Chapter 66 : Return to the Winter Castle

Watching Conlan return with trudging steps, Albino, who was drinking at a table on the 1st floor, spoke.

“Big guy, you went somewhere?”

“I had something to take care of.”

“Really? Right, this was your hometown. Looks like you went for some flower viewing.”

“Why don’t you go see the sights outside, too?”

“No thanks. What is there to see when there’s nothing but ruins? I just want to leave this place quickly.”

“You were dying to leave the Winter Castle, and now……”

“Still, that place is better than here.”

Conlan laughed lightly at those words.

If he had heard such words in the past, Conlan would have treated them as bullshit without a second thought, but considering what he experienced in Bernhard this time, it wasn’t unreasonable for Albino to talk like that.

Seeing demonic beasts was similar at the Winter Castle or here, but facing them in a place that was prepared for it and one that was not were literally worlds apart.

Conlan’s gaze, who had moved his steps like that, finally turned to me.

“Is your body alright?”

“Who are you worried about?”

“Right, that’s true too.”

Conlan laughed awkwardly.

“What happens to Bernhard now?”

“The commander will decide. No, he must have already decided by now. Whichever way the conclusion came out.”

“……Is that so.”

“He’s coming over there now, so why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“Hm? Ah.”

With that, the inn door opened and a familiar person appeared.

It was the 4th Special Task Force Commander, Edric.

“Did you all rest well? Your faces look much better than the last time I saw them.”

“You’re later than we thought.”

“There were more things to clean up than I expected.”

I didn’t need to think too deeply about what that “work” was.

Because the strong scent of blood was wafting from Edric right now.

The smell of human blood, not demonic beast blood.

“Did the work finish well?”

“For now, it has wrapped up well. Bernhard won’t dare to forget its debt to the Empire in the future.”

To put it differently, it meant he had cleaned up all the pro-Hanover faction members remaining in Bernhard.

“That’s good.”

“Ah, of course, I’ve also secured the payment for your hard work, so you don’t need to worry.”

Edric added.

“He said that since Bernhard’s situation is chaotic right now, he will send it directly to the Winter Castle later.”

“Is that so? That’s good.”

In a situation like this, even if we grabbed Garrett Mason by the collar and demanded money, we wouldn’t receive more than a few pennies anyway.

Just as Edric said, it was better to wait a bit until Bernhard’s situation calmed down and then receive proper compensation.

‘And that amount will definitely not be small.’

It was a matter of saving a huge city like Bernhard from ruin.

If the payment for that was small, Edric would probably step up again without me needing to do it myself.

It meant that, for now, I didn’t need to worry much about the compensation amount.

“Then when are you planning to return to the Winter Castle?”

“If it were up to me, I’d like to rest for a few more days, but Bernhard’s situation isn’t so good, so it seems we can’t afford that luxury. I’m also worried about leaving the Winter Castle empty for too long in the current state of affairs.”

It’s not like anything would happen just because one special task force left the Winter Castle, but it seemed Edric didn’t think so.

“Then are we leaving right away?”

“That’s the plan. Your physical conditions also seem much better than I expected.”

“It still hurts.”

“Where?”

“Here, where it’s bleeding.”

“Something like that will heal if you put saliva on it.”

“……”

It seemed Edric had no intention of changing the matter he had decided on.

“Everyone, get your preparations. We’ll leave before nightfall.”

There were no more objections.

About a week had already passed since the demonic beasts’ attack, and everyone was inwardly feeling that it was about time to leave.

“We’re finally leaving. I was getting sick and tired of this place, too. Ah, big guy, you must be a bit sad.”

“That’s true. But I will come back, definitely.”

Albino’s words were momentarily blocked, as if Conlan’s words, which held no wavering, were a bit unexpected.

“Hmph…… well, that’s your business.”

“Do you not have a place to return to?”

As if he hadn’t expected Conlan’s sudden question, Albino blinked his eyes for a moment.

“……I don’t, not anymore.”

“Really?”

“Whatever, go up and get ready.”

“I was planning to anyway.”

Like that, Conlan and Albino went up first, and soon after, Alicia and I also went up to the 2nd floor.

Since most of the luggage that needed to be packed had already been packed in advance, it didn’t take much time to gather all the luggage and go back down to the 1st floor.

When all the 4th Special Task Force members had finally gathered on the 1st floor, Edric spoke.

“Everyone’s gathered. Let’s depart.”

“Don’t we need to meet with Council Member Garrett Mason separately?”

“He also has various circumstances, so it seems he won’t have the time to meet us separately. And I’ve already told him we’re leaving.”

“I see.”

“Then let’s depart immediately.”

At the inn’s entrance, the horses we had ridden from the Winter Castle were already on standby.

They were in a half-dead state when we had just arrived in Bernhard, but thanks to resting more than enough during that time, the horses’ condition was very good.

“Seems like they’ve gained some weight while I wasn’t looking? Can they even run properly?”

“That’s not something for you to say, big guy.”

“Shut up.”

Like that, we mounted the prepared horses and rode off, arriving at the west gate, which was in the midst of recovery work, in one go.

“Halt. Please present your passage permit.”

“Here it is.”

The eyes of the guard, who received the passage permit from Edric, widened.

“You were the ones from the Winter Castle! Are you returning now?”

“That we are.”

“Thank you for fighting alongside us for Bernhard. Bernhard will not forget the grace of the Empire and the Winter Castle. You may pass.”

It seemed the story of us fighting for Bernhard had spread quite a bit within Bernhard.

Well, strictly speaking, it was the Lightning Emperor who saved Bernhard, but it was true that we had also played a considerable part.

After passing through Bernhard’s west gate like that, we finally left Bernhard.

Thinking about the time we had stayed in Bernhard, which was by no means short, it felt strange anew.

“Is it the start of that damn camping again?”

Conlan lamented.

Since I also actively agreed on that part, I was already on the verge of sighing.

“Mosquitoes, annoying.”

Alicia, who didn’t speak up on most matters, also said a word, and everyone’s gaze briefly turned to Alicia.

“What.”

“……No, well.”

“Mosquitoes are indeed annoying.”

Conlan and Albino said as such and scratched the bridge of their noses, looking abashed.

A peaceful scene, same as always.

The anomaly occurred at that moment.

“……Hmm.”

Edric, who had suddenly stopped his horse, had his expression hardened.

It was a serious face I had only seen a few times before.

“You all depart first.”

“Pardon? What about you, Commander?”

“I just remembered some leftover business. Go on ahead, I’ll join you without being late.”

Edric said as such and turned his horse’s head without any lingering attachment.

A clearly unnatural appearance.

At that, Conlan was the first to speak, as if dumbfounded.

“What? We’re just supposed to go by ourselves?”

“Hmph, good riddance. Since we’ve come this far, maybe this is a chance to leave the Winter Castle and escape……”

“Oh, right. Go on. I’m sick and tired of being chased by those damn Order bastards. And I have a reason to return proudly now.”

“……There’ll be another chance next time.”

At this point, it was at a level where I couldn’t tell if Albino wanted to desert or not.

‘That aside…… what’s going on?’

To suddenly remember other business as soon as we left Bernhard……

On the off chance, I scanned the surroundings, but at my current level, I couldn’t see or feel the same thing as Edric.

Because no matter how much I adorned myself with all sorts of items, there was a clear gap in fundamental strength.

It meant I couldn’t know why Edric had suddenly separated.

Of course, it was possible he had really just suddenly remembered an errand he had forgotten, but I knew what had happened the last time Edric had suddenly separated from the group.

‘Baron Blake died.’

A major incident of murdering an Empire noble.

Nevertheless, the clue to the culprit was hardly found, and it was said that it still hadn’t been found.

‘The subjugation of the Mage of Blazing Fire was carried out at Baron Blake’s request.’

But as soon as the Winter Castle dispatched the special task force in response to that request, the special task force was attacked by the target of the subjugation, the Mage of Blazing Fire.

As if he already knew the special task force was coming.

Although we barely succeeded in subjugating the Mage of Blazing Fire, anyone could easily tell that there was something fishy in the background of that incident.

Baron Blake died after that.

At the time when Edric had temporarily separated, saying he had some business to attend to after the subjugation of the Mage of Blazing Fire.

‘It could simply be a coincidence…… but rather, dismissing it as a simple coincidence would be more of a speculation.’

There was some kind of relationship between Baron Blake’s death and Edric.

Perhaps, the culprit who killed Baron Blake might even be Edric.

That was the tentative conclusion I had reached, and that was why Edric’s-sudden separation from the group now also felt like no simple matter.

‘For now, I guess I have no choice but to wait.’

Whatever the reason Edric had suddenly separated during the return, I would naturally find out about it later.

Whether it was a good thing, or a bad thing.

***

In the dense forest, Edric stopped his horse and dismounted.

The stillness pervading the forest said that Edric was the only one in this place, but Edric’s sensitive energy sense did not miss the single sense of incongruity within it.

“You can come out now.”

No answer was heard.

At that, Edric laughed lightly and added.

“Are you not coming out? I have no hobby of burning down a perfectly fine forest. I truly hope you feel the same way.”

It was a polite statement, but it meant that if the person didn’t come out, he would burn the entire forest down.

Whether they felt that those words were not an empty threat, a human figure soon revealed itself from between the bushes.

An unusual light flashed in Edric’s eyes upon seeing that person’s appearance.

The man who revealed himself was a stranger to Edric, but the aura he was exuding was by no means ordinary.

“There was a rat lingering around us…… have you finally decided to show yourself?”

“You noticed?”

“You kept staring with such a sinister gaze, wouldn’t it be strange not to know?”

“……Hoh.”

Demian feigned surprise.

No, the recent events had been full of nothing but surprises for Demian.

The most surprising event was, of course, the existence of the Mage of Lightning Magic he had encountered in Bernhard.

The moment he saw the Mage of Lightning Magic, who had achieved Demonic Transformation, no, a noble realm beyond that, Demian felt a thrill.

To think he would encounter a Mage of Lightning Magic of that level while tracking the Winter Castle party to test the Mage of Lightning Magic who had dealt with Agni……

‘Is it a coincidence?’

Demian was quite negative about that possibility.

‘Do Mages of Lightning Magic perhaps have a separate contact network among themselves?’

It was unreasonable to dismiss this incident as a simple coincidence, to the point that such a thought naturally came to mind.

Encountering another Mage of Lightning Magic while chasing a Mage of Lightning Magic was, even thinking in terms of simple probability, an astronomical probability.

And yet, not long after such a surprising event, to think that a person he hadn’t been paying much attention to had noticed his existence……

It was truly nothing short of a series of anomalies.

“If you noticed, it would have been better to pretend you didn’t. You were unlucky.”

Edric laughed heartily.

“Well…… whether I was lucky or unlucky, we’ll find out later. For what purpose were you following us?”

“I have no obligation to answer.”

“I have a rough idea of who you are. The timing of when the tail was attached was around then.”

Edric smiled fiercely.

“The Twilight Troupe, what in the world is your purpose? For what purpose did you put nonsense into Baron Blake’s head? And what’s the reason for chasing us now?”

Demian’s eyebrow twitched.

It was said that Baron Blake had died recently, and he felt he roughly knew who the culprit of that incident was.

“If you know that name, I can’t let you live.”

“Haha, wasn’t that your intention from the beginning? What do you say, have you no intention of answering obediently?”

“Questions are what the strong ask the weak.”

“It seems you have no intention of answering obediently. Can’t be helped.”

Demian was bothered by the unidentifiable leisure of the man in front of him.

That was not an attitude the weak should have toward the strong.

“How leisurely. You are no match for me. You already know that, don’t you?”

“It’s said you have to compare everything, long or short, to know.”

“Comparing the vast ocean and a pond is a meaningless task.”

“Haha, that’s quite arrogant.”

Edric drew his sword.

“However…… you are sufficiently qualified to say such words. Therefore, I, too, will go all out from the beginning.”

“You intend to fight? Then it would have been wiser to come with your subordinates.”

Edric smiled.

It was an extremely fierce smile.

“I can’t do that. How can I leave what I must do to my subordinates?”

“A fine commander. However, not a wise one.”

“Well…… won’t we know once we see?”

Sss, Ssss─

As if space itself was cracking, a spider web began to spread out, centered on Edric.

And Demian soon discovered the spider web that was wrapped around his entire body.

‘Since when?’

It wasn’t simply at a stealthy level.

Until Edric revealed the spider web, Demian hadn’t even recognized that these spider webs were wrapped around him.

‘Despite being able to do that, to purposely reveal the spider web and make me aware of the spider web’s existence means…….’

……Is it a condition-fulfillment type magic!

As soon as Demian recognized the spider web, the web began to tighten around Demian’s body even more.

Kkdk, Kkdkdk……!

Demian soon recognized what that unpleasant spider web was.

‘Queen’s Magic!’

One of the particularly foreign magics among the magics existing in this world.

‘……This is going to be an unpleasant fight.’

Demian genuinely thought so.

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