Chapter 47: 47

Chapter 47

Translator: Kimmy

 

There were two men sitting in front of the castle gate. One seemed old and the other seemed like a boy. 

Zelle walked past the two asleep guards and walked inside.

It was dusk so as she expected, the town was silent. Zelle walked swiftly to avoid waking anyone. 

‘I should find a big house.’

She walked past the houses and found a slightly larger house and headed towards it.

Then, an old man walked out of the shed behind the house. 

Zelle raised her voice and called for him.

“Hey.”

The old man immediately could tell that Zelle was no ordinary woman. Her posture and way of speaking were that of a noble’s.

He was the village head so he had encountered nobles more than other commoners.

He hurriedly bowed and introduced him as the village head.

“I want to know something.”

Zelle asked him all the things she wanted to know about the war.

The old man warily answered the questions and thanks to that, Zelle was able to update herself.

She was able to hear about how the retrieved Eastern region is recovering, the damage the typhoon has caused to the Central region, and the current state of the Central region. 

The most surprising was the typhoon.

Against Zelle’s concern, the residents of the Central region evacuated perfectly during the typhoon so there were almost no casualties.

The evacuation plan she ordered before the war began was effective. Even though no one would know that it was her behind that plan, Zelle grinned in pride.

That moment, there was a loud noise outside.

“Open the door right now! If you don’t we’ll break it!!”

The village head’s face soon got pale.

“C-Come here, m’lady.”

He seemed concerned for Zelle’s safety and directed her deeper into his house.

Zelle followed him inside and turned to ask.

“What’s going on? Are they hooligans?”

The village head shook his hands.

“No. But I’ve heard of this before. I’ll send someone to get the Roheneim army so hide there. You could get hurt.”

“What do you mean you’ve heard of it?”

The village head sent his attendant boy to Roheneim and explained to Zelle. 

“All the soldiers in charge of public order are away at war so this is ought to happen.”

Zelle quickly mulled over his words. 

Before the war began, there were mercenaries from foreign countries staying in the Central region’s brothels. 

Roymonde allowed commissioned soldiers and they weren’t a big group so they even had a pass. 

But after the war, the mercenaries killed their financier and became out of control. 

Only the least needed soldiers remained in the castles and villages so the mercenaries started plundering and causing harm.

“Yesterday, they came after hearing news that Roheneim distributed ration food. I don’t think they know that Roheneim hasn’t left yet.”

“Are you saying they plunder the relief distributions?”

“Yes. I hear they store it somewhere and trade it with valuables.”

“And this happened to other villages too?”

“….Yes.”

Zelle chewed her lips in fury.

The soldiers for this war were initially recruited by volunteering. And it made up 110,000 men. But after the 30,000-men-Voymont army lost the battle in the Eastern region, King Leshupelle the 1st ordered an obligatory service in some of the castles of the Central region. 

And this castle was one of them. 

Most of the young men were drafted for war so only children, women, and people too old to fight remained. 

The mercenaries were foreigners so they weren’t obligated to serve the army. 

Zelle had no idea they would cause such problems. 

The lords had the power to petition and nag Roheneim for minuscule things like the retrieval of their lands but ordinary people didn’t have the power so they must have had no choice but to obey those scoundrels. 

She was infuriated to the point it hurt her head but Zelle suppressed her anger and maintained her composure. 

‘I should first return and–’

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“…..!!”

They banged the door violently. The old man looked at the door fearfully.

“Come out! We hear you’re the richest of the lot, huh?”

“I know a maiden just walked into this house! If you don’t open this door right now, she’ll pay the prices!!”

Zelle shut her eyes tightly. The mercenaries didn’t seem like they would give up. Zelle tried to maintain calm and asked.

“Are there no backdoors in this house?”

The village head stood up with a pale face.

“There is, but I think it’s better to hide you and open the door. If you get caught by them on the way out, they won’t let you go in whole piece.”

“If you open that door, we will be in danger.”

The village head trembled as he lead her. 

“Over here.”

On the way to the backdoor, Zelle asked.

“Is there a pathway in this village where it closes with a steel gate?”

“Yes, there’s one at the center of town.”

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“Even if we safely escape through the backdoor, they will come after us soon enough. They must have plundered more than enough but looking at their behavior, they just seem to want blood.”

“Should I lead you to that pathway?”

Zelle contemplated shortly.

Is it better to just run away or hide nearby? The Roheneim soldiers would come soon.

‘But what if… We get caught running away.’

It could cost their lives. On top of that, she couldn’t outrun the mercenaries so the steel gate was the best option.

“Lead me there.”

“But… no one knows how to release the steel gate down, m’lady.”

Zelle told him calmly.

“It’s alright, lead me.”

Zelle memorized the Central region based on the steel gate pathways in each castle. 

With the right timing, she would be able to trap the mercenaries between the steel gates. 

She would have to lead them there, shut the first gate immediately after they all enter, and shut the second gate. Thankfully, she knew how to operate the gates.

Who knew observing servants would come to use like this?

Zelle and the village head gathered some people on the way to the pathway. 

The people looked scared but when Zelle explained the plan quite a lot decided to help.

“Just wait for my signal.”

Zelle hid her own fears and calmed them down.

When they arrived at the pathway, she could see the mercenaries chasing behind them.

Zelle purposely screamed.

“Help!!”

Their bloodlust evidently seemed to have grown at her screams.

“It’s her!!!”

“Get her!!”

Zelle taught the people how to move the pulley beforehand. They all rushed and pulled on the pulley.

Zelle’s chewed her lips.

‘What if there isn’t enough manpower to pull that pulley?’

The royal steel gates were designed to be moved by seven grown men. But there were no adult men here in the town, only boys and some women. 

The mercenaries came closer every second but the pulley didn’t seem to move. Zelle grew impatient.

When about twelve of them pulled on the pulley, it started to move. At the same time,  the chains started moving and the gate started descending.

‘Yes!’

But it looked like the mercenaries could reach here before the gate fully shuts. Zelle held the dagger inside her pocket.

“…..”

The handle of the dagger became slippery from her sweat.

‘I must survive.’

She mumbled what she had said to herself repeatedly her whole life. I won’t accept death no matter what.

The mercenaries were dangerously close now. Zelle wanted to turn and run but it was already too late.

TRrrrr.

The speed of the chains unraveling accelerated. 

One of the men reached his arm outside the gate.

Crush.

But the sharp bars of the steel gate pierced the man’s arm.

“Aaaargh!!!”

The man screamed in pain and blurted out swear words.

Neither did he or any other mercenaries make it out.

There were roughly about 16~17 men chasing her, all fully armed with swords.

The man whose arm got pierced must have been their leader, assuming by how all the other men rushed inside the pathway to him. Zelle immediately shouted.

“Now!”

The people above the gate released the chains and the opposite gate shut close, trapping them inside. 

The mercenaries inside started getting uneasy.

{What the ****!!}

{Damn it, we’re trapped!!!}

{Push the damned gate up!!}

{It won’t move! It’s too heavy!}

Zelle waved her hands to the people above the gate, signaling that the plan worked.

‘We trapped them.’

It worked as planned. We’re safe now.

Her legs started losing power in relief so Zelle maintained herself up against a wall.

Then. 

A deep coarse voice rang from behind.

“Do not move.”

Zelle looked to the source of the voice. There were about eight to nine men.

They had long hair, holding blue longswords.

They were one of the mercenaries.

How could this be? That wasn’t all of them?

Zelle fell into despair. 

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