Chapter 364: Traces (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 364: Traces (4)
September 19, 1799. Toad’s Nest Inn, southwestern Kiken Principality.
Valeria sat in the lobby, her hair dyed black and clad in light leather armor, sipping a beer. Her staff, wrapped in cloth to disguise it as a spear, leaned against the table. She looked every bit the part of a novice adventurer on a training journey.
For some time now, her gaze had been fixed on a flyer posted on the inn's wall.
[Jin Runcandel once said: "Beauty—it is your other name." Surrender yourself to the stunning results of Gold Top Cosmetics.]
Putting aside the cringeworthy marketing copy—though the Gold Top Merchant Group’s advertisements were massive hits every time—it was simply surprising to see the flyer posted in a small city like this.
"There aren't many mercenaries in the world who sit alone in broad daylight, drinking beer with such a cold expression while staring at an advertisement. I’d recommend changing your setup next time. Order a lot of food and keep a mercenary magazine open in front of you. That would be perfect."
Jin shrugged as he took the seat across from her.
"That… Did you actually say those words?"
"The part about 'your other name'? As if."
Despite the man himself sitting right in front of several identical flyers, no one in the inn recognized him.
Jin opened the menu and casually called for the innkeeper. He proceeded to order a feast.
"Lamb stew with plenty of chili peppers and onions, and a beef tripe stew. Go heavy on the pepper for that one. And…"
Jin stopped mid-sentence, suddenly glancing at Valeria’s reaction.
I reflexively ordered the dishes we used to eat all the time in my past life. My palate changed back then from always matching my teacher’s tastes.
Fortunately, Valeria showed no particular reaction.
Well, these are common dishes you can find at any inn. There’s no reason for her to find it strange.
However, Valeria was thinking something else entirely.
Plenty of chili and onions, and lots of pepper. Why is he so specific? It’s not incredibly rare, so I suppose there are others who eat like that, but still…
Valeria had grown accustomed to those flavors during her time with the Grey Owl Mercenaries. A bitter smile touched her lips at the sudden memory.
Strangely, sometimes… I feel like Jin Runcandel knows me too well.
It had been a very long time since Valeria had shared those dishes with someone else. She decided the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant, though she wouldn't go so far as to call it good.
They ate their fill. To maintain their cover as a mercenary duo, they spent the meal chatting idly about commissions and their future prospects in the trade.
"You’ve worked hard, Aria Owlheart. It’s impressive that you found the Catfolk in just three months," Jin said once they had left the inn, secured horses, and entered the quiet path leading toward Wantaramo.
"I haven't fully found them yet. As I wrote in the letter, I only found traces. Traces leading into Wantaramo Forest."
Jin nodded.
To be honest, I didn't know Wantaramo Forest was anything special. This is the first time I've even heard the name.
Just as he was about to say that, Valeria continued.
"Besides, if the Catfolk hadn't left them on purpose, I wouldn't have been able to find even those traces. They are the impressive ones, not me."
"The Catfolk left traces on purpose?"
"Yes. They know I’m looking for them. They seem to have noticed about a month ago, and since then, they’ve been subtly leaving me messages, almost like riddles."
The Catfolk were guiding Valeria toward Wantaramo Forest.
If they’re capable of leaving messages for a tracker, then at least they weren't all slaughtered back then…
Whenever he recalled leaving them to guard the cave barrier while he departed from the Third Tomb, his heart felt heavy, as if weighed down by a slab of iron.
—The Catfolk’s barrier was quite amusing. Between you and those things, it seems I’m surrounded by nothing but pests that are more troublesome than expected.
Those were the words of the Wraith Squad member who had broken through the Catfolk’s barrier and entered the cave.
Even after hearing that, Jin hadn't asked the Wraith Squad what they had done to the Catfolk. He hadn't had the luxury to engage in psychological warfare or risk giving them a potential weakness to exploit.
Even after Verakt appeared and they encountered other members of the Wraith Squad while escaping the forest, the question of the Catfolk’s survival had remained a lingering weight on his mind.
"I intended to contact you after meeting them directly, if possible. But since the destination was Wantaramo Forest, I felt the need to bring along someone they actually like. I started to worry that they might have decided to eliminate me."
"Eliminate you?"
Valeria tilted her head at Jin’s question.
"Don't tell me you don't know what kind of place Wantaramo Forest is."
"Uh… no, I don't."
"Then why did you act like you knew?"
"When did I…?"
"You did."
"No, I was about to answer honestly just now. You just didn't give me a chance to speak."
Pfft.
A light laugh escaped Valeria.
"Actually, I was testing you. I was curious about the Runcandel flagbearers’ information network. I suppose information on Wantaramo Forest isn't shared with the lower-ranking flagbearers."
It wasn't a major issue, but Jin felt like he’d been caught off guard.
"I apologize if I offended you."
"It’s fine. So, what exactly is that forest?"
"Even if you don't know Wantaramo Forest, surely you’ve heard of King's Liquor?"
"I’ve even tasted it. My father gave it to me."
"Most of the world knows you as the despised youngest child, but you were quite the beloved son, weren't you? For Cyron Runcandel to bestow King's Liquor upon you… Wantaramo Forest is the land where that liquor is brewed."
Only then did Jin understand why, when he was young, Casimir had mentioned the former Emperor of Viment and his ministers negotiating with Wantaramo Forest.
King's Liquor.
A drink brewed on a special day, at a special time, for a special person.
There was only one race in the world capable of brewing it.
So it’s a forest inhabited by Fairy descendants.
Very few people knew that Fairy descendants resided in Wantaramo Forest. Even as a Runcandel flagbearer—albeit the twelfth—Jin hadn't known. Even dragons who had lived for thousands of years were mostly unaware.
Only those who stood at the very pinnacle of the world, their closest confidants, or those with special abilities to uncover the world's secrets knew the truth of Wantaramo.
And those who knew of Wantaramo approached it with extreme caution. This was because the powerful considered Wantaramo Forest a public good. If someone leaked information about it to the wrong people and caused trouble for the forest, everyone would suffer the loss together.
"Jin Runcandel."
"Yeah."
"While looking through your records last time, I learned that the Fairy race is closely linked to my family."
—Within Solderet’s recording device, as confirmed by Jin Runcandel, the ancient Fairies had a duty to record.
—A thousand years ago, all ancient Fairies who did not turn traitor…
—…were deeply connected to the humans who bore the name Hister.
Those sentences had become a major preoccupation for Valeria, alongside her investigation into restoring the Spirit Energy recording device and her search for the Catfolk.
"You also said that in the Catfolk’s hideout, you saw the ancient Fairies using abilities similar to Hister’s Record Magic."
"I did."
"So, while I was searching for the Catfolk, I thought about it carefully. It occurred to me that King's Liquor, brewed by the Fairy descendants, might also be a form of recording. I can't believe it took me this long to realize it."
"Are you saying there might be a connection between the Fairy descendants and your family?"
"Exactly."
"Then it’s possible the Catfolk are aware of your identity to some extent. Especially since they lured you to Wantaramo Forest."
"That’s why I called you. From what I know, the race known as Fairy descendants is quite different from the common image people have of them."
King's Liquor was a drink characterized by its ability to convey stories. Because the concept itself was so romantic, countless bards had composed songs about the Fairy descendants. Consequently, when people thought of them, they usually imagined small, adorable creatures and a mysteriously beautiful forest.
While their appearance and the scenery often matched those common depictions… their actual personalities did not.
"The Fairy descendants are extremely exclusionary and notoriously cruel to outsiders. If someone who knows nothing wanders into Wantaramo Forest and happens to encounter them, they are almost certainly killed."
"That’s also news to me."
"And they don't even kill mercifully. I’ve heard they play with their victims like toys and only end it once they get bored."
Valeria’s perspective was entirely different from Jin’s. She had no reason to trust the Catfolk. Therefore, it wasn't unreasonable for her to suspect that the Catfolk, by leaving traces to lure her into Wantaramo, were attempting to eliminate her.
"If the Catfolk had lured me out of goodwill, they probably would have warned me that Wantaramo is a dangerous place when they left the traces. Well, I can't really hold a grudge against them; I’d probably do the same if a tracker suddenly got on my tail."
"If the Fairy descendants are such a cruel lot, it makes me wonder if the Catfolk might actually be sending a distress signal."
"That’s also a possibility."
It was night by the time they reached the outskirts of Wantaramo Forest.
The distant howls of beasts drifted on the chilling wind. As if to signal how few people ever visited, there wasn't even a hint of a path at the forest's entrance.
Flash!
As Valeria activated her Record Magic, glowing blue markers appeared across the ground.
[To allow the tracker to find them, Lulu of the Catfolk left a trace here.]
Such a sentence appeared on the translucent window floating before Valeria. The blue markers were all footprints left by Lulu.
Following the glowing footprints for about thirty minutes into the forest, the two suddenly felt the landscape shift.
The lush, towering trees nearby began to twist. The forest moved organically, like one giant living thing, and the sound of wood grinding and snapping echoed as trees merged and separated.
"Ha…!"
Jin’s eyes widened as he saw the interior of a tree that had twisted open.
Instantly, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
Bound inside the tree was Lulu, covered in blood.