Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Hunting Festival (4)
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As expected, no matter how far they traveled, there wasn't a single monster in sight.
Even when he extended his aura sense, nothing stood out.
The only things he picked up were a few wild animals or other nobles participating in the hunting festival?
"...This is strange."
He could say it with certainty now. This wasn't mere coincidence—something had definitely happened.
"It really is strange, isn't it?"
Irene nodded in agreement.
"What do you all think we should do now?"
Something odd was definitely going on. The question was what came next.
Exactly what had happened, and how deeply should they get involved?
"Hmm... Well, since we don't know what's happened, it's hard to respond properly."
"Normally, we'd head back to the starting point. But since we have Yujin with us..."
Lucia and Irene traded words back and forth. Watching their conversation, he thought to himself.
'Honestly, it doesn't matter what we do.'
They could keep pushing deeper to investigate, or simply turn back and report the situation to everyone else.
But above all, whichever they chose, there was another problem trailing right behind.
This forest had been directly managed by the imperial family for generations, so if a major incident broke out, the blame would fall squarely on them.
The imperial family was an indispensable presence on the path Yujin would walk going forward.
More precisely, an imperial family wielding flawless, absolute power.
'My political power is somewhat secured thanks to my irreplaceable strength as a Sword Master, but I can't settle for that.'
Thus, the imperial family was both an object of loyalty and a political partner for gaining even greater power, honor, and glory...
'Hmm.'
He pondered a bit more before looking at Lucia and Irene.
"For now, let's go a little deeper."
"Is that okay, Yujin? I'm not sure I should be saying this as the princess, but this is practically the imperial family's mistake. No matter the cause, this forest is under their management. If we move around without knowing what's happened and things escalate, it could even harm you."
Lucia's eyes held genuine concern for him.
Receiving her pure goodwill, Yujin smiled pleasantly.
"It might become my in-laws someday, so helping out early isn't a bad idea."
"...In-laws?"
Lucia murmured, her cheeks slightly flushed. It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had bombarded him with outrageous suggestions like it being fine to meet other women at their first meeting.
"Hmmm..."
Irene, who had been watching the exchange between him and Lucia—her friend—let out a low hum.
'In-laws coming from Yujin's mouth...'
It meant Yujin had practically accepted the marriage proposal with her friend Lucia and the imperial family.
'...I need to pick up the pace a bit.'
Of course, politics meant Irene couldn't surpass Lucia.
But that didn't mean she had to lag too far behind, did it?
She just needed to stay right behind Lucia—at least close enough to overtake her at any moment.
Irene smiled brightly and clung to one of Yujin's arms.
"Then let's go a bit deeper."
"Sure."
"Sounds good, Irene."
Yujin's group mounted their horses again and resumed their journey.
The horses moved through the forest at neither a fast nor slow pace, heading deeper in.
And from what he'd confirmed so far by extending his aura sense,
"Something's there."
"Yujin?"
"What do you mean?"
Yujin stopped his horse and dismounted.
Irene and Lucia followed suit, dismounting and coming to his side.
"...You might have noticed, but the air is getting heavy."
"The air is getting heavy...?"
Lucia said, resting her chin on her hand.
And then.
"...The mana density in the atmosphere is rising."
"I agree."
The reason the air felt heavier was the increasing concentration of mana in the atmosphere.
For reference, the pressure people felt when someone emitted their aura through mana stemmed from the same cause.
That was why ordinary humans couldn't stay long in places with high mana density—like ancient ruins, dungeons, or dragon lairs.
They'd either die from mana poisoning or suffocate.
"Yeah, the atmosphere has definitely turned eerie."
Irene's words earned a nod.
"Not scared?"
"Hehe, this much wouldn't scare me."
"Hmmm..."
And at that moment, Lucia gave a meaningful smile and tightly clung to one of his arms.
"Eek, it's scary."
"..."
Her breasts, soft in a way different from Irene's, squished against Yujin's arm.
Irene's eyes widened slightly at her friend's unexpected action.
"Oh my, is this no good, Yujin?"
"...It's not bad."
"Hehe, good thing. The mood was getting too heavy, so I thought I'd lighten it up."
Hmm.
No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like she was just satisfying her own desires...
Better to hold his tongue.
'Feels good, at least.'
Hmm.
Even Yujin was just a man, it seemed.
As the mood among Yujin's group lightened a bit,
"...Someone's ahead."
"How many?"
"Just one. Probably a hunting festival participant."
He sensed an aura not far away.
And since it wasn't moving...
"Could be an emergency."
Irene murmured with a slightly grave expression.
"Let's check it out."
"Right."
Yujin's group led their horses toward where the participant's aura emanated from.
And then
"...This is..."
They discovered a noble who appeared to have been attacked by a monster, half-dead.
"What in the world...!"
Irene gasped at the sight of the fallen person. Lucia said nothing, but her shocked expression said it all.
His arm was completely gone—who knew where—and his abdomen was torn open as if something had ripped into it.
It was a miracle he was still alive.
'Probably because he's a knight who's tempered his mana.'
Judging by the sword at his side, he was a knight. Though there was a slim chance he was a mage, the point was he wasn't an ordinary person, which was why he clung to life.
Regaining her composure quickly, Lucia murmured gravely.
"It's the heir of the Dersan Viscount Family. Judging by that massive torn wound, it doesn't look like a human did this..."
"...A monster."
"Yes. Probably."
Lucia turned to Yujin.
"We should give him as much emergency treatment as we can and head back."
"Sounds good."
As they approached the Dersan heir, he felt a certain aura more clearly.
"Hold on."
"Yujin?"
"...?"
This feeling—sticky and unpleasant, unlike normal mana.
Standing in direct opposition to holy power...
"...Demonic Energy."
"Yujin?!"
"Demonic Energy...!"
Lucia and Irene paled at the words.
Demonic Energy was a remnant left behind after demons ravaged the continent long ago.
And its presence here meant...
"...Cough."
Before the thought could continue, the Dersan heir vomited blood.
"...No time to investigate leisurely. Let's do emergency treatment first and take him back to the start. Can you give him potions?"
"Yes."
Soon, they began emergency treatment together with Lucia and Irene.
They poured every healing potion they had onto the Dersan heir and wrapped his wounds with their emergency bandages.
Then they loaded him onto a horse and started back.
Clop—
Clop—
As they raced precariously through the forest,
'...!!'
"Monsters! Lucia, Irene, be careful!"
Monsters burst out from the opposite direction.
They were frost wolves, just like the ones the group had encountered at the beginning.
Except they were wreathed in an ominous black aura.
'Demonic Energy.'
Why were these monsters infused with Demonic Energy?
And why were they appearing now? In that state, no less?
Questions flooded his mind, but sadly, there was no time to dig into them.
The Dersan heir tied to Yujin's back was still dying.
"Tch. Don't stop—keep galloping!"
"Yes!"
"Got it, Yujin!"
Irene and Lucia replied in turn, urging their horses faster.
Just before contact with the frost wolf pack, Yujin unleashed his Mind Sword.
"Slice."
Slash—
Spluuurt—!!!!!!!
The frost wolves were bisected in an instant, spewing blood.
Yujin cleaved through the frost wolves and assorted other monsters that kept leaping out as he rode on.
Honestly, even monsters corrupted by Demonic Energy posed no real threat to him.
But the problem was that they kept coming—one after another, all infused with Demonic Energy.
It meant monsters throughout the forest were likely corrupted by Demonic Energy, growing stronger and rampaging.
In short, something serious had gone down.
Yujin's group returned to the hunting festival's starting point.
The area looked hectic somehow.
Imperial guards coming and going from the forest, seriously injured participants being carried out on stretchers.
And the unpleasant remnants of Demonic Energy and monster corpses scattered everywhere.
"Looks like something happened."
"I think we were attacked by monsters, right?"
He pondered Irene's words.
An attack...
"Yeah."
These were clear traces of battle.
But that was that, and Yujin quickly grabbed a passing imperial guard and handed over the Dersan heir.
"Injured."
"!!!! We'll take him, Your Excellency!"
The guard hoisted the heir and hurried off somewhere.
"Lucia. His Majesty the Emperor has returned to the palace, right?"
"Probably. He wouldn't stay here the full 12 hours of the festival."
"That's a relief, at least."
Whatever had happened here, at least the Emperor's safety wasn't in question.
As Yujin's group sought out the person in charge to ask what exactly had occurred,
Thud—!
Thud—!!!
Thud—!!!
Thud—!!!
A massive vibration shook the ground.
And then, a particularly enormous giant orc and ogre corrupted by Demonic Energy led hordes of monsters in invading the area.
The imperial guards and uninjured nobles drew their weapons to meet them.
Just as they clashed with the monsters in a slaughter,
Step—
Yujin stepped forward.
The sudden appearance of Yujin at the front made the guards and nobles falter.
Seizing the opening as the monsters lunged, Yujin drew his sword and lightly slashed horizontally.
Then,
Slash———!!!!!!!!!
It felt as if the world itself had been cleaved in two—all the monsters were neatly bisected.
Their bodies crumbled smoothly along the clean lines carved into them,
Spluuurt———!!!!!!!!!!!!
and the black blood unique to monsters erupted like fountains.