Chapter 19: Wanted Criminals, the Maw Bandits (1)
People gathered in front of the bulletin board were staring anxiously at the notice posted on the wall.
[Wanted Poster]
In the vicinity of Felton Mountain, a violent group known as the “Maw Bandits” had taken up residence, making it difficult for merchants to travel through the area.
Previously, they had plundered the property of the Farend Merchant Union and attacked merchants on multiple occasions.
The Farend Free Citizens’ Union is offering the following bounty to resolve this matter.
(1) Name: Unknown. The leader was called the Bloodied Maw of Felton Mountain.
(2) Charges: Robbery and attempted murder
(3) Bounty: Alive – 100,000 gold / Dead – 50,000 gold
“They still haven’t been caught?”
“I heard rumors they’re quick on their feet and skilled, too.”
“Well, that explains why the bounty is so high.”
“Of all things, why do bastards like that have to be nearby…”
While the people gathered in front of the notice were all murmuring with grave expressions, there was just one person… whose face looked quite different—Hardin.
His eyes were wide open, gleaming with curiosity.
“Damn, a bounty of 100,000 gold?”
His mouth began to slowly part.
One hundred thousand gold—such a fortune. If he caught those bastards, they would actually give him that money.
If he got that reward… he could at least hire five more mercenaries. Even if he didn’t reach the original target headcount, he’d be able to fill something close to it.
Of all times, that poster just had to appear right in front of his eyes at this moment?
“…This is destiny.”
God Faeron must have looked upon his wretched situation and lent a helping hand.
It felt as though a rope had descended from the heavens.
No matter what, he had to go for this. Absolutely, without question.
“Thank you.”
If this worked out well, he’d even try praying from time to time going forward.
If it didn’t? Then obviously he wouldn’t bother again.
Hardin stepped forward.
“Hrmm, excuse me for a moment.”
“Huh? What are you doing?”
Rip!
He tore the wanted poster off the bulletin board and stuffed it into his clothes.
The onlookers frowned and asked.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“What’s the point of taking that down?”
“Heh, I… have some use for it.”
Ignoring the grumbling complaints, Hardin just curled his lips into a smirk, turned around, and vanished.
---
About twenty minutes by horseback from Farend, there was a stretch of mountain ridge. A man was wandering around, carrying a leather satchel at his side and a big basket in one arm.
Short in stature and with a skinny build, he had a mischievous-looking face. His name was Mikkelsen.
The youngest member of the notorious Maw Bandits, and a self-proclaimed herb-gatherer who roamed the mountains collecting mushrooms and medicinal plants.
“Let’s seeee… Are there a lot of mushrooms growing?”
These would be perfect for broth, and those over there would be delicious grilled…
While Mikkelsen was plucking mushrooms from a tree and humming to himself—
“Haaah… Haaahhh…”
A groaning sound drifted up from down the slope.
‘What’s that noise?’
Mikkelsen tilted his head, then carefully walked in the direction of the sound.
Before long—
“My back… My baaack…”
Down the mountain, he spotted a man staggering along, using a tree branch as a walking stick.
He looked to be in his early to mid-twenties.
A man with yellow hair and a face full of irritation stood there, dressed in a shabby noble’s uniform.
From the look of him, he didn’t seem like a bounty hunter…
His cheeks were so gaunt they looked hollowed out, and deep shadows had settled under his eyes.
He must have been some drifter from a noble house who’d lost his way and was now wandering around in the mountains.
‘Ugh… Should I help him?’
Mikkelsen scratched his head, hesitating.
Half of him worried that helping might just lead to annoyance, but the other half felt a twinge of pity seeing that wretched, beggar-like face.
Just then—
“Excuse meee… Hellooo?”
“Gah!”
A voice rang out right by his ear.
Mikkelsen jumped back like he’d been struck by lightning.
The yellow-haired man was standing right in front of him, casting a shadow over his face as he stared blankly at him.
‘H-huh? When did he get here?’
He was sure that just a moment ago the guy had been over there.
Had he imagined it? Or was he seeing a ghost?
A shiver crawled up his spine.
Mikkelsen hurried to wipe the bewilderment from his face and asked back.
“Ahem, what is it you want?”
“Ah, nothing much. I just wanted to ask you something.”
At that moment, the yellow-haired man—Hardin—slowly raised the corners of his lips.
“By any chance… do you happen to know the Maw Bandits?”
“What?”
“I came here looking for those bastards. I’d like to meet them.”
The Maw Bandits? This guy… he knew their name?
He knew about them, and he’d approached without making a sound.
In that instant, Mikkelsen’s instincts sensed it.
‘This bastard isn’t some ordinary young noble.’
And if that was the case, there was only one answer left.
‘A bounty hunter…? Did he toss out bait?’
Mikkelsen swallowed nervously and said,
“I don’t know them.”
“You don’t? That’s strange… I really get the feeling you’d know them quite well.”
Hardin’s lips curled even higher.
So high it was hard to believe a mouth could stretch that much, and the gentle smile transformed into something like a demon’s grin.
“I-I said I don’t know.”
“Ehh, but if you tell me anything, it’d really help…”
Step by step.
As Mikkelsen slowly backed away, Hardin closed the distance just as steadily.
“D-d-don’t come any closer!”
“Aw, why noooot.”
What should he do? Who the hell was this guy?
Sweat beaded on Mikkelsen’s forehead, and his body began to tremble.
In a situation like this, the best method was…
“Ah, screw it!”
Shaaack!
He hurled the basket full of mushrooms.
‘What else? I’m getting the hell out of here!’
Mikkelsen spun around and sprinted madly up the ridge.
“Uwaaaaa!”
Blue light flashed in his eyes as he bolted forward.
His speed was so fast it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to compare it to a wild beast.
‘Anyway, this whole area is my territory!’
No matter how strong that bastard was, he himself was a proper mana user—and when it came to this mountain’s terrain, he was far more confident…
Just then, a voice came from right beside him again.
“Excuse me, I’m telling you to stop for a moment?”
“Eeeeek!”
Mikkelsen’s mouth fell open when he saw Hardin running right next to him, keeping pace stride for stride.
Like some kind of ghost, he matched his speed exactly, sending chills down Mikkelsen’s spine.
“G-get lost!”
Vwoooom!
Mikkelsen reflexively swung his fist.
A fast, powerful punch imbued with mana.
With that much force, he could easily smash a small boulder to pieces barehanded…
“Hyah! Hyah!”
“Eeeeek!”
But even as he ran forward, Hardin dodged effortlessly, merely swaying his upper body from side to side.
He did it all while wearing a smile, without the slightest hint of strain.
‘He… he’s not normal.’
…Was he possessed by a ghost? How could a person do this to me?
I mean, I’m a mana user, you know?
“Hey, I’m just saying, let’s have a little chat. Why do you keep swinging your fists?”
“Shut up! Go away already!”
Sweat began to bead thicker on Mikkelsen’s forehead.
He turned his head—and spotted a patch of low trees and shrubs up ahead.
‘I’ll shake him off there!’
“Hrnnn!”
Mikkelsen leapt high over them.
Fwaaash!
And the moment Hardin jumped to follow—
Fweeeep!
With the sound of a whip cracking, Hardin’s body flipped upside down, dangling in midair.
‘Got him!’
Mikkelsen, who’d made it past first, turned his head to look back.
There was Hardin, dangling from a rope tied around him, swaying from a tree.
It was one of the traps Mikkelsen had personally set up in case bounty hunters or trackers ever showed up.
“You idiot! I told you not to come!”
Mikkelsen paused to wave his clenched fist victoriously, grinning.
“Oh, what’s all this you’ve prepared?”
Still hanging from the rope, Hardin lifted his torso, reached up, and grabbed the cord.
Seeing that, Mikkelsen sneered and shouted,
“It’s no use! That rope was soaked in viper venom and woven with ox sinew! Even a bear couldn’t tear—”
…But right then—
“Ah, is that so?”
Crack! Craaack!
Hardin simply ripped the rope apart with both hands.
Thud!
He landed on the ground and flashed Mikkelsen a wide grin.
“Then I guess I’m stronger than a bear.”
A chill ran down Mikkelsen’s spine.
‘He tore that… with his bare hands?’
What the hell was this guy?
Mikkelsen’s legs began trembling violently.
In the end, there was only one thing he could do now.
Thud!
“Eeeeeek!”
Swishhh!
He turned and ran, snatching up a rock from the ground and flinging it backward.
But…
“Hey, I told you—stop. This won’t do anything.”
Hardin easily twisted his torso side to side, dodging it all.
“Don’t come near me! Stay away!”
“Come on, I’m saying all you have to do is talk for a moment.”
As Hardin relentlessly closed the distance again, the space between them quickly narrowed.
‘N-next! I’ll shake him off over there!’
Mikkelsen clenched his teeth again and sprang forward in a big leap. Hardin, who was right behind him, stepped onto the spot where he’d been standing.
Shaaack!
In that instant, Hardin’s body sank straight down.
A glimmer of hope appeared on Mikkelsen’s face.
‘D-did it work this time?’
The second trap he had personally prepared to shake off pursuers—Behold, the Thorn Pit.
No matter how formidable a man was, if he fell in there, he’d turn into a human pincushion and never climb out… or at least he shouldn’t be able to.
“Good grief… seriously… These days, even bandits have quite the craftsmanship.”
Scrape, scrape.
Hardin crawled right out of the pit.
It wasn’t that the trap had been completely useless—blood dripped from a small cut on his forehead.
The problem was… with Hardin still smiling while blood trickled down his face, he didn’t just look like a ghost anymore—he looked like some kind of monster.
‘This is inSAAAAANE!’
Just looking at him was enough to make Mikkelsen’s blood turn cold.
“Uaaaaah! I told you to stop coming, you lunatic!”
“I’m not a lunatic, though?”
So continued the chase between Hardin and Mikkelsen.
Log traps, rock throwing, dropping trees—Every sort of trick and tactic imaginable was thrown at him, but the smile never left Hardin’s face.
“Haaah… haaah…”
What the hell was this guy? He’d never met anyone like this before!
Mikkelsen’s body was drenched in sweat, and the mana in his circuits was running lower and lower.
“Stop right there.”
Even so, Hardin kept coming with that same smiling face, and Mikkelsen simply could not bring himself to stop running.
Running purely on instinct, he fled and fled without end—until—
Whack!
“Gah!”
A blow like a hammer slammed into the back of his head.
Mikkelsen collapsed to the ground with a dull thud, froth bubbling from his mouth.
“Urrgh… urgh…”
As his vision gradually darkened, Hardin slowly approached, wearing that same terrifying smile that had haunted him all this time.
“Got you.”
P-please… spare me…
And with that, Mikkelsen’s vision turned to complete darkness.
---
After Hardin and Mikkelsen’s touching (?) chase finally ended, about twenty or thirty minutes had passed.
“Uuuuuugh…”
Mikkelsen, the Maw Bandits’ adorable youngest member and self-proclaimed herb gatherer…
His eyes swollen and puffy, Mikkelsen was trudging along, tied up with rope.
Thud!
“Aaagh!”
Just then, Hardin, holding the rope from behind, kicked Mikkelsen square in the backside and shouted,
“Walk faster. You planning to keep me out here all night?”
“N-no, sir!”
An irritated look spread across Hardin’s face.
‘This worthless bandit is wearing me out.’
All he’d meant to do was catch him, rough him up a bit, and ask for directions.
But the bastard had turned out to be way better at escaping than expected, making Hardin sweat buckets.
He’d assumed they’d be a capable lot since they had such an absurd bounty on their heads.
But there was one thing he’d overlooked…
‘My body is absolute garbage.’
He’d recovered his mana, but this body was so feeble, and without proper training, every muscle in him had been screaming.
“Haaah. I’m tired as hell.”
Gulp, gulp.
Hardin took out a potion he’d bought back in Farend and chugged it down.
Between climbing up the cliffs and the chase, he’d burned through a lot of stamina and mana and needed to replenish both.
Tsss.
Five hundred gold for a single bottle… and he had to waste his hard-earned money because of this bastard…
Hardin glared at Mikkelsen and said,
“Dammit, you little shit. Try living decently for once, will you?”
Thwack!
“Aaagh…!”
After smacking him on the back of the head, he felt like at least a bit of his frustration had been soothed.
A moment later, Mikkelsen began casting furtive glances at him and then spoke up.
“Um… sir.”
“What.”
“What exactly did you do to me?”
“What now.”
“Ever since you hit me earlier… I… I don’t think I can use my mana anymore.”
Hardin answered in a flat, disinterested voice.
“Oh, that? I put a mana seal on you.”
“A… mana seal?”
“Yeah. It’s something mages use. You’ve heard of it, right?”
“…You actually used that? On me?”
“Yup.”
Hardin gave him a faint smile.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
How in the world could he even do something like that?
Despair slowly crept across Mikkelsen’s face.