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EPISODE 108 – ENCOUNTER (2)
“Haa
I can relax a little now
”
Having settled down inside the tent made by Gaël, Adelia stretched her legs and sighed in relief.
She had suffered from the icy blast a moment ago, so a tent that blocked the wind was something highly valuable.
“Don’t overwork yourself. We’ll take a break here for today.”
“Yes, Lord GaĂ«l. Please come here too, Lord GaĂ«l. I’ll cast some magic.”
“Thank you. It’ll be comfortable thanks to Lady Adelia.”
“Making it comfortable is a piece of cake, no problem.”
Gaël also smiled when Adelia responded with a gentle smile.
It was a very vibrant smile that the people from Count Bayer were familiar with.
“Please excuse me then.”
“Yes.”
Adelia gently answered and quietly waited for Gaël to sit next to her.
If Count Chase – no, her subordinates in the royal capital saw the current Adelia, who was far from her usual self, they would repeatedly blink their eyes. However, there was no one here who cared about that.
“<Heat Wave>.”
As soon as Adelia chanted the spell, a wave of heat began to warm the inside of the tent.
Her frozen fingertips and toes that felt like rock began to warm, and blood started to circulate again with a tingling sensation.
“Haaw
”
Adelia reflexively let out her voice as she felt the tingling sensation, while Gaël had a small smile as he slightly moved his body and said.
“It would be better to take your shoes off as you may get frostbite. I will take it off for you.”
“Eh? Uh
yes. Please
do so.”
Adelia gently replied again.
If her subordinates in the royal capital – no, her fellow commanders in the Royal Guard Magic Corps saw her, they would exclaim, ‘It’s an evil doppelganger! Where is the real Adelia!’, but she wasn’t fake. The person here now was the real Adelia.
‘He’s kind.’
Adelia thought as she watched Gaël carefully take her shoes off.
In fact, if it was the time when they had just begun to travel, Adelia would have coldly rejected GaĂ«l’s kindness and said something like ‘I have hands too. Go away.’, but not now.
‘Nothing, there’s nothing between us, we’re not in a relationship.’
That day.
The words Gaël said as he gazed at Adelia with his eyes moist with tears.
‘Is there
nothing between us?’
His voice that sounded like that of a wounded lamb changed everything.
It opened up the last lock in her heart which resisted to the very end.
“Whoa, as expected, it’s frozen. I’ll give you a massage so don’t be too surprised.”
Gaël softly spoke again as he began to carefully massage her feet, and Adelia blushed as her lips squirmed.
“That
doesn’t it smell?”
Her shoes had been wet for a long time.
“It’s all right.”
As a person who was born and grew up with knights, Gaël was not quite good with his words.
However, what was important in this situation wasn’t really about his words.
The power of love was that great.
‘He’s kind
’
She liked it when he spoke genuinely instead of saying one thing after another.
Moreover, she saw the look in his eyes and felt his touch as he massaged her feet.
Wasn’t it clearly noticeable that GaĂ«l was purely worried about Adelia and didn’t have wicked thoughts?
‘It’s okay if you have a bit of those thoughts.’
Adelia recoiled when she realized her unconscious thought, and Gaël misunderstood her sudden stiffness and carefully asked.
“Did it hurt by chance?”
“N-no. It’s okay. Thank you, it made me comfortable.”
Adelia pretended to be calm as she quickly withdrew her two feet, and Gaël smiled again as he sat down next to Adelia.
And Adelia thought.
‘Should I also give him a massage?’
No, wouldn’t that be a little strange?
Should I just make hot water for him to wash his hands?
There was snow all around them, so she could create water by heating the snow with magic.
While Adelia’s mind was spinning, GaĂ«l took off his shoes with his own hands and began to massage his own feet.
“I need to air it a bit. I’m sorry.”
Gaël awkwardly said before slightly opening the tightly sealed tent entrance, and the cold and fresh air that blew inside made Adelia come to her senses.
‘Huu, huu. Let’s calm down, calm down. Adelia.’
They were not in a romantic relationship, but their relationship was also something that was not clearly defined.
‘That’s right, let’s calm down. Relax, Adelia.’
Adelia took a deep breath and regained her composure. In the meantime, Gaël took out the blanket from their luggage, sealed the tent entrance, and handed the blanket to her.
“Cover yourself. I’ll take a little rest and then prepare the meal.”
“Lord GaĂ«l should warm yourself too.”
When Adelia covered herself with the blanket and spoke, Gaël hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside Adelia, who covered him with the blanket too.
“I wonder how Jude and Cordelia are doing?”
“They should be doing well. It’s only been two months
but it seems like they’ve both grown a lot during their trip.”
He wasn’t just talking about their physical power.
The two had also largely grown up mentally.
“When did they become adults?”
“I agree. I thought that they were immature children in love
”
GaĂ«l’s words trailed off and he smiled as he gazed at Adelia, and Adelia also stared at GaĂ«l.
And the two realized it.
The fact that their faces were too close.
That they were very close to the point that they felt each other’s breath.
Adelia unknowingly opened her lips a little. GaĂ«l stared at Adelia’s lips, and at some point, the eyes of the two met again.
The two simultaneously narrowed their distance.
Adelia let out a hot breath and gripped the blanket as her heart trembled in fear and anticipation before she slowly closed her eyes.
And right after she did that.
Baaaang!
The tent was destroyed with a loud sound. At the same time, no, a little earlier than that, Gaël pushed her down as he avoided the attack that flew straight at them.
Tuuuk!
The tent had been destroyed, and a bolt trembled as it stuck to the stone wall.
Finding herself under Gaël, Adelia opened her eyes in a flash and the pink atmosphere between them was instantly broken.
Bang!
A second blast went off. It was Adelia this time. The tent was broken by the powerful wave of magic and even the bolt that was about to explode was blown away.
And Gaël stood up. He quickly drew his sword and glared in the direction where the arrow came from.
“Nine.”
He figured out the number of enemies at once.
The number was determined not only by sight but also by feeling.
“Demon follower.”
Perhaps a demonic human too.
A giant who held a small ballista in his hand, smiled from a distance.
Around him were some horribly disfigured monsters like those seen in Karaval, that were wearing dog collars and drooling as they sharply looked at the two.
Gaël thought.
He figured out at once why they appeared in this place far down south.
‘They thought like Jude.’
Jude left to destroy the rear of the west.
The same was true of the west. Having a similar thought, they also sent some troops to the east.
‘Sky Roof mountain range.’
A land of death where even the wild gods did not live in.
Therefore, instead of crossing the Sky Roof mountain range, they took a large detour southward to infiltrate the east.
The current situation of the two was that they ran into these guys who were moving like that.
“I’m lucky.”
Garad, the mid-ranking demonic human who attacked Gaël, laughed. The moment he saw Gaël and Adelia, he was also thinking.
‘It’s obviously them.’
The coldblooded monsters who did not hesitate to kill and destroy one-by-one the demonic humans of the Devil’s Eye who operated in the east.
It was a considerable misunderstanding and a complete misidentification of the wrong people, but Garad’s misunderstandings also had their own basis.
It was difficult to think why a couple with eye-opening looks from the SĂ€len Kingdom would be here in the wild lands.
“Haraken will be pleased.”
There was no need for him to take their lives, so he thought that he could violate them to his heart’s content.
The corners of Garad’s mouth was raised and he began his transformation.
His eyes that were glistening with ambition and vulgar desire split into dozens of pieces and became compound eyes, and his giant body swelled and even became bigger.
A black and glossy shell resembling that of a stag beetle surrounded his whole body like an armor.
Horns sprouted from his forehead, and his jaws split as it became like the mouth of an insect.
“I’ll make you my puppets.”
Garad thought what he would do after winning.
The small ballista on his right arm shook as he also began running.
“Go!”
Gaël loudly cried at that moment. He dashed across the ground towards the running Garad, while Adelia began to chant a spell.
The low-ranking demonic humans who were together with the monsters screamed as they also began running towards them.
Baaaang!
The moment Garad and Gaël collided, a loud sound reverberated.
To be exact, it was the sound of Garad’s huge fist breaking the ground.
Twaaaaak!
Like the wind, GaĂ«l evaded Garad’s attack as his sword glowed blue and violently struck.
His sharp sword broke apart the shell on Garad’s waist.
“Gaah!”
Garad was flustered by GaĂ«l’s attack, which was more powerful than he expected. But his body was already too close for him to step back. So he swung his fist again and ordered his subordinates.
“Kill the woman!”
This was to distract Gaël.
It was a reasonable command.
But even at the moment Garad shouted, Gaël did not look back at delia.
Because he believed in her.
No, he just knew.
Adelia’s power.
Her strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lightning struck. The powerful lightning that was created from Adelia’s specialty, High-Speed Incantation, hit the low-ranking demonic humans who were charging at them. It didn’t end with one shot as it spread around as if bouncing.
<Chain Lightning>.
Even within the Royal Guard Magic Corps, she was called the ‘Flash’ because her spell chanting was three times the normal speed. In addition, the composition of her magic and its precision did not significantly drop despite her fast incantation.
“Aaaaaah!”
As the lightning bounced, the low-ranking demonic humans who were trapped in the hellish lightning chain screamed and rolled over the floor, but this was only the beginning.
“These scumbags!”
Adelia cursed and chanted a new spell again. The sight of her eyes glistening as she released attack magic with the white snow on the background was like the battle angel Solari who descended into this world.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Adelia did not show them any mercy. Or rather, she cornered the enemies with excessive power more than what she usually used.
Because she was angry.
‘Of all times! Of all times! Of all times!’
It was at that moment!
‘It was my first time!’
No, it was going to be my first time!
The situation that happened just a dozen seconds ago came to Adelia’s mind.
No, even a few seconds before that too, the knowledge she remembered and the numerous stories she listened to but pretended not to be interested in

“Burn! Be ripped apart! Collapse!”
Adelia cast three different spells in succession.
<Hell’s Flame>.
<Wind Blade>.
<Material Collapse>.
Even within the Royal Guard Magic Corps that boasted of their history and tradition, Adelia was called a genius as her skill in consecutive casting made her the youngest commander in history.
“Kaaaaaah!”
“Aaack!”
The low-ranking demonic humans were slaughtered one-by-one before they could do anything, and Garad was in a panic.
‘They’re too strong!’
He guessed that they were strong because all the demonic humans who were dispatched to the east were at least mid-ranking ones or higher, but the two were too strong.
Furthermore, it wasn’t just the wizard. The man in front of him was also not an ordinary knight.
Slaaaash!
A sharp wind blew.
Gaël became the wind, and at the same time, he controlled the wind.
It was impossible for Garad’s wild and crude attacks to even graze GaĂ«l.
“Gaaa!”
In the end, Garad bellowed as he kicked the ground with all his power. At the same time he gained distance from Gaël through force, he threw up the flare that was on his waist.
Boom! Boom!
Red lights exploded in the air.
It was an action that might expose all of the troops in the detour route, but he couldn’t help it.
‘We were supposed to gather in the first place!’
Seven troops from the west were dispatched to infiltrate the east.
Since their starting points were different from each other, they had planned to gather around this area eventually.
‘In other words, the other should be around here too!’
Garad frankly admitted it.
The couple in front of him were not at a level that he could handle alone. He now understood why the demonic humans, who had been dispatched to the west, died without making any significant achievements.
So he shouldn’t be uselessly greedy.
He had to focus on holding on until the other demonic humans come!
“Ouuuuuu!!”
Garad unleashed his power. He focused on enduring GaĂ«l’s attacks.
His judgment was correct.
Garad’s plan wasn’t wrong.
But, nevertheless.
‘Why aren’t they coming!’
It seemed like some time had passed since the flare was fired, but no one had showed up.
At the very least, they should have contacted him when they saw the signal, but they didn’t even come.
Why?
Why the hell are they not coming?
No way, are they trying to get rid of me?
So they saw the signal but chose to ignore it?
‘No! No way!’
It doesn’t make sense.
How did the other troops know about my situation yet still do something like this!
‘Come on! Please! Quickly!’
As he desperately prayed, Garad confronted Gaël.
But it was already hopeless.
Having eliminated all the low-ranking demonic humans, Adelia approached with a turbulent power, and GaĂ«l’s sword became increasingly sharper.
And it finally came to an end.
“Uuggh
.”
The proud giant’s arms were cut off, and GaĂ«l’s sword stabbed Garad’s chest.
The tip of the swift sword let out an explosion as it broke the hard shell on his chest and turned Garad’s body into a mess.
Booom-!
Garad stepped back in the aftermath of the explosion before he collapsed while vomiting blood. He eventually stopped moving.
Starting from his toes, his body turned into black ash before he finally disappeared.
“Haa.”
Gaël exhaled as he clenched his sword and looked up the sky.
The light of the flare that Garad shot had vanished, but the two continued to remain alert.
‘There must be reinforcements.’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t even fire a flare.
But for some reason, the reinforcements did not appear.
Adelia was also worried like him, so she closed her eyes and used <Detection> magic. However, she found no one.
“I think it’s okay. There are no enemies within at least 200 meters around us.”
At Adelia’s words, GaĂ«l exhaled again and sheathed his sword. He suddenly asked Adelia.
“Any injuries
?”
“Is that even possible?”
Adelia shrugged and then laughed, and Gaël laughed too.
Even though she defeated eight low-ranking demonic humans who wildly ran like beasts, not even a single fingertip of hers was hurt.
“The tent
 I don’t think we can use it anymore.”
“Ueueu
”
Adelia was visibly disappointed by GaĂ«l’s words.
But they were quite fortunate. In one to two days from now, they would be able to reach Thunderdoom Fortress, the nest of the Jackdaws.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t get hurt.”
“Yeah.”
Adelia drooped her shoulders but still smiled, and Gaël quickly approached Adelia.
“Lord GaĂ«l?”
When Adelia asked as her eyes blinked, Gaël smiled again and said.
“Will you excuse me for a moment?”
“Yes?”
At Adelia’s question, GaĂ«l lowered his gaze and she understood it then.
Because both of them were barefoot.
“That
”
“Yes.”
When Adelia gave her permission, Gaël acted like a member of the Bayer family, or to be exact, he acted like his brother Jude.
He so naturally carried Adelia in his arms.
In fact, there was no need for him to do this.
There was also a way in which Adelia would just stand as he picked up her shoes.
No, Adelia could use <Fly> magic in the first place.
But GaĂ«l didn’t do that, and Adelia was satisfied. She wanted to curl up her body while in the arms of GaĂ«l, but she soon moved her body and met his eyes again.
In that position.
Her heart was pounding.
The adrenaline that was released because of the battle led to new chemical reactions.
In that few seconds.
When the two let out their breaths at each other.
Bang!
There was a roar in the air.
Gaël and Adelia reflexively looked, and they soon saw it.
A man stood in the air as his red cloak fluttered.
The one who slaughtered all the mid-ranking demonic humans who were dispatched from the west to the east, except for Garad.
When he saw the flare, he flew in a hurry but spotted Gaël and Adelia.
The two who were hugging each other flinched and turned around for a moment. He awkwardly looked around as if he didn’t see the two before he flew away to another place.
And a few seconds later.
GaĂ«l and Adelia’s voices simultaneously flowed out.
“Co
unt?”
“Dad?”
Count Chase, one of the Northern Sagang (Four Rivers) and the Tower Master of the Red Dawn Tower.
The reason why he suddenly went away after seeing the two.
Gaël and Adelia understood it at the same time.
Both of them blushed, and Gaël cleared his throat.
“Ahem, ahem, let’s get our shoes first.”
He felt apologetic (?) to Count Chase who avoided their place because the atmosphere had already been broken.
Adelia frowned at GaĂ«l’s words, and soon made a decision.
Because she thought that a moment like this wouldn’t always happen.
“Lord GaĂ«l.”
“Yes?”
That was it.
Adelia hugged GaĂ«l’s neck and moved her upper body. She drew her face closer to GaĂ«l, and bravely acted again.
Adelia’s lips touched GaĂ«l’s cheeks.
‘Ueueu.’
This was not her original plan, but it was impossible for her to push it further.
The atmosphere had already been broken.
She felt like she would die of embarrassment.
Adelia blushed as her eyes remained close, and ironically, Adelia’s action and appearance created a strange atmosphere again.
The atmosphere was quite different from the tent, and was funny in some way, but it was enough to move Gaël.
“Adelia.”
He moved after he called her in a low voice.
On the white snowfield, the figures of the two overlapped into one.
And far away

No, not that far, but just the right distance.
Count Chase hid behind a large rock and held his breath. He looked at the expansion bag after unlocking it with magic and thought while stroking it slowly.
‘I did a good job in preparing.’
For a possible situation.
Otherwise, it would have been pretty difficult for him now.
Count Chase praised himself for his readiness and closed his eyes for a moment as he waited.
He actually had a lot of questions.
The reason why the two crossed the border.
The whereabouts of Jude and Cordelia.
But now was the time to be patient.
‘I also have to write a letter to my friend, Count Bayer.’
Count Chase lightly stroked his chin and gently smiled.
He thought of the new things he had to prepare.
***
At the same time, in the Sky Roof mountain range.
Jude and Cordelia flinched and opened their eyes at the same time.