Chapter 50: Guide to The Hunting Ground
Guide to The Hunting Ground
TN: NEW PROJECT to Replace AKMRe(Since I dont want to experience the same mental torture of tl-ing act 4 of that novel, the project will continue from Act 10 after I finished the original version). Available in Ko-Fi and Patreon.
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I noticed that the carriage was slowing down while I was in the middle of reading a book while caressing Lilianas head.
It seems we have arrived.
I closed the book in my hand with a snap.
When I poked my head out of the window, the stone paved road made by the Corvut tribe got interrupted, replaced by ordinary soil road toward an obviously poor mountain village.
It seems the eye-witness saw the deserter goblin in the nearby fortress.
The journey up to this point was pretty carefree.
I used the traveling time to learn a new spell from Sofia or reading a book. Thanks to Sofias lessons, I escaped from the fate of having to read lines of letters inside the carriage, and mastered the use of the soundproof barrier spell.
Now this spell will allow us to have lots of clandestine talks.
Stop using such unusual words But youre right, the soundproof barrier would be a great help for us after this.
In addition, to keep my shape up I also did some martial arts training with Garounya and various training from Verossa when we camped along the way to this place. Learning how to walk in the forest from the hunter, swinging my sword, basically I spent my time learning as much as possible.
Your Highness, you have a really good movement. Honestly it doesnt seems like someone who is wielding the sword for the first time.
Verossas praise sounds like sarcasm in my ears.
If not for Your Highness status as a prince I would love to train you in the way of the sword right away.
Even though I was cutting corners when training my swordsmanship with Verossa, the latter could instantly discern my capability in a single glance.
Naturally, he wouldnt go as far as guessing that I might be learning swordsmanship without a teacher. He only concluded that I had Natural Talent with the sword. The fact that Verossa was willing to guide me as my swordsmanship teacher if not for my status as the demon prince Was the best praise I could hope for.
Since I also couldnt learn swordsmanship for real due to my status, we decided to do a mock combat with me using a spear against Verossa with his sword.
And just as I had expected, Verossa is stronk. I wouldnt be a match for him if not for my spell.
I could only last five whole minutes against him with pure spearmanship. It was a matter of experience though.
Welcome to our humble hamlet, Your Highness.
When I came into the village with everyone, an old beastfolk, the patriarch of the village, came to welcome us.
His face reminds me of a tabby cat. According to Garounya, this person seems to come from ancient lineage. Anyhow, the majority of the villagers were Hybrid beastfolk.
The villagers attire looks rather simple, it reminds me of the attire of the countryside of alliance from a few hundred years ago. But then, no one seems to be suffering from malnutrition. Maybe because there was a lush forest around the village, and a sorry excuse for a cultivated field. According to the report, their main food should come from hunting instead of from their field, and since all of them look healthy, there seems to be no problem with their food.
But then, they witnessed goblins around the vicinity of the nearby ruined fortress, the sharp decrease of the number of their prey, and many traces of devastation inside the forest.
9 of 10, its almost confirmed to be the goblin, weve already sent a lot of people to go there but
The patriarch showed a downcast gaze. Ten strong men from the village had already been sent to subjugate the goblins and yet None of them had returned.
Those who couldnt wait any longer also went to that place and yet, they had never returned either. As a result, the patriarch led his troops to scout the fortress but then
The place turned into something akin to a battlefield. The patriarch who had been living for a long time and also participated in several wars during his youth felt a unpleasant premonition, he felt something ominous would happen once he entered the fortress, thus he stopped everyone who was about to enter the fortress and went back to the village.
I had no other choice but to retreat, even if I have to be labeled as a coward. If you want to put a blame on someone, please blame me for my cowardice, Your Highness. Im the one who forced everyone to retreat!
The patriarch prostrated in front of me, rubbing his forehead on the ground.
This might be the reason why everyone in the village seems to be depressed.
Well then
I looked at the direction of the highway. According to Platy, she seems to be sending a shadow guard to protect me but Are they by chance the warrior from the Reiju clan?
By this point, one of the employees Possibly Vigne shouldve used a fire spell To get in touch with those shadow guards.
There was still a possibility that this situation might be part of my training, but itd be an embarrassment if I asked for their assistance so quickly into my first field training.
I wanted to avoid the situation in which those shadow guard, the warrior from Reiju clan to were to judge me as an incompetent prince.
Oh, finally starting to aim for the throne of the demon king for real, eh?
Ante asked with a mocking voice. Screw that goal. I am just unwilling to let my mothers clan look down on me.
I dont really care about the part of me using the authority of the Reiju clan but, I definitely wanted to avoid the situation in which the Reiju clan would interfere in the future due to this blunder.
I looked around while pondering about this situation.
On top of the hill which separated the forest from the village stood an eerie ruined fortress with the background of the night sky.
There was indeed a huge threat in that fortress, big enough to not even let go of ten strongmen from beastfolk.
It might be a demon beast, or mere undead
Whatever reside inside will be disposed off by that man called Verossa.
Agreed.
But still, I shouldnt let my guard down.
Maybe I should spend time by frolicking with both Garounya and Liliana.
Around thirty minutes later, Verossa and co returned from scouting the area.
Weve captured and interrogated the goblins loitering around the fortress and the forest. Theres obvious traces in all of them being charmed, or brainwashed by something.
And the information that I heard from Verossa indicated that this wasnt a simple goblin hunt.
As for the fortress I cant say anything about that place.
It was quite rare to see him hesitating like this.
I felt something similar to a human presence From that place.
WHAT?
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Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint
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