I Became the Dark Knight in the Game
Chapter 62: Deserters (1)

Dale dragged the captured bandit leader into a temporarily erected tent.

Dale, Rebecca, and Gabriel entered inside the tent.

The leader shrank under the gaze of the three, though he did not tremble.

From this, Dale discerned that the man possessed a certain mettle.

He’s not just any common thug.

It was Rebecca who spoke first and broke the silence.

“Let’s begin then. Shall we start with an introduction?”

The leader nodded his head vigorously.

“Fisher. My name is Fisher.”

“So, Fisher, it seems you hold some rank within the bandits. What did you do before? Surely, you weren’t born a thief.”

“Well…”

When Fisher hesitated, Gabriel’s eyes narrowed in frustration. He was desperate for even the slightest revenge against the bandits who had screwed him over.

Fisher who sensed that spoke hastily.

“I was a soldier!”

“A soldier, huh?”

It was somewhat expected.

The tactics and discipline they had demonstrated were not something an ordinary band of thieves could mimic.

Rebecca inquired,

“A deserter?”

“Th-that’s right. I was originally a decurion in the 4th Legion. Our captain was a centurion.”

Rebecca frowned.

“Wait. So, the entire one-hundred-man unit deserted and turned into a band of thieves?”

“Something like that.”

It was common for deserters to become bandits.

But the entire one-hundred-man unit deserting was no ordinary event.

Rebecca asked,

“Why did you all run away?”

“Well…”

“No, I get why you would desert. But why now? If you were going to run, you should have done it earlier. Thanks to the heroes killing many demons, it’s relatively peaceful now, isn’t it?”

The eastern front with the demons had recently fallen into a tedious stalemate without any significant battles.

Peace and leisure, in a sense, could also mean being bored.

Enough so that soldiers guarding the front lines would come into the cities to cause trouble.

What Rebecca meant was this:

Why desert now, during a time of peace, rather than during the real dangers and life-threatening moments of the past?

Fisher responded without hesitation to such a question.

“Well, surveillance is laxer now, isn’t it?”

“Ah.”

“Back then, maybe one in a hundred deserters would make it out successfully.”

Desertion was deemed to be impossibile during times of real danger.

Rebecca sighed deeply and rubbed her face.

“Alright, let’s move past this topic for now. So, you’re saying that your band of thieves now has nearly a hundred deserters gathered?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Most of them are quite experienced. Besides, we keep recruiting new members here and there, and there are those we’ve captured. In total, we might have around three hundred. Or maybe less now, after many just died?”

Dale spoke up.

“The ones you led today were the new recruits, then.”

The opponents they had faced in this battle had some discipline but that was about it.

Their individual fighting skills weren’t particularly strong.

If they had been deserters seasoned by prolonged frontline experience, the battle might have been more difficult.

Fisher nodded his head in response to Dale’s question.

“Exactly. I brought them to gain some real combat experience. The plan was to make a quick profit and then escape. But the cavalry charged in so recklessly that I got greedy and…”

Fisher abruptly stopped talking; his mouth suddenly sealed shut. The very cavalryman who had charged in without a thought was now glaring at him as if ready to kill.

Rebecca stopped Gabriel and asked.

“Where is the main camp of the bandits now?”

“They’re waiting in a place called Faido Village. It’s quite a large village, with low but stone-built walls.”

“Faido Village… Now that you mention it, a bandit disguised as a refugee did say something about that. What happened to the villagers?”

“Haha. What do you think happened?”

Fisher seemed to have relaxed a bit and asked back with a slight smile.

It was a grim smile that people who were accustomed to killing would make.

In that instant, Dale immediately slapped Fisher across the face.

Smack!

“Ugh!”

Fisher’s body flew through the air and his yellow teeth clattered to the ground.

Dale held Fisher up from his head and warned.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Fisher wiped the blood trickling from his mouth and hastily apologized. The ease previously visible in his expression vanished instantly.

It was a slap that could knock out even a giant so it was sufficient to instill manners in the insolent bandit.

Dale forcefully lifted Fisher back up and made him sit down again.

“I have one last question.”

“Please ask me anything.”

Fisher who was now more polite bowed his head and Dale asked him.

“Why would an entire hundred-man unit desert? Was there some kind of trigger?”

Each person has their own thoughts yet an entire unit decided to desert.

Could there have been a significant trigger for such a collective decision?

“A trigger, you ask? Ha. Haha.”

Fisher burst into laughter. Dale furrowed his brows.

He had just been told not to laugh yet here he was laughing again.

But there was something off about Fisher’s laughter. It seemed dry or hollow perhaps.

Or it resembled the expression one might make when paralyzed by overwhelming fear.

Fisher, with a hollow laugh, suddenly changed his expression and asked,

“Have you ever seen a demon, sir? A high-ranking demon?”

Before Dale could respond, Fisher continued,

“We have. We saw it.”

Fisher’s eyes glazed over. Those eyes contained memories he didn’t want to recall.

“It’s futile to resist. Expecting heroes to hunt down demons? It’s all bullsh*t. Resistance is meaningless. Sooner or later, we’re all going to die. The demons…the demons will kill us all. That’s why we must flee, to survive even a day longer.”

After that, Fisher kept repeating similar phrases. No matter the question, no answer came.

He seemed almost out of his mind.

Dale’s questions seemed to dredge up painful memories in him.

Rebecca sighed deeply.

“Demons… It seems he’s not in a state to answer any more questions.”

Rebecca handed Fisher over to the private soldiers.

***

After Fisher’s interrogation, Rebecca suggested to Dale that they have a meal together.

Dale was about to flatly refuse when…

“We should discuss the future plans over a meal. It seems we might need to make some changes to our plans.”

Gabriel objected.

“Why would we discuss our plans with this man! He may be joining us as a mercenary, but he is still an outsider!”

The detailed plans for the caravan were usually discussed between Rebecca, the leader of the merchants’ guild and Gabriel, the chief of security.

Gabriel’s mood greatly soured at the thought of this distasteful heretic knight joining their discussions.

However, Rebecca looked at Gabriel with a disdainful eye.

“Who was it that uncovered the bandits disguised as refugees?”

“…. It was that knight. But that’s beside the point!”

“And who was it that saved us from falling into the enemy’s trap, losing all our horses, and being cornered, by driving the enemy back?”

Gabriel, despite his pride, had enough conscience not to argue against irrefutable facts and thus remained silent.

“Had it not been for Sir Dale, the damage could have been unimaginable. We might have even had to return to Irene, which could have cost me my head, you know?”

Rebecca made a throat-slitting gesture with her thumb, causing Gabriel, who was at the heart of the problem to shrink back.

She then scolded Gabriel even more sharply as if pleased by the turn of events.

“In the end, business is all about placing the right people in the right positions. I placed Sir Gabriel in his role, believing he would excel, and compensated him generously for it. However, I must admit, today I’m feeling some regret about that decision.”

“I acknowledge my mistake. But until now, I have performed my duties without fault. Today’s error was a first.”

Rebecca nodded gently at Gabriel’s awkward excuses.

She knew that pressing too hard could diminish the effect.

“You’re right. You’ve done excellently so far. But I expect even better from you moving forward.”

After she said that, Rebecca turned her attention to Dale who had been sitting quietly.

“I’ve been late in saying this, but Sir Dale, you’ve done exceptionally well. Taking the lead to save our allies, throwing the axe to kill the leader, capturing the fleeing Fisher, and even predicting that the thieves might set a trap. Though even I ignored that thought like a fool.”

“It was just a stroke of luck.”

“Luck is part of skill. After the caravan is over, I’ll make sure to pay you a generous bonus.”

Dale sighed inwardly.

After scolding Gabriel and then praising Dale, where would Gabriel’s frustration go?

Is she doing this on purpose?

If so, she was indeed not someone to be taken lightly.

However, with the promise of a generous payment, Dale simply nodded his head.

Rebecca said with a smile,

“Regardless, I believe Sir Dale has a strategic eye. I was hoping you could lend us your expertise, as this situation may be more serious than it appears.”

A band of hundreds of bandits who destroyed a village.

What’s more, these bandits were deserters, disciplined, and knew how to use strategies.

Engaging them in battle would undoubtedly prove to be a troublesome affair.

Gabriel remarked,

“However, these scoundrels have already suffered a significant defeat. They wouldn’t dare confront us again.”

Rebecca spoke to Gabriel as if admonishing him.

“Sir, you can’t just take things at face value. You need to consider the reasons behind the events.”

Gabriel’s frown served as his response and Rebecca continued,

“An entire unit deserting from the front lines? Isn’t it strange? No matter how lax the surveillance, there should have been efforts to organize a pursuit.”

Dale asked her.

“Are you suggesting there might have been an issue at the front?”

“Possibly. Or maybe it wasn’t desertion at all.”

“……?”

Rebecca spoke up,

“In the old days, it was common for lords near the coast to collude with pirates. Why wouldn’t they? Plundering a single ship could bring in a huge profit.”

Dale quickly grasped what Rebecca was implying.

“Are you suggesting that the front-line commanders might be deliberately sending troops to loot the surrounding areas?”

Could the military have become so corrupt?

Yet, considering the suspicious activities recently occurring in the city, it seemed like a possible theory.

Rebecca nodded her head.

“It’s just one possibility. All the generals I’ve met were honorable people, but one can never truly know what lies within a person.”

“I see.”

“There’s another troubling thought. I don’t understand why the lord of Kaelum remained inactive while such bands of thieves roamed freely.”

Maintaining law and order is a lord’s duty, after all.

Even if it wasn’t their duty, it was hard to imagine a lord who would stand by idly as a large town was destroyed, knowing well that the resulting decrease in collected taxes would surely follow.

“It’s possible he was unable to act due to other matters.”

“Perhaps. But it’s certain that the situation is taking a strange turn. We might need to adjust our plans accordingly… Shall we eat first?”

The food came out just then. A dish made of minced pork that had been shaped into patties and fried in oil caught Dale’s eye

It’s quite a luxurious meal for a journey.

Nonetheless, Dale decided to eat as usual even though it was a meaningless act.

To do so, he first had to remove his helmet. Dale took it off and set it down on the ground.

His white hair cascaded down over his shoulders.

When Rebecca’s gaze shifted to him, she caught sight of Dale’s face and flinched.

“……”

Her eyes widened in surprise. So Dale asked her.

“What’s the matter?”

“Uh, um. Have you considered going without your helmet more often? It must be stuffy.”

Rebecca awkwardly cleared her throat and said.

“I find it more comfortable.”

“Is that so…”

Rebecca who trailed off as if she was disappointed moved the dish Gabriel was about to eat in front of Dale.

“Eat up, please.”

“……”

“Thank you.”

Gabriel looked dejected, and Dale began to eat calmly.

Afterward, the three of them discussed their future plans while continuing their meal.

Their destination, the Castle of Kaelum, remained unchanged, but they had initially planned to pass through the village of Faido along the way.

However, Faido village was currently occupied by bandits.

“Unfortunately, it seems we can’t rest in the village. We’ll have to take a detour.”

Rebecca noted as she moved a piece on the map. Dale who was looking at the map with them suggested.

“If we go as planned, we’re bound to run into them if they’re on the lookout. Perhaps we should consider a wider detour.”

“I agree that would be safer, but…”

Rebecca pointed to the map,

“It would mean a significant detour. That could cause problems with our schedule.”

For Rebecca, any further delay in their schedule was a huge burden.

In the end, they had to push through forcefully.

The situation was not dire.

Even if the enemies were deserters, they had already suffered a major defeat.

Their morale was likely low.

“Moreover, the quality of our forces is certainly superior. If the bandits have any brain in their heads, they wouldn’t dare attack us again.”

Dale nodded in agreement.

Indeed, Rebecca’s words were sensible and logically sound.

However,

The world doesn’t always operate on logic.

From the conversation he had earlier with Fisher, Dale instinctively felt that there was something unsettling about these bandits.

What that was, he suspected, would soon be revealed to them.

***

Faido village once thrived as a midway point between major cities.

The residents wore bright smiles on their faces thanks to the village’s comfortable economy and favorable climate.

The women of Faido village, in particular, have been renowned for their beautiful smiles since ancient times.

However, those smiles were no more.

Now, the village that was engulfed in silence reeks only of the stench of blood.

The residents were tied up in lines in the village square of Faido.

A man named “Lapin” who was the leader of the bandits meticulously inspected the condition of the bound villagers.

Then he raised his head and spoke to a hunched-back man wearing a white mask before him.

“How are they?”

The hunched-back man’s eyes gleamed fiercely from behind the mask as they scanned the villagers.

Soon, a satisfied voice emanated from the mask.

“This is… certainly not bad. Their condition is not bad at all. Hehehe, as expected, Centurion Lapin never disappoints us.”

The hunched-back man let out an unpleasant laugh similar to the grating of iron.

“Already frustrated by the pursuit of the heresy inquisitors, this bounty comes as a pleasant surprise. My friends will surely be delighted.”

“Enough with the useless talk. Where is the item you promised?”

“Of course, I’ve prepared it.”

With a flourish, the hunched-back man flicked the shabby sackcloth draped over his body.

And a cylindrical object suddenly rolled out from beneath and came to a stop at Lapin’s feet.

Lapin caressed the object as if he was captivated by it.

The hunched-back man chuckled at such an action.

“Hehe, to see a once-honorable warrior who defended the front lines bewitched by a weapon imbued with demonic power is quite the pleasant sight.”

However, Lapin remained transfixed as he merely gazed at the object.

Shrugging his shoulders, the hunched-back man walked towards the villagers.

The villagers shrank back in fear and with each sign of their terror, the hunched-back man’s smile grew even more pronounced.

He muttered to himself.

“The lives of young men and women add up to 413. I’ve made sure of that.”

Then he grasped the hand of a young man who was nearby.

“E-Eeeek!”

The young man tried to shake off the grip, but it was already too late. His body began to crumble into dust from his fingertips and was slowly disintegrating.

“Aaagh!”

It wasn’t just the young man. The magic cast by the hunched-back man was contagious.

The young men and women tied in a line soon began to turn into dust one by one, collapsing while still alive.

Each one of them screamed in terrible agony.

The elderly and the young children could only shiver in horror at the sight.

However, the hunched-back man seemed to find pleasure in their screams.

He started humming a tune and gathered the dust that was once the villagers into a leather bag.

After he completed his task, the hunched-back man addressed Lapin.

“Lapin. I’ve gratefully received the offering. Such deals are always welcome, so feel free to call upon me anytime.”

“Shut up. I’ll never cross paths with you again.”

“Haha. That’s what they all say at first. But once you’ve had a taste, you can’t escape it.”

Lapin just stared at the demonic weapon without answering. He looked like he was already completely captivated by it.

The hunched-back man who was looking at this with satisfaction suddenly became curious and asked.

“But, is there really an enemy worthy of that weapon around here? It seems a waste to use it just to take over a village.”

It was only then that Lapin glanced at the hunched-back man before he lowered his gaze back to the weapon and said.

“Don’t worry about it. I have just the place to test it out.”

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