Chapter 51: A Group Of Kidnappers

I prayed that they would just go away, but apparently my lack of faith was not heeded. Near where we were hiding, a group of horsemen pulled up the reins.

"It was a long shot, but there was a woman in the mix. Let's take that little b*tch, too."

The man who spoke to us had something lying in his saddle.

"We can't take too long."

"I know, Snowdon-sama won't be satisfied with just one prey. Come on."

Leaving one man behind, the nine dismounted and rode into the forest.

Damn. These guys. Are they from Marburg? Marburg is one of a group of independent city-states scattered in the southwestern part of the kingdom. It is a city where the king of greed, Snowdon, reigns over the neighborhoods of the kingdom and other squanderers and outcasts. It was a city of crime, where the main industries were kidnapping and human trafficking.

It is a den of bastards, but it has a powerful assassin, and no one is willing to take the brunt of it to suppress it. The current king, Qandeel IV, once thought of taking down the city, but he is believed to have not acted publicly since the suspicious death of the general who he gave the task to.

They are kidnappers by trade, so as long as the default ransom is paid, they will be released without a hair out of place. However, the fate of those who miss the deadline or fail to pay is harsh. Slaves can only be bought and sold through slavers authorized by the kingdom. Slave traders wouldn't risk purchasing from Marburg, and a hell awaited them as illegal black slaves who would never be released.

The Marburgers moved at regular intervals to semi-encircle the area. They were closing in on Eilia as she stood there rigidly. She looked left and right and had a look of despair on her face. It was quite an act, I would say. She must have looked unarmed to them because she was holding the mace behind her body along with the entire leather bag it was stored in.

Unlike usual, Comba, wearing a ringmail made of metal rings, is standing by Eilia's side. He looks like a simple lumberjack, with a large body and a face that is still young. The kidnappers must see him as easy prey. As the two men slowly backed away, Carrie and Carlisle made their move when they were within about ten steps of each other.

They pounced on those on either end of the wing. I easily cut down the two who were completely unaware of my presence. At the same time, I threw my knife at the two in the center, and made a big leap over the head of the leader man who remained on horseback. The treetop shakes and makes a rustling sound as it recoils. The blade of a shortsword held in the opposite hand was sucked into the mouth of the man who was distracted by it and looked up.

The startled horse yelps and rears up on its haunches. He was shaken off, but landed on his feet while losing his balance. The sack then tumbled down and I held it up. From the soft feel of the bag, I knew that it was a living creature inside. Gently laying the sack on the ground, he pulled his sword from the dead man and went behind the rest of the men.

The two men who had taken my knives during this time were easily taken care of by Comba. The two knights also took out one more each, leaving three men left. In desperation, one of them attacked Eilia, but she was able to pop the scimitar off with her mace. He ducked down and ran for his horse, which I cut down.

"Damn it. We're Lord Snowdon's men!"

It was a little pathetic to see him bluffing. But Tiana wasn't here today.

"So?"

The man who turns to me makes a huffing face.

"You. You look familiar. Aren't you Harris from Norn?"

Oh, that's trouble. Someone remembers me. But now I've made up my mind. I can't let him live.

"I don't know anybody with that name."

The man groans and lunges at me, but Carrie's sword, diving in from the side, clears his torso. The other tries to run away, but Carlisle intercepts him, and Comba's battle-axe flashes and the head partes with the torso. I retrieve my knife, signal to them to make sure to finish them off, and return to the sack. I cut the string binding the mouth of the wriggling sack.

I opened the bag to reveal a wild-looking girl with brown skin and large dark eyes. Her hands are tied behind her neck. A challenging glint in her eyes. I went around to the bottom of the bag and pulled it up. The girl rolls out of the bag. I cut the bonds on her hands and feet with a knife, and she quickly got up.

Before I could even scratch the front of her clothes together, I saw a glimpse of her lovely, shapely breasts through a gap in her torn clothes. She's cursing something, but I can't make it out. Carrie approaches me.

"She says she's going to rip out your heart and eat it. What did you do?"

"Do you understand the words?"

"In a manner of speaking. So?"

"Well, I ain't done nothing more than let her go because she was locked in a bag and cut the cord that was tying her up."

Carrie says something, only to be met with fierce words. When she look at my guys coming in one after the other, for a moment she look scared. I put my hand behind my back and remove my cape. I throw it at the girl. I ask Carrie to translate.

"I ain't gonna do anything. Go back to your friends. But it's embarrassing to be dressed like that. Wrap yourself up in that."

The girl stared at me, but she took the cloak and wrapped it around her upper body. It was long and wide enough to cover her petite frame. She jumped on the back of a nearby horse and put her finger to her mouth and blew on it. Following the girl's horse, the other horses galloped away. Urging my companions on, we too hurried away from the scene.

Eilia came close to us.

"Harris. It seems that one of those ruffians knew about you."

I knew she had heard about me. I had taken Snowdon's job once before to pay off a debt. If they knew I was involved with those guys, I'm sure they would despise me.

Before I could give up and confess my past, Eilia opened her mouth.

"Your name is widely known in this region. Harris, as expected."

I could only shrug awkwardly at Eilia, who gives me a soft smile.