Chapter 44

Chapter 44 – Vigilante Corps (3)

The next morning, the elite unit of the Black Wolf, having boarded the ship, gathered around a map, compiling the information they had each gathered.

The first to speak was the woman, No. 11.

“There seems to have been a disturbance at the dock two days ago. Someone attacked the Miguel Mercenary Corps from the rooftops with a bow.”

“No. 19.”

The large man, No. 10, nodded and mumbled. Then, the short-haired No. 6 continued.

“It seems they were hired by Black Scorpion. A low-ranking mercenary who remained in the village told me. But the problem is, the entire mercenary corps has disappeared.”

“Then we just need to track down the Miguel Mercenary Corps. Have you found out where they went?”

“They said south of the Mekler Mountains.”

At No. 6’s words, No. 11 frowned deeply, knowing well the vastness of the Mekler Mountains.

“That’s too broad.”

“Let’s head to Palen first and gather some information there. We’ll likely find something once we’re there.”

No. 6 pointed to Palen, located in the center of the Mekler Mountains, as he spoke.

—

Karon and Shong, who were resting in their room, were soon called urgently by the upper echelon and headed back to the meeting room.

Inside, many people were still gathered, but unlike before, the atmosphere was not as chaotic. It seemed that some decisions had been made.

All eyes turned toward Heyro and Karon.

Heyro was the first to speak.

“We’ve just received intel. The Imperial Army is scouring the villages near Palen. It’s probably because of the dead Tripolas knights. Do you still stand by your decision?”

At Heyro’s question, Karon simply nodded in silence.

“Good. Then our vigilante corps will scatter across the villages, rescuing people and drawing the Imperial Army’s attention. That way, all the Imperial forces stationed in Palen will be deployed. Apart from the Tripolas knights guarding Palen, the place will be left empty. That’s when you’ll go to Palen and capture them. What do you think? Can you do it?”

“I can.”

Karon nodded once in affirmation.

“We won’t be able to hold off the Imperial Army for long. It’s best to end this as quickly as possible.”

“There’s plenty of time. I don’t plan on dragging this out.”

“Good. Spencer and his team will guide you.”

At Heyro’s words, Spencer, who had been standing behind, gave a slight bow and stood next to Karon.

“When do we move?”

“Right now.”

Karon nodded and promptly left the meeting room.

Heyro quickly issued orders to the remaining vigilante members. The situation was moving rapidly.

Karon returned to his room, fastened his black sword to his waist, and draped a dusty brown cloak over himself. It was the camouflage commonly worn by the vigilantes. Shong also donned a cloak and prepared to head out, bringing a telescope along.

“Are you sure about this? That guy Batiah is supposed to be strong.”

“With the current me, it’s enough.”

“True.”

Shong nodded while tightening the leather straps on his shoes.

He had decided to assist Karon without hesitation. The story Karon had shared had been shocking enough to change his mind.

Becoming prey to the beasts of the colosseum, sustaining life-threatening injuries, being dragged to Palemon to endure subhuman conditions and survival games—he had faced countless brutal experiences.

The fact that he had escaped and was still alive was nothing short of a miracle. If it had been Shong in that situation, he might have lost his mind.

In retrospect, Karon’s personality might have been a natural result of those experiences.

When Karon and Shong stepped outside, they found Charlotte, fully armed, waiting for them, while Spencer stood between them with an awkward expression.

“What’s this?”

“It’s because of me that this happened! I’m coming too!”

Charlotte, her face pale as if she might collapse at any moment, shouted with determination.

Shong frowned in distaste at her display, while Karon spoke flatly.

“Fine, then. Lead the way.”

“But…”

Before Spencer could stop her, Charlotte turned around to mount her horse. At that moment—

Thud!

“Urgh!”

Karon struck her neck with the edge of his hand, and Charlotte immediately collapsed into his arms, unconscious.

He handed her over to a vigilante member, speaking emotionlessly.

“You weren’t planning to bring a burden along, were you?”

“Ah, right. Of course not.”

Spencer, who had been momentarily stunned, nodded as he replied.

“Then we’ll ride horses until we reach the halfway point.”

Spencer quickly ordered Charlotte to be taken inside and checked the vigilante members’ equipment.

Around them, the armed vigilantes were moving busily to their assigned positions.

“Let’s get going.”

Once they were ready to depart, Spencer took the lead, spurring his horse forward at a brisk pace.

The path through the caves and gorges leading out of the vigilante base was as complex as a maze, but Karon and Shong followed Spencer’s lead with ease.

‘They’re keeping up better than I expected.’

Spencer gradually increased his speed.

As he picked up the pace, his team members began to fall behind, but Karon was now leading ahead of them.

Glancing behind, Spencer was startled to see Karon right on his tail.

As he momentarily let his mind wander—

“I don’t think it’s that way.”

Karon slowed his pace and spoke. Only then did Spencer realize he had taken a wrong turn into a dead-end path.

He quickly tugged at the reins, correcting his course.

“Sorry, I got distracted for a moment.”

Spencer lightly bowed his head to Karon and then resumed leading the way. However, his mind was in turmoil, filled with confusion and curiosity.

Meanwhile, Karon followed behind him with the same calm demeanor. In fact, when Karon first entered this place, his eyes had been covered with a cloth, but his keen senses, aside from sight, had memorized every path, engraving it in his mind.

The damp air of the cave, the sound of water flowing between the rocks, the smell of grass, and the scent of flowers blooming in various places—all of these guided Karon through the path.

As they exited the cave and gorge, the vast expanse of the Mekler Mountains came into view.

After passing through several forests and streams, they entered a secluded area covered in thick vines. Spencer dismounted and tied his horse to a tree with familiar ease.

Following him, Karon, Shong, and the rest of the team arrived.

“From here, we’ll proceed on foot,” Spencer said as he gathered his weapons and equipment. Although no path was visible to the naked eye, he skillfully pushed through the brush and led the way forward.

As they ascended the mountain ridge, their view gradually expanded. After crossing one of the peaks, they were greeted by a vast open sky and a large village in the distance.

“That’s Palen,” Spencer said, lowering himself behind a rock for cover.

Karon quickly crouched beside him and peeked out to survey the village surroundings.

As he had heard, all the paths leading through the mountain range converged at Palen. Caravans transporting minerals moved ceaselessly, and the presence of Imperial soldiers was evident everywhere.

“Wow. That’s impressive,” Shong whistled in awe as he scanned the area with his telescope, surprised by the scale of the operation.

Some of the vigilantes showed interest in the telescope Shong was holding.

As Karon attempted to get closer, Spencer stopped him.

“Let’s hold off on approaching for a bit. The Imperial soldiers are everywhere right now. The vigilante corps will soon launch an attack on another village, drawing their attention. That’ll be our moment to move.”

“We’re fine. Just focus on your task,” Karon replied indifferently and immediately dashed down the mountainside.

“Don’t worry too much. We won’t get caught,” Shong added, patting Spencer on the shoulder before following after Karon. Without even a chance to protest, the two had already disappeared.

Spencer, stunned by their recklessness, silently hoped they wouldn’t get caught.

Time passed, and surprisingly, as Shong had said, no disturbance occurred anywhere.

—

Palen Village

The village square was packed with people. Surrounding them were the heavily armed knights of the Tripolas Order.

The Imperial Army should have been guarding the area, but due to the vigilante attacks across the Mekler Mountains, most of their forces had been withdrawn.

At the center of the square stood a large gallows, capable of hanging several people at once. The executioners, wearing black hoods, added to the grim atmosphere.

Murmurs filled the crowd, as worried expressions spread across the faces of those gathered. Though none dared to speak aloud, their anxiety was palpable.

A short time later, Batiah, adorned in a lavish military uniform, led a group of Tripolas knights forward, followed by a line of prisoners bound together.

All the prisoners bore severe wounds, likely from torture, and their faces were swollen and bruised. The sobs of family members and friends echoed from the crowd as they witnessed the sight.

Standing on the gallows, Batiah scanned the audience before the prisoners were positioned in front of the nooses.

The crowd’s hostility toward Batiah was undeniable. Too many slaves and villagers had perished at his hands for anyone to hide their hatred.

“I’ll ask one last time. If you want to save these people, give me information about the vigilante corps. Any detail, no matter how small, will suffice,” Batiah’s coarse and menacing voice boomed through the crowd, filtered through his iron mask.

No one stepped forward, knowing full well that revealing any information wouldn’t end well for them. The execution was merely a show, designed to instill fear in the people.

Seeing the crowd avert their gaze, Batiah snorted disdainfully and shouted, “Take a good look! This is what happens when you collude with the vigilantes!”

At Batiah’s nod, the executioners began placing nooses around the necks of the prisoners. There were five in total, and the moment the platform was removed, they would be left hanging in the air.

One by one, the ropes were fitted around the prisoners’ necks. Their faces were filled with a mixture of resentment and fury.

As the tension in the air mounted, the crowd watched in terror. Families of the condemned wept silently, covering their mouths in a desperate attempt to stifle their sobs.

Batiah, clearly enjoying the sight, slowly raised his right hand.

“Hm?”

Just then, Batiah’s gaze shifted to the left.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

From the village entrance, something flew through the air like a boomerang, severing all the ropes and embedding itself in the wooden posts with a quiver.

It was a short black sword.

“Ugh!”

“Ack!”

As the ropes were cut, the prisoners collapsed to the ground, leaving the crowd gasping in shock and confusion.

Batiah, along with the executioners and the Tripolas knights, turned their attention in the direction from which the sword had flown.

There, a man wearing a dusty brown cloak calmly approached. His curly brown hair fell slightly over his eyes, his body was lean but muscular, and a scar ran diagonally across his cheek.

“A vigilante?” Batiah muttered suspiciously as he recognized the cloak of the vigilante corps.

Though the man’s skill in throwing the sword was impressive, what shocked Batiah even more was the audacity of appearing alone in such a place.

In an instant, the Tripolas knights surrounding the square moved to encircle Karon.

Yet Karon, unfazed, kept his eyes fixed on Batiah as he spoke.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?”

His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.

For a brief moment, Batiah’s mind flashed back to the image of a boy.

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