Chapter 92
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Wanderers in the Forest - 4
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I rose from my seat right on time.
The sun was setting.
"Are you planning to hide the summon from Delion every single time?"
"I'm not trying to hide the fact itself. It's not like it can be completely concealed anyway."
It was just the bare minimum measure to keep the summon out of Delion's sight.
Who else in town would stand watch for twelve hours in Koon's place? In the end, it had to be Sua's summon.
If it was time for the shift change and Koon wasn't there...
Did they think Delion wouldn't notice?
"You have to give them time to breathe."
"Do summons even breathe?"
"Not it—Koon and Delion."
There was no need to create a direct situation that would stress them out.
It was about time for me to head out.
At the forest entrance, the summon was standing guard in Koon's place.
- Roar!
It recognized the contract mark on my wrist.
Verbal communication was still impossible, but I could sense its attitude toward me had subtly changed.
In the morning, it had felt businesslike, like a summon doing its job.
It gestured toward the path into the forest and stepped aside.
Now, in the evening, it bowed its head the moment it saw me.
Having received some authority from Sua, it seemed to treat me as its master for now.
"No issues?"
- Roar!
There probably hadn't been any visitors since I entered.
The summon nodded vigorously, as if to say everything was fine.
I held out my arm with the rune drawn on it, and the summon's body scattered like smoke, sucked into the rune.
"Earthbound Spirit?"
The voice came from behind me—Delion's.
He was clad in his familiar armor for guard duty.
I felt eyes scanning the surroundings.
Me lingering at the forest entrance at this hour, and Koon nowhere to be seen—it must have seemed suspicious.
"What brings you here? It's not your usual hunting time."
"I already handled the request this morning."
Straightforward questions, nothing but curiosity.
I gave evasive answers to mask the intent.
"Feeling okay?"
"I'm fine. Why do you ask...?"
"Guess you're alright then. I figured the hangover would've worn you out physically too."
You being fine implied someone else wasn't.
Expecting you to be worn out implied someone else was.
"I didn't drink that much."
"I see. Good to hear."
I hadn't mentioned Koon by name, but I'd hinted that he wouldn't be showing up for his shift today.
Delion seemed to grasp it vaguely.
We exchanged glances without a word,
"...Understood."
Delion replied.
It was an emotionless response.
Had he not seen the summon standing here moments ago, keeping him calm?
Or had he seen it but chosen not to show it to me?
He didn't press further and walked over with heavy steps, as if it was no big deal.
From this hour on, no one was allowed in or out of the forest, so his body blocked the entrance.
"You can go ahead. I've got my job to do."
"..."
"Watch your step. Though someone like you, Earthbound Spirit, probably doesn't need to."
No matter how things played out, Delion was a guard first—he'd just do his duty.
Guarding the entrance, patrolling, protecting the townsfolk. That was a guard's job.
Back in my room, I changed clothes.
Once in light sleepwear, I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Come morning, right when Delion's shift ended, I'd head to the entrance.
'How should I give the orders? Will it understand spoken commands?'
I'd commanded people before, but never summons.
This partial control contract was a first too.
These weren't efficient for conquering the tower, so it made sense.
How long would I have to wait for Koon before he said he was feeling better?
Lost in such thoughts, I tried to fall asleep.
Despite my efforts, sleep didn't come easily.
As my mind grew hazy, I heard a noise.
- Click!
The sound of a door handle turning.
- Creeeak!
The door scraping against the floor.
- Thud!
The door closing again.
With my back against the bed, I lifted my head slightly, but my own door showed no movement.
Of course—it was the door of the room next to mine.
And among the nearby rooms, only one had a guest.
As the sun set and the sky darkened, Sua was heading out.
The night was silent.
As the sky darkened, so did the sounds.
Most people worked during the day and spent time with loved ones.
Then they slept at night.
With people inactive, the quiet was natural.
Living on an unnatural schedule was me.
That was a guard's life.
Sleep by day, work by night.
Someone had to think of the town's safety, no exceptions even at night.
'Especially at night, I need to stay sharp.'
Silence meant not missing even the smallest sound.
Sounds came from me.
Shifting uncomfortably in my stance made my armor scrape.
Grass rustled faintly in the breeze.
Then, taking a step toward the forest depths,
- Crunch...!
'Still going on.'
The sound of the forest reshaping.
Listening endlessly would just hurt my ears, so I stepped back.
'I expected it, but they're not stopping entirely.'
Every night the noise came, Koon would enter the forest—but not tonight.
Was he really that ill, abandoning even this? Or had my words hit too hard? No way to know.
'Not like I said anything wrong.'
The plants blooming in the forest were just part of its recovery.
Doing that endlessly wouldn't advance their goals.
No matter how much I called it pointless, they wouldn't listen.
In fact, my words had been harsher.
Koon knew nothing to begin with.
'He sees me as some paranoid nut.'
He had zero qualms about a mage's summon replacing our duties.
You have to cut it from the root before it takes hold, but he had no vigilance.
I knew he couldn't empathize without experience, yet it frustrated me.
"..."
Silence returned to my ears.
A guard's job was laughably simple to explain.
Especially at this hour with few people, it was just watching for external threats.
- Swish!
A presence.
'See? Not paranoia.'
No townsfolk would be out this late unless they were guards.
Since that mage settled in town, I'd sensed presences every night.
But a mere village guard couldn't catch a tower-climbing adventurer who'd grown strong.
'Not like that novice I caught before. Someone else.'
This presence was so faint, it was hard to detect without focus.
The black-haired adventurer heading into the forest had moved noisily, announcing their position.
This one couldn't be pinpointed but kept circling the town buildings.
Never approached the forest.
'Definitely up to something.'
I'd tried patrolling after it at first to catch evidence, but no luck.
Thought it was close, then poof—gone.
To catch it solid, I needed a trick.
But none came to mind.
If townsfolk could beat adventurers, we could've stopped it back then.
'Stuck watching again.'
I hadn't protected their town, but I wanted to protect mine.
Call me selfish.
At dawn, I freshened up lightly and headed to the forest.
The sky was tinged orange.
"Why are you here so early?"
Delion was there, his shift nearly over.
While I slept, he'd stood guard at the entrance.
The best scenario was Koon showing up today.
Yesterday was just a bad day; back to normal duties starting now.
Asking Sua to maintain the summon might've been a whim.
"He's not coming."
"Shift time?"
"He was due ten minutes ago."
Delion's eyes were bloodshot with fatigue.
He should be heading in to sleep, but Koon wasn't relieving him for the day shift.
He hadn't calmed down yet.
"Don't mind me—summon it."
"What...?"
"If Koon doesn't show, you'll use the summon instead, right?"
The outline of the rune appeared on my wrist.
I drew out Sua's mana and summoned it right there.
"You already knew."
"As long as you keep it out of sight during my shift, that's consideration enough."
"Thanks for understanding."
"If that thing stood next to me while I worked, I might smash it."
"..."
Delion hadn't calmed down either.