Chapter 87: Time of Purification (1)
Chapter 87: Time of Purification (1)
The castle had appeared without warning and vanished just as suddenly, and those left behind reacted in different ways.
"See? When the dwarves run, you've got to run after them. We almost got caught in that storm at close range."
The mercenaries who had been working on opening the gate went cold at the sight of the heavy equipment in front of it tumbling around like toys. If they'd been caught and crushed under it, they'd have died or been crippled.
"I heard the castle moved, so I thought it had legs, but that wasn't it."
"How would that enormous lump of stone walk around?"
"No matter how I look at it, it looked more like a gigantic ship than a castle. A ship that rides lightning? Nobody back in Bonyard will believe me."
Travelers and adventurers excitedly chattered about the spectacle they had witnessed. They had come to watch a tournament and ended up seeing something far more remarkable.
The northern nobles also breathed a sigh of relief.
"The reserves and reinforcements assembling at the capital have reportedly moved south."
In an age without systematic logistics or standing armies, whenever troops were mustered and merchants and laborers were drawn in to supply them, word spread in every direction.
"Ha! How in the world do you chase down a castle that appears in a flash and vanishes in a flash?"
"That is what you call chasing after something only to end up empty-handed."
"It seems the southern nobles of the Emperor Faction are unhappy with the army's indecision too."
With the weather warming, war in the south was about to resume. They needed immediate support badly enough as it was, yet the Emperor's selfish agenda kept reinforcements from coming, leaving the nobles furious.
The Emperor, too, was ultimately forced to relent and concentrate on the southern front.
"The banquet had its share of trouble, but I am glad it was a success in the end. They say God always sends trials and blessings together."
At the Duke's words, all the nobles under his command nodded in agreement.
The tournament had fizzled out, but nobles had converged from every direction, crossing regional and national lines.
Lords also recruited new knights who had come from across the region to fill the vacancies left by last year's great battle, so the festival had fulfilled its purpose admirably.
Except for one thing.
"We never did find Sir Eugene."
At the Duke's remark, the lords who had been eagerly adding their own words of congratulation fell silent.
That was because a newly joined northern noble and renowned rising knight had been dragged inside the castle while investigating it.
He had distinguished himself in the pirate suppression and exposed the Emperor's terrorist operation by capturing the imperial mage and knight.
"There is still no news of his return from North Fork either."
"A tragedy. He was a knight who could have become a new pillar and example for the north."
"Then what becomes of his domain?"
The nobles offered only brief, perfunctory condolences before turning immediately to what would become of the vacant domain. North Fork was one of the north's foremost villages.
A lordless domain left hanging in limbo was bound to attract nobles, merchant companies, and religious orders eager to sink their teeth into it.
"How long has he even been missing, and you are already discussing a new lord? Our duty is to pray for his safe return, not scheme over politics."
"You speak truly."
At the Duke's icy words, several nobles sheepishly agreed. That did nothing to stop greed from stirring in their hearts.
The ones who truly worried for Eugene's safety were the Black Hand Mercenary Company.
"The knight must still be fighting inside the castle. He isn't someone who goes down easily, and the forest mage is with him."
Rex spoke before Chieftain Alessa.
"I do not doubt that either. The important question is where the castle is now. We cannot rescue him until we know where to look."
When the chieftain and sub-chieftain looked at Marbas, he shook his head.
"I know it is somewhere between the western and southern parts of the continent, but not its exact location. It is definitely somewhere in the mortal world."
Marbas was one of the finest summoners of the age and more sensitive than anyone to energy from other worlds.
He could sense the immense mystery tear through the space of the mortal world as it ascended, and again when it descended.
"Is there any trouble in Sir Eugene's domain? Jackals will seize this chance and try to tear pieces off it."
Rex nodded at Alessa, who spoke with a cold face.
"I will take my men and garrison the place. When he returns, I will not let him find his village being pushed around by a pack of thugs."
"Do that. I will put my information network to full use. A castle that large cannot appear anywhere without word reaching us quickly."
Finding the castle was much easier than finding a missing person. All they had to ask was, 'Have you heard anything about a giant castle suddenly appearing?'
If it appeared anywhere in the civilized world, rumors would reach them even without a deliberate search.
Meanwhile, Eugene's party was having a rough time crossing the wasteland after escaping the castle.
They had gotten lost several times in the barren, landmarkless terrain while sand-laden winds battered them.
'Damn it.'
He'd tried to teleport the castle as close to a village as possible, but it hadn't gone the way he'd intended.
The technique dealt with such an immense mystery that precise control was impossible, and Eugene was a novice captain to begin with.
"Do not take it so hard. Everyone is clumsy at first, are they not?"
Varda offered warm consolation despite looking little better than a beggar herself. Seeing the ears she prized so highly caked with grime and dust made Eugene's heart ache.
Tap, tap.
Homi's tail had also turned a dull brown as she took off her shoes and shook them upside down.
"!!!"
Homi's ears suddenly perked while she was shaking out her shoes, and she launched herself forward. After a short chase, she returned with something in her grasp.
A lizard about the size of an iguana thrashed desperately. One flick from Homi knocked it unconscious and left it limp.
"Today's lunch."
"We owe you again."
To make matters worse, they'd lost their food and water during the escape. Having to live off the wasteland was about as bad as it got, but they were managing.
"I've always known it, but this really drives home just how incredible our party is."
"At the moment, are you not basically a kept man?"
"That's too harsh."
"Hehehe."
Homi's keen senses found small animals for them to hunt, while Varda's magic supplied their drinking water.
-As a traveler, I beseech your grace. Lend us the water you have gathered from the earth.
At a tree they came across, Varda chanted a spell and made a cut in one of its branches. Clear water trickled from the wound.
The tree gathered the water stored in its roots, trunk, and leaves and offered it all in one place.
-In days to come, I promise you fertilizer rich with even more water and nutrients. I swear it on my name, Varda, mage of the Emerald Forest.
It might not seem like much, but to the tree, it meant giving up its own lifeline. Even Varda could obtain the water only after swearing an oath.
"I'll make sure the oath is never broken."
"Please do. It is not only for my sake. Those who help you through hardship deserve a worthy repayment."
Even with food and water somehow secured, they couldn't relax.
The continent was full of unexplored lands untouched by civilization. Predators and dangerous monsters roamed such places, and the wasteland was no exception.
"Scorpion?"
A giant scorpion, nearly the size of a bull, approached, thirsting for blood and flesh.
It was utterly revolting, its many legs scuttling busily while its black eyes gleamed.
"They are monsters found mostly in the desert regions of Samur. I never expected them to live here as well."
"I see why absolutely no people travel to this area. The environment's a bitch, and bastards like that come leaping out at you."
Eugene and Homi drew their weapons and split apart, one to each side.
While the two warriors drew its attention, Varda took out her few remaining seeds and chanted the thorn-vine spell.
No matter how sturdy its carapace, there was soft flesh in the gaps of its joints. The giant scorpion writhed as the thorns drove into those spots.
"SKREEE—!"
It screamed in obvious agony, flipped onto its back, and rubbed itself against the ground, as though tearing out the thorns mattered more than the enemies in front of it.
'A bug can scream?'
Eugene was startled, even in the midst of combat.
It was not a sound made by wings like a cicada or cricket, but a scream unmistakably bursting from its hideous mouth.
THUNK!
CRUNCH!
He drove his sword into the head of the giant scorpion, rendered defenseless by pain, and twisted it a full turn.
At that, the revoltingly writhing legs shuddered and went still.
SWISH!
Eugene did not stop there. He hacked off the remaining legs and venomous stinger. Varda looked puzzled at how far he went to make absolutely sure it was dead.
"Is there truly a need to go that far?"
"It's a bug. I won't feel safe unless I make damn sure it's wrecked."
"But you have already pierced its head."
"A bug doesn't die right away even if you destroy its brain. It has ganglia throughout its body that can function independently..."
Eugene stopped speaking.
The thing was a bug, yet it cried out through its mouth and reacted sharply to pain, almost like a mammal.
"No way."
Eugene swung his sword at the scorpion's thorax. The Etherje blade, still sharp after numerous battles, split its chest open in a single stroke.
CRACK.
Inside the split chest were two large lungs. Perhaps because the carapace supported its body, there were no ribs to block the view as there would be in a mammal.
"To think a bug would have lungs."
"Is that unusual?"
"Insects generally do not have lungs. They breathe through their whole bodies."
"How interesting."
Eugene flicked the blood from his sword.
'I should not put too much faith in what I know.'
Much of his knowledge was far ahead of this era. He took no small pride in that, but wonders like this naturally humbled him.
They quickened their pace, and at last the familiar river came into view. They had returned to Eugene's one and only domain.
"Good work, everyone. Leave the rest to me."
Now all they had to do was cross the river. That proved harder than expected.
ROOOOAR!
The large merchant ships paid Eugene no attention, and even the fishermen's small boats kept their distance.
'Someone coming from the wasteland, armed at that. Who knows what kind of trouble that could bring?'
Anyone desperate enough to cross out of the wasteland was likely to be a criminal fleeing pursuit.
"Come on, I'm the lord here..."
Eugene, who had stepped forward confidently, grew embarrassed. No boat came near no matter how much he waved both arms, hopped up and down, and made a spectacle of himself.
"Ugh."
Varda crouched down, apparently because her legs hurt. Seeing her pitiful state somehow dealt a savage blow to Eugene's pride as a man.
"M-my lords, shall I take you across?"
"Thank you!"
So when a fisherman finally offered them a ride, Eugene was genuinely delighted.
He was an old fisherman who had been fretting over the cost of medicine for his ailing wife.
"Th-the fare... Huh?"
The fisherman had been about to haggle over the fare when he saw Eugene's build, Homi's tail, and Varda's ears. He went pale and threw himself to the ground.
"Greetings, my lord!"
He had never seen the new lord, but the beastkin squire and elf mage were famous throughout the domain. The fisherman breathed a sigh of relief at having nearly demanded money from his own master.
"Bring the boat over here!"
By the time the ferry reached the opposite bank, the dispatched guards were directing it to a berth.
As a commercial town, North Fork saw frequent trouble, so its guards were well trained. With their lord missing, the state of emergency had them especially disciplined and alert.
From the moment Eugene began waving his arms and making a scene because he could not get a boat, the guards had been watching the far side of the river.
"Crossing over from the wasteland? Identify yourself!"
"If you have carried a criminal seeking illegal entry, you shall be severely punished!"
When the boat landed, the guards approached to inspect it, only to recoil in shock and drop to their knees.
"My lord!"
"W-we are sorry! We did not recognize you and were rude..."
No one had imagined that their liege would appear from the wasteland in such a bedraggled state.
"No. If anything, seeing how sharp your discipline is puts my mind at ease. You have all done well."
Eugene stepped off the boat and pointed to the fisherman.
"Thanks to this man, I had an easy crossing. Compensate him according to the regulations."
"Understood."
"We will escort you to the lord's manor."
Similar scenes repeated afterward. Everyone they met started in surprise and paid their respects.
"Look at this! What did I tell you? I said he would surely return unharmed!"
"The knight has returned!"
Every one of his mercenaries had remained in the domain and welcomed Eugene home.
Ting!
Eugene flicked the black horn of the wendigo trophy mounted at the entrance to the manor hallway.
"Did you keep good watch over the house while I was gone?"
He was so glad to see even the wendigo's vicious-looking face that the feeling of finally being home sank in.
"Sir Knight!"
"Rex. It hasn't been that long, but it feels like ages."
The sub-chieftain of the Black Hand Tribe welcomed him too, his whole face wreathed in a smile.
"I believed you would be safe. I wanted to rescue you at once, but there was simply no way to enter."
"I saw it from the castle windows. The clan warriors patrolled even at night carrying torches. So you wouldn't miss me if I called for help, right?"
"You were watching all of that?"
"Other than at the beginning, I had it pretty easy in there. Marbas-nim, you worked hard too."
Even when siege weapons proved useless, Marbas had tried every day to force open the castle gate with the power of magic.
"If you were watching all that, you could have at least yelled that you were safe! You have no idea how worried I was."
"The windows were not built to open. I did consider smashing one and shouting through the hole..."
At Eugene's words, Marbas started in alarm.
"Don't say such a dangerous thing! How could you damage such a precious treasure?"
"I refrained precisely because I feared you would react like this."
Marbas gulped. It was time for the most important question.
"So what about the castle? What happened to it? If you got out safely like this, surely..."
Everyone there knew what Marbas's trailing words implied. Rex pricked up his ears, intensely focused.
"The Wandering Castle is now mine. And the fact that the castle vanished from Rostock was also my doing."
Everyone met Eugene's shrug with expressions that mixed astonishment and joy.
It took about a minute to calm everyone down.
"The castle is over yonder."
Eugene pointed toward the wasteland across the river.
"I managed to get the castle to recognize me as its master, but there are still plenty of monsters inside. Clearing them by myself would be too much, so I got out first."
"Let us go there at once!"
"Give us your orders, Sir Knight!"
Eugene calmed Marbas and Rex, who were making a fuss.
"Give me a break. I want to wash up first." "Ah!"
Everyone laughed sheepishly at Eugene's party, who looked little better than beggars.
"Do not worry. The gate is shut tight, and it is not somewhere anyone can easily reach. We will head out as soon as we have had a little time to regroup."
Their employer's safe return followed by plans for another deployment drew a cheer from everyone.
"Rex, prepare every silver weapon we can use. Most of the enemies left there are nonliving beings."
"Understood."
"Captain, gather the largest and sturdiest shields you can. We need dedicated shield-bearers who carry nothing but a shield. They will lead the advance and open the way."
"Leave it to me."
Rex and the mercenary captain each saluted.
"And you, Steward."
"Yes?!"
The steward answered, starting in surprise. He had come out to welcome his master, but had never imagined he would be singled out for a military operation.
"Prepare two jars of clean, purified water and two sacks of the best compost. Have a landscaper and laborers ready as well. We need to prune dead branches and remove parasitic pests."
"Yes? Ah, yes! Understood."
The steward bowed deeply at Eugene's incomprehensible orders. Someone of his low station only needed to obey faithfully.
'I've come home after a hard struggle, but there'll be no time to rest properly.'
Eugene sighed.
The purification alone would keep him busy, but merely owning the Wandering Castle would send shockwaves through noble society.
'I used to think now and then that I wanted a castle of my own, but now that I actually have one, it's a headache in its own way.'
Eugene could already imagine the Emperor in the capital having a fit when he heard the news.