Chapter 335: Who is Out to Get Me?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 335: Who is Out to Get Me?
Black mist shrouded the land and raging winds swept through the air as if doomsday had arrived. The entire world was trembling.
Amidst this soul-tearing terror and despair, only a pair of majestic golden pupils could be seen, looking down coldly from high above.
"Hmph. Ants."
The voice was as cold as a blade. Following it, boundless darkness came crashing down.
Any resistance was futile. One could only be swallowed by death while drowning in the regret of their own weakness.
"Hiss—!"
Muen sat up abruptly, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.
However, what met his eyes was not death and darkness, but a small, unfamiliar room.
Curtains with gold-thread patterns swayed in the breeze, reminding Muen of the ones his maid had hand-sewn for his academy dormitory.
"Was it... a dream?"
He looked at his hands, then subconsciously felt his neck.
His skin was warm, and his pulse was strong.
Good, I'm still alive.
A surge of joy from surviving a disaster welled up in his chest. Before he could savor the feeling, a sudden jolt from the carriage pushed him back to reality.
After a moment of silent thought, he pulled back the curtain. The bright light was so piercing it nearly brought tears to his eyes. Once his vision adjusted, Muen realized he was inside a carriage, surrounded by a troop of cavalry marching in silence.
"You're awake?"
A familiar voice spoke. Muen turned his head and found an elderly man with a gentlemanly aura sitting across from him. He hadn't noticed when the man had appeared.
It was the Vice President of the Adventurer’s Association, the Stargazer, Adolf.
"Mr. Adolf."
Facing this prestigious, veteran Crown Bearer, Muen immediately prepared to stand and offer his respects.
However, a gentle force pressed him back down.
"Just sit," Adolf said with a bitter smile. "I am in no position to receive your courtesy right now."
"What happened before was an accident. I don't blame you, Mr. Adolf," Muen said immediately.
"But it was embarrassing enough regardless." Adolf sighed. "In the Adventurer’s Association, a failed mission is a failure. There are no excuses. I’ll have someone return the money you paid."
"No need." Muen shook his head. "Payment for labor. Since Your Excellency Adolf did your best, how could I possibly take the money back? That would tarnish the Campbell name."
"But..."
"No 'buts'." Muen interrupted Adolf with a smile. "If you feel bad about it, Mr. Adolf, just consider that money a deposit for the future. We will likely have more opportunities to cooperate. After all..."
A cold glint flashed in Muen's eyes. "I can't just let this matter slide so easily."
"..."
Adolf gave Muen a meaningful look, then followed with a somewhat helpless chuckle. "You're a cunning brat."
"I wouldn't dare." Muen smiled, then his expression turned serious. "So, Mr. Adolf, what exactly happened?"
"That... is what I should be asking you."
"Asking me?"
"Indeed. At that time, the Calamity appeared and then vanished just as quickly. Afterward, Lord Eller organized the army to search the forest again. They eventually found you not far from the forest's edge, but you were all unconscious."
Adolf stroked his beard, frowning as he asked, "Therefore, I am also quite curious about what happened in that forest. The awakening of a Calamity is a major event that would alarm the entire Empire. Moreover, judging by the traces left at the scene, it seems you had a direct encounter with that Calamity?"
"...I'm not entirely sure either."
After a moment of silence, Muen shook his head.
"As you saw, I did indeed run right into that Calamity. And then... then I lost consciousness after a single glance. I don't know anything after that."
Muen knew it was impossible to reveal that the Calamity might have awakened because of him. Thus, he spun a half-truth:
"To be honest, I thought I was a dead man. But since I'm alive, perhaps the Calamity woke up for some other reason and was just passing through."
"Passing through..."
Adolf’s gaze swept over Muen again. After a moment of contemplation, he whispered, "It seems that's the only way to explain it."
If the Calamity had truly been awakened by this Campbell kid, there was no way he’d be sitting here talking so calmly. After all, that was that Calamity. Just the aura it leaked upon appearing was enough to strike fear into the heart of a dignified Crown Bearer like himself.
Adolf sighed inwardly.
The Death-Calamity Dragon, Hamulein.
Judging by that presence alone, it seemed even more terrifying than the previous Leviathan.
"By the way, Mr. Adolf, how is Liya?" Muen asked with sudden anxiety.
As his mind cleared, Muen remembered the sight of the future Saintess foolishly turning back to face the Calamity, falling like a butterfly with broken wings. The spray of blood at that moment had been tragically beautiful and heart-wrenching.
"Don't worry, she's fine for now."
Seeing Muen's anxious state, a hint of teasing flashed in Adolf's eyes. He smiled and said, "She's in another carriage."
"That's good..." Muen breathed a long sigh of relief, but then his voice spiked as he caught a specific word. "For now?"
"Yes. That girl's injuries are far more severe than yours. The Calamity's black mist invaded her body. I brought the best healing mage in the area, but they could only temporarily suppress her wounds."
"Then what should we do?" Muen asked nervously.
"Rest assured. We might not have a solution, but the Holy City certainly will." Adolf pulled back the curtain and looked at the scenery flying past the window, offering comfort. "We are heading to the Holy City at top speed. Nothing will happen to that girl. I swear it on my honor."
"I see." Muen finally felt completely at ease. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Adolf."
"It's only right."
"Can I go visit her now?"
"Of course."
Thinking about the famous engagement this young master of the Campbell family held, and recalling certain rumors, the teasing and gossiping look in Adolf's eyes grew stronger. He stroked his beard and smiled. "Wait a moment, I'll go make the arrangements."
"Thank you."
...
After Adolf left, Muen finally had a chance to calm down and reflect on what had happened.
"I actually survived."
"Even though we both faced the Calamity, Liya suffered wounds that even her own Holy Light couldn't automatically heal, yet my injuries have completely recovered."
"And..."
He reached out, looking at his slender fingers, and slowly clenched his fist.
"I feel like my physical strength has increased a bit. Why?"
"And what the hell is this weird sensation?"
Since a moment ago, a vague but not particularly intense heat had been suppressed deep in Muen's lower abdomen. No matter how much he tried to sense it, he couldn't identify the true nature of that strange feeling.
Fortunately, it didn't seem to have any actual impact on him for the time being.
Meanwhile, the Black Book remained completely silent.
"Then who exactly saved me?" Muen rubbed his chin in confusion. "Could it be that the Calamity really just woke up and went for a stroll?"
The mysteries were becoming more baffling by the second.
"Wait."
Lost in thought, Muen suddenly began searching his person.
His previously tattered shirt had been replaced with much softer undergarments. Based on the texture, a single piece of this clothing could probably buy Ariel enough black bread to last decades.
But that wasn't what he was concerned about.
Rather...
"Thank god it's not lost."
Muen wiped away a cold sweat after pulling a letter from an inner pocket. Fortunately, the person who helped him change was meticulous. If this letter—which determined whether his trip to the Holy City would be a comedy or a tragedy—had been lost, things would have gotten ugly.
"Eh? What's this?"
Muen noticed a small slip of paper attached to the letter that hadn't been there before.
There was nothing special about the paper, only a single sentence:
"Keep it up, young man~"
It was completely nonsensical.
Yet, for some reason, looking at those cute characters, Muen felt an inexplicable shiver despite the warm weather.
A miserable feeling of being set up by someone unknown, in some unknown place, abruptly surged in his heart.
Muen's eyes widened as he looked around warily.
Dammit, who else is trying to screw me over now?