Volume 3 Chapter 117-2 Jibril’s Shadow
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Are you running away?”
Kian asked, holding Windsong Blade as he faced the two who kept their distance.
He wasn’t sure if they were holding back, but their ability to escape alive irritated him.
The bald man looked ready to kill Kian if the girl hadn’t stopped him. The same was true for Kian, who possessed both warrior monk skills and vampire abilities. The enemy thought cutting Kian’s carotid artery would kill him, but Kian survived and struck back, killing the man. If Kian had been in Mist Form, he wouldn’t have been hit at all.
As a warrior monk, Kian felt he was weaker in skill than the man. He couldn’t accept that and wanted to kill the man to hide this fact.
If asked about his reasoning, Kian would say it was emotion, not logic. Killing this man would erase the night’s events. That was the rule—similar to the idea that food on the ground is clean if picked up within three seconds.
”If you say you’ll chase us, we’ll fight. But the girl you seek might become wolf food,” the girl said, turning away.
”────”
In that instant, Kian threw a hidden poison needle from his coat, but the bald man immediately blocked it.
Kian tried to channel magic power into Windsong Blade, but by then, the girl had vanished into the darkness. Her sudden disappearance was already a recurring pattern. Apparently, not only the man but also the girl could use illusion magic.
Since attacking would be pointless, Kian finally lowered his magic sword. Meanwhile, the remaining man who hadn’t vanished still looked at Kian with persistent eyes.
”So you killed the ‘High Warlord’ of ‘Storm Herd’?”
”What are you talking about?”
”No need to pretend. You killed Almeisa and Natra. Then you defeated Knight of the Sun Oswald.”
”────”
”You’re living the ideal life every Azrael warrior monk dreams of. Some young warrior monks have even become your fans.”
”You must be joking.”
”I’m one of them.”
The man lifted the corner of his mouth, showing his teeth in a smile. However, his eyes didn’t smile. He stared intently, not wanting to miss any change in Kian’s expression.
”Who is your master? That woman seemed to know about me earlier. Is she also my fan?”
”You’ll find out if you return to Izerland.”
”That’s not an answer. But I wasn’t expecting one. So, are you going to defeat me without killing me, instead of her?”
”────”
The man dissolved into the darkness without a word. After disappearing, he left a whisper by Kian’s ear, still wearing a cold smile.
”I will be the one to kill you.”
* * *
”I’ve gotten involved with another strange person──.”
”If living in the adventurer’s world means dealing with such things, it can’t be helped. But I can’t accept trouble during work. I want to regularly kill to keep my sword sharp, but if it affects the Quest’s progress, it will impact the reward and Guild points. The success of the Quest affects not only me but also Sarah, Serena, Natra, and Rufna’s lives.”
’Do you really not remember anything about those two?’
(No. The bald man only mentioned investigating me during my time at the monastery. There was definitely no contact during the Azrael era.)
’Ask Lady Sarah to confirm later.’
(Alright. Sarah might know.)
Also, he will ask about that technique they used that suddenly disappears from hit detection.
’Kian, Serena is nearby. ───She’s snoring asleep in that barn over there.’
The ‘glasses’ shack was a dilapidated hut a bit away from the communal graveyard. Kian approached the hut and felt Serena’s magic power inside. The hut had no door, and Serena lay on an old bed inside.
”Serena. Hey, Serena.”
”Mm…”
”Serena!”
He patted her cheek. Serena first twisted her expression and opened her eyes with a groan. The hut was pitch dark without moonlight, so Serena seemed unable to tell who was looking at her. After blinking several times, she sat up and looked at Kian’s face again.
”…Kian?”
”Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
”Mm… …? …huh?”
”I came to get you because you didn’t come back even after sunset. Can you stand?”
”Huh? Huh?”
Serena quickly looked around, and her face turned pale blue.
”I, I was asleep!”
”Don’t stand up suddenly. You almost hit my chin with your head.”
”I was looking for a magician in the village, and then…”
”It seems you found a pair of Shin people. I heard from an adventurer at the tavern.”
”…I don’t remember anything at all. Where is this? Why is Kian here? Also, I need to go back quickly!”
”Calm down. It’s too late for dinner even if you rush back now.”
Then he told Serena what had happened so far. Even after he described the Shin people in detail, Serena seemed unable to remember them at all. She barely remembered talking to someone at the tavern, so it seemed likely she was hit by some sort of spell while talking to those two.
”Ahh!”
Serena suddenly let out a high-pitched voice while checking her pouch. She picked up her silver tail and dejectedly let her dog ears droop. Her glossy tail had a noticeable part of its fur neatly cut off, leaving a bald spot.
”My bald spot… I’m still young, but it’s gone…”
”It will grow back soon. Do you feel any other discomfort?”
”My head feels dizzy. It’s cold, and I feel really sluggish.”
”You seem to have lost a lot of blood. Let’s go home slowly. There’s still time before dawn.”
”Sorry for causing trouble.”
”It can’t be helped. All the Shin people who attacked you were quite skilled. By the time you stopped at the tavern, this was almost inevitable.”
”Yeah… But ever since I came here, I’ve only been holding you back and can’t do anything.”
”You prepared meals and transported supplies to the Great Forest. You played many important roles.”
”But any of that could have been done by someone else. You couldn’t negotiate with the Wolfmen. Someone else should have come instead of me.”
”There is no one else. Only you in East End is a trusted, discreet, skilled adventurer. No one thinks Serena is a burden. If you see this as a failure, try to make up for it in the later part of the quest.”
”Yeah… thank you.”
Serena showed her small teeth in a smile.
Since she once brandished a severed head, their relationship had been terrible, but it seemed her attitude softened a little.
Then the two returned to the village and rode horses back to the Great Forest. Serena seemed to have lost a lot of blood and swayed several times on the horse. Her body temperature stayed low, and she kept trembling in Kian’s arms.
(Was the Shin person’s goal to collect Serena’s hair and blood?)
But why Serena? Was it just because Wolfmen’s bodily fluids and hair were needed, and Serena happened to come to the village, so they captured and tore her apart?
It was strange to send two warrior monks to this northern end just to collect bodily fluids and hair. If they were targeting strays, they could have hired local roughnecks for money, which would have been sufficient.
The mystery only deepened.
* * *
They returned to the Great Forest camp before dawn, as promised. Serena was still unsteady, so they supported her as they entered the barrier. Sarah and the others were already back and were talking around the campfire.
”I’m back, sorry for being late.”
”Ms. Serena! What happened!? Your face is so pale!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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