I Pretended To Have Amnesia and the Hero’s Party Becomes Obsessed

34 – 5. Desires Flow to the West Without Fail (3)

When I first heard the news of the rebellion by the cultists in the west, my initial thought was as follows.

Have the cultists finally gone insane?

The Empire’s west is nothing but vast plains and the sprawling sky adjacent to it.

Only foolish wanderer tribes and those who believe that the answers to life lie in nature reside there.

It is not easy to obtain food or even find drinking water. The lack of significant terrain is also a disadvantage, as it forces engagements.

It is truly the worst place to start a rebellion.

Therefore, I thought that whatever the purpose of that expedition, it would soon be buried. This belief was reinforced by the news that the Central Knights had taken the lead.

However, my speculation turned out to be pleasantly wrong.

The rebellion that began when the leaves fell showed no signs of being suppressed even now, deep into winter.

On the contrary, rumors began to circulate that the situation was not favorable. It was said that the Central Knights had suffered a serious blow to their prestige and were considering a retreat.

At first, I didn’t believe it either, but the information was too detailed to dismiss as mere gossip. Whether the details were exaggerated or not, it meant that the situation was indeed dire.

Therefore, whenever I thought of him, I couldn’t help but ponder one question.

Indeed, what could have defeated the prestigious Central Knights?

And now, having rushed from the west after receiving the commander’s urgent orders, I could witness the answer to that question with my own eyes.

“The moving fortress of Haule?”

“What?”

Unexpectedly, it was Irene who responded to my nonsense. She turned to me as if she had heard a sound she shouldn’t have.

“It’s nothing. Just nonsense, so don’t mind.”

“No, it’s not that…”

Suddenly, the eavesdropper interrupted us.

“Don’t worry about it, Blue Head. The vice-captain does this occasionally. Probably hit his head too many times… Ouch!!”

It wasn’t me who retaliated against the nonsense-spouting eavesdropper. Feya, stepping next to me, delicately stepped on the back of the eavesdropper’s head as he lay on the ground.

“Do you have any idea what that thing is, sir?”

“No.”

I answered that way and turned my gaze back to ‘it.’

Certainly, it resembled the floating swordspawn that the notorious Gaobari rode.

However, its size was ten times larger, and it couldn’t even be compared in terms of grotesqueness.

Its four legs were made up of numerous limbs connected together, and it consisted of tentacles, rusty machinery, and an indescribable fluid.

On top of it were eyes and a mouth that most unpleasantly imitated human features. From the mouth, instead of saliva, monsters flowed out, and on the eyes were bizarrely entangled red magic circles.

A monster pulled straight from the nightmare of a cultist suffering from extreme madness.

Clevans, stroking his trembling head, muttered.

“From necromancy to demonic arts, and even creatures from other realms… how many factions have gathered here? The knights are in for a tough time.”

Then, he turned to me and asked.

“The situation is more serious than I thought. Is it okay to step into this mess?”

I scratched my head, sighed, and replied.

“Let’s join forces with the commander first.”

Approaching military camp exuded a somber aura, where both people and buildings seemed weary.

“Halt!”

Turning around, a knight with a grim face approached, brandishing his sword nervously and aiming it at us.

“Reveal your identity!”

The reception was far from welcoming, freezing the faces of our group. I signaled them with a glance and stepped forward, extending a bronze hand.

“I’m Rem, the deputy commander of the Rosem Mercenary Corps. I’ve come after receiving the commander’s orders.”

The knight’s eyes shifted to the bronze hand, and he hesitated.

“The ‘mangled one’?”

Unfazed by the remark, I involuntarily furrowed my brow.

However, the knight seemed too weary to bother about such trivial matters. He sheathed his sword and turned away.

“…If you’re from the Rosem Mercenary Corps, they’re stationed to the west. Find your own way there.”

With that, he muttered something and disappeared.

“Did things really go south that badly?”

Suddenly, Clavance appeared by my side with a serious expression. Instead of answering, I recalled the knight’s demeanor just now.

Untidy armor, unkempt beard, piercing gaze.

If the knight looked like that, what about the soldiers?

Thoughts of having already lost in the war began to creep in, followed by unanswered questions.

What did the commander see in such a situation to find a way to end the agreement?

“Hey, you mountain corpse!”

A boisterous voice shattered my contemplation. Looking up to confirm the speaker, I once again failed at maintaining a composed expression.

A colossal figure befitting the nickname of a giant hybrid,

A beard covering his entire face,

And within it, shining blue eyes.

I sighed inwardly and whispered to Faea’s ear.

“Take the kids and join the commander first, youngest one.”

“Got it.”

“What? Why are you whispering like that!”

“Pahng-!”

“___!”

I barely swallowed a groan as pain spread across my back. I lowered my head and forced my mouth open.

“Hello, Uncle Yong-gam.”

“Call me Uncle!”

Once again, a hand slapped down on my shoulder. It was an expression of affection for him, but to me, it felt like a beating.

I steadied my stumbling body and looked up at him. He casually placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled.

“First, let’s go to my lodge and talk. Can’t pass up a drink after not seeing each other for so long!”

Oh, good grief.

***

Dorun Dryman, a man who went from being a slave to the leader of the largest mercenary group.

In simple terms, he could be considered my benefactor.

He aided us when the leader and I were being pursued, and when we formed the mercenary group, he supported us wholeheartedly. In truth, the debt of gratitude we owed him was not easily repayable in a lifetime.

However, separate from that, both the leader and I didn’t particularly enjoy butting heads with him.

“Come on, have a drink!”

… It was because of his fanatical faith and love for his alcohol.

I looked at the misty-colored drink in a full cup. Even if it weren’t alcoholic, it was an amount that was not easy to gulp down willingly.

“…Yes.”

However, Dorun’s face, with teeth bared in a smile, had a strange power to it. It was almost like a threat conveyed through his expression.

I closed my eyes tightly and downed the cup in one go.

The feeling of intoxication spreading to the tips of my head, and the sensation of my stomach churning with liquid. I struggled to place the cup back down.

“This is a specialty liquor from the region made with horse milk. How is it? Not bad, right?”

“Yes, it’s not bad.”

“Then, have some more.”

“What?”

Without giving me a chance to object, he poured more alcohol into the cup. As I looked at the now full cup with dismay, Dorun smiled once again.

“You wouldn’t refuse, would you?”

“…No.”

In the end, I was only able to have a proper conversation with Doren after emptying three glasses of alcohol in a row.

I steadied my dizzy head, overwhelmed by intoxication and disarray, and asked, “So, what exactly is going on? People are acting like it’s the end of the world.”

“It’s going the way it’s going. Fucked up.”

Doren downed the drink in the goblet as if it were a mere beverage.

“They said some cultists were acting up in the barren wasteland, thought it would be easy to handle, but…”

His blue eyes gazed beyond the tent. The ominous castle loomed in the backdrop of the setting sun, strolling along the horizon.

“Didn’t expect there to be such a monstrous mess… Damn it!”

An irritated reaction.

However, my questions remained unanswered.

“It certainly looks like a monster, but… is the Central Knights’ Order really struggling just because of that?”

The Central Knights’ Order I knew consisted of nobles with high noses, unlike the empty-headed knights. Unlike the tin cans that ventured outside the citadel under the pretext of preventing leaks of holy law, the Central Knights’ Order had consistently cleansed the empire’s enemies throughout history.

As someone who had witnessed their skills, it was hard for me to accept that they couldn’t handle that one thing.

In response to my disbelief, Doren just shook his head.

“Well, the Central Knights’ Order isn’t what it used to be. Ever since your commander and that incident…”

“Ahem!”

I loudly cleared my throat. It was only then that Doren realized his mistake and scratched his head.

“Oh, right, this isn’t the place for that kind of talk. My apologies.”

And then, Doren quickly returned to the main topic.

“Well, anyway, the Central Knights’ Order has changed, and there was a major supply loss.”

“A supply loss?”

Doren stretched his arms wide.

“As you can see, there’s nothing around here, right? So, we heavily relied on the supplies sent from the capital, but those got snatched by the command mages.”

Only then did I understand the underlying desperation of the initially boastful knight. After all, morale ultimately comes from the stomach.

The fact that it was the dead of winter probably played a role too.

“There were no preparations for an attack?”

“There were, but we didn’t expect to be attacked within the empire’s territory, let alone near the city.”

Within the empire’s territory, the words come flying and pierce my mind. The subsequent word that emerges is “commander sorcerer.”

“Wait, did you say we were attacked within the empire’s territory? And by a commander sorcerer no less?”

“Yeah, the numbers were more than expected, and there was nothing we could do. The regular army guys had excuses…”

“When did this happen?”

Doren, with a puzzled look, still willingly answered.

“It was probably around the beginning of winter… Why? Is there something bothering you?”

The commander sorcerers who had been eyeing the cargo.

There is no confirmation.

But there is enough suspicion.

The timing aligns, and above all, it’s hard to believe that another force was rampaging through the empire’s territory at that time.

Did they cut off the supply immediately after giving up the cargo? No, was the attack on the cargo a diversion, and the real purpose was to cut off the supply?

I scratched my face.

I thought the mission was over, but they clung to me like untidy scraps that couldn’t be cut off.

Each time, an unease settled in my heart.

A feeling like I had missed a big piece.

And that piece would cause a serious problem later.

However, that feeling soon faded away.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry too much. In the end, we’ll win.”

I snapped out of my thoughts. Doren extended his scarred arm and continued talking.

“In the end, we’re just holding out because of the shortage of supplies. Soon, when the weather eases up a bit, the empire will send supplies again. Then we can advance again.”

And, he patted my shoulder and grinned defiantly.

“Most importantly, you’re here. Even if we lose, we won’t die. Right? You ‘worn-out’ bastard.”

I couldn’t help but wince at his words.

Always surviving even if it means becoming worn-out, being called a ‘worn-out’ bastard.

Mercenaries had a terrible sense of naming.

“Overrated. I’m just an ordinary…”

My tongue froze.

It was because of the scene that briefly flashed outside the tent.

Curly red hair,

A stature smaller than others,

And, a wide-brimmed blue hat.

“Excuse me.”

“Huh?”

Ignoring Doreun’s questioning gaze, I stood up from my seat and quickly stepped outside the tent.

Fortunately, I didn’t miss it.

The camp was quiet, and amid the gray military tents, the blue-brimmed hat seemed to shine alone.

The steps turned into an alarm,

The alarm turned into a run,

And the run quickly became a sprint.

As I approached, my certainty grew in my heart.

Finally, when I grabbed her wrist, I couldn’t speak because my breath was caught in my throat, so she opened her mouth first.

Thus, she was the one who spoke first.

Her green eyes turned to me with a faint tremor.

“Rem?”

Parsley, she asked with lightly trembling eyes.

“Why are you here…?”

It was a question I sincerely wanted to ask.