Firentis and Klethi

The bright, sunny weather had vanished at some point, shyly hiding behind gloomy storm clouds.

Beneath those dark clouds, a troop of elite cavalry appeared on the southern hillside, pounding across the green grass as they raced back into camp.

Meanwhile, Allen was still asleep with his head on the table, a young woman keeping watch beside him.

The noise of the returning cavalry woke Allen. As he sat up, he instinctively caught the garment slipping from his shoulders. Turning his head, he found a fair-skinned, blond girl standing beside him, her blue eyes filled with a gentle smile.

Oh, Ymira. Allen nodded and smiled at her. "Thank you." Ymira smiled and shook her head.

"Allen."

A shout from one of the returning riders drew Allen's attention. The man had short brown hair touched with gray and only casually trimmed. Heavy bags beneath his eyes, a large nose, and a thick beard made him look thirty or forty, but his clear eyes held a resolve at odds with his worn-down appearance.

Allen felt certain that this man must be Firentis.

"Thanks for your hard work, everyone. What's the situation out there?"

Allen first thanked the returning cavalry, then asked Firentis about their reconnaissance.

"Allen, it's terrible. I've never seen anything like this in Calradia."

With a grim expression, Firentis untied a black object from his horse and tossed it onto the ground.

"A half-orc, a goblin, or a hobgoblin?!"

Allen studied the head covered in black blood, unsure what to make of it.

"Black blood? I think the Half-orcs in Rings of Power had black blood. Have we ended up in Middle-earth?"

Half-orcs were an incredibly common fantasy creature. Most fantasy worlds had some version of them, though their specific traits and names differed.

For example, the ones Allen knew best were the greenskins of Warhammer Fantasy. One branch of them was called goblins, and they looked rather like the thing on the ground, though most had green skin. They were apparently a kind of fungus, reproducing through spores and photosynthesis. In other words, plant one head in autumn and get thousands of offspring the following year. Thank goodness it wasn't one of those, or Allen would have fled no matter what. If he couldn't escape, he could only wait to die. ┓(´∀`)┏

The most primitive and widespread Half-orcs in Rings of Power, however, were called Orcs, and they fit the head on the ground rather well.

Gray-black skin, sparse, scraggly hair, an ugly face, and crooked, filthy teeth. Most importantly, of course, there was the black blood. Allen nudged the head with his foot, and after confirming that the fresh trickle of blood was also black, he relaxed.

If he had to rank fantasy worlds, Warhammer Fantasy was the place Allen least wanted to visit. It was a world steeped in despair-the despair of never escaping your destined fate, no matter how hard you struggled. Forget having only a simulator; even bringing along a Red Alert mobile construction vehicle might not be enough to survive.

The Lord of the Rings was different. If this was the Fourth Age, then under King Elessar's protection, he only needed to sort out his residency. With the simulator, he could surely live as a powerful local figure. There might not be internet, but Allen thought he could endure that little hardship. 罒ω罒

But what if this was another age? As long as it wasn't the First Age, he ought to be able to put up some sort of fight with these followers and his simulator.

"Allen, do you recognize this thing?"

Firentis keenly noticed Allen's movements and changing expression. Convinced that Allen might recognize the creature, he felt half his worries subside, and the grim look on his face eased considerably.

"I know what it is. It's a filthy half-orc, also called an Orc. They're servants of darkness, the devil's minions. This isn't a species native to Calradia."

While answering Firentis, Allen was reviewing what he knew about the man.

Firentis was actually a young man with a middle-aged face and a miserable expression. A devastating upheaval had changed his appearance. According to what Allen had read online, he was only in his twenties, a genuine nobleman's son who had once served as an officer in a Swadian cavalry unit.

He had abandoned his bright future to wander because he had accidentally killed his own younger brother while fighting over a woman.

Apparently, the woman had played both sides, stringing both brothers along. In the end, his younger brother had attacked first, and Firentis had killed him by accident.

Now he traveled in atonement, seeking spiritual redemption. Since he was willing to serve as an officer in this company, he must have approved of its conduct.

Which means I must be an upright, kindhearted leader. That's no easy task. I'll have to be careful from now on. Allen quietly considered how he should play his role.

Beside him, Firentis heard that the creature wasn't native to Calradia, and his newly eased anxiety surged again. He hurriedly asked, "Then where are we now?"

Allen didn't answer Firentis directly. He nudged the head again and asked instead, "Let's leave that aside for now. Tell me what happened last night and what you found on today's reconnaissance. I need some information, and I'm curious where this thing came from."

Faced with Allen's questions, Firentis could hardly press the matter. He steadied himself and began describing everything that had happened from the previous night through the morning.

The company had indeed been stationed in a camp near Vezin the day before. Nothing unusual had happened during the first half of the night. To guard against a retaliatory attack by sea raiders, Firentis had specifically requested extra crossbowmen to secure the camp's perimeter.

These camps had been built near Sargoth by Allen's predecessor to make it easier for the troops to pursue sea raiders over an extended period.

The local residents were fond of Allen for clearing out those parasites.

But most of the region's rulers were unwilling to welcome an elite force like Allen's, especially mercenaries, because they wanted to preserve their authority and keep their lands stable.

After all, mercenaries had a mixed reputation. Some companies were scarcely better than bandits.

So, through considerable effort, Allen's predecessor had secured permission from Mariga Boier, the highest-ranking noble in Sargoth.

He had then paid a substantial sum out of his own pocket to hire villagers from various settlements, using the available resources to construct camps nearby where the Mercenaries could stay.

Halfway through his report, Firentis offered unstinting praise. "Allen, I have to say it again: only you would do this. I've never heard of another Mercenaries captain spending so much effort and money building camps just to give his people a safe, comfortable place to live. You're truly far too kind to your men."

Caught off guard by the praise, Allen quickly understood what was going on and could only reply awkwardly, "It's only right, only right." He had no idea what his predecessor had been thinking. Wouldn't that money have been better spent recruiting more soldiers?

The conversation returned to that morning. Deshavi had awakened Firentis, and Ymira had been the third person roused. Ymira had long looked after Allen's meals and daily needs, and Allen had repeatedly stressed that no one else was to enter his tent unless absolutely necessary.

Although the morning's events had been bizarre, there had been no immediate crisis. Firentis had therefore asked Ymira to wake Allen. After waiting a while without seeing Allen emerge, he had led the cavalry out to scout.

At this point, however, Firentis mentioned that Ymira had come straight back out after entering Allen's tent. He didn't know what had happened inside.

As Firentis brought this up, his weary face became positively animated with curiosity. Allen had no intention of satisfying his appetite for gossip and continued asking about the half-orcs instead.

Firentis then described their reconnaissance. He had led the cavalry out to explore the area around the camp. To the east lay a forest stretching beyond sight, while to the west stood a mountain range extending to the horizon. A great river running between them divided the wilderness.

More specifically, they had first ridden north along the river at a slow trot for over an hour without finding any sign of habitation. They had then turned back, made a loop eastward through the wilderness, and ridden south for more than two hours. At a river ford, they had caught up with a small group of Orcs riding black wolves.

Allen could readily imagine such an encounter. Half-orcs plainly weren't creatures of any lawful alignment. Firentis would certainly have treated them as monsters to be eliminated, especially since they rode wolves.

The feeling would have been mutual. Upon seeing humans like Firentis and his men, those Warg Riders certainly wouldn't have come over to exchange friendly greetings.

A fight had therefore been inevitable. After a brief standoff, the two sides-more than twenty riders in total-had charged each other with weapons swinging. Although Firentis and his men had already been riding for nearly four hours, the Swadian cavalry were formidable fighters. They had wiped out the enemy at the cost of only one lightly wounded man.

At this point in his report, Firentis paused, glanced at Allen's expression, and spread his hands. "That was when I couldn't find Klethi."

"What?"

Allen froze at the news.

Yes, Klethi had slipped away on her own at that point. She thought those obviously nasty creatures must have been up to something terrible, so she had quietly left, using the tracking skills she had learned from Deshavi.

She knew Firentis would stop her from acting alone, so she had chosen to act first and explain later. While Firentis was directing the men as they cleared the battlefield and wasn't watching her, she had quietly followed the Orcs' trail across the ford.

After noticing that Klethi had slipped away, Firentis had crossed the ford and searched for a while. Finding nothing, he had taken the head and the spoils and brought the cavalry back first.

Firentis said he was used to it, however, and trusted Klethi to return safely.

Even setting aside her formidable throwing skills, the superb white horse she rode was enough to ensure Klethi's safety. It was remarkably intelligent and magnificent.

Firentis admitted that he had coveted it for a long time. Unfortunately, Allen had given the horse to Klethi to thank her for saving his life.

Klethi wasn't an especially skilled rider, but she and the horse had been together for quite some time and had developed an understanding.

"All right. I suppose that's all we can do."

Allen sighed helplessly, then sent Firentis and the cavalry off to rest and asked Ymira to prepare lunch.

Poor Ymira, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, still had to cook for a bunch of rough men. Just then, Deshavi returned carrying a sturdy stag over her shoulder. Sweat covered her dark face, and she cheerfully announced that she would make a whole roast deer for everyone.

Allen couldn't help marveling at how well these people took everything in stride.

Still, he worried about Klethi. That young girl might be the company's only unpredictable element. He didn't know whether to call her exceptionally skilled and daring or simply far too proactive about her work. She had actually left the main force to track the enemy alone.

In the game, though, Klethi had always been rather reckless and astonishingly bold. She had once complained to the protagonist that Artimenner was meddling in her business.

She had said that she had merely slit open an enemy's belly to search for loot. What was there to make such a fuss about? Allen had stared at that dialogue for a long time.

She was probably from the Vaegirs. Her father seemed to have died young. Her family had originally owned land, but their relatives had forced them out, leaving her mother no choice but to work as a cook in a noble household. Klethi had gone with her.

Once she was a little older, her considerable agility had led her to perform shady tasks for certain nobles. After a complicated series of events, she had regained her freedom.

She was probably the youngest person in the company, only about fifteen or sixteen. Although she had endured all sorts of darkness and had a poor grasp of conventional morality, she was cheerful, sympathetic toward the weak, and valued friendship. In the game, she and Deshavi had been especially close.

Deshavi was the company's best guide and tracker. As long as Klethi had learned even a little from her, she should be able to return safely. Probably?

"Enemy attack! Due south! Prepare for battle!!!"

Just as Allen was debating whether to take Deshavi and the cavalry out to search for Klethi, Bunduk's shout from the wooden watchtower jolted him out of his thoughts.

Allen hurried up onto Bunduk's wooden platform and looked south. Beneath the dark sky, a white speck was racing toward camp down a hillside several miles away.

Seven or eight black specks were pursuing it, spreading out to cut it off from both sides. As they drew closer, he recognized Klethi on her white horse, with seven or eight Warg Riders chasing her.

"I'm back! Help me!!"

A girl with short reddish-brown hair galloped desperately, gripping the reins in one hand and holding a child dressed in rags with the other as she shouted.

The Rhodok sharpshooters guarding the camp's perimeter had already begun picking off the wolf riders behind Klethi. Hearing the commotion, Firentis, who had only just gone to rest, mounted again and charged out with several men.

The rest of the cavalry followed one after another, including the fellow with the minor wound.

Ymira and Deshavi, who had been preparing food, grabbed the weapons beside them and rushed to the gate to defend the camp. Even Artimenner drew the longsword at his waist and took a defensive stance.

All of this happened within a few short minutes. By the time Allen descended from the platform, Alayen was already waiting in full armor with Allen's weapons and horse.

His handsome young face was filled with eagerness. Apparently, this fellow was a battle enthusiast.

But the battle ended before Allen had any chance to act. Firentis and the lightly equipped cavalry caught the Warg Riders as they tried to turn and retreat. What followed was nothing more than a slaughter.

"B-boss, we need to rescue people! Those monsters attacked a village!"

The girl with long reddish-brown hair hurried toward Allen, her face covered in sweat, carrying the child and shouting as she came.

"Act first and explain later, is that it? Slip away without a word, is that it? Well?"

As Alayen helped him put on his armor, Allen glared at the freckled girl whose features had yet to fully mature and scolded her.

After a pause, he asked irritably, "We'll deal with you later. How many of them are there?"

"Probably fifty or sixty. They're all monsters riding those black wolves. They'd only just broken into the village when I left. If we hurry, we should still be able to save a lot of people."

Klethi's anxious expression instantly turned sulky. She didn't think she had done anything wrong, but she didn't dare argue with Allen outright. Turning her head away resentfully, she answered his question, then pouted and kicked the Orc head beside his feet flying.

"All right. Understood."

After hearing the news, Allen considered it and decided he should rescue the villagers. From what he had observed, most of the company wanted him to give that order. His predecessor would certainly have ordered a rescue as well.

Even setting aside the importance of playing his role, Allen wanted to save them because it was what he truly felt was right. He also assessed their fighting strength and figured they should be able to win.

Having made up his mind, Allen looked around at the people gradually gathering around him. Seeing their expectant eyes, he loudly announced his decision. "Everyone, you have ten minutes to prepare. In ten minutes, everyone who can ride is to assemble here."

At the order, his followers returned to their tents and quickly helped one another into their armor.

Once armored, Allen mounted with perfect ease and reached out to take the Heavy Cavalry Lance and cavalry kite shield Alayen handed him. Then an excited Alayen mounted as well and followed Allen out of camp.

Their coordination was utterly seamless, as though they had gone through this routine countless times before.

Riding out of camp, Allen felt somewhat bewildered. As far as he remembered, he had never ridden a horse. At most, he had seen them.

Yet when the moment came, he had done everything instinctively, without thinking at all. It was as if his brain was frantically saying, I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this, while his body calmly replied, Don't worry. Let me show you how it's done.

It was strange, but stranger still, several Rhodok sharpshooters actually led horses out of the stables, mounted, and followed Allen.

Since when were mounted archers equipped with siege crossbows? Is this some new tactic I developed? That's completely ridiculous. Allen silently criticized his predecessor.

A short while later, Firentis, Deshavi, Klethi, and even Ymira arrived beside Allen in full armor. Allen looked curiously at the seemingly delicate Ymira, then suddenly understood.

He had been training them all as heavy cavalry, merely with different areas of emphasis. Deshavi focused on mounted archery, Klethi on throwing weapons, and Ymira was a heavy cavalry trooper meant to charge enemy formations.

The fully armored Swadia Knights were the last to assemble. Wearing great helms and sleeveless plate armor, with cavalry shields on their backs, cavalry swords at their waists, and Heavy Cavalry Lances in hand, they silently gathered behind Allen.

Of course, this wasn't their true complete form. Fully equipped, their horses would also wear heavy armor. But this was a pursuit, not a charge into enemy formations, so horse armor wasn't necessary.

Allen looked back into camp and pointed at Jeremus, who was leading out a mule, and Artimenner, who was shouting, "I can ride too, but I don't have a horse!" Then he called to Bunduk, who couldn't ride and remained on the platform, "Stay here with them and guard the camp. We'll be back soon."

Hearing the order, Bunduk nodded impassively, reassuring Allen.

Allen then looked back at the twenty-odd people behind him and felt that he ought to say something at a moment like this.

In plenty of movies and novels, leaders reminded their followers before battle that their fight was just and their actions noble.

With his inner adolescent blazing to life, Allen turned his warhorse halfway around to face the others and declared proudly:

"My friends, my soldiers, I have always wanted us to be a noble company, beloved by the people. I hope that we who hold firm convictions will always do what brings honor; I hope that we who wield sharp weapons will always strike down those who deserve death; I hope that we who possess strength will always help those in distress. Now, people in distress are waiting for us, weapons in hand, to save them. Everyone, what should we do?"

"Of course we should help them, just as we always have! Kill those bandits! Kill those who hurt others for their own selfish gain!"

An impassioned Firentis roared his answer, prompting everyone else to shout along.

Allen raised his Heavy Cavalry Lance in response to their cries and signaled for Klethi to lead the way. Tugging the reins, he shouted, "Move out!" His warhorse whinnied and followed Klethi south.

A little over an hour later, they were near the Old Ford. Deshavi had discovered something new there and needed time to examine the tracks, so the others took the opportunity to rest and eat.

Allen chewed the dried beef Alayen had handed him, looking at the broad patches of foul blood on the ground as he listened to Deshavi's analysis.

Deshavi looked grave. Studying the tracks with her head lowered, she reported her conclusions to Allen in a clear voice:

"My lord, I think we'll have to keep pursuing them south. Look at these tracks. It seems several dozen wargs came over from the other side of the river with somewhere between several dozen and a hundred humans. They stopped here for a while, then headed south. The tracks are fresh. They shouldn't be too far away."

"The bodies are gone too. Those monsters' bodies were right here."

Still chewing his food, Firentis came over and remarked casually.

"They wouldn't leave the bodies behind. When they're hungry enough, even their own kind are food to them. At the very least, they can feed them to the wolves."

Allen spoke casually, but his words frightened Deshavi and Firentis.

"So don't show any mercy when facing these evil creatures. There can be no peace between us. But that's a matter for later. Deshavi, you'll lead from here. Firentis, tell everyone to move out."

At Allen's command, the entire company swiftly set off south.