< 82. Moving Operation (6) >
#82
It was a wonderful evening. The wind was cool and the sky was clear. The sinking sun was dyeing the world crimson.
“Is there anything wrong back there?”
“Yes.”
The grass on both sides of the path was gently swaying. In the forest where the cicadas had quietened down the song of the woodpecker was heard.
It was an idyllic scenery that would completely relax your mind. However there was a clear sense of tension on the faces of the wolf mercenaries in the wilderness. The mercenary leader spoke solemnly holding aside his long battle hammer.
“Don’t let your guard down. “Be prepared to face whatever enemy comes your way.”
“yes!”
“I never thought the Little Duke would come in person….”
About twenty mercenaries were moving around two carriages. It was a huge packhorse and luxurious travel carriage that seemed to fit a small cabin.
The Grancia family emblem was engraved on the sides of the two carriages. The mercenary group’s mission this time is to escort a woman from a small town called Nimburton to her island. Her client was Schlieffen Sini van de Grancia the rising star of the empire.
“…Are you a princess who was exiled from another country?”
The leader looked ahead again and muttered. The face of the woman who was her escort never left her mind. This must have been the reason why the normally self-indulgent members became burning with a sense of duty.
Schlieffen was always watching the carriage in which her daughter Iril came. He who had been watching all around her with his nerves on edge tilted his head.
‘…It’s strangely quiet.’
Contrary to the intelligence that monsters were running rampant nothing was happening. Picking up and cleaning up a cat that was napping in the middle of the street was the only unexpected situation that had ever occurred.
‘It’s actually more suspicious.’
Schlieffen feeling somewhat anxious glanced inside the carriage. Iril was slowly stroking Sita who was sleeping on his lap. While looking out her window her gaze accidentally caught Schlieffen’s.
“Ah Mr. Schlieffen!”
Iril smiled brightly and waved her hand. Schlieffen barely able to keep his heart from collapsing approached her. He cleared his throat a few times and spoke to her in the most adult manner possible.
“Hmm is there anything uncomfortable?”
“Yes it’s so comfortable! Schlieffen please get some rest too!”
Iril smiled brightly and patted the seat next to her. Her Schlieffen brain turned to stone. It was only after chewing the flesh in his mouth quite forcefully that he regained enough intelligence to speak.
“uh. hmm. That can’t be possible. “I’m on a mission.”
“Is there anything I can help you with? I’m so sorry that you’ve been treated like this. “So do other people…”
“Not at all. Umm it’s dangerous outside so don’t come out.”
“yes? Did a wolf come out?”
“…wolf. Yes there can be such things as wolves.”
“Really?”
Iril opened her eyes wide. Her guilt reared its head at the thought that she might have scared her unnecessarily.
He was in a hurry to correct his mistake. Iril suddenly stretched out his arm out the window and said placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Be careful. “He was my brother’s friend before he was a nobleman and I don’t want to see him get hurt.”
“…ah? Umm. nobility? okay. “I am a nobleman’s friend.”
“yes?”
“no. Oh I mean. “I am your brother’s nobleman.”
Eventually Schlieffen whose dementia relapsed froze. He was constantly spouting meaningless nonsense. One mercenary shouted in an urgent voice.
“Something is coming from the east of the province!”
For a moment an indescribable chill ran through Schlieffen’s whole body. Something ridiculously powerful was fast approaching.
“what…!”
Schlieffen quickly drew his sword and ran to the head of the procession. Coo! A huge shadow landed in front of the procession.
“It’s finally here!”
“Shoot!”
Judging by its size it was clearly a monster. The mercenaries who were very nervous were about to unleash the attack they had each prepared. The leader who realized the identity of the shadow urgently shouted.
“That stop! “Everyone stop!”
It was very rare for a veteran general manager to be so embarrassed. The mercenaries hastily withdrew their hands from their sword hilts and swords.
The shadow unfolded its crouched body. The black were tiger was revealed under the setting sun. At that moment the mercenaries realized that the leader had saved them all.
“Now Jaifa?”
“Why is the Sword Saint here…!”
A much larger body than any other beast. A scimitar that is closer to a pillar. Among those eating kalbab there was no one who did not know him. Sword Saint Zaipa was standing in front of me.
“I understand why you asked that. “How can you entrust your protection to such weak people?”
He was muttering something incomprehensible and looking at the mercenaries. At that time two boys jumped out from behind Jaifa. Schlieffen’s eyes widened as he froze with his mercenaries.
“Ronan…?”
“Everyone was doing well.”
“Ugh…I’m dizzy.”
The boys’ identities were Ronan and Asher. Ronan looked at the mercenaries appraisingly and approached him. Asher was squatting down and retching as if he were suffering from motion sickness.
Schlieffen frowned. It was so absurd that I doubted whether the current situation was even real. Aside from the fact that the Sword Saint came out of nowhere I couldn’t understand why those things were riding on his back. Ronan who had already come close to us shrugged his eyebrows.
“Did anything happen?”
“…Why were you riding on the sword saint’s back? No why is Sword Saint here in the first place?”
“That’s…a really long and shitty story so I’ll tell you later.”
Ronan laughed. It was a laugh that was half self-deprecation and half cynicism. His face pickled with fatigue seemed to have aged five years in the few hours we had been apart.
“So man did you say anything bad happened? “Didn’t the monster come out?”
“…That’s right.”
Schlieffen informed us that nothing had happened so far. It’s also strangely so. Ronan nodded with a satisfied smile.
“Well I went through a lot of trouble but of course nothing should happen. “What about your sister?”
Schlieffen gestured behind him. The duchess and her carriage were parked in the middle of the procession.
Damn it it must be difficult to show off like that. Ronan laughed and was just about to take a step forward. Suddenly the carriage door burst open and Iril walked out.
“Ronan? “Is that you?”
He heard clearly. It was Ronan’s voice. The moment she turned her head their eyes met.
“oh my god! Ronan!”
Iril covered her mouth with both hands as she saw her younger brother’s face for the first time in three months. Ronan waved her hand and greeted her.
“Sister.”
Iril came running to him a month later and hugged him tightly. Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that he had done well in Marbas to wash away the blood and buy new clothes. After a while his sister raised her head touched his face and said.
“How have you been? Why are you so skinny? Oh my god look at your disfigured face. Could it be that someone is harassing you at the academy?”
“It’s not the academy…I feel like the world is bothering me.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m kidding. “How’s your sister doing?”
“Yeah I’ve been doing really well! Hey listen I told your story to the villagers…”
My sister whom I had not seen in a long time was still beautiful. The warm sunset was flowing down my silver hair.
Now it was noticeable that his complexion had clearly improved as he was eating something other than potato stew. Iril was chattering for a while. A metallic sound as if the world was breaking apart rang right behind me.
-Kaaaaaang-!!
“Aaaah!”
“What is the plague?!”
Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. He wrapped his arms around his sister’s shoulders and pointed the tip of his sword in the direction of the sound. The sight of Seiffa and Schlieffen clashing weapons came into view.
“That crazy old man.”
Ronan who immediately grasped the situation cursed. The mercenaries did not even dare to intervene in the sudden clash between the two monsters. Jaipa was pricking his ears as if he was interested.
“Hoo. “Did you hold on?”
“…What is this? Sword Saint.”
The blades that were in contact were broken. Schlieffen was barely able to stand gritting his teeth so hard that they broke. The trembling bridge felt like it would collapse if the wind blew even a little stronger. Zaifa said.
“It’s a simple greeting. “The morning star of the empire.”
“greeting?”
Instead of answering Jaipa raised his scimitar. He then briefly introduced himself and shook my hand.
“It’s Jaifa Turgeng. “I’m glad to know that your rumors aren’t exaggerated.”
“What is that…”
Schlieffen was looking up at him with a puzzled expression. Ronan who was approaching with great strides shot while resting on his left leg.
“Damn did you really have to do that shit here?”
“I guess it’ll be one of you two next.”
“What do you mean?”
“The next Sword Saint. “If it had been my own race I would have raised it myself but it’s a shame.”
The two boys’ eyes widened. I never thought I would hear those words directly from the Sword Saint. Jaipa said as he glanced at the stopped carriages.
“So is this all the luggage you have to carry?”
“ok. “There are four people.”
“Hehehe I never thought Jaipa would live and help others move.”
Jaifa laughed. ‘Nothing else just help me move.’ That was the reward Ronan requested for capturing Nebula Clazier. Suddenly Iril carefully walked out from among the mercenaries.
“Wow…! “Susu people?”
When she saw Jaifa’s appearance her eyes widened in admiration. Jaifa lowered his gaze.
“Is this your sister I told you about last time?”
“I said it…! hello!”
Iril approached with her eyes sparkling as if she had just discovered a cute animal. Jaifa who had been studying her carefully looked back at Ronan and opened her mouth.
“…I think I understand why you feel terrible.”
“right?”
Ronan and Schlieffen nodded simultaneously. Suddenly Jaifa extended a handshake to Iril. It was an ordinary and friendly greeting not the harsh greeting the two received. Iril who held his hand as if she had been waiting shook his hand and said.
“Wow you have a really nice physique. “This is my first time seeing those beastmen!”
“What is your name?”
“I’m Iril! Wow your palms are so soft… Can I touch them a little more?”
“Do whatever you want.”
Iril smiled like a child and played with Jaifa’s meat ball. The faces of the mercenaries who were watching turned pale.
It was unprecedented. Not only was it not enough to talk to a human that Xaipa did not recognize as a warrior but he also allowed me to touch his palm. At that time one of the mercenaries shouted pointing to the east again.
“There’s something more coming!”
“My imperial army?”
Several huge shadows soared above the forest and landed around the procession. They were Jaipa’s subordinates who had been temporarily absent due to a mission. Were Lion who was called his lieutenant saluted Jaifa.
“Captain. “I finished it.”
“okay. “Thank you for your hard work.”
“Just as the boy said we found the old man’s body. As a wanted criminal known as the bloodthirsty of Aden…”
The adjutant continued. She reported that Cardion had been sent to Lodolan and that the bodies of the woman and the old man had been removed.
Jaifar and Ronan listened to her in silence. Seeing as there was nothing in particular at stake it seemed certain that Nebula Clazier’s plot had been thwarted.
“What on earth is going on?”
“It’s all Captain. “What happened?”
The wolf mercenaries in the wilderness were in unprecedented chaos. In a way it was natural that they were surrounded by imperial beasts that suddenly appeared with the Duke of Duke and the sword saint Zaipa.
“…I guess so.”
But the leader couldn’t answer because he hadn’t heard anything either. Finally after finishing his conversation with his men Zaifa turned his head. A unique overpowering voice came out of his mouth.
“Everyone is a nuisance so just disappear.”
All the leader could do was nod his head silently. He received more money in advance than when he caught a group of wyverns the year before last so he had no complaints.
However the identity of the woman being escorted became more curious. It seemed understandable that she should be the emperor’s hidden daughter not a princess from a foreign country in exile.
A minor duke of the Grancia family that divides the empire. Jaipa Ter Le Geng known as the greatest swordsman of all time and his direct subordinates. The mercenary leader who bowed silently opened his mouth in bewilderment.
“…Good luck.”
The prisoners carrying the cart rushed out like the wind. The sight of them running with their backs to the setting sun looked like they were going to destroy a country.
****
The move took place at an unprecedented speed. Thirteen prisoners including Jaipa helped with the move.
Ronan Iril Asher and Schlieffen traveled in the carriage following Zeifa’s strong advice not to bother them.
Strong werebears and werelions carried carts and horses. The carriage Ronan and his party were riding in was lifted and moved by Jaifa himself.
All personnel not carrying carriages were assigned to escort. The beastmen jumped up and down and formed a three-dimensional defensive formation. The citizens of Marbas who saw the terrifying procession caused an uproar.
“Get out of the way! “The sword star passes by!”
“Whose carriage is it? “Is His Majesty the Emperor of Hua also on board?”
Even though they were carrying carriages and horses they ran faster than the horses. Thanks to the excuse that Jaipa was carrying out an operation they were able to cross the mountain road without any control.
The world’s most dangerous and shabby moving company arrived in the islands before dawn on Monday morning. The prisoners kindly dropped off the wagon and group right in front of their new home. Ronan got off the carriage and tapped Jaifa’s leg and said.
“thank you. “Thanks to you I came here comfortably.”
“hmm. “It’s been a long time since we had a system.”
Instead of responding to his thanks Jaipa looked around him with interested eyes. He explained that it had been almost three years since he came to the Islands. This was because he was always traveling around the continent for missions.
“W is this really our house?”
“huh.”
Iril’s eyes widened when he saw the new house. Ronan nodded. The two-story stone house was located in an area where the wealthy class lived.
This house which Ronan and Schlieffen chose after much deliberation was not only safe and convenient but also accessible as it was only 5 minutes away by land from the East Gate of Phileon Academy. Iril continued speaking in a trembling voice.
“Ro Ronan… no matter how I look at it I think I came to the wrong house…”
“I heard it’s our house.” “Let’s go in.”
Ronan entered the house holding Iril’s hand. Asher and Schlieffen followed one after another. I offered it to Jaifa but he declined because he wanted to enjoy the fresh air of the island for the first time in a while.
When I opened the front door a spacious and beautiful interior was revealed. However Ronan did not give Iril room to admire and went straight up the stairs. The second floor where there were no separate lights was bathed in quiet moonlight. Iril’s mouth slowly opened.
“Waaah…!”
