Chapter 112
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Why Are You Looking at Me Like That? (3)
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5.
It was now the fourth day since Karron's party had departed from Galad.
It was just as Orion had warned before they left.
The road to the southern part of the Great Forest was by no means easy.
Just how difficult was it?
Sister. Could I have some salt
Hah Leo! Didn't I tell you to go easy on the salt? Get lost! I only have enough left for myself!
Sister why are you being like this to me
What? How long do I have to keep nagging you? If you don't have salt, just chew it raw! Look at Utulla! Hes chewing it bone and all!
The journey had been arduous enough to turn even the ever-gentle Rion into a complete wreck.
Leo wore a sullen expression as he tore into the deer meat in his hands.
He then shot a resentful glare at Karron.
If it was going to be like this, we should've taken an easier path. Why do we have to make things so hard for ourselves?
The past four days had been worse than he could have ever imagined.
Monsters attacked day and night.
On top of that, the path was barely even cleared.
It was, by far, the worst mission environment Leo had ever experienced.
But the worst part of all was the food.
That lunatic, Karron, had only packed two days' worth of rations.
You cant train properly on a full stomach. Huh? Sourcing food locally during a mission I mean, whats the problem, brother?
We could have just packed plenty from Galad from the start!
Hey, we survived just fine in a forest overrun by demonic beasts, didnt we?
We didn't have anything to eat back then, you bastard.
Just think of it as not having anything to eat now. Why make it so complicated? This is all for your own good, brother.
Endless sophistry.
But what was most infuriating was
Then why does jerky keep appearing from your pocket?
That bastard Karron hadn't procured food even once.
While everyone else was starving, he alone was eating jerky and bread.
Hed thought it was strange when Karron had packed a hefty load of luggage upon leaving Galad.
The elves make good jerky. I should buy a few slabs on my way back to Azure Castle.
This madman was impossible to reason with.
Leo wanted to argue more, but Rion stepped in to resolve the situation.
Karron always liked jerky, didn't he? Just leave him be.
Sister. Still
After the mission, lets turn that bastard into jerky. Since he loves it so much, Im sure he wouldnt mind becoming jerky himself for once.
Rion said this while glaring daggers at Karron.
The gentle Rion hed first met seemed to have changed quite a bit since they entered the forest.
However, Karron just smiled brightly and nodded.
I am always prepared to accept your hatred. Please, hate me to your hearts content. If that is the path to your strength, I will gladly
Shut. Up.
Dont be shy.
Karron smiled contentedly, then pulled a map from his coat.
Thanks to it being a map used by the patrol members, pinpointing their current location wasn't too difficult.
Were about halfway there.
Their current location was adjacent to the Forbidden Zone the elves had warned them about.
In other words, they werent far from the dragons lair.
Karron slowly turned his gaze, surveying the surroundings.
The vegetation seems to have changed a bit, too.
The reason a dragon's lair was dangerous was, of course, the presence of guardians.
Guardians were fundamentally monsters that protected the lair.
While the nature of the guardians depended on the dragon's disposition, Karron already knew who the master of this lair had been.
A notoriously evil dragon, even mentioned in the chronicles of the family's founder, Rael Leston.
The Poison Dragon, Etaron.
He was the only dragon to have ever settled in the Southern Great Forest.
Pluto.
Swoosh-!
The darkness flowing from Karrons hand took the form of a cat.
Mraow-!
The deep blue cat rubbed its head against Karron.
Go take a look around the area.
Mraow.
Pluto shook its head as if to refuse Karron's command.
Karron then casually raised his fist and said.
You want a beating?
An overt threat.
This was also the secret to how Karron and Pluto had grown so close in such a short time.
Perhaps the memories of the past week resurfaced?
Mraow-!
Pluto swiftly darted from Karron's hand and melted into the forest's shadows.
Shadow Meld, one of Plutos abilities.
There was no need to scout around like some bothersome dog.
He just had to send Pluto out and share its vision.
It's a relief to have less troublesome work.
Guillotine spoke, sounding refreshed.
Karron's party, which had relied solely on Guillotine's senses until now, finally had a proper means of reconnaissance.
Etaron. I still vividly remember the moment I severed that bastard's neck. Want me to tell you the story of that day? So, where should I begin
Wow, how interesting.
I havent even started the story yet?
Thats why its interesting.
Karron casually ignored Guillotine's voice and focused on Pluto's vision.
Etarons lair.
It had lost its master over 300 years ago, but it was still a place where a dragon had once lived.
Perilous magical traps, guardians protecting the lair, and so on.
It meant the place was filled with all sorts of dangers.
There was a reason the elves hadn't dared to set foot in it, even after 300 years.
It's because those knife-ears are all cowards. The master is dead, so the guardians would have naturally scattered. That's just how knife-ears are. No sense of adventure
Guillotine.
What.
Shut up for a bit.
As Guillotine said, there should be no guardians around the lair.
Even if there were, their numbers should be small, as the master had been absent for a long time.
But what he observed through Pluto's vision inside the Forbidden Zone was completely different from his expectations.
Cocoons hung from every tree.
Monsters were hatching from them in real-time, and golems were tending to the cocoons.
This place isn't abandoned.
The lair's functions were operating normally.
However, judging by the small number of guardians, it seemed the functions had been restored only recently.
Hmmmm.
Karron's mind grew complicated.
This was completely different from what he had heard from Orion.
He wouldn't have deceived us.
That left only one possibility.
The elves were unaware of this situation.
Guillotine. Youre certain Etaron died, right?
We even crafted weapons from Etarons corpse. So there's no way he could have been resurrected as an undead. But why the sudden question? You said you didn't want to hear old stories just a moment ago.
The lair is active.
What? Thats impossible
A moment later, Guillotine proposed a possibility.
Did a hatchling emerge? But why now, after more than 300 years Master, youre not thinking of checking it out, are you?
Am I crazy?
There was no need to take such a risk at this point.
The fact that the lair was active was certainly an ominous sign, but this was ultimately a matter for the elves to handle.
Thus, Karron made a quick decision.
Well go around.
There was no need to poke a hornet's nest.
It would take a little more time, but the right move was to detour far to the west.
He had deliberately chosen a dangerous path to help his companions adapt to their new strength, but this was something they couldn't handle.
We can take a wide detour along the western coastline. It'll probably add another day to our journey, so let's move a little faster.
At Karron's command, his companions nodded with sighs of relief.
Something feels off, though.
It seemed certain that something was happening in the Great Forest.
But Karron had no choice but to push aside his unease and press on.
Finding Kerua was the priority.
6.
Thanks to their decision to bypass a certain section, the rest of the journey was relatively smooth.
They reached a place where the southern sea was visible between the trees.
Karron's party, somewhat worn down by the ceaseless battles, could finally enjoy the ambiance of the Southern Great Forest.
Its beautiful.
Rion, who had been on edge, seemed to be in a better state.
She smiled faintly, taking in the sight of the sea.
Its completely different from the northern sea.
Ah, youve already been to the northern sea for your coming-of-age ceremony, sister. Whats it like there?
At Karrons question, Rion shrugged.
A hellish place. Demonic beasts appear often, and its cold and barren.
Come to think of it, Leo will have to go for his coming-of-age ceremony after this mission, won't he?
The Leston Ducal Family's coming-of-age ceremony is held in the year one turns nineteen.
In truth, it wasn't a grand ceremony.
It was simply about going to the northern sea and facing the origins of the family.
Once the ceremony was completed in the northern sea, one would gain the right to participate in the family's official affairs.
That's right. Im already worried.
Leo said with a small sigh.
I wonder if I can do it.
That's a needless worry, brother.
Leo Leston, take pride in your achievements! You are a warrior I acknowledge. If your family does not recognize you, our tribe will recognize you as an adult.
Utulla thumped his chest a few times, then turned to Karron.
How about we catch fish for dinner tonight? I will catch them.
You know how to fish?
Of course. A warrior must be able to procure food anywhere.
Sounds good. I was getting tired of eating only meat anyway.
At the mere mention of fish, Leo and Rions expressions brightened considerably.
I want to eat it raw.
I think grilled would be delicious.
They, too, had grown weary of a diet focused solely on meat.
Where did the people who were talking about turning me into jerky just a moment ago go?
Karron tossed out the remark like a joke.
To which Rion replied with a radiant smile.
Oh, don't worry. I'll definitely keep that promise.
The sea is right here, sister. We can dry him in the sea breeze, right?
An excellent idea, Leo.
I will teach you the giant's recipe for jerky, my friends.
The three of them were perfectly united.
As expected, having a common enemy was the best way to foster unity.
Im used to being the villain.
Smiling with satisfaction, Karron took the lead and moved forward.
How much time passed like that?
Hold on.
Karron, who had been walking while chewing on jerky, came to a sudden halt.
He then bent his knees and examined the ground.
Footprints?
Several footprints were stamped into the dirt, and broken twigs were scattered among them.
It was a sign that someone had passed through recently.
At least ten people.
Karron estimated their number from the shape of the footprints.
Rion, who had come up behind him, also examined the tracks closely and spoke.
Not elves. The elves didn't leave footprints. Judging by the shape, these are leather boots.
Humans?
Most likely. They feel a bit damp, so they probably came by sea.
Rion dusted the dirt from her fingers and nodded.
They passed by not long ago. Why don't you check with Pluto?
At Rion's suggestion, Karron slowly nodded. He summoned Pluto again and sent it out to scout.
The reconnaissance didn't take long.
Within a minute of sending Pluto, strangers came into its view.
As expected, there were about ten of them, each armed and running forward.
A peculiar detail was that they all wore red armbands on their right arms.
Humans, leather boots, the sea, red armbands.
Karron muttered the words to himself, and Rion quickly pieced them together.
It wasn't difficult to deduce the identity of the outsiders.
There was only one armed group in the southern sea that wore red armbands.
Pirates.
Rion said in a low voice.
Karron slowly nodded.
Looks like they're the Empress's subordinates.
Red armbands that would be the men of Besik, one of the Six Heroes. But why are they here
It looks like theyre chasing an elf but it's not like pirates would be here to help the elves, right?
After his brief remark, Karron drew Guillotine from its sheath. He then raised the corners of his mouth into a slight smile and said.
Lets go ask them ourselves.