By the time Allen and his party emerged from the dense forests of the Misty Mountains, evening was approaching. Under Allen's firm orders, everyone had marched through the mountains all day without stopping. Yet he had heard no complaints. They all knew that the longer they stayed in the Misty Mountains, the greater the danger, so they had to leave the forest before dark.
While they were still in the forest, Otta had approached Allen and suggested resting in a nearby village for a day so they could travel more easily afterward. Allen had refused, explaining that doing so might bring utter destruction upon the village. He also had no intention of borrowing a certain mountain stronghold's methods of forcing people into joining it. He would rather people join him because they genuinely believed they could have a better life by following him.
Everyone's spirits finally lifted when they emerged from the forest, for Carl Rock stood clearly visible in the distance. Allen knew that the sentries on Carl Rock could see them as well, and he believed someone would soon come to meet them.
Sure enough, Ymira came to meet Allen, bringing Jeremus and the Swadia Knights who had been resting at home.
Once they arrived, they treated all the wounded again, then brought out plenty of cooked food and clean water for Allen's party. Strictly speaking, this was unnecessary. They had not finished the food they had brought when they set out, and even if they had, it would have been no great problem for Allen. He could simply buy more with Denars. Still, it was a thoughtful gesture from Ymira.
After a flurry of activity, the sky grew a little darker, and only then did everyone begin making their way slowly toward the camp. By now, they were relatively safe, and Allen discussed the future of Beorn's people with him along the way.
Allen believed he had already changed Beorn's fate, turning him from a solitary man, as he had been in the film, into a man with a wife and children-and throwing in a neighboring family as a bonus. Allen was certain this would greatly improve Beorn's emotional well-being.
But with things having changed this way, Allen could no longer be sure whether Beorn would be willing to remain near Carl Rock for the long term.
Walking beside Beorn, he tried to persuade him to stay. "My friend, I'm sure you can already feel how much more dangerous the Misty Mountains have become. They're no longer a suitable home for your people. What do you say, Beorn? Would you be interested in becoming my neighbor?"
Beorn was undoubtedly grateful to Allen, and he deeply admired his noble character. Not just anyone would decide, after exchanging only a few words, to lead his soldiers into mortal danger to help a poor stranger. Beorn had only heard of such noble people in ancient poems.
In his heart, Beorn agreed with Allen's invitation. This was not merely because he was grateful or admired Allen's character; he had also given serious thought to their current circumstances. Allen had a point. They could no longer return to the Misty Mountains, at least not until the Half-orcs had been wiped out. But Beorn knew that his people's way of life was very different from that of ordinary humans. Living together might cause Allen considerable trouble.
Beorn was not one for polite formalities, but Allen had saved his entire family. Faced with his invitation, he carefully considered his words. Only after a long while, under Allen's expectant gaze, did he reply, "I would gladly become your neighbor, my friend. It's just that our people's way of life might cause you trouble, so I think we may need to live a little farther away."
Hearing the answer he wanted, Allen was delighted and felt even more pleased with his decision to lead troops into the Misty Mountains. Not only had he gained a temporary Dwarf blacksmith, but he had also acquired several powerful neighbors. That would be a great help when defending against future Half-orc attacks. When the Half-orcs came, Beorn and his people could hardly stand by and watch, could they?
Allen had already anticipated Beorn's concerns. He felt the villagers would actually be better off living on the hills and plains. They could reclaim large stretches of farmland there, while the broad grasslands would allow Allen and his people to establish pastures. Patrols would also be easier to organize, making the villagers easier to protect. Allen already felt that he had too few cavalrymen to go around. Expanding his territory further might require building beacon forts, which was not realistic given the village's current productive capacity.
The oak forest beside the village was reserved for Beorn and his people. It was also where Beorn had lived in the original story, and it covered a considerable area, more than enough for them to live in.
Having already made up his mind, Allen smiled broadly at Beorn. "That's easy enough to solve, Beorn. Our houses don't have to stand right next to each other for us to be neighbors. There's a large oak forest near my village, and I think it would suit your people very well. Once we get back, you can take a look. If you don't like it, we can find somewhere else."
Beorn nodded and accepted Allen's suggestion, then began chatting with him. Their conversation ranged from gentle animals to delicious pastries, from entertaining stories to ancient poems. Drawing on his extensive store of knowledge, Allen kept up with him easily, while silently grumbling, How did I never notice before that this giant of nearly two and a half meters could talk so much?
Ever since Beorn had rescued his family, an enormous weight had lifted from his heart. Along the way, he had kept talking with his family and friends, and learning that they were largely unharmed had greatly improved his spirits. That was why he could now chat with Allen in such a cheerful mood. Of course, Beorn could never have guessed that Allen had known all along that he would come, merely not when or how, and had already decided to help him.
Beorn believed that the gods were watching over him, allowing him to meet Allen and rescue his family.
Time flew by as they chatted happily. By the time everyone returned to the village, Tirion, the Maiar enamored of Arien's radiance, had already steered the moon's vessel into the sky above Wilderland.
Allen housed the two Silvan Elves and three Dwarves in the lord's longhouse. Artimenner had once suggested naming this wooden building, which contained only a handful of rooms, Allen's Palace, only to be firmly refused again. If they dared call a wooden house like this a palace, what would they call an actual castle once they built one-an imperial palace?
Ymira assigned several villagers to look after their meals and daily needs, while Jeremus took all the wounded and rescued captives back to his hospital.
Once everything had been taken care of, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Allen lay in bed without falling asleep, because the simulator had given him new notifications.
[One point of soul energy acquired. Fractional amounts are not counted.] [A new world has been unlocked. Drawing a new world.] [Congratulations. Welcome to your journey through the Pendor Continent.] [Simulator cooldown refreshed. Begin simulation?] [Yes/No] [Yes] [Starting simulator.] [Please select the world you wish to visit.] [You arrived on the Pendor Continent.] [Time: Unknown] [Location: Marleons, The Bountiful Tavern] [You were a distant descendant of the Pendor Royal Family living far from your ancestral homeland. One morning a month ago, your parents suddenly left you a letter explaining the details. Your identities had been discovered. Following the "Bloodstorm," the Black Death had nearly exterminated the royal family that once ruled the Pendor Continent. You might be its only surviving descendant. Almost all those who now ruled the Pendor Continent were rebels and invaders. Your parents wrote that if you wanted to find answers and help them, you would have to travel to the Pendor Continent. You were now in the Baccus Empire, one of the continent's five kingdoms.] [This was Marleons, one of the Baccus Empire's important towns. You were enjoying dinner at the tavern, but there were always people who disturbed you at the worst possible moment. Your keen senses suddenly picked up on several recent arrivals watching you with ill intent from a table near the window. Judging by their clothing and appearance, they were local gang members. You had only just arrived in Marleons by sea and knew neither the people nor the place. You did not know why they were watching you, but you could feel their intense malice. You knew you could not stay.] [You tossed down a few coins, rose, and left The Bountiful Tavern. Out on Marleons's bustling streets, you wandered aimlessly. You could sense those men following a short distance behind you. They knew the surrounding area far better than you did, and you knew you could not shake them.] [You deliberately searched for a quiet spot among the streets, intending to give your pursuers a surprise there. Soon, you found what you wanted: a passage only a meter wide between a tavern and a brothel. You did not know where it led, but you knew your pursuers would follow you inside and try something.] [You had considerable confidence in your own strength. You could not be as invincible here as you had been on the Calradia Continent, since magic existed in this world. Nourished by magical energy, its soldiers were generally stronger fighters. Even so, you remained slightly stronger than a full-fledged knight of any knightly order on this continent.] [Sure enough, events unfolded as you expected. Having climbed the wall using both hands and feet, you watched from above as five men hurried into the increasingly dark passage. They soon came back out. Clearly, it was a dead end. In the fading light of dusk, you could even see the anxiety and confusion on their faces.] [You jumped straight down from the wall, giving them a tremendous fright as you drew the Noble Guarded Cross Sword at your waist. Your father, a minor noble, had spent a great deal of money to have it forged especially for you. Made of pure steel, it was exceptionally sharp. Recovering from their initial panic, the gang members drew their own weapons and charged at you.] [In less than a minute, you had your sword against their leader's neck while the others howled in pain. You asked why they had followed you. He refused to answer. With a casual sweep of your sword, you killed one of the enemies groaning on the ground, then returned the blade to his neck. His legs trembled, but he still said nothing. You swung again and killed two more. The calm expression you wore while killing them shattered his nerve, and his trousers slowly grew wet. Once more, you held your sword to his neck and watched him in silence.] [He broke down. Crying, he told you that all he knew was that an important figure had issued a bounty to every gang member in Marleons. They were to keep a close watch on young people arriving from beyond the Pendor Continent. Capturing them would be even better, and the reward was extremely generous.] [His boss had accepted the bounty. The owner of The Bountiful Tavern was his boss's sworn brother, and he had passed along information about you. These men had intended to abduct you and collect the reward. After explaining everything, he collapsed to the ground, pleading over and over for mercy and forgiveness.] [After glancing at your clothes, you understood. You continued questioning the gang member before you, demanding to know where his gang was based. He told you it was in the slums of Marleons's lower district. You nodded and dispatched the two survivors with a couple of casual strokes. You believed your integrity and mercy were reserved for those who, at the very least, bore you no deliberate ill will. The five scum lying on the ground did not deserve your mercy. You emerged from the narrow passage, carefully checked your surroundings, and, seeing that no one had noticed, strolled away.] [Marleons had a thriving commercial atmosphere. Even though darkness was approaching, many shops remained open. You found a clothing shop at random and bought several ready-made outfits, then changed in a secluded spot. Afterward, you lowered the brim of your hat and returned to The Bountiful Tavern. Yes, you had no intention of letting the tavern owner off.] [Late at night, even the tavern had to close. You watched its lights go out, then crept to a window on its side. Using your sword to lift the latch inside, you climbed through.] [Carefully avoiding the tavern's tables and chairs, you glanced at the guard asleep on a table, then climbed the stairs to the second floor and reached the owner's room. He had not fallen asleep. You could hear him tossing and turning in bed. You gently pushed the door open, but it still gave an unavoidable, faint creak. The tavern owner abruptly sat up and saw you.] [In the dark room, he could not see clearly who you were, but he recognized you nonetheless. He neither called for help nor resisted. Trembling, he whispered that he had money and asked whether he could use it to make up for his mistake. By now, his wife and child had also awakened. They neither screamed nor cried, merely watched you silently from the bed, fear in their eyes.] [With some amusement, you asked why he had not run. He gave a bitter laugh and said that everything he had built, every connection he had, was here. Run? Where could he run? What place did not devour people? He explained again that he had not willingly become sworn brothers with a gang boss. But running a tavern meant knowing all sorts of people and being forced to do all sorts of things.] [You softened. Yes, you softened. With a sigh, you questioned him closely about the gang and learned the details of this so-called Beard Gang. It was the largest gang in Marleons, with countless peripheral members and dozens of core members. You also asked about that supposed important figure. The tavern owner told you he belonged to the Red Brotherhood and was called Yaven "the Blade." He was the Red Brotherhood's current representative in Marleons and the one who had issued the bounty. The owner knew nothing more about the matter.] [But he told you that the Red Brotherhood was a colossal force in Pendor, best known for its assassins and slave trade. Many minor nobles did not dare provoke them.] [You told him that was not his concern. His sworn brother's gang would disappear tonight, and from now on, you would take one-fifth of his tavern's income as the price of sparing his life.] [After hearing this, the tavern owner said he could give you one-quarter. After all, that was how much his sworn brother had been taking from him. You waved a hand without saying anything and left his room. You heard him release a deep breath, followed by quiet sobbing from within.] [From the owner, you learned that the slum location was merely one of the gang's bases. Normally, only peripheral members stayed there. Core members visited only to collect protection money or assign tasks. Their usual haunt was in a residential neighborhood in this same district, in the fifth building of the third row. The neighborhood housed Marleons's wealthy families and even had its own patrols.] [You descended from the second floor and left the tavern, taking another look at the guard who was still sleeping soundly on the table.] [Following the tavern owner's information, you avoided the soldiers patrolling the streets and reached the residential neighborhood he had described. Sure enough, even gang leaders knew to find themselves a nice place to live. Most of the houses here were large, detached three-story villas built of brick and timber, each with its own enclosing wall. Guards carrying torches patrolled the streets from time to time. You could tell at a glance that property here was expensive.] [Of course, that had nothing to do with you. Even in your previous life, you could not have afforded such a house. Avoiding the patrolling guards, you found your target. After confirming that the wall had no glass or similar defenses on top, you vaulted over it.] [Once inside, you crouched on the ground and observed the courtyard. It was quiet, but part of the villa's second floor was still lit. Bursts of noise came from inside, sounding like gambling. Paying them no heed, you went around to the other side of the house and climbed with both hands and feet to the third-floor balcony. Fortunately, the door was unlocked.] [You entered and discovered a woman tied to the bed. Approaching her, you realized she was an elf! She confirmed that this was indeed the Beard Gang's headquarters and asked you to save her. Though you could tell she did not have much hope, you said little. You did not untie her either, instead putting the cloth back in her mouth and signaling for her not to panic. You would be back soon. Then you searched every room on the third floor, killing everyone asleep there. You believed there were no so-called good people in this place, and servants would not be sleeping in rooms this fine.] [Then you went down to the first floor. First, you quietly examined its layout. Aside from two drowsy guards standing at the entrance, no one else was awake. You crept over, killed them, and gently lowered them to the ground. Then you began slaughtering your way through the first floor.] [You did not carefully count how many people you killed, but aside from the few servants you knocked unconscious, there must have been at least thirty. You could not understand why the supposedly largest gang in Marleons had such lax security, but you did not dwell on it. Perhaps you were simply too strong. And you could clearly feel that you had indeed grown stronger. Your overall strength had increased by more than a third. You had not yet had time to determine why, nor did you have any to spare just now. The people on the second floor were still waiting for you to deal with them.] [Most of the rooms on the second floor were empty, however. Everyone remaining seemed to be gambling in that illuminated room. At last, you reached its door. Taking a deep breath, you covered your face with a piece of black cloth, kicked the door open, and charged inside.]
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