Episode 215 – Prediction
Samuel stepped outside, and just as I had said, Elton was waiting for him, standing there as if expecting this moment.
Seeing Elton fully prepared with a pack slung over his back, ready to leave at any time, Samuel was taken aback.
"When on earth…! How did you get ready so fast? What did you do?"
What did he do? You could tell just by looking at his face.
He was simply someone who had been desperately waiting for Samuel to arrive for the past two weeks.
Unaware of this, Samuel reacted as if he had just witnessed magic.
"There are many interesting individuals with unique abilities in the Hunt. If you ever take an interest, feel free to seek me out."
"Are you the master?"
"I'm just the frontman. Don’t I have the face for it?"
"If you just had a beard here, it’d be perfect…?"
"I refuse to grow a mustache."
"What if that was my condition for joining?"
I quickly gave Elton a meaningful glance before introducing Samuel to him.
Despite Elton’s rigid personality, thanks to Samuel’s natural charisma, they exchanged greetings smoothly.
A simple test was conducted, and when the blazing sword ignited before him, Samuel’s expression noticeably brightened.
It seemed he was convinced that he had found a reliable escort.
Now that he had personally confirmed his protection, it was time for the next step.
"I’d like to hear why you need an escort."
At my sudden question, Samuel’s expression stiffened slightly.
"Why are you asking that only now?"
"I believed it was important to show our goodwill first. If you're satisfied, now please tell us why you require protection."
"Haven’t we already made a deal? You must have received the note."
"I haven’t read it yet."
I shook the folded note in my hand, and Samuel let out a groan before shaking his head.
"What if I can't tell you the reason?"
"Then I will return this note without reading it."
"And why are you suddenly doing this?"
"Because you have the ability to manipulate space."
"Space?"
"What reason would someone with exceptional escape abilities have for needing an escort? Elton is important to me. I can’t send him somewhere dangerous without knowing why."
"Do you not trust me?"
"I only keep as much distance as you do with me, Samuel. That’s why I’m asking for the reason."
Samuel stroked his mustache and locked eyes with me. I did not look away.
A tense battle of wills.
Elton, caught between us, looked uneasy. He seemed worried that we might not leave the forest at all, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Now that Samuel had confirmed his protection firsthand, he wouldn’t want to let it slip away—especially since it was a matter of life and death.
In the end, Samuel surrendered.
"You really do resemble him."
The Lord of Blyer came to mind.
As if he could see through everything about him, as if everything was unfolding according to his will.
Just like now.
"The mediator for this request nearly double-crossed me. I need to verify things properly. Only then can I make a choice."
"You intend to investigate the Black Market."
"I want to know whether this is the will of the entire Black Market or just a faction within it. I can’t do that alone."
"If the Black Market has abandoned you, will you fight?"
At my question, Samuel smirked.
"Do you think the Black Market is something to be taken lightly? If you don’t have power, don’t make an enemy of them. Their strength isn’t in brute force. It’s in people."
"I have no intention of becoming their enemy."
At least, not yet.
I nodded toward Elton, and he let out a sigh of relief before turning toward the forest’s exit.
As Samuel followed, he paused for a moment, then turned back to offer me a warning.
"You should get far away from Ordor Forest."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard some strange rumors about the forest a few days ago. The source is reliable, so take this as a warning. I suspect that the reason the Black Market is trying to hand me over to Demtor is related to some deal involving the forest."
He seemed to know something about the forest, but he wouldn’t say it outright.
It didn’t matter.
Samuel had already given me more than enough.
"Did you not inform the witches about this?"
"And where would they go even if they left this forest? For them, this warning is useless."
"That’s true. Thank you for the warning."
"You surviving means I survive as well. Stay safe, kid."
With that, Elton and Samuel left the forest.
I stared at the empty space they had occupied for a moment before I started walking toward the village, reading the note in my hand.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
After reading it repeatedly, I tore it into pieces.
"The puzzle pieces are starting to fit together."
The note contained a delivery list from Demtor.
It was information about the people and goods being sent from Demtor to someone, but there was no mention of who the recipient was.
"Samuel and Kamel have met…"
Yet, at a glance, I could tell that the recipient of the delivery was Kamel Blazer.
I confirmed that the leader of the group escorting the delivery was Harkman Oleve, the Grand Duke’s chief knight. Furthermore, there wasn’t a single mage among them.
That meant their destination was Tobaron, and the only one connected to Harkman within Tobaron was Kamel.
"Kamel summoned Harkman."
Harkman Oleve was the wielder of Divine Might and a renowned knight with the unique trait of Iron.
Since he could also wield enchanted weaponry, he was a formidable opponent, even for the Five Stars of Tobaron.
A truly burdensome opponent had arrived in Tobaron.
‘Is this to buy time for Lyon’s recovery?’
Harkman was delivering something important.
And considering what Kamel currently needed from Demtor, there was only one possibility.
"The Frost Lord’s Heart."
The only thing capable of restoring Lyon, who was on the brink of death.
In the past, Kamel had refined the Frost Lord’s Heart into a potion and administered it to Lyon over a long period.
With Rengua’s expertise, this was possible. Eventually, this very item became the key to making Lyon a Six-Star warrior.
However, until Lyon fully adapted to the potion, he had been unable to move for over half a year.
If I could find and eliminate Lyon before then, Kamel would lose his greatest card.
A perfect victory.
But—
"That’s only if Kamel moves the way I remember."
Right now, Kamel was in no position to leisurely wait for Lyon to recover.
His exact plans were still unclear.
The only things I was sure of were two facts:
Kamel had traded with Demtor using the method to break the curse of the Ghost Forest.
And he was mass-producing voodoo dolls somewhere in Tobaron.
[You should get far away from Ordor Forest.]
Samuel’s warning echoed in my mind.
Samuel and Kamel had met.
"What Did Kamel Say to Samuel?"
Kamel must have said something to Samuel.
Samuel was already aware that the forest could become dangerous. It seemed they had spoken in private, yet Samuel remained completely silent about anything related to Kamel.
There must have been some kind of deal between them.
For now, I decided to simply observe, as I had left Elton by Samuel’s side.
"…Huh?"
As I entered the village, I noticed the witches gathered together, whispering among themselves.
Since they were by the well, near the Witches’ Hearth, I quickly made my way toward them.
"What’s going on?"
"Dornef just came out of the forge."
"Him?"
Excusing myself, I pushed through the crowd of witches and stepped forward.
Dornef was standing by the well, giving instructions to the knights who had accompanied him.
Judging by the luggage they were securing to their backs, they were preparing to leave.
Leaving? Without any prior notice?
As I approached, Dornef waved and walked toward me.
"I was looking for you, and you came just in time."
"What’s going on?"
"The situation in Tobaron is unusual. I can’t afford to leave Beneta unattended any longer."
Turning my head, I saw Cordy, the small-statured witch, waiting nearby.
When she met my gaze, she explained the situation.
"The Master of the Black Rose sent an urgent message."
"What kind of message?"
"Etor’s movements seem suspicious."
"Don’t tell me… has Etor’s army mobilized?"
"There’s no confirmation of an army deployment yet. However, troops are gathering rapidly around Etor."
From small and medium-sized territories to Blyer’s army.
All the human forces—except Beneta’s—were converging on Etor.
Even just hearing about it, I could tell it was a massive army.
As I processed the information Cordy had shared, Dornef provided further context.
"Beneta’s forces have withdrawn from the border defenses."
"You’re opting for a defensive strategy?"
"We’re too outnumbered for a direct confrontation. But Beneta’s walls can withstand an attack ten times, even a hundred times our size."
Within just ten days, the situation had grown increasingly dire.
Beneta needed Dornef now more than ever.
I glanced at the well, thinking of Lochter.
"Then, what about the weapons…?"
"It’s a shame. A real shame."
Dornef sighed as he gazed at the well, making my stomach drop.
That irresponsible dwarf!
I had given him more than a month, and yet he hadn’t finished the weapons?
"I needed to witness Belin and Reyna synchronizing with Lochter firsthand."
"What? What do you mean?"
"The moment the two swords were completed, they began bonding with their wielders. Their senses sharpened, and they even claimed they could hear the voices of the blades."
"Senses…?"
"They suspect it’s because of resonance. The swords gained some kind of power, and now they can feel it."
Resonance.
That was one of the abilities of Hero’s Companion weapons.
Lochter must have undergone some changes after completing its ghostification training.
To be certain, I would need to check Belin and Reyna’s divine energy later—perhaps through Lily.
"Then, are the twin swords complete?"
"I can say with confidence that they’re my masterpieces."
"And their artifact abilities…?"
"You’ll find out once the synchronization is complete. That’s why I’m frustrated. I’m curious to see what abilities they’ll manifest."
Dornef closed his eyes for a moment, as if savoring the month he had spent at the well.
"When that brat brings Belin and Reyna to Beneta, make sure to stop by."
"I’ll be visiting soon."
"Tch. This damn forest—easy to enter, but a pain to leave."
"How long will it take to reach Beneta?"
"With Dortas guiding us, we should arrive within a week. We’re in a hurry, so I’ll be off now."
"Ah, wait a moment!"
I quickly grabbed Dornef’s hand and handed him a note.
I had prepared it in case he left, though I hadn’t expected to give it to him so soon.
After glancing at the note, Dornef squinted at me suspiciously.
"Don’t tell me this is a love letter for my fiancée, Sharbadin…?"
"It’s for Fenry."
"Kuhum!"
What a jealous dwarf.
If I were Kamel, I would undoubtedly target Sharbadin to get to Dornef.
"Increase the guards around Sharbadin."
"Hmph, as long as I’m here, no one can lay a finger on my fiancée."
"Yeah, yeah."
The note contained information about Dominic’s research journal.
Fearing it might be lost in battle, I had entrusted it to Priestess Nella.
However, on the day I encountered Kamel, I had casually mentioned the journal—and that detail was now bothering me.
I had noticed a strange obsession in Kamel’s eyes.
I advised Dornef to relocate the journal and increase Nella’s security.
After Dornef left, a certain cute but not cute witch approached me.
Cordy, the Witch of Ten Thousand Ears.
"I’ve been enjoying seeing you spend time with Natasha lately."
It seemed that, given Dornef’s urgent departure, Cordy had decided to personally guide him out of the forest.
"…Are you always watching everything without permission?"
"The affairs of this forest are my business."
"How’s Lily doing?"
"Healthy and lively. She asked me to deliver a message."
Leaning on her staff, Cordy looked up at me with a smile and spoke.
"She says she misses you."
I smirked at the thought of Lily.
It had been a month since we were forbidden from meeting.
How was she doing?
"I suppose I should send a reply."
"She said she’s looking forward to a 30-tier bento and that she wants to see you soon."
Suddenly, I remembered something I had completely forgotten about.
Hadn’t I promised to offer a bento every day for keeping quiet about the Witches’ Gold…?
But…
"…30 tiers?"
"Shall I deliver your response?"
"T-Tell her to look forward to it."
I forced a smile.
For some reason, I suddenly felt terrified to see Lily.