Chapter 64: Chapter 64

‘Slaughter Rabbit’ Ravana was one of the most famous mercenaries in Pendia.

First of all, as her moniker suggested, she was an Altoan with rabbit ears, and she was also a woman.

She was born with terrible disadvantages in every aspect to work as a mercenary.

However, Ravana overcame all these disadvantages and established herself as one of the best mercenaries in Pendia.

This was thanks to a physique and strength that overwhelmed even ordinary knights, along with godlike axe skills.

Once people saw monsters being sliced apart by that massive axe named ‘Rabbit’s Foot,’ no one could look down on her just because she was a woman or an Altoan.

“Ugh.”

“What is it, Big Sis?”

As Ravana’s expression soured while looking down at the enemy forces positioned below the ramparts, a subordinate beside her asked.

“You see that over there?”

“Huh? Who?”

“That knight guy way over there. Looking clumsy, like he stole and wore his oldest brother’s armor.”

“Ah…”

Looking closely, there was indeed a knight who gave off that exact impression.

He wasn’t particularly large in stature, yet he rode a warhorse half again as big as the other horses, making him stand out dramatically.

“But what about him?”

“That’s probably the commander the knight guy from earlier mentioned. Shan Barendil, who killed an ogre by ripping out its heart while it was still alive.”

“Aha.”

A short while ago, the army that arrived at Jerkan City demanded surrender, claiming to be forces led by the ‘Green-Eyed Knight.’

Something about requisitioning strategic supplies in the name of Princess Cheryn to stabilize the kingdom.

Naturally, Ravana had refused.

Because for her currently, there was no choice other than protecting this city.

“So, how does he feel to you? Surely he’s no match for you, Big Sis?”

Ravana possessed the ability to instinctively perceive an opponent’s strength without even fighting them directly.

No one knew whether that was thanks to her sensitive rabbit ears or simply a sharp instinct.

What was certain was that this ability had saved many lives, including her own and her subordinates’.

What would her evaluation of that famous Altoan knight be?

Leaving behind her subordinate, who asked with expectation as always, Ravana looked down below the ramparts and clicked her tongue.

It was because she did not know how to express the sensation she had felt the moment her gaze met those green eyes just now.

A sensation as if her skin were beyond stinging, plunged splash into a swamp full of deadly poison, or as if a chilly liquid were swirling starting from her heart and traveling through the blood vessels of her whole body…

Every single piece of flesh on her entire body seemed to be screaming that the moment she confronted that thing, she would unconditionally die.

Ravana, after contemplating, expressed her impressions in as playful a tone as possible.

“Honestly, I thought there was some exaggeration mixed in… but he’s an absurd monster for real. I didn’t get goosebumps to this extent even when I faced a basilisk before. At this rate, we’re all going to die, aren’t we?”

After a brief silence floated over the ramparts, the subordinate muttered.

“Wow, it really makes me want to surrender.”

“If you don’t want to die, get out fast. I won’t stop you.”

“How could we abandon you and Kiri, Boss?”

The subordinate giggled and rubbed his hands together.

*

“‘Slaughter Rabbit’? Do you mean Ravana?”

“Yes. Those ears, that build, even that large axe… It doesn’t seem likely there are two such women.”

Roden replied politely to Shan’s counter-question.

Because she had been mentioned in the past as an example of an Altoan mercenary stronger than an ordinary knight, Shan too was able to realize the opponent’s identity.

In the past, Cheryn had also shown interest, thinking that since she had appointed an Altoan as a knight anyway, having one or two wouldn’t matter, but had expressed regret that their fates didn’t align.

“I heard she was participating in the civil war in Libert continuously since around last year.”

“I knew it as such too. Setting aside when she returned, why on earth she sided with Viscount Jerkan, a follower of the Old Faith believers, is…”

Glancing around to look behind him, Shan realized that the faces of the Altoan mercenaries had turned sour.

Until the appearance of the first Altoan knight, Shan Barendil, Ravana had been the idol of Pendian Altoans.

If they had to fight such a person, there was bound to be reluctance.

Of course, that did not mean they would dare refuse combat.

After all, right now they were soldiers who ate and slept on Shan’s dime, fighting under him.

A few minutes later, Yurk, who had been shouting back and forth with the enemy across the ramparts, returned, shook his head, and said:

“Negotiations have failed, Sir Shan. I have no face to show.”

“You worked hard. From the look of it, they didn’t seem to have any intention of accepting from the beginning anyway.”

At the conversation between the two, several people nearby wore puzzled expressions.

This was because a few expected Shan to use this opportunity to reprimand him severely and seize the upper hand.

Of course, having already gained the psychological upper hand without needing to do so, Shan could purely offer comfort.

Yurk, nodding at Shan’s encouragement, hesitated briefly before speaking.

“This is purely my personal feeling so you may disregard it, but the other side didn’t seem very eager to fight either.”

“Well, given the difference in numbers, wouldn’t that be obvious?”

When a knight under Count of Palles retorted as if it were absurd, he shook his head.

“It’s not that kind of feeling… more like they are being forced into fighting. Even when refusing surrender, they answered in a way that sounded like in their heart they wished to surrender.”

“Could it be because of a contract?”

“It’s not like they’re from a mercenary village, so I doubt they’d prioritize a contract over their own lives.”

Unless they were a few groups like the Steel Lion Corps that valued trust with their employer like life itself, most mercenaries did not stubbornly stick to a fight where defeat was imminent.

They weren’t knights, so what use would immortal honor be to them after they were dead anyway?

“Anyway, since they refused surrender, we have no choice but to attack directly. Shall we begin right away?”

“No, for now it’s quite late, so let’s rest today. We’ll finish preparations and start the siege tomorrow morning.”

At Shan’s order, the army immediately began taking out the brought equipment and assembling it.

Battering rams moved on wheels with hefty logs, long ladders reaching above the ramparts several meters high, and even siege towers that instantly built a path extending up to the walls.

However, there were no catapults that would directly damage the ramparts.

This was because in Pendia, such weapons were rarely used to begin with.

Not only was it harder than expected to find large stones due to stone walls being built so frequently, but also because even if they managed to conquer a city, broken ramparts would allow monsters to enter and inflict harm.

Naturally, seeing this caused an uproar inside Jerkan City as well.

It could be seen even from outside that over two hundred soldiers were busily moving back and forth across the ramparts, stockpiling arrows and stones.

Judging by their equipment, most were likely conscripts hastily recruited in the city, but unlike in open field battles, they too were a threatening force in a siege.

Because even if they merely threw stones from above, they could do their share.

It seemed they would have to prepare for a certain degree of casualties in tomorrow’s siege.

While preparing for the siege like that for a good while, Roden, who had stepped away for a moment without anyone noticing, returned.

With a serious expression, he said to Shan:

“Sir Shan, I have gathered a crucial piece of information.”

“What is it?”

“I captured and interrogated a few residents who failed to enter the city, and they said the reason Ravana remains in Jerkan City is because her daughter was taken hostage.”

“Hostage?”

“Yes.”

According to the following explanation, Ravana was passing near Jerkan City about a month ago.

After returning from the Libert expedition, she had heard stories about Princess Cheryn and hoped that perhaps she could join her.

Prince Conrad, who currently took the lead in the war of succession, had taken the extreme measure of expelling Altoans from his territory.

Princess Cheryn, who was said to have gathered Altoans (including the first Altoan knight, Shan Barendil) to form an army, was an attractive enough employer.

However, while traveling toward the Palles territory with her companions, the lord of Jerkan City kidnapped her daughter, leaving her detained and suddenly turned into a guard dog protecting the city.

“How would a common resident know such circumstances?”

“They say it’s already a fairly famous story around here. The mercenaries following Ravana complained about it in places like taverns.”

“I see…”

Only now was it clear why an Altoan mercenary would risk her life to hold out for an Old Faith believers lord.

Since her daughter’s life was at stake, she had no choice.

The knights who heard the story looked at each other with uncomfortable expressions.

“This somehow makes fighting feel uncomfortable.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. It’s not as if we can rescue her daughter either.”

They couldn’t refrain from fighting just because the opponent’s circumstances were pitiable.

When thought about, how many among the soldiers over there actually wanted to risk their lives fighting?

While the knights were talking back and forth, Shan, who had been looking at the ramparts of Jerkan City, spoke up.

“If Ravana’s daughter is imprisoned, where would the location be?”

“It would most likely be somewhere like the dungeon of the inner castle. If kept in an halfway location, she might snatch her and run.”

When Roden beside him answered politely, Shan asked next.

“If we secure the daughter from there first, couldn’t we bestow a favor on her and recruit her instead?”

The reason Shan wanted to recruit Ravana was not because she was an Altoan.

It was because Cheryn wished to bring in capable yet loyal knights.

An Altoan with nowhere else to rely on, and an exceptionally skilled mercenary at that, would make a splendid gift.

“That is true, but to do so, we would first have to break through the outer castle…”

“That cliff.”

“Pardon?”

What Shan pointed at was a massive cliff protecting the rear of the city, functioning like a natural rampart.

Part of its lower area, as mentioned, was connected to the inside of the inner castle.

“Perhaps one could climb down.”

Everyone looked at Shan with dumbfounded faces, as if asking how that made any sense when he was neither a spider nor a lizard.

*

The plan Shan devised on the spot was simple.

First, when night fell, the main force would carry out a night siege.

Of course, actually doing so would result in heavy casualties, so they would merely shout boisterously and shoot arrows to draw attention without actually charging.

The real attack was scheduled to take place from the rear.

A detachment climbing down from the cliff would take the inner castle, isolate the troops at the outer wall, and induce a surrender.

Capturing the lord would be best, but even if not, securing Ravana’s daughter would mean losing a massive portion of the enemy’s fighting power.

Aside from the fact that the cliff to descend was about one hundred fifty meters high, and that even with most forces drawn to the outer wall, they would still have to face dozens of soldiers, it sounded quite plausible.

“Sir Shan, no matter how I look at it, this is far too reckless…”

“If we succeed, we can capture the city without heavy casualties. It’s worth taking the risk.”

Shan crushed the knight who opposed until the end with authority.

He knew what they worried about, but he was overflowing with confidence in his athletic ability and combat prowess.

After all, even if the height was much lower, he could relentlessly scale not just cliffs but even castle walls.

“Be careful to avoid unnecessary casualties until we succeed on our end.”

“Understood. In truth, we are more concerned about your safety, Sir Shan…”

“Is it truly alright not to take anyone with you?”

“If there’s anyone who can descend a cliff of about one hundred fifty meters, they can follow, but I doubt there’s anyone.”

Among explorers, there were those who honed cliff-climbing skills, but expecting such qualifications from knights or soldiers was difficult.

Climbing down such a height while fully armored, rather than bare-handed, was literally a suicidal act.

It was not without reason that Jerkan City hadn’t set up separate defense measures on the cliff side.

Common sense-wise, who would ever think someone would climb down such a thing?

Even if one or two people miraculously succeeded by chance, that number of people would hardly pose a threat to the city.

Unless it was this monster right here.

“I will leave command of the main body to my senior squire, Roden. The other two will follow Roden…”

“We will follow you, Sir Shan!”

“Th-that’s right! We cannot send the master we serve alone!”

The ones who shouted like that were Shan’s two young squires, Vico and Tavera.

Traces of fear were evident on the two boys’ faces, but they put strength into their eyes to demonstrate their resolve.

“Like I said earlier, you can’t come unless you have the skill to climb cliffs.”

“We can do it!”

“Really?”

“…Even if we happen to fall and die, we will not scream!”

Sensing pressure from Shan’s gaze, the two squires shrank back slightly, yet did not yield their intent.

At that moment, Yurk beside them backed them up.

“Take them along, Sir Shan. I would not dare doubt your skill, Sir Shan, but there are many things a person cannot do alone.”

For example, if a group being pursued simply fled in two separate directions, a single person couldn’t catch everyone without splitting their body in half.

Furthermore, with just two people, they could fight while protecting each other’s backs.

Shan hesitated briefly before nodding.

Indeed, unless it was a matter of slaughtering everyone alone, considering rescue and capture missions, having more people seemed like it would be more convenient.

“Understood. Still, since both of them are light-bodied, I should be able to manage them somehow.”

No one present understood what the words ‘manage them’ meant.

Shan looked at Roden and gave his chest a light jab with his fist.

“I’m leaving this side to you, Roden.”

“Do not worry, Sir Shan.”

Roden grinned and nodded.

He did not worry because he knew that for Shan, things like climbing down a cliff and fighting dozens of soldiers weren’t dangerous at all.

Evening, a few hours after formulating the plan.

Having climbed up the mountain and reached the top of the cliff, Shan sent a signal toward the outside of the ramparts by turning a magic lamp on and off a few times.

Before long, a commotion broke out far in the distance.

Though heard faintly from here, with hundreds shouting simultaneously and firing arrows, the city’s defenders were bound to be completely distracted by defending the walls.

“Alright, both of you tie this rope around your bodies.”

Shan tied two ropes to his own body and instructed the opposite ends to be tied to the two squires’ bodies.

If one of them fell, they would end up hanging from someone else’s body.

Vico, carefully tying the rope around his waist, looked at Shan and asked:

“Um, Sir Shan. Instead of doing this, what if we tie the rope at the top of the cliff and rappel down…?”

“When I glanced earlier, there were many sharp irregularities on the cliff. If a hemp rope rubs against places like that, it easily snaps.”

This was knowledge he had acquired directly while traveling the Demonic Realm in his past days as an explorer.

Of course, an exceptionally thick rope wouldn’t snap, but such a thing was too heavy to bring up to the top of the cliff, so relying on the solid cliff itself was better.

As Shan, having finished preparations, began climbing down first, the two boys swallowed hard and followed behind their master.

Fortunately, since Shan climbed down first and pointed out places to hold with hands and feet, they only had to follow and grip those spots.

However, even if they had sturdy and agile bodies fitting for knight trainees, both were novices at cliff climbing, so before long Tavera lost his footing.

“Ugh-!”

Even while falling, the boy, suppressing his scream by covering his mouth, realized that his body was dangling from a firm rope.

Shan, climbing down at the very bottom, supported the squire with his body and spoke.

“Grab hold again, Tavera.”

“S-sorry…!”

Even while suspending a boy of similar weight to himself, Shan’s two hands and feet clinging to the cliff did not budge in the slightest.

Before long, when Vico slipped, when Tavera slipped again, and even when both slipped from the cliff simultaneously, Shan calmly continued descending the cliff while carrying both of them.

At a speed almost like an ordinary person walking slowly.

Only then did Vico and Tavera understand the meaning of Shan’s words, ‘I can manage.’

He was confident that he could climb down the cliff even with two armored squires hanging off him.

‘Just what…’

How absurdly superhuman was that young knight they served for such a feat to be possible?

When they themselves felt their legs trembling just from looking down at the pitch-black cliff below.

Could they ever even follow in those footsteps in the future?

Filled with awe, emotion, and self-doubt, the two boys soon busily moved their limbs to follow after him as best they could.

Since they were bound by the rope, if they dithered, Shan too would have to stop descending.

Fortunately, the certainty that they would never fall lightened their hands and feet, resulting in far fewer mistakes than before.

Still, by the time they reached the bottom, both of them had completely exhausted their grip strength, so Shan had to carry the two of them down hanging on him.

Landing on the ground, Shan untied the rope and put on the gauntlets fastened to his waist.

“We’ve arrived…”

“Haa, haa.”

While the exhausted squires collapsed to replenish their strength, Shan looked around with his green eyes glowing.

The place where they landed was the edge of the inner castle.

Far off, a few lights could be seen glowing sparsely.

Considering that fuel was required to keep lights burning, it was likely a place where an important figure or object was located.

After about five minutes passed, Shan tapped the two squires.

“You’ve rested enough, right? Get up. It’s time to work.”

“U-understood.”

“Yes…!”

Fortunately, though exhausted, they seemed to have enough strength left to manage moving around.

Or perhaps, with their knight watching right beside them, they were moving by pushing themselves to the absolute limit.

As three people clad in armor moved, a clanking sound echoed in the darkness.

Moving along the lights, they arrived at the largest mansion in the inner castle, presumed to be the lord’s residence.

“W-who goes there?”

At the entrance of the mansion, a guard stood duty.

Seeing the three approaching figures, he asked in a trembling voice, and Shan questioned him in return instead of answering.

“Is Viscount Jerkan inside?”

Seeing the green eyes glowing inside the helmet, the guard recognized the opponent’s identity and shivered violently.

“D-don’t tell me, the enemy…”

“I won’t ask twice.”

Schwing. As a sword was drawn from his waist, the guard frantically shouted:

“Enemy attack-!”

“He must be.”

Before the shout even ended, with a wet thud, the loyal guard’s head rolled to the ground.

On Guardian of the East, drenched in blood, the engraved magic runes glowed softly.

Passing the corpse and entering after smashing the main door open with a kick, Shan commanded the two squires following him:

“Secure the viscount and his family. Anyone who resists during the capture process may be cut down.”