WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

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Chapter 112: Hebron Fortress

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Hebron Fortress had barracks for soldiers and knights.

Elbridge's group did not belong to Hebron Fortress, nor had they come to defend it, so they could not stay in the barracks. Their only option was one of the inns scattered throughout the fortress.

They spent the night at the inn carved into the cliff face, the one they had seen as soon as they entered Hebron Fortress.

The following morning, Elbridge left his room to get breakfast.

The people seated in the central hall glanced at Elbridge before looking away. Elbridge gave them a quick look as well.

'Mercenaries.'

Their armor was mismatched, with each piece seemingly from a different set, and their attitudes were too freewheeling for soldiers or knights.

They were clearly mercenaries.

Most of them looked fairly experienced, too.

There wasn't a single half-baked mercenary swaggering around so no one would look down on them. Most seemed more than capable of pulling their own weight.

Elbridge recalled what he had heard in Norens City.

Mercenaries who valued their lives left the North for the East or Central region, while those hoping to make it big or chasing grand dreams flocked north.

"You're up?"

Marcus, who had already been seated in the hall, called out to him. Elbridge sat across from Marcus.

"It was nice sleeping somewhere with a ceiling for once."

Then Elbridge noticed something unusual.

The mercenaries' gazes kept drifting toward Marcus.

'Has Marcus already become famous among mercenaries?'

That couldn't be it.

Regardless of Marcus's skill, his reputation wasn't that great.

Then why were the mercenaries glancing at him?

"Marcus, did you run into any mercenaries you know?"

"Anyone I know? Didn't see any."

"Then why is everyone looking at you?"

"Well..."

Marcus lowered his voice.

"My sword's the coolest one here."

Elbridge naturally assumed it was a joke, but Marcus looked rather serious.

"What does having a cool sword have to do with anything?"

"A sword shows a mercenary's skill."

Before they left Mountain City Barquntol, Mayor Baldrek had given Elbridge's group dwarf-made equipment as a gift.

At the time, Elbridge and Rombel chose their gear for practicality, but Marcus had been different. He picked the flashiest sword, one that looked as though it would fetch the highest price if sold.

"Having an expensive sword means you've got money, and having money means you've earned plenty as a mercenary. That means you've got experience and skill."

"Couldn't you have been rich to begin with?"

"Rich young masters don't become mercenaries... Besides, plenty of people covet expensive swords. Carrying one around openly is the clearest proof that you're confident in your skills."

Now that Elbridge heard it, it sounded plausible enough.

It didn't seem to be something only Marcus believed, either.

The mercenaries at this inn all carried fairly flashy swords.

"And flashy swords help you earn a living, too. If you've got a good sword, employers pay you better..."

As Elbridge and Marcus discussed the ways of mercenaries, the others gradually appeared and sat at the table. Sonia and Rombel came first, followed by the three elves. Since the table was too small, the elves sat at another table.

The people who had been glancing at Marcus had their attention drawn to the three elves.

Despite their shabby, willful conduct, the elves were extraordinarily beautiful. The gloomy inn seemed to brighten in an instant.

When the group finished their simple meal and it was time to pay, a small problem arose.

When the innkeeper asked for payment, the elves played dumb.

"The meal fee?"

The innkeeper frowned.

"Of course you have to pay for your meal."

"Isn't it only natural to offer a meal to a hungry guest?"

"Hey. What inn gives out free food? Pay up."

"Money? Ah... Money. We know what money is. We know, but..."

The three elves trailed off.

Only recently, they had been extorting money from people in Norens City, yet they were pretending not to understand human customs. It was thoroughly shameless.

Selene looked at the innkeeper with her large eyes and spoke as if troubled.

"You. What is your name?"

"Hans... Why do you ask?"

"Hans. We have no money right now. Come to Thornbush Forest later. We will treat you as our guest."

"..."

Elbridge could tell that Selene had deliberately been given this role.

There were quite a few female knights in Hebron Fortress. Still, none was as beautiful as Selene.

It wasn't easy to argue over a few coins when such a rare beauty looked so troubled. The elves' meal hadn't been particularly expensive, either.

Innkeeper Hans looked toward Elbridge's group at the next table. His gaze asked whether they were together.

Elbridge and the other three avoided his eyes. It wasn't because they begrudged the money, but because being grouped together with those elves was humiliating.

In the end, Hans gave in.

"...Damn it. Fine. You didn't eat anything expensive, so I'll let it go this once. But this is the last time. I don't run this place for free."

"Thank you. Next time, we will borrow money if we must and pay."

"See that you do."

Once the innkeeper left, Marcus whispered to the three elves.

"The money you extorted in Norens City. Did you give all of it to the other elves?"

"We gave them half and brought the rest."

"That should be enough to cover breakfast."

"There's no need to waste money we don't need to spend. We have to be frugal."

Marcus decided never to discuss money with elves again.

* * *

After eating, the group stayed at the inn and relaxed.

They had no intention of rushing.

Even if they hurried, it would take three days to reach Thornbush Forest from Hebron Fortress. At a slower pace, it would take five days or more.

That journey would be even more difficult than the road they had traveled so far, so resting for a day or two before moving on was the right choice.

They even had a suitable way to pass the time.

Mercenaries were usually sociable.

The mercenaries who had been eyeing Marcus approached Elbridge's group with cards and set up a small gambling game, betting their lunch money.

Around midday, a loud bell rang outside the inn.

"What is that? Why is there a bell ringing?"

Unlike the confused Marcus and Sonia, Elbridge and Rombel had a rough idea of what was happening.

"It's a mobilization order."

"A mobilization order?"

As travelers, Elbridge's group had no obligation to answer it.

Still, it was best to move with the others at least once so they could understand the situation.

"Grab your weapons."

The mercenaries who had been playing cards with them were already on their feet.

Elbridge's group headed for the wall with the mercenaries. Not the southern wall they had entered through yesterday, but the northern wall.

When they reached the rear side of the wall, soldiers were gripping the pulleys connected to the gate.

Sonia finally asked, "What's going on?"

Elbridge and Rombel had already figured it out on the way there.

Elbridge answered, "It'll be easier if you see it. Follow me."

Elbridge led Sonia and Marcus up the wall.

Looking north, they saw a group of knights racing toward Hebron Fortress.

More than ten demonic beasts were chasing them.

"They went out to carry out a mission and got pursued."

Sonia asked, "Demonic beasts are chasing them, so why open the gate? Shouldn't they use the wall as a defensive line?"

Elbridge shook his head.

"Sonia. Imagine you've become a knight of Hebron Fortress. Your comrades went beyond the wall on a dangerous mission, and demonic beasts are chasing them."

"And?"

"If the leadership refuses to open the gate and your comrades die outside the wall... when you're given a mission next time, will you be able to carry it out faithfully?"

Sonia understood Elbridge's explanation.

To preserve trust, and to preserve Hebron Fortress itself, people had to accept a certain degree of risk. Opening the gate to save those being pursued was one such case.

There was only one time the gate would not be opened: when opening it risked bringing down the fortress.

This was not such a situation.

Someone shouted from below the wall.

"Now! Open the gate!"

The soldiers began turning the pulleys with all their strength.

Creeeeak. Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle.

As the heavy gate opened, the cold northern wind rushed straight through the gap in the valley.

Elbridge's group stood among the soldiers and knights, narrowing their eyes against the wind.

Boom.

The gate opened. The bloodied knights who had been fleeing ran into the fortress. People naturally split to either side, clearing a path for them.

It would have been ideal to close the gate immediately, but closing it took time.

The best response was to fight first, subdue the demonic beasts, and then close it.

A middle-aged knight shouted.

"Raise your weapons! Ready!"

More than ten demonic beasts rushed into the fortress.

Fortunately, most resembled beasts. The more familiar a demonic beast's form, the more likely it was to move predictably.

"Now!"

Countless blades flew toward the demonic beasts.

A large knight raised a shield to stop one of the beasts' charges.

A soldier's spear pierced the heart of a wolf type demonic beast. Yet the beast's massive body crashed into the soldier without slowing. The pinned soldier would most likely not survive.

Elbridge, Rombel, Marcus, and the elves also swung their weapons.

The clash was loud, and there were considerable casualties. Still, the fight didn't last long.

If a mere ten or so demonic beasts could breach it, Hebron Fortress would never have been known as an impregnable fortress.

As the brief battle ended without further trouble, Elbridge sensed something strange.

The sky was full of gloomy gray clouds, the kind that came just before snow.

Yet some of those clouds showed an oddly different color.

Purple clouds, or violet clouds. The most common sign before a demon appeared.

'Will a demon appear soon?'

Then someone pointed beyond the wall and shouted.

"Hey, over there!"

Everyone looked beyond the gate.

A knight clad in silver-gray armor was approaching the fortress.

The Silver-Gray Knight's arms hung loosely at his sides.

He held a sword in each hand.

Knights rarely used dual swords, so he was most likely bringing back a fallen knight's effects.

The soldiers turning the pulleys stopped.

"You there, Sir Knight! Hurry! Before more demonic beasts catch up to you!"

At a glance, the knight didn't seem unusual.

Still, the closer the Silver-Gray Knight came, the more Elbridge's unease grew.

A moment later, Elbridge realized where that feeling came from.

'He's too big.'

There had been nothing nearby to compare him against, which was why Elbridge had noticed it late.

He was at least half again as tall as an ordinary person, with a build to match.

At first glance, that was all that seemed strange.

Then Rombel quietly said, "That bastard's shoulders look odd..."

"Shoulders?"

Elbridge narrowed his eyes.

He could clearly see two arms, but there was another shoulder beneath each armpit.

A second pair of arms was held behind the knight's back, as though he were trying to conceal them.

Four arms. Purple clouds. An unnaturally large body.

Sensing something wrong, the middle-aged knight shouted.

"Close the gate now!"

The soldiers still didn't understand what was wrong.

But they knew how precious their lives were. Without a word, they immediately began turning the pulleys to close the gate.

Creeeeak. Rattle-rattle-rattle.

The Silver-Gray Knight, who had been approaching slowly until then, suddenly sped up.

Swinging all four arms back and forth, he sprinted toward the fortress. He was faster than most four-legged beasts.

Only then did the others notice something wrong.

"That bastard has four arms!"

"Hurry!"

Creeeeak. Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle.

The soldiers turned the pulleys with every ounce of strength they had.

Boom.

The gate, reinforced with thick blocks of iron, rose and shut with only a moment to spare.

A brief silence followed.

The running knight's footsteps stopped.

Then, in the next moment.

Crunch!

Four enormous blades burst through the thick gate.

That was all.

The Silver-Gray Knight did not enter the fortress. He turned around and left.

Selene muttered, "We'll be able to return to Thornbush Forest... right?"

Footnotes:

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