Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Rodan Forest
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"Oh, really?"
"Yes, Lady Essendra. Sir Eugene and Sir Galpredic said they were off to slay an evil monster and asked us to claim the credit."
Essendra nodded in satisfaction at the knights' utterly solemn attitudes.
"Sir Eugene truly is a knight who knows honor. Protecting the marquisate's people is just as important to me as inheriting the title. Hahaha! A peerless knight indeed. Isn't that right, my lords?"
"Yes, my lady!"
"Wise words!"
The nobles stepped forward one after another, voicing their agreement. But not all of them truly endorsed Essendra's words.
'The rolling stone gathers no moss, or rather, dislodges the entrenched one...'
'Even if Sir Eugene is exceptional, isn't he just some knight from the peninsula?'
'We can't voice any complaints, though. What a mess.'
Edrike and no small number of other nobles forced smiles while thinking such thoughts. For now, they had to humor Essendra, who was soon to become the marquise.
"Sister, so we're heading straight to the main castle like this?"
"Of course. It's not just the villages Sir Eugene visited—every village and hamlet in the marquisate is in the same state. Parading around to extract oaths of loyalty would be pointless. It would only frighten the residents more."
Essendra, ever the fitting heir to the marquise, saw the situation clearly. She continued, summoning the nobles and knights.
"As the one inheriting Archibald's honor, I will now reclaim the main castle. Prepare yourselves, my lords."
"As you command!"
The nobles and knights replied in unison and exited the tent.
Unlike the others, Edrike lingered a moment before cautiously speaking to Essendra, who was donning her armor with the aid of slaves.
"Sister. It seems like Brother Gabriel is stalling for time."
"I know."
"Are you planning a siege? That would consume a lot of troops, and the aftermath might be tricky."
The nobles holed up in the main castle with Gabriel weren't enemies in the strict sense. They were all part of the Archibald marquis family.
Even if the siege succeeded, convention dictated they wouldn't slaughter the nobles. Still, integrating them later could prove problematic.
That was Edrike's concern.
"A siege won't happen. Gabriel and Elena will come out on their own."
"What? What do you mean...?"
Essendra grinned at her puzzled sibling.
"Anyway, no need to worry. You handle something else."
"Uh... Understood. What should I do?"
"Take a few knights in my stead and warn the villages and hamlets of the marquisate. Once you've covered them all, rejoin me at the main castle."
"Warn them?"
Was she planning to oppress the marquisate's residents now, of all times?
Essendra spoke lowly to her slightly tense sibling.
"Fearsome monsters have appeared. I've sent knights and troops to hunt them down. Something like that."
"Monsters? Ah, you mean the griffin Sir Eugene said he'd hunt?"
"No. Don't even mention the griffin. Just say they're wicked beasts threatening the marquisate's safety—ones never seen before. Oh, right. Undead would be perfect."
"Uh..."
"What? Don't want to? Fine, I'll give it to someone else. I'll even have them carry a banner. Who would be good...?"
"No! If it's something like that, then of course your blood kin, Edrike, should handle it! I'll head out right now!"
Edrike, who had briefly been baffled, suddenly brimmed with confidence and dashed off like the wind.
Essendra smirked at her sibling's retreating figure.
"There. The bait is cast."
* * *
"That's Rodan Forest right there, sirs. Griffins usually start their activity at dusk, but they sometimes roam even in broad daylight, so stay sharp."
The hunter, who had operated in the area for over ten years, couldn't hide his tension.
Eugene stared silently at the forest dense with towering trees before turning to the hunter.
"Have you ever seen a griffin up close?"
"Only once, from a distance. It fought a pack of over ten wolves and tore them all apart in less than five minutes."
"Oh? You watched without fleeing? That's some nerve."
The hunter scratched his head sheepishly at Galpredic's praise.
"All hunters do that. Watching fights helps later. I hid behind a rock, but even I wasn't in my right mind then."
"I see. Did it really not fly far, as the rumors say?"
"Yes. Maybe because its wings are small relative to its size—it was agile on the ground but sluggish in the air. But those front talons and beak were terrifying. One swipe tore wolves to shreds. If a human got caught... ugh."
The hunter shuddered, recalling the scene.
"I heard mercenaries tried subjugating them a few times."
"The forest is too deep and thick to spot them easily. And unlike other monsters or beasts, they never emerge if there are too many mercenaries. They hunt one by one at night instead. No one's ever caught one, let alone survived three days."
"Hmm."
Like most monsters that had emerged from the demonic realms and become roamers, the griffins of Rodan Forest were cunning foes who knew well how to deal with iron-armed humans.
"You've had it rough. Here."
Eugene tossed a silver coin to the hunter who had endured the hassle of guiding them this far.
The hunter bowed deeply in thanks before speaking cautiously.
"Please be careful. It rips full-grown wolves apart with one paw strike."
No matter how sturdy a knight's armor, it couldn't withstand a large monster like a griffin's claws.
With only two young knights, no mercenaries or squires, the hunter was deeply worried.
"Thanks for the concern. Oh, by the way—do you know any of the griffin's habits? What it likes or dislikes."
"Hmm. Ah!"
The hunter clapped his palm after a moment's thought.
"My grandfather said griffins love deer and horses."
"Oh. That's new to me."
Galpredic tilted his head with an intrigued expression.
Knights don't know every monster's traits. Hunters often know more about certain beasts than knights or mercenaries.
"Loves deer and horses..."
"Yes, yes. So whenever a griffin left that forest, it always targeted people with wagons or carts. There are even tales of it ignoring the people and just snatching the horse."
"Hmm. I see."
Eugene stroked his chin and turned toward the forest. His gaze suddenly fixed on one spot, a cold smile curling his lips.
"Maybe it'd really go nuts for something like a purebred steed?"
Hii, hiiing...
Sillion shuddered, sending its master a pleading look as their eyes met.
* * *
"What? A sp—spirit!?"
"Yeah. Mirian. He's been under me longer than you. A water spirit."
As soon as they entered Rodan Forest, Eugene told Galpredic about Mirian while chatting idly.
Galpredic was a thrall who would serve him until death anyway.
"Ha! Haha..."
Galpredic let out an incredulous laugh.
Mirian circled boastfully around the dumbfounded knight.
"So serve me properly from now on, you Gal-thrall! I'm Master's number one subordinate!"
"He's flying around your head, telling you to serve him properly. Says he's my number one subordinate."
"What the—it's right next to me?"
"Sitting on your helmet right now."
"Whoa."
Galpredic reflexively swatted at his helmet.
*As if you could catch it.*
"Kkieak!?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah?"
"Something just brushed me?"
"Th-the Gal-thrall touched me! He groped my body!"
"Hmm? I swear I hear some yipping voice too."
"......"
Eugene was speechless.
Perhaps because he was a thrall 'bound' to him, Galpredic could touch and sense Mirian even if he couldn't see him.
"Kkieet! Defiled! That big rough hand toying with my delicate body! Kkikik! Master, don't abandon me? I'm yours!"
"More yipping. What'd it say?"
"......Better if you don't know."
Anyway, it was curious but not a bad thing.
If those who would stick with him to the end could communicate, that was even better.
"Surprising that the wizard's apprentice didn't head to the dungeon."
Circumstantially, the wizard Eugene killed was likely the master of the two colluding with Elena.
It was unlikely the apprentice was skilled enough to turn a twin-headed ogre into an undead monster.
He'd sent Galpredic and Partek's group to the dungeon as a precaution, but no one showed.
Fortunately, the twin-headed ogre still hadn't budged from where it first halted.
The destroyed skull censer was probably the magic tool controlling the undead. Without it, they were likely useless.
"He must've realized things weren't going his way and fled. No chance against foes who took down his master. We'll ask the flat-chested wizard later for details. But... it's too quiet, isn't it?"
Galpredic scanned the surroundings, eyes sharp.
Birdsong and insect chirps had filled the air when they entered, but silence had fallen at some point.
"We've entered the griffin's territory, it seems, Master."
"I think so too."
Dismounting, Eugene unloaded all gear and weapons from the saddle.
After removing Sillion's barding and tack, he stroked its mane.
"You're much lighter than usual, so you can do this. I count on you."
Hii, hiiing.
Sillion whinnied mournfully, born a proud purebred yet cast into the role of bait. Eugene's resolve wavered a bit.
"Yeah, yeah. I feel bad too. Oh, right."
Eugene snatched Mirian, who lounged on his shoulder.
"Kkieak!"
"Go with Sillion and help out. If it gets dangerous, fly back to me."
"Got it! Looking after underlings is basic for an excellent senior like me. Hehehe!"
Mirian puffed up arrogantly and clung to Sillion's mane.
"Hey, don't you dare look down on me. You're my subordinate till you die, got it? Obey well, and I'll let you see the spirit realm later!"
Perhaps eased by Mirian, Sillion snorted vigorously and trotted off.
And some thirty minutes later.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The ground trembled from afar. Soon, Sillion appeared, galloping madly.
"Kkiiiieek! Master! It's here! It's coming! Kkiek!"
Puhihihihihiing!
The spirit and purebred steed screamed in terror.
Sillion especially scattered tears, galloping with all its might toward its master—the one who had thrust it into peril, yet the most trustworthy being in the world.
Squeee!
Behind it leaped a bull-sized, winged monster, bounding through the tall trees.
The griffin shattered branches, saliva dripping from its sharp beak, clearly hooked on Sillion's plump haunches.
"Griffin!"
"Galpredic! It's not just one presence!"
"Got it! Grrr!"
Galpredic bared fangs that lengthened like awls and raised his longsword.
Squeee!
The pursuing griffin halted upon spotting the two vampires.
Perched atop a twenty-meter tree, the beast cut an imposing figure as forest king.
Squeek?
Hailing from some demonic realm and wandering until settling here, it had never seen a vampire in its life.
They resembled the iron-clad humans who occasionally entered the forest, yet felt different somehow.
Attack? Or hold back?
The mother pondered briefly.
But regrettably, the late-arriving cubs lacked her seasoned caution.
Born and raised in Rodan Forest for over a decade, hunting only weaker prey, the cubs didn't even register the sudden humans.
Drooling from their beaks, their yellow eyes locked onto the horse—a far more tantalizing, almost lascivious scent than anything they'd tasted before.
Squeek! Squeee!
Unable to resist primal instinct, the frenzied cubs leaped earthward.
"Kkieak!"
Puhihihihiiing!
Mirian and Sillion panicked and hid behind Eugene.
*Must be the purebred scent. Not just mares—great for monster lures.*
Eugene thought, oblivious to Sillion's potential betrayal-fueled rage, and fully unleashed his presence toward the first offerings for his transformation ability.
(To be continued)