156
Rain and Horses
Todok.
The cold rain beat against my forehead.
The smell of blood and water filled the air. The blood soaked through my body was washed away by the rain, but the peculiar, unpleasant feeling remained.
‘It’s raining all day. Fucking East.’
He muttered a curse and pushed his sticky hair back.
I squinted my eyes and looked through the pouring rain. The horse was moving its legs vigorously.
“If you survive, I’ll release you into a place with lots of grass.”
I said this while patting the horse’s head. The horse grumbled as if it liked it and ran even harder. Seeing that, I looked for a suitable place.
A peaceful place with lots of grass, no monsters, and no humans.
There was no way such a place existed in the fucking Middle Ages.
“Nimiral!!”
The weasel’s curse was heard sharply through the screams. The situation that had been distant due to that sharp curse suddenly returned.
When I turned my head, I saw a carriage running precariously between the chaos on both sides.
Of course, there was nothing dangerous about the carriage. The foreign workers, though rough and unskilled, were professionals.
They kept their distance from the carriage, shouting in joy and galloping forward.
The fact that the man who gave the horse was able to approach the carriage was clearly a consideration on the part of the men who wanted him to enjoy the delicious food as well.
Of course, the weasel’s driving skills are also excellent.
In any case, it was impressive that he didn’t let go of the reins even in such a chaotic situation. There were many who panicked and threw away the reins.
‘Did Dad say that? You drive well.’
I swung my sword, shook off the flesh and blood, and pulled the reins.
[Rain! Rain! Blood and rain! Blessing us!]
They were so excited that raindrops were flying everywhere. Those who got rained on were truly delighted and kept making sounds like Indians.
‘About thirty, I guess.’
I expected an attack, but I didn’t expect them to be this aggressive, less than half a day after leaving Cassidy.
Of course, I wasn’t worried because it was clear that I wouldn’t be able to get through to the foreign workers.
‘I thought you’d show up a little later.’
It seems like they see the Flying Baron as a piece of shit. If they had seen how high the Flying Baron could fly, they wouldn’t have been able to ignore him.
I muttered a dull joke and adjusted my grip on the sword. It had been a long time since I had ridden a horse, but riding a horse was similar to riding a bicycle, so it didn’t feel awkward.
The horse’s thick legs kicked the ground. The brisk sound of hooves could be heard through the sound of the rain. The rhythm sounded just like the sound of drums.
Dagdak, eww, dagdak, ewwhaha.
“Damn…damn! That’s different! How is this the top….”
The next one was pulling on the reins with a sour look on his face. He didn’t seem to know that the reins had to be handled delicately.
Or maybe he forgot it because of extreme fear. Compared to a weasel, he was a pitiful creature.
The horse picked up speed, kicking the ground roughly.
It was a great piece of advice, even considering that dwarven armor weighs less than it looks.
Eventually I approached the guy. I put strength into my feet to keep my balance so I wouldn’t fall.
The heat and throbbing of the horse’s thick body were fully conveyed.
The man who found me screamed with a dumbfounded face and clumsily raised his sword.
I looked at him and swung my sword sharply.
His sword and mine tangled for a moment. Twenty Goal cut through his sword, but couldn’t cut through his armor.
As a result, it was a bad choice for him to take up the sword. If he hadn’t taken up the sword, it would have been cut cleanly, but it was only split in half.
The guy fell off his horse.
Thud. The guy rolled on the floor with an unpleasant sound. He had suffered a large wound that showed his bone and had fallen from his horse, so there was no need to do anything.
I looked at the blood and flesh on my hands and raised my sword.
“Their innards are delicious!!”
I deliberately raised my voice and shouted loudly.
The fight was all about momentum, especially in a melee like this.
In the moment of entanglement and mixing, it was impossible to tell whether one’s side was superior or the other side’s.
It was a chaotic battle where I was extremely excited and everyone around me seemed like an enemy and would stab me in the back.
That was the reason why foreign workers were laughing with their heads held high. Strange language and laughter could be heard from all directions.
The men who had surrounded us were screaming and running away instead.
‘You even mixed in mercenaries. Were you in a hurry?’
I pulled on the reins and looked for the guy who seemed to be in charge. There were a few guys huddled together at the very back.
A few foreign workers headed in that direction, perhaps thinking similar thoughts to mine.
Beep-. A sharp sound was heard through the sound of rain. At the same time, the siege net was released. It seemed like an order to retreat had been given.
Of course, as the old adage goes, you need to ask permission to go as opposed to coming.
[Half of you guard the carriage! Half of you follow!]
There was no need to explain it to them at length. They knew what I was talking about without me having to tell them.
I kicked the horse’s belly as gently as I could. The horse started to run harder, as if in a fit. I turned the reins and turned it backwards.
“Freedom is at hand. Let’s go, horse.”
Eeeeeeeing-. He grumbled roughly as if he understood what was being said. The long, hanging saliva soon mixed with the rain.
I could see the backs of their heads moving away faster than they had come. The horse was running hard, but the distance was closing slowly. I took out things I could throw from my bosom.
There were a bunch of coins in my pocket. I had received them from the cartmen. I took one out and aimed.
I threw it with all my might, but there was no way it would hit. I was throwing it from a galloping horse, through the rain. I needed to adjust the zero point.
After throwing about five of them, I luckily hit the rump of the horse that seemed to be the leader. The horse rebelled as Cooper was deeply embedded.
He tried to calm the horse down by grabbing the reins, but there was no way to calm the horse down when there was a coin stuck in its rump.
Then the men around me also stopped. It seemed like the leader was right. I let go of the reins and grabbed my sword with both hands.
They aimed their arrows at me while swearing at me. I squinted my eyes and concentrated. I felt my heart beating unusually fast.
Thump, thump, thud.
The sound of rain, heartbeats, and horse hooves all came together to create a strange music.
The direction of the arrow was unclear through the rain. He was also on horseback. Could he hit me exactly? The odds were slim, but unfortunately I wasn’t very lucky.
I took a deep breath and thrust my sword forward. Soon, the bastards released the taut string and-.
I held my breath. The horse was running so hard that the roughness of the ground was clearly conveyed as I rode.
As my body went down from top to bottom, my center of gravity kept getting disturbed. Despite all the adverse conditions that came with it-.
‘You were a sharpshooter.’
Whether it was his luck or his skill, the arrow flew straight at me. The rain splashed on the arrow.
However, the direction gradually fell downwards.
It hit the horse’s head right in the eye. As soon as I saw the direction, I grabbed the reins and got on the horse.
An arrow hit the head of the horse, but it did not fall down right away. It seemed that he was quite pleased with the conditions I had mentioned.
Just try a little harder.
He tapped the horse’s hot neck.
Right away.
I could hear their proud laughter. The wind blowing past my face felt cold. The red blood sprayed from the horse was hot.
Dagdak,
The horse stumbled violently. It seemed as if it wanted to run further, but unfortunately, this was the end.
Dag-.
I kicked the horse with all my might. The body rose in an instant. I saw the horse with its back bent.
I looked at my target, furious at the horse’s death. The faces of those who had been smiling just a moment ago were filled with shock.
The air was extremely cold. My breathing was shallow.
The distance narrowed in an instant like a shot arrow, and I reached the bastard.
What the hell is that guy talking about. There’s even a long stream of spit flying out of his mouth.
He swung his sword sharply while breathing slowly.
From top to bottom. Just a simple vertical slash that cut off all the branches. A rough resistance rose up through the sword, but only for a moment.
Kuung-. My legs felt slightly numb with a heavy sound.
A guy and a horse that split in half.
“It is the revenge of words.”
I laughed as I watched the guys scattering left and right.
“It’s a monster… a monster! It’s a monster!!”
Those guys screaming and scattering in all directions.
Three foreign workers followed behind them. Brock Lesnar seemed to have stayed on the carriage side. It wasn’t a bad arrangement.
I approached the mangled horse, wiping the blood off my sword.
‘Revenge was taken.’
The horse’s large, stubborn-looking eyes were quite transparent. I closed them and looked up at the sky.
The fucking rain kept pouring down.
***
“···What is this.”
Razbeth muttered indifferently as the carnage unfolded around him.
It was clear that I was the one who was attacked, but when I came to my senses, the situation had changed.
The men who had carried out the attack were running away, and we were chasing them while making strange noises.
How could something like this happen when the surrounding forces were several times stronger?
No, they seemed to be waiting for an attack. Looking at them, they were jumping around like wild beasts excited by the prey that had come walking on its own two feet-.
“Everyone is excited.”
The man sitting across from him muttered in a hoarse voice. At that, Razbeth felt frightened and clenched his fists.
Razbeth was now acutely aware of who he was with.
At that moment, a cool breeze came in through the open window. Razbeth let out a small scream and looked away.
Figures moved through the thick raindrops. Among them, only the figure above was present. The ship had won a victory while surrounded by a large force.
‘If it’s the top of the Gyarrot… it’s not like it’s a mess.’
Razbeth chewed his lip as the information he had known seemed useless.
People covered in red blood were dragging corpses through the raindrops. The atmosphere was subdued, different from the cheering crowd.
Then, he came back through the rain.
The sight of her hair, tangled and soaking wet, and her wounded face underneath, gave off a chilling vibe.
The Red Blood Criminal He climbed into the carriage, shaking off his wet hair. The carriage was filled with the smell of blood, sweat, and urine.
Aaron, sitting next to her, thumped the carriage wall. Razbeth let out a small scream, and a sharp curse could be heard outside. The carriage started moving again.
My hands kept getting sweaty from the tension, as if a monster was sitting next to me. That’s how I knew.
‘I really intend to fight Marquis Ethan.’
Given the overwhelming fighting power they had just shown, it might have been possible. However, their opponent was Marquis Ethan, who led a large mercenary force.
It’s not even comparable to the top of Gyarot…
Razbeth glanced at Aaron. His usually emotionless face was filled with exhaustion.
“I’ll be there for the next raid.”
The man across from me said.
“···Or so.”
Aaron answered briefly and closed his eyes.
Razbet expected there would be no more raids. A force of thirty was clearly too much even for the upper ranks of Gyarrot. There was no way they could send more troops.
However, since no one asked, Razbeth kept his mouth shut.
Silence fell over the carriage again. However, because the window was broken, the sounds outside were heard much closer than before.
The sound of rain, the sound of horseshoes, and the sound of wheels rolling filled the air. Razbeth checked the information sheet again, controlling his breathing as if he was in front of a wild beast.
Then, Aaron flinched slightly next to me and I barely managed to hold back a scream that was about to burst out.
‘I need to pee.’
Razbeth chewed his lip and glanced at Aaron out of the corner of his eye.
His fierce face, with his eyes tightly shut, was distorted.
It looked like he was angry or having a nightmare.
***
“What’s going on, hyung?”
Ethan looked at me with his gray eyes and smiled coolly.
‘How does this make her seventeen?’
I looked at that withered face and thought seriously. No matter how hot the desert sun was, Ethan felt a little harsh.
‘···What was I doing when I was seventeen?’
My mind wandered somewhere else. I think I was engrossed in a game, but I couldn’t remember the name of the game.
“Brother Aaron?”
My thoughts were broken by the bastard’s disgusting title. He was staring at me with a very serious face.
“Oh, I have something to ask you. It’s forbidden, you know.”
His face hardened subtly at my answer. Ethan was the kind of guy who would answer anything you asked him without hiding anything.
The guy who had even told a story about being embarrassed by sleeping with four wives at the same time had a hardened expression on his face, so it seemed like something was up.
“Um… forbidden?”
“Why are you suddenly pretending not to know the Imperial language? You even rapped.”
He was the guy who wrote his own lyrics and sang the rap I taught him while drunk. But then he suddenly started acting awkward, so I was dumbfounded.
“Well, prohibition is a very sensitive issue.”
“Between us?”
The guy’s face softened at my joke.
He valued loyalty above all else. Although he was wounded a lot because of that loyalty, he was proud of him.
There were times when he saved me, and times when I saved him.
“Actually, I don’t know much about that place. It’s a place that only the top star and the first star are allowed to go. If I were the top star, I wouldn’t know either.”
The dubiousness of the guy’s words grew. Ethan didn’t know either. The smell of blood filled the air.
“You said you saw people going in there?”
“That can’t be. The ban is literally a ban. No one can enter without permission from the Supreme Star.”
The reaction was more intense than I expected. I thought it was because I had been having a hard time with my father lately.
Normally I would have backed off, but this time I didn’t feel good.
“Could you look into it for me?”
“Okay. If it’s your request.”
The guy nodded. He was a man with great loyalty. That’s why we were so close.
“If you fight me.”
The man drew his sword and smiled brightly. His pure white teeth, which did not match his dark skin, shone.
I scratched my head. I’ve been sparring with him consistently, but his crazy talent has been getting increasingly tiresome lately.
He calls me hyung, but I feel like I’m going to get screwed if I lose in a duel, so I’ve been avoiding him lately, making excuses for this and that.
“···I guess so.”
However, this time, I couldn’t refuse because it was a favor.
That doesn’t mean I lost.
***
‘The top star suddenly made a request.’
I nodded, swallowing thick saliva.
The rain was still falling, and my body was damp from the water. It was a mistake not to bring the washing machine.
‘You wanted me to find the children who disappeared from the ban?’
I don’t remember exactly, but it felt something similar.
Maybe it was because I was going to meet Ethan. Fragments of the past kept coming to mind.
Since I was quite close with him, I had no idea what to do. However···.
‘It doesn’t end well for Aww.’
I smiled bitterly and cleaned and oiled my sword.
If I had to kill him, my last resort was to send him off as cleanly as possible.
Habitually recalling the memory, I continued to mentally estimate when I would mix swords with the guy.
Although he was the friendliest of the survivors, he had an unavoidable habit of assuming the worst.
My whole body felt dirty from the blood, rain, and sweat, but I just silently cleaned my sword.
***
‘Gyarot top, these kids······.’
Dante muttered a curse and glared across the room. Across the room sat Guebert, a first-class official, and the valet of the upper rank of Gyarot.
“So, our Karzan has the Garot Squad. But why bring in another Squad? And one that hasn’t been around for very long.”
“First-class manager Guebert said, rubbing the tips of his characteristically sly goatee with his fingers.
‘Even the first-class manager is moving.’
Dante assessed the situation while controlling his expression. He moved Karzan’s first-class manager from the upper part of the Gyarrot.
There was a Shone here, but even though he was a Shone, he was only a second-class manager.
Although Shawna had a close relationship with Sarshan, a first-class manager, he was unlikely to help out as actively as Guebert.
He was a lone wolf who had been in constant confusion since the last incident. It was a difficult situation just dealing with the flies that kept coming in.
In this situation, if you are pressured by the manager, the burden becomes even greater.
I had no intention of compromising because it was related to him.
This was the command he gave.
“You’re too involved.”
Dante glared at Guebert while sipping the warm drink in front of him.
Although he was a first-class administrator, Dante had considerable influence in this city.
“You’ve grown so much. It wasn’t like this when Philip was here.”
It was the first time in a long time that I heard the name of the former boss. It seemed like he was trying to pressure me, but Dante was already in a bigger shadow.
“The mayor is also thinking of rooting out all the gangsters. He had a very long meeting recently.”
However, the word market could not be ignored. The market, which had originally been neglected, had been actively moving since the last time the black blood guys burned the imperial flag.
In such a situation, how could a first-class manager say something like that? Dante looked at the knight standing behind Guebert. He was an ordinary old knight.
“Then the people associated with him will also be in big trouble. Like the manager who received money from the gangsters. Or the people in the upper class who are associated with the gangsters.”
Dante let his words flow without showing his impatience. It was Dante who had managed him during Philip’s time. He knew who had received how much in bribes.
If even those who took the gangsters’ money are punished, how many of Karzan’s administrators will survive?
Guebert’s face crumpled at Dante’s provocative words. However, he quickly smiled again and nodded.
“Ahem. What I mean is that coexistence is important. Don’t you think that crops grow better if there are bugs? But the upper class is a different story. As you just mentioned, the Gyarot upper class is a very kind upper class that has helped us so far. You could even call them benefactors!”
Dante wondered how much the bastard had received to go that far.
‘What’s the use of hard work in Karzan… I guess he just sang my own song.’
The upper ranks of the Garrot did put effort into Karzan. Of course, most of that effort was concentrated in high-ranking positions such as the caretakers.
The monopoly of the upper section of the Gyarrot was the cause of the rise in prices. Even though the carriage drivers were running around busily, they could not keep up with the upward movement of the upper section.
In addition, the price of goods went up even more when Viscount Bonita declared war on the territory. Of course, there were few administrators who cared about him. Most of them were on this side.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but may I say something?”
“Yes, yes, Acting Chief Akoni, you speak better. My throat hurts.”
A man wearing expensive-looking jewels, perhaps wishing to become a nobleman, held out a thick cloth.
And then he pointed at him. The look on his face was confidence.
The things placed on the luxurious fabric were of such a golden color that they could captivate even the human heart.
Dante looked down at him for a moment and shook his head. He didn’t care how much he brought.
“Cheeky······. You will regret this moment.”
Dante was dumbfounded by the bastard’s threats. The bastard was laughing. Maybe he had no intention of negotiating in the first place.
Dante laughed out loud and raised his right hand.
The curtain surrounding the room was lifted and his men came out. Clang-. With a sharp sound, the atmosphere instantly became tense.
He seemed confident that he had a knight behind him, but this was the stronghold of a lone wolf.
Even the most skilled knights couldn’t handle the crossbows aimed at them from all sides. Plus, there were knights on this side too.
Even though he was a drunk, he was still a knight. An old knight and a drunken knight. The two were similar.
‘That’s why he’s great.’
Dante shuddered slightly as he recalled that day. He still had nightmares from time to time. The nightmare of him beheading Philip alone.
“Oh my – why is this happening? If I do something wrong, the mayor will be angry, and he can even kick out all the thugs. Are you planning to take on the Empire?”
“Quebert said calmly. He knew Dante would not touch him.
That was true. However, the top of the gyarrot was different.
Dante opened his right hand. A crossbow was placed on it. The bow was cocked. Dante touched it for a moment and then aimed.
“Wait a minute! I just came here to talk! Why are you doing this, really!”
As I aimed my crossbow, Guebert’s expression changed. I learned something from him that day. If you want to do something, you must not hesitate.
Dante pulled the trigger. The arrow flew and hit the agent’s head, and a red fountain gushed out.
The agent fell backwards. The precious jewels broke off and rolled on the floor. The sound of the fall was loud because the guy was so fat.
“Well… you….”
“Damn it! Draw your sword!”
The atmosphere changed in an instant, and the men brought by the agent began swearing and drawing their swords.
But since they were already blocked on all sides, they were just standing there, helpless.
Dante looked at Guebert and the knight behind him and held out his crossbow. A waiting attendant quickly replaced it with a loaded crossbow.
Dante aimed his crossbow again.
“If you want to live, bow down.”
Dante pulled the trigger without hesitation. That was the signal. Arrows poured in from all directions.
The goblin and the knight quickly bowed down, and the insolent men fell in an instant.
“So… what on earth are you planning to do with the head of the Gyarrot….”
Quebert, who had been crouching, raised his head and stammered.
Dante looked at him for a moment and then shook his head.
From the moment Dante didn’t take the bastard’s pocket, their relationship was at a standstill.
The upper ranks of the Garrot were not innocent people who would ignore kindness and pass it over. Dante chose to reduce their numbers.
Dante’s head spun quickly. He made various calculations, but at the moment, he lacked the means to deal with the upper ranks of Gyarrot.
But as a last resort.
‘······I guess I’ll have to ask him for help.’
It seemed like we could somehow achieve balance if we just had the warriors he had sent.
What I was most worried about was that he might come in person.
Boom! The door opened violently and the men rushed in.
“He’s here! At the main gate right now···.”
A visit with exquisite timing that is beyond comprehension.
Dante closed his eyes tightly.
I saw his figure filling the sky.
“Aaron.”
Dante muttered his name softly and straightened his tangled hair.
***
‘······?’
Pulpouts stood there blankly.
“Are you listening?”
The woman raised her voice again.
The woman who introduced herself as the elder of the White Tower, Keirnhardt, had a bad impression because the corners of her eyes were turned up.
He seemed to be a very jealous person, and his temper seemed to match that.
Pulpouts came to his senses and opened his mouth.
“······You’re going to establish a branch of the White Tower at Cassidy Castle? Why?”
It was such a shocking suggestion that I blurted out harsh words. Why are you suddenly establishing a new branch of Matap in Cassadic?
“You don’t like it?”
The woman asked back, as if she found Fullfoot’s reaction strange.
It was an excessive and radical development, as if someone had deliberately and deliberately forced it into place.
But the story of the Tower branch was related to Vivian. Pulpouts nodded quickly.
“Okay. I’ll support you as much as I can.”
Pulpouts nodded to Nova next to him. Nova, who seemed unusually upset, nodded.
After discussing the details with Nova, Pulpouts stared at the paper on the table.
There was a summary of recent events.
– The dwarves are building a wall. According to the stonemason, it is an overwhelming wall that they have never seen before.
– Regarding compensation in the church······.
– The expected profits from this promotion are…
‘Why do I keep getting this kind of luck?’
Pulpouts muttered, pressing his temples.
“Isn’t the bar security guard Akdelgu today?”
“No, I did it yesterday.”
“Okay, it’s my turn.”
Even the strangely solid articles didn’t make sense.
Pulpouts had no idea what was going on.
I just pressed my temples.
