Volume 3 Chapter 94 The Compensation Of Strength II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
This was Kian’s first trip to the dream world crafted by Priscilla, outside of the times he’d been forcibly put to sleep.
He had to persuade Ninini, who insisted on departing at once, to give him just a bit more time.
He retrieved the ‘key’ made of mithril chains and a red magic stone from the collar of ‘Silver Ice.’ Sitting against the roots of a suitable giant tree, he closed his eyes as his consciousness plunged into the dark void of sleep.
(It feels dangerous without my companions around…)
A few days later, Kian found himself back in the vivid, green meadow, looking around cautiously.
Just like before, trees lined the forest or thicket beside him, and atop a small hill ahead, he could see the red-roofed house where Maribel lived, alongside the love they shared.
Maribel had said she would check with Christy to see if the magic stone Priscilla offered was safe before diving in, but she surely must have visited this place a few times by now.
Although it was morning and she would definitely not be around, it might be wise to leave a simple note on the table, given that they promised to report regularly.
(Now that I think about it, there’s no way to let Ms. Priscilla know I’m here…)
With a hint of worry, he climbed the hill and vaulted over the wooden fence surrounding the house.
A wooden sword leaned against the doorframe, standing like a sentinel.
Inside, the kitchen table was covered with a white cloth, and a glass teapot along with cups were upside down in a drying basket.
Glancing toward the combined bedroom and living room, he spotted a thin book titled ‘Three Hundred Topics for Sage Qualifications’ alongside a thick tome on ‘Elven Herbalism,’ with a quill and paper on a small desk.
A dark blue blanket draped over the back of a chair.
’Seems we just missed her.’
(That appears to be the case.)
He nodded, observing the fine droplets of water still clinging to the teapot and cups.
It seemed Maribel was already lost in the afterglow of her slumber, spending her time here.
”Hmm. There’s a note left behind.”
On the shelf beside the tealeaves and spices, there’s a corkboard.
Tacked to it is a single sheet of paper.
The handwriting is elegant, meticulous──something only Maribel could manage.
Probably her, without a doubt.
(Totally different from that person who can only scrawl like a worm writhing on paper.)
The letter has a faint scent──something like perfume.
The smell of roses.
Scent slightly sweeter than Christy’s.
It’s unmistakably Maribel’s fragrance.
’There’s an update on the werewolf you defeated. Also, the High Court’s re-trial for Lord Oswald starts tomorrow. I want to know how things are going on your end. I’ll be here from midnight until dawn, but if you can’t come by, send a letter. ──Maribel’
(Her Excellency is waiting for a report. Once we leave the forest, the last 2──Rean and Vestacia──will probably be within reach. And, if she’s asking, checking out those villages near the battlefield wouldn’t hurt.)
’Quite the top-notch spy, huh?’
(The Owl’s movements are still a mystery──hardly perfect, but not flawless either.)
As he considers whether to reply to Maribel or write back until Priscilla notices──and just as he’s about to borrow paper and quill from the next room──a dark figure steps through the door: Priscilla in her black witch’s cloak.
”Ah, Lord Kian. Looks like you made it back safely. I suppose I could’ve sent a familiar or 2 through the gate, but honestly… I’m just glad I get to enjoy this rare moment alone with you, here and now. Did you find Rean or Vestacia?”
Priscilla walks straight up to him and cuts to the chase.
She’s got that mischievous glint, but even her playful side is professional──after all, she’s still the top Witch of Châtillon.
”No time for fluff. Short and sweet: I’ve rescued Ms. Ninini. Rean and Ms. Vestacia were taken by the Beastmen Mercenaries. I’m heading to the ‘Storm Herd’ camp outside the ruins now.”
”So, you managed to secure one of them? Impressive. But I can’t understand the logic of charging into the ‘Storm Herd’ camp. Can’t we just take Ninini back for now?”
Priscilla pulled out a chair covered with Maribel’s blanket and sat down, placing her umbrella on her lap as she looked up at Kian.
”Should I send Natra or Rufna for backup? The gate’s stable for now.”
”No, the path through the Spiritual Vein is one-way. For some reason, the teleportation array at this ruin has shut down.”
”The array shut down?”
Priscilla’s sharp eyes narrowed as Kian responded, “That’s strange, isn’t it?” After a brief pause, she shook her head.
”No, if the vectors within the Spiritual Vein are flowing in that direction, the path is indeed one-way. It’s entirely plausible. The absence of a gate means they simply haven’t constructed one. If we were to jump against the flow, our bodies could disintegrate, making reconstruction impossible. I believe the creator of the teleportation array left it as is on purpose.”
”Isn’t there any way around it?”
”You mean to force a gate and try to backtrack? It would take too long and be far too dangerous. As capable as you and Sarah are, the others shouldn’t even consider it. The moment you arrive here… it would turn into a mutilation murder case.”
”That sounds horrific. We’d be torn apart, right?”
Priscilla nodded in agreement.
”Exactly. So we need to find another way to regroup. I’ll start moving while scouting a teleportation route that won’t trigger Lord Owl’s barrier or the shaman’s detection network. As planned, I’ll disguise myself as a shoe merchant and meet up with you. How’s Ninini doing?”
”She’s fine. She can stand and walk.”
”So you’re sure that the Beastmen Mercenaries who took them are definitely part of the ‘Storm Herd’?”
”I don’t know. But according to Ms. Ninini, fully armed Beastmen appeared about an hour after their teleportation. It makes sense to think they came from the ‘Storm Herd’ camp.”
As Kian spoke rapidly, Priscilla furrowed her brow in disbelief.
”Wait. The place you guys teleported to was the forest region of the Nordende River domain, right? So Rean and the others got ambushed by mercenaries just an hour after teleporting?”
”You can’t underestimate the Beastmen’s senses. They must’ve spotted them while patrolling the area. After catching up to Rean, Ms. Vestacia apparently scolded him loudly.”
”But that’s bizarre… An hour? What are the odds of that?”
”So, Ms. Priscilla, do you believe Rean and the others were lying in wait?”
Without answering, Priscilla shot back with her own question.
”Lord Kian, you helped Lyritisse through the secret staircase in the lich’s research facility, right?”
”Yes.”
”Then you’ve seen the picture of the wolf god Wooloo painted in white on the hidden door, haven’t you?”
”Yes. Before becoming a follower of the Abyss daughter, Erynys, the lich worshiped Wooloo.”
”Lyritisse got captured after being attacked by the lich, just when Rean’s group was also hit with attackers. Does that sound like a coincidence to you?”
”────. So…”
Kian recalled the lich’s peculiar evasive maneuvers during the fight.
He had dodged the Secret Technique ‘Pursuit of the Shadow,’ which even Sarah──distraught as she was──couldn’t evade, seeming to anticipate Kian’s every move.
This was something Serena would do in battle.
Using her supernatural senses to predict the future-like movements, she’d evade enemy attacks and, in turn, unleash her *inevitable* strike.
”So you’re suggesting that the lich was somehow connected to the Wolfmen?”
”Yeah. It’s not confirmed, but it’s a possibility. If the lich was, say, a former shaman of the Wolfmen and had ties to the ‘Storm Herd,’ then it could’ve systematically wiped out Rean and his party.”
”But why did they attack Rean in the first place? It can’t be because they saw something in the research facility… Rean and Ms. Vestacia were just caught up in a frantic chase and never even made it to the deepest part of the building.”
”This is speculation, but…”
Priscilla prefaced, then pressed on.
”The Snow Past of the Giant lies behind Ramsey’s wheat fields──essentially right in the rear of Lord Owl’s forces. It’s virtually undefended, and if you cross the fields, you hit the merchant city of Ramsey directly.”
”So, you’re saying it could’ve been a staging point for a pincer attack?”
Come to think of it, he vaguely recall the lich muttering something about abandoning this place if they were detected.
Right, if it was a base for an ambush, getting discovered before the complete evacuation would lead to a real mess.
Just look at Kian──he’s made it all the way to the woods near the ‘Storm Herd’ camp without a hitch.
If those were Owl Army’s Bloodsucking Kind soldiers, it would’ve been catastrophic for the Hairkin Races.
(The lich was digging into my identity. Once they figured out I was an Adventurer, the vibe shifted to ‘better kill him just in case’ as they pounced.)
”I need to head back now.”
”Yeah, that’s wise. The lich might already know about your teleportation. Just like with Rean, they could have a unit deployed. The ‘Storm Herd’ is strong. Just being Wolfmen makes them formidable all around. Avoid combat as much as you can.”
”I understand.”
”I’ll tell Rufna and get everyone ready to move. Once we finalize the meeting point and route, I’ll reach out again. I’ll pin the details on the board over there, so when things settle down, come back and check it out.”
”I’m counting on you.”
Priscilla nodded and reached out to place her hand on Kian’s forehead.
The moment her cold hand made contact, his vision darkened once more, as if being pulled into an abyss.
A distant white light flickered ahead, accompanied by Sarah’s faint voice calling out his name.
* * *
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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