Volume 3 Chapter 5 Quest： Dream Castle II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”There might be a werewolf among us. However, judging by the size of its mouth and the texture of its fur, it doesn’t look like a typical specimen at all. ──-The first person to go missing in this village was a Shoemaker, right?”
”Yeah, that’s right.”
”What about his body?”
”No, it hasn’t been found. He just vanished without a trace.”
”I see. If the creature is indeed a werewolf, he might have transformed.”
”No way! He was a good guy. Sure, he wasn’t great at making shoes, but he was cheerful and could sing beautifully… There’s no way he would turn into a monster and attack everyone!”
”I want to see Shoemaker’s house.”
Rean stated this firmly to the villagers.
The Magistrate and the other residents nodded, albeit hesitantly.
”Wait.”
”…Kian?”
”Magistrate, didn’t you say that Shoemaker disappeared suddenly while he was tanning leather? How many people were nearby to witness that? It must have been during the day since he was working, right?”
”I saw him, the Shoemaker. I was working in the fields right next to him. A few other local farmers saw too. I remember thinking everything was normal until suddenly, he just vanished.”
Kian looked around at Rean, Lyritisse, and the Magistrate as he spoke.
”Are you suggesting he transformed quietly without suffering? It’s hard to believe he could suppress his cries.”
”There are various types of werewolves. I’ve seen a few that could suppress their voices. First, we need to investigate his house.”
”I see. Then I’ll go off on my own here.”
”What do you plan to do?”
In response to Lyritisse’s question, Kian offered a brief reply.
”I’m heading into the woods now. I’m going to track down the traces and hunt down the monster responsible.”
”――――.””…….”
”Huh?”
After this statement, it seemed everyone present lost their words and fell into silence.
However, one of the villagers, looking toward the dark forest, muttered, “You’re joking, right?” This kicked off a flurry of panic among them as if they had disturbed a hornet’s nest.
”That’s ridiculous; it’s madness!”
”You’re absolutely right. What are you thinking, rushing into the woods at night?”
”…Kian. Are you feeling anxious and in a hurry?”
Lyritisse’s eyes hardened.
Even Rean, who had been mostly ignoring Kian, narrowed his eyes.
”What are you thinking? Are you joking?”
”Werewolves have a much keener sense of smell than humans, and they can see through the darkness of night with no problem. It’s impossible to track any trace in this darkness. If you’re trying to lure the monster out by using yourself as bait, please stop immediately. Even with us here, we can’t watch over you all the time.”
”Our party has its own way of doing things.”
Kian said that, but through his magic-infused glasses, he spotted a dense concentration of magic power moving far into the depths of the forest.
It was likely the silver-furred beast that Lyritisse said.
Whether it was a Shoemaker or not would become clear after a fight and a beheading.
There was no need for further investigation.
”Master, weren’t we supposed to cooperate with the other party?”
”I’ve changed my mind. I’ll do things my own way.”
He stated it firmly.
”Sir Kian”
Natra seemed to have noticed Kian’s unwavering gaze fixed on the depths of the forest since a while ago.
”Did you find something?”
”Yeah.”
”Found it?”
Lyritisse asked in a parrot-like fashion.
Without answering, Natra addressed the villagers.
”We’re going into the forest with Sir Kian. Magistrate, grant us permission to hunt.”
”No, you guys! The previous adventurer party didn’t come back! Entering the forest at night is way too dangerous.”
”It’s fine.”
Kian raised the bridge of his glasses.
He drew a large knife from his Night Wraith’s sheath.
It was a guard equipment that Maribel had given him.
Natra and Rufna had also changed into their luxurious kimono equipment.
”────!?”
”Wha…!”
Rean and Lyritisse took a defensive stance.
”That amount of magic power…!”
”Are you really human?”
”Yeah. We are just as vulnerable as you humans. ────Rean, I leave the village’s protection to you. With you and your magic sword, you should be able to handle anything that comes your way.”
Kian turned back to the magistrate.
”Excuse me, but I must leave. I can’t afford to let my target slip away.”
”Huh…?”
Ignoring the magistrate’s foolish exclamation, Kian activated ‘domain’ and instantly moved from the spot to the forest’s entrance.
To anyone except Rean and Lyritisse, it would have seemed as though Kian vanished in a flash.
Natra and Rufna followed suit, using ‘domain’ to rapidly move and landed on the muddy farmland in front of the forest.
”Hey, Master. You really know where the enemy is?”
”Yes.”
Flick.
Kian’s eyes behind the ‘glasses’ glowed red with phosphorescence.
There.
Beyond the trees of the forest.
Just in front of the clearing by the lake, inside the hall, a figure covered in beastly fur is highlighted in red.
It stands roughly two meters tall and has a humanoid shape—
There’s no mistaking it.
”I can see *them*. I won’t let them escape.”
”…As my lord, this monster-like sense is unsettling.”
”You’re not even human anymore.”
Grumbling to his familiars, Kian tensed the muscles in his limbs with a creak.
”Let’s go. Let’s wrap up this quest quickly.”
* * *
Kian moved through the forest as if flying above the branches.
What was impossible for an ordinary person just 2 months ago, could now be achieved effortlessly, even without enhancing his physical abilities with magic power.
His enhanced vision, and the increased strength in his arms and legs, made it a reality.
In areas where the foliage was dense, he would pass through in Mist Form.
When he didn’t want to lose momentum, he would casually swing his left arm to snap branches as thick as a grown man’s arm.
Natra and Rufna, partially in spirit form, followed along the path he opened up through the trees.
The destination was about 5 kilometers away, but Kian’s exceptional sense of direction and memory allowed him to accurately pinpoint his current location within the forest.
It was as if he was looking down on the enemy’s position from the sky, closing the distance with every second.
The enemy seemed to have no intention of running either.
He stood rooted in place before the target lake.
”…The view will open up soon. We might enter combat immediately after. Be prepared.”
””Yes!””
Snapping a branch of the nearby oak tree with all his might, the view suddenly cleared, revealing the moonlit lake surface shimmering below.
Landing soundlessly on the plaza, he saw a slender figure with a deeply hooded cloak and a black, mist-like substance swirling in the background.
The silver-furred beast was undoubtedly the entity turning into mist.
However, attention should first be directed towards the hooded figure.
He had sensed this person’s blood scent while moving, but this distinctive, strong perfume smell was──.
”Ms. Natasha, I presume?”
Holding his breath, he quickly approached the retreating cloak.
The cloaked woman clearly cursed before turning her back on Kian and fleeing at full speed.
”Chase her, don’t let her escape!”
”――――.””…….”
Natra and Rufna instantly transformed into spirit form, chasing after Natasha as she tried to open a teleportation gate while running.
“Damn it…! Come forth!”
With a sharp cry, she cast off her hood.
Her golden hair unraveled, fluttering in the air.
Indeed, the shadowy figure was Natasha, the former Head Magician who had betrayed Maribel and fled.
In response to her call, 6 shadows burst energetically from the lake surface.
These slender, tall insect-like creatures had sharp blade-like edges growing from their hands and feet.
They bared their teeth and swung their blades threateningly at Natra and Rufna, who tried to slip through in spirit form.
Meanwhile, the silver-furred beast in Mist Form materialized in front of Kian.
However, unlike the monster whose traces were found in the village, it had a human form.
”Wolfmen…?”
A Wolfmen man, holding a knife, stood guard to protect Natasha.
The man had a slightly large physique for a Wolfmen warrior, standing about 2 meters tall.
He was a different person from the one who had come with Rufna on the previous assassination attempt.
Younger than that one, with a hint of youthfulness around his eyes and mouth.
”Ugh──! Grrr!”
The man stood a little taller──his voice held a youthful sharpness──baring his teeth and glaring at Kian.
Drool spilled from his mouth.
His eyes were a light blue, but they faintly glowed red.
A strong animal scent hit his nose.
But before the fight with the man could begin, Rufna and Natra emerged from the lake, cutting down the Bloodsucking Kind──the Sword Cain──with their blades.
They held Natasha at swordpoint and demanded her surrender.
It seemed the werewolf man couldn’t move without a direct order from the Head Magician, as he didn’t even attempt to attack despite his bared teeth.
Kian cautiously circled the man and approached the former Head Magician, who sat slumped down by the water’s edge, panting heavily.
Natra, meanwhile, kept an eye on the man behind Kian.
”Kian Vahid… Damn it… Why are you here?”
”That’s your line, Ms. Natasha.”
Kian pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and looked down at the mud-caked witch, her lips clenched in a grimace of frustration.
”And what are you doing here?”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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