CHAPTER 66

"Let's kill them all."

Some had even wet themselves beyond just dropping their weapons.

With these people in front of him, Rem spoke while holding a blood-stained axe.

"P-Please, spare us."

It was only natural for them to be terrified.

They were already demoralized.

Rem thought they should be killed.

He was a settler from the west, often derogatorily called a barbarian.

Rem spent his childhood in the west.

In the land of pioneers, leaving any threat behind was not an option.

"It seems they sent an assassin. What's the point in arguing about who the culprit is here? Let's slit their throats and be done with it. That's the clean way, isn't it?"

The terrified men couldn't even open their mouths. Rem stood between Encrid and the kneeling criminals, looking ready to swing his axe at any moment.

They remained silent.

"Where did you throw your blanket?"

Rem was about to say that if Encrid didn't want to do it, he would handle it himself.

Then, an unexpected question came.

"What?"

"Your blanket."

When they left the lodgings, he had been wrapped in a blanket.

But at some point, he had thrown it all away.

"Near the alley entrance?"

Before he saw the beggar. His unique instincts, the beast's sense of smell, had prepared him for battle.

"Then, where will you sleep tonight?"

He didn't understand why Encrid kept asking these things, but Rem had a plan from the moment he discarded the blanket.

"Don't worry, I'll use the blanket of the guy who sleeps out every night. I won't steal the Squad Leader's blanket."

"Touch my stuff and you die. No, I'll kill you. Absolutely."

Jaxon understood and reacted. The guy who often slept out was Jaxon.

Jaxon met many women. Whenever they came into town, he often left the lodgings at night.

"You stingy bastard, you don't even use it."

"Don't touch it. Barbarian."

"Damn sneaky stray cat, you're so narrow-minded."

As the two started bickering, Encrid clapped his hands.

"That's not necessary, Rem."

From the beginning, when he targeted the Thieves Guild, Encrid had a plan.

It was a bit more plausible than Rem's clumsy plan to steal a blanket.

Half of it was because he suspected these guys had sent the assassin, the other half was for a different plan.

'This is unexpected.'

He was more than half convinced that these weren't the ones behind the assassination.

Didn't they already know Aspen had sent the assassin?

So, if anyone had bet on Krona, it wouldn't have been the guild. They might have wagered a few pennies they could afford to lose.

Whether these guys were behind it or not didn't matter.

He had a more important plan.

"It's pretty cold. Don't you want to stay warm?"

Rem tilted his head in confusion, wondering what Encrid was talking about.

"Huh?"

Only Krais, with his keen intuition and quick thinking, understood. He blinked his large eyes and looked at his Squad Leader with disbelief.

Encrid nodded slightly.

It had been years of training with mercenaries under the Valen Mercenary Sword Technique, but he had learned many other things besides swordsmanship.

For example,

'It's fair to rob a thief who tries to rob you.'

That sort of thing.

Encrid had made up his mind.

He didn't think this would affect his dreams.

After all, they were just a gang of criminals.

The wealth they had accumulated was not earned through virtuous means.

There might be future repercussions or other issues, but he didn't care.

'It doesn't matter.'

As his skills improved, his confidence in handling other matters naturally grew. He believed he could solve anything that came his way.

Breathing out, Encrid continued.

"Let's rob them. Even if it's not a magical heater, let's get a few warm monster skins in our lodgings."

Silence fell again. It was an unexpected turn of events.

Soon, Rem burst into laughter.

"Right, what comes from the land I've secured is mine."

That was a typical Rem expression.

"Warmly?"

Ragna also responded. Nobody likes being cold.

"Haha, the gods said, steal from thieves and use it for good." he said.

Would such words actually be written in scripture? Or would the temple teach such things?

Neither seems likely.

However, Audin conveyed the righteousness of the situation by firmly believing in what he said.

"Not bad."

Jaxon also nodded.

"Are we just going to rob them?"

Krais voiced an advanced opinion.

"Let's go inside and talk. It's cold."

The temperature was cold enough to quickly chill the warmth from the entrails and blood of the dead.

They immediately entered the mansion. Krais urged those hesitating and watching to go inside, and the remaining ones followed.

Since some had broken legs.

"Help carry everyone inside."

At Krais' words, those who had been watching each other's faces in hesitation started to move.

Wouldn't it be better to just run away?

Their faces clearly showed their indecision.

"We will chase you. Either the guy with the axe or the guy who enjoys breaking legs."

Ragna and Jaxon fought well, but to the gang, the most terrifying were Rem with his axe and Audin who swung his club to break legs.

They were the embodiment of fear.

"Do you think you can escape the eyes of the Border Guard's standing army? Or are you planning to explore the end of the season where the monsters roam at night? You'll either freeze to death or become monster food. We won't kill you, so come inside."

Krais was a master of persuasion.

Encrid, entering inside while listening to Krais, complimented him.

"You would have made a good con artist."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't seem like one."

Once inside, there was a fire burning in the fireplace. It seemed like the dead man had lived here, as the warmth of people could be felt all around.

Above the fireplace, two blunt practice swords and a shield were crossed and hung, and a few paintings were hung on both walls.

"Are they expensive?"

Encrid glanced at the paintings and asked. Krais replied as if it wasn't worth a closer look.

"No, they are cheap. I wonder who would buy such things."

Even to Encrid, who lacked any artistic sensibility, it was clear.

"I could draw better with my foot."

Rem seemed to agree.

They all stood by the fireplace, creating long shadows behind them.

"Light the torch. It's dark."

Encrid said while warming himself by the fire. He didn't direct his words to anyone in particular, and no one moved.

Encrid added,

"Since Gilpin is dead, the next guy should do it."

"Gilpin isn't dead."

Then one of the unharmed men stepped forward. He was the one with a bald head resembling a sand dune.

If seen during the day, it would have been blinding.

He had a long scar above his eyebrows, but the combination of the scar and the bald head did nothing to make his appearance intimidating.

With drooping eyes and thick lips, he didn't look threatening at all.

But what did he say?

"Gilpin isn't dead?"

Did he have some kind of monstrous regenerative ability?

So, he survived even after being beheaded?

The guy lying dead in the open space in front of the mansion?

There was no sign of such a thing.

The bald guy spoke.

"Because I am Gilpin."

What kind of situation is this?

"So, he's not the leader? Ah, it's like cutting off a lizard's tail?"

Krais pointed outside, asking and answering his own question.

Encrid remembered some of the casual conversations he had heard in the mercenary industry.

"Sometimes the scum in the criminal guilds do this. They name the gang after one of their subordinates."

"Why?"

"So they can sacrifice the subordinate and escape if things go south. It's a cheap trick they use when the army suddenly shows up to wipe out the criminals."

"Why do you know so much about this?"

"I was briefly involved in that scene. Anyway, it's not common, but the ones who do this are real bastards."

Encrid had never actually seen someone do this.

Usually, out of pride, people named their gangs after themselves.

Using a subordinate's name meant that the guy who died outside was a particularly sneaky bastard.

"A real bastard."

Understanding, Encrid spoke.

From behind, Ragna asked what was going on.

The quick-witted Krais roughly explained the situation.

Encrid's plan was plausible but simple.

Hit the Thieves Guild, and if they cooperated, take their offering and leave.

If they resisted, beat them until they offered something and then leave.

Of course, there would be repercussions for messing with the Thieves Guild.

But he was confident he could suppress that with force.

He believed he and his squad members were sufficient.

However, there was a real connection to the assassin who targeted him.

So what?

'What does that matter?'

"Will it really be warm?" Rem whispered from behind. He was so close that it was uncomfortable.

"Get lost."

Encrid whispered back and looked at Gilpin. Gilpin, rubbing his sand-dune head with his hand, spoke hesitantly.

"If you're going to kill, just kill me and spare the others. Some of them have sick mothers they are struggling to care for."

"Just because you're struggling doesn't make it right to rob others."

Caring for a sick mother doesn't justify threatening others and taking their money.

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you just spared us."

Encrid folded his arms and stood straight, looking at Gilpin.

This guy had some guts.

His request to be the only one killed was quite impressive.

So why didn't he fight back earlier?

When asked,

"Why would I fight for a bastard who'd sell me out to save his own skin?"

The two who had been the nameless guild leader's guards nodded behind him.

They were barely alive too.

From the way things were going, it was clear what the dead man had done.

All his subordinates seemed to hate him.

"Will you cough up what you've saved? Then you can leave peacefully."

Encrid proceeded according to plan.

"Sure, if they cough it up, there's no need to kill them."

Rem agreed, knowing the value of staying warm far outweighed any pioneer ideology.

Would the others be any different?

"Yes. But the safe key was hidden by that dead bastard."

"Oh, that's fine."

We have a wizard here who can unlock doors with just a knock.

A safe box? Piece of cake.

Gilpin was wise. When he realized no one would be killed, he handed over all the wealth they had accumulated.

"Oh, it's heated leather!"

"If you take all of that, the people guarding the path will die."

He was referring to the beggars guarding the alley. The same beggars they had already killed on the way in.

Krais spoke up when he heard that the beggars had lined their shabby clothes with monster leather.

"This stuff is useless if it's stained with blood."

They couldn't take the beggars' belongings after all.

Once again, Encrid looked at Gilpin with newfound respect.

'He took care of even the lowliest subordinates.'

From the way things were unfolding, it seemed that Gilpin, despite only borrowing the guild leader's name, was more generous than the original guild leader.

Everyone seemed to follow Gilpin's lead, even the two guards who looked like they could handle a sword.

"Leave some."

Encrid appropriately restrained them.

Fortunately, no one was particularly greedy.

Well, except for one.

Krais was usually the greediest of the squad members.

But for some reason, he only checked the items without taking anything.

"Aren't you going to take anything?"

"No, actually, Squad Leader, I have something to discuss."

Encrid also had something to discuss. They had already gathered information and prepared accordingly.

There was only one place where the information could have leaked.

It wasn't from within the unit. Only two people knew they were coming here.

'The Company Commander and the Platoon Leader.'

Could they have been bribed by the criminal guild with Krona?

'Doesn't seem likely.'

So, that left only one place.

'Vanessa's Pumpkin Soup Inn.'

When Krais whispered to the barmaid, he had casually mentioned their mission to raid the Thieves Guild.

"The barmaid, did you do it on purpose?"

"Oh, you figured it out? You're smart, Squad Leader."

Not bad, indeed.

Years of surviving in this harsh world had sharpened his instincts.

"Yes, many people have been passing information to this guild without knowing it. The barmaid was probably a dedicated informant. A lively barmaid at an inn is perfect for gathering various bits of information. Oh, it's frightening. That seemingly innocent girl was an informant for thieves."

Scary? You're the one who seems scarier.

You knew and fully exploited the situation, didn't you?

"I wasn't completely sure. I confirmed it with this incident."

You should have said something earlier. It was a needless trick.

Krais, realizing his mistake, started making excuses.

"Enough. Let it go. But next time, it's better to tell me in advance."

It was probably something he did considering the squad members' skills. Encrid himself thought this way was more convenient.

Otherwise, they would have had to chase and track down the remaining members even after hitting the base.

Thinking about it, Krais indeed had his own aims.

What could be gained by gathering and then destroying the Thieves Guild's forces?

"Squad Leader, don't you need Krona?"

Krais asked suddenly, blinking his big eyes at Encrid, who had shown leniency.

Feigning innocence, blinking like that, meant he was up to something again.

Krais knew how to use his appearance to his advantage.

And he was clever.

But that didn't mean it worked on Encrid.

"Let's hear what trick you're planning."

Though the pretty eyes didn't work, Krais's words struck a chord.

The term 'Krona' used in the context of Imperial currency, meant he was asking if Encrid needed money.

Money was always needed.

They had exhausted their reward money to buy a sword, making it difficult to acquire other equipment.

What they looted now had put out the immediate fire, but money would always be needed in the future.

"We should take what we have here."

Krais said calmly.

With that, he proposed a second job to Encrid.

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