Mercenaries and Adventurers

It didn't take long for the convoy to enter the town to unload the goods. Kiel had just eaten eight wheat cakes, and they still came out of the southeast gate of the town.

Unlike not long ago, this time there was no one outside the gate to stop the trouble. Although no one came forward to do anything, this did not prevent many people outside the town who were still angry from staring at the entire convoy with hatred.

Bel-Sass doesn't care about this at all. He wants to do things in times of crisis, so it's hard to avoid offending some people, whether it's the elders in the family, the vassal forces clinging to the family, the chamber of commerce in the town, or the farmers outside the town. .

If he had a choice, for example, if he had to offend one group of people as mentioned above, in his opinion, the farmers outside the town would be more suitable.

After all, out of sight, out of mind.

Even if there is enmity or something between the two, if they don't meet often, the conflict will not break out, and the resentment will gradually become blurred over the years, and the memory will not firmly recall some of the sufferings suffered today.

He is not a dwarf, he has a long life, but his mind is still small, and he cannot let go of his hatred all the year round. It has been almost a hundred years since the Kingdom of Holy Hols was founded, and the dwarf kingdom outside the border is still hostile to most of the people of the Kingdom of Holy Hols.

"Hey! Knight Kil, are you ready to rest? Let's set off quickly."

After looking at the sun, the baron heir approaching in a car greeted Kiel.

Standing up, Kil patted the fallen cake crumbs on his body, looked at the drivers of the convoy and asked: "I'm fine, the loggers are also full. The question is how are the drivers and animals of the convoy doing? "

"After all, it is a dangerous operation. Only after you have eaten and drank enough can you have enough energy and physical strength to deal with the danger."

Bell hummed a few times, patted the supply box under the car seat and responded: "Don't worry, water and freshly baked bread, my people have just been added to each vehicle. They can wait for a while." It is used when waiting at the lumberyard. The animals have also been given a few temporary meals, so there is no problem. There can be no accidents in this operation, I have been keeping an eye on it."

"Where are my people? Do they have anything to eat or drink?" Keir continued to ask.

"Yes, let's go, hurry up and set off!"

Then Kil nodded, and after his groom put the biting reins on the blood-licking grass, he directly got on the horse, lightly knocked the horse's belly, and walked at the front of the convoy. While leading the way, Keir called on the loggers to get their respective meal guys into the car.

The entire convoy first carefully passed through the temporary refugee camp filled with tents. After exiting the trench crossing guarded by the armed team, the entire convoy picked up speed and continued towards the logging camp in the west of the town along the route it had taken in the morning. move.

-

Considering that it is still noon and the sun is very hot, it is unlikely that the monsters will stop the attacking convoy, especially the monsters that may exist on both sides of the team. In the process of seeing the convoy and rushing over, the entire convoy can rely on speed. Get rid of the other person. After saying hello to Bell who was sitting in the leading vehicle, Keir speeded up his horse, took a step ahead, walked in front of the team, and ran towards the lumberyard.

Just like his mission and position as the vanguard leader of the Kendall Expeditionary Force, he played a role in detecting and troubleshooting general problems.

If a small number of monsters are wandering on the road or in the abandoned farmland on both sides of the road, Keir will ride over and deal with them when he sees them. This is just incidental, the really important thing is to detect the movements of monsters in the lumberyard.

Yesterday and this morning, human convoys came twice, each time getting bigger and bigger. If he were a monster, he would have set up manpower or traps in the lumberyard to bet on whether humans would come here this afternoon.

In one morning and half of noon, at least it would be possible to gather the wandering hunting monsters from the north and southwest of the town, right?

With this possibility in mind, Kiel was one step ahead of the convoy and arrived outside the lumberyard first.

"stop--"

Keir pulled the reins to slow down the blood-licking grass, while his own eyes scanned the piles of logs outside the lumberyard that looked like hills of wood.

Everything seemed to be exactly the same as when I left in the morning, there was nothing strange about it.

The war horse kept walking and trotted to the right around the entire lumberyard as Kiel adjusted the reins. This time he boldly took off his helmet, tilted his head and raised his ears, and used his increasingly sensitive ears to investigate.

In addition to the trampling of horses on the soft grass, the only sound in the ears was the free and thick breathing of the blood-licking grass. There was still no movement at the lumberyard, and it was very quiet.

"Looks like the monsters are holding back?"

Kil murmured to himself, and he also felt that he had looked down upon the monsters. After all, the parasitic monsters occupied human bodies, and most of them also cannibalized those who were not very smart in the process of parasitism. With his own brains, he laid an ambush and bet that their convoy would come in the afternoon. Maybe the monsters just didn't have that ability and intelligence?

With this thought in mind, Keel continued to circle the entire lumber camp, but it wasn't until he ran a full circle and returned to the entrance and exit road of the lumber camp that he finally realized that he was overthinking it.

There was no ambush as he imagined in the empty lumberyard. There might be one or two parasitic monsters in the center that he couldn't see, but a large group of monsters that could fight their entire human armed convoy would be a big threat. Probability doesn't exist.

"I really think highly of my enemies."

Keir said to himself, touched the soft new beards on his chin, and laughed at himself: "I guess it's because I haven't slept much recently, which makes me more and more suspicious. Bah--, sleep~sleep~ people are born I have you~ But it wasn’t until I lost you that I suddenly realized how precious sleep is~~~”

While singing a tuneless song, Kil smiled and put his helmet back on, and carefully fixed the locks connecting the helmet and the neck armor with his steel-gauntleted fingers on the bumpy horseback.

However, when Kil turned his horse around and ran towards the convoy again, he unexpectedly glanced at the corpse of the parasitic monster he had killed on the roadside.

The corpses of the monsters that were killed by Kil and carried to the roadside with a spear were said to be monsters, but in fact they were in tatters after being killed, and most of them were just human corpses. Unlike before, although the humans parasitized by the monsters were already dead, they could still be said to be 'alive'.

At this time, the empty and broken corpses of humans, whose parasitic cores had been destroyed, were covered by red-eyed crows and mosquitoes that wandered from nowhere.

The former landed on the most meaty part of the broken carcass, stretched out their hard and sharp beaks, and pecked at their favorite places. And while pecking happily, they squawked and communicated with their companions.

The latter were like small dark clouds, flying over in groups following the smell of decay. When they saw the broken corpses, they swarmed up and crowded together, 'sharing' the small blessings of nature.

Kil glanced at this scene and ran past on his horse without paying much attention.

But soon, with a dissatisfied neigh from the blood-licking grass, the galloping war horse was quickly pulled to a stop.

Kil, who was riding on horseback, turned his horse's head and looked back in the direction of the logging camp.

"No, something's wrong!"

He muttered and narrowed his eyes.

"Why are crows, mosquitoes and flies vying to eat the corpses on the roadside, but not a crow pecks at the parasitic monster corpses that were defeated and smashed in the lumberyard? Or make any noisy bird calls? It's too quiet."

Keir gritted his teeth and said, "It's too quiet!"

After saying that, he chanted the power prayer taught to him by the Big Bird God, and the vision of his eyes quickly increased exponentially.

With eyes as sharp as an eagle's, he scanned the hill-like piles of logs that he had scouted before, and soon saw the clues.

"I see, I didn't look carefully just now, and I didn't notice that there were some more vine heads appearing in the corners of the log pile. Huh, these are your 'eyes', right? Although they are parasites on humans, humans are not born to see at night. Eyes. Parasitic monsters can move smoothly at night and take advantage of this advantage to hunt humans because these vine heads, which look no different from other vine branches used for attack, are the 'eyes' for your observation. !”

While talking to himself, Kil carefully observed and counted the extra vine heads emerging from every corner of the log pile.

"Let me see, one, two, three, four. Huh, there are four monsters hidden in a pile of logs. This pile here, one, two, three, four, five, six. Good guy, this one is more a bit more."

Kil simply counted and found that there were at least thirty identifiable parasitic monsters around the pile of logs where wood was cut for firewood in the morning. As for the ambushes further inside the lumberyard, he couldn't predict how many there would be in total.

Raising and lowering the spear, Kil gritted his teeth and ran towards the convoy. There was a major change in the matter. He could not make the decision alone. He had to inform Bell first.

He himself felt that since the enemy had laid an ambush, although he had seen through the ambush in advance, the ambush party must have had a strength advantage to ambush the troops. At this time, it would not be appropriate to deal with it head-on.

Hopefully Bale will agree with him.

Keir thought with a frown on his way back.

-

"ambush?"

Bel-Sas snorted coldly, and then asked Kil, who was accompanying the carriage, "How did you confirm it?"

Keir waved his hand and gestured: "The crows are fighting for the monsters on the road, no, the parasitized human corpses. And in the morning in the lumberyard, didn't we deal with some parasitic monsters?"

"That's right." The heir to the baron nodded.

"But in the lumberyard, there were no noisy crows in the middle of the pile of logs. That's how I noticed something was wrong. Later, I took a closer look and found that there were more books in the tiny corners that I could see. Vine shoots that shouldn’t be there. You know what I’m talking about, right?”

Facing Kil's words, Bell rolled his eyes and thought: "Plant structural tissue that can replace eyes? Just like the vine tentacles they have always used as weapons, arms, legs and feet?"

"I guess that's it. You have to know that monsters can move at night, but we humans don't have the ability to move smoothly at night. This must be their own observation ability. And when I looked at those monsters in the lumberyard, When I came out of the vines, those parasitic monsters were also 'looking' at me."

Kiel's statement made both the baron heir and the trusted driver driving the carriage shudder.

"So, what do you think?"

Keir then asked.

The heir to the baron did not answer directly. Instead, he first slowed down the entire convoy. The deceleration would increase the time it took to reach the lumberyard. This time was enough for them to make judgments about their next actions.

Bell then asked Keir: "What's your opinion? Being able to lead a group of refugees here at this time, your opinion is also very important. Tell me your thoughts and opinions."

Kil replied directly: "Retreat directly. Since we have seen through the monster's trouble, there is no need to start a war recklessly when the enemy's strength is superior. This is not good for us."

Bell asked in reply: "What should we do with the firewood that the town needs? We still have one trip to go as agreed upon."

"I brought people here yesterday, plus a fleet of firewood we got in the morning. I think these can last for a while. If there is insufficient firewood, we can use it together. How about the residents collectively use a public fire source?"

The heir to the baron shook his head: "Kill trainee knight, this is not enough at all. Before I came, I made a promise to everyone to bring them enough firewood and fuel. Do you think that I, the eldest son of the family, can buy from various chambers of commerce for free? Are you asking for drivers, vehicles and horses? Oh, which chamber of commerce doesn’t have big names behind it? Although they are just some businessmen, those people don’t care much about me, the heir to the Baron!"

Keir tilted his head back and muttered: "Really."

"I made a promise so that I could prepare the carriage overnight. So I have to bring back two full loads of firewood today! Two trips! Full loads! I'll tell you the truth, foreign knight, when the promise is fulfilled, I Naturally, I will gain the trust of some people in the town, because I can accomplish things that others cannot do without compromising! This is very good for me. The elders in the family will also respect my opinions, and my voice will also be the same. My father generally has strength and support.”

"so?"

"So? The convoy won't just go back like this. Aren't the monsters ambushing us? Then let them come. I brought the soldiers and priests, not for them to have a picnic. If you swing the ax, you will see blood!"

Kil looked embarrassed, not because he felt it was not good to fight monsters, but because the flesh demon's parasitic monster was different from many of the monsters he had fought before. Parasitic monsters, hey, parasitic! Kil did not dare to eat the parasitic monsters he had defeated and captured. Apart from the rotten flesh of a parasitic human body, the parasitic monsters did not even have an iron coin on their bodies, so there was no combat benefit at all from fighting them.

At least for Kiel himself, the baronet's heir's own political gains are calculated separately.

So it’s a shame for him to know, right?

There are no benefits from fighting, but the risks of fighting have to be borne as well.

"this……"

Although Kiel's embarrassed expression was hidden under his steel helmet and visor, the reluctance in his words was naturally heard by the baron heir: "What do you think?"

Kil, who was reluctant to ask for favors and wanted to show off his face, was embarrassed and said: "This is your battle, Bel-Sath. Why don't my people and I stop here and wait for the heroic battle between you and your people?" How is the result?"

The heir to the baron who had been impassioned just now changed his expression immediately: "Where are the promises we made yesterday? If you fail to fulfill your promises, your knightly glory will surely fall."

"Before, you called me a noble knight. Why, now my glory has fallen from my horse?" Kiel mocked with a smile.

"Would a noble person lose his nobility because of something like losing his glory or honor? Even if he only did this one thing that lost his honor."

Taking a deep breath, Bel-Sass glanced at his trusted driver. The driver immediately sat upright and held the reins with both hands. It seemed that the horses and reins that he usually easily controlled were something that required great concentration for him. Do things well with energy.

In this way, the heir to the baron lowered his speaking volume slightly, so that except for people a few meters away who could hear his words, other people on the carriage a little further away would not be able to hear him clearly due to the noisy carriage noise. if.

"Tell me the truth, foreign 'noble' knight, what do you want? Let me see if I can satisfy you so that you can join me in the battle."

Kiel curled his lips and asked, "Bell, Bell, what can you give me?"

Frowning, the heir to the baron carefully considered his words: "A sum of money stored in the provincial capital's treasury? Believe me, that's a considerable amount. Although you can't directly tell how much it is, you have to know, That was originally the money I used to strengthen my future war horse and purchase a main knight weapon."

Keir rolled his eyes: "That's very generous, let me think about it. Is there anything else?"

"Well, how about the three shops that belong to me in Yemei Town? As long as this is not the case this year, a shop with a full complement of shopkeepers and shop assistants will be like a hen that lays golden eggs! There is no need to intervene and worry about running it, every year Able to obtain stable income.”

Keir asked doubtfully: "So, these three hens, no, three shops, bah, no, they are three hens that can lay golden eggs. How many golden eggs can they lay in a year? Yes. No specific number? Your description is too vague."

The heir to the baron glanced at the trusted driver sitting next to him, who looked like he had heard nothing, and spread his hands to Kil in embarrassment.

Keir nodded and asked the question: "What else? Let me see your sincerity."

"You! As a knight, you can't be so greedy!"

Kil rolled his eyes when he heard this: "Yes, yes, as a trainee knight, I cannot be greedy. This is detrimental to the dignity and the honor of the Kendall people! So I took people back? How?"

The heir to the baron choked and said with an ugly face: "What you deserve is what you deserve. In this way, let us say something real."

"Ah? Isn't what you just said real?" Kil was a little surprised.

But unexpectedly, Bell nodded and said with certainty: "The truth is, my aunt has several children, and her eldest daughter is about to become an adult and is not married yet. If you have an idea and can come up with one, If you give a considerable wedding gift to my aunt and uncle, I can guarantee that you will marry my cousin! How about it? Is this thing substantial enough? "

Keir has a question mark on his head? ? ?

Is this called real? The things before were all given to him at the shop, but now he had to give money and gifts to the family elder opposite him, huh? ah? ah?

Are there any logical errors here?

Keir couldn't understand.