The soldiers of Lutia were slightly exhilarated by their first victory. They all knew that the real challenge lay ahead, but at this moment, they savored the feeling of victory.
Flora, who had been captured by the Mozes and returned alive, was asleep. Her apprentice, Caesar, tried several times to apologize to Dunmel. However, feeling ashamed, he ultimately could not bring himself to apologize. Not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable, Dunmel gave up his seat next to Flora to Caesar and stepped outside.
The guards were densely stationed on Larvitten Bridge, the center of the fierce battle. Their faces were no longer desperate. Now, they were filled with confidence that they could win, or at least, that they could fight.
Dunmel observed beyond the bridge. It was night, but the surroundings were as bright as dawn due to the intense white light emitted by the White Mystery placed on top of the tower. He realized how significant the presence of White Mystery was in Lutia. The stronger the light, the more at ease the heart became, and fear disappeared. However, the sight beyond the bridge, littered with unremoved corpses of Mozes, was not particularly pleasant to look at.
From a distance, Lutia’s Master Luder called out to Dunmel, recognizing him. Luder seemed to be troubled by the strategy for what came next.
Dunmel greeted him politely, but Luder, accepting the greeting perfunctorily, hastily asked,
“About that young man named Jaymer that Dethain brought, you said you didn’t know him, is that true?”
Dunmel had indeed forgotten about the man, preoccupied with Flora for half a day.
Jaymer.
The reinforcements from Aranthia, who came in place of the expected Sheyden.
“Master Dethain mentioned that Captain Wolf personally chose to bring him, something about the Queen of Aranthia refusing any more support than that.”
There was another mishap in the process of Dethain bringing reinforcements from Aranthia.
Kassel had chosen Jaymer, not Sheyden, to come here. Dunmel thought,
‘What was Kassel thinking? Wasn’t he the one who trusted and relied on Sheyden more than anyone?’
If Queen Sanadiel had not allowed more than two reinforcements, there must have been a reason for it. Dunmel trusted her intuition and judgment. But why would Kassel choose a third party, neither Sheyden nor a Wolf Knight, as the only companion?
‘Perhaps Kassel wasn’t recognized by the Wolf Knights. It’s possible.’
Dunmel had many questions for Kassel. But then, he disappeared. This time, it wasn’t a coincidence like with Azwin and Gerald’s incident. It was after an attack by a sorcerer, thought to be a dragon, which even Master Tanya couldn’t stop. Dethain had said he might be dead.
“It seems like Dethain’s movements have been exposed to the enemy, both when bringing the White Wolves initially and now… otherwise…”
Luder groaned.
Dunmel momentarily considered ‘who that enemy might be,’ thinking of Dethain. However, if such an event occurred, Dethain would be in the most suspicious position. Dunmel felt that if he were in Dethain’s position, he wouldn’t orchestrate things this way. Simply pretending not to know for a couple of days while traveling to and from Aranthia could endanger Lutia, why bother with more?
Just when he had put his worries about Flora aside, now the issue of Kassel emerged. Moreover, unlike with Azwin and Gerald’s disappearance, losing Kassel was concerning because he was a friend worth worrying about.
— Where is Loyal?
Dunmel asked, writing on the ground.
“Loyal went to confront Dethain about Captain Wolf’s disappearance. He must be most troubled by that issue… Oh?”
Luder, surprised, pointed across the bridge. Jaymer was dragging something from the direction of Downsearch.
It reminded Dunmel of how a Moze had walked with Master Justin’s body in a sack two days ago, giving him the chills. The soldiers on guard also jumped in surprise and huddled close to the palisade. What Jaymer had caught was a blood-soaked Moze, looking like a hunter who had just secured his prey by grabbing only the nape of its neck.
While looking at Jaymer, Luder asked Dunmel,
“Originally, a knight named Sheyden Wolf was supposed to come in his place?”
— Yes. Do you know why he did not come?
“When you were not here, Jaymer explained to us that Sheyden Wolf, who was originally supposed to come, got wounded fighting Captain Welch. But he died about ten years ago, didn’t he? He said there was a battle at the White Gate just before dawn!”
Even for Dunmel, who had seen the dead come back to life, this was an absurd story. Seeing the expression on Dunmel’s face, Luder nodded as if he understood.
“Moreover, the opponent in the battle against the Wolf Knights was said to be the Excelon Knights, who had also risen from the dead. Dethain witnessed part of the fight, so it must not be a lie, but the way this friend speaks… the beginning and the end don’t match up, and if you ask him to explain it in detail, the story gets tangled towards the end…, huh!”
Luder was startled and stopped speaking.
Around the time they were crossing the bridge, the Moze that Jaymer had brought along woke up and resisted! Dunmel was also startled and surprised.
‘Was the Moze not a corpse?’
At that moment, Jaymer kicked the resisting Moze in the head and punched it, knocking it unconscious. He raised his fist as if ready to beat it more if it woke up again, but the Moze did not get up.
It almost seemed as if the Moze was pretending to be unconscious out of fear of getting beaten more. After checking a few times by kicking it in the ribs to make sure it was really unconscious, Jaymer again grabbed it by the nape and started dragging it along.
It was an action no one had ever taken against the Mozes before. The people of Lutia either fled upon seeing a Moze or considered them opponents to be fought, while Dunmel and Loyal saw them as enemies in battle. However, Jaymer treated the Moze as if it were prey.
Luder paused upon witnessing Jaymer’s absurd actions before finally saying,
“Dethain mentioned that it was the first time he saw someone walk so swiftly in the Sky Mountains. After losing Captain Wolf, he walked with all his might, but for a commoner affected by the magic of the Sky Mountains, to keep up with him at the same pace was unheard of. Eventually, he even managed to outpace him…”
Luder pointed at Jaymer with a nod of his chin as he continued,
“What exactly is this guy’s identity? He himself seems unsure, refusing to speak, but then he suddenly crosses the bridge and brings back something like this.”
Jaymer was carrying a long sword at his waist, another on his back, and even a dagger. This attire alone, capable of such fierce movement in battle against the Mozes, clearly indicated he was no ordinary person.
Having crossed the bridge, Jaymer threw the Moze down in front of Luder and Dunmel.
“These monster guys, I saw them communicating with each other during the day. Ask them. What they plan to do here, who those knights in black cloaks are.”
Jaymer spoke with a lack of courtesy that was almost impossible to ignore.
Luder waved his hand dismissively.
“How could we possibly understand their language to ask such questions?”
“But these bastards, they were having a conversation.”
“So how are we supposed to understand the conversations between beasts…”
“What I mean is, not the conversation among the beasts but with those in the black cloaks! So, not this one talking to this one, but that one talking to this one.”
Jaymer expressed his frustration. Dunmel initially understood what he was saying, but as the explanation became more convoluted, it became confusing.
Luder was dumbfounded.
“Wait, you’re saying the Mozes and the Kagua were communicating?”
“Which one is the Moze and which one is the Kagua?”
Jaymer kicked the writhing Moze in the ribs again. The Moze twitched and then stopped resisting. Dunmel was shocked.
‘Was this thing really cowering in fear?’
Both Dunmel and Luder were at a loss for words.
“Right, this one is called a Moze?”
Jaymer seemed to realize something on his own and then suddenly looked at Dunmel.
“So you’re another White Wolf? I heard a bit from Kassel. Dunmel, right? The one who can neither hear nor speak? So, similar to me?”
Dunmel felt a sudden anxiety, wondering if the guy was making a highly sophisticated joke. But without the luxury of time to ponder such things, Dunmel showed him only what he needed to say in writing.
— Kassel?
Fortunately, Jaymer could read.
“We lost him. Sorry about that. But the monster that attacked us was no ordinary creature.”
— A monster?
“Not like this monster.”
Jaymer indicated the Moze with a kick.
The astonishing scene was already spreading among the soldiers. The captured Moze looked pitiful! It seemed like it would greatly help in eradicating the soldiers’ fear.
Jaymer had managed to handle a single Moze roughly, something even Loyal, who had killed hundreds of Mozes, or Dunmel himself had not done.
“It was a huge one. And then a sorcerer attacked us. To be honest, I couldn’t handle it alone. Kassel really wanted to see you guys…”
Jaymer continued, his voice tinged with regret.
“Well, he’s probably not dead. Right, and this is something I was asked to bring.”
He handed over a short sword about a foot and a half in length, unfastening his belt.
“Do you know Lergo? The old blacksmith. He said only you two were left in Lutia, so I didn’t bring the others’ gear. What were their names again? An axe and a shield… And yours, there’s another bow. But it was too cumbersome, so I left it. It’s really big. And carrying arrows is a hassle. They said the arrows were special, but would you use them? It’s inconvenient to carry. So, I mean, not inconvenient for you, but for me to bring. I already gave it to Loyal. No, not the bow, the sword. So I gave him the sword, not your bow.”
Dunmel could hardly follow Jaymer’s rambling.
Not wanting to waste time trying to decipher what seemed like unimportant chatter, he focused on examining the dagger instead. When he pulled out the blade, it reflected the magical light from the White Mystery. It seemed to glow on its own even in the darkness, and the line from the blade to the back was eerily smooth. Even without Jaymer’s explanation, it was evident who had made it.
— I heard Sheyden fought against Captain Welch.
Dunmel asked again about a part he still didn’t understand. Jaymer frowned upon reading Dunmel’s written question.
“Do I have to explain again? Fine. Let’s keep it short and to the point.”
Jaymer began his explanation with a face more tense than when he had captured the Moze.
“The Black Knight captured Kassel. I was with Master Irine, you know, your senior. No? Never mind. Anyway, she’s there. My master. So, what I mean is, she’s my teacher. Not yours, mine. I was going with my master, and Kassel had been captured by some random guy, so I rescued him. But that guy turned out to be Captain Welch, who had come back from the dead.”
The explanation became increasingly difficult to follow. Yet, Dunmel couldn’t interrupt Jaymer, who was earnestly trying to explain.
“That guy even raised his own men to attack the White Gate, and Sheyden fought and defeated him one-on-one. Then, some damn sorcerer attacked, and when the Queen appeared, he fled. In the meantime, Sheyden was injured, and I came in his stead. Being with Kassel has apparently improved my way with words. You should understand this much, right?”
Dunmel couldn’t understand.
He was puzzled about how to ask which part so that this friend, who got tongue-tied talking by himself, could calm down and explain the details.
Luder, unable to wait any longer, interjected.
“More importantly, Sir Jaymer. Is it true that the Mozes were conversing with the Kagua?”
“I’m not a knight.”
“Then what are you?”
“A hunter… not anymore?”
Dunmel realized. Giving the lead in conversation to this guy meant a lengthy discussion. Luder also was greatly perplexed by the incredible amount of time passed over a few exchanges.
“What does it matter? Is it true?”
“What is?”
Jaymer went off-topic.
“The part about the Mozes conversing with the Kagua.”
“I didn’t understand it, but they understood each other.”
“That can’t be.The Kagua is practically a ghost, a separate entity, and Moze is…”
As Luder became confused, Dunmel wrote:
— The Kagua is human.
Dunmel explained in as short sentences as possible.
— I’ve encountered beings in Camort looking like black knights.
— They were not human. I felt no humanity in them.
— That’s how I know for sure.
— They are human.
“One can’t know such things based on feeling alone. Beings not even appearing on Ethrily’s map…”
— I can detect the presence of people.
— Living with the masters, I’ve learned to detect their presences as well.
Dunmel pointed towards the second floor of the tower.
— Philip.
Then he pointed towards the seventeenth floor.
— Dethain.
Next, he pointed to the fifth floor.
— Golbein.
“Golbein would be in his laboratory, so he’s on the nineteenth floor. That’s not it.”
Dunmel shook his head and spread five fingers. Luder, remembering belatedly, said,
“Ah, there was a meeting with the teachers of Kainswick today…”
Luder then stopped speaking.
Ruskin’s location was always ambiguous. Surprisingly, even with Dunmel’s senses, Ruskin was hard to find, able to hide himself so well that even in the same room, his presence could be faint. When he entered the top of the tower, where the White Mystery shone, his presence vanished completely.
Dunmel had never seen anyone capable of such a thing except for Queen Sanadiel.
Dunmel concluded his explanation.
— The Kagua was ambiguous at first, but I was certain after seeing them today at noon.
— They are not monsters, ghosts, or unknown beings from the Sky Mountains called Lemifs,
— They are human!
Luder silently looked down at the lying Moze. It seemed to be mumbling something, though it couldn’t be heard.
Luder then raised his head and said,
“We may not know what language the monsters use, but if they communicated with humans, we should be able to as well. We’ll investigate.”
The soldiers, who had bound the Moze that was either unconscious or pretending to be, with several layers of rope, dragged it away.
“The rest we’ll discuss at the Lutiano meeting tomorrow morning. It seems we’ll conclude the issue of escaping from Lutia. We’ll discuss that issue then as well.”
Luder, rubbing his head, moved back towards the bridge. Everything was a mess, and nothing was clear. The situation was becoming increasingly complex, and no solution was in sight.
“Hey, Dunmel.”
Jaymer stood in front of him.
“I might not understand everything that’s going on here, even after your explanation, but let’s make one thing clear. Are you a friend of Kassel?”
Dunmel nodded without hesitation.
“Then let’s finish up here quickly and go find Kassel.”
Dunmel felt as if his body had frozen over at those words.
Jaymer, seeing his reaction, was puzzled.
“Loyal did the same thing, but why does everyone make the same face when I say that?”
Caught up in the complex situation, they had forgotten what was most important. The thought of continuing to protect Lutia, the identity of the Mozes, the traitor of Lutia, the relationship between the black knights of Camort and Lutia, the disappearance of Azwin and Gerald…
They were losing the most precious issue amidst these vexing problems. It was as if the newcomer, who had just joined, had solved the problem in the simplest way.
Let’s finish quickly and go find Kassel.
It was a relieving feeling. Dunmel extended his hand. Jaymer looked at him suspiciously but soon shook hands.
“But is it strange to say let’s go find Kassel? Loyal went straight to bed after hearing it.”
Jaymer was still puzzled.
Dunmel also wanted to go to sleep. Once they started moving, there would be no time to rest.
☆ ☆ ☆
“We’ll set the sunrise two days from now as the marker.”
Jaymer’s arrival influenced the other masters as well. Indecision and hesitation disappeared. In a meeting where everyone except Dethain, who was guarding the bridge, had gathered, Luder made a swift decision.
“We’ll gather all forces by the river and then start the attack… Even if magic stops working from that point on, a surprise attack will still be somewhat effective. If necessary, we can retreat across the river and launch attacks using the river water, so at least a large-scale movement of the villagers will be possible.”
Initially, they thought of moving parts of the population in turns. However, since they couldn’t employ multiple diversions, they decided to move everyone at once.
“Which direction will we move?”
Ruskin asked. He had become increasingly gaunt day by day. It was later discovered that merely operating the White Mystery consumed an unimaginable amount of power for an ordinary sorcerer. Recently, since the light had been intensified, it was inevitable.
Some students from Kainswick recently said the reason magic worked on the Mozes was finally because Ruskin’s power had stripped away their protective magic. However, Ruskin mentioned to the masters alone that it was due to a different reason.
“Follow the river to River Forest.”
Golbein explained.
“We’ve secured the path. We will consider those who walk slowly, but we must march for at least three days. The destination is Nadium in Aranthia. Queen Sanadiel refused to send reinforcements to Lutia, but if we go there, she will surely protect us.”
“Lutia will fall in the end.”
Ruskin said indifferently.
Golbein smiled faintly.
“Let’s just say it’s temporarily vacant. Even if monsters take over, Lutia is a city of sorcerers. We can easily take it back once we regain our strength and figure out why magic doesn’t work on them.”
“Of course. People’s lives come first.”
Despite his words, the sorrow etched on Ruskin’s face did not fade.
Golbein continued.
“Following Jaymer’s suggestion, we interrogated the Moze. We spoke to it in twelve languages, including Acrand’s common tongue and each country’s own language and dialect, but it did not understand. Then, on a whim, we spoke in Lemif’s language… and it responded with a few words.”
“Lemif’s language?”
Luder leaned in and asked.
“The creature gave fragmentary answers to a few questions I asked, avoiding the most crucial ones. However, it did answer when asked why they were attacking Lutia. It said, ‘Here first.'”
Golbein said. Luder nodded.
“So, it means to attack here first and then move on to other places? The cities nearby would be the Lemif’s cities and Nadium in Aranthia…?”
“Indeed, with this force, they could also take down the Lemif’s cities. It’s indirect proof that the reason we’ve been having trouble contacting Larden recently is because of the Mozes.”
Dunmel watched everyone’s conversation and then communicated through sign language. Loyal translated for him.
“If they are related to the Lemifs, why not seek their help?”
Golbein laughed heartily.
“The Lemifs never interfere in external affairs. Especially not with humans.”
Jaymer, who had reluctantly joined and felt out of place, spoke up for the first time.
“Lemif or whatever… The attack is in two days?”
“What’s wrong?”
Golbein asked with a smile.
“Do it tomorrow!”
“Don’t we need to prepare? It’s about moving almost a thousand people.”
“Then it will be too late. When are we going to find Kassel?”
From Jaymer’s perspective, it was natural to suggest such a matter, but it seemed a bit odd to the sorcerers.
“You are here by an inter-nation alliance. Even if a captain has been sacrificed, don’t tarnish the alliance’s will like this.”
Luder sternly said.
“Don’t make me laugh! I came here because Kassel asked, not because of any alliance. There’s no reason for me to be here without Kassel!”
Jaymer stormed out of the meeting room. Everyone was taken aback. Loyal spoke up, not to make amends as they thought, but to state a fact.
“That guy doesn’t care about the Wolf Knights or anything else. But he’s not entirely wrong. We’ll help with the operation until it’s time. Once we leave Lutia, magic will work again, and the Mozes won’t be a threat. And the three Kagua that magic doesn’t affect, Dunmel and I will handle. After that, we’ll go to find our friends.”
“To leave a thousand and go save one?”
Philip was furious.
“A thousand are your responsibility. And one is ours.”
Loyal added reluctantly.
“Ah, three of them.”
“Is this how Aranthia’s representative mocks us?”
Philip stood up abruptly.
Dunmel extended his hand to calm both men. He deliberately took his time writing his intentions on paper, waiting for them to cool down.
— Protecting the captain and valuing the alliance are both our duties. Loyal meant he values both. We will cooperate fully until the operation. We will depart to find our comrades when we deem the residents of Lutia are safe.
After reading Dunmel’s note, the masters said no more. But they did not hide their angry faces.
Ruskin calmed everyone down.
“To find someone in the forest without getting lost, you’ll need a token from Nadiuren. Come later to receive it.”
Dunmel nodded in thanks.
“Let’s not argue further about this matter among the masters. The Queen of Aranthia had her reasons for sending only the White Wolves instead of the Wolf Knights as reinforcements, and we should question that only after we’ve protected ourselves.”
The sorcerers unanimously responded.
“Yes, Master.”
☆ ☆ ☆
“Are you okay?”
While having a late breakfast, Loyal asked.
Dunmel communicated through sign language.
‘If you’re asking about the Mozes’s poison, it’s too late.’
“Sorry.”
Loyal cautiously broached another subject while smiling.
“It seems a bit strange now that I think about it.”
‘What does?’
“Her Majesty, does she really not know of Lutia’s crisis? Does she truly believe we alone can solve everything and that’s why she sent us? Moreover, the only additional reinforcement is Kassel and that unidentified friend.”
‘Don’t preemptively guess Her intentions. We just need to solve the problems we face.’
“That’s precisely why I’m saying this, because we can’t solve them.”
Jaymer came with his food and sat down next to their table, slamming his tray down. He pretended to have sat down by chance, pretending to tear into his bread for a while, but as time passed, his embarrassment only grew since he had already been noticed.
Jaymer cleared his throat and spoke.
“What’s with your fangs?”
Loyal, who was eating his bread, slightly opened his mouth and touched his front teeth.
“These?”
“No! Are you messing with me?”
“What fangs? If you don’t explain clearly, how would I know?”
Loyal said stiffly.
“I’m talking about the fangs of the White Wolves. They say no one who has seen them lives to tell the tale.”
Loyal laughed upon hearing that.
Jaymer burst out angrily.
“What’s so funny?”
“What’s your weapon?”
Loyal retorted.
“A sword.”
“My fangs are also my sword. That’s all there is to it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Loyal looked at him narrowly while munching on his bread.
“Did Sheyden send you, Jaymer? If Kassel picked you, you must be somewhat competent. Then show your skills with your sword, not your mouth.”
“Are you suggesting we try it out?”
Jaymer showed real killing intent. Loyal did not back down. The tension between them became so ridiculous that Dunmel slammed his fork onto the table, startling a lady who was passing by with dishes.
Jaymer spoke.
“Were you also one step inside?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Since you didn’t explain, I won’t either!”
Jaymer crammed the bread into his mouth and stood up to leave.
Loyal spoke to Dunmel with dissatisfaction.
“Did Kassel pick this guy to bring along? Or did that guy blackmail Kassel into it?”
‘Do you say that because you don’t know Kassel? I’d believe it if it were the other way around.’
Loyal chuckled with his fork in his mouth.
“He seems competent enough, but I’m not sure if he’s someone we can fight alongside.”
‘Let’s observe.’
“Isn’t he dangerous? There’s no proof he’s Kassel’s friend.”
‘We’ll include that in our observation.’
Dunmel was about to resume eating but added in sign language.
‘But if that behavior is an act to deceive, it’s quite effective. I don’t want to suspect it at all.’
“Me neither.”
–TL Notes–
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