Chapter 108: Childhood Friend – Top Section
“Plop, plop.”
Lev complained sulkily while riding his horse.
The horse he bought from a merchant in Torito was a brown horse with black spots near its buttocks and had a personality that wanted many things.
Whenever he saw a wide field in early autumn, he would shake his mane as if he wanted to graze, and when he tried to cross a hill, he would subtly pull back his buttocks and walk slowly. Also, it seemed like he had memorized the surroundings as he inevitably slowed down for no reason, indicating that the riverbank was nearby.
“A creature like a slug was born as a horse…”
“Neigh!”
Nevertheless, when satisfied, he would run diligently, so Lev stopped by the stream to let ‘Bante’ drink water.
Bante, a male horse with short front legs, was named after the ‘A’ from ‘Audi’ due to the absence of the suffix.
Lev, who had forgotten to bring a water pouch, rolled up the reins and dipped his feet in the stream, leaning over to splash water on Bante playfully.
He was trying to cool down the horse, which had heated up from running…
Bante looked pitifully at his owner and then turned around, as if asking for water to be splashed on the other side.
Who is the master here…
Just as they were splashing water like that, a group of coachmen arrived at the stream with the sound of “trot, trot, trot”.
Lev was not surprised.
He had seen a mercenary checking if there were bandits at the stream not long ago.
‘I have to escape soon.’
Soon, the caravan would arrive with their horses to take over the stream. Lev pulled out the water pouch, urging Bante, whose sides were bulging from drinking too much, out of the water.
The coachmen untied the horses tied to the carriage and took their own water bottles, the mercenaries crowded around and chatted leisurely, and the merchants who got off the carriage took the time to relieve their sore bodies.
But somehow, they looked familiar.
‘Where have I seen these people before? Ah!’
At that moment, sparks flew in Lev’s eyes.
“Oh, seems like I spent New Year’s Day in pain. My back is sore as if I’ve aged. I must be getting old. Hahaha.”
A merchant with a thick belly and curly beard appeared to step down from the carriage, throwing a dirty joke that stuck to his lips.
‘That guy was here!’
He was a merchant who had sold Lev and Lena in the past. Pretending not to know anything about our first trip to Nevis, he took the fare as usual and sold us as slaves to another merchant.
Back then, we met him in a big town (Torito) and left for the west together. Judging by the timing, they had undoubtedly finished their journey and were on their way back.
“Damn it.”
Lev gnashed his teeth.
He remembered vividly when Lena was kidnapped, tied to a stable post, and begged for mercy all night to save only Leo.
And Lena, dressed in clothes that were easily stripped off as bait for princes, with eyes that had died a dark death… How could I forget that image?
‘You died today.’
Lev touched the sword at his waist and approached the man. But he quickly changed his mind.
There were mercenaries around. If he killed that merchant, the mercenaries escorting the merchant would not stay quiet.
‘I can fight and win…’
The mercenaries were not concerned with the merchant selling travelers into slavery. They had only received payment to escort the merchant, and the merchant’s individual actions were not their responsibility.
Lev hesitated for a moment and then climbed onto Bante’s back. With a clatter, he passed by the merchant.
He did not forgive the man or postpone revenge.
It was now or never.
I have to hurry to Nevis, and he is heading towards Torito, so I won’t meet him if I don’t do it now.
Although he wanted to agonize over killing him painfully… Lev decided to show mercy. After all, he was also a man who ‘had done nothing’ to us.
“Huh? What? Oh, careful with your words…”
“Shwoosh!”
The merchant’s head flew off. Lev’s sword cleanly struck his neck.
[ Achievement: Killing Civilians – You have killed ‘3’ civilians. You will become slightly unhappy. ]
“Uhh, what, what is this!”
The merchants who were lighting incense together panicked and shouted. They were startled by the sudden fountain of blood in broad daylight and stood there stunned.
The merchant who had caught the merchant’s flying head was shocked, then dropped it, clutching his head and tearing his hair out.
“Ah?! Who the hell are you! Get him!”
Although the mercenaries were surprised and shouted, Lev, who had fought off the merchant’s head, was now running away frantically.
Far off, the coachmen by the stream were oblivious to the situation, engrossed in drawing water.
In Lev’s mind, this was the best way to handle the situation.
To take revenge only on the merchant without harming innocent people…
But as the mercenaries quickly mounted their horses to chase after him, the situation became increasingly dire. Their equestrian skills were no match for Lev’s.
[ Achievement: First Riding – Leo’s equestrian skills have slightly increased. ]
Lev’s equestrian skills were not excellent. Although he had some experience in tending horses during his childhood friend and engagement scenarios, there were few instances where he had ridden a horse at full speed for the purpose of traveling.
Ultimately, the mercenaries caught up with him, and Lev clicked his tongue.
“Stop there! Hey, shoot that damn horse. Shoot that bastard…??”
The mercenaries were taken aback. The man who was running away suddenly stopped and landed on the ground.
“What, what’s going on?”
‘There’s a man who really stops when they tell him to stop?’
Confused, they each got off their horses and drew their weapons, while Lev, surrounded by twenty or so mercenaries, calmly spoke.
“I had a grudge against that guy. I only resolved the grudge, so please do not interfere.”
“A grudge? What grudge could a little shit have against a nobleman?”
“That guy deceived innocent travelers and sold them as slaves. Didn’t you know?”
“Nonsense! We’re merchants selling goods, not slaves…”
At that moment, the mercenary captain raised his hand to stop an angry mercenary. Having heard stories about merchants often selling travelers as slaves, he had a hunch. With a protruding belly and vulgar speech, that nobleman could very well be capable of that.
The captain asked, “Is there any evidence? If a commoner, who was not sold into debt or a savage, became a slave, it is an obvious violation of the law.”
“…”
“If there is evidence, I will help you report it to the authorities. By doing so, your crime of killing a nobleman may be somewhat forgiven.”
Although his words were valid, Lev only rolled his eyes indifferently.
There was no chance for something that did not happen in the previous scenario, regardless of evidence or witnesses.
“I have nothing to say.”
Lev admonished.
He could easily charm them all, but there were several people wearing wedding rings, so it would require a lot of credibility. He did not want to waste credibility on such a matter. Besides, he was already worried about seducing the king…
The expression on the mercenary captain’s face turned angry.
“If there is no evidence, you are simply a murderer. A seemingly innocent young man does something, so there must be a reason… But if you do not drop your weapon now. I will arrange for you to stand trial in the village.”
Despite showing maximum courtesy, when the young man did not drop his weapon, the mercenaries slowly closed in on him.
“It would be wise to retreat. I also do not want to see bloodshed…”
“Drop the sword! Now!”
“Captain! What trial for such a murderer. Our employer was killed while we were protecting him. If we let this guy live, we will lose our livelihood!”
The disgruntled mercenary who had spoken a moment ago suddenly thrust his spear. Our captain retreated too far.
“Wait! But he’s still a young man, isn’t there some reason… Oh!”
The mercenary captain expected the young man to be ruthlessly skewered, but the young man, instead of being skewered, deflected the approaching spear with his sword and then smoothly turned, stepping on the tipped spear and spinning his body.
The mercenary struck in the abdomen staggered.
“Ah!”
“Hosen! He’s…!”
As the atmosphere became tense, Lev frowned.
“I could kill all of you and leave. But I don’t want to do that either, so please leave.”
However, the mercenaries were not daunted. Their eyes were fixed on the mercenary captain.
Surprised but slightly irritated, the mercenary captain furrowed his brow.
“Where did this young lad learn swordsmanship from… If he belittled the mercenary group with his skillful swordsmanship, he will regret it.”
Drawing the sword, it happened to be a two-handed sword.
Except for knights, it was rare to wield a two-handed sword. It was a difficult weapon to handle due to its great attack power.
Nine times out of ten, they were knights…
– Clang!
The mercenary captain rushed forward. The sharp blade of his sword struck Lev’s sword.
The mercenary captain named ‘Brender’ was just a knight of ‘Amuus Viscount’ a few years ago. And the Amuus viscount he served was an ordinary nobleman with no prominent background.
However, as the ‘rubbish prince’ seized power, the viscount quickly changed, and Brender, who could not stand it, threw the sword he had been assigned by the viscount at his feet.
Setting up a meager mercenary group and leaving the viscount behind, he was living somewhat contentedly. Thinking that it was not bad to live by exerting efforts for the safety of the people.
This young man also seemed to have some circumstances, so he thought he should subdue him first and help if possible…
– Clang!
The expression on the mercenary captain’s face stiffened. This reckless young man’s swordsmanship is beyond imagination.
“Oh…!”
“Captain, you are in danger!”
He brushed off the other’s sword, not knowing how to handle the sword, and the mercenaries who rushed in without expertise in two-handed swordsmanship crowded in. Thinking that the captain was being pushed back due to the precarious fight of two-handed swords, they intervened.
“No! Get away! He’s dangerous…!”
“Die!”
A mercenary who had been hit on the head rushed in again and thrust his spear.
‘Kang!’
Lev had no room to spare as he had before. Despite having excellent swordsmanship, he was just an ordinary young man with a slightly sturdier lower body. He could not afford to be relaxed in the face of danger like Leo Dexter, a tough warrior.
The sword of Lev was faster. Lev embraced the lifeless body of Hosen, whose throat was fearfully pierced, and his eyes turned to the chest of his slain friend with sadness.
“This, you bastard!”
“No! Everyone retreat! Immediately!”
The eyes of the mercenary who had carved up his friend’s body turned cold. He ignored the leader’s warning and rushed towards Lev once again.
However, that mercenary could never be a match for Lev.
He was taken aback when Lev’s sword struck from bottom to top at a strange angle, as his left shield was rendered useless against the sword in Lev’s right hand.
The severed ring and pinky fingers spiraled, rotating as they fell to the ground along with the sword.
Eventually, as angry mercenaries pressed on, the mercenary captain, realizing the inevitability of the situation, shouted,
“Be careful! He’s no mediocre foe! Don’t attack alone, watch my back while I hold him off!”
Twenty armed mercenaries lined up and rushed towards the young man.
Some mercenaries lunged from a distance with spears, while others pushed with shields. There were also archers pulling strings behind.
Lev felt things were getting difficult.
If he were facing just twenty simple mercenaries, it would have been manageable, but among them were skilled knights. He might really have to risk his life.
While parrying the captain’s sword strikes, Lev also made sure not to neglect sidestepping.
The moment he felt a stab in his back.
Yet he had to move resolutely. He could never face a group alone if he remained defensive.
– Clang!
As Lev parried the captain’s sword, he let go of one hand from the sword. He grabbed the spear thrusting from behind with a swift motion.
{Swordsmanship.3v: Bart (style)}
“What?!”
Then as the captain thrust his sword towards the youth, Brenner, who was not just a pushover knight, told his subordinate who was blocking the way, “Stay put!” and delivered a kick.
Aiming for the waist of the young man behind.
At that moment, Lev’s eyes narrowed.
While the mercenary captain hesitated, Lev swiftly swung his two-handed sword with his left hand.
Due to the weight of the sword, it was more of a lowering motion utilizing centrifugal force, but the mercenary struck in the abdomen staggered and fell.
“You, you!”
The mercenary captain reproached himself for contemplating whether he should kill the innocent youth. Gathering his resolve to strike with the sword, he hesitated once again.
Lev stabbed the thigh of a mercenary. He had lost a finger and his friend earlier, and was trying to retreat with a shield raised.
“Argh!”
The mercenary glared in anger, but Lev turned his back on him. Since his combat effectiveness had deteriorated, it was fine to leave him to someone else, and an axe was falling towards Lev’s head immediately.
“Die!”
A mercenary struck forcefully downward. However, there were too many openings, and Lev hesitated on where to strike.
There were opponents charging frontally… A diagonal cut seemed good.
Individuals like mercenaries and thugs who were not systematically trained in swordsmanship generally struggled to handle attacks coming from below. Merely trying to block the sword with brute force, their weight distribution and posture being off led to mishaps like this,
“Ugh!”
Being pushed back by the sword, he allowed the blade to pierce his body. Such individuals had rare experience handling such a powerful two-handed sword.
As Lev’s blade diagonally struck, it sequentially cut through the chest of the left mercenary swinging an axe and the forehead of the mercenary charging from the front.
Meanwhile, Lev deftly avoided the falling axe and jumped swiftly into the air. Following the spinning sword in mid-air, he slashed in a rising motion in a diagonal cut.
The one who swung the axe received the blade on his face. The broken cheekbone welcomed the fresh outdoor air.
“Kill him!”
“Shoot quickly!”
The bloody fight continued. Clashing sounds reverberated as cold steel met.
When Lev was hit in the shoulder with an arrow, things became truly dangerous. The young man who appeared to be right-handed injured his right shoulder, provoking the mercenaries who surged forward with renewed courage.
But due to Bart’s swordsmanship on both sides, Lev ultimately emerged victorious.
It seems that Lev’s occasional sparkling eyes and the mercenaries’ hesitation played a significant role.
“Groaarr…!”
The mercenary captain died a brutal death.
Constantly becoming weaker, he turned the situation towards trying to overpower the young man.
Despite clashing swords and shoving him with force, the young man’s sword gracefully turned. With each step forward, his weight shifted as if leaning on the shoulder.
What is he doing? Bewildered, the mercenary captain took a step back, but was caught in the corpse and fell over.
As Brenner, pressed by the young man, gradually lost strength in his arm, his neck was cut little by little.
“Ru-run away!”
The remaining mercenaries, seeing even the leader dead, began to lose their morale and flee.
Covered in blood, Lev staggered to his feet and looked around.
“Pant… Pant…”
The blood-soaked ground. The scattered corpses of dozens of men and foliage dripped with sticky blood.
It was the massacre he had caused.
But for some reason, Lev did not feel any guilt. Even after gruesomely killing those who were not the target of his revenge, he felt nothing beyond ‘In the end, this is how it turned out.’
‘It must be because of the first killing achievement…’
As Leo stared at the retreating mercenaries, he absentmindedly checked his own mental state, was it due to the excitement of battle? His heart pounded as he urged himself to chase after them.
And,
[Target Hunt]
Barbatos’ ability was unlocked.
Upon the opening of the ability, Lev realized that it was far superior to {Tracking Art} which only provided directions without constraints, unlike [Target Hunt] which accurately pinpointed the location of the ‘prey.’
Lev hesitated
– Kill them.
He raised his hand.
As he flicked his finger at the retreating mercenaries, the emblem on his right palm, proving his affiliation with Barbatos, gleamed, and one by one, trumpet emblems appeared above their heads.
“What, what is…!”
The mercenary who was about to mount the horse spilled blood. Surprised by the spouting nosebleed, he wiped his nose but showed no sign of stopping.
It was a debuff. That bleeding would never stop. Unless receiving a priest’s healing, he would die from excessive bleeding.
Lev knew that the debuff duration was ample. It was enough to kill and leave others alive for ‘years’ with just a nosebleed, and other mercenaries fleeing with wounds were seen staggering on their horses.
There was no need to kill them directly. Lev also cast a debuff on the horsemen with nosebleeds, climbed onto Bante’s back, and stabbed the mercenary in the back.
Silence fell. Occasionally, a stray horse cried out in distress, but the mercenaries who had been chasing him had all become corpses, silently collapsed.
Even the fleeing mercenaries on horseback could not endure the bleeding and all fell.
Lev wiped his blood-soaked sword. Putting it back into its sheath, he looked around at the dead mercenaries, guiltless but not particularly sorry.
I’m sorry, no, not really sorry at all. If I let them go from the beginning, or if I drew my weapon, it was only natural to take responsibility for defeat.
I’m worried that things might go wrong if you report if you’ve escaped…
‘It’s dizzy.’
Lev felt vertigo. He searched the dead mercenary’s possession.
Apart from being hit by an arrow, there were no major injuries, but blood was dripping from minor cuts.
Finding a healing potion, he applied it to his body, wrapped it in bandages, and then crawled back onto Bante’s back.
‘Let’s get out of here for now…’
Leaving behind countless bodies and running back towards Nevis, Bante, the brown horse with many wishes, was more docile than before.
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