Chapter 205 : Partizan
Kendrick’s triumphant face slowly stiffened. It was as the distance between us narrowed.
Soon, we were close enough to see each other’s facial features clearly.
Kendrick raised a finger and pointed at .
His open mouth and pupils began to tremble piteously.
“……Bi, Bihen Benkou?”
I saw the eyes of the rcenary King next to him widen.
That wasn’t all.
I heard the sound of people swallowing dry breaths everywhere.
“Y, you’re him, right? Bihen Benkou, it’s you, right……?”
“You were alive, Kendrick.”
I pulled Zahara out of the bandit’s shoulder and retrieved it.
The bandit soon rolled his eyes back and fainted.
“Ooooooh! Bihen!”
Kendrick ran up quickly and embraced .
‘……Hmm.’
I didn’t think we were in a relationship that special.
Well, but, since he was a comrade-in-arms.
I decided to let it pass.
***
“I kept hearing news of you and Conwell even here. Truly, it was incredible.”
Well, I didn't know exactly from where to where he was talking about, so I just shrugged my shoulders for now.
Kendrick said he thought he was going to die by Yeats that day, but when he opened his eyes, he was at the village hall in Sylphiroa.
Fortunately, he said he barely managed to save his life thanks to his comrades who ca to rescue him just in ti.
“According to the Sylphinus doctors there, it was really by a hair’s breadth. If the kids had been even a little late, I would have been dead for sure.”
Following Kendrick’s gaze, I turned my head and saw familiar fellows waving their hands at .
They were the ones who had fought together against the pack of Mist Fang Wolves to protect the Spirit Tree that day.
As soon as I beca conscious of a smile slowly spreading across my lips, I straightened my face and spoke.
“Did you participate in the War of the Roses, Kendrick?”
“Ah, that’s a bit of a long story to explain……”
“Comrade Kendrick! Is it not my turn yet?”
I heard a thunderous voice from behind.
It was to the point where even I was startled.
When I turned my head, it was the rcenary King.
He was approaching this way after finishing his instructions to his subordinates.
“Comrade Hugin!”
“Perhaps because my heart is pounding, it is difficult to wait quietly.”
Did he have muscles attached even to his vocal cords?
When words that might sound weak coming from soone else ca out of his mouth, they sounded like so kind of declaration of war.
It felt as if he were hamring each syllable, one by one, into the bones of the listener.
“Bihen, this is Comrade Hugin. Since you’ve been in the Kingdom for quite a while now, you must have heard of him, right? The alias rcenary King. That rcenary King is precisely this Comrade Hugin.”
Now that I looked at him, he had deep black hair, which was rare for a person of the Kingdom.
It was impressive that he had painted his eye area black as if that were his identity.
His body under the cloak, which seed to be made by weaving crow feathers together, was solidly built without any gaps.
“Glad to et you, Bihen Benkou. I am Hugin from Partizan.”
He spoke casually right from the first eting.
Well, as an outsider, I actually preferred this.
Before I grabbed the hand Hugin held out, I briefly looked behind him, and the clean-up was orderly.
By his subordinates, the rchants were each reclaiming their lost luggage, and the bandits were being bound without being able to make a peep.
Thanks to that, my heart softened a little.
“Bihen Benkou. Eldest son of the Benkou family.”
“I heard. That you ca from the Empire.”
I felt that Hugin was looking for sothing to say to .
He turned his head following my gaze as I looked at the scene being cleaned up, and then he snorted.
“They have no luck whatsoever. To think they ran into Bihen Benkou of all people. Don’t you think so?”
“They don't look like simple bandits.”
“That’s right. They are half-baked rcenaries. Lately, as Springeus has been blindly accepting rcenaries from various places, even dung flies like that are swarming. But since there are no particular rules or control, the number of guys causing trouble by taking advantage of the lack of managent is increasing.”
Hugin clicked his tongue while looking at the rcenaries subdued by his subordinates.
He was clearly drawing a line, saying they were different from themselves.
“You’re saying that they run wild as they please even though the famous rcenary King is nearby. One cannot compare a rcenary system to a regular army, but even so, at this level—”
Hugin faltered and then looked at .
I also felt Kendrick’s gaze.
That wouldn't be enough to close my mouth.
“I’m thinking the title of rcenary King might be a bit excessive.”
In an instant, the air in the area froze.
There was nothing to explain.
It was an explicit provocation, and it ant to throw away the harmonious atmosphere.
“……Comrade Kendrick.”
“Ye-yes! Comrade!”
“He’s even more than what you told , isn't he? He’s a friend with a quite foul mouth.”
Hugin rubbed the area around his mouth, where a leisurely smile was ford, with his hand.
Kendrick, who stood between and Hugin, trembled piteously.
“Kendrick.”
“Uh, uh?!”
“You know the fact that Conwell has joined the Winderre camp, right?”
“Ah, th-that is—”
“If I hadn't seen it, that would be one thing, but since it has caught my eye, I can’t help it.”
Kiing!
I drew the Heavenly Demon.
The sound of weapons being drawn echoed in succession from all sides.
Hugin, for his part, just stared at while smiling slyly.
“Hey, comrade. Don’t overdo it.”
“Who is your comrade? Shut your mouth and draw your sword. Don't let your subordinates get caught up in it.”
Step, step.
The sound of Hugin’s subordinates’ footsteps closing in as if to surround .
I didn’t bother to look back.
Hwiiiiing—
The wind blowing through the skeletal tree branches swirled the fallen leaves as it passed.
The sunlight that fell bounced off the blade of the Heavenly Demon and spread dazzlingly.
The engraved inscription caught my eye.
‘Kuhn.’
Will it work?
It was a mont I was berating myself for doing sothing pathetic.
[Please speak, Young Master.]
……This actually works.
I heard it in my head, not in my ears.
Around this ti, I felt a drop of sweat flowing down my temple.
‘If these guys all attack at the sa ti, don't hesitate to pop out.’
Was it because of the achievent gained after the battle with the Phantom Demon?
This ti, I felt certain.
‘Hugin is at a level similar to mine.’
To put it another way, when considering pure stage alone, Hugin was insufficient to be placed on the sa line as Luke or Deiron.
Of course, it is natural in a way that he, who is only in his late thirties at most, would be pushed back in maturity by such great swordsn.
‘But in a fight where life is on the line, one never knows what variables might arise.’
If the fla dwelling on Deiron’s sword had not died out, if it had remained as hot as mine, I would not have been able to defeat him.
If I had not been born with the Benkou lineage that could control the subconscious, I would have been subjugated by the Phantom Demon.
‘What would be the variables in this fight?’
I didn't even know what kind of person Hugin was.
A mont later, I might be lying on the cold floor dying, regretting that I was too hasty.
One thing was certain: I was alone and that side had many numbers.
‘Kuhn and the Legion are enough.’
Good, this is it.
In the anti, Hugin’s subordinates who were closing in around were slightly caught at both ends of my vision.
I tried not to be conscious of it, but the instinct to calculate the numbers squird.
As a result, it might have been obvious that my pupils were shaking. Dammit.
“Hahahaha!”
……He’s laughing?
“Comrade Kendrick. What do you think?”
“Wh-what do you an?”
“This situation. I’m asking if Comrade Bihen really ca here alone with the purpose of crushing Springeus. Just as he did during the Conwell Civil War.”
Neither I nor Kendrick could even mutter a word.
Hugin added as if answering his own question imdiately.
“I think not. Why! Because Bihen Benkou wouldn't drag such innocent people into a fight. Furthermore, there’s no way a person facing an important decisive battle would waste strength by climbing a mountain path while carrying such a large burden.”
Hugin pointed at my back.
‘…….’
I had forgotten.
That I was carrying the fence’s luggage.
“Comrade Bihen. I have already heard much from Comrade Kendrick that you have deep ties with the Conwell family. If your plan is to fight here for them, I would like to dissuade you.”
“I’m damn honored. I didn't know the rcenary King was so interested in this lowly ronin to the point of doing a background check.”
“I’m not joking. We, the warriors of Partizan, are of the mind that even if we die, we will definitely cut off at least one of the opponent’s fingers before dying. If you fight this many numbers alone, no matter how much you are the Sword Fiend Bihen Benkou, you won't be able to escape with your body intact.”
“Half-baked threats don't work. Did you not hear from Kendrick that I don't even blink an eye at numbers?”
It was the mont when so words were about to co out of Hugin’s mouth.
“St-stop it, both of you!”
Crunch!
Kendrick knelt on one knee, pulled a hand axe from his waist, and slamd it down in front of him.
Then, he put his other hand between the ground and the axe blade that was stuck at an angle, and looked back and forth between and Hugin.
“Comrade Hugin! If you draw your sword, my wrist will fly off imdiately! You think I won't do it!?”
“Hrm, the Comrade Kendrick I know is a man who does what he says.”
“Bihen! Let ask just one thing. Did you really co as an assassin for Winderre? I understand the Sword Fiend did not participate in the War of the Roses!”
My gaze t with Hugin’s. He also had an expression of curiosity.
There would be no need to tell a lie.
“……No.”
“I knew it!”
Kendrick took a ragged breath. He had a face as if he had died and co back to life.
“Let’s talk while having a drink first!”
***
“Partizan?”
Isaac asked back.
His pupils shone with curiosity.
“No, I’ve never heard of it.”
“That’s likely. It is a place that has completely disappeared from this Kingdom’s land. It’s not just at the level of being destroyed, the territory itself was erased from the map entirely. As if it never existed from the start.”
Raven spoke with a bright smile.
His voice was a beautiful tone that would be hard for anyone to forget once heard.
Clatter, clatter.
The two were going with their horses' heads aligned.
The sound of horse hooves echoed pleasantly in a steady rhythm.
The sun had just risen to the very center of the sky.
As Isaac was coaxing Raven, who had beco displeased due to his slip of the tongue, before he knew it, he was going to Pretoria with him.
“That makes no sense. Even if they staged a rebellion, there is no precedent for the massacre of all territory residents. Furthermore, the entire territory disappeared……. That cannot be explained by common sense.”
Raven pulled the reins slightly.
The horse stopped. Isaac, who had gone a bit further and stopped, looked back.
“Raven?”
“Isaac, how much of the truth revealed to the world do you think there is?”
Isaac furrowed his brow.
He was asking a question that could co across as chilling depending on how it was heard, with a perfectly cheerful voice.
“Revealed the truth?”
“On this Kingdom’s land, even at this very mont, any number of unbelievable and shocking things are happening. However, the things that are recorded in history and known to future generations are not as many as one might think.”
“…….”
“Then what about the rest that are not known?”
Isaac shrugged his shoulders.
“They’ll be buried underneath. And as ti piles up on top of them, they’ll be forgotten forever.”
“That is perfectly ordinary history, Isaac.”
“What do you an?”
The corners of Raven’s mouth rose smoothly. Isaac suddenly felt a sense of enchantnt, then secretly shook his head.
“In fact, nurous events, especially values that mankind must rember, perhaps events that could be turning points in history, are being intentionally erased by soone.”
“Our—”
Raven tapped his temple with the tip of his index finger.
“From within our mories.”
“You an to say soone is controlling people’s consciousness?”
“I suppose you could see it that way.”
Isaac burst into laughter.
Only then did the tension relax a bit.
“You an they catch people one by one and perform hypnosis or sothing? They sure are industrious.”
“…….”
“Stop teasing , Raven. Is that so new conspiracy theory your Royal Magic Corps has been pushing lately? Or is it a topic you are researching separately?”
The leisurely smile on Raven’s face gradually changed to sothing like a sneer.
He wanted to say sothing like this right away.
You idiot, you don't believe even when I tell you.
Raven lightly kicked the horse’s flank before his true feelings could pop out.
“Hyah.”
“Keep talking, Raven. So what happened to Partizan?”
“Originally, they too were supposed to disappear forever by ‘soone.’”
“Soone?”
“I’m talking about that person you ntioned earlier. The one who hypnotizes people and controls their consciousness.”
Raven circled his index finger in the air. It was with a mischievous smile.
Isaac nodded as if he had given up.
“Okay, fine. But? They seem to have managed to not be forgotten?”
“That’s right. For so reason, their descendants were not affected by that soone’s touch.”
“That soone, who bewitches everyone, must have had their pride quite wounded?”
Isaac taunted like a joke.
At this point, Raven had no choice but to withdraw his smile.
Because Isaac’s ignorance was cute, yet on the other hand, pitiable.
“Yes. They were very botherso headaches.”
“What on earth did Partizan do?”
“They passed down a troubleso ideology and thought. The people there believed for generations that ‘all humans are equal.’ To them, nobles, knights, and even ordinary commoners alike. All statuses were nothing more than a facade to them.”
Only then did Isaac’s face turn serious. He blinked his eyes a few tis.
“How could they ever have such a dangerous thought……”
“Hahahaha. As expected, you too are an unavoidable noble, Isaac.”
“To reject the fate one is born with is to reject one’s own existence, and that is the sa as denying one’s own flesh and blood as well.”
Raven slightly turned his head and looked at Isaac.
The eyes hidden inside the robe narrowed.
“You’re the sa, Isaac.”
“……What?”
“That the ‘shape’ you were born with is different from what your family wants.
You’re the one who knows that fact best. So you’re trying to change your fate sohow.”
Isaac moved his lips.
No words ca out.
Only the gaze he had fixed on the air trembled slightly.
“Even if that is the path of bringing down the family with your own hands.”
“Raven, I……!”
“Let’s stop. Emotions are getting intense. As you know, I am unconditionally on your side. You know that, right?”
“…….”
“Anyway, the important thing is that those descendants of Partizan are precisely the Great Raven rcenary Band, and their leader is precisely the rcenary King Hugin. They are the ones we must be most wary of in this war.”
The horses the two were riding stopped at the sa ti.
Soon, Raven took off his robe. His blonde hair reflected in the sunlight swayed like calm waves.
“And one more person……”
His eyes, imbued with a bright golden light like his hair color, gazed at the end of the tree-lined road.
It was the Pretoria mansion buried among the maple leaves.
“Bihen Benkou.”
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