The sky looked as if it could collapse at any moment, but the rain had stopped once again. It felt like a giant, larger than the city itself, was holding water in its mouth, puffing its cheeks, and staring down at the ground.
After watching this kind of weather for days, Encrid thought it would be better if the rain just poured down all at once.
He struck the flint and lit the lamp.
There was a sharp click-click sound twice before the flame caught on the wick inside the lamp, illuminating the small room.
There was no fireplace—just a table placed beside the bed, a wardrobe for storing clothes and other belongings. That was all. A simple room.
“You’ve been gone for a few days.”
Encrid spoke as he sat on the bed. His Three Iron Sword remained leaning against the corner as always.
Grida removed her soaked cloak. Though the rain hadn’t yet turned into a downpour, even a drizzle could soak one’s undergarments if exposed long enough.
As she took off the cloak, droplets of water pattered onto the floor. The dusty moisture was hardly different from muddy water.
“You seem to have been moving around quite a bit.”
Encrid observed, easily deducing that from Grida’s attire and demeanor.
“Yeah, something felt off.”
Grida remained standing, speaking as if she was considering where to begin before getting straight to the point.
“You know the saying, ‘A great guide is a good hunter’?”
It was an expression commonly understood among guides. Not quite slang, but it conveyed that if one was an exceptional guide, they would naturally have a talent for tracking. It was an obvious truth.
A guide wasn’t simply someone who walked paths—they were more than that.
However, while a good hunter could be a great guide, a great guide wouldn’t necessarily become a great hunter.
It was almost a wordplay, yet it made perfect sense in this line of work.
If one were to dissect Grida’s words, they had two meanings.
Just as there were bad, good, and great guides, the same classifications applied to hunters. If she was skilled enough as a guide to track something, she could also be considered a hunter. But as a hunter, she wouldn't reach the level of a guide.
The premise being that ‘great’ was a step above ‘good’.
She had thrown this remark at Encrid, knowing that he had experience as a guide.
It was short, but it carried the essential point.
This meant that, as a guide, she had been surveying the surroundings and stumbled upon something—like a hunter.
And also, that she had lost track of it.
“What did you find? If it’s just traces of monsters, those are everywhere.”
Beyond this area lay imperial territory, and below was the Pen-Hanil Mountain Range. Three villages were scattered nearby. It would be odd if there were no monsters here.
“It’s not just any monster. What I found were traces of a large-scale movement.”
“A colony?”
“Shit, yeah, you could call it that. I even saw a few four-legged lizards.”
Lizards—beasts that often accompanied Scalors.
Due to their size and raw strength, they could be more dangerous than Scalors in terms of pure combat capability.
Grida, seeming a bit more at ease now, took a deep breath and kicked her wet cloak aside.
“But that’s fine. Colonies like that are just part of life here.”
Life—yes, to them, this was just daily life.
They competed with each other, taught each other, lifted each other up, and sharpened their skills through training and battle, keeping their ambition alive through the very atmosphere they lived in.
‘Their geographical location essentially forces them to improve their martial skills.’
Since Zaun was situated in a place where monsters frequently roamed and powerful outsiders often came to test their strength, it was no secret—just something not outwardly visible.
‘That constant threat from the surrounding monsters contributes to their swordsmanship.’
While Encrid was focused on refining pure technical combat systems, Zaun trained Knights through all means necessary.
It wasn’t about deciding which was right or wrong. Each had their own path to follow.
“Have you heard of named monsters beyond the Demon Realm or Demon Lords?”
Grida asked. She perched herself on the edge of the small table, her toned muscles making her posture appear solid.
“Unique entities?”
“A unique entity that has lived long enough to be given a name becomes a named monster.”
Grida, having traveled from the Demon Realm's border to the south, understood the dangers of such creatures well.
Monsters that surpassed ordinary standards of strength were called named monsters.
Sometimes they were simply referred to as Named.
It was similar to how a skilled warrior’s name spread far and wide.
A monster that had fought exceptionally well and survived long enough would be given a name.
The Demon Realm was called the Graveyard of Knights.
Some monsters within were known as Knight Hunters. Such creatures existed in this world.
Just as humans could surpass their limits, so could certain monsters.
“It started as a small snake, but then it grew horns and began using spells. I found traces of its evolution.”
That sounded familiar—a creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake.
“A Lamia?”
A monster that evolved from a snake-type beast. Human-like upper body, serpentine lower body.
Capable of using charm magic, they often attempted to seduce human men—albeit crudely.
They were usually female in form, though hairless.
And in the Demon Realm, there were even higher-level variations.
Grida shook her head.
“No. A Medusa.”
A monster with dozens of snakes writhing from its head, capable of petrifying its victims with just a gaze.
As she spoke, the lamplight reflected in her eyes. But she wasn’t afraid.
Whistle.
Encrid let out a sharp whistle.
It wasn’t often someone reacted this way after discovering such a monster.
Grida wasn’t surprised by his reaction. It would likely be the same among those in Zaun.
A strange monster had appeared? They’d rush out immediately to hunt it.
The problem was that while she had followed its tracks, she had ultimately lost them.
“There were clear traces of sorcery.”
Meaning, something had deliberately obscured its tracks. She had seen that sorcery multiple times on the way here.
“What did you mean when you said the family head was acting strange?”
This was precisely why Grida had come to find Encrid. She turned the question back on him.
“Why is he doing nothing in a situation like this?”
Hearing her question, Encrid gave a slight nod, almost imperceptible.
From the journey here until now, too many things seemed off.
‘Schmidt reeks of sorcery.’
Despite finishing his business, he lingered here unnecessarily.
‘And an ambush targeted Ann on the way here.’
Yet, ever since arriving, nothing had happened. Was it because the enemy couldn’t reach them?
Or were they simply waiting for the perfect moment?
If it was one of those two possibilities, which seemed more likely? That was why Ragna hadn’t left Ann’s side.
In the meantime, Ann had freely roamed Zaun’s inner sanctum.
Encrid pieced together what he knew, what he had seen, and what he had overheard since arriving.
Was Zaun completely disconnected from external information? Did they have no interactions with the outside world?
No.
Yet they claimed to know nothing about Odinkar’s disappearance or any incidents occurring outside.
And it wasn’t just the family head.
“Scalors? Sorcery? Spells? I’ve never heard of any such thing.”
When Encrid subtly asked Lynox during a duel, that was the response he received.
“I haven’t heard anything either.”
Hescal said the same.
This wasn’t because their enemy was too skilled. Someone inside had deliberately manipulated the information.
Grida had searched for that blind spot and ended up discovering the traces of a monster.
Zaun’s patrols regularly scouted the outer perimeters.
If someone was falsifying information about their movements, it could only be done by someone within.
Grida had already reached her conclusion, which was why she sought Encrid out.
He knew Zaun’s inner workings better than she did, which led her to this action.
By observing her, he confirmed his suspicion. Someone was plugging Zaun’s ears and covering its eyes.
That was the conclusion. And also—
‘The family head knows something.’
By reviewing the situation and making repeated predictions, one could naturally come to an understanding. If one were to ask for a reason, it would be put like this:
‘The head of the family, who should be ensuring the family’s continuity, is doing nothing.’
Even if he didn’t know about most of what was happening, multiple people had pointed out the abnormality, yet he didn’t even try to find out.
If someone isn’t trying to know, then that means:
‘He already knows.’
Or perhaps, it was something he intended—so there was no need for him to know.
"The head of the family is acting strange."
Grida said this, her expression filled with deep anxiety. If she were to put her real thoughts into words:
"Could it be that this was all intentional on his part?"
But would the family head have a reason to do such a thing?
That was what Encrid questioned.
Every action had a reason, but at the moment, that reason was unknown.
Amidst the damp air, Encrid blinked.
"Magrun also said he won’t be able to move for a while due to treatment."
Grida continued.
"Who said that?"
"Millestia."
The name of a healer within Zaun. She supposedly didn’t know how to wield a sword, so Encrid had never even seen her face before.
Strange things were piling up. There was too little information, and it was difficult to guess what lay behind it all.
Encrid had seen his fair share of problem solvers back in his mercenary days.
They were a peculiar group among mercenaries—ones who tracked down missing persons or helped resolve cases.
If a murder happened within a city and someone wanted to find the culprit, these were the people who stepped in.
‘Is this exactly the kind of situation that needs a problem solver?’
But even if a problem solver were present, they wouldn’t be able to interfere in a case involving Knights, not unless it was connected to nobility or the merchant circles dominated by Krona.
One thing was clear: someone was manipulating things within the family, and Grida suspected the family head.
No, it wasn’t just the family head—she suspected others as well. That was why she had come looking for him.
"Something ominous is at work, Enki."
BOOM.
As Grida spoke, thunder rumbled, and a flash of lightning momentarily illuminated the room. The light quickly vanished, but in that brief moment, Encrid saw Grida’s face, the lamplight casting deep shadows upon it.
The worry on her face was as heavy as the darkness of those shadows.
Despite the thunder, the rain did not fall. It wasn’t the first time this had happened recently.
Alexandra had once passed by, seeing this phenomenon, and called it false lightning—a sign of an approaching storm.
"Something is definitely going on inside Zaun."
Encrid agreed with Grida’s words but did not nod.
Now, they needed to take their time and investigate. However, just from what had been revealed so far:
‘There were sorcerers and spellcasters involved.’
They had targeted Ann.
Beyond Zaun’s borders, monsters—including Medusa—had made their nest.
‘If they used sorcery to obscure the truth, that means they’re still trying to keep something hidden.’
Some people who think too much tend to struggle with seeing situations simply, but Encrid was not one of them.
"Why did those monsters gather?"
He asked.
Grida lowered her head slightly, then lifted it again.
"Hmm?"
"They gathered to attack, obviously."
"Yeah, most likely. But doesn’t it seem like they were intentionally gathered?"
"Then they’ll attack eventually, won’t they? Unless they’re planning to cross into imperial territory?"
"Of course."
"Then when that happens, we just deal with them, don’t we?"
Monsters were meant to be handled that way—simply and efficiently.
"And as for the manipulation going on inside the family, the family head isn’t the only one under suspicion, right?"
Though she had been away for a while, this was still her home.
Small things might have changed, but the core of the place—the things that made it Zaun—should not have.
Grida had stepped forward because something that shouldn’t have happened was happening.
And that something was the undeniable fact that someone was undermining the family from within.
Encrid understood this much.
"…I spent the last few days circling the area, and I even began to question whether I had fallen under an illusion spell myself."
That was how cautiously she had been observing the situation.
It had only been three days, but she had already sorted out most of her thoughts.
"There are five people in the family who have enough authority to control things to this degree. If Magrun and Odinkar were included, that number would be seven, but those two are out of the picture right now, and I’ve been gone too long to be involved."
To Encrid, Grida’s words suggested that even Odinkar and Magrun were within her range of suspicion.
"So?"
At his prompt, Grida raised her right hand, spreading her fingers wide.
Specifically, she showed all five fingers.
"The family head, his wife, Lynox, Hescal, and Andante."
Encrid had met all of them except for this Andante.
More than that—over the past three days, they had been his sparring partners.
Conversations, training, combat—everything he had shared with them remained vividly in his memory.
"This won’t be easy."
Encrid muttered.
"It’s not about difficulty. It’s about trust."
Grida replied.
She made no effort to hide her complicated emotions, and Encrid understood why she felt that way.
Because it was a betrayal.
Everything she had just said meant that someone who had either been shaped by Zaun’s ideals or was born and raised within Zaun had turned against it.
And not just anyone, one of the people at the very heart of the family’s leadership.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!