novelraw Chapter 196 196: Swarm
Chapter 196 196: Swarm
The road ahead was smoother now…
The snowfall had eased, and the caravan moved steadily along the rocky road...
Inside one of the carriages, Rayven sat across from Mr. Shrubs, the merchant's face pale, but he was composed…
Shrubs cleared his throat as he began to explain himself.
"Rayven… I owe you an explanation. You nearly lost your life because of me."
Rayven helplessly smiled. It was natural that he must explain things to him... That necklace from Ardania wasn't cheap after all. He needed to be properly compensated for that!
"Go on."
Shrubs sighed.
"The heart… the one Malachar took… it was bait. The Guild wanted him to have it. Malachar has been obsessed with obtaining a Lord-Class Beast's heart, and the Guild knew he would come for it. They marked him the moment he touched it."
Rayven finally understood. It also made sense. However, it was simply too dangerous.
"So this was all a trap."
"Yes," Shrubs admitted. "However, Malachar isn't known to kill indiscriminately. He only destroys those who oppose him. I never expected… that he would target someone simply for being handsome. I didn't know he had that twisted tendency. If I had known, I would have hidden you away."
Rayven didn't expect that either. Although Malachar was indeed on the ugly side, he shouldn't just kill someone after finding them good-looking.
"So that heart is already marked?" Rayven asked.
Shrubs nodded. "Yes. I don't know the details, but once Malachar obtained it, the Guilds had already marked him. He's rich, too. When he's eliminated, they'll probably divide his wealth amongst themselves. That's how they operate."
Rayven exhaled slowly as he heard this…
'So the Guild sacrificed us to bait Malachar. And I almost died because of his vanity…'
Shrubs bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Rayven. Truly. I didn't mean for you to be caught in that madness."
Rayven gave a curt nod. "Apologies won't change what happened. But I understand now. You just need to repair this time. This is the one that saved my life but it's already unusable."
He said, revealing the necklace from Ardania.
"This…" Shrubs froze, but after a moment of thought, he nodded. "I will have someone try and repair it in Kesla… or if we can't, then I'll replace it with something similar. A protective charm that could save you from a tier 5 mage's spell."
"Now… That's better." Rayven was finally satisfied with that.
***
The days passed more smoothly after that. The caravan pressed onward, the roads became stable, and soon, the skies also became calmer. They barely encountered some Feral Beasts along the way, and it wasn't difficult to handle with their group of escorts and adventurers…
Furthermore, no more ambushes or bandits came. Perhaps Malachar's presence had frightened lesser enemies away.
Finally, the walls of Kesla City rose before them…
"We're finally here…"
The bustling gates were crowded with merchants, adventurers, and guards…
Guards checked wagons and merchants queued to enter…
Soon, it was their turn…
After they confirmed their identities, paid the fees, and inspected the goods on their wagons, the caravan passed through the gates…
'Hmm… A familiar street…' Rayve thought as the streets finally opened before him. He also saw the bustling markets, shouting vendors, and the familiar stone roads of Kesla.
They were all just vague memories he had inherited from the original Rayven…
'Julia Wales… I really can't remember you. Why are you not in my memory? Are you not important to Rayven before?' He mused as he looked upon the familiar streets.
Soon, Rayven recalled Stein's words…
"Her family's estate was raided a week ago. Bandits… or maybe mercenaries. Their identities were unclear. Her father was injured, and she's been moved to our house for protection. Investigator failed to track them… but Julia insists it's connected to something she found in her father's ledger. Something about a shipment from a Dungeon."
The last part was one of the main reasons he came here…
After all, it could be related to the one Count's crimes that he was investigating with Ardania's support.
For now, however, it was too early to make a conclusion…
Soon, the caravan rolled deeper into Kesla, the noise of the city swelling around them. Shrubs busied himself with his men, but Rayven's thoughts were already elsewhere.
They were still on their path to the Guild when suddenly they heard a sound of a bell!
Dong… Dong… Dong…
The deep toll reverberated through the streets…
Citizens froze in place. Merchants closed their stalls, guards raised their weapons, and adventurers instinctively looked to the skies.
"What's happening?" one of the escorts muttered while gripping his spear.
Soon, several voices shouted from the watchtowers…
"Flying Feral Beasts! From the west!"
"Thousands of them!"
"Feral Bats!"
The words spread like wildfire. Panic rippled through the crowd as people rushed to shutter windows and drag children indoors.
Rayven's eyes turned to the skies…
The horizon darkened as a massive swarm of black shapes blotted out the setting sun.
"They might just be migrating," Thyruz muttered. "But if they decide to descend on the city, the damage will be catastrophic."
Nara's hand tightened on her bow. "Thousands of bats… even the guards won't be able to hold them back."
Miki cursed as she felt they were too unlucky… "We just arrived, and now this?"
The caravan slowed, the escorts forming a protective circle around the wagons. Mr. Shrubs, however, seemed really calm… He had been going back and forth in this city, after all.
As expected, before despair could take root, a sudden ripple of mana surged through the air.
A figure appeared above the city walls, soaring effortlessly in the sky…
"A flying mage…" Thyruz whispered, awe in his voice. "At least Tier 4… maybe higher."
The mage hovered above the city…
'He's planning to stop the swarm?' Rayven was impressed.
Soon, the mage raised his staff while casting a spell!
A barrier of light then began to spread across the western skies, forming a wall between the city and the incoming swarm.