Episode 77: Her (2)
Veronica Sanchez wasn’t exactly thrilled about tagging along with Damian.
“Wait! I sense someone nearby! Must be bandits! I’ll go hunt them down!”
“Getting close to dinner time. How about I catch us a wild boar for a roast?”
“Uh, I need to… take care of something. Won’t be long!”
She tried every excuse in the book to escape, but Damian always managed to catch her.
“Why do I keep getting caught?!”
“Because you’re weak. Who told you to only focus on killing people?”
“What does killing people have to do with me not being able to escape?!”
“Your rebellious attitude shows you still need more training.”
“Ugh… no, I’m fine!”
After a few more knocks to the head, Veronica finally became more compliant.
Damian’s reason for keeping Veronica Sanchez with him was clear: to reform her.
‘The policy of the Reformation Officer was to never let your guard down, even if you think they’re reformed.’
The Reformation Officer would accompany criminals for a while to ensure their rehabilitation.
‘If she can’t be reformed, I’ll have to kill her.’
While exploring the Longuist Mountains, Damian planned to keep a close eye on Veronica.
“You want me to set up camp? I can just sleep on a tree branch.”
“I was talking about my sleeping arrangements.”
“That’s your job!”
“It’s to make you reflect on your mistakes while doing chores.”
“No way! You do it! I’m not going to—”
Damian raised his club, and Veronica quickly ran off to prepare the camp.
‘This is quite convenient.’
Thanks to Veronica, Damian was freed from the tedious tasks.
Juan and the mercenaries also began setting up camp.
Some were preparing meals, while others were leveling the ground for sleeping bags.
Juan was in charge of cooking. He placed a cast-iron pot over the fire and added various ingredients to simmer.
As he stirred the softened vegetables with a ladle, mashing them, someone approached.
“Captain, could I have a moment?”
It was Bread, who sidled up to Juan.
“Can’t you see I’m cooking? Speak here.”
Juan continued stirring the pot.
Cooking required dedication. He couldn’t leave it unattended for even a moment.
“Who exactly is that man, Victor?”
“I don’t know. Our rule is not to ask about clients.”
There were a few rules passed down among mercenaries.
One important one was to focus on the money.
It meant not to be curious about the client.
“Then let me rephrase. Are all knights usually that impressive?”
Bread asked, his eyes dreamy.
“You saw it yourself today. Everything changed once that knight started giving advice.”
The battle earlier in the day had seemed unwinnable due to the sheer number of bandits.
But as soon as Damian started advising, the tide turned.
“And that strange woman took down the hedgehog in an instant.”
The Longuist Mountains were a haven for criminals.
Among them, the Hedgehog was particularly skilled, having united the surrounding bandits into a formidable force.
The tale of how he had turned two low-class knights into corpses last year was legendary among bandits.
Yet Veronica Sanchez had dispatched the Hedgehog with ease.
Even a novice bandit could see the overwhelming difference in skill.
And Damian toyed with her like a child.
“Since you were a knight trainee, you must know a lot about knights.”
Bread pointed out that Juan had been a knight trainee. Though he was dismissed for lack of talent, he had trained for about a year.
The instructor who taught Juan and the other trainees was a junior knight. Occasionally, full-fledged knights would come to train them.
The knights Juan had seen back then…
“Not a chance.”
The knights who taught Juan were all talk. They’d boast and disappear without offering real guidance.
In contrast, this knight gave precise, necessary advice.
Just following his advice made you feel your skills improving.
“That knight is exceptional.”
Juan said, glancing down at the pot.
The next day, Damian set off again.
Unlike the previous day, they didn’t encounter any bandits.
“Word must’ve spread that the Hedgehog is dead.”
Juan remarked as they climbed a ridge.
“Though he was cut down by that young lady, the Hedgehog was quite notorious in the Longuist Mountains.”
With a strong figure gone, the underlings seemed to be lying low.
Thanks to that, Damian reached deep into the Longuist Mountains without a single battle.
While taking a break, Damian sat on a stump and unfolded a map.
“Water.”
He extended his hand, and Veronica Sanchez reluctantly handed him a canteen, her face twisted in annoyance.
“You… treating me like a maid… how long do you think I’ll put up with this…!”
When Damian slowly picked up the club beside him, Veronica quickly scampered off.
Sipping water, Damian studied the map.
He had gleaned some information about the hideout from the leader of Yuran, but there were still many uncertainties. He needed to keep checking the map.
“Victor, are you really planning to go further in?”
“Yes.”
Damian’s answer made Juan’s expression tense.
“Victor, going any further is dangerous. That area is called the Forbidden Zone, even bandits avoid it.”
“Forbidden?”
“No one who went in there ever came back. Even knights like the Hedgehog didn’t return.”
Damian smiled at Juan’s words.
It was proof he was on the right track.
“I have business in there. If you think it’s too dangerous, you don’t have to follow.”
Juan let out a deep sigh at Damian’s words.
“I can’t leave a client after taking their money.”
After the break, Damian and the mercenaries moved further in.
“Captain, doesn’t it feel a bit chilly?”
One of the mercenaries, the burly Bob, remarked as they ventured deeper.
“I feel a bit eerie too.”
“It’s strange, given the hot weather.”
Not just Bob, but other members also complained of odd symptoms.
“You weaklings. Did you see that? That’s what being weak is, not me!”
Veronica Sanchez, on the other hand, was still full of energy.
‘The entire area is cursed.’
The reason they felt cold was due to a curse.
A curse of weakness was continuously afflicting the mercenaries. It was likely set up by Yuran to ward off intruders.
‘The deeper we go, the stronger the curse becomes.’
The reason this place was called the Forbidden Zone seemed to be this curse.
Damian activated his power of gluttony. As he did, the curse lingering around them began to dissipate.
“Hey, suddenly I feel better.”
“The weather feels warmer all of a sudden.”
The mercenaries’ expressions brightened.
‘But the fact that even low-class knights couldn’t return is concerning.’
Unlike the mercenaries, low-class knight Veronica Sanchez wasn’t affected by the curse at all.
This meant there was something else capable of killing low-class knights.
As Damian pondered this, something began to emerge ahead.
Half-decayed bodies, rusted weapons, sluggish movements.
”…Z-zombies! They’re zombies!”
Juan shouted in alarm. The mercenaries quickly drew their weapons.
Zombies were corpses animated by dark magic, the lowest of the undead, not particularly dangerous.
“Captain! There are more than just a few of them!”
The problem was their numbers. Dozens of zombies were closing in, surrounding the group.
It seemed the mercenaries who had died in the Forbidden Zone had all turned into zombies.
“This is a perfect opportunity to gain some experience.”
Damian’s words made the mercenaries look at him in surprise. He leaped onto a nearby tree branch and spoke.
“What are you waiting for? Go fight. I’ll help if it looks like you’re in trouble.”
Reluctantly, the mercenaries charged forward.
“Gather around! Fight with your backs to the trees! They’re slow, don’t be afraid!”
Juan and the mercenaries tried to fight as they usually did. Damian called out to them.
“Staying in one place against zombies is suicide. Keep moving and fight! Shake them off!”
The mercenaries quickly adjusted their strategy as Damian advised.
Shield-bearers cleared paths while spear-bearers kept the zombies at bay.
“Should I go help them out?”
Veronica Sanchez, who had also climbed a tree, asked Damian.
“There’s something else you need to handle.”
“Huh? What is it? Is it you? Is it you?”
Damian pointed somewhere. A massive creature emerged from behind the zombie horde.
-Uwooooh!
A troll.
But it wasn’t an ordinary troll. It had two heads and four arms.
There was no way a troll should look like that. Upon closer inspection, there were seams running down its body.
It was a flesh golem.
The familiar feeling suggested it was something crafted and sent by the necromancer.
‘This confirms Yuran’s hideout is here.’
The presence of the flesh golem was undeniable proof that Yuran’s hideout was nearby.
“Wow, that’s one ugly creature. I’ll take care of it right now!”
“Wait, shouldn’t you hear the plan first…?”
“No need!”
Veronica Sanchez charged at the flesh golem, dual swords in hand. Damian clicked his tongue in disapproval.
‘This isn’t going to be as easy as she thinks.’
This was the guardian of Yuran’s hideout. It wasn’t something created carelessly.
“Die! Dieee!”
She swung her swords with enthusiasm, her aura-infused strikes slashing into the golem’s arm.
The aura easily sliced through the flesh, but the momentum slowed and eventually stopped.
“What? What the…?”
Veronica’s aura was sharp enough to cut through bone and muscle with ease. It was strange that the golem’s thick arm could halt her attack.
The flesh golem swung its fist at Veronica, who barely managed to dodge without time to draw her sword.
“What the heck! Why won’t it cut?”
It was a first for her, and she couldn’t shake off her confusion.
“Whatever’s going on… if one strike doesn’t work, I’ll just keep slashing!”
She picked up another sword from the ground, one previously wielded by a zombie.
Veronica moved swiftly, hacking at the flesh golem. Wounds began to appear all over its body.
But soon, her movements noticeably slowed.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!”
She was panting heavily, clearly exhausted.
It was unusual. A low-class warrior shouldn’t tire so quickly.
‘That flesh golem must be absorbing magic.’
Every time she struck with aura, her magic was drained, leading to her rapid fatigue.
The reason her initial attack didn’t penetrate deeply was likely because her aura was absorbed too quickly.
‘It’s tough to face aura head-on. That’s why it has such a trick.’
A wizard’s strength might not match a knight’s, but their cunning often surpassed it.
However, Veronica’s biggest flaw was something else entirely.
She was only used to fighting humans.
“Ah, ahhh! Spare me! Spare meee!”
Eventually, with her magic nearly depleted, Veronica began to flee from the golem’s attacks.
Damian sighed and drew his steel sword, stepping in front of the flesh golem.
The golem roared and swung its fist. Veronica shouted in warning.
“Hey! Watch out! There’s something weird about this thing! Aura doesn’t work well…”
Damian dodged the golem’s punch and swung his sword twice. The thick wrist was severed and fell to the ground.
”…What?”
Veronica was stunned to see the golem’s wrist cut off with a sword that wasn’t even infused with aura.
The flesh golem, unfazed by pain, charged forward despite its severed wrist.
Damian gripped his sword with both hands and swung twice more. Two lines of blood crossed the golem’s torso.
The golem’s body split and collapsed to the ground.
”…”
Veronica’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
“Take a break.”
Damian said shortly, then ran off to join Juan’s mercenary group.
Veronica stood there for a long time, glancing between the fallen golem and Damian.
Damian continued to assist Juan’s mercenaries in wiping out the zombie horde.
He didn’t help directly but offered advice, allowing them to gain experience.
After the battle, the group gathered to rest.
“Thanks to you, we survived again.”
Juan said to Damian, sipping water. Without Damian’s guidance, they might have been in serious trouble.
“But why is she so quiet?”
Juan pointed at Veronica Sanchez, who had been staring into space since the fight with the flesh golem.
“Seems like she’s got something on her mind.”
Damian replied nonchalantly.
“By the way… what exactly are you looking for in these mountains? With undead appearing, it doesn’t seem like you’re after simple treasure.”
Even Juan, usually reticent, couldn’t help but ask in this situation.
Undead weren’t common creatures. Unlike monsters, they only appeared through dark magic.
Damian hesitated for a moment.
Juan was trustworthy, but revealing too much was risky.
In such cases, showing was more effective than telling.
Damian opened a spatial pocket. Juan’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Wh-what is that? Are you a wizard?”
“It’s just a magical tool, calm down.”
Damian retrieved a holy sword from the pocket. As he drew it, a radiant light filled the area.
Everyone bathed in the light felt their energy restored in an instant. Juan was astonished.
“Holy power…? Are you a paladin?”
“I’m not a paladin. But the church entrusted me with this sword.”
Juan looked at Damian with newfound respect.
“Now I understand why you’re here in the Longuist Mountains… you’re here to deal with the undead.”
Juan nodded, convincing himself.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept my presence here a secret. It’s a confidential mission.”
“Understood. I won’t say a word. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize the church’s grand plans.”
Juan crossed his arms and nodded repeatedly.
“I’ll have to go in alone from here.”
Damian told the mercenaries once they finished resting.
“What do you mean? We’ll go with you.”
“I’m not asking you to leave. Just wait here. It won’t take long, so don’t set up camp.”
Juan hesitated, but Damian reassured him.
“As your employer, I’m asking you.”
”…Alright.”
A good mercenary knows when not to meddle. Juan had no choice but to agree to Damian’s request.
“Hey.”
Damian approached Veronica Sanchez. She looked at him blankly.
“I’m going in for a bit. You stay here and keep an eye on the mercenaries.”
Veronica nodded, her response mechanical.
Leaving the group behind, Damian entered the valley.
He encountered a few more undead along the way, but they posed no significant threat.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a cliff.
“This should be the place… what was the pattern again?”
Damian released a bit of dark magic from his bracelet and drew several patterns.
The cliff vanished, revealing a large cave.
“Found it.”
Damian entered the cave. As soon as he did, an illusion concealed the entrance once more.
Damian continued deeper into the cave.
After some walking, he reached a wide chamber. Two flesh golems stood with their heads bowed.
‘Just like the one outside, made from trolls.’
As Damian moved to the center of the chamber, the golems raised their heads.
Unauthorized magic pattern detected.
Intruder confirmed. Initiating security protocol.
Suddenly, weapons and bones rained down from the ceiling. The bones intertwined, forming human skeletons.
Skeletons.
A dark magic that binds souls to bones, using them as soldiers. A hallmark of necromancy.
“Of course, even the inside is prepared for intruders.”
Damian reached for his sword but then reconsidered, opening his spatial pocket instead.
He pulled out a leather trunk and opened it. Inside, darkness writhed.
“Come forth.”
Something emerged from the darkness.
An androgynous figure, difficult to pin down.
A small frame, below average.
An unsettling, otherworldly aura.
“Miya, let’s see what you can do.”
Miya grinned wickedly at Damian’s words.