Chapter 175. The Plains of Rest (3)

The battle ended in an instant.

"All taken care of," Leo said as he strode forward, roughly shaking off the blood splattered on his armor. "The ones who were running away, I killed, and the ones who surrendered, I cut their tendons. That should be enough, right?"

Despite his bloodstained armor, his sword, Sylphid, remained spotless. Not a single drop of blood clung to its blade. That alone was proof of how much Leo had improved.

"You're handling things well on your own now," Caron said. "Good work."

"Did you get anything useful out of them?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. Mercenaries aren't like knights. They talk much more easily," Caron replied.

Leo clicked his tongue as he glanced at something that was lying at Caron's feet, something that barely resembled a human anymore.

"Is that thing still alive?" Leo asked.

"I made sure it was," Caron replied.

Leo let out a low whistle. The injuries were severe enough that it wouldn't have been surprising if the man had died already. The fact that he was still breathing was a miracle in itself.

"How do you even do that?" Leo muttered.

Caron chuckled, sliding Guillotine back into its sheath. He replied, "Want me to teach you, Leo? If you ask the Saintess for help, you'll pick it up in no time."

"...Why would I need the Saintess's help for that?" Leo asked.

"Well, if I had to explain—" Caron began, but was interrupted.

"Never mind," Leo cut him off immediately. He could already tell that hearing the details would haunt him in his nightmares.

Sighing, he lowered his voice and said, "You seem a bit... emotional."

"Oh? Do I?" Caron asked.

"Yeah. You look mad," Leo answered.

At that, Caron gave a bitter smile. Leo had been with him for a long time—long enough to read him better than anyone else.

And Leo wasn't wrong. There was some emotion tangled up in this.

But it wasn't a guilty feeling. That was something reserved for those who had lived their lives with honor. For someone like this scum—who thrived on the misery of others—it was far too generous.

Caron kicked the mercenary commander's limp body and commented, "He's a 6-star knight, just like you, but he lost like trash. Why do you think that is?"

Leo thought for a moment before shrugging, then replied, "Lack of training?"

"Oh? So you're saying you actually put in the effort diligently?" Caron asked.

"...That's just the truth, isn't it?" Leo replied.

Caron had to admit, Leo was diligent and never once complained, no matter how grueling the training was.

Sometimes, Caron was proud of him. Smiling slightly, he gave Leo a light pat on the shoulder.

"That's true," Caron said. "But remember one thing. Those who wield a sword are destined to always chase after someone stronger than themselves. Only then can they avoid staying in place and keep moving forward."

Leo glanced down at the fallen mercenary and said, "Then that bastard...?"

"This is what happens when you only prey on the weak," Caron said simply. "Got it?"

Leo pointed at the mercenary commander's motionless body and asked, "Are we just going to leave him like that?"

Caron nodded as if it were obvious, then said, "I figured I'd let the beasts enjoy a meal while he's still alive."

"...Wow," Leo muttered, shaking his head. "You don't deserve to complain about the demon kings anymore."

"Why not?" Caron asked.

"Do you seriously not get it?" Leo asked, sighing in exasperation. His cousin was truly something else.

With the mercenaries dealt with, the two of them turned toward the pair they had rescued. The man and woman had managed to escape, but judging by their condition, it hadn't been without cost.

The beastfolk woman had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her right thigh, but the one in worse shape was the dwarf.

His body was riddled with arrows, and his left shoulder—slashed open by a blade—was so deeply cut that bone was visible. To make matters worse, he could barely speak, likely paralyzed from some kind of poison.

Caron stepped closer and asked, "Are you both alright?"

The beastfolk woman stepped in front of the dwarf, shielding him with her body as she said, "We're grateful for your help... but we have nothing to give you in return."

There was an undeniable wariness in her voice. It was an understandable reaction.

Caron gave a bitter smile and nodded. Anyone in their position would have felt the same way.

Without another word, he reached into his pouch of dimensional space and pulled out an elixir he had prepared in advance. Holding it out to them with a straight face, he said, "It's an elixir."

But the woman hesitated, reluctant to take it.

Sighing, Caron uncorked the bottle and took a sip himself before extending it toward her once more. He said flatly, "It's nothing like poison."

"...Thank you," the beastfolk woman said. Only then did some of her wariness fade. Taking the elixir, she quickly tilted it into the dwarf's mouth.

A moment later...

"Grrhhh..." The dwarf groaned as he slowly regained consciousness, his eyes darting around in confusion.

"Suya... Are you... Are you okay?" he asked. His rough, battle-hardened face didn't match the unexpectedly soft tone of his voice.

Tears welled up in the beastfolk woman's eyes as she nodded and said, "Yes... Yes, I'm fine."

"What in the world happened...?" the dwarf asked as he took in his surroundings. And his gaze eventually locked onto Caron's.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, it was the dwarf who finally broke the silence. "That sword..."

His eyes were fixed on the sheath at Caron's hip. As a member of the dwarven race, who were known as master blacksmiths, he recognized its nature at a glance.

"...A cursed sword?" the dwarf asked.

"

Is this dwarf out of his mind? How could he mistake me for a cursed sword? Owner, this guy has no eye for quality whatsoever—"

Guillotine said.

Caron let out a soft chuckle, then said, "You must be a skilled blacksmith. You have quite the discerning eye."

"No, not quite a cursed sword... but that blade reeks of blood," the dwarf muttered. "I've never seen anything like it before. Typically, the owner of a sword like that..."

His eyes flickered up to Caron's face, then he continued, "...end up getting devoured by their sword."

"And what do you think? Do I look like someone who'd be consumed by my own sword?" Caron asked.

The dwarf let out a dry chuckle and shook his head, then said, "I'm just a humble craftsman. I do not know a man's fate."

"Well, since fate has brought us together, shall we introduce ourselves?" Caron suggested.

"My name is Akan Silverbeard," the dwarf said. Then, gesturing to the beastfolk woman, he added, "And this is my partner, Suya Rezzanne."

A dwarf and a beastfolk in love. Caron found it strangely romantic.

Smiling, Caron extended his hand toward Akan and introduced himself. "I am Caron Leston."

At his introduction, both Akan and Suya stiffened in shock.

The Ducal Family of Leston was the greatest noble family on the continent, ruled by none other than Grand Duke Halo, the strongest warrior of the age.

"Why are you guys here...?" Akan asked, his voice half-dazed.

Caron's expression remained calm as he replied, "You'll find out soon enough. We have plenty of time to talk."

There was so much that he wanted to ask them. Especially about something he had heard from that mercenary commander, Kshian, earlier.

"Duke Halis is using dwarves to craft siege weapons. I haven't seen them myself, but... They say he's planning to take control of the Free City Union..."

Siege weapons, meticulously designed under the duke's orders. It seemed like a story like that was far too intriguing to ignore.

***

Caron confirmed the situation as explained by Akan.

"So, you obtained the blueprint of an ancient siege weapon from the ruins near the city and began constructing it under the duke's orders?" Caron asked.

"Yes, that's correct," Akan answered.

"Ah, drink up, no need to hold back. I'm glad I packed some beer in my pouch of dimensional space. This one's from the most famous brewery in the empire. Tastes good, doesn't it?" Caron remarked.

"I can't even remember the last time I had a beer... Thank you, truly," Akan said.

It had been clear that the dwarf and his beastfolk partner were starving. Caron willingly opened his pouch for them, even offering up the beer he had been saving.

Winning over the dwarf's trust was worth the sacrifice, and it seemed to be working. Akan's wariness had noticeably lessened. Unlike before, when he had been visibly on edge, he now appeared somewhat more at ease.

"We can't let a weapon like that fall into the hands of a man as greedy as him," Akan said.

"Is it really that powerful?" Caron asked.

"...Of course. It's essentially the pinnacle of ancient magitech."

The weapon was called Titan. According to Akan, it was a war machine capable of shifting the tides of battle.

"

I've never even heard of it before,"

Guillotine remarked.

That meant it had to have been used long before Guillotine's time.

I should ask the Magic Tower about this,

Caron thought.

One thing was certain: This weapon wasn't recorded in any known history books. That made it highly likely that it had been used during the so-called Ancient Golden Age that many historians theorized about.

If Caron so much as hinted at this to the Magic Tower Master, the man would practically be drooling over the prospect. After all, that was just the way mages were.

"A significant number of my kin are still being held captive by the duke," Akan said. He explained that he had escaped in order to seek aid from other dwarves.

The dwarves were an incredibly reclusive race. They had built their cities deep beneath the Kaharan Mountains, which stretched across the heart of the continent, and rarely ventured beyond them. That was precisely why dwarves were so rarely seen in the outside world.

"How exactly did you end up being taken as slaves?" Caron asked, his curiosity piqued.

Fifteen dwarves, an unusually high number, were currently being held captive by the duke.

Akan's expression darkened as he answered, "For us dwarves, exploring ruins is practically in our blood."

"Ah... So the ruins where you found the Titan's blueprint..." Caron said.

"Yes. We were the first ones to explore that site," Akan replied.

In other words, Duke Halis had decided to simply swoop in and steal their discovery for himself.

Given the nature of dwarves, it was unlikely that their people would send a rescue force. Doing so would require crossing the empire, the Holy Kingdom, and even the Pajar Sultanate.

In short, the captured dwarves were effectively stranded.

"In situations like this, how do dwarves usually handle things?" Caron asked.

"We hire humans to do the job," Akan replied.

"That's a wise choice," Caron said.

"The weapons we forge are treasures to humans. If we offer them as a reward, most humans will throw themselves into the task without hesitation," Akan said.

To knights, dwarven-made equipment was worth risking their lives for. After all, knights were the kind to live and die by their gear.

Caron stroked his chin thoughtfully. Seeing this, Leo quietly asked, "What are you going to do?"

"What do you think, Leo? What's your take on this?" Caron asked in return.

"Noa is the most powerful city in the Free City Union," Leo replied. "The two of us alone won't be able to do much."

"You're not wrong," Caron said.

More than anything, they needed to focus on the regent's request for now.

Still, ignoring this entirely felt like a waste. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. After all, he had already forged ties with the elves, and this could be his chance to do the same with the dwarves.

"If I can't handle it myself, I'll just borrow someone else's hands," Caron said.

There was no way he was going to pass up such a tempting opportunity. It was obvious that this was big game.

If he succeeded, he would gain valuable information about the Titan siege weapon and forge connections with the dwarves. That alone made it a reward worth pursuing.

If the task was too much for him alone...

"Then I'll just share the spoils," Caron said.

All he had to do was bring others in to take a bite of the prize.

Leo let out a quiet sigh as he watched the gleam of ambition in Caron's eyes. Whenever Caron's eyes shone like that, it usually meant he was plotting something underhanded.

"...What are you thinking?" Leo asked.

"Leo, let me ask you something. Say we run into an opponent too strong for just the two of us to take on. What should we do?" Caron asked.

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Leo furrowed his brow slightly before answering, "Wait for now, grow stronger, then take them down?"

"That's wrong," Caron said.

"Then what's the right answer?" Leo asked.

Leo's question made Caron nod in satisfaction. He replied, "It's obvious. We call in more friends and beat them together. Numbers don't lie."

"...Wow," Leo responded.

"If I contact the Magic Tower Master, he'll come running, foaming at the mouth. As for the Pajar Sultanate... Given the unstable political climate, introducing an external enemy might not be the worst idea. The justification is solid—dwarven liberation. And if our family name throws in its support? Well, that's what you call 'the bear does the tricks, but the trainer takes the money,' isn't it?" Caron explained.

"And the trainer in this case... is us?" Leo asked.

"Exactly," Caron confirmed.

This was a golden opportunity to claim rewards without lifting a finger. And there was no way Caron was going to let it slip through his grasp.

Having finished his mental calculations at lightning speed, he turned to Akan, rubbing his hands together with a bright smile.

"Sir, you've been waiting a long time, haven't you?" Caron asked.

"Huh?" Akan seemed confused.

"We'll take care of this issue for you, nice and clean. Haha! I never expected to meet such a valuable client in a place like this. Now, now, don't be shy—have another beer. Let's drink and discuss business, shall we?" Caron said.

And just like that, Caron began wrapping Akan around his finger.

Leo, unable to watch the pitiful scene any longer, shut his eyes tightly.

There was an old saying—save a drowning man, and he demands your bundle.

But that saying was wrong.

...I'm sorry,

Leo thought.

Caron was the type to not only save a drowning man, but also pick his pockets while he did it.

And with each passing day, the number of Caron's victims only continued to grow.