Chapter 9: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐)
Chapter 9: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐)
โHow much further do we have to go? It seems like itโll take all day.โ
โWe need to go deeper to find a place where it might appear.โ
Joseph spoke calmly. Fortunately, it was Johan who was behind him. If it had been just mercenaries, they would have prostrated themselves.
โHow do you know that?โ
โMonsters tend to occupy a wide territory. Since there was no damage to the village where it appeared, itโs clear that it has settled deep inside the forest, probably taking over the territory of the wolves inside.โ
Monsters behaved differently from ordinary animals, not hesitating to attack and consume their kind. If black wolves hadnโt come down to the village, the only place left was deeper inside.
โThis is incredibly boring. Are there any deer?โ
โIt would be nice if there were deer.โ
Deer were the preferred prey of nobles. Mercenaries didnโt often have the opportunity to hunt in noble territories, so it wasnโt easy for them to catch any.
โHey, gamekeeper. Are you really doing this properly? Well, maybe try using some bait.โ
Sometimes, gamekeepers in noble hunting grounds would also scatter bait. When they spread the bait, the animals in the hunting grounds would come to eat, and it became a habit for them.
By instilling this habit, it was easier to locate the animals when the nobles came to hunt later without having to do much else.
However, that was a luxury, and the Aitz family didnโt do such things. From Sir Gessen onwards, they hardly hunted and preferred to wander outside. Why bother with such things? Josephโs hunting was more about tracking and patiently waiting.
โMonsters wonโt need to do that. Theyโll attack at the mere sight.โ
โTsk.โ
The mercenary, clearly dissatisfied with Josephโs response, tapped his sword hilt. Without Johan, he might have struck a blow.
Being with Sir Karamaf didnโt mean expecting chivalry from mercenaries. They were often rough and barbaric. The saying โ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ด ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ถ๐ฆโ wasnโt for nothing.
Without Sir Karamaf, it wasnโt strange for them to lose their temper.
โJoseph. Is that true?โ
โAbout the monster? Probably. . .โ
Monsters were several times more fierce and savage than ordinary beasts. Even predators like wolves would flee or keep their distance from armed knights, but monsters wouldnโt.
๐๐ฐ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จโ
โ!โ
โWolves! Is it the one?โ
At the distant howling, the complaining mercenaries snapped to attention. The horses shivered and neighed.
โStay still, you fool!โ
One of the mercenaries scolded his horse and pulled out a cavalry crossbow from the saddle. It was small and less powerful, designed for shooting from horseback, but sufficient for hunting wolves.
โGamekeeper! Is it the one?โ
โNo. . . It doesnโt seem like it!โ
โWhy not?โ
โThe howling isnโt from just one!โ
โWhat? Itโs just the cry of a beast! Are your ears rotten? Can we really trust this guy?!โ
โWhat does a hick from a backwater hunting ground know, anyway. . .โ
The mercenaries immediately burst into curses. Joseph cursed them inwardly.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. . .โ
It seemed that the mercenaries had never tried hunting. It was clear that these guys had never roamed the forests or mountains chasing after wild animals, unlike killing people on the battlefield. Their lack of experience was evident in everything they did.
With such guys, there was no way this could turn into a proper hunt, even with all the rumors about monsters and the allure of leather.
โ๐๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด!โ
And then, the gods answered Josephโs prayer.
From all directions, the sound of wolves howling began to fill the air.
โ??!'โ
โWhatโs going on, Joseph? Youโre not usually like this?โ
Johan asked Joseph in a panic. The wolves of this forest were cunning predators, not blood-crazed beasts. They knew armed people were dangerous.
Instead of retreating or avoiding human territory, they began to howl aggressively and approach.
โMonster!โ
โ!โ
โIt must be the monster. It has taken control of the wolf pack!โ
Sometimes monsters would not fight but dominate animals. Joseph had heard such stories from an old hunter before.
Wolves, being pack animals, were likely susceptible to the monsterโs control.
โAh, finally showing up!โ
One of the mercenaries exclaimed excitedly, eager to fight after a boring wait. Joseph, alarmed, shouted.
โDonโt shoot!โ
โWhat? Donโt talk nonsense, hunter. Youโre not the only one who knows how to hunt. Iโve chased wolves while working as a mercenary.โ
The mercenary said irritably. Though he hadnโt hunted in forests and mountains like a hunter, he had experience in fending off wolves that attacked merchants on the road.
โThis isnโt a normal situation. . .โ
๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ก!
Without waiting for a response, the mercenary fired his crossbow. The bolt, sounding like a brief whistle, embedded itself in a tree with a โ๐ต๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฌโ.
โCanโt even hit a pup? Whereโs your skill?โ
โShut up. Theyโre just messing with us.โ
โJohan-nim, please make them listen!โ
Joseph pleaded with Johan, but Johan shook his head.
โW-Why not?โ
โWould they listen to me? Letโs just worry about our own lives. Whether they live or die.โ
โ. . .!!โ
โHow dangerous is this situation?โ
โIf the monster is controlling the wolves, thereโs only one target. Itโs going to attack us!โ
Wolves appeared and disappeared among the dense trees. The rustling of bushes sounded chilling. Joseph muttered in a despairing voice.
โWeโre being surrounded. . .!โ
โThis wonโt do. Joseph, get on the horse.โ
โYes?โ
โWe might have to break through in an emergency.โ
Joseph felt a moment of relief at Johanโs calm demeanor, then was startled by his own reaction.
โ๐๐ฐ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ง ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ด๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ป๐บ?โ
The wolves, having completed their encirclement, began to reveal themselves more and approached. They moved so visibly that even the mercenaries could clearly see them. The mercenaries fired bolts at them with curses.
โWhy are these bastards hiding? Come out!โ
โWhy are they prancing around like that?โ
The mercenaries were frustrated. Usually, wolves attacking on the road lacked patience. They would immediately pounce on carts or carriages, and the mercenaries would just pick them off one by one.
But these wolves were cunning and smart. They moved around, causing the mercenaries to waste their arrows.
Moreover, crossbows were hard to reload. It was slow on the ground and even more so on horseback. The tools for aiding in reloading were expensive, and few mercenaries carried them.
โThud!โ
As the last bolt sound ended, the wolves began to howl fiercely. It was a signal for the start of the fight.
โThere, the bastard!โ
A mercenary, mocking a wolf charging straight at him, twisted his body. He raised his axe-wielding hand, ready to skillfully strike the oncoming wolf.
โWatch out on the side!โ
The wolf that rushed in had its windpipe cut, but it wasnโt the only one attacking. Another wolf sprang from the left bushes, targeting the mercenaryโs exposed leg.
The mercenaryโs life was saved by a comrade who quickly thrust his sword into the wolfโs neck.
โArgh!โ
However, even in its dying throes, the wolf savagely bit the mercenaryโs leg. The chainmail was either worn or unlucky, as the wolfโs teeth tore through the leg, splattering blood and tearing flesh.
โThese damn wolves are crazy!โ
โGather! Form up!โ
The experienced mercenaries didnโt lose their momentum easily, but there wasnโt much they could do. This was an unfamiliar fight for them.
The wolves moved differently than humans. Elastic and irregular in movement. While dealing with one in front, suddenly others would attack from behind or above.
Moreover, the wolves didnโt care how many of their pack fell. They aimed to bring down a mercenary or target the horseโs legs to bite. Even if armed, being thrown off a horse meant a high chance of being fatally bitten by the wolves.
More than a dozen wolves had fallen, but mercenaries also started to drop one by one.
โDamn it!โ
A mercenary, acting as a squad leader, fiercely yelled and struck a wolfโs head with his round shield. Then he shouted.
โShit! Letโs get out of here! We canโt even break even!โ
โHey, help me up!โ
A fallen mercenary desperately shouted. But his comrades kicked their horses and fled without looking back. The horses neighed and began to run.
โLetโs escape too.โ
Johan, who had been standing by idly, also spurred his horse. The wolves seemed to only target the mercenaries, allowing Johan and Joseph to retreat comfortably.
The howling of wolves echoed behind the retreating mercenaries. Unlike before, they shivered with a chilling fear. They never expected such humiliation from merely facing a pack of wolves.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โTheyโre catching up!โ
โDamn this forest path. The road is terrible!โ
The path was narrow and littered with obstacles, making it slow to traverse even on horseback. Unlike earlier when the mercenaries were in formation, now they were riding in a single file.
A situation highly vulnerable to attacks.
The mercenaries knew this but had no choice. Stopping here would be foolish. And then. . .
โ๐๐ด ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ!โ
It didnโt matter to him if someone else got caught.
โSlow, isnโt it?โ
โJ-Johan-nim.โ
โDonโt talk with such a pitiful voice. Itโs creepy to hear a grown man talk like that.โ
Joseph felt relieved at Johanโs joke. Johan was currently at the very back of the group. Their speed was reduced due to two people riding together.
They were extremely anxious about an ambush, but the wolves hadnโt attacked yet. The continuous howling indicated they were still being followed.
โJohan-nim!โ
โ?โ
The mercenary lagging farthest behind was almost upon Johan. The horse was bleeding and running hard. The mercenaryโs face was a mix of anxiety and fear, aware of being left behind.
โLeave that man behind!โ
โWhat?โ
โLeave him! Iโll explain later, damn it!โ
The mercenary grabbed Josephโs collar in a sudden attack, causing Joseph to choke. Despite this, the mercenary, with panic in his eyes, tried to push Joseph away.
โJ-Johan-nim. . .โ
โAh, I see. To feed the wolves?โ
โYes! Youโre quick!โ
โWhy bother when thereโs a better target here.โ
With those words, Johanโs fist crushed the head of the mercenary.