The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 18

The city nearing dawn was very quiet. Even the soldiers guarding the gate were starting to feel sluggish. A yawning soldier straightened his spear as he noticed a group leaving through the city gate.

“Halt. Show your identification tokens.”

The man at the front of the group pulled out a wooden token from his coat. Engraved with the insignia of the Mercenary Guild, it was the most common and lowest rank. The soldier, looking unimpressed, scrutinized the group with obvious suspicion.

“Are you all mercenaries?”

“Yes, we are. We belong to the same company.”

“What’s the name of your mercenary company?”

“We are the Basilan Mercenary Company, a newly formed group you might not have heard of.”

Despite the smooth response, the wary soldier’s gaze eventually settled on one spot. It was directed at the person at the back of the group, who was carrying someone.

“Is that person injured? Why are they being carried?”

“He’s not injured, but he is a patient. We’re in a real hurry; can we hurry up and leave?”

“I cannot ignore the procedure. Let me see everyone’s faces properly.”

“But it’s really urgent. If you check this, you’ll understand.”

“What kind of trick…!”

The group immediately showed the soldier the person being carried. Unveiling the cloth revealed a face gasping for breath, covered with flushed red spots. The soldier flinched and stepped back hurriedly.

“This… Could it be…?”

“As you can see, it’s an emergency. We’re trying to get out of the city before it turns into a bigger issue.”

The horrified soldier waved his hand frantically, indicating they didn’t need to explain further. The other soldiers in the vicinity had already turned pale and stepped back considerably.

“Go on, hurry!”

“Thank you, soldier! Thank you!”

The group, bowing repeatedly, hurriedly ran off. Their almost sprinting pace gradually slowed as they moved further away from the gate. The tension that had tightly bound them started to ease.

“Wow, we really pulled it off.”

Hamar glanced back and clicked his tongue in amazement. The expressions of the others were similar. I, who had been pretending to be unconscious, slowly lifted myself up.

“We can probably stop a bit further up ahead. Lord Camille, am I too heavy?”

“No, it’s fine. During knight training, I marched carrying sacks weighing over sixty units.”

As he said, Camille didn’t seem tired at all. Despite running with a man his own size on his back, his breathing was steady. It didn’t use to be so different between us. A knight truly is a knight. I again felt the passage of time as I looked at his now much larger frame.

“At least we got through the first hurdle safely. But we must remain vigilant.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Everyone responded in low voices to Hale’s words. Getting past the first hurdle sounded nice, but in truth, it was more like a night escape. If we had started as planned, we wouldn’t be going through this ordeal. Even though I knew it was pointless, I couldn’t help but ponder the what-ifs. The dawn sky was unusually clear today.

* * *

Our expedition journey started rocky from the very beginning. I sensed things were amiss when we received an urgent call late at night. Upon reaching the office, we were abruptly given clothes and backpacks. We were informed we had to depart immediately.

“What the hell is going on, Captain?”

Hamar, who looked as though he had been dragged out of bed, scratched his head irritably. Sighing, Hale explained the situation.

“Just now, a group at the front gate was found with suspected infectious disease patients. The fortress will be sealed for ten days until the epidemiological investigation is complete. The gates will be closed, and the drawbridge will raised tomorrow morning.”

“…What did you say?”

I knew it was an emergency, but it was more serious than I thought. In any country, an infectious disease is a sensitive issue. If containment fails, it can result in more casualties than a war. Although modern treatments and response methods have improved, there were times in the past when entire kingdoms were wiped out by epidemics.

The principle is to quarantine an area with suspected infectious disease patients until it is deemed safe. The current situation was exacerbated by the influx of crowds from all over the nation coming to enjoy the Foundation Festival. A ten-day quarantine didn’t seem excessive under these conditions. However, it couldn’t help but feel uncanny that this was happening right before our expedition. Moreover, it wasn’t even the season for outbreaks.

“They’ve caught the scent. This is going to be troublesome.”

Others seemed to share my sentiments. Once the quarantine began, no one could enter or leave. The fortress, surrounded by a moat, had drawbridges at the main gate as the only entry and exit points. While we might find a way to get through the gate, crossing the bridge would be a challenge. Everyone silently changed into their new clothes and packed their bags.

“What about our identification tokens?”

“For now, take these.”

Hale handed us wooden mercenary tokens. Profession tokens issued by reputable institutions hold the same validity as identification tokens and mercenary tokens were among them.

Their simple design made them easy to forge, making them the most commonly abused profession tokens. The mercenary tokens we received were likely forgeries. Originally, we had planned to disguise ourselves as merchants, but the rushed schedule forced us to opt for the easiest to obtain.

“Well, these will have to do… but these people look too noble to be mercenaries.”

Hamar, rubbing the back of his head, looked at Camille and me with disapproval.

“Even though it’s nighttime and our appearances are less noticeable, we need to adjust our postures. Especially you, Young Lord Rouster. Your stance is too rigid. Loosen up your shoulders and stand more casually. No, even more casual than that. Is that the best you can do? At this rate, you might as well carry a sign saying you’re a knight.”

Camille, clearly flustered by such an unusual demand, stumbled awkwardly. Even after several attempts to adjust his posture, Hamar sighed in frustration, rubbing his forehead.

“This won’t do. Just…ugh. How am I supposed to take the field with rookies who haven’t even had basic training…”

“Give me some time, and I’ll practice.”

“Time is exactly what we don’t have, Young Lord Rouster. Didn’t you hear we need to leave immediately?”

“Let’s stick to the plan for now.”

As soon as I spoke, all eyes turned to me. Hamar, with a frustrated look from struggling with Camille, sent me a questioning gaze, as if asking if I had a solution.

“Isn’t our immediate goal just to get through the gate? If posture is the problem, we can use a method to distract their attention so they don’t scrutinize us too closely.”

“…Ha, this young lord here is living in a dream. The gate soldiers are the most scrutinizing people in the world. How do you plan to distract them? Cause a disturbance?”

“That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“Are you joking right now?”

Annoyance flickered on Hamar’s furrowed face. Instead of explaining, I looked around the room first. The only advantage of the Security Department offices is that each one is well-equipped with multipurpose rooms. Given the busy nature of our work and the restricted access for outsiders, the offices are optimized for functionality, meaning you can brew tea anywhere. As expected, this office had tea sets and a portable stove.

“Captain, can we take a moment to brew some tea before departure?”

“Tea… you say?”

Hale blinked in confusion. Ignoring Hamar’s irritated, “Is he crazy?” reaction, I continued.

“Use this magic stone. It’ll boil the water faster.”

Lisa, who promptly handed over an advanced magic stone, seemed genuinely intrigued by the situation. Thankful, I used it as fuel. Since we were brewing tea anyway, I steeped some leaves and handed everyone a cup. Thus began an unexpected social gathering. While Hamar grumbled, even he settled down to drink once he had the cup in his hand. Everyone’s faces, however, still displayed confusion about the purpose of this tea time.

“Why tea all of a sudden, Sei? You’re not fond of hot tea. Do you have a good idea?”

Camille asked cautiously as he approached. Surprised that he remembered such a trivial preference, I nodded.

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. But since they’re quarantining for an infectious disease…”

I had heard that in some regions of Dongryeong, they believe in combatting heat with heat. The principle is that drinking hot tea on hot days helps build strength to withstand the heat. I wasn’t sure if this applied to our current situation, but as long as we conveyed the right idea, it should work.

After finishing the remaining sip of tea in one gulp, I slowly rolled up my sleeve. My arm was covered with red rashes. The others, initially looking at me as if I were doing something bizarre, widened their eyes in shock.

“Let’s turn their assumptions against them.”

* * *

For a while now, I’d developed rashes when I drank hot water or took a hot bath. Medical check-ups showed no health issues. It wasn’t itchy or feverish, and the rashes went away quickly on their own, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. However, it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, so I gradually started to avoid hot water. The rash could easily be mistaken for an infectious disease, especially when severe.

Truly infectious diseases often have symptoms without any rash, but prejudice can be frightening. Once anyone saw something unsightly, they tended to assume the worst.

Plus, we were currently in a situation where infectious disease patients had already been reported and the fortress was about to be sealed. It was a universal truth that judgment falters in moments of urgency. By carrying me, Camille’s knightly posture was also disrupted, which I believed would deceive the gate soldiers’ eyes. Since it had worked, it was not a wrong judgment.