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Rosie put her hands together and admired them.
“How dare you-! “Mana becoming tangled is a chronic disease among wizards!”
“Hmm, a real wizard. “You said you needed a wizard after Old Man Tetch retired, right, vice-captain?”
“Anyway, handsome guy… … .”
“Just bow to me, you little morel.”
A middle-aged woman carrying a large sword larger than her body, or shortened sword woman, was friendly to me.
“Vice-captain. Isn’t it okay? Well, it looks like your skills are solid.”
An old man with a gray beard wearing a kukr answered instead.
Despite his age, his sense of energy was the strongest among them.
He is accustomed to blood.
“You know very well that it’s not that kind of problem, right?”
The old man looked pitifully at the Great Swordwoman and then glared at me.
His sharp gaze was directed at me as if he was trying to dig up information.
“You look young, so you will be very shocked.”
I pretended not to know and opened my mouth in a calm voice.
“If you say it’s a big shock… … ?”
“Devil tax-”
“devil. It doesn’t matter. “I have ‘saved’ more demons than you mercenaries think.”
The Great Swordwoman calls him a ‘gold cub’.
A giant with a face full of pockmarks, or for short, a pup, pouted at my words.
“Wow, at that age, with that skill – and you even killed some demons? “What are you really?”
“I can’t help but wonder about this. The heat of the desert brings malice. All kinds of terrible and dirty things appear. For example, a devil disguised as a human. “Couldn’t you be the evil one who will lead us into the abyss?”
This is why I didn’t want to show my strength. She should have done it in moderation and not been on guard. For a moment, I thought about showing my skills properly and then oppressing and torturing them to get information out of them. However, on Soleta Island, it was just wiped away like a dirty stain. They are people with good intentions. I didn’t want to cross the line I had so pathetically maintained.
The vice-captain, who had the authority to make decisions, was also skeptical.
He persuaded me in a calm voice. He was a man with a consistent expression. He had thick eyebrows that did not move easily, giving a trustworthy impression, and was a likeable person with a deep, clear voice.
“The favor we gave you was done under the assumption that you were the weak.”
And he was also an honest person.
The vice-captain did not clutter the conversation with lies.
“In other words, there was no problem even if you harbored ‘evil’ hearts. but… … .”
He looked at the messed up cactus field for a moment and then spoke in a stern manner.
“It would be best for us to part ways here.”
I thought about what topics mercenaries might be interested in. It was an obvious choice that a battle would inevitably occur if the demon wizard was mentioned directly. Regardless of whether they are good people or not, they would hate to have their secrets discovered. It is unclear what kind of conspiracy is being plotted in the great desert of Sternil. However, the demon magicians of the Great Desert are the ones to be most wary and afraid of right now.
“It’s not possible.”
“Well, why not? If you want to return the favor… … .”
“Because I serve the Northern Wall.”
There was no response from the vice-captain. Even the seasoned old man did not show his true colors.
However, in a split second, I checked the faces of the other mercenaries who were unable to hide their bewildered expressions.
“I can prove my identity.”
I took out the hilt of the Silver Cross sword and showed it to them. They don’t know what this is. It was just presented as a way to prove one’s identity. But I didn’t think they would have the information or records to verify their identity. I thought about ‘Guardian of the North’, which I heard from Hugo during counseling. Even a roughly made-up story would be enough to attract attention.
“As a squire of the Guardian, I have sworn an oath to the Ninety Walls of Silaren and the Tower of the Seven Stars. Please understand that I cannot back down as long as I hear of the devil’s presence. “Because I pledged to the guardian’s oath, my judgment and decisions will only follow the oath of the Chilseong.”
In this world, an ‘oath’ is a very important ‘contract’.
Beyond its religious and socio-cultural significance, it was often prioritized over life.
The Knight’s Oath, the Wizard’s Oath, and the Black Priest’s Oath.
Hugo told me.
The Guardian’s Oath is a contract and curse sworn by the noble guardians of Silaren, who protect the Northern Front, to fight against evil. My actions now were like those of a knight in Kunkan who was talking about his honor. A funny custom that is somewhat incomprehensible to the minds of modern people on ‘Earth’.
“Ha, my mouth is so greedy. I blurted out the words hastily. “I’m sorry, vice-captain.”
“it’s okay. “So, you are one of the noble guardians of Silaren?”
But to what extent does it seem to work?
“That’s right.”
“… “It’s a pain in the ass.”
“You are mercenaries. “I don’t know who the client is, but if you help me, the Northern Wall will definitely repay you.”
“We are mercenaries hired by Nephi.”
The vice-captain said.
“Double compensation… … .”
He laughed for the first time.
“If you are a mercenary, this is welcome.”
Became a temporary companion of the Rhinoceros mercenaries.
* * *
As I was about to return to the carriage, a tall man who was just standing there silently, Changjae for short, held out his hand to me. As she watched from afar, she opened her mouth in a slow tone.
“colleague… handshake… … .”
“hmm.”
I shook his hand.
I barely suppressed the desire to crush my fingers right away due to the unpleasant energy I could feel at my fingertips.
* * *
Ride a wagon through the desert.
[Are you really serving the Margrave?]
[I’m not going to impersonate you carelessly. There was also something shown as a proof.]
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[Is it really a sign of a guardian? … .]
[Shit. Didn’t you find out what that was, old man?]
[It was so confident that it couldn’t have been a lie. but… Vice leader.]
[yes. Since I mentioned ‘silaren’… I can’t leave it like this.]
“Hmm. “Attitudes have changed.”
I stretched and picked my earholes.
I guess I’ll just have to sleep until I arrive.
I can’t wait to see what plans they plan.
* * *
The Great Desert of Sternil was indeed prohibited. Not even a day has passed since I walked down the street peacefully. As I was trying to sleep leisurely, I was soon attacked by a bean bug the size of a house and a scorpion monster that looked six times bigger than that. I didn’t come forward and just watched the mercenaries react. Like on Soleta Island, the ‘devil’ did not appear. They skillfully defeated the monster with their own weapons. It was strong. Well, it would be at the level of a regular member of the Blue Wolf Knights.
However, it did not go unnoticed that they were deliberately hiding their power. Even while dealing with monsters, my attention was focused on me. The morel cub wrinkled her expression in frustration and shouted.
Although he did not treat demons like familiars like Soleta’s demon magician, the demon’s power sometimes leaked out. It was similar to the Kosan clan. The vanguards were able to demonize their own bodies. But there is a fundamental difference. The Kosan clan has been hunting demons for hundreds of years, and after receiving a curse from them, the demonic power is revealed. But the demon wizard is not a curse. He accepted the power of the devil himself. The power of the devil is the basis. In the end, no matter what their intentions, the big difference is that demonic magicians are henchmen of the devil.
The monsters of the great desert were no match for them.
But there is something truly scary left.
It was a damn natural phenomenon.
All, all!
Dalby was particularly excited.
He loved Sternil’s nights.
I jumped around excitedly as the sky was filled with stars and the moon hung low.
But unlike the admirable night sky, the night in the Great Desert was not kind.
During the day, a sandstorm suddenly covers the carriage.
At night, a powerful snowstorm raged like a snowy mountain causing an avalanche.
“It’s even bigger than the rumors.”
One of the strange phenomena of the Great Desert is the migration of frost whales.
Frost whale.
This majestic and dangerous blizzard was a phenomenon caused by living things.
A huge group of whales swimming in the night of the great desert, pouring out frost and strong winds every time they swing their tails! Dalbi ran alone to follow the frost whale, but soon realized that she could not catch up and returned in despair.
I teased Dalby, pressing his droopy ears.
“A trip like this is okay.”
When all questions are answered and the threat is gone.
Without any purpose.
Just feel and accept.
I thought that traveling freely wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Ha, damn it.”
When I thought about traveling, I remembered the homework I had put off.
I’ve been avoiding it since Musenion, but I know I can never escape.
This situation only makes the problem worse.
Ushas had reprimanded the Musenion work, calling it a waste of time.
But Lanista will not end with just words. He did not do the warrior thing he was supposed to do, which was to take away the swords of the strong, for several months. He must have been strong.
Daa.
Dalbi nudged my depressed cheek with his hoof.
* * *
It had been four days since I set out on the road, maintaining a subtle distance from the mercenaries.
When taking a short break at an oasis we discovered to refill our drinking water.
The vice-captain approached me as I was sitting alone.
“It will arrive in the next two days.”
“yes.”
“Isn’t it difficult?”
“it’s okay.”
While having a private conversation, he asked with a stern expression.
“That’s a rude question.”
His eyes were intense.
“Since when has the Northern Wall been interested in the Great Desert?”
I hesitated for a moment because I couldn’t think of a proper answer, but he seemed to think silence was the answer.
“Why are the Guardians who tried so hard to ignore the Great Desert when it is infested with such cursing demons, and now they want to spy on it? Are you feeling better now?”
“no. We are not yet in a position to exert strength externally. The reason I came to the Great Desert was for personal reasons… … .”
“Conditions are not available. Protecting the front line is urgent. Excuses don’t change even after decades. “A small city in the desert…”
I thought the vice-captain was someone who was good at hiding his emotions. It wasn’t. He was just a person who didn’t get upset over small things. I caught a glimpse of his true intentions through his raised voice and sparkling eyes. He is hating. Silalen, Sternyl.
“sorry. But please understand that the situation in Nephi is more serious than the Northern Wall realizes. “I hope that when you return to Nephi, you will stay for a few days and see with your own eyes the reality of the abandoned city.”
He stood up, went back to his colleagues, and added a word.
“Don’t look away anymore.”
Left alone, I took a dip in the oasis to cool my head from the desert heat.
One to kill and one to save.
If there were two options, it would be a good choice.
I hate complicated things, really.
* * *
Finally, after two more days, we arrived at a cave heading deep underground.
The mercenaries carried out the task skillfully. What was brought in the third wagon was a rat. We released several dog-sized rats into the cave and examined the situation. Was the grain from the cart food for rats? After a while, a terrible howling sound was heard and the rats desperately ran out of the cave.
Thump thump-!
The thing that came out of the cave following the rat was a strange-looking beast-like demon.
It was larger than a bear, had the body and head of a mouse but had human arms and hands. They snatched the rat and chewed off its head. Taking advantage of that gap, the mercenaries took action. The carriage, which was unusually large for two people, was actually a trap. The mercenaries bound the devil using nets and hooks. Even with fierce resistance, they could not escape the mercenaries’ clutches. Eventually, he was dragged to the capture frame and succeeded in closing the bars. No matter how hard the devil struggled, the carriage did not budge. Is the sword made of blank steel used by priests?
As I finished watching, I finished my work.
He stretched out his hand towards the devil.
Kukukukung-!
The release magic was performed.
The demon disappeared without a trace along with the carriage.
I shrugged my shoulders and said to the mercenaries who were looking at the wreckage in vain.
“Why don’t you kill the devil right away? “What is your intention in capturing me?”
The demon magicians’ eyes changed.
“As far as I know, there are only two reasons to take the risk of capturing a demon alive.”
I continued speaking slyly.
“One is revenge. The other one… … .”
The demonic energy became stronger in them.
“Because it is necessary.”
fantasy,
