Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Legend
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< Chapter 12 - Legend >
After leaving Thunder Doom Fortress, the party traveled northwest along the mountain range.
The forests and plains near the Lycanthrope territory were devoid of any significant powers, so while there were plenty of monsters and beasts, people were hard to find.
On the evening of their third day of travel by carriage.
Having finished setting up camp early, Ingong stood in the middle of a clearing, shirtless as always. It was time to begin his special training.
“Alright, here I go.”
Taking a deep breath, Ingong quickly cast a spell.
“Fire Arrow!”
An arrow of flame shot from his fingertip!
But its direction was odd. Instead of shooting straight ahead, the fire arrow flew toward Ingong’s own chest. That was because he had pointed at himself when casting the spell.
*Pah!*
The fire arrow exploded upon impact with Ingong’s hard, pale chest. Gritting his teeth against the dizzying sensation, Ingong quickly prepared his next spell. This time, it was a healing spell.
“Heal!”
He swiftly treated his chest with his right hand, which glowed with a pure white light. As the pain subsided, a strange sense of relief and pleasure washed over him.
It was his newly developed masochistic training regimen.
He would strike himself with an offensive spell, then heal himself with a recovery spell. It was a revolutionary(?) training method that could raise his proficiency in both Fire Arrow and Heal simultaneously. And that wasn't its only effect.
‘Ooh, it’s going up. My Mana Control proficiency is rising. My Durability stat went up a little, too!’
He had to avoid a critical hit, so adjusting the power was essential. The combination of rapid spellcasting and fine-tuning sent his Mana Control proficiency soaring.
It not only increased his proficiency in both offensive and healing magic but also improved his endurance and mana control. It was truly a fantastic training method.
However, it wasn't without its side effects.
“Tsk, tsk… How did he end up like this? There should be a limit to perversion…”
‘Master is too scary. He keeps smiling while hitting himself. I think he enjoys being hit. I like Master, but I dislike this side of him a little.’
Karak’s pitying gaze and Green Wind’s gloomy stare stabbed into him like daggers.
And they weren't the only ones present.
“I’ve lived a long life, but I’ve never seen training like this.”
Felicia sighed, a look of resignation on her face. If she had her way, she would smack him on the back of the head to make him stop, but since it seemed to be genuinely effective, she had nothing to say.
Karak asked her.
“Princess, are you sure this is okay? Isn’t he going to ruin his body?”
A person’s body wasn’t made of steel. If you beat it senselessly, it would break senselessly, not grow senselessly stronger.
Of course, the Demon World was home to all sorts of races, so perhaps there was a race for whom such a brutish training method was viable.
But as far as Karak knew, none existed. It might seem like he was getting stronger now, but later in life, he would surely suffer from gout and other ailments.
At Karak’s worried question, Felicia sighed again and shook her head.
“Surprisingly, he’s fine. Just as Shutora said, his magic skills are improving by leaps and bounds. It seems he really did change after learning the Sura Divine Arts. What do you think, Daphne?”
“Yes, it’s truly astonishing. His Highness the 9th Prince’s body is in perfect health.”
With two people skilled in healing magic saying so, Karak was left speechless.
Felicia let out another sigh.
“Still, the fact that he asked us to keep it a secret means he knows this is weird. That’s a relief, at least.”
“Even if we told anyone, no one would believe us anyway.”
Daphne added with an awkward smile.
Feeling a wave of sadness for some reason, Felicia furrowed her brow and glanced back at Ingong. Another fire arrow—she’d lost count of how many—was exploding.
“Ooooh!”
Ingong suddenly let out a cry of triumph and gleefully cast his healing spell. The last hit had just leveled up his Fire Arrow.
But to the others, who knew nothing of skill levels, it was a scene of pure madness.
Karma clasped her hands together and prayed.
“Lady Green Wind, please protect His Highness the Prince.”
‘Umm.’
The object of her prayer, Green Wind, looked at Ingong with a troubled expression, while Karak clicked his tongue. Instead of pointing out that praying to Green Wind was pointless, he shouted at Ingong.
“Prince! It’s dinnertime! That’s enough, let’s eat! We’re doing all this to live, aren’t we?”
At Karak’s perfectly reasonable shout, Ingong nodded. Smiling happily, he put his shirt back on.
“We’re here right now, so we should be able to enter Lycanthrope territory by tomorrow.”
After a simple meal, the group gathered around a map spread on the ground. The sky was darkening, but the light spirit Daphne had summoned made it easy to see.
Staring at the tip of Ingong’s finger, Felicia chuckled and said.
“It’s amazing every time I see it.”
“What is?”
“It’s not like the stars are out right now. It’s amazing how you can pinpoint our current location.”
Ingong’s map-related abilities were nothing short of divine. The others looked at him with agreeing eyes, and Ingong gave an awkward laugh.
“I can’t really explain it either… Should I say I just know?”
He couldn't exactly tell them he could see a mini-map.
At Ingong’s reply, Karak said with a serious face.
“Hmph, this is why people say geniuses are annoying.”
“Right, right.”
“I agree.”
Felicia and Delia chimed in one after another. Delia, who used to glare at Karak for the slightest impoliteness, now seemed to have been influenced by him, acting completely unfazed.
Instead of retorting, Ingong changed the subject.
“Anyway, from tomorrow, we’ll be in Lycanthrope territory. I’m kind of excited, you know?”
“My heart is pounding, too. I’ve never seen a Lycanthrope before.”
Karma said, her eyes sparkling. Having spent her entire life on the Anger Plains like Green Wind, she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this journey.
Felicia looked at Karma with a warm gaze, then said apologetically.
“I’m sorry to be a wet blanket, but you probably shouldn’t get your hopes up too high. We’ll be entering their territory, but it’s just the outskirts. There aren’t any important facilities around here.”
Their top priority was to meet Amita, so they had taken the shortest route to avoid any unnecessary detours. As Felicia said, although they were entering Lycanthrope territory, they were only passing through the outer edge, so the chances of encountering any Lycanthropes were low.
As Karma’s shoulders slumped in slight disappointment, Ingong chuckled and said.
“But we’ll stop by the Lycanthrope palace on our way back. We’ll be using the transfer gate there.”
Although transfer gates were scattered throughout the Demon World, they weren't just anywhere. Moreover, the number of gates directly connected to the Demon King's castle was limited.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason Ingong had planned to visit the Lycanthrope palace.
“I’m actually looking forward to visiting the Lycanthrope palace, too.”
Felicia murmured, opening her fan. Though she didn't know the full story yet, Felicia had originally been on poor terms with Chris. This would be her first visit.
Karak chuckled and asked Ingong.
“Prince, do you miss the 7th Prince and 8th Princess?”
“I do.”
It wasn't an empty platitude; he really did. He especially missed Caitlin.
Karak nodded.
“Hmph, I miss Seira, too. I wonder if she’s doing well… Why is everyone looking at me like that?”
For a moment, the gazes from Delia, Daphne, and Karma were quite intense. Felicia burst out laughing, and Ingong placed a hand on Karak’s shoulder, saying seriously.
“Karak, could you be a protagonist, too?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Ingong didn't bother to explain.
&
The next morning, the party packed up early and resumed their journey. Just as Felicia had said, nothing much changed even after they entered Lycanthrope territory. It was just the same empty grassland as before.
But just as they were about to enter a forest.
“Halt!”
Two Lycanthrope soldiers were blocking the only path wide enough for the carriage to pass. Karma, who was sitting in the driver's seat with Karak, had her eyes light up for a moment, but then her shoulders slumped again. In their non-beast forms, Lycanthropes didn't look much different from humans.
Karak stopped the carriage and stared blankly at the Lycanthropes. The younger-looking of the two soldiers scowled threateningly and shouted.
“This road is currently closed. Turn back!”
Even though he hadn't transformed, his voice held a beastly growl. But Karak simply asked with a calm face.
“What’s going on?”
“Official business of the Lycanthrope royal family! Know that and stand down!”
His growl suggested he was on the verge of transforming. Karak scratched the back of his head and glanced toward the inside of the carriage. After exchanging a look, Ingong and Felicia got out.
“Official business of the Lycanthrope royal family in a backwater place like this? Did something big happen?”
Felicia asked, standing with a slight slouch. The young soldier scoffed. Ignoring him completely, Felicia addressed the older soldier who had been quietly observing them.
“If it’s royal business, there must be someone in charge. Open the way. I need to see them.”
The older soldier’s eyes darted around instead of giving a direct answer.
A carriage with no crest. A large Orc driving it. A Satyr sitting next to the Orc.
A slouching Dark Elf woman. Her clothes weren't overly flashy, but they were clearly expensive at a glance. Her tone and demeanor showed she was used to ordering people around. Her appearance hinted at a natural nobility.
He didn't even need to rely on his wild instincts. It was clear they were not just ordinary travelers.
But the younger soldier wasn't thinking as much. He scoffed again, glaring straight at Felicia as he shouted.
“Such arrogance from a little girl! Watch yourself! Who do you think you are, royalty?!”
“Yup.”
“I’m telling you nice— what?”
“I said yup.”
“Huh?”
“Yup.”
Felicia smiled, and the young soldier began to break out in a cold sweat.
&
Guided by the Lycanthrope soldiers deep into the forest, Ingong’s party was met with the sight of a clearing filled with tents and hundreds of Lycanthropes.
‘This is strangely nostalgic.’
It was a scene reminiscent of his first visit to Caitlin’s camp. Back then, too, there had been a tent with yellow embroidery.
‘Wait, a tent with yellow embroidery?’
If Ingong’s memory served him right, that tent was definitely Caitlin’s. Did that mean Caitlin was here right now?
Ingong looked back at Felicia, who tilted her head as if to ask what was wrong. And right on cue, a voice full of delight called out.
“Shutora!”
“Caitlin-noona! Chris-hyung!”
His hunch was correct. Caitlin and Chris were standing at the entrance of the yellow-embroidered tent. Both of them seemed both pleased and surprised by Ingong’s appearance.
Ingong strode toward Caitlin and Chris with large steps, and the two welcomed him with open arms. After sharing a hug with Caitlin, Ingong saw Chris opening his arms as well, but instead of going in for an embrace, he took a step back. Chris laughed heartily and ruffled Ingong’s hair.
As they watched the heartwarming reunion, the young soldier’s face turned pale, but no one paid him any mind. He wasn't the only one being ignored.
“Excuse me, I’m here too, you know?”
Felicia said in a haughty voice, covering her mouth with her fully opened fan. Chris replied with an indifferent look.
“Oh, hey, sis. You’re here?”
His reaction was clearly intentional. Felicia narrowed her eyes, and Chris grinned. Caitlin stepped in between them.
“Unni!”
“Gah! Hey, wait. Hold on!”
Caitlin threw her arms around Felicia in a tight hug. Caitlin, who was usually very reserved elsewhere, was in Lycanthrope territory now. Moreover, she was among people who knew her true nature(?), so she held nothing back.
Amidst the warm atmosphere, Karak exchanged a look with Seira, and the unfriendly gazes of Delia, Karma, and Daphne shot past the back of Karak’s head toward Seira.
“Anyway, let’s go inside.”
Chris said, placing a hand on Ingong’s shoulder. Seira naturally approached Karak and Delia, and other Lycanthropes also moved toward Karak. It seemed they only intended to let Ingong and Felicia inside the tent.
Entering the tent, Felicia plopped down on a long bench covered with a tiger skin and asked.
“What are you two doing in a backwater like this? You even blocked off the road. Did a prisoner escape or something?”
Caitlin and Chris were always together, so it wasn't strange to see them side-by-side, but it was certainly strange for them to be in such a remote place.
Chris sat across from Felicia and shrugged.
“Well, something like that. What about you two? I heard the stories about how Shutora turned the Demon King's castle upside down.”
“It was amazing.”
Caitlin, sitting next to Chris, said succinctly and powerfully. Her sparkling eyes were as radiant as ever, befitting the originator of the look.
At their reaction, Felicia smirked and crossed her legs haughtily.
“You’ll be even more surprised when you hear the details. Right, Shutora?”
All eyes naturally turned to Ingong. Seated beside Felicia, Ingong faced the curious expressions of Caitlin and Chris and fell into a pleasant dilemma.
What should he start with?
Ingong chose the topic that would shock them the most.
“I met the Sword Duke.”
Despite it not being the audience chamber, cries of astonishment erupted.
&
< Chapter 12 - Legend > End