The village chief couldn't hide his anxiety. He looked out the window, where there was still no sign of the eradication team. He glanced back at Choi Han. As calm as a serene lake, silence prevailed beside him. Not even the sound of the wind howling outside the window seemed to reach him.
"Choi Han-nim."
Finally, the chief spoke.
"The eradication team will arrive soon."
He knew it, just like Choi Han did.
"Will we be, okay?"
He couldn't contain his inner tremor and asked again.
"Will we be, okay?"
At that moment, Choi Han stopped cleaning his sword and lifted his head.
"Village Chief."
The village chief met his calm, almost silent eyes. Although his eyes were as deep black as a lake, they were serene.
Choi Han's gaze moved. Following it, so did the village chief's gaze. In the opposite direction of the eradication team's arrival, Choi Han, looking through the open window in the Erghe Mountain range, spoke.
"Elder, please, just believe in what you have seen."
The village chief's eyes saw nothing. Yes, they saw nothing.
A Black Castle.
It was definitely there, but it couldn't be seen. That was the proof.
Aipotu. Those who distort the laws of the changed world since the upheaval breathe in that invisible Black Castle.
Not seeing them means being able to believe.
The agitation of the village chief subsided. Of course, compared to Choi Han, his heart was still like a rough sea, but it didn't overflow.
The Village Chief sat in the chair and shrank in silence.
And he looked in the direction of the eradication team's arrival.
The Imperial Holy Division, the best Knights Division formed only by Dragon Half-Bloods.
The First Division.
Half of its members were heading here, leading the eradication team.
The village chief clasped his hands as if praying.
Choi Han stared at the village chief and then looked in the direction of the Erghe Mountain range.
"Will Lock be, okay?"
Accompanied by Koukan of the Wolf Tribe, Lock set out to meet the Wolf Tribe Leader hiding in the Erghe Mountain range.
He didn't think Lock would be in danger.
"Gashan-nim and Killer Whale Archie are with him. Nothing bad should happen."
With them, the Dragon Mila also moved.
Choi Han was relieved.
And he turned his head to the side.
The figure of the companions who came together entered his sight. Among them, one of them.
"What are you looking at?"
A Sword Master. She spoke sharply to Choi Han and leaned against the wall with crossed arms. She had clenched fists and closed eyes. But Choi Han knew she was waiting for the battle to begin.
'Am I feeling the same?'
Choi Han resumed cleaning the blade of his sword.
His reflection on the blade was still calm.
He knew what he wanted.
'For things to unfold according to Cale-nim's will.'
With that thought, Choi Han polished his sword.
Facing Dragon Half-Bloods would undoubtedly be...
'It sure won't be easy.'
That's why Choi Han kept polishing the sword blade over and over.
And sharpening the edge of his determination.
On the other hand, there was also an existence preparing in a different sense. It was a member of the Holy Empire's First Division of Knights.
"No, it would have been easier if we had just killed them all from the beginning. Why bother coming to this cold place and suffering?"
Nine, a member of the First Division, had an expression full of irritation as he brushed off the snow from his shoulders.
"Heh."
At that moment, a laughter sound was heard. Nine met Wei's gaze. He, with a shield deployed through magic, wore only a thin tunic that had nothing to do with the snow. Nine's eyes lit up.
"This bastard-"
The mocking expression of someone who clearly couldn't use magic was reflected on his face.
Nine's hand went straight to the hilt of his sword. He wanted to draw his sword and cut off Wei's head right at that moment.
"Not enough to come to this place and feel bad, and now a stupid mage dares to-"
Har Kingdom. From the moment Nine left the Empire, he was angry at the idea of having to come to this backward place.
"Stop."
However, the moment First Division Commander Jenyu spoke, Nine had to stop.
Although he didn't release his hand from the sword hilt.
"Commander, don't I look upset right now? Right?"
"Stop. We're on a mission."
"What kind of mission?"
Nine was known for not containing his temper. He expressed his thoughts.
"It would have been better to just kill all the wolf pups from the beginning. Does it make sense to send half of us to this backward land just to eradicate dirty blood? And in this cold and desolate place!"
Nine was in disbelief. He, a special someone? A purebred Dragon Half-Blood?
Someone chosen by destiny!
But was this the purpose of his existence, to hide and risk his life just to kill dirty Beast People?
"We should have finished off the wolf pups from the start! What else can be said about these weak and pathetic beings who can't even defend themselves properly? I question the wisdom of sending us to such a barren land. It seems like a risky gamble with little potential reward."
He was really angry.
Who was he?
A noble Dragon Half-Blood.
"Nine, be careful!"
Jenyu calmly warned once again. But Nine raised the corner of his mouth.
"Even the Commander thinks the same, right? Shouldn't we be used for more important things than this?"
"...It's an important mission. Har Kingdom, and besides, the wolves that were under the Grand Duke Snow are known to be strong warriors. If they come out into the world and show their ferocity, the people of this continent will be in danger. So don't get angry."
"Heh."
Nine couldn't contain his scornful laughter.
"Strong warriors who are here freezing to death. As fierce as they may be, they are not strong enough to withstand my sword. They are just beast pups who fled from their ruined kingdom in fear of death."
"Nine."
Jenyu stared at him. Only then did Nine shut his mouth. Although he knew he was acting like a thug, he had to stop when Jenyu looked at him like that.
"Damn it!"
But the irritation didn't subside.
"Ah."
Then something caught his attention.
Even excluding the 7 members of the First Division, there was a considerable number of troops from the Holy Empire's eradication team.
But they weren't all from the Holy Empire. Since they were visiting Har Kingdom, some of them were there as guides or spectators.
Among them, one caught his eye.
A young knight.
He seemed to be one of the knights from Har Kingdom.
"You."
"...Yes?"
When the knight was surprised, Nine smiled and asked.
"Why have you been frowning since earlier?"
Nine showed no respect towards knights from other nation.
No one tried to stop him.
Especially some members of the First Division looked at him with interest.
As if they had found brief entertainment on this long and cold journey.
"Oh, no, it's nothing."
The young knight quickly turned his head.
"Nothing, huh?"
Nine tilted his head to the side.
"So, does it mean you haven't had the chance to see the face of this noble who inherited noble blood? Huh?"
"!"
The knight's eyes shook.
"When I talked about the wolf pups who fled from a ruined kingdom, you frowned. I noticed it while I was speaking."
The knight's face turned pale.
At the same time, Nine's gaze flickered. His elongated pupils expanded vertically. His laughter became increasingly intense.
"Hey, say something. Obviously, you frowned at what I said, right?"
"Ah, no, I-"
"Hey."
Nine cut off the knight who was trying to say no.
"I saw it clearly. You're not trying to say that I, who inherited noble blood, didn't see it correctly, right?"
The young knight's hands tensed as he gripped the horse's reins.
Certainly, the knight didn't frown while looking at Nine. Of course, he was angry inside, but he didn't show that anger. He had received that kind of training.
Therefore, he knew he could say no, but he couldn't.
'This time, I'm the prey.'
The group of Dragon Hybrid Knights who visited Har Kingdom.
Although they were called knights, there were various roles among them, such as warriors and mages. The only common thing among them was their Dragon Hybrid heritage.
And they were famous.
As fierce warriors.
Therefore, as soon as Har Kingdom learned that they were visiting, the Knights of Har received education and training not to offend their wishes.
Especially, they didn't show emotions on their faces.
However, the attitude of the people of Har Kingdom was not important to this eradication team.
If they felt like it, they would start a fight for any reason.
Just like now.
It would have been good if it all ended just in a fight. Sometimes, under the pretext of training, they would beat up Har's knights, and for those who weren't knights, they demanded exorbitant sums of money as compensation or made them apologize in an uncomfortable way.
Of course, there were also more serious actions.
'What should I do?'
The young knight, Sam, couldn't see a clear solution.
"Haha-!"
At that moment, someone's laughter burst out.
And Sam saw the small figure blocking his view.
'Lady Bailey!'
Bailey, the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom, stood in front of Sam.
"Nine-nim. This kid has weak eyesight. Because of that, he, unknowingly, frowned a bit while these snowflakes were flying. It seems it was right when you were talking, Nine-nim. Haha!"
Nine immediately opened his mouth.
"And you call that an excuse-"
"Nine."
Jenyu called Nine again.
So, Nine clicked his tongue at that. He looked at the commander with eyes full of discontent.
'Why bother with these guys from a ruined kingdom?'
That's what his eyes were saying.
Har Kingdom.
A kingdom that rebelled against the Holy Empire.
Nine thought it would be right for this kingdom to disappear, and he had no intention of showing concessions.
"Thank you."
The Head of the Foreign Affairs Ministry bowed to the commander.
Originally, this was something that shouldn't have happened in diplomatic terms. However, it was also reality.
"We don't wish for more chaos before an important mission."
Jenyu responded briefly to Bailey and turned his gaze back to Nine.
"Send a reconnaissance team."
"Reconnaissance?"
"Yes. We were asked from the capital to approach with more caution after conducting a detailed investigation."
At that moment, Bailey's eyes moved inquisitively.
'What kind of communication did the Holy Empire receive last night?'
Yesterday, Jenyu summoned the members of the Division for a brief night meeting. Naturally, Har's representatives couldn't approach. However, Bailey, she had a hunch.
'Something has definitely changed.'
The expedition was originally meant for the annihilation of the Beast People, but their actions had changed.
'Especially, they mentioned 'investigation'.'
Bailey was consumed by curiosity about the nature of their investigation. The stakes were high; success could preserve the Beast People's homeland and the Grand Duke Snow's final stronghold. Despite the challenges of gathering information, she refused to be deterred. Her journey north, undertaken in the guise of her old body, was driven by a specific, hidden purpose.
'I must be of some help to His Majesty.'
At that moment, Bailey met eyes with Jenyu.
'Mmm.'
She was more cautious with Jenyu. He seemed to control the Dragon Hybrids who behaved indiscriminately, like a peacemaker among warriors driven mad by blood. But she knew.
'He's even more dangerous.'
As if she were providing an answer to that judgment, Jenyu spoke first.
"Nine will advance for the reconnaissance mission. He's the most agile, so he'll reach the village first, meet with the village chief, and assess the situation. Also, here, Mage Wei will join for added security."
What's going on? Why is he revealing this so openly? Bailey wondered, but she soon found the answer.
'Ah, I see.'
Jenyu was as dangerous as Nine, if not more so.
Thinking like that, she saw the answer.
She opened her mouth hastily, but Jenyu was faster.
"It would also be good to assign someone from Har as a guide."
Jenyu's eyes moved beyond Bailey's shoulder.
"The young knight would be a good choice. Was it Sam, right? So far, he seems to be the most agile. Also, hasn't he taken on reconnaissance tasks in the past? So, it would be good for the three of them to handle reconnaissance together."
Nine's lips curved upward in amusement as Bailey's eyes squeezed closed in frustration.
She had to reject this.
What could happen to Sam, such a promising young knight?
If they go to the village, and the village chief doesn't satisfy Nine, he might kill the village chief. Then, he might even kill Sam. And the one responsible for throwing Sam into that situation would be Jenyu.
'These despicable people!'
Is this how the Holy First Division, trying to save the continent, looks like?
Bailey, she spoke...
"It's okay. I'll go."
But Sam was faster. He lifted his head with a calm face. However, Bailey saw that the hand holding the reins was white and trembling. Bailey looked into Sam's eyes.
The young knight nodded as if to say 'trust me.'
"I know the way to the village, so I can guide them."
"Ho."
Nine spoke cheerfully as if he were happy and looked at Sam taking a step forward.
"Sam-"
"I'm fine."
Bailey called him, but Sam advanced without caring and stood beside Nine and Wei.
She couldn't stop Sam.
Indeed, if she rejected Jenyu's offer, another knight from Har Kingdom had to go as a replacement for Sam. Somehow, Jenyu would make it happen.
Moreover, Jenyu would make Sam pay the price for rejection in some way.
'Damned.'
Bailey was furious, but she smiled.
"Alright. If they leave before us, we'll follow immediately. Isn't that right, Jenyu-nim?"
Instead of an answer, Jenyu showed a smile.
And not long after, Sam took the lead and started riding the horse, with the Dragon Hybrids Nine and Wei behind him.
The three figures were moving further away.
Bailey lifted her head.
In the distance, the Erghe Mountain Range could be seen.
'Let the way be clear.'
Bailey, she, fervently prayed.
That Sam is safe.
That the Beast People of Erghe flee.
That nothing happens in the village.
As numerous as the wrinkles accumulated on her elderly body, her prayers gradually increased.
* * *
"I can see them."
In the distance, Choi Han saw three people approaching the village on horseback and stood up.
The village chief asked cautiously.
"Are you going with us?"
Choi Han responded by opening the door.
"Yes."
And one person stood up.
"I'm going with you too."
It wasn't Hannah; she still leaned against the wall.
Choi Han nodded at the sight of the blue hair resembling the sea.
"Come."
Witira, as if going for a walk, headed to the entrance of the village with her hands behind her back. Beside her was the village chief, and next to the chief was Choi Han.
However, that formation soon changed.
The village chief went ahead, and Choi Han and Witira followed him silently.
* * *
"Is he there?"
The young knight Sam responded to Nine's question with uneven breaths. His body was damp with sweat.
"That's right."
"Oh."
Nine smiled with a mocking smile as he saw someone coming out through the log-made entrance.
"Still, the village chief comes out to greet on time."
Seeing the village in ruins, Nine licked his lips.
Last night, the commander said:
'The Pope said that the laws of the world have been distorted there.'
It could be a Dragon playing.
Or it might not be.
'Investigate thoroughly.'
That's what sounded for Nine.
'They can do whatever they want with that village.'
Pfff~.
Laughter naturally came out of Nine's mouth.
"Hehe."
He turned his head. Next to him, Wei, the Dragon Hybrid Mage, also laughed.
Nine was convinced. This guy must be thinking the same thing.
And the intention of Commander Jenyu, who sent these two as scouts, must also be the same.
'The commander is undeniably cruel.'
The representatives of Har would find the village destroyed or in ruins upon their return.
'It's amusing.'
Since arriving in this unfamiliar place, Nine hadn't experienced such enjoyment until now.
So, he moved forward.
"Are you the chief?"
"Yes."
The chief bowed in greeting. Beyond his shoulder, Choi Han looked at Nine as the village chief bowed.
* * *
"Human, they've arrived!"
"Oh, I see them too."
And from the hidden Black Castle, Cale was watching the village.
* * *
If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.
Thank you for reading!
[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]
[Translator – Anowa]
[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]