Rowan’s group grew in number. With one woman and two n, various riffraff frequently picked fights. rcenary captain Yuval of the Skull rcenary Group, bounty hunters with the lord’s crest, arrested them all.
Those picking fights on the road were mostly bandits, and there were no bandits who could beat Rowan. They were pathetic bastards who fell backward just from a round shield shoved at them—people who couldn’t fight, coveting wealth.
rein’s beauty played a role too. Her distinct features and body trained to live as a rcenary were attractive.
"Having Keireon made a considerable difference."
Yuval clicked his tongue. With few personnel, flies sward.
"Please spare ! I’ll never forget this grace!"
"Saint! Please give one chance! My eyes were swollen shut so I didn’t recognize you!"
"Sob sob."
These four bandits with guts enough not to fear the wolf begged until their hands wore out, but received no chance. Rowan didn’t kill anyone in this fight. It wasn’t that he’d softened his touch since the orc fight and Keireon and Sen’s deaths.
He’d just had a valuable experience that montarily made him kinder. Compared to younger brother Amantous, such low-class bandits who couldn’t properly assess enemy strength seed pitiful to Rowan.
’Tsk tsk.’
A bit of the arrogance the strong possess had taken root in his heart.
Also because he’d regained peace after evading Mushroom Mountain Village’s pursuit.
The four bandits were skillfully bound. They tied arms tightly first, then necks. After tying necks, the next person’s neck, then arms, repeating the pattern—this was the binding thod.
Because turning necks was difficult, this was the most effective binding thod in a place full of blind spots. Connecting them to prevent escape was natural. Because their necks were tied, running urgently could cause breathing difficulties.
They complained of stuffiness, but Rowan was the only one who cared. It wasn’t a small cri, but neither was it a death sentence, so he showed so rcy.
"You can’t show rcy to every Tom, Dick, and Harry like that. Who knows when they’ll backstab you."
"So you’d just let them die?"
rein had gotten close enough to Rowan to speak casually to each other. The ethics accumulated over thirty-two years of Rowan’s previous life weren’t light enough to leave bandits showing hyperventilation symptoms alone. He ca from a world where walking alone at midnight was safe, where children played unsupervised, where trust in fellow citizens was the norm. Such deeply ingrained ethics and morality couldn’t help but be special.
It was like his conscience poking his chest.
"Th-thank you."
They compromised by fixing their arms behind their backs more firmly instead of their necks. The bandit seed physiologically unable to accept stuffiness.
Yuval didn’t make an issue of it. But to show the hierarchy, he placed Rowan at the very back. Rowan accepted it. He acknowledged that his actions had created a gap in security regarding the bandits.
After two more days, they could arrive at Torch Fortress. The place still had a giant torch blazing on the fortress wall.
"Whoa."
Rowan admired seeing it. An utterly inefficient sight that made him realize this was a fantasy world. A huge torch comparable to a spire was burning in broad daylight. Sothing a sane mind couldn’t understand.
"First ti seeing it?"
At Yuval’s words, Rowan nodded.
"Yes. What the hell is that giant torch?"
"It’s a magic torch called Antorcha (Torch of Contradiction). It attracts monsters and burns them to death. Seems super impressive, but it’s not that powerful. The reason there’s a fortress here ans the Antorcha’s power isn’t that great."
Yuval was critical of the giant magical structure called Antorcha. Rowan didn’t take it at face value, but he didn’t completely ignore it either. After all, Yuval was a veteran rcenary and rcenary captain leading a group.
His judgnt had a fairly sharp edge.
’Was it last year?’
He rembered hearing about Torch Fortress from the criminal serf. They’d said the fortress had taken considerable damage. Maybe that connected to Yuval’s critical judgnt.
"There’s really tons of people."
"Right?"
rein jumped in to tell him various things about Torch Fortress’s unique inspections. She said not listening to soldiers ant straight to jail. She said bad attitude wouldn’t work either, but rein said they were fine.
Because they had the lord’s crest, even if soldiers were aggressive, they ultimately couldn’t go all the way. If they went all the way, it would obviously reach the lord’s ears. Interfering with the work of those holding the lord’s crest, given to represent the lord’s authority, required special reasons.
Killing was an even bigger problem. Whether the Torch Fortress’s lord or guard captain, political enemies existed.
"Next!"
The Skull rcenary Group’s turn ca. The checkpoint guards’ observation was trendous. Despite reduced personnel, they imdiately recognized the Skull rcenary Group. Of course, Informant rein played a big role in that judgnt.
"Skull rcenary Group? Do you have the lord’s crest?"
At the guard’s question, Yuval pulled the lord’s crest from his clothes. A magical lord’s crest shaped like a torch where if you kept staring at the handle’s end, sparks appeared around it.
"Confird."
After that, the guard conducted the inspection. He rummaged through the bear hide once, then lifted it with both hands high, his expression suggesting he was checking on a hunch. Then his face showed surprise.
"Not a single air hole—did you starve it to death?"
The bear hide couldn’t help but raise curiosity.
"We killed it by cutting below the neck."
Rowan answered very quickly. The guard exclaid in surprise. This drew so attention. A rchant who’d apparently seen quite a few bear hides suddenly gave his two cents.
"You can tell when a bear died by looking at its legs. I guarantee this isn’t a bear killed in spring. It’s one killed in winter when it bulked up. You can na your price."
At that, the rchant next to him asked.
"Then why don’t you hand over gold coins and buy it?"
"Are you crazy? Where would I have that kind of money? Hahaha!"
Even while saying that, he kept looking at the bear hide. Because it wasn’t an ordinary bear hide. Just cutting and selling it seed like it could fetch twice the price of other bear hides.
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