Chapter 263: Hometown (6)
“d.a.m.n it! d.a.m.n it! d.a.m.n it!”
Harsh curses burst out.
The small and dark cave was full with horrid monster corpses.
“Ghostly b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Just how did they knew I was here…… d.a.m.n it!”
Curses once again flowed out.
The man kicking at the ground with a completely twisted face was a rather young man.
A dreary and sinister air flowed in his eyes.
“For I, Hesul, to hide and live in such pathetic affairs……”
A grief-stricken voice.
The ident.i.ty of the young man angrily grinding his teeth was shockingly Hex Master Hesul.
‘I have barely escaped from the Longfort Castle and hidden here, deep within the Grain Mountain.’
In that process, he lost everything from Simon, the hex dolls, and even the Grain Mountain’s monster legion.
The situation wasn’t good, but he couldn’t merely despair on even so.
No, there was no reason to merely despair.
Something like the hex dolls he could simply make them again, and he could once again form a monster legion with the hexes he had.
‘If there was just a little, just a little more time……’
Even if not as much as the before, he could have created a powerful hex legion.
But since just a few days before, unfamiliar men appeared on the mountainside.
b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wearing crimson armors.
The striking appearance that he couldn’t forget even if he wished.
‘The Crimson Legion.’
They definitely were Roan Lancephil’s soldiers.
“Are those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds truly ghosts……”
Gooseb.u.mps rose.
The goblin troop and ten ogres he sent as a test to the mountainside village too became annihilated in their hands.
‘I don’t know if they were already in the village knowing something, or if they had coincidentally stayed there……’
But the important thing was that right after that day, their mountainside search began.
‘They are definitely looking for me.’
He could only think it so.
Hesul tightly bit his lower lip.
‘At the least, the good thing is that their number isn’t very many.’
At most, that number was about ten men.
But it was too soon to relax.
‘Though they haven’t worn crimson armor, there are those who move along with them.’
Combining them too, their total number reached tens of people.
Although they didn’t seem strong enough to particularly be alert against, there was no harm in being cautious.
‘Do not move incautiously.’
He planned to wait until they split into fews and move.
The moment his thought reached about that point.
“Chhruk!!”
Together with an ugly sound, a goblin showed up.
An urgent expression and voice.
It used his hands and feet along and continued to throw up ugly sounds.
“Chhruk! Chrururuk! Chhruk!”
Hesul, through a hex, instantly understood what it was saying.
‘Two humans have appeared in the Delphin Groge?’
His eyes flashed and shone a light.
Finally the moment he had awaited had come.
Uddck.
The sound of teeth grinding echoed the cave.
‘Just how they found out this place, I must find that out.’
After finding out the how, he planned to erase his tracks and hide himself a little more.
‘Just a little more, if I can prepare just a little more……’
He had the confidence to shock the world once more.
Tat!
Hesul tightly clenched his fist and kicked off the ground.
His image extended long out of the cave.
The destination was Delphin Gorge.
His target was Murray and Bekeil.
*****
“Huff. Huff.”
Bekeil climbed the steep mountain path and heaved out rough breaths.
The Delphin Gorge was a place far more rugged than one would think.
“After just that one slope is the Delphin Gorge, sir.”
Bekeil laboriously collected his breath and diligently moved his steps.
Murray followed his back and pulled up his mana.
His sense turned sharp.
‘Is there no reaction……’
His eyes calmly sank down.
‘But the monsters tracks definitely continued towards the Delphin Gorge……’
It was something that the taemusas had all jumped on and traced, so it was an undoubtable fact.
‘Have we thought this wrong?’
Murray soon shook his head.
‘No, it simply hasn’t bit the bait just yet.’
Murray threw away the single grasp of his doubt remaining.
He could only do so.
This event was all Roan’s design.
To him, doubting Roan was something that absolutely couldn’t occur.
“Huff. Huff.”
Meanwhile, the sound of Bekeil’s breath walking a step head turned a little more rough.
He grasped the tightly packed trees and barely climbed over the tally rising slope.
Instantly a valley, no, a gorge deeply hollowed with bizzaredly formed rocks appeared.
It was the Delphin Gorge.
“This here is the Delphin Gorge, sir. What do you think? Is this the place you were searching for?”
“It seems to be so.”
Murray answered with a calm voice, then slowly surveyed the gorge.
‘There is nothing that has changed.’
Compared to last night, when he had secretly visited, there was nothing changed.
In short, it meant that there was no one who visited this place after last night.
‘Hurry and come out.’
Murray tightly clenched his teeth.
‘Hex Master Hesul. We know you are here.’
A sharp light flowed on his eyes.
The order Roan gave as he left the Lare Village.
That was to protect the village while simultaneously investigate precisely and minutely the situation of Grain Mountain’s monsters.
Roan already suspected that the cause of the monsters’ abnormal activities was Hex Master Hesul.
In the first place, he was bristling his sense for the whereabouts of Hesul, whose tracks had disappeared at the Longfort Castle.
It was a state where he had given orders to the Tenebra Troop to find him, but then he coincidentally had come to find Hesul’s track in the Grain Mountains.
Because of that, Roan had given an order to Murray to trace back the monsters and find Hesul.
‘There was also an order to teach that guy called Bekeil a lesson, but……’
That was purely because of the village head Bas and Melly whom Roan looked up to like his real parents.
Because Bekeil had disturbed the village’s atmosphere after becoming an adult and the head of the hunters on his own.
Although Bas had tried to appease and lead him in multiple ways, Bekeil instead looked down on and regularly hara.s.sed the logging and herb gathering village people.
‘If it was me, I would have simply flogged him, but……’
Roan seemed to wish to give Bekeil one more chance again.
He had wished to see whether he would keep the promise he made with him, or throw it away when not under poison and a situation to gain power came.
The results so far was disappointment.
The instant he realized that the poison was fake, he instead burst with anger.
He had forgotten black his wrongdoing of trying to steal Roan’s belonging as he wished.1
Furthermore, he even made plans to secretly find the Bow of Piscis and oppose Roan.
‘He gave up the chance his majesty has given.’
Rather, he betrayed so boldly that Murray who had slightly antic.i.p.ated felt embarra.s.sed.
“Now, then what should we do from now, sir?”
Bekeil pretended like he knew nothing.
Murray faintly smiled and pointed at the Delphin Gorge.
“The gorge is too wide that it seems I will have to look at it a little clos……”
The moment his words reached about that point.
Kkwuaaaaaang!
An incredible roar enough to shake the tightly packed trees. .h.i.t the ears.
“Huph!”
Bekeil, who was furtively rolling his eyes this way and that looking for the Bow of Piscis, gulped empty air and collapsed onto his bottom.
“T, this is……”
A hideous roar far too familiar to his ears.
“Ogre?!”
It was undoubtedly that horrible howl he heard the last time they attacked the village.
He instinctively looked at Murray.
Even Murray’s expression that was always emotionless was at least this time showing a dramatic change.
But that thing called his expression was truly odd.
It seemed to be afraid like Bekeil, but also somehow looked excited.
An expression as if he had been awaiting this moment.
‘No way that can possibly be.’
Bekeil soon shook his head and falteringly stood up from his bottom.
At the same time as that.
Pbababat!
The trees and forest shrubs greatly shook and soon ogres showing off their giant bodies showed up.
Their number in fact reached twenty.
Simultaneously, below their knees over tens of goblins showed up.
“Chhruk! Chhruk!”
They towards Murray and Bekeil waved shabby wooden clubs.
Unquestionably a breath-stopping situation.
‘R, run?’
Bekeil lightly glanced behind.
A steep downhill came into his eyes.
Gulp.
Even with just a single misstep, his limbs would break and his neckbone would shatter.
Running was impossible.
‘Then fight?’
His face bleached white.
A horrible idea even in thought.
If with his skills, just about four or five goblins would be his limit.
His gaze naturally turned towards Murray.
“S, Sir Adjutant Murray.”
If Murray, could he face the monsters?
He asked himself.
The answer?
‘No. Taking on twenty ogres and tens of goblin alone is impossible.’
Furthermore, the surrounding topography too was so perilous that they couldn’t easily move their bodies either.
Bekeil’s face soon turned teary.
‘We’ll die like this.’
He entertained a needless greed and wound up becoming monsters’ food.
‘This is all Roan, that son of b.i.t.c.h’s fault!’
Resentments and tears rose up to his throat.
At that very moment.
“Are you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds Roan’s minions?”
A dreary and dark voice pierced into their ears.
“Hm?”
Bekeil creased his brows and stared at the direction the voice was heard from.
Soon a young man parted the gra.s.s and showed up.
The man was none other than Hex Master Hesul.
He, covered in a black robe, glared at Murray and Bekeil.
The unique dreary air of a hexer extended out.
‘W, who?’
Bekeil looked at Hesul who suddenly appeared and quickly rolled his head.
‘He asked if we are Roan’s minions?’
In his voice and air sharply stood an edge.
Even from just a glance, he didn’t have a friendly relationship with Roan.
‘I, I can live. There’s still a way to live.’
Who knew if it was monsters who he can’t even speak with, but the guy that appeared after them was definitely a human.
If acted right, he could keep his life.
“W, wait a second!”
Bekeil shouted and quickly kneeled down.
Murray and Hesul’s gazes planted into the back of his head.
“I, I’m not Roan’s minion!”
Bekeil shouted with all his desperation.
“You’re not Roan’s minion?”
Hesul creased his brows.
Bekeil with just his head slightly raised quickly added on.
“Yes sir. I’m a hunter from the nearby Lare Village. I’m not a Roan’s minion. No, to put it exactly, I’ve got an abhorable relationship with Roan.”
“An abhorable relationship?”
- “forgotten black” : a Korean phrase meaning “completely forgot”, similar to “I tried to recall last night, but my memory came up blank”. ↩
Hesul looked at Bekeil with his brows still creased.
Bekeil dryly swallowed.
“In truth, Roan came to our village a few days ago and……”
He clearly and in detail revealed the things Roan had done to him and the hunters after he had returned.
Hesul who was quietly listening formed an odd smile.
‘Oho. So that mountainside village near here was Roan’s hometown.’
A coincidence he completely hadn’t expected.
‘I could have captured all of them and turned them into hex dolls if I knew beforehand……’
Hesul smacked his lips at a regrettable feeling.
‘Anyhow……’
He, with a deeply sunken light in his eyes, stared back and forth between Bekeil and Murray.
‘They weren’t looking for me but a thing called the Bow of Piscis……?’
Bow of Piscis was something even he was hearing for the first time.
But there was no way that that Roan would pour in time and men into a vain work.
‘The owner of the bow can become the strongest person in the continent……?’
If Bekeil’s words were true, then the Bow of Piscis wasn’t an ordinary weapon.
‘If I were to find that……’
He would be able to regain his strength a little faster.
The smile hanging on his mouth turned even thicker.
“Have you found the Bow of Piscis?”
At the lightly asking sound, Bekeil quickly bowed his head.
“N, not yet, sir. But the Delphin Gorge here is no different than the inside of my palm. I’ll absolutely find and present to you if you give me a little time.”
“Hmm.”
Hesul nodded his head with a satisfied expression.
At that moment, Murray who was quietly watching the situation spoke with a cold voice.
“Mr. Bekeil. No, Bekeil. Are you dare trying to betray his majesty?”
At those words, Bekeil who was flatly bowing down raised his head and glared at Murray.
“Betray? What betray? I never served something like Roan in the first place.”
An edged voice poured out.
He turned his gaze and looked at Hesul.
“Please just leave my life be. No, please take me as your underling, sir. I’ll find and present the Bow of Piscis, become your arrow, and pierce Roan’s chest.”
Bekeil begged for his life.
No, it wasn’t a simple begging.
This was a chance.
‘I can instantly close the gap between Roan and I.’
This was an ideal chance he had to grab at any cost.
Hesul felt Bekeil’s envy and anger and formed a b.l.o.o.d.y smile.
‘Small fries blinded by revenge like that have a useful place to employ.’
In any case, he needed at least one minion he could freely order around if he wanted to head back out onto the world.
“Good. I will grant your plea.”
Hesul’s hideous voice echoed the mountainside.
Bekeil who was flatly bowing down bowed his head multiple times with a moved expression.
“Thank you sir. Thank you.”
He rejoiced and rejoiced again at the fact he didn’t die and survived.
At that moment, Murray’s cold voice poured down onto the back of his head.
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d are a scoundrel without even honor.”
At those words, Bekeil stood up from his place and subtly backstepped.
He had gone slightly afraid that Murray just might perhaps spite him.
He backed off up to right in front of the ogres he couldn’t even dare look at until just now and then confidently shouted.
“What bulls.h.i.t honor! I didn’t serve Roan in the first place and didn’t believe in him either! That brat who crawled spinelessly in front of me just when I was young became a monarch? Hmph! I don’t accept it! If that brat became a monarch, then I too can become a king, no, an emperor!”
Bekeil mindlessly and wildly spat out any words that floated to his mind.
Since he was chosen to receive Hesul’s protection either way, he no longer had anything that scared him.
“Shut that mouth!”
Murray pulled up his mana and let out a bellow.
But Bekeil was already at a completely excited state.
“Hmph! What are you gonna do if I don’t?! Can you face this awesome monster troop alone!”
A heinous light flowed in his eyes.
“Roan’s b.a.s.t.a.r.d goon! Become food for the monsters!”
Curses exploded out.
But for some reason, Murray formed a far more composed expression than before.
On his mouth he was even forming a leisurely smile.
Hesul who was watching the scene with a pleased expression creased his brows.
‘That b.a.s.t.a.r.d, why did he suddenly become so full of ease.’
Suddenly, gooseb.u.mps sharply shot up behind his back.
He had experienced multiple times such experiences before.
‘And each and every time……’
Outcomes he didn’t wish to think of followed.
Hesul rapidly shook his head.
A look of laboriously attempting to shake off the foreboding thoughts.
But at that very moment.
“So the bait has finally bit the bait.”
A quiet voice rode the wind and echoed the mountainside.
“Ah……”
Hesul let out a quiet exclamation.
A voice he absolutely couldn’t forget.
His hands and feet greatly shook.
“W, who are you!”
Bekeil, who still hadn’t properly understood the situation, shouted in a loud voice.
The answer was simple.
“It’s me.”
Simultaneously, a young man wearing a crimson uniform appeared in front of Murray.
Murray quickly knelt down on one knee and lowered his head.
In contrast, the young man stood straight and looked right at Bekeil.
“Y, you, you……”
Bekeil became so, so shocked that he sharply shook his entire body.
The young man wearing a crimson uniform faintly smiled and shortly answered.
“Yes. It’s me. Roan.”
End.