Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Hedilund (1)

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

 

After the sudden fight between Irrucil and Russell on their way out, the group got back on their horses and continued on their way. Sarannen split off along the way, heading into the forest.

 

“Thank you, Russell. May nature’s blessings always be with you.”

 

“Likewise, may you fare well.”

 

After bidding farewell to Russell and the group, the druid Sarannen disappeared into the forest. Her verdant green hair swayed among the thick trees and bushes before disappearing.

 

At the fork in the road, Jess also turned his horse’s head.

 

“I will go this way.”

 

“To the Grand Church?”

 

“Yes. I must report Sir Hailyn’s disappearance and inquire with other church branches to see if there is any new information.”

 

“Good luck. Be careful.”

 

“I will.”

 

After exchanging greetings, Jess gave his white horse a short, sharp kick in the flank. With a clatter and a thud, the white horse and the paladin rode off, disappearing over a hill.

 

Aellasis asked Russell,

 

“Where will we go?”

 

To be honest, he didn’t have a destination in mind. He had left Errandis estate, encountered bandits, got entangled with a warlock, and ended up here chasing after a devil.

 

Just then, Farrells, who had been quiet until now, raised his hand.

 

“If you do not have a destination, would you care to accompany me to the nearby city of Hedilund?”

 

The group’s gaze turned to him. Four pairs of eyes, Irrucil, Calia, Aellasis, and Russell, focused on Farrells. He gulped. Individuals whose beauty rivaled that of elves stared at him, despite his own not-so-bad looks.

 

Aellasis, resting her elbows on the saddle, asked,

 

“What kind of city is it? Is it fun? What are its specialties? Does it have good beer?”

 

Despite the rapid-fire questions, Farrell smiled smoothly.

 

“It is one of the largest cities in the central region, a city where underground labyrinths, living dungeons, and ancient relics are still being excavated. It is also known as the mother of countless adventurers and mercenaries. There is a large lake and river nearby, and it is a place where fruits such as grapes and apples grow well. Fruit wine is famous there.”

 

“Is it close?”

 

Farrell looked at Russell as he answered his question.

 

“It is not far. It is a city just a little further east than here, beyond Mount Rahamurn. It interacts with the Latham estate and is connected to other regional cities through trade.”

 

Russell looked at Irrucil. She had an expression that said she didn’t care where they went. Calia was the same, and Aellasis licked her lips at the mention of fruit wine.

 

He himself had not set a precise destination either. His goal had always been the journey, and the journey itself guided the travelers.

 

There are still plenty of unseen cities and foreign races. It wouldn’t be bad to see their faces.

 

“Then let’s go. To the city of Hedilund.”

 

The five of them galloped towards their destination. The midday sun shone down on them.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

And there was a man who watched their receding figures through a crystal ball. The man muttered something as he watched the direction they were going. Then, the inside of the crystal ball turned black, and only a blue light flickered.

 

And a voice emerged from the crystal’s blue light.

 

━Is that him?

 

The man replied.

 

“Yes. I think that’s the man we’ve been looking for.”

 

━What are the chances of persuasion?

 

“Not high. He seems to hate staying in one place.”

 

━What are the abilities you witnessed firsthand? Are they higher than our expectations?

 

“Yes.”

 

The man briefly recalled the imposing figure of the man named Russell. He had fallen from a high wall without a scratch and charged towards the monsters at a rapid pace.

 

In a two-handed stance, he slaughtered the monsters with his greatsword and axe, faced the orc warriors, and eventually killed the giant ogre. According to him, it was a feat worthy of a legion commander in the imperial army.

 

However, considering that the average age of a legion commander in the empire was over fifty and that they were all veterans who had fought in fierce battles, Russell’s strength was somewhat incomprehensible.

 

For a young man in his twenties, it was an extraordinary feat.

 

Despite the fact that he had already seen it from the mountain hut, his surprise was not diminished. It was amazing, no matter what. The crystal ball, which had heard his description, was silent for a moment before transmitting a voice again.

 

━What about the people who appear to be his companions?

 

“A wizard manipulates shadows, a wizard wielding lightning and ice, a black-haired woman, and a blonde-haired man of unknown origin have recently joined.”

 

━I see. We’ll send someone from our side soon. Please update us with any new information as soon as possible.

 

“Understood.”

 

The man, Lempard, confirmed that the magic power in the crystal ball had disappeared and raised his head. He had joined the upper ranks at the mountain hut and accompanied them to the Latham estate. He had also survived the battle between the orcs and monsters that had invaded the Latham estate.

 

It was partly due to his experience in countless battles while in the imperial army, his daily practice of the simple magic attack technique that all imperial soldiers learned, and his lack of enthusiasm for the war itself, which led him to stay close to the rear.

 

Nevertheless, he had a higher number of achievements than most other mercenaries who could not wield magic power and relied on their bodies, and he was able to eat quite a bit of the bonus money that the non-commissioned officers gave him.

 

He muttered as he looked at the extinguished crystal ball.

 

“A  family that rules the northern duchy, and he’s even a runaway son from Zahard. A successor emerged to apprehend the young master. What’s wrong with the duchy? Or did they risk it just to catch a reckless kid? . . . There’s not enough information.”

 

Soon, Lempard put the crystal ball in his pocket and left the inn. He saddled and mounted the horse he had bought with the bonus money.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Carrying an unknown secret, Lempard urged his horse out of the gate.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Russell and his companions traveled steadily along the road, alternating between walking and resting for two days. Although it had been maintained for people, carriages, and horses, it was still a mountain road. One could not expect the flatness of asphalt.

 

Although it was the height of summer and the days were long, darkness still came early to the road between the forests.

 

Everyone lit a campfire, gathered around it, and prepared dinner. In fact, Russell and Farrell did most of the preparation. Calia was merely a long-forgotten monarch, and Aellasis was a young dragon who couldn’t distinguish salt from sugar with the naked eye.

 

Farrell showed off his decent skills.

 

“Haha, I was the one who cooked dinner almost every day while looking for Russell with Irrucil. You can expect a good meal.”

 

The reason was simple. Irrucil couldn’t cook. Russell had known since he was a child that any decent food ingredient would turn into a bizarre mishmash in her hands.

 

“. . .You must have suffered a lot.”

 

“Hahaha. . .”

 

As Russell cut the meat and put it in, he smiled weakly, scooped up the stew with a ladle, and put it in a bowl. The stew, made by cutting and boiling the various vegetables and salted meat purchased from the Latham estate, smelled wonderful.

 

Under the dark night sky, the sound of forest insects echoed faintly. The campfire crackled and burned. Sparks flew up from it, drawing unknown constellations in the void before disappearing.

 

The group decided on a sleeping order and crawled into their bedrolls. Soon, a soft snoring sound filled the air.

 

As always, Russell held Aellasis, who had crawled into his arms, with one hand and supported her head with the other.

 

When he turned his gaze to the night sky, he saw real constellations. Although he didn’t recognize any of the constellations, here too, each of their own myths and legends breathed among the stars of that night sky, walking or sometimes running.

 

Between the stars, the distant Milky Way shone. Whenever Russell saw stars and nebulae that had lived their lives far beyond his reach, he would imagine that there might be suns and planets like the ones he knew.

 

Sometimes he missed the civilization that remained only in his dreams. Among them, he missed his smartphone the most. It was one of the few windows through which he, who was sickly, could communicate with the world.

 

It was painfully sad that he couldn’t see the endings of the novels he had enjoyed or watch the sequels to the movie series.

 

Even so, if he were asked if he would go back, he would shake his head. He felt more alive now, able to crush a monster’s head with a single fist, than when he was a body that couldn’t move properly and eventually collapsed and died.

 

Suddenly, Russell’s gaze turned to the forest. At first glance, the forest didn’t seem particularly special. The forest was just a forest.

 

The forest boasts massive tree trunks and pillars, abundant foliage, and leaves resting peacefully atop their heads. There had not been a single monster attack so far, but his senses were reaching beyond that.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

“Really? That many women?”

 

A man dressed in animal skins asked in a hushed voice. The person who had come to ask for news gestured in response to his question.

 

“Yes. One with crimson hair, one with white hair, and one with black hair. Three in total.”

 

“Men?”

 

“Two. One is large, and the other is average. The average individual carries a longsword and a small shield, whereas the large individual does not carry either. He was just wearing a coat.”

 

The man in animal skins made a ridiculous expression at the mention of not wearing armor.

 

“The son of a b*tch is the biggest idiot. He’s going through the mountains without even a single sword?”

 

“What are your thoughts? It’s convenient and good, isn’t it? If we’re lucky, we can sell them as slaves.”

 

“Good. Gather the kids together.”

 

“Understood.”

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Russell suddenly woke up on the evening of the fourth day after leaving the Latham estate, and Farrells, who was on night watch, looked at him with surprised eyes. He finished chewing the jerky he had been eating and said,

 

“Russell? Weren’t you sleeping?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Russell put down Aellasis, who had been sleeping on his chest, and covered her with a bedroll.

 

Then, he carefully got up, making sure not to affect Irrucil, who was sleeping right next to Russell on his right. Since the day they started camping, Irrucil had been sleeping right next to Russell.

 

It was something he had been through since he was a child. He hadn’t known that he would do this, even as a grown adult. Irrucil seemed to enjoy seeing Russell in trouble more, so she stuck to the spot next to him.

 

Russell, who had been nodding off, walked over to the campfire and sat down. He cast a glance across the campfire, towards the forest where darkness had fallen, and spoke to Farrells.

 

“How much farther to the city of Hedilund?”

 

“Ah, we’re almost there. We’re about halfway through the Penmaur Mountain, so we should be able to arrive by tomorrow morning or afternoon.”

 

“What is the security like in the city?”

 

It was a sudden question, but Farrells put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment before answering.

 

“I recall that the situation was not as dire as it seems. Many mercenaries frequent the city, resulting in a large number of swordsmen who are often hired as escorts for both the upper and lower ranks. The lord also personally trains soldiers. I know there are one or two, maybe three, knights.”

 

“Is that so? In that case, it must be difficult to manage the nearby forests and mountains.”

 

Farrells nodded.

 

“That’s right. Aside from that, the political situation in the kingdom is not very good these days. The standoff between the king and his subjects is intensifying. They say it’s because of the succession problem. The king is pushing for the 1st prince to succeed, but the Grand Duke of Canabas is pushing for the 2nd prince.”

 

“The empire is also grappling with the issue of succession. It seems to be the same here.”

 

“Well, aren’t all those noble families like that? If they have a headache. . . just leave home. . .”

 

As he said that, Farrell seemed to be looking somewhere far away.

 

“In any case, it’s crucial to exercise extra caution when traversing the roads these days. Since the cities and estates are all protecting themselves, they don’t maintain security nearby. Instead, they are attempting to bolster their own military forces and impose stricter controls. Uh, where are you going?”

 

Farrells looked up at him with puzzled eyes as Russell got up.

 

“I’m just going to take care of something.”

 

“Oh, to the bathroom? I see. Be careful in the dark forest. . . Who am I worried about? Don’t be late.”

 

Russell nodded and walked into the forest. The campfire quickly dimmed due to the trees and bushes, and the orange flames flickered.

 

Thanks to his black hair and black coat, Russell quickly blended into the darkness of the forest and disappeared without a trace.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Everyone had left the plain in front of the Latham estate. Near the forest where Russell had killed Geliotos, a lone figure appeared.

 

It was a tall, hooded figure wearing a black cloak with frayed ends. He muttered,

 

“How did it come to this, Geliotos? You, who have been wandering around for so long, said that you wanted to have a body after wandering around for so long. How did you end up with such a pathetic end here?”

 

The muttering figure began to search the surroundings. He chanted unknown spells or drew unknown dots, lines, and planes with magic power. Then, the figure stopped abruptly at a certain point.

 

It was located in the center of an area scattered with charred black lumps. The impact had melted the intense heat, leaving a crater in its wake.

 

Even though several days had passed, the lingering traces of magic power that flared up and flickered like embers suggested that a great battle had taken place here. The figure sensed that his spell was greatly distorted here and knelt on the ground, placing his hand on it.

 

After a while, the figure lifted his hand from the ground. In his hand was a small piece of flesh that had been buried in the ground.

 

“. . .I finally found it. It must have been quite frightening for you to hide so deep in the earth.

 

Surprisingly, the pink flesh in the figure’s palm still twitched as if it had vitality. The figure muttered.

 

“The vampire factor, the Stone of Life, necromancy employing the thoughts of the dead, and even chimera alchemy. . .It’s unstable because you’ve put in so many things, but your tenacity is truly remarkable, Geliotos.”

 

It was definitely Geliotos’s flesh, but it would be hard to see it as Geliotos. The devil, who had wished for a body, was certainly dead. This lump of flesh was just a worm that couldn’t even hold on to its instincts and fading life force.

 

“Even so, it’s not like it’s useless.”

 

The figure placed it in a small flask and pocketed it. The figure had been looking around, casting a spell. Then, black smoke rose up and covered the figure, and he disappeared without a trace.

 

The only thing left where the figure had disappeared was a swirling trail of grass and dirt remained where the figure had disappeared.

 

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