The Support Ate it All

Chapter 152: No.471 Great Eagle Escort Mission (2)

The person blocking the path was clearly a mountain bandit. He was a member of the Green Forest bandits.

As if to confirm my guess, other Green Forest bandits emerged one by one from the bushes to join him.

The presence of rustling sounds and watchful eyes from all directions indicated that they had been lying in wait here for some time.

“…”

The tense gazes of the bandits focused on the head guards.

For this escort mission, there were three head guards including Go Hyeon-woo, with head guard Kang being effectively in charge.

Although he had lost to Go Hyeon-woo in a martial arts match, he had the most experience in the escort agency, making him second to none in that regard.

“Follow me.”

Head guard Kang took a few escorts and stepped forward.

Then, a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard emerged from the other side to meet them.

His aura was much fiercer than the other bandits; he was the leader of the Green Forest bandits stationed at this pass.

“Head guard Kang, it’s been a while.”

“Have you been well?”

“Always the same. No news is good news, right?”

The bandit leader joked like that. For bandits, “no news” meant no one was dying or getting hurt.

The group of Ronin escorts was highly tense and they were ready for a fight to break out at any moment. But seeing the two talk like old friends left them feeling somewhat deflated.

Ratty asked,

“Is that what it is? Paying a toll to pass through?”

“It seems so.”

“I’ve heard about it, but this is the first time I’ve seen it in person.”

The relationship between the escorts and the bandits.

An escort mission rarely took the same path only once, and encounters with the Green Forest or the Waterway bandits weren’t uncommon.

The first meeting might involve drawn swords, but continued bloodshed was a loss for both sides.

So, paying a reasonable toll to pass became customary.

Just like the pouch head guard Kang was handing over right now.

After taking the pouch, the bandit leader asked,

“It looks like the cargo is smaller than usual today. There are too many escorts too…”

“We’re transporting something very important.”

“Something important… is this a big score?”

The bandit leader asked playfully.

Even though the Green Forest bandits consistently collected tolls, if the carriages carried enough wealth to live off for a lifetime without ever having to rob again,

The delicate balance they’ve maintained so far might collapse.

However, head guard Kang remained calm.

“Important items aren’t always valuable items.”

“Haha, that’s true. We have no intention of gambling against such numbers.”

From the bandit leader’s perspective, this escort mission seemed particularly threatening because the number of escorts was twice as many as usual, and each one appeared highly skilled.

They might win, but the losses would be too much.

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Even if the cargo were worth risking their lives for, just like head guard Kang said, it might not be valuable in monetary terms.

In that case, the better choice here would be to maintain a friendly relationship and continue to collect tolls.

The slightly heavier pouch than usual also likely contributed to that decision.

The bandit leader gestured over his shoulder and asked,

“Are you planning to cross that pass again today?”

“It’s best to stick to familiar paths whenever possible.”

“If it were me, I’d reconsider.”

His tone which had been friendly throughout suddenly turned serious, so head guard Kang had no choice but to ask,

“Why do you say that?”

“We’ve lost contact with the Go-eung bandits recently. Even the messengers we’ve sent haven’t returned.”

The Go-eung bandits were stationed at the next pass the escort team was supposed to cross.

Since they were like neighbors, there was frequent communication between the two bandit groups, but the sudden silence from the other side meant something unusual had happened.

Head guard Kang adopted a serious demeanor and bowed his head respectfully.

“Thank you for the information. We will consider it carefully before deciding our next move.”

“Do that. Alright, men, let’s go!”

The bandit leader led the Green Forest bandits away like a receding tide.

Head guard Kang did not immediately set off but instead gathered the other head guards.

Head guard Jo, who had slightly less experience than head guard Kang, and our Go Hyeon-woo. Head guard Go.

Kang briefly summarized the situation.

“If something has happened at the Go-eung bandits’ hideout, it is very likely that we will encounter problems while crossing the next pass.”

“But we don’t really have any other options, do we?”

It was head guard Jo who spoke.

He continued.

“We must deliver the goods as quickly as possible, and we don’t have the time to take a detour.”

“Um… but isn’t safety the priority?”

Should they risk the danger and push through, or should they ensure their safety even if it means missing the deadline?

Head guard Kang and head guard Jo had differing opinions.

At that moment, Go Hyeon-woo who had been silently listening spoke up.

“May I offer my opinion?”

“Go ahead.”

“If the ones who have taken over the Go-eung hideout are targeting our escort mission, they won’t just let us go even if we take a longer route.”

“So you’re saying we can’t avoid a fight either way.”

“That’s right.”

Of course, Go Hyeon-woo was just saying what was written in the strategy guide.

Taking a detour would result in the same outcome, only wasting the time needed to clear the dungeon.

Therefore, I had instructed him to support head guard Jo’s opinion.

However, even without considering these unspeakable circumstances, it was a perfectly reasonable opinion.

Head guard Jo added a word to the silent head guard Kang.

“After all, weren’t the Ronin recruited with such situations in mind? Our forces are not weak either.”

“…Hmm.”

“And as you saw from the bandit leader’s reaction, they won’t easily pick a fight with us. Even if they do, we can handle it.”

“…Alright. We’ll proceed head-on.”

Head guard Kang nodded his head.

The halted escort mission soon began moving again.

I thought to myself as I watched the carriages moving.

Of course, that’s only half correct.

The assumption that the bandits won’t pick a fight is based on the premise that they don’t know exactly what the escort is carrying.

If the carriages were filled with gold and jewels and the bandit leader knew it, the Green Forest bandits would have risked their lives to attack.

In the same way, the bandits we would meet knew exactly what was inside.

And they won’t hesitate to risk death to retrieve it.

The convoy continued its journey, and even while crossing the second pass, it remained peaceful for a while.

However, around halfway across, Go Hyeon-woo slowly looked around and muttered to himself.

“This doesn’t feel right. We should stay alert from here on.”

“…!”

Go Hyeon-woo was one of the top experts in this convoy.

When he issued a warning, the others quickly drew their weapons and began preparing for battle.

Sure enough, a moment later, a few figures dressed in black blocked the path ahead.

While those we encountered at the previous pass clearly looked like Green Forest bandits, these individuals seemed suspicious at first glance.

It was even more suspicious because they were all wearing black martial uniforms with a tinge of red.

Moreover, the sense of presence and gazes from all around felt almost identical to the previous pass.

The difference was that, in addition to the presence and gazes, there was an intense sense of killing intent strong enough to prick the skin.

Head guard Kang studied the faces of the people in black and his face hardened.

“…I don’t recognize them.”

For head guard Kang, who had traversed this pass countless times, meeting strangers meant the situation would immediately take a turn for the worse.

Negotiations would have to start from scratch, and in most such cases, negotiations usually failed.

Still, you never know about people until you talk to them.

When head guard Kang signaled with his eyes, Go Hyeon-woo and a few temporary escorts followed him as if to guard him.

Head guard Kang approached the opposing camp and stopped at a respectful distance before asking his question.

“Greetings. I believe this area is under the jurisdiction of the Go-eung bandits.”

“I am the new leader.”

The man who appeared to be the leader of the people in black replied in an emotionless tone.

As expected, something significant had happened within the Go-eung bandits.

Even though head guard Kang already knew the answer, he handed over the toll pouch with a sliver of hope.

“I see. This is a small token from our escort agency to the new leader. We hope for your favor in the future and kindly ask you to let us pass for now.”

The man in black uniform accepted the pouch. Though he barely checked its contents before nodding his head.

“Received. Now leave the carriages and get out.”

“…”

“Then you might be able to keep your lives.”

Head guard Kang was not the least bit flustered.

He had already anticipated such a turn of events and had encountered similar situations more than once in his line of work.

He responded in a calm tone.

“Even if we leave the carriages, it doesn’t seem like you intend to spare us.”

There was no reason to reveal their killing intent so openly if their only goal was the cargo.

From the beginning, they blocked the convoy with the intention of killing them all and silencing them.

“…”

The man in black uniform remained silent for a moment, then suddenly closed the distance at a terrifying speed.

And then a bright flash of light seemed to fly,

Thud—!

Before it was blocked just an inch from head guard Kang’s face.

In his hand, a thick dagger had appeared at some point.

He had the skills expected of someone in his position.

In the next moment, Go Hyeon-woo stepped forward and slashed his sword, causing the man in black uniform to swiftly dodge and retreat back to his original position.

It seemed he had perfectly avoided the attack, but several men in black next to him collapsed instead.

This was because Go Hyeon-woo had aimed his sword energy at them from the start.

“…!”

Even as they fell, they didn’t utter a single scream which showed just how harshly they had been trained.

The man in black uniform spoke without even glancing at them.

“Attack.”

Swish, swish, swish…

The men in black uniforms who had been lying in wait began to emerge one by one. And the encirclement tightened.

Due to their unique footwork, a sound like snakes slithering across the ground echoed through the place.

While watching their movements closely, Ratty and Woeful exchanged words.

“Brother Kim, stay sharp.”

“If you space out like earlier, you’ll lose your head.”

“Yes, brothers.”

Naturally, they took positions on either side of me as if to protect me.

Swish, swish, swish…

The distance between the men in black uniforms and the guards decreased steadily and,

“Aaaargh!”

“You bastard!”

“Die!”

Clang, clang, clang!

The place was quickly filled with screams, shouts, and the clashing of weapons.