Badlands Saga: Reincarnation in a Different World with Extreme Charisma - Chapter 10

Chapter 10   Emerald Sword 4

We left the castle in the dead of night, and by the time the wasteland was tinged with the colors of dawn, we had reached the foothills of the Karakan Mountains.

Fortunately, we hadn’t encountered any enemies as we had feared, and although the herbs were beginning to wither, it seemed like we could still manage to gather enough.

“Thanks, Inuzame. Let me down.”

“Got it.”

I thanked Inuzame, who had carried me this far, and once I was on the ground, I immediately began gathering herbs.

These mountains were a great place to collect herbs, partly because I was the only one picking them here, so I could find a wide variety with relative ease.

If more alchemists started coming to the Tanukan territory, it probably wouldn’t be like this anymore…

But for now, I was grateful, and I wanted to collect as much as possible.

“Fusha-sama, should we help with something?”

“No, you all stay on guard.”

The others offered to help, but I turned them down.

The efficacy of medicinal herbs could be lost depending on how they were harvested.

Given our current situation, where we needed every remedy to have its maximum potency, I couldn’t afford to waste a single plant.

For herbs whose roots had medicinal properties, I carefully dug them up with the surrounding soil and placed them in pots. Delicate herbs that would quickly wilt were kept between cloths soaked in water, and those whose sap was necessary had incisions made with a knife and were stored in bottles.

Winter was approaching, and thinking of this as the last supply run for ingredients, I felt even more determined.

In the midst of this, Kintman found something and crouched down.

“…Hey, Isara, look at this.”

“Ah… that’s not good…”

They exchanged those words, and suddenly both drew their swords.

“Fresh hoofprints. They’re already this close,” Kintman said.

“What should we do? Should we turn back?”

“No, let’s head into the forest.”

As everyone kept their weapons drawn, I made the decision. We still didn’t have enough materials, and we could only return to the castle under the cover of darkness anyway.

Moreover, if the enemy was on horseback, we would be at a disadvantage if they pursued us on foot. It would be better to enter a forest where horses couldn’t follow.

“Don’t worry. We know this area better. We’ll be fine.”

“… Just don’t trip over the roots,” Isara replied with a sigh, in response to my carefree tone.

So, we pressed on through the forest, which was dim even in daylight, with fallen trees and branches scattered about, making it hard to walk. We steadily moved forward, gathering herbs and nuts as we went.

There were no traces of campfires or signs of people, indicating that the enemy hadn’t entered this part of the forest yet.

The sun gradually rose to its peak in the sky. Normally, this would be the time for a midday meal… Near a noisy bird-filled water source, I was scraping moss off a rock with a knife when I heard a faint “Ah!” from somewhere.

Looking casually in that direction, I saw a man in leather armor brandishing a curved sword in front of Kobura, one of Kintoman’s dogfolk subordinates.

It seemed that the encounter was as unexpected for the enemy as it was for us. For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze as both sides halted.

The first to move was Kintman, standing beside Kobura.

“Voh…”

Before the man could shout anything, the black blade of Kintman’s sword, engraved with golden letters, pierced his neck in a blur.

However, it seemed that the enemy had already realized they were in contact with us. From behind the man, who collapsed with a torrent of blood, came the sound of branches snapping.

The hulking Inuzame stepped in front of me as a shield, Ida began chanting a spell, and a fairy flew out of Isara’s hair, wrapping around her sword.

But before magic or sword could be used, three enemies emerged from the shadows. Kintman darted toward them, pivoted gracefully, and with a swift motion, the three enemies were cut across their throats. A moment later, blood gushed out, delayed by the sound.

The three fell forward like puppets with their strings cut, and lay still.

“…I see, so that’s why they call you the Whirlwind,” I muttered without thinking.

Inuzame, who had positioned himself as a shield in front of me, seemed oddly pleased and scratched his head with a grin.

“There don’t seem to be any more following. What should we do?”

“Can we find out what these soldiers were after? If Makiano is really planning to invade Folk, getting that information to the capital might bring reinforcements sooner.”

“But, you know, don’t they seem a bit too lightly equipped to be crossing the mountains?” Kintman replied, while quickly checking the belongings of the highest-ranking enemy soldier, who wore an ornate helmet.

Items like an iron sword, a signal whistle, a water flask, and a knife were laid out beside the corpse, but there didn’t seem to be anything unusual among them.

“What’s this, a wallet?”

When he turned a small pouch upside down, small black stones spilled out.

“Makiano’s money is usually regular copper coins,” Isara commented.

“Then what are these?”

“Let me see,” I said.

I picked up one of the slender black stones. It felt heavier than a stone should. I placed it on a rock on the ground and tried to break it by squeezing it between two other stones, but the black stone wouldn’t crack.

“Let me try,” Kobura said, and brought his war hammer down on the black stone with a heavy blow. The black stone split in half, along with the rock underneath, revealing a glimmering metallic surface inside.

“So, it was metal…”

“We can’t figure out much here, but we’ll look into it later.”

I put the metal, which looked like a black stone, back into the small pouch and tossed it into my herb basket.

“They must have come here on horseback…”

“Maybe they’ve tied them up outside the forest?”

“Ida, can you at least find out the size of their forces?”

“Impossible, not without a familiar.”

So, if she had a familiar, she could scout for us. Mages are really something.

“Should someone go check?”

“But what if there are tons of them out there…?”

As Kintman and the others discussed, they glanced briefly at Isara.

“Hey, Isara, can’t you send out one of your fairies?”

“Why bother poking a hornet’s nest? Why don’t we just head back?”

“It’s fine if you can’t do it…”

“I didn’t say I couldn’t, did I?”

“Then, can you do it, Isara?”

When I asked, Isara made a face that was hard to read—clearly unhappy but grudgingly sent her fairy out.

She didn’t seem too eager, but I wanted to use this chance to get a sense of the enemy’s true intentions.

If we didn’t even know what their strategic objectives were, the battle could drag on until one side was completely wiped out.

The Makiano tribe and Tanukan territory, despite being adjacent, knew far too little about each other up to this point.

Dealing with an incomprehensible enemy is always difficult, no matter the circumstances.

Before long, Isara’s fairy returned.

The fairy hovered close to Isara’s ear, whispering a report. She listened, nodding slightly, saying, “Uh-huh, uh-huh.”

“…There are only three other people around here besides us,” she said.

“Three, huh? Then there’s probably no danger of them sending reinforcements,” I replied.

“And that means they aren’t a unit crossing the mountain either.”

As I spoke, I was considering something— the quickest way to understand our enemy.

“I want to capture them alive. Can you handle that, Isara?”

When I said that, she pursed her lips into a thin line but let the fairy rest on the tip of her upright finger.

“As you wish,” she replied.

“Then, let’s go.”

I felt a bit bad for making her do this, given her overprotective nature, but this was a critical moment. Whether we won or lost, there would be a “post-war” period, and it was necessary to acquire material to help us understand our enemy.

The reason I asked Isara to do this was simple: her abilities are particularly suited for capturing enemies alive.

She darted out from the shadows, her sword slashing toward the three men who were outside the forest, tying up seven horses and tending a fire.

“Aagh!”

The enemies struck by the flat side of her faintly glowing sword convulsed as if shocked by electricity. In the blink of an eye, before they could even draw their weapons, all three were rolling their eyes back in their heads, collapsing around the campfire after that swift moment when the wind blew past with Isara.

“Nice work. As expected from Isara of ‘The Murky,’ your reputation precedes you,” Kintman said.

“Shut up,” Isara retorted.

While Isara and Kintman talked, the others quickly disarmed the three captives and tied them up behind their backs.

Among the captives were two burly men and, surprisingly, an old woman. I wondered why she was brought here; she might be an alchemist who, like me, came to gather medicinal herbs.

“Loosen the ropes for the old woman, or she’ll die,” I instructed.

“Oh, understood,” said the mage, Ida, loosening the ropes slightly but tightening the gag to ensure she couldn’t make noise.

Well, it’s necessary to use a gag if there’s a risk of her causing a ruckus on the way back…

“However, with these seven horses, the return journey will be much easier,” Kintman said.

“Boss, it’s nice to see you enjoying the mercenary work again after such a long time,” one of the former mercenaries commented.

“Stop it with the ‘boss’ already,” Kintman replied.

The former mercenaries quickly loaded the loot and collected herbs onto the horses. The sun was already beginning to set, and the wilderness was turning to twilight.

“Alright, let’s head back to the castle.”

I mounted the horse in front of Isara, and we began to ride through the darkening wilderness. We aimed for the distant light, unsure if it was from the castle or an enemy stronghold, cutting through the pitch-black night as we continued forward.

◆◆◆

A letter arrived from an old man on the far north, who is barely clinging to life, to another old man on the far northern edge who is also nearing his end.

This letter came from an old comrade of mine from when I served the country—a relationship that had turned sour over time.

For a brief period, we were even enemies.

Now, it seems that I’ve received a letter from a man who was once a disgraced noble’s third son, now referred to as the tragic general dismissed even from his elevated position…

At least, that’s what the letter from Guldura says.

“Father-in-law, what’s this letter? A demand notice?”

“It’s from a friend.”

“Oh, so you still have friends who are alive?”

I cut open the letter with a knife, trying to keep it hidden from my noisy daughter-in-law.

“Father-in-law! I’ve told you not to touch my knife without permission!”

“I know, I know!”

What a bothersome daughter-in-law she is.

Complaints about the alcohol, the food, even the slightest things like sneezing or farting—she complains about everything all day long.

I can’t understand why my son married someone like her.

With a sense of frustration, I opened the letter.

“Found a place to die? Well, that’s good.”

The letter detailed that Guldura was being cared for by some backwater noble family of the Tanukan frontier, which was being attacked by a foreign army.

Our force is less than a thousand… while the enemy boasts over ten thousand…

Despite the daily attrition, the morale remains high, with soldiers ready to die with their heads resting on the castle…

Guldura wrote that, although he had always lived with the expectation of constant battle, he never imagined he’d find such an exhilarating place to meet his end.

“Ah, the good old days, remembering the Fortuna campaign with one against ten.”

“Father-in-law, are you talking about old times again?”

“I’m not talking to you, you know.”

Hmm, hmm. It seems the sea will be blockaded soon, and in a while, I plan to lure the enemy into a false sense of security, split our forces, and strike from behind…

So this is the terrain map. To strike from behind, we’d need cover, though.

There’s a valley to the northeast, so if there’s a place to moor ships to the northwest, it might work…

“The map is too small.”

“Oh, it’s not that the map is small, it’s that your eyes are failing, father-in-law. Shall I read it for you?”

“Yes, yes. It’s a shame. If only the morale were high, we might find a way…”

“Father-in-law, you’re reminiscing about old battles even with your friends, aren’t you?”

“It’s not old battles; it’s the current war.”

“Oh dear. Men really do love talking about that sort of thing, don’t they?”

“……”

Talking to my daughter-in-law, who treats me like an old man, makes me feel older at heart.

I’m starting to envy them a bit.

When I finished my last battle as a commander of a thousand men, I was relieved to think I’d never have to return to the battlefield…

But now that I’m retired, the peaceful life I longed for is far more tedious than I imagined.

No more the thrill of planning strategies, the satisfaction of leading troops, the joy of outsmarting opponents, or the rush of defeating enemies.

Just eating enough bread to make my belly bulge, sneaking drinks of wine, and worrying about being scolded by my daughter-in-law.

Maybe I should go.

Given the old bond, if I go now, they might give me command of a hundred men.

I used to be called the ‘Viper’ by Wintor, a great tactician. Even folks in Tanukan should know that name.

Dying with my head resting on the castle… sounds good, doesn’t it?

After all, I’m old. I might be dead by next year anyway.

One last hurrah. I’d like to see Guldura again too.

“Yumi, I’m heading out for a while. I won’t be back until at least spring.”

“Oh, where are you going? What about dinner?”

“I’m attending a funeral far away, so I won’t be back until spring at the earliest.”

“Oh my, until spring! That’s quite a distance, isn’t it? Then I’ll have to prepare.”

As my daughter-in-law rushed about in a flurry, I pulled up the floorboards in my room.

I then dug into the soil beneath the floor and retrieved a single pot.

Removing the lid, I turned it over and out came several large gold coins and some medals from my military days.

“Well, well, is this all there is?”

I placed one of the gold coins on my grandchild’s bed, another on the dining table, and set the medals next to it.

Grabbing a thin sword to use as a cane and putting on a single robe, I left the house.

“I must hurry. The festival will be over soon.”

The Neyakashi Trading Company, which delivered this letter, should have a branch in a nearby port town.

I pushed my unresponsive body as fast as I could.

The cold, heavy wind blowing towards the Karakan Mountains signaled the arrival of winter.