By Zephyria 
While talking about the punishment methods of the Kiadris territory, I heard more stories about the current Duke Kiadris. Stories about how she had a good reputation as a bold, straightforward woman before her marriage, and how she turned a deaf ear to the Emperor’s few harsh words about her taking concubines.
I also heard again that before the Duke Kiadris’s marriage, it was fashionable for those of lower rank to marry those of higher rank, but that this is no longer the case. These were stories I had previously dismissed without interest.
“Is it not like that these days?”
“The Duke Kiadris family’s story was quite famous. Who would want to marry into a high-ranking family only to live their entire life unable to say a word even if their spouse cheated? Now, those of lower status avoid those of higher status.”
“But Ivan or…”
“Ah, that’s different. There was a clear exchange between them. She married with a Baron’s title, and if she received that much dowry, I consider it an equal transaction. Ivan was born into a Viscount family, but he wasn’t inheriting the Viscount title.”
“…Hmm.”
“Speaking of which, I wonder if they’re living well,” Marianne murmured wistfully, as if lost in thought. I had something to say about that. I brought up the news Shayden had passed on.
“I heard they’re going to Yulan for their honeymoon this time.”
“What? Really? Wow… They must be deeply in love.”
“Did you hear something?”
“Mmm, Ivan told me once. He said his dream was to go to Yulan with the person he loves and go swimming. Viscount Holmos’s family was in an inland region, so traveling abroad was difficult, but this is good. Since his wife is a merchant, she’ll be able to travel to her heart’s content.”
The talk about Ivan’s wife ended there. It was partly because the story would be boring for Hugh and Elvin, and partly because I felt there was no need to reveal unnecessary personal details to those who didn’t know Ivan.
Hugh Benson had informed us that mercenaries tend to depart early in the morning, so the numbers are usually smaller in the afternoon. However, even so, their numbers were immense.
We started queuing at lunchtime, and by the time we left the city gates, the evening sun was already setting.
As soon as we exited the city gates, we left the mercenaries rushing upwards to their own devices and set up our pot in a suitable spot. The stew, made with potatoes, carrots, and chunks of meat prepared to be eaten on the plains, sent out a comforting steam.
Hugh Benson recited the next schedule as always.
“If we keep going diagonally upwards like this, we should encounter monsters the day after tomorrow. Probably Kobolds or Goblins.”
“…”
“Let’s take it easy only until today, and then we’ll hurry starting tomorrow. We have a longer way to go than last year.”
“Yes.”
Unless something special happened, it was natural to hunt during the day and rest at night. Everyone nodded obediently and served themselves a portion of stew into their bowls. Marianne chattered about shouting a hearty cheer together, but it was a little amusing how she pouted when Hugh Benson told her to eat first.
However, it was truly strange.
Three days passed, then four, and we still hadn’t found any monsters. The sharp-eyed Hugh Benson narrowed his eyes, scanned the surroundings thoroughly, and then let out a sigh of exhaustion.
It was obvious that his action of grabbing his neck and tilting his head back was an attempt to suppress his anger. Everyone blinked in confusion.
“…No, are you kidding me? They wiped them all out, every last one. What are these grasshoppers?”
“Grasshoppers…?”
“See these scorched marks here? It seems Orcs used to inhabit this spot, but they were all killed about a week ago. Only a little fur remains.”
Only after Hugh Benson pointed it out could we find the handfuls of fur, the size of fingernails, buried in the dirt. Hugh Benson walked around, pointing with his toe here, here, and here, allowing us to thoroughly examine the traces of monsters.
A week ago, it was puzzling. Benjamin asked.
“But… didn’t they say the canyon subjugation by mercenaries is only permitted from the 20th…?”
“That’s why it’s ridiculous. It shouldn’t be like this normally, but because of the mutated monsters this time, they loosened the restrictions, and this is what’s happening already.”
“Hmm.”
I swallowed at Hugh Benson’s reply.
Even those who cut with swords for a living were desperate in their own way, but martial artists raised in noble families with good sustenance were naturally more skilled than wandering warriors.
Most of the top-ranking knights in the Sierran Empire belonged to Shierun Academy. The position just below that was occupied by knights who were well-fed and well-trained in their respective noble families.
Those with higher titles could provide better quality education. Therefore, a Duke’s knight was more skilled than a Marquess’s knight, and a Marquess’s knight was more skilled than a Count’s knight. While not an absolute rule, this was generally the trend.
However, anyone could become a mercenary, even a thirteen-year-old kid, as long as they had the guarantee of two other mercenaries. Most mercenaries who jumped into the fight with just a sword by their side learned how to run before how to fight, and how to skin monsters before how to swing a sword.
Of course, there were many renowned mercenaries among those active around the Yuil Mountains. Occasionally, a Sword Master would emerge, and there were even a few who proudly bore the nickname “Ogre Slayer” and specialized in hunting large monsters. However, it was always difficult for a dragon to rise from a humble origin.
Thus, Duke Felice Withrow firmly established a hierarchy between knights and mercenaries.
It was stipulated that mercenaries could only enter the field after the knights had completed their subjugation, leaving only the smaller monsters behind. It was a natural measure, as the duchy’s population would drastically decrease if mercenaries were to go out in large numbers and die.
This was also why we didn’t encounter any mercenaries during last year’s subjugation.
However, this time was different.
No matter how much the mutated monsters’ numbers increased, their attack power did not double. The wizards unanimously claimed that if the mutated monsters descending from the mountains could be properly blocked, the duchy would be safe.
Except for us, all knights, leaving only a portion to defend their territories, headed towards the Yuil Mountains.
As the number of knights available to respond to monsters roaming the plains decreased, Duke Withrow lifted most of the restrictions previously placed on mercenaries. Mercenaries were allowed to conduct subjugation before knights in the plains northwest of the Withrow Duchy and near Dunmel Canyon.
However, even that should have been done after the knights departed first, blocked the mutated monsters’ invasion, and established a safety line. Didn’t we also depart precisely on the 20th, as permitted?
“…How on earth did they depart earlier?”
“While the north gate of the duchy is meticulously monitored, the west gate, though strict when entering, isn’t as thoroughly inspected when exiting. Most are merchants heading to Floyd or Owen.”
“Ah…”
“It seems they slipped out in between and headed straight north. Ah, I didn’t think of this.”
“Even knowing it was dangerous…?”
“If you refuse profitable work because it’s dangerous, are you a mercenary? You’re a monk. If this continues, we won’t even be able to secure our own share.”
Hugh Benson ran his hand through his hair again, scratching his forehead.
Everyone felt a sense of futility, but with nothing they could do immediately, they just stood awkwardly, looking around. Marianne groaned and then let out a long sigh.
“So, what do we do now?”
“What else?”
Hugh Benson smoothed his hair back into its original shape and began to pack his belongings tightly.
“This won’t do. We have to run.”
“What?”
“Mercenaries move around collecting byproducts, so if we run hard, we might overtake them. If that doesn’t work, we’ll just have to go near Dunmel Canyon and scavenge what the mercenaries left behind.”
He was truly a bold and straightforward fellow. A hollow laugh escaped me.
Marianne’s eyes widened as she asked, “Can I use Blink this time?”
“Yeah, use it, use it all you want. Let’s see how fast everyone is on this occasion.”
“…Maintaining distance from each other, or…”
“Ah, forget it. There are no monsters or anything. But, he will be chasing us from the very back.”
“…”
Hugh Benson pointed at Elvin Brooks with his thumb, and Elvin nodded silently.
Under the pretense of not wanting to burden his juniors, Elvin was carrying the pot for our meals, magic firewood, and other miscellaneous items. With Elvin, a Sword Master, protecting the younger ones from behind, there was nothing to worry about.
I was curious about Hugh Benson’s new technique anyway. Thinking this was a good opportunity, I casually asked.
“Can I overtake you, Senior?”
“You? It’ll be tough.”
The corner of Hugh Benson’s mouth twisted upwards.
“Give it a try.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I couldn’t help but feel excited. As I always did when faced with a stronger opponent.
❖ ❖ ❖
The wind brushed past my ears. My excited body shot forward nimbly.
Thousand-League Guardian Spirit is a divine art that travels a thousand leagues as if it were one’s own courtyard, and Divine Art of Heavenly Wind is a divine art that handles the body as lightly as the wind in the sky. There were many divine arts of Namgung, but these two were the Light Footwork I had most favored and enjoyed using since my previous life.
I can run five times faster than speech.
In my previous life, there was a time when I caught up to and apprehended Muyoung Shintu (a nickname often given to elusive thieves in the Central Plains), who was said to be so adept at Body Lightening Techniques and Stealth Techniques. After running for nearly seven days and nights, I caught him and, feeling immensely proud, made it a secret boast for a while.
The sound of the wind rushing past my ears was muffled.
Young people are indeed fortunate. My body felt incredibly light.
I am someone who loves any physical activity. What entertainment was there in the Central Plains? Usually, we would play Go or drink, and when we felt restless, we would go for a run together.
Martial artists who had pushed their bodies to the extreme could leap from high cliffs. There were many times we made bets on who could run faster than an arrow shot on a wide plain. It was even more so because the people I associated with were particularly mischievous.
The faster, the nimbler, the more enjoyable it was. How long has it been since I ran like this? I ran with great excitement, leaping and bounding.
My chest swelled as if it would burst, and my limbs tingled. Distant mountains appeared as if they were right in front of me, obscuring my view of nearby places. I felt as if I had conquered the entire world, and it was joyous.
After running for a long time, I finally stopped when the red sunset began to spread across the sky.
Surprisingly, Hugh Benson had stopped exactly half a step ahead of me. His eyes, glaring at me, were bloodshot and gleaming. I was startled.
“…No, you’re kidding, this, wow… This bastard…”
“You’re truly amazing. Did you keep pace with me?”
“…Shit. Yes. I ran like hell because I was worried you’d get lost.”
It was a very funny joke. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. At the same time, I was genuinely impressed.
I had already learned from Wilton Roberts. The footwork of the Sierran Empire is not like that of the Central Plains, where the way one places their feet embodies the Tao of heaven and earth, or uses movements that incorporate the mysterious laws of the heavens.
There were only two types of footwork in Sierran. One is to unleash aura and move explosively over a long distance in an instant, and the other is to stealthily penetrate between darkness and melt into shadows.
Therefore, Hugh Benson was essentially running raw compared to me, who was stepping according to the techniques. Yet, he moved faster than Namgung’s footwork, which was truly astonishing.
Moreover, I ran as much as I wanted, but this guy ran while observing his surroundings, matching my speed. I really coveted that skill. Reflecting on my insufficient Light Footwork practice, I resolved to train my footwork more.
Leaving me behind, who kept wanting to ask various things, Hugh Benson crouched down. He seemed to be trying to gauge our current location by comparing it to the sky, drawing a map haphazardly. I had no choice but to stand beside him and watch him draw.
After about two hours had passed like that.
I saw a group of people crawling and running towards us from beyond the plain.
As soon as they met, Marianne used Blink and lunged at me, grabbing me by the collar after a very long time. I instinctively braced myself with my body, worried she might fall.
“Hey! Are you human? Are you even human!”
“No, huff, haha. No, you didn’t come leisurely.”
“How can I come leisurely when you’re running like that at the front!”
Her voice was certainly loud. My ears were ringing from her shouting.
Benjamin poured water onto his face as if he were drinking it. Rubel also took out his water bottle and gulped it down. Elvin, who followed behind, panted and wiped sweat from his hands, then placed the pot he was carrying on the ground with a clang.
None of them stopped Marianne’s outburst.
While I expected it from Benjamin, it was unusual for Rubel to treat me so coldly. I laughed for a long time at their childish complaints.