If something miraculous, something close to mysterious, was happening, there had to be a corresponding reason behind it.
Did the saintess have an accomplice?
No.
Then, there was only one answer.
The runaway saintess was managing to escape all on her own.
But does this make any sense?
She's just a child, right?
Audin had said that saints and saintesses manifest their abilities at a young age.
If Audin said it, it must be true.
Encrid imagined the child in his mind. For some reason, he pictured a young Ann, someone he had seen recently.
It was hard to imagine any other companions when picturing a girl being chased and running away.
Esther, Sinar, and Teresa all had strong impressions, but Ann seemed like someone who could definitely be pursued.
It was just an imagined scenario.
Anyway, there was such a child.
She might not have red hair, but she was running with her hair flying, evading pursuers?
That sounds like something a ghoul would bark.
But the fact that she was evading pursuers, even though the Holy Nation’s trackers were some of the best on the continent, was a clear reality.
If that’s not something miraculous, then what is?
‘Could she be a wizard?’
No, that wasn't it. She was said to be a saintess.
So the conclusion was this:
The girl’s talent was extraordinary enough to create the current situation.
This assumption was unlikely to be wrong.
Because otherwise, it just wouldn’t make sense.
'Alone, huh.'
Encrid considered the three methods that someone being chased might choose, based on what he knew.
"If there were people all across the continent who would hide her, it could be possible."
If someone had people or organizations willing to hide them in any city they went to, sure, they wouldn’t be easily caught.
Next, they could be skilled at disguising themselves.
"But the Holy Nation’s people wouldn’t miss something like that."
So the above two methods wouldn’t work. There’s no way the trackers would be clueless idiots who would keep losing, even if they played chess with ghouls.
What would their thinking be?
The basic principle of tracking is to find the target’s family, friends, lovers, or acquaintances.
Disguises?
As long as you change your appearance a little?
Could someone become unrecognizable just by smearing mud or applying some paint?
Sure, maybe they could hide their appearance with some great skill.
But could someone live their entire life hiding their true identity, no matter how skilled they were?
Eventually, there would come a moment when they’d have to prove who they really were.
What if there were a flaw in the backstory they had created along with their disguise?
What if someone started to doubt them?
Could they hide away in some secluded mountain village where no monsters or beasts appeared?
Where could such a village even exist?
Even if there were such a village, the smaller the community, the harder it is to keep secrets.
Small communities aren’t ideal for hiding because everyone knows each other's business, if one couple argues, the whole village knows the next day.
So they’d probably live in the city.
But cities are stricter about verifying identities than you might think. Even if you forge an identity card.
There’s no such thing as a secret that lasts forever.
And living your entire life suspecting everyone around you—would that even be considered living?
Moreover, anyone who had experience as a bounty hunter would never neglect to investigate a mysterious stranger who suddenly appeared in a city.
There’s a reason information guilds and bounty hunter guilds exist.
In the Border Guard, the reserve troops maintain public order during the day, checking on people, while the Gilpin Guild does that at night.
There are still people who do such jobs in every city.
And even in the Border Guard, other guilds were gradually establishing themselves.
So what’s left? They hide in the slums.
When trackers lose a trail, the first place they search is the slums.
They don’t go to the slums and glare at the vagabonds there for no reason.
Going to an inn to solve the issue of food and lodging?
That would be akin to praying to be caught.
Thus, it's impossible to hide perfectly in a city.
Avoiding people’s eyes is the hardest thing to do in the world.
Of course, there are some who do manage to hide and disappear completely, but such cases are extremely rare.
Frankly, Encrid believed that most of those who attempted to hide in the slums ended up quietly joining the Gods.
Because there would be at least ten guys targeting their pockets the moment they heard coins jingling.
So, that leaves the third method, which is the most feasible and realistic option.
‘Visit cities as little as possible, resting and sleeping in areas without walls.’
If they move while avoiding people, fighting monsters and beasts instead, they could follow trails left by animals or take forest and field paths.
But even here, there’s a problem.
No matter how strong someone’s martial abilities are, a person still needs to sleep and eat.
How would they get food? Where would they sleep?
So, relying solely on strength wouldn’t make for a great escapee.
Well, if their combat skills were at the level of a Junior-Knight recognized by the Knightly orders, it might be possible to some extent.
But even then, escaping from the Holy Nation would still be a distant dream.
So, what could they do?
They could become an exceptional ranger.
Or perhaps an exceptional hunter.
If someone were thrown into the wilderness and told to survive, a ranger or hunter would be the top choice.
They know how to sleep in trees and butcher the meat of magical beasts.
Well, taste wouldn’t be a priority.
Encrid’s thoughts reached that point.
"A born hunter? Is there such a thing?"
Encrid asked as he walked.
His steps weren’t hurried. Pursuing a pursuer often required waiting for the right moment, like waiting for fruit to ripen.
The pleasant autumn sunlight and the things along the path he had traveled didn’t leave much of an impression since he was so deep in thought.
They were climbing a shallow hill when Sinar, shielding her eyes from the sunlight with her hand, spoke.
"Such a thing doesn’t exist."
It was Sinar’s opinion, and she had personally trained a ranger unit herself.
Encrid agreed with her.
Hunters need to learn to understand terrain and grasp the habits of monsters.
Without learning, experiencing, and training, hunting was impossible.
So it was indeed something strange.
This mystery would be solved once they met her. If they asked, there would be answers.
So, for now, all they had to do was keep pursuing their target.
Encrid had a plan of sorts.
That’s why he hadn’t accepted Deutsche Pullman’s final offer of help.
“If I send you soldiers familiar with the terrain, we’ll get there quickly. I can spare a squad.”
“No, I don’t think that will be necessary.”
He had politely declined Deutsche’s offer of assistance.
Encrid had his own thoughts on the matter, and it was enough that Deutsche had captured and informed him about the local brotherhood.
Over twenty groups of bounty hunters, mercenaries, and trackers were said to be on the move.
Encrid didn’t even know exactly where to go east. Yet, he had set out.
He wasn’t moving mindlessly, leaving it to luck.
Encrid had been both a tracker and a bounty hunter. He had both chased and been chased.
How often had he succeeded?
Less than half the time.
He could find paths, but he wasn’t skilled in all aspects of tracking.
‘If Rem were here, this might be a bit easier.’
If the gray-haired barbarian who hated nobles were here, he would have used his hunter’s skills.
He knew how to chase people and how to find them.
If Dunbachel were here, her sense of smell and instincts would have been a great help.
Well, Sinar was helpful too. But this wasn’t her birthplace.
To be more precise, while Rem and Dunbachel could become hunters anywhere, Sinar could not.
She could handle short-term tracking, but terrain-based tracking was out of the question.
Does that matter?
No, it didn’t.
He wasn’t the same person he was when he was a bounty hunter.
Encrid knew that his talent as a guide was rather ordinary. But now, he had strong legs that didn’t tire, even after scouting the area all night.
He was sturdy.
If he couldn’t find them by looking narrowly, he could look broadly.
Audin and Sinar were also not the type to tire out from half a day’s scouting.
And by visual estimation, it seemed like it would take about half a day to search the surrounding area and enter the eastern forest.
Hadn't he already run across the Pen-Hanil Mountain Range on foot multiple times while serving in the Border Guard?
Luagarne had said that knowing exactly what you can do is the most effective strategy.
Encrid had trained relentlessly based on that advice, and now he was reaping the rewards.
He divided the terrain into several sections and calculated the time it would take to reach them by running.
He had run through areas like this countless times, so the calculation came naturally.
It wasn’t just a vague plan to search randomly.
Hadn't he heard that over twenty professionals had been mobilized for this task?
They were stepping stones, signposts leading to their destination.
Moreover, since they weren’t being chased, they weren’t hiding their tracks either.
Look ahead: as they ran toward the eastern forest, the torn and scattered bodies of monsters and beasts became visible.
Tall, spiky trees blocked the view ahead, and the scent of blood lingered in the air.
One side of the forest had a creature that had been crushed against a rock.
Near the front of the rock was the severed head of a monster, which appeared to have been seared repeatedly with a hot iron.
“It's the work of the Holy Knights.”
Audin, who had stopped to examine the monster corpses, said while kneeling and inspecting one of the bodies.
“There’s a particularly nasty one among them.”
Sinar added.
It was one thing to kill, but this seemed more like torture. Whoever did it wasn’t driven by hatred for monsters but by a sadistic inclination.
Encrid nodded and gestured toward Sinar.
“I see you need my help. Very well, I shall assist my fiance in overcoming this difficulty.”
Sinar spoke with a blank expression, and just as she said, she examined the traces of the fight.
Encrid wasn’t idle either.
He examined the footprints and broken branches, looking for clues.
Some of the pursuers seemed to be moving quite quickly.
There were clear signs of someone breaking through the path blocked by live branches.
‘Good skills.’
Judging by the clean cut on the broken branches, they weren’t bad.
It wasn’t a sloppy job of hacking but a single, clean slice.
But it still seemed a bit lacking for a Holy Knight's skills, given the somewhat jagged edges of the cuts.
Sinar, after inspecting the ground and sniffing the air, lifted her head. Encrid asked when he saw this.
“Which way?”
“This way. It won’t take long.”
Sinar immediately replied, and as the two moved, Audin followed close behind.
From this point on, even if Deutsche Pullman had come along, they would have outpaced him and his soldiers.
It was only natural that they couldn’t take soldiers familiar with the area, given their speed and activity level.
They had to move this quickly if they wanted to cover the area within half a day.
Encrid slashed through a few branches with the shortsword Eitri had given him.
The grip felt snug in his hand, and the blade felt like an extension of his arm—a true masterpiece.
Though Eitri had said it was only for temporary use, it was a weapon made specifically for him.
A sword that felt like it clung to his hand the moment he held it.
‘It feels good to use.’
As he thought this, he listened carefully and heard what sounded like faint human voices from afar.
When Sinar said it wouldn’t take long, she had meant the distance where sounds could be heard.
And she had been right.
The voices were still too far away to make out clearly.
“Let’s pick up the pace.”
Encrid spoke, then began running. He took light steps, bending his knees, and avoiding sharp stones and uneven ground.
While the earth beneath his feet didn’t kick up dust, his body surged forward.
His shadow stretched out behind him, making him look like a long snake from above.
The path was relatively easy, thanks to those who had cleared it ahead of them.
Audin followed behind, despite his large frame and the branches that grazed the top of his head. He bent his back halfway but ran effortlessly.
As for Sinar, she was a natural.
Once they entered the forest, she was like a fish in water, darting forward with swift movements.
If something obstructed her, she’d even run along the sides of trees that leaned precariously.
Her skill was enough to make anyone call her a true Fairy.
None of them were giving their full effort, but they were faster than squirrels.
It didn’t take long for the three of them to reach the source of the voices.
Soon, they saw two men and one woman opening a path ahead.
It was the first party of pursuers.
Since they hadn’t been moving quietly, all three turned around when Encrid’s group arrived.
The trio immediately showed signs of wariness upon seeing the newcomers.
As soon as Encrid saw them, a curious thought popped into his mind.
‘How much are they paying?’
He wondered just how much the Holy Nation was offering that so many skilled trackers had swarmed in such a short time.
It wasn’t that important, but it was a minor curiosity that had arisen along the way.
After all, he was curious about how much the stingy church was willing to spend.
Thanks for the Chapter Bro!!! :DD
Thanks for the Chapter.
Is it updated regularly? Also what is release schedule
Creo que he leído el manhwa, talvez lo esté confundiendo.. 🤔