Attack and the Careless One Title
攻撃と不注意者のタイトル
About 6-Bells after we left for the town Merlow, our speed had greatly increased, or more accurately, we opted to hasten travel. All escorts together with what we thought were reinforcement was actually dead weight had to sped our ways to towards the next town.
Dead weight, you ask? It all stemmed from a conversation the escort team and the presumed young knight recruits:
5 Bells and 25 Ticks earlier…
Our journey started at a regular traveling speed. The escort team was in high spirit since the Lady we were escorting had made true to her promise about continued service and being paid. Now joined by (although young) combat experienced knight recruits that will ensure the safety of the entire crew or so that was how we had thought.
While the journey was on the way, the escort team was in a merry conversation. The conversation ranged about their families, farms, and even how they will use the money once this escort was over. It got a little bit awkward though when one of the young Knights joined in on the conversation.
“So, you guys are mercenaries?” Some thought that the boy was mocking us. There were a few of us though who just thought that he was someone needing a good conversation. Non of us mocked him though, after all he was still a noble. But then he dropped a bomb none of us were expecting. “This is my first time leaving the town, so I am kind of excited.”
“What?” My voice and the middle-aged uncle were in unison. Clearly, this was some hearing problem, or so I thought but if another was hearing the same thing then, what I heard was definite.
The other escorts however, might not have caught up on it yet as they continued to converse with the what-we-thought were fresh knight recruits.
“To be this young and already have experience with escort jobs.” However, this harmless query by one of the escort teams immediately rose suspicion and fear to our hearts. “How many times have you done escorting jobs?”
“Eh!” the surprise in the faces of the young knight recruits was contagious even to the one who made the query. “We were just on the way to Levantis Royal Academy to enroll, we were home schooled…. Escorts? Jobs?”
“Wait, what exactly did the Knight Adjutant told you about this mission.” Since there was a miscommunication, I had prompted to ask the young knights. I was not the only one eager for the response, the usually composed middle-aged uncle who I usually took on a calm stance instantly became agitated.
“We were only told to get to school before dark.” The young knight’s comments did not bode too well with me nor was it for the others. These kids are no fresh recruits but students who were still to enroll -meaning no battle experience.
The situation that was before us became more and more suspicious. They even neglected to mention that there is a noble here. Even if the identity of the Noble Lady identity must be kept a secret, there was still a need for them to be told that they WERE escorting a noble.
All members of the initial escort team looked alarmed. The middle-aged uncle made it even worse by showing his vigilance to our surroundings. It was as if he was expecting an attack.
“You!” when the middle-aged uncle (Damn it, why did I not ask for his name earlier…) started to look at the dark shade sky, he beckons for one of the students. “Get to the front and inform the butler to speed up, we need to reach the next town or village as soon as possible.”
This is what led to our speed increase.
“Oi…?” One of the broke the silence. “Maybe we can turn back to…”
But before he could finish his words, loud howls… no roars came from the forest, just a few ways from our position and soon enough a horde of [GOBLINS], [ORCS] and [TROLLS] started speeding our way.
“Prepare for battle!” since everyone seemed lagging on what to do, I decided to make the first move and shouted for them to prepare for battle.
The first to react was of course the middle-aged uncle who immediately signaled both carriages to stop, jumped from our carriage and positioned himself immediately in the vulnerable side of the Noble Lady’s carriage. The other members of the escort team soon followed, even while were clearly shaking. The ones that were too petrified to react were the students. They probably did not even know what to do in these types of situations.
“You lot, are those uniforms just for show?” While I know that they are just students and are not in the state of mind to do battle, I decided to put them on the right track making sure to highlight the Knight Uniforms they are wearing. “If you are true knights, what is your primary duty?”
“…T-to protect the nobles!”
“There is a Noble riding on that carriage, what do you do?” While the answer is definitely wrong, I still decided to use it. “Are you going to abandon the noble?”
“O-f… of course not! We will protect Nobility, which is a sworn duty of Knights”
Good, they are at least motivated even though their conviction is outright stupid. While it is true that they need to protect nobility. However, I believed the Knights Orden was formed to protect the state… meaning its people. However, there was no need to admonish them as they were now preparing for the first battle of their lives.
“Good work on riling them up, the names Lars.” Finally got to learn the name of the middle-aged uncle. Lars as he introduced himself was definitely no ordinary commoner as his combat stance was solid.
You might wonder why it took us this time to introduce ourselves. Usually everyone would introduce themselves if you were partying for the first time. However, the escort team were from the same small village, everyone knew everyone except for me. It was a little hard for me to insert on their conversation. Since I was being silent in the corner, it was hard for them to ask for mine.
Well, there is no need to ponder about it too much as the battle had already started.
*****
The monster horde which took only a few ticks, finally clashed with our teams. The [GOBLIN] were the first to arrive as they were smaller and faster compared to the [ORC] and [TROLL].
Everything was in utter chaos after that. The monster horde did not allow any to escape as multiple of them showed in all directions easily surrounding us.
The escort group who seemed to have experience in battling monsters to fend for their farms and family were moving in groups killing one target easily and moving to defeating another target, alternating from defense and offense. Maybe they had a knock for mercenary works after all, that must be the reason why they got recruited.
On the other hand, the students were in shambles clearly shaken and moving in a disorderly manner. While all of them were good at their respective weapons, they did not work well with teaming up with one another. Each ten took on one-on-one battles that took a lot of time to finish. While it was good to solo enemies, it was only acceptable when the one soloing is capable of finishing one target in the smallest amount of time. Unfortunately, it is not what is happening with them.
There were only two among the traveling groups who were doing solo attacks, and is succeeding. Lars and of course me.
Lars was quite proficient with the one-handed sword he was wielding on his left and a round buckler on his right. I was under the assumption that all of them were farmers. However, Lars is definitely a mercenary or perhaps member of the local militia.
“T-there are too many of them, what the hell is up with these numbers!” clearly one of the hired escorts was scared of the sheer size of the monsters that continued attacking us.
True, I have to wonder as to the size. Now that you mentioned it, a few days ago, the same guy said that monsters do not attack much when near human traffic, even if something riled them up to attack us, this number should not be possible in a small amount of time… there must be a reason.
While pondering and battling, Grim-chan’s voice flashed in my head.
Captain it is probably of this Passive Skill Active Lure.
Where did I get this skill?
I was not angry at Grim-chan I was just riled as to where I got it. Feeling a little bit sad, Grim-chan offered a continuation of her observations.
.CARELESS ONE {
•Achieved when one trips an obvious trap.
•Activate Permanent Passive Skill: Active Lure.
•EXP -30%
•LIFE FORCE -30%
•MANA -30%
•Randomly activates Forgetfulness and Carelessness
}
The hell, so this predicament is kind off my fault!? Is that it?
While in my internal struggling monologue, one of the young students almost got killed by the monster horde. Thankfully, a support came in the most unlikely of all places, inside the carriage a soft hand creates something like a magic formation and blasted the monsters with earth magic.
She also casted few healing and other buffing spells to ensure that we somehow survive.
“Lars, we need to even out the numbers” making up for the stupidity I almost incurred, I needed to flatten some of the numbers. “I will leave the defense to you.”
With that, I started to trim down the monsters offensively. When the defense team gain some breather, they then started to join me at the offense and soon after eventually giving us leeway to have one of the mounted youths to call for reinforcements.
*****
The battle finally ended roughly two Bells before the night fell. By the time the knight reinforcement through one of the students in horseback arrived, the battle was over.
After what looked like 3-4 Bell ordeal with the monster horde. The knights who should have been the real escorts guided us to the next town. The students involve seem a bit refreshed though, I bet they have many stories to tell their peers.
Changing knights every time we got to a town, we finally arrived at our ultimate destination, Levantis Royal Academy.
“You have done well to protect Lady Noble.” The knight who received us at the Academy entrance was informed of our heroic deeds and greeted us with a weird zeal. “And because of that we will give you a reward to compensate the trouble.”
The amount we were promised was 20,000P (20 Large Silver Coins), 10 of which was given to us as initial war funds for the journey ahead and 10 when we arrive at the academy. The knights will be giving us another 50 Silver Coins making it a whole 25,000P.
If you ask me, it really is just hush-money from speaking about the blunder of the knights. Sending students for an escort job to a noble… a very high valued noble.
“You look worried…” Lars the one who probably knew of my worries immediately dispels my concerns. “I will make sure of their safe return to Galgore.”
Right, there was something suspicious about our attack; while it was common to be attacked by monsters during a journey, the most suspicions about all of this, was the action the Knight Adjutant from Merlow. Him sending off this noble with nothing more but mesh-mash escorts and students who were not even trained for combat.
“I will place their fates in your hands then.” I passed an amount for their safe return.
“You too... Thank you, I would have failed if you were not there.” I knew he was not ordinary, when he placed himself almost immediately at the carriage to protect this noble. “If you are ever in trouble you may go to this place… if you are a student, it is a bit off limits but… come to this place whenever you are in need of help.”
He then hands me a piece of paper with ‘Bronze Dagger’ written on it and a Decorated Bronze Dagger probably an identification of sorts to Lar’s associates. After a few thanks and merry making with their abundant moneymaking, Lars and the other Hired Escorts finally disappear from view.
The noble Lady and their carriage also entered the school’s gates. The Lady did want to have words with the hired escorts, but it would seem that the knights have stopped her. Therefore, Redus saw it to himself to extend thanks for her.
“Now where should I go?” while I was muttering to myself a log pings to my head.
.LOG {
•Random Forgetfulness is fully negated
•Random Clumsiness is fully negated
•Captain, I have found the source of this troublesome curse, will remove them whenever they try to stand in your way, too bad we can’t remove Active Lure though.
•Hahaha getting rid of troublesome stuff seem fun, so I’ll do it.
}
Thanks, Grim-chan. With the realization that the source of my clumsiness, forgetfulness and sometimes carelessness stem with the ‘CARELES ONE’ Title, I seem to have given Grim-chan awareness of it as well and made it her sole purpose to ensure I do not forget. This is probably the same when she negates the Confusion Status Ailment that is casted on me.
With that, I finally remembered that Sir Heid had handed me an introduction letter to the Head of the Academic Registrar of this prestigious academy. All I need to do is hand him this and will officially be enrolled despite being late in the enrolment and starting of classes.
“Grim-chan, let’s get to school.”
