Chapter 44

Chapter 44

44. Magical Entity (4)

When Gerik who processed the magical beast corpse returned again there was no one left under the cliff.

“······.”

He who chased the two people’s traces while feeling a subtle sense of alienation again stopped in front of an old building.

A shape where light in a circle spreads widely.

It was a shrine site honoring the goddess Luminas.

When entering inside Benrik who was in a deep sleep not knowing the world and Drenor who was guarding next to such a child were seen.

It seemed Drenor who recovered vitality in the meantime moved the place taking the fainted child.

The old knight who was sitting leaning against the wall, closing his eyes and tonifying mana slowly opened his eyes.

“He really caught and brought it.”

Drenor thought while looking at the whole pig dangling from Gerik’s shoulder dance.

After beating so much it seems there is a conscience.

“There, come out and make a place a bit.” “Is there no respect for the elderly.”

Drenor who was making a dissatisfied expression soon recalled the fact that it will go into the child’s mouth, and stood up while clicking his tongue.

The two people who came out in front of the half-destroyed shrine site lit a bonfire, and started grilling the pig by stacking stones nearby.

─Chiik···.

Drenor who glanced at the inside of the shrine site where the deeply sleeping child is opened his mouth.

“He used an ignorant method.”

It was words about the beating at dawn.

Even if it was a method to empty the mana to the bottom, and to pull up the will the degree was excessive.

Even if not catching like catching rats like that, the mana would have naturally gathered according to the flow of time.

“Did you think a northerner would know how to use the noble method of a martial family or something?” “Still the hand was excessive, this person.”

Opening the path of mana that would be tightly closed might have been a bit of a crisis, but that too was a problem time would solve.

“Excessive.”

Gerik who answered bluntly still twitched the stiff bridge of the nose.

“Did you not see that bastard rushing immediately as soon as he awakened?”

The mana that revealed the bottom. The hardship faced in a state where mental and physical limits came. The will to stand up overcoming such hardship.

The elements matched exquisitely and accelerated the refining speed, and made it possible to open the path of mana unconsciously.

“Did you not know that I am teaching the child. Even if not doing so hurriedly if you left it to me···.” “Heung, with that in what time would he do one person’s share?”

Gerik who turned the browning pig half a turn asked the old man.

“Now try saying a bit.” “What.” “Why did a guy who did not even fight become that appearance that shape? And how did the mana bottom out?”

The old man shook his head.

“I also do not know.” “You do not know?”

Gerik looked at the old man with eyes opened thinly as if trying to grasp the truth.

However Drenor truly did not have the knowledge to solve Gerik’s curiosity.

─On earth how did it become? How did you find the leader rat?

Even if he asked Benrik only showed a subtle smile as if troubled.

So he only conveyed the situation.

“What I know is only the fact that the child found the leader rat.”

“He found the leader rat? That guy?”

Even not seeing right next to it but watching with eyes from a bit distant place and pointing it out.

“Did the old man become senile?”

Deep distrust rose in Gerik’s eyes.

“Whether you believe or not this is the truth.”

He opened his eyes wide and poured nosebleed, then as if receiving a revelation accurately pointed out the appearance and position of the leader rat.

Actually even Drenor if he had not directly experienced that situation would not have easily believed.

It is not that Drenor was just swinging the sword recklessly. He continuously tried to pick out one among tens of thousands of magical entities.

However the result did not follow.

But the one rat the child who was still pointed out. The one rat pointed out among tens of thousands was the correct answer.

The blood-sucking rats that were sweeping like a swarm of bees, the appearance of disappearing like a mirage was still vivid in the eyes.

‘Did he really receive a revelation from Luminas···.’

It was when Drenor was recalling the child’s face that overflowed with conviction to a strange degree.

“A sinister guy. On earth how many moves has he hidden. Even though he is my child I cannot understand the inside at all.” “Haha, I am also so. Still as one lives sometimes a moment when one suddenly seems to know comes.”

The old man received the words while laughing self-deprecatingly.

“Well···. From young the sense was abnormally sensitive. He also smells well. Come to think of it the luck was good, old man. If the old man’s words are true thanks to that guy he is still breathing?”

Drenor received even Gerik’s joke that crosses the line pleasantly.

“Ah good, of course good.”

If the luck was not good how could he have met the child in his later years. Drenor’s age was also already entering the seventies.

─Chiiik···.

“Come to think of it.”

When only the sound of the meat ripening rang in the comfortable silence, Gerik as if recalling opened his mouth.

“On the way I saw something strange.”

The gaze and hand stayed as is on the whole roasted pig where oil drips.

“Something strange?” “I discovered the corpses of a wolf pack attacked by a magical beast, but there was something that catches the nerves. On the way there is one low hill.” “If a hill, are you saying the right forest?”

The right forest is a coniferous forest dense with lush trees although the scale is not that large. It was a place Drenor who moved by flying did not examine.

“Whether it is the right forest or not the right forest I do not know. Since there was a collapsed shrine site nearby, examine it once later or something.”

When Gerik tried to finish the conversation as if troublesome the old man urged.

“Don’t do so and tell a bit in detail. Isn’t it all for the country.”

Gerik’s eyebrows twitched.

“I am now a proper freeman, it means there is no obligation to show loyalty for the empire.”

Gerik who as a northern origin had to take on all kinds of troublesome things under the pretext of ‘proof to be reborn as an imperial citizen’.

Being employed as a mercenary at the Ironblood Fortress and hunting magical beasts and magical entities for several years was also one of them.

Drenor realized the mistake and briefly apologized.

“It was not such an intention, forgive me.”

He had noticed that he reacts sensitively, but the heart went ahead and he rushed.

“Tsk···.”

Gerik who clicked his tongue short continued the words while frowning all kinds of expressions.

“It seemed attacked by the Black-Striped Fang, but the eating traces were not seen. There were also traces as if driving the wolves and playing. Like a cat cub.”

Magical beasts do not do meaningless hunting. They also do not have the concept of play. Because the life as a magical beast is not soft enough to have the leisure to enjoy leisurely play.

“Black-Striped Fang?”

Drenor’s expression became quite serious as if there is something that catches.

“Is there something that catches?” “Actually I heard a strange story. Why there was that time.” “If saying so how do I understand?” “The evening of the day before we split, I left the place for a while.”

Gerik recalled the memory.

“···Ah.”

He remembered. Around the third day after starting accompanying. When Benrik left the place with the excuse of going to pick up firewood.

He flew in the sky saying he would go meet someone and come.

“Was it not pretending to be an aura user?” “······Do you think I am you? Anyway you would have also heard about the count’s hawk.” “Of course, I remember. That sinister of yours─”

Sreung···. Gerik who saw the dark blade that popped out clicked his tongue low and continued.

“Anyway that noble sir, the things called informants or something?” “Correct.”

Drenor that day left Gerik and met the codename “Beautiful Hawk” Bjorn to pursue the blood-sucking rats alone.

But.

─I am sorry. Sir, I missed the traces.

When asking the details

He said that while tracking the blood-sucking rats he saw a child riding on the back of the Black-Striped Fang and running.

He twisted the path judging that saving the child is the urgent matter but missed it.

Bjorn repeatedly apologized saying he seems to have seen a ghost, but Drenor was leaving the possibility open.

“He is a friend with good eyes.” “What, is he a fairy-kin?” “Correct, a quarter.” “That is so.” “Thank you for telling.”

Since it is a place where not a few people pass one could prevent damage to some extent just by giving a warning.

“Now shut the mouth and eat the meat.” “How do I eat meat with the mouth shut.” “······.” “If living stuck in the mountain range does a person become that bleak?” “Are you saying let’s fight?”

An answer did not return to the question. Gerik who thought it strange chased the old man’s gaze.

“······.”

Beyond the large whole roasted pig, Benrik who one does not know when he woke up was tearing the pig leg.

With half-closed eyes.

“You, on earth when···.” “······.”

Both people were being surprised not a little.

“If cooking more it seems it will burn but are you not eating?”

Because he did not feel the child’s approaching presence at all.

“If you are not going to eat I will eat it all.”

***

The three people rested a full half day to recover stamina then moved.

Drenor split in the middle saying there is something to find out, and the father and son Benrik and Gerik moved according to the schedule and arrived at Bromwood.

And without even time to relieve the fatigue they received the count’s summons.

Inside the carriage heading to the lord’s castle,

“What is that appearance of your clothes? Are you even imitating a noble?”

Gerik asked while grinning. It was words seeing the attire of the nouveau riche he wore even during the previous visit.

Benrik instead of responding crookedly in return chuckled, and turned his gaze out the window.

There is no way the provocation of a human wearing fur clothes teeming with fleas would work.

Of course Yerik sitting next to Benrik was a different story.

Yerik was worried that his sibling seems to be gradually losing sight. If not that there is no way he would act without seeing anything in the eyes like this.

In the middle of a suffocating silence of only one person, they arrived at the lord’s castle.

“I will guide.”

When getting off the carriage the butler guided the three people.

When entering the castle and passing the corridor where a red carpet was stylishly laid, someone walked from a bit far.

─Ttak ttak···.

It was a woman who seemed around forty now.

The wavy red hair and the bright red dress of the same color captured the gaze at once.

Unlike the flashy exterior in many ways the hands gathered demurely or the eyes were extremely aristocratic.

If not for the faint traces of years revealed on the face one could believe even in the twenties.

“Wow···.”

Yerik who saw her half-opened his mouth and let out an exclamation.

“It is Daria Bromwood.”

It was the only daughter of the Count of Bromwood.

Benrik noticed the subtle atmosphere flowing between Gerik and Daria, the two people.

“Father is waiting, so please go. This time I hope you allow me to see you off.”

Daria who said calmly turned back the way she came and grew distant.

“······.”

Benrik who sensed an unusual atmosphere looked up at the man standing blankly.

“It is not right?”

From the time she revealed her appearance at the end of the corridor until just before parting not even for one moment, Daria’s eyes did not leave Gerik.

“What.” “···It is not right?”

Gerik in the end had no answer.

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Author’s note Thank you for the support Jaeryongdangam-nim!!!!!