Volume 2, Chapter 19: Deadman Walking’s Parade④
Glasco, the leader of Earl Mondo’s private army, was leading most of his subordinates toward the center of Barreira City to suppress the riot in accordance with Earl Mondo’s order.
The number of soldiers who went with him reached nearly one hundred.
The role of suppressing the riot at the center of Barreira City was, in fact, a trivial job.
Because the location they were heading to was the base of one of the three strongest guilds in Barreira, 『Silver’s Will』.
Surrounding it were the guilds who also competed for the title of “strongest.”
Mikaela, the guild master of 『Silver’s WIll』, was a powerful female warrior. She was also one of the strongest adventurers in Barreira and a proud woman with a strong sense of justice.
She definitely wasn’t the kind of person who would ignore a riot that happened right in front of the base of her guild.
But Earl Mondo, who increased his vigilance toward 『Devil’s Piper』, was forced to face the bitter reality.
Although the information about them was scattered around, considering their movements, he decided to split their forces.
Fortunately, 『Dancing Sword』’s adventurers were staying in his mansion as a countermeasure against the God of War, Robin Hood.
Though the defense of the mansion weakened as a result of the invasion, it was compensated with the most powerful members of 『Dancing Sword』.
「TCH! Does this mean Earl-sama prefers their protection rather than us, his own soldiers!」
As he cursed the members of 『Dancing Sword,』Glasco led his subordinates toward the center of the city.
From Glasco’s point of view, the job he was assigned to was trivial.
As far as he understood, the group they were fighting against was just a mish-mash of stray sorcerers. From hearsay, the story was that they did one unrealistic incident after another in this peaceful era.
By now, the riot should have been suppressed by 『Silver’s Will』.
As insurance for this incident, the earl employed a guild other than 『Dancing Sword』 to assist with the suppression of the riot.
Did Earl Mondo leave this matter to them because he wanted to replace them, his soldiers, with those unreliable guys?
Glasco became even more irritated the more he thought about it.
Even Glasco himself knew that he was far weaker than Eunos.
But upon approaching the center of the city and seeing the chaos, Glasco was pulled from his own thoughts.
「THANK GOD…! EARL MONDO-SAMA’S SOLDIERS… HAVE ARRIVED!」
Normally, the citizens would avert their eyes, watching from afar as Glasco and Co. performed their duties and arrested someone. However, now, they were literally crying in front of those very soldiers, as if they saw their saviors descending from the sky.
「J-JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING IN THIS PLACE!」
Leading his soldiers, Glasco asked the woman who cried as she fell on her knees.
Maybe because she was still exhausted, the woman replied to Glasco while still looking down at the ground beneath her.
「T-The members of 『Silver’s Will』 , they… they suddenly started attacking everyone!」
Glasco was dumbfounded upon hearing that.
After all, the purported rioters were from none other than the top guild of Barreira, 『Silver’s Will』 itself.
If that was true, then those people weren’t the kind of opponents that could be handled by Glasco and Co.
There was a huge difference between the individual combat prowesses of those in the earl’s private army—who gained an advantage due to their lineage—and those of 『Silver’s Will』, who had proven themselves in a dog-eat-dog world.
「S-STOP PLAYING AROUND! YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU TRY TO TRICK US WITH SUCH CHEAP LIES, RIGHT!」
Glasco’s arm caught the nape of the neck of the woman.
But instead of fear, the woman’s face was mixed with a tinge of weariness.
「My husband… was killed… by Mikaela-sama…」
Her words didn’t seem to hold a hint of a lie.
Cold sweat started to form on Glasco’s forehead.
After the so-called “God of War,” Robin Hood, escaped from Barreira City, the one who replaced him as the most famous adventurer in Barreira City was the guild master of 『Silver’s Will』—the one hailed as the sword-wielding goddess, Mikaela.
Although there was no doubt that her gorgeous appearance and righteous character boosted her popularity, the foundation for that was none other than her strength.
Glasco knew that he had to retreat.
In addition, the situation where a riot occurred yet none of the members of 『Silver’s Will』 appeared to suppress them was already strange.
The power that could serve as deterrent against 『SIlver’s Will』 was none other than the 『Dancing Sword』, who was currently guarding the mansion.
Glasco wanted to be spared from dying meaninglessly.
「…Tch. HEY, YOU GUYS!」
Glasco let go of that woman as he shouted toward his subordinates.
「U-Uhm… soldier-sama!」
The woman desperately called to Glasco.
But Glasco didn’t even turn around to answer her.
Because he knew what she wanted to say.
Please, stop those guys. Even if you can’t do that, please buy time for the other citizens to escape.
’Like hell we would do that,’ Glasco felt enraged. ‘We literally bet our lives by fighting them. No one would happily risk their life like that.’
At that moment, he suddenly recalled the figure of the big man covered in full-plate armor from head to toes who knocked him down a few days ago.
『…Based on your words, the private army and the adventurers are completely separate organizations. In the situation where war cannot avoided, many adventurers will leave this land.』
『I don’t think your soldiers are up to that task for when it happens.』
Even without that man telling him so, Glasco knew that fact full well.
As a soldier, he had no obligation to carry the order perfectly.
Just how many casualties would come out if he chose to go back to a safe place.
『…How miserable. Your disgraceful actions as a soldier are like throwing mud on your lord’s face.』
Glasco gritted his teeth in frustation.
Due to Lambert’s slap in their match a few days ago, the teeth on the left side of Glasco’s mouth were replaced with fake teeth.
‘Not everyone is as strong as you. You can just push through it…’
No matter how much he trained, there was a huge difference in terms of talent.
Glasco himself admitted that the private army of the earl was stronger than a second-rate guild.
Nevertheless, Barreira City was the capital of adventurers, the pilgrimage place for every adventurer.
The earl’s private army couldn’t do anything against a first-rate guild.
Those guilds were composed of talented people, those that could only be found one in ten.
But no matter how much more powerful those adventurers compared to them, the direct subordinates of the earl, it wouldn’t change their status.
Maybe because he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Glasco started to ponder about his own situation.
Once, Glasco was kicked out of his house despite being the eldest son. Thus, he was forced to go to Earl Mondo’s place.
No matter how one spun it, it was the life of a parasite.
And yet, Earl Mondo treated him kindly instead.
He remembered the moment when he vowed to give his life for Earl Mondo, swearing to fight for Earl Mondo till the bitter end.
「…SOLDIERS! THE PLACE AHEAD OF US IS DANGEROUS. I DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US ONCE WE ENTER THAT PLACE! WE MIGHT BE ANNIHILATED! NEVERTHELESS, ANYONE WHO HAS THE GUTS TO FIGHT MAY FOLLOW ME! OTHERWISE, RETURN TO THE MANSION AND PROTECT THE EARL. I DON’T NEED ANY HESITATION ON THIS MISSION!」
Glasco’s voice trembled as he spoke to his subordinates.
He steeled his cramped face, trying to encourage his own bravery by shouting at his subordinates.
「G-GLASCO-SAMA!」
Even if the soldiers were his subordinates, it didn’t mean that they were loyal to him.
There was something depressing in their current situation.
His subordinates exchanged glances with each other. Then, they raised their weapons high into the air, signaling their will to join the fight.
「…Soldier-sama!」
The female civilian looked up at Glasco.
「My name is Glasco-sama! Don’t forget it!」
Glasco and Co. charged toward the center of the city while raising a war cry.
The number of soldiers who returned to the mansion was… zero.
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