◈ 077. [Side Story] Crisis is Opportunity (2)
To the north of the crossroads, uncultivated hills spread out.
Among the lands north of the frontline, all areas that can be farmed have already been cleared.
Even though it is not as fertile as the southern part of the frontline, you have to scrape at least an inch of land to survive.
This means that there is less clearing in this harsh situation,
“little… … It’s rough, the mountain here… … .”
It means that the mountain is steep.
Of course, the road is not properly polished. It’s just a straight mountain road.
Since I had lived a life far from fresh hobbies like mountain climbing, after climbing a little bit, I was exhausted and started to pant. It’s to die for!
“Are you all right, lord? Shall I pick you up to your destination?”
“Oh, really? Is that okay?”
I’m trying to get on Lucas’s back,
“… … .”
Jigsaw.
Evangeline’s sharp gaze from behind hurts… … .
“… … What is it, junior? Those eyes.”
“No, nothing in particular.”
After saying nothing, he opens his mouth right away.
“I just thought I was envious. You even have your own private car.”
“… … .”
“All the subordinates climb up the mountain sweating and sweating hard, but to hear that they climb comfortably on the back of a knight. I guess you could say it’s like the royal family.”
“… … .”
I glanced back.
I could see dozens of soldiers climbing after us.
At first, I said I was the only one going, but Lucas jumped up and said the opposite.
So, I was going to take only Lucas, but Evangeline jumped up and jumped when she heard the news from somewhere else.
So I tried to take just the two of them… … is the result of repetition of
Damian didn’t bring it on purpose. He must have been overdoing it, because he might have to shoot someone.
Anyway, everyone is having a hard time with the sudden mountain climbing, but when I tried to be comfortable alone, Evangeline tackled me.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
I raised my index finger sharply at Evangeline, who was trying to say something more.
“I will carry you.”
“Eh?”
Evangeline’s eyes widened.
“Seo-senpai is carrying me on his back?!”
“okay. And Lucas is carrying me.”
Both Evangeline and Lucas’ expressions turned sour because of my serious bullshit. I crossed my arms and giggled.
“I take care of my subordinates and my body is comfortable, killing two birds with one stone!”
“wait a minute. Then Uncle Lucas is very difficult!”
“No, the two of us couldn’t carry it in the first place… … .”
As we climbed the mountain path, exchanging jokes full of white noise, an officer following me bowed his head.
“I have no face, Your Highness… … Because of our mistake… … .”
I glanced at the man.
This officer is the captain of the prisoner convoy.
The accident occurred while transporting five death row inmates to the crossroads.
“no no. Thanks to that, I can exercise out of the blue, and it’s nice. Hi-go~ Waist~”
“I am so sorry, Your Highness! Please be generous!”
When I let out a growl, the officer almost stuck to the floor.
“Hey, hey. I’m kidding. joke. i can’t say anything Do you think I will eat you?”
Embarrassed, Evangeline shrugged.
“There is a record of what you have done in the capital.”
Oh yes. Before I became possessed, Ash was no joke in the capital.
Since this officer and the members of the convoy had just come down from the capital, they should have thought that I was the vicious, savage Prince Ash.
It’s natural to freeze.
“Anyway, the escaped death row inmates fled to this hill, right?”
“Yeah, yes. As you can see, their trail leads to this mountain.”
On the rough mountain road, the footprints of those who came before us were sparsely left.
There are traces left as if something heavy was being dragged.
“If you want to go, go somewhere with a good road, why are you on a steep mountain like this… … .”
My questions were answered by Evangeline, a native here.
“Bandits live in the hills north of the Crossroads. It has been a headache for quite some time.”
“bandit?”
“yes. Attacking and plundering merchants or war refugees… … They are evil.”
Evangeline picked up something abandoned by the side of the road.
It was a broken window.
“It seems bandits live in this mountain too.”
“Hmm.”
I took a closer look around.
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As expected, broken weapons and wheels rolling around from time to time, it seems that people come and go.
Picking up the cutlery buried in the dirt, Lucas narrowed his brows.
“Could the escaped death row inmates come here have something to do with the bandits?”
“Well. If the goal of the prison break is to become the bandit king, it doesn’t sound like a bad start.”
There are too many things I don’t understand.
‘Five ex-soldier death row inmates brought from the capital escape all at once in a convoy. After that, he accurately chose the hill where the bandit was located and escaped… … Called.’
something is awkward
I glanced at the captain of the convoy again.
“Are there any lies in the report?”
“Well, yes! How could I lie to Your Highness?”
The convoy captain immediately waved his hand.
hmm, well you’ll find out that soon
After that, when I climbed the mountain for about ten more minutes, Lucas, who was at the forefront, flashed his eyes.
“I see something. Lord.”
“Let’s see~”
I could see it in my eyes as I stood on the ridge following Lucas.
It was a mountain.
The stronghold of bandits surrounded by wooden fences. The sanchae built on the flat terrain halfway up the mountain was unexpectedly quite large.
At least 30 people seem to be able to live.
“There may be enemies.”
seureung-
Lucas drew a longsword from his waistband and winked at me.
“I will go and check first.”
“Just check. Don’t overdo it.”
“I’ll go too!”
Evangeline also followed Lucas. Evangeline didn’t pull out her spear, only her shield and mounted it on her left arm.
Two knights lead, me and the rest of the soldiers following slowly.
I was worried that even a barrage of arrows would pour down as I approached the living room, but for some reason there was no sign of popularity at the living room.
Instead, the closer we got, the thicker the smell. this is… … .
blood scent.
“I smell blood.”
I nodded as I heard Lucas whispering in the lead.
Could it be that there was a stabbing inside?
Standing right next to the wooden fence surrounding the sanchae, Lucas grabbed his sword. Evangeline straightened her shield.
“I’ll jump in. three, two… … .”
one!
bang-!
Bumping the front door of the sanchae with his shoulder, Lucas entered.
After that, Evangeline and the soldiers poured in.
I walked leisurely and followed him.
“hmm.”
Inside the wild vegetables… … It was a mess.
Dead bandits (corpses that appear to be corpses) were scattered everywhere, and the whole place was cluttered with blood and broken weapons.
‘There were bandits. There wasn’t.’
I was looking at the bloody wild vegetables with a little tired feeling, but I heard Lucas’s voice from the other side.
“Lord! There are survivors here!”
When I rushed over, I saw a boy in his late teens who was shaking with a white face.
“Uh, uh, uh… … !”
“Calm down, little bandit. We are officials.”
I squatted down in front of the kid Lucas was holding and gave a warm voice.
“Of course, depending on your crime, I could hang you or feed you beans, but I won’t kill you on the spot.”
The trembling young bandit spat out in a fit of fuss.
“Ooh, we, we did nothing wrong… … ! Well, I just robbed a wagon coming from the capital… … .”
“Did you rob the wagon?”
“Yeah, yes! It’s an expensive-looking wagon, so of course I thought the contents would be expensive too… … . I thought it would make money if I sold the contents and the wagon… … .”
I clicked my tongue.
“But when I opened the stolen wagon, there was nothing tasty and only some prisoners. Those prisoners, on the contrary, beat you all up. It’s clear what such a situation is.”
The young bandit nodded absently.
I glanced back at the captain of the convoy.
“Convoy captain. Didn’t you say that the prisoners escaped on their own? But according to what this friend said, it looks like the convoy was just stolen by bandits.”
“That, that… … .”
“Looks like you know. It’s a convoy of criminals from the ecliptic, but it wouldn’t save face if it was just stolen by bandits from the outskirts.”
“crime… … sorry. I never meant to be skinned… … .”
I growled ferociously.
“By the way, Convoy Captain. I can forgive the mistake of having a prisoner taken by bandits, but I can’t forgive lying to me… … ?”
“Lord, Lord, I have committed a mortal sin, Your Highness!”
“I forgive mistakes, but I do not forgive intentions. There will be a proper punishment, so let’s know that.”
The convoy leader trembled and spread across the floor.
So why did you tell a lie that would be caught soon? Did you think I was the type of person who didn’t go on field trips and only saw, listened and believed?
‘… … I could have thought so.’
Anyway, now I see a little bit of the whole picture.
The convoy was ambushed by bandits on its way to the Crossroads with five condemned prisoners in a wagon.
The bandits seized the wagon, brought it to the living quarters, opened it, and robbed it back to the prisoners inside.
The convoy falsely reported that the prisoners had escaped on their own, and now that they are caught, they will be given to me as soon as they return.
‘The situation has been clarified… … .’
so?
Where are the five death row inmates in question?
“Seniors!”
Then, Evangeline’s voice was heard from inside the living room.
“Here, this way! Come quickly!”
I got up and headed towards it.
Inside the mountain shed, Evangeline stood with a puzzled face, pointing with her hand to the courtyard in the middle of the shed.
“look.”
“… … !”
When I saw it, I was surprised and widened my eyes.
In the middle of devastated wild vegetables.
Five people dressed in black military uniforms of the Everblack Empire were sitting.
No, I’m sitting… … .
nodded Chunk.
Bind yourself with chains.
He was sitting on his knees with an eye patch over his eyes and a muzzle over his mouth.
Everyone who entered the courtyard of the living room one by one saw this and became dumbfounded.
“Welcome, Your Highness the Prince. And the people of Crossroads.”
The man sitting in the middle of the five prisoners slowly opened his mouth.
“Five of us death row inmates have been waiting for you to come.”
He was the only one of the prisoners not wearing an eyepatch and muzzle, but he was still chained.
‘Did he tie it himself?’
why?
At best you had a chance to run away, so why didn’t you run away, waiting for us while restraining yourself?
“We have absolutely no intention of breaking or escaping, and we want the sentence to be carried out and reported to the top as quickly as possible.”
The man slowly raised his head.
Brilliant light green hair flowed from under the hood of the tattered imperial military uniform.
I opened my mouth slightly in surprise.
There is only one race in this game that has that hair color.
‘Elf… … ?!’
“Please, everyone.”
The male elf lowered his head and spat out again.
“Please execute the death penalty as soon as possible. If that doesn’t work, you can cut your throat right here.”
The rest of the prisoners also bowed their heads deeply.
I kept spitting out words I couldn’t quite understand.
“Please kill us.”
“… … .”
No, what do you kill?
I screamed inwardly.
‘You guys have it as my sub party! I can’t die!’
