Chapter 71 : Everyone Was Dead
Chapter 71 : Everyone Was Dead
Chapter 71: Everyone Was Dead
Before reaching the edge of the forest, Robin fell into anguish.
“Three trolls are chasing us from 1 km behind.”
“Let’s increase our speed.”
“Outside the forest, Admiral’s group is fighting four trolls.”
Shadows fell over Robin’s and Imelda’s faces.
They could not gain the upper hand even against a single troll.
Monstrous strength that humans could not produce, and endlessly regenerating recovery power.
They knew because they had faced it.
They must not encounter trolls.
“Let’s detour. We’ll wait until the trolls pass and then go outside.”
“You’re not going to help Admiral?”
“If we step in to help now, we could die.”
“If Admiral dies, won’t your and Imelda’s merits fail to be properly conveyed? Is that fine?”
“There’s nothing more precious than life.”
Admiral had said that even if he died, the item had to be delivered, but Robin thought differently.
He did not know what was inside the box slung on his back, but he had no intention of staking his life.
Normally, he might have tried an adventure, but his thinking had changed.
All the more so after seeing Imelda nearly die right before his eyes.
‘Right now, the goal is to reach the main castle safely.’
When they changed their route, the trolls did not pursue them.
Relief and guilt. Conflicting emotions rose at the same time.
The unease was not felt by Robin alone.
Imelda, too, was staring only at the ground with a hardened expression.
“Serena, are there enemies nearby?”
“No. This area is safe.”
“That’s good. Let’s rest for a bit.”
The four leaned against trees and caught their breath.
The fresh air exhaled by the forest clung tightly to their lungs.
Robin closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.
It was a meditation method Calimacos had taught him.
He listened to the sounds of insects and the chirping of birds.
His tangled stray thoughts faded, and his head cleared.
“Sip. Haa. Sip. Haa.”
The repetition of inhaling and exhaling.
His clarified mind demanded plans for what lay ahead.
He tried to find the best possible move, but it did not last long.
Aaaaaaah!
A scream carried by the wind, echoing, shattered the calm.
Robin and Imelda looked at Serena at the same time.
Serena was staring outside the forest with her eyes wide open.
One minute, two minutes… after five minutes passed, Serena opened her mouth.
“They’re dead.”
“Wiped out… completely?”
Serena nodded slightly.
Gloom came over Robin’s face.
Imelda buried her face deep into her knees.
Before despair could fully crash over them, Serena continued speaking. It was information they had not expected.
“The trolls are dead.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. All seven individuals. Everyone was dead.”
The situation where they had to flee endlessly changed.
What they encountered after leaving the forest at a brisk pace were shattered monster corpses.
It was not difficult to guess what their original form had been.
Rough, tough-textured skin.
Bumpy flesh and blood that flowed sluggishly.
On the parts torn apart here and there, flesh swelled up, bubbling like foam, but it did not revive.
The trolls were truly dead.
“One, two, three…….”
Imelda examined the corpses and counted their number.
She, too, inspected them carefully as if unable to believe it, but Serena’s words were correct.
“…Seven.”
Seven neatly severed heads.
Robin carefully observed the cut surfaces of the trolls’ necks.
‘It’s even harder to believe when I see it with my own eyes.’
The biggest question was who had killed the trolls.
One person came to mind.
Knight Collie.
Among Admiral’s group, the only one who could leave such clean cut surfaces was Collie.
The trolls had clearly been cut down by aura.
The problem was that all seven had died in one place.
‘It would have been hard enough to deal with four, but seven at the same time?’
Collie’s skill might be far greater than expected.
“How long are you going to stare? Shouldn’t we follow Admiral?”
“I was just wondering if this even made sense. Let’s go.”
“Admiral isn’t far. If we run a bit, we can catch up.”
Serena pointed in a direction.
Robin tore his gaze away from the troll corpses.
The four ran in the direction Serena indicated.
They were curious about what had happened, and sticking together was safer.
After running for five minutes, Theodric came to a stop.
He was an old man who had followed well despite complaining about his knees and back.
Imelda asked in a worried voice.
“What’s wrong, Grandpa. Do your legs hurt?”
“…From here on, let’s walk.”
“If you’re not feeling well, I can carry you.”
Theodric shook his head and slowed his pace.
Robin and Serena asked why, but he did not answer.
They wondered if he was hurt or uncomfortable somewhere, but there were no such signs either.
“There are no danger factors in this area.”
“If Serena says so, it should be fine.”
“As of what I checked an hour ago.”
“……Can’t you check again right now?”
“It’s possible, but fatigue builds up.”
“Then how did you know Admiral’s direction?”
“That’s different. Gathering many spirits spread over a wide range and calling just one consume completely different amounts of ether.”
They had not known because Serena had provided information without complaint until now.
Moreover, it was not without gaps.
“Strictly speaking, Admiral’s direction was an inference. Wind spirits like to joke, so you can’t take them at face value.”
“For an inference, the accuracy was pretty high.”
“Admiral’s destination and ours are Count Wilcock’s main castle. It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
Put that way, there was nothing to say.
She continued with things like how she did not always hear the spirits’ voices, and how she listened to rumors among the spirits.
Robin did not fully understand the principles behind how Serena searched the surroundings, but he let it be.
“Serena seems amazing. Besides handling spirits, you used knowledge too.”
“It’s not that difficult. Wandering alone, I just naturally picked it up.”
‘Did the young lady understand what Serena said?’
No matter how much they talked, spirits whose forms could not be seen were something Robin could not utilize.
Because of that, Robin walked while scanning the surroundings with his own eyes.
The chatter of the two girls continued.
Listening to them, Robin felt uncomfortable somewhere inside.
A lump of stone that had killed two trolls in one blow.
If Imelda had not bought time, he would not even have had the chance to use it.
The movements Imelda showed back then were enough to surprise even Robin.
It would have been perfect if she had not been struck by a club.
As he replayed that moment, Robin ground his teeth.
‘Because of Serena, the young lady almost died.’
Of course, it was not that Serena was at fault.
Compared to himself, who had sawed through a troll’s neck, Serena had chosen the optimal move.
Imelda had also said so.
That it was fine, so he should drop it.
Theodric had stepped in and kept them safe, but what if he had not?
A different result would have come about from now.
He imagined what would have happened if Imelda had died.
He flinched at the chilling thought.
If Imelda had died…….
He might have poured that sense of loss toward Serena.
‘What are you thinking! Serena is a comrade.’
Smack!
Because he slapped both cheeks hard, a reddish flush formed on them.
Imelda and Serena, who had been continuing their conversation, looked at Robin.
“What’s wrong? Robin, did something happen?”
“It’s nothing.”
Feeling embarrassed, Robin moved ahead.
Imelda tilted her head at Robin’s sudden behavior.
Serena looked bitterly at Robin’s back.
Blue eyes that did not match her black hair drooped slightly.
‘Taking it out on Serena. Is that what you’re thinking of doing, you pathetic bastard!’
Robin took a breath while forcing himself to erase thoughts he should not harbor.
An hour had passed since the old man, Theodric, slowed his pace.
The leisurely, strolling pace made Robin uneasy.
Imelda and Serena felt the same.
Even so, Theodric was robust.
‘His mind seems fine, so why is he acting like that.’
He asked several times, but could not get an answer.
It was a chronic problem when traveling with the old man.
Communication did not work properly.
‘Still, nothing bad has happened when we listened to the elder, so whatever.’
With the belief that he must have something in mind, he pushed down the doubt that was bubbling up.
Step, step.
Just as he was getting used to the sound of the four of them moving their feet.
Someone was visible far away.
Robin followed slowly with caution.
What had looked like a dot gradually grew larger, and once he could make out who it was, bewilderment rose on Robin’s face.
It was Admiral and Collie.
The two were crawling along.
Without anyone saying a word, they quickened their pace.
Theodric did not stop even this.
Perhaps they had noticed Robin’s approach as well, because they came to a halt.
Seen up close, the two were kneeling.
As Robin approached, Admiral and Collie struggled to stand.
“You’re safe.”
“To think Roy is alive too, I couldn’t be happier. I’m also relieved that everyone else is safe.”
Admiral smiled and met eyes with each of them in turn.
Collie also greeted them by bowing his head.
Their joy was great, but everyone in the group looked at them with questioning eyes.
Perhaps embarrassed about crawling despite having perfectly fine legs, Admiral cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
“Since it’s come to this, I’ll explain a little. The reason we’re kneeling is because of the item we’re transporting.”
“What exactly is that item?”
“It’s a newly developed weapon. A very powerful weapon, powerful enough to change the course of the war.”
Admiral’s voice that followed was calm.
While fleeing from the pursuing trolls, they had eventually been caught.
There had been the sacrifice of two soldiers, and they had used the war weapon to deal with the trolls.
In the process, Admiral and Collie had been unintentionally caught up in it and lost strength in their legs.
He added that it was not permanent, but a temporary condition, and that it would get better after a few days.
“As you can see, even now, if we overexert ourselves we can stand, but it’s quite difficult.”
He did not reveal the true nature of the weapon to the end.
He only conveyed enough information for Robin’s group to accept.
It was not something they could not understand.
Information like this could change the course of a war, so it had to be handled sensitively.
“It’s starting to be taxing. Excuse me. Sir Collie, conserve your strength as well.”
As if he could not endure the heavy weight, Admiral knelt down.
Collie also knelt, propping himself up with both arms on the ground before his breathing stabilized.
Considering the feelings of the two who had knelt toward him, Robin quickly stepped aside.
He avoided looking like he was receiving an oath of loyalty.
Imelda and Serena also moved a step, but Theodric did not budge an inch.
Feeling awkward, Admiral and Collie crawled and changed direction.
‘This… is quite uncomfortable.’
To shake off the awkwardness, Robin spoke up.
“I can carry one of you.”
“Me too! I may not look it, but I’m strong.”
At the words of Robin and Imelda, Admiral showed a moved expression.
Robin carried the relatively heavier Collie on his back, and Imelda carried Admiral.
“We’ll impose on you until the main castle.”
“Yes. We’ll go as fast as possible.”
“I keep only receiving help from Roy and Miss Melida……. When we arrive at the main castle, I’ll ask my father so that you can be rewarded.”
Robin cheered inwardly.
What Admiral meant by ‘reward’ was obvious.
That he would help them escape the status of being branded as traitors.
If the wanted order was revoked, they would naturally reclaim their names.
If that happened, he could enter Theodric’s service, and if things went well, it meant he could become a knight.
‘Things are going smoothly.’
Even with Collie on his back, his steps felt light.
Imelda likewise showed no sign of strain.
Hope became the driving force that let them move forward.
Even Theodric, who had been following slowly, did not restrain the advancing Robin.
After about ten minutes passed, more good news arrived.
They found three soldiers who had fled from the trolls.
Admiral and Collie let out sighs of relief and urged them to hurry over.
“Lord Admiral! Sir Collie!”
The three soldiers ran over.
Perhaps because they had fled in haste, they were covered here and there in dust and small wounds.
Robin could not help but admire them.
Not only were all three safe, they had even protected the item they had to transport.
‘So it was possible to escape from trolls.’
Watching the soldiers share the joy of reunion, he offered a small salute of respect.
They had carried out their mission at the risk of their lives.
They briefly heard what had happened to each other.
“We’ll talk in detail once we arrive at the castle.”
“Yes!!”
At Admiral’s instruction, the three soldiers moved swiftly.
With just three more joining, everyone in the group felt a sense of stability.
Everyone except Theodric.
The old man narrowed the wrinkles on his forehead and stared to the side.
“It’s still too early to let our guard down.”
“You’re right, sir. From now on, let’s increase our speed.”
Just before they moved their feet in accordance with Admiral’s order.
Theodric pointed in an unexpected direction.
All nine people, whose number had increased, looked toward the direction Theodric indicated.
Theodric spoke softly.
“Prepare for battle. Something is coming.”
Amid everyone’s confusion.
Only Robin sensed it faintly.
With Collie on his back, he drew his sword and dashed out.
Kkaaang!
An impact that made his hand throb.
Blocking an unseen attack, he lifted his head.
A horned child was grinning broadly.
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