Volume 3 Chapter 199 The Vanished Silverwooloos
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”You’re going to help the Guild staff trapped in the ancient temple?”
Back at Ramsey’s castle, Kian had summoned Sarah and Linca to the backyard to discuss the Guild’s request. As soon as he brought it up, Sarah furrowed her brows in visible displeasure.
She let out a heavy sigh, planting her hands on her hips. Her white work robe fluttered slightly in the breeze.
”Kian, what about the victory ceremony tomorrow?” she asked, clearly exasperated. “You’re the lord and the biggest contributor to the war. If you don’t attend, it’s not even a ceremony anymore. Are you expecting me to carry an empty mikoshi through Ramsey City?”
”As Ms. Sarah says, I will bring medical supplies and such over there,” Linca said gently, placing her hand over her chest. She was dressed in a light purple formal gown, her posture noble.
”There are still remnants of the main ‘Storm Herd’ in that area,” she added.
”Then I will accompany Lady Linca,” Natra offered, stepping forward from where she had been quietly listening. She turned to Linca with firm resolve. “I’ll handle any enemies we encounter so Lady Linca can concentrate on the rescue efforts.”
”Understood. Thank you,” Linca said, bowing her head slightly.
”Wait. Nue can only carry around five people at most, right?” Kian interjected, his voice thoughtful. “We could use Mizuchi to swallow and transport the supplies, but evacuating thirty weakened staff members is impossible like that.”
Linca nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes. So, Ms. Natra and I will remain on-site. Once the ceremony is over, please return here with a larger force—Wing and Cain, ideally.”
”If they’re that weak, the Guild staff will be wiped out before that happens,” Sarah said flatly.
Then, her eyes narrowed, arms crossing under her chest. “Hold on, Ms. Linca. Kian. We’re not obligated to rescue the Guild staff to begin with.”
She spoke with a note of finality. “The quest ended a long time ago. The reason they’re still stuck is because the Adventurer Guild’s higher-ups left them behind to investigate the gate and assist Lady Eleonora. With the Alliance looming, the expedition should have pulled back with Ms. Vestacia and Ms. Ninini the moment they arrived. But no, they didn’t. They were reckless. There’s no reason we have to clean up after them.”
She stepped closer, jabbing a finger at Kian.
”More importantly, it’s not too late—join the celebration and greet the ‘eyes of the lords’! Dress properly, show your face at the ceremony! If you skip both the banquet and the public appearance, you’re throwing away vital political connections!”
”…I hate those kinds of events,” Kian muttered, barely above a sigh. “Putting on a fake smile, exchanging shallow words with people I don’t know—it’s pure torture. I’d rather focus on the logistics backstage.”
Sarah scowled. “Stop that ultra-antisocial nonsense. It’s pathetic.”
”Well, well, Lady Sarah, please calm yourself,” Linca interjected soothingly. “Lord Kian only became lord due to necessity. It’s unfair to push full responsibilities onto him now, especially coming from a comrade like you.”
”────”
Sarah opened her mouth, clearly ready to argue, but seeing the calm in the others’ eyes, she reluctantly held back.
”…Fine. I’m sorry, Sarah,” Kian said, lowering his gaze.
”…It’s fine. You’ve always hated this sort of thing,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll take care of the guests. Just do as you please. But you must attend the ceremony tomorrow. Without you, it’s meaningless. If you skip it, I’ll have the date moved.”
”How much can we delay the schedule?” Kian asked, glancing at Sarah.
Sarah shook her head. “If you’re going to the ancient temple, we’ll need to return the castle’s seal first. It takes three days for a round trip, right?”
”Wouldn’t it be easier to just skip the ceremony?” Kian muttered. “Once I’ve done my part, I’ll go back to being a lower-rank Adventurer.”
”Huh? Lord Kian, you seriously think you can just return to your old life after all this?” Priscilla asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
Even though Natra had raised a similar point earlier, Kian’s reply remained unchanged.
”Yes. Once I get the reward from Princess Maribel and the Guild Master, I’ll go back to exterminating monsters. The triple-point period is starting—I’ll rack up points, and once I have enough, I’ll take the Intermediate Adventurer Exam──”
”…I can’t believe you’re sane, Lord Kian.”
A voice cut in from behind.
”Elder Brother Louis,” Priscilla murmured, looking toward the castle’s back entrance.
Kian, Natra, Sarah, and Linca all turned to the narrow path beyond the herb garden. A boy in formal wear with a cravat was making his way toward them.
”Good day, Lord Louis,” Sarah and Linca greeted him with graceful bows.
Louis gave a lazy wave of his hand. “No need for formality. Relax. I heard what’s going on. I’ll support Lord Kian.”
”What do you mean by that?” Kian asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
In response, Louis turned, clapped his hands once.
A woman in a red dress descended from the back entrance—a Witch named Lishena.
”From our merchant guild’s warehouse, we’ll send thirty sets of clothing and food,” Louis instructed without missing a beat. “Also, tell the healers to prepare to depart for the marsh immediately.”
Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a luxurious-looking key and tossed it to Lishena. She nodded and immediately opened a teleportation gate, disappearing within it.
”Priscilla, you should attend the party,” Louis added casually. “Some bishops from the Western Church are here.”
”You want me to greet them? No way,” she snapped. “I’ve told you a hundred times—I’d rather die than become a priest’s wife.”
”You’re twenty-five this year, right? Even if you don’t look it, if you keep this up, no one’s going to want you.”
”That’s none of your business,” she hissed.
”I’m saying it for your sake,” Louis replied coolly. “I’ll assist Lord Kian. You just go and behave yourself. Or would you rather be called an impolite Head Magician of Châtillon who didn’t even greet the lords at the banquet?”
”────!”
”…Just go. Now.”
He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Priscilla’s cheeks flushed red. She glared daggers at him—but in the end, she tore off the coat, let out a loud “hmph,” and stormed off toward the back entrance.
”Excuse me, Lord Kian,” she muttered as she passed.
”No… Um, are you alright?” Kian asked, baffled.
”What’s wrong? Never mind,” Louis said nonchalantly, brushing it off. “Let’s go. The ceremony is postponed until noon tomorrow. I’ll get you back here by morning.”
He chanted softly, conjuring a teleportation gate.
”Is Lord Kian the only one participating from your side?” he asked. “If anyone else is coming, they should go through the gate with you.”
* * *
Riding on a white dragon with the body of a spider but feet and tail like a lizard, they flew through the sky.
The insect-like dragon, much larger than Arminus, had a terrifying flight speed. Its six thin wings vibrated rapidly, slicing through the fields with such speed it seemed to leave sound behind. Several screams of fear rose from the healers suspended below by threads.
By the time night fell, they arrived at the ancient temple. Kian and Linca, along with several healers, dismounted from the dragon’s back. A healer who had been suspended with medical supplies, blankets, and bags of cloth—watching carefully to make sure nothing broke—was on all fours on the slope in front of the temple, vomiting the food they had eaten earlier.
”I’ll go ahead. Everyone, follow me with the supplies,” Louis ordered, his voice steady as he transformed back into his original boy form and climbed steadily up the slope.
Kian and Linca hurried behind him.
”Lord Louis, please send us the bill for the medical supplies and blankets later,” Kian said cautiously.
”Ah, that’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ll cover all the costs with my own pocket money,” Louis replied with a casual shrug.
Kian frowned slightly. Linca summoned a will-o’-the-wisp and stood close by Kian’s side.
”I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Kian muttered, eyes narrowing.
”Considering the healers’ rewards, won’t it be an outrageous amount?” Linca added, voice low and concerned.
Louis chuckled lightly, dismissing their worries. “Don’t measure it by the same standards as a poor adventurer like you. For me, this amount is just pocket change.”
He gave a small, somewhat shy smile. “Besides… this is also my way of showing gratitude to you.”
Kian blinked, confused. “Did I do anything to deserve your gratitude?” he asked, voice cautious.
Louis snorted, a hint of displeasure in his tone. “You saved my merchant guild in Ramsey. Before the war, I tried to ship the guild’s employees and warehouse contents to Châtillon, but as you know, Lord Owl sealed off the streets of Ramsey. I sent a protest letter, but Lord Owl pretended not to know. Because of that, all the people from my merchant guild were stranded here.”
”So, Lord Louis, you were accompanying Sir Guy to protect them?” Kian asked, voice rising slightly in surprise.
”Exactly. I was there to protect my merchant guild’s warehouse and employees,” Louis confirmed.
”So it wasn’t just sightseeing?” Kian’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Next to him, Linca sighed, massaging her forehead while muttering, “There’s no way it was just that…”
Louis smirked knowingly. “Heh… That remark about returning to being a Lower-rank Adventurer earlier—you’re quite an interesting guy. I can understand why Priscilla might like you. But, not someone flashy like you; I want Priscilla to marry a serious man. Even if he’s dull, someone with normal sensibilities would be better for her.”
Kian blinked, caught off guard.
”Sir Guy is also church-related, after all—he’s married to Lady Fhana,” Louis added, his tone somewhat dismissive.
”But whether it was a good thing that Guy married Fhana, I don’t know,” Louis said, then suddenly stopped, twitching his nose and looking up at the entrance of the ancient temple.
Kian followed suit, twitching his own nose, trying to detect the faint scent Louis had caught. The strong crosswind and Linca’s perfume made it hard to judge, but there was a faint trace of blood.
Without hesitation, Louis used short-distance teleportation to fly toward the temple entrance, disappearing inside after a few rapid hops. Kian and Linca hurried after him.
”Ugh, this is…” Kian’s voice faltered as they reached the entrance.
Before them lay a horrific sight: the stone floor of the temple scattered with the bodies of several Wolfmen soldiers. Their limbs were neatly severed, their stomachs gouged open with organs pulled out. The dismembered parts lay frozen solid due to the low temperature. Though decay hadn’t set in, the foul stench hit their noses as they approached.
Linca covered her nose with a handkerchief, crouching near the bodies. “Their limbs were sliced off with a sharp blade,” she said quietly.
Kian nodded. “Cause of death is a single strike to the neck. There are three bodies, but they all probably had their necks slashed before they could even react.”
”And then the culprit sliced off their limbs, gouged out their organs, and stained the stone floor with blood,” Linca added in a grim whisper.
”This is… Azrael’s Death Sword User’s work…” she murmured, standing and turning to Kian.
”When Lord Owl killed that Adventurer before, the bodies were like this, right?” she asked hesitantly.
Kian blinked, then replied slowly, “Are you saying this is Owl’s doing?”
”Of course, we can’t be certain,” Linca said carefully, “but anyone in this area who opposes the Silver Wolves—and who can slash someone’s neck before they react—is quite limited.”
”If the culprit is Owl, what would he be doing here? He quit the battle with the Union because he got fed up,” Kian said, puzzled.
”I don’t know,” Linca admitted.
”We’ll investigate later. There may still be enemies hiding. You protect the healers coming behind us. I’ll go after Lord Louis,” Kian ordered firmly.
”Yes,” Linca replied.
Leaving her behind, Kian dashed through the temple corridors, reaching the courtyard quickly and aiming for the large hall deeper inside.
When he entered the hall, the Black Onyx Roses vineyard and the giant tree that once stood there were completely gone. The crystallized Wolfmen were gone too.
”Lord Kian!” Louis shouted from the far side of the hall.
Before him, several guild staff members were roughly thrown onto the stone floor, bound with ropes. The stench of feces hit Kian as he approached.
”It seems like the Silver Wolves haven’t been taken care of since they were killed,” Louis muttered, glancing back. On the stone floor to Kian’s right lay the dismembered bodies of three Wolfmen warriors.
”Lucky. They’re all barely breathing,” Louis said with a grim tone.
”I’ll raise the room temperature with ‘Silver Ice’,” Louis added, snapping his fingers to transform the ancient temple’s stone floor.
”I’ll prepare the bath and water. I have to do something about these unsanitary clothes before tending to them,” he said, already moving with practiced efficiency.
* * *
Confirming the survival of all 30 Guild staff members, Kian and Louis noted with grim relief that everyone was alive. However, all were severely weakened, unable to rise under their own strength even after being untied. Among them, only John—the sole man from the East End branch—had regained consciousness. So, Kian and Louis decided to hear his story.
John recounted with shaky breath, “Two nights ago, a gigantic monster with a pitch-black body emerged from the darkness. It slaughtered all the Wolfmen warriors on watch and then carried away the crystallized Wolfmen laid out in the Great Hall.”
He added, voice trembling, “After the crystallized Wolfmen were taken, the Black Onyx hedge and the great trees shattered to pieces, leaving the Great Hall in its current ruined state.”
Talia, who was listening nearby, commented succinctly, ‘It’s Tobal Cain, isn’t it?’
Louis, glancing down at John who was now being tended by a healer, asked, “You seem to know about the monster?”
John nodded weakly. “Yes. It’s believed to be Lord Owl.”
Louis furrowed his brow in confusion. “Him? What on earth for?”
John’s expression was puzzled but serious. “Considering he left the Guild staff without helping, I doubt he came here to save lives. His business was undoubtedly with the crystallized Wolfmen.”
At that moment, Linca hurried into the Great Hall, calling out anxiously, “Sir Kian! The gate on the mountain was closed. Given that the residual magic power has mostly dissipated, it seems at least a week has passed since.”
Kian nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you for the confirmation. That matches the timing when Rean abandoned the ancient temple’s remaining group and took Vestacia out.”
Louis grimaced as he recalled, “Those dismembered bodies left standing guard in such a cold place with the captives… If my brother ordered me to do something like that, I’d fall into depression.”
”Sir Louis, first aid is complete,” a healer informed promptly. “The patients’ conditions are stable.”
”Good work,” Louis replied. “Carry them out and pack them into boxes. Better than leaving them exposed, hanging by threads.”
”Thank you, Lord Louis,” the healer said.
Louis shrugged and added with a sardonic smile, “No need for thanks, Lord Kian. You should also stop taking on more trouble. Friedrich aside, Gonzales is a troublesome guy—he doesn’t pay well but piles on work to yes-men. He’s probably worse than the Princess who appointed you as Knight.”
The boy straightened his back against the Great Hall’s rock wall, fixing eerie red eyes on Kian. “It would have been better to leave Lady Eleonora alone. Or better yet, to let her go help these guys.”
Kian countered, voice firm, “In that case, all the staff would have been dead.”
The boy smirked. “I guess so. Thrown out on a cold stone floor without water, they wouldn’t last three days. But what’s wrong with that? Lady Eleonora can just take responsibility for their deaths.”
Kian’s tone hardened. “This isn’t about responsibility—it’s about saving lives.”
He chuckled dryly, “Heh… are you saying that from the bottom of your heart? How kind. Doesn’t sound like the words of the merciless hero who annihilated three thousand Beastmen.”
Shrugging, Louis started walking toward the Great Hall’s entrance. “You said you were going back to being a lower-rank adventurer, but you’re not the kind who can handle a brat like Friedrich. Neither in strength nor in spirit.”
With a snap of his fingers, a golden business card appeared before Kian.
”When it comes time to develop Dacia, rely on my merchant guild. I can get you anything you want. But I won’t budge a single copper coin—keep that in mind,” the boy said with a grin.
* * *
Around 8 a.m., Kian arrived at Ramsey. All the Guild staff were safely handed over to Gonzales and Friedrich. Gonzales rewarded Kian with one gold coin and approved the quest clearance.
Later, Kian reviewed the negotiation minutes with the Beastmen that he had ordered the administrative assistant Knight to formally document last night. Making detailed corrections and rewriting instructions, he prepared the revised document to be sent to Kevin, the head Knight of the administrative assistant, who was already in Izerland with Maribel.
Despite the fuss, Kian efficiently processed everything.
Once finished, he took a bath and changed into formal attire for the ceremony.
As for Eleonora, she remained holed up in the northwest fortress. Though Kian had delivered her letter and sent Natra to encourage her to attend the ceremony, she refused, saying, “I can’t do such a shameless thing.”
She planned to stay at the fortress and depart for Sunlightland once the remaining Knights from Izerland reached Ramsey’s streets.
Having been ousted as Defense Minister, her role as negotiator ended. Without new orders from Maribel, she had no choice but to return home.
Though Maribel once described Eleonora as a military deputy advisor, watching passively from behind the ‘eyes of the lords’ had been more fatal than Kian imagined.
Eleonora was close with Oswald and connected with Owl and Renaud. Maribel, short on personnel, would not easily let go of such a valuable asset—but Kian, soon to return to being just a Lower-rank Adventurer, was powerless.
While being made up by maids in Owl’s former office, a knock came on the door.
”Master. Can I have a moment?” Rufna’s voice echoed.
”Come in,” Kian replied.
A dark elf magician wrapped in a black military coat entered. Her silver hair, tied in a side tail, was somewhat greasy. Rufna had kept watch at the magic fortress since the war’s end.
She reported, “I caught 35 thieves from the Beastmen side and sent them back to Ramsey city five times while the Izerland knights—the ‘eyes of the lords’—went out on slave hunts.”
As she approached, the mix of body odor and perfume was strong.
”What’s wrong?” Kian asked.
”About the repair costs for the castle wall barrier I requested earlier—I received this from the princess.”
She handed over a scrap of paper.
Kian squinted. “A promissory note?”
Rufna twisted her lips, glossed with pink glitter lipstick, into a strange expression.
”Aren’t they supposed to pay in cash? They said they had money since they tax the whole country.”
”If they had money, they’d pay in cash. Probably they don’t, so it became a debt.”
”Her Excellency’s credit is practically worthless. Her promissory note is as good as trash.”
”Don’t say that in front of the maids,” Kian warned gently.
Rufna glanced at the young woman applying foundation to Kian’s cheeks, who pretended not to hear.
”The letter from the princess continued, saying if you’re not satisfied with this reward, show your face at the Izerland government office. This.”
Kian’s face darkened as he read a long apology in Maribel’s own handwriting.
’If you were Oswald, you’d probably have blown a blood vessel or two in your temples and surrounded Izerland,’ Talia muttered near the balcony.
Kian sighed. “I’m curious about Oswald’s rebellion circumstances too.”
’Hey, don’t say reckless things,’ Talia scolded. ‘It’s seriously dangerous.’
”Working for free isn’t good. I must say something to Her Excellency. Also, I have to deal with Umar, and maybe request an audience with her.”
”Also, there was a payment from the Adventurer Guild. Fifty gold coins. Seems they added a little something extra.”
”I see. We’ll distribute it later.”
Kian thought about the near-death experience and how only 50 Gold Coins came as reward. It was somehow disappointing.
Of course, even intermediate-rank Adventurers—the cream of the crop—earn about 4 or 5 silver coins a day. Fifty gold coins equate to about a thousand times that, so it was a high amount by normal standards. Maybe Kian’s sense of money was going haywire.
”If we split it among six people, it’s eight gold coins each,” Kian calculated silently. (If I survive by eating skewered mystery meat at East End street stalls, I could live comfortably for ten years.)
”Is that the one I was eating when I met you?” Rufna asked.
”That’s right.”
”That’s rat meat,” she stated bluntly.
The shocking truth hit Kian hard; he gave her a look like a woman betrayed.
”It takes guts to watch Master go on a rampage, doesn’t it, that princess?” Rufna asked knowingly.
”Rufna, did you know?”
”Last night, you were casting off under the magic fortress, right?”
”Now that you mention it, that was the case.”
Rufna sighed deeply, slipping the promissory note into an envelope.
”As for the quest clear reward from the princess, guild regulations say they pay in cash. But they said they don’t have cash on hand, so they want you to wait longer. That’s at the end of the letter.”
Kian muttered grimly, “I will never accept a request from Her Excellency again. Never.”
”That’s for the best,” Rufna nodded.
”Well then, I’m going to take a bath and sleep. Wake me when the ceremony is over,” he said briskly and left.
”Um, Sir Kian?”
”What is it, Rufna?”
The maid who had been doing his makeup looked at him pityingly.
”If it’s about money, Sir Oswald might pay for it. You could write to him—”
”Thank you. I’ll try that when he gets out of prison,” Kian replied with a weak smile.
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• 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.
• Louis – Trusted subordinates from the Châtillon family, part of Guy’s elite force.
• Lishena – Trusted subordinates from the Châtillon family, part of Guy’s elite force.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• 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.
• Kevin – The diligent administrative assistant from Owl’s knight, who aids Kian. He’s tired but dedicated, and gets transferred to the princess’s side.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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