Barbarian in a Failed Game

Chapter 42: Border Town (2)

The sight of the bandits, their faces hidden behind black masks similar to the one on their horse, seemed almost like a boast of their true identity. However, their comical appearance was no reason to underestimate their capabilities. At a glance, about ten lightly armed riders were visible, a force capable of trampling over infantry several times their number just by charging.

“We’re not even fully in the north yet…?” Among the group, Ron, the most experienced, muttered in dismay. It seemed the bandits had noticed Khan’s group as well, as they could be seen shouting and gesturing aggressively, drawing their swords in a manner that left little room for avoiding a confrontation.

“What should we do…? I have time to use a spell but there are so many…”

Hearing Jan’s worried voice, Khan surveyed the surroundings. The open field and the path offered no cover that could protect them from a cavalry charge.

“Ugh,” Khan sighed, stepping forward.

“Stay behind me. Aim for the horses with your spells if possible. Maya and Ron, protect Jan.”

Having said that, Khan drew his axe from his belt. The hefty weight transmitted through his hand, and the faces of the horseback riders were visible as the distance closed.

“Move it──!”

“If you don’t want to die, beat it!”

“Looks like these bastards own the road.”

Khan responded to the curses shouted at him by raising his middle finger and lifting his axe high.

Seeing this, the bandits also raised their broad swords towards the sky. Given the way they spaced themselves out to avoid colliding with each other, only two would actually engage Khan.

“In the end, people have the right of way on roads, you bastards.”

Crack-!

The superhuman strength of the barbarian warrior left no room for the sword strikes from horseback, and two riders crashed to the ground with a crunching noise.

“Not bad for a warm-up.”

Having shattered the charge head-on and still standing tall, Khan’s figure alone was enough to instill fear in the bandits. They forgot even to turn their reins, rushing past Khan’s group.

And then, realization struck them too late. What the hell did I just witness?

“Damn, it’s a monster! Run for it!”

“It’s a gray greenskin! What kind of human is that…?”

‘These bastards…?’

Khan’s face contorted in anger and he almost threw his axe after them, but he could only watch as the bandits fled. Chasing after the horseback riders would require too much effort for what it was worth.

‘They wouldn’t have been worth the experience points anyway…’

“Are, are they gone?”

“What the heck was that…?”

The group was left bewildered by the bandits who had charged in only to flee immediately after. Seeing someone demolish a cavalry charge on foot was indeed shocking.

“So, what kind of idiots were they?”

Khan, shaking off the blood from his axe, frowned. It felt like being hit and run, though in reality, it was the car that got wrecked.

“…It’s strange for the bandits to show up already. Normally, they wouldn’t dare come near a border town.”

“Something must have happened, don’t you think?”

“Miss Maya must know if she’s been to the border town. That’s not a place where the bandits, bold as they are in numbers, would try anything.”

“That’s true, but for the bandits to raid beyond the border town itself is unusual.”

As the mercenaries debated among themselves, Khan, examining the bodies he had downed, suddenly knelt down.

‘This is…’

From the bodies came two daggers of identical design—sheath, hilt, and blade all perfectly matched. They appeared to be made by the same person, and given their poor quality, they seemed more decorative than practical.

“Ron. Take a look at this dagger.”

“A dagger?”

Ron, who had been deeply engaged in a heated debate with Maya, scurried over at Khan’s call and examined the dagger.

After staring at the dagger as if struggling to remember something, Ron suddenly exclaimed in astonishment.

“This. It looks like something the soldiers of Al-Rasdel would use. Our destination, Al-Ranzas, is several days away from that city. Why would something belonging to their soldiers be here….”

“It’s not rare for a soldier to turn into a thief. Especially in the north.”

Khan was right.

The north, except for a few affluent cities, was mostly impoverished, spending the year in want.

Thus, it was quite common for soldiers from small towns or towns to turn into thieves and go looting.

However, Ron shook his head, dismissing Khan’s speculation.

“Al-Rasdel might be a small city, but it’s fairly wealthy thanks to its trade in high-bred warhorses. It might make sense around the city, but not for them to come all this way just to loot.”

“Then what could these be.”

“Perhaps a soldier from Al-Rasdel deserted…?”

Ron trailed off, as if not fully convinced by his own suggestion.

Khan, scratching the back of his head with a puzzled look, decided to just continue on their way.

What’s the big deal about bandits running wild in the north.

Maybe it’s just an expansion of their ‘business’ area, Khan concluded, not quite believing his own reasoning.

“Let’s go. We should reach the border town by half a day and get some good rest.”

At that moment, according to Ron, they were only half a day’s journey from the border town.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud…!

“Damn it.”

Khan, cursing out loud, glared toward the sound of galloping hooves.

A group of five riders were charging along the road leading to the border town.

‘Here we go again with this nonsense.’

It was just recently that they had driven off a band of masked marauders, and encountering another armed group on horseback provoked Khan’s ire.

Khan scowled but didn’t forget what he was prepared to do: ready himself to meet the charge with his axe.

Unexpectedly, upon spotting Khan and his group, the newcomers slowed their pace.

Then, after closing in to a distance where conversation was feasible, they came to a complete halt.

What now? As Khan wondered, Ron called out from behind him.

“Aren’t you all from the patrol group? Why have you come this far?”

“…Pardon?”

“Pardon! It’s the iron hammer!”

The tension Khan had been holding at the ready dissipated at the familiar tone, and his arms fell to his sides. Jan also relaxed, no longer appearing as though he would cast a spell at any moment.

“What’s happening?”

“Ah. Those folks aren’t marauders. They’re friends from the patrol group of the border town. Don’t they all look too respectable to be thieves?”

“Respectable looking…?”

Khan scanned the ‘patrol group’ — four young men and one middle-aged man — with a dubious eye.

They wore mismatched armor and had no identifying insignia. The younger ones did indeed seem too clean-cut to be thieves, but not to the degree of being called respectable.

It was more like their appearance might involuntarily elicit the word ‘harmless.’ They were just ordinary.

“…What. The one who said he’d hole up in the west for a while, why has he returned here?”

The middle-aged man, appearing to be the leader of the group, asked Ron. His face bore many scars, and he had the distinct gaze of someone who had lived by the sword.

“Reason is. I’m a mercenary, so I’m here on a job. Came as this gentleman’s guide. He has business in the north-.”

“This way?”

The middle-aged interrupted Ron and scrutinized Khan from head to toe.

Noticing Khan’s fearsome muscles and daunting axe, he softened his attitude slightly when he next spoke.

“A barbarian then. In the north, we can hardly welcome such a race as guests. Don’t tell me you’re the notorious Decapitator?”

Jan, who had been at the very back, clamped his mouth shut in surprise at the middle-aged man’s question. Fortunately, the man didn’t catch on and kept his gaze firmly on Khan.

“…Well. I don’t recall going by the name ‘Decapitator.’”

“Is that so?”

The middle-aged man seemed to believe Khan, nodding slightly.Maya shot Khan a reproachful look, as if to condemn his lies, but Khan stood his ground with confidence. After all, wasn’t it just a nickname they had arbitrarily assigned to themselves?

“So,” Khan began, “according to what this guy says, you’re from a local militia in a border town, and it’s unusual for you to venture this far. Has something happened?”

“Happened? Of course, something has. These days, it’s rare when there isn’t something going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just as I said. As I mentioned earlier, the situation in the north is quite chaotic right now. Some lunatics are proclaiming themselves as the new rulers of the north. Entire towns and estates are being brought to ruin overnight…”

“The real problem is the bandits! Those who never dared approach this area before are suddenly expanding their territory!”

Listening quietly to the middle-aged man’s words, a young man suddenly exploded with anger.

Khan simply nodded nonchalantly, signaling for him to continue.

“The border town used to be a kind of safe zone, where bandits dared not rampage. They knew better than to mess with us. But soon after the town chief….”

“Stop!”

The middle-aged man’s angry voice buried the young man’s words.

The young man, scolded, visibly deflated, his shoulders drooping, and the middle-aged man who had rebuked him didn’t seem too pleased either.

‘Seems like there’s trouble,’ Khan thought, picking up on the subtle atmosphere between the young and middle-aged men. Could this be related to the ‘northern abnormalities’ that Jerome mentioned?

“Anyway. The situation in the north is serious lately. I won’t stop you from going about your business, but it would be wise to be cautious.”

“Thanks for the advice. So, why have you come all the way here?”

“Recently, a gang of bandits wearing black hoods passed through the border town. We were in pursuit. By any chance, have you seen them?”

“We did.”

At Khan’s signal, Ron pulled out a blood-stained black hood from his backpack, a relic from a bandit felled by Khan’s axe.

“You’ve encountered them!”

“Yes. But chasing them might not be wise. They’re long gone by now.”

“…Is that so.”

The middle-aged man looked at the hood with an enigmatic expression, then quietly turned his horse around.

“Follow me. It feels insufficient as a reward for dealing with two of them on my behalf, but I’ll help you pass through the gate directly.”

*

*

*

The middle-aged man, who introduced himself as Gion, kept his word.

Thanks to his handling of various ID verifications at the gate, their journey accelerated considerably.

Khan noticed that Ron’s presence seemed to ease any suspicions significantly.

“I used to be a mercenary myself. Worked for about ten years before retiring to the border town. There’s no better proof of my word in the border town than a friend who has been active for longer and is still in prime condition.”

“Heh, see? That’s the kind of guy I am, Khan.”

“Though he might be a bit too mouthy which could eat away at his dignity, in Argon, he’s among the best mercenaries you can find.”

“What are you saying, Gion!”

As trivial banter ensued, the tension within the group significantly eased.

However, the young mercenaries under Gion’s lead barely acknowledged Khan and his group, not out of awkwardness but seemingly out of discomfort.

‘What do I care.’

Khan decided to ignore it, as they were already nearing the border town close enough for it to come into view. An end to the uncomfortable company was, therefore, imminent.

“We should be able to see it soon. There.”

“Wow…”

Reacting to Gion’s prompt, Jan exclaimed in amazement upon seeing the border town’s exterior.

Khan could understand the reaction. Encircled by a barrier taller than him and interspersed with watchtowers, the border town appeared well-manned, indicating an abundance of watchful eyes.

Moreover, a moat ran around the external barricades, suggesting that breaching them would be a considerable challenge.

The sturdy wooden gates looked as though even several strong men couldn’t force them open.

What stood out most, however, were individuals in plate armor guarding the gates, resembling knights.

Ordinarily, individuals with the status of knights were either lords of manors or close confidants of urban nobility, rarely tasked with mundane duties like gatekeeping.

Thus, the sight of what seemed to be knights on guard duty struck Khan as somewhat surreal.

‘Though they look more like mercenaries in armor.’

As if guiding the group, Gion took the lead on his horse. As they approached, and the scenery of the border town unfolded beyond Gion’s figure, he smiled faintly.

“Welcome to the border town, a haven for travelers.”