The Reluctant Small Villain

Chapter 5

Listening to his surroundings, he noticed that things were starting to quiet down.

At this time, the bandits must have retreated and were being chased by the baron's army. What remained were corpses, fires, and the foot soldiers assigned to clean up the aftermath of the battlefield. Any survivors must have already fled or are hiding well and will run away later.

After a while, Aria suddenly heard footsteps. When he looked up, he saw a man dressed like a foot soldier from the period dramas he had watched before.

He looked like an ordinary teenage foot soldier from the Middle Ages.

His world resembled Earth's Middle Ages, with the key difference being the presence of powerful knights.

The young soldier appeared to be around 19 years old, but given his likely background and lifestyle, he was probably closer to 14 or 17. His face had a somewhat mature look, reflecting the hardships he had endured, but his overall appearance and eyes still showed the unmistakable signs of adolescence.

His armor was far from basic—rather than leather or iron, it was merely unrefined animal skin sewn with fabric, complemented by a simple, old helmet and a small, worn wooden shield. His rusty iron sword, probably the only decent piece of his gear, was not finely crafted but was functional.

This was typical for poor farmers pressed into military service by the barons, who sought to deal with bandits on a minimal budget. Overall, he appeared awkward and inexperienced, with his gear reflecting the best practicality he could afford rather than any refinement.

The soldier continued walking, repeatedly stating how kind he was to bury the dead, framing it as his kindness to them. However, the way he said it was more like a mantra, as if reminding the souls of the dead that he was doing them a favor. It seemed he was chanting this to both appease the dead and calm his own nerves. This is because the soldier had heard that people who died brutally often became restless or malevolent ghosts.

As the soldier moved the corpses, his unease became evident. This must have been his first time in such a grim task.

He was likely a new recruit. He must be one of those left behind by the army to collect the dead for burning or burial to prevent plague.

As he continued his work, he was unknowingly heading toward Aria's location.

He was about to touch another corpse on the ground when he felt a piercing gaze. He looked up and locked eyes with Aria. Startled, he leaped back and let out a howl. 

After a moment, he realized it was probably just a dead body with open eyes, so he looked again. But then, those eyes blinked, making him even more startled. 

He saw the dead man's dirty face and body, smeared with blood, begin to move. It shifted mechanically, as if it weren't his own body. The soldier howled and screamed once more, his knees giving out as he collapsed to the ground.