Chapter 696 - Already Knew or Intended
The sky looked as if it might collapse at any moment, yet the rain had stopped once more.
It felt as if a giant, larger than the city itself, had filled its mouth with water, puffing out its cheeks while gazing down at the ground.
After days of witnessing this same weather, it seemed preferable for the rain to just pour down all at once.
Enkrid struck the flint, lighting the lamp.
A sharp clicking sound rang out twice before the wick inside the lamp caught fire, casting a glow across the small room.
There was no fireplace, only a table beside the bed and a single wardrobe for storing clothes and other belongings—an austere space.
"You've been gone for a few days."
Enkrid spoke as he sat on the edge of the bed.
Samcheol remained leaning against the corner at an angle.
Grida, still standing, took off her soaked cloak.
Though the rain hadn't yet intensified, even a steady drizzle could soak one's underclothes if exposed long enough.
As she removed the cloak, droplets of water dripped down, mixing with dust—little different from muddy water.
"Looks like you've been wandering quite a bit."
Enkrid observed, reading as much from Grida's attire and demeanor.
"Yeah, something felt off."
Grida finally spoke, standing tall.
She seemed to ponder where to begin before suddenly saying,
"You know the saying—'A great guide is also a good hunter'?"
It was a phrase known among guides.
Not quite slang, but an acknowledgment that a capable guide naturally possessed the skills to track a target.
It was only logical.
Guides were not simply those who walked the path; they needed keen senses to navigate and assess their surroundings.
However, being a good guide did not necessarily mean one could become a great hunter.
It was more of a wordplay, yet it was a distinction well understood in their field.
Breaking it down, Grida's words carried a double meaning.
Just as there were bad, good, and great guides, the same categorization applied to hunters.
What he was implying was that while she was skilled enough as a guide to take on a hunter's role, she was not at the level of a true hunter.
It was based on the premise that "great" ranked higher than "good."
He had said it knowing that Enkrid had experience as a guide as well.
Though brief, the core of his message was clear—he had been surveying the area like a guide and had discovered something like a hunter.
And, by extension, it also implied that he had lost track of whatever he had found.
"What did you find? If it's monster tracks, this place must be full of them."
Beyond this area lay imperial territory, with the Pen-Hanil mountain range stretching southward, flanked by three villages.
A region like this was expected to be teeming with monsters.
"It's not like there's a force like the Border Guard to conduct large-scale monster eradication."
While some knights might use fights against monsters as practical training, they lacked the manpower to wipe out every creature in the area.
A knight might have the endurance to cut down a thousand men, but that didn't mean they could replace a thousand soldiers.
"Against monsters, even cutting down a thousand wouldn't be feasible."
Monsters didn't charge in clustered formations, and slaying a thousand enemies in a day was a scenario limited to the battlefield.
Besides, the people here didn't seem to have any intention of attempting such a thing.
Lost in thought, Enkrid listened.
"It's not just ordinary monsters. What I saw were traces of a large-scale migration."
"A colony?"
"Shit, yeah. You could call it that. I even spotted a few four-legged lizards."
Lizards—those beasts that often moved alongside scalers.
Given their sheer size and strength, they might have been even more dangerous than scalers in pure combat ability.
Now slightly more composed, Grida caught her breath before nudging her discarded cloak away with his foot.
"But that's not the real problem. Colonies like that are just part of daily life around here."
Daily life—yes, for these people, that was their reality.
They competed, taught, supported, and learned from one another, sharpening their skills in an atmosphere that naturally pushed them to improve.
"The geographical conditions also force them to grow stronger."
In Yohan, monsters constantly roamed, and powerful individuals frequently arrived to test their abilities.
Though it wasn't a secret, this was one of the less visible reasons behind Yohan's strength.
"The ever-present monster threat aids their swordsmanship development."
While Enkrid was focused purely on refining his technical skills, Yohan provided an environment that nurtured every aspect of a knight's training.
It wasn't a matter of which was better—each simply pursued their own path.
"Have you ever heard of named monsters in Demonic Domains, aside from demon gods?"
Grida asked.
She perched on the edge of the small table, her toned muscles showing through as she settled into a relaxed posture.
"Unique specimens?"
"When an unusual monster survives long enough and grows powerful, it becomes known by name—that's what a named monster is."
Having traveled from the Demonic Domain's borders to the south, Grida knew the dangers such creatures posed.
Monsters that exceeded conventional strength were called "named monsters," or "Named" for short.
It was the same principle as skilled individuals earning reputations for their prowess—except in this case, monsters had survived so long and fought so well that people had given them names.
The Demonic Domain was often called the graveyard of knights.
Among the creatures dwelling within, some were known as knight hunters—monsters that specifically preyed on knights.
If humans could surpass their limits, so too could monsters.
"It started as a small snake, but then it grew horns and began using magic. I found traces of its gradual evolution."
It was a story Enkrid had heard before.
A creature with the face of a human and the lower body of a snake.
"A Lamia?"
A snake-type monster that had evolved into a more advanced form, with a human upper body and a serpentine lower body.
Rumored to use charm magic?
Though sexless, its appearance bore a resemblance to a woman, and it was said to attempt clumsy seductions of human men.
There were even stronger variations within the Demonic Domains.
Grida shook her head.
"No. A Medusa."
A monster with countless snakes writhing on its head instead of hair—capable of turning people to stone with just a glance.
As she spoke, the lamplight reflected in her eyes.
But there was no fear in them.
Whistle.
Enkrid let out a low whistle.
Not many would react this way upon hearing of such a monster's presence.
Grida, however, was not surprised by his reaction.
It was the same attitude she'd expect in Yohan.
A rare monster appeared?
Then the first thought would be—let's go hunt it down.
The problem was, despite tracking its traces, she had ultimately lost it.
"There were clear traces of sorcery."
That meant the interference had been caused by sorcery.
It was the same kind of sorcery they had encountered several times on their way here.
"What did you mean by the head being strange?"
This was precisely why Grida had no choice but to seek out Enkrid.
She turned the question back on him.
"Why is he doing nothing in a situation like this?"
Hearing Grida's question, Enkrid gave a slight nod, barely perceptible.
There had been more than a few oddities from the moment they set out until now.
'Schmit reeks of spells.'
Moreover, despite having concluded his business, he had been lingering unnecessarily.
'And on our way here, an attacker targeting Anne was exposed.'
Yet, once they arrived, nothing had happened.
Was it because the enemy's reach didn't extend here?
Or were they waiting for the perfect opportunity?
If it was one of the two, which was more likely?
That was why Ragna hadn't left Anne's side.
Meanwhile, Anne had been busy wandering around Yohan's inner quarters.
Enkrid pieced together what he already knew with what he had seen, heard, and gathered since arriving here.
Was Yohan really oblivious to external events?
Did they have no interactions with the outside world?
That wasn't the case.
And yet, they blatantly denied knowing anything about Odincar's disappearance or any incidents happening outside.
It wasn't just the head of the house.
"Scaler? Sorcery? Spells? Never heard of any of that before."
That was what Rhinox had said when Enkrid casually brought it up during a spar.
"I haven't heard of it either."
Heskal's response had been the same.
'This isn't because the enemy is especially competent.'
Someone inside had deliberately been contaminating the flow of information.
Grida had been searching for that very weak point when she stumbled upon traces of a monster.
Yohan's forces regularly patrolled the outer areas in a set pattern.
To manipulate information so thoroughly, one would need to know those patrol routes.
Grida had already reached a conclusion.
That's why she had come looking for him.
Watching her actions had confirmed his suspicions.
Someone had sealed Yohan's ears and covered its eyes.
That was the conclusion.
And also—
'The head of the house knows something.'
Re-examining the situation and making predictions naturally led to that realization.
If asked why, the answer was simple:
'Because the head of a noble house, who should be ensuring its longevity, is doing absolutely nothing.'
Even if he didn't know the full extent of what was happening, multiple people had told him that something abnormal was going on, yet he wasn't even trying to find out.
Choosing not to investigate meant one of two things:
'He already knows.'
Or he had intended for this to happen, making further inquiry unnecessary.
"The head of the house is acting strange."
When Grida said that, she looked deeply unsettled.
To put her concerns into exact words—
"Could it be that he orchestrated all of this?"
That was what she truly meant.
But would the head of the house have any reason to do such a thing?
That was Enkrid's question.
Actions required motives.
And right now, that motive was unclear.
Through the damp air, Enkrid blinked.
"Magrun won't be able to move for a while due to treatment."
Grida added.
"Who said that?"
"Mileschia."
A healer within Yohan.
Supposedly, she didn't even know how to wield a sword.
He had never even seen her face before.
Strange things kept piling up.
They knew little, and the truth remained elusive.
Back in his mercenary days, Enkrid had met several troubleshooters.
They were an odd bunch even among mercenaries—specialists in locating missing persons or assisting with investigations.
If a murder happened in a city and the culprit needed to be found, troubleshooters would step in.
'This is exactly when a troubleshooter would come in handy.'
But even if they had one, they wouldn't be able to touch a case involving knights unless it concerned nobles or merchant guilds overflowing with Krone.
Regardless, someone was pulling strings within the house, and Grida suspected the head.
No, she was suspicious of others as well.
That was why she had come to him.
"This feels ominous, Enki."
Boom.
With Grida's words, thunder cracked outside, sending a flash of light into the room.
The light vanished as quickly as it had come.
In the lamp's dim glow, Enkrid could make out the shadowed contours of Grida's face.
Her expression was laden with concern, the shadows emphasizing the depth of her unease.
Despite the thunder, no rain followed.
This had happened a few times before.
Alexandra had once called such a phenomenon a 'false lightning strike,' a precursor to a storm.
"There's definitely something happening within Yohan."
Enkrid agreed with Grida's assessment but didn't nod.
Now was the time to slowly dig into things.
But judging from what had surfaced so far—
'There's a mage and a sorcerer.'
They had targeted Anne.
Beyond the walls, monsters—including the Medusa—had settled in.
'Using sorcery to seal things off means they still want to keep it hidden.'
People who tend to overanalyze often fail to see the situation in its simplest form—but Enkrid wasn't one of them.
"Why did the monsters gather?"
Grida lowered her head, then raised it again.
"Hmm?"
"They must have gathered to attack."
"Well, that seems likely. It reeks of artificial manipulation."
"Then, unless they're heading toward Imperial territory, they'll strike eventually?"
"Of course."
"Then wouldn't it be fine to just deal with them when the time comes?"
Monsters should be handled that way—simply and decisively.
"And there's someone within the family pulling the strings. The family head isn't the only suspect, right?"
She had been away for a while, but this was still her home.
Minor details might change, but the fundamental essence of the place shouldn't.
She had stepped forward because something that shouldn't have happened was happening.
And that something was the certainty that someone was sabotaging the family.
That was Enkrid's conclusion.
"…I even doubted myself over the past few days, wondering if I had fallen for an illusion spell."
That was how cautiously she had assessed the situation.
Three days wasn't much, but she had already arranged her thoughts.
"There are five people within the family who could control things to this extent. If Magrun and Odincar were here, that would make seven, but those two are absent, and I've been away too long to be a factor."
To Enkrid's ears, Grida's words implied that even Odincar and Magrun—who had traveled back with them—were within the scope of suspicion.
"So?"
At his appropriate response, Grida raised her right hand, spreading her fingers—five in total.
"The family head and his wife, Rhinox, Heskal, and Andante."
Enkrid had met all of them except for Andante.
More than just meeting them, he had sparred with them over the past three days.
Their conversations, their battles—he remembered them all vividly.
"This won't be easy."
Enkrid remarked.
"We can't trust them."
Grida replied, making no effort to conceal her conflicted emotions.
Enkrid understood why she felt that way.
Everything they had just discussed meant that someone devoted to Yohan's cause—someone born and raised in Yohan—had betrayed it.
And not just anyone, but one of the central figures within the family.
***
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