Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Chapter 3-1. Black Tree Tribe
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The day dawned, and Judah's party woke from sleep to prepare for departure from Aslan. Judah, who rose first, washed up, woke Jeanne, and headed down to the first-floor hall.
Though it was early morning, many nobles were already eating breakfast and getting ready to leave. With the Red Flag Tournament over, there was no reason to stay in Aslan any longer.
They ordered a hearty breakfast, and by the time it arrived, Jeanne and Arhil came down one after the other. As they ate, Count Jenner and Sara came down as well.
They joined them at the table, but there was little conversation. They finished their meal quietly, packed up, bid farewell to Count Jenner and Sara, and headed to Aslan's north gate.
Unlike the other gates, few people were heading north. Feeling refreshed, they passed through the gate's inspection post and proceeded northward. Midway, they luckily hitched a ride on a carriage, making the journey to Phloria's key northwestern defense outpost comfortable.
It took about two weeks after leaving Aslan to reach the pass leading into Rijen.
"Two weeks. I knew it was two weeks, but I didn't expect it to take this long."
In the game, you could just hustle the mouse and get there in under ten minutes, but excessive realism had dragged it out considerably.
If there had been something like a KTX train or even a bus here, it wouldn't have taken so long.
They had strolled leisurely, taking in the open scenery, but if you didn't want to waste time like this, the options were learning magic, recruiting a companion who could use teleportation magic, or building ties with the Magic Tower to obtain magic stones.
Wow, three methods! But none were easy.
"Hm?"
He turned at the lack of footsteps from Jeanne and Arhil following behind, only to see they had fallen behind. Arhil might be tired, but Jeanne too? Well, Rijen's mountainside forest was incomparably denser than the east and west woods of Serenia Castle. He paused briefly to wait for them.
Even with their slow pace, they reached Judah where he had stopped in no time. Seeing their reluctance to enter the forest, he felt guilty. Maybe I should go alone? As he thought that, Arhil pulled a long garment to wear over her priestess robes from her backpack. Judah and Jeanne also shed their coats and donned robes. The coats made from the Black Wolf Leader Requiem's hide were far superior in defense, but in this jungle, clothes could rot quickly, so cheap robes were better.
"Judah, could you hand me that bug repellent? Ah, thank you. Jeanne, come here too. I'll spray you."
Arhil adeptly sprinkled the bug repellent she'd received from Judah all over. It smelled just like insecticide. After dousing herself like perfume, she took a deep breath.
"Alright, now the real hardship begins."
"Regretting coming along with me?"
Arhil looked at Judah silently at his words—not refusing to answer, but pondering.
If she hadn't followed him from Cheriu Village and stuck with her old companions, what would she be doing now? Probably something far easier and more boring.
Compared to that, joining his party had let her watch the Aslan martial tournament she'd always wanted to see, from the VIP seats no less, meet a Fragment bearer, and now stand at the entrance to Rijen, which she'd thought impossible. These were incredibly rare experiences. But still, she didn't want to enter Rijen.
"Hm. A little? But what can you do. We're here now. You're not going to tell me to wait here, are you?"
He was about to suggest going alone, but Arhil strode ahead with a reluctant expression. However, she quickly fell back behind Judah. The path was clearly used by people, yet unmanaged vines and nameless grasses sprouted thickly everywhere.
Vines clinging to ankles felt like traps, unpleasant, and thorny stems snagged robes, irritating. He drew a dagger tucked unused in his leather belt and slashed forward.
"This is a full-on jungle."
Back in his old world, foraging always meant hacking through paths like this. Awful trails—rough terrain, bushes grabbing feet like enemies, persistent bugs. He'd wanted to burn the forest down. ...Still did.
Feeling a natural flow of consciousness, Judah's hand moved in a trance. The sharp blade whistled, slicing obstacles that fluttered down.
"Mr. Judah, you're walking awfully fast."
"Thanks to you, it's a bit easier, isn't it? Though turning back now would be best if possible."
"Yeah. I wish we could."
Arhil chuckled, then sighed deeply. She understood why people avoided Rijen. Leaving Aslan recently, Count Jenner's jovial shoulder pats and Sara's pitying gaze made sense now. It was novel experience, but she didn't want to suffer like this.
"By the way, Ms. Jeanne. Mind if I ask our party's goal?"
"Our goal...?"
Jeanne seemed to ponder, then stumbled as her foot caught a vine. She stepped forward firmly, hearing a snap as something broke. Shaking it off, she turned to Arhil.
"Hm. World travel?"
"Really?"
"As far as I know, yes. He said he wants to visit various countries and gather diverse experiences. There's a debt I owe Judah too, but I want that myself, so I'm following."
"So pure."
The epitome of an adventurer's dream. World tour—since she'd joined this party anyway, dreaming it wasn't bad. But not in a land full of this underbrush. Arhil grumbled inwardly.
"Unfortunately, I won't see it through with you."
"Huh? Why?"
"I have to return to the Empire for my own dream. Can't avoid shedding my novice badge."
"Oh... right."
As Arhil spoke regretfully, Jeanne comforted her, saying there was still a year left, no need to feel sad yet. Trekking through Rijen's jungle-like forest, Jeanne suddenly grabbed Arhil's shoulder, pulled her back, and stepped forward.
"Ah?"
The moment she let out a dumb sound, a shield materialized in Jeanne's hand as Judah spun and hurled the dagger he held. A dull thud hit Jeanne's shield, and a piercing sound came from Judah's dagger.
"Arhil, fall back!"
Jeanne summoned armor and lance, fully arming herself. With that, muscular green-skinned monsters burst from the underbrush with roars.
"Orcs?"
They'd heard Rijen was where monsters, humans, and subraces coexisted in strife, but no one expected orcs this close to the entrance.
The five orcs bared fangs, faces twisting with lust toward Arhil and Jeanne. Their crude beast-hide garb swelled grotesquely.
"Eek!"
Arhil recoiled in disgust and blessed Jeanne, enhancing her body. As Jeanne swung her heavy lance, the orcs raised theirs—iron axes, suggesting smelting skills.
Krraaaah!
Maws gaping to show throats, the orcs roared threateningly and charged Jeanne. Downhill momentum made them fast.
But a red line slashed the air from their flank, and a bloodied dagger embedded in an orc's knee. The downhill orc staggered from pain, tumbling helplessly. Its comrade glanced stupidly, then startled at Judah appearing before it, swinging its axe wildly.
Judah dodged low effortlessly, circled behind, and kicked its back. Like the first, it pitched forward, head smacking a tree. As it convulsed unconscious, Altemia stabbed its nape.
Two orcs down, three left.
The remaining three nearly reached Jeanne. Judah flung Altemia at the farthest. Whether from agility hitting B-rank with saved points or strength allocation, it pierced sharply, draining blood.
"Haat!"
Jeanne, guarding Arhil, charged the now two orcs with a shout, bashing one aside with her shield and thrusting her lance upward into the next. Momentum impaled it fatally. Greenish blood flowed down the lance. It groaned shortly, dropped its weapon, flailed empty-handed at Jeanne, then died. Jeanne stomped the corpse, yanked the lance free, spun, and smashed the rising orc's head.
Sudden ambush, but sorted in seconds.
"You okay?"
"Yes. Just startled, but fine."
"I'm good too, thanks to Ms. Jeanne."
Relieved by their replies, Judah eyed the sprawled orcs incredulously. Orcs ambushing here? He'd been careless—their green skin camouflaged perfectly, presence hidden until the throw at Arhil.
"...We need to be more careful."
"I'll stay armored, just in case."
Walking in armor through this forest?
Judah shook his head at Jeanne's words.
"No need to waste stamina. With Shadow Deployment active, no more ambushes like this. Stick to light clothes like before."
He activated Shadow Heresy Arts with mana. Invisible underbrush, but shadows spread from him, feeding environmental info. Confirming the injected data in his mind, he pressed on.
Rijen's forest seemed more dangerous than thought.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Monday already. September's almost gone.
Hope this week starts strong too. May it be filled with good things!
2)
Q. Is there anyone with SSS-rank besides Kain?
A. Kain is only SS-rank.
Q. Not that? The one like, "Betrayed even by first love," right?
Yeah, that one.
A. Hmm.
Q. Judah's agility potential is SS-rank, doesn't that mean he can reach SS through training and combat? Then train to SS, then use stat points after?
For example, if Judah's agility SS (100~109) potential cap is 100, train to 100, then invest 10 points to hit SSS?
A. Points can raise stats up to 99 max. From 100 on, only special achievement points or potential allow it.
1- Tip5. Bonus stats come randomly up to potential limits for special actions or achievements. But repeating actions or past certain stats won't give more.
Of course, with luck, even mundane actions can grant stats.
Since this game, like all, is luck-based trash. Good luck.
2- From Chapter 1-3:
「Items raise max to 99(S), but some special ones to 100(SS). Fragments included. So gathering fragments timely lets lacking potentials exceed via easy mode.」
But even with items like fragments surpassing 99(S) to 100, that's the limit. Just entry from S to SS. Beyond needs talent or achievements.
Q. Question on unrequited love (early Judah backstory: betrayed lots, even unrequited love stolen by protagonist... If I could go back, I'd make Judah super likable...) Is Judah's crush that mage kid by Kain early on? Or not appeared yet?
A. Ah, that unrequited love hasn't appeared yet.
Note: Riel isn't who Judah crushes on. Riel crushes on Kain.