The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 60

‘The barrier has been destroyed.’

What Kalph feared had actually happened. However, the event occurred so suddenly that everyone was frozen in place, unable to respond adequately.

“Everyone, snap out of it!”

Kalph’s commanding voice shattered the chaotic atmosphere instantly. Those who were lost in shock finally regained their senses and began to form a defensive stance. Weapons were drawn and aimed towards the intruder, creating a suffocating tension in the space between them.

“Sei, take Syran and move to the back.”

Kalph handed over the limp Syran to me. Syran, breathing heavily with narrowed eyes, was conscious but unable to stand properly. As I carefully supported him, the intruder’s form became visible through the dispersing smoke. He was a tall man, and surprisingly, there were no other forms visible.

‘Did he attack alone?’

There might be reinforcements waiting nearby, but regardless, it spoke volumes about his confidence in his own abilities. Despite the visible caution in every defender’s eyes, the intruder walked forward without a hint of hesitation. His bold demeanor caused our side to falter. Some even took steps back.

“You lot have been lazing around, haven’t you? Getting weak! Don’t retreat! Anyone who retreats will die by my hand first!”

Kalph’s harsh words pulled everyone back to focus as he glared at the intruder.

“You there, stop! Don’t take another step!”

At this, the man who had been walking forward without hesitation stopped abruptly. His long hair swayed lightly in the breeze, his face still unseen.

“Who are you? Whatever your reason for doing this, forget about returning safely…”

At that moment, a small whimper escaped Kalph’s mouth. His voice, filled with a mix of realization and disbelief, faded. At that same instant, someone from the front lines rushed towards the intruder.

“You! Reveal your identity!”

“Wait, hold on! Don’t attack…!”

Thwack! Thud!

By the time Kalph tried to intervene, it was too late—the intruder had already struck, sending the attacker flying. The ease with which the intruder repelled the attack without even a scratch shocked everyone.

“Riden!”

“You bastard!”

The people who hurriedly rushed to support the fallen were now glaring furiously. But before they could launch another attack, Kalph’s booming voice cut through the air.

“Stop, all of you!”

“…!”

Startled by the unexpected command, everyone looked at Kalph in confusion.

“Everyone, lower your weapons! Don’t do anything!”

“Lord K-Kalph!”

“But Riden…!”

“Shut up and listen to me!”

Kalph was focused solely on the intruder. The intruder, for his part, remained still and calmly observed the situation. His demeanor was surprisingly docile for someone who had forcefully broken through a barrier. It seemed he had only reacted defensively to the previous attack, not with the intent to kill. Evidence of this lay in the fact that Riden, who was now getting back to his feet, bore almost no visible injuries.

‘Is he not an enemy?’

The unsettling feeling wasn’t lost on the others either. Everyone looked at the intruder with puzzled expressions. Around that time, Kalph ran his hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.

“What the hell are you doing, you bastard?”

“…”

“Why break through the barrier instead of using the proper entrance! You scared everyone! Syran even coughed up blood! What are you going to do about that?”

It seemed that the intruder wasn’t an enemy after all. The tension in the air slowly dissipated from the shoulders of those who had been on edge. Despite Kalph’s reprimands, the intruder remained silent. Kalph, exasperated, shouted out in frustration.

“Explain yourself, Aska!”

The surrounding area buzzed lightly. People who had gasped for breath exchanged startled looks. “Aska?”, “What, Lord Aska?”, “Unbelievable!” Words of shock and wonder rippled through the crowd like waves.

‘Aska.’

It was a name I had heard once before. Wasn’t it the drastic measure Kalph had taken to wake Syran? And he was likely one of the Knights.

The intruder, who had been standing still, resumed walking. With each sound of his footsteps, the unconscious Syran in my arms flinched. I comforted the tense figure, observing the approaching man.

His attire struck first. Worn and tattered travel clothes like those of someone who had wandered the continent for years. A bulky backpack hung from his shoulder.

His long hair was jet black, almost unnaturally so, contrasting sharply with his pale, almost white skin. His eyes were a deep green. His sharp features, devoid of any expression, made his appearance even colder.

“My goodness! It really is Lord Aska!”

“Lord Aska is back!”

“Praise the heavens, Lord Aska has returned!”

Those who recognized him cheered loudly. Yet, Aska’s face remained expressionless. With a disinterested glance, he scanned the clan before speaking briefly.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

“That’s it? Just ‘a while’?”

Kalph’s stance was defiant, and it sounded as though he was grinding his teeth. Those who had been ready to rush to Aska with joy hesitated, watching Kalph’s reaction. Aska’s gaze remained indifferent as he observed Kalph.

“Kalph, you haven’t changed.”

“That’s something I should say to you, you damned bastard. Now, answer my question, will you?”

“…?”

“Why did you break through the barrier? Do you not realize how much damage that would cause to Syran, who created the barrier? You didn’t do this on purpose, did you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why the hell did you do this?”

Aska responded nonchalantly.

“I forgot.”

“What?”

“It’s been a long time since I left the village, and I couldn’t remember the proper way to enter. This was the only method that came to mind.”

“Ugh…”

Even without seeing Kalph’s face, it was easy to imagine his expression. The other people’s stunned faces likely mirrored his.

“Apologize to Syran first.”

Nodding, Aska glanced around casually, seemingly looking for Syran. At that moment, Syran clung to me tightly in a panic.

“Lord Syran.”

Upon hearing his name, Syran gripped my collar even more firmly, head hanging low and refusing to lift it up. His strong rejection was evident even to an outsider. Watching this, Aska shrugged at Kalph.

“He doesn’t seem interested in accepting my apology.”

“…Why are you two always at odds?”

Kalph sighed and clicked his tongue, causing Aska to look at him in confusion.

“Are we at odds?”

“Do you see Syran’s reaction and still ask that?”

“Isn’t Syran always like this?”

“That’s exactly why you two don’t get along.”

Even with Kalph spelling it out, Aska still seemed unable to grasp the conclusion. It appeared he didn’t even realize that Syran disliked him.

‘What a peculiar person.’

It seemed his way of relating to others was different from that of normal people. Breaking the barrier just because he forgot how to enter the village was one thing. He didn’t seem to think in typical ways. As I pondered this, our gazes met abruptly.

“So there’s an Aesang in the village.”

Even though we merely looked at each other, an inexplicable tension surged within me. It felt like I had become the prey under a predator’s watch. A chilling sensation washed over me. I unconsciously clenched my fist. Trying not to show my anxiety, I made sure to stare back more intently. Aska’s expression turned peculiar.

“Oh, that’s Sei. He grew up in human society and hasn’t been here long.”

“…Whose child is he?”

“Sei has a special case. I’ll explain the details later. But what about you? Why are you alone? Where’s the King and the other Knights?”

Only then did Aska’s gaze leave me. The gripping sensation I had felt earlier vanished, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“I have something to discuss regarding that. Let’s move to another location. Syran should come, too.”

“What? That sounds ominous. It seems like Seon is also wandering around alone. You don’t mean that the Demonic Beast has really been resurrected or something, do you?”

At that moment, Aska’s eyes widened, and he tightly grasped Kalph’s wrist. Kalph blinked in surprise at the sudden reaction.

“Ah, you startled me. Why the sudden change?”

“Have you seen Semeion? Where?”

“Huh? Why ask me? Shouldn’t you know Semeion’s whereabouts best, since you left together? What’s going on, did something really happen?”

“Just answer me. Where did you last see him? Did he seem okay?”

“Uh… I didn’t meet him personally. And I’m not even sure if it was really Semeion.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sei met him. Sei doesn’t know what Semeion looks like.”

Aska’s gaze fell on me again. I swallowed nervously, and Kalph continued.

“Everything—the name, the description—matches Semeion. His behavior was unmistakably Semeion-like. But there’s one catch: he didn’t recognize Sei as an Aesang.”

“…I see.”

“I thought he might have been pretending not to know, but it doesn’t make sense. Someone like him would never leave an Aesang on the verge of awakening unattended. That’s what I can’t wrap my head around.”

“Are you saying that kid is about to awaken?”

“Why are you acting like that too? I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”

Kalph frowned.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m thinking it might not be Semeion. Even in a situation where he had to pretend not to know an Aesang, he would’ve at least taken some minimal precautions.”

“…No, it must be Semeion. He probably truly didn’t recognize the Aesang.”

Aska’s calm voice resonated lowly. His downcast eyes seemed even more shadowed than before. Kalph, oblivious to the change in mood, let out a snide laugh.