Arrows That Spare No Prey
As Adel stepped out of Nazan's tent, Yong-a, the Ulan tribe's strategist and diviner, was waiting for him.
"A demon stone from the demon race... Indeed, that explains why the monsters went berserk. Well done."
"The Forgotten Ones are truly troublesome folk. They call themselves wanderers caught between life and death, yet they never hesitate to sow chaos across the continent."
He fixed Adel with a gleaming gaze.
"The same goes for the great plains incident... Thanks to you handling it so adeptly, we've saved ourselves a lot of trouble. With this evidence, we can begin the monster extermination through the principality."
"What will you do with that stone?"
"It's an object infused with demonic power. We'll have to seal it properly with immortal arts. If it ever connects to the demon realm's dimension, it could summon demons."
"Hmm."
As Yong-a said, sealing the demon stone required the power of an immortal artist or a church priest.
"I see now. The reason you were watching Mahal wasn't to protect the desert—it was the stone itself."
"No need to separate the two. Protecting the stone is the same as safeguarding the desert."
"True. But the stone is now in your hands."
"Haha... If berserk monsters push south, the desert will be in danger. Finding and preventing the cause beforehand is the duty of an immortal artist."
Yong-a smiled faintly.
"And only immortal artists can handle the stone, so it's a natural outcome."
"Killing two birds with one stone, indeed."
"That said... may I ask one thing?"
Ssssh—
The moment Yong-a spoke, a strangely sweet scent lightly brushed Adel's nose.
"Of course."
Paat—!
But at Adel's words, a cold wind stirred, sweeping away the scent that had filled the tent.
Sring—
In that instant, Adel calmly drew the sword at his waist, his expression impassive.
"I warned you before. Even without your immortal arts, I'll answer your questions truthfully, so withdraw your gaze. Unless you want to die."
Yong-a's eyes flickered slightly at Adel's words.
"I'll consider it loyalty to the tribe. But forgiveness is only this once."
Yet Adel spoke in an even calmer voice.
"If you ever try using immortal arts on me again, I'll cut off your fingers and tongue so you can't."
His matter-of-fact tone carried an even deeper pressure.
"...Forgive my rudeness. It was a critical matter, and under Hien's orders."
"What do you want to know?"
"The origin of the demon stone."
"Mahal was the one keeping it. He rose to successor with the Forgotten Ones' help, so he couldn't defy them."
Yong-a nodded, his expression saying as expected.
"But even the Forgotten Ones wouldn't find it easy to obtain a demon stone. They're only found in church temples."
"Correct."
"Of the remaining temples, two have already been excavated for stones. The last one is..."
"The Forbidden Zone temple at the desert's southernmost tip."
Yong-a met Adel's eyes as he spoke.
"That's right."
"But it hasn't been conquered yet. It's hard to believe the stone came from there. As proof, Hien himself has gone to investigate."
'What a monster... Heading to conquer the temple alone already.'
"I see. So Father sent me to the strait to keep me out of the way while he investigates."
"Haha..."
He gave a wry smile at Adel's response.
"Is there a chance he could retrieve the stone without conquering the temple?"
"Who knows... As I said earlier, it's uncertain, but unlikely. But if by some chance..."
"If the stone came from the desert temple, then someone connected to the Forgotten Ones regarding the stone is likely from the desert."
"Hmm."
Adel furrowed his brow slightly at his words.
'Suspecting a spy in the tribe? Is he serious? Or just testing me?'
It was hard to read Yong-a's true intentions. That made it all the more crucial to tread carefully. No need to reveal everything as truth.
'His abilities are tempting, but I can't rule out that he's sided with Merka.'
Adel decided to play it safe. Yong-a's talents were desirable, but until he knew exactly who was behind him, it wasn't too late.
"You suspect a spy in the tribe right now? Yong-a, how can you call yourself the tribe's strategist?!"
He raised his voice, shouting in response.
"Calm yourself. I was merely speaking of possibilities. The demon stone is that important."
"Pretend I didn't hear it. Didn't you say the tribe is like family? I don't suspect family."
"...My thinking was shortsighted. But I thought you, of all people, would understand."
Yong-a wore an enigmatic smile at Adel's reply. It might have been just a probe, but the final words hinted that Yong-a's assessment of him had shifted slightly.
'But I can't just bask in a changed evaluation. The more he shows this side, the more I should suspect him.'
And that might be the true face Yong-a wanted him to show.
In truth, Yong-a was one of the most deeply involved in this affair, excluding Merka.
'He claims neutrality, but most people think he's supported Merka until now.'
So his earlier question could be probing to protect Merka, or genuinely digging for the tribe's sake.
'Hard to pin down, but it's definitely different from my past life.'
If the latter, Adel might acquire him faster than expected.
'I'll watch and see.'
Moreover, Yong-a's reaction suggested he hadn't yet heard that Adel was Kaldret's contractor.
That meant Hien still trusted Nazan more than Yong-a.
'Immortal artists are hard to read by nature.'
Yet the reason Adel still wanted Yong-a wasn't just his personal skill.
It was the immortal arts group he belonged to: Cheonghae.
'They hold him, who wields the high god Jerena of wisdom's blessing, plus three other high god contractors.'
Cheonghae could surpass even the continent's largest church, the Nell Church, in terms of god ranks alone.
"Understood. I spoke out of turn. I heard you received a mission from Hien."
Yong-a backed off first.
Adel figured pushing further wouldn't yield immediate gains.
"Yes. Heading to the Garam Archipelago. Rania is hunting a kraken, and I'm to assist."
"You know about that place."
"The windless zone. One of the few areas on the continent where God's blessings can't be used."
"Correct. But that's not the only danger. The Garam Archipelago is a pirate haven. Beyond hunting monsters, you might clash with them."
"Unless the pirates are mad, they won't pick a fight where great whites roam."
"That's... not entirely true."
"What do you mean?"
"As you know, while your other brothers conquer the desert, Rania turned her eyes to the sea."
"Of course. That's how she earned the moniker White Shark."
"Yes. Despite her youth, she claimed one side of the archipelago as her base and hunted many monsters. But..."
"But?"
"The archipelago is pirate territory. Not hunter territory. And pirates hunt people, not monsters. No matter how many monsters Rania slays, pirates won't acknowledge her for that reason."
"Yong-a, we hunters don't hunt for pirate approval."
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying she needs their recognition or permission."
Adel eyed Yong-a.
"Claiming one side means other forces control the rest of the archipelago. What Rania must hunt isn't just monsters."
"I get it."
"The Archipelago King is a pirate, but a powerhouse everyone acknowledges. He has many followers. Rania's made her move."
"A hunter's way. Showing strength by taking the strongest monster."
"Yes. The kraken is one of the strait’s top predators. But ancient trees are never easy prey."
"True. But 'difficult prey' means tricky, not impossible."
'But Sis failed to catch the kraken.'
Adel remembered this day well.
She was impatient, just as Yong-a described.
In his past life, Merka had gone kraken hunting instead because of her.
She was a rival eyeing the desert's throne too.
'And the day she lost a leg.'
Adel smiled meaningfully instead.
'Father plans to use Sis's competitive spirit to keep me in check...'
Merka had Hul as a backer, Syrin had Yoran.
But he had no solid supporter yet.
'This is my chance.'
A perfect opportunity to incur a debt from the White Shark.
"Yong-a."
"Yes, speak."
"Looks like when I return, the head I bring won't just be the kraken's."
"What do you...?"
"I'm different from Sis. My arrows don't discriminate against prey."
A chill ran through Yong-a at Adel's words, his body shivering involuntarily.
"Whether human or monster."
Adel gazed at him with a faint smile.