Chapteer 276: Extra 16 – The Suspicious Town (2)
pjWpWUnder the glow of the white moonlight, at the point where the green meadow ended, a shadow emerged silently from the forest. Beyond the pastures, the dense foliage turned into a thick grove.H7Jqi
zAI“…”4bo
u0QEven under the moonlight, the darkness surrounding the shadow did not dissipate.LhKFFUy
JftIt was as if the surrounding trees were deliberately concealing it, leaving no gaps. The only part that shone was a pair of fierce eyes, like those of a predator.ZP1m
5G2“Damn humans.”Twl
pSZxqThe voice that came out softly carried a rage that could not be hidden, like water in a kettle that had begun to boil.m8WA3WM
FsEsYThe anger in that voice was directed toward the windmill that the humans had built below.BdD
wBE“…I will definitely save you.”Z5dzl
1Zcfao6With those words, an unknown figure faded back into the shadows.R6I
tEBsuFThat presence watched the town from the darkness created by the trees in the forest. The moon, which had finally revealed that figure, illuminated its bright platinum-blond hair.Lwx
Czj8u***uhhi5y
farej“Hmm.”ZpjXdsR
6UsGKihano, who had entered the windmill, opened his eyes in astonishment. Unlike the gloomy atmosphere outside, the inside of Samonte’s workshop was perfectly organized, which surprised him.VCnu
TwNBX1iCrackle-! Crackle-!FljbdG
hJJFurthermore, a lightning bolt suddenly appeared inside an empty glass tube. It was impossible not to open his eyes wide at such a phenomenon. On the top floor of the windmill, where Samonte was, the lightning that appeared out of nowhere made Kihano flinch without realizing it.WuWZ6Vk
bWDl“…Is that also magic?”1H6
JCrQbdSamonte’s workshop was filled with strangely shaped gears and pipes tangled like spiderwebs. As he wandered around, Kihano noticed several glass tubes similar to the one that had produced the lightning.X1oU9Hf
9Fj“I don’t know what kind of experiment they’re conducting, but it’s quite noisy.”fcTvB
1UiThey were apparently empty glass tubes. However, in some, cold dew accumulated, while in others, red flames burned. It was a sight that could only be explained by magic.EWbDKk
A6Tp3K“Have you completed your investigation, Sir Kihano?”TInh
0pto2nAA young voice spoke from behind Kihano. It was Samonte’s apprentice, who had come out to attend to him while his master remained busy with his experiments.mPd
bys2yx7“Investigation? Yes, I think I’ve seen everything there is to see.”YI8
uVKJEhKihano discreetly touched the inner pocket of his coat.Ujken
EbZTap-MRQgj0A
WusHe felt a small vibration in response. That vibration seemed to tell him that everything was ready. Kihano smiled as he looked at Samonte’s apprentice.2h6
qs8R61“It’s really fascinating. There’s nothing inside, yet things appear.”XvCiL
gVWGWBc“Ha, ha. Naturally, it seems fascinating if you’re seeing it for the first time.”YiuG
1gTKRFUnlike Samonte, who had a stern expression, the young apprentice had a friendly smile. However, Kihano could clearly see the mockery hidden in that smile.6PbTckW
atYC“Perhaps what you’re seeing now is the process of creating something from nothing.”5sd
vaj6V“…What?”DAE5
psDRQmIn the windmill, the mages continued moving busily with their tasks. But between Kihano and the young mage, there was only an awkward tension.D30C4y4
F3kxfC“In fact, our experiments are related to that — making the useless useful.”ExiIe
WeE0sq0After saying that, Samonte’s apprentice playfully waved his palm, as if explaining further would be a headache.EER5SqN
V7GVI“Anyway, it’s an experiment closely supervised by the Dragulia family. But there’s something that’s been hindering it.”HSh
NW2HFWith those words, Samonte’s apprentice nodded, as if encouraging Kihano to look in that direction.3Muh9h
0Y2“…”0aUTYPp
S6WfvFollowing that gesture, Kihano approached the window and observed the landscape. From there, the town, its pastures, and the forest beyond were clearly visible.XG86U
9J8“Lately, our barriers have been damaged. At first, we thought it was wild animals, but upon investigating, we discovered there was human interference.”4UVFgQB
nbHYmThe apprentice took a small stone out of his pocket. Although it looked like an ordinary rock, its surface was covered in intricate magical symbols.Qc2pymM
ebhK“It definitely seems to have been broken with a sword.”XdeN
YVNyS“That’s right. Someone is trying to interfere with us.”uV1U
dOBHThe reason Kihano had come was to capture the witch that was supposedly appearing in the area.4PfKI
xTDV0xvAnd the broken stone the apprentice showed him had marks suggesting dark magic.30EMR
J4xM“Breaking a barrier stone means that person knows how to handle the supernatural.”4HsTzHj
js21yBrutally slaughtered animals, sabotaged dragon experiments, and now evidence of forbidden magic. Perhaps it really was a witch, just as they said.VmrA
fgK0dRO“Please, we leave this to you, Sir Kihano.”V1MPNjE
4LrTzT“Yes, I’ll do my best…”S2Zhn
ZsS“Who knows, maybe if you solve this problem, the Dragulia’s anger toward you will dissipate.”K0qz5z
2A0YAlthough he didn’t care about the town’s fate, capturing the witch was his job. However, those last words made Kihano tense for a moment.tgQYhd
l73“Oh, my! I think I’ve gone too far. Forgive me.”vQ5u1
LwwEAlthough he apologized, his tone was insolent and seemed to enjoy it. It was evident that his words weren’t a slip, but a small revenge for Kihano’s attitude toward Samonte the day before.sqBS
CUt“Anyway, we trust that a member of the Frausen family like you will help us successfully.”6u6aU
GZv8eThe apprentice smiled as he looked at Kihano, the infamous “bastard” of the Frausen family, known for earning the dragons’ disapproval.de5z
DrE“…Of course. I’ll do my best.”yxgOaN1
adf0QHowever, Kihano also smiled in response, despite the mockery.2uz
DOSzEIn a world of perfection, the only thing he could do was return the smiles. Yet, he couldn’t help but let a bitter expression slip onto his face.66oZf
zfGnbn***gHxqEgv
lctc“Sir Kihano? Sir Kihano?”EB5nr
i2iYG“…”cfK
bgxfvE“You should get up now. The sun is setting.”bLXBY
NdntIt was a hill in the town, where the sun was slowly sinking.xKdkIL
G9cvE4From a distance, it looked like a scene worthy of a painting, but at that moment, only Yan’s voice echoed as he tried to wake Kihano.xKUD
geURHIs“…I told you to wake me up at sunset.”e9bDPd
Vsjkq“Don’t you see it’s sunset now? The sun will set completely soon.”WmdoSX
PZv0At Yan’s words, Kihano began to look around as if just realizing it.tMedA3
QR3oIndeed, the green grass of the meadow was tinged with the reddish waves of the sunset.huUfOq
3YREJy“Where are the sheep?”MaPQ
pG1“Huh?”ZuUKzf
C2RVFH“The sheep. They were here a while ago.”4gk
SSWWCfKMaybe he was still a bit drowsy, as Kihano suddenly asked about the sheep.VGDm
g8ITvHowever, his eyes were scanning the surroundings with an unusual seriousness.zjsk
p6pVy“There they are. So, they moved from here to there?”VIffZYz
HLJ43ySaying this, Kihano took a piece of paper from his pocket and began marking something on it.OhL
C8v4It was a small map that seemed to represent the town’s surroundings.VWu
4N90But now, that map had unknown marks that Kihano had made previously.zJfbChb
sNL4“What is that, Sir Kihano?”gugGm
yZ1M“The path the shepherds follow.”GP4
otTj“Why are you marking that?”lUkJ4e
lTzaRq“To figure something out. I want to know which pasture the sheep are taken to today.”6k8UDT
dj77H2Yan watched Kihano with curiosity as he meticulously made his marks.15KTVL
91qFsuIt was strange to see something so detailed, considering how careless Kihano usually seemed.miUgU
xbHu“…Typically, shepherds rotate the pastures so they don’t get depleted. Otherwise, the grass withers quickly.”sGzDrCc
7KfhSx“I didn’t say anything.”Hro
80Nh“I’m telling you before you ask.”a5VC6sQ
HGLLooking at Yan, whose eyes trembled as if wondering why he was doing this, Kihano scratched his head as if it hurt.mhDi
Vfw“Anyway, if the shepherds rotate the pastures, there will be one where they take a break.”mXR
YkpkKxThe shepherd’s job was to care for the sheep.cYfA
mtXsBut they also served as the town’s watchmen. If there were intruders or monsters nearby, the shepherds would be the first to notice.skEG
AaRSy6“And today, that place is empty.”v8nHRbG
vVUdPhTherefore, the unknown intruder lurking in the forest would try to avoid the shepherds’ watchful eyes.MYc
chf5So, by studying the flock’s movements, Kihano deduced that tonight would be the ideal time for the being called the “witch” to move.2f5WBCC
arB“…It’s toward the windmill, right? The one we went to before.”boI
Iylhk6“Yes.”OHzp
llJcHThe only pasture without shepherds or sheep that could raise the alarm.rH2w1oI
p2rThus, Kihano’s finger pointed to the most direct path to Samonte’s windmill.cPbOMEk
XxE“That’s why I asked you to wake me up at sunset. It seems we won’t sleep well tonight.”I6PgB
s56aR“…”nAs
HHe3kKihano finished speaking and clicked his tongue, as if still sleepy.6kgYw
oXxSmkRYan, however, couldn’t find words to reply as he watched Kihano yawn calmly.NfrcU9
npZxW“Do you want dinner? I brought a lunchbox from the inn.”HXM9
I9j“Oh, that sounds good. Get it out quickly.”Oyd
UAbpdNA scoundrel of the Frausen family, always flirting with women and getting beaten by his older brother.eiS
aBmAlthough everyone considered him a lost cause, Yan felt there was something more to Kihano that no one else saw.O9OPM
jMbh20“What’s this? Lemon?”H9g
4wlxzy“Yes.”lEi7
H9iuiv“…Why did you bring this? You don’t eat lemon like this.”HUdoYW
fbUwK“It’s for squeezing over the meat. In my village, everyone eats it that way.”odN4
5dFmThe night was falling deeply.zFQbq
URFycThere would be no moon that night.LyJrt79
hDoDg8Yet as they waited, Yan’s heart pounded heavily.DWikyU
jOY2EDBecause more than the mysterious witch, he was intrigued to see an unknown side of Kihano.viBkm8
EAv***MYd4
u0PGIn the darkness where the moon did not shine, a shadow moved stealthily.FN1tQQ4
DlrByBFrom the distant forest to the wide meadow, the shadow ran with a speed that could be described as “shot out.” It did not make even the slightest sound.e1284D
PFRY“…”C2fjg
syQIt had been worth watching carefully from the forest.834
nlo9YS3In the direction it was moving, there were no sharp-eyed shepherds or alert sheep.9Y9Y
tIGNsuOnly the sinister windmill that the humans had built was visible. The shadow’s golden eyes shone fiercely.ll7psv
ok0Y— Grrr…Hp25T
U5Y5J“…!”GO3g2
yPBE5ksBut a faint cry in the wind made the shadow stop.KlS0GR
6eXe2Np— It hurts! It hurts!N1eA7
Aaw— Stop! Wheeeh!oiA
vWtIt was the cry of little spirits born from the World Tree.3LagKjA
mvxLittle ones who had once left with smiles, but now their cries were too painful to ignore.2aPU0N
hsIyCI7“Damn humans!”1o4Thm
f34YThe cries were more vivid than ever.KgVo9f
L53iylThey were close enough to hear those heartbreaking screams.KdlimsR
tNFe2The shadow began to feel anxious due to the spirits’ pleas.bDYmuC1
spCf‘…I have to hurry!’Kfw
E51UeSo, with more hurried steps, the unknown entity lunged forward.35lY
N8xqbQXNow its movements were no longer careful but desperate.fCfyTe8
WXFFO— Ribbit.jZJyO
O1Dt— Ribbit, ribbit.Xbp
TbG7F‘Frogs?’a9X
lsmHuThat’s why it didn’t realize that the meadow had turned into a mist-covered pond.gREJ4y8
J6G“By the build, it seems like a woman.”R7yvCZH
aQ2ho“…!”uKgnwe
1aBagIe— Swish!l1k8b
uErSQsjA blade appeared suddenly, and the shadow retreated urgently.FKaHg
eUPgFejBut it was no longer a meadow, but a damp mire.IRLg
xTpThe muddy ground trapped its feet.EilN
pXduk1a“Who are you?”EVAKnI5
ta1NqIt had managed to dodge the attack just barely, but it was a lethal blow.NRt
wG6BIf it hadn’t heard that voice, its neck would have been cut.UauKf
98Fe9o“If I tell you who I am, will you tell me your name too?”wn3bu8
yDrmBeyond the mist it was staring into, a man emerged.H6c1Z
SFz3gJMTall and with reddish-brown hair.51P
9FlHowever, what stood out most was his relaxed, smiling expression.IGLw
RBfW3“My name is Kihano. Kihano Frausen.”WPDReDy
4PgOne of his teachers had once told him:rgy
Is812Controlling the battlefield is the fastest path to victory.wdKN
GiVAnd now they were in the pond that the old toad had created for Kihano.kvm
gVTZduX“Now that I’ve said my name, tell me yours.”Xhqvg
vy2MHHis stance, crouched and ready to strike, was like a sharp sword.VclHX
zFFAs if he were ready to cut her down in one blow.tE9YjM
nR2C“Tell me your name before my sword touches your neck.”0XOF
UumO1The bastard of the Frausen family: Kihano Frausen.IJuIsYh
gptrHowever, once, the name used to refer to him in the past was…kVXxT8S
uGCM48The prodigious genius of the Frausen family, Kihano Frausen.BldF
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