Episode 364
Chapter 111: Traces (4)
September 19, 1799 — A roadside inn called The Toad’s House, in the southwestern region of the Kiken Principality.
Valeria sat in the lobby, sipping beer, her hair dyed jet black and clad in light leather armor. Her staff, wrapped in cloth to resemble a spear, leaned casually against the wall, making her look every bit like a rookie adventurer on a quest.
Her gaze was fixed on a flyer pinned to the inn’s wall.
(Jin Runkandel once said: Beauty is another name for you. Surrender yourself to the stunning allure of Golden Toad’s tinted makeup.)
Setting aside the awkward advertising slogan—though the Golden Toad’s promotions always drew huge crowds—it was surprising to see such a flyer even in a small town like this.
“Not many mercenaries would sit alone in broad daylight, order a beer, and stare coldly at an ad flyer like that. Next time, I suggest you change your act a bit. Order a bunch of food, put a mercenary magazine in front of you—that’d be perfect.”
Jin plopped down beside her, shrugging.
“Did you really say that?”
“That line about ‘another name for you’? No way.”
Despite Jin standing right there in front of the flyers plastered on the wall, no one recognized him.
Jin opened the menu and casually called over the innkeeper, ordering a heap of dishes.
“Lamb stew with plenty of chili and onions, and a beef offal stew. Make sure there’s plenty of pepper. And…”
He paused, suddenly noticing Valeria’s expression.
‘Unconsciously, I ordered the dishes we used to eat together in my past life. Eating what my master liked changed my taste a bit.’
Fortunately, Valeria didn’t react.
‘Well, these are common dishes you can find at any inn. Nothing strange about that.’
But inside, Valeria was thinking:
‘Chili, onions, lots of pepper. How does he know that so precisely? It’s not unusual, but still…’
Valeria had gotten used to that flavor back when she was with the Gray Owl Mercenary Company. The thought of them brought a bitter smile to her lips.
‘Strangely, sometimes… it feels like Jin Runkandel really knows me.’
It had been a long time since she’d shared a meal with someone else, and she found the feeling not unpleasant. Not great, but not bad either.
They ate their fill. To play the part of an ordinary two-person mercenary team, Jin babbled on about contracts and the mercenary life’s future prospects.
“You did well, Aria Owlheart. Impressive to find the Myoin tribe in just three months.”
Once they left the inn and mounted their horses, heading down a quiet road toward Wantaramo, Jin spoke up.
“I haven’t found them completely yet. Like I said in the letter, I only found traces. Leading into the Wantaramo Forest.”
Jin nodded.
Actually, I didn’t even know Wantaramo Forest was anything special. It was the first time I’d heard the name.
Just as I was about to say that, Valeria cut in.
“Besides, if the Myoin tribe hadn’t left those traces on purpose, you wouldn’t have found a thing. The credit goes to them, not me.”
“The Myoin tribe left traces deliberately?”
“Yes. They know I’m looking for them. They must have realized it about a month ago, and since then, they’ve been sending subtle messages like a puzzle.”
The Myoin tribe was guiding Valeria toward Wantaramo Forest.
‘If they could leave messages for a pursuer, then at least they weren’t all wiped out back then…’
Recalling the moment when she left the cave’s barrier in their care and went off alone to find the third grave, a heavy weight settled in her heart, like a lump of iron.
—“The Myoin tribe’s barrier was quite interesting. Both you and them. They’re tougher than I expected.”
That was what the Wraith Guard said when breaking through the Myoin tribe’s barrier to enter the cave.
Even after hearing that, Jin never asked the Wraith Guard what happened to the Myoin tribe.
There was no room for psychological warfare or giving away weaknesses.
Later, when Berakt appeared and they met other Wraith Guards after leaving the forest, Jin still couldn’t bring himself to ask about the Myoin tribe’s fate. It weighed on his mind.
“I was going to contact you after meeting them in person. But since it’s Wantaramo Forest, I needed to bring someone they liked. I thought they might decide to eliminate me.”
“Eliminate?”
Jin’s question made Valeria tilt her head.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know what kind of place Wantaramo Forest is?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then why did you pretend you did?”
“When did I ever…?”
“You did.”
“No, I was trying to answer honestly earlier. You just didn’t give me the chance.”
Valeria chuckled softly.
“Actually, I was testing you. I was curious about the intelligence of Runkandel’s riders. Looks like Wantaramo Forest is off-limits to lower-ranked riders.”
It wasn’t a big deal, but it felt like a slap to the back of the head.
“Sorry if it upset you.”
“It’s fine. So, what exactly is that forest?”
“You might not know Wantaramo Forest, but you’ve heard of the ‘King’s Brew,’ right?”
“I’ve even tasted it. My father gave it to me.”
“Most people think of you as the hated youngest child, but you were a beloved son. For Siron Runkandel to bestow the King’s Brew—that’s something. Wantaramo Forest is the land where that brew is made.”
Only then did Jin realize why Kashimir, as a child, had mentioned negotiations with the former emperor and ministers of Biment regarding Wantaramo Forest.
The King’s Brew.
A special liquor brewed for special occasions, special times, and special people.
Only one race in the world could brew it.
‘The descendants of the fae live in that forest.’
Very few knew that the descendants of the fae dwelled in Wantaramo Forest.
Even the twelfth rider of Runkandel, Jin himself, and dragons who had lived for thousands of years mostly didn’t know.
Only those at the very top of the world’s power—or close to it—or those with special abilities to uncover the world’s secrets could know the truth about Wantaramo.
And those who knew treated it with extreme caution.
Wantaramo Forest was a ‘public asset’ of the powerful. If any careless person leaked information about it and something happened to the forest, everyone would suffer.
“Jin Runkandel.”
“Yeah?”
“While looking through your records the other day, I learned that the fae are closely connected to our family.”
—<According to the records Jin Runkandel examined in the Solderet archive, ancient fae had a duty to keep records.>
—<A thousand years ago, all the ancient fae who did not betray their kind…>
—
Alongside the investigation to restore the spiritual record device and the search for the Myoin tribe, those passages had been a major point of contemplation for Valeria.
“You also said you saw the ancient fae using a magic similar to Hister’s record magic in the Myoin tribe’s hideout.”
“That’s right.”
“So, while searching for the Myoin tribe, I thought that the King’s Brew brewed by the fae descendants might also be a form of record. I was surprised I hadn’t realized it sooner.”
“Are you saying there might be some connection between the fae descendants and your family?”
“Exactly.”
“Then it’s possible the Myoin tribe knows your identity to some extent. That’s why they deliberately led you to Wantaramo Forest.”
“That’s why I called you. From what I know, the fae descendants are quite different from the common image people have of them.”
King’s Brew is a liquor that carries stories.
Because of its romantic nature, countless bards have composed songs about the fae descendants.
So when people hear ‘fae descendants,’ they usually picture small, delicate beings and a mysteriously beautiful forest.
Their appearance and the scenery match common imagination in many ways.
But their true nature is quite different.
“The fae descendants are extremely exclusive and cruel to outsiders. Anyone who stumbles upon them in Wantaramo Forest without knowing is sure to be killed.”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of that.”
“They don’t even kill painlessly. They toy with their victims like playthings, and when bored, they end it.”
Valeria’s stance was completely different from Jin’s. She had no trust in the Myoin tribe.
So it wasn’t unreasonable for her to think that the Myoin tribe, by deliberately leaving traces and luring her to Wantaramo Forest, intended to eliminate her.
“If the Myoin tribe liked me enough to lead me here, they would have warned me that Wantaramo is dangerous when leaving those traces. Well, I’d do the same if a tracker suddenly showed up, so I don’t hold a grudge against them.”
“If the fae descendants are such cruel beings, maybe the Myoin tribe was sending a distress signal.”
“That’s not impossible.”
Night had fallen by the time they reached the edge of Wantaramo Forest.
The cold wind carried the distant cries of wild beasts, and the forest’s entrance showed no sign of a path, as if to warn that few people ventured inside.
Whoosh…!
As Valeria cast her recording spell, glowing blue marks appeared scattered across the ground.
<So the tracker can find their way, the Myeoin tribe’s Lulu has left traces here.>
Those words appeared on a translucent window floating before Valeria. The blue marks were all footprints left by Lulu.
Following the glowing footprints deeper into the forest for about thirty minutes, the two suddenly noticed the scenery shifting around them.
The once dense, towering trees nearby began to twist and contort. The forest moved as if it were one massive, living organism, the trees clinging and pulling apart with creaking, groaning sounds.
“Hah…!”
Jin’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the twisted trees parting to reveal their insides.
And instantly, a murderous intent flared within him.
Because inside the trees, bound and drenched in blood, was Lulu.