Chapter 127
“I’m against it. A hasty announcement will only bring chaos to the continent.”
“But this is a critical matter! You all understand, don’t you? If we delay even a little in our response—”
“Which is why there might not be any need for a response at all.”
“We should confirm the situation first…”
Inside the command tent, a heated debate was ongoing, with no agreement in sight.
The meeting had been going on for over an hour, yet it was clear that no resolution was near.
‘At this rate, it’ll take forever to decide anything.’
I stopped eavesdropping from the side of the tent and shifted slightly.
It had been a few days since we successfully fended off the monster invasion, but the coalition was still deep in discussions.
The main divide was between two opposing views.
One group argued that the monsters’ unusual activity warranted a continent-wide warning about the Nameless Demon’s revival.
The other insisted it was too early to risk causing mass panic over something not yet confirmed.
Both sides had valid points, which made it difficult to reach a consensus.
Yuria seemed more than 90% convinced that the entity I saw was indeed the revived Nameless Demon, especially after hearing my account.
Honestly, I felt the same way.
The being I encountered that day was undoubtedly extraordinary.
Its sharp presence had been palpable even from a distance too far to discern its form.
There was no way an ordinary monster could exude such an aura.
“Ah, this is why having too many people is a problem.”
The coalition’s decision-making was hampered by the sheer number of people with authority to speak.
Being a temporary organization only made it worse.
If it were up to me, I’d simply do as I pleased.
‘Still, I can’t just sit here and do nothing.’
The monsters had gone completely silent since their joint attack that day.
Normally, at least a small group would descend from the mountains every three days, but not a single one had appeared.
This was unusual, but Yuria and the coalition’s key figures were too caught up in endless meetings to notice.
‘At least I finally managed to break away today.’
I owed this rare opportunity to Cassis Sinclair, the only member of our six-person team who didn’t know my true identity.
Cassis had been so wary of the danger that he ensured none of us students were ever left alone, even going as far as to ask other coalition members to watch us when he couldn’t.
But with a few days passing since the attack and things seeming safer, today, I finally got my chance.
‘I’ll have to investigate myself.’
Step by step, I cautiously moved toward the forest near the command tent.
The coalition was far from making a decision, and I couldn’t just sit idly by.
Even a small clue about the Nameless Demon’s revival would be worth finding.
If I searched deep enough into the mountain range, I was sure to discover something.
Just as I thought I had entered the forest undetected…
“Mr. Ryu.”
Flinch—
A low, quiet voice called my name, making me flinch involuntarily.
The owner of that voice?
“Elaine?”
It was Elaine Sinclair.
She was staring at me with a knowing expression, as if she’d expected this.
Elaine was fully equipped in armor and helmet, ready for battle.
“As I thought, you planned to slip away quietly.”
“Uh…”
Elaine spoke with a tone of satisfaction, fiddling with her helmet.
Recently, I’d spent so much time trying to find secluded escape routes that Elaine must have guessed I’d try the forest.
She’d caught me red-handed.
“I want to go with you.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
“You still want to come?”
“Yes, because… because I know you’ll protect me if anything happens. I also want to confirm the rumors for myself. Besides, I’ve grown stronger.”
Elaine’s voice trembled slightly, but her demeanor was resolute.
She clearly wanted to come along—desperately so.
“Haah.”
I let out a heavy sigh, full of unspoken meaning.
Elaine, knowing my role as leader of the Black Shadow Corps, wasn’t going to back down.
Bringing her along was risky and completely against my plan.
“… If you don’t take me, I’ll run straight into the tent and shout that the Black Shadow Corps leader is here.”
“….”
It seemed I didn’t have much choice.
***
“Understood? If anything happens, stick to my side immediately.”
“Yes.”
In the end, Elaine and I ventured into the mountain range together.
By the time we set out, the sun was already sinking below the horizon, and night fell swiftly in the northern forest.
Within just a few minutes, the forest had turned pitch dark.
‘From here on, we’ll have to walk.’
Using Spatial Movement, I transported us to the farthest point I could remember from my mercenary days.
But that was still relatively close to the edge of the range.
Back then, being part of the army meant I rarely ventured deeper into the mountains.
Now, I’d have to proceed on foot and gather intel along the way.
“What do you think, Mr. Ryu?”
“What?”
“Do you think the Nameless Demon has really been revived?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure.”
I gave a vague answer to Elaine’s question while carefully scanning the dark surroundings.
Honestly, I didn’t know.
The presence I sensed back then was undeniably extraordinary, but there wasn’t enough evidence to definitively label it as a demon.
“That’s why we’re here—to find out.”
“Ah, I see.”
Elaine nodded as if she understood my reasoning.
Crunch— Crunch—
The sound of leaves and twigs snapping underfoot echoed as Elaine and I walked through the forest.
The dark forest was eerily quiet.
‘But this is too quiet, isn’t it?’
Almost excessively so.
“But, Ryu?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been wondering… How did Lady Yuria end up joining the Black Shadow Corps? It’s something I’ve always been curious about. How did someone from the Prisis Family get involved with an organization like that?”
“Hmm… Yuria? How did I meet Yuria again?”
Elaine’s question prompted me to recall my first meeting with Yuria.
Where was it? I think it was somewhere in the Crescent Empire.
“I don’t remember the exact place, but we fought when we met. Then…”
Screeeech—
A strange, eerie sound from up ahead brought our steps to an abrupt halt.
Finally, something had appeared.
Screeech—
The sound, coming from a distance, was undoubtedly unnatural.
It was the cry of a living being.
Shing—
Elaine cautiously drew her sword and, as I had instructed, moved closer to my side.
I subtly reached a hand backward to be ready to grab hers at any moment as we cautiously stepped forward.
One step at a time, toward the source of the eerie sound.
“What is that?”
Screeeech—
The unsettling sound turned out to be the cry of a monster.
Not a typical cry, but one filled with pain and desperation.
What appeared before Elaine and me was a young wolf pup, writhing on the ground in agony.
The pup, noticing us, cried even more pitifully, as if pleading for help.
“What happened to it?”
“It looks like something got to it.”
Upon closer inspection of the area around the wolf pup, I faintly detected traces of dark magic.
‘It’s dark magic, but something’s different about it.’
It didn’t feel the same as the dark magic I had sensed when battling the Elders of the Nameless Organization.
This was denser and heavier.
“What exactly happened here?”
The wolf pup appeared utterly defenseless, so I cautiously approached it.
Strangely, the pup seemed relieved to see us and even welcomed our approach, an unusual reaction for a wild monster.
Screeech—
The closer we got, the more the wolf whimpered pathetically.
Just in case, I scanned the surroundings, but there were no signs of other wolves nearby.
“This doesn’t look like it was injured in a fight with other monsters.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
Swish—
The closer I reached out toward the wolf pup, the more certain I became.
The faint aura lingering around the pup was unmistakably dark magic.
Dark magic deep within the Northern Continent’s mountain range.
A sense of unease crept over me.
Screeeech—!
“Elaine, be careful for now.”
“Y-yes!”
When Elaine tried to touch the wolf pup, it thrashed about on the ground as if making a final desperate attempt to resist.
And that was the end.
After one last struggle, the wolf pup collapsed motionless, its life extinguished.
“It’s… dead…”
“Hmm.”
Even from a glance, it was obvious.
The wolf pup that had whimpered as if begging for its life was now lifeless.
“We should take it back and show it to Yuria. If anyone can figure something out, it’s her.”
Nod— Nod—
Elaine nodded, unable to take her eyes off the lifeless wolf pup.
Just as I reached out to touch the pup’s body—
“There’s no need for that.”
Startled—
A low voice cut through the air, piercing my ears like a sharp needle.
Just moments ago, I’d confirmed that there was no one around, yet a voice had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“That creature is dead because it was useless.”
“…!”
Elaine moved exactly as I had instructed, quickly stepping behind me at the first sign of danger.
“Who are you?”
Once I confirmed Elaine was safely behind me, I addressed the mysterious figure who had suddenly appeared, already half-expecting their answer.
—
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