Chapter 21: Red Wolf (1)

“Why is the fort so restless these days?”

“Ugh, it’s all because of that damn civil war, what else.”

At Thomas’s question, Joseph put down his beer mug and replied with a weary tone.

Is he really asking because he doesn’t know? Even a woodcutter should have ears to hear.

“You mean that empire civil war? What on earth does that have to do with us?”

At first glance, it’s easy to think that way.

What does the empire’s civil war have to do with this place, Remt Village?

This village, located between the Republic of Lepent and the Kingdom of Arian, is far from the conflict.

“Well, seriously, are you really that clueless? Do you even know how many years that empire’s civil war has been dragging on?”

“Uh… one year?”

“Five years, actually. They’ve been fighting each other to death. Damn bastards.”

“So what?”

“So what? Because those bastards are conscripting everywhere, and the deserters and wounded soldiers end up crawling north.”

“Oh…”

Just as he said, the northern area has become extremely dangerous these days. Not because of monsters, but because of humans.

Recently, there have been rumors about villages being raided, entire settlements burned down.

These grim rumors never seem to stop.

Merchants who used to pass through frequently have completely stopped coming.

The only ones who travel are large escort groups.

Naturally, those groups don’t come all the way into villages like this.

Joseph continued with a frustrated voice.

“Thanks to that, the usual merchants have vanished… and on top of that, the grain prices are soaring… Damn it, what the hell are the nobles doing?”

At that, the Innkeeper, who was cleaning glasses behind the counter, called out.

“Hey, Joseph! Watch your mouth. The guards warned you last time!”

“Well, those guards aren’t here now… ugh.”

Ignoring him, Joseph took another gulp of beer.

Ah, let them say what they want.

“Come to think of it, don’t we have the village guard here? Shouldn’t that at least be some comfort?”

“Hmph, a guard force barely over ten guys, what kind of power do you think that holds?”

“Eh, even if there are many bandits, how many can there be? That should be enough.”

“You’re too optimistic,” Joseph said, unwilling to agree with Thomas.

He just looked clueless.

Not that he had any better idea himself.

But then, suddenly—

clang!

“Hey, you all!”

The guard force burst through the inn’s door and shouted loudly.

“Ah! Guards! Sorry, sorry!”

Joseph shouted nervously, but the guards frowned in irritation.

“What’s this nonsense? Stop dawdling and get everyone gathered! Everyone in here!”

“…Huh? What’s going on?”

Now that Thomas saw it, the guards’ expressions were filled with anxiety.

“Bandits. At least by their looks, they seem like serious ones.”

Thomas and Joseph couldn’t help but open their mouths in disbelief.

***

“W-who are those guys?”

“Are they really bandits? In broad daylight?”

The men gathered on the makeshift barricade looked anxiously toward the village entrance.

There, a disorderly group of rough-looking men in ragged clothes were approaching the village.

“Quiet, quiet!”

The few village guards tried to control the nervous men, but it wasn’t easy.

“Do we know what their goal is?”

The guard captain bit his lip and asked the others, but all shook their heads.

Still, they were all speculating—they certainly didn’t come with good intentions.

“That’s enough! Don’t come any closer! Who the hell are you?”

As they got closer, the guard captain shouted.

Then one of the unknown group answered.

“We’re just travelers! We only want to rest in the village for a while!”

The shameless lie made several frown involuntarily.

Some among them even chuckled at the response.

Damn it.

“What kind of travelers travel in a pack like you? Stop talking nonsense and get lost!”

“Really! We just happened to meet along the way!”

“If you don’t leave now, we’ll attack!”

The guard captain drew his bow and aimed.

The man answering raised his hands and started to retreat.

“Wait, wait! Calm down! If that’s the case, we’ll back off!”

“…Counting to three. Until then… Gaahhh!”

“Captain!”

An arrow suddenly pierced the guard captain’s throat.

Now they could see several among the group secretly drawing crossbows and bows.

The man speaking was just stalling for time to draw attention.

Once the target went down with a single shot, cheers erupted among them.

“Nice! Got him in one hit!”

“Sent him off in one shot, heh heh.”

“If you don’t open the door right now, we’ll do the same to you! Open up, you bastards!”

The bandits’ threats threw the villagers into chaos.

Most of the villagers had no combat experience, so it was a natural outcome.

“What do we do now?”

“If we open the door and surrender now…”

“Y-yeah, they said they’re travelers, so maybe just a moment…”

But then the veteran guard interrupted firmly.

“Stupid! If you open up, we’re all dead! Attack immediately, attack!”

Only then did the guards raise their bows, and the villagers began throwing whatever they could find.

Their resistance was laughably weak.

A few bandits fell to arrows, but most were unharmed.

That was because most at the front were holding wooden shields.

“Hooks! Use hooks to pull down the barricade!”

“Loot! Loot!”

The bandits skillfully hooked the barricades and began pulling hard.

Arrows flew mercilessly at those trying to cut the hooks.

“No, no! Stop them! We have to cut the hooks!”

Despite the veteran guard’s desperate cries, the barricades began to tilt easily.

“It’s collapsing!”

“Get down now!”

The inexperienced villagers panicked and scrambled under the barricades.

In an instant, the barricades crumbled.

“Got it! Let’s rush inside!”

“Women first! Find the women!”

“Alcohol first! Bring the alcohol!”

A pack of wolves surged forward, and the villagers’ faces filled with terror.

Compared to these inexperienced villagers who had rarely even fought, the bandits were skilled.

“Ah! D-damn it!”

“Block them! Or we’re all dead… Ugh!”

The veteran guard’s head was split open by an axe blow as he shouted with all his might.

The rest had no choice but to turn their backs.

The village quickly descended into chaos.

***

“Aaa! P-please spare me!”

A desperate blonde woman screamed.

“Hahaha! How long has it been since I last got a woman?”

One of the bandits with a dirty appearance grabbed the trembling woman and flicked his tongue.

She looked barely twelve, crying and begging for mercy.

“P-please don’t kill me!”

“Whoa, listen to that voice! Got me drooling already!”

The man, exhausted from long days on the run, began undoing his pants, unable to hold back.

Another bandit stopped him.

“Hey! We don’t have time for that. Whether it’s women or booze, pack it up quickly and get going!”

“What? All the men here are dead or escaped, what are you talking about?”

“You idiot! Haven’t you heard the rumors? The Lion Knight Order! They’re around here!”

The Lion Knight Order’s Red Wolf.

A name recently becoming notorious around the border area between the Republic of Lepent and the Kingdom of Arian.

They were famous for sweeping away bandits who raided merchants and villages alike in one swift blow.

Rumor had it their leader was cruel enough to enjoy torturing captives.

They were said to mutilate corpses, sticking the parts on stakes or horses.

There were even whispers that they drank blood and tore out hearts alive.

In any case, they were feared by all the outlaws in the area.

“Damn it! I’ve been wandering for months and now all this because of those damn rumors?”

“Whether the rumors are true or not, we’re getting out of here. Stop whining and follow me!”

“You arrogant bastard…!”

And at that moment—

whistle sound-

The shrill blast of a horn echoed through the village.

The greedy bandits and the terrified villagers alike all turned their eyes toward the village entrance.

A moment of silence.

“T-that!”

“D-damn! It’s them!”

What appeared before them was dozens of knights clad in silver armor atop horses.

A crimson lion emblem emblazoned on their crimson capes over their chest plates.

And at the front, a man with red hair wielding a sword.

“The Lion Knight Order!”

“It’s the Red Wolf! Damn it! Run!”

The bandits who had been the target of rumors looked paralyzed with fear.

They quickly abandoned any thoughts of looting or fighting, choosing to flee.

At the leader’s signal, the knights charged forward.

“R-run… Aah!”

Javelins and arrows flew from the horses, striking only the bandits.

Thud thud thud!

Then came the merciless trampling of hooves.

“Damn, get out of the way!”

“Save me… ugh!”

People trampled by horses flew like popcorn.

In some cases, that was mercy—the moment they hit the ground was their last.

“Ugh, aaaah!”

One unlucky bandit named Rens was sent flying into the sky, regardless of his will.

The poor bastard’s pants had slipped halfway down—the same one who tried to assault the girl earlier.

After flying forcibly, spitting blood, he finally collapsed.

“Stick together, you bastards! Group up in the narrow alleys!”

One of the more experienced bandits grabbed a wooden shield and shouted.

He was right—cavalry couldn’t operate well in narrow streets.

The red-haired man at the front checked that Rens was dead, then casually tossed his body toward the cluster of bandits.

As if showing off.

“Eek!”

The calm and merciless attitude terrified the bandits.

Ignoring that, the man slowly dismounted and drew the sword tied to his saddle.

“Good day.”

The Red Wolf, with green eyes, looked over the trembling bandits.

With such a casual greeting, the wolves swallowed dry.

“No answer? How disappointing.”

Still no response.

“Fine, I’ll spare the first one who speaks. How about it?”

“G-go away, monster… guh!”

A bold bandit shouted, only to be struck down by a dagger in the neck.

Without hesitation, the leader dashed through the gap.

“Kill him! Kill that bastard!”

If the leader charges into the pack, who will escape?

Sheep? No need to ask.

Only pitiful screams echoed among the flock.

“crunch!”

“Ah! My arm!”

“Run for it!”

The leader tore through the pack like a fish in water.

Every step left blood spurting and flesh flying.

After a few minutes, not a single bandit remained alive.

The leader stretched as if finishing exercise, satisfied.

“My lord.”

One of the knights who had dismounted addressed him.

“Phew. Yes, Dain Kyung.”

The blood-stained Red Wolf, Glenn, smiled faintly and replied.