Chapter 53 : Uninvited guest (13)
Flas rippled through the world.
Everything burned, and burned again.
The things that were once living demonic beasts were swept away by the blazing fire and beca piles of ash, and only a few demonic beasts that barely survived had managed to escape this place.
‘I let a few get away, but it probably doesn't matter much.’
I brushed off the demonic beast blood, sweat, soot, and the moisture created by the Orb of Water caked on my body, and looked around.
“Hoo…….”
Flas and smoke visible in all directions.
The coppery sll of blood and the sll of gunpowder.
Blood and flesh fragnts, and leather.
What remained in this place now could be seen as just that much.
‘I should probably see this as a good thing.’
The reason I had left Winter Castle was to draw out Dennis, but that wasn't sothing I could say anywhere, so it was true that I needed an external justification.
In that sense, the materials from the Dire Wolves served as a very excellent justification for .
If I said I went out and participated in the demonic beast subjugation as ordered by the lord of Winter Castle, who would look at suspiciously?
In addition to that, all the teeth marks left on my body by the Dire Wolves also proved the ferocity of what I had experienced.
‘Well…… although going alone on a demonic beast subjugation is a little unusual, it's not like there aren't such people at all.’
In fact, even within Winter Castle, there were so people who acted alone regarding this demonic beast subjugation.
Winter Castle was one of the most notoriously rough terrains in the Empire, and naturally, it was full of strong people who were capable of roaming near the Demonic Realm alone.
For starters, my direct supervisor, Edric, was the captain of the 4th Special Task Force, wasn't he.
‘Well…… though in Edric's case, he seems pretty unusual even within Winter Castle.’
I had assessed Edric as a strong person of level 6 or higher until now, but the more I learned about Edric, the more I realized my initial thought was wrong.
The captains of the other Special Task Forces were not easy opponents either, but at least in my eyes, they weren't as special as Edric.
A person whose identity was completely unknown.
That was the person nad Edric, as I currently judged him.
‘Well, that aside…….’
I swung the Fang of Blazing Fire to quietly subdue the blazing fires that were burning the surroundings.
It seed that flas of this extent might be visible even from Winter Castle, and besides, I had burned almost everything that needed to be burned.
Ssss…….
Having subdued all the flas like that, I looked at the Dire Wolf carcasses scattered on the ground.
So carcasses were completely burned to ashes, but there were also carcasses that were not, and whose shapes remained relatively intact.
I drew a dagger to process their materials.
It would be convenient to use the Fang of Blazing Fire, but if I did sothing like processing demonic beasts with an item imbued with such high-heat fire properties, the materials would be damaged, so I had no choice.
‘In that case…….’
Having finished all preparations, I began to process the Dire Wolf carcasses in earnest.
Slice, slice…….
I always felt it, but processing demonic beasts was truly hard work.
It was especially hellish, trying to be careful while processing so that the leather and other materials weren't damaged as much as possible.
‘Should I just throw it all away and go?’
It was true that such thoughts crossed my mind the whole ti I was processing, but the Dire Wolf materials were worth a decent price, so that felt like a waste.
It was a good thing that the processing beca a little easier thanks to the surrounding snow lting and creating a few small puddles of water in this spot; if not for even this, I really would have burned all of them and left the place.
‘Listing them on the auction house right after processing wouldn't be bad either…… but then there'd be no point in having gone to the trouble of processing them.’
In the first place, wasn't one of the reasons I processed these to show them at Winter Castle for the justification of my outing?
Having processed all the useful materials like the Dire Wolf's claws and leather, I moved them onto a temporary cart made from nearby wood, and then attached wheels made with the Orb of Water.
Since it was such a roughly made object, it was far from sturdy, but at least the wheels rolled well.
“Hoo…….”
Was it just my imagination that the demonic beast processing that ca after the battle with Dennis and the other demonic beasts felt more difficult than the battle itself?
‘It actually took more ti, too.’
Seeing as how dawn had completely arrived at so point.
If it had been any other commander and not Edric, wouldn't they have judged as having deserted?
Well…… it's not like I knew with Edric either.
‘Still, there were results.’
Although the process wasn't smooth, looking only at the results, I had gained truly a lot on this outing.
Nak's Legacy and Sorin's work.
In addition to that, high-quality goods like the Chunak set and various other things that would make money.
However, if there was one regrettable point, it was that botherso things had also increased in proportion to that.
‘Well…… it doesn't matter.’
I didn't know what would happen in the future due to the suddenly arrived uninvited guest.
But I didn't care.
As I had always done, I would just remove everything that blocked my path.
‘In that case…….’
I turned my gaze.
It was ti to go back.
***
On the way back.
While checking the Anonymous Bulletin Board to examine information on Dennis, no, Anonymous999 and Bellerophon, I discovered a strange post.
-Luna : (Luna Declaration) I won't wait anymore.
-Luna : I'm coming soon.
“……”
Was it just my imagination?
This feeling that the uninvited guest's visit wasn't over yet.
Yes, it was probably just my imagination.
I sincerely hoped so.
***
After returning to Winter Castle, I looked for Edric's office to report.
Knock, knock-
However, no answer ca from inside.
It seed he was absent.
Edric was such an elusive person, so I just figured as much and turned my steps toward the barracks.
Reporting after returning was very important in the military, but if the person to report to wasn't there, what could I do?
“You're back?”
The one who greeted first when I returned to the barracks was, as expected, Alicia.
“Yeah.”
“There are wounds on your face…….”
“It's fine. It's nothing.”
Anyway, for who possessed the Orb of Water, wounds of this extent were wounds that would heal completely after sleeping for a day.
In fact, the reason I just ca back even though I could have healed them if I wanted to was also because they were wounds that would heal quickly.
And at the sa ti, to subtly inform Winter Castle and the Pegasus rchant Guild of the battle with demonic beasts that I had experienced.
“No. It's not fine.”
But Alicia spoke firmly like that, and then held out an ointnt that I didn't know where she'd gotten from.
“What's this?”
“It's a blend of a few dicinal herbs I gathered nearby. The wounds will heal faster.”
As Alicia, having said that, tried to apply the ointnt to , I spoke.
“I'll apply it myself.”
“Stay still.”
Alicia spoke firmly and applied the ointnt to a few wounds on my cheek.
‘Erm…….’
It was a strange feeling, but it wasn't a bad thing for , so I stayed still for the ti being.
“All done.”
“……Thanks.”
“You know how to say things like that, too.”
Alicia said that and smiled lightly.
I found myself staring blankly at that smile without realizing it, before I shook my head.
At that mont, Conlan, who saw , spoke.
“You're back? Looks like you had another round. If you were going to do it, you should've done it with .”
“You talk big for soone who's ailing.”
In fact, after the demonic beast subjugation a while ago, Conlan had suffered major and minor injuries, and it was difficult for him to move right away.
Well, even if he had been perfectly fine, I wouldn't have gone out with Conlan.
“You just need to rub so spit on this and it'll get better.”
“You sound like the Captain.”
“Can you compare to that monster-like fellow?”
Conlan laughed heartily.
For so reason, it was a laugh like Edric's.
“Enough, where's the Captain?”
“Huh? He's not in his office? I didn't hear he was going anywhere. Ah, then again, he never used to say, did he.”
It seed Conlan didn't know where Edric went either.
Then again, the report after returning wasn't that important of an issue, so I just let it be.
“Anyway…… looking at what you brought back earlier, it seems you hit the jackpot this ti. Why don't you hurry up and dispose of it? I heard the Pegasus rchant Guild is leaving soon.”
“Is that so?”
I had thought it was about ti for that, but it seed that ti was now truly right around the corner.
‘It was a little questionable whether they would leave so obediently even when soone of Dennis's caliber had disappeared…… but from the rchant guild's perspective, they couldn't just stay settled in Winter Castle forever.’
It seed I would have to wait and see how the Pegasus rchant Guild would act afterward.
If the Pegasus rchant Guild were to start a large-scale investigation to find the disappeared guild mbers, including Dennis, it could beco quite troubleso for .
‘Though that possibility was low.’
Anyway, that was that…….
“Then, since we're on the subject, if you have ti, can you help process those things? They're Dire Wolf materials. I did a rough job, but I don't think I can get the proper price selling them as is.”
“Hmph, as if I'd do sothing like th─”
“I'll give you 1 Gold.”
“What should I start with?”
Conlan, who had at so point beco a slave to capitalism, diligently moved to process the Dire Wolf materials I had brought.
He was truly an easy-to-read fellow.
“……What's that now? Now you're doing all sorts of things.”
The passing Albino clicked his tongue as if finding it absurd, but Conlan lightly ignored him.
It was, as always, none other than a peaceful scene of the 4th Special Task Force.
***
Thanks to Conlan's help, I finished processing the Dire Wolves and handed them over to the Pegasus rchant Guild for a pretty decent price.
Since there were many marks from being scorched by fire or pierced by bullets, there were many parts that made it difficult to receive the full price, but the Dire Wolf material itself was quite useful, so I received an amount that was satisfactory for .
Also, the Pegasus rchant Guild left Winter Castle not long after.
There was a big commotion about the sudden disappearance of a few guild mbers, including Dennis, but perhaps judging that it couldn't affect the entire guild's schedule, they stopped the investigation and left Winter Castle.
I heard that before the Pegasus rchant Guild left, the lord, Margrave, publicly declared that he would personally investigate the disappeared guild mbers…… but by now, wouldn't all the corpses that were there have beco food for the demonic beasts?
Because the demonic beasts of the Demonic Realm chewed up and ate everything, not even leaving behind human bones.
‘Of course, if they really tried to find traces, they could probably find them, but…….’
It wouldn't be an easy task to recognize the traces of a corpse, not even knowing who it was, in a forest covered with snow.
What's more, there was no way the soldiers from Winter Castle would know Dennis's identity, and besides, I had already taken everything that could indicate their identities.
Like that, the visit of the Pegasus rchant Guild, which was a big event for Winter Castle, and the intrusion of the uninvited guest, which was a considerable crisis for , all ca to an end.
Looking only at the results, neither the visit of the Pegasus rchant Guild nor the intrusion of the uninvited guest was bad for , but that was sothing I'd have to see about later.
This incident would soday surely return in so way.
All I could do was to beco even a little stronger and prepare in anticipation of that day.
“It's been a while. Have you all been well?”
In the midst of that, Edric, who hadn't been seen for a while, showed himself.
Seeing the fine line-like wounds visible here and there on his always-brazen face, it seed sothing had indeed happened.
Well, thanks to the absence of Edric, who led hellish training every day, it was true that it had been a little comfortable recently, so I didn't have any particular complaints.
“Where have you been?”
“I had so personal business. The work got delayed more than I thought. As your captain, I have no excuse for you all.”
“It's fine.”
In fact, thanks to that, it was also comfortable.
“In that sense, I've brought one gift for you all.”
“A gift?”
Edric grinned and spoke.
“It's a mission.”
Conlan, who was next to , interjected as if dumbfounded.
“……That's a gift?”
“Of course, what better gift could there be for you all, who are trapped in this godforsaken Winter Castle, than an outing?”
Edric, who had spouted sophistry without batting an eye, laughed heartily as always.
“What kind of mission is it?”
“It's a mutant subjugation.”
A mutant subjugation…….
Edric wouldn't bother using the expression 'gift' for a mission in the northern region, which was Winter Castle's original area of responsibility, so it was highly likely the assigned area wasn't the north.
“Where is the destination?”
“Bernhard.”
Edric added.
“A free city overflowing with romance.”
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