Raising Paladins - Raising Paladins chapter 77

Episode 77. Bad omen that spreads like wildfire (3)

A few days later.

A large cart and six horses were walking along the forest road outside Meirium.

In the lead, Hanson’s horse with a shield on its back walks.

The two horses ridden by Greenwood and his acolyte rode shoulder to shoulder with the carriage.

Lastly, the Humien Kal of the procession, Meisa.

Derdrang’s messenger who delivered the last letter.

It was quite a long way to Derdrang, so it was prepared for looters and monsters.

Sitting in the driver’s seat and holding the reins was Terrence.

Next to him was Brand, the merchant representative and Terrence’s father, and Tira was riding next to him again.

The sound of horses hooves echoed in the quiet forest road.

“Tira.”

“yes?”

Brand, who was looking ahead, called Tira.

He had a slightly puzzled face.

“It looks like there will be a lot of food shortages, but did Priest Carl really say it was okay?”

“yes… … .”

Tira has been friends with her son Terence since childhood.

So Brand was at ease talking to Tira.

Brand glanced back at the wagon’s luggage compartment.

“No matter how you look at it, it’s too little… … .”

A wooden crate loaded in the luggage compartment.

It was full of grapes.

Mix golden apples in between to keep freshness.

In addition, there was a box of daily necessities, such as clothes for the party to change into and jerky that was good to eat during the journey.

All Brand was worried about was that he had packed only one small sack of food for a group of nine in total for about a month.

That was entirely Carl’s opinion.

“He said that I could get it in the middle, but he said there was no need to bring food. Just prepare a simple snack… … .”

“Get it? There are no big villages on the way to Derdrang, so where?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Tira tilted her head.

Sir Greenwood, who was walking shoulder to shoulder with the carriage.

He, too, was curious.

“The head office also wonders about that. It would take a good month to get to Derdrang, but a bag of beef jerky.”

“Your lord thought so too.”

Brand politely accepted Greenwood’s words.

At first, it was not easy to talk to him because of his enormous position as a cardinal.

However, he must have thought that he had become close to them over the past few days, so it was quite natural now.

In addition, Sir Greenwood’s attitude of treating people with courtesy rather than showing off his status also greatly helped the brand open its doors.

“Shall I ask a question?”

“I will ask myself.”

Greenwood gently twisted the reins and approached the rear of the procession.

Carl was on horseback enjoying the fresh air and the mood of the forest.

“Look, Carl.”

“Yes, Your Highness Cardinal.”

“I have a question for you.”

“Please ask.”

“It has been several days since we left Mayrium. The food we packed is almost running out. But you have told me many times not to worry about food. Do you have any plans?”

“of course.”

“May I ask what it is?”

“It will appear soon.”

“… … ?”

It was then.

As soon as the procession crossed the forest hill, something appeared in front of them.

They were armed with swords and axes, and wore clothes made of animal skins.

‘I’m a bandit!’ outfit to do.

Hanson’s horse leading the lead stopped, followed by the wagon and the procession at the rear.

Carl said to Meisa, who was next to him.

“While drawing attention from the front, we may surprise you from behind, so keep your back.”

“Yes, chief.”

“Your Highness will go with you. This is it!”

“Hey!”

Carl rode his horse to the head of the procession.

Greenwood followed suit.

As the two stepped forward, a group of bandits who had been standing at a distance sneaked up on them.

They cunningly stopped about a hundred paces from the wagon, just barely within the reach of an arrow.

Seeing that, Carl smiled.

“These guys have been living off of plundering for quite some time.”

They look like they’re wearing rags, but if you look closely, they’re pretty well-dressed bandits.

In particular, the big guy standing in the front had gold pieces wrapped around his wrists.

He jumped out and shouted loudly.

“This is our ‘Red Brotherhood’ territory! Pay the toll if you want to pass!”

Then he puts his hand inside his pants and scratches his crotch.

The behavior was barbaric enough to be called that of a bandit.

Tyra said ‘Ugh!’ I turned my gaze.

“It’s hot, but you’re working hard in the scorching sun. But are all the people there?”

Carl stepped forward on behalf of the group.

Then the bandit leader also stepped forward a little further.

“Is it all? What do you mean?”

“The ‘Red Brotherhood’ you are talking about is all about a dozen people there.”

“Of course not! There are more brothers deep in the woods nearby!”

“Then there must be a nest in the forest?”

“of course! There is a strong wooden fort that even an army can’t overcome! The monsters can’t even come close!”

“Good.”

“Why do you keep asking weird questions?”

Carl jumped off his horse without answering.

Then Hanson, who was nearby, also got off his horse as if he had been waiting.

A knife that entrusted two reins without an owner to Brand at the driver’s seat.

he said politely to Greenwood.

“I’ll be gone for a while.”

“Where are you talking?”

“You will know when you see it.”

Then Carl drew a steel sword from his waist and walked towards the bandits.

It was only natural that Hanson was standing next to him, holding a steel shield.

The bandit leader laughed loudly as the two men suddenly came forward with their weapons.

“Ha ha ha ha! Are you sure you want to fight us now? You’re crazy about wanting to die!”

However, Carl smiled and moved on, but did not answer.

Then Carl’s steps quickened little by little.

Tadada dat!

The knife, which increased its speed, approached the bandits in an instant.

When they are panicking at too fast a speed.

Full up!

The sword spurred the ground and soared into the air.

Then, while floating in the air, he gently swung the steel sword.

Awesome!

“Ah!”

chuck!

When the knife landed on the floor again.

Surprisingly, in Carl’s left hand, one of the bandit leader’s ears was lifted.

“What is this!”

Very strange movements and swordsmanship.

Their captain had his ears cut off.

However, dozens of bandits do not dare to respond.

The boss also grabbed the bleeding wound and looked at the knife with surprised rabbit eyes.

“If my sword had moved just a little to the side, your hair would have been squeezed. If you don’t want to die, listen to me carefully.”

“… … !”

Red Brotherhood.

Their leader has already lived by robbing passers-by on the forest road for over 10 years.

It’s kind of like a veteran bandit.

But I’ve never met such a master.

Most of them were surprised by their hideous appearance and offered up crones, and some of the brave ones also stabbed them and begged them to save them if they were beaten.

He was also confident in his knife skills.

however.

“What are you looking at? Do you want to cut off the other ear too?”

“no!”

The guy who is looking at himself now with a calm gaze is on a different level.

It wasn’t just a matter of fighting once.

As soon as my ear was cut off, the thought that came to me was ‘I touched the wrong one!’

The boldness of cutting off an ear without hesitation!

There, the swordsmanship is so mysterious.

Because it soared gracefully like the wind and cut off only the ears.

It was obvious that if I tried to resist, I would be killed.

“Is there a wooden fence nearby?”

“yes!”

Bandits kneeling before they knew it.

They pointed to one side at the same time.

Then Carl said.

“Guide me.”

***

when about an hour has passed.

A small wagon appeared on the road through the forest.

It wasn’t as big and sturdy as the group’s wagon.

The horse that pulled the wagon was also an old horse that had been eaten.

But it was clearly a wagon, with horses, reins, a driver’s seat and a stowage.

In the driver’s seat were Carl and a grinning Hanson.

There were a lot of sacks in the luggage compartment.

However, all sorts of vegetables could be seen on the mouth of the sack that was not properly stored.

From vegetables such as potatoes and carrots to tomatoes and cabbage.

It is also full of meat, such as dried meat chunks and jerky.

If this was a market rather than a forest road, Carl and Hanson would be misunderstood as grocery vendors!

Greenwood, who had been watching it blankly, said.

“I didn’t think it would appear earlier… … .”

“… … I guess he meant that if the bandits appeared, he would take them, Your Highness Cardinal.”

The brand was also dumbfounded.

‘I can’t believe it… … .’

Carl is definitely a priest.

A priest who received perfect marks in both written and practical skills in the selection test and passed as the top!

However, a priest cut off the bandits’ ears at once and plundered their food.

This is something that is hard to even imagine if you are a moderate priest!

However, there was nothing wrong with the criminals who were targeting the party and trying to steal money and valuables.

Rather, they took all their food and weakened their power, so they deserved to be praised.

“You waited a long time.”

“Oh, no… … .”

Carl approached and nodded to Greenwood.

“How is it? Will this be enough food for the time being?”

“… … It’s like enough food to eat for a couple of months.”

Greenwood, who saw the abundant food nodding his head, answered.

“I’m glad you feel at ease.”

“What happened to the bandits earlier?”

“Everyone swore that they would change their minds from now on and live as good citizens. They said they would go back to their hometowns and start farming. Stop looting.”

“suddenly… … ?”

“I gave you a good explanation in the name of the sun god.”

He must have cut off a few more ears!

But Greenwood didn’t say it out of his mouth.

Whatever the process, it’s a good thing that looters of that size disappear.

But I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about something.

‘Write… … Maybe it’s right, maybe it’s not… … .’

When Greenwood was thinking about that.

Carl rearranged the procession.

“From now on, this carriage will lead the procession. depart!”

hee hee hee!

The old horse, frightened by something, neighed loudly and moved forward.

Terrence’s wagon quickly followed.

As if it had nothing to do with the bandits who had suddenly taken away their nests and everything, the sun was still beating down the forest road indifferently.

“I think I can eat until I’m full from today. Right, Hanson?”

“yes. It seems to be enough to eat well. Enough to secure some crones by selling them if I meet an ascendant along the way.”

“It’s a good thing.”

“That’s right.”

A trip that starts lightly and gets plenty of food!

It was the method Carl used when he traveled around the empire in his previous life to take care of the sacred security.

A strategy that kills two birds with one stone to secure food and wipe out bandits and scavengers!

A smile crept across Carl’s mouth as he saw the solid food in the luggage compartment.

‘I’ll just fill my stomach and let him gain combat experience.’

The weak smell of the beast that had started following him since he robbed the bandits’ base earlier.

It was the smell of ‘werewolves’ tearing travelers apart in the dark forest.