The Tower of Blessing had collapsed, and Ka-Guanil was trampling Le-Ganel.
Guanil’s roar burned the soldiers of Rock.
No one could stop Guanil’s power.
Tanya was lying collapsed at the top of Arok’s Tower. She spoke with a dying voice:
‘You’re too late, Kassel.’
Rock’s walls had also crumbled.
In front of the fallen walls, a magician in a gray robe pushed back the hood covering his face. An evil smile appeared on his face that looked so serene.
“I have won, successor of Sanadiel. Did you think a worthless human like you could stop me with just a sword forged by a human blacksmith’s hammer in cold flames?”
His voice echoed, overlapping as if one person was speaking but also a hundred at once.
“Come and see. Do you think you can reverse the collapsing flow by bringing less than a hundred knights from Aranthia?”
Kassel couldn’t reply. No, he spoke, but each word turned to ice and fell to the ground.
“Freeze to death there. Be eaten by the ghosts of the Sky Mountains. If you die by my hand, you won’t even find peace! Rather, being devoured by the ancient ghosts who hate Worg would be peace for you.”
Kassel clutched his throat and vomited blood.
The magician laughed.
“There is nothing for you to do.”
Kassel was caught in the cold darkness enveloping his body.
‘Is this a demon’s curse, or my imagination?’
Kassel couldn’t distinguish. Either way, he couldn’t resist. He was about to allow death in the face of the approaching darkness, if another darkness hadn’t protected him.
A large hand covered in cold armor drove away the darkness and said:
“Have you still not overcome your fear?”
The knight in black armor was Welch.
“Don’t be afraid. If you were truly a worthless human, the Lord of the Undying wouldn’t have stepped in. He wouldn’t have bothered to try to plant hallucinations in you, and he wouldn’t have bothered to cross the Sky Mountains to show you terror.”
Now Welch no longer looked like a knight in black armor, but a living human. He nodded with a trustworthy face and held out his hand.
“He too fears you.”
Kassel grasped Welch’s hand with his blood-stained one.
“Do I really have the qualifications to be Captain?”
The great knight who had knelt before Sanadiel smiled with wrinkled eyes and said:
“Don’t you already know that answer? I don’t discuss Captain qualifications with those who aren’t Captains.”
☆ ☆ ☆
“…Captain Welch.”
Kassel came to his senses saying those words. But his frozen body still couldn’t move.
Something warm was wrapped around his side. Kassel instinctively hugged it tightly. The furry thing felt even warmer because it was terribly cold all around.
Something warm and moist licked Kassel’s face.
“It’s you. Thank goodness. You’re alive.”
Kassel spoke, parting his frozen lips.
Venon licked his face a few more times, then sniffed and brought his nose close. Hot breath touched the frozen face. Perhaps because there was no wind, it was warmer than outside even though it was all ice around.
“Let’s stay like this for a moment.”
His will tried to raise his body, but his flesh pulled his will back down. Kassel hugged Venon for a long time, waiting for warmth to return.
He looked around but couldn’t see anything. He didn’t know where he had fallen. Judging by the wind sound like animal cries, it seemed another blizzard was raging outside.
“Are you hurt? If at least you’re not injured, we can keep going.”
Feeling around, his legs were still there. He had thought they were cut off when he fell earlier because there was no sensation at all. But the stiff, hardened feeling was like touching someone else’s legs. Kassel massaged his legs vigorously. Only after rubbing them until his arms ached did sensation return.
Kassel put his hand under Venon’s belly. His gloves were in the way, so he took them off while keeping his hand under the belly. The beast didn’t reject his cold hands, seeming used to the cold.
“Where should we go? Do you know where to go? Where is this place? We fell down a cliff, so you probably can’t get your bearings either, but you must know better than me, right? Ah, if only we could communicate, I have so many things I want to ask you.”
Right now, he just wanted to sleep a bit more. Then, almost unconsciously, he groped around for something that should be there. It wasn’t at his waist. It wasn’t on the ground.
He had lost his treasured sword!
Kassel frantically felt around. His hands were so frozen he couldn’t tell if the ground was ice, rock, or dirt. He couldn’t see anything in the darkness either.
‘Stay calm. There’s a glowing jewel on the hilt. It should be more visible in this darkness.’
Kassel slowly turned his head, focusing to see even the faintest light. But there was no light. It must have fallen somewhere else. Thinking it wouldn’t be buried deep even if covered in snow since this place didn’t accumulate snow, Kassel groped around. But all he felt was soft snow. He grew increasingly anxious, and eventually searched desperately, plunging his hands into the snow.
His hands felt like they were about to crack. He belatedly realized he had been digging through the snow with bare hands, having taken off his gloves in his haste.
Kassel crawled back to where he could hear Venon’s breathing. He reached under Venon’s belly where he was crouched and searched for his gloves. Warm blood flowed back into his frozen hands. As he found the gloves, he felt something hard underneath.
The treasured sword was there. The scabbard was there too.
Kassel carefully pulled out the sword so as not to hurt Venon’s belly. Looking at the faint light of the jewel embedded in the hilt, he laughed helplessly. This clever beast must have thought the sword was precious to Kassel and kept it in what it considered the safest place. Or perhaps it had lain down next to Kassel for warmth, and that happened to be where the sword had fallen.
‘Without you, I too would be nothing, right?’
The relief of finding the sword made him drowsy again. Fatigue pulled at his body and languor tempted him. Kassel gripped the blade tightly. A stinging pain transmitted through his frozen hand.
“I am Captain Wolf.”
Kassel closed his eyes and felt the hot blood flowing from his cut palm to his forearm. It was the same when he first met the White Wolves in Camort and entered Normant, and now trapped in the snow-covered mountains of the Sky Mountains.
“Even if someone says I’m not, I am in the process of becoming.”
Kassel put his gloves back on and struggled to mount Venon’s back. Venon, who had been lying down, immediately stood up when Kassel climbed onto the saddle and hugged his neck. It was still dark around, and Kassel could barely see anything. The small light from the hilt didn’t even reveal the ceiling.
‘Is this a continuous valley like the Hapu? Or just a cave?’
There was no way to know the structure of where he had fallen. All he could do was keep his body as low as possible to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling.
Venon moved back and forth as if checking that Kassel wouldn’t fall off, then walked slowly. Kassel expected Venon to climb up the ice crevice they had fallen through earlier, so he gripped the neck more tightly. Recalling the memory of falling, the slope had been quite steep, so it might be difficult for Venon to climb up carrying him. But strangely, Venon was going straight. He went up and down slightly, but didn’t climb any steep slopes.
“Where are you going? Are you perhaps so clever that you’re taking me somewhere warm? That won’t do. We need to get out of here.”
Though he said that, all he could do now was cling on as Venon went.
Venon continued walking through the underground. Kassel cautiously stretched his hand to the side. His fingertips touched a wall. He flinched and pulled his hand back.
It was rock. He stretched out his hand again just in case, and touched rock again. It wasn’t ice.
‘We’re going through a cave, not an ice crevice. Does he know the way, or is he just going because there’s an opening?’
He had to believe and wait, trusting that the beast familiar with mountains instinctively knew the way out. Kassel dozed off on Venon’s slowly swaying back and eventually fell asleep. During that time, he didn’t realize that his treasured sword had started glowing.
When he woke up again from the swaying, Kassel heard a strange sound.
It was the sound of someone whispering. A deep but indistinct voice…
The sound echoed off the walls, as if surrounding Kassel in a meeting. He held his breath for a moment and just rolled his eyes to the side. The faint light from the jewel only illuminated about an arm’s length away.
Venon wasn’t moving either. Kassel carefully placed his hand on Venon’s back. The beast that hadn’t flinched even in that cold was now trembling faintly. Its breathing grew increasingly rough, and it kept putting its foot forward anxiously then pulling back.
Kassel looked around with wide open eyes.
“We’re not alone here.”
Kassel carefully moved his hand to his waist to draw his sword. Then something hard touched his forearm. He felt an icy coldness as if the flesh would fall off where it touched.
Kassel hurriedly pulled his arm away. At that moment, someone’s arm was briefly visible in the jewel’s light.
The fingers were long like tree branches and the forearm was thin like bamboo. The arm was covered in white scales that looked like they were made of ice, and long and short spines protruded threateningly between the scales. While Kassel hesitated for a moment, that hand quietly pulled at the treasured sword at his waist.
Startled, Kassel quickly grabbed the hilt of the treasured sword. Then that strange creature shoved his chest hard. He rolled off Venon’s back. Unable to endure the fear, Venon neighed like a horse and leapt in place.
‘What is it?’
Though invisible, something was clearly there. He couldn’t tell if it was a living being or a dead one, if it was one or two or many.
Kassel dragged his bottom backwards. His back touched a cold rock wall. Kassel felt for the sword at his waist. But it wasn’t there. The light of the treasured sword wasn’t visible either.
‘The sword was taken.’
“Who are you?”
Kassel wanted to shout louder and more threateningly. But the sound that escaped his frozen throat was small and frightened. From somewhere invisible, something hard and huge flew in and shoved Kassel once more.
Kassel helplessly hit the back of his head against the wall. Then a hard hand grabbed his neck and lifted him up. Without a chance to resist, he was dragged up along the wall.
Kassel grabbed the other’s forearm with both hands. It was an arm like hard ice.
‘It’s that hand that took the treasured sword.’
It wasn’t a branch made of ice, much less an icicle. Though invisible, he could tell. It even spoke.
“Dru riai az zred.”
Whether it felt that way or was actually that way, Kassel was pulled up to a very high place and stopped. His upper and lower teeth chattered from cold and fear.
“Gvisu… ku gvisu.”
An incomprehensible voice flowed softly into his ears. Though it gripped his neck, it surprisingly didn’t hurt. Rather, it led Kassel to sleep like a lullaby.
If it weren’t for the noisy voice disturbing his sleep afterwards, he might have fallen asleep while hanging on the wall.
‘Rise, successor of Nadiel! And come to me.’
Kassel wanted to laugh at that commanding voice. What on earth was he supposed to do while caught like this?
‘Do not stop your steps, captured by a worthless beast whose very soul has frozen. Do not hold yourself back with the fear you’ve created. Come to me as you first came to me.’
Kassel opened his eyes. He was still leaning his back against the wall. But he wasn’t floating in the air, he was sitting on the ground. Nothing was gripping his neck either.
‘Did I see an illusion?’
Kassel repeatedly clenched and unclenched his gloved hand.
‘No. The feeling remains. I was gripping an arm made of ice.’
Venon’s frightened footsteps echoed inside the narrow cave. He was close by, but not visible.
Only the faint light of the treasured sword was visible in the darkness. It was lying quietly about twenty paces away.
‘It seems the ghost-like monster didn’t take it after all. I simply dropped it. Strange. I was sure it had been taken…’
Kassel staggered towards the treasured sword.
Once again, something blocked that path. Passing through its transparent body, the light of the treasured sword looked distorted. Kassel slowly raised his gaze upward, looking at that strange being whose form was barely visible.
This time it was neither hallucination nor misperception. A white ice statue with a snake-like long neck and a horse-like long head was looking down at Kassel.
Its long head slowly lowered towards Kassel.
Kassel grabbed that approaching head.
“Step back.”
At some point, Kassel was speaking in an ancient language, not human language. It was Kassel’s voice and at the same time Ztokh Worg’s voice.
“If you were defeated by me and driven here, don’t linger and keep your body crouched here. I am a being like the High Lord of dragons and one who serves the queen of humans.”
That transparent head stopped above Kassel’s head. White cold air poured down from its slightly opened mouth.
It spoke in the ancient language. Kassel could now understand all its words.
“High Lord of dragons? What of it?”
Kassel’s hand touching the ice statue began to freeze. It froze his wrist, froze his forearm, froze his shoulder, and even froze his breath. The cold air covering his head froze his hair stiff, froze his face, and numbed his eyes.
Kassel could now clearly see the monster that had appeared faint and transparent until now.
“I am Nurai.”
It was a huge bird spreading its wings atop a snow-covered mountain peak in the Sky Mountains.
“Even dragons are merely my prey! I am the god who rules over everything in the Sky Mountains.”
Dragon-like arms were attached to its wings, and scales like armor sprouted on its neck instead of feathers. Its beak was like an eagle’s and its tail was long like a snake’s. The tremendous cry bursting from the bird’s mouth caused earthquakes in all nearby mountains, and avalanches occurred, swallowing forests.
It seemed to be declaring itself the master of the Sky Mountains.
Beneath the bird’s talons were impaled corpses of shredded Lemifs. Pieces of Lemif flesh hung raggedly from its beak. Even the dragons trying to protect the Lemifs resisted pitifully like herbivores caught by predators.
An intimidating pressure that could only be seen from Knadil or Goddess Nadil pressed down on Kassel. It felt like he would die unable to breathe like this.
The voice that had woken Kassel earlier rang out loudly. Its voice swallowed Nurai’s voice.
“Raise your head!”
Just then, a white animal running on the snow bit the huge bird’s nape. The bird resisted, digging the forelegs attached to its wings into the white beast’s body. Its claws tore the white furry beast’s back and made holes in its belly.
Mountains collapsed and hundreds of trees that had grown for hundreds of years broke from the fight between the two huge beasts. One huge rocky mountain crumbled and finally the monstrous bird died with its neck broken. Overflowing blood stained the rocky mountain.
The white beast, covered in blood, trudged down the mountain. The bird’s chicks came down from the sky to attack as if seeking revenge. That beast, which resisted to the end while going down to the forest, finally fainted and collapsed in the grassland at the foot of the mountain.
The birds of the Sky Mountains chased it down to the foot of the mountains and gathered around the dying beast. Their flapping wings as they gathered looked like a flock of crows gathered beside a corpse.
A girl rushed in there and cut the bird’s beak with a sword. It was a woman with fluttering brown hair braided behind. She kept swinging her sword among the birds. The birds resisted, swinging their beaks and claws, but got scared and ran away after two of their companions died. That woman collapsed beside the white beast, severely wounded.
That beast pulled the woman who had saved it into its arms and licked her wounds.
‘I’ll protect this place. You protect the Sky Mountains. I’ll create my knight order in your name. I’ll make everything in this city given by the goddess for you, and I’ll always wait for you.’
She embraced that beast and said.
‘I’ll call the greatest knight of my knight order the White Wolf after your appearance. I’ll be the first one. Praising your teeth that bit Nurai to death, I’ll also call my sword your teeth.’
Decades passed and that white-furred beast died deep in the mountains of the Sky Mountains. Its body became one with the rocks and changed into a small black rock over hundreds of years.
A robed magician appeared in front of that rock.
‘So this is where you were, White Wolf of Sanadiel, another guardian of the Sky Mountains. I am Tailed, Grand Master of Lutia.’
His smiling face was as bright as a child’s.
‘Let’s go together. Soon there will be a battle that will need your strength.’
The next thing shown was Lergo, the blacksmith of Aranthia. He asked Queen Sanadiel.
‘What should I make?’
‘A treasured sword.’
‘What kind of treasured sword?’
‘Aranthia’s treasured sword.’
Lergo showed a dumbfounded expression, and Sanadiel and Tailed just laughed.
The next moment, a young Quain was holding the treasured sword and shouting loudly.
‘For the Queen of Aranthia.’
And then Loyal appeared. Loyal was nodding off sitting in a tavern of defeated soldiers. But unlike what was heard, he never let go of the sword he was holding.
Suddenly, the voice that had roared at Nurai and shouted at Kassel to raise his head spoke to Loyal.
‘Hoiromo.’
That voice now sounded as clear to Kassel as human language.
‘Let me go.’
Loyal mumbled something like sleep-talking. It seemed he was saying no.
The voice commanded again. No, it pleaded.
‘Jumotiya jaiwa bodwipeu du uwi. Hoiromo.’
‘I will return to you someday, so let me go.’
The strength left Loyal’s hand, which had been gripping the sword so tightly that even a pickpocket determined to steal it secretly couldn’t have taken it away.
The treasured sword fell to the dirty tavern floor with a thud. And a lucky vagrant picked it up stealthily.
Next, Kassel saw himself. He was dozing in a secluded alley in a village of defeated soldiers, dressed as a shabby minstrel.
Once again, the same voice rang out. He could now understand that voice he couldn’t understand then.
‘Kumu. Aipeuteu jodeu mo.’
‘Come. And pick me up.’
The next moment, Kassel was shouting at the Black Lion Count who had become a demon, controlled by the Lord of the Undying:
‘I am Kassel Wolf, Captain of the White Wolves!’
Captain Welch was running towards the White Gate. Kassel shouted:
‘Keep your promise, Black!’
Tanya was behind him, and above her, Kagua was looking down and roaring.
‘Step back. Abandon your evil will before the power of Aranthia.’
And blocking the way in front was that huge bird of the Sky Mountains, transparent like ice, glaring at Kassel with only its soul remaining.
The soul of ‘Worg’ was present in all those moments, watching Kassel’s actions.
‘Sipeu yuwi jumopu?’
‘Can you see me now?’
The same voice was heard again.
Kassel could now answer.
“I see you, soul of Worg.”
Kassel stared directly at Nuraipedum, the demon of the Sky Mountains that had died by Worg’s hand a thousand years ago. It no longer appeared as a chunk of ice, nor as a translucent ghost. It was the form of a carnivorous bird looking down at its prey from the sky.
“Even if you are an ancient evil spirit and the master ruling this place, you cannot be an exception, Nurai.”
Kassel tightly clenched his frozen hand that was against the head of the enormous being.
“Only the White Wolf can survive seeing the White Wolf’s teeth.”
Sharp ice crystals shattered in Kassel’s hand. Among the ice shards falling to the ground, the agonizing scream of an unidentifiable animal echoed. At the same time, the entire cave shook.
The ghost disappeared.
Kassel staggered over and grasped the fallen treasured sword. The jewel on the hilt was still emitting only a faint light, and there was no change to the blade.
“So it wasn’t because you were Nadiuren’s token that I could find the way. The entire Sky Mountains was your domain. Isn’t that right?”
Kassel spoke with a gentle smile as he sheathed the sword.
Though it was dark, he could see everything around him. He could see the ceiling cracking and the walls splitting. In the distance, he could see Venon pacing anxiously, not knowing what to do. Kassel staggered towards Venon, unable to walk properly due to the intense vibrations of the ground.
“There’s nothing to fear.”
Kassel said, stroking Venon’s face.
“It was just a ghost that only knew how to scare. And now it’s gone.”
He mounted Venon’s back. Then he gripped the reins firmly and turned Venon’s head. Kassel calmed the beast with decisive action rather than words it couldn’t understand or unnecessary comfort.
“Let’s go. I’ll guide the way now.”
Venon began running at full speed inside the cave that was starting to collapse. For a moment he could see ahead, then pitch-black darkness obscured the view again. But Kassel could see which direction they were going.
The magic of the Sky Mountains could no longer hinder Kassel.
Venon broke through the snow-blocked cave entrance with his head and escaped outside. Upon landing on the ground, another snow-covered mountainside appeared. Snow was still falling, but not heavily. The clouds were so thick it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
Kassel had completely lost his sense of time since entering the Sky Mountains.
“Come this way.”
A woman’s voice was heard right by his ear. It was a warm voice that melted his frozen heart. It didn’t seem like a trap. Now Kassel could tell which voices were genuinely for his benefit and which were fake voices trying to harm him.
Kassel turned slightly from his original direction and headed that way.
Venon ran down the mountain with light steps on the snow-covered ground that sank beneath. The clouds gradually cleared. The snowy ground ended and grass appeared again, soon followed by trees.
Venon’s running speed gradually increased. But Kassel pulled the reins to stop at the moment of greatest speed. At the edge of the forest, two Lemifs of the Zvi tribe were standing in the bright moonlight. One was a large male Lemif, and the other was a frail female Lemif barely standing while leaning on his shoulder. Though her eyes were closed, she smiled as if knowing Kassel had appeared.
Kassel leapt down from Venon and greeted her.
“I’ve come led by your call, Sinabia.”
The person beside Sinabia was Pankentin, the leader of Larden. Pankentin greeted first, followed by Sinabia speaking:
“You can see the paths of the Sky Mountains now.”
“I can.”
“A long-lost soul has regained its memories. He will guide you, and you must guide him.”
“How far have I come?”
Sinabia pointed north.
“That direction, in terms of human countries, is the border between Aranthia and Carnelock. And to the south is the Hapu.”
Kassel felt his heart sink. He had only come halfway. And now it was nearing dawn after passing through the night. How much time had passed? What was the situation in Rock now?
“Sinabia, is Rock safe now? How much can you see with your insight?”
Kassel asked hastily.
Sinabia tilted her head with closed eyes.
“My vision isn’t broad enough to see all the battles beyond the Sky Mountains. I’m sorry, Kassel. But I can see one of your friends. Jaymer…”
Kassel’s heart trembled with longing just hearing his name.
“Now many knights are kneeling before him. Le-Ganel Landor is personally protecting them. The light of dawn is enveloping those two. I can’t see beyond that.”
Kassel was too afraid to ask about Tanya. Fortunately or unfortunately, Sinabia couldn’t tell him about her.
“And the person you most want to know about is in an area I can’t penetrate.”
“Is she alive?”
“She is alive.”
That was enough to know. The problem was still time. Even if Carnelock was safe now, if night came again, they wouldn’t be able to withstand another fierce battle. As he was worrying about this, Sinabia spoke as if reading his mind exactly:
“To help you a little, I’ve led the Ugehs you need to meet this way.”
“Them, this way?”
“Fortunately, there was someone with a strong mind who accepted my call while being cautious. Sheyden, you know him?”
“Is he here?”
Kassel asked in surprise.
Sinabia pointed north again.
“Go straight up that way. At the end are the Ugehs you’re looking for.”
Kassel asked in a tense voice:
“Are you really Sinabia?”
“Why do you suddenly say that?”
“Both Princess Sermei of Larunton and you of Larden, everyone is helping me precisely at the most appropriate moments. Even when I was confused by the demon’s voice, you two entered into the hallucination and guided me here. How can I not be suspicious?”
“It’s neither coincidence nor a demon’s plot. Everything is the result you’ve drawn out. You led me with all your heart, persuaded me, and saved us. It must have been the same with Princess Sermei. It’s to return what you’ve given.”
Sinabia continued with a smile:
“Kassel, if you can’t believe in yourself, believe in what you’ve done.”
“Thank you.”
Kassel bowed deeply in gratitude. Sinabia raised her slender hand and pointed to one side of the forest.
“It’s this direction. Don’t be late, Kassel.”
Kassel hurriedly mounted Venon and was about to run, but stopped.
“If you know anything about Rai…”
“He has finished his gider. Now what you need to do is pray for his peace. We will come to take his soul.”
Kassel clenched his jaw so hard his molars might crack, trying to hold back tears.
“I will do so, Sinabia.”
“Now, it’s late. Find your lost time.”
Sinabia smiled gently and sprinkled yellow powder from her hand. Kassel guided Venon along the faint path created by that powder. Looking back, Sinabia and Pankentin were waving goodbye. Kassel also raised his hand in farewell.
As Kassel gripped the reins again, Venon increased his speed. The light from the treasured sword that had been faintly glowing since the cave was gradually growing stronger. But Kassel was so preoccupied thinking about Rai’s death that he didn’t even notice the light getting stronger. He just thought the surroundings were naturally brightening as morning approached.
Venon ran through the forests and mountains of the Sky Mountains at a ferocious speed that might have made even himself hesitate in surprise.
Soon they emerged from the forest.
‘How long did it take? Did we run properly in the direction Sinabia pointed? I couldn’t check from the middle. What if we went the wrong way?’
Kassel hastily looked around. But there was no need to panic. Kassel had arrived exactly where he wanted to be.
It was a campsite with several bonfires, and familiar faces were in front of the fires.
It was the Wolf Knight Order.
☆ ☆ ☆
Vunataidol Wolf had hated ghosts since childhood. His mother, trying to build up the courage of her big but timid son, made him go to the cemetery at night to bring back flowers stuck in his grandfather’s grave. Of course, with the threat that if he couldn’t do it, she would reveal to his future daughter-in-law that he wet the bed at age nine!
Twelve-year-old Vunataidol went to the cemetery crying. He covered his ears and ran with all his might, finally grabbing the flower. At that moment, as if it had been waiting, a black object suddenly sprang out from behind the cemetery.
Vunataidol screamed and fell down. He cried loudly, even wetting himself. What had jumped out from behind the grave was an old wolf that had recently been wandering around the area eating only young children.
Vunataidol shouted at the wolf approaching him, panting and drooling:
“You’re not even a ghost, why are you scaring me, you damn bastard!”
Twelve-year-old Vunataidol beat the wolf with his bare hands and kicked it, breaking its neck. Then instead of the mangled flowers, he brought the wolf’s corpse as evidence. His mother fainted upon seeing it and never teased her son again.
Even as an adult, Vunataidol hated ghosts terribly. Even after joining the Wolf Knight Order, he would panic and run away if something rustled in the dark for no reason. Sheyden evaluated him as “a guy who’s invincible only from sunrise to sunset.”
No one denied it. Not even himself.
The Wolf Knight Order, having passed through the Blue Gate and moved to the border area between Aranthia and Carnelock, spent a night there. Vunataidol, who was already nervous enough spending a night without a roof, didn’t like preparing to depart before sunrise. Moreover, Sheyden moved the knight order close to the Sky Mountains for a strange reason. Even though he knew it would delay them more.
‘High Lord Talrund said a fairy appeared in his dream and instructed so. I didn’t believe it, but then I had the same dream. It’s suspicious, but not something we can’t follow.’
‘Wasn’t it a ghost rather than a fairy?’
Everyone ignored Vunataidol’s somewhat serious question.
He hurriedly put on his clothes and went towards the mountain to urinate. Since he couldn’t come alone at night to relieve himself and had held it in, the stream of urine continued for a long time.
There was a rustling sound in front. He held his breath. Though the sound of water dropping had stopped, the sound of stepping on fallen leaves was getting closer. Thinking “no way,” he watched the darkness of the forest, and something was really coming. Its form was clear! It was the most definite ghost-like appearance since the wolf incident when he was twelve.
“Aack!”
Vunataidol ran back, forgetting even to button his pants.
“A ghost! A ghost is coming down from the Sky Mountains.”
Coincidentally, the first person to run out after hearing Vunataidol’s words was Sildire, who had been packing his belongings. Sildire turned her head upon seeing what was sticking out of his pants. Among the few Wolves who came running at his voice, Malra shouted seeing that sight.
“Hey! Why are you showing the worst sight to the only child among us who has maintained purity?”
Vunataidol was at a loss, belatedly buttoning up while still flustered.
“That’s not the issue right now. I’m telling you a ghost appeared from the Sky Mountains! This time it’s real.”
“Look, I told you to just cut it with your sword if a real ghost appears. The sword made by Lergo can do such things, right? Damn, I really can’t tell if you know the Excel knights we fought in front of the White Gate were ghosts when you say that.”
“Is that the same thing?”
Leaving the two to argue, Sheyden approached. He narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction Vunataidol had pointed out where the ghost appeared.
“It’s real.”
Sheyden said.
Everyone turned serious and belatedly looked that way.
“Really?”
“Real? Where, where?”
Vunataidol was annoyed at his comrades who didn’t believe him but believed Sheyden. Franz, still half-asleep, asked with eyes half-open:
“Isn’t that a wolf?”
“No. It’s different. And someone is riding on it.”
“A fairy?”
Franz spoke as if fairies were people living in the next town.
Vunataidol’s heart raced more and more. Sheyden explained:
“The fairies of the Sky Mountains are called Lemifs. Since this is near the Sky Mountains, it might be that. Let’s go check it out.”
As Sheyden walked, Vunataidol spoke first:
“I’m absolutely not going.”
For some reason, Sildire punched him in the abdomen. It was the first time he fell to a woman’s fist since holding a sword. When he fell against Azwin and Malra, it was from being hit with wooden swords.
In the darkness, there really was someone riding an unidentified animal, slowly and unsteadily approaching this way.
Sheyden prepared to draw his sword and gave Franz a hand signal.
‘We go together. The rest stand by.’
The Wolves stopped in place with tense faces. The two walked a bit further forward. As that person slowly approached and revealed his face in the moonlight, Sheyden couldn’t hide his surprise.
It was Kassel.
“Kassel?”
The animal Kassel was riding was something neither Sheyden nor Franz had seen before. It looked fierce, but its panting tongue resembled a friendly dog or wolf. Kassel barely stabilized his swaying body and slowly looked at Sheyden and Franz. After a long while, he spoke:
“Ah, it’s Sheyden. Franz is here too. Is everyone here?”
Franz, whose sleepiness had already fled, replied with wide eyes:
“Everyone’s here.”
Suvel, who approached out of curiosity, pushing past the other Wolves, said loudly:
“It’s Kassel.”
The Wolves waiting behind rushed over.
Kassel also had surprised eyes.
“Suvel? How are you here?”
“Somehow ended up paired with Billy, feeling like being sold off for unpaid debts…”
Suvel tried to continue jokingly but failed. Seeing Kassel’s gloomy appearance, he just couldn’t joke.
“We were all on our way to Carnelock. How are you here?”
Sheyden asked.
“So Sinabia really helped. That’s a relief.”
As if not hearing Sheyden’s question, Kassel just spoke his own words with a faint smile.
His pale smile somehow frightened Franz. Vunataidol’s ranting about a ghost appearing didn’t seem entirely nonsense.
The other Wolves who approached with welcoming faces also hesitated for some reason.
“Are you ready to depart?”
Kassel asked abruptly.
“We were just about to leave. It’s still four more days to Rock.”
Sheyden answered.
“Then follow me. There’s a shortcut.”
“A shortcut?”
Kassel had already turned towards the Sky Mountains. Franz said in surprise:
“Are you saying we should go into the Sky Mountains? Are you crazy?”
Kassel spoke in a tired voice:
“Um, am I still your Captain?”
“W-well, yes, but…”
“Then follow me.”
Even Sheyden hesitated.
“The shortest path to Rock is east. Not south.”
“Sheyden, trust me.”
With those words, Kassel closed his mouth.
Sheyden hesitated, then shouted to those behind:
“Friends. You heard the Captain’s order?”
Everyone just murmured. Sheyden spoke forcefully:
“Get on your horses. We’re leaving now.”
“You should give us time to greet him.”
Sildire spoke bluntly. She had focused too much on training over the past month and ended up with a large scar on her face. Though it would be a scar that wouldn’t fade for life, she didn’t mind. Franz, who had unintentionally injured her during training, was more distressed.
When Sheyden asked why she trained so hard, she answered, ‘I want to look like a proper Wolf knight when Kassel returns.’ So this adolescent girl would be the one most glad to see Kassel’s return.
“We’ll greet him as we go. We need to head to the Sky Mountains now.”
Sheyden said.
Alex, the oldest among the active Wolf knights, whispered to Sheyden:
“Is the Captain in his right mind now? Saying we should go to the Sky Mountains?”
“It’s the Captain’s order.”
“Are we going to die just because it’s an order?”
“Kassel isn’t the type to throw his subordinates into a path of death and watch from behind. You know that.”
Sheyden turned and said to Kassel:
“Wait a moment. We’ll prepare to leave right away.”
Sheyden returned to the campsite and packed the luggage and horses. Since they were about to depart anyway, it didn’t take long to prepare. But everyone was doubtful. Even the Wolves who appeared late after hearing the news were shocked to hear they were going to the Sky Mountains.
“No way. This is crazy.”
“They said no one can find their way once they enter the Sky Mountains.”
“We can’t even climb the hill behind without Master’s Vena Silk.”
“That’s right. Plus, Master said it’s too much to protect more than ten people even with Vena Silk.”
Before Sheyden could persuade them, the first person to mount a horse was Billy.
“Hey guys, is this what people who fought the knights of Captain Welch, who died 10 years ago, should be saying?”
Zainon, who pursued simplicity in both swordsmanship and life, followed on horseback.
“That’s true.”
Sheyden mounted his horse with a smile, followed by Sildire who had no doubt from the beginning. In the end, the rest mounted their horses, half willingly and half unwillingly.
Kassel, who had been waiting briefly, confirmed that everyone was following and then swiftly entered the forest without any special order. But no one could easily follow him. Even Sheyden hesitated at the last moment.
“Was the reason the Lemif woman lured me through a dream because of Kassel, or was it a demon’s trap?”
At Sheyden’s words, Billy said mockingly:
“Isn’t it too late to say such things?”
“I find myself saying it even though I know.”
Sildire, who had been anxiously waiting for Sheyden to enter first, burst out:
“Can I take the lead?”
“Well…”
Sildire didn’t even wait for Sheyden’s answer and abruptly entered the forest. Strangely, the horse Sildire was riding disappeared without going in very far.
“She always does everything faster than me.”
Suvel followed in, and Billy also entered with a comment.
“Unlike someone, I’m not afraid of ghosts…”
Sheyden also lightly kicked his horse’s side. Though it was just entering a forest that was only slightly more densely wooded than other forests, it felt like entering a monster’s maw.
The other Wolves followed one by one. The last one unable to enter was Vunataidol. His horse tried to naturally follow its companions, but because he kept pulling the reins, it kept circling in front of the forest.
“Why are they all so fearless? What if that’s not Kassel but a ghost from the Sky Mountains that transformed into Kassel? Why doesn’t anyone doubt? Will I be expelled from the knight order for breaking rules if I don’t follow? Then my mom will be angry.”
Vunataidol said that much and then tilted his head.
“Wait a minute, did our knight order even have rules?”
He unnecessarily dwelled on that thought for a while, then kicked his horse’s side hard.
“Oh, whatever!”
In the end, Vunataidol also entered the forest. And so, the Wolf Knight Order disappeared from Acrand.
–TL Notes–
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