“One night, six years ago, a colossal sphere of light suddenly materialized above the Netherworld Forest. Its brilliance was so intense it rivaled the sun and moon, turning the entire sky as bright as day. This extraordinary event persisted for roughly a minute.”
“Throughout that minute, the orb of light steadily expanded before hurtling into the Netherworld Forest with immense velocity. Even Volantis City experienced a distinct tremor from the impact. Could such a monumental event truly have slipped your minds?”
“ ‘Oh… now that Captain Thorne brings it up…’ ”
Scratching his head, Gilbert appeared to be recalling something himself.
“ ‘I think I did hear something about it, ah… but honestly, I was dead asleep that night, so I didn’t see a thing, hahahaha…’ ”
The others exchanged silent glances.
“ ‘And you, Angela?’ Thorne inquired.”
Angela considered his question, then sighed. “Six years ago,” she replied, “I believe I was still attending school in my old home in the south. So I’m entirely unfamiliar with the events here…”
“…………”
Speechless, Thorne then shifted his expectant gaze to Leya, who sat beside Angela, seemingly lost in thought.
He considered asking her something…
Yet, after some deliberation, he ultimately decided against it.
“ ‘Alright then, let’s move past this topic…’ ”
With a resigned sigh, Thorne continued, “Then, in the second year following the White Night’s descent, the Orcs—who had always been weak and confined to the Netherworld Forest—suddenly experienced a profound surge in their power. Much like the recent beast tide, Orcs boasting nearly Level 2 strength, such as Minotaurs, were once incredibly scarce. But now…”
“ ‘To ascertain the cause, every nation bordering the Netherworld Forest, including our own Kingdom of Alvia, dispatched numerous reconnaissance teams. They all returned with the same conclusion in the end…’ ”
Thorne paused, a deliberate air of mystery about him.
“ ‘That there must be a treasure here, one that has spurred their dramatic increase in power. And that artifact is known as the [Heart of the Netherworld]…’ ”
“ ‘So, the Kingdom’s recent eastern expedition was aimed at acquiring the Heart of the Netherworld?’ ”
It was Gilbert who interjected once more.
Thorne shot the man an exasperated glare and shook his head, yet chose not to press the matter further.
“ ‘How to put it? You could say yes, or you could say no,’ Thorne began. ‘The Kingdom’s eastern expedition this time was for several reasons. Firstly, the Kingdom’s Twelve Pillars detected an exceptionally potent magical fluctuation within the Netherworld Forest, leading them to believe the Heart of the Netherworld might have already emerged.’ ”
“ ‘Secondly, the Orc tribes within the Netherworld Forest have proliferated at an alarming rate in recent years, now posing a grave threat to the Kingdom’s eastern borders…’ ”
“ ‘And thirdly, the Undead in the Netherworld Wasteland have been expanding aggressively and showing an abnormal frequency of activity. No one can discern their true objectives.’ ”
“ ‘Of course, whispers suggest the truth extends far beyond this, with even the Church’s shadow looming behind these events… Considering all this, while the Kingdom’s eastern campaign outwardly appears to be an assault on the Orcs, the true circumstances are, in fact, incredibly convoluted and eerie…’ ”
Listening to Thorne’s lengthy discourse, which finally seemed to have reached a pause…
Yet, the others remained only partially enlightened. Even now, they couldn’t discern any direct link between these revelations and their current mission.
It was unclear whether Thorne had simply found this elaborate excuse to divert their attention and alleviate the awkward tension.
Nevertheless, Thorne’s words were not entirely without merit. For instance, it was now clear that the perpetually restless Undead seemed to have become involved in this mission, and their formidable strength instilled significant fear in Thorne and the other adventurers.
If that were indeed the case, however, another question began to trouble Leya: she had personally witnessed Enoch Wells’ formidable power!
A being capable of matching her even in her Saber transformation, facing a small village like this would be almost trivially easy!
Consider his technique, [Nightfall’s Divine Punishment]; its destructive power could effortlessly obliterate this entire small village! So, if that’s true, why would he go to the trouble of deploying the Netherworld Wolf pack to assault the village? And if he did attack, why not unleash the entire pack at once?
Considering the sheer size of the wolf pack she had encountered in the forest previously, overwhelming this tiny village would have been no challenge at all, would it?
There wouldn’t have been any survivors left, surely?
Yet, with the undeniable facts before her, Leya couldn’t help but question if Enoch Wells was utterly lacking in foresight!
A being as powerful as him, attacking a small village—fine, let him attack. But not only did he refrain from acting personally, he even allowed his subordinates to deliberately hold back!?
It was utterly baffling!
However, if viewed from a different perspective, what if Enoch Wells wasn’t simply foolish, but was compelled to act in this manner…?
Though she harbored serious doubts about this possibility, she had to concede that if Enoch Wells wasn’t truly a fool, and if his target genuinely was this village…
Then, it was probable that his actions were dictated by some deeper concern…
But what exactly could he be so concerned about…?
Even with Leya racking her brain, she couldn’t fathom what could possibly be within that village.
“ ‘Uh… wait, it seems there actually is something!’ ”
That black aura, whose nature she still hadn’t comprehended!
Could it truly be that?
****
In the blink of an eye, the convoy had been traveling for two hours already.
Gazing forward, a blurry but discernible outline of the forest’s edge finally came into view for everyone.
This sight undoubtedly brought joy to every member of the group.
“ ‘Wonderful! We’re finally back!’ ”
“ ‘Indeed! Thankfully, we didn’t encounter anything along the way…’ ”
“ ‘Ah! I told you to stop uttering such ill-omened words!’ ”
“ ‘Hahahahaha—’ ”
Infectious as the atmosphere was, even Leya found her spirits lifting.
“ ‘Phew—that’s wonderful! We’ve finally returned safely once more!’ ”
Suddenly, Angela, seated beside her, voiced this sentiment with a sigh of relief. Her words, however, prompted Leya to speak with a hint of surprise.
“ ‘Is being an adventurer truly such a perilous profession, one where death could strike at any moment?’ ”
“ ‘Eh? Miss Leya, you weren’t aware of this!?’ ”
Angela exclaimed, her surprise evident.
“ ‘In the adventuring profession, especially when undertaking perilous missions, the average casualty rate consistently exceeds sixty percent! So it’s far more than just dangerous; it’s akin to gambling with your very life, truly dreadful…’ ”
“ ‘Uh…’ ”
That truly sounded…
Quite exhilarating!
“ ‘Cough, cough, cough…’ ”
“ ‘I wouldn’t have guessed, Angela; you’re quite a brave girl indeed!’ ”
Leya spoke with genuine admiration. A life lived on the razor’s edge every day was not for everyone, let alone a young woman like Angela.
To Leya’s surprise, however, Angela’s expression grew somewhat awkward in response to the compliment. She offered a bitter smile.
“ ‘Oh, Miss Leya… you give me too much credit. In truth, if I had any other option… I would rather die than be an adventurer…’ ”
“…………”
“ ‘Perhaps, Miss Leya, as a noble, you’ll never truly comprehend such hardship… Well, never mind! Now that we’re finally in good spirits, let’s not dwell on depressing matters!’ ”
“ ‘Angela…’ ”
“ ‘Mmm… we’re almost out of the Netherworld Forest. By the way, Miss Leya, it’s a rare chance. Why don’t we step out and admire the scenery?’ ”
Angela said, deliberately steering the conversation.
“ ‘But… aren’t we still moving? If we were to go out now…’ ”
“ ‘It’ll be fine! We can simply borrow two horses from those outside and easily keep pace, can’t we?’ ”
“ ‘But…’ ”
“ ‘But I don’t know how to ride a horse!’ ”
Though she yearned to voice this, at that very moment, a sudden shout from outside the carriage broke through the air.
“ ‘Attention! Attention! A beastman tribe has been detected approaching one kilometer to our rear!’ ”
‘A beast… a beastman tribe? Now!?’
“ ‘Oh no! To the left, approximately six hundred meters away, a Netherworld Wolf pack has also been sighted!’ ”
‘Even the left? So that means…’
“ ‘Report! To the right, an unidentified black object is rapidly closing in…’ ”
‘Just as I thought?’
‘Damn it! These people must have been wildly tempting fate just now. Well, here’s the harvest…’
“ ‘Tsk, perfect timing!’ Gilbert exclaimed. ‘Miss Leya, Angela, you two remain here for now. The captain and I will go out and assess the situation!’ ”
Gilbert, on the other hand, appeared almost gleeful, his eyes shining with eagerness as he spoke.
“ ‘Hmm… that’s acceptable,’ Thorne nodded in agreement. ‘Given that enemies are approaching from three directions, they are clearly well-prepared. Still, it hardly matters; we are, after all, on the verge of exiting the Netherworld Forest!’ ”
Thorne nodded in agreement, concurring with the assessment.
Witnessing this, Leya offered no further words, tacitly assenting to their plan.
After all, her current physical form was somewhat weak, and rushing out recklessly could indeed invite danger. Moreover, as Thorne had pointed out, they were almost out anyway…
“ ‘Pah, pah, pah!—’ ”
‘She almost tempted fate again. That was a narrow escape, indeed…’