Leonelle stood frozen, his expression etched with shock and disbelief. His gaping mouth mirrored his inner turmoil as he beheld the sight of the man's severed head lying in the mire. The eyes, wide open, held a vacant stare, devoid of any glimmer of life or consciousness.
With utmost care, Leonelle delicately placed the headless corpse down, his face still etched with the lingering shock.
Sweeping his gaze across the surroundings, Leonelle's keen senses detected a flicker of movement. It happened in a fraction of a second, too swift for an ordinary observer to discern. But Leonelle was no ordinary individual. Even then, it required intense concentration to catch even a blurred glimpse of the entity responsible for this tragedy. Its swiftness defied comprehension.
Drawing upon his well-honed abilities, Leonelle infused his eyes with his aura, harnessing its power to enhance his perception. The aura, renowned for bolstering one's physical attributes, now granted him the ability to see even the swiftest of movements, rendering the previously imperceptible creature visible to his eyes.
As he caught a glimpse of the creature, a word escaped his lips in disbelief.
"...A Veloximantis."
His recognition was immediate. It was indeed a Veloximantis, a D-Class monster known for its incredible speed and agility. Typically, these creatures posed no threat to those stronger than them, displaying a non-hostile disposition towards more formidable beings.
But this one had not only attacked, but successfully slain a human, a being stronger than itself. This realization left Leonelle utterly bewildered, struggling to comprehend the unfolding events.
His attention then shifted to the creature's crimson eyes, and a chilling realization struck him.
"This is a demon beast as well?" Leonelle's thoughts raced, his mind struggling to comprehend the unfolding terror. The appearance of these monsters bearing uncanny resemblance to the long-extinct demon beast category sent shivers down his spine. Demon kobolds, demon lizardmen, and now a demon Veloximantis—creatures that should have been mere legends in this timeline were inexplicably manifesting in the depths of the Acuna Republic's forest.
Leonelle couldn't help but feel a surge of urgency. If more of these aberrations lurked within the forest, his village, the very people he governed and protected, along with his own family, would be plunged into grave danger. He knew he couldn't afford to waste a single moment; he needed to unravel the truth and confront this ominous threat before it claimed any more innocent lives.
Leonelle stole a fleeting glance at the man whose head had been mercilessly severed.
Such gruesome deaths were a commonplace occurrence in the life of an adventurer. Their perilous profession demanded placing their own lives in constant jeopardy. Leonelle had faced far more macabre and harrowing demises than this, but there was something about the head's frozen expression that triggered a flood of suppressed memories within him.
His grip tightened on his sword, causing it to quiver in his hand, while an unsettling wave of nausea washed over him. The tactile sensation of flesh yielding beneath his blade as it cleaved through neck resurfaced in his mind. It was not the bloodshed of monsters he was recalling; it was the grisly act of beheading another human being.
As the recollection consumed him, he vividly remembered the haunting gaze in the eyes of the one he had beheaded. It had tormented his dreams for years, haunting him even a decade later.
The haunting echoes of the severed head's final word lingered in Leonelle's mind: "Traitor..." The weight of that accusation sent shivers down his spine, stirring emotions he had long suppressed. Yet, he knew he had to push aside these troubling thoughts and focus on the present.
Suddenly, a jolt of alarm surged through him, jarring him out of his introspection. Reflexively, he raised his sword as a primal instinct for self-preservation took hold. In the blink of an eye, razor-sharp claws, resembling deadly blades, materialized perilously close to his face. With swift reactions, he managed to raise his sword in time, using it as a shield against the imminent threat. The sharp claws grazed against the steel, a hair's breadth away from making contact with his flesh.
Leonelle exerted his strength, attempting to push the formidable Veloximantis away, only to be met with an unsettling resistance. His muscles strained against the creature's unyielding force. But just as he grappled with the Veloximantis, another surge of alarm flooded his senses, jolting him into high alert.
"Another one... behind me?!"
His instincts kicked in, and in a split second, he raised his guard, anticipating another imminent threat. His eyes darted behind him, and to his shock, a lurking Kobold emerged from the dense foliage. Its jaws were agape, poised to tear into Leonelle with its razor-sharp teeth.
Confusion gripped him. He had detected no presence, felt no warning. Yet, there it was, a Kobold lurking in the shadows. The realization sent a chill down his spine, for these monsters possessed a stealth and cunning that defied his senses.
In a split second decision, Leonelle's quick thinking saved him from the onslaught of the Veloximantis and the surprise attack from the kobold. With a firm grip on the Veloximantis' head, he forcefully slammed it into the ground, jarring the creature and eliciting a pained growl. Simultaneously, he seized the kobold by the neck with his free hand, swiftly hurling it away in a different direction.
"Grrrr!"
"Kriiik!"
The air filled with a chorus of agonized snarls.
Capitalizing on the momentary respite, Leonelle wasted no time. Drawing a dagger from his bag, he plunged it mercilessly into the Veloximantis' head. Convulsions wracked the creature's body before it eventually lay still, succumbing to its wounds.
After retrieving his dagger from the Veloximantis's lifeless head, Leonelle turned his attention to locating the kobold. His gaze fell upon a horrific scene—a sight that filled him with rage and despair. The kobold was gnawing on the severed foot of the fallen man, its jaws dripping with the macabre remains.
Their eyes met, and a wicked grin spread across the kobold's face, relishing in its deceptive victory over Leonelle.
"Nooo!!!" Leonelle's anguished cry pierced the air. He propelled himself forward, launching off the ground in a desperate pursuit.
However, the nimble kobold swiftly evaded his grasp, sprinting away with the gruesome trophy clenched tightly in its jaws.
Leonelle sprinted after the kobold, desperation fueling his every stride. However, as the creature vanished from his sight, he came to an abrupt halt. Frustration consumed him, his teeth clenched and his fists tightly balled. In an outburst of anger and helplessness, he unleashed a powerful punch upon a nearby tree, causing it to shudder in response. Collapsing his shoulders in defeat, he felt the weight of his failures press upon him. He hadn't been able to save anyone.
Sarah, Drake's missing daughter, remained elusive despite his tireless efforts. The belief that he could locate her now seemed conceited, a mere illusion in the face of his fruitless search. Not a single strand of her hair had come into his possession, leaving him with a gnawing sense of despair.
In the midst of the pouring rain, Leonelle's shoulders sagged under the weight of his self-doubt. The words his father had spoken to him years ago echoed in his mind, taunting him with the reminder of his perceived failure.
As the village's knight, he had been entrusted with the solemn duty of safeguarding the lives of its inhabitants. But could he truly fulfill this responsibility when he felt like such a failure himself?
Frustration welled up within him, and he clenched his hand, which had struck the tree moments ago, only for it to fall back limply at his side. Raising his gaze to the rain-soaked sky, he felt the cool droplets pelting his face, mingling with the tears that welled in his eyes.
"Damn it..." he muttered, his voice laden with anguish and regret.
He raised his voice, almost drowned out by the sound of rainfall. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for letting everyone down," he whispered, his words carried away by the wind.
With a heavy heart, Leonelle retraced his steps to where the headless corpse lay. As he approached, he noticed that the lower limbs, from the feet up to the knees, had been devoured, leaving a gruesome sight in their wake.
Gently, he cradled the remaining torso in his arms, assuming a princess-carry once more, and began his solemn departure from the forest. The rain, which had ceaselessly poured down for three consecutive days, seemed like tears from the heavens themselves.
As he cradled the body, his grip tightened, a stark reminder of the past. Memories of his days as an adventurer flooded his mind, particularly the weight of carrying the lifeless form of someone he had once called a friend, someone he had been forced to take the life of.
"...I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice a mere echo in the somber surroundings. With resolute determination, he pressed on, making his way back to the village, cradling the deceased in his arms as he sought solace and closure amidst the relentless rain.