NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20
The cozy moon illuminated the dark night as the trio finished folding their blankets, carefully closed the door, and slung their backpacks over their shoulders.
Leaving only faint traces behind, a calm atmosphere settled in the rather disheveled room.
Keyal stepped outside the inn after handing over three silver coins to the clerk, taking a deep breath of the cold night air before immediately exhaling.
“…..”
It’s tough. Really damn tough.
He rubbed his aching body, trying to ease the knotted muscles.
Though honestly, nothing had changed at all.
“Are you okay, Master?”
Elena, wearing a necklace of precious metals for the first time, looked anxious, stretching out her hand.
“Daddy… are you okay?”
Soon after, Libera, who had been clinging to his back, folded her hands politely and tilted her head.
“…I’m fine. Just a bit stiff.”
Struggling to hold his body, Keyal forced a smile, lifting his shadowy eyes. He looked like a living corpse, his condition so serious it was hard to tell if he was human.
Of course, he wasn’t ill or anything.
Rubbing his eyelids,
Pinching his skin,
Slapping himself clear across the face — it was evident that his lack of sleep was making him stumble.
Well, to be honest, he did slap himself.
Feigning sleep until he fell asleep, only to wake up to fight again, and repeat this process with Elena and Libera dozens of times. Before he knew it, the sun was rising outside the window.
‘Ugh… I’m so freaking tired…’
*
Since the next destination was the Kingdom, he first had to cross the Empire’s border and head south.
Hmm? Why head to the Kingdom instead of the Empire?
…The reason is simple.
“Status Window.”
At Keyal Kralin’s short command, a familiar warning sound buzzed around him.
[!]
As the dense text filled his view, Elena and Libera, who were quietly gazing at the spectacle, recoiled slightly.
Keyal nonchalantly waved his hand as if it were no big deal.
It was only then that the two women, who were about to get up, sat back down.
======
Quest
Gather an adventurer party to find the missing heroes. [2/5]
Reestablish the ‘Edric’ Guild with the missing heroes. [0/1]
======
Status Window
Name: Keyal Kralin
Race: Half-beast Tribe
Age: 24
Alias: Commander
Adventurer Rank: Grade 1 -> 2 [Pending]
======
Skills
Return: Grade A-
Prideful Ruin: Grade C-
Command: Grade S-
System Correction: Grade A+
Demonic Army: A+
Magic: B-
Magic Affinity: F-
Chains of Restraint: F-
======
Attributes
Strength: 21
Endurance: 19
Agility: 20
Regeneration: 20 +2
Magic Power: 10
Dark Power: 20 +10
=====
Party Member Status
[‘Elf Queen’ trusts you.]
[‘Gold Mine Dragon’ trusts you.]
=====
‘Nothing strange here so far…’
The important part was the message that popped up after the status window.
=====
[!]
Royal Quest
Head to the southern Beastman Kingdom ‘Solum.’
[!]
Visit the mage in Solum Kingdom.
Rewards are given upon success.
There are no penalties for failure.
Do you accept the quest? [Y/N]
=====
‘Hmm…..’
Keyal let out a short sound, pursing his lips.
It was the first time a quest with no extreme penalties had appeared, and it caught him off guard momentarily.
What could have brought about such a shift from the system that constantly sent murder warnings?
Not to mention, rewards are being handed out for free.
Perhaps the system was scared he’d explode from too much pressure after working him to the bone.
Shaking his head, Keyal swiftly reached for the acceptance button.
BEEP!
Once again, the familiar sound echoed around him.
As he clicked the acceptance button, the status window vanished without a trace.
Elena and Libera watched him with curious eyes as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“…”
His face suddenly flushed. He felt like a teen caught watching Power Rangers at home.
The embarrassment overwhelmed him. The two women, trying not to look, turned their heads as if saying they hadn’t seen anything, digging deeper into his shame.
‘…No, that’s super unfair…’
Suddenly, he remembered that the status window was invisible to anyone but him.
*
Solum Kingdom. The only safe haven in the southern continent swarming with dangerous monsters and the only military state in the Philoria Continent.
However, lately, rumors about this military kingdom had started to spread.
A mysterious figure claiming to be a mage was said to have toppled the monarchy and was manipulating it from behind.
There were whispers that the king had become nothing more than a puppet to hide the figure’s true identity and that this ruthless individual would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, exploiting the geographical features of the military state.
“I heard that the self-proclaimed mage always wears a hood and never reveals his face to anyone,” Elena said as she formed a tiny kingdom with her hands, depicting the peasants and lands created through spirit magic vibrantly.
“Hmm… a mysterious being controlling the king…”
Elena had been gathering information from nature for quite some time since she disappeared.
“Do you think it was good to hear this? I’m not sure…”
It’s certainly better than going in with zero information. Keyal smirked, nodding lightly.
Seeing this, the Elf responded cheerfully, smiling wide while holding her cheeks, shaking her body.
A mage who doesn’t reveal their identity and rules the kingdom. Furthermore, even the defeated royal family and beastmen don’t know their identity.
…This sounded strangely familiar.
“Then the remaining beastmen are all in the kingdom?”
“Oh no, I’ve heard that some beastmen tried to escape to a neighboring country. The only remaining beastmen would probably be the seventh Lephord and his family.”
Keyal froze momentarily at Elena’s words.
“…….”
“Why do you ask, Master?”
Keyal’s expression twisted in an instant.
He quickly understood why the status window directed him to the kingdom and why it had assigned him such a simple task.
Telling him to especially visit the mage at a time like this was practically saying he had to fight the guy who ate the kingdom.
Sigh… I knew it would be this way.
*
In a crooked, sloping building, several armored figures were holding up collapsing structures, protecting a woman huddled at the edge.
“Dammit, that sneaky bastard…!!”
The man, sporting a sleek tail with brown stripes, shouted angrily at a figure wearing a black hood, holding up the huge, crumbling clock tower.
“Get the princess out of here first!! Hurry up!!”
A filthy new beastman, covered in mud, shouted orders to his subordinates, pointing at a white tiger, who was sitting and teary-eyed.
However, none of them could easily move.
Perhaps it was the pressure weighing down on them or the identity of the one who attacked the princess.
But one thing was certain.
“…”
The masked figure appeared to be extremely angry. Even though his face was covered, everyone present could sense the murderous intent radiating from him.
SWISH
“AAARGH…!!”
The body of the cat beastman that stood there was severed in two, spraying blood as he fell to the ground without a chance to resist.
A comrade had just died in front of their eyes. Yet no one dared to charge at the masked figure.
They could only solemnly witness the death of their friend. Some even laid down their weapons completely, giving up the will to resist.
A rough sound echoed, and the masked stranger’s presence felt like a beast scratching its neck.
Step by step,
Slowly, he approached the huddled princess and knelt beside her.
Lowering her gaze, he grabbed her chin, lifting it to meet his gaze.
As if to say, “Look at me. Confess your sins.”
“Ugh… h-hic…”
Tears and snot marred the young princess’s face, hardly resembling a princess of the nation. All she could do was cry.
“I kept my promise, didn’t I?”
The powerless voice of the woman echoed in the princess’s ear, claws at her jaw hinted at the readiness to squeeze whenever he pleased.
TAP TAP
The masked figure tapped the floor with his finger.
It felt like he was interrogating the white tiger before him.
“Would it have been better to bring it on time? Why didn’t you listen, causing all this trouble, princess?”
“…Hic…”
The tear-streaked face of the white tiger grew darker as the masked figure flicked his finger, cutting off his words.
“Why? Do you want to die? Or did my words seem nonsensical to you?”
…