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Chapter 63




Chapter 63. Didn't you say you had something to say?
After the commotion had ended.
Riley, with a dazed mind, staggered.
‘W, what kind of hands…’
This much pain.
Although he couldn’t compare to the mercenaries who primarily hunted monsters, he still had a certain level of pride in his skills.
For over a decade.
He had survived for over a decade in the Hameln Great Forest; he wasn’t someone who couldn’t throw a proper punch!
However, the person in front of him was on a different level.
Each punch sent shivers through his bones, and each kick made his entire body tremble.
Resistance? He didn’t even think about it.
Well, he did think about it, but every time he did, a fierce punch would come flying as if the other person could sense it.
“Guh, guh…”
As the pain resonated through his bones, Riley groaned, and a calm voice echoed in his ear.
“I didn’t hit you that hard. Stop whining and get up.”
Not hit hard?
After beating him like a dog, he says he didn’t hit hard?
“Really, hit me hard once?”
“…No, sir.”
Startled, Riley regained his composure.
‘R, really, I’ll die.’
Over a decade, his senses, honed from traversing the Hameln Great Forest, told him.
If he were hit hard, he would say goodbye to this world, regardless of the pain.
At the same time, his well-honed intuition told him.
‘Sigh, let’s bow deeply.’
This was different from the clumsy mage he had tried to take advantage of earlier.
Beyond intuition and experience, the person in front of him wasn’t even in his right mind.
His calculations were quick.
And his actions were even quicker.
“Come here and sit down.”
“H, hehe… Can I really sit with you? I’ll just stand.”
“Then stand.”
As if he were a loyal servant who had been by his side for a long time.
Despite the pain in his body, Riley stood at attention beside him!
He also had another thought.
‘Damn… So, you’re really just going to let me stand?’
Aster stared at him for a moment and then asked.
“By any chance, are you from the Black and White Zone?”
“H, how did you…?”
“Yeah, I thought so.”
That kind of backbone isn’t something just anyone has.
Only those who have been beaten a lot and honed their intuition can possess that kind of backbone.
The ability to bend one’s principles when necessary!
This was an advantage of those from the Black and White Zone.
Anyway.
“Your name?”
“I… I was called Shovel, but now my name is Riley.”
“…?”
“Oh, Shovel was my name in the Black and White Zone. My current name is Riley.”
“You’ve come a long way.”
“Haha, thank you. Indeed, among my gang, no one has risen as high as me.”
That’s right.
For a Black and White Zone vagrant to become a mercenary was quite an achievement.
Most ended up in the back alleys of the Black and White Zone, joining gangs and dying young.
Enough with the small talk.
Aster took in the sight of his junior (?) from the Black and White Zone.
“I heard you say you can’t return to the Great Forest?”
“Ah… W, well, where did you hear that?”
“From the beginning.”
“…Ah.”
In fact, he had entered the Sun of the Grasslands when the conversation began.
So, it was around the time when the mage asked,
- Sir Mage, what do you think?
He had silently observed the situation, and it was quite a spectacle.
‘Please, just let me live.’
If the mercenary had made a contract, he should either fulfill it or pay the penalty and leave.
Why was he appealing to emotions?
This was a clear sign of being taken advantage of…
‘Honestly, this isn’t even a problem.’
Aster crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, looking at Obern on his right.
The real problem was that guy.
- No, Sir Mage, I’m sorry. By the way, what about the penalty…
- Since you’ve given something more precious than your life… Mr. Riley’s role seems to be over.
Was this even a reasonable statement?
His mind was in a daze.
At a time when he should have been dragged to the ground and beaten, he was actually showing gratitude!
‘This… I’m glad I came quickly.’
He had felt uneasy.
Two days since leaving the Academy.
A deep-seated unease from his gut had urged him to hurry.
Three warp gates.
And a full day and a half of non-stop travel.
During the forced march, he had thought dozens of times, ‘Is this really necessary?’
But when he arrived, it was clear it was.
‘I didn’t expect such an idiot would show up.’
It was truly a chilling sight!
Anyway.
“Friend.”
“…Yes.”
Swallowing hard.
Riley swallowed a large lump in his throat at that gaze.
“Let’s get our positions straight. So, you said you want to go into the Hameln Great Forest, right?”
“Well, I….”
He didn’t look directly, but the sound of Riley’s eyes darting around was clear.
Aster added a bit of encouragement to his thoughts.
“You can speak freely. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. Dragging someone who can’t go will only be a burden.”
“…”
Surprised by the unexpected words, Riley’s eyes widened, but Aster was sincere.
They hadn’t entered the Hameln Great Forest yet, and although he hadn’t experienced it in his previous life,
he didn’t know what variables lay inside.
It was better not to bring someone who lacked enthusiasm.
Perhaps sensing this sincerity,
“Then, can I… not go?”
Riley spoke honestly, though he was also nervous.
He hadn’t known the masked person for long, but his unpredictable nature made him uneasy.
However, Aster’s reaction was quite calm.
“Sure, then.”
“…R, really?”
“Sure, really.”
Human emotions are truly fickle.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
Just a moment ago, Riley had been cursing inside.
Now, the masked person in front of him seemed like an angel.
Had he ever expressed such genuine gratitude? Definitely not.
“Alright. Now, tell me.”
Aster asked Riley, who was now more relaxed.
“What…?”
“Where do you want to be buried? Since you said you can’t go to the Hameln Great Forest, I’ll exclude that. If you do go, I’ll at least let you choose your burial spot.”
“…”
Riley tightly closed his mouth.
Aster looked at him.
‘Am I crazy to just let him go?’
Look at the state of Greentown.
In this situation, which crazy Pathfinder would enter the Hameln Great Forest?
A brief silence.
Riley’s mouth opened after a short while.
“I am a mercenary with honor.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Hameln Great Forest. I promise a comfortable and safe journey to the 4th Base Camp.”
“Hmm.”
Riley bowed deeply, his tone solemn.
His demeanor was dignified, like that of a high-end restaurant manager.
But.
‘This guy will run away.’
Aster thought.
This guy will definitely betray.
Indeed.
‘Damn, an opportunity will come up along the way.’
That was Riley’s thought.
Thus.
“…”
A gullible one watching the unfolding situation and a premeditated betrayer.
And Aster.
The party for the Hameln Great Forest was formed.
* * *
At the back gate of Greentown.
The entrance to the Hameln Great Forest, where Obern stood.
‘…Hmm.’
It seems the matter was resolved well.
Just a moment ago, he was worried about how to find a Pathfinder and how to navigate to the 4th Base Camp with just a map.
But all of that was solved in an instant.
On the other hand.
There was a problem that hadn’t been resolved, or rather, a new one that had appeared.
‘…It was definitely the New Moon (朔月).’
The New Moon.
He had heard of it before.
In the old war era.
A secret special operations unit that the Empire’s war mages, including his teacher, belonged to.
Though it was highly confidential and the name had been forgotten over time, Obern’s teacher occasionally reminisced about those days.
- They were really crazy. But it was fun.
He would say, showing a mask with a black background and a white stripe.
- This is the symbol of the New Moon. It’s not much, but I’ll pass it on to you someday. We had a promise. It will probably be quite helpful.
He promised to pass on the New Moon mask if he qualified.
‘Then… did that person qualify?’
Or should he call him ‘senior’?
Obern thought of the mysterious mage he had seen earlier, the one with the New Moon mask.
A similar build to his own.
His face was covered, so his exact age was unclear, but Obern knew.
‘…He was definitely my age.’
This was part of Obern’s ‘talent’.
The ability to see through the essence of things to some extent.
He couldn’t read someone’s inner thoughts, but various pieces of information naturally flowed in.
Though it was fragmentary.
Anyway.
Though he couldn’t see the face or appearance, he naturally knew.
The masked person in front of him had lived a similar amount of time as he had.
Two intersecting thoughts.
‘Really… impressive.’
How could someone his age have received the symbol of the New Moon?
According to rumors, the young master of the Blando family was a prodigy.
In Denai, the young master and second son were recognized as geniuses. Could this person be one of them?
Could that level of talent make it possible?
This was a kind of awe.
However, on the other hand…
‘…What should I do?’
He couldn’t shake off his worries.
Receiving the New Moon symbol meant he had the necessary qualifications.
‘…’
A gruesome scene flashed in his mind.
- Scream!
- Grunt…
Undeads spreading from somewhere in the Hameln Great Forest, affecting the 4th Base Camp.
Or, ancient spirits released from the unsealing of the Deathrow.
Could a young man his age endure such a scene?
‘Teacher, how did your friend…’
How could he send such a young person to this terrifying place?
Obern himself was young, but he knew well.
Strange beings.
The mental shock one receives upon encountering them.
Of course, his worries weren’t limited to this.
‘…Hmm.’
Should he speak up now?
‘It’s too dangerous.’
Though he was a capable person to receive the New Moon symbol, Obern didn’t expect him to be of much help.
Wouldn’t it be better to send him back now, rather than taking him to a land of death?
This was an extremely selfless thought, difficult for a normal person to have.
Even though he needed to grasp any straw to destroy the cursed Deathrow.
Worrying about someone else?
Aster’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“What are you doing?”
“A, s-sen…ior.”
Obern tried to use the term ‘senior’ as Aster suggested, but it felt awkward given the age difference.
However, on the other hand,
“Is the preparation…?”
“Done, Sir Mage!”
Before he could finish his question, Riley’s confident voice answered.
Indeed, his voice was as confident as the heavy load on his back.
However, the load was so heavy.
“Mr. Riley, it looks heavy. Why don’t you put some of it in my subspace…?”
Though his tone was considerate, Riley firmly shook his head.
“No, Sir Mage. These are items I need to use immediately in an emergency, so it’s better to keep them in my backpack.”
Of course, it was a lie.
If he put them in the mage’s subspace, it would be inconvenient when he ran away at night.
In an emergency, he would rather abandon everything and run, leaving no trace to be caught.
Of course.
‘…’
Aster, who knew Riley’s intentions, let him be.
‘You can run, but it’s the Hameln Great Forest.’
However, even when a cat chases a mouse, it leaves a breathing hole.
It’s better to give some hope.
Anyway.
‘Hmm, finally the Hameln Great Forest.’
Aster raised his head and looked ahead.
The Hameln Great Forest was indeed vast.
Even from the back gate of Greentown, which was quite far away, it looked as if the bushes and trees were right in front of him.
A natural treasure trove, majestic in its presence.
‘Yes, it’s in there, right?’
Knowing they were about to enter the Hameln Great Forest.
Hum… hum.
A faint resonance in his chest.
To be precise, the resonance sound emitted as he got closer to Deathrow, but still.
Aster quietly savored the resonance.
‘Alright, let’s see what you’re hiding.’
Honestly, this kind of resonance from a seal could be ignored.
His goal was to build a tower and create a library for all.
Though the power of the magic book would be helpful, it wasn’t his main objective.
However, since his regression.
It was a constant, inexplicable premonition. No, a pull of fate.
The pull was telling him.
The prologue of the new life he had started.
Though the story’s pages and the period of its conclusion were undetermined…
‘In the end, it seems this will be involved in every moment.’
How could he not find out?
“Alright, let’s go.”
Aster firmly made up his mind and took a step forward.
Obern also made his decision at that moment.
“S-Sen…ior. I have something to say…”
His lips, which he had struggled to open.
However, his words were cut off before he could finish.
“E, eh…! Sir Mages! Be careful, be careful!”
In the distance, the bushes of the Hameln Great Forest rustled.
The bushes swayed a few times and then spat out a large number of something, which Riley noticed.
Their identity was…
“H, H, Hameln Orcs! How can they be here, they should only be seen up to the 2nd Base Camp!”
Dozens of orcs.
Each orc was riding a large wolf, and their speed was incredibly fast.
Even from a considerable distance, they could arrive in no time.
“…!”
Just as Obern’s eyes widened in surprise at their sudden appearance.
Whizz…
A faint sound of something breaking the air.
Hundreds of something floated in the air at that moment.
Obern involuntarily looked up at the sky. What he saw was…
‘Ruby (紅玉).’
Red gems.
Their appearance, shining in the bright sunlight, was incredibly beautiful.
However.
Whizz, whizz, whizz…
After the rubies shot forward.
The result of the beautiful red gems was far from beautiful.
The countless sounds of breaking air.
A terrifying sound of slaughter, indescribable.
And when the slaughter sounds finally subsided.
“…”
“…”
Obern and Riley stared blankly ahead.
Dozens of orc riders had disappeared.
No, they were crushed and disintegrated by the numerous explosions.
It happened in an instant.
‘…How…’
As Obern’s mind struggled to comprehend the incomprehensible scene.
A calm voice echoed in his ear.
“Junior.”
“…”
“What did you want to say?”