Chapter 65
Chapter 65
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: MadScientist Chapter: 65 Chapter Title: Knights in the Sky ----------------------------------------------------------------- I can see the names of monsters, items, and objects. But not people's names.
Yet Discernment Eye shows completely ordinary human life and mana stats. 'This means a monster disguised as a human. But Discernment Eye can't see through that?' What kind of quests were like this? I racked my brain, but there were too many to pinpoint one. Common cliché quests, and with all those I completed at low levels, who could remember them all? I discreetly shared this intel with the three women. They all looked stunned, like they couldn't believe it. "Amazing. She looks like a perfectly ordinary human, but she could be a monster in disguise..." "Even with Your Highness's special eyes, you can't see anything more?" "The possibility is that she's a monster with the abilities of a truly level 1—or no, just an ordinary old human." Viscount Pavillion was extremely courteous to "Superhuman Archer Ceres." The other knights and soldiers were deferential around her too
She was Windeller's niece, after all, and she carried that massive mechanical crossbow they normally operated in teams all by herself. 'Speaking of which, that bastard Pavillion... he's not flirting with my Third Crown Princess right now, is he?' I observed the forcibly escorted Steno refugees. Everyone's faces were grim, and the soldiers handling them were rough and overbearing. 'Word must've gotten out that refugees are slipping into Elryad, so they're rounding them up in a panic.' Headcount equals labor, which equals national power
In Dragon Defense, lords don't hate wanderers. On the contrary, they go crazy to scoop them up like finding unclaimed livestock herds and turn them into territory folk. This world isn't like Earth's Middle Ages with absurdly scarce total food supply. What's always in short supply is population. I buttered up the soldiers to fish for info. "Those? Guys who tried to abandon their territory and flee to Arcana." "The precious assets of the Steno royal family are being protected by our Barmion Empire." "I heard the king and royals left in the capital all tragically fell in the siege." "There was talk of a prince who escaped safely, but I don't know the details." As expected, the Empire plans to make Belheim the Second Prince a dramatic national savior at the last moment and annex Steno Kingdom
'Belheim was the type who'd sell his own country to become king anyway.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Break time. I deliberately loitered around the refugees, handing out small snacks to the kids. An action no Empire soldier would ever do—it diluted their wariness toward me. 'This should get a bite, right?'
【Pitiful Luisa Who Lost All Her Family LV.1】 The old woman with the wooden mortar strapped to her back gazed at me with piteous eyes, her lips moving silently. Anyone could see she was hesitating to ask a difficult favor
Good acting. "Granny, is there anything bothering you?" I naturally offered her some food too and struck up a conversation. The soldiers glanced over occasionally, but with Ceres there, they didn't dare say a word. "Young man... You seem kind-hearted, so I hesitated to ask this hard favor of you." "If it's something I can do, I'll try." "I've lost all my family. But without even time to bury their ashes, I'm being dragged away by those wicked soldiers. Please, bury my family's ashes in a sunny spot?" This gave me a faint sense of déjà vu..
"Where are the ashes?" "This is the urn." The moment old Luisa pointed to the wooden container on her back, it clicked. "Bury it somewhere sunny during the day. No need to go far... I can't do it myself—I'm too weak—and I'm terrified the soldiers will burn the urn." "Such a tragic story. Got it. Hand it over." "Thank you. I'll never forget this kindness." I took the wooden container with trembling hands. "Tomorrow at midday, I'll bury it in a sunny spot away from the soldiers." "Thank you so much." I carried the wooden container back to the women
Canelian asked, "Isn't that from the old lady we suspected was a monster earlier?" "I got a quest. She wants me to bury this in a sunny place." My hands shook with excitement. I wanted to crack open the box and check its contents with Discernment Eye. But I was too scared it'd mess everything up. I didn't need to open it—I already knew what was inside. "This contains the soul seeds of the Woodrender Colony we wiped out earlier." "What?" "Really?" "Those are the monsters' souls from before?" "Woodrender Colony is a hive mind
Dead individuals' souls return to the queen. As long as the queen lives, the hive revives." "Heavens, so that old woman is the Woodrender Colony queen?" "Certain." The queen isn't powerful. To survive hive destruction, she lacks combat ability. She usually takes the form of an ordinary human or wild animal. That's why her life and mana readings didn't stand out. Players didn't call her the queen—they called her a 'backup source.' 'That's why her name was "Pitiful Luisa Who Lost All Her Family."In-game, quest-giving NPCs don't have descriptors like "who lost all her family."Those grandiose modifiers are for monsters or hero NPCs.' "Bury the soul seeds in a good hatching spot, and the queen's role ends
She doesn't care about her own life."
Classic hive trait. 'First time I took the quest blindly, buried it, and baby tree mobs suddenly sprouted everywhere—scared the hell out of me.' Of course, my character died and became premium protein feed. Low level back then. Afterward, visiting the nearest village triggered a chain quest from the village chief or mayor hunting the newborn tree mob hive. Leading to endless pursuit extermination quests. 'Just thinking about getting backstabbed by Empire NPCs mid-chain quest makes my head throb...'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Night fell, and the Empire army prepared camp
'Can't use the Hoypoi capsule because of the Empire troops—really inconvenient.' Referring to the [Starlight Cloak of the Milky Way Wanderer for Comfortable Camping] I'm wearing now. Sucks not being able to use its function to turn into a fluffy, clean bed tent. The four of us gathered around a campfire and crawled into our sleeping bags. Usually I slept sandwiched between the two, but with Empire eyes watching, sleeping solo in my bag felt off. "Originally, I planned to use Cheok Jung-kyung to secure the Steno royals' persons, but I've changed plans." "We're securing them ourselves? We're heading that way now anyway." "Canelian's sharp as ever." I praised her, and her face flushed pink instantly
"Duke Valliere has his eyes set on Cheok Jung-kyung. Even knowing he's Arcana's secret weapon, he's aggressively recruiting." "He can pretend to naturally defect to the Empire without drawing the Emperor's suspicion." "Something like that." How much would the Emperor trust a defected Swordmaster anyway? A black-hearted bastard assumes everyone else is the same. That's why he even played the fool knight role. "With Valliere vouching as intermediary, the Emperor will trust Cheok's defection and use him heavily." "The Empire has no Swordmasters now, and it's shaking from monster breaks." "Milk the royal treasury plenty with Cheok, then at the end, recover the slave gladiator armor and squeeze one final ransom as Swordmaster body-price before handing him over." Silvret tilted her head
"Your Highness, Cheok's good firepower—wouldn't it be better to keep him under you long-term?" "Having zero Swordmasters in a monster apocalypse isn't good for the Empire. If the Empire fails its role, Arcana bears too heavy a burden. Half or more of the continent's kingdoms could collapse." "Still feels like a waste." "And to me, Hessian Duchy is worth more than Cheok Jung-kyung." Duchy versus Swordmaster trade value. Canelian and Silvret finally got it. "If we can swap for Hessian Duchy..." "Returning an Empire-raised Swordmaster captive anyway—seems more profitable." "G-Gaining Hessian Duchy without firing a single bolt? Huge profit." I pointed to the wooden container with the Woodrender Colony souls
"Bury that in Caligos where Cheok and the Steno royals are. Then in the chaos, we spirit away the royals."
"If we vanish suddenly, won't Cheok get suspicious?"
"Of course we'll move with Cheok for a while. Father-in-law will handsomely rescue the royals."
"Huh? Father?"
I grinned and quietly pointed to the sky. Two small birds floated high above. Looking closely, not birds—Dpelliuss and Gorgheus (Wyvern Lord) way up high.
"I can mentally communicate with Dpelliuss. Thanks to the half-heart. Father-in-law and the knights are up there now."
"As expected, Your Highness had a plan! Contacting Father the moment you saw the Woodrender queen!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ -O Duke of Elryad, word from my master
The Duke was diligently polishing Gorgheus's scales when he heard Dpelliuss beside him and immediately summoned the knights. The Wyvern Lord was big enough for the Duke and ten knights. The Duke and knights, packed with emergency rations and blankets, mounted Gorgheus and followed Dpelliuss across the border. The thrill of hovering high in the sky atop the Wyvern Lord, overlooking the Empire camp, was indescribable. "My son-in-law trusts me with rescuing the Steno royals. Show no gaps—perform the mission perfectly." "Yes, Your Grace!" The knights, wrapped in blankets against the high-altitude chill, responded vigorously
A mission to rescue a neighboring king and family captured by evil Empire— Every knight dreams of such honor once. "Your Grace, the Wyvern Lord is incredible. Carrying this many and hovering for hours." The Duke laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Records say some Wyvern Lords never touched ground for ten years? To a Wyvern Lord, the sky is like the earth we humans tread." If Gorgheus even twitched, tiny Dpelliuss issued invisible threats. Sensing a vast power gap despite similar size, Gorgheus behaved like a chick before a raptor
"Now, let's rehearse our formation and stance before King Steno once more." "First, Your Grace knocks out the sentries with lightning magic, then under our escort, strides boldly into the detention area. And..." The Duke and knights debated all night to look as cool as possible before King Steno.