Chapter 2: Oh, If These Ain’t the Smell of Plot!

Splash! 

Water came splashing down. The previously crystal clear river is now stained by blood and shit. 

Leo took more than an hour to get to the nearest river. This river was where their caravan replenished their water supply yesterday before getting attacked. Fortunately, all he encountered this time is rabbits.

On the way, Leo contemplated his future plans. His plans to get back to earth, to his family.

'First I need to get back to that bloody place to retrieve a new piece of armor, weapon, and most importantly supplies. Hopefully, there's still some left, if not I won't be able to survive long in the trail.'

Leo thought as he began cleaning his torn chainmail and leather pants. On the good side, his leather shoes are particularly unharmed.

He looked at his Viking-style helmet with 2 horns on each side before throwing it into the river, with his bloody clothes following suit. It's not because he doesn't want additional protection or he's a wastrel. The helmet is limiting his vision, and together with his head still in pain the cold touch of the steel doesn't do any good. But still, he regretted it afterward.

'Oh shit! I could have sold it!'

Anyways, he'll be able to find plenty of it in the caravan.

Thus he began marching again towards his destination.

+ + +

An hour later he finally reached it.

Dozens of dead bodies lay mangled on the floor. Blood, intestines, and brain juice are all over it. It's the first time Leo saw something as brutal as this but mysteriously his mind is still calm.

'Maybe because of the boys' psyche.'  He thought.

That still can't prevent him from walking away from the scene though, creeping to the back of the caravan. He deduced he's been knocked out for a couple of hours, which means he only has 2-3 hours at most before the moon covers the land.

Thus quickened his step. Theodore is a wealthy merchant from the City of Cal, though he's not a noble 'yet', he's still respected by the people and his men. As such looking at the mangled body of Theodore in front of him, Leo or much specifically Harbar couldn't help but grieve the death of the man who treated him as his true son.

'You're a great man Theodore, you've been a good fatherly figure to the child, as such I respect you. May your soul rest in peace.'

After saying his prayers Leo searched the first wagon, the trade wagon. Their caravan has 3 wagons in its entirety which Harbar and 19 other soldiers protected. Theodore is a food and miscellaneous item merchant. He also sometimes dabbles in accessories and gems which is why he's a fat target to these bandits.

The trade wagon consists of such commodities. Looking at the destroyed wagon, Leo scrambled to find anything of value. Unfortunately, all he saw are broken vases, silver cutleries, and bronze chalices. Nevertheless, he still put anything of value into a thick cloth that previously was the curtain of the wagon. Wrapped it and walked to the next wagon where the food and other necessities lay. 

On the other hand, this wagon suspiciously has very little damage on it. 

'Hmmm, strange...'

Leo thought while pushing the door at the back. He did the same with the curtain and use it as a makeshift bag to facilitate the food. Due to the good condition of the vehicle, the food inside is in pristine condition aside from some of the stinking broken eggs on the ground. There's jerkey, hard bread, fruits, one he discovered to be orange, but the other is completely unknown. Anyways he stamps it all in the cloth until it's good enough to be carried.

It's a pity because the food left can be possibly in tonnes, enough to feed a whole village for weeks.

Careful not to make unnecessary noise, Leo got out of the wagon. Next, he searched for armor and a sword. Luckily he found one at the back near the bushes. This one is a double ringmail with perfect protection at the neck and the entirety of his upper limb. This one is from the captain of the guards, Leo knew Harbar's relation with him ain't good though so he happily took it. He wears the armor with a clank and took the captain's sword, suddenly he felt the third wagon shaking. He turned around, sword ready at the wagon. He knew the third wagon contains passengers cause their caravan is also a famous transport for the common people of Cal. But the wagon in front of him was split in half, the roof was blown and it's a total wreck. There's just no way someone's still alive there. Well until he heard it.

"Help!" A voice shouted from the wreckage. Leo couldn't believe his ears that someone's still alive there.

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He immediately run towards the caravan and began clearing the debris. There, he saw a girl covered by blood and gut lying below the passenger seat. It protected her from the fall of the foundation of the wagon and the blood masked her scent.

"Holy cow! This a miracle!"

Leo exclaimed as he saw the girl and the state she was in. Though bloody, it looks like she doesn't suffer any grievous wound, just some scratches over her body.

"Holy cow? What god is a cow? Stop jesting! Get over here and smear yourself with blood! If not we'll both die!"

The girl bellowed at low voice as she dragged Leo underneath.

"What are you talking about!? Don't pull me!" 

Leo got startled by the reaction of the girl as he readied to break free but then he heard a sound.

"Dum! Dum! Dum!" It's like a footstep of a giant as with every step there's a vibration. This is no doubt the step they heard before the nightmare. The ogre is here!

'What the f*ck!? Why is he here!? Doesn't he already kill everyone?'

Leo panicked and with no other choice, he dived underneath with the woman. Rolled a couple of times to be thoroughly covered in blood and restricted his breath. A decapitated dead man's face can be seen in front of him as a taste of iron enters his mouth but he doesn't dare spit it out in fear the ogre will hear him and crush what remains of the caravan.

A couple of seconds later, Leo can hear the footstep nearing, every second feels like an eternity. Finally the footsteps stop, it seems like the giant is only a couple of meters from them. Leo saw a hole the size of his pinky finger on his right side. Curiosity kills the cat. He crawled ever so slowly to his right and peeked outside. He immediately regretted it. 

He saw the ogre with its fist the size of his torso holding the deceased Theodore as it shoved his head into its mouth. It munched on it like how a boy munched on his Piattos with a smug grin on its face.

Immediately Leo got disgusted at the sight. Not because he's weak-willed, he have seen his fair share. He's disgusted because of rage. Seeing his foster father getting eaten directly in front of him, although Leo knows these emotions isn't from him, he's still angry nevertheless. He feels a seed of rage growing inside his heart. This scene will forever be engraved on his eyes and will remain a nightmare forever. 

He still watches it though, he still watches it till the end. Till even the shoes of the merchant got eaten.

"Buuuurp." With a mighty belch, the giant stood and shouldered 3 more bodies and took 2 more at each hand. Dragging the bodies to the forest, the destination unknown.

'So it lives by eating humans or raw meat. That's the reason it ignored the food.'

The girl can also be seen peeking at the hole as she glanced at the man beside him.

"So you're one of the guards of this caravan right? You're a bit luckier to be alive, a couple more days than those outside." The girl said to Leo.

"I'm not lucky, I'm just a bit faster when running. By the way who are you?" Leo said ever slightly curious at this woman who seems to have a good intuition. 

"Me? I'm Elizabeth von Kulla!" The girl declared openly with a wicked grin.

Leo was dumbfounded at what he heard. If he heard it right this girl is a daughter of the current Duke of Cal, Duke Kulla.

 

'Oh... Right... The first person I encountered on this world is a runaway daughter of a prestigious Duke...'

As such the fateful meeting of a noble and a mercenary starts with a sprinkle of blood... Well, maybe a bathe, who cares?

'Oh, if this ain't the ol' bring the princess home troupe, how exciting.' Leo lampooned.

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