HPDBC Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Without a word, the fanatics from the Holy Kingdom turned and left Caron and his group behind. Though each wore an expression of barely contained fury, they unleashed that anger on the remaining beasts instead.
Crack!
Those demonic monsters who were left standing bore the brunt of the fanatics' wrath. Finally, with the tension easing, Caron and his group could focus on regrouping.
Swoosh!
A stream of water, summoned by Orion's spirits, washed the blood from their bodies. The water carried a gentle healing aura, its magic calming wounds as it flowed.
Caron let out a grunt as he felt spirits of earth extract the bloodied spear embedded in his shoulder. They then packed the wound with soil to stem the bleeding. While the process worked, it came with a searing pain that left him grimacing.
"Drink this," Orion said, handing Caron a small flask from his cloak. "It's water infused with Mother's Dew. Far better than the potions humans use. There's enough for each of you to have one bottle."
"Well, you elves sure have a way of looking out for friends. Thank you," Caron said, then popped the cork and chugged it down. The cool, revitalizing sensation spread through him, dulling the edge of his pain.
Orion passed a flask to each of them before settling down beside Caron.
"You're not drinking any yourself?" Caron asked, noticing Orion's pale face.
He didn't know a lot about spirit magic, but he was well aware that forcibly unsummoning spirits could harm the summoner. On top of that, Orion's sweat-dampened face hinted at internal injuries from the unsummoning.
"I'll be fine once I return to the forest," Orion replied.
"Ah, of course, elves are the people of the forest," Caron remarked.
"Alright then, rest for now. The field is still in disarray," Orion said.
Scattered across the ground lay the bodies of fallen elves. It seemed that Orion intended to gather and honor his comrades. Caron offered a slight nod, and Orion, with his spirits at his side, moved quickly among the dead.
With an unspoken truce now solidified between them and the fanatics, further conflict seemed unlikely. Once Orion had gone, Caron sat beside his group, allowing the quiet moment to sink in.
"Well done, everyone," Caron said.
"Caron Leston! What a battle! Another tale to share with the warriors of my tribe. Joining you was the best choice I could have made... Ah—!" Utula thumped his chest with pride, then winced as pain lanced through his wounds. He pressed a hand to his bitten chest, looking slightly dejected as he muttered, "Ouch..."
"Pfft—" Leo and Leon burst into laughter they couldn't contain.
"Is this the sense of humor of the giant tribe?" Leon joked, chuckling.
Utula scratched his head sheepishly, then said, "Thank you, Leon Leston. You are a fine warrior yourself."
No one could have guessed that a mission to investigate demonic monsters in the southern kingdom would end up involving a fragment of the Demon King. Despite the countless complications, however, they'd managed to succeed in the end.
"Hah... When we get back, I'm taking a month off," Leon sighed.@@@@
"Same here, Leon," Leo chimed in. "How about we stop by Thebe on the way back and have some fun?"
"That sounds like a good idea. As for money... Caron, think you could lend me a little?" Leon added.
Their conversation, filled with dreams of rest, showed just how much they longed to unwind after the mission.
Caron chuckled awkwardly at Leon's request and nodded. "Of course, I can lend you as much as you need."
"Having a wealthy younger cousin is so convenient. In that case, we'll borrow some money for Thebe—" Leon began.
"But we can't head back just yet," Caron said, interrupting their hopeful plans.
Sadly, their mission wasn't over yet. There was still another task at hand, one assigned directly by Halo—the pursuit of Kerra Acht.
"...Why not?" Leon asked.
"We have one more mission to complete. Only then can we head home," Caron answered.
At the mention of an additional mission, Leon's eyes widened and she said, "But I haven't heard about it..."
"That's because it's a confidential mission," Caron replied.
However, Leo shot him a suspicious look and asked, "You're not making this up, are you?"
"Oh, come on. Have a little faith in me," Caron said.
He thought back to why he'd reached out to Foina in the first place. Kerra Acht had reportedly been hiding out in the Southern Great Forest area, so Caron had sought to tap into the elves' knowledge of the region. Although his method of getting in touch with Foina had disappeared, there was something else.
They're right here, Caron thought. The elves of the Southern Great Forest were standing right in front of him, providing him a rare chance to gain information directly without relying on Foina.
"Perfect," he said to himself, grinning as he watched Orion work. As expected, even in the direst of situations, there was always a way.
***
"For nearly a year now, any humans who have ventured into the Great Forest were either refugees or slave hunters. A knight beyond the 8-Star level... I don't recall anyone like that," Orion said, sharing his information willingly.
Caron clicked his tongue and nodded in resignation, then said, "That's too bad."
"My apologies for not being much help," Orion said, sounding genuinely sorry.
"No need to apologize. It's understandable," Caron replied with a sigh.
If Kerra had managed to evade the surveillance of the Oceanwolf Knight Order, it seemed likely that he was hiding within the Great Forest. And yet, the Great Forest was the territory of the elves. If Kerra had indeed taken refuge there, there was no way the elves wouldn't know.
Hmm... The situation feels a bit hopeless, Caron thought. If this was the case, he would have to start from scratch.
Just as Caron was about to give up, however, Orion said in a low voice, "There are rare occasions, Caron, on which an intruder might evade our detection. Such cases only occur when Mother herself has given permission."
To elves, "Mother" naturally meant the World Tree.
"That wouldn't be a common occurrence," Caron remarked.
"If Mother did permit it... The regent might know something," Orion hinted, glancing at Caron before continuing, "If you wish, I can take you to the regent."
"...Are you saying you'll take me into the Great Forest?" Caron asked.
"Yes. Since the moment you shed blood alongside us, you've been considered friends. You have the right to visit Galad," Orion said.
Caron remembered Foina mentioning Galad once; it was the elves' city. Caron weighed the offer for a moment, comparing the odds of finding Kerra outside the forest versus inside it. He thought about which option had a higher chance.
No need to think too long about it, Caron decided. Clearly, the latter had better odds. And with the elves' help, he would at least uncover some traces.
"Now that I think about it, it's been thirty years," Orion remarked suddenly.
"Huh? Thirty years since what?" Caron asked.
"Since we last had a human guest," Orion replied.
"So someone went there thirty years ago," Caron said.
"Yes." Orion looked at Caron and smiled gently. "It was your grandfather, Halo Leston. He was our guest then. It seems this is destiny."
"My grandfather...? Why was he there?" Caron asked.
"That, we don't know. Only the regent would know the reason," Orion replied.
The forest seemed to be a place with many connections to the Ducal Family of Leston.
Caron shrugged and glanced at the others, then said, "Looks like we've decided on our next destination... Anyone disagree?"
"Of course I agree," Leo replied eagerly.
"I have to go, even if it kills me," Leon added, her tone resolute.
"As always, I will follow you, Caron!" Utula declared enthusiastically.
Galad was a mysterious realm, one that even Caron had never entered in his previous life. It was rare for humans to set foot in that place. So naturally, no one raised any objections.
"Thank you," Caron said.
Orion nodded slowly and replied, "We'll set out in thirty minutes once we finish gathering the bodies. Oh, and it would be a good idea to prepare yourself in advance."
"...All of a sudden?" Caron asked, surprised.
"The Great Forest isn't all as beautiful as you might think," Orion replied with a knowing look.
None of them could have anticipated what awaited them within that forest. And with that, Caron and his group set their next destination.