Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 112 - Fort Hebron

Chapter 112 – Fort Hebron

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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In Fort Hebron, there were barracks for soldiers and knights.

However, since Elbridge’s party did not belong to Fort Hebron, nor had they come to defend it, they could not enter the barracks. The only remaining option was the inns scattered throughout Fort Hebron.

Elbridge’s party spent the night at the inn carved into the cliff, which they had seen as soon as they entered Fort Hebron.

And the next morning, Elbridge came out of his room with the intention of having breakfast.

The gazes of the people sitting in the central hall briefly fell upon Elbridge before drifting away.

Likewise, Elbridge also lightly scanned them.

‘Mercenaries.’

Uncoordinated armaments with mismatched pieces, and attitudes that were a bit too free-spirited to be considered soldiers or knights.

They were mercenaries by anyone’s standards.

And most of them looked quite experienced.

There was not a single half-witted mercenary swaggering on purpose to avoid being looked down upon; most of them looked like they could easily pull their own weight.

The story he had heard in Norens City came to mind.

Mercenaries who valued their lives left the North to go to the East or the Central region, while those who wanted to strike it rich or had big dreams gathered in the North.

“Are you up?”

Marcus, who was already sitting in the hall, spoke to him.

Elbridge sat across from Marcus.

“It was nice sleeping in a place with a ceiling for the first time in a while.”

And Elbridge realized a peculiar fact.

That the mercenaries’ gazes were subtly focused on Marcus.

‘Has Marcus already become famous among the mercenaries?’

There was no way.

Regardless of Marcus’s skills, his reputation was not that high.

Then why were the mercenaries glancing at Marcus?

“Mr. Marcus. Did you meet a mercenary you know?”

“Someone I know? I haven’t seen anyone.”

“Then why is everyone looking at you, Mr. Marcus?”

“That’s because…”

Marcus lowered his voice and spoke.

“My sword is the coolest, after all.”

Elbridge naturally thought it was a joke, but looking at Marcus’s expression, he was quite serious.

“What does a cool sword have to do with anything?”

“A sword is a yardstick that shows a mercenary’s skill.”

In the past, before leaving the Mountain City Barkuntol, Mayor Valdrek had presented Elbridge’s party with dwarven equipment as a gift.

At the time, Elbridge and Rombel had chosen their equipment focusing on practicality, but Marcus was different. Marcus had picked the most ornate sword, which looked like it would be the most expensive when resold.

“Possessing an expensive sword means you have a lot of money, and having a lot of money means you’ve earned a lot from mercenary work. It means you have plenty of experience and great skill.”

“Isn’t there a possibility that you were just rich to begin with?”

“Because a young master from a wealthy family wouldn’t do mercenary work… And expensive swords are coveted by many. Carrying an expensive sword proudly is the clearest proof that you are confident in your skills.”

Hearing it, it sounded quite plausible.

It seemed that Marcus wasn’t the only one claiming so.

For the swords held by the mercenaries in this inn were also quite ornate.

“And an ornate sword also helps with making a living. If you have a good sword, employers will pay you a generous wage…”

While Elbridge and Marcus were talking about the ecology of mercenaries, the others also slipped out and sat at the table.

First came Sonya and Rombel, followed by the three elves. However, because the size of the table was small, the three elves sat at a different table.

The gazes of the people who had been glancing at Marcus were now drawn to the three elves.

Setting aside their miserable and self-centered behavior, the elves’ appearances were extremely beautiful, making it feel as if the gloomy inn had instantly brightened.

When the party finished their simple meal and had to pay for it, a small problem arose.

When the innkeeper requested the meal fee, the elves played dumb.

“Meal fee?”

The innkeeper furrowed his brow.

“Of course you have to pay for the food.”

“Isn’t it a natural act to serve a meal to a hungry guest?”

“Hey. Where on earth is there an inn that gives free meals? Pay up quickly.”

“Money? Ah… money… I know what money is. I know, but…”

The three elves trailed off.

Despite ripping off people’s money in Norens City until not long ago, their act of pretending to be unfamiliar with human culture was utterly detestable.

Selene looked at the innkeeper with her large eyes and spoke as if troubled.

“You. What is your name?”

“It’s Hans… Why do you ask?”

“Hans. We do not have any money right now. Come find us in the Forest of Thorns later. We will treat you as our guest.”

“…”

In Elbridge’s eyes, it was highly intentional that Selene took on this role.

There were quite a few female knights in Fort Hebron. But naturally, none of them were beauties on the level of Selene.

With a rare beauty looking so troubled, it was not easy to argue to get a few pennies’ worth of food expenses. Moreover, the price of the food the elves had eaten was not that expensive.

The innkeeper Hans looked at Elbridge’s party sitting at the adjacent table. A gaze asking if they were together.

However, the four of them, including Elbridge, avoided the innkeeper’s gaze. Not because they begrudged the money, but because being lumped together as companions of those elves was shameful.

In the end, the innkeeper Hans conceded.

“—Damn it. It can’t be helped. Since you didn’t eat anything expensive, I’ll let it slide just this once. But this is the last time. I don’t dig up money to run this business either.”

“Thank you. Next time, we will make sure to pay, even if we have to borrow money.”

“Do that.”

After the innkeeper disappeared, Marcus whispered to the three elves.

“The money you ripped off back in Norens City. Did you leave all of it with the other elves?”

“We only gave them half, and brought the rest with us.”

“I think that amount would have been more than enough for the food.”

“There’s no need to waste money we don’t have to spend. We must save.”

Marcus resolved never to talk about money with the elves again.

*

After finishing their meal, the party settled down in the inn and idled away their time.

They had no intention of rushing.

From Fort Hebron to the Forest of Thorns, it would take three days even if they hurried, and more than five days at most.

Since that journey would be even more daunting than their travels so far, it was right to rest for a day or two to relieve their fatigue before moving on.

Fortunately, there was a suitable pastime.

Mercenaries were usually quite sociable.

The mercenaries who had been glancing at Marcus approached Elbridge’s party with cards and started a small gambling game with lunch money on the line.

Around the time lunch drew near, a loud ringing of bells was heard from outside the inn.

“What is that? What’s with the bell?”

Unlike Marcus or Sonya, who were bewildered, Elbridge and Rombel had a general idea of the situation.

“It’s a mobilization order.”

“A mobilization order?”

Since Elbridge’s party held the status of travelers, they were under no obligation to respond to the mobilization order.

However, even if just to grasp the current situation, it was right to move along with the people at least once.

“Grab your weapons.”

The mercenaries who had been playing cards with them had also stood up before they knew it.

Elbridge’s party headed toward the wall along with the mercenaries. Not toward the southern wall they had entered yesterday, but in the direction of the northern wall.

Upon arriving behind the wall, soldiers were holding the pulleys connected to the fortress gate.

Sonya asked belatedly.

“What on earth is going on?”

Elbridge and Rombel had already finished grasping the situation while moving here.

Elbridge replied.

“It’ll be easier to understand if you see it. Follow me.”

Elbridge took Sonya and Marcus and climbed up the wall.

Looking north, a group of knights could be seen running in the direction of Fort Hebron.

And behind them, about a dozen magic beasts were in hot pursuit.

“They set out to perform a mission and ended up being chased.”

As Elbridge explained, Sonya asked back.

“Why are they opening the gate when magic beasts are chasing them? Shouldn’t they use the wall as a defensive line?”

Elbridge shook his head.

“Sonya. Imagine that you’ve become a knight of Fort Hebron. Your companion went outside the wall on a dangerous mission and is now being chased by magic beasts.”

“And?”

“If the leadership doesn’t open the gate in this situation, causing your companions to die outside the wall… when a mission is given to you next time, would you be able to carry it out faithfully?”

Sonya understood Elbridge’s explanation.

To maintain trust and to sustain Fort Hebron, people had to bear a certain level of risk. Opening the gate to rescue those who were chased was exactly such a case.

There was only one case where the wall would not be opened. When opening the gate carried the risk of the fortress falling.

And now was not such a situation.

Someone shouted from below the wall.

“Now! Open the gate—!”

The soldiers began to turn the pulleys with all their might.

Screeech— clatter-clatter-clatter—

As the heavy fortress gate rose, the cold wind of the North blew in head-on, traveling through the cracks of the valley.

Elbridge’s party kept their positions, squinting their eyes, mingled among the soldiers and knights.

Thud.

The gate was opened. The knights, who were being chased and covered in blood, rushed inside the fortress. The crowd naturally split to the left and right, opening a path for the knights to pass.

It would be ideal to close the wall immediately, but closing the gate required time.

The best countermeasure was to fight back first, suppress the magic beasts, and then close the door.

A middle-aged knight shouted.

“Raise your weapons—! Ready—!”

About a dozen magic beasts rushed into the interior of the fortress.

The only saving grace was that most of them were beast-like magic beasts. The more familiar the shape of the magic beast, the higher the probability that it would move predictably.

“Now!”

Countless blades pointed toward the magic beasts.

A large knight attempted to block the magic beast’s charge with a shield.

A soldier’s spear pierced the heart of a wolf-type magic beast. However, the heavy body of the magic beast, unable to slow down, crashed straight into the soldier. The crushed soldier would highly likely not survive.

Elbridge, Rombel, Marcus, and the elves also swung their weapons.

The collision was tumultuous, and the damage was not small. However, the fight did not last long.

If it were a fortress that could be breached by a mere dozen magic beasts, Fort Hebron would not have been known as an impregnable fortress.

By the time the brief battle concluded without further trouble,

Elbridge detected a small anomaly.

The sky was filled with gloomy gray clouds, on the verge of snowing.

However, some of those clouds were showing a bizarrely different color.

Violet or purple clouds. The most common sign before a demon appeared.

‘Will a demon appear soon?’

Just then, someone pointed beyond the wall and shouted.

“Oh, over there!”

The people’s gazes directed beyond the gate.

A knight clad in silver-gray armor was approaching in the direction of the fortress.

The silver-gray knight’s arms were hanging down loosely.

In each of his hands, a sword was held.

Since it was rare for a knight to use dual swords, he was highly likely bringing back a keepsake of another knight.

The hands of the soldiers winding the pulleys stopped.

“Hey, Sir Knight! Hurry up and get here! Before more magic beasts catch up!”

At first glance, the knight seemed to have nothing particularly wrong with him.

However, the closer the silver-gray knight approached, the larger the sense of incongruity Elbridge felt grew.

And a moment later, Elbridge realized where that sense of incongruity stemmed from.

‘His build is too big.’

Because there were no objects nearby to compare his size with, the realization was delayed.

A height easily half again as tall as an ordinary person. And a physique just as massive as his height.

At first glance, that was all that was strange.

And at the very next moment, Rombel spoke softly.

“That fellow, his shoulders are a bit strange…”

“Shoulders?”

Elbridge squinted his eyes.

Two arms were clearly visible, yet there was another shoulder beneath each armpit.

A pair of arms clasped behind his back, as if surreptitiously trying to hide them from people.

Four arms. Violet clouds. A bizarrely large build.

Sensing something amiss, the middle-aged knight shouted.

“Close the gate immediately—!”

The soldiers still did not realize what was wrong.

However, the soldiers knew how precious their lives were. Therefore, without any complaints, they immediately turned the pulleys to close the gate.

Screeech— clatter-clatter.

Then, the movements of the silver-gray knight, who had been approaching slowly until now, suddenly quickened.

The silver-gray knight dashed toward the fortress, swinging his four arms widely back and forth. His speed was faster than that of most four-legged beasts.

Only then did other people also notice the anomaly.

“That guy has four arms!”

“Hurry up!”

Screeech— clatter-clatter-clatter.

The soldiers squeezed out every last ounce of their strength, turning the pulleys.

Thud.

The gate, reinforced with thick iron plating, was raised, and the entrance was closed by a hair’s breadth.

A brief silence.

The footsteps of the running knight stopped.

And the next moment.

Crunch—

Four massive blades pierced through the thick gate and protruded.

That was the end of it. Without entering the fortress, the silver-gray knight turned back and left.

Selene muttered.

“We will be able to return to the Forest of Thorns, right…?”