The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 31



Only Krnovel

Episode 31. Twin Canyon (4)

Enrico Turis, the councilor of Remtana, could not believe it. He rubbed his eyes as hard as he could, but the sight before him did not change.

‘No, what the… … Oh my God, Remillion.’

Until I reached the position of councilor, I lived for 40 years, seeing all sorts of things to see and do not see. He thought he could now keep his composure in any situation.

It was a rash arrogance. Now his heart was pounding as if it would burst.

The trolls blocking the Twin Canyon were the worst problem Enrico was currently facing. With the east and west routes blocked, the Twin Canyon was the only route connecting Lemtana and the southern part of the jurisdiction. In order to collect taxes and manage the district smoothly, the trolls needed to be defeated quickly.

Originally, the subjugation shouldn’t have been that difficult. Of course, trolls were monsters that humans had a hard time dealing with, but this territory had a much more powerful force.

Ymir Demil, an aide dispatched by the Vestana Council.

He was a wizard from the Magic Tower, the pride of the coastal city. He was not a rookie, but a Conjurer, the third highest-ranking wizard in the Magic Tower. If he could demonstrate his skills properly, subduing a single troll would not be a problem.

However, he disappeared without helping the counselor.

It was a simple reason.

‘There’s no reason for him to help me, who’s from another council. He’d rather want this place to be a mess. Then he could argue that the next councilor should be chosen from the Vesta or council… ‘

He did not let go of the problem, just hoping that the magician who would never return would return. He sent messengers to his family and the council of his affiliation several times to ask for support. However, the messengers disappeared or did not return as soon as they left. No body was found, so he could not even figure out what had happened.

Eventually, Enrico was forced to fight the trolls on his own.

Unfortunately, there were no other wizards in Remtana. The slaughtermen under his command had little experience hunting monsters. Enrico offered a considerable bounty to recruit mercenaries to take on the troll hunt. It was only when the notice on the wall became tattered that he finally found a mercenary group willing to take on the task.

‘You said the reward was 50,000 Luden, right? Hmm, hmm, just leave it to me, Counselor! Each and every member of our mercenary group is a skilled monster hunting genius!’

It was somewhat scary, but there was no way around it. Remtana is small and there are almost no monsters nearby, so finding the mercenary group was not easy. I couldn’t miss the order recipient that appeared after a few months.

So Enrico gathered his confident mercenary band and 20 soldiers and set out to hunt trolls… …

Bboo – ugh, bboo – ugh!

“Cough!”

“Ahhhh, help me!! Lord, I don’t want to die… … .”

“Kuaaaaah, Kuaaaaah!!!”

… … As soon as the battle began, I saw the mercenary group being annihilated.

Contrary to their claims, the mercenary group had no experience hunting monsters. They simply accepted the request blindly, attracted by the large sum of money they could earn.

The initial judgment that it would be possible to subdue them safely using crossbows and javelins was a mistake. The troll easily pulled out the arrows and spears stuck in its hide as if they were toothpicks. The wounds it had inflicted healed without realizing it, as if it had dug a hole in the mudflats.

– Wow!!

“Huh, huh?”

On the contrary, the hasty attack only aggravated the troll’s temper. If they had maintained their display and prepared a defensive posture, the damage would have been minimal, but the mercenaries could not think of such things. It was nearly impossible for an inexperienced person to maintain composure in front of a frenzied troll.

“Uh-huh… … .”

“Kwaaaaak, do, run away!!”

The collapse was instantaneous. Starting with the crossbowmen in the front lines running away, the mercenary group was scattered like a swarm of ants. At least a few heavily armed soldiers held their positions, but the troll’s attack was not something that could be prevented due to their sloppy defense posture.

Pow, puk – puk!

“Ugh!”

The ridiculous exchange fee of one life for one scratch. Even the most severe wounds regenerated within a short period of time. The brave men died, the less brave fled, and in the blink of an eye there were no mercenaries left.

With the mercenary group annihilated, the next prey was the troll army. The trolls followed the soldiers with a fearsome momentum. With each swing of their clubs, more and more people were injured. Soldiers with twisted limbs and ruptured internal organs rolled around in the mud like broken dolls.

– Wow!

“Kwaaaa!! my legs!! “My legs!”

“Ugh, it hurts, it hurts so much… … .”

Enrico let out a sigh. The disaster force had originally been brought in to provide escort and to collect the troll’s remains. They were not prepared at all to confront the troll. He was about to order a retreat right away…

At that moment, a savage suddenly appeared from between the canyons.

Creak, creak, creak!

He single-handedly subdued the troll and killed it in an instant.

– Shut up… … .

After a thoughtless swing of the axe, the troll’s fist-sized beak fell into the mud. The savage absentmindedly wiped the blood that had splashed around his eyes.

“… … .”

The sight of an invincible monster that seemed unbeatable being slaughtered as easily as a pig left Enrico speechless.

“… … .”

The commissioner was embarrassed, but in fact, the soldiers were even more embarrassed.

They felt first-hand how powerful that monster was. You single-handedly took down a monster that even armored mercenaries couldn’t handle? And that too, bare-handed, with only a sword and an ax? It was a story that was too absurd to be used as a joke.

But it was still too early to panic. The truly embarrassing sight came later.

Tzu – Sigh.

The barbarian cut open the troll’s stomach and began rummaging through it.

“… … .”

“… … Ugh.”

The blood gushed out, forming a puddle at the feet and the scent of blood spread. The torn entrails flopped on the mud. It was like a scene from a hellish banquet cut out of a picture and recreated in the real world. They couldn’t tell whether the water flowing down their backs was sweat or rainwater.

The horrible carnival ended only after the troll’s body was completely turned into a rag. The savage thrust his grotesque face, stained with blood, into the soldiers and asked them:

“Who are you? Who is your leader?”

The soldiers trembled and looked at the sergeant. Still, Enrico was much better than his subordinates. As expected of a sergeant who had been through a lot, he quickly regained his composure and boldly advanced.

“I am the commander. I am Enrico Turis, the councilor of Remtana. Who are you?”

“It’s Khadim. “If you know anything about this troll, I’d like you to explain it to me.”

“… … .”

A councilor is a position close to a lord in an empire. It was ridiculously rude to ask something like that.

But Enrico was not foolish enough to question etiquette at this moment. If it weren’t for the author, the soldiers would have already been turned into meat paste. I just thought that I should talk to this monstrous benefactor step by step without offending him.

*

While the soldiers treated the wounded and collected the remains of the troll, Kadim held a meeting with Enrico in front of the canyon. After hearing the general explanation, Kadim frowned and asked a question.

“You say there haven’t been any trolls in this canyon recently?”

“That’s right. Looking through the records, I found that there was a large-scale punitive expedition long before I took office. They almost completely wiped out all the monsters in the vicinity of the Magic Tower. Since then, it’s been hard to find even goblins, let alone trolls, in this area.”

It didn’t seem to be a wrong statement. Didn’t you never encounter any monsters while crossing that vast forest? Although you did encounter a paladin, a leper with three pairs of arms, a group of deformed vipers, and a nine-headed demon…

‘… … ‘It would have been better to meet a monster.’

Kadim shook off his distracting thoughts and asked again.

“Then why did the troll suddenly appear again?”

“I don’t know about that either. If it had been an area where monsters frequently appeared, I would have prepared in advance, but since they suddenly appeared out of nowhere, this happened… … .”

Enrico looked at the soldiers of the Disaster Corps. There were few casualties, but seeing that about half of them were injured made him feel very complicated. If he had been diligent in his training and monster hunting during normal times, he would not have been fooled by the mercenary gang and would not have ended up like this.

Meanwhile, Kadim clasped his hands with a serious look on his face. When she dug into the second troll’s intestines, she found the same dark residue as the first. She couldn’t help but point it out.

“Is there a devil around here?”

Let’s pause for a moment. Enrico shook his head firmly.

“No, there is none. If there was a devil, Ymir wouldn’t have stayed still. “The Magic Tower is as active in hunting down demons as the Elgar Church.”

“Who is Ymir?”

“Ah, Ymir is one of my aides. She has different political views than I do, so she doesn’t help me much… … But she is a skilled magician of the Magic Tower. If a demon had appeared, she would have been the first to deal with it.”

Kadim’s eyes shone sharply.

“Is there any chance that he was involved in the troll blocking the canyon? With magic or something?”

Enrico’s shoulders shook in surprise.

He touched his temple and was deep in thought. Only after a short amount of time had passed did the dry lips finally dry out.

“… … I can’t say that it doesn’t exist at all. I’ve heard that there are magics that control the minds of people and monsters.”

“Then what about the possibility that he made a deal with the devil?”

“I wouldn’t have done that. Such actions are strictly prohibited even in the Magic Tower. If the wizards had sold all their souls to the devil, wouldn’t the empire’s paladins have come forward long ago and the entire alliance would have been devastated? “It is safe to say that there is absolutely no possibility that it would have happened without Ymir going crazy.”

“… … .”

Something was strange.

The source of magic is mana, supernatural energy floating in the air. It is an energy that is clearly distinct from the demonic energy of the devil. There was no way that an afterimage similar to demonic energy would remain with just ordinary magic.

So, Kadim naturally assumed that the wizard who made a contract with the devil was tricking the troll. But what if that was completely impossible?

“… … .”

It was unsettling, but there were no clear clues anymore. The first priority is to receive compensation for the work done.

Kadim got up. Enrico moved his lips for a long time and then slowly shook his head. It seemed as if he was trying to find something to say. Instead, he said thank you.

“… … Anyway, on behalf of the people of Remtana and all jurisdictions, I would like to thank you. If we hadn’t killed the troll, the road would have been blocked for a while longer. “You have saved many people from trouble.”

“You don’t need to be thankful. I did it after receiving a reward from the village chief of Eckel. They were in a very urgent situation as well.”

“Oh, my. Such a story… … .”

When Duncan saw Kadim standing up, he came over to him. He had come to help provide emergency treatment to injured soldiers. Kadim looked at Duncan and his exhausted soldiers, who were looking back hesitantly, and then made a suggestion to Enrico.

“There are a lot of injured people, so why not go to the nearest Eklo for recuperation? “I have to go back there anyway because I have to get paid.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I was planning on stopping by there sometime anyway… … . I’ll gladly accept your offer.”

Kadim and Enrico stood at the head of the procession. The wounded and Duncan guarded the center, while the remaining soldiers guarded the rear. As they entered the narrow ravine, the soldiers kept their shoulders hunched and repeatedly sang Kadim.

The spring rain was gradually subsiding. A damp breeze was seeping through the valley where people had finally set foot. The majestic rock cliffs, like castle walls, cast deep shadows. The yellowish soil layers piled up in identical shapes on both sides seemed to show that the name of this place was not in vain.

Enrico had no time to pay attention to his surroundings. He was lost in his thoughts about the identity of the barbarian and his aide. His soldiers were so exhausted. The crisis that could have cost him his life took away all his mental and physical strength. Duncan, who had previously been seen across the canyon, was busy helping his wounded man.

So it was. The reason why Kadim was the only one who noticed the difference.

The location is the exact center of the valley, far from the entrance and exit. The terrain is a narrow path with both sides blocked. Suddenly, faint smoke rose from the top of the cliff. A slight vibration was felt, and a haze mixed with heat was seen.

And the smell of sulfur tickles my nose.

“… … .”

Kadim clenched his molars. This was not a sign of a sudden fire or anything like that. A trap that someone deliberately dug to prevent escape.

It’s too late to deal with it.

Kwa – Ah!

There was an explosion and debris fell in a heap from the cliff. Giant, blazing trees fell, mixing with falling rocks.

――――― Kugugugugu, boom, quaggwagwang, quaggwagwang!

In the aftermath of the collision, the ground shook and a thick layer of dust arose. The flames on the trees and rocks did not die out even after hitting the ground. The front was immediately blocked by a flaming barrier.

“Ugh!”

“W-what, this again!!”

“be careful! It fell behind… … .”

Kwa – Ah!

The rear was the same. A loud noise rang in our ears, and the flaming debris formed an impassable wall. The party crossing the canyon was instantly reduced to rats trapped in a trap.

And before I had time to come to my senses, a bolt of fire fell right in front of me.

― …

A blazing heat that burned the shadows of the valley at once. Everyone tightly closed their eyes to the intense light that seemed to come down from the sun. The scorching heat surged and waves of flame flowed down to their feet. The hot heat scratched their skin and choked their breathing.

The light slowly faded, revealing the true nature of the lightning bolt.

A flowing red-gold hair, a divine weapon that covers the entire body like a cloak of red flames, a plate armor that is as hot as lava, and a red longsword that spreads hellfire with ferocious momentum.

A woman whose appearance seems to be the personification of the wrath of God.

The soldiers shouted in astonishment.

“Seo, Holy Knight… … ! “I am a paladin of the Elgar Church!”

“Why is a Holy Knight in a place like this… … .”

Her green eyes were fixed on one side. From the time she waited on the cliff until the moment she gave her assault, her gaze never turned to the other side.

Archpaladin, Helia Munel, muttered as if spitting out.

“at las… … “We have finally met, you evil spirit wearing a sword.”

“… … .”

“The karma of your evil deeds is like an abyss infested with poisonous insects… … . Now, when the judgment of light has arrived, the hellfire of this sword will consume your rotten soul without leaving even a trace… … .”

Kadim also silently faced the paladin. Then he slowly turned his head back and asked.

“Didn’t you say that Archpaladin would never cross the border, Duncan?”

“yes? Uh, uh… … that is… … Uh, uh… … Me too, I wonder, uh, what happened… … .”

Duncan looked as if he was about to burst into tears at any moment. Kadim let out a deep sigh.

An unexpected turn of events occurred that should not have occurred. There seemed to be only two possibilities: either the Arch Paladin had miraculously reached an alliance and diplomatic agreements at a rapid pace, or he had gone mad enough to cross the border.

Either way, a head-on collision was inevitable. If I ran away now, I didn’t know when I would be attacked again. Even if it’s a fight where the odds of winning are low, we have no choice but to fight.

Never leave behind regrets. Kadim recalled the principle of conduct he always kept in mind. His large hand slowly reached for the water bottle hanging on his waist.

But suddenly, an unexpected person stepped forward.

“What are you doing now! Are you not a paladin of the empire? “Why would a Holy Knight commit such atrocities on the territory of the Alliance?”

A furious middle-aged man was fearlessly advancing toward the fire. Helia narrowed her brows.

“But who are you? Right now I am on a sacred mission. Outsiders, please do not interfere and get out of the way… …”

“I am Enrico Turis, a councilor of Remtana belonging to the Council of Delutana! This is my territory, and I’ve never heard of you before! This is other than an obvious border violation! “If you don’t back down immediately, I will send a formal protest letter to the church through the council!”

“… … !”

Enrico held up a ring bearing the emblem of the Council of Delutana, a sure sign that he was the councillor of this district.

Embarrassment as clear as a flame spread across Helia’s face.