Now that the Emperor of the Empire had lost his reason to the Grand Witch Second Empress and become her puppet, blood and iron overflowed throughout the Empire and the entire continent.
The Kingdom of Luhan, located at the northernmost edge of the continent, was also at war with the Empire.
Queen Lucifurne of Luhan was halting the Imperial Army’s advance with the Blessing of the Snowfield.
But through localized warfare, the Empire was gradually wearing away Luhan’s national strength as though melting snow.
The Dark Grand Duke leading the Imperial Army harassed Luhan’s margraves.
***
The Kingdom of Luhan.
Oski Outskirts Road, within the Moonlight Margravate.
RATTLE, CLATTER. Around twenty merchants, more than forty horses, and cargo wagons were traveling along the road.
It was a route connecting cities, one that at least resembled a proper road.
But in an age of war overflowing with blood and iron, even such a main road was dangerous.
A merchant caravan like this one, without even a single mercenary company, was like a young lamb standing before a pack of wolves.
“There are bandits ahead.”
Solacius, seated atop a wagon, spoke suddenly.
“Your eyesight is remarkable, Sir. We cannot see anything.”
At his words, the merchant Dominic hurriedly took out a telescope.
Through it, he saw a group blocking the road.
“There are twenty of them. Judging by how they are dressed, they do not seem to be ordinary bandits. Is one of them carrying a flag?”
As Dominic observed through the telescope, Sola, who was watching with the naked eye, murmured.
“Yes, Sir. They appear to be knights demanding a toll. The flag belongs to Baron Rold of this area.”
Holding the telescope, Dominic nodded at the knight’s explanation.
“Knights?”
At Dominic’s words, Sola tilted his head.
They were equipped well enough. But no matter how he looked at them, they seemed far removed from knights or nobles.
“They are men who collect tolls in place of knights or nobles. In truth, they are practically impostors.”
“Is impersonating a noble not a serious crime?”
“If they give half the tolls they collect to the lord, he tends to look the other way. The Marquessneeds a great deal of money because of the war. From the perspective of the lord and his knights, there is no downside to increased income without doing anything. Even if something unpleasant happens, they can simply call them impostors and cut ties.”
At those words, Sola slowly shook his head.
“So that is why people look so lightly upon wandering knights.”
“Ha ha ha…… It is true that wandering knights who possess both honor and skill, like Sir Roan, are extremely rare. Meeting you like this is the grace of the gods.”
There had also been bandits with fairly high combat ability while playing Luhan’s Royal Consort. It seemed the men before them were the reason for that setting.
“Still, it is fortunate. They leave us alone as long as we pay the toll.”
Dominic lowered the telescope in his hand. He exchanged glances with the merchants behind him and began collecting toll money.
“We should just cut them down and continue.”
Solacius did not like the situation.
“But unlike ordinary bandits, they have battle experience and are well equipped. Of course, we know how exceptional Sir Roan’s skill is, but…… there are many of them…… On the other hand, we would be of little help in battle.”
The merchants reacted to his words as though they were the ones in a difficult position.
“Do you truly think they will only take the toll and let us go?”
Sola gave the merchants a short laugh and pointed ahead with his chin.
“?!”
Sure enough. The bandits impersonating knights were charging toward them on horseback through a cloud of dust.
The flag of Baron Rold, which they had held high until moments ago, had long since disappeared.
They held axes, spears, and swords menacingly in their hands. They clearly were not charging with good intentions.
“We are a caravan made up entirely of merchants without a single escort. There is no need to collect a toll. They can simply kill us all and take everything.”
“Then…….”
The merchants fell into panic at the threat before them and Solacius’s explanation.
“You did not expect even this?”
He asked with a puzzled look. They were merchants, not country farmers. How could they be so naïve?
“Even if they are impostors, because they pretend to be knights, they tend to uphold a minimum amount of honor. Their lord’s honor is also involved.”
“For them to do this so openly means that the lords have become that impoverished.”
“To think the Moonlight Margravate has fallen this low…….”
Dominic and the other merchants answered with anger in their voices.
“Sir Roan, at least save yourself. If you leave the cargo behind and flee, those bastards will not bother chasing you.”
Some merchants began hurriedly gathering only their valuable jewelry, leaving the cargo behind.
Watching the merchants, Solacius climbed down from the wagon and walked in the direction from which the bandits were coming.
He drew his sword as he walked slowly. After taking a few more steps, he began striding forward at a quick pace.
“……!”
“S-Sir……!”
Unable even to flee, the merchants watched the wandering knight’s back in restless panic.
Before long, the charging bandits on horseback and the blond wandering knight drew close.
Then the wandering knight’s sword began to shine as brilliantly as the sun.
“A-Aura!!”
One of the charging men cried out in shock, but his voice was swallowed by the ensuing blast.
BOOOOM!
A magical explosion rang out.
The leading bandits who had charged so fiercely were blown to pieces. Together with the horses they rode, they scattered as chunks of flesh.
Beginning with the first explosion.
SLASH― SLICE― SHHHK―.
Chilling trails of light carved through the air.
The wandering knight’s legendary feat, like when he had slaughtered a band of bandits alone yesterday, unfolded once more.
“……!”
The merchants forgot that they had been about to flee and watched the scene blankly.
“It cannot even be called a battle.”
“That is simply slaughter.”
“The power we saw yesterday was only a tiny part of it.”
The group impersonating knights was wiped out without even a chance to resist.
Pieces of people and horses were scattered evenly across the ground.
The blood and flesh looked as though fertilizer had been spread over the field.
“So that is why the other kingdoms accepted the exiled royals.”
“Even if it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, they have to accept someone at that level.”
The merchants forced their mouths to move, unable to close them as they praised the knight’s feat.
WHOOOOSH.
Then a hot wind blew.
‘It is hot after all.’
Tae Gwang-hwi—Solacius—furrowed his brow at the heat flooding through his body. A skill aftereffect he had never experienced on Earth tormented him.
‘It happens whenever I use a Sun skill. Is this also a type of curse?’
At the intense heat rising belatedly, he threw off the hooded robe he wore.
He deliberately drew deep breaths, trying to calm the heat and burning sensation.
His gaze turned toward the field strewn with the corpses he had created.
Across the field, the merchants ran about, each one searching the bandits’ bodies.
“Are you all right, Sir? You do not look well.”
A merchant approached Solacius respectfully and asked. It was the merchant with a bandage around his arm.
“It is hot because it is summer.”
It truly was summer on the continent now. But Luhan was a country at the continent’s northernmost edge. Even during summer, it tended to be cool.
“Here is some cool water.”
The merchant immediately offered him water in a leather pouch.
Sola accepted the water and drank. The cool water spread through his body, and he poured some over the crown of his head. The unbearable heat subsided, if only slightly.
“However, Sir…….”
Watching Solacius, the merchant with the bandage around his arm hesitantly spoke.
“This may be an impertinent concern, but your clothing is far too light. I fear you may be struck by a stray arrow.”
As the merchant said, Sola’s clothes were extremely light.
With his robe removed, Sola wore leather pauldrons only on his shoulders and arms, along with a single linen shirt.
He looked like a young nobleman out for a stroll.
Considering that even the merchants wore layers of leather armor to protect their bodies, his attire was certainly strange.
“I have a fine set of armor among my goods. I would like to offer it to you, Sir.”
The merchant with the bandaged arm spoke to Sola with sincere eyes.
This was the man who had saved both his arm and his property, as well as his life.
If he did not at least give him armor, he felt he would be too sorry to sleep.
To begin with, no one in this world gave so generously. Whether they were knights or priests, most people demanded compensation.
That was why the merchants were grateful for Solacius’s actions while also feeling vaguely uneasy.
“It is all right. You do not need to concern yourself.”
But Sola refused the merchant’s goodwill.
Armor would only get in his way right now. He already felt as though he would die from the heat due to the skill’s aftereffect. Now he was supposed to put on more clothing?
Solacius firmly shook his head.
When the knight refused so decisively, the merchant fidgeted anxiously.
“Once we reach a city, I will tell you what I need.”
Sola gave the merchant a faint smile as he spoke.
“I understand. If you need anything at all, please tell us. Even if I have to use my secret funds, I will repay this debt.”
The merchant answered as though making a vow.
“I do not intend to demand anything extraordinary. Supplies needed for traveling, weapons, and some silver coins will be enough.”
“Of the finest quality! I will even obtain magical artifacts for you!”
“I will look forward to it.”
“You may look forward to it! I swear on the name of our Kalt Merchant Company!”
Only then did the merchant look relieved.
“Is your arm all right?”
As the merchant was about to withdraw, Sola looked at the merchant’s arm, which appeared noticeably more comfortable than before, and asked.
“Yes! The effect is tremendous. I am forever indebted to you. If not for you, Sir, I would have had to cut off my arm by now.”
The merchant expressed his gratitude again, though he had already done so countless times.
‘It unfolded similarly in the game, too.’
As he accepted the merchant’s thanks, Sola recalled as much as he could of Luhan’s Royal Consort, the game he had played.
In the game as well, Solacius defeated a band of bandits.
Although he loses consciousness from an injury, he quickly regains his senses and displays his martial prowess.
‘In other words, it is the tutorial playthrough.’
He had also built affinity with the merchants by sharing various kinds of knowledge.
His actions up to now were nearly identical to the tutorial playthrough he had experienced in the game.
The difference was that the game’s Solacius had defeated the bandits only with great difficulty, and the merchants had headed toward the city with far fewer people than they had now.
The merchants stubbornly gathered every last piece of loot from the mangled corpses.
Fewer people and virtually no escorts. Yet the wagons had grown even larger.
Perhaps because of that, the merchants’ expressions showed their difficulty in deciding whether they should be happy or not.
“It seems like these attacks may continue all the way to the city…….”
A merchant caravan that had grown larger, rather than smaller, through loot and trophies.
But it was a caravan without a single escort. It was bound to draw attention.
“Was security in the Moonlight Margravate always this bad? Even during a war, this is excessive.”
As he cooled himself, Sola joined the conversation after hearing the merchants’ worried murmurs.
“There was a major battle against the Imperial Army at the nearby border recently, and we hear they suffered a crushing defeat. A considerable number of the bandits are likely deserters from the defeated army.”
“Rather than fight the terrifying Imperial Army, it is better for them to become bandits and wander about.”
“More than anything, the Blessing of the Snowfield is weak at the outskirts of the margravate. They can commit slaughter with relative freedom.”
“We have also heard that a necromancer ran wild and destroyed an entire count’s territory. The Punishment of the Snowfield was not inflicted upon that necromancer, so it seems there has been an uproar in the royal capital over this issue.”
At the question from the great and noble knight, the merchants each shared what they knew or guessed.
‘This is going to be troublesome.’
At their words, Solacius frowned.
A caravan without a single escort. The cargo in the wagons was so abundant that it made mouths water at a glance.
‘In short, we have become a treasure goblin.’
It was an enormous treasure goblin, easy to spot, with many people and much cargo, so it was slow as well.
That meant moths to a flame would keep coming after them.
The bandits in this area would come charging with their eyes blazing.
‘There is a clear limit to dealing with them using only a sword.’
He had only one body. Perhaps because of the Demon King’s curse, he could not swing the Sun Sword as wildly as he had on Earth.
Sola looked around. The merchants watched him like puppies looking at their mother.
He could not ignore them.
‘If this were a game, a challenge objective would have appeared: get the merchants and their cargo through safely while preserving as much as possible.’
Thinking of it that way, an unnecessary competitive spirit rose in him. He thought about a way to deal with the moths to a flame as comfortably as possible, while exerting as little effort as he could.
Then, he suddenly pulled something from Solacius’s memories rather than Tae Gwang-hwi’s.