Volume 3 Chapter 94 The Compensation Of Strength II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
When he woke from her dream, he found himself in the ruins of a temple, shrouded in the embrace of a massive tree.
Sarah was peering in closely, while Ninini paced back and forth with a frustrated energy.
In the spacious area, Serena was practicing her sword techniques, alone.
”Kian. I’m glad you’re back.”
”Did something happen?”
”Nothing much-nya. But you’re 3 minutes late.”
”I’m sorry.”
Standing up, he tucked the red gem necklace back into his collar.
”Have you been able to contact the Head Witch?”
”Yeah. I told her everything important. She’ll be heading out with Natra and the others right away. She’ll let us know when they find a meeting point and a safe route.”
”So we can finally go look for Rean and the others. We need to hurry-nya. We can’t afford to waste any more time.”
With that, Ninini set off towards the cobblestone path, quickening her pace.
Serena, in the distance, sheathed her sword and called out to Ninini.
”For now, at least this means if we get caught by the ‘Storm Herd,’ we won’t face the absolute worst.”
”Getting caught is still pretty damn bad. We need to be extra careful to avoid that.”
”True.”
Nodding in agreement, Sarah took off running.
Kian followed closely behind her.
Leading the group was Ninini, with Serena half a step behind her.
Kian and Sarah skillfully dodged the protruding roots of the trees, catching up in no time.
”Ms. Ninini, our teleportation might have been noticed by the enemy. Please be cautious.”
”I know-nya. But… it’s already been 4 days since Rean and the others were taken. We need to hurry; if we don’t, Vest might get killed by those bastards. They usually kill women after they’ve been raped, right?”
”If it’s the ‘Storm Herd’ that took them, they wouldn’t do something like that. Taking women into the pack means they’re formally welcomed into the clan. It’s important to introduce new blood into the herd, but they follow the rule against raping for mere sexual pleasure. So female captives usually end up in the slave market.”
”Damn it, that high elf Vest probably sells like hotcakes. But if it’s at the slave market──yeah, they’d call in the merchant, negotiate, and until the deal’s sealed, she’d be under the boss’s thumb. Still time to turn this around!”
Sarah, running alongside Kian, broke the silence.
”If it were me, I’d bind Mr. Rean and Ms. Vestacia with contracts──use them as pawns. The Bloodsucking Kings of Ramsey──they were originally dispatched to hunt monsters too. Negotiations? Easy.”
”No… I don’t think it’s that simple.”
”What do you mean?”
Sarah furrowed her brow, suspicion shading her voice.
Kian kept his eyes forward, calm but serious.
”There’s a theory that the wreckage of Erynys’s temple ruins was a surprise attack point──where Hairkin Races’ troops ambushed Lord Owl’s forces. Maybe Rean and the others were wiped out because they saw the retreat point, and it shattered their defenses.”
”What?! So… the lich you fought was connected to the Hairkin Races?”
”Ms. Priscilla suspects that. And I──that encounter with the lich──feels just as likely.”
”So, we got ambushed because we accidentally walked right into their military trap-nya?!”
Ninini’s yellow eyes widened in alarm as she spun around.
Kian nodded slowly, confirming.
”It’s just a theory, but listen: an hour after you teleported here, you were encircled by Beastmen Mercenaries, and at the same time, Ms. Lyritisse was surrounded and neutralized. It’s all too connected──too many coincidences.”
”Damn it-nya… Shit, I knew it was dangerous, but I didn’t think we’d be caught right in the middle of a warzone… this is crap-nya.”
”How did Rean manage to blitz the ruins, anyway?”
Serena tilted her head, sword slashing through the branches of a pine tree blocking her view.
”From behind that fog barrier, picking up the presence of a Spiritual Vein──that’s just insane, even for humans. That’s some real magic-level stuff.”
”That’s true. Ms. Ninini, it was Rean who suggested you take a short break on the village, right? Did you notice anything suspicious about him at the time? Considering all the information we have so far, his behavior seems very strange.”
”Well, even I’ve noticed that Rean’s been acting strange lately. Lyr too, but Rean seems even more… anxious, somehow. He’s always been one for constant quests, but recently, it’s like he’s always craving for adrenaline, seeking out dangerous adventures. Then again, that’s just how he is; it’s always something with him…”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
”Even if he sensed a strange magic power wave while in the restroom, would he really charge in alone? Wouldn’t he at least come and inform you first? And besides, it seemed like he was trying to escape from you, wasn’t he?”
”Hmph… Well, it was definitely not normal-nya. …Ah!”
”What is it?”
Sarah asked, turning to face her.
Ninini spun her cat-like eyes for a few seconds before turning back with a look of astonishment.
”Now that you mention it, he’s been moving rather sluggishly lately.”
”His movements seemed restricted, as if his body wasn’t acting freely? We’re already looking into that on our end. Could it be due to some curse or a magical contract?”
”Even when attacked by the beastmen mercenaries, his armor was pierced far too easily. His magical gear is supposed to be as tough as the scales of a ‘Aquavore Alligator,’-nya…”
”Was the spear some kind of divine weapon?”
”No-nya. The spear was a decent piece, but it was just an ordinary one with magic languages etched on it-nya. I thought that Rean’s armor should’ve been able to handle it easily. But still, he got stabbed right in the gut-nya!”
’Hmph. So the armor was weakened, huh? I see, a weapon that requires offerings to maintain its abilities. Even a second-rate piece can be quite the find.’
(────)
Kian involuntarily clenched his jaw at the word ‘glasses.’
Offerings.
The price of power.
On a shadowy back alley, the merchant of Black Onyx spoke of Rean’s *debt*──a weight that seems to stretch beyond gold and debt collectors.
A ring fashioned from Lyritisse and Vestacia’s hair──more than jewelry, it’s a symbol of their bond.
Lyritisse, who’d been drained, looked completely restored before today’s teleportation──her strength returning as if she’d never been hurt.
Slowly, it feels like the pieces are falling into place.
Rean’s secrets, once hidden behind walls, are cracking open.
Glancing to her side, Sarah’s eyes sharpened──she’d reached the same conclusion, her stare unyielding.
Could it really be──Rean’s magic sword and armor? Not just siphoning the enemy’s life force, but stealing his own in the process?
Somehow, Rean, once able to pay the cost, can no longer do so. His armor, once a source of power, now saps his strength──becoming a chain instead of a shield.
Kian hesitated──should he tell Ninini that Rean handed over the hair of Vestacia and Lyritisse to the merchant?
If he speaks up, the *’Lion’s Companion’* might explode into chaos.
Rean’s life──his entire future──could unravel in an instant.
”Kian,”
Sarah’s voice, steady but tinged with concern.
She shook her head slightly, a silent sign of her doubt.
Kian nodded, weighing the heavy truth.
First, protect Rean──listen to what he has to say.
Let him decide whether to tell Ninini.
’That’s right. This is the *’Lion’s Companion’*’s problem ── not ours to meddle in.’
”Hey, everyone, time to leave the forest.”
Serena pointed ahead──her voice firm but kind.
”I think I’ve got a general idea of where we are. I can guide from here.”
”Good. That’s a relief.”
”Rean, Vest… stay safe, alright──please…!”
Ninini whispered a prayer, her voice trembling with hope and fear.
Watching her, Sarah’s face twisted with sympathy as she ran beside Kian, her expression haunted.
* * *
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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