361 – The Empire’s Hidden Power 1

TL/Editor: raei

Schedule: 5/week

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Whereas the 2 feminine staff seducing me from each side made me excited, the low-ranking mercenaries bustling outdoors excited me another way.

Watching these idiots jogged my memory of the issue troopers I noticed within the navy – the brand new recruits who wanted further consideration.

It additionally dropped at thoughts the F-rank mercenary who acquired chewed out and had his contract terminated in Rebecca’s mercenary group, and the novice adventurers who died or acquired injured for not listening and mouthing off.

At present’s attacker for the Empire replace’s “1 Day 1 Raid” occasion wasn’t a bandit, however a monster pushed mad by starvation – a rock bear.

“Sh*t, if that cart will get raided, we’ll must starve for over two days!”

“Ropes! Convey something we will tie with, ropes or fabric!”

Although it was an Empire monster, the ecosystem appeared comparable sufficient that it was fairly acquainted. Final time I noticed one, it cut up three wandering orcs that entered its territory in half earlier than filling its stomach with pig sausage.

Contemplating how bears tear individuals aside, think about how sturdy a bear that is change into a monster with pores and skin as onerous as rock could be. Even mid-rank adventurers would wrestle to face it alone – in sport phrases, it would be across the thirtieth ground.

Come to consider it, because it’s bear-based, rock bears prioritize their territory. So why the hell was it immediately coming to a man-made street and attempting to smash its head right into a service provider caravan’s meals cart?

“Oh my, Sir Roland! C-can you maybe take care of that beast too?”

“That’d be simple, however… what the hell is occurring?”

A creature larger than a carriage charged in, ignoring individuals and attempting to smash its head into the bags carts. A few carts had already been lowered to splinters, with the salted meat and dried fruit they have been carrying now within the rock bear’s abdomen.

There have been three bears – two large ones that regarded just like the mother and father, whereas a smaller one lumbering behind and rummaging by means of the meals sacks the mother and father dropped was the cub. After all, even the small one was larger than a horse.

One larger than a carriage, one as large as a carriage, and one smaller than a carriage however larger than a horse. Naturally, these monsters would pulverize an individual’s total physique simply by operating into them.

“W-well, I am not solely positive… however it appears one of many mercenaries did one thing silly.”

“I heard they burned some incense.”

“Sure. It seems one of many mercenaries mistook some herb.”

A low-ranking mercenary who could not even deal with mana. Even when their bodily skills surpassed civilians, they have been no match for rock bears.

It was solely pure – throw novice MMA fighters right into a den of ravenous bears and so they cannot win a combat. Throwing ropes and making snares to attempt to drag them away was one of the best effort they might muster.

“Get out of the way in which!”

“Oh boy, that fool.”

“What is the matter?”

It appeared they weren’t solely with out countermeasures. A couple of mercenaries who have been busily rummaging by means of the bags carts have been dragging out a large ballista. It was smaller than a siege weapon, so it should have been for coping with monsters.

After stopping the wheels and organising the helps, three males collectively turned the pulley, and the bowstring was painfully drawn with a creaking sound. The one in command of firing pressed the top firmly towards his abdomen and aimed on the mom bear’s flank with each arms.

In the meantime, the bears have been too busy gorging themselves on dried fruit to care concerning the people throwing ropes or dragging unusual issues close by. I questioned if there was some type of aphrodisiac-like gluttony drug – they have been so targeted on consuming that they did not even care about nooses round their necks…

“If rock bears most popular human meat over sweets, about thirty would’ve died earlier than I confirmed up.”

With all eyes on me and everybody listening to my each phrase, I felt just like the protagonist of an isekai story. Due to that, I might rapidly discover the mercenary I used to be searching for.

A scruffy-haired man with messy hair, swollen eyelids, and a cut up lip – in all probability overwhelmed like a canine by the captain or senior officer. He began crying as he noticed me and the caravan chief method collectively.

“Hey, I’ve acquired one thing to ask you.”

“Y-yes…”

How badly was he overwhelmed to slur his phrases like that? Seeing him trembling and sobbing made me really feel a bit sorry for him, however it was a quite lenient punishment contemplating his mistake.

“What the hell did you burn within the campfire to make these beasts come all the way in which right here?”

“It, it was…”

The injured have been simply mercenaries who fell down through the cost, and the injury was restricted to 1 wrecked baggage cart and the meals it carried. With one meals cart raided, the rations had solely been lowered to about 90% – a minor incident.

From the caravan proprietor’s perspective, getting three intact rock bear carcasses (minus the skulls) was a revenue quite than a loss.

Nonetheless, if it had been rock bears who knew the style of human flesh as a substitute of ones crazed for sweets and dried fruit, a dozen or so would’ve died, so he had no proper to complain even when he was overwhelmed like a canine. In navy phrases, it was like by chance pulling the set off on an individual with a loaded journal – the identical state of affairs.

It was a clean, so nobody died or acquired damage, however this trash personal nonetheless shot at individuals. And he sprayed an entire journal, rat-tat-tat.

In that state of affairs, who would hear if the trigger-puller claimed innocence?

‘Quentin?’

Nobody however me would hear.

“I am not attempting guilty you. I simply wish to know. The rock bears’ conduct was clearly irregular, so I might such as you to inform me what you burned.”

Or I am going to decide your cranium responsible – with that feeling, I put my hand on the iron hammer at my waist. He gasped and inhaled sharply. However he had sufficient sense to clarify whereas attempting his finest to carry again his sobbing voice.

The incident began with a potion purchased from some basic retailer. As he hurriedly pulled out a vial from his pocket, a flood of extra excuses poured out.

The potion he purchased for only one silver coin from the overall retailer was speculated to be some type of mosquito repellent that might drive away bugs when burned with firewood. Because the solar was setting and preparations have been being made to spend the night time after dinner, he sprinkled one drop – no, desirous to see the impact, he generously sprinkled two drops on the campfire he was in command of.

“Simply in case, let me ask – does this caravan occur to be secretly transporting any treasured gadgets?”

“Huh? No, in no way!”

“Regardless that it is headed for the Grand Temple?”

A caravan headed for the Grand Temple, assaults ranging from day one, inside trolling, and the looks of monsters.

Irrespective of how I considered it, wasn’t this the prelude to a grand situation? In actuality, there was a treasure hidden on this shabby caravan that wanted to go to the Grand Temple, there was an evil group after it, and by likelihood, as an NPC companion joined the caravan, even the participant acquired concerned.

Nevertheless, seeing the caravan proprietor hurriedly deny it made me suppose my hypothesis could be nearer to delusion.

“Oh my, we’re a caravan going to the Grand Temple, however… our enterprise is not with the Grand Temple itself. We’re simply promoting every day requirements to the overall shops across the Grand Temple. We’re not of the caliber to obtain requests from the Grand Temple…”

Actually?

The bandit assault on the primary day and the monster assault attributable to the F-rank mercenary’s actions – have been they only easy incidents that occurred as a result of with extra individuals, there are sure to be extra idiots?

Was my mind simply pickled in game-like considering, or was the Empire simply that stuffed with morons?

It felt like I used to be attempting too onerous to suit the Empire into my expectations, however with two incidents in simply two days, I could not assist however curse the Empire. At first, once they mentioned Empire, I considered an excellent cultural empire just like the Roman Empire…