## Chapter 222 – Holy Knights
The subjugation force’s advance was set for the following week, and accordingly, many adventurers moved en masse toward the barony to get a head start before the army.
We were no exception.
I formed the ultimate serial killer party with Claudia, Winia, and Elise, fully prepared and ready to embark on a journey to judge the heretics.
“Winia, how long does it take to get to the barony?”
“About three days by carriage.”
“Walking would kill us, damn it.”
“If you’d said we were walking, I would’ve killed your black ass.”
“Damn it. That’s too much.”
I decided that going on foot was absolutely impossible.
I found a carriage heading in that direction and boarded it. The coachman demanded almost double the usual fare, citing the war as justification, but what could I do? I had no choice but to pay. The war itself was a fact, after all.
I would make up for this blood-boiling loss with the heretics’ wealth.
Those bastards are all dead.
“Hmph, there are so many people. It’s crowded.”
“You can say that again.”
Even before the subjugation force had moved, the place was packed with merchants carrying supplies, adventurers following them, and mercenaries who had heard the rumors and were coming.
“A righteous procession. It’s a very good sight.”
Elise looked out of the carriage with a very proud expression.
It was nothing but people gathered for murder and greed, but in Elise’s eyes, they seemed to be good-hearted warriors going to crush the heretics.
“Hehehe, justice is still alive in the world. There are so many righteous people.”
“Indeed. They are the talents who will lead the future.”
They’re all going to be our shields.
The more, the better.
“Yeah. Wow, there are a lot of them.”
There were so many people going that the road was completely filled with carriages. Individuals with the same destination were gathering all at once, creating a large procession that looked like a huge merchant caravan.
The scale was so large that we couldn’t see any monsters along the way, nor even the familiar bandits that usually appeared. If there were any bandits left, they probably all joined the brigand gang. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say.
It was a smooth journey, except for being boring, uncomfortable, and slightly cold at night. We headed towards the barony without a single common battle. The journey was so smooth that I think I just spent the nights and days dozing off.
That’s why long journeys are uncomfortable.
The last rumor I heard was that the brigands, having increased their forces, had occupied two more villages. Since they had defeated the army, what was a village to them? They were said to be riding a wave of momentum, advancing triumphantly.
I wondered if the entire barony would be taken over like this.
And their forces were still growing rapidly.
It seemed that localized battles with the brigands were already taking place in several villages.
Most of the adventurers who were going now would be thinking of going to the villages where such battles were taking place and selling their violence.
We were no exception.
After three days in the carriage, we arrived at a village called Sezak. This village also seemed to be in the middle of a battle. As soon as we got off the carriage, the coachman, having received his passengers, returned the way he came with the other carriages.
“Katt, can you feel it? This smell of blood?”
Claudia, who had stretched as soon as she got off, said, grabbing my hand.
“A fishy scent of blood… the smell of the battlefield!”
“Hehe, I’m a little excited. Haa, my body feels like it’s boiling. It’s about time to feed my sword some blood.”
“Hell-Kan?”
“Yeah. I have to offer blood.”
Claudia looked around, excited.
She seemed to be already looking forward to killing.
The village was definitely very chaotic. Soldiers with spears and swords and injured people in casts were moving busily, and smoke was rising from various places. Women were also busy carrying supplies.
“Oh! Adventurers have arrived!”
As we were looking around, a middle-aged soldier who looked like a sergeant approached us. There were quite a few adventurers who had disembarked in this village besides us. As their attention focused on us, the soldier said.
“If you are willing to punish the heretics and receive a reward, please be sure to go to the assembly hall in the center of the village! Your help is desperately needed!”
With those words, the soldier pointed in a direction with his hand and disappeared.
“What’s that?”
Winia glared, and Elise said.
“Hmm… It seems that they are requesting help because the battle with the heretics is in full swing. If we go to the assembly hall as that soldier said, we will be able to find out the details.”
“Well, then let’s go to the central assembly hall for now.”
And so we looked for the assembly hall.
“Hey! That’s not the way!”
“Huh? Isn’t this it?”
“You idiot!”
“Bring all the wounded who can move!”
“Hey, aren’t there any carpenters in the village! We’re screwed, this is all going to collapse!”
“You son of a bitch! Is that a big injury! Get up right now!”
“Is it okay to move this here! Oh, damn it, no one’s answering!”
“Hey! Don’t block the road, move!”
“Ugh, seriously! Why isn’t the relief coming!”
The village was chaotic in many ways.
Everyone seemed to be shouting loudly, making it feel like we were on a battlefield. More than that, did these guys all have rags in their mouths when they were born? It was too uncomfortable to listen to as a civilized citizen.
Regulations are needed.
“Those damn bastards. What, can’t they talk without swearing?”
It seems that soldiers have foul mouths in every dimension.
“Is that what you’re saying, blackie?”
“It’s okay for me to say it.”
“You’re an idiot, really.”
Winia started to give me a hard time.
She seemed to have accumulated some stress from riding in the carriage.
Anyway, I looked around.
It was a village with high wooden fences.
As you know, most of the villages in this other world, located a little away from the city, are surrounded by high wooden fences. This is to defend against external invasions. Because monsters appear on a daily basis, they cannot live without building wooden fences.
Thanks to the wooden fences, the village was now in a semi-fortified state.
The soldiers and villagers were working together to stop the heretics from invading. It seemed like they were putting up a defense.
“Katt. I think it’s that way?”
“Oh. I guess so.”
As we moved while looking at the surrounding terrain, a fairly large building came into view. It was surrounded by a fence, and it was written as Central Assembly Hall (Temporary Command Post) as if it were a placard.
And two guards were standing in front of it.
As we approached, the guard spoke first.
“Are you adventurers?”
“Ah, yes. I heard that we could find out the details if we came here.”
“What are your names?”
I told the guard the names of the four of us, and he recorded them for a moment and then told us to go inside. He said that we would be able to meet the person in charge if we went inside.
We immediately went inside the building.
There was a bit of a line inside, and when I looked around, they were all adventurers or mercenaries. They all had fierce expressions and were wearing weapons, so anyone could see that these guys were brigands.
In front of them, a man in uniform sitting at a large desk was talking to the adventurers.
As we stood in line, Elise exclaimed.
“These people are all gathered for the holy war… They have very righteous expressions. I can feel their devout hearts.”
“Uh… well, I guess so.”
“Service will never be in vain, and the heretics will all pay the price in blood. Saint. My blood is boiling.”
“I agree. I want to kill the heretics soon too.”
“A correct mindset!”
Well, killing heretics must be righteous.
Elise seemed to be filled with joy at the thought of killing, just like Claudia.
Am I the only normal one here?
It’s a murderous party after all.
We waited while chatting for a while, and soon it was our turn. I was thinking about who to represent us for a moment when Winia pushed my back with her staff.
Yeah. I guess I have to do the talking.
“Welcome, adventurers. I am Hardin, the temporary employment officer.”
“I’m adventurer Katt. But temporary employment officer?”
The man in uniform greeted us with a serious face.
His name was Hardin.
“That’s right. To explain briefly, the soldiers and commanders here are all remnants of Baron Dodens’ forces. They retreated to the village, set up camp here, and are waiting for support.”
His background explanation continued.
They were the army of Baron Dodens, who had been defeated by the brigands. Somehow, they had been separated from the main force and retreated to the village, and having come to the village, they were setting up camp here, defending, and waiting for reinforcements.
“You came at a good time when it was really difficult to hold out. Every single person is desperately needed right now. To be honest, there isn’t much we can give you. But if you’ve come this far, I think you’ll be moved by even a small reward.”
“Let’s hear it first. What do you want us to do?”
“It’s a pretty difficult task… If you kill the heretics and bring back the evidence, we will give you a reasonable reward. We’ll give you 1 silver per head. Of course, all the spoils are yours. Our things are mixed in, but whoever finds them gets to keep them, right?”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
The city gives 2 silver per head, but here it’s 1 silver.
Well, it takes 3 days just to get to the city.
Considering the market price, it might be reasonable.
“Their camps are scattered everywhere. We haven’t been able to figure out their command system, but it doesn’t seem ordinary. Some of them are gathered in groups, while others are acting separately from the group. I think they’re in a cell-like structure…”
To summarize the story, it seems like the quest is to go out and kill the brigands to reduce their numbers. The reward is 1 silver for each brigand head.
It was a very simple and straightforward request.
It seemed that this employment officer was using the adventurers who came to him in this way.
“Anyway, you can raid those camps. They’re mostly made up of squads… If their numbers decrease, it will be a great help. That’s all I have to say. I hope to see you next time with the heads of the brigands.”
The story ended there.
“Oh, if you join the city defense force, we will give you a reasonable reward as well.”
I shook my head as I looked at Hardin, who added that. The next adventurer party stood in front of him, and he began to give the same explanation from the beginning again.
Is he an NPC?
We got confirmation from the guard and went outside.
“Do we have to go out and hunt them ourselves?”
Claudia asked, sounding happy.
“I think that’s the feeling.”
“I’m excited.”
Then let’s find a place to stay first.
Just as I was thinking about finding a place to stay, Winia poked my cheek with her staff.
“So, blackie. Are we leaving right away? I wouldn’t want that.”
“Of course, we have to find a place to stay first, unpack our things, and then start.”
“Yeah. Of course we have to.”
We’ve been in that uncomfortable place for three days, so we have to find a place to stay. There are a lot of people coming and going, so those places will be open for business as usual.
“Then let’s look for an inn.”
“Let’s do that.”
But this inn is going to be really expensive… I swallowed the rising anxiety and walked around the village. Looking at the current atmosphere, it didn’t seem like the brigands had invaded yet. It was noisy, but there was still room to spare.
I tried to erase my anxiety by thinking that way, but in the end, it became a reality.
“…The inn is so expensive.”
Just like the carriage I rode in, a rip-off was attached.
This isn’t some peak season tourist destination, why is it so expensive?
At this rate, I don’t know how many brigands I’ll have to kill. No, we came to beat up the brigands who invaded their village, and they’re ripping us off like this!
I was filled with anger in many ways.
Still, we have to have a place to rest to do our job properly, so there’s nothing we can do.
“Ah, damn it.”
And so I received the key.
Claudia, Winia, and I would use one room, and Elise would use the room next door.
