Chapter 10

Chapter 10

10. Bromwood (1)

The place where the corpses were discovered was near a forest path a half-day’s distance from Louiswell.

A fishy blood smell pierced Benrik’s nose.

“I smell blood.”

“What?”

Everyone had puzzled faces.

This forest is the only road connecting Louiswell and nearby cities.

Because of that he heard that Louiswell’s lord also regularly hunts beasts and sends patrols to particularly care about security.

But blood smell?

“Are you sure? I don’t feel anything though.”

“Yes.”

He couldn’t distinguish whether beast or person but it was certain. Hodge who was pondering proposed.

“It would be good to confirm, because we can’t conclude it’s not a magical beast.”

Whatever it is, knowing the identity is more convenient to respond, and if it is a magical beast they should inform Louiswell’s security force of the fact so that no more victims appear.

How far did they walk into the forest following the blood smell.

“······.”

They arrived at the source. It was a clearing about 10 minutes away from the forest path.

“···Horrible.”

Someone muttered softly. It was as he said.

Corpses torn to shreds were sprawled like garbage. One whose arm was torn off, one whose belly was completely exposed, in appearances too horrible to put into words.

From the wide-open eyes the pain felt at the time seemed to be conveyed intact.

One merchant hurriedly covered his mouth.

“Ugh···!”

Starting from him several merchants who had experienced all sorts of hardships began to grab a tree each and retch.

As expected all the victims were merchants who had been with them until a few days ago.

Oswald staggered and sighed.

“My god···”

He and the merchants could not continue speaking for a while.

They only walked different paths because interests didn’t match. Unlike Jenkinson’s mercenary group they had no particular bad blood with the dead.

Some merchants who were close to the dead reddened their eyes and some faces turned pale.

The latter were probably those who until the end conflicted whether to follow Marcel or not.

And Jenkinson···.

Benrik looked up at the giant standing upright next to him.

‘Hmm. The same.’

Really the same. He doesn’t know well. It was the same blunt face as usual. It seemed like he was annoyed.

“We’ll examine.”

Hodge and the mercenaries approached the corpses.

Saying that if done by a magical beast or beast they could guess the identity from the wounds.

‘Even so···.’

It didn’t particularly look high possibility. Benrik looked around.

Because there were no luggage that they had carried from Logon Village like sacred objects. Not a single one.

There is a possibility that someone discovered the corpses first and looted them but···.

'Well, it doesn’t seem that high.'

When he was thinking Hodge said.

“It seems done by bandits. First done by blades, and afterwards torn by wild beasts.”

“···Is that so.”

“Let’s go. Since the location is not that far from the road it will be quickly discovered by patrol soldiers.”

It was puzzling that there were guys committing crimes openly near the village, but if not a magical beast there was no more need for them to get involved.

It was when they were about to withdraw.

“I won’t say to help.”

Oswald carefully opened his mouth.

“Won’t you give time to recover the corpses?”

Knowing that the feelings between the mercenary group and the dead merchants were not good he couldn’t help but be careful.

Hodge instead of answering looked at Jenkinson.

Looking over the shoulder it seemed they had already finished talking with the merchants. Among them were included merchants who retched as soon as they saw the corpses.

“Do so.”

He who said bluntly moved his place to a spot not splattered with blood as if no longer getting involved.

And Benrik,

“I’ll help too.”

Stepped forward while lightly rolling up his sleeves. He also had no bad feelings with the merchants.

Moreover he received pocket money from Marcel.

They dug a pit and gathered the scattered corpses. Perhaps because a beast had already visited once it wasn’t that heavy.

One merchant who saw such a child asked.

“Benrik, are you okay?”

What wouldn’t be okay? While thinking. He looked at him as if pitiful then patted his shoulder.

“You don’t have to overdo it.”

“···?”

He’s not particularly overdoing, ah···. I know why he’s doing this.

“I’m fine.”

Seeing corpses is not once or twice, and recovering damaged corpses was not the first time either. Logon Village is a place where magical beast hunters gather and live.

Surrounded by forests teeming with magical beasts, they and death were always as if attached.

“Because I’ve seen so much since young.”

He explained, but the merchant patted his shoulder again and left.

‘···What.’

The child who thought for a moment headed to Marcel who was coldly hardened on the tree trunk.

Seeing that appearance the inside of his mouth became bitter.

‘Still should I have tried to stop him once.’

He didn’t interfere because he might hear that a young one is stepping forward carelessly.

Seeing the appearance that became like this the heart was not good.

“······.”

It was when he let out a deep sigh and reached out his hand.

“Hmm?”

He felt a sense of incongruity. He briefly examined the corpse. The pouch containing the star dust that he thought of as a second life was not visible.

It was hard to think that those who looted the luggage took even that. The use of star dust is only the Magic Tower.

People who know of its existence are few, and people who know its value are fewer.

Because the appearance is unmistakably fine sand there wouldn’t be many who steal it.

After finishing all the recovery, and while urging the path again informing Jenkinson of this fact,

“It’s a mercenary.”

He said.

“That those who killed them are mercenaries.”

“Ah.”

That was it. The corpses were all merchants. Clearly they also would have hired a low-level mercenary group and departed.

“Byproducts from Logon Village become money. The reward a low-level mercenary group receives for a few requests is laughably small.”

If experienced like Oswald they wouldn’t have done the stupid thing of leaking what items they handle, where they are coming from.

Those who left were all those for whom visiting the village was the first time.

“Not all mercenaries work honestly like us.”

At the end of the words Jenkinson added.

“Don’t carelessly trust things you meet on the road.”

***

Across the entire continent there exist shrine sites made to commemorate the goddess Luminas.

It is said that practitioners who set out on pilgrimages cause miracles and erect them but Benrik doesn’t know the details well, but he knew that their number is countless.

In fact even in the Golden Mountains teeming with magical beasts there were more than ten shrines that Benrik knew of.

Shrine sites that have no restriction on entry and have solid walls and roofs that block wind and rain also served as implicit resting places for travelers.

So they sometimes became places of chance encounters like this.

“······.”

Benrik’s gaze turned beyond the bonfire.

One merchant and five mercenaries.

They are the first guests who had already settled in the shrine before them.

One of the first guests, a mercenary with slanted eyes, asked.

“···Where are you going?”

“Bromwood.”

At Jenkinson’s short answer the mercenary group exchanged glances among themselves.

“···We are going to Weyden. The complete opposite.”

“Is that so, have a safe journey.”

Among them Benrik’s gaze could not leave the merchant of small physique.

The orange fire flickered and illuminated the blurry features.

It was a person he knew well.

The dual-job pickpocket, Marcus.

He who received Benrik’s gaze smiled good-naturedly.

“Seeing again.”

He recognizes. They only brushed past briefly.

“As expected it is you. Hello.”

As Benrik calmly returned the greeting, the companions said as if puzzled.

“Hmm? Did you know each other?”

“How?”

“I saw at the Works Merchant Guild, you were talking with Mr. Marcel?”

In an instant, Marcus’s pupils shook greatly.

As the name of the dead Marcel came out the companions’ complexions changed.

“Hmm···?”

“Haha, right. Your memory is good. I parted with Mr. Marcel in Louiswell, I wonder if he is going well.”

While saying so something dangled at his waist. It was Marcel’s star dust pouch.

The circumstantial evidence was clear.

Marcus who joined Marcel’s group colluded with the mercenaries to kill them and take the luggage.

‘Is dual-job trending.’

One guy does trade trips and pickpocketing at the same time.

The mercenary group does mercenary work and banditry at the same time.

Benrik looked at Jenkinson. Jenkinson who pulled up one corner of his mouth nodded slightly.

“······.”

Along with an awkward silence tension descended.

“···?”

The mercenaries who were already pressed by Jenkinson’s momentum also seemed to notice the strange atmosphere around then but···.

Jenkinson’s mercenary group moved faster.

─Whoosh!

Someone spread and threw a leather blanket onto the bonfire.

In an instant the field of vision was blocked and sparks flew.

“What, what the fuck!”

“Draw your swords!”

“These dog-like bastards!”

─Clang!

Shouts and curses, bewildered groans and screams etc. mixed chaotically.

When someone made a torch and lit it along with rough breathing.

─Cough!

Only Marcus was leaning against the wall with eyes as if unable to understand.

“Kugh···. Why, why···?”

While blood poured from the shoulder.

At the situation cleaned up in an instant Benrik inwardly admired.

‘Aren’t they much more skilled than when facing magical beasts?’

Not only Jenkinson but the other mercenary members were the same.

It was the moment Benrik took a step to hear the whole story.

─Stab!

Jenkinson’s greatsword pierced Marcus’s neck.

He who received Benrik’s gaze asked.

“Why?”

“No even so we should hear the circumstances.”

As Benrik answered reluctantly, he snorted.

“What circumstances. It’s obvious.”

Answering so he gestured with his chin to one corner of the shrine. Lifting the blanket, the backpacks that the dead merchants each carried were revealed.

Jenkinson raised his chin triumphantly.

“It’s the difference in experience.”

“Wow really amazing. Jenkinson!”

“······.”

Passing the pausing Jenkinson he approached Marcus’s corpse. And untied the star dust pouch from the waist.

It was that moment.

[Acquired the remains of the peddler Marcel.]

<​Marcel's Appraisal Eye (D)>

─The beginner peddler Marcel’s eye for goods had a high reputation even among merchants.

[You can absorb Marcel's Appraisal Eye (D). Absorb? <​Remaining slots: 1>]

[Sense: Value Judgment (D) has been absorbed. <​Remaining slots: 0>]

※ Slots are full. Secure empty slots through privilege combination or enhancement.

It was the day with one week left until the border city Bromwood.

***

Bromwood is a large city whose population alone approaches 300,000.

Merchants and mercenaries, fairies and dwarves, adventurers and hunters etc.

People of various occupations and races came and went by hundreds a day.

It was a point contrasting with most cities adjacent to the border having a bleak and strict atmosphere.

This was largely due to Bromwood’s geographical characteristics.

Because to the west it has the Great Forest with beautiful scenery, and to the south the Grendel Duchy that has built trust with the empire for a long time.

Hearing the story, not even a small dispute has occurred for over a hundred years.

Benrik who was silently listening to Jenkinson’s story asked.

“Then there won’t be many soldiers either?”

Soldier was one of the preliminary job candidates Benrik had written at the bottom of his mental list. Because the military life in the Republic of Korea was not a bad memory he wrote it.

Naturally, he has office work in mind.

Surely just because it’s here all soldiers won’t go around only shouting while holding spears and swords.

“No there are many.”

As Benrik looked, he added.

“Of course there are many, it’s the border. There are more soldiers than people coming and going. So for a large city the security is on the good side. Whether because the lord is a knight he also tends to care a lot.”

“I see.”

“Isn’t that why your father sent you here too?”

Hmm, Gerik? Even if he said so it didn’t particularly resonate with Benrik.

‘It doesn’t seem like he cared that much.’

More than that the person he said he would introduce was also a knight, wasn’t he.

“The person you said you would introduce is also a knight, right? What kind of person is he?”

Immediately Jenkinson’s face was dyed the color of shit.

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