Episode 480

Damn it, this is totally screwed.

Where did it all go wrong? Was it because I didn’t ask that old man for directions the last time I saw him?

No, that can’t be it. The biggest mistake was probably when Akorella, obsessed with her new magic amplifier research, got injected twice in a row. She said she’d drop me off on the outskirts of Bariel, but instead, she dumped me in the middle of nowhere—not at the border, but some godforsaken wasteland. Are you kidding me? I get lost even with signposts; how was I supposed to find my way here?

Hmm. Wait, thinking about it more, that’s not quite right either. Akorella got those magic amplifier shots because the Magic Department was short-staffed. So, fundamentally, it’s the fault of the wizards split between the North and South.

What? If that’s the case, then damn it, it all comes down to Ian. Since Ian disappeared, the Magic Department’s been a mess. And now I’m out here looking for him myself.

“That’s right! It’s all Ian’s fault! That bastard!”

Beric concluded that losing his way was entirely Ian’s doing. Fueled by anger, he slammed his fist into the nearest tree.

BANG!

A thunderous crack echoed as black leaves rained down. The once-quiet forest erupted in noise. Beric glanced around nervously.

‘…I’m screwed.’

After standing still and thinking for a moment, he couldn’t even remember which direction he’d been walking.

This damn forest was strange—barely any sunlight filtered through. It was hard to tell east from west, and since hardly anyone came here, there weren’t even proper paths.

Resigned, Beric sat down and pulled out some dried meat, taking a bite.

“I feel like once I get out of here, I’ll find my way easily, but this is tough.”

He’d boasted he could make it to Tolrun in no time, but now look at him. Honestly, it was a relief he came alone. If Ogeumni had been with him, the teasing and nagging would’ve driven him mad.

Beric lay back, staring up at the sunlight filtering through the leaves. At least it was still daytime.

‘Still, Ian’s out there somewhere. I’ll eat this and get moving. Left or right, I just need to pick a direction and stick to it. Roel, huh? Crazy. He looks exactly like Ian. Reminds me of when we went to the Great Desert together. Back then, both of us were total idiots.’

Humming a tune, Beric tapped his toes, taking a brief rest. It was advice from Romandro—to stay calm and stop moving if you get lost.

Well, it seemed to work.

Rustle.

Unexpectedly, he sensed someone nearby.

Beric whipped his head around. A scruffy-looking man stood there, holding some kind of metal blades—maybe daggers—in each hand. Beric figured the guy was just startled.

“Hey, a person! Nice to see you.”

“Y-yeah, uh, nice to meet you too.”

“You live around here?”

The man eyed Beric carefully. Lying down, Beric hadn’t noticed how big the guy was. Now standing, his bulky frame was clear.

And what was that black sword at his side? His clothes were just plain black fabric, but his backpack looked stuffed and pretty tempting.

‘Lucky me. Every time I come to this forest, I run into strangers.’

“That’s right, but who are you? I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Fair enough. Just a passerby who got lost. Mind giving me a hand? I’m not exactly rolling in gold, but I can offer you a coin or two.”

“A c-coin?”

“…What? Gold coin.”

“Wha—?!”

The man’s heart pounded. There were gold coins in that bag—lots of them, judging by the way he spoke!

Having worked like a dog under Landreau all his life, he’d never seen such shining golden coins before. Trying to steady his trembling voice, he nodded.

“Alright then. But you lead the way. My eyesight’s poor, and I’m slow on my feet.”

“And yet you wandered into the forest just fine.”

“Just take the left path.”

“Oh, okay.”

Relieved to have company, Beric gladly took the lead. The man followed, watching Beric’s back thoughtfully.

Man, I want some of that dried meat too. What should I do? Stab him in the neck right now? Nah, he’s way taller than me; that might fail. Judging by his condition, he looks like a wandering mercenary. Going head-on would be a disaster.

Maybe push him off a cliff? No way! His backpack would fall too! What now? What now?

“Hey.”

“…Huh?!”

While the man muttered to himself, Beric suddenly stopped, sensing something. Did the guy notice his thoughts? The man quietly drew a dagger behind his back, and Beric stared him down.

“Are there residents in this forest?”

“H-here?”

“I keep feeling weird eyes on me.”

“Ah…”

Oh, that wasn’t about him. The man sheathed his dagger and laughed.

“There are mole people living here.”

“Mole people? Are there really such things in Bariel?”

“Outsiders don’t know much. Even we locals rarely see them. They live in tunnels, banging, cutting, and chopping all day… Honestly, I don’t know what they do. Sometimes they bring back useful stuff.”

More like stealing, but whatever. Clearing his throat, the man told Beric to keep moving.

After walking for a while, Beric turned around, curious, and suddenly—

Thud!

“Eek!”

“Huh?”

The man shoved Beric’s back with all his might.

Beric felt the ground give way beneath him and plummeted several meters into a pit.

Thump!

“Hahaha! Ahaha!”

“Damn it, my ass is killing me.”

“Whoever you are, you’re out of luck. If you don’t want to rot in this pit, hand over your bag. Then I might toss you a plank or two.”

Beric rubbed his sore backside, scowling. What the hell was this guy saying? Did he just trap me in some crude pit?

“Looks like I’m not the only idiot around here.”

“What? I can’t hear you!”

“Can’t hear? So what, asshole!”

“No one else comes through here. If you want to live, do as I say. Looks like you can manage without your backpack.”

“Who made you the boss of that?”

“Fine. I’ll come back after you’re dead.”

Beric decided to play along for now, planning to come back tomorrow fully prepared. He had to snatch the food from that bag before the guy ate it all. Hot oil, sharp spears, arrows—what would work best? As the man chuckled and turned away—

Whoosh!

Beric suddenly soared up from the pit, flying so high he nearly reached the treetops.

The man blinked, thinking a bird had flown in, but then caught sight of Beric’s fiery red hair shimmering in midair and gasped.

Vroom!

“Who’s out of luck now?”

“Eek!”

Smack!

No need to waste a sword. Beric drove his knee into the man’s skull, knocking him out cold in one blow.

As the man collapsed, rolling down the hill, Beric followed, kicking him relentlessly.

“You dare go after my meat?”

Thud!

“You’re dead today, bastard. I was bored lost in this forest, but now this is fun.”

For a moment, Beric realized he was truly lost now—but what did it matter? The guy tried to kill him and was now unconscious. No use keeping him alive. Better to vent some frustration by beating him up.

Just as Beric rolled up his sleeve to throw punches—

Tap tap.

“Huh?”

Someone lightly tapped Beric’s shoulder. Reflexively, he turned his head and saw stars flashing before his eyes.

Kaang!

With a clear sound, Beric’s vision wavered. Slowly, he moved downward, face to face with the man he’d just beaten, who’d fallen sideways.

Despite the clear sound, the weight of that blow was something else—more painful than when old man Jarrett had truly caught him off guard.

“What the hell are you all doing in my forest?!”

Beric blinked slowly. His vision blurred, but what stood out clearly was—

“…No way. Why is a mole wearing human clothes?”

So that’s the mole people the guy mentioned earlier? No wonder I felt eyes on me—they were watching with those tiny button-like eyes. What a freak.

Unaware of each other’s surprise, Beric let out a bitter laugh.

“What did you hit me with? I don’t usually go down in one hit.”

“Why did you come into the forest?”

“I’m asking you, mole bastard.”

The Dera tribe member’s beard trembled with rage as he gripped his hammer tighter. Who the hell did this freak think he was, calling him a mole?

As he flexed, muscles bulged on his short, stout arms.

“Holy crap.”

“Curious about what I hit you with? I’ll show you again.”

Swish.

With all his might, he brought the hammer down hard on Berrick’s temple.

clang!

*    *    *

“He’s late today. Think he found something?”

“Yeah, he’s usually back before dinner. If he doesn’t make it, we’ll have to go hungry till morning.”

“Strange. I figure it’s one of two things: either he struck it rich and took off, or he got caught in a trap.”

“But they never disarm the traps, do they? Not once have they caught any of those mole things.”

“Disarming traps is a pain and a half. They just leave them be, hoping some wild animal gets caught instead.”

Langdroi, finishing his meal, wandered into the yard and overheard the low murmurs of his men.

“Hoth still hasn’t come back?”

“Yes, sir. That’s right.”

“Did he head to Rajasan?”

“Yes, yes. He left early at dawn, but there’s been no word since.”

Langdroi twisted the few strands of beard on his chin thoughtfully. Something was definitely wrong, but he hesitated—was it worth going after him?

The mountain was dangerous at night. The mole tribe could strike at any moment. But replacing a foolhardy yet reliable slave like Hoth was a hassle. And if he’d fallen victim to the mole tribe’s attack…

‘Better to stick with the dryad for now.’

Because of the notorious Rajasan, no one claimed the land nearby. Despite its strategic position facing the central region, the rough terrain and impassable roads made it economically worthless.

More than that, the presence of dryads and the Dera tribe added to its fearsome reputation, so even neighboring lords avoided staking a claim. They figured it was better to leave it empty than pay taxes on a cursed patch of land.

‘Lucky for me,’ Langdroi thought.

He could live quietly with his clan where no one else cared to tread. Wiping grease from his mouth, he ordered his men, “At first light, we all head up the mountain.”

“Huh? Up the mountain? Us too?”

“Bring big sacks.”

Hidden between the trees, Ian watched them. Their conversation confirmed his suspicion that he was near Rajasan.

Clutching his empty stomach, Ian lay down on a haystack. He’d never understood how Berrick could shovel food in every day without pause, but now he did. The pain of hunger was a constant companion. No wonder he ate like that.

‘…I wonder how Berrick’s holding up.’

clang!

“Huh?”

A sudden, sharp metallic sound made Ian turn his head. But all he saw were crows flying vigorously overhead.

“…?”

He must have misheard the crows.