Chapter 105: Chapter 259 - How to Handle Fools (4)
"Didn't I tell you that idiots tend to stick together?" Rem said, looking at one of the people blocking their path.
The man tried to hide his appearance with a black robe, but the bulging belly and exposed lip shape made it clear who he was.
"Hmph!"
The fallen priest snorted.
Before they set off, Rem had mentioned that he had met that fat idiot at the market and that something about his gaze was odd. He had also said that this idiot could end up partnering with another idiot.
And so, the prediction came true.
Of course, there had been some manipulation for the prediction to come true.
"You can call me the Seer Rem," he said.
It was like he had tripped and fallen on his backside, with an arrow whizzing overhead, but Rem had the right to act smug.
Since things turned out just as he had said, Enkrid called him what he wanted.
"Idiot Rem."
"Did you break your hearing? I'm a Seer, you know?"
"An idiot and a Seer are basically the same thing."
"Did you just make that up?"
"No."
Enkrid spoke with honesty and confidence, and Rem reluctantly gave up the title of Seer, muttering "Let's stop this nonsense."
"There are many who are confused and foolish in this world, and it's the duty of our kind Lord to lead them to repentance and rebirth at the side of the gods."
Audin recited a prayer. It sounded more like he wanted to kill everyone.
It almost seemed like every time he saw that fallen priest, Audin wanted to end his life.
Enkrid took a step forward. He was the representative of their group. With his sword belt and hand resting on the pommel of his sword, he stood with one leg crossed.
To an outsider, his stance might seem careless, but those who had experience with swords would recognize it as a well-prepared posture.
Behind the bloated fallen priest, a man stepped forward and asked.
The man had a solid, well-grounded stance, without any apparent openings.
"The client wanted me to ask you last, do you have any interest in joining the Black Sword?"
A tempting offer amidst all this? Good luck getting him to fall for that.
Krais snorted internally as he watched the man closely.
The man, taller than the bloated priest, took a step forward as well, showing that he was the one in charge.
He had a ferocious look in his eyes. He held a long sword, his gaze sharp, and his attitude seemed somewhat irritated.
A mercenary known for planning and killing his targets efficiently.
Krais figured out the man's identity just by his appearance.
"Calculated Blade?"
Enkrid, too, had keen ears and caught the words.
It seemed this mercenary was somewhat famous. Enkrid's interest was piqued. His arms hung loosely, his legs slightly spread, and his eyes focused on his own feet and legs.
He subtly adjusted his posture as if preparing to draw his weapon.
This man knew how to fight and was skilled, that was Enkrid's judgment.
"You know me?" the mercenary asked. His voice was monotone, sounding rather rough.
"I didn't realize you were so corrupted that you'd take a job with the Black Sword," Krais replied, feigning surprise.
It wasn't a particularly sharp insult, but the mercenary frowned. He seemed offended.
"… You have a sharp tongue."
"And you seem to have a talent for selling your body for a few gold coins."
The mercenary, tall and fierce with a large sword, was likely someone who could be classified as a strong warrior of noble rank.
He was a mercenary known for always being well-prepared in battle.
Krais knew the man's reputation for preparing for every fight, which had earned him the nickname "Calculated Blade."
Krais prodded the mercenary, hoping for a reaction. He knew that someone who got worked up was easier to handle than a calm opponent. It was a simple strategy.
"I told you, those idiots probably don't have a single thought in their heads," Krais said, his words aimed at the fallen priest behind him.
Krais hoped that the mercenary would get agitated and charge at them, but contrary to his expectations, the mercenary merely raised his left hand in preparation.
And then, heads began to appear over the hills on both sides.
These were soldiers who had been lying in ambush for the past two days. Some of them were from the Black Sword, and the rest were mercenaries from the Calculated Blade's group.
The mercenary named Calculated Blade had heard enough about his opponents.
He had heard about the incident with the Jevikal, and he thought he was far superior to idiots like him.
He didn't understand why someone would rely on something like a scroll in a fight. Such a foolish thing.
Unless you were a knight, you wouldn't survive the countless arrows that rained down on you.
That's why he had prepared fifty archers. The hills were steep, and among them, there were probably a few who could scale them.
To prevent that, he had positioned two squads of heavily armored men at the base of the hills.
To capture just ten or so people, they had mobilized over seventy soldiers.
Was that all? Including himself, Calculated Blade's group of elite mercenaries provided solid backup.
It had been difficult to get this far without getting caught, but the real battle would be easy.
That was 'preparation.'
The Calculated Blade spoke with a raised hand.
"Those who don't even realize the value of their lives."
How long would they last against the Black Blade?
Mercenaries had to be sharp and quick-witted if they wanted to survive for long.
He was one of those types.
And Krais, peeking his head out from behind Enkrid, spoke up.
"Good thing. I was wondering if a bunch of wizards were going to show up, but it's not as impressive as I thought. Guess they won't amount to much after all?"
Krais made a circle with his thumb and index finger as he spoke.
Enkrid couldn't help but feel a bit proud of Krais for using the right tactics to get under the enemy's skin.
"Heh, I'm going to peel that bastard's skin off myself."
The Calculated Blade muttered.
Krais pretended to be scared, his eyes widening, and stuck his tongue out in response.
"Do it if you can."
Sometimes, childishness could be a lethal move.
This was one of those times.
"That son of a bitch…"
Krais had definitely managed to rattle the enemy commander.
'Hmm, not bad.'
It was a clever little trick. Enkrid admired it.
Even while Krais was scheming, he kept his mind active.
Spells were always unpredictable, and it was important to be cautious.
'Well, even if they're the Black Blade, there's no way they have dozens of wizards with them.'
When he saw someone using scrolls before, it naturally sparked an unsettling thought.
However, Krais thought the enemy's forces seemed too weak. They had low quality, and their numbers were few.
'Why?'
The question came, and the answer arrived almost immediately.
'They still don't know our real strength.'
Enkrid and all the members of their unit had fought so well that rumors had spread about them.
They had shown their worth on the battlefield, and had even destroyed a colony.
'But what if those rumors spread?'
Rumors, by nature, grew and were exaggerated. And foolish people who thought they were clever would use the rumors to form their strategies.
If it were Krais, he would be checking the truth of these rumors frantically as they spread.
The Black Blade's position was misunderstood.
When they tried to take control of the streets in Border Guard, the Gilpin Guild had resisted their influence.
They couldn't just plant spies inside the castle either, as Marcus was particularly skilled in that area.
Contrary to the rumors about him being a warmonger, he had managed to tighten internal security thoroughly.
Since his arrival, there had been rumors among merchants that the Border Guard's took their duties even more seriously and they had become even stricter.
Of course, that too was a misunderstanding.
It was just that under Enkrid's harsh training, those who found it difficult were simply more dedicated to their duties, trying to stay on patrol a bit longer or guard the gates more vigilantly.
Anyway, the Black Blade didn't know this. Not only had they misjudged the abilities of Enkrid and the others, but they had no idea about Krais.
On the other hand, Krais understood the enemy's foolishness and, in some ways, even sympathized with it.
'Well, it's not like there are any Knight-level monsters running around here.'
Not even a knight order.
Lack of information had been something Marcus had exploited well on the battlefield.
Furthermore, there would always be those who doubted Enkrid's abilities afterward.
'Most importantly, the abilities of the unit members wouldn't even be known by rumor.'
One strong individual at the squire level, a group of archers, and a bunch of mercenaries who knew how to fight.
Even if they weren't knight-level, they were strong enough to be considered elites.
So, the enemy wasn't necessarily weak. It was just that the Black Blade didn't know about them.
'Maybe I overdid the preparation.'
Krais thought, snapping his fingers.
Snap!
Naturally, nothing happened. The finger snap wouldn't have reached over the hill.
"…What?"
Ragna, who had been watching from the side, asked.
"Should we send you to the temple too?"
Rem also asked. Krais cleared his throat and responded.
"Timing's a bit off."
Krais had no shame. It happens. So, he spoke confidently, and just after those words, a commotion erupted at the top of the hill.
"Shit, what is it?"
"It's an ambush!"
The cry of the enemy ambushers rang out.
Some of the archers turned around quickly.
It was already too late for coordinated fire from above.
Some of the armed troops near the archers immediately turned around and charged at the ones who had come up behind them.
"How dare you!"
One of the enemy soldiers bravely stepped forward, swinging his sword. He was a mercenary wielding a bastard sword.
Gripping the sword with both hands, he brought it down. His technique wasn't bad.
The person opposite him was unarmed.
As the sword came toward him, he ran forward, meeting the strike head-on, and dove straight into the opponent's arms.
A dull sound followed—thud!
The mercenary wielding the bastard sword collapsed forward, and the man in his arms pushed him away and came out from it.
Torres wiped the blood from his dagger onto the dead man's collar.
He wore thin leather armor over his gambeson, with the insignia of the border defense unit on it.
"Well, we're not too late," he muttered.
On the opposite side, a man was quickly closing the distance, darting into the enemy ranks with a swift pace.
He drew his sword in a flash, and the speed was like lightning. His steps and his strike were so fast that by the time anyone saw it, a hole had already been pierced through one enemy soldier's neck.
Crack!
A mercenary grabbed his neck, staggering, before falling to his knees. Blood poured from his fingers.
With his throat pierced, survival was impossible.
Zimmer had displayed his skills and then stopped.
"Foolish bandits," he muttered, his face clearly visible from the small hill.
"Well, seems like it's over," Krais murmured smugly.
It was impressive for a mere bandit group to gather such a force so quickly.
This was a demonstration of the Black Blade's remaining strength.
And it wasn't just any group, but they had hired a squire level mercenary.
That was no small feat. Though there was a gap between true knights and squires, still, how many people like that could there be?
In the northern regions, they were probably rare enough to count on one hand.
However, they had simply underestimated their opponents.
After all, it was hard to believe something like this until you saw it with your own eyes.
That was what Krais thought.
"A bit of a shame," Enkrid muttered.
Krais ignored him.
He was always imagining the worst and preparing for it accordingly.
That was what he had prepared for.
Soon, the Border Defense and the Martai forces began occupying the area near where the ambush had been set.
The archers from the Black Blade, who had been caught off guard, fell into a state of panic.
'Shit, they're attacking from behind? What about the front? Do we have an escape route?'
None. From the very start, everything had been predicted and planned.
Torres, who had gotten behind the archers, couldn't help but admire Krais' mind.
'That big eyed bastard is no joke.'
The preparations of the Black Blade on the hill had come to an end.
The ones who had taken the hill were the finest of the fine—the border massacre specialists, hidden by the presence of Enkrid.
The face of the Calculated blade remained expressionless.
In contrast, the mercenaries who had been holding out at the back began showing visible signs of panic.
"Hell's broken loose."
One person murmured, showing anxiety.
"Bullshit, we'll kill them all and it'll be over."
Another spoke with defiance.
"Shouldn't we retreat?"
Someone else suggested a more practical option.
"Well, who's the idiot now?"
Krais asked, and the prepared blade's brow furrowed deeply.
"It would've been better to solve this with force from the start."
A large man stepped forward beside the calculated blade. Looking at the group behind him, there were about twenty soldiers, none of them weaklings by any means.
At least, compared to regular soldiers.
"Only the confident ones come at me. I'll kill them all."
The heavy footsteps of the one who charged forward, wielding a massive flail in both hands, were quite intimidating.
If they won the battle before the skirmish on the hill even began, it would be over soon.
Despite his dull appearance, the mercenary was sharp. After wandering the battlefield for so long, he must have developed a natural sense for these things.
"I think that's the right call too," said the woman standing next to him. She had an abnormally long tongue, almost reaching her chin, and her face was similarly grotesque, long both up and down.
She held three throwing knives in each hand, reminiscent of a whistle dagger.
Rem growled as they approached.
"I'll go first. Just try to step forward, and I'll chop your head off with my axe."
Enkrid almost stepped forward but told Rem to go ahead.
Shifting his perception, evolving his instincts beyond the usual senses.
With all that help, Enkrid momentarily was unsure if he should act as well.
In that moment, he predicted the outcome.
None of those who charged forward would be able to handle Rem's axe.
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TL here! Thank you for reading!
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