Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Suspicious Movements (1)
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Chapter 25
Suspicious Movements (1)
1
Since their destination, the Avaltan Forest, was so far away, the group wasn’t in a hurry. No matter how fast they traveled, it wasn’t a distance they could cover right away.
Yuren spoke up.
“The Guide mentioned another place.”
“At this point, it’s making me consider even the most absurd possibilities...”
Azel wore an expression that showed he realized he was saying something utterly ridiculous himself. Yuren grinned.
“You mean the possibility that the Guide is Kallos?”
“...Yeah.”
“I’ve been thinking the same. If Dragon Demon General Reygas suspected Kallos was still alive, maybe he’s been hiding somewhere, completely fooling the world’s eyes. And he’s been sending his will to me, his descendant, through magic.”
Azel’s face grew complicated. Kallos had been his one and only close friend, the one who had prepared everything for Azel’s awakening after his death.
The thought that he might still be alive stirred complex emotions. Rationally, Azel knew it was impossible. But what if he was alive?
‘It’s not impossible. That’s the scary part.’
It felt like something Kallos could pull off.
Normally, one might first think Kallos had become Undying. Having predicted Atein’s resurrection, he could have turned himself Undying while waiting for Azel to awaken.
But Azel—and only Azel in the world—could imagine another possibility.
‘If he slept a long sleep like I did...’
What if, in his later years, he had entered a magical slumber mimicking a dragon’s hibernation to leap across time?
Azel had already done it through himself. Would it have been impossible for Kallos to do the same?
‘That’s why he’s guiding me to him through Yuren. That guy could do it.’
If he was still alive—or even if dead, if he hadn’t vanished in any form, whether Undying or otherwise—Azel desperately wanted to meet him. He had mountains of things he wanted to say.
When that possibility first crossed his mind, a wave of reproach arose. Why hadn’t he awakened him sooner? Why had he let the Karzark Marquisate fall to ruin?
But he quickly dismissed those thoughts. Kallos must have had his reasons. Even the greatest mage in history, hailed as such, was only human. Even if he hadn’t died, the subsequent history showed he couldn’t prevent the Nadik Empire’s fall or stop the Great Darkness from plunging the world into despair from the Dark Snowfields.
The Kallos Azel knew would have done his absolute best. Trusting that, there was no resentment. He just wanted to meet him again and talk.
“The one calling himself the Guide could’ve just told us all the places at once while he was at it. Our schedule keeps getting messed up.”
“Even as the one receiving the gift, demanding that much feels a bit...”
“Still.”
Azel snorted.
After another week of travel, the group neared the destination Yuren had mentioned.
The problem was that this was the border region between the Bizes Kingdom and the Ieros Kingdom. Of course, no matter how heavily guarded the border, it posed no issue for Azel’s group. But...
“What’s with this troop movement? Has war broken out?”
A large Bizes Kingdom force was moving toward the border. Their numbers were vast, and the alert level suggested war could erupt at any moment.
The group waited in an inconspicuous spot while Kairen scouted alone. He returned around sunset, half a day later.
“Our destination is near a dragon’s habitat, so we should be able to get there without much trouble. The monsters might be a nuisance, but we won’t clash with the Bizes Kingdom forces.”
“That’s a relief. But your expression says something’s off?”
“I wondered if it was some large-scale political training exercise at the border, but no. From what I gathered, there have already been several clashes with the Ieros Kingdom forces at the border. The atmosphere is getting worse...”
“Didn’t you say relations between the two countries have been good lately?”
“That’s what I thought... But piecing together soldiers’ talk only gets us so far.”
Kairen sounded frustrated. His method involved hiding and patiently eavesdropping on soldiers’ conversations to synthesize information, which limited its depth.
“My mistake. We should’ve checked the news at some stop along the way.”
Travelers are usually sensitive to the political situation. They listen to world events at every stop to adjust their plans, and in his old traveling days, Kairen had been especially cautious as a foreigner.
But this group moved so fast they hadn’t paid attention to current events. Unlike typical travelers, nations were mere pit stops at their speed, so they’d grown careless about the latest developments.
Azel frowned.
“Hm. Even if war breaks out, it’s not our concern right now... Let’s focus on reaching the destination first.”
“No choice.”
The group decided and headed for their goal, avoiding the Bizes Kingdom troops. But an unexpected crisis awaited them ahead.
...KyaAAAAH!
A woman’s scream halted their steps as they tried to cross the border, far from the Bizes Kingdom camp. Screams from many people followed in succession.
“What’s that?”
Azel’s group exchanged glances, then turned and raced toward the sound.
2
The Bizes Kingdom border with the Ieros Kingdom wasn’t just fortresses. Scattered villages dotted the area. Even in a disputed borderland, people couldn’t resist clearing fertile land for settlements.
Patel Village, some distance from the border fortress, was relatively new. Near a dragon’s habitat, it had once teemed with monsters, but pioneers shed blood to claim its rich soil and build a village.
Monsters still threatened occasionally, so the villagers were tough. The lord provided few troops, but their militia was solid, trained by retired knights and soldiers as instructors.
But their vigilance was only for monsters. They were unexpectedly vulnerable to human attacks.
“KYAAAAH!”
A piercing scream echoed.
The village was pitch black. An armed force had struck without warning, extinguishing lights indiscriminately.
The attackers had begun silently. The young guards were off-guard—not slacking, but monsters and beasts don’t sneak subtly. A relaxed watch could still spot threats from the dark.
Humans were different. The enemy approached concealed, swiftly eliminated the guards, and opened the barricade gate.
Arrows then rained down, ravaging the villagers. Indiscriminate volleys meant few casualties but raised the alarm.
By the time everyone realized, the enemy had infiltrated. Humans led, orcs roaring as they slaughtered villagers indiscriminately.
“You filthy scum! What’s the purpose of this atrocity?!”
Nils, a retired old knight serving as militia instructor, had been drinking with friends at the tavern. He grasped his sword late and rushed out. Retired or not, he was a Spirit Order knight. He cut down slaughtering orcs and clashed with intermixed humans.
“......”
The enemy didn’t answer, only attacking with murderous intent.
Nils nearly died on the second exchange. Even with Spirit Order, the darkness hindered judgment. Yet the foe struck precisely, as if seeing clearly.
Worse, the enemy far outclassed him. Each clash jolted his arms painfully. The gap in strength and speed made mere endurance grueling.
‘Damn, no...!’
On the fifth exchange, he exposed a fatal opening. His life was spared only by a comrade’s aid.
“Nils!”
Dillon, his fellow instructor, thrust a spear to block the enemy. Nils retreated hastily, catching his breath.
“Damn. What the hell are these guys?”
“This is bad. Where’d these orcs come from...?”
Screams rang out everywhere meanwhile. Defenders and militia were caught completely off-guard, in chaos. The attackers killed civilians too, swelling casualties like a snowball.
“What about the signal flare?”
“No word. They got hit first.”
The guards had alchemical signal flares for calling aid when overwhelmed. Yet despite time passing since the attack, none launched.
Nils shivered. Were they avoiding fire arrows to stay unnoticed while aiming to slaughter everyone?
‘We have to let someone know somehow...’
This way, all would die. No hope in sight.
Then darkness fell before his eyes.
‘Magic...!’
Odd, he thought. Dillon had joined, but the enemy could finish them effortlessly. Why stall? Waiting for the mage’s support.
‘No. With a mage, we’re...’
The thought cut short as agony ripped through his torso.
“Niiils!”
Dillon’s scream reached him. Nils tried to yell for him to flee, but no words came. And...!
“Your deeds grow uglier by the day.”
An icily cold voice sounded. Dying Nils heard Dillon’s shocked tone.
“W-Who are you?”
Good. Dillon lived. Relieved, Nils’s consciousness plunged into darkness.