Not a barbarian warrior.

The bandits who attacked the merchant group timed their assault for when all the carriages carrying goods were crossing the river. They focused their attack on the front and rear. And Eugene was at the rear.

“Kill him!”

“We outnumber them anyway!”

The bandits willingly rushed at Eugene even after seeing his skills. They clearly knew. That their lives would be in danger. However, their minds clouded by greed blocked such rational judgment.

Eugene looked at the bandits. They seemed ready to kill him, kill Lorena on the driver’s seat behind him, kill the escorts rushing to help him, and even kill the merchants. After killing all the living humans, they would take the goods loaded in the carriages.

How were they any different from beasts? Beasts kill other lives out of necessity to survive, but these people could live sufficiently without robbing. They could use their strength to plow fields and make a living. However, they chose to willingly kill their fellow humans to enrich their own lives.

They were not human. They were beasts. No, they were worse than beasts. If so, there was no reason not to swing his sword at them.

The reason he went to the Brotherhood of the Sword in Carlisle to learn swordsmanship was to prepare for moments like this. The time had come again to protect himself and his companions from the fierce beasts and monsters roaming this world, and from those vile beings who couldn’t even be called human.

Eugene’s eyes sharpened instantly as he firmly gripped the sword Clea had given him. As he stomped hard on the shallow flowing river, water splashed in all directions with a splashing sound.

Countless water droplets scattered finely into the air, and Eugene’s sword cut through them as it passed.

“Guh…!”

His sword pierced the neck of a bandit rushing at the front. It penetrated through the iron chain mail, muscle, and bone. The guy plunged his head into the river water without even being able to say his last words properly.

As soon as Eugene retrieved his sword, sharp spear tips, keen blade edges, and heavy axe blades rushed at him in succession. Reading the trajectories of the incoming attacks, Eugene nimbly twisted his body and swung his sword.

An axe blade cut through the air, and a sword blade bounced off Eugene’s shoulder armor. The guy holding the spear screamed as his arm was cut off. That scream didn’t last long. Because the spearman’s head and neck were separated by Eugene’s sword.

The guys holding swords and axes each felt terror at their comrade’s horrible death and struggled. However, rendering such resistance meaningless, their lives also faded pathetically after a few metallic sounds rang out.

“Gurk…!”

A guy stabbed in the armpit fell, coughing up blood. The corpses accumulating around Eugene gradually dyed the river water red. Eugene briefly looked at the blood-stained river water and thought.

“…”

The swordsmanship learned to protect life was ironically being used to kill life. At this moment, for something to live, something else had to die. Was this a contradiction or the natural principle of this world? Only one sentiment remained for such a question.

“Damn it…”

It was a dog-eat-dog world, and a dog’s fate. It was the reason Eugene couldn’t settle in this world, and the reason he wanted to return to Earth.

Every time he had to kill someone, he always thought about it. The reason they had to die. The reason he had to live. He was righteous and they were vile. Nevertheless, he felt something being scraped away in a corner of his heart.

Eugene’s brief reflection ended there. Turning his eyes from his inner thoughts, his gaze returned to the harsh reality.

“Die!”

A guy wielding a flanged mace with pointed metal plates was wishing for Eugene’s death. Eugene couldn’t grant that request, so he simply swung his sword again.

The tip of his sword that dug between the iron plates tore the opponent’s muscle, split the bone, and reached the heart. Another life faded away, coughing up blood. The river water flowing at his feet turned even redder.

The battle in the river ended. Thanks to Eugene and Lorena’s efforts, the rear of the procession suffered no particular damage.

However, the front suffered quite a bit. The number of escorts decreased from thirteen to ten. Three died, and one was critically wounded by an arrow.

The remaining escorts were also in a state of minor injuries. Only Eugene and Lorena finished the battle without a scratch.

Eugene stripped everything of value from the bandits’ corpses and loaded them onto the wagon. It was packed full with various weapons, armor, belts, shoes, clothes, money pouches, and so on.

“Eu-Eugene… Do we really need to take things like this…?”

Lorena frowned as she picked up a boot with her fingertips. The smell emanating from the boot was too strong. Seeing this, Eugene nodded firmly and answered:

“Yes. It all sells for money.”

“But still…”

“We’re almost at our destination, so bear with it a little longer.”

Lorena had no choice but to put the boot back in the wagon at Eugene’s words. The smell was so foul that it seemed to have permeated the fingers she briefly held it with. She dipped her fingers in the flowing river water and swished them around repeatedly.

Eugene then headed to where the merchants were gathered. They were discussing what to do next. Everyone’s expression was serious due to many escorts being injured.

“…How could this happen when we were so close to our destination…”

“Still, we’re fortunate it wasn’t worse. What do you think we should do now?”

“If we change direction here and go for about half a day, there’s a small city.”

“The critically injured escort is still breathing, but it seems difficult for him to last more than half a day.”

“If we go just one more day from here, it’s Berunte’s territory.”

Eugene was eavesdropping on their conversation from a little distance when he felt something strange. For some reason, the middle-aged merchants were only stating information about the current situation, not expressing any opinions.

Their gazes were directed at Dietrich, the youngest among them. After listening to all their words, Dietrich carefully stated his opinion:

“…I think it’s best to push through here even if we have to force ourselves.”

“Understood. Then we’ll prepare right away.”

No one opposed Dietrich’s opinion. Like subordinates following a superior’s orders, they simply nodded at his words and dispersed.

After all the merchants left, Dietrich noticed Eugene behind him and approached, saying:

“First, let me express my gratitude. I heard there was almost no damage to the rear thanks to you.”

“I just worked so you wouldn’t feel the silver coins you promised me were wasted.”

“I don’t know how much additional compensation I should give you when we arrive in Eslan.”

“We can think about that when the time comes. Anyway, what are you planning to do now?”

As Eugene got to the point, Dietrich answered with a stern face:

“We’ll head straight for Eslan.”

“Even if Lorena and I are fine, the other escorts are very exhausted. It will be dangerous if we encounter more of these guys. Will it be alright?”

“We just need to take a little more risk from here on. If we go just one more day from here, we can travel safely after that.”

Even if the next day passed safely, there were still three to four days of travel remaining. Eugene asked curiously:

“Is someone coming to support our merchant group?”

At that question, Dietrich quietly smiled and then vaguely said:

“Something like that… You’ll probably find out when we get there.”

“…?”

That was the end of the conversation. Eugene alone couldn’t overturn a decision already made. Thus, the merchant group, having prepared again, crossed the river and continued in their planned direction.

On the wagon behind the carriages pulled by the merchant group, the number had increased by one, with a total of four corpses loaded.

And so, they passed the night of the tenth day, and the eleventh day dawned.

The merchant group continued moving towards Eslan, and as they were about to cross a bridge over a river, they encountered a group.

“Halt!”

The number of those who stopped Dietrich’s merchant group wasn’t very large. Just a little more than the merchant group’s escorts. Their equipment was slightly better than the bandits who attacked the group yesterday. Perhaps a slightly higher proportion of armor reinforced with iron plates. If there was a characteristic, it was that they all wore uniform attire.

Eugene, who was carefully observing those blocking the bridge from afar at the rear, was suddenly surprised. It was because of the appearance of the person standing in the middle of the group. He was clearly different from the others. He was wearing full body armor made by cutting and bending solid iron plates.

“Full plate…! Could it be, a knight…?”

While Eugene muttered quietly and tensed up, one of the guys blocking the bridge on the opposite side walked towards the merchant group. The guy raised his head stiffly and spoke like a herald:

“You are attempting to cross the bridge protected by Sir Berunte here. Sir is the rightful owner of this bridge and has the authority to grant passage to all who cross it.”

Dietrich, who was in the middle of the merchant group’s procession, hurriedly got down from the driver’s seat and approached the herald. Dietrich was very calm. As if he had known this would happen, he naturally conversed with the guy.

“Then what should our merchant group do to cross the bridge?”

“…Listen to everything first before asking! Ahem, Sir Berunte is performing the sacred duty of safely guarding this dangerous area, including this bridge. All who wish to cross this bridge must, without exception, show proper respect for Sir Berunte’s dedication.”

The respect the herald spoke of meant a toll. Of course, Berunte had no legitimate right to collect such taxes from those crossing this bridge. However, in this world, power was authority, and such authority could create rights that didn’t exist before.

“Actually, about that…”

“Ack! I’m not finished speaking!”

“Yes… I apologize.”

“Not showing respect to Sir Berunte is tantamount to attempting to damage his honor. If you do not show respect, Sir will immediately try to restore his tarnished honor. Do you understand what I mean?”

“…”

“I’m not asking if you understand!”

“Ah, are you finished now?”

“That’s right.”

“Please go and tell Sir Berunte. The little kid who sufficiently respected Sir’s honor five years ago has returned again. That the time has come to keep the promise he made with me then.”

“…? What nonsense is that?”

“Just go and tell him for now. And bring me back his answer.”

“…Alright.”

The herald, with a confused face, kept tilting his head but went back to relay Dietrich’s words. After a while, he returned with a deeply furrowed brow and said firmly:

“Sir Berunte says he has no memory of making such a promise!”

At those words, Dietrich couldn’t hide his greatly shocked expression. With a pale face, he requested the herald again:

“…Th-That can’t be…? Please tell Sir Berunte once more. That Dietrich, who made a promise with Sir five years ago, has returned.”

The herald made an expression of great displeasure but went back to relay his words again. Then he returned with an even more grim face than before and said:

“Are you Dietrich, the third son of Baert, who was the former owner of the Red Fox merchant group?”

“That’s right. It seems he remembers now.”

“Sir told me to relay these words. If you want to cross the bridge, you must hand over everything you have and then cross.”

“What are you saying!”

“I’m not finished speaking.”

“…”

“This includes the price for turning a blind eye to you secretly taking and running away with the property of Lauren, the current owner of the Red Fox merchant group. And he said to tell you that this is already showing sufficient mercy.”

“…!”

The moment he heard those words, Dietrich’s complexion turned not just white, but blue.