After digging something out from beneath the corpse, the villagers immediately turned and fled.
Yuri struggled desperately to regain control over her body.
The sudden, eerie scream that echoed through the air felt like it seared her brain.
She swung her Soul Slash through her entire body, trying to steady herself as much as possible.
Gradually, her senses began to return.
Though unsteady, she was at least able to move.
Yuri hurried after the villagers running out of Adelvine.
As she did, she sensed the overwhelming energy approaching them slowly come to a halt.
Chasing after the fleeing villagers, Yuri realized just how little she truly understood about Gert.
She had assumed he attacked any human who entered Adelvine indiscriminately, but that was a far too simple assumption.
Gert didn’t pursue those leaving the area.
He was more like a sentinel.
“Phew…”
Soon, the villagers stopped before reaching Sordelvine and began whispering among themselves.
Yuri lowered her voice and crept closer.
She heard the man leading the group grumble.
“They came too fast today.”
“Must have been nearby.”
“We only managed to get one.”
“If we split it, who’s going to get it?”
“One’s enough. You guys just waste too much.”
Yuri could roughly guess what they were talking about.
But what she really wanted to know wasn’t how they divided it—it was what exactly they had dug up.
She stepped forward, making a noise.
The villagers, chatting without a care, turned their heads one by one.
“Who’s there?”
“Uh, um…”
When the man who seemed to be their leader looked back, Yuri waved her hand.
“Hey.”
He jumped back in surprise.
Yuri spread her hands and stepped closer.
“Don’t be so startled.”
“Y-You’re a knight?”
“That’s right.”
The people of Sordelvine didn’t know exactly who she was. To them, all knights looked the same.
Yuri pointed to the object the man was holding, wrapped in cloth so its contents were hidden.
“What’s that?”
“Uh…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to eat you.”
“Did you… follow us? Why?”
“Suspicious.”
Yuri scanned the gathered villagers one by one.
“I followed you because it seemed suspicious. Don’t tell me you think your appearance isn’t suspicious?”
“Uh…”
They all stared at her tensely. Silence stretched between them.
Yuri smirked.
“Your eyes are changing. Are you thinking you can handle someone like me?”
“N-No way.”
“I’m not here to interfere with your village affairs. I’m just curious, so don’t be so nervous.”
Just then, as the man raised his pickaxe, a ripping scream tore through the air, striking him like a blow to his vital points.
Yuri was momentarily frozen in place.
That must be the source of Sordelvine’s wealth.
“Wouldn’t it be better to end this while it’s still a favor?”
They whispered among themselves.
Yuri tapped the hilt of her sword, Guilty, at her waist.
“Knight.”
Finally, the man approached Yuri and revealed the object he was holding. Though wrapped in cloth, its size was roughly that of an adult man’s forearm.
“It’s not a pretty sight. Still, would you like to see it?”
Without answering, Yuri pulled back the cloth.
She frowned.
“This is…”
A plant with thick, leafy growth.
But its root was shaped like a human.
Its head was large and curled up, resembling a fetus. Its face was twisted in a grimace, and inside its wide-open mouth, teeth and tongue were intricately formed.
The sight filled her with revulsion.
A faint word surfaced from her memory.
“Mandrake.”
“You know it.”
Yuri had only heard the name before. A legendary plant said to grow from the fluids of hanged corpses.
When its root is pulled, it screams, and hearing that scream is said to drive people mad or even kill them.
“Is this really real?”
The villagers exchanged glances.
“Do you dig this up and sell it?”
“Yes.”
“Does it grow in Adelvine?”
“Yes…”
The man hesitated before speaking.
“We’d appreciate it if you kept this a secret. We’re just trying to make a living…”
“If you’re not harming others, it’s none of my business.”
“We only roam around Adelvine. We don’t harm anyone. If we keep quiet, no one gets hurt.”
“Who buys this?”
“Well…”
“I’ll keep your secret, but just tell me that. Otherwise, I’ll spread the word and turn Sordelvine into a Mandrake experience tourist spot.”
“Ah…”
The man sighed deeply. The villagers around him looked grim, some even casting hostile glances.
But after all, they were just people carrying farming tools.
Yuri waited silently until he spoke.
“Whew… Wizards buy it.”
“The Mage Tower?”
“I don’t know which faction they belong to…”
“Understood. You may go.”
“Huh?”
“Go.”
“Uh…”
“Did you think I was going to take your mandrake? I was just curious.”
The man looked at Yuri with complicated eyes, then nodded.
“Understood.”
He led the villagers back toward Sordelvine.
Yuri watched their backs, arms crossed, lost in thought.
The next day, after hearing Yuri’s explanation, the group’s eyes widened.
“Mandrake actually exists?”
Simon and Cory looked clueless about what it was.
“Yeah. I thought it was just a legend, but it’s real.”
“Does it really scream?”
“I almost passed out.”
“What kind of effects does it have?”
“I don’t know. Try it later.”
“No, you might get cursed.”
“Enough about mandrake.”
Yuri lowered her voice.
“That’s not what matters right now. If they find out we’re going to kill Gert, they might interfere. Be careful.”
“Why would they interfere?”
Yuri thought back to what she saw yesterday.
The villagers crossed into Adelvine as if it was nothing, rummaging through corpses. Their practiced motions of silencing themselves and covering their ears showed they’d done this many times before.
From that, it seemed mandrake commonly grew on corpses left in Adelvine.
The reason was obvious.
“That mandrake probably only grows in places tainted by dark magic.”
According to what Inariel told her, Gert was a product of dark magic.
If the land he roamed was saturated with dark magic’s energy, it made sense that grotesque plants like mandrake would grow there.
Roland spoke up.
“If mandrake grows because of Gert, then the villagers making money selling it won’t welcome us.”
“Exactly.”
“From their perspective, it’s better that Gert stays.”
Jared frowned.
“But he’s the enemy who destroyed the kingdom. Wouldn’t they want him dead?”
“It’s a fallen kingdom. Ordinary people don’t have that kind of loyalty.”
Yuri smiled wryly.
“In other words, we’re about to cut off their livelihood. Feeling guilty yet?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Yuri stood.
“So just focus on Gert. If we’re lucky, we might even dig up a few mandrake roots to sell. Let’s move out.”
“Yes.”
The seven of them, including Yuri, rose.
As the armed group mounted their horses and left the inn, the townsfolk openly stared.
Yuri paid them no mind and headed toward the road leading to Adelvine.
But then the face she’d seen last night appeared, blocking their path.
It was the man who led the villagers digging up mandrake.
“W-Where are you going?”
“Do I have to tell you?”
“As the village chief, I need to know where you’re headed.”
“You’re the chief?”
“Yes. I may be insignificant, but I serve as the chief.”
“So you’re an important person.”
Yuri shrugged.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going to be digging through corpses like some people. Just taking a walk.”
His face flushed.
“Don’t joke. You’re really going into Adelvine?”
“If I keep walking, I might end up there.”
“You’ll regret it. There’s a cursed Death Knight there. You know that. No one’s ever come back alive.”
“Then what’s there to worry about?”
“Obviously, your safety.”
“Thanks for your concern. I’ll think about it.”
But Yuri showed no sign of heeding his warning.
The others behind her tapped their swords at their waists and grinned.
The chief looked at them with a dark expression, then sighed deeply and stepped aside.
“I pray for your safety.”
“You’re not going to stop us?”
“How could a mere villager like me stop knights? I can only wish you well.”
“Thank you.”
Yuri replied and passed by him. The others followed. They ignored the chief’s pleas and left Sordelvine behind.
Jared said, “He seemed genuinely worried about us.”
“Maybe. Though I wonder if he’ll celebrate after we kill Gert.”
“Ah…”
Yuri followed the same route the villagers took last night and crossed the border into Adelvine.
“The air feels different already.”
The air was damp. Though the sun was out, shadows seemed to linger, and moss carpeted the bases of the trees.
The entire land was steeped in an unpleasant aura that she hadn’t noticed at night.
Yuri expanded her spiritual senses.
She didn’t sense Gert.
“Looks like he’s taking a nap.”
“Death Knights might prefer the night.”
“Is that just a guess?”
“No!”
Yuri called out to Sir Jose.
“Sir Jose, do you sense anything?”
“Let me take a look.”
Jose nodded and glanced around. Yuri could sense the waves of mana emanating from his body.
The mana method Jose had mastered was as grand as his stature.
Jose shook his head.
“I don’t know. Why isn’t there anything?”
“Adelvain was a small country, but still a country. If it’s far away, it would take time.”
“Then should we wait? Or should we wander around?”
“We should…”
Yuri spoke up.
“Let’s head toward Sordelvain, the capital of Adelvain.”
The village where they were staying was named after the old kingdom’s capital, but the real Sordelvain was located in the heart of Adelvain.
“Maybe we can find something there.”
According to the information Inariel had given, if Adelvain’s downfall was connected to the black magic-infused parchment, then surely there would be traces of it in the capital, Sordelvain.
Jose burst out laughing at Yuri’s words.
“Wandering through the ruins of a fallen kingdom sounds like an interesting experience. Alright, let’s go. Who knows, maybe we’ll even find some ancient Adelvain treasure!”
“Treasure?”
“Since no one’s been able to go because of Gert, it’s definitely possible!”
“Whoa…”
Jose’s enthusiasm lifted the group’s spirits. He didn’t seem weighed down at all by the ominous atmosphere surrounding Adelvain.
Yuri laughed as well.
“Alright. Whatever we find here, we split it seven ways.”
“Sounds good!”
The group mounted their horses and set off toward Sordelvain.
Even while riding, Yuri kept scanning for Gert.
“No sign of it. It appeared quickly last night, but now—”
“Maybe it only shows up when you pick mandragora?”
“If we find any corpses, we should search them.”
As they followed the path across the plains, a few scattered skeletons appeared.
Their clothes were tattered, now just scraps fluttering in the wind, but it was clear they had been soldiers in life.
Looking at the rusty sword clutched in one skeleton’s hand, Yuri said,
“A soldier. There are signs of a fight.”
The sword was half broken from impact.
“Is the mandragora beneath here?”
“Let’s see.”
Simon and Guiness came forward and flipped the corpse over.
Suddenly, the pressed-down leaves sprang up as if they had a life of their own.
“Wow, it’s really here…”
The branches and leaves were strangely vibrant, almost like an animal rather than a plant.
“This feels creepy.”
“Everyone, cover your ears.”
Yuri warned.
“If you pull it out, it screams. It’s not something you can just endure by ear. Cover your ears with your hands, and use mana to block the sound.”
“Understood.”
Yuri stepped forward and grabbed the clump of leaves. Protecting her whole body with Soul Slash, she gripped tightly.
The mandragora was pulled from the ground.
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!
A horrific scream echoed.
Thanks to her mana shield, Yuri only heard it as a faint whisper. Still, the unsettling energy seeped in, clouding her mind.
It was weaker than when she had been caught off guard.
Using Soul Slash, Yuri quickly dispelled the fear.
“Is everyone okay?”
Simon and Guiness shook their heads, sitting on the ground after falling backward.
“This… this is strange.”
“Ugh…”
“I can’t get up…”
“Is everyone else alright?”
Jose and Roland were fine, and Jarred kept shaking his head.
“This feels awful…”
Surprisingly, Cory was unaffected.
He approached Yuri, examining the mandragora with a curious tilt of his head.
“It’s strange. It almost looks like a person.”
“Right?”
Yuri shook the mandragora.
“Wizards buy these. Do you know what they use them for?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure…”
Then—
Yuri’s gaze fixed in one direction. Jose turned his head the same way. Roland and Jarred reacted as well.
“Everyone, get ready.”
“Huh?”
“Prepare for battle.”
Yuri drew her sword, Guilty.