986. Stargazing at Night
Tap tap.
Amidst the crackling of the campfire, the sound of swallowing mixed in.
Even though the atmosphere had softened, no one suddenly shared their personal feelings or channeled a minstrel to liven things up with amusing stories.
They simply sat quietly, drinking and eating while gazing at the fire; perhaps it was a relief that at least the hostility and wariness had subsided.
Ooooo.
The howling of a wolf from afar filled the silence.
It wasn’t that eating in silence was uncomfortable, but upon hearing the wolf’s howl, Riley opened her mouth. It wasn’t an excuse, but it seemed to explain why she hadn’t been able to handle the wolf’s howl.
This area is the territory of the white wolf pack, so there are no monsters or magical beasts.
How polite he is.
I am sure we spoke informally and got along comfortably when we fought in Zaun the other day.
Encred could roughly guess Riley’s true feelings, so he didn’t argue about his tone.
Rem and Saxen paid little attention, and Temares remarked a few words about others being beautiful, but remained silent afterward.
He would simply smirk when their eyes met. To Encred, it was just a smirk. It was a smile that would instantly captivate any woman.
Dragonkin were outstanding in many ways, but their appearance was particularly magnificent.
To give off an otherworldly vibe while possessing such a friendly smile.
Isn’t this similar to a fairy approaching you sweetly, wiping your mouth if something gets on it, and taking care of your food, drink, and sleeping arrangements?
Most fairies use emotionlessness as a weapon, so such a thing never happens, but as I explained earlier, there were indeed unique fairies. And right next to him.
You have something on the corner of your mouth.
Sinar spoke, wiping the corner of his mouth with his hand.
“Sleep in that tent. It’s cozy and nice.”
The fairy residing within the mountain range can sense the vital energy with great sensitivity and knows which places have good energy. She chose the tent situated in the best spot.
I guess there was no room for me to intervene.
Seeing that, Seriana said.
That’s obvious.
Esther gave the answer.
I’m not envious.
Balmung chimed in, but contrary to the content of his words, his expression looked extremely envious. To think that two beauties—the Black Flower and the Golden Witch—were together. Putting their personalities aside, judging solely by their looks, it seemed like they shouldn’t be by the side of just one man.
You’re a bit annoying.
That is why it was added. No matter what Balmung said, neither Encrid, Sinar, nor Esther cared.
You are beautiful, too. It’s okay.
Only Temares comforts him.
“Is everyone in Yongin a pervert?”
Balmung asked back with a face full of doubt. Yongin did not answer.
He merely laughed for the sake of the foolish human.
As Sinar returned, Esther gradually reverted to her usual demeanor. In other words, there was no reason for a bolt from the blue to strike. She spoke even less than before, intending to organize the things she had learned while dealing with the Master of Astrail and other mages.
As a few words were exchanged like this, the atmosphere became even more relaxed and weary than before.
“We have cleared out all the monsters and magical beasts, but the white wolves inhabiting this area are similar to guardian spirits, so you must not kill them indiscriminately. Needless to say, they won’t attack readily either.”
It sounded like a superstition, but the reason was more realistic.
The Pen-Hanil Mountains were too vast. Even a knight could get lost and wander for the rest of their life before dying if they took a wrong turn. Because it was so vast, there were plenty of herds of monsters and beasts growing wild here
and there. It didn’t exude the sticky, gloomy atmosphere of a demonic realm, but one could say it had formed its own ecosystem.
The pack of white wolves was the resident powerhouse of this area, and it was because of their presence that minor monsters and beasts didn’t appear in the vicinity.
But if you think about it that way, were the monsters merely struggling to survive?
Having been incorporated into the ecosystem, were they simply beings that lived?
Enkrid didn’t get lost in the thoughts that suddenly crossed his mind. There were plenty of people who could handle such worries for him.
Not that he would just swing his sword mindlessly, but there was no need to entrust himself to such troublesome thoughts.
They say five of them can catch an ogre.
Balmung chimed in, as he was also familiar with the story. The legend of the white wolf is a living legend. A common topic of conversation was always a good subject for stories.
I’ve even seen someone take on a troll by themselves.
Rhinox repeated the remark. Although their relationship appeared strained, it wasn’t actually bad enough to cause them to bite their tongues in a fight. Even though Zaun stepped forward to block Encred’s path, the Empire always showed him favor.
Should one say that supplying resources or sending people whenever problems arose wasn’t done for no reason?
In other words, they were on reasonably good terms. The fact that such a relationship existed despite the Empire’s overwhelming power suggests that the Emperor isn’t a philosopher who would pacify everything by force?
Didn’t Seriana say that there are different kinds of philosophers?
Well, it might be unpleasant to unconditionally side with Encred, but no one in the Empire cares about such things.
They reached out with the Shieldbearer and whatnot because they had their own desires, and since Zaun was helpful to the Empire simply by his existence, perhaps they felt that maintaining the status quo was sufficient.
Are there people who live with a wolf pack?
Encred interrupted his thoughts and asked. It was a story he was interested in as well. Bards spread many fantastical tales, but among them were several that seemed to make sense.
One of them was the story of a man who lived with white wolves.
Was he said to be someone who lived as a member of a wolf pack under their protection? There were claims that he was a beastman, and others that he was a human raised by wolves from childhood, but nothing was known for certain.
“I don’t know, since I’ve never seen it myself.”
He spoke while turning the lamb skewered on a branch. Though he did not know the language, his tone was full of faith. It meant that he believed in it even though he had never seen it.
Fat sizzled from the meat on the branch and dripped onto the floor.
The savory aroma seemed capable of attracting all sorts of monsters, but as mentioned earlier, since it was the White Wolf’s territory, no monsters approached.
Buoooo.
From a distance, the sound of owls hooting and insects chirping mingled. It was a jumble of noises, as not only monsters and magical beasts but also various creatures lived together in harmony.
That’s it.
Speaking while drawing, he took out a pocket knife and sliced the meat with a slicing motion. Juicy chunks of meat fell onto the copper bowls each person held.
Considering they had even prepared simple tableware inside the tent, one might say it was quite impressive.
It looks like we came to stargaze rather than camp.
The spot where they settled offered an open view of the sky. Just as Rem had said, the stars shone as if they were pouring down from above. Naturally, however, they hadn’t come merely to stargaze.
Nor had the person who had summoned them invited them to do so.
Saxen was the quickest to react. The moment he rose from his seat, he sprang forward and stood beside Krang.
It was such a swift response that an afterimage lingered along the trajectory of his movement.
Next, Enkrid and Rem moved simultaneously.
Drawing their axes and swords, they charged forward. Their destination was the darkness of bushes and trees, untouched by the campfire or starlight.
months!
Encred swung his sword just before entering the pitch-black realm. His imprinted weapon sliced through the bushes and branches blocking his path. To
an outsider, it looked as if the darkness itself was being cut down.
Saxon had grown up and lived as an assassin, eventually perfecting his craft to become the Master of Georg’s Dagger, the continent’s premier assassination guild.
Moreover, no Master in history had ever performed this task better than Saxon.
A great assassin becomes the greatest guardian.
Conversely, an outstanding Guardian would not necessarily become a great assassin.
In that respect, Kreis’s selection of Saxon to guard the King was clear and excellent.
He snatched two thin blades that flew in silently while Encred was chopping wood.
‘poison.’
It is the kind of poison that is addictive just by smelling it. Should I say that it made him fall victim even when he tried to block it? Sachsen was not poisoned because he always held his breath and remained alert when catching a throwing weapon. Even if it had actually entered through his respiratory system, a poison of this magnitude would have had no effect.
Moreover, since he was wearing thin gloves wrapped in deer hide, it naturally did not touch his skin.
He dropped the two thin blades to the ground and looked ahead. His reddish-brown eyes pierced through the darkness.
Will reacted, taking everything around him into his sensory field. He saw what was invisible and heard what was inaudible. Even if
he concealed his aura and perfectly covered his body with a fairy tale, it was not difficult to detect. Sachsen’s spatial awareness had doubled compared to before. He hadn’t associated with Encred for nothing.
Although he hadn’t reached Usuke’s level and didn’t think it was necessary, Will’s capacity itself had clearly grown. He
let his hands hang down, and his eyes focused on a single point in the darkness.
The target, the assassin hidden in the darkness, harbored doubts. It was just before he was about to attempt a second attack. I had applied a perception-disrupting spell to my eyelids and face, so why does it feel like our eyes met? Huh? Where did he go?
The moment I was startled, my body reacted. Just as I had trained, I silenced my presence and subtly pushed to the side, but a dagger burrowed into my side as if it had been waiting for this moment.
“Crazy bastards!”
At the same time, the cry of Balmung the Valfir erupted. He shouted and simultaneously roared toward the sky.
“Ugh, ugh!”
It was a roar no different from that of a beast, filled with a force that would send shivers down the spines of any ordinary person. Just as it is natural for a human to wet their pants or stop when facing a wild beast, his roar shook people’s minds, yet no one actually stopped fighting.
“Kyung, please ask them not to kill him.”
Moll took care of Seriana, and running straight to Balmung’s side, she covered one ear and frowned as she spoke. “
These bastards are unbelievable.”
Annoyance surged as she seemed to know who the attacker was.
Balmung let out another roar, but this time, she shouted with more precision and meaning than before.
“Don’t kill him! Please!”
To whom were they speaking? The attackers? Or the defenders?
Seriana and Balmung were in sync. They directed their thoughts toward the counterattackers—the madmen who had accompanied them all this time.
As for those who had already attacked, they had likely come under orders from higher up than themselves.
There was no way they would listen to anything they said.
Saxen took action before hearing all of this, but he did not kill him as Balmung had hoped.
The opponent had used poison, but it was a type of paralyzing toxin. It was meant to be a threat, not a murderous one.
So, he lightly scraped the flesh from his flank and struck the back of the neck to knock him unconscious. The man, having suffered a shock to his central nervous system, collapsed sideways. Leaving him behind, he turned back to guard the King, but five Royal Guards surrounded him. They
looked ready to block anything that came flying at them with their own bodies. They hadn’t come dressed in thick cloth robes, leather, and iron plate armor on top for nothing. That uncomfortable and heavy armament was a testament to their determination to protect their King.
Furthermore, the king shouted, even awakening the power of the Sun Water.
“Is the Empire’s personnel appointments always this boisterous!”
Krang is no pushover when it comes to perceptiveness. It means he knows the attacker’s identity. It also contained an intention to stop the attack, but once again, it was ignored.
However, at that single shout, everyone in the arena felt the commanding presence displayed by the King, Krang.
A dizzying aura spread like waves. The lake churned at the stone thrown by someone. At the center of the turbulence, the person in the rowboat stood upright, unconcerned by the shaking of the water.
It was the look of a friend Encred greatly admired. Wasn’t he someone who speaks his mind regardless
of who threatens him? Not that, though, either.
“hey.”
Encred called out to the man who appeared in front of him.
“Is it at a level where one can see right through fairy tales?”
I knew it from earlier, you bastard.
Without lifting his foot, he strapped a curved sword to his waist. I could tell just by looking at his attitude, stance, and aura. He was a knight.
Encred thought this as he raised his sword. It was a middle stance with the tip of the sword slanting toward the sky.
I ask for your understanding regarding my inability to reveal my name. Knight of the small kingdom.
The man said it, and if this was a provocation, it was quite skillful.
It’s fine, there’s no need to ask for the name.
It meant, “What right does a bastard who suddenly attacked in the middle of the night have to talk about names?”
“Will you do it yourself?”
Temares asked from behind Encred. He stood behind her, having moved at some point. Esther remained seated, while Sinar was suddenly behind the newly appeared man. Both moved with surprising stealth and speed.
“Don’t worry about the rest. I’ll handle it all by myself.”
Instead of answering Temares, Encred spoke to the opponent who had suddenly appeared. “
Did Balmung tell me to spare you?
Then I must not cut off your head.”
Thinking this, he fired a barrage of intimidation. Sharp and razor-sharp, yet precise.
He traced the blade. He forged a sword identical to the one from today and dropped it from above. The blade flew away on its own, effectively aiming for the opponent’s left shoulder with a vertical cut.
The opponent reacted. Unable to receive the intimidation with intimidation, he shifted his body to the side.
Encred swung today horizontally in the spot where he had moved.
It was a sword wielded after entering the world of silence. Just before the blade, having flown from the soundless world, reached the opponent’s flank, he also drew his sword to block.
He poured out all his heavy strength, but the opponent angled his blade and deflected the impact.
Such was the mastery of that skill that Encred felt as if he had merely cut through a rotten branch.
