novelraw Chapter 170 : Chapter 170
Chapter 170 : Chapter 170
Chapter 170. Leaving the Forest (1)
Following Evan’s final words, Gaiard soared alone through the skies above the Black Forest, heading north.
Living trees attacked him along the way, but for him, who had already ascended high enough, it was not a major problem.
Rather, the real problem Gaiard felt was that Evan’s only instruction had been to simply head north.
‘He didn’t specifically tell me to do anything… Should I go and join the emissary delegation like this? Or should I take a look around the continent after a long time?’
Gaiard had spent most of his life in the kingdom across the sea, but the true origin of vampires was this continent.
However, long ago, both races suffered great damage in the aftermath of a great war with the werewolves.
Some, weary of the war, hid on human ships and fled to the kingdom across the sea, and Gaiard was one such vampire.
That was why the continent he remembered and its current state were completely different.
‘If I slack off too openly, Evan will nag me later. Let’s just take a look at the surrounding situation for now.’
But Gaiard’s plan was not to be.
“What on earth has happened?”
Beyond the border of the Black Forest and over a hill, a village engulfed in flames came into view.
The village, comparable in size to a small city, was a sea of fire, and slaughter was taking place everywhere.
In the center of the village flew the flag of the Becken Empire, which he knew well, bearing a black shield crest.
And…….
‘Why are my own kind doing such things alongside humans…?’
Among the Imperial soldiers who were mercilessly slaughtering the villagers, vampires like himself were flying around, hunting humans.
They were unmistakably vampires, with their pale skin and red eyes, which could not be mistaken.
Gaiard was shocked by the unbelievable sight.
‘It’s unbelievable that they’re with humans, but what is with this behavior that seems to be driven only by instinct?’
Vampires like human blood.
But they never extorted blood in such an indiscriminate and barbaric way.
In the first place, the moniker ‘nobles’ was attached to vampires because they obtained their opponents’ blood while maintaining a minimum of reason.
But the scene unfolding before his eyes now was closer to that of beasts mad for blood.
‘What in the world is happening on this continent right now……?’
Gaiard, who was observing the situation from a high place, finally made eye contact with a vampire on the ground.
And in an instant, the opponent flew up and stood facing Gaiard at the same height.
The opponent’s appearance, smiling with his mouth covered in human blood, was a stark contrast to Gaiard.
“What are you? I haven’t seen you before.”
Gaiard frowned and looked at the opponent with contempt.
“You’re maintaining your reason, so why are you acting so barbarically?”
At that, the opponent wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and burst into a laugh filled with ridicule.
“Barbaric? Puhahaha! Well, well, a very noble gentleman has arrived.”
Then, he deliberately mimicked an exaggerated noble etiquette and bowed deeply.
It was a clear attitude of mocking and ridiculing Gaiard.
“My apologies for the late greeting. My name is Gento.”
“Cut the useless games.”
“Why? Wasn’t this the kind of noble greeting you were hoping for? I’m surprised a guy who still pretends to be as lofty as you is alive. Where the hell have you been holed up? Northern Remshait? Or the Central Highlands?”
Gento spread his arms wide and pointed to the horrific scenery of the village.
Beneath his arms, vampires could be seen indulging in human blood everywhere.
“This is the real world! Look at the law of the jungle. Even the noble compatriots you speak of, this is their reality now. The ones who kept up their noble pretense like you have all been weeded out already.”
He had no intention of denying the principle of the law of the jungle itself.
It was, after all, akin to the law of nature.
But no matter how much it was a struggle for survival, the sight before his eyes now was completely different from the image of the race Gaiard knew.
“Then what is this spectacle of following human orders down there? Since when did vampires become the hunting dogs of humans?”
Gento was silent for a moment, then tilted his head and smiled wryly.
“Hunting dogs… a rather unpleasant expression. But I can’t say you’re wrong. We became members of the Empire, and we receive appropriate compensation from the Empire. Is that so bad?”
Gento’s words were a clear admission.
He had admitted that they themselves had submitted to the humans.
And hearing it directly, Gaiard felt both anger and despair.
‘Have the kin here lost even their pride…?’
Of course, Gaiard himself was cooperating with the human Evan.
But that was a collaboration between two equals, by no means a relationship of submission under a human.
“You call that collaboration?”
Below, a man who appeared to be a human commander was giving orders, and the vampires were obediently following them.
It was a shocking sight, unbefitting a race famous for its high pride and self-esteem.
“This is deplorable……”
“Well, it depends on how you think about it, so I’ll respect your opinion.”
“……”
“But hey, since we’ve met, how about you join us? No matter how disgustingly you pretend to be noble and high-and-mighty, a compatriot is a compatriot.”
Gento, while finding Gaiard unpleasant, extended a blood-stained hand with a semblance of goodwill.
But he shook his head as if in disgust.
“I refuse. I cannot possibly be with bastards who are in such a hideous state as you.”
At that, Gento shrugged his shoulders and spoke as if in warning.
“Then you’d better scram right now. Before we see unnecessary blood. We’re planning to advance as we are and trample all the Solaid Kingdom bastards. So don’t you get caught up in the aftermath for no reason.”
Gento said so and descended again to enjoy the human hunt.
A mad laugh scattered behind his back.
As Gaiard watched this unpleasant scene, regret washed over him.
‘Damn it… I shouldn’t have come to the continent. I never dreamed I’d see such a filthy sight.’
Nevertheless, what Gento had said a moment ago weighed on his mind.
The conflict between the Empire and another kingdom, and the path the emissary delegation would take.
‘If those mad kin join the battlefield, the allied forces will suffer immense damage. If the emissary delegation passes through that route, they will naturally be in danger. This isn’t my business, but…….’
But Evan would surely intervene in a situation like this.
‘I really shouldn’t have come.’
In the end, Gaiard suppressed his surging irritation and turned his body towards the Black Forest.
‘Now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to go back quickly and tell that Evan fellow.’
Gaiard immediately began to fly towards the Black Forest.
Meanwhile, Gento, who had been watching him intently while sucking human blood, spoke lowly to his nearby kin.
“Everyone, come here. Something’s strange about that guy. He clearly looks old enough, but I don’t feel that much power from him. He’s definitely hiding something.”
“So?”
“Let’s follow him. Doesn’t it look like he’s going to inform someone about something?”
“Do we really have to follow him?”
When a female vampire spoke as if she was bothered, Gento retorted sharply.
“Listen to me. That guy, he’s definitely got something.”
The female vampire sighed as if she couldn't help it.
“Alright, your gut has never been wrong. But don’t we have to report to the commander?”
“There’s no need. Let’s just follow him for a bit to check and then come back. If it’s nothing, we can just finish it quietly.”
In the end, Gento and two other vampires began to secretly follow Gaiard with sharp smiles.
* * *
“Then, good luck, human!”
“Rorn! Be sure to return with good news!”
Receiving the hearty farewells of the Zakarin tribe, Evan left the Black Forest with the werewolf warrior Rorn, who had newly joined the party.
Unlike the comfortable rest in the settlement, the Black Forest that unfolded before them again still exuded a gloomy and ominous aura.
Because of that, the party members felt fatigue again as soon as they entered between the trees that stretched out on both sides.
“I will act as the guide until we get out of this forest. It will be easier for you that way.”
Fortunately, this time they had Rorn, who knew the forest like the back of his hand, so they could make their way through the forest with him in the lead.
―Crunch, crunch.
As there was not much to talk about with each other, only the sound of dead leaves being crushed underfoot echoed quietly.
Just as they were getting used to walking in silence, they saw a little light seeping in from beyond the Black Forest.
“Alright! This is the end of the forest now.”
Finally, the party escaped the gloomy Black Forest and faced a wide, open plain.
It was a moment to catch their breath.
‘We’re finally out.’
But suddenly, Rorn, who had been walking fine, stopped in his tracks ahead and stood tall.
Evan looked at him, curious as to why.
“Grrr!”
A low, growling hostility was revealed from Rorn’s throat.
In that moment, Evan too sensed a familiar aura approaching quickly.
‘Gaiard? Is he coming back already…? No, maybe he didn’t go far in the first place and was nearby?’
Knowing that Gaiard would not act recklessly, Evan guessed that there must be a reason for his hurried return.
But for now, calming Rorn’s sharp hostility was the priority.
“Rorn, wait a moment. As you’ve heard, the one coming from that direction is one of our party. He’s a vampire, but he’s trustworthy, so calm down for now.”
“Grrr……”
Knowing the long-standing animosity between the two races, Evan had intentionally tried to keep them apart.
‘So why is he coming now without a clue?’
Thus, he knew that mediation would obviously not be easy in this situation.
However, Evan had one thing he trusted in.
It was the great mission entrusted to them by the wolf god Fenrir.
“Rorn, we have a greater mission, don’t we? To achieve it, that vampire is also necessary.”
“In that case, are ‘those’ things also your companions?”
At Rorn’s words, Evan turned his head, momentarily perplexed.
“Those things?”
Behind the flying Gaiard, something that looked like tiny dots far in the distance was following him.
And the aura felt from those beings was clearly very similar to Gaiard’s.
‘What are those?’