Chapter 133 : The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (17)
Chapter 133: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (17)
“Oh?”
The entrance was large for a burrow, and indeed, it seemed the goblins had coiled themselves inside a naturally formed cave.
As it was a cave of considerable scale, there were fairly wide hollows, and while the hollowed-out spaces were inconvenient, it was not impossible to walk with legs stretched out.
It was a relief because had it been a burrow they dug themselves, there would have been a risk of collapse and the uneven floor would have made it difficult to tread.
‘Not bad.’
In fact, fighting inside such a narrow and dark cave was very dangerous. No matter how disciplined a knight was, would it not all be in vain if they could not see what was in front of them?
To trade blows and fight, one had to see the opponent.
In that sense, although Shatien had entered this pitch-black cave, the situation was quite decent.
The cave was larger than expected, making it easy to move.
“Get down!”
-Skreeeeeeeeeeek!!
-Sssssssssss.
The darkness vanished under the blue flash of light fired by the mage Agpiel from the rear.
-Vroooooooom!
-Whir!
-Slash!
-Clutter!
-Crunch!
In the darkness where the flash did not reach, Shatien was repelling every goblin that watched for an opening to lunge, using the mystery of his lineage.
-Skraaaaaaaaaaa!
-Gwak! Gwak!
Thanks to that, the mercenaries who had entered with firm determination as soon as the burrow entrance opened could only gape with blank expressions.
-I knew Captain Shatien was strong, but to think he was that strong!
They had fought shoulder to shoulder until now, so they knew well. However, this was the first time the mercenaries had seen him fighting at such close quarters.
Furthermore.
“Protect your eyes! Young knight! I cannot keep producing light continuously.”
“Don't worry and do as you please. Mage Agpiel!”
“Oh! My, I had forgotten about your power. Haha.”
-Flash! Zap!
As the intense light source fired from the rear flickered and wavered continuously, Shatien’s movements within it became even more destructive.
Shatien’s figure moved endlessly between the flickering lights as if leaping through space. Every time the light blinked, blood and flesh splattered, and the sight of goblins screaming was truly the incarnation of destruction.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
“You bastards have gone soft!”
-Crack!
Miles shouted as he split the skull of a goblin that had lunged for the mage Agpiel.
“If you took the money, you should earn it! Is Shatien fighting alone right now? Huh? Can you not run and join him immediately?!”
“A-Ah!!”
“Yes. Understood.”
“We are sorry!”
Only then did the mercenaries hurriedly snap to their senses, join Shatien, and begin to deal with the goblins lunging at them.
Miles clicked his tongue and spat on the floor as if he found them entirely unsatisfactory.
“Calm down.”
“But Sage, I have my role. To think they were just standing there dazed.”
“Haha. Would anyone not stare blankly at that sight?”
“Ugh, that is true, but…….”
Only then did Miles’s anger subside as he backed down. Mage Agpiel let out a smirk at that sight and looked at Shatien, who was leading the mercenaries and fighting at the front.
‘He fights truly well.’
Even though he possessed the mystery of a lineage, he was truly incredible. There were many people who ruined treasures because they did not know how to use them even while holding them in their palms. In that sense, that young knight used the power given to him very usefully and rationally.
Furthermore, look at that way he led by example. Usually, one is bound to become arrogant while drunk on power, but that young knight always stood at the front and performed his duties silently.
There were some naive aspects, but those would disappear as experience accumulated. He possessed the qualities of a fairly decent lord.
‘It will be worth watching him.’
While he was thinking that, a shout was heard from Shatien, who was engaged in a bloody battle ahead.
“Mage Agpiel?! The light is insufficient!”
“A-Ah! Would you look at me. Wait a moment! I shall fire the light again!”
Mage Agpiel pulled the corners of his mouth up into a grin. He thought that interest was finally returning to his boring daily life.
* * *
“Phew… it seems the subjugation of this cave is mostly complete. It is becoming difficult to see those goblin bastards.”
“Heh heh. You went around crushing skulls like that, so would any be left? The survivors must have fled elsewhere in terror.”
Shatien wiped away the flowing sweat and scanned the surroundings.
At least the subjugation inside this cave seemed to be all finished. As Mage Agpiel said, the surviving goblins had perhaps fled elsewhere, as it was difficult to feel the presence of life inside the cave. All that could be felt were the mercenaries working hard on the cleanup.
‘Hm?’
Then he suddenly tilted his head at something strange.
“Those bastards are working too hard. Did you offer a separate reward, Mage?”
Then Mage Agpiel let out a smirk and looked at Miles beside him. Miles, who had been hounding the mercenaries like that just a moment ago, was now subtly turning his head and looking at a distant mountain.
“Of course not. They must have been moved because you led by example. Hahaha.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
He thought there was no way mercenaries would act like that for a job that paid no money, but then again, are there not exceptions to everything in human affairs? Shatien nodded and let it slide. There were too many other things to think about besides that.
“How… did you find a clue?”
“Hmm, unfortunately, I could not find traces of artifacts from the era of the Ancient Empire.”
“Oh, dear.”
He thought it was quite a shame. Would the effort of coming all the way here not be in vain? Of course, there were still many burrows left to subjugate.
However, Mage Agpiel continued speaking with eyes sparkling as if he had discovered something else interesting.
“But, you see.”
“?”
“I believe I have caught the tail of those sinister bastards.”
“???”
“Look. At this bead.”
Mage Agpiel pulled a bead from his robe and held it up to catch the light.
-Ziiiiiing.
The bead received the light and twitched while shimmering with a dark red glow. Even to Shatien, who was not a mage, a very sinister mystery was felt from that bead.
“What is that? Just watching it gives me a very… unpleasant feeling.”
“It seems to be the artifact that was controlling those goblins. It appears they used this bead to bewitch and control the goblins.”
“If it is such an object, is it alright for you to just hold it like that? It even seems to have been activated by your magic, Mage Agpiel?”
-Whirr.
-Vzzzzzzzzz!
Receiving the light from Mage Agpiel’s staff, that dark red bead was fluctuating wildly.
Then Mage Agpiel replied with a smirk.
“You ask if this is alright? Watch.”
And then.
-Flaaaaaaaaash!
A light more powerful than before burst forth.
-Crack! Snap! Crack! BOOM!
-Pshhhhhhh.
That dark red bead shattered into pieces and exploded with a pop. And the dark red smoke scattering within was burning away with a bizarre sound as soon as it touched the light.
“Of course it’s not alright. However, with this, the mage on that side who was using this must have suffered very great damage. Hahaha.”
* * *
Inside the pitch-black altar room.
The high priest who was sitting there managing the altar suddenly coughed up blood.
“Blegh-!”
“W-What the??”
“Are you alright?? High Priest!”
Startled by the sudden sight, the people around him rushed over and caught the staggering high priest.
“U-Ughhh…. the bead is broken. Keuheueok.”
The high priest exhaled rough breaths and waved away the hands of the people around him. The people bowed their heads with worried expressions.
“How!”
“For the bead to break. Could it be the Church stepped in? Or those monastery bastards in that village finally?”
At that question, the high priest steadied his breath and shook his head.
“No. It seems to be a mage. From the look of it, he seems to have come with fairly useful mercenaries.”
From what he had found out, the subjugation team sent by Count Joberham was still stuck in the village spending time. He had heard they were struggling with all their might to rebuild the village by joining hands with the monastery knights.
Which meant….
“They seem to be bastards who came after hearing rumors about the ruins of the Ancient Empire somewhere.”
“Hmm… there are such blind bastards. Shall we gather goblins to deal with them this time as well, High Priest?”
“No, that is enough. There is no need to provoke the subjugation team outside by moving goblins for no reason.”
The high priest, who received a medicinal brew handed over by an attendant, said that while stroking his beard.
“Lure them. If we scatter a few artifacts of the Ancient Empire, they will enter the trap, blinded by greed.”
“Hehehe… Understood. I shall teach them a lesson as before.”
“Right. I understand. And bring the essence. The vessel was damaged by the incident just now.”
“Huh! Understood. I shall order the practitioner to pull a fresh one immediately. High Priest.”
Saying that, the high priest’s subordinate hurried outside to find an offering for the high priest.
But they did not know.
That they had made a truly foolish judgment.
The mage was not an ordinary mage, and the mercenaries under him were no ordinary mercenaries.
And there was another even greater miscalculation.
-Creeeeaaak.
-Thud!
“Carefully! Open it carefully.”
It was that Shatien and Mage Agpiel’s movements were much faster than their expectations.
“Is this the place?”
“Tsk tsk. Can you not tell just by looking? To anyone, is this not a stone door engraved with carvings that were popular during the era of the Ancient Empire.”
Shatien scratched his head at Mage Agpiel’s words.
How would he, who had rolled through battlefields as a mercenary all his life, know works of art? If it looked like it had presence and looked expensive, it was a work of art, and if people said it was an object from the era of the Ancient Empire, he took their word for it.
“You need to broaden your horizons like this. You might hear people call you ignorant otherwise.”
“Ahem. Is it not enough for a knight to be good at combat.”
“Listen to that. You refuse to lose a single word.”
Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue and raised his staff.
Then, a vibrating sound was emitted from the tip of the staff with a hum.
“Now, look. Does it not react identically to the sinister mystery inside that bead I destroyed earlier? I traced that track, so it is certain. Furthermore, did your scout not say they found traces of goblins moving here on a large scale?”
Shatien nodded at the words that made sense in their own way.
Or rather, even if it were not true, his thought was that he would just suffer a bit more. Since that goblin burrow was just one of the targets that had to be subjugated anyway.
While he was thinking that.
-C-Creaaaak!
“I-It is going over!”
“Move! It is dangerous.”
-Thud!
As the stone wall of the cave fell to the floor with a loud thumping noise, the entrance of the cave opened wide and welcomed them.
And not only that.
“Huh?”
“Huuuuh?”
“Whaaaaaa????????????”
Humans and goblins coming out while carrying some artifacts were also welcoming Shatien.
People wearing suspicious blood-colored robes to anyone.
Shatien recognized it instinctively and immediately shouted.
“Kill them!”
“It is the enemy!”