Unchanged Samurai In Another World

Chapter 41: The Knight Learns the True Skill of a Mercenary

“Everyone, halt! Ahead, three Dog Demons!”

As they entered the barren land and the mountains began to come into view, monsters appeared on the road. Raoul shouted orders while considering their next move.

The protectors totaled only four of them. We couldn’t leave the carriage we were tasked to guard, and we couldn’t all rush in. Even though the apprentices were more than capable of taking down the enemies, their lack of real combat experience made potential error too risky.

Which meant, should I leave the carriage in the hands of the apprentices while I go in? No, that too felt uncertain.

At this point—…

“Master Raoul, this is my cue.”

As if reading our thoughts, the mercenary offered his assistance.

“My apologies. Would you take care of this?”

“Aye. With this setup of protection, unless it’s an extraordinary large group, it’s best for me to take the fight.”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Cross already had his bow drawn from horseback and fired off an arrow in rapid succession. One of the Dog Demons, seemingly about to charge, had a clean hole through its forehead.

“Wha…!?”

So fast—!

And what power and precision!

Even though longbows aren’t known for their quick-fire ability, his shot took less than three seconds from draw to release, all from the unstable position of a moving horse.

Knights aren’t trained in mounted archery, but even on foot, there are few bowmen who can pierce through the head with such force.

Unconcerned with the astonished Raoul, Cross immediately spurred his horse onward. Releasing his reins and drawing his sword from its sheath, he deftly weaved between the two remaining Dog Demons who were caught in panic and, as he passed by, cleanly beheaded them.

This…is above what I had imagined.

The weapon in his hand was shorter than what could be called a longsword, unsuitable for mounted combat, and yet, he moved as if his upper body were fused with the saddle, swinging his sword with an incredible lean. A less experienced rider attempting such a feat would’ve quickly fallen off their horse.

Truly, he and his horse move as one. Though it was an entirely different style from our knights, it was a level of skill that even the knight’s regiment hadn’t seen.

“Truly remarkable. I’d heard you were a swordsman, Sir Cross, but you’re also an expert with the bow and horsemanship.”

Raoul was deeply impressed. While his skill alone was commendable, the action he took clearly understood our situation.

There’s no doubt that with his rapid arrows, he could have taken all three down from a distance. His decision to charge in must have been to demonstrate his abilities to someone who didn’t know his true potential. While I had heard from Saria of his prowess, being cautious about the skill level of mercenaries upon first encounter is only natural for those responsible for guarding. However, in this moment of combat alone, I could not help but trust in his full capability.

“In my homeland, mounted archery is considered the epitome of martial arts, the highest level of warrior skills.”

“Martial arts…? Still, that power was extraordinary. Could you have been among the greatest bowmen in your own land, Sir Cross?”

“I’m not someone to brag, but I’ve dabbled well enough in the ways of bow and horse. My best is piercing through three suits of armor. It’s not something to boast about. There are skilled warriors in my homeland who could sink an arrow into the flank of a ship from a distance of eight hundred and seventy meters and sink it outright.”

“Hmm…I see.”

What started as a discussion of bows somehow turned into talk of throwing spears?

Regardless, even with an atlatl, the maximum range should be around a hundred meters. During the testing of crossbows from the Republic at the walls of Angila’s fortress, even that large weapon couldn’t reach such distances.

Though his expression showed no trace of a smile, was this some sort of jest?

“Is mounted archery rare in this country?”

“Aye, soldiers trained in mounted archery do not exist here, though I’ve heard such a combat style exists among the forest folk.”

“That’s understandable. I suppose it would be hard to find pointed arrowheads anywhere. Are there no arrow-smiths? Or perhaps, due the existence of magic, bows and cannons are simply undervalued. Next time, I’ll ask Aureik to at least create some willowleaf and shield-splitter arrows…”

Suddenly lost in his own mumble. As the moment passed, the apprentices, who had been guarding the carriage, approached cautiously.

“To control a horse with just the legs and not the reins…you are truly impressive.”

“Ho…how in the world…is that even possible? Like this? No, maybe like this?”

Aureik tried imitating it by strongly gripping the horse with his thighs while twisting his body, but the horse only whinnied in displeasure, resisting his commands. While the apprentices had received training in mounted combat, never had they seen someone riding hands-free.

“It’s not about the skill. This horse is simply brilliant, showing no fear of monsters. It’s well-trained—a fine military horse.”

“Fufu, you are too humble, Sir. Very well, let’s take your word for it.”

In this current state, with all the army heading north, there wouldn’t be any excellent military horses left. The horses ridden by Raoul and the others were all aged steeds retired from the front lines.

“Sir Cross, what are you doing with those…?”

In the brief moment Raoul glanced away, Cross had approached the Dog Demon corpses and was cutting off their right ears.

“This is called a ‘post-commission.’ If there happens to be a bounty placed at the Guild for these creatures, with their proof of kill, I can take and complete the commission retroactively. A bit of an adventurer’s wisdom.”

For some reason, compared to when he was talking about bows and horses, his face now radiated a satisfied, almost ecstatic grin. Was it some sort of pride peculiar to adventurers?

“An adventurer’s wisdom, you say…!”

“Zzz, I must truly learn more about this!”

Unfamiliar with mercenaries as well as adventurers, the apprentices were captivated by Cross’s stories. Though it might be considered unorthodox for those aspiring to be knights, many tales of heroism feature adventurers. It was no surprise that the young men’s eyes gleamed with fascination.

“Let’s continue as we speak. We must not keep Lord Renald waiting.”

Raoul, noticing his apprentices getting too excited, calmed them down briefly and signaled Pina at the driver’s seat to resume the march.