After the Administrator of Seresmus left noisily, the four remained silent. Kassel sipped from a lukewarm beer and stared into space. He turned his head to follow the floating dust and then glanced at Tanya. She was also silently drinking.
Throughout their week-long journey from Tachisel, crossing the Sky Mountains, Tanya had been quiet. Occasionally, she held Kassel’s hand when he offered it, but would soon let go, never initiating contact herself.
Tanya often seemed deep in thought. On nights when they camped, Kassel would often wake to find her sitting alone by the campfire. When he asked what she was doing, she merely replied that she was keeping watch.
Jaymer and Rai were naturally quiet. They sometimes argued over trivial matters, but Jaymer often swallowed his words and gave up, while Rai was not yet used to human speech. Thus, their arguments never amounted to much. Despite this, Kassel felt uneasy.
‘Traveling with these three is harder than with five White Wolves.’
Kassel sighed as he put down his beer.
“Why the sigh?”
Jaymer asked.
“Suddenly, I feel so young,”
Kassel replied, looking at Tanya. She seemed lost in another world, just as she had been in the Sky Mountains.
Her sudden change in demeanor had been easier to adapt to. What Kassel struggled with was her psychological shift.
‘Something changed after she returned from Lutia. It must be because of what happened with Tailed.’
Jaymer didn’t know how to respond to Kassel’s words. He had intended to start a conversation, but Jaymer turned to Rai and changed the subject.
“You can drink?”
Seeing Rai down the beer he’d been sipping, Jaymer asked. Rai wiped the foam from his lips and replied.
“A long time ago, in the human world, I did. But it doesn’t taste as good now.”
“You’ve been here before? As a person who came from the Sky Mountains you must have had a hard time.”
“I couldn’t find my way then and I still can’t now. But, back then, I had a guide. An Ugeh.”
“Who was this person?”
Though Jaymer rarely showed interest, Rai replied briefly and fell silent.
“Ugeh.”
Jaymer lost interest quickly, but Kassel’s curiosity only grew.
Rai had said he was “betrayed” by a human. For a Lemif, who had no word for such a concept, to use that term meant something significant had happened.
‘What happened to him?’
A story his grandfather had told his father came to Kassel’s mind. He wanted to connect it to what Rai experienced in the human world, but Rai wouldn’t talk about it. Just as many humans had challenged the Sky Mountains, many Lemifs must have challenged Acrand. The fairy in his grandfather’s story couldn’t be Rai. Besides, the fairy in the story wasn’t betrayed.
“Is it okay for me to show that I’m a Lemif?”
Rai asked. The patrons in the tavern were glancing at him.
“It’s fine.”
Kassel affirmed.
“It is?”
Jaymer asked.
“Yes.”
Tanya answered this time.
Jaymer shrugged.
“Is it like revealing to the administrator earlier that you’re the captain?”
“I want the Council of Rock to start talking about us before we arrive,”
Kassel said, recalling their experiences in Camort two months ago.
“When we faced the king’s officially invited reinforcements, the nobles and ministers were too busy with their power struggles to progress the conversation. We have no time, we’re unwelcome, and we’re bringing very bad news. If the council gets excited beforehand, we can save time.”
“Then why didn’t you just persuade him instead of telling him to leave?”
Jaymer asked.
“People who start with suspicion won’t be swayed by even the best evidence or persuasion. That’s why I ignored him on purpose. Then I showed him Rai’s ear. It worked in one go. If I’d shown the ear first, it wouldn’t have gone that way.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to show the wings?”
Jaymer asked.
Tanya answered that one.
“The shock would have been too great.”
“Shock?”
“Rai’s wings are too dramatic and flashy for such a setting. The administrator would have been so distracted by the wings that he’d forget his duties.”
Jaymer still didn’t quite understand but didn’t try to.
“Must be nice to be so smart. Well, you two handle it.”
Jaymer emptied his glass and ordered another.
Tanya stood up.
“Will everyone keep drinking? I’d like to rest now.”
Kassel was a bit flustered but then smiled and said,
“We leave at noon tomorrow, so just be up by then, Tanya.”
“If I’m not, wake me up.”
Tanya gave a slight nod and went upstairs. Kassel watched her go and sighed.
Jaymer, noticing Kassel’s expression, spoke up.
“Aren’t we in a hurry? Is it okay to just sit here drinking?”
“We finally found a safe place to rest. Everyone’s tired. We should get a good night’s sleep in a bed for once.”
Kassel said, glancing at the stairs Tanya had climbed.
“Tanya must be especially exhausted. She kept watch almost alone in the Sky Mountains.”
“I offered to do it, but she insisted.”
Jaymer said, taking a swig of his newly arrived beer. The serving girl kept stealing glances at Rai, not out of fear or curiosity, but something else.
‘Hmm, never thought about it before. Rai really has a handsome face from a human perspective,’
Kassel mused as he massaged his stiff neck.
“If we hadn’t convinced that administrator, we’d have to leave in a hurry again.”
“Is that so?”
“If the administrator had been stubborn, we’d have found another way or persuaded another one. But it’s fine now. His message will reach Rock, and the council will have time to react.”
“That’s why, huh? I need to enjoy this beer properly. Hey, here!”
Jaymer downed his beer like an enemy and called the server.
“Another beer.”
The server, smiling brightly, glanced at Rai again and asked Jaymer,
“May I know that gentleman’s name?”
“Just bring the beer!”
Jaymer growled, scaring her off.
“Why’d you do that?”
Kassel asked, but Jaymer ignored him and asked,
“Kassel, things not going well with that sorceress?”
“Sorceress? You mean Tanya.”
Jaymer ignored him and pressed on,
“I saw you two holding hands. Didn’t something happen?”
“A kid like you wouldn’t understand.”
“You little—!”
“I need another beer too. Rai?”
Rai responded by noisily putting down his empty glass. Kassel motioned for the server. The girl, still shaken from Jaymer’s outburst, brought another beer.
“Here’s your beer.”
As she placed it down, Rai unexpectedly patted her head. His large hand nearly covered her entire head.
Startled, she dropped the beer. Rai, with amazing reflexes, caught it. A bit spilled, but only foam dripped onto his hand.
“I’m, I’m sorry,”
She stammered, eyes wide with surprise. Rai simply looked at her. Kassel, sensing the awkwardness, quickly ordered.
“Two more beers here. And a plate of something to snack on.”
“No, make that three,”
Jaymer added. The server backed away in a daze, smiling shyly at Rai before hurrying off.
Rai handed Jaymer the slightly spilled beer.
“Why did you do that?”
Kassel asked Rai.
Rai opened his hand. A ladybug was on his fingertip. It lingered briefly before flying out the window.
In the meantime, Jaymer finished his drink and noisily put down the empty glass.
☆ ☆ ☆
The rusty hinges made a long, drawn-out sound as the wooden door closed. Tanya leaned against the door, feeling a heavy weariness that made her want to collapse and sleep on the spot. She rested her staff against the wall. It was a gift from the masters when she left Lutia.
‘This is something we wanted to give to the next Grand Master. It might just be a symbol to you now, but please accept it.’
Knowing the sentiment behind the gift, Tanya accepted it without a word. She left Lutia with a firm resolve to honor their intentions. What happened to Tailed, what occurred in Lutia, and what would soon happen in Carnelock—these thoughts kept her awake at night, endlessly ruminating, until she was utterly exhausted.
Tanya sank into an old wooden chair. The door creaked, and so did the chair. Despite being an old room, it had a mirror for the female guests. Tanya stared at her reflection with a sense of self-reproach.
‘What are you doing, Tanya?’
She scolded herself.
‘Why are you taking it out on Kassel? What happened to the master isn’t his fault.’
Tanya rubbed her face with her hands and sighed.
‘It’s because I’m weak. My mental state can’t support the rapid increase in my magical power. Don’t be anxious. Time will solve it. In the meantime, I need to take care of what I can, step by step.’
She thought of Loyal, whom she had met briefly before leaving Lutia.
Loyal had regretted not being able to accompany Tanya. But he couldn’t leave Dunmel behind. Taking Dunmel along was an option, but even with magical help, it would take more than a week for Dunmel to recover enough strength for a long journey, assuming Flora stayed close to provide constant care. Thus, Jaymer, who was of little use in Lutia and the least injured, was chosen.
‘Jaymer is a skilled fighter, comparable to the Wolf Knights. But he still has much to learn, and I can’t entrust Kassel’s safety to him alone. So, I need you to protect Kassel for now.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll never leave his side.’
‘Please. As soon as Dunmel recovers, I’ll follow.’
Loyal had repeatedly stressed this just before they left.
Like Shayden, the White Wolves cherished Kassel deeply, and Tanya knew this well. Yet, she found herself answering half-heartedly. Honestly, she wanted to say that she would do it even without such requests. It was needless jealousy.
Crossing the Sky Mountains to Carnelock, Tanya had not been able to focus on Kassel. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her master.
‘How, why did he get involved in that!’
Even at night, memories of her master kept her from sleeping. When she came to her senses, she realized that Kassel no longer held her hand.
Only then did Tanya understand that she had unconsciously rejected Kassel’s tentative attempts to reach out. After repeatedly rejecting his cautious advances, he had stopped trying.
‘Sigh, I wanted to hold him… I’m not the only one feeling sad. Kassel just lost a dear friend. He probably wants comfort more than anyone, and here I am, expecting to be comforted! This is terrible. I need to stop. What am I doing, acting like a child!’
Tanya looked at her haggard reflection in the mirror. She still couldn’t get used to her own face. It felt like the scars had become more pronounced over time. It looked worse than the ugly face she had chosen.
‘Good grief, I just worried if Kassel would like this face. At a time like this? You’re the worst, Tanya.’
She poked at her reflection with her finger as if scolding herself. Then she voiced her unbearable self-loathing.
“Don’t get sidetracked with useless worries. Don’t overthink. Be more honest. Don’t pretend to be strong, but don’t act weak either!”
In response to those words, a black shape suddenly rose from the right side of the mirror. It came from the corner of the room. Tanya turned her head immediately, but there was nothing there. The black shape was only inside the mirror.
“Don’t be alarmed, Tanya. I am you.”
It spoke.
Tanya extended her hand to the side. The staff she had leaned against the wall flew into her hand.
“Who are you?”
“I told you, I’m you.”
The black shape in the mirror smiled. It became more defined, and its booming voice grew clearer.
“You won’t solve anything by brooding alone. The answer lies within you, within me.”
Tanya’s eyes darted around without moving her head.
‘Creepy. It really sounds like my own voice.’
The black figure in the mirror grew closer.
“You’re rejecting the prophecy for subjective reasons. Accept it now. You could foresee everything from the Sky Mountains, right?”
The black aura emerging from the mirror began to take on Tanya’s own face.
“Why did Grand Master Ruskin betray us? Because he saw everything. He knew humanity would lose this battle! Using Lutia’s White Mystery, you can’t help but see such a monumental wave of fate. The stronger the foresight, like Ruskin’s, the greater the pain from that future. He couldn’t endure it. So, he chose to inflict pain rather than suffer it. You knew this. No, ‘we’ knew this.”
The face that the black aura transformed into was the hideous, terrifying witch’s face Tanya had before breaking the seal. It felt like she was facing her past self.
“And now that you have power equal to Ruskin’s, you’ve seen that future too. Frightening, isn’t it? It’s okay. Accept your fate. When faced with such a terrible future, it’s okay to be a bit selfish, as your master said.”
The arm of the mirror Tanya extended out, wrapping around her neck. But it was just an image, as the real sensation was the embrace from behind. A cold, sinister force wrapped around her back, weighing down on her body like sleep paralysis.
“You’ll be betrayed by someone you love, violated by the one you called master, and in your inability to bear the pain, you’ll plunge into even greater suffering. It will be so unbearable that you’ll want to end your own life. If you don’t want that, making the same choice as Ruskin might be wise. At least you won’t be the one betrayed.”
The space in the room seemed distorted. Darkness thickened, and the air felt sticky as it entered her throat.
Tanya turned her head to the side and spoke to the being mimicking her.
“That’s quite a power. In the past, I might have really wanted to kill myself.”
Tanya swung her staff to the side. The dark energy surrounding her burst into a display of colors like fireworks.
Tanya stroked her neck and stood up from the chair. The remnants of the dark energy wriggled on the floor.
“Are you a demon serving the Lord of the Undying?”
“Still resisting? I am the darkness within you.”
It spoke in a chilling voice, like metal scraping against metal, mocking her. Tanya stomped on the writhing dark mass.
“There’s no darkness like you within me.”
Tanya held her breath and looked beyond the window into the distance. Her vision pierced through the night, past the village and beyond the city gates.
There was a knight gazing towards the inn. He made direct eye contact with Tanya before spurring his horse and vanishing back into the darkness.
‘Feels like Guanil. Who could it be?’
There was a presence near the window. Tanya raised her staff, ready to strike before it got closer. But the presence didn’t feel hostile. It didn’t even try to completely hide its approach.
‘Not here to attack. Let’s see what they want.’
Indeed, the intruder tapped on the window, signaling.
Tanya hid beside the window and spoke, ready for anything.
“Identify yourself.”
“May I come in? I’m here to warn you of danger.”
It was a woman’s voice.
As Tanya extended her hand, the window opened on its own. The masked intruder slipped into the room with light movements. After cautiously scanning the surroundings, the figure gave a slight bow and spoke.
“Are you part of Captain Wolf’s group?”
“…Yes, but?”
Tanya responded without lowering her guard.
“I’m Heder from the guild known as Blackfoot.”
The woman removed her mask herself. She appeared to be about twenty years old, but her sharp eyes prevented her from being underestimated due to her youth.
“Blackfoot? The assassin guild?”
“Yes.”
Tanya recalled that Dunmel had once been part of an assassin organization named Blackfoot. She also remembered that eight years ago, the organization’s master, Karlsten, had attempted to assassinate Queen Sanadiel on the order of the Lord of the Undying.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re here to kill me. But don’t draw the weapon hidden behind your back. You’ll die.”
Tanya spoke in a flat tone.
“Oh…!”
Heder quickly turned her head and flinched. Two translucent blades floated behind her head. They were magical blades Tanya had conjured the moment Heder entered the room.
Heder let out an awkward laugh.
“It’s a habit of mine to hold a blade when talking to someone. No other intention.”
Heder cautiously sheathed her blade and showed her empty hands.
Tanya also dismissed the magical blades.
“I came to warn Captain Wolf’s group.”
Heder spoke again, this time more formally.
“What kind of danger?”
Tanya still did not let down her guard. After what had just happened, she was naturally tense. However, there was no dark aura coming from Heder.
‘This woman isn’t behind it. But she’s still an assassin.’
Heder explained.
“One of our guild members has also gone to inform Captain Kassel. Almost all the guests in this inn are assassins targeting you. We should leave and discuss the details later.”
“The innkeeper is not involved?”
“We investigated. The innkeeper and his son are locals with no connections. The staff are also uninvolved.”
“Then the food we ate should be safe… How skilled is the guild member who went to warn Kassel?”
“He is our top expert. You might recognize the name as Dunmel’s disciple.”
Heder’s voice carried confidence.
“Then it should be fine. Let’s go downstairs.”
“What? We should just leave immediately…”
Tanya ignored her and opened the door.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Did someone say Gerald died because of me?”
Jaymer asked.
“Who told you that?”
Kassel put down his beer and glared at Jaymer, who was chewing on a sausage.
“Rai. He overheard it. You and that guy Lofin or something.”
Kassel glared at Rai with resentment.
‘This guy has a loose tongue?’
Rai stared back with an expressionless face. Kassel had never seen his expression change, as if he conveyed all his emotions through that single look.
‘Even when he knelt before Sanadiel, his expression didn’t change.’
Kassel explained to Jaymer.
“It’s not entirely unrelated, but it’s not something you need to worry about. Don’t think of it as your fault. Whatever Rai said, he probably didn’t know the details. He couldn’t have explained it properly.”
Kassel shot a challenging look at Rai.
“Rai explained it well. Didn’t you say I should replace Gerald?”
Jaymer summarized. Kassel almost protested but stopped.
“Didn’t you say Nathan killed him?”
Jaymer asked.
“Yes. But I didn’t see it myself.”
“I know Nathan. I fought him in Lutia. I lost. The White Wolves would have lost too.”
“What?”
“Nathan was stronger than the White Wolves.”
Kassel’s eyes widened. Jaymer continued undisturbed.
“Well, Loyal and Dunmel were injured. But what if they were in top condition? No. They’d lose. He was the strongest person I’ve ever seen. But Gerald killed him. So is Gerald the best? No, that’s not what I mean.”
Jaymer downed his beer and slammed the glass on the table. The owner watched worriedly, concerned that another glass might break. The waitress observed hopefully, anticipating another order.
“Kassel, I don’t know. I don’t know the sorrow of losing a friend. I don’t want to know. What I’m saying is, I hate being depressed. I won’t offer you any consolation. I can’t. What I’m trying to say is, I can’t comfort you.”
Jaymer seemed slightly drunk. Strangely, it was hard to argue with him.
‘I must be a little drunk too.’
Kassel nervously poured beer into his mouth. Jaymer’s rambling continued.
“But how long will you stay like this, feeling powerless? I don’t know how close you were to Gerald. I don’t know him. I mean, I don’t know Gerald, so I can’t replace that. What I’m saying is, I can’t replace your friendship with Gerald…”
Jaymer mumbled, then continued more clearly.
“But I can stand in for you in a fight.”
Kassel burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
Jaymer asked, slightly embarrassed.
“Jaymer, when we first met, you couldn’t even introduce yourself. Now, you’re quite talkative.”
“There you go, teasing again. I know I’m not good with words.”
Jaymer only moved his mouth, chewing on a sausage.
“I know. I wasn’t myself either. Gerald dying… I still can’t believe it.”
Kassel ran a hand through his hair, then rested his forehead on his hand, leaning on the table.
“Did I ever tell you? Back in Camort, I was a day late, and my friends were put in danger. This time, I was a day late, and someone died.”
Kassel covered his face with one hand, repeating the same words.
“Late again…”
“Was it your fault?”
Jaymer asked, swallowing his sausage with a gulp of beer.
Kassel continued in a somber voice.
“I don’t know. But I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice you, Rai, or Tanya. I couldn’t even comfort Tanya, more than anyone…”
“Why Tanya?”
“Remember the gray-robed sorcerer who appeared at the White Gate of Aranthia?”
“That creepy guy? I don’t even want to think about him.”
“That sorcerer was Tanya’s mentor.”
Jaymer’s eyebrows raised.
“If that woman’s mentor, he must be an incredible sorcerer. But… hmm, what exactly happened?”
“I’m not confident I can explain it all. He was Tailed, the Grand Master of Lutia, the Lord of the Undying, and the enemy we’ll face. So, the one suffering the most now is Tanya. Can you imagine how hard it must be for her?”
“Is Tanya the type to be bothered by such things? Her appearance might have changed, but her personality is still as cold as ice. She really doesn’t get along with me. Though the scar on her face is quite attractive…”
Kassel took his hand off his forehead and glared at Jaymer.
Jaymer avoided Kassel’s gaze and glared at Rai instead.
“Why don’t you say something? We’re drinking, and you haven’t said a word! It’s boring.”
Rai still didn’t respond. By now, there were over ten beer glasses stacked in front of both Rai and Jaymer.
‘Anyone seeing this would think it was a drinking contest.’
Kassel asked.
“Rai, you said this isn’t your first time in Acrand?”
“A brief, adventure.”
Rai answered stiffly.
“What kind of adventure?”
“Ugeh… I forget the name. Ugeh was my friend. I led him through the Sky Mountains; he guided me here… And then he left me in a tavern like this… and disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
Kassel asked in surprise.
“Disappeared.”
Rai repeated.
“Why… did he leave?”
“Don’t know. Just told me to wait. And then, he never returned.”
The wooden beer mug Rai was holding shattered. Beer foam flowed down his hand. His expression remained stoic, but his gaze was not in the tavern but far away.
“That wasn’t waiting… It was betrayal. Ugeh lied.”
Kassel was surprised by the anger in Rai’s voice.
Jaymer asked indifferently.
“Why did he betray you? Do you know? Any reason?”
“I know. The reason. After he left, strange people… appeared.”
“Strange people?”
“A circus troupe…”
Kassel bit his lip, and Jaymer frowned.
“I think I know the rest.”
Jaymer might not understand. A Lemif returning alone from the Sky Mountains meant something significant.
Kassel nodded awkwardly, then tilted his head as if pondering something before asking.
“When did that happen?”
“About 50 years ago.”
“Rai, do you know the man’s name by any chance?”
“I don’t. I just called him Ugeh. He called me Remi.”
Kassel’s lips trembled slightly.
“Um, Rai, maybe that man… it might not have been a betrayal.”
Rai turned his simmering gaze toward Kassel. Outwardly expressionless, it was clear he was angry. Kassel had taught him how to recognize that emotion back in front of the temple of Nontil.
“Why?”
Kassel hesitated.
‘It’s an uncertain memory. Should I tell Rai?’
Moreover, seeing Rai’s emotions flare up at the mention of betrayal made him hesitant to continue.
Fortunately, Jaymer’s nod interrupted the conversation. A man in black entered through the tavern door. He spotted Kassel, Jaymer, and Rai, and headed straight for their table.
“Kassel, if something happens, don’t move. Just stay put.”
Jaymer spoke without moving his lips.
The man approached and stood by the table, speaking in a low tone.
“Captain Wolf?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Don’t you recognize me?”
Kassel scrutinized the man, then tilted his head. He remembered slightly late.
“Blackfoot!”
The man nodded. Kassel asked in surprise.
“Your name?”
“Balak. Disciple of Themar.”
Kassel immediately recalled the events in Camort.
Balak and other Blackfoot assassins had attempted to kidnap the king, but the White Wolves had stopped them. Kassel, who had volunteered to act as the king’s double and had been kidnapped unconscious, could not welcome him warmly.
Kassel asked, not hiding his discomfort.
“The administrator mentioned there might be bounty hunters targeting me, but I didn’t expect it to be Blackfoot.”
“It’s true there are bounty hunters.”
Balak continued without denying it.
“A week ago, skilled bounty hunters gathered on the outskirts of a city called Anbaldi. They saw the bounty poster targeting you. Did you know?”
“The administrator showed it to me during the day. Was it a thousand gold coins?”
“Yes. Blackfoot obtained information, and some of my subordinates and I went to Anbaldi, posing as hunters. The same black knights who appeared in Camort showed up there.”
Kassel thought for a moment that he had misheard or that Balak was mistaken.
“Were they perhaps knights from Excelon? I mean, with the same armor…”
“Blackfoot was deeply involved in the incident in Camort. There’s no way I wouldn’t know the difference between the two knights. They were definitely the ghost knights of Camort. One of them, with a chilling voice, said they would give a hundred gold coins as an advance payment to anyone who survived there, proving the bounty was real. That knight swept through the gathered bounty hunters in an instant. He was so powerful that I almost died. Even my subordinates who went with me were taken down. The knight calmly counted the twenty survivors and threw two thousand gold coins at them on the spot.”
While Balak spoke, Jaymer and Rai’s gazes shifted over Kassel’s shoulder. Kassel heard footsteps approaching him. Jaymer signaled with his eyes.
‘Don’t turn around.’
Kassel leaned back in his chair, trying to appear relaxed without turning.
“Those twenty are all gathered on the first floor of this inn right now.”
Balak placed his hidden right arm on the table. At first, it looked like a metal wrist guard, but when he pulled a strap on his shoulder with his left hand, four short blades sprang from the back of his hand.
Balak spoke calmly.
“I’ll carve a path for you to escape. The two people in front of you seem skilled enough with their swords to guard the captain…”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
Kassel interrupted Balak. He raised his voice forcefully.
“Do you think someone would place a bounty on Captain Wolf, who is protected by the White Wolves, thinking they could kill him? The intention is so obvious it’s almost laughable.”
Kassel turned his chair and leaned on the armrest. Behind him, burly thugs were already blocking the way like a wall.
“Intention? What intention?”
Jaymer asked, oblivious.
“I’ll explain that later. You hunters, let me tell you one thing, even though you might not be guilty.”
Kassel crossed one leg over the other, resting his elbow on his thigh and his chin on his hand. He spoke slowly and deliberately.
“What if the bounty poster you saw didn’t depict an impostor but the real Captain Wolf?”
“Who knows.”
One of the hunters in the front sneered.
“Even a novice learning the sword knows that the captain of the Wolf Knights is Master Quain. Do we really need to check?”
Balak whispered a warning to Kassel.
“These guys agreed to band together after one of them was killed fighting over a bounty in the other village. They must have a plan.”
Kassel barely acknowledged the warning, tapping his fingers on his chin like he was playing the piano and asked,
“Jaymer. Is ignorance a sin for a hunter?”
Jaymer responded.
“It is. A hunter targeting prey bigger than himself usually gets eaten.”
Kassel continued immediately.
“And there’s no such thing as a Captain Wolf who runs from hunters to save their lives. Jaymer, Rai, show them who guards Captain Wolf.”
Despite Kassel’s boldness, no hunters fled. Rai stood up and walked forward. At that moment, an archer by the door shot an arrow. It split in two against Jaymer’s sword. No one saw him draw it.
The hunters turned pale.
“Is there only one archer among you? Compared to ‘Hawktalon,’ you’re lacking.”
Jaymer drew another sword from his waist and asked Rai,
“Want to borrow one?”
Rai replied,
“There are plenty of swords here.”
Something moved under his robe. The hunters flinched.
“If the black knight who hired you is so great, why didn’t he come himself instead of hiring you?”
Kassel smirked at them, still leaning on his hand.
☆ ☆ ☆
Heder tried to position herself in front of Tanya on the stairs.
‘Such a good girl, trying to protect me.’
Tanya descended the stairs without hesitation, despite the sounds of chaos below. Heder reached out, startled.
“I should lead…”
Before Heder finished speaking, a man flew through the air toward Tanya. She had just stepped onto the first floor. Rai had grabbed one of the fleeing men by the neck and tossed him towards the stairs.
‘Not intentional, but how convenient?’
Tanya redirected the man’s flight towards the window with her staff. He crashed headfirst into the wooden window frame and hung there.
The fight was nearly over. Over ten hunters lay on the floor, five of them seemingly dead. The other ten stood in a hesitant stance, neither attacking nor fleeing.
They turned their swords toward Tanya and Heder as they appeared. Tanya waved her staff left and right. Three hunters on the left flew into the wall, while two on the right crashed through another window and fell outside.
The remaining half-dozen hunters lost their will to fight and ran away.
‘Looks like my magic was the final blow. I’m glad I didn’t have to kill them.’
“Let them go. It’s good to have a few to spread the word.”
Kassel stopped Jaymer from pursuing them.
He addressed Tanya, who stood by the stairs.
“Did the noise wake you?”
“No. This person informed me that something was happening downstairs, so I came down. I’m a bit late.”
The first floor was covered in blood, and the surviving hunters were crawling toward the exit, groaning.
Heder approached Kassel.
“Long time no see. Your name was… Heder, right?”
“Yes. I’m glad to see you’re safe, Captain Wolf.”
“Luckily, yes. Did Blackfoot move their base to Carnelock?”
“We temporarily relocated due to bad news. But we no longer undertake assassination missions.”
“Then you can handle ‘other matters.’ Do you know who hired these hunters?”
“We are currently investigating.”
“Can you inform me once the investigation is complete?”
“That’s why I came.”
Heder nodded immediately.
‘I’ve heard about the events in Camort a few times, but I must have missed the details about Blackfoot. From what I’ve heard, it’s hard to believe Kassel and Blackfoot would have such a smooth relationship.’
“We’re leaving for Loch tomorrow morning. If you find out anything later, come find us there.”
“I will.”
“Innkeeper.”
The owner, who had been hiding behind the bar, poked his head out and responded.
“Y-yes?”
“Do I need to pay for the repairs here?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Then I’ll go rest. When the sun rises, inform the village administrator of what you saw here.”
Kassel spoke in a low tone and went up the stairs.
Jaymer and Rai returned to their seats. Jaymer asked,
“Want to drink more?”
“Not in the mood.”
“When you’re not in the mood to drink, you say, ‘I’m not in the mood to drink.'”
“Not in the mood to drink.”
“Good job!”
Jaymer praised Rai and then shouted to the owner for more beer.
‘What an impressive sight. Jaymer teaching someone to speak.’
Tanya thought to herself.
☆ ☆ ☆
Heder left the tavern with Balak. Just before stepping out, she turned to see Tanya watching them quietly. She nodded slightly to Tanya and closed the door.
“What’s going on?”
Heder asked as soon as they stepped outside. The hunters thrown out of the tavern were still groaning and unable to get up.
Balak removed the Katar strapped to his wrist and replied,
“As you saw. I brought twenty members in case of an emergency, but those two resolved everything before I had a chance to act.”
Heder inspected his Katar. There wasn’t a drop of blood on the blades.
Balak looked back at the tavern and said,
“When I heard they came down from the Sky Mountains without the White Wolves, I was very worried. But seeing this, I’m reassured.”
“Good. Now we can focus on gathering information.”
“By the way, aren’t you going to ask about Themar?”
“In the commotion, I forgot to ask the most important question. I’ll ask later. We’ll meet again.”
Heder ran her hand through her hair and continued,
“Did you notice? Kassel has become a completely different person in just two months.”
“At least enough for us to follow.”
At some point, the hunters who had run away earlier were back, brandishing swords. One of them spoke.
“Quietly follow us. We know you’re with the ones inside!”
Balak placed his hand on his waist and glared at them, while Heder responded.
“Taking us hostage?”
She laughed weakly.
“Look around before you say that.”
Suddenly, knives were at the throats of the five hunters. Twenty masked Blackfoot agents surrounded them. From a distance, it still looked like just the five hunters, Heder, and Balak standing in the darkness.
“Don’t kill them. We need some to spread the word.”
The assassins disappeared as silently as they had appeared. The hunters, terrified, dropped their swords.
Heder turned to leave but then spoke.
“Captain Wolf is someone who can’t be killed even if all our top agents tried. Spread that rumor. And if you attempt to poison him, tell them Blackfoot will retaliate with an even deadlier poison.”
They let the hunters flee and left the village. The agents hidden in the darkness followed them out of the village.
☆ ☆ ☆
Kassel stood by the hallway window, watching the Blackfoot agents leave the village.
“An unexpected ally.”
Tanya approached and stood by Kassel, looking out the window with him.
“Indeed, quite unexpected.”
“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”
Tanya asked.
Kassel noticed that despite her changed appearance, her eyes remained the same. So, when he spoke, he looked into her eyes, which made it easier to treat her as before.
“My stomach… I’m still not used to pretending I’m unaffected by seeing blood. Should I be thankful that my senses haven’t dulled? It’s hard to say. But then again, with nearly ten corpses down there, I feel like I could lie down and fall asleep right now. Maybe that means I’ve already dulled enough…”
“Don’t stop worrying about it. People like me or Jaymer should be the only ones desensitized. You don’t need to be so detached.”
“Aren’t I the one who should be the most detached?”
Tanya slowly moved away from the window. Kassel thought she was leaving again and turned his gaze back outside.
Moments later, Tanya’s arm wrapped around his neck. Kassel instinctively held his breath as her warm chest pressed against his back. She rested her cheek against his.
“No matter how many sacrifices or deaths lie ahead, we mustn’t be defeated by them. The moment we become desensitized to death, we become no different from our enemies.”
Tanya’s voice tickled his ear.
“Feel the guilt. Fear death. You must bear all that burden. And I’ll always be by your side on that path.”
“I’m sorry, Tanya. I’ve been so caught up in my own thoughts that I haven’t had the chance to comfort you.”
“That’s my line. We haven’t spent enough time together to feel truly at ease with each other…”
She started to say something more but then gave up.
“Never mind. Just stay here.”
Kassel also cherished the moment of being close to her and didn’t move.
“Tanya.”
Kassel tightly gripped her hand that was around his neck.
“Yes, Kassel.”
“Don’t lose to anyone.”
Tanya smiled softly.
“You said that in Master Knadil’s cave too.”
Tanya kissed Kassel and continued.
“I won’t lose. To anyone.”
Kassel was surprised at how unsurprised he was and smiled. Then he kissed her first this time. The second kiss was longer than the first.
They stood by the window, leaning on each other’s warmth for a long time. However, both were gripped by an inexplicable sense of unease, unable to continue the conversation any further.
–TL Notes–
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