Cornil Ashuld watched tensely as Harold Crow stepped forward from the identical shadows of the trees.
A steel shield, though pierced with holes, still looked sturdy, and what was once likely a spear now served as a cudgel in his hands.
The imposing figure of a draconic human with red scales standing at nearly two meters was nothing short of intimidating, naturally drawing the brief attention of the crowd toward Harold.
But it didn’t last long. The soldiers quickly shifted their gaze to Aslan.
Aslan, upon seeing this, tilted the hilt of his sword further.
‘They know exactly who I am.’
Some might have thought that Harold would receive some attention, but evidently, every soldier, mage, and knight remained fixated on Aslan.
It was clear they were well aware of Aslan’s reputation as a veteran of combat.
Perhaps some had expected irrelevant individuals to be mixed in, but it seemed otherwise.
“What are you?”
Angie muttered casually, yet the soldiers paid her no heed.
Realizing they lacked the ability to discern ancient deities’ speech, Aslan moved closer to Cornil Ashuld while sensing the gazes directed at him.
“Ugh.”
“Imperial Investigator. What do you want?”
Cornil Ashuld stiffened and gasped for breath at Aslan’s words and approach.
To Cornil Ashuld, the current situation must have felt like a sudden calamity.
Who could have anticipated the arrival of a legendary warrior?
With his lips sealed, he stared at Aslan as if trying to interpret the situation before finally speaking.
“…I would appreciate your cooperation with the investigation.”
An unexpected response. Aslan furrowed his brow, revealing his displeasure.
He had noticed Cornil’s intention to betray him through covert actions.
‘Is he insane?’
Was he so confident his schemes wouldn’t be uncovered, or did he have other plans?
Uncertain, Aslan removed his hand from the pommel and gripped the hilt of his sword, feeling its weight in his fingertips.
Prepared to draw it at any moment, Aslan awaited Cornil Ashuld’s next words.
‘I merely wish to fulfill my duties as an Imperial Investigator. This is only about gathering simple testimonies; there’s no need to be wary.’
Cornil Ashuld’s response matched Aslan’s expectations almost word for word.
“I’m sure you know I’m an Imperial Investigator. It’s my duty to investigate anomalies within the Empire. But this isn’t about accusing any of you. I simply wish to hear some testimonies for reference, so there’s no need to be wary.”
Aslan gave a casual reply to Cornil Ashuld’s statement, which was almost identical to lines from a game.
“For simple testimonies, what kind of testimonies are we talking about?”
“That… I can’t disclose here. We need to maintain confidentiality.”
“So, if not here, where then?”
Aslan’s blunt response made Angie uneasy, as she nervously rested her hand on her weapon while observing the situation.
Harold appeared to be analyzing the conversation, glancing around.
Even someone unfamiliar with Cornil Ashuld could see that he was clearly flustered and troubled.
After a moment of contemplation, Ashuld replied.
“Aslan, I believe you’re deeply involved in these anomalies. Therefore, I would like you to accompany me to Lord Ashuld’s territory.”
Aslan smirked.
“You don’t mean just the territory, do you?”
At this, Cornil visibly panicked. The knights and soldiers behind him heightened their alertness, raising their weapons.
Observing this calmly, Aslan gripped his sword.
Meanwhile, Cornil thought to himself,
‘How does this guy know everything?’
‘Should I attack now?’
Cornil Ashuld was a magician, one who belonged to the Manifestation School and had considerable confidence in his abilities.
If he prepared carefully, he believed he could take down even a draconic human with a single spell.
But against a master of combat?
And worse, against a traveling party entangled with the speech of ancient deities?
Cornil Ashuld couldn’t guarantee his own survival. Swallowing hard, he began to channel mana when Aslan’s cold gaze pierced through him.
“Ugh…”
Sharp eyes scrutinized him, faint traces of hostility lingering within them. It was chilling.
As Cornil Ashuld swallowed again, Aslan relaxed his expression and said,
“Don’t worry, I’ll come along.”
“…What?”
Cornil widened his eyes in surprise.
He couldn’t fathom Aslan’s intentions. Despite seeming to have figured out Cornil Ashuld’s plan, agreeing to follow made little sense.
‘Could he… not have noticed?’
Perhaps he was just trying to understand what they were after by threatening first.
‘In that case, it’s fortunate. If I can deceive him this way…’
Just as Cornil Ashuld thought this and tried to relax,
“The speech of the ancient deity you’ve been searching for.”
Aslan’s voice and approach froze his expression.
“It’s me.”
Before Cornil could react, Aslan stood close, pressing him.
Cornil Ashuld gasped heavily upon hearing the words spoken so near.
Aslan responded by tilting his sword hilt, ready to strike at any moment.
The middle-aged magician, caught in conflict under Aslan’s icy gaze, closed his eyes.
“Al… All right. Let’s go.”
Only then did Aslan step back.
Cornil Ashuld, massaging his neck, breathed heavily.
*
Though Aslan unilaterally decided to join the procession, Harold showed no resistance.
On the contrary, it seemed he willingly joined.
The issue lay with Angie. She didn’t seem to fully understand this decision.
Yet Angie didn’t ask questions.
Her confusion was evident in her expression, but she held her tongue. Perhaps because Aslan seemed familiar with the apparent leader and because the soldiers appeared to fear him, she assumed he would explain eventually, as did Aslan.
Surrounded by soldiers, the group continued walking until the sun began to set.
“Cornil Ashuld, we’re going to set up camp. Is that all right?”
Cornil Ashuld approached Aslan, who stood at the center of the procession, and asked. In response, Aslan nodded briefly and said,
“Aren’t these soldiers under the command of the Imperial Investigator? There’s no need to consult me.”
Upon hearing this, Cornil Ashuld’s face momentarily twisted in frustration before smoothing over as he retreated.
Aslan observed the rising moon and sparse tropical forest, deducing they were near the Barony of Candelbyr.
The Barony of Candelbyr was one of the two southern baronies under the County of Scherlukunde. Compared to the neighboring Lil Barony, plagued by high taxes and frequent raids by Northern Empire plunderers, it was relatively more habitable.
Still, despite having slums and being poorly situated, it was a minor noble territory with enough resources to entertain guests.
Choosing to camp outside the city rather than rest within Candelbyr suggested to Aslan that there were internal rivalries even among factions within the same empire and divine followers.
Likely, they wished to keep the presence of the ancient deity’s speech hidden.
This wasn’t unusual. Even groups united by common interests often split into factions.
There was no problem with that. Aslan harbored no complaints.
The issue was the location of the campsite.
It was surrounded by several hills, with a tropical forest to the south. A salty breeze blew from beyond the forest, rustling the leaves and sweeping through the camp.
Amidst the strong wind, Aslan could faintly detect a mixed scent.
His auxiliary skill, “Hunting,” grown to its limits, identified the owner of the scent.
Later that night, Aslan quietly left the camp with Angie, who was pretending to sleep, and Harold.
No one noticed the departure of the master combatant and the girl.
It wasn’t due to any special effort to conceal their movements.
An incident had occurred.
A soldier standing guard suddenly collapsed.
“What, what’s wrong, man?”
Another nearby soldier bent down to help his comrade when he too felt an odd sensation, as if something were shaking inside his brain.
“What is this…?”
Thud.
As the second soldier fell, more began collapsing throughout the camp, sometimes all at once, sometimes one by one.
Against the backdrop of fallen soldiers, something emerged at the entrance of the camp.
They were monsters.
Their hunched backs revealed prominent vertebrae, yet their bellies and chests were grotesquely bloated, reminiscent of drowned humans.
Their faces resembled kindly grandmothers’ visages carved awkwardly into insect-like forms, complete with multiple compound eyes in the wrinkles.
Their long arms, though skeletal, ended in sickle-like nails, adding an eerie touch.
One of the creatures picked up a fallen soldier. Its mouth opened wide, revealing a long tongue that extended outward.
Even from afar, Cornil Ashuld recognized its purpose.
A tongue designed to pierce skulls and suck out brains.
“Uh, uh… No, please stop…”
A soldier, scratched by the monster’s sharp nails, woke up bleeding and screamed in terror as the tentacle-like tongue approached.
Other monsters either entered the camp or grabbed soldiers.
Amidst the sudden attack, soldiers cried out in despair.
BOOM!
The laughing monster’s tongue and neck were cleanly severed.
Its head floated briefly before falling to the ground, rolling away. The soldier who had been grabbed fell backward with the collapsing creature, smashing his face into the mud.
CRUNCH!
The soldier lying in the mud heard the sounds of battle nearby.
The heavy slicing of flesh, the crashing of objects, all blending chaotically. These sounds repeated four times before stopping, replaced by hurried footsteps retreating.
Attempting to assess the situation, the soldier stirred as someone addressed him.
“Are you alright?”
The person helped him up and brushed the mud off his face.
It was Aslan.
The master combatant, known within the Calus Empire as the Emperor’s assassin, with black hair and teal eyes, placed the injured soldier against a tree.
As Aslan applied something to his wound, the soldier, whose lips had frozen in shock, managed to move them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t arrive sooner. Apply this to your wounds.”
The soldier’s frozen lips quivered.
“Tha… Thank you…”
Aslan smiled gently in response and stood up just as someone ran towards them.
Cornil Ashuld, having belatedly realized the situation, rushed over.
Aslan gestured to those standing beside him.
“Cornil, what is this…?”
“Hags. Quite a number attacked, likely nesting nearby. I’ll chase after them with my companions to find their nest. Meanwhile, I entrust the emergency treatment of the wounded and magical detection to you, Imperial Investigator.”
Cornil stiffened at the instructions given before he could respond, causing Aslan to smirk slightly.
Even without Aslan’s orders, Cornil would have done this, but now it appeared as if he was merely following Aslan’s directives.
Recognizing this fact and Aslan’s sly smile, Cornil grimaced as Aslan turned and headed in the direction the hags had fled.
Knights aside, the soldiers likely weren’t of noble origin but closer to commoners.
Cornil Ashuld wasn’t a particularly charismatic figure, so his subordinates probably acted based on pay rather than loyalty or political gain.
This was precisely what Aslan aimed for.
Preemptive measures against Cornil Ashuld’s betrayal.
Winning the soldiers’ favor and steering their psychology toward himself.
The opportune attack by the hags was perfect for initiating this.
Having completed his objective, Aslan entered the forest, followed by Angie and Harold.
Under the moonlight, the blood trails of the mutilated hags glistened.
