Volume 3 Chapter 158 Convergence
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the dusk sky, two massive shadows appeared, growing larger by the second until they loomed directly above Kian and the others. Voices of caution rose among the Beastmen in the camp as an Azraelian girl and a silver-haired Dark Elf descended gracefully.
They stretched out their arms wide and, standing before Kian, exchanged joyful gestures of reunion.
”Sorry for the delay, Sir Kian. I’m relieved to see you’re safe,” the Azraelian girl said with a polite bow.
”Hey, Master. It’s been a while! Well, maybe not too long, but I’m glad you’re doing well!” the silver-haired Dark Elf added, waving with a bright smile.
Natra performed the traditional Azraelian bow, while Rufna, her silver hair tied into side tails, winked playfully beside her. Both wore the standard exploration gear recommended by the Adventurer Guild—sturdy leather and cloth armor embroidered with magical runes, torn and dirtied by mud and leaves from the forced march.
”I’m sorry for burdening you two so much. That forced march must have been rough,” Kian said.
”It wasn’t too bad,” Natra replied calmly.
”It was a nightmare,” Rufna groaned. “Cold, muddy forests, monsters lurking everywhere, even unfriendly locals. We barely made it through.”
”I don’t care about your forest struggles,” Natra cut in sharply, eyes narrowing. “More importantly, Sir Kian, I expect an explanation for the woman standing there with that modest smile.”
Natra’s glare fell on Linca, who wore a white cloak over a black Eastern-style dress. Despite the tension, Linca returned a polite smile, calm and composed.
”Let me introduce her. This is Linca Tsai,” Kian said.
”I know who she is,” Natra snapped. “What I want to know is why you took her into our group. Lady Sarah?”
”I never agreed to it,” Sarah said dryly. “Kian just picked her up like a stray cat.”
”Call it a stray dog. Woof woof,” Linca teased with a smirk.
Sarah’s smile tightened, a vein twitching on her temple as she silently mouthed to Linca, If you say a word, I’ll kill you.
”What’s wrong with you two? I’m happy to have strong allies. Welcome, Linca,” Rufna said cheerfully.
”Nice to meet you, Ms. Rufna,” Linca replied with a polite nod.
”Lady Linca, you were supposed to be Lord Jibril’s loyal servant. Why have you joined Sir Kian’s group instead?” Sarah asked sharply.
”Like you, my mind was consumed by Wraith, and I gained a new personality fused with it. While I served Lord Jibril faithfully when alive, now Sir Kian is my master,” Linca explained calmly.
”Then tell me—if Lord Jibril showed up and ordered you to kill Sir Kian, would you refuse?” Sarah pressed.
”No,” Linca answered without hesitation.
”For now, say ‘yes’,” Sarah scoffed. “Your loyalty is too weak.”
Linca’s gaze turned serious as she looked toward Kian, while Sarah’s eyes widened in surprise.
”Lying would betray Sir Kian. I can’t bring myself to strike down someone who was my superior just a week ago…. If battle comes, please send another warrior monk besides Sir Jibril to face me,” Linca said quietly.
”Sir Kian, this woman is dangerous. I oppose having her as an ally,” Natra said sternly. “She has family. If Lord Jibril convinces her, she might stab us in the back. Better to end it here.”
As Natra spoke, she drew her magic sword—a green and purple blade infused with spirit and thorn magic—her body glowing with the ‘Penetration’ spell, signaling she was ready to fight.
(Her power seems to have increased. After acting independently for so long and cutting off my magic supply, she may have evolved beyond KnightWraith.)
Kian stepped between Natra and Linca.
”Natra, she is under my command. From today, she’s your colleague. I won’t allow you to strike her down.”
”Is that so?” Natra closed her eyes, sheathing her sword before fixing Linca with a cold stare. “If you betray master, that will be your end. No matter where you run, I will hunt you down—and send both you and your family to Azrael.”
”I have no intention of betraying Sir Kian, but your attitude is unacceptable. Since we’re in the same party now, wouldn’t it be better to be a bit more cordial?” Linca said firmly.
”What’s wrong with being cautious around someone who could betray us? Lady Linca, if I went to Lord Jibril, would you lower your guard against me?” Natra asked sharply.
”No. You could kill Sir Jibril, so of course not,” Linca answered.
Her eyes flicked briefly to the thorned magic sword as she spoke.
”In that case, there’s no question about my response,” Natra said coldly.
”Hmm?”
”What is it, Rufna?” Kian asked.
”Nothing really,” Rufna said with a frustrated smile, looking at Kian and Linca. “But I don’t think Linca will betray us.”
”Why do you say that?”
”Why, huh? The young lady,” Rufna replied with a shrug.
”Don’t ask me. I don’t know,” Sarah said curtly.
Linca looked puzzled, but Kian’s mind drifted to something else—how many more times would he need to be intimate with Linca before she was truly free?
When Natra threatened her, Linca had looked frightened and slipped behind Kian for protection. To borrow Sarah’s words, Linca was giving off a “female” vibe even Kian could understand. The only ones oblivious were herself and Natra.
(My ‘sensor’ already signals her complete submission, but is this really certain? Becoming a devoted partner after just a few serious sessions is quite easy—almost like Christy. Or maybe my ability is just that strong…)
”It’s fine that Linca can’t take on Jibril,” Kian said, scanning the others.
”And I have no intention of putting her in that situation, and I won’t let it happen. Jibril is my target alone. No one else can interfere.”
Sarah, Natra, and Linca all widened their eyes and shivered at his words. Sarah stepped back, and Natra lowered her gaze.
”Of course, my lord,” she said quietly.
Though Kian spoke calmly, their reaction stung more than he expected.
Just as the heavy tension thickened, Rufna clapped her hands, breaking the mood.
”So? Can you explain everything now? I heard about defeating Priscilla and joining Umar, but after that, I’m totally in the dark.”
”Right. I want to ask you two about reinforcements too. Let’s retreat to the ancient temple for now—the investigation here is done for today,” Kian said, looking toward the campsite where several tents were pitched.
The closest area was for the Wolfmen, and Juji could be seen talking with comrades. The middle-aged man carrying a magic spear cast wary glances toward Kian’s group.
”How do the magic sword and bow feel? Have you tried them out?”
”Sir Kian, you’ve seen them, right? They’re so powerful I worry that ‘impact’ and ‘shot’ type spells might be overshadowed.”
”I feel the same. Thanks to the magic bow, I can now cast large-scale magic. I wouldn’t lose even against a hundred ordinary magicians.”
”Until now, the spells we could use in response to Rufna’s magic power were limited. Sorry for the trouble.”
Simply put, even if you have as much water as a lake, if you can only use a bucket, the full potential is wasted.
In theory, drawing complex magic circles or carving spells onto countless golems could allow using large-scale magic—but that wouldn’t help with sudden threats like in the Oswald battle.
Now, however, Rufna’s vast magic reserves flow freely through her silver magic bow, enhancing spellcasting and aiding calculations in complex spell formulas. With this, she can fully wield her power as Head Magician of the Nakash family, a formidable force.
(As long as we maintain some distance, we can burn the Beastmen with firepower. Though the black panther tribe’s magic-resistant fur is still a problem.)
Kian thanked Natra and Rufna silently, then winked at Linca, who wore a lonely smile at the back. Upon receiving this, Linca’s eyes widened before a genuine smile appeared, replacing her usual formality.
(We need to stabilize the party. Maybe it’s best to leave Nordende quickly.)
Kian sighed, glancing at his glasses resting on his chest as no response came. Was it because he was exhausted from spending too much time with Linca and the others, or simply asleep? He hadn’t heard her voice in days.
* * *
Later, at the ancient temple courtyard, Kian introduced Natra and Rufna briefly before leading everyone to the usual dining area. Natra and Rufna were asked to sit while Kian, Sarah, and Linca prepared the meal.
After dinner, everyone gathered around the campfire, exchanging information.
”I understand the situation. The quest is waiting to be handed over to Lord Rean. The audit can be reported if needed,” someone said.
”Yeah. But if I report everything honestly, Lord Owl will be purged—and I’ll be dragged in. If I refuse, not only Princess Maribel but also the border lords who dislike me might target me next,” another replied.
”Master defended Izerland under Lord Owl’s command. If Owl is exposed as a monster, suspicions will fall on Master, too. To outsiders, it seems strange that Princess Maribel praises him so highly,” someone else added.
”Lady Eleonora and the Guild expedition team—how are they doing?” Sarah asked between bites of the venison Kian had cooked.
”I don’t know. Lady Eleonora and the others left the ancient temple of Erynys two days ago. We cleared a path through the Great Forest with magic, but it’s still a harsh route. They won’t get lost, but with dangerous creatures and locals around…”
”If they’re following properly, they’ll arrive by tomorrow. If trouble arises, a delay of a few days is possible. Priscilla’s little lady will come even later.”
”Couldn’t they drive in the wedge to open the gate?”
”We met opposition from the locals. They allowed us to place the wedge only if we remove it later. Since it would be pointless to place it, Ms. Priscilla sent a bird to notify us. We decided to focus on breaking through the Great Forest instead.”
”Well, it can’t be helped.”
”Looks like we have plenty to do,” Sarah said, handing bones to Linca’s shikigami tanuki, which appeared naturally and began crunching noisily on them.
”First, report to Lord Owl. Second, pick up Lady Eleonora and her team. Third, defend the ancient temple in the meantime. The first and third are ongoing tasks. There’s also Ms. Priscilla’s request to secure thistle monster samples, but time may run out before we can manage that.”
”Reporting to Lord Owl requires Sir Kian and me. Sir Kian is the only one who can speak on equal footing with the lord, and I’m the only human allowed to open teleportation gates in Ramsey.”
”No, given the temple’s defense, I want you to wait here. The Sarah controlling the golem soldiers should stay here as well.”
”The scarab beetle golems act autonomously, but having me here definitely boosts our fighting capacity.”
”I don’t understand why defending this place is so important,” Natra said.
Kian shook his head. “The Guild will arrive soon. Rean and the others will defend until the very end.”
”Well, having the will to see things through until the end matters,” Kian said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “It may seem small, but it changes the Guild’s whole impression.”
”I want Sarah and Linca to welcome Lady Eleonora,” he continued, eyes narrowing. “Can we use Shikigami or golems for the reception?”
Sarah nodded and pointed toward a giant rhinoceros beetle holding a magic stone lamp. “Let’s send ten beetle golems. I got bored and upgraded them in several ways. They’re much stronger than the usual Bloodsucking Kinds around here.”
”I’ll send Nue and Mizuchi,” Linca said quietly.
Kian frowned. “It’s going to be a long period of independent action, but are you sure it’s okay? After the curse bind lifts, everyone on the other side will be swallowed by the Mizuchi, right?”
”No problem,” Linca replied firmly. “Since I took this body, the curse bind’s strength improved dramatically.”
Kian tapped his fingers on the table. “So… we’re splitting into two groups to handle this? Then, Sarah and Linca will stay here to defend and welcome Lady Eleonora. I’ll go alone to meet Mr. Owl. Natra and Rufna, rest up today and tomorrow.”
”Wait,” Linca interrupted, eyebrows raised sharply. “I can’t accept that.”
Natra opened her mouth in agreement.
”It’s madness to meet Lord Owl alone,” Linca said firmly. “Make sure someone accompanies you. In fact, I’ll go with you.”
”I’m not looking for a fight with him,” Kian said calmly. “If you all come, Mr. Owl will be on guard and won’t open up. Besides, I’m already the auditor appointed by Her Excellency Maribel.”
Linca’s eyes narrowed. “And if you show up alone and get your head chopped off? Have you forgotten what happened with Arminus?”
Kian sighed. “──I see, there’s also a risk of Arminus ambushing me on the way.”
”Master,” Natra spoke up quietly, “spreading our forces more than necessary is risky. We should welcome Eleonora and the Guild first, then storm Ramsey together. Once Rean, Ninini, and Vestacia are handed over to the Guild, there won’t be much to guard here anymore.”
”But if we don’t tell Mr. Owl about the increase in offerings soon, he and his merchant guild will be annoyed.”
”That’s fine,” Linca said with a shrug. “We can cause a little trouble. Kian’s life is the most important thing.”
”Ms. Linca’s right,” Sarah added firmly. “Kian, you’re forbidden from acting alone. No going out.”
”Eh…” Kian’s voice trailed off.
No one agreed with Kian meeting Owl alone. He felt bad, but he had no choice but to respect everyone’s opinions.
”All right, shall we all go together?”
”That’s a good idea. Sticking together is safest,” Linca said with a nod.
”Yatagarasu.”
She clapped her hands, and a huge crow descended from the sky, landing on the tanuki’s umbrella as it munched on a bone. The bird was sleek and entirely jet black—sharp and imposing.
Now that he thought about it, all of Linca’s Shikigami had outstanding style. The cool ones were extremely cool, and the cute ones were genuinely adorable.
”Please watch the shallow part of the Great Forest to the southeast. If you see any group crossing, notify us immediately.”
The crow cawed once and took off with a powerful flap of its wings.
”This way, we’ll know right away when Lady Eleonora approaches. ── Convenient, huh?” Linca smirked, glancing at Natra.
Natra reluctantly nodded. “Yeah.”
”Kian, I’m convenient too! Just a moment—I’ll send out a monitoring insect golem now,” Sarah said, placing her plate down before turning to mimic gagging. A second later, a giant stag beetle burst out near her face and buzzed energetically over Kian’s head.
”This one can shoot lightning! It’s as strong as any bird-type monster! Boys love these cool things, right!?”
”Thanks. Then, just in case, can you send your golem too?”
”Of course! Go, my Beetle!”
”That’s just the name. No taste as usual,” Linca teased.
”Lady Sarah, could you please stop being rude during meals?”
”R-Rude!?” Sarah blinked, shocked.
Kian smiled gently and gave Natra a little poke on the butt. Some things, even if true, are better left unsaid.
”Is this a moment when it’s okay to laugh?”
”Definitely one of those moments.”
”Stop it, don’t laugh!”
For once, Sarah used a rough tone. Kian glanced around at the curious Wolfmen warriors and Vahid’s warrior monks watching them, wishing they would keep quiet.
Soon after, Umar arrived, led by Demete, who introduced Natra and Rufna. Umar was too shocked to speak. For the record, since Natra and Rufna’s magic power supply was cut off, Umar didn’t sense anything unusual.
They heard from Demete about the Beastmen Alliance’s investigation team’s aftermath. The team quietly returned after just fact-checking and minor investigations. It felt anticlimactic. Apparently, their discussions weren’t in sync, and the policy was to consult the chieftains once.
The alliance’s response likely included Arminus’s answer on whether it was acceptable to deal with Kian, so they wanted to leave the ancient temple before that.
* * *
That night, Natra apologized for her harsh words by spending two hours making amends with Linca, followed by three hours of deep, passionate intimacy.
Around four in the morning, Sarah sneaked into the room, and under Linca’s watchful eye, they hid by blending into the ceiling and indulged in playful, secretive female dog-like antics. Sarah only checked the bed and assumed Linca wasn’t there—her search was lacking. Another embarrassing memory was added.
Despite the awkwardness, both experiences felt very good, and they thought they’d want to do it again.
By eight, Linca prepared breakfast, joined by the now-awake Natra and Rufna. Both still looked fatigued from reuniting, but after a night’s rest, their expressions were smoother and calmer than the day before.
After breakfast, they visited the Beastmen’s campsite with Demete to check if a consensus had been reached. Fraus, a young man from the Black Panther tribe, said they planned to discuss it further and needed more time.
There was no apology regarding Arminus attacking Kian. He might think killing Kian is better, or at least didn’t care much about Kian’s life.
Malbodous, a smaller member of the Steel Tiger tribe, seemed to communicate well since he traded with Ramsey, but he was likely an exception.
”Regardless of Malbodous, the brother Marcomanni won’t agree to any trade,” Linca said on the way back from the campsite to the ancient temple.
”Malbodous got the southern forest, but Marcomanni was forced into the northern snowfields──next to the Great Ice Wall. It’s a harsh land, full of ice and poor productivity. That’s why his clan plans to settle in one corner of Ramsey.”
”Is that the drawback of divided inheritance?” Kian asked quietly.
”Their father is still alive, so it’s not inheritance. According to the laws, it’s considered a gift given during his lifetime,” Linca explained calmly.
”Do they really think they can control Ramsey? Without literacy, they can’t collect taxes or enforce laws. The locals would just turn against them.”
Sarah turned her head slightly, offering her opinion. Linca shook hers in response. “Not everyone can think ahead or act for their own future. Most jump at quick profits, and if things don’t work out, they just return north—it’s that simple.”
”If they really think that little, they’re unbelievable fools…” Kian muttered.
Natra, walking to Kian’s left, spoke up from the opposite side of Linca. “Sir Kian, how many enemies are we talking about, exactly?”
”According to Ms. Priscilla, just under twenty thousand,” Kian replied. “But they might be coming with families, like the ‘Storm Herd,’ so the actual number of fighters is unknown.”
”There are about three thousand combatants,” Linca added. “Other tribes are arriving with their families. The black panther tribe mentioned festivals, but what they really want is land in Ramsey.”
Kian sighed. “If they don’t know how to govern, like Ms. Priscilla predicted, they’ll soon withdraw. But as Maribel pointed out, Izerland is already lost once their wheat fields are trampled.”
”Whether families come or not, the policy remains: resolve it through tributes.”
”Though with families, persuading them will be far harder than anyone imagines.”
”Mr. Owl’s got it rough,” Sarah said quietly.
Kian looked over at Rufna. “Master, are you really just going to watch this happen?”
”No benefit in helping Lord Owl,” Kian answered calmly. “Once the job’s done, we escape to safe Izerland.”
Rufna frowned. “Sir Umar said Sir Jibril might attack us. Izerland might be in danger, too.”
Kian shook his head. “We’ll think about that only if Jibril attacks. No point worrying about what-ifs.”
Rufna shrugged but said nothing.
At that moment, Linca and Sarah turned almost together, eyes fixed toward the Great Forest.
”It seems Eleonora has arrived.” “Lady Eleonora has reached the shallow part of the forest,” they said in unison.
”Oh. Then let’s all go to welcome her. Tell Demete and the watchers where we’re headed—”
”──Kian!”
A loud voice echoed sharply against the mountainside.
Turning toward the temple, Kian saw Serena running barefoot, dressed casually despite her pale face and flustered expression.
”Serena, are you sure you can stand now?” Kian asked, stepping forward.
”It’s serious, Kian,” Serena said, grabbing the chest armor of ‘Silver Ice.’ She glanced nervously at Sarah before continuing. “My mom is missing!”
”I see,” Kian replied calmly.
”My mom’s gone!” Serena’s voice wavered desperately as she looked up at him. “We were sleeping together until noon yesterday, but since this morning, no one’s seen her. Even the other kids won’t tell me anything.”
Since Sarah faced another direction, it was clear Kian was expected to respond. Noticing Serena’s state, Linca took a blanket and spare shoes from the mouth of the Mizuchi and wrapped them gently around her.
”Mrs. Colinna is at the campsite below.”
”Is… is that so? Thank goodness…” Serena breathed out.
Kian shook his head slowly and crouched to meet her eyes. “It’s not good.”
”She’ll be brought before the chieftains as the one responsible for the Bloodsucking Kind incident. Juji said she might face punishment—stoning or even the tear punishment.”
”────…huh?” Serena’s voice faltered.
”Your mother will bear all the blame. They might kill her.”
Serena was speechless. Linca returned to Kian’s side, her expression full of sympathy.
After a long pause, Serena’s voice trembled as she spoke again. “Is… is there nothing we can do?”
”If you want to get her back, you have to defeat Juji’s group,” Kian said quietly. “But that means facing other Beastmen warriors, too.”
”I’ll go tell Juji to return my mom!”
”If they say she can be exchanged for ransom, I can help with that.”
”Won’t you come with me? If I go alone, they’ll probably turn me away like before.”
”I’m sorry. I’m a Knight of Izerland. If I tell them to return her, it would be seen as Izerland’s will, and the talks might collapse.”
Serena’s face fell into despair.
”Um, Ms. Serena, here.” Linca handed her a small pouch filled with gold coins.
”This… this is a huge amount of money!” Serena gasped.
”If they hold some gold, they might at least listen to you. Use this if you need to ransom her.”
Kian thought of it as a severance payment, offering the gold Rean had given him. “This is my allowance. Use it too.”
”Kian… thank you. I’m going now!”
Without another word, Serena dashed off.
Sarah tried to call out to her but stopped, biting her lip.
”…Didn’t we even have time to rejoice in our reunion?” Natra murmured, gazing down the mountain with a serious face.
Kian’s expression twisted with complicated feelings.
”We can say that again when we get back. For now, we need to focus on Eleonora and the Guild.”
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Juji – Male. Leader of the Wolfmen’s ‘Jinsou’. A skilled warrior with sharp senses and combat abilities. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Nue – A Shikigami summoned by Linca. It has the appearance of a monster with a tiger’s limbs and a monkey’s head. Nue is a powerful but dangerous creature that requires a skilled magician to control.
• Arminus – Male. Leader of the Black Panther Tribe. Possesses extraordinary physical abilities, enhanced by the tribe’s unique technique that repels energy and magic attacks. His speed and strength surpass those of High Warlord Isthbaran. Wields the magic sword Balmung, capable of cleaving through an ice dragon with a single strike. His black fur provides camouflage in low visibility, making him nearly undetectable. Relationship: Leader of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Demete – A male dark elf shaman and a servant in the Umar household.
• Fraus – Male. Son of Arminus. Member of the Black Panther Tribe. Shares his father’s enhanced physical abilities and combat prowess. Relationship: Subordinate and family to Arminus.
• Malbodous – Male. Member of the Steel Tiger Clan. A formidable warrior with significant combat experience. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Marcomanni – Male. Member of the Steel Tiger Clan. Known for his strength and tactical skills. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Colinna – Serena’s mother.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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