From a certain moment, the oppressive feeling of the dense forest’s shadow weighing on their shoulders gradually lightened. After walking for about half an hour more, smaller trees replaced the towering ones, and their senses began to revive. Even without Dethain’s guidance, Dunmel felt that Lutia was not far off.
Very few in the royal household of Aranthia knew about Lutia. It was only known to Queen Sanadiel, Master Quain, a few of her maids, and a handful of the older Wolf Knights. Even the usually taciturn maids of the queen, after visiting the Sky Mountains, had exaggeratedly exclaimed that they had never been to such a frightening place, and about Lutia, they had chattered away again, saying they had never seen such a wonderful place. The other wolves were indifferent to such things, but Dunmel had always wanted to visit Lutia.
Shortly afterwards, a white tower piercing the sky came into view beyond the forest. They were not here for leisure but for battle, and even though they had lost two friends along the way, Dunmel couldn’t suppress the excitement welling up inside.
“This is Lutia from here on. The forest that continues from the Sky Mountains is still here, but you can tell something has already changed. We call this place ‘Outsearch’ and also ‘Outsearch Forest’.”
Now, whenever Dethain talked to Dunmel, he made sure to look him in the face. At first, he thought Dethain was rough in speech and impulsive in action and temperament, but after spending some time with him, he realized that Dethain was a thoughtful person. Although his other friends disliked him, Dunmel thought that Dethain was behaving that way only because of the circumstances and was actually a decent person.
“However, this place can no longer be called Lutia’s land. It has become the land of the Mozes. They occupied this place a while ago, and our sorcerers can no longer set foot here.”
Dethain slowed his steps towards the tower and listened attentively.
Loyal also stopped and signaled Dunmel.
‘I hear something ahead. There seems to be something. Probably monsters.’
Dunmel asked.
‘Are there many? Can you distinguish them by sound?’
‘Just a lot.’
Dethain spoke to Loyal, his hunched shoulders seeming to whisper.
“Just our luck to come back when they are attacking.”
“Are we going to break through?”
It seemed Loyal had a rough idea of the enemies’ location. Using his regained senses, Dunmel also guessed the location and number of the monsters.
“There’s no need to start a fight from here. Besides, my magic doesn’t work on those monsters from this point on.”
Dethain spoke bitterly.
Dunmel asked in sign language, puzzled, and Loyal interpreted for him.
“Dunmel asks, shouldn’t the sorcerers’ powers be stronger inside Lutia?”
“You know well.”
Dethain pointed to the white tower visible through the branches.
“That’s Lutia’s tower, and the giant gem ‘White Bee’ at the top of the tower concentrated the power of magic to protect Lutia. Because of that, normal beasts couldn’t even approach inside Outsearch.”
“Not anymore?”
“That’s why the monsters are roaming around.”
There was an explosion. Dunmel guessed it was a large-scale explosion from the vibration in the air, even though he couldn’t hear the sound.
Dethain also turned his head in surprise towards the source of the noise.
“Looks like one of the masters is fighting.”
“What was that just now?”
Loyal asked, rubbing his buzzing ears.
“Magic, what else?”
Dethain quickened his pace. Loyal shrugged his shoulders and looked at Dunmel. Dunmel shared the same thought as Loyal.
Why would sorcerers capable of casting magic that makes such loud noises need knights?
Instead of a staff or a necklace adorned with a large gem, Dethain held a sword.
“I’m not ignorant about swords, but I’m not skilled enough to fight those huge numbers of monsters. Among our guards, there are young people who are excellent in swordsmanship, but the number is far too few…”
Dethain stopped talking as if he didn’t want to think about it and briefly explained the situation.
“From now on, we will circle Outsearch and go through the River Forest in the north to Downsearch. The Mozes always attack the western gate, so we can use the northern watchtower.”
He trailed off as if he wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular.
“The number of monsters is increasing day by day…”
As they got closer, the tower seemed impossibly tall. Dunmel wondered how such a high tower was built so intricately. Dethain pointed with the tip of his sword to the giant gem at the top of the tower, reflecting the sunlight white.
“If we lose the tower, Lutia is no longer Lutia. Our fight is ultimately to protect that tower.”
As they neared the tower of Lutia, Dunmel’s senses fully returned, as if on flat ground. Now he could calculate from which direction and how many monsters were attacking the gate.
There was a river flowing not far away. Dunmel knew it, even though he couldn’t hear the sound of the water.
There were about fifty monsters, and about the same number of people fighting them. However, in the direction they had avoided, there were many more monsters. Dunmel closed his eyes, counted, and then grabbed Dethain’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
Dunmel spoke to Loyal.
‘There are monsters in this forest too. About a hundred.’
Upon hearing this, Dethain was shocked.
“That can’t be! The Mozes have never come down along the River Forest before.”
Loyal spoke up in defense.
“Dunmel and I are new here, so we don’t know if that’s ever happened or not. But if Dunmel says they are there, it’s generally safe to believe him.”
“Didn’t you say he can’t hear?”
“If he knows more about what’s around us than us who can hear, then his feeling is worth trusting.”
Sometimes Loyal’s simple explanations worked better than complex ones. And Loyal was the type to immediately act, even if his words didn’t convince others. Now, Loyal was walking ahead of Dethain, standing at the edge of the forest. Dethain had no choice but to follow him.
The fortress surrounding the village was not very elaborate. It was a method of planting thick logs in the ground to make a fence, with sharp, pointed spears sticking outwards.
The fight was happening fiercely, just below the fence no more than 5 meters high. Monsters with abnormally long arms clung to the logs, struggling to climb over, and Lutia’s soldiers were stabbing at the climbing monsters with their spears.
It was more about preventing the monsters from climbing over than actually killing them. Neither side was effectively attacking or defending, but both were clearly desperate.
A sorcerer in the watchtower swung his staff, sending fireballs towards the monsters crowding the entrance of the fortress. The air shook, and Dunmel briefly leaned his head back. Though it was a distant place, the heat reached right in front of his nose.
‘Impressive fire magic. It doesn’t compare to Metzel of Blackfoot.’
Dunmel was amazed. However, the monsters that were engulfed in flames and thrown high into the air suffered little damage, with only their long fur slightly singed. Some monsters died or were injured from the fall, but not a single one was killed by the fire itself.
“Are these monsters immune to fire, or is the magic weak?”
Loyal asked, pointing with his finger.
“Are you suggesting the magic of Lutia’s masters is weak? The magic doesn’t work on the Mozes. Anyway, there are too many of them, we have to wait for the attack to end before entering. It will be over in a couple of hours. They always do.”
Dethain spoke casually, but he must have been itching to move. Loyal scratched his neck with his finger and spoke.
“Are you planning not to help your comrades, or is that fierce battle less dangerous than it looks? To me, it seems quite…”
“Thirty sorcerers have died in battles in just a few weeks, and ten times more civilians. And you say it’s not fierce?”
Dethain spoke excitedly.
“So why are we waiting now?”
“How many times do I have to say it? These monsters…”
“Lances seem to work on them, so swords might too, right?”
Loyal drew his sword. Dethain hunched his shoulders as if unsure what to say.
When Loyal speaks, he is always ignored. But when Loyal draws his sword, even the most eloquent speakers fall silent. It seemed the same even for the masters of Lutia. Who could possibly have anything to say against that sword?
‘Loyal, stay in the back. I’ll take the lead.’
Dunmel gave the instruction in sign language.
Loyal explained Dunmel’s plan to Dethain.
“Dunmel will lead. Stick close behind him. And I’ll watch your back. But if something unexpected happens, you’re on your own.”
Dethain waved his hand.
“Wait, wait! Are you saying… we are going to break through that chaos with our bare hands?”
“Why bare hands when we have swords?”
Loyal pointed to the forest, not the fortress, with a nod of his head and continued.
“And isn’t it safer to jump into fifty distracted monsters than a hundred hiding in the forest? Can you fly with magic? If you can, go in alone. We’ll go in separately.”
“Uhm.”
Dethain looked back, pondering. The monsters were crowded at the edge of the forest, about twenty steps from where the three were standing. They were hiding their bodies behind tree trunks and peeking out sporadically.
For some reason, Dunmel found this incredibly amusing. Of course, seeing them each holding a blunt weapon in hand, he couldn’t really laugh.
Loyal’s indifference was helpful in such times.
“Are we going or not?”
Apparently thinking he had no choice, Dethain agreed.
“Let’s go!”
As soon as Loyal signaled, Dunmel sprinted towards the entrance of the fortress. Dethain followed quickly, moving faster than one would expect from his age. His steps, even when strolling in the forest, were so quick it made one curious how his legs moved beneath his robe.
Some of the monsters attacking the fortress turned their bodies toward the group. Dunmel, holding a dagger, plunged into the approaching monsters.
Dunmel’s assault looked like a giant log piercing through a rock. Two monsters knocked aside by Dunmel’s strike caused several others to tumble, and Loyal, following up, slashed at the stunned monsters’ faces, bringing down half a dozen at once.
Dunmel didn’t stop and continued to stab and slash the monsters. The monsters, focused only on the front, couldn’t properly respond to the three who suddenly rushed in from behind, and those in front became obstacles for those behind. The monsters lacked the coordination to surround them effectively and only hindered each other’s movements. Moreover, Dunmel and Loyal’s rapid attacks didn’t give the monsters time to react.
As Dunmel advanced while slashing the monsters, his speed slowed from a run to a walk, and the distance between him and Loyal narrowed. Even as he broke through the crowd of monsters, he was concerned about Dethain. Being unable to hear, he had to determine if Dethain was still alive by sensing his presence, not by hearing his voice.
There were no major problems. Though not as many as Loyal and Dunmel had taken down, Dethain’s sword had also been a great help.
Eventually, they broke through the encirclement and reached the front of the fortress. Dethain quickly moved ahead of Dunmel and stood at the entrance of the fortress. Dunmel and Loyal guarded his back.
Dunmel’s shoulder was hot and painful. Holding the dagger in his right hand, he touched the injured spot with his left hand. A piece of a broken weapon had embedded itself there. Loyal also had a scratch on his neck, and the blood flowing from the wound soaked his chest.
“When should we use the herbs?”
Loyal asked, touching his wound.
The monsters hesitated to approach the two men, growling. Dunmel thought they had killed quite a lot, but those with minor injuries had gotten back up.
Though he hadn’t noticed at night, in the daylight, he saw their eyes were as red as blood. Honestly, it was quite frightening to see dozens of such eyes glaring at them. But Loyal, indifferent and lacking consideration, made an offhand suggestion.
“How about we finish them all off now?”
‘No.’
Unable to make lengthy signs while holding a sword, Dunmel just pointed with the tip of his sword towards the forest they had come from. The hundred or so monsters that had been lurking at the forest’s edge, pressing against their backs, were now sluggishly moving towards the fortress.
“Open the gate, Master Luder!”
Dethain, who had run ahead to the fortress’s gate, shouted towards the watchtower.
“Master Dethain, why are you so late?”
The sorcerer who had earlier thrown the fireballs shouted down to a soldier, ordering him to open the gate.
“I came as quickly as I could.”
Dethain replied, gasping for breath.
The heavy wooden gate of the fortress made a weighty sound as it lifted. Dethain entered first, calling the other two to follow. Loyal glanced at the monsters and then entered with Dunmel.
The gate closed immediately, and the monsters again crowded towards it.
The three swiftly climbed up to the watchtower.
Master Luder was an old man with short white hair and a short white beard covering his cheeks and chin. He opened his arms wide to embrace Dethain.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you.”
Dethain ended the hug quickly and introduced the two men.
“From the Aranthia’s Wolf Knights, these two have come to help us. This is Loyal Wolf, and this is Dunmel Wolf.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
He offered a handshake with a smiling face, though he couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“Seeing the incredible swordsmanship you displayed against the Mozes, I assume it’s the Wolf Knights’ swordsmanship developed by Master Quain?”
Loyal, cleaning the blood off his blade, replied unenthusiastically.
“No, this is just… swinging around.”
Luder widened his eyes in surprise and glanced at Dethain. Dethain turned his gaze outside the watchtower to the monsters crowding around.
“So now it’s become common for the Mozes to attack in such numbers.”
“That’s true. But it doesn’t seem like more will come today. The Mozes you’ve dealt with were probably more shocked than us.”
“Have the Mozes started appearing in the River Forest too? We were nearly ambushed from behind.”
“They’ve been showing up since two days ago. At first, those dim-witted ones were just ramming their heads into the gate, but now they’ve started climbing the walls. And the ones who always attacked from Outsearch towards the gate are now coming through Down Forest and River Forest.”
While Luder was explaining, most of the monsters had retreated, but a few continued to linger near the entrance. Luder, with a stern expression, looked down at them.
“Downsearch is no longer safe.”
The monsters looked up, shouting something, or kicked at the bodies of their fallen comrades before eventually all turning back.
The two sorcerers and the guards let out long sighs of relief.
Dethain spoke to Luder.
“I’ll take these two to the tower first. ‘Lutiano’ will open again today, so hurry and finish your preparations and come. Call some of the teachers from ‘Kainswick’.”
“Understood. Oh, and… Master Colleton died two days ago.”
“That’s unfortunate…”
Dethain didn’t say much and descended the watchtower.
Loyal and Dunmel followed Dethain down.
“That was quite dangerous. They’re strong and hard to kill.”
Loyal commented. Dunmel agreed.
They had been formidable since their first encounter in the forest. Their skin was so tough that even Lergo’s forged blade had difficulty cutting it, and they could launch a counterattack even with a shallow cut of about an inch. Some that they thought they had fatally stabbed had even gotten back up. Only those that Loyal had cut in two had died instantly.
‘For soldiers without proper training, these would be difficult opponents. And if people have been facing such monsters for weeks, the fear they have of them must be extraordinary.’
Dunmel thought this as he surveyed the soldiers beyond the log fence. The soldiers’ eyes were filled with awe as they looked at the two White Wolves who had broken through fifty monsters.
“But how do we use this herb? I got a bit scratched.”
Loyal asked.
Hearing the news of an acquaintance’s death and walking with a gloomy face, Dethain was startled when he saw Loyal’s face.
“Oh no! You’re injured.”
Loyal’s wounded neck was not clotting easily, and the blood had soaked down to his shoulder. Loyal held a damp bundle of herbs wrapped in leaves and asked again.
“Do we eat this?”
“No, you apply it. Let me see it.”
Dethain took the herbs in his hand and rubbed them on Loyal’s neck.
“Don’t bandage it. It’s better to leave it exposed, even if it looks unsightly. It’s good to apply the herb more widely than the injured area. Of course, applying it immediately after getting injured is best.”
Dethain just applied the herbs and opened his mouth to say something more but then closed it. Loyal waited for him to continue, but Dethain just walked towards the tower. Loyal and Dunmel simply followed him.
A dozen or so young men wearing helmets and carrying weapons stopped in their tracks when they saw Loyal and Dunmel. They had just heard about the battle with the monsters and were on their way to help. The soldiers who had followed them from the fortress entrance whispered something to them. Dunmel could roughly read their lips.
‘They say they’re the White Wolves from Aranthia.’
Everyone showed signs of surprise at the news.
“Look, Dunmel. There’s a village inside Lutia.”
Loyal said this with a tone of surprise, and Dethain looked puzzled.
“Is it strange that there’s a village?”
“In Lutia, I never imagined there would be houses made of logs or straw since it’s filled with sorcerers.”
“Lutia, as known externally, is similar to Nadium as known to other countries. Don’t forget that people live there too.”
It wasn’t just the soldiers who looked at the two men with curiosity. Some villagers also came out to see Loyal and Dunmel. Dethain, pointing to the village, continued his explanation.
“Lutia is divided into three major parts: the forest, the village, and the tower. The forest right in front of the gate we mentioned earlier is Outsearch, the forest along the river north of the fortress is River Forest, and the one in the south, which you haven’t seen yet, is Down Forest. The river coming down from the north crosses Lutia and leads to Down Forest.”
Dethain pointed to the distant river with his hand, tracing a line from north to south.
“The river divides the village into two parts. This side, east of the river, is Downsearch, and the village near the tower on the west side of the river is Nonsearch. Nonsearch is relatively safe, so we recommended relocation there, but all the fields are in Downsearch, so the farmers ignored our advice and stayed here.”
‘Then the people watching us must be the farmers of Downsearch.’
Dunmel organized this information in his head as he listened to Dethain.
“In fact, our food supply depends entirely on this place, so we can’t just tell them to leave. We’re just reinforcing the boundaries between Downsearch and Outsearch. The monsters haven’t breached that boundary yet, so it’s safe for now, but what will happen in the future…”
Dethain stopped speaking, his face clouded with concern.
After Dethain finished speaking, Dunmel looked at the villagers. They were whispering about the three men from a distance. They probably thought their words wouldn’t be heard from afar, but to Dunmel, who could read lips, distance made no difference.
“They killed dozens of monsters in just a few minutes.”
“It looks like those are the reinforcements from Aranthia.”
“Is it just those two? Weren’t we supposed to get a huge reinforcement force to protect us?”
The air shifted from curiosity and wonder to disappointment and loss of hope.
Dunmel, feeling bitter, looked back the way they had come. He saw the log fence built vertically. It looked frail even from the outside, but the severity was clearer from within. It needed to be at least double-layered to withstand an attack, but they clearly lacked the resources for that. The supports were barely enough to prevent collapse and offered no preparation for a greater impact.
‘Are they considering the possibility of the enemy using fire? Or climbing over with ladders? If the monsters know how to use bows, would this fortress be a shield for even half a day?’
Dunmel felt an anxiety that constricted his chest.
‘It’s not just the fortress that’s making me anxious. Lately, I often can’t pinpoint the source of my anxiety.’
Dunmel conveyed his observation about the weak fortress defenses to Loyal using sign language. Loyal immediately relayed it to Dethain.
“Master Dethain, my friend says that this wooden fortress protecting Downsearch doesn’t seem very safe.”
“It was hastily constructed by the young men in charge of Lutia’s village guard and carpenters who had only made houses or furniture. We never needed something like this, and no one had even seen one, so it’s nothing more than something made from looking at books.”
Dethain explained somewhat defensively.
“Aren’t there any beasts in the Sky Mountains? I would think a village in the forest would need a fortress for that reason alone.”
Loyal asked.
“While there are no large predators that would attack humans, there are plenty of carnivores that could snatch away chickens or goats. But as I mentioned earlier, due to the influence of the White Bee, most wild animals can’t step foot in Lutia.”
Ideally, the faces of people living in ‘the safest village in the world,’ protected by sorcerers, should overflow with ease, much like the people of Nadium under the protection of the White Gate. However, the villagers here looked as tense as people living in a city about to be besieged.
There were many signs of burning and destruction in the village inside the fortress. Many people were seen with a lost limb or bandages wrapped around their heads. It was clear that the fortress had been breached several times.
Dunmel, distracted by looking elsewhere, was briefed by Loyal through sign language about the conversation with Dethain.
‘Dethain just said that the sorcerers that were protecting the people are now ironically in a laughable situation of needing protection.’
‘Ask about the damage so far.’
Loyal conveyed this to Dethain, who then looked at Dunmel and explained.
“See that white building over there covered in vines on the roof near the tower? That’s the magic school ‘Kainswick.’ The people trained there are recognized as sorcerers in Acrand. Those thirty people I mentioned earlier who died were affiliated with that place. Additionally, there are currently twenty people hospitalized due to poisoning from the monsters’ venom, but thankfully we now have an antidote, so the situation isn’t at its worst. However, the damage to the ordinary villagers is more serious than to the sorcerers.”
Dunmel asked Loyal.
‘Are we going to the tower now?’
“The masters of Lutia are there, and they said we’re to attend a meeting they’re holding.”
‘It feels somewhat similar to when we first entered Normant.’
“In what way?”
‘The sense of crisis. The danger.’
“That’s true, but you guys did well there. I was a mess, though.”
Loyal said with a smile.
Dunmel also faintly smiled and continued in sign language.
‘To be honest, the ones who resolved that incident aren’t here right now. I was just observing from behind. And most importantly, we don’t have our Captain now.’
“That’s right.”
Loyal didn’t deny it. To Dunmel, that was a very interesting reaction.
Despite having spent the shortest time with Kassel, Loyal oddly followed him well. Why? Why did Loyal, who usually doesn’t force himself to be friends with anyone, get along so well with Kassel?
Dunmel acknowledged Kassel’s ability to be sociable, but that doesn’t work with everyone. Especially someone like Loyal, who prefers to be friends only with people he knows, Dunmel would have expected him to not mesh well with Kassel.
As Kassel himself confessed, he didn’t have many friends when he was young. Only now had he finally made friends and he openly told everyone, his face beaming with happiness every day.
These ‘newly made friends’ were the White Wolves and the King of Camort, previously a bandit leader but now a captain of the Royal Knights, Falcon, and members of the Royal Guardian families, Count Godimer and Duke Enoa. Dunmel couldn’t tell whether it was odd for Kassel to have suddenly made such friends or for those seemingly unremarkable people to have become friends with Kassel.
Passing through Downsearch, they reached the river that divides Lutia north to south. It was only much later that they learned the river’s name was Kvots, meaning ‘to cross’ in the ancient language. For a river cutting through a forest, it was deep and wide. The white stone bridge crossing the river reminded them of Alaraya’s Bridge in front of the Gold Gate.
It didn’t take long to reach the tower from the bridge.
“The name of this bridge is ‘Larviton,’ named after the stonemason who built Lutia. He also constructed the tower.”
Dunmel stood in the center of the bridge, feeling the grandeur of its construction. The arch-shaped structures that firmly connected both sides were partially destroyed, and the thick flooring was cracked and broken. It seemed like there could be many untold stories surrounding this bridge over its long, unrecorded history.
There were signs that higher decorations and structures once existed on top of the pillars on both sides. Probably something that once enhanced the beauty of the bridge…
The recent damage wasn’t recent at all. It might have been from some more intense event than a Mozes’ attack decades or even centuries ago. Like Aranthia, believed by others to be perpetually peaceful, Lutia had its own wars and history.
‘This bridge must have always been at the center of that history.’
From across the bridge, Loyal was signaling. Dunmel let his imagination drift and slowly crossed the bridge.
The tower of Lutia rose to an indeterminate height at the center of four asymmetrical spires. Irregularly spaced windows dotted the middle of the tower. The tower’s surface wasn’t clean, but against the backdrop of green trees and the piercing blue sky, the white tower was impressively beautiful. If the castle of Nadium blended harmoniously with the grandeur of the Sky Mountains, then the tower of Lutia seemed to be competing with the mountains’ magnificence.
“There is much for you to do, and not much time. But first, let me show you to your rooms.”
Dethain led them to a building encircling the tower. The three-story building spread out and rounded, as if to balance the tower’s stability. Vines flowed down from the building’s roof, covering the walls.
At the entrance of the building, a young man in white clothes was waiting.
“Welcome, Master Dethain.”
“Teacher Bedford, these are two knights from Aranthia.”
“Ah, the Wolf Knights of…”
Before Bedford could finish his greeting, Dethain interrupted.
“I must go to summon ‘Lutiano’ right away. Could you show these two to their quarters?”
Without waiting for a reply, Dethain quickly disappeared down the corridor. His movement was so fluid, it seemed almost like sliding.
“He’s always in a hurry, but even more so today.”
Bedford watched Dethain’s retreating figure before belatedly introducing himself.
“I am Bedford, one of the teachers at Kainswick.”
“Loyal Wolf. This is Dunmel Wolf.”
Loyal introduced them and shook hands. He had spoken bluntly to Dethain, who had separated him from Kassel and left Azwin and Gerald in the forest, but his tone was noticeably softer with others. Even though he couldn’t hear, Dunmel noticed the change in Loyal’s voice.
Dunmel followed suit and shook hands with Bedford.
“Pleased to meet you. We’ve heard much about you. Please follow me, I’ll take you to a nice room.”
Bedford, a strikingly handsome man in his early thirties with neatly groomed blonde hair, had such sharp features that it made one wonder if he could handle teaching students.
“A sorcerer?”
When Loyal referred to him as a sorcerer and asked a few questions, Bedford continued with an awkward smile.
“There are only nine people here who can be given such grand titles: eight masters and one grandmaster.”
“So, the concept of a sorcerer is used differently here?”
“It’s more that we don’t really use that term. Do you introduce yourself as a ‘great knight’ to someone? We consider the concept of a sorcerer in a similar way.”
“That’s interesting. Outside, anyone who can conjure fire from their hands is called a sorcerer.”
Loyal was serious in his comment, but Bedford thought it was a joke and laughed.
“To us, a sorcerer is more like a sage. We refer to them as masters. Currently, there are six masters here: Ettley, Justin, Luder, Philip, Golbein, and Dethain, who guided you here.”
“Weren’t there supposed to be eight masters?”
“Two are not present. One is a sorceress named Tanya, the only female among the masters. Although more than half of the teachers at Kainswick are women, it’s rare for a woman to reach the level of master historically. Anyway, she voluntarily took on managing the branches of Kainswick in Acrand and has not been in Lutia for some time. There are also rumors that she’s searching for the missing former grandmaster.”
‘The previous grandmaster of Lutia? That story again.’
Dunmel pondered to himself.
His other friends might not be interested, but Dunmel knew he was the sage who brought the magical metal used in Aranthia’s sacred sword and the sorcerer who helped Aranthia during the war. Dunmel had no information on when or how he disappeared, and Quain avoided detailed discussions on the matter.
Quain always avoided talking about people who had disappeared. He also avoided discussions about his mentor, the former Queen’s Guardian Knight, Grando. Dunmel had heard only one story about him.
‘He felt responsible for a great misfortune that befell Her Majesty the Queen and passed on his position as guardian knight to me after the war ended. Perhaps he’s now traveling alone on the continent, settled in a hut in some fishing spot?’
Bedford continued speaking.
“The last one I haven’t mentioned yet is the missing sorcerer Tailed, whom Master Tanya is searching for. I don’t know how he’s perceived outside, but his power alone would have prevented Lontamon’s army from approaching Aranthia.”
Externally, it was simply known as ‘Lutia helped.’ However, the actual help was significant. More than three thousand soldiers failed to engage in battle, wandering around Aranthia, losing their morale and supplies, and returning. Several units were unable to advance as the solid ground turned into a swamp.
People mocked it as mere stupidity of Lontamon’s army, but an army with experience in toppling three nations wouldn’t make such absurd mistakes. Magic isn’t just about burning people with flames or freezing them with cold winds.
Lutia’s grandmaster Tailed had helped Aranthia in such ways. When he was involved, not a drop of blood was spilled on the battlefield.
“I haven’t heard of it, so I don’t know much.”
Loyal just nodded in response.
“That’s surprising. I thought the Wolf Knights would be well-informed about the war in Aranthia?”
“I was a fugitive back then…”
Loyal unnecessarily shared this piece of his past, and Bedford just clicked his tongue. He then opened the door to the room they would be staying in.
“This is the largest room we prepare for students. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll always be in the same place.”
“It’s a meeting, right? That thing called Lutia…?”
“Lutiano. Even though Master Dethain is in a hurry, it takes half a day for Lutiano to convene. I think it will start by evening. Would you like to have lunch in the meantime?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
“Just wait. I’ll bring it shortly.”
Bedford smiled broadly before closing the door and leaving. Loyal aimlessly walked around the room and then asked with a shrug.
“What do you think?”
Dunmel tilted his head.
“About what?”
“The enemy attacks here. The enemy being those red-eyed monsters that attacked us this dawn. Their numbers are more than the soldiers here, and magic doesn’t work against them… What else?”
‘Poison.’
“Right. Considering all that, what do you think about the danger level here?”
Dunmel sat on the bed with a faint smile.
Loyal sat down on the opposite bed.
“Why are you smiling?”
‘You’ve changed.’
“In what way?”
‘You didn’t use to care about such things.’
“Did I?”
Dunmel nodded. Loyal looked at Dunmel blankly, then said.
“Does that make me seem strange?”
‘No, it’s good to see you taking responsibility.’
After pondering for a while, Loyal held Latilda’s necklace and spoke.
“Do you remember what I said yesterday about the Queen’s assignment? Kassel taught me the answer to that assignment. Despite his lack of strength, he fought alone to protect us, to uphold our honor. That’s responsibility. I’m not afraid to go into battle alone. But to fight to protect someone, to guard something, that adds a different weight on my shoulders.”
‘Do you know, Loyal? Ever since Kassel became our captain, everyone has been more open about their thoughts.’
Loyal laughed. Dunmel pondered Loyal’s question again.
‘The danger level of this village? I can’t jump to conclusions without hearing the whole story, but if I were the commander of those monsters, I could take down Lutia in a day.’
Loyal nodded.
“I thought the same.”
☆ ☆ ☆
While they were changing after their shower, someone knocked on the door. Assuming it was Bedford, Loyal, still shirtless, opened the door.
“I’ve brought your meal…”
A woman stood at the door, holding a tray laden with food. Her hands trembled, whether from the weight of the tray or the shock of suddenly seeing a man’s bare chest. When Loyal tried to help her with the tray, she quickly refused.
“I can manage.”
She hurried into the room and set the tray down on the central table, then waited with her head bowed for the two men to put on their shirts. It wasn’t her fault. Strictly speaking, Loyal and Dunmel were at fault for assuming Bedford would bring the meal and being shirtless.
‘Denying Loyal’s kindness put her in an awkward situation.’
Dunmel thought as he dressed.
She set down the food she had brought on the table, her face still flushed. By then, Loyal had also dressed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
She finished setting the table and spoke. The two men sat down.
“It’s fine. We’re the ones who were improperly dressed.”
“No, it’s not that. I just… I really like muscular men, and both of you have such great muscles, so for me…”
She tried to overcome the awkwardness with her words but only added to it, then closed her mouth again. Her near-tearful, embarrassed expression only made the situation more uncomfortable for them.
Dunmel gestured, and Loyal tried to defuse the situation.
“Judging by your attire, are you a sorceress?”
“Almost everyone living in this tower can use magic, but not everyone is called a sorcerer. I’m just a teacher at Kainswick.”
She gently placed her hands above two candles on the table and then lifted them away. The candles lit up by themselves.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Why do you need to bring the meal here yourself? I mean… we could have gone to the dining hall if you had just called.”
She neatly folded her hands and took a moment to organize her thoughts, determined not to make any more mistakes.
“Unfortunately, I cannot guide you to the special dining hall, and it’s not appropriate to take you to the student dining hall at Kainswick. And, actually, I wanted to meet you both in advance, so I volunteered to come instead of Teacher Bedford. My name is Flora.”
“You wanted to see us?”
Loyal asked bluntly, causing her to become flustered and attempt to leave.
Dunmel caught her wrist and gestured towards a chair with his eyes.
“Oh, I…”
Her face turned red, and she hesitated, but eventually sat down in the offered chair. The internal conflict between etiquette telling her to leave and her desire to converse with the two men was evident.
Dunmel communicated in sign language to Loyal, who then spoke for him.
“Dunmel says, first, my name is Loyal. This is Dunmel, and he can’t speak. Dunmel says he would like to have lunch together. I want that too. Sorry, we should have invited you earlier. I’m not very good at saying these things.”
“No, not at all. I shouldn’t be bothering knights like you…”
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
Loyal communicated with Dunmel in sign language.
‘After seeing only women like Azwin and Malra, isn’t it refreshing to see a different kind of woman? It would be really interesting if Sildire was like this.’
Ignoring Loyal’s nonsensical joke, Dunmel signed back.
‘Ask her a few things about Kainswick. The structure of sorcerers here seems different from what I thought. We need to understand the structure and system here to respond quickly to the situation. And try to lead the conversation so the lady doesn’t feel uncomfortable.’
‘Lead the conversation?’
‘Just do what you can. And the longer our sign language conversation goes on, the more anxious she’ll become, so try to keep the conversation between you two.’
After Dunmel pointed to Flora’s face, she looked uneasy, blinking rapidly as if wondering what they were discussing.
Flora had exceptionally large eyes and drooping eyebrows, making her appear troubled even with a neutral expression. That’s why her current expression seemed to say, ‘Why am I sitting here?’
“Ah, Dunmel asked about Kainswick. What kind of place is it, specifically?”
Loyal quickly asked before she could apologize again.
“I should have explained earlier, sorry. Kainswick is a school that teaches magic. There are similar magic schools established on the continent, but most of them are fake. Even those that are real don’t teach magic. They just identify people with magical abilities. Those are called Kainswick branches.”
“So, like places that only conduct exams for selection purposes?”
“They don’t conduct exams per se, but in terms of selection, yes. They identify people with the potential to use magic and bring them here. The actual teaching of magic is done here at Kainswick.”
As she spoke, Flora finally seemed to relax.
“In reality, the term ‘teach’ isn’t quite accurate. It’s more about ‘drawing out’ the inherent abilities of a person. Magic isn’t a skill that someone without natural talent can learn through practice. On the contrary, with the right trigger to realize their potential, a person who could only scorch a wooden stick yesterday might gain the power to set mountains ablaze tomorrow. It’s a bit different from swordsmanship.”
“In a way… the Wolf Knights are similar. We focus more on training to bring out our own talents rather than teaching or learning.”
“I’ve heard about the Wolf Knights of Aranthia. Their swordsmanship is so remarkable it’s almost like magic. I can’t even guess what level it is. You defeated dozens of Mozes outside the Downsearch fortress today, right?”
“The rumor about dozens seems exaggerated. I only killed about ten myself. Dunmel?”
Dunmel signed.
‘There’s no need to talk about that, let’s discuss something else.’
Loyal then turned back to Flora.
“Those Mozes, they’re the ugly monkey-like creatures with long arms, right?”
Flora laughed, covering her mouth. She seemed almost completely relaxed now.
“Yes. Mozes is an ancient word meaning vicious monsters. The villagers haven’t fully realized the danger yet, but we are deeply concerned. At tonight’s Lutiano, you will truly understand what kind of crisis we’re facing. It’s too dreadful for me to explain.”
“Lutiano is a gathering of sorcerers?”
“It’s a meeting of the masters, convened only for the most critical issues. The decision to request your assistance was made at a Lutiano about ten days ago.”
‘Ask why magic doesn’t work on the Mozes.’
Dunmel signed this request. Loyal, after setting down a piece of bread he had been buttering, relayed Dunmel’s question.
“Why doesn’t magic work on the Mozes?”
As he asked, Loyal shot a look at Dunmel, who pretended not to notice.
“No one knows. If we knew the reason and could counter it, such numbers of beasts wouldn’t have been a big problem, and we wouldn’t have needed to call you.”
Flora lowered her voice to continue.
“The number of monsters is increasing day by day. Much more than what is visibly apparent! We refrain from mentioning it to maintain the morale of the villagers and the soldiers guarding the fortress, but considering the growing numbers, the situation is almost desperate. Many have been sacrificed…”
Suddenly, she teared up, hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and stood up.
“I… I’ve talked too much and disturbed your meal. I should go. It was nice to meet you.”
Despite Loyal’s attempt to stop her, she left.
“Did we give her a wrong impression? I didn’t even remember the teacher’s name, and she left.”
‘Her name is Flora. If that’s her personality, she would have reacted that way even if we tried to accommodate her. Besides, I can already guess what will be discussed at Lutiano. And if what they want is a force to defeat all the Mozes, even if all the White Wolves came, it wouldn’t be much help.’
“But they’re just monsters. Unless there’s a separate commander… Even if there is, would it understand us? They’re just beasts! Look at today – they couldn’t even scale the fortress walls. So, if we double the walls and increase their height, we should be able to hold them off just by blocking the gate.”
‘That’s true. But why do I feel so uneasy?’
Dunmel poured a glass of milk, which Loyal ended up drinking.
–TL Notes–
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