BXBX NOVEL Chapter 3 – The Barbarian of the White Snowfield (3)
Chapter 3 – The Barbarian of the White Snowfield (3)
Chapter 3 – The Barbarian of the White Snowfield (3)
[Grumble]
A strange sound is heard.
The mercenaries’ faces hardened.
They drew their weapons and tensed their bodies.
“Stop.”
The leader who was walking ahead raised his hand and stopped the mercenaries.
Through the frigid cold, the monster appeared.
A black mass of slime emerged.
“Black slime…”
Milena groaned.
“Is that its name?”
“Yes. It’s a monster that exists in the records.”
There are many strong people who challenge the white snowfield.
And there are a few who have survived, but they definitely exist.
They recorded the monsters they saw in the literature, and the black slime was the most recorded monster.
“Do you know about it too, Ketal?”
“I know it or not. They’re quite edible if they’re chewy. They’re good for a snack.”
“…You eat them?”
Milena thought she might have heard wrong for a moment, but Ketal had a very serious expression.
“Do you want to try them? Then I’ll have them catch one for you.”
“Oh, no.”
Milena shook her head hastily.
[Grumble]
The black slime slowly approached.
The mercenaries tensed up, sensing the clear hostility.
“Ketal.”
Milena looked at Ketal.
But Ketal was leaning against the carriage, leisurely looking out the window.
Milena was confused by his posture that showed no intention of moving.
“Ketal?”
“I made a contract with you. I promised to protect your lives. I don’t intend to move when it’s not dangerous.”
“What?”
“That’s enough for them.”
Ketal muttered softly.
“More than anything, I need to check the level outside as well.”
* * *
[Grumble!]
The black slime rushed in.
The captain shouted.
“Shields!”
“Yes!”
A mercenary with a shield in both hands stepped forward roughly.
He put strength in his legs and waist and tried to hold his ground.
The black slime bounced its body and charged.
Zzzzaaang!
“Keugh!”
The shieldbearer was knocked back.
The sturdy man rolled on the ground.
Another mercenary swung his sword down at the black slime.
Kwaaaang!
“Keugh!”
The sword was knocked back along with the recoil.
The mercenary, who staggered and regained his stance, looked at his sword with a bewildered expression.
The part that had hit the black slime was chipped.
“What the hell?”
[Grumble]
The black slime bounced its body again.
The mercenaries scrambled to dodge.
The captain shouted loudly.
“Black slimes can only move in straight lines! Respond by rotating!”
“Yes, yes!”
“Don’t respond head-on! Flow with it!”
The mercenaries move quickly under the captain’s orders.
They form a formation around the black slime.
Zzzaaang!
“Keugh!”
The shieldbearer was pushed back, but he didn’t fall.
He twists his body and throws off his balance of power.
“Simple attacks won’t work! Aim for the core somewhere outside!”
“Yes!”
The mercenaries fought the black slime with all their might.
And so, thirty minutes later.
“Heup!”
The captain thrust his sword.
The sword smoothly sunk into a tiny hole in the black slime.
[Kuuu…]
The black slime instantly melted into slime and flowed down.
They had won.
The mercenaries erupted in cheers at the fact.
“Wow!”
“We won!”
They rejoiced.
Milena inside the carriage also clenched her fist.
“That’s it!”
They had defeated a powerful monster of the White Snowfield with their own strength.
They couldn’t help but be happy.
However, Ketal watched the battle with an unchanged expression.
“I have one question.”
“Yes?”
“How strong are those mercenaries?”
“Uh… They are quite strong.”
In the first place, it was impossible to accept a request to enter the White Snowfield unless they had enough confidence.
“They are quite famous on the continent.”
“Is that so?”
Ketal’s eyes slowly sunk.
After that, they continued on their way, and monsters occasionally appeared to block their path.
The mercenaries fought with all their might to defeat the monsters.
Whether they were lucky or well-documented, all the monsters that appeared were known monsters.
Since they knew their weaknesses, they were able to defeat them more easily than they thought.
“Hey! The White Snowfield isn’t so bad!”
The mercenaries’ tension gradually eased and their confidence began to build.
It was natural since they were advancing without a single casualty.
“It’s not a big deal, Captain.”
“Don’t be careless. We’re not even halfway there yet.”
“But we’ve been doing fine so far, haven’t we? Maybe the danger of the White Snowfield was exaggerated in the first place?”
A mercenary said doubtfully.
“There hasn’t been a proper expedition since the Emperor’s Legend. Most of them are just a bunch of riffraff.”
It wasn’t wrong.
The Emperor’s Legend was very famous and widely known, and those who were in power didn’t want to stir up the hornet’s nest unnecessarily.
The White Snowfield is dangerous.
There’s no denying that.
But it’s also been greatly exaggerated.
They should be able to conquer it just fine.
That realization began to sink into the mercenaries’ minds.
And naturally, their gaze towards the barbarian gradually changed.
From a monster that existed only in legends, to an ordinary barbarian.
“He’s kind of annoying.”
Someone muttered.
They had to sleep outside for security, shivering in the cold.
If it weren’t for their magically treated cloaks, they would have frozen to death long ago.
But the barbarian is resting comfortably in a warm carriage.
When he sleeps, he borrows an extra carriage and sleeps very comfortably.
He also never participates in battles and just watches from the comfort of the carriage.
After all, the barbarian is also a mercenary who has taken on the same request as them.
It was inevitable that they would be resentful of the preferential treatment he was receiving.
“Is he really that strong?”
Their doubts grew stronger.
“I don’t think he’s that strong. Even if he’s a barbarian or a monster, it’s still the Emperor’s Legend, isn’t it? He’s at the bottom of the food chain in the White Snowfield, isn’t he just clinging to us?”
Their doubts became more and more certain.
“Quiet.”
The captain said curtly.
“It’s the client’s orders. It’s not our place to question it.”
“Doesn’t that mean the client is being deceived?”
The mercenary narrowed his eyes.
“At least shouldn’t we confirm his strength?”
“Nonsense.”
The captain dismissed it, but the mercenaries’ dissatisfaction didn’t easily subside.
And whether they did or not, Barbarian Ketal was chewing on an apple with a satisfied expression on his face.
“Delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“It seems like it would be difficult to keep fresh fruit on a long journey. Is this preserved by magic as well?”
“Yes, yes….”
“Magic can really do anything.”
Ketal popped the apple, seeds and all, into his mouth.
With a slurping sound, the apple disappears without a trace.
The old man looks at him with a weary face.
Ketal licked the fruit juice on his fingers with a satisfied expression.
How long has it been since he’s eaten fresh fruit?
Eating fruit after chewing on monster meat every day felt like it was refreshing his mouth.
His desire to leave the snowfield grew stronger and stronger.
Ketal seemed to come up with something and asked.
“Speaking of which, I’m curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“Judging by your attire, posture, and speech, you don’t seem to be a mere representative of a family.”
Milena’s attire was simple, but upon closer inspection, one could tell that the material was of considerable luxury.
Milena nodded in affirmation.
“I am the daughter of a concubine of Lord Kasak Akasha. I am the first daughter of Lady Beliaka.”
“Concubine? You mean a second mother?”
“Yes. My poor mother came as a political marriage tool but was used and abandoned, unable to hold any real power.”
“Is that so?”
Ketal nodded indifferently.
Milena, who had been watching him for a while, opened her mouth without realizing it.
“My mother and I… are only family in name, not in reality. We are treated like servants.”
She had not intended to say this much.
But Ketal’s seemingly indifferent attitude made Milena gradually start talking about herself.
“Didn’t you say that the family is on the verge of collapse?”
“Yes. We are losing our customers one by one due to the aggressive competition from other merchant houses. If this continues, we will go bankrupt soon.”
Despite this, the head of the family, her father, was terrified.
He had to find a way out, but in his desire to avoid competition, he ended up conceding everything, and the collapse of the family was imminent.
“So to speak, this peddling trip is the one that will decide the rise and fall of the family.”
If they sell this much weaponry to a kingdom at war, they will gain enough capital to revive the family and have more to spare.
“Is that so?”
Ketal muttered as if he understood.
“But I have a question. Even if you don’t have any real power, you are still blood related, so why did you have to go on this peddling trip yourself?”
“This was my idea.”
“Yours?”
“Yes. A life-threatening peddling trip. Someone has to… set an example.”
“Lady.”
The old man looked at Milena with a face full of admiration.
It was indeed an action worthy of a paragon of noblesse oblige.
“I see.”
Ketal nodded.
“You’re quite clever.”
“…What?”
“And you have great ambition. You’re greedy.”
“Hey, you bastard. What are you talking about?”
The old man didn’t understand Ketal’s words.
But Milena’s eyes wavered.
“…You?”
The moment she was about to say something.
Knock, knock.
A knock on the door echoed.
The old man got up clumsily and opened the door.
“What is it?”
“I have something to tell the lady.”
The mercenaries were standing outside the door.