210. King of the North (4)
#210
“There is no answer from the soldiers stationed in Heiran? “Are you sure we contacted you properly?”
“Yes, that’s right…”
The Wearfox staff lowered their heads. Jeige, who was lying half-reclining on the bed, frowned. What on earth is this?
“There must be hundreds of people. Where did all those people go? “Have you been dragged away by ghosts from the ice sea?”
“S-sorry. As of now, it is impossible… I immediately formed a scouting party and sent it out, so an answer will come soon.”
The staff groveled in cold sweat. He simply could not raise his head. Jager, who returned from a serious injury two days ago, was exuding even greater dignity.
Should I say it is quality? Is it because we have overcome the crisis of death? He seemed to be a different person than before, becoming much more serious and weighty. After being silent for a moment, Iger opened his mouth.
“Hmm… I figured it out. “Go away.”
“yes.”
The staff retreated. In the spacious room, Jager and the six members of the SS guarding his side remained. They were the most elite subordinates deployed for fear of an unexpected surprise attack.
‘There are all kinds of strange things going on.’
Jager stroked his beard. It was an awkward situation. Ronan and his party will arrive in Heiran the day after tomorrow. At this rate, it was impossible to know whether his promise to withdraw his troops had been kept. He was pondering something and then opened his mouth.
“··· Form a separate team. “I guess I’ll have to go see it myself.”
“Shouldn’t you get some rest yet?”
“That’s true, but… I don’t feel very good.”
Jager got up from the bed. The intuition that had saved him from danger so far was sending a warning. It felt like something unpleasant was about to happen.
There was a need to accurately check the current situation. He was just in the middle of adjusting his clothes. The door to the office slowly opened.
-Kkiik···
“hmm?”
Jager found it strange that there was no voice asking if he could come in, so he turned his head. His eyes got so big that they almost popped out. A person I hoped I would never see again was standing in the doorway.
“Barka…!”
“Nice to meet you. Jager.”
Barca was wearing a black robe as always. There was no sound from his strides.
Jager hesitated and stepped back. The guards belatedly noticed the presence and drew their weapons.
“Wait, stop right there!”
“You were seriously injured, right? “I’m glad you’re safe.”
However, Barca did not even pretend to listen to the guard’s warning. He must have told all the soldiers in the castle to deal with Barka immediately if he comes, but he didn’t know how he got in.
‘Could it be that so many people were affected? no. It’s impossible. He must have sneaked in.’
The hair on his entire body stood up. Although he couldn’t see his face because he was covered in a robe, Jager could tell that he was smiling. Barca, who was staring at this, tilted her head.
“Why are you so nervous? “Have I done something?”
“···What kind of face did you come here with? “I ran away alone at that time.”
“I’m sorry about that. Because I underestimated my opponent, I needed time to decide. “It was much stronger than I expected.”
A cheeky answer came back. Before we knew it, the guards had completely surrounded Barka.
Surrounded by six blades, he finally stopped. They wanted to talk about Jager sending an assassin. Barka continued.
“So, I have prepared something as compensation. “It’s probably an offer you can’t refuse.”
“An offer you can’t refuse…?”
“okay. “It’s truly an offer you can’t refuse.”
Jager shrugged his eyebrows at the meaningful tone. Suddenly Barca snapped his fingers. Perfect! His robe twitched, and a black shadow jumped out.
“uh?”
Shaped shadows passed over the bodies of the guards. The speed was so fast that the seven people, including Jager, were not even aware of the existence of the shadow.
It was the moment when the shadow entered the inside of the robe again. Sigh! The limbs of the six guards were severed and blood spurted out.
“Kaaaaaaaa! “Pa, arm!”
“uh? “What?!”
A desperate scream rang out. Severed limbs and disabled bodies collapsed. Jager, whose legs were weak, barely managed to avoid falling by leaning on the nightstand next to him.
“W-what…!”
I couldn’t understand what was happening. All I saw was Rob squirming. Even in the scattering blood, Barca stood still as if frozen. Finally he opened his mouth.
“I will give you the right to survive, so cooperate, Jager. “This is my proposal.”
“Ugh!”
“I’ll forget that I betrayed you once. Because you were such a piece of trash to begin with. “If you listen to me carefully, you will be able to reign as the king of the North within a few years.”
Barka said in an overbearing tone. It seemed like he had been caught leaking information. Red eyes were flashing inside his robes.
“shit···.”
The attitude was completely different from before. Still, it wasn’t that shocking because I had been expecting it for two days. Was I, after all, a scarecrow to fulfill this monster’s ambition?
‘If I refuse here… I’ll lose everything.’
Jager clenched his fists. For a moment, the image of a deformed werewolf flashed through my mind. I also remember blowing up information out of a faint sense of justice and guilt.
I guess I went crazy for a moment. He closed his eyes tightly once, opened them, and then opened his mouth.
“Yes… I will cooperate.”
“Good idea. “There is work you need to do in Heiran, so please follow me.”
When he announced his intention to cooperate, Barca’s tone became soft again, as if he had never done that before. After rubbing his chest, Iger took his hand off the nightstand.
“Of course. Can I pack just one thing before I leave? “It’s in the desk drawer.”
“Just figure it out. “We’ll be leaving in three minutes.”
Barka said that and turned around. The escorts who were not yet breathing were moaning in pain. When I looked closely, I saw that not only were my arms and legs cut, but there were also terrible stab wounds all over my body.
“J-Jager…!”
“Cough, gasp…”
Jager didn’t react. He staggered to the desk and opened the second drawer. In the deepest part, a colorful dagger lay like a coiled poisonous snake.
‘this guy···.’
It was something I prepared thinking that a day like this might come someday. The poison flowing down the blade was shiny and shiny. It was a poison that sent even an ogre in one hit.
This wasn’t it. It really wasn’t about becoming the King of the North or the Emperor. I don’t know exactly what Barka’s purpose was, but if he continued like this, he would do terrible things in the future.
Although reason and intuition were telling him to give in, his body was moving as his heart told him to. It was the first time this had happened to him in his thirty years of life.
‘One shot. All it takes is one shot.’
Jager took a deep breath and repeated it in his head. He carefully held the hilt of his sword and opened his mouth.
“Hey, Barka.”
****
The sky was clear. There was a cold wind blowing that felt like it would freeze your bones, but it was still bearable because it wasn’t snowing. Adeshan said, placing a piece of beef jerky in Sita’s mouth.
“ruler. “You eat too.”
“Bye!”
The journey to Heyran has already entered its third day. Ronan, Adeshan, and Sita were sitting on the floor and resting. A huge hill without a single blade of grass blocked the north wind, so they were able to relieve their travel fatigue more comfortably.
Adeshan and Sita were eating a simple meal, and Ronan was writing something with paper and pencil on a flat rock. Adeshan, who was munching on some beef jerky, questioned him.
“Ronan. “Who are you writing to?”
“Hmm…what should I write…”
However, no answer came back. The sight of him grunting unusually was very suspicious. Ade Shan asked her question again.
“Ronan?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. To His Majesty the Emperor.”
“aha. Right… what?”
Adeshan’s eyes widened. At that moment, Ronan, who had finished writing the letter, stood up. He tied the letter to Sita’s ankle and said:
“I have something to ask you personally. “It’s a bit of a harsh request, but I thought you’d accept it since I’ve made a contribution in my own way.”
“···It’s amazing. “In many ways.”
Adeshan shook his head as if he was fed up. She didn’t bother to ask because she seemed to want to keep the contents a secret. Ronan, who had tied her letter tightly, patted Sita on the head.
“Sita. “Please.”
“Bye!”
Sita spread her four wings and flew up. The sight of it disappearing across the sky in the blink of an eye was reminiscent of a black comet. A reply would come in two days at the latest. She said Ade Shan.
“I hope it goes well. “I don’t know what it is.”
“Iknow, right. Shall we leave soon?”
“huh.”
The two people stood up and brushed the snow off their clothes. It took about thirty minutes to climb all the way up the northern hill.
Ronan and Adeshan finally reached the top and stopped at the same time. The polar landscape of Heyran unfolded before my eyes. Adeshan slightly opened his mouth in admiration at the sight of the vast land covered with ice and rocks.
“Wow…”
“We’ve finally arrived. Damn it.”
Ronan roughly brushed his bangs. It was a short but arduous journey. The two people could not sleep well due to the threat of beasts and monsters that were hostile to humans.
Blue ice protruded from the dark land here and there. There was a horizon far to the north, proving that this was the edge of the continent.
Beyond was the Sea of Ghosts, the final destination of this journey. It was known that the wails of fleeting sailors could be heard from the frozen sea all year round.
Why did my father, or Elthea, call me to a place like that? Ronan took out a pipe and asked Adeshan a question.
“How about blood acupuncture needles?”
“It’s still fixed. “Is he lying down because he’s injured?”
“That would be nice, but…well, you’ll find out once you get there.”
The acupuncture needle I received from Jager was fixed last night with its direction turned. There was something suspicious, but as Jager said, there seemed to be something in Heiran.
What needed to be solved right now was beating Barca. The blacksmith and my father were next.
The two went down the steep slope. You had to be careful because you could slip if you weren’t careful. Ronan whistled after seeing that there was no sign of anyone around him.
“Oh, Jager kept his promise. “To be honest, I was a little anxious.”
“I don’t feel it either. “I think they definitely pulled it out.”
Adeshan nodded. The promise to hand over the soldiers stationed there seemed to have been faithfully fulfilled. Since there seemed to be no monsters or beasts in particular, the two were able to walk smoothly along the needle of the blood gauge needle.
“But just in case, I keep my crossbow from freezing. “Because you never know when to shoot.”
“huh. “I will.”
After listening to Ronan’s advice, Adeshan fiddled with the crossbow on his back. Unlike when he infiltrated the main body of the New Beast Union, he was fully prepared.
With each step, ice shards and volcanic stones fell, making an addictive sound. After walking for a while, the two eventually reached the coast.
Aside from weathered strangely shaped rocks and chunks of ice growing here and there, there was nothing special to see. The sound of waves crashing was becoming more intense. Adeshan, who was holding a blood needle, tilted his head.
“That’s strange. “Something has to come out now.”
“I see… Wait, what is that?”
“huh?”
Suddenly, Ronan stretched out his index finger and pointed ahead. A huge chunk of ice, so large it could have been considered a hill, was sticking out between the sea and the land.
A heterogeneous mana current was seen floating in the middle of the bluish ice wall. Adeshan’s eyes widened.
“That!”
“It’s definitely suspicious.”
It also matched the direction the needle was pointing. Ronan and Adeshan walked as if possessed by something. In front of the ice wall, Ronan swung his sword in the air.
Sgak! With the sensation of cutting paper, the illusion surrounding the ice wall crumbled. The hidden door was revealed. The wooden door, which is up to 4 meters tall, was not designed for humans.
Squeak… When I opened the door, a long passageway of indeterminate depth appeared. There was a faint, fishy smell of blood in the relatively stale air.
The needle was pointing exactly inside the passage. The two people looked at each other at the same time and then turned their gaze forward again. Ronan adjusted his collar once and opened his mouth.
“I think I found it.”
.
.
.
The passage was much deeper than I thought. Even the sound of breathing could be heard loudly inside the winding cave.
The torch held in Ronan’s hand was the only source of light. Every time the oil-fueled flame wavered, the long shadows of the two people swayed as if dancing.
They were on high alert. Ronan’s other hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, and Adeshan had even attached his crossbow to his crossbow. No matter what came out, immediate response was possible.
“Ha, I can’t believe you made something like this in ice.”
Ronan looked around and gave a small exclamation. The walls and ceiling of the huge passage, which was nearly 4 meters high, were all made of translucent ice.
It would be harder than most stones or metals, but it was only useful to carve it out. The only thing on the floor was a straw bale, which seemed to be to prevent Barka himself from slipping.
There were dark red blood stains on the straw bales. Blood stains that looked like spilled stew continued at irregular intervals deep into the passage.
“It looks like the wound is serious. “Where did you get hurt again?”
“···I think so.”
Adeshan calmly remembered. The tone was noticeably subdued.
Ronan thought it was a worthy enough situation. The culprit who took away everything from him was there in front of him. Ronan, who was thinking about something, opened his mouth.
“I will give in.”
“···huh?”
“You know that Barka guy, I’ll give it to you so you can kill him.”
Suddenly, silence came to the sound. Adeshan, who was dumbfounded for a moment, burst out laughing.
“thank you. But actually, killing Barka is not my goal.”
“What is your purpose?”
“I just wanted to ask. Why did I do that, and why am I still doing it to this day? Why are they trying to dominate the North by squeezing the blood and tears of so many people? Of course, you have to pay for your sins separately, but for now, that’s my only goal.”
The voice was calm, without any signs of trembling. Ronan showed his respect for her mature attitude by not answering. They had been walking for about ten more minutes. Adeshan, who was walking slightly ahead, stopped in place.
“Ronan. “There’s something around the corner.”
“yes?”
In front of them was a corner that curved to the right. Ronan nodded, closing her eyes and concentrating. Sparkling mana was oozing out.
“I guess… it looks like Barka.”
Adeshan raised his crossbow. The blood needle held in her left hand was also pointing in that direction. Ronan tugged at the hilt of her sword.
“I’m going.”
After answering that, Ronan took the lead and turned the corner. The blade that was drawn out without a sound was ready to cut off the enemy’s limbs at any moment. It was the moment when the torch illuminated around the corner. Ronan’s face was frozen cold.
“This···!”
The area beyond the corner was blocked by an ice wall about 3 meters in front. There was a stone altar that seemed to be used only for rituals.
On top of it were seven prisoner heads lined up in a row. An unidentifiable leather sack was swinging on hooks above seven heads. Adeshan, who saw this one step too late, dropped the blood needle.
“Three, oh my…!”
A rattling sound echoed inside the cave. The faces lined up in a row were all severely distorted. As if I had seen something unbearably scary. Ronan suddenly caught his gaze on the head in the middle and sucked in a breath.
“···Jager.”
His breathing started to become heavy. The head of the white tiger was definitely Jager. He was the only one among the seven heads that did not have a frightened expression.
It looked as if its head had been cut off while it was roaring in fury, with its ears pulled back and its fangs exposed. Ade Shan covered her mouth with both her hands.
“Oh, how did this happen…! Then what about this blood acupuncture needle…?”
“···You fucking bastard.”
Ronan gritted his teeth. As he looked around, he was quickly able to figure out the secret of the blood needle and sparkling mana.
Blood was dripping from the leather bag hanging above the altar. It probably contained Barca’s own blood. It seemed like some additional measures had been taken to disrupt it.
“haha···.”
I was so shocked that the corners of my mouth went up. I felt my heart beating rapidly. Suddenly, the low sound of machinery clattering was heard at my feet.
“what?”
Ronan and Adeshan, who were both nervous, lowered their heads at the same time. The gazes of the two people overlapped on the blood gauge. The red needle was pointing towards the entrance of the cave. A low vibrating voice echoed from behind.
“nice to meet. “You bastards who ruined everything for me.”
