Chapter 119 – Chapter 12
I had heard that Kaicent was a Marquis’ territory nestled on the border of two countries, so I had thought of a military town with a desolate atmosphere until now.
However, as the vast forest disappears along the road, the scenery he sees completely overturns his expectations.
‘It’s like a huge production plant.’
Near the forest, lumberjacks and the production process of making a certain width of timber, beyond that, wide fields and ranches, general blacksmith facilities, etc.
And beyond that, even from a distance, there is a huge fortress wall.
“The clearing is much more advanced than when I came before.”
“I know.”
The mercenaries who had memories of coming here in the past stuck out their tongues at the clearing of the land more than before.
Hearing that, Kaicent sprinted towards Lillian.
“Wasn’t this place originally like this?”
“Yeah. Originally, the area of Harlot Kingdom was all about the huge forest.”
Lillian stared blankly at the bright-faced workers even though it was a border town that did not know when the kingdom of spirits might attack.
“Lilian?”
“…”
Unlike usual, Lillian is not able to focus on Kaisent and has her eyes on the workers.
Seeing that, Priscilla gave her signal and made her come towards her.
“Priscilla. Lillian’s condition is strange.”
“It can’t be helped. Most of the workers here are the people of the Kingdom of Lucy Arkenel.”
“What do you mean?”
As the kingdom of Luciar Kenel collapsed and even the nobles were devastated, some of the people who found that there was no one to protect them chose to flee to a foreign country.
Coincidentally, Count Akina at the time did not like the situation in which most supplies had to be supplied as if begging from the center.
In particular, most of the territory was made up of forests, so a huge population was required to clear the land.
In such a situation, when the people of the Lucy Arkenel kingdom came down, they accepted them as permanent residents and planned a large-scale pioneering project.
Having received a large amount of supplies while announcing the news of the attack by the kingdom of the dead, which was not located in the center, she was able to succeed in pioneering, which was like gambling based on them.
Of course, she also prepared for the offensive of the kingdom of the dead, but strangely, all it did was that a group of undead without owners attacked the castle from time to time.
Anyway, the refugees who escaped from the Kingdom of Lucy Arkenel in the direction of the Kingdom of Harlot became the people of Akina Margrave.
“It’s going to be complicated for Lillian. To be honest, I can’t calm down either.”
“…”
When Priscilla made a complex expression, Kaicent had no choice but to remain silent.
It was because he couldn’t think of any consolation he could give to the descendants of the ruined nation.
“Lillian.”
“Ah.”
All I could do instead was hold Lillian’s hand.
She wears her gloves to deceive her as a woman, but she can feel her gloomy heart loosening little by little as Kai Sent gently holds her hand through her glove.
It was not possible to hold it for long because the other mercenaries could see it, but Kaicent, who felt that his expression had improved through the eyes that could be seen through the helmet, opened the distance again.
-Master.-
‘Huh? Why?’
At that time, Artemis, who had been quiet until now, started a conversation through Kaicent’s bio device.
-The griffin riders flying in the sky looked straight at the master.-
‘Me? Didn’t you just look through the mercenaries?’
-No. Precisely their eyes were fixed on the Master-
‘Why? Do I look strange?’
-In terms of simple appearance, Lilith, a dark elf, and Priscilla, who became an ideal beauty due to a curse, are more likely to attract attention.-
‘… In other words, it means that I have some business.’
-If the master didn’t feel alive, he wouldn’t be an enemy. But just in case, please be careful.-
Kaicent became nervous that the Griffin riders were focusing on him.
The Wolf Mercenary Corps, which entered the area like a general production plant that was unknown whether it was a village or a city, entered the huge wall.
“Ugh?”
“Omg!?”
Inside the walls, there were several buildings that looked like military facilities, but the mercenaries were surprised to see knights lined up on the left and right sides of the road.
The strange thing is that the knights are not officially reviewed when you see them lined up, and the knights are rolling their eyes here and there to find someone.
“Is that him?”
“He’s a pure white guy.”
“That little guy?”
And the eyes of the knights were fixed on Kaicent.
‘Eww… Ugh… People who don’t know… I think I’m going to vomit…’
-If you vomit here, it will be a 10-year snack for the people here.-
‘I’m the white guy, right? Why are you looking for me?’
Kaicent, who has a strong temperament, started to feel bad when he saw the knights with strong energy glaring at him.
“What are you doing!”
At that time, a woman appeared with a booming voice.
Akina, armed with armor, heard of the arrival of the Wolf mercenaries.
“I guess I’ve gotten pretty comfortable since I haven’t touched training in a while. Judging from what you’ve seen.”
“Sorry!”
When Count Akina glared at the knights lightly spreading momentum, they hurriedly spread out in all directions and returned to their original positions.
“Ben.”
“Yes, Count.”
“You tell the Wolf mercenaries where to stay and the rules of this place.
“Yes. I will.”
A knight called Ben, who came with Akina, began leading somewhere with the words to follow him towards the Wolf Mercenary Corps.
Fortunately, I thought I would set up a tent in the corner and live, but they gave me a proper barracks.
“Everyone should have one of these.”
“What is this?”
Ben had them take one green card or something from a box that had been prepared in advance.
Then, as if he had expected a mercenary’s question, he explained the role of the card.
“This card is both an identification card and a pass. This place is managed by magic, so anyone who wanders around without a card will be punished, so know that. By the way, a knight who served Count Akina for over 10 years forgot this and was sentenced to life imprisonment. . Even the knights are punished, and I honestly wonder what will happen if you guys break the rules.”
He explained that the entire castle is managed by magic, and the facilities you can enter differ depending on the color of the pass.
“If you do not have a card or enter a place that cannot be reached by the card’s authority, a warning will sound and violent suppression will be applied at the same time. Since there is a card color next to the door, the excuse that you did not see it will not work.”
After explaining this to the mercenaries, Ben held out his blue card to Lillian and Priscilla.
“Since the two of you have to respond to the Count’s call, I will give you a higher-level card. Do not exchange cards with your subordinates.”
Finally, Ben held the last card from his pocket to Kai Sent with a disapproving expression.
“This is yours.”
“Red? What is this?”
“This is a card that allows you to roam anywhere except for the most important facilities in this castle. It is a card of a grade that even I have never had.”
“…”
Ben, who had been dealing with businesslike so far, showed emotion for the first time.
It is a strong emotion that even others can feel.
‘Jealousy… Okay. These people were jealous of me.’
-It seems that Count Akina was talking about the master. Too much of that.-
‘Ugh… I’m a count…’
Only then did I find out.
The Griffin riders saw him, the knights found him, and Ben’s disapproving look.
It was all because Akina had talked about the warning car in advance while expecting Kaisent.
“Prove that Count Akina is not mistaken.”
“Yes…”
“Tsk.”
Ben did not respond enthusiastically, but clicked his tongue at the way he answered weakly.
“The Count said that training would begin tomorrow. The gate curfew is until 10:00 p.M. Don’t forget that the last day of the week is a holiday.”
Finally, after telling Lillian the rest of the information, he left with a dissatisfied look on his face.
“…”
As if the storm had passed, the Wolf mercenaries focused their attention on Kaicent.
“I don’t know why I was taken by the knights…”
“Uh…Cheer up?”
Even the mercenaries knew it because they had eyes.
All the aggro of the knights was focused on Kaicent.
“From tomorrow, we will be training together under Count Akina. Everyone remember the color of the door and the card, the 10 o’clock curfew, and the holidays.”
“Everyone, unpack and get your own bed. I confirmed that there are several shops outside the castle, so I’ll leave the castle after unpacking.”
“Yes!”
I couldn’t fully relax at the thought of being trained with the army of Count Akina, who was reputed to be a strong army in Harlot Kingdom.
“What about him now?”
“That’s right. It seems that the knights were openly eager.”
It was fortunate that the pressure exerted on them was less than expected thanks to Kaisent, who had received the fierce attention of the knights.
Of course, it’s never fortunate for Kaicent.
While everyone was packing up their luggage and occupying the bed they wanted, the mercenaries who had learned mana or were sensitive to momentum were startled.
“What, what is this!”
“Something’s coming!”
“What? Coming? What?”
“I don’t know! Anyway, something with great energy!”
Quaang!
“Ka.I.Sen.T!”
It was a knight in armor with a female voice who burst through the door and entered the barracks with strong energy.
Armed with one-piece armor from head to toe, the here-dweller began rolling her eyes over her visor.
“Hick!?”
The mercenary’s eyes met the knight’s eyes by chance, and his entire body stiffened and his complexion turned pale without realizing it.
It had a gigantic height and size that was slightly smaller than Akina, and when it looked straight at its fierce eyes, it hardened like a frog in front of a snake.
The female knight quickly checked her surroundings and found Kaicent, who could be said to be pure white, and approached him.
Thump- thump- thump-
A menacing sound echoed as the huge body moved along with the weight of the armor.
“That far. If we come this far, we will attack.”
Artie quickly steps forward to protect Kaicent.
Lillian and Priscilla followed suit, ready to attack from behind at any time.
“Wait a minute, Artie.”
Then Kai Sent, who didn’t feel threatened by her, stepped forward over her Arty and calmed her down.
“I’m Kaicent. What’s your business?”
“…”
“?”
The female knight looked down at Kaisent, who was much smaller than herself, and the energy that oppressed everyone disappeared.
After looking at each other like that for about a minute, Priscilla opened her mouth, narrowing her eyes.
“Hey. What now…”
Thump thump thump!
Before she can even begin to speak, the female knight runs away from the barracks as if she were running away by moving a giant.
“…What?”
“What?”
She was perplexed, not knowing what was going on with everyone, and Lilith, who was watching quietly, smiled.
“It’s shit.”
* *
Jump!
“How is it, sister? How was that Kaicent?”
A woman in a robe with white hair like Akina’s and her hair up with various accessories was gorgeous.
She was not lively, but she had a mischievous impression, a charmingly raised eye corner, a charm located in the middle of a girl and a woman, and a charming woman with clear features and good-looking thick lips.
“Hak. Hak. Mandible. Hak.”
“Sister?”
Without answering the questions of her brother who lived here, she was distracted by her heavy breathing.
Her brother knew that when her sister’s tension ran out, she did, so she waited quietly for her to calm her breathing.
Moments later, she retrieved mana to shorten her armor, revealing the woman inside.
She has the same white hair, but unlike her brother, her straight hair is all plain and tidy.
Overall, she was a beauty with thin lines and low confidence, and the corners of her eyes drooped down, giving off a cute yet delicate impression.
The problem is that her physique, inherited from her mother, transforms the impression of her into something completely different.
The two were daughters of Count Akina, inheriting her mother’s beauty and charm, but expressing them in their own way.
“This…”
“This?”
“This, this, the doll is moving…”
“…What?”
So when Saga calmed her breathing and opened her mouth, her sister’s face became that she couldn’t understand what she was talking about.
“It was so cute that the doll-like things were chattering with their small lips… It made me wonder if I was lost in a fairy tale world.”
“Did you just come to see her sister? She said to bring that guy.”
“That, she’s like that, but she… She was as fragile as if she would be crushed if I applied strength even by mistake…”
Her eldest daughter, Merencia Cara Leiden, who inherited her mother’s strong blood, explained the reason she couldn’t bring her Kaicent with a sympathetic expression to her younger brother’s questioning.
‘There is that too, but let’s not say that it was so cute that I stayed there like an idiot and then ran away…’
She deliberately held back her words because if her brother found out, he would scold her for her size.
“You’re that soft?”
“Huh…”
“She sure didn’t say she was a genius, just like her mother said?”
“It did…”
“What is it? She’s a genius that her mother approves of, but she’s that small and tender? I’ve heard that she’s young, but…”
Unlike Merencia, her eldest daughter, her second daughter, Party Shaka Raiden, who inherited her father’s blood and had a normal physique, couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
“The mercenaries’ training starts tomorrow. She was expecting her mother to train her herself, so I’ll have to take a look at her when I have time.”
It was to the point of declaring that she would take her daughter-in-law, whose origin is unknown, as her son-in-law, so she must have the ability and talent to do so.
Akina would say something if she went on a tour, but since she could be her future groom, it would be easy to justify the excuse that she wanted to see her face.
‘Ha. I’d like to take a look at it tomorrow.’
Akina was busy strengthening her family’s power by running with her own feet so that her family would not be looked down upon by other nobles.
Of course, they needed at least one trustworthy person, so they entrusted their daughters with various tasks, so Merencia and Partisha already had the ability to do business.
‘Still, I think I’ll have time around the day after tomorrow, so I’ll have to see it myself then.’