Warhammer: Return of the Dragon.

"Markus Kruber."

Marcus extended a hand to the witch hunter who came to help. Although the imperial people generally had awe and fear of the tall hats, believing that they were both guardians and ruthless killers, the tall hat soldiers were not afraid.

After several years of hand-to-hand combat with the Yankees, and exchanging experiences of drinking and fighting with the Russians, the soldier who used to only know addition and subtraction within ten has become an elite.

The witch hunter did not extend his hand, but just glanced at Marcus who was still drunk, then squatted down to check the condition of the Skaven's body.

Marcus, whose good intentions were not responded to, could only withdraw his hand awkwardly and look at the corpses on the ground with a little emotion.

"What a shame. If we had encountered these ratmen in the wild, we would have been able to give Tal's beasts a good meal, and we would have found a few big ones worth hunting next year."

"They will first eat the big thing in your mouth. The occupation of the Skaven is like pests encountering crops. They will spread endlessly until there is nothing edible, and finally they will eat themselves."

The witch hunter spoke calmly, but with great certainty.

"So scary? I don't believe it."

“Really…” After examining the lines on the clan rat’s skin, the witch hunter stood up with the help of his tall hat and looked around with his only remaining eye at Marcus, who was still drunk and had wine and blood stuck to his thick beard.

"Your skills are extraordinary, but I haven't seen you in the Great Sword Soldiers of Rick Territory."

"Grandpa Witch Hunter, even you can't possibly have met all the great swordsmen in Rick Country."

Victor put his hands behind his waist and made an interrogation gesture: "Answer my question, Marcus Kruber, why did you follow a group of ratmen to the dock, and how did you keep tracking them effectively?"

"Do I really have to say it?" Marcus leaned against the wooden stakes of the harbor pier a little tiredly. He really didn't like witch hunters. Even if he had never met them before, their attitude of treating everyone like a criminal was enough to make the Imperials unhappy.

Victor took out a Double-Tailed Comet Medal from his arms. This was a special honor that the emperor applied for from the high priest, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the eradication of the rat people.

Although Victor believed that he was mostly assisting the elves during his time in Karak Dreadnought, it was clear that the Emperor needed someone to stand up and show that the Empire not only played a decisive role on the front battlefield, but was also no less capable than the elves and dwarves in secret operations.

"I am not a collaborator hired by the church. I am a Knight Templar of the Silver Hammer. According to the authority granted by the church and the emperor, you should prove it yourself."

The witch hunters are a tight-knit organization, but the vast territory of the empire makes the Silver Hammer powerless. The number of people lost each year due to investigating various heresies is far less than the number of replacements, and the cost of training a regular knight is incalculable.

It's not just the accumulation of resources, but also the firm belief in Sigma, the courage to face the darkness alone, and the outstanding martial arts and intelligence, all of which can eliminate most trainees.

Batches of mercenaries who were originally bounty hunters, with the approval of the Silver Hammer, also put on tall hats and black clothes. The bad reputation of witch hunters also came in part from this group of collaborators who were not bound by the church's rules and regulations.

Seeing that it was a medal of the church, Marcus sighed helplessly. Every time he went out to look for work, he had to encounter witch hunters. Has all his luck in this life been used up in Kislev? If he had known earlier, he would have agreed to the girl's request and stayed in Erengrad.

“I used to be a swordsman of the 3rd Battalion of the Ostermark Legion. Later, I was invited to serve as a guard of the Elven Embassy in Erlengrad. I learned my skills from the Elven Ambassador.

As for the reason for tracking, I am from Uberik. I didn't have enough food in my early years, so I learned archery from the hunters of the Tal Church for several years and grew up relying on the gift of the God King. "

When Victor heard that it was the Elven Embassy, ​​his eyebrows twitched unnaturally. He asked calmly, "The name of the Elven Ambassador of Erlengrad."

"Judith." "Why return to Uberrick?"

Marcus took out his empty purse and shook it, only the sound of a few copper coins could be heard.

"Unemployed, fired."

Victor nodded thoughtfully, put his hands from his waist to his sides, then took out a few gold coins from his arms and threw them accurately into Marcus' hands.

"Now, you have a job."

"What?" Although he was a little confused, Marcus took the money without hesitation and immediately put the pure gold coins into his purse.

"I need an assistant to investigate some... trivial matters of Uberrick. Go to the Red Moon Tavern now."

Marcus quickly stopped the witch hunter, opened his arms and asked in surprise: "Are you referring to Franz Lohner's Red Moon Tavern?"

"How did you know?" Although he had some guesses, Victor would not miss any information. He stood up straight with a serious look.

Marcus touched the back of his head awkwardly, not knowing whether to return the gold coins to the witch hunter. "The elven ambassador told me to go back to Uberrick to find Lona, but I was delayed because of some...trivial matters, hehe."

Trivial matters... Looking at Marcus with a slightly red nose, Victor already understood that according to the elves' habit of being generous, it is impossible for them to let an informant fall into a financial crisis. The best explanation is that Marcus drank heavily in various places in the empire, and when he returned to Uberik, he bragged with his friends all day long, completely forgetting what the elves had told him.

"It seems we have similar goals, but I hope you are not one of them..."

Victor stopped talking, but Marcus was a little puzzled. The soldier liked to be straightforward: "What? I'm not an alcoholic. It's just that I haven't been home for a long time and I miss the taste of beer."

"Nothing, let's go to the Red Moon Tavern, and Lorna should be able to explain everything."

"From what you said, Lorna is more than just a tavern owner."

“He is an important intelligence officer, at least more useful than a drunkard like you.

Now, take the church's gold and follow me."

The witch hunter, who didn't even tell Marcus his name, walked forward without saying anything. The emperor entrusted him with an important task, to investigate the possible Skaven risks in Uberik.

He originally wanted to ask Elvis for some professionals, but he didn't expect that by the time he reported to the local church, all the giant horned vipers had evacuated and returned to Lauren.

Without a professional rat exterminator, the only thing he could do was look for reliable dwarf brothers. The witch hunter had used some connections to contact an Ironbreaker Warrior from the Dreadnought. With the help of the Solid Iron Shield, he had enough confidence to solve the problem for the emperor.

But speaking of it... Victor glanced at Marcus, the turbid smell of blood and wine was a bit bad.

Should I ask the Reik Guard for a reliable knight instead of a...drunkard? (End of this chapter)