Chapter 13: Chapter 13

“Not a troll!”

At Poave’s words, Roden was the first to step forward in protest.

“Shan is a more talented warrior than anyone, but he doesn’t know how to handle spirit yet. His equipment is terrible, too.”

Outstanding reflexes and body control were abilities that would help more than anything else in becoming a knight, but they were ill-suited for monster hunting, especially against such large monsters.

After all, what was needed against such creatures was good weaponry, strong physical strength, and abundant fighting spirit.

Regrettably, all three were virtues that Shan currently lacked.

Shan placed a hand on Roden’s shoulder to stop him as he tried to add more, then answered Poave.

“I’ve heard about them in passing. They were often hunted in the heroic tales of old knights…”

“There is a good reason they appear so often. Trolls are monsters that kill just as many knights as they are killed by them. Inexperienced knights are especially at risk.”

A troll’s height varied from individual to individual, but even the smallest easily exceeded two meters and fifty centimeters.

Standing that tall, with thick muscles, fat, and dense, tough fur covering their entire bodies, their strength and defense were beyond comparison with humans.

Furthermore, even if one managed to wound them, they possessed a magical super-regeneration ability that healed minor injuries in just a few breaths, making them truly formidable foes.

Listening quietly to Poave’s explanation, Shan calmly asked back.

“If we hunt it, will I be doing it alone?”

“How could that be? Fifteen people are already preparing. They are all individuals who have proven their skills in their own right, and among them are two knighted knights.”

Hunting monsters was one of the representative ways for a knight to prove his skill.

Unless it was during wartime or there was prey within their lord’s territory, quite a few knights wandered other regions searching for game.

Both knights participating this time were such cases.

“So you mean you’ll include me in that?”

“Yes. The scheduled departure date is two days from now, but if I put in some effort, I should be able to add one more person.”

That meant Roden could not come along.

Shan, who had been listening quietly, turned his head to ask for his companion’s opinion.

“What do you think, Roden?”

“Well.”

Speaking casually, Roden stroked his beard thoughtfully and groaned.

“Honestly, I’m still a bit worried… but if you’re not going to hunt it alone, it might not be bad.”

The force Poave mentioned seemed sufficient to hunt a troll.

Hunting with a group would not negatively impact their original goal, either.

In the first place, even knights rarely hunted trolls alone, and a teenage boy participating in a hunt and pulling his own weight was enough to prove his talent.

Of course, it would be troublesome if he just dawdled in the back without actively participating, but Roden didn’t even consider such a possibility.

However, his concern now extended in another direction.

“But even if you’re my uncle, can you really put Shan in a place like that? Ordinarily, they wouldn’t let a kid under fifteen join.”

What was the reason why a massive army of over hundreds of men didn’t swarm out for a troll hunt?

For one, the cost was usually unbearable, and if a large number moved together, the troll would feel threatened and not easily show itself.

As such, if they were to include a boy who would not be considered combat power by normal standards, they needed a proper justification.

“It’s simple. I heard that young Shan can see in the dead of night as if it were broad daylight, so we can assign him the role of a scout.”

“Aha!”

Considering that trolls moved regardless of day or night and used deep caves as their dwellings, it was definitely a necessary ability.

Hearing that, Roden thought that if it was an Altoan with such a skill, they would want to take him along even if he were a boy who didn’t know how to fight.

Because even a knight would not come out unscathed if struck by a troll’s club in pitch-black darkness.

“Then you can go for the experience. Just putting your name on a troll hunt counts as building your resume… though I’m a bit anxious that I can’t accompany you.”

“Can I be honest?”

“Go ahead.”

“I don’t know about other things, but when it comes to hunting a troll, having you come along makes me even more anxious, Roden.”

No matter how large Roden’s frame was and how strong he was, it was only at a human level.

Since he couldn’t imbue his shield with fighting spirit to block attacks like experienced knights, a single mistake could result in him being beaten into a bloody pulp by a troll’s club.

Because even speaking as favorably as possible, his reflexes and agility were only around average.

At Shan’s words, Roden groaned softly but could not really refute them.

“Well, that’s true… Alright, let’s give it a try then!”

With all the discussions concluded, Poave left his two guests at the mansion and headed outside.

Since it was a matter of adding a person to the troll expedition with only two days left before departure, he needed to consult with the city’s influential figures as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Shan received a special lesson on troll hunting from Roden.

Having once devoted himself to training to become a knight, Roden possessed quite a bit of knowledge himself, and when they asked the mansion’s servants, they retrieved a few books about trolls from Poave’s library.

Of course, since Shan did not know how to read, Roden read them all out to him.

“Now, a troll’s weakness… their fur is soaked in grease, so it catches fire easily, and once burned, they cannot regenerate easily.”

“So you’re saying setting them on fire is the end of it.”

“Right. But another book says the opposite. It says making a fire or holding a torch near a troll is taboo.”

“Why?”

“Because the moment they see it, they run away and hurl stones.”

Trolls were masters of stone-throwing, so if they set their minds to it, they could hit targets even at a distance of about a hundred meters.

Furthermore, because they were huge and powerful, the stones they threw were larger than a human head.

Naturally, getting hit meant being crippled at minimum, and usually instant death.

The only reason they didn’t usually use that method was simply because they enjoyed the sensation of bashing humans with clubs or tearing them apart with their bare hands.

“So fire is a weakness, but it can’t be used.”

“Exactly. If you carry fire around, it will never close the distance, and it won’t give you time to strike a flint right in front of its face either. But not everything in books is true, so it’s best to judge according to the situation.”

Other than that, there were magic weapons that weakened regeneration capabilities or alchemical poisons effective against trolls, but both were naturally unusable methods for them.

To acquire such items, one would have to seek out the kingdom’s capital or a metropolis of a similar level.

“This is probably the most useful one. Here.”

Roden poked his temple with his index finger.

“No matter where else it gets hurt, it regenerates over time if it consumes enough food, but crushing the brain kills it for good. The brain is a weak spot for other creatures too, but for a troll, it holds even greater significance.”

*

It was near the end of dinner that evening when Poave returned after finishing his discussions at city hall.

Even though not much time had passed, evident fatigue washed over his face.

“The talks went well. We will depart from the East Gate two days from now in the morning.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. Rather, I am only sorry that I could not secure proper compensation for the subjugation.”

Unlike the other warriors participating in the subjugation, Shan was not promised a large share of the troll carcass.

Because his role was strictly to guard against the troll visiting in the dead of night or to locate it hiding inside a cave.

Of course, even that small share was a sum so enormous that ordinary people’s eyes would pop out.

“Do not overexert yourself. The goal of this troll hunt is purely to gain experience.”

Even if one was not the main combat power, there was a world of difference between someone who had experienced hunting a large monster and someone who had not.

In particular, many of those encountering one for the first time were bound to freeze up from the overwhelming pressure felt from a creature far larger than themselves.

That was why the moment the label of ‘someone who has participated in a troll hunt’ attached to a person, their value rose from that alone.

“Then, until departure, please rest comfortably in this humble house of mine.”

Contrary to Poave’s words, his house was a place as luxurious as the Goddess’s palace to Shan.

From a study filled with expensive books retrieved to study about trolls, to a marble bathhouse, and a bedroom where the mattress was packed with wool and the blanket and pillows filled with goose feathers.

When Shan asked if all merchants were this rich and if nobles were even grander than this, Roden shook his head.

“Among the merchants in this country, jewelers are the wealthiest and most powerful. Because they deal in mana stones.”

Mana stones were the specialty of Pendia, which bordered the Demonic Realm.

It was not for nothing that Roden’s father, who ran the largest jewelry shop, was the head of the capital’s merchant guild.

Even so, he could not overcome the stronghold of the noble and knightly classes.

The next day, together with Roden and Poave, Shan toured the shops in the city to purchase items that would be helpful for the troll hunt.

Harpoons that were hard to pull back out once lodged, torso leather armor that fitted decently if not perfectly, and spears and arrows made of high-quality steel.

Lastly, he also bought a decent black horse.

While a bit lacking to be called a knight’s warhorse, it was a horse of a grade similar to those used by mercenary cavalry.

Starting with this, it was difficult to cover with Roden’s money, so they borrowed Poave’s money.

“This horse was raised near monsters since it was young, accustomed to their scent. As a result, it grew bold and doesn’t get easily frightened.”

It was impossible to know if the horse merchant’s words were true, but just looking at it, it clearly possessed a much better build and more muscle mass than the previous one he had ridden.

Though its stamina might be slightly inferior, it would undoubtedly be much stronger and faster.

Setting aside horses for travelers or laborers, those were superior traits for a knight’s warhorse.

Only after engaging in a long wrangle with the owner did Roden sell the gaunt gray horse Shan originally rode and buy the black horse.

Though Shan was learning many things while following him around, bargaining skills like that seemed impossible for him to learn.

When the haggling finally ended, Poave, who had been quietly watching from behind, spoke with a pleased expression.

“As expected, being a merchant is young master’s true calling.”

“Though I hate to admit it.”

Roden smiled with a somewhat reluctant expression.

Poave and the executive members of the jeweler guild had long wanted to raise him into a merchant.

After purchasing the horse, they headed out of the city through a nearby city gate.

This was to adapt to handling the new horse and also to acclimate the horse to its owner.

Marching was also a form of combat, and while moving with others, one could not afford to wander around aimlessly.

“How is it?”

“Mm, not bad. No, it’s good.”

At Roden’s question, Shan nodded satisfactorily.

The new horse was slightly less delicate than the previous one, but it was definitely stronger and faster.

“Are you not giving it a name this time either?”

“I don’t want to get attached. We don’t know when it might die.”

In battle, a horse was an extremely easy target for enemies to aim at.

Having personally felt this during the recent fight with the mercenary cavalry, Shan did not want to become overly attached to the horse.

Because the greater the attachment, the greater the sense of loss when it died.

A moment later, as he used to do when playing alone in the forest in the past, Shan rode around the area and brandished the various weapons he held in the air.

Each time, his posture subtly adjusted to match the speed and height that differed from the previous horse.

He finished by shooting arrows while mounted, planting them in a neat row into a tree sixty meters away.

That evening, Poave, who joined them for dinner, brought up the story from earlier and burst out laughing heartily.

“You suddenly spun your body around and threw the harpoon… how astonishing that was! I truly hope you achieve great results in the troll hunt as well. Goodness, although a merchant’s virtue is composure, it is quite difficult to stay calm in a situation like this.”

“What kind of situation?”

“The situation of witnessing the blooming of a boy hero.”

Poave answered Shan’s question with an excited expression.

He had already put him into the troll hunt and lent him money based solely on Roden’s words, but it seemed he only became convinced of Shan’s potential after watching the training outside the city earlier today.

Having grown quite drunk on the wine he was sipping, the middle-aged merchant’s face had flushed red before anyone realized.

“I truly could not believe that you have received no training until now. Would it be an exaggeration to call you the second coming of Great Emperor Baren…?”

Great Emperor Baren was the founder of the ancient Arman Empire and the first paladin of the Goddess Order, virtually no different from a mythical figure.

If an Old Faith priest had heard Shan, an Altoan, being compared to him, they would have likely marched right over to sever his neck.

‘Come to think of it, Roden compared me to that man before too.’

Shan, ignorant of history, only knew that the man was called the greatest and most powerful knight.

Indeed, if one person had built a great empire encompassing this entire western continent through martial force, there was no way he wasn’t powerful.

Shan, who was imagining himself becoming a knight as outstanding as Great Emperor Baren, burst into a dry chuckle.

Although they said the bigger the dream the better, that seemed a bit unrealistic.

After all, no one dreamed of becoming a king or a god.

*

On the day of departure, Shan, with Roden’s help, thoroughly checked all his equipment and emergency rations before heading to the East Gate.

Thanks to leaving quite early, there were only three or four warriors who had arrived ahead of him.

One of them frowned upon seeing Shan.

“What’s this? A kid? And he’s even riding a horse…”

“That guy is the Altoan mentioned last time. Born with strange eyes, his night vision is said to be very sharp, right?”

Perhaps word of Shan had spread, as another warrior said that while looking at him with curiosity.

At this, Shan pulled down the hood attached to his clothes deeply, showing his glowing eyes.

“Oh…”

“Damn it, put away those disgusting eyes!”

Looking closely, it seemed the man who picked a fight first hadn’t liked him from the start.

Judging by his demeanor of despising Altoans, he might be an Old Faith believer.

Shan did not talk back to him or approach to sever his neck or wrist with a sword.

This was thanks to Roden’s persistent education that reacting to every insult would prevent him from achieving his dream, and that restraint was necessary.

Instead, it was another party who flared up.

“Hey, what did you just blabber?”

“What did I do?”

“Say shit like that one more time and I’ll kill you.”

As a scarred middle-aged swordsman stepped forward, the man who had initiated the trouble flinched and retreated before his fierce momentum.

Looking closely, one of the middle-aged swordsman’s arms was somewhat large and thick, indicating he was likely an Altoan as well.

An atmosphere quiet to the point of being gloomy took hold.

Fortunately, before long, warriors gathered one by one and conversations gradually resumed, and finally, around the time the sun shone brightly, two knights appeared.

“Why are there so damn many people swarming here?”

“I told them just a guide would be enough, they really don’t listen…”

The two knights in plate armor mounted on warhorses had raised the visors of their helmets, revealing their youthful appearances.

Were both of them perhaps around twenty to twenty-five years old?

As expected of those who swore never to kneel except before God and lord, their faces were arrogant and haughty.

Shan narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched them grumble.

Unlike Feonil whom he had seen in the past, he felt no such power from them… whether it should be called seasoned experience or overwhelming presence.

Furthermore, their squires were naturally much younger than the knights.

Were they perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old, like Shan?

It was amusing for him to say, but they were at an age where they had no value as combatants and were only good for running errands.

Once everyone had gathered, a representative from the city checked the headcount and declared the start of the subjugation.

“Alright!”

“Let’s go!”

The condition of those gathered for the subjugation was varied.

About a third were filled with excitement and anticipation, a third were cowed by fear and worry, and about a third seemed indifferent.

In Shan’s eyes, both knights tried not to show it, but they were close to somewhere between the first and second groups.

It seemed they were not accustomed to hunting large monsters either.

Poave’s words that inexperienced knights often died to trolls bothered him for no reason.

“Then I will lead from the front and guide us to the appearance area…”

The person leading from the front was a hunter seasoned in this region who had been the first to spot the troll.

Even in Libert, hunting was a dangerous profession where one had to face wild beasts and bandits, but here in Pendia, it was on a whole different level.

In this land swarming with monsters, a skilled hunter was a figure respected second only to knights, so all the other warriors showed respect to him.

The expedition left the city and walked smoothly along the northern highway.

Even ferocious monsters, which normally attacked without caring even if people gathered, did not dare pester them, perhaps due to the presence of two knights in plate armor.

Moving on horseback at the very rear of the formation, Shan realized that the Altoan warrior who had shouted earlier was approaching him.

Looking up at Shan, the man spoke first.

“I’m Kob.”

“I’m Shan.”

“I heard you were drafted because of your bright eyes, but considering that, you’re pretty well-armed. You’re riding a good horse, too.”

“Is that how the story spread? I came of my own free will.”

When Shan added that he was confident in his skills in his own way, Kob made an incredulous expression before soon bowing his head.

It seemed he was trying hard to hold back his laughter.

“Sure, that’s a relief. If it seems dangerous, stick by my side. We kin ought to help each other out, after all.”

Having felt similarly, Shan immediately nodded.

Since memories of the Altoan troupe still remained with him, he too wanted to save his fellow kin before others if given the chance.

Having set off early in the morning, the expedition rested in the middle of the highway to eat lunch before entering the western forest.

According to the prior briefing, the area where the troll had appeared was right near here, so they could encounter the creature right away at the earliest.

If they failed to face it or if the beast intentionally avoided them, it might take much longer.

Upon entering the forest, the two knights and their squires dismounted from their horses.

“We’ll have to walk from here.”

“Can’t be helped.”

If a heavily armored knight rode through a forest full of sprawling tree roots, there was a risk of injuring the horse.

Shan, as well as the other warriors who had come on horseback, likewise dismounted and held their reins.

After searching the forest for about an hour like that, the hunter, having found something, gathered everyone and pointed at the ground.

“It’s troll dung.”

“The stench is foul…”

“I heard a skilled hunter can learn a lot from this, so what’s the intel?”

At the knight’s question, the hunter replied politely.

“If it were game I frequently handle, I could tell, but unfortunately, I have rarely experienced a troll. It is an uncommon prey.”

“Mm…”

“Well, that’s true.”

Even in Pendia, a paradise for monsters, large monsters like trolls appeared only a few times a year.

Unless one was from the Demonic Realm where monsters literally swarmed, it was bound to be difficult for a hunter from the west to be that knowledgeable.

“However, what is certain is that it hasn’t been long since it defecated. Unless troll dung cools down slowly.”

“Indeed!”

“Everyone, stay alert to your surroundings!”

At the knight’s order, the warriors’ gazes turned in all directions.

Thinking that the troll was right nearby, even those who had been full of bravado until a moment ago showed signs of tension on their faces.

Shan too caught his breath among them and awakened his senses.

‘Where could it be?’

Although the horse he held by the reins right beside him was a bit distracting, as he focused his mind, he felt his range of perception gradually expand.

As ambient noise subsided, his wide-open pupils devoured all surrounding light and analyzed visual information.

As he observed the surroundings step by step like that, Shan’s eyes caught a strange sense of incongruity.

‘What is it?’

The shape of the tree right next to a spearman carelessly looking around was somehow completely bizarre.

Unlike the others, it did not stretch straight up but bent slightly to the side, as if hanging something immensely heavy…

“Hey, blond mister over there!”

“Huh?”

At Shan’s call, the spearman wore a puzzled expression.

At this, Shan spoke in as calm a tone as possible, as if bringing up a mundane topic so whatever was above wouldn’t suspect anything.

“Walk slowly over this way.”

“Why?”

“I mean… for now, don’t ever look up.”

Shan did not know it well, but telling a person ‘do not do something’ carried a meaning similar to ‘do it’.

Upon hearing those words, the blond spearman unconsciously looked up, his eyes meeting pupil to pupil with eyes larger than a human fist.

“T-“

Before the word “…roll!” could even finish, a hairy monster landed on the ground with a thud.

What had been a human until a moment ago was crushed under a large wooden club with a loud crunch.