Volume 3 Chapter 211 The Disappeared Kian And The Wildfire
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the dead of night, Sarah awoke to the hurried footsteps of countless people racing down the corridor. She sprang out of bed, slipping on her slippers. Shrugging off her gown, which she had carelessly left in a pile nearby, she opened the door before the maids could knock.
”Ah, Lady Sarah!” they exclaimed.
”What’s the matter, everyone? It’s still before three in the morning,” she replied, her voice steady.
Though Sarah often became a dark, primal gorilla when around Kian, she was always calm and reliable when dealing with others. The maids, relieved to see her unruffled by the sudden visit in the middle of the night, seemed to relax a little.
”Well… a Vassal Knight who was on watch at Azancourt’s magic fort just came by,” one maid explained. “They said the northwest sky was unusually bright, and they were concerned the fort might be on fire.”
”What’s that?” Sarah raised an eyebrow.
Rufna wasn’t at the magic fort tonight. After two days of purchasing slaves from the merchant, the Beastmen families, having earned their money, had begun slowly heading back north with some food. The ‘eyes of the lords’ who had planned to acquire slaves without going through the merchant had also dispersed back to their various regions. There hadn’t been any severe crossings of Azancourt in the middle of the night since the end of the war.
”Has Lady Eleonora contacted us?” Sarah asked.
”No, not at all,” the maid responded.
”I see.” Sarah squinted her eyes thoughtfully.
(It doesn’t seem like just a fire… Could it be the Beastmen’s remnants, or Umar’s agents?)
”Wake up Kian, the castle governor. And Rufna, too.”
”We went to wake him first, but… Sir Kian doesn’t seem to be in his room.”
”We knocked on the door and called for him, but there was no response.”
”We didn’t hear any snoring or noises from inside his room either…”
”Huh? That fool! Out playing at a time like this!? What a real headache! Has anyone seen the castle governor climbing over the wall?” Sarah barked.
As she spoke, she scanned for magic power signatures, but indeed, there was no sign of Kian. Neither was there any sign of Linca or Natra. What a combination… she thought to herself.
Just then, Rufna, perhaps noticing the commotion, appeared from the guest room downstairs, wrapped in her nightgown.
”Call Kian’s name out loud while circling the mansion. If he’s seducing one of the servants, he’ll come out. If there’s no response, leave him for now. He’s probably gone to buy a woman at the brōtḥel inside Ramsey.”
”This morning, after being paraded naked through the town, you think so?”
”We thought Lord Kian might have been so embarrassed by this morning’s incident that he went back to the East End.”
Sarah, who had been smiling brightly at the maids’s serious expressions, suddenly burst into a carefree laugh.
”That’s impossible. There’s no way that person would get depressed over something like that.”
”Eh, something like that!?”
”Yes. If we’re talking about mental resilience, there’s probably no one who could surpass that person. If he’s ignoring us, I think he wouldn’t care at all and would just go off to charm another girl.”
”Eh…” the maids exchanged confused glances.
Sarah, surveying the faces around her, clapped her hands.
”All right, go around the mansion and search for Kian. About the northwest sky being on fire, I’ll take charge of the investigation in his place for now.”
”Y-Yes!” the maids hurriedly scattered in all directions.
Sarah turned to face the Dark Elf Head Magician who had just arrived.
”It looks like the northwest sky is burning. It might be that Lady Eleonora’s fortress in the north-northwest was attacked by someone. Go there immediately and confirm the facts.”
”Got it. But I can’t sense Master’s presence.” Rufna crossed her arms anxiously under her large chest.
”Also, there’s no magic power response from Ms. Linca and Natra either. Could they have run off together?”
”I think Milady Natra went to a tavern or a card game battle spot for a fight. That person’s been on edge since losing to Guy…”
”Thanks to that, I took a good punch this evening. So, what about the possibility of Ms. Linca and Kian running off?”
”Can’t rule it out. But investigating their rooms will be postponed. Anyway, I’m heading over there to confirm Eleonora’s group’s safety.”
”Please. I’ll be waiting at the entrance.”
Rufna nodded and quickly left.
Once Sarah returned to her room, she tossed off her nightgown and searched for new clothes. As for the bright northwest sky, it could either be a grand feast held by the Sunlightland Knights celebrating a victory or a wildfire caused by negligence. If it’s the latter, or if there’s been an attack, she’d be busy all day dealing with it.
After changing into her work clothes, Sarah quickly wiped her face and, as usual, applied her makeup.
By the time she made it down to the entrance, the maids who had been searching for Kian had returned.
”Sir Kian wasn’t anywhere.”
”I see. He’ll be punished later.” She snapped her fingers. The beetle-shaped golems stationed in the courtyard and castle immediately flew over.
Sarah gave the golems orders to search for Kian, Natra, and Linca.
After that, they listened to the Vassal Knight who had come to inform them and issued instructions for the defense team to continue their strict vigilance. They also mentioned that Rufna had been dispatched to the site and that if there were any further updates, they would send someone to the fortress to relay the information.
Just then, Serena and Aerial came down the stairs, rubbing their sleepy eyes.
”Ms. Sarah, what’s all this commotion?” Serena asked.
”It seems the northwestern sky is on fire. Something might have happened at the fortress guarded by Lady Eleonora.”
”What?”
”Also, I can’t see Lord Kian. He wasn’t found inside the castle. He might be out on the town at night.”
”Lord Kian is not only irresponsible with women, but he also lacks self-management skills,” Aerial said coldly.
Sarah felt irritated by Aerial’s tone. She wished she would stop mocking someone she hardly knew. It seemed unlikely that she would get along with this person—Sarah cast a cold glance at Maribel’s Head Magician beneath her smile.
”Young lady!”
The front door swung open wide, and Rufna, who had gone to confirm the facts at the north-northwest fortress in her casual attire, rushed in. Approaching Sarah with a serious expression, she opened her mouth.
”It wasn’t the north-northwest fortress that was burning. It was a place called ‘Flower Mountain’ to the east of the fortress.”
”Are you saying it’s a wildfire? At this time of year? Well, it is generally dry.”
Rufna shook her head and continued, “No! The firepower is extraordinary! It’s not some natural phenomenon or someone accidentally starting a fire; it’s nothing so trivial! That was caused by a massive amount of explosives! The whole mountain is burning like it exploded!”
”What about the fortress and Lady Eleonora?”
”They’re safe. They say everyone was asleep and didn’t notice the fire.”
”────”
If Rufna’s exaggeration is to be believed, it is a considerable scale of a fire. Yet it was baffling that not a single person—even the watchmen—noticed it. However, the Sunlightland Knight group had a reputation for blunders as a so-called “foolish” knight group, so if they claimed they hadn’t noticed because they were asleep, one could only accept that as a possibility.
”────Elder Sister, Rufna. I’m sorry for being late. What on earth is the situation?” Natra said as she opened the front door and stepped inside. Disguised as a boy, she carried a backpack bulging with gold and silver coins. She had participated in the tournament yesterday, and despite being told not to gamble so much, she was a child who couldn’t help herself. But now was not the time for a lecture.
”Rufna, take command here in my place. Natra, come with me. To the northwest fort. It seems there’s been a large-scale wildfire near Flower Mountain.”
”Understood. I’ll prepare the gate in the courtyard.” Natra tossed her backpack to Rufna and quickly exited through the entrance.
Sarah informed the butlers and administrative Knights, “I’m going to gather detailed information from Eleonora and the others on behalf of Kian.”
”Young lady, you should borrow the Windsong Blade. That magic sword is effective against wildfires.”
”You’re right.”
”I’ll go get it!” The maid hurried up the stairs.
Aerial let out a big yawn beside Serena. “So? Can I go to sleep now? Whether it’s man-made or not, it’s just a wildfire, right?”
”Yes, it’s just a… wildfire. We’ll handle the rest. Thank you, maids. Everyone except the one on duty can return to bed.” After calling out, Sarah turned back to Serena.
”Gather everyone from the Holy Squad. Here—these are the addresses of Homork the Third and Mr. Gary’s house. If neither of them is home, visit the tavern Man’s Joy Vineyard in the third alley on the main street. Sean O’Chinko from the Holy Squad should be there. Wake him up if he’s sleeping.”
”What if no one’s there?”
”Come back and report to Rufna.”
”Got it.”
”Be very careful. I think the chances are low, but there’s also a possibility the Holy Squad might try to reclaim Ramsey. The wildfire could be a diversion, and they might strike when our forces are scattered. Trust no one, and listen carefully to the enemy’s heartbeat.”
”Understood.” Serena quickly returned to her room. It seemed she intended to change back into her adventurer gear.
”I’m so sleepy. Well then, good night. If anything happens, please keep me updated…”
”Understood, Ms. Aerial.”
”By the way, where’s Linca?”
Rufna furrowed her brow and sent out waves of magic detection. It was only natural—Sarah had already confirmed Linca’s absence—but there was no response.
”She’s not really eloping, is she?”
”Regardless of Ms. Linca, Kian is not the type to elope in a situation like this. After all, he hasn’t even returned Ms. Aerial’s castle seal yet. Plus, he still has to deal with the Thorn Magician and the Inquisition that should be arriving soon.”
”Maybe he ran away because he was scared of the Thorn Magician. Master, Aliona Gouldrin, is always terrified of being turned into a specimen.”
”If he’s going to run away, he should leave a note that says, ‘I’m running away. Don’t look for me. I’ve left everything to you.’ I don’t remember raising a man who would irresponsibly abandon everything and go off somewhere without a report.”
”You were only with him for a little over four years, weren’t you…?”
Rufna’s sharp remark was completely ignored.
Sarah called out to the maid who returned empty-handed from the stairs. “What happened? Couldn’t you find the Windsong Blade? Or was the room locked?”
”N-no. I unlocked the door…” The maid jingled the keychain hanging from her waist. “Well… I did enter the room, but there were no swords or armor… I even peeked under the bed, but there was nothing.”
”──────”
Sarah and Rufna exchanged glances.
(Had he left the room wearing the magic sword and Silver Ice magical armor? Not for womanizing. Eloping? No. Kian might be careless with women, but he’s not the type to abandon responsibility and run off.)
There was also the possibility he was taken by Linca or Priscilla. But Kian’s combat abilities—including Talia’s magic sword—were extraordinary. Priscilla, a magician type, wouldn’t be able to kidnap Kian. And Talia was here, too. If any enemy’s dark influence was approaching, she would have warned them. Linca had grown much stronger, but she still wasn’t strong enough to overpower Kian in hand-to-hand combat. That’s how much Kian’s physical abilities had improved.
Anyone capable of dealing with Kian—someone with exceptional combat analysis, judgment, and wild instincts—could only be Oswald, Jibril, or perhaps something beyond human understanding, like the spirit of Black Onyx.
”Could it be…?”
”Lady?”
”No, it’s nothing.” Sarah shook her head and smiled at the maid. “Thank you. Maybe he went hunting in the wilderness. You can go back to bed now.”
The front gate opened, and Natra asked, “Elder Sister? Aren’t you leaving?”
”I’ll go now.” Sarah replied, shaking off the bad premonition that suddenly crossed her mind.
(There’s no connection between the wildfire and Kian’s absence, right?)
Kian was at Ramsey.
Even so, there was no reason for him to move to “Flower Mountain.”
It was hard to imagine he was involved in the wildfire──
(Being paraded n*ked through the town… that was definitely a bad idea…)
As Sarah leapt into the teleportation gate Natra had formed, she thought to herself,
(When he gets back from his night out, I’ll have to apologize for what I did. Also, I haven’t hugged him yet today, and we still need to exchange diaries.)
The acrid smell of smoke stung her nose.
After the brief sensation of weightlessness, Sarah landed on the steep slope in front of the northernmost fortress. Shadows of the welcoming Sunlightland Knights flickered in front of the stone structure.
”Elder Sister…”
Natra, who had flown ahead, stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the eastern sky.
Sarah grimaced and followed her gaze.
The mountain was ablaze, like a fallen meteor had ignited it──
The flames had consumed the mountaintop, leaving behind smoldering embers. From the mid-slopes to the base, roaring fire swallowed everything. If left unchecked, it would soon leap to the neighboring peak.
(This smoke… this heat… this light… It’s been almost an hour since the fire started. And yet, the guards slept through it? They hadn’t moved a muscle until we pointed it out?)
Natra also looked suspicious, casting a wary glance at Eleonora and the others waiting near the gate.
Sarah gently nudged her sister and began ascending the slope.
(If that’s the case, either they’re complete fools… or they knew the mountain was burning and chose to ignore it.)
”Natra, don’t let your guard down,” Sarah said, her voice suddenly cold. “The ‘enemy’ might strike at any moment. Be ready to draw your weapon.”
”Yes. If worst comes to worst, what will we do about the Sunlightland Knights?” Natra asked.
Sarah paused briefly before replying, “Capture everyone alive if possible. If not, kill everyone except Eleonora and the lieutenant.”
* * *
They took a three-hour break inside the shelter Linca had built.
Kian sat on a wide, flat stone chair, with Linca curled up against him, using his body as a pillow.
After confirming the corpses of the slain Wolfmen, he decided to let her rest. But when she peeked out from the shelter and asked, “Um… can you hold me? I’m scared and uneasy,” he couldn’t say no.
Though there was a blanket separating them, her soft warmth pressed against him for three long hours—an entirely new kind of mental torture.
Linca, clad in a sleek Eastern-style qipao (T/N: traditional Chinese dress), let out a small moan, nuzzling her cheek against his chest.
The backrest of the chair had been carved to mimic the narrow waist of an hourglass, allowing Linca to easily straddle and wrap her legs around him.
Her porcelain-white legs, exposed beneath the black mini skirt that barely reached mid-thigh, hovered dangerously close to revealing everything. Thankfully, her chest and head blocked any indecent view. From above, all one could see was her flowing black hair, the curve of her back, and the enticing outline of her skirt-covered hips.
Down below, Kian had removed the “Silver Ice” panties and changed into his innerwear. The thin fabric at his crotch now pressed directly against Linca’s skirt──her own underwear area.
Her breasts were soft and yielding, but it was the humid warmth pressing against his lower body that drove him further into temptation.
At first, he’d tried to rest his hand on her rear.
”Don’t be so lewd!” she’d scolded.
So, he held back and let her drift to sleep.
But once she lost consciousness, the temptation grew unbearable.
His fingers found her hips, then gradually trailed down to the generous curve of her buttocks, gently tracing the outline of her panties through the thin skirt fabric.
Stretching further, his hand slipped beneath the hem, brushing directly against her underwear.
The lace was so thin that he could feel the shape and softness of her body beneath—slick with a subtle moisture that clung to his fingertips like egg whites.
By this point, Kian was consumed by the arousal stirred by this exotic warrior monk. His body ached with need.
Forcing himself to stop, he redirected his hands to her thighs and hips.
Priscilla’s legs, though slim and elegant, lacked the trained allure of Linca’s powerful build. The earlier humiliation he’d suffered felt like a distant memory now.
Female warrior monks really are the best, he mused.
Two hours into what Kian could only describe as “hellish endurance,” Linca suddenly stirred. She inhaled sharply and let out a soft moan as her eyes fluttered open.
Her gaze wandered down to the front of his innerwear—only for her senses to suddenly snap back into place.
Looking up at him, she said nothing of his behavior. Kian merely stared coolly at the shelter entrance, smoke still curling up from the campfire beyond.
”…! Ahh.”
Linca sighed in relief and whispered in a hoarse voice, “Good morning, Sir Kian.”
”Good morning. You slept well?” he asked calmly.
”Yes. I didn’t think I could… Apparently, I’m quite the sleeper. How long was I out?”
”About two hours. You were wrapped around me the whole time.”
”Did you manage to get some rest?”
Linca’s voice remained uneasy as she nuzzled against his chest.
”Not really. I was rock hard the entire time.”
”Lewd!” she snapped.
”It’s not my fault. It’s a natural bodily function.”
”Bodily function…”
The exotic beauty jerked her shoulder in embarrassment, then quickly pushed off him and stood up, pressing her hands to her lower abdomen.
”Umm… I need to use the bathroom.”
”…? As a Wraith, you shouldn’t really need to eliminate waste,” Kian said.
”It’s not good for the body, and the sweat smell becomes unpleasant! I do eliminate waste properly!” Linca shot back.
”Then use ‘Penetration’ or something to get it out,” Kian suggested.
”Please come with me! It’s scary.”
”Huh?”
”There’s no way I can relax and do it with you right there! What if we’re attacked during bathroom time?”
”But, I’m not into that sort of thing.”
”Neither am I! Just do as I say! Cover your eyes, put this in your ears, and pinch your nose tightly with this! Once I’m done, Sir Kian will have his turn.”
”What!? Me?!”
”Of course. We’ve been in this pitch-black place for who knows how long, with no sense of time. It’s important to stick to our daily routines as much as possible to maintain our body’s rhythm!”
”Even if that’s the case, I can do it alone. I’ll do it by myself.”
”Are you planning to leave me behind in the shelter!?”
”I’ll come right back. It won’t take me more than thirty minutes, even if it’s the big one.”
”No way, no way, no way, no way, NO WAY! I won’t do it! I’ll go crazy being alone for thirty minutes!”
”Well…” Kian sighed.
The boundless dark surrounded them. Despite the constant predatory cries echoing from who knows where, there was no real danger. Linca could easily dispatch Elder Remi Cain with a Leap, for goodness’ sake.
”Please don’t look at me like I’m a naughty child who needs to be disciplined,” Linca said, pouting.
”I don’t think that,” Kian replied.
”Then come with me!”
”Fine, I guess.”
(As always, Wolfmen are the best underlings. They never question orders.) Kian thought.
She was sexy, and he liked her as a person. And she was also sexy.
So Kian went with Linca to the corner of the barrier woven by the blue butterfly and relieved themselves, taking turns. Before Linca did her business, her eyes were covered with a cloth, and her ears and nose were plugged. However, the sounds still reached them, even with earplugs in.
After finishing, Linca let out a soft sigh. “Haa…, nnh, shoo…” The sound of cleaning herself after peeing was enough to make one’s restraint collapse.
Afterward, noticing Kian’s erection, Linca said, “Well, I guess there’s no helping it,” and performed a dense and luxurious bl*wjob, extracting every last drop. Kian felt weird about what they were doing in the enemy’s lair.
”I feel like having s*x now. I wonder if it’s because it’s so dark.”
”It seems like your anxiety and the fear of death are pushing you toward escapism. The urge for s*x likely comes from the aphrodisiac properties of my sperm stimulating your instincts… but your judgment may be clouded from the prolonged tension.”
”Am I going crazy!?”
”Your body is just instinctively relaxing without you realizing it. Pull yourself together. You are normal.”
”I hope so… Ahh… I can’t take it anymore…”
”I’ll pat you on the head again at the next break point, so hang in there until then.”
”…I want to become a shell…”
”If we take any more breaks, you won’t want to move from here.”
He quickly donned his armor in response.
”Then a few months from now, you’ll end up like those Wolfmen over there, all bones. You two can be friends.”
He left the shelter and the campfire for the following explorers—if Sarah and the others came, then for them. On the ground, he wrote a brief self-introduction of Kian and Linca in the Western Common Language, Eastern Common Language, and Azrael language, along with the circumstances of their arrival here, today’s date, and a plea for help.
”Shall we set off?”
”Understood. Then…”
Linca snapped her fingers and drew a large arrow on the ground. The tip of the arrow pointed in the direction Kian and the others were heading—upstream of the river. This increased the chances that those who came to search for Kian and the others could follow their trail.
As expected, Linca was capable.
”If we continue up the river like this, we’ll reach the town of Moonshore.”
The blue butterfly, which had returned without anyone noticing, said in a flat tone.
”Along the way, I think we’ll encounter one of the keys. Face it without fear.”
”If the time comes when my fear disappears, it will be when I die. I will face it while being afraid.”
”And as expected, you’ll cling to my waist.”
Kian sighed and slowly began to walk away from the first camp.
”Shall we search for the Wolfmen’s camp?”
As they passed by what seemed to be Tersea’s corpse, Linca asked from behind.
Kian looked toward the thorny wall on his left and shook his head.
”There should be a warrior from Silverwooloo who entered the investigation with Tersea somewhere, but they’re probably in that thorny maze over there. Given the timing of when they entered the gate, it’s unlikely they have much food left. They might have loaded Tersea with all the food and escaped from strong enemies like Remi Cain.”
”There’s little benefit in going… is there? Understood.”
”Rose Garden Keeper. Are there any survivors in the town of Moonshore?”
”Not confirmed. Mindless monsters are wandering around.”
”Is there no way to avoid Moonshore and enter a place called the ‘Holy domain’?”
”Impossible. There is one of the ‘keys’ in Moonshore.”
”I have a bad feeling about this.”
”Moonshore is dangerous. But it is also a beautiful place where skyfish swim. This world is sad and cruel, but it’s not just that. Surely.”
”I’ve come all excited,” Linca said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
In front of Kian, a blue butterfly scattered a multitude of particles, drawing attention.
”The thorns have recorded your memories. —Be careful. The first guardian of the key will be a manifestation of the darkness in your heart.”
”What do you mean by that?”
”Well, it might be that, like the earlier Tersea, ‘restoration’ doesn’t necessarily have to come from someone you’ve killed and absorbed. It could be reading our memories and ‘restoring’ something similar from within the thorns.”
”Isn’t that ‘reproduction’?”
”It means there’s a range of interpretations for ‘restoration.’”
As Kian replied, he squinted at the large, curved remnants of the river ahead.
Notes:
• Azancourt – A location mentioned by Kian when discussing his terrain survey of Ramsey’s wetlands. Likely near Ramsey.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Aerial – Female. A modern-looking young woman with short brown hair, revealing clothes, and gaudy accessories. She specializes in healing and basic magic but is cold and unsociable. She has a sad backstory related to losing her ability to sing magic.
• Tersea – A shaman who assisted Barghest and is connected to the summoning ritual.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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