Novels online

Chapter 51

My Villains Episode 051

14. berserker(2)

The voyage, which started out peacefully, faced a crisis as the night seas turned black..

What broke the peace was none other than my shouting..

“Hey, it's a pirate.!”

A sailboat appeared under the dim moonlight..

The sailing ship that appeared from the southwest had its sails folded, but-

Crazy, it's so fast?

Dozens of pairs of long oars lined up on both sides were pushing the sea as if one person was rowing..

My mouth dropped open as I saw a huge ship that seemed to be over 40 meters long approaching quickly..

“Go to land, go to land!”

Hearing the urgent voice of skirmisher Romet, Mr. Randel and Grania on the starboard gritted their teeth and rowed..

The boat quickly changed direction and soon began heading towards the beach..

Although the high tide had passed, the waves were still strong, so the boat was faster than expected..

But Arnal, who was sitting at the stern, shouted with a stern expression on his face..

“Damn it, I'm going to catch up at this rate! faster!”

The reason Arnal showed his impatience was because the sailboat turned to follow us and began to unfurl its sails..

But, it’s not something to worry about, right? The coast is already just around the corner?

The moment I thought,

“Uh-uhh?”

The sailboat riding on the wind picked up incredible speed as if it had a motor..

“I'll catch up... a little faster!”

Part of me wanted to row right away, but I had to hold back..

The chemistry of the four people who had been rowing so far was not bad, and if I got impatient and used too much force, the boat could have turned. Meanwhile, the distance to the sailing ship was gradually narrowing..

Shit, I'm not going to get crushed by the bow of the ship if I do this.?

If I had stayed closer to the shore and driven the boat, I would have been able to escape sooner, but there is no use in regretting it. It was also unplanned that pirates appeared so quickly in the first place..

There's no way they knew our plan in advance, so it must have been a patrolling ship... It seems the sea siege was tighter than we thought. Or maybe I'm just unlucky.

“Chi it.”

As the sailing ship approached, Arnal let out a loud noise and strung his bow..

Seeing that sight sent a chill down my spine, so I quickly lifted the shield I was wearing. It was because I remembered being an arrow holder in the first battle I fought in this world..

The shield supplied to me at the request of the prince looked different from the one I had used before..

On Earth, it was commonly called a 'heater shield', and was a shield commonly used by cavalrymen on horseback..

The size was barely enough to cover my upper body and the weight was light, so I wasn't satisfied with it, but it wasn't something I couldn't use..

“Ellen, come here.”

I looked at the pirates standing on the deck of the sailboat and pulled Ellen towards me. He stood next to me without saying a word and whispered softly..

“trunnion.”

“ hmm‘?”

““Once we hit the ground, let’s take a look at the situation and run north.” "•••what'?" What is this nonsense all of a sudden? Now come on.?

“There's no reason to go back to South Harbour..”

“Why are you saying that now??”

“There is no need to worry about the castle lord or the prince now. We have another choice.”

...That's true.

Not to mention the castle lord of South Harbor, Prince Ulkar must have been busy fighting against magic enemies..

Since the given mission had been completed, there would not have been a bounty placed on him even if he had secretly taken him out during the chaos..

I looked down at the blue eyes for a moment, hesitated, and then opened my mouth..

“Don't forget that you have options..”

“then…?”

“Still, let's do as much as we can..”

Ellen frowned in frustration at my words..

“Are you kidding? There is a limit to gambling with your life. If you run away as much as you can, pirates or magicians will let you go.?”

“Forget all that petty heroism. We've done enough.”

It's heroism.

Well, it's not wrong. The reason I can't run away is because I perceive myself as a hero, that is, a 'player'..

Considering the scenario in the game, the protagonist role in this world was mine no matter how I thought about it..

When I run away, will another character appear and solve the scenario for me? No, I didn't think so..

A vague belief that if it weren't for me, South Harbor, and even the world, would perish. What is this if not presumptuous heroism??

•••Ha, it suddenly strikes me..

It's like you think I'm the only one who can save the world. I'm not even a 2nd year student, I'm almost 30 years old..

To be honest, I don't have the courage to go through the demon world to save the world..

But that doesn't mean I don't want to run away just to save my life. Because it would also be scary to sit back and watch the planned end..

Even if it's not a big deal, comfort yourself by doing something right away. That was the life that Seungsu Kim lived for me..

“I am-”

Just when I was about to answer.

Wedge! I raised my head in the direction where the sound was coming from, pulled Ellen towards me and raised my shield..

Kwajak!

A blue arrowhead pierced the shield and poked its head in..

“Ugh,”

Crazy, someone's shield was pierced by one arrow.?

The solemn resolution was short-lived, and the desire to run away rose up..

The pirates gathered at the bow of the sailboat rained down arrows. Most people say 'Pow!' It disappeared under the water with a sound and a small foam, but some arrows managed to hit the boat..

“Damn it, pick up the shield.!”

“No, just go a little further.!

Hold the oar!”

Romet, who was pulling the bow from the bow, shouted as if he was struggling..

However, an arrow fired from behind is stuck at his feet. In this situation, it was almost impossible to row while looking ahead..

As the soldiers threw away their oars and raised their shields, Grania, who had been standing alone, had no choice but to let go of his oars..

Naturally, the speed slowed down, the distance from the sailboat got closer, and the number of arrows hitting the boat increased rapidly..

As I looked up at the night sky and blocked the arrows, I had no choice but to throw my head down while hugging Ellen..

The good news is that the speeding boat reached the beach before it was trampled by the sailboat..

The unfortunate thing is that during the brief firefight, the prince's personal soldiers, Mayer, middle-aged scouts Rommet, and Arnal were hit by arrows..

“Bye, Romet!”

“Ugh.”

Romet, who was hit by an arrow in the middle of his chest, died without even being able to scream properly..

My nails broke while scratching the ship's railing and I flipped over, but it seemed so painful that I couldn't even feel it..

“How do I do this?……

Acne-covered skirmisher Aibo traced the dying gunner's wounds with a devastated expression..

“It's already too late! in action!”

Only after Mr. Landel kicked his butt and yelled at him did Ivo come to his senses..

Arnal, whose right forearm was pierced by an arrow, was in a better situation..

“Arnal!”

“Ugh-’’

With Grania's help, she broke the arrow shaft and screamed..

“What are they doing! jump!”

As if Arnal's shout was a signal, we immediately jumped off the boat..

Although the waves hit just before our knees, the group desperately used their legs to climb onto the white beach..

Nearby, a strange-looking ship was stuck with its sails bent. I took a quick look, but didn't see any signs of popularity, and since the situation was urgent, I immediately lost interest..

Meanwhile, the pirates' sailboat could not get close to the beach because its bottom was deep and sharp..

For a moment, I thought they could take a breather thanks to this, but the naked pirates put their swords in their mouths and jumped into the sea all at once..

The men wearing iron masks rode on small rafts from sailboats or swam to the beach by leaning on oak barrels..

At first glance, I noticed that the rowers were also throwing themselves over the railing, holding their weapons. Even at a glance, it seemed like he was well over fifty..

Ha, they are quite persistent..

I led my group up the shore. It was only after climbing up a small rock mound and looking around that I realized where I was..

“This is crazy.”

The stream flowing on the left of the group was clearly the Sogeumgang River that faced us after exiting the secret passage..

A distance that would have taken less than 20 minutes on horseback was covered by paddling for over two hours..

Well, it wasn't a very meaningless thing. Just crossing the Salt River without being detected by the bandits was a great achievement..

Of course, it wasn't much of a consolation since there were a lot of pirates on their tails..

“Hmm, I guess it won't work..”

The person making the groaning sound was Mayer, a middle-aged soldier..

After being shot in the thigh by an arrow, he shook off Mr. Landel and Ivo who were supporting him and then shook his head..

“It's impossible to run away anymore.”

“Randel, I am asking for a mission. I will find a separate way to live, so go first.”

The idea that a wounded soldier would find a way to live alone in a place where thieves were everywhere was, of course, bullshit..

Mr. Landel, who couldn't have known this, just nodded his head in silence. This was because if we delayed our steps like this, we would be caught by pirates..

I felt somewhat upset and looked back at the beach..

The number of pirates chasing after them seemed to be around 60 or 70. There didn't seem to be anyone with a bow because they had to swim..

Honestly, it was a move worth trying. If Ellen supported her with magic, at least she wouldn't die..

If the rest of the party protects Ellen properly, they might be able to win. In any case, Luke can use the ‘Scream of the Abyss’ spell..

“trunnion.”

Ellen seemed to understand my thoughts and pulled the hem of her cloak. The way he furrowed his brows when we made eye contact was a sign that he was telling me not to mess around..

Yeah, that's a crazy idea. Now was the time to run, not fight..

“Let's go quickly.”

“•••huh.”

After catching a glimpse of Mayer sitting on a rock with a hole in it, he started walking. The sound of the six people following behind fell on my shoulder..

20Did you run for about a minute??

First of all, it seems like we have gained some distance from the pirates..

It seemed like it was chasing me relentlessly on the beach, but after running along the Salt River for a while, I couldn't see it anymore. Well, he may be following me from afar, but I don't think he'll catch up right away..

Of course, that didn't mean I could relax..

What I plan to do now is probably ‘Plan B-4’? I didn't discuss it with my companions, but deep down, I thought this could happen..

We were running towards a secret passage..

“Arnal, it's okay.?”

“Whoo, whoo-uh.”

He nodded, breathing heavily, but Arnal's face had already turned pale..

The arrow stuck in his arm was broken and couldn't be caught, and blood was constantly gushing out because it wasn't treated properly..

With the intense movement added to it, we had to worry about excessive bleeding..

I glanced at Ellen..

Is this because the overall physical stats have increased? Even though it was difficult, he somehow managed to keep pace with his group. I was very short of breath, but not to the point where I fainted right away..

As soon as I realized that Ellen was in good condition, I picked up Arnal and carried him on my back..

“Ugh, damn it. Leave this-”

Arnal mumbled something for a moment and twisted his body, but then he grabbed his wound in a piggyback position. I was fortunate to be able to avoid a pointless fight..

In the distance, you can see a small mound that people climbed to avoid poisonous smoke. The secret passage was getting closer, and my anxiety soared..

Unless the magic bandits were idiots, they wouldn't have left the secret passageway empty. They'll be crowded around like a pack of dogs, or they'll be guarded by elites..

Will we be able to overcome them??

What if the passageway was completely destroyed? There are enemies everywhere, so you can't just shovel.….

With that in mind, I look ahead...?

“Wait, stop!”

The group all stopped at my low shout. I carefully lowered Arnal to the ground, leaving behind the suspicious looks of the group..

Only then did the group discover the scenery on the hill and mutter in surprised voices..

“What the hell is this….”

“That's terrible.”

Countless bodies were lying on a low hill near the riverbank. Looking at the traces, it seemed like the fight had ended not long ago..

Most of the bodies were from magic bandits, but at first glance, there were a few people with exotic appearances and clothes mixed in..

The person that caught my eye the most was a woman leaning against the base of a tree with an arrow stuck in her neck. She wore a hat decorated with flowers and grass and a long overcoat with geometric patterns. The lips were painted red, the face was painted white, and there was long black paint across the forehead, eyes, and cheekbones, giving it a somewhat creepy look..

There were a few men with long black hair braided like a dog's hair. They were all wearing armor made of leather or bone, and had reddish skin and low noses, making them a race I had never seen before in this world..

The last one was a man so old that it was impossible to guess his age. The old man with long, cleft sides opened his eyes and said, “Wow, I’m surprised.”!”

This old man is alive?

“Are they western barbarians?.”

“West? But in the west-”

“They say that after passing through the plateau, the Mitergeland, and the corridor beyond, wide grasslands spread out. I heard that the barbarians who live there dress like that..”

Leaving behind the conversation between Mr. Luke and Grania, I approached the old man who was out of breath..

The old man was leaning against a small tree, bleeding from the mouth, and his side was cracked..

The sight of him covering his internal organs with his hands, covered in blood, was horrifying, but his eyes were as bright as a tiger's. He was covered in black tattoos on his deep wrinkles and stretched skin, and wore a colorful hat on his head..

The reason I stopped was because that hat was an item I saw ad nauseam while playing Dark World..

A battle hat with dozens of feathers the length of a span and a half hanging down, also known as a 'Warbonnet'.)’.

This strange object maintained its brilliant color and majesty even while its owner was in ruins..

But why- why is a dying old man wearing this??

The old man looked up at me with wrinkled eyes and opened his mouth..

“Are you a thief too??”

As soon as I heard those words, a strange feeling swept through my mind. It was definitely the first time I heard the language, but I understood it as if it were natural..

This is ‘Geland Er’.

“no. I'm a mercenary.”

“Cough, mercenary?”

“yes. You are on a mission to save the city from bandits.”

Mr. Randel spoke impatiently among the group that had caught up behind me..

“I don't know what they're talking about, but it's already late. “We have to move quickly.” "for a moment. please wait for a moment." I quickly asked the old man a question..

“That hat. Are you really old??”

“Heh, of course.”

The old man coughed a few times and closed his eyes..

“‘If not me, Rikuwa Hatanka, who else would be the owner of this thing?.”

‘Hatanka' with Riku? This old man?

•••That can't be possible. The name ‘Hatanka’ is definitely-

“Aqun-ta!”

A roar erupted from not far away. I would believe it even if it was a sound of thunder and not a human sound..

“ O ”

My companions shrugged their shoulders without realizing it, and I turned to look at the owner of the voice. Then he opened his mouth wide..

The Hatanka I knew was there..