WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: Abood
Editor: Ryuu
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Saviour Embarks on a Nameless Journey
Chapter 22: Mercenary
And here's how things unfolded. I ended up spending the night at this very house.
The family had gone to the village head with the hunter who’d bagged the boar earlier that day to report the situation. Turns out, the lord had already issued orders to keep an eye out for any traces of the missing monsters, search parties were still active.
Problem was, no one here knew where the lord’s monster-hunting troops were stationed, so sending word would take time. Until reinforcements arrived, the western farms would be guarded in shifts by soldiers, mercenaries, and hunters.
Tonight, though? Barebones crew. Just one hunter, one merc, and a single lanky soldier.
"Not to mention the damn bait hanging right there, reeking of blood,"
The merc muttered in front of me, sighing.
While the hunter and soldier took up position at the farmhouse coordinating the western patrols, the merc and I were stuck at this place with the boar still dangling like a welcome sign for trouble.
"They’ll likely come tonight."
"Don’t say scary stuff like that,"
the young farmer grumbled at my words.
"Whether you say it or not, ain’t changin’ the facts. Saw how jumpy the village head was, didn’t ya?"
"W-well, yeah..."
The farmer, apparently named Jimmy, stammered under the merc’s glare.
Older folks moved faster when it came to monsters. The younger generation, especially those born after monsters had been driven out of settled areas, reacted sluggishly. To them, wild boars ravaging fields or the occasional bear sighting were far scarier.
Not that those beasts weren’t dangerous to an untrained villager one-on-one… but weak or not, fear favors the familiar.
"You ever fought monsters before?" Jimmy asked.
"I have."
"So you’re a mercenary… wait, one o’ them ‘adventurers’ that’re all the rage now?"
"I suppose you could call it that."
In these times without large-scale wars, the line between mercenaries and adventurers had blurred. If anything, adventurers just had broader job descriptions.
"Really wish this’d hit tomorrow night instead,"
The merc muttered, scratching his head roughly.
He was a big, imposing man, thick wrists and a solid frame that screamed reliability. His well-maintained sword and gruff complaints didn’t hide the fact he was far from weak.
"Grub’s ready,"
Said the farmer’s wife. She’d evacuated to a neighbor’s place but not before leaving a pot of stew simmering.
"Thanks."
"’Course!"
We took the wooden bowls she offered. Chicken and vegetable stew, by the looks of it.
"Speaking of chickens, I’ll pay for a few boiled eggs. Mind whipping some up?"
"Sure thing."
I pretended to pause eating to feed Pya, though honestly, the little glutton had already started nibbling the moment my hand hovered near its face.
"Hold up."
I raised a hand to stop the farmer from leaving.
"Aah."
The merc gave a terse nod toward me, then pulled his sword closer with a grunt.
"Pya~"
Pya looked up at me and chirped, a sound clearly inaudible to everyone else.
This is about me putting down the spoon, isn’t it? You’re a Sacred Beast, damn it. Sense the monsters already!
I stood up without hesitation, sending Pya scrambling to cling to my back before it could tumble off. Wouldn’t you be safer staying put?
"Don’t come out till I call for you,"
the merc told the farmer, then followed me as I pushed open the door.
Outside, two crimson lights glowed in the pitch-black night. Animal eyes might reflect red in torchlight, but only a monster’s gaze burns in the dark.
"Bigger than I heard. Those eyes are set too damn high,"
The merc muttered, swallowing hard.
Then the creature charged.
"Comin’ empty-handed means you’re packin’, right? Do your thing."
The mercenary grinned, raising his sword.
I’d seen worse mercenaries, but no way he’d walk away unscathed. A monster that size? Tough hide, thick bones is likely to shrug off normal steel.
"OOOH—!"
He swung down at the charging beast with a roar.
"GYAAGH—!!"
The blade meant for its neck failed to cleave through, but smashed it into the dirt instead.
The monster scrambled up instantly, shrieking in fury.
"Some kinda ape-demon,"
Taller than me, broader than the merc. But for an ape type, it’s dumber than most.
"Hard as hell!"
"Aim for the soft spots. Going for the neck? Don’t slash from the side or back, stab straight in."
Otherwise, target the face, wrists, ankles, or anywhere not matted with fur.
"Like I got time to—ghhk!"
The merc swung at the monster as it lunged again.
He tried for the throat, but the hunched, jutting-neck posture made it tricky. His blade got batted aside by an arm, claws raking shallow cuts across his cheek and shoulder.
"Hey! Quit spectatin’ and help!"
"When it gets dicey. Good chance to learn monster-fighting."
"I’ll be dead before I learn!"
He was holding his own and dodging well, though his strikes barely pierced hide. But the wounds piled up.
Monsters outlast humans. This stalemate would bleed him dry.
"EeeEEEE—!"
"Shit—!"
The monster’s shrill, cracking shriek made the merc stagger.
The shriek carried intimidation meant to paralyze prey with fear, effective against the weak-willed or those new to fighting monsters.
Fortunately, roaring beasts rarely used magic. Less hassle that way.
"—SuiEn."
I drew the blade with my left hand. Its water-blaze edge glowed faintly in the dark.
The monster, sensing SuiEn’s presence, backed away and fixed its glare on me.
"Pya—"
Pya had stretched itself thin against my back. Then why’d you even follow me out here?
I lunged first, kicking upward to stagger the beast, then driving SuiEn straight through its exposed throat before twisting sideways. Could’ve bisected it clean, but the merc needed a proper lesson.
"Glad you showed up quick."
Waiting all night for monsters? Not my idea of fun.
Footnotes:
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