On this planet, the status of Beastmen was extremely low.
This wasn't only about social status—even in combat, their standing was pathetic. If compared to an RPG, then Beastmen were basically the same as slimes or goblins—those low-level mobs players encountered right after starting the game. Even Skaven were a greater threat than them.
After all, Skaven could at least forge various kinds of weapons, allowing them to trade blows with different races. Beastmen were different. They didn't craft weapons at all, relying only on their bodies and claws in combat. At most, they picked up discarded weapons from battlefields, and that was already their limit.
And since those weapons were never maintained, their usefulness was questionable.
At least for Duanmu Huai and his companions, even if Beastmen launched a sudden raid, they posed no real threat.
As the most conspicuous figure in the group, Duanmu Huai naturally drew most of the Beastmen's attention. They roared madly, charging at him with raised weapons, trying to prove their strength by bringing down such a terrifying foe.
Unfortunately for them, their blades couldn't even scratch his Power Armor—they simply bounced off. Duanmu Huai gripped his Thunder Warhammer with both hands and swung with full force, smashing the Beastmen before him into the ground, leaving them as nothing more than piles of broken flesh.
Olgis still sat steadily on Duanmu Huai's shoulder, holding a book in one hand. Her other hand stretched forward, fingers trembling slightly. Nearly invisible puppet threads spread into the battlefield, forming a deadly trap. Like an invisible meat grinder of spinning blades, any Beastman who dared step into it was sliced into minced flesh.
Whether it was fatty cuts or lean strips wasn't something Olgis cared about.
Compared to that, Anne wasn't doing much. Because her magic was overwhelmingly powerful, Duanmu Huai had told her to stick to the backline and only use beginner spells like Manaria Magic Missile—which was more than enough against Beastmen.
Since Duanmu Huai was pulling most of the Beastmen's aggro, much like a T in a party, the Frostbear Warband behind him could fight much more freely. Cliff swung his greatsword, charging under his comrades' cover, while archers in the back loosed arrows, felling Beastmen one after another. Even Kevin, the employer, wasn't idle. Sword in one hand, shield in the other, he fought with practiced precision. None of the Beastmen facing him lasted more than a round—he always found the perfect moment to unbalance his foe before taking their head with a single stroke.
"Bang!!"
When the last Beastman fell, dusk had already darkened into night. The group lifted their heads, realizing the surroundings had already grown dim.
"Phew… never thought we'd be delayed by this pack of beasts."
Cliff kicked the Beastman corpse at his feet and spat harshly.
"There's no need to be so upset. Either way, we cleared out a band of Beastmen near Middenheim. That means others will be safe from their harm."
Kevin spoke more calmly. And he wasn't wrong.
Since it was late, and everyone was tired from fighting Beastmen—some even slightly wounded—they decided to rest for the night at the village inn, setting out again in the morning. The Beastmen corpses were piled up and burned, serving as a warning to other invaders.
Still… something about this place felt strange.
Creak—
Duanmu Huai pushed open the inn's front door, stepping into the hall. He glanced around. The building was completely deserted, not a soul in sight. Tables and chairs were neatly stacked, and there weren't even traces of a struggle.
"Strange, isn't it?"
Kevin walked up beside him, staring at the empty hall, speaking to Duanmu Huai—who nodded in agreement. After piling the Beastmen for burning, they had searched the village, but everything was off. No signs of fighting, no bloodstains, no bodies. It was as though all the villagers had vanished overnight—no resistance, no struggle. Simply gone, without a trace.
"Be cautious. Don't drink the water here. Don't eat anything, either."
Duanmu Huai gave instructions. He wasn't sure what had happened. He had guesses, of course, but there were too many possibilities—so many that he couldn't pinpoint which was the culprit.
Soon, the other mercenaries returned to the inn, sealed the place off, and headed upstairs to the guest rooms. Duanmu Huai, Olgis, and Anne stayed in the ground-floor hall to keep watch.
"Feels kind of exciting, doesn't it?"
Anne sat beside Duanmu Huai, staring into the burning fireplace, her eyes darting about with thrill. It wasn't surprising—this princess was probably keeping watch in such a place for the first time. For a "good girl" like her, not going to bed on time already felt like mischief. Staying up through the night made her giddy.
"You'll get used to it. In the end, it's really just a boring job."
Duanmu Huai leaned against the wall, scanning the room.
"Alright, get some rest too. If something happens, I'll let you know."
Earlier, he had already sent out servo-skulls to scout. If anyone tried to stir trouble, he'd be alerted.
As night deepened, Duanmu Huai closed his eyes and dozed. Anne, at first restless and swinging her head about, eventually surrendered to sleep, slumping over the table. Only Olgis still sat by the fireplace, reading a fairy tale under the glow of the flames.
No one knew how much time passed when suddenly, a faint sound drifted in.
"Jingle… jingle…"
Olgis raised her head, glancing outside in confusion. But beyond the windows, there was only darkness. At the same time, however, a bright blue aura appeared around Anne's body—like a protective spell activating. Seeing this, Olgis stood and went to Duanmu Huai's side.
"Master."
"Hm?"
At her voice, Duanmu Huai's eyes opened at once.
"What is it? What happened?"
"I don't know, but… Miss Anne, she…"
She didn't need to say more. Duanmu Huai also saw the magical barrier shimmering around Anne, his brows furrowing as he stood. He knew full well that though Anne's personality was a bit careless, as a princess of Manaria and its strongest mage, her self-protection was flawless. If her defensive spell was triggered now, that meant… someone was attacking?
What was going on?
Thump… thump…
At that moment, footsteps sounded upstairs. Duanmu Huai looked up. Doors to the guest rooms opened one by one, and mercenaries stumbled out. But they weren't awake—their movements were sluggish, as though sleepwalking. One by one, they descended the stairs toward the inn's front door.
"Stop!"
Duanmu Huai blocked the doorway, trying to halt them. But they ignored him completely, shuffling forward like he wasn't even there. Seeing this, he gave a sharp cough, then roared.
"Stand still!!"
His voice cracked like thunder. The mercenaries immediately snapped out of their trance, their dull eyes regaining clarity. Staring around in confusion, none of them knew what had just happened.
"Whoa, Sir Knight, what's going on? What happened?"
Anne woke with a start at his shout. At the same time, Kevin burst out from his room, fully armed. Seeing the scene, he froze.
"What's happening? Are we under attack?"
"No."
Duanmu Huai shook his head, repeating what Olgis had told him.
"Bells??"
Kevin frowned.
"I didn't hear any bells."
"I think I did…"
Cliff, in contrast, looked uneasy.
"In my dream, I heard bells. They seemed to be guiding me… somewhere…"
Jingle—
Before he could finish, the faint ringing came again, carried by the night wind. The mercenaries' eyes once more grew vacant. Duanmu Huai gave a cold snort, snapping them out of it again.
"It seems the bells carry some kind of magic."
"Indeed. And it's not only affecting us."
Duanmu Huai turned his gaze to the window. Outside, they saw pitch-black figures slowly moving in the dark. They were none other than the charred corpses of the Beastmen they had slain earlier. Now, like zombies, the burnt corpses shambled away from the village, heading toward the dark mountains.
"We must move immediately."
Kevin made a prompt decision.
"These bells are very likely behind the villagers' disappearance. We must find their source!"
"But we can't resist their effect."
Cliff frowned. Just hearing the bells earlier had made his mind foggy, as though lulled into sleep. Clearly, this wasn't an ordinary sound but a magical chime.
A magical effect…
"Anne, can you do something about this?"
Duanmu Huai looked at the princess. As Manaria's strongest mage, she should have a way.
"Mm… it should be targeting the mind? No, maybe the soul? Either way, I can try."
She raised her hand while chanting. Soon, beams of magical light descended, falling upon the mercenaries.
"This is a spell that protects against mind control. It should help."
Jingle…
As if to test her claim, the bells rang again. But this time, none of the mercenaries reacted.
"Good."
Duanmu Huai nodded. Cliff and Kevin exchanged a look, then turned to their men.
"Arm yourselves at once. We march—we'll see who's behind this trick!!"
(End of Chapter)