Chapter 558
My Villains Episode 558
69. infiltration(1)
I swallowed dry saliva unconsciously as I looked at the four men and horses running towards me with their backs to the sun..
“coming.”
I felt ten to twenty times more nervous than when I felt the presence of Anupads..
On the other hand, despite the signal I sent, my subordinates only glanced briefly in the direction of the riders and continued to move the Anupads, which had become charcoal, to the roadside and throw them. Less than half took special action.
Iopiya, who was hiding behind the cart, disguised himself as a flying squirrel, and the bundle of two dog heads, which had been put down, climbed through the shadows and into the bushes..
Ellen put on her hood and hid among the wizard-looking men, while Mira, Simos, and Fritz approached the cart pretending to pack up their luggage..
The rest didn't require much preparation. I was already fully camouflaged, and the rest of my men were from Longville in the first place..
“Is anyone injured??”
These were the words uttered by the middle-aged man at the head of Longville's cavalrymen who quickly approached the hill. Although the words are short, they contain some consideration. I was relieved that my reunion with Longville would not start off unpleasantly..
I quickly glanced at the troopers and deduced the identity of the middle-aged man..
“None, Nari. Our wizard friend here took care of it..”
When I said that and tapped Kal Ain on the shoulder, he quietly nodded..
“Was it magic after all?.”
He was a middle-aged man who could be seen at a glance as a knight. Let alone the stocky physique, sharp eyes, or subtle sense of force, this is obvious just by looking at the muscular war horse and plate armor..
3A year ago, I stayed in Longville for only about six weeks at most. However, because there were so many dramatic incidents, there were quite a few people who turned their faces around..
Thanks to this, I might be meeting someone I know - I was worried and excited at the same time, but all the middle-aged knights and cavalrymen were people I didn't remember..
“I have to look at the pack..”
As the middle-aged knight clapped his hands on his horse, Cal Ain took out a copper card from his chest and held it out..
The knight, who handed the hand he had snatched up to another rider, pointed at the heads at my feet..
“Was that a two-headed Anupad??”
“you're right. He was spewing annoying curses on the subject of Anupad..”
“Curse me. What was it specifically??”
It was an unexpected question, but I answered calmly, remembering the spelling of 'Kalchaek and Ulio'..
“It was literally annoying. Just enough to make you deaf and blind for a moment?”
“Is that all??”
“yes. Before I could do any more nonsense, I cut off his head..”
“Hmm…….”
The knight seemed lost in thought and tapped the saddle with his gauntleted hand..
I looked at his expression with a calm face and fumbled with the snake-shaped bracelet around his wrist. Hrunting vibrated low..
“……You were lucky..”
“Ah, yes?”
“Said I was lucky.”
“What do you mean by that?.”
“Two- Headed Anupad is a much more powerful shaman than you think. It uses a terrible curse that causes scars to burst and blood to pour out like a fountain. They say no one with a scar, no matter how small or faint, can stand up to him..”
Calchaek and Ulio wrote ‘Incision’?
Regardless of what his spell set was, there was no way that a named person from Chapter 3 could use such an advanced curse. Has he at least reached a level with the monster theme??
Well, if you look at the growth of my subordinates, it's not something you can't understand. There is no law that prevents Anupad from learning new spells..
As I was about to organize my thoughts, the rider who had just received Cal Ain's tile from the knight licked his lips and placed his hand on the tile. The blue-white glow that flowed from the palm illuminated the copper card..
Because of his appearance, I naturally thought he was an ordinary cavalryman, but was he a wizard?.
“The warrior's palace, Aern…….”
The wizard who finished checking gave a small exclamation. He nodded at the middle-aged knight and returned the tile to Cal Ain..
“I thought he was an unusual person because the letters were engraved with sandpaper and gold. You trained at a prestigious school..”
‘'Aern' is a magic school that is famous for producing powerful warlocks, even though it is not very large in scale. It is also considered a close collateral branch of La-Palais Palace..
Master Hagni, who suddenly became similar to Elen's disciple, was also a wizard with one foot in Aern, and of course the card held by Cal Ain was genuine..
“Then other people-”
“I will guarantee the identity of the wizards accompanying you..”
Kal Ain, who had gathered his cards, spoke in a stern voice, and the wizard quickly retreated..
“Whatever the luck, I can't deny the fact that I made a big contribution..”
Perhaps because the confirmation of the wizards was over, the knight's tone became softer. He waved his hand at the helmet with his face armor up and greeted me again..
“This is ‘Pewan’, a knight of Longville. On behalf of the Regent, Baroness Dionea, and the people of the Barony of Agnig, I express my respect and gratitude..”
“My name is Ludo. As you can see, I'm eating a lot of food. And thank you, we were just attacked on the way..”
“Whatever the intention, it doesn't change the fact that you are indebted to him..”
Lord Phewan inquired about our destination and recommended that we stay overnight in the city. The bounty on the two-headed Anupad was quite large, so the recommendation to take it was a bonus..
“The regent is a person who values talented people very much. If you have the ability and will, you can obtain a high position, whether in the residence hall or in the military. Longville is a territory that is developing day by day, so it is a perfect place to settle down and start a new life..”
This guy is making a recruitment offer after seeing each other for some time..
My guess is that Lord Phewan is not particularly affable. Isn't the situation in Longville that there is always a shortage of workers, despite the abundance of products and surplus land? It wasn't strange for such naturally flirty comments to come out..
I responded appropriately and was deep in thought..
Of course, I also planned to stay in Longville for a day. I didn't mean to sell memories, it was because I needed to..
Trosher, beyond the Graduil Pass, is the territory of the king's sixteen horsemen. It was literally the front yard of the royal family, so getting enough rest and supplies before crossing the hill was not an option, but a necessity..
However, it was a bit burdensome to set foot in Longville with this much attention..
First of all, there are more than a few vassals I know at the lordship of Longville, including training leader Chester, steward Edita, and scribe Veldin..
I heard that Amias, who was a colleague of Cole, Mira, Steedman, etc., was also a sergeant here - no, he was promoted at some point and was acting as an officer of some sort..
So, I planned to have those in my group who were at risk of being caught wait outside and enter Longville with just a few people..
“Why is there a problem??”
“……Ah, that's it.”
Seeing Sir Phewan's puzzled expression, I quickly added to avoid suspicion..
“Money and budget are a bit tight. I need to save money because I have a lot of things to buy, but staying in the city is probably a no-brainer.-”
“Huh, what else can I say... … . Wouldn't it be advisable to stay and provide a place to stay??”
“Uh, but Nari..”
“I'll get you the best room in Longville, so don't worry and follow me..”
The driver recklessly gestured and took the lead..
It may sound like a recommendation at first, but it was impossible to do something foolish in a place with a clear view of Longville. In the end, we had no choice but to follow him..
As seen from a distance, Longville was taking on the appearance of a typical castle town..
The ramp leading to the entrance was wide and flat enough to accommodate three or four carts, and there were tents and stalls set up by merchants on both sides of the road..
It was still early in the morning, so there weren't many people coming and going, but the loud and busy noise typical of the city was already spreading beyond the double towering walls..
Meanwhile, unlike the city, which was tossing and turning to shake off drowsiness, the looks in the eyes of the soldiers guarding the gates were extremely ghastly. Three years ago and now, Longville's soldiers looked very disciplined..
However, unlike in the past, instead of quilted armor, they wore chain armor and plate breastplates, and their armament was much improved, showing that they had spent a lot of money..
As I was secretly observing the soldiers, I felt both joy and confusion at the faces I saw among them..
What I saw was none other than Amias..
He was standing on top of the gatehouse, holding a heavy ax spear, and I could immediately recognize him even from a distance. Although he appeared more mature as he entered his 30s, his sturdy physique, square jaw, and snub nose remained the same..
It would have been many times more embarrassing if he had been with the security guard guarding the gate, but fortunately he did not come down from the gate tower..
Amias glanced at us with indifferent eyes, looked around, said a few words to the sergeants, and then disappeared somewhere..
Mira, Fritz, Simos, etc., who were worried that they might make eye contact with him, were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief..
Things that I don't know if it was a wonderful coincidence or inevitable happened continued afterwards. The accommodation that Lord Pewan guided us to was none other than the ‘Golden Sword’..
In the past, it was a tavern with a very special appearance due to its unusually large size and red tiles, but these days, the surrounding buildings are of similar size and shape, so it is not so noticeable..
However, the original backyard was remodeled and the number of rooms was greatly increased, and an official inn sign was even put up..
After listening to Lord Pewan's explanation, it seems that it is still the best inn in Longville then and now..
Other than that, the clean stables, the stable keeper with impressive overlapping teeth, and the pot-bellied owner were all the same. It was even consistent with the fact that most of the guests crowding the hall, befitting the name Golden Sword, were mercenaries..
He left behind the complex examination, which was both welcome and uncomfortable, and let his subordinates relieve their travel fatigue..
It was around noon, as we were getting ready to visit the market to buy food and supplies, that Lord Pewan came to us with some good but also bad news..
“I guess I won't be able to meet the Baroness... … . This really made me feel embarrassed, yeah.”
“……Oh, is that right??”
“It may be unfortunate, but I hope you understand. The timing is not good at all.”
The knight smiled bitterly and handed over a bag full of silver coins. I was more interested in what he said instead of the big bounty..
“I picked up rumors as I went. Master Nyxian-”
“You are busy with the affairs of the estate..”
Sir Phewan cut off his words in a very stern tone..
“I don't know where you heard it, but don't listen to empty rumors. Ludo, I'm speaking for you..”
“Ah, yes.”
His expression hardened for a moment before the middle-aged knight cleared his throat and smiled tentatively..
“It's a pity that I can't see you right away, but as I said before, the regent is a person who values talented people. I think you'll be able to get some rest in two or three days, so if you rest for a few days, I might be able to tell you something..”
I pretended to be worried - no, I was actually thinking, but I politely declined..
When I made the excuse that the trip was urgent, he became disappointed and repeatedly asked me to wait, but eventually resigned and walked away..
However, the only thing he gave up was me, a swordsman named ‘Ludo’. This means that the rest of the party was not.
While I was at the market with Goleman and some of his subordinates, several people believed to be Baron Anig's lowest vassals came to my lodgings..
Their purpose was mainly to recruit subordinates disguised as mercenary wizards, such as Cal Ain and Engliu. Naturally, no one achieved success..
After visiting the market, I heard that the conditions were incredibly generous for a mere man. First of all, the amount was so outrageous that Mira, who heard the proposal along with Master Epose, almost nodded without even realizing it..
Staying in the territory while rejecting all the offers sent by the lord through his vassals would have been quite burdensome for ordinary mercenaries. As we had to act like a typical mercenary gang, we had no choice but to decide to leave for the north as soon as tomorrow dawned..
As the night deepened in Longville, it reached midnight..
After putting Ellen to sleep, I climbed over the wall of the residence with the help of a bundle..
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