Chapter 59

After Lamber left the guest room and a servant chased after him to see him off, the commotion, though only on the surface, seemed to have settled down. Since the mercenary captain Grasco, who had collapsed foaming at the mouth, was carried out of the room, a slight silence had continued. However, Yunos restarted the conversation as if nothing had happened, thanked the Count Mond for inviting him to the mansion, and urged Fand to recount the detailed course of events regarding the unicorn slaying to the Count.

However, Count Mond was only half-listening to the story of the unicorn slaying. He was thinking about the countermeasures against the "Pied Piper Demons" that Lamber had mentioned earlier.

The anti-state magic organization "Pied Piper Demons" is largely unknown in terms of its scale and true nature.

In the Kingdom of Legios, strange incidents such as the mass abduction of children or the disappearance of entire villages occasionally occur. While the perpetrators and motives remain unknown, traces of advanced magic are sometimes discovered afterward. It is rumored that almost all such incidents involve the "Pied Piper Demons." The name "Pied Piper Demons" began to spread about twenty years ago, but there is a persistent theory that they have continued to exist by changing their name multiple times.

Occasionally, members are captured, and some information about the "Pied Piper Demons" comes to light, but often they are just low-level operatives who know nothing about the upper echelons. Even the financier of the "Pied Piper Demons," Count Obock, who was exposed when Lamber ransacked the mansion, was quickly found dead in prison under suspicious circumstances.

Officially, the cause of death was not disclosed, but when the guard went to check, Count Obock had turned into a decomposed corpse overnight. Horrifyingly, the corpse, dripping with rotten flesh, was grabbing the iron bars and wailing. It was clearly the work of necromancy.

Count Mond had been informed of the details of Count Obock's death by the capital's envoy. He was terrified when he first heard about it. However, the city of Baraila, where Count Mond resided, was the city of adventurers. If the "Pied Piper Demons" were to attack, he believed they could handle it. But after Lamber pointed out that adventurers were not suitable as a defense force, his confidence began to waver.

"Right when I was about to give up, that armored man appeared. He quickly cut down the morale-boosted 'Carnival Troupe'! I remember how Robin Hood's face changed. That sword was... incredibly fast and terrifyingly powerful!"

Fand was speaking with great enthusiasm about Lamber's heroic appearance, but Yunos held up his palm to interrupt him. Fand, looking puzzled, stopped talking and then addressed Count Mond, who was still deep in thought.

"Your Excellency, are you still troubled by what that Lamber, the armored man, said? That adventurers lack a sense of responsibility and cannot serve as a deterrent in the worst-case scenario?"

"..."

"But that is a mistake. At least, there are no cowards who would run around in a panic in a crisis in this 'Dancing Sword.' If the 'Pied Piper Demons' were to attack, we would take the lead in repelling them. Besides, Your Excellency has an excellent private army, don't you? There's no need to worry."

Lamber had said that Grasco's private army was better off not existing, but that was only because he was Lamber.

Indeed, the private army had risen to its current position more through family connections than military prowess. They were far from the caliber of top-tier adventurers like Yunos, who had risen through skill and charisma. However, while the private army was full of hot-blooded, jealous, and sinister individuals, they did not neglect their daily training. Most had been trained in swordsmanship from a young age due to their family background, making them far more skilled than the third-rate adventurers who flooded the city of Baraila. They were not entirely devoid of loyalty.

"That's right! That's right! There's no reason to take the words of such a person to heart! Please trust us more!"

The members of the private army, who were present in the guest room, quickly agreed with Yunos. Grasco, who should have been there, was still in bed, still terrified from nearly being killed by Lamber.

Most of the private army had seen the 'Dancing Sword' as enemies encroaching on their territory, but with the appearance of a third party, Lamber, who outright denied the existence of the private army, and the unexpected support from the 'Dancing Sword' guild master, their hostility toward the 'Dancing Sword' had significantly diminished.

(They will self-destruct eventually. There's no point in belittling them. They won't be an obstacle to me.)

Yunos thought this to himself, but of course, he did not show it. He smiled at one of the private army members who looked at him gratefully.

"…That is reassuring. However, my concerns are not limited to that. In fact, I have been struggling with which guild to entrust this task to. I called you all here today partly to assess this. After hearing what you just said, Yunos, I have decided to entrust this to the 'Dancing Sword.' I apologize for interrupting Fand's story, but… would you mind if I asked you to hear this now, 'Dancing Sword' adventurers?"

"Of course not. It would be an honor to accept your request. I would be happy to hear it."

The members of the private army present frowned at Count Mond's words. It was humiliating to have adventurers be given a job right in front of them. However, they already knew that this task was beyond their capabilities.

Yunos had anticipated such a request when he was invited to the mansion, and he had a good idea of what it would be.

"Robin Hood's return to the city of Baraila… almost certainly means that my head is his target. Given his character, he will likely attack this mansion soon. I would like you to stay here for a while and assist the private army in security."

Robin Hood, the strongest adventurer in the city of Baraila, was once the guild master of a small adventurer's guild in the city. Although small, it was a group of elite members. However, when an Ogre King appeared in the "Great Forest of the Lost," they ignored Count Mond's order to stay out of the forest and went to slay it.

An Ogre is a monster with a human-like appearance and two horns. They do not form groups and will attack and sometimes kill other Ogres they encounter to drive them out of their territory.

When an Ogre kills another Ogre, magic power accumulates in its horns, and its body turns slightly blue. This allows Ogres to recognize and sometimes submit to or yield territory to stronger Ogres.

An Ogre King is an individual that has killed many Ogres and turned completely blue. It possesses far greater strength than a regular Ogre and often leads a large number of Ogres.

The most terrifying aspect of an Ogre King is that Ogres, which normally act on instinct and kill indiscriminately, become less aggressive and more intelligent when they follow an Ogre King. The more blue the Ogre King, the higher its loyalty. If an Ogre King is killed, the Ogres it leads might leave the forest and attack the city in a group.

Robin Hood ignored Count Mond's order and led his guild's adventurers to slay the Ogre King and its followers. Up until then, he and his guild had achieved results through reckless and arrogant actions, and they had become quite arrogant.

If things had gone as planned, he might have been hailed as a hero. However, the result was that he failed to finish off the Ogre King, which led to the escape of the Ogres. The Ogres then invaded the city of Baraila, causing many casualties. Count Mond's wife also went missing during the chaos and was later found dead.

All the adventurers in Robin Hood's guild were executed, but Robin Hood himself escaped by deceiving the guards and disappeared for a while. Now, he had returned to the city of Baraila. It was easy to guess that he was seeking revenge for the execution of his subordinates.

(Robin Hood… huh…)

Yunos was one of the strongest adventurers in the city of Baraila, but he doubted he could defeat Robin Hood in a fair fight. However, there was room for strategy. It wouldn't be a one-on-one battle. Moreover, if he completed this request after the unicorn horn, Count Mond's trust in the 'Dancing Sword' would be firmly established.

"We are honored by your command. And… due to Robin Hood's interference, we lost some of our adventurers. This battle is also a memorial for them. I will gladly accept it."