I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 22: Guerilla Warfare (2)

The march had come about very suddenly, but it was a necessity.

Volano had fallen about three days prior.

Though the swamp trolls’ movements remained uncertain, it was imperative to act quickly for the safety of Lothian, just in case.

‘The priorities are reconnaissance and interception.’

And if the swamp trolls’ next target was Lothian, they would have to be intercepted to delay their advance as much as possible.

Riding east, Yoo Seong mentally redrew the map of the surrounding area.

Volano, like Lothian, was a city located on the border between the kingdom and the untamed lands.

It lay to the east of Lothian, with a vast pasture and two villages separating the two cities.

It had taken Iserina about three days of frantic riding to reach Yoo Seong.

Ordinarily, the journey on foot would take at least six days, and given the swamp trolls’ slow pace, it could even take ten days.

The closest village to Lothian was two days away on foot.

Even on horseback, it would take at least half a day.

After riding for over two hours, Yoo Seong stopped to take a short break.

Though it might seem like only the horse exerted itself during such a ride, this wasn’t the case.

The horse’s back rose and fell violently while running, and the rider had to absorb the resulting shocks with their body.

Moreover, even with a saddle, maintaining balance and holding on while galloping required significant stamina and concentration.

‘René is surprisingly enduring.’

Perhaps because of her talent for riding, René still looked relatively unscathed despite the two hours of riding.

‘Now that I think about it, Iserina isn’t ordinary either.’

She had ridden non-stop for three days and still managed to meet with Yoo Seong without collapsing, so perhaps she also had a talent for riding.

After sending Alphonse back and resting briefly, René, who had been scouting with her light bird, asked,

“Heir, what kind of monsters are the swamp trolls?”

She had heard a rough explanation back in Lothian, but it was only a rough one at best.

Since they were about to face the swamp trolls in combat, more detailed information was essential.

“As I mentioned at the castle, they’re monsters with both immense strength and regenerative abilities. Given their massive size, they’re also incredibly durable.”

Their intelligence wasn’t particularly high, but they weren’t entirely mindless either.

“They excel in close combat. The acidic liquid they spit is short-range, but it’s strong enough to melt steel, making it quite troublesome.”

“And they throw stones from a distance, right?”

“Exactly. Depending on the size of the stone, they can throw one as big as a human head with such force and speed that it’s reminiscent of cannonballs. Also…it’s misleading to describe them as slow.”

When René tilted her head in confusion at his comment, Yoo Seong furrowed his brow and explained further.

“The trolls themselves are fast. Their large bodies can cover five to seven meters in the blink of an eye.”

Though they appeared sluggish due to their bulk, it was merely an illusion.

Even wild bears, when determined, could move at astonishing speeds.

“However, they can’t maintain that speed for long. It’s as if they tire quickly.”

“Ah, so that’s why they’re considered slow?”

While their burst speed was high, they couldn’t sustain it, so their overall movement speed was slow.

“Because of their sheer size and weight, and the fact that they’re always in a state of hunger, their activity level tends to be low.”

In Yoo Seong’s eyes, swamp trolls were akin to heavy tanks: slow-moving but devastatingly destructive once they engaged.

“The most troublesome aspect of fighting trolls is their regenerative ability. They’re already incredibly tough to kill, but with their healing, their combat endurance is immense.”

For ordinary soldiers, even a single wound could render them largely ineffective, but trolls with regenerative powers were different.

These monsters would keep fighting until they were well and truly dead.

“Since it’s been three days since Volano fell, there will likely only be a few trolls in the nearby villages. We’re more likely to encounter goblins than trolls.”

Swamp trolls tended to command goblins in tribal units.

If Iserina’s estimation of the swamp trolls numbering in the dozens was accurate, then the goblin horde that entered Volano must have easily exceeded a thousand.

It was at that moment that René, who had been keeping part of her consciousness linked to her light bird, suddenly stood up and exclaimed,

“There are refugees! They’re being attacked by goblins!”

“Alphonse!”

Yoo Seong mounted the jet-black warhorse that appeared amidst the light, pulling René up behind him, and immediately spurred the horse forward.

“This way!”

Even Yoo Seong could now see it.

A group of about ten goblins was attacking the refugees.

“René! Hold tight!”

Instead of replying, René clung tightly to Yoo Seong’s waist. Yoo Seong drew his sword and charged forward.

Hearing the rumble of the ground, a few goblins turned to face him, but by then, Yoo Seong had already closed the distance.

Slash!

A goblin’s head flew through the air.

Alphonse trampled over the goblins blocking the way, and René cast a spell.

“Paralyze!”

“Kiieek!”

The goblin poised to stab a fallen refugee in the back froze in place, mid-action.

Without even summoning Camelot’s forces, Yoo Seong leaped off his horse and charged the goblins, cutting down three in an instant.

“Fight! Fight him!”

The one who appeared to be the leader shouted while retreating, likely intending to use his subordinates as a distraction while he fled.

But Yoo Seong had no interest in the goblin’s cowardly tactics.

Charging straight at the leader, the other goblins scrambled out of his way.

Thud!

The goblin leader’s head rolled cleanly across the ground.

Without hesitation, Yoo Seong turned back to attack the remaining goblins, and together with Alphonse and René, they annihilated the group in moments.

[You have won the battle.]
[You have gained 1 Commander Skill Point.]
[Your Virtue has slightly increased.]

Quickly scanning the status window, Yoo Seong turned to check on the refugees.

Some had minor injuries, but thankfully, no one had died.

The goblins had been dealt with so quickly that the refugees, unable to fully process what had happened, blinked several times before realizing they were safe.

“Uwaaah!”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

As the tension broke, some collapsed in tears while others repeatedly bowed in gratitude.

Among them, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the group’s representative approached Yoo Seong and bowed deeply.

“We’re from Ragus Village. We were fleeing to Lothian.”

The man, clearly experienced, cut straight to the point without unnecessary chatter.

Ragus Village was located within the Volano Barony.

Quickly recalling the map in his mind, Yoo Seong asked,

“What about Philo Village?”

“I don’t know. It seems to have been overrun by the monsters, so we turned back and were ambushed by the goblins.”

Philo Village was the closest settlement to Lothian, and Yoo Seong’s intended destination.

‘The goblins must have sent a hunting party to target the refugees bypassing the village.’

Piecing the situation together, Yoo Seong turned back to the man and said,

“Hurry to Lothian.”

“Wh-what about you, sir knight?”

“I’m heading to Philo Village.”

The man flinched for a moment but, seeing the goblin corpses strewn around, he quickly nodded.

“I wish you good fortune.”

“Lothian is safe. Go quickly.”

Having said this, Yoo Seong mounted Alphonse again. The man suddenly raised his head and asked,

“Who…who are you, sir knight?”

His simple desire to know the name of his savior was clear.

René, beaming brightly, answered on Yoo Seong’s behalf.

“He’s Yoo Seong, Successor of Light and Lord of Lothian! And I’m René, his mage!”

With her cheerful proclamation, the man flushed red with embarrassment and hurriedly bowed, while the other refugees looked at Yoo Seong and René with a mix of awe and admiration.

“Let’s go, René.”

“Yes, Lord Yoo Seong.”

As Yoo Seong spurred his horse forward, René, chuckling softly, turned back to the refugees who were still watching and called out,

“Head to Lothian! Quickly!”

“We’ll go! Right away!”

The middle-aged man, who had instinctively shouted, began organizing the refugees and hurriedly moved forward. Meanwhile, Rene clung tightly to Yoo Seong waist, feeling a sense of pride.

But the moment of levity was fleeting.

Although everyone only suffered minor injuries, had they been even a little late, lives might have been lost.

The number of refugees who had arrived in Lothian with Iserina was barely fifty.

Considering that the population of Philo Village must have numbered in the hundreds, it was worrisome what had happened to the others.

As Yuseong galloped toward Philo Village, Rene sent a bird of light soaring into the sky.

With her mana now more than twice as strong, Rene’s ability to sustain the bird of light, as well as its range, had greatly improved.

With her face pressed against Yoo Seong’s back, Rene focused on the bird of light.

Philo Village came into view.

Smoke was rising from various parts of the village.

Rene moved closer.

She saw goblins.

She saw corpses.

People are tied up.

Meat roasting over fires.

Meat boiling in a large cauldron.

Fingers perched on the rim of the cauldron.

A boy being dragged by a goblin, screaming in despair.

A goblin chopping up a body on a large chopping block.

A girl screaming as she watched the boy being dragged away.

The boy was hauled toward a goblin wielding a large blade.

The boy cried out in terror.

The goblin raised the large blade.

“Ugh! Gagk!”

Her concentration shattered.

The horrific scene made Rene gag uncontrollably. She kept retching, unable to stop.

“Rene?”

Yoo Seong called out, but Rene could not immediately respond.

She struggled to swallow the nausea and gasped for air.

“There are people in the village. People are still there.”

Dozens of villagers were held captive throughout the village.

What Rene had seen was not just the boy.

Women reduced to mere playthings for the goblins.

Elderly individuals, bound to posts, used as targets for small axes until they perished.

The goblins hadn’t slaughtered all the villagers.

More than half were kept alive, being used as needed.

Rene, forcing herself to speak in a strained voice, recounted everything she had seen. After hearing her report, Yoo Seong asked in a low voice:

“…How many of them are there?”

“Close to a hundred goblins. I couldn’t clearly see the trolls, but I think they’re there. I caught a glimpse of massive creatures through the broken wall.”

Trolls and goblins were both present.

The number of goblins wasn’t small.

The villagers were scattered across the village.

So, what should be done?

How should I fight?

A plan to exterminate the goblins and trolls while saving as many villagers as possible.

Yoo Seong urged his horse onward.

He rode at full speed toward Philo Village.