358 – Sudden Patch Notes 2
TL/Editor: raei
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The carriage lastly got here to a cease after passing by way of town gates.
“It was an honor to escort you!” the soldier exclaimed.
He stated it was an honor, however he did not appear to truly acknowledge me. Judging by how he handled me like some high-ranking official, I guessed the knights on the checkpoint should have stated one thing.
As he saluted neatly and drove away the carriage, regardless of me being neither an imperial soldier nor a kingdom adventurer, folks’s gazes flew in the direction of me. I questioned if I ought to’ve been grateful for adorning my first step into the Empire this manner.
And so I confronted the primary metropolis of the Empire. Because it was the closest metropolis to the border checkpoint, I supposed it ought to’ve been known as the southernmost metropolis of the Empire.
‘…Nothing particular.’
The cityscape seemed fairly acquainted. Fortunately, the out of the blue appeared Empire did not appear to have some superior magitech civilization with superconducting rails or something like that.
There have been paved roads for carriages, soiled grime paths branching off, neatly dressed metropolis folks and poor folks hiding within the alleys – a well-known scene. I might by no means been there, however I imagined this was what it might be like in the event you confirmed a Korean particular person the alleys of Paris and London and requested them to check.
Properly, eager about Heroines Chronicle, it made sense.
Heroines Chronicle was a waifu-collecting sport for perverts. It was stuffed with characters that made you surprise what sort of world this was alleged to be – garter belt clerics, high-leg feminine knights, cat-eared ninjas, sling bikini feminine pharaohs, and mini-skirted nurse officers.
Due to that, varied characters that appeared to have a fantasy background like feminine knights, witches, noble girls, and princess knights had “from the Kingdom” or “from the Empire” randomly slapped on. In different phrases, there did not appear to be a lot distinction between the Kingdom and Empire aside from the scale of their territories.
“Even so, even the guild emblems are precisely the identical. Are there no borders for guilds…?”
Passing by way of streets crammed with the savory scent of bread and getting into an space reeking of horse sh*t, the acquainted signal of the Coachman’s Guild proved it.
In the long run, the Empire’s cities, just like the Kingdom’s, had been neighborhoods intertwined with guilds and guilds. It felt just like how somebody from Incheon would not really feel like they had been in another country when visiting Seoul. In fact, the Empire seemed a bit neater and extra refined than the Kingdom, however this would possibly’ve been as a result of commerce buff this border metropolis was receiving.
F*ck, my head damage simply eager about it. Not only one metropolis, however an entire Empire popping up out of nowhere.
“Is that this the Coachman’s Guild?” I requested.
“Sure, sure, are you right here to search out somebody? Or are you making an attempt to cross over to the Kingdom?” the person replied.
“The alternative. I got here from the Kingdom and I am planning to go to the Grand Temple.”
Stacked cash and the symbol of a carriage wheel behind them. Opening the wood door with out a shred of doubt that this was the Coachman’s Guild, a middle-aged man with greasy hair slowly rose to greet me.
Although the constructing itself was clear, the person could not disguise the scent of horses emanating from his physique. It wasn’t a coachman-phobic time period, however slightly one thing that had naturally seeped into his physique after a long time of working as a coachman. In any case, commoners who weren’t nobles could not afford to wash themselves squeaky clear.
As I used to be pondering this, the Coachman’s Guild supervisor who had gently risen from his seat gave me a once-over. Coming to my senses, I spotted I used to be a closely armed adventurer in full armor with defend and warhammer, not in informal garments, having ridden an Empire-bound carriage.
“There are two sorts of carriages going to the Grand Temple. Would you want to listen to an evidence?” he requested.
“Two sorts of carriages?”
Consequently, the convoy heading there had dozens of carriages and escort forces numbering within the tons of.
And it was an absolute reality, as sure because the rising and setting of the solar, that in the event you slipped a couple of silver cash – not even gold cash – to those tons of of mercenaries and adventurers, their lips would loosen.
My shiny full plate mail stood in stark distinction to their shabby leather-based armor or low cost, scarred chain mail. Seeing this, some guys slyly approached, pleased to choose up the crumbs I used to be providing as they wished.
Properly, how may they not be in an excellent temper when there was a sucker from the Kingdom who’d hand over silver cash only for explaining frequent data that even a low-ranking adventurer within the Empire would know?
“Rattling, you are beneficiant. If I may dwell such as you, brother, I might haven’t any regrets,” one in every of them stated.
“With appears to be like like that, whores would unfold their legs on their very own,” one other commented.
“Fool, if he seemed like that, would he want whores? Village women would unfold their legs wherever he goes,” a 3rd chimed in.
“F*ck off, are you being a dick simply since you’ve by no means been handsome?” the second retorted.
The low-ranking mercenaries who obtained silver cash from me to fetch firewood or arrange tents in my stead snickered lewdly.
It was a mutually helpful relationship – I used to be pleased to not do annoying chores for pocket change, and the low-ranking mercenaries had been pleased to double their contract cash by doing a bit extra work.
Some suspicious bastards tried to query why such a rich gentleman would take part in an escort request, however I used to be throwing round an excessive amount of pocket cash for them to argue.
Other than the occasional annoying lewd glances in the direction of the convoy’s feminine employees, and the stew served as meals being nearer to pigswill making me miss Irene’s cooking, the times handed with out a lot incident-
Thwack-!
“A-attack! It is an ambush!” somebody yelled.
“Sven? f*ck!” one other cursed.
“Flip the carriages round! Construct the barricade as deliberate!” a 3rd commanded.
Simply as I used to be pondering that, a protracted skewer pierced the top of a bushy mercenary who had been leering at a feminine employees member’s shapely ass in a protracted skirt earlier than slinking off into the bushes.
Concurrently, a rain of arrows showered down.
With escort personnel numbering within the tons of and dozens of carriages, who could be courageous sufficient to cost in whereas firing a rain of arrows? As I slowly stood up, dumbfounded by this fully surprising scenario, a twang sound was adopted by a surge of displeasure.
Who the f*ck shoots an arrow at somebody’s head after I’m already pissed off as a result of the meals tastes like sh*t?
“Maintain your positions! You may die in the event you attempt to run anyway!” somebody shouted.
“You guys do the holding. I will be proper again,” I replied.
“W-what are you saying, brother? Have you ever misplaced your thoughts?” one in every of them requested, bewildered.
We might solely been away from town for a day, even when it was the southernmost rural metropolis of the Empire. Why the hell was a hundred-strong ambush taking place on a fundamental highway the place numerous retailers got here and went?
Confronted with this absurd scenario that may be unimaginable within the Kingdom, I silently drew upon my mana.
What sort of f*cking neighborhood was the Empire, for bandits to…