Chapter 291: Return To The Camp

After easily completing the negotiations with the other two merchants, much like Bael had done with Brent, the three of them once again found a secret location, and he drew the rune circle there.

The moon was already high above their heads and was lighting up the world when they stood at the circle’s center and returned to the capital.

They then made their way towards the inn, and along the way, the noble heirs asked him about the kind of negotiations he had with the merchants.

Bael truthfully told them everything because there was no reason for him to hide that from them.

Though the things he told them were quite different than what had actually happened.

To him, the merchants agreed to the deals because of how friendly he was, but in reality, all of them were scared shitless.

Obviously, he was aware of it, since he had decided to showcase his supernatural abilities to them, but Jareb and Henry didn’t need to know that.

Around midnight, they reached the inn and returned to their rooms.

However, instead of going to his own room, Bael walked to Yuura’s room and knocked on it.

The place stayed silent until the door creaked open and Yuura peeked outside while yawning.

“Who?” He asked while rubbing the sleep off his eyes.

Bael smiled. “Do you really want me to introduce myself?”

Just as Bael’s words drifted into his ears, the sleep vanished from his whole body. He stumbled backwards and stuttered, “M-My liege, why are you here at such a time?”

Bael entered his room and placed a hand on his shoulder as he said, “I understand how you feel, but just because I am no longer at your side does not mean that you should hurt those who are weaker than you.”

At his words, Yuura understood that he was talking about the fight at the bar, and even though he understood where he was coming from, he had a reason for doing what he did.

He looked into Bael’s eyes and said, “I only punished them for hurting others.”

Hearing him, the corners of Bael’s lips lifted upwards, and he expressed, “True. You did it to protect the weak, but how do you know that every one of them had hurt someone? What if even one of them had no other choice but to join them? Would you still consider him the same as them?”

Yuura pressed his lips into a thin line and lowered his head as he spoke, “I don’t know…”

Bael removed his hand from his shoulder and looked at the outside world from the window as he mumbled, “Intent matters, yes. But once you do something, it can’t be undone, so be more, don’t punish them because of their role, but do it because of them.”

“I understand, high commander,” Yuura stated with a hand on his chest and asked, “When would you be leaving?”

“Already fed up with me?” Bael teased with a smirk on his face.

Yuura frantically shook his head. “Of course not! I just wanted to know how long you’ll stay with us.”

Bael laughed and said, “I understand loud and clear. As for your question, I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Oh…” Yuura’s expression turned sour, and he asked, “How much more time would it take us to get the locations of giants?”

Bael shrugged. “I don’t really know. We are just hoping that the kingdom has the information we need.”

Yuura nodded, and Bael smiled at him. Then he left his room.

He then returned to his room and slumped in his bed as he allowed the fatigue to take over.

Unlike the last night, this time, Bael didn’t fall into any kind of vision, and as he slept, the night passed, and the sun overtook the sky.

After saying their farewells to Zaelyane and Yuura, the three of them walked to the recruitment center from where they took a carriage to the camps.

As they sat within the carriage, the two noble heirs asked him various questions, and he answered all of them.

After about an hour, the wooden fence of the camp became visible, and the carriage stopped at the gate.

Everyone stepped out and walked towards the open gates leading to the entrance.

Ten minutes passed as they moved to their camp and finally reached it.

Just as Jareb and Henry stepped foot inside, they walked to their beds and slumped down on them because they were tired from the events of yesterday and today.

On the other hand, Bael sat at the edge of his bed, and his face was unusually grim.

The only reason they could leave the camps just by getting approval was that the war had not yet started.

For now, both parties hadn’t even met face to face, let alone exchanged attacks, but something was strange.

Bael could feel it.

He rose to his feet and walked towards the exit, his heart beat loudly, and his hands were clenched into fists.

Jareb and Henry looked at him in confusion, and one of them asked, “What’s wrong?”

Bael finally stopped in his tracks and answered, “Yes… This place is giving me a weird feeling.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” The two of them jumped off their beds and asked with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Bael shook his head and said, “I don’t know how to explain it, but this place is different from what it was before we left.”

Jareb and Henry’s frown deepened, and at the same time, fear bloomed in their hearts.

Both of them took a deep breath and said, “Let’s check it out then.”

Bael smiled at them and nodded slightly as the three of them stepped out of the tunnel and looked at the camp.

Bael unfolded his Zone without care and checked what was causing him to feel this way.

His Zone covered the radius of seven kilometers around him, and he mumbled, “What could it—”

However, just as he was about to finish his words, the shadows beneath his fists wiggled, and much to his surprise, a dark sword came out of his shadow and made its way towards his chest.

Bael instantly grabbed the two noble heirs and jumped back, entirely dodging the attack.

Then he took out an ether flashbomb and threw it at it.

The ether flashbomb exploded immediately, and its light filled the air.

The living shadow, which was already trying to escape, was stopped in its tracks by the light, and its body hardened, turning similar to obsidian.

“What is going on?” Jareb asked grimly while staring at the solidified shadow.

Henry and Bael had the same question; however, instead of asking that, they focused on the matter at hand.

Bael took a deep breath and thought, ’Even though the soldiers are here, the commander is not.

’Did the living shadows enter the camp?’ He concluded as he stepped forward and said, “Stay near me.”

The two nobles nodded, and the three of them searched for any of the remaining living shadows.

After about fifteen minutes, they found another living shadow hiding within the shadows of a tree, and instead of using the flashbomb, Bael brightened the place with his aura.

As it was still not yet noon, most of the soldiers and knights were away from the camp, which in a way was good for them because if Bael hadn’t come back, many would’ve lost their lives to these very shadows.

’Where did the commander go?’ He wondered.

The soldiers went for rounds in the forest, the knights at the battlefield, but the commander should’ve still been in his tent, which he wasn’t.

Bael furrowed his brows and said, “Stay alert.”

Even though Bael’s Zone could sense everything with great detail, it didn’t work as well on shadows or living shadows.

Seeing the same person who had done countless absurd things within the past two days act so vigilantly against the living shadows, Jareb and Henry gulped hard and looked around with utter focus.

A few minutes later, they crossed a tent, and all of a sudden, the shadow of the tent wiggled, and a sword flew towards Jareb.

Jareb immediately turned towards it and blocked the attack with his sword, but the next moment, Bael seized it by the neck and hovered it with his aura.

As he hadn’t done it before, he wanted to know how the aura would affect the shadows, but to his disappointment, it was no different than any light source that could be used to kill them.

Disappointed, he clenched his fist, and the solidified shadow fell apart into pieces like a crumbled rock.

Witnessing him, the two nobles were once more reminded of his strength.

Bael turned towards them and spoke with a smile, “Calm down and follow me.”

They glanced at him and nodded with a look of absolute trust.

Bael took a step, and just as he did so, the shadows behind Jareb and Henry trembled frantically.

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