My Demons

“Do not force me to ask again! Are you mercenaries?”

I wanted to deny it, but it was futile.

Clad in a convincing cuirass and equipped with a falchion and buckler at my waist, it was clear that I resembled a mercenary. Who else would be adorned with such gear?

Trying to maintain my composure, I responded to the shouting man.

“Yes, I am indeed a mercenary.”

“What about the one beside you? Dressed like a wizard?”

The man, possibly an officer, emerged from the ranks accompanied by several subordinates, standing in front of us.

Unlike the soldiers donning thick leather armor, he was adorned in meticulously crafted iron plates.

Wearing a metal mask that concealed everything but his eyes and nose in the shape of a ‘T’, and wielding a formidable flail, he emanated an aura of intimidation.

While the man’s expression remained inscrutable, the soldiers behind him overtly eyed us with suspicion.

Could they suspect us of being pirates? Well, that is a plausible assumption, considering we are foreigners.

“I am La-Pala-“

I swiftly covered Ellen’s mouth as she attempted to respond and pulled her behind me, gripping her arm firmly to prevent her from escaping. It was up to me to answer.

“This child is my niece. She is young and incapable of casting magic; she is still in the process of learning.”

“A student.”

The officer scrutinized me with his glassy eyes.

…Uncle Pyeong warned me never to avert my gaze when lying.

Despite the fear that averting my gaze might instantly result in an unfavorable outcome, I couldn’t help but lock eyes with the officer.

“Master of Arms, you must depart now.”

Master of Arms? Is that an official title?

Regardless, upon hearing the soldier’s whisper, the Master of Arms issued a command.

“The lord has given a mobilization order. Obey or face imprisonment.”

“Understood. Then, I shall send my nephew to-“

“No, now! Can’t a young girl escape on her own?”

The Master of Arms stormed off without waiting for a response.

However, I couldn’t disregard his order and flee. Two soldiers stared at me menacingly, while another group of soldiers approached from a distance.

But the moment the Master of Arms vanished from sight, Ellen shook off my hand and exclaimed.

“A student? I am a proud-“

“Hush!”

I swiftly covered Ellen’s mouth, meeting her eyes.

“Yes, I know. You are a proud wizard who will one day become the greatest archmage in the Middle World.”

My whisper managed to calm Ellen somewhat.

“But for now… well, you are not currently in a state where you can fully showcase your wizardly prowess, right? So-“

“Hey! How much longer will you prattle? We’ll arrest you if you don’t leave immediately!”

Damn, they’re becoming impatient. How long has it been?

A brief glance revealed the soldiers’ restlessness.

Soldiers in the midst of a battle are unpredictable. Provoking them would be unwise.

Hurriedly, I handed the bag to Ellen and said, “Your task now is to safeguard our belongings. We acquired them at a good price, and it would be a shame if anything were to happen to them.”

“Hold on, you…”

“Move, now!”

With a forceful shove, I propelled Ellen forward and swiftly turned my body, breaking into a run alongside the soldiers.

A powerful gaze bore into my back, but I resisted the urge to look back.

As we raced toward the dock, the number of soldiers multiplied, snatching up anyone armed in their path.

By the time we reached the dock, a mix of mercenaries, sailors, commercial guards… and perhaps conscripts, were following the orders, herded together under the command of a single officer.

These conscripts were divided into two groups, each led by a sergeant, as if they had the plan to utilize us separately from the existing forces. It seemed like a shrewd decision, although I couldn’t determine if it was advantageous for me.

Until I arrived at the dock, I had maintained a somewhat optimistic outlook on the situation.

The soldiers defending South Harbor were well-equipped and disciplined.

The command structure was firmly established, and there were around six individuals dressed as wizards.

In contrast, the pirates I had encountered a few days ago were nothing more than rough brutes armed with mere weapons.

Furthermore, there were already a considerable number of soldiers gathered on the dock, leading me to believe that they could easily repel the pirates.

However, reality proved to be far different from my expectations.

“Citizens’ militia, move forward!”

“Huh, so we’re just a citizens’ militia.”

What does a name like ‘citizens’ militia’ even mean? Not a single soul here could be considered a true resident of South Harbor.

Grumbling under my breath, I complied with the sergeant’s command and proceeded forward at a slow pace.

I maintained my position, shoulder to shoulder with the mercenaries on either side, neither falling behind nor pushing ahead.

But why, out of all the members of the citizens’ militia, did I have to stand at the very front? Was I unlucky? Had I done something wrong?

The answer lay with this cursed buckler!

They placed me in the front row simply because I carried a buckler, a shield. It was barely large enough to cover one shoulder. Utterly unfair, I must say.

On the other hand, the lord’s soldiers positioned themselves in the center and on the right flank, while the conscripts—or rather, the citizens’ militia—occupied the left flank.

Once the formation was established on the dock, we maintained our alignment and slowly advanced toward the awaiting pirates.

The dock had already fallen into the hands of the pirates. It appeared that the soldiers who had been guarding the area had either perished or fled.

How could these ragtag scoundrels armed with nothing but makeshift weapons overpower well-equipped soldiers?

But not all pirates were mere scum.

Swish.

A slicing sound ripped through my thoughts, flying perilously close above me.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but it felt so near that it brushed against my hair, sending shivers down my spine.

The eerie sensation was fleeting as arrows rained down upon the pirates from behind.

The lightly armed pirates in the front row were skewered by the arrows, their bodies bleeding and lifeless.

Glancing backward, I witnessed soldiers perched atop the buildings busily reloading their crossbows.

“Whoa!”

“We’ll shoot back!”

“Fire, you bastards!”

A brief commotion erupted among the pirates, and arrows were unleashed.

Thud.

“Ugh,”

Unbelievable! An arrow narrowly missed me, embedding itself into the shield of the mercenary beside me.

In that moment, I cursed myself vehemently. More precisely, I cursed my past self, Kim Seung-soo, for foolishly opting for the buckler just because it had the “opportunity attack” option.

Kim Seung-soo, you foolish damage dealer. Why didn’t you equip the larger shield when both were magical items?

Gazing at the robust tower shield that enveloped the man standing next to me, my regret intensified.

The buckler I held was barely the size of my head. To block an arrow, I would have to swat it away like a fly, not merely hold it in place.

The problem was, the arrows flew incredibly fast. They seemed at least three times swifter than a fastball thrown by Ryu Hyun-jin.

Thus, I held up the buckler, attempting to shield my head and neck.

Ugh, if only I had purchased a helmet first.

Thud!

“Gak!”

Just like that, an arrow struck my chest, causing a jolt of pain to radiate through me.

Thankfully, it ricocheted off my breastplate, but a suffocating ache lingered.

“Are you alright?”

“Keuk, yes, I’m fine.”

Upon hearing my response, the mercenary man approached me.

As he drew nearer, his shield instinctively guarded my right shoulder.

Could this man be my savior?

“Th-thank you…”

“Hehe, can you handle your sword? Cover my back.”

“Huh? Y-yes, of course…”

I nodded, wearing a terrified expression. He must have assessed my physique and the weapon I wielded, assuming I possessed considerable strength.

Truthfully, I was on the verge of panic.

Fighting a few pirates on a ship was an entirely different ordeal from facing an army.

The place where I found myself immersed in chaos was, quite literally, a battlefield.

Harsh breaths, shouts, the swooshing of arrows piercing through the air—or wood or flesh—the cacophony of screams overwhelmed my ears.

The scent of the sea and blood, mingled with the aromas of sweat and grease, and the acrid odor of gunpowder, numbed my senses.

Beneath the raised buckler, a sea of pirates sprawled before me. There were so many, filling my vision to the point that estimating their numbers became impossible.

They seemed to be uttering something beside me, but their words were inaudible.

Among the ragtag pirates, the armed ones began to emerge.

They sported iron masks with attached chains, donned chainmail extending down to their knees, and wielded massive two-handed axes.

This is not good. It’s perilous.

Glimpsing into their eyes, I felt the urge to flee.

They were bloodthirsty beasts, and I was but a feeble individual who had stumbled into victory through sheer luck.

There was no way I could triumph.

“Hey!”

“Hu ack!”

Startled by a tap on my back, I swiftly turned around. Before me stood a woman, or rather, a female warrior.

Wearing a round helmet, the female warrior frowned upon catching sight of my face.

“What the, this guy. He’s completely terrified.”

“What, what’s the matter?”

“Speak while facing forward!”

Ugh, I must be out of my mind. Turning around when the enemy is right in front of me!

An arrow pierced the ground, annoying me to the point where I burst out shouting.

“Damn it! What do you want?”

“Hah, such a temper. We’re about to charge with our comrades. Cover our backs.”

“What the hell are you…?” Before I could even finish my response, the sergeant bellowed loudly.

“Militia! Charge!”

“Wooaah!”

Following that, the female warrior let out a cry as if she had been eagerly awaiting this moment and dashed forward.

Five mercenaries joined her, roaring with determination as they surged ahead. The man who had shielded my shoulder was among them.

Even before the soldier beside the sergeant blew the horn, the female warrior and her companions had already surged forward, moving about four or five steps away from the formation.

“Charge!”

“Death to them!”

In the blink of an eye, everyone around me began charging.

Amidst this overwhelming frenzy and fervor, all I could do was stand there, trembling and stumbling.

“This is madness. What is happening?”

“Hey! Charge!”

Caught between conflicting emotions, the grizzled sergeant approached me and bellowed,

“Charge, you coward!”

Whack!

His rough leather-gloved hand struck my face.

…This son of a…

The pain was barely felt, but an immense sense of shame and disgust surged from the depths of my being.

Swoosh.

In an instant, I launched a full-force kick that landed square in the sergeant’s gut.

“Ugh!”

As the sergeant bent over in an ‘n’ shape, dropping to his knees and retching, two soldiers behind him were taken aback, pointing their spears at me.

“Hey, have you lost your mind?”

“Drop your weapon!”

Whoo-

Observing the writhing sergeant at my feet, a hollow feeling filled my chest as if a vast amount of air had rushed into my lungs.

That’s right, I wasn’t Kim Seung-soo; I was Phoenix.

I wasn’t a 30-year-old commoner; I was a resolute Blood Knight.

Oh, Rhyme Voso, the name of a resolute Blood Knight. I should have chosen a name like that.

“Drop your weapon, you bastard!”

The soldier yelled as he thrust his spear.

Compared to the arrows, the spear thrust was astonishingly slow. It moved at such a sluggish pace that I had ample time to block it with my buckler, even while yawning.

Bam!

“Ugh.”

Not only did the buckler deflect the spear, but it also shattered the shaft.

The strength of my original body combined with the power of the ring, a relic of a fallen Blood Knight, amplified my physical prowess beyond that of an ordinary person.

A fleeting sense of invincibility surged through my veins. The blood of a fierce warrior began to boil within the spirit of an ordinary citizen.

“Hey.”

“Wha-What is it?”

I gazed at the two trembling soldiers, maintaining a calm tone.

“This was an act of self-defense. He suddenly slapped me, and I became angry. Wouldn’t you?”

“That’s some bullshit…”

“Let’s not waste time.”

I discreetly glanced ahead, where mercenaries and pirates clashed in a frenzied melee.

Pointing in that direction with my falchion, I declared,

“I’m about to charge.”

“…What?”

“I’m charging. Since I haven’t committed any crime, you guys need to be my witnesses. Understand?”

The soldiers exchanged apprehensive looks.

Such bothersome individuals. I didn’t have time to engage in conversation with them…

“Ugh, damn mercenary…”

The sergeant, who had been kneeling, wiped his mouth and staggered to his feet.

Impressive, he managed to stand even after enduring such a forceful kick.

What was even more surprising was that, before directing his anger toward me, he surveyed the battlefield.

“Damn it…”

With a darkened complexion, he muttered a curse under his breath.

Is he at a disadvantage?… It’s difficult to discern.

“You there!”

“Ye-Yes, sir?”

Ugh, I couldn’t help but use honorifics since I was technically guilty.

“You seem rather strong.”

“Well… I suppose I am.”

“Hmph, you dog. Bring me the heads of twenty enemies. Then, I’ll forgive you.”

“Twenty?”

“Yeah!”

Phew, I was worried about the situation, but this is somewhat of a relief.

But twenty? That seems like quite a lot…

However, I couldn’t negotiate here. Doing so might attract a genuine bounty on my head.

“It’s a promise!”

“Alright, you bastard!”

As soon as I heard the sergeant’s response, I stomped on the ground.

Simultaneously, I slit my wrist with the falchion.

Blood trickled out, enveloping the blade and the shield.

A burning thirst enveloped my entire body.

My vision tinged with a slight red hue, yet my senses sharpened to an extraordinary degree.

And a charge without a battle cry is incomplete.

I gathered strength in my abdomen and let out a cry akin to that of a madman.

“AAAARRGH!”