"We march!"
Waaaah—!
"Please come back victorious!"
"Long live the Kingdom of Prazia!"
Nearly 800 members of the subjugation force departed from Ginchief to the thunderous cheers of the people.
The kingdom's regular army and the mercenaries moved separately, keeping some distance between them. Aint joined the Obsidian Spear Mercenary Corps with Barus.
"So this is the famous descendant of Armian?"
"The one who took down our young master with one hand?"
"But can someone so noble even adapt to a mercenary's life?"
"Maybe? If he's from Armian, then even a hundred years ago he was still a rook— Ack…!"
"Hey now, show some respect to someone from a great house. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hector."
One by one, the mercenaries approached to greet him. All of them had hands covered in scars and hardened calluses.
The one who actually managed the rough-and-tumble Obsidian Spear Mercenary Corps was a mercenary named Hector. A towering figure over two meters tall, muscular, and covered head to toe in battle scars.
"I'm Aint."
"Heh, I'd heard our young master didn't even get a hit in. I just had to meet you for myself."
"Don't exaggerate, Hector. It was a close match."
"The young master tends to downplay things when he loses."
"I'm telling the truth."
Barus muttered quietly with a bitter laugh.
"Don't worry. They're a bit rough, but they know how to keep their mouths shut. No one will hear you're from Armian."
"Thanks."
"Come with me for a second."
Barus lightly kicked his horse's side and trotted ahead. Aint followed behind him.
"You've heard the battle plan, right?"
"Yeah."
It wasn't anything particularly grand. The subjugation force would enter Abellar as-is and wipe out all the monsters in the region.
The ultimate goal was to subjugate the Gorgon, the monster that ruled at the center of Abellar.
To achieve that, the plan was to gradually eliminate the monsters from the outskirts inward.
At least, that had been the plan until just now.
Bwooooooo—
Doom doom doom—
"Emergency! We have an emergency!"
"Multiple monsters spotted ahead!"
"Detected species include Gnolls, Dire Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Griffins, and two other types!"
"Prepare for battle!"
Urgent trumpet calls and panicked shouts erupted from all directions.
As if their previous laxness had been an illusion, the atmosphere among the Obsidian Spear Mercenary Corps shifted dramatically.
"Captain!"
Even their tone changed. Barus grabbed his weapon and began directing the mercenaries.
"We'll split their formation at the front line."
"Yes! Preparing to deploy!"
"Yes!"
The mounted mercenaries of the Obsidian Spear rode forward. The distance between them and the horde of nearly a hundred monsters was closing fast.
"Aint, you take the rear. You're not in sync with us yet, so that's where you'll be most effective."
"Got it."
Aint obediently followed behind on a horse he'd purchased separately.
"We'll cut through their formation, then circle back and tear them apart."
"Yes, sir."
"Prepare to charge."
"Preparing to charge!"
There were barely 30 of them, yet not a trace of fear showed in their eyes.
"Charge!"
"Chaaaarge!"
Dududududu—
The horses snorted and thundered across the field.
"It's the Obsidian Spear Mercenary Corps!"
"Follow them!"
"Crush the monsters!"
Other mounted mercenaries recognized them and joined in. The thirty spears quickly doubled in number.
"Form up!"
"Form up!"
Thirty-one black spears leveled their blades toward the enemy.
Pitch-black aura bloomed at the tips of their spears.
And then—
───!
Crunch—
Boom!
Clang!
Kieeeeeek!
Whinny!
The two forces collided. A thunderous roar shook the battlefield.
The dire wolves, riddled with holes, were torn to bloody pieces and scattered through the air. Crimson droplets of blood splattered in all directions.
The cavalry, who had briefly hesitated, spurred on even harder as they trampled over the blood-soaked ground mixed with corpses.
The dark-colored spears chased after fresh blood.
"Don't stop!"
"Don't fall behind!"
It was like a storm—pushing through, piercing, and tearing apart everything in its path.
KRAWWR!
The monsters, unaware of fear, charged ahead without hesitation.
But that only hastened their deaths.
Before the thirty-one spears that charged as one, all monsters met an equal fate.
The path they left behind was nothing but a trail soaked in the blood and mangled corpses of monsters.
"These guys... you could tell me they're a knight order, not mercenaries, and I'd believe it. They charge into the monsters without a hint of hesitation, trusting their comrades. A textbook example of an assault."
"I wish we could show this to those self-important bastards who think they're knights."
Gardner's admiration was not far off from foretelling the outcome of the battle.
The formation of the enemy was split in half by the Dark Spear Mercenary Corps, and just as the monsters' attention focused on them, the other mercenaries struck from the rear.
The entire field was covered in corpses, and the nauseating stench of human and monster blood mixed in the air.
"…Urgh!"
At the horrifying carnage, Aint couldn't help but gag.
He had thought he had seen his fair share of real combat, but this was the first time he had witnessed a battle where dozens—no, hundreds—of lives were lost.
"Puhuhuhu, you can tell he's been raised delicately."
"Exactly. He was chopping off heads without hesitation earlier, and now look at him?"
The mercenaries chuckled, and Barus handed him a cloth.
"Wipe your mouth."
"Thanks… wait, isn't this a rag?"
It was far too filthy and stinky to be called a towel.
"I used it to wipe off some blood while dismantling monsters."
While Aint was throwing up, most of the mercenaries were busy dismantling monster corpses and claiming their shares.
Barus was no exception.
The completely dismantled corpses were later gathered and burned by the arriving royal army.
"Urgh. I'm going to throw up again."
"Hold it in. Isn't this why you became a mercenary? To experience stuff like this?"
"I mean, yeah, but…"
Did I really have to wipe my mouth with a blood-stained rag?
In any case, compared to the war against the demons, this was probably nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Aint, determined not to falter over something like this, forced himself to stand up.
"Captain Barus. The commander is calling for you."
Just then, a messenger arrived.
The commander of the subjugation force referred to Count Parsen of the Kingdom of Phrazia, who currently led the operation.
"I'll go."
Barus followed the messenger into the command tent and didn't return for nearly two hours.
"The scouts say the monsters are scattered in small groups all over. So the troops will also be divided accordingly."
"Then I assume that means the mercenary groups will move independently as well?"
"Exactly. The right to the monster corpses goes to the subjugators, and additional rewards will be given for proof of subjugation."
Claiming the rights to the monsters killed was standard practice.
Perhaps the other mercenary groups had received the same briefing, because they began preparing to leave the camp one by one.
"What about the royal army?"
"They'll split up into platoons and scatter."
"What if the monsters regroup?"
"They've distributed a map marking the key gathering points across the territory."
A total of twelve.
These were originally villages and towns where civilians had lived, and if the monsters were to regroup into a large force, everyone was instructed to rally at the nearest gathering point.
They also handed out signal flares for emergencies.
"Sounds good. Then, let's go hunt the Gorgon."
"Right, that's the mission. Aint, what about you?"
"…Hmm. If it's not too much trouble, can I keep tagging along?"
After the first battle, Aint had realized something deeply.
Thanks to his swordsmanship and aura, he was optimized for fighting monsters—but beyond that, he still lacked in many ways.
He figured it would be better to ride along with a veteran mercenary group and learn how the real world worked rather than die alone out there.
"If you want to, by all means."
"Thanks."
"Well then, you need to pay up."
The deputy captain suddenly reached out his hand.
"Pay?"
"Strictly speaking, it's like a bodyguard job, right? Of course there should be a fee."
"Hector."
"I'm kidding. You're the young master's friend—we'll do it for free, obviously."
He snickered while scratching his scruffy beard.
"Thank you."
"You never know. Maybe one day we'll get a favor from the royal family."
The Dark Spear Mercenary Corps rode hard for the rest of the day. Their target was the Gorgon, and they moved faster than anyone else toward the monster-infested core region.
Thanks to that, Aint felt deeply satisfied with his choice to become a mercenary.
"Are you sure it's just hundreds? Not thousands?"
Aint gasped for breath as he shook the blood off his sword. The stench of rot made his nose go numb.
"They kept coming with no breaks, but it's not like the actual numbers are that high."
Barus replied while skinning a griffin.
Of course, that just meant it wasn't exaggerated to the point of being thousands.
"How far to the Gorgon's nest?"
"At this pace, at least two more days. The monsters are slowing us down more than expected."
"Indeed. It's more than we anticipated."
"If anything, won't it be easier when we reach the Gorgon? Since it's so vicious, other monsters tend to avoid its territory. A high monster count won't be a problem."
"True. If we're moving this fast, the others will be even slower."
The mercenaries all chimed in to Aint's question. After two days of fighting together, a kind of camaraderie had formed.
Aint chewed on some jerky.
"In just two days, I've become a full-fledged mercenary."
Perhaps he had already adapted—jerky went down just fine, even atop a floor littered with corpses.
"It's getting dark soon, so let's stop here for today and find a good spot to set up cam—"
It was then.
A breeze blew.
The moment Aint sensed something faint riding that breeze, a strange feeling crept over him.
What was this?
— Disgusting.
Yes, it was revolting. Foul and dirty.
A primal sense of revulsion and rejection.
And it was a feeling Aint had become somewhat familiar with.
— Aint!
Gardner shouted a fierce warning.
A chill ran down Aint's neck.
"Dodge!"
Aint drew his sword. At that moment, black masses dropped from the sky like hail.
────!
The pure-white arc of his blade deflected the black flashes.
The ensuing shockwave sent tremors through the ground with a thunderous roar.
"Wh-What the hell…?!"
"It's an ambush!"
The mercenaries, startled, quickly formed into combat positions.
Aint steadied his staggering posture, rubbing his numbed arm.
"You blocked that?"
A very low, quiet voice. And yet, it rang clear.
"As expected, His Excellency's judgment is always right. You've grown too dangerous to ignore."
"Who are you?!"
"What the hell are you?"
Sensing the unusual aura, the mercenaries raised their spears in caution.
"I'm not interested in small fry. Step aside."
Ah, of course—that didn't mean he was going to spare them.
"No one here today will leave alive."
"You arrogant bastard…!"
"Everyone stay sharp!"
They felt something was wrong, but didn't back down. Instead, their fighting spirit intensified.
"Aint. Who is this guy? You look like you know."
"…He's a Scourge."
"A Scourge?"
Barus was momentarily surprised by the unexpected name but soon gave a faint grin.
"Well, we can get the details later, but this is great news."
"Great?"
"Then the Dark Spear Mercenary Corps will be the first to slay a Scourge since the Great War. You all heard that, right?"
At Barus's call, the mercenaries responded in unison.
"Yes, sir!"
"A Scourge, huh. I'd heard rumors about vermin who sell their souls to demons, but never thought they actually existed. Either way, this will definitely boost our fame."
"Our commission rates too!"
"Very nice. I love it."
"What matters is more money!"
Keh-heh-heh! The mercenaries laughed heartily.
"You worms… who do you think you're hunting?"
The Scourge's brow twitched.
"Know your pl—!"
ScreeEEEEeech—
A black flash, different from the one the Scourge had fired, grazed his ear.
"You dodged that from this distance?"
Barus muttered as he pulled out another throwing spear.
"Well now. Maybe your soul was worth selling to a demon."
"You filthy maggot…!"
The Scourge roared.
The battle had begun.
It began with throwing spears.
Exactly thirty-one streaks of light shot out simultaneously like bolts of lightning.
BOOM!
A black barrier deflected all the projectiles.
Immediately after, the mercenaries kicked off the ground in unison. Black aura was honed into razor-sharp edges at the tips of their dark spears.
The Scourge swiftly thrust out his fist. Demonic energy surged. By the time his punch reached the dozens of spearpoints, there was no longer a human there.
Only a 3-meter-tall giant shrouded in demonic energy remained.
──!
Thirty-one spears struck the giant's hide. But not one was sharp enough to pierce through it.
"Gahk…!"
Barus, who had taken the brunt of the blow head-on, screamed as he was blasted backward. But he had no time to absorb the impact or regain his stance.
"So you're the leader of these insects."
The black giant was already upon him.
KWAANG!
His specially-forged dark spear bent as if it would snap. Another punch followed—but he blocked that too. Barus swallowed back the blood rising in his throat.
"You crazy monstrous bastard…!"
Thankfully, a third strike never came.
Aint had arrived, swinging his sacred sword down.
────!
Unlike the others, this strike made a different sound—and produced a different result.
The two forces clashed like light against darkness, violently twisting and writhing. The Scourge's hide cracked in places. He let out a scream of agony.
In that moment, Barus caught his breath and thrust his spear forward.
The blade, honed to its sharpest by squeezing out every ounce of his aura, pierced straight toward the Scourge's heart.
─!
Aura and demonic energy collided in a burst. The strong rebound forced Barus back a step.
But it worked—he had landed a full-force strike. The spear pierced the demonic hide.
Yet that was all. It amounted to nothing more than a superficial wound—and even that healed quickly.
This guy's a damn monster.
It was a stark contrast to Aint's attack.
Barus recalled an ancient legend—the tale of Armian, known as the natural enemy of demons.
"Everyone, support Aint!"
"Yes, sir!"
The seasoned mercenaries quickly recognized the surest path to victory.
And that decision infuriated the Scourge.
"You damn gnats!"
The demonic energy swelling across his entire body erupted at once. The ensuing shockwave forced all the mercenaries to retreat.
Only Aint, whose power stood in direct opposition to the Scourge, withstood it. The Scourge inhaled deeply, drawing in massive demonic energy—then spewed it forth.
Aint thrust his sword forward.
─!
Light and darkness clashed. Shattered fragments of darkness scattered in all directions.
In that brief opening, the Scourge was suddenly right in front of Aint.
BANG! A fist came crashing down vertically. Aint barely managed to block it, his sword trembling violently.
Clang! The redirected punch slid along Aint's sword, up his arm. The Scourge took a step back—but Aint stepped in just as far.
─!
──!
Dozens of blows were exchanged in an instant. The ground trembled with each impact, and scars were etched into space itself.
Amid this fierce battle, the mercenaries moved.
Veteran hunters who had slain countless monsters.
They attacked from both flanks and the rear—targeting the openings exposed by the Scourge's focus on Aint.
But it was a trap.
The true predator had been waiting for these gnats to swarm.
Black spikes suddenly shot from his body.
"Ugh…!"
"Watch out!"
CHANG! Some dodged. Some blocked. Others were skewered. The outcomes varied, but the result was the same.
No one could wound the Scourge.
No one except Barus.
He pushed forward, sharpening his senses. Dodging and deflecting dozens of spikes, ignoring minor cuts.
Then, right in front of the Scourge's face, he leapt high like a grasshopper.
He saw the back of that towering 3-meter-tall head.
A black-glinting spear pierced through space—no, it tried to.
In that instant—
"You fool."
An eye opened at the back of the Scourge's head. A mouth followed—and from it, a blast of condensed demonic energy erupted.
The black spear shattered part of the demonic blast. But the shockwave sent Barus flying through the air.
And the Scourge's demonic spikes didn't miss that opening.
CRACK—!
A black spike skewered Barus.
"…Barus!"
"Captain!"
"Captain…!"
His body flung away like a puppet with its strings cut.
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