The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Our Neighborhood’s Strongest (15)
Ingram had anticipated that the Maximus Mercenary Corps would flee to the Hailong Barony, so he rode the Saber Tiger straight toward the territory. But by the time the Saber Tiger reached the castle gates of the Hailong Barony, the Maximus Mercenary Corps had already passed through the entrance.
Ingram felt the world collapsing around him and wept bitterly.
“I thought if I rode the shortcut without stopping, I’d catch them in time… but heaven shows no mercy. How could this happen?”
He had watched from a distance as the Maximus Mercenary Corps showed their Identification Tokens to the soldiers and passed through the gates, which only deepened his anguish.
If only he had arrived five minutes earlier, he could have caught them before they passed through the gates.
“Don’t lose heart so, Ingram. Even without an Identification Token proving you’re a resident of the territory, there are plenty of ways to enter the castle.”
Just then, Jang Ga-in spoke calmly, and Ingram wiped his tears with his sleeve, his expression turning puzzled.
“What? You can enter the castle without an Identification Token? How?”
“The soldiers can’t guard every inch of that vast wall, so we simply find a weak point and climb over it, don’t we?”
Jang Ga-in spoke as though it were nothing, recalling his days as a commander of the Dark Blood Corps.
The Dark Blood Corps was the Demonic Cult’s unit specializing in flanking and rear attacks against enemies. Because of this, they often had to scale walls—and walls of this height could be climbed easily using just the Wall Tiger Skill without drawing upon Inner Power.
“The Saber Tiger’s jumping power is impressive, but I don’t think it’s strong enough to scale the wall while carrying both of us.”
But Ingram, unaware of that past, tilted his head doubtfully.
“If we ride the Saber Tiger over the wall, we’ll be spotted immediately. I’ll scale it discreetly with just you.”
“What? Just the two of us? How is that possible?”
“Actually, I can jump up a height like that on my own.”
“What? That’s impossible.”
Ingram stared at the wall in disbelief, which had to be at least fifteen meters high.
Even the most elite Expert knight could hardly scale a wall that height while carrying someone else.
“You’ll see for yourself in a moment. Saber, go rest in that forest over there and come when I call.”
As Jang Ga-in spoke to the Saber Tiger, it growled low and disappeared into the forest.
“Now, let’s find a spot where the soldiers’ watch is slack.”
“Understood. But you’re really sure you can scale that high wall while carrying me?”
“Don’t worry.”
It was still early dawn, so few people moved through the gates, and the on-duty soldiers kept yawning—they still hadn’t fully woken.
For that reason, no one paid attention to the two figures walking along the wall.
Jang Ga-in deployed his Ki Perception to locate a blind spot between watchtowers.
‘Those soldiers in the watchtower keep yawning and rubbing their necks—they’re still drowsy. Perfect.’
It was a blind spot, and the nearest watchtower guard was inattentive, making it ideal conditions to scale the wall undetected.
After scanning beyond the wall with his Ki Perception for any sign of people, Jang Ga-in waited until the foot traffic cleared, then wrapped his arm around Ingram’s waist.
“I’m scaling the wall now. Don’t be startled.”
“Understood.”
A sharp whistling sound.
As he activated the Wind Character Formula of the Wind Cloud Divine Art, wind rose from his feet, sending his hair fluttering upward.
A soft thump.
With a light push off the ground, his body surged upward, and as the wind supported him, he scaled the fifteen-meter wall in an instant.
During the ascent, Ingram—who had been concentrating on Jang Ga-in—widened his eyes in disbelief.
‘Scaling the wall so easily! But I felt no Spirit energy at all. How did he summon the wind spirit… or is it not a wind spirit? What is it? It doesn’t feel like Aura either…’
After reaching the top of the wall, Jang Ga-in didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped down the other side.
Landing on the ground, he spoke in a low voice that only Ingram could hear.
“It’s early dawn with few people about, so we cleared it without being spotted.”
“What was that wind holding us up just now? It’s clearly not Spirit energy.”
“Ah! I’ve been calling it Inner Power, though people here call it Aura. I released that Aura in a way close to natural energy to artificially create the wind.”
“You released Aura to create wind like that? Is such a thing possible with Aura?”
“I only learned to do it recently. I gained a small insight while resonating my energy with the barrier around Louta Village. It also helps that my martial techniques are specialized in wind and cloud.”
“I always understood that one couldn’t summon wind without contracting with a wind spirit, but learning that it’s possible by releasing Aura this way has shattered my assumptions.”
“Only I can do this; other Aura users likely can’t. Anyway, what matters now is finding traces of the Maximus Mercenary Corps.”
“Right, of course.”
“The territory looked enormous from outside the wall, but when I looked from atop it just now, it doesn’t seem to have many inhabitants.”
“The high walls are to prepare for monster invasions. Most border territories are vast in land but sparse in population.”
“I see. Then how many people live in this castle town?”
“My father once told me it’s around three thousand.”
“Ah! Then it’s about the size of a small county.”
“A small county? What is a county?”
“It’s an administrative division where I come from. Nothing particularly important.”
After hearing that the place was the size of a small county, Jang Ga-in felt somewhat relieved.
‘Maybe there won’t be that many soldiers after all.’
* * *
“Didn’t those fellows seem a bit strange just now?”
“That’s what I’m saying. The guy’s got those bulging muscles and barely reaches my shoulder—definitely looks like Dverberg Race. When he pulled out his coin purse, I caught a glimpse inside his coat, and he was wrapped up in bandages like his wounds were serious.”
The merchants preparing for the morning trade glanced at one another, recalling the men who had just asked them about the Maximus Mercenary Corps’ whereabouts.
“The one who looked like Dverberg was suspicious enough, but the one next to him bristling with weapons—he was suspicious too. They were armored like they were heading straight into battle.”
“If they’re that heavily armed and going after the Maximus Mercenary Corps… could they be trying to join up?”
“How can you be so obtuse? Did you see the look in that Dverberg’s eyes? He had this intensity like he could take down anyone standing in his way. Join up? That’s nonsense.”
“His gaze was just a bit sharp, that’s all. It wasn’t murderous intent.”
“Tch, I don’t know how you manage such good business when you’re so thick about reading people.”
“My business does well because I’m good with my hands. But even I have to say—those two didn’t have ordinary eyes.”
“Even if what you’re saying is true, what can just two of them do against the Maximus Mercenary Corps? You really think they could take them down?”
“I said they had the look of it, not that they’d actually succeed.”
“The Mercenary Corps employs upper-rank soldiers who can use Aura. What can two people do against that?”
“Maybe they’ve got some grievance and are going to lodge a complaint. I’ve seen plenty of people come back beaten half to death after something like that.”
Just then, two soldiers with swords belted at their waists approached, yawning constantly.
“What’s got you all so entertained?”
Ordinary soldiers carry spears; only officers and above carry swords.
The merchants who had been huddled in conversation quickly pretended to look busy as the soldiers drew near.
“Officers Dobil and Asher, are you heading off duty now?”
“Yes, we’ve been on night watch and we’re exhausted. Could you give us two bowls of hot soup with plenty of meat in it?”
“Of course.”
“Oh, by the way—what were you all discussing so animatedly just now?”
“Well, sir, a young man who appeared to be Dverberg Race and another fellow armed to the teeth came by and asked us where the Maximus Mercenary Corps was headquartered.”
“The Maximus Mercenary Corps is so well-known in these parts that I’d be surprised if anyone didn’t know of them. They must be outsiders.”
“We’ve never seen them before, so that’s likely the case.”
“Ah! Now that I think about it, those Maximus Mercenary Corps thugs brought in some slaves to sell to a slave merchant at dawn, laughing like fools the whole time… wait, weren’t those slaves Dverberg?”
“That’s right. They brought in about eight of them—Dverberg adults and children both.”
The two officers paused mid-conversation. Then the one named Dobil spoke up.
“Could it be that the Dverberg came to rescue their people?”
“Just two of them? Is that even possible?”
“Those two might’ve come to scout things out.”
“Ah, that makes sense. They scout first to figure out the numbers and position, then come back with reinforcements suited to the task.”
“But even if they brought reinforcements, they’d need the garrison commander’s permission to pass through the gates. There’s no way he’d let them through.”
“True, but if they knew their families were being held by the Maximus Mercenary Corps, wouldn’t they try anything? They might even attempt to break through by force.”
“If they tried that, they’d all become target practice for our archers.”
“But desperation makes people do reckless things. They might charge in ready to die.”
“Something about this feels off. I think we should visit the Maximus Mercenary Corps after breakfast and check on things.”
After a while, soup brimming with meat and bread were brought out, and the two men began eating with satisfied expressions.
* * *
“Jang Ga-in, the merchants said there could be dozens of mercenaries. Do you think just the two of us can manage?”
When Ingram arrived at the building where the Maximus Mercenary Corps was staying, he swallowed hard and his expression grew worried.
The Maximus Mercenary Corps they’d encountered in the forest numbered around ten, but he’d heard there were over thirty mercenaries at their headquarters, which made him anxious.
“Even if there are dozens of mercenaries, we can handle them.”
Jang Ga-in had already used Ki Perception to gauge the strength of those inside the building, and he felt no fear whatsoever.
“I’m not doubting your abilities, Jang Ga-in—you’ve killed an Ogre after all—but if we fight the mercenaries, the commotion could draw the soldiers of the Territory. Without Lord Authority, we could find ourselves under attack from them as well. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until nightfall and launch a surprise attack?”
“While we wait for nightfall, the kidnapped children could be sold off elsewhere. If that happens, it will be much harder to rescue them.”
Jang Ga-in walked confidently toward the building’s entrance. Ingram hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and followed.
As they approached, two burly men guarding the entrance gave them a bewildered look before asking a question.
“What business do you have?”
“Dverberg children and warriors have been kidnapped. We’ve come to rescue them. Are you mercenaries of the Maximus Mercenary Corps, or are you just hired to guard the door?”
Jang Ga-in, whose Smed language had become fairly fluent, asked in a somewhat awkward accent, and the two men’s expressions turned to shock.
“What? You came to rescue kidnapped Dverberg? Just the two of you? Are you insane?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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