward despite always falling for his own schemes and facing criticism. One couldn't live that recklessly without being deeply rotten. Fortunately, Roderick seemed oblivious to the situation. If he had grasped the circumstances, he would have been in an uproar.

As Sylas approached the mercenaries who were busy setting up camp, Erik jumped up in surprise.

"Sir? What brings you here?"

Erik was even more courteous than before, thanks to Sylas allowing them to plunder the village at will.

"I've heard this area is where monsters come out; are we going the right way? "

"Huh!? Well, yes, but this is a shortcut. The monsters that come out are all weak, so you needn't worry."

Erik stammered as if Sylas had struck a nerve. To be fair, he wasn't entirely wrong. In fact, there were only a few weak monsters that popped up around here.

As long as they didn't stray too far into the territory, they'd be fine.

"That's true. But it seems I've come at a bad time."

"A bad time? What's going on?"

"Recently, trolls have made this place their nest."

"Trolls!?"

Erik's face paled. A troll was a monster that required three knights to be prepared to fight in order to barely defeat it. And even then, that was only if they calculated their odds as minimal. It was generally agreed that at least five knights were necessary to secure a definite victory.

"They probably won't come this far down, but I thought I should inform you just in case."

"Th-thank you! I'll have everyone check the surroundings right away…."

'Grrrroooaaar!'

Everyone in the campsite froze at the distant roar. Just the sound alone indicated that something dangerous was approaching. Moments later, a heavy thumping sound echoed as a massive creature approached the camp.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

With Erik's shout, a gigantic shadow appeared, breaking through the trees. A mercenary screamed as they caught sight of it.

"T-Troll! It's a troll!"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Sylas quickly stepped back and grabbed the bow and arrows he had next to him. Most of the mercenaries were completely frozen in place upon seeing the troll. Only Eric, the commander, managed to keep his wits about him.

It was only Sylas and Roderick who properly assessed the situation and took action.

"Sir Gaiden, draw your sword! Hurry!"

"I know! I'm aware!"

At Roderick's urging, Gaiden drew his sword, but that was as far as he went. Holding his sword, Gaiden trembled and slowly backed away, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Seeing this, Roderick's forehead creased with anger.

"Damn it! Don't back away! Protect the young lord!"

'Kruuuuu'

In the sudden chaos, the troll grinned, baring its teeth. It looked like it was enjoying the sight of frightened prey. Except for Roderick, everyone else was too scared to move, fearing they might provoke the troll. Just then, a small arrow flew toward the troll.

Squeeak, thwack.

'Krooooaaar!'

The troll let out a pained groan, clutching its eyes. Everyone's mouths dropped open as they looked in the direction the arrow had come from. Sylas, who had shot the arrow, quickly notched a second arrow and yelled at the mercenaries.

"What are you doing? Get a grip and grab your weapons!"


Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Dealing With A Troll

"Uh, um...?"

The mercenaries blinked as they alternated their gaze between the troll and Sylas. It was so sudden that they couldn't grasp what was happening. The first to regain his senses was Eric once again.

"Didn't you hear what the young master said, you fools! Grab your weapons! I said, grab your weapons!"

"Y-Yeah! Weapons!"

Only then did the mercenaries come to their senses, grabbing their spears and axes, taking a combat stance. No matter how scared they were, years of experience did not disappear.

'Thanks to that young master, we've avoided the worst situation.'

Eric wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he tightly gripped his axe. The worst-case scenario would have been for them to panic and scatter in all directions. If that had happened, the troll would have swept through them like catching mice.

But thanks to Sylas's timely shout, everyone was able to maintain their formation.

'Damn, the problem is that I've never fought a troll before.'

They managed to keep their formation somehow, but that was Eric's limit. Just keeping his wits about him was already overwhelming. As Eric bit his lip, he heard Sylas's voice booming.

"Don't show any signs of fear! Look the beast in the eyes!"

Despite their fear, Eric and the mercenaries followed Sylas's command. The troll, hit by the arrow, was backing away while touching its wound. Unlike earlier, it clearly showed that it had lost its composure. With his bow aimed at the troll, Sylas continued to shout.

"From its size, it looks like it hasn't been an adult for long! If we threaten it like this, we can definitely drive it away! Hold your ground, and when I give the signal, shout with all your might!"

With Sylas's steady voice, the mercenaries began to regain their confidence. The certainty of a commander inspires courage in his subordinates. Sylas was now the very commander of the battlefield.

"Lord Roderick! Step in front of the mercenaries and point your sword! Don't let it approach carelessly!"

"I heed your command, my lord!"

Suppressing a surge of emotions he couldn't quite place, Roderick stepped forward. When his shining armor and sword appeared, the troll hesitated even more. But soon, it bared its teeth menacingly and took a step forward. It was the stubbornness of a beast that wouldn't be outdone by its prey.

'Krawaaaaak!'

"...!"

The roar that erupted right in front of them froze the entire group of mercenaries. The strength drained from their legs, and it felt like they would collapse with just a moment of wobbling. But Sylas did not budge. He had experienced threats far worse than this before his return.

As the troll bellowed, Sylas drew back his bow towards its gaping mouth.

Thwack!

'Kwooooorgh! Waaaaaak!'

The arrow struck directly into the troll's open mouth. As it staggered backward in pain, Sylas shouted.

"Don't back down! Just like it did, shout with all your might!"

"I-Iyaaaaah!"

"Uwaaaah!"

The mercenaries let out a collective roar with all their strength. As many of them shouted at once, a resonance rivaling the troll's roar echoed back. With an arrow lodged in one eye and its mouth, the troll was gradually losing its bravado and stepping back.

Guwooooorgh...

"Good, you're doing well!"

Sylas encouraged the mercenaries while inwardly smiling. In truth, he had known about this troll even before his return. Having lived in an environment without natural enemies, it was a coward that avoided fights at all costs.

It looked terrifying on the outside, but in reality, it would run away at the slightest hint of danger. Even before his return, when Sylas shot arrows with the intent to kill, it had fled quickly.

'So far, it's holding on because of the mercenaries' first impressions.'

Even a stupid troll can distinguish whether it is being feared or not. It likely felt emboldened by the frightened demeanor of the mercenaries when they first encountered it. However, thanks to Sylas and the mercenaries' response, that confidence had been completely shattered.

What remained was a decisive blow to break its will. Sylas swiftly loosed another arrow.

Thwack!

'Krawaak!'

"Direct hit!"

As another arrow pierced the troll's eye, the mercenaries cheered. It was the same left eye as the first arrow that had struck it. Perhaps because it had taken two direct hits, the troll continued to retreat.

"It's lost its spirit! Step up again…!?"

As Sylas was about to give another command, he realized something was off. The troll, which had been retreating, began to stagger. After swaying back and forth like a drunken person for a while, it eventually fell backward, head over heels.

Thud.

As the troll's massive body hit the ground, everyone fell silent. Even Sylas was taken aback and lost for words. This was a troll, known for its regeneration and thick skin, which usually wouldn't die easily—even if it were pierced through like a hedgehog. And yet, it had died from three arrows?

He wondered if it was just pretending to be dead, but there was no sign of movement.

"What's happening? Is it really dead?"

"Someone check it out."


Load failed, please RETRY

Gifts

Gift -- Gift received

    Weekly Power Status

    Batch unlock chapters

    Table of Contents

    Display Options

    Background

    Font

    Size

    Chapter comments

    Write a review Reading Status: C19
    Fail to post. Please try again
    • Writing Quality
    • Stability of Updates
    • Story Development
    • Character Design
    • World Background

    The total score 0.0

    Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
    Vote with Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Power Ranking
    Stone 82 Power Stone
    Report inappropriate content
    error Tip

    Report abuse

    Paragraph comments

    Login

    tip Paragraph comment

    Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

    Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

    GOT IT