CH 244

Chosone’s urgent voice broke out of the bracelet again. 

“Keuk… Be careful. He’s too fast… He has already gone through the first gate and he’s headed for the main gates!”

The bracelet everyone was wearing used the same communication channel. Perhaps the ones currently below him–including Ashley, Amor and Ray–had already heard Chosone. Dane calmly lowered his eyes. 

‘He had already passed through the first gate.’

The Templar of Beasts had lost his ego. In other words, he would be travelling quite efficiently as he had lost his reason and was relying solely on his instincts. That meant he would be taking the shortest possible route to the palace. 

“Damn it. He’s… unbelievably strong!”

Words that sounded like a warning burst out of the bracelet through Chosone’s voice for one last time. Dane calmly stared at the plans in front of him. Before he realised it, Dane got up and grabbed the sword laying on the desk. 

‘I’m sure Hernan is not too far now.’

Although he was fully prepared, his opponent was the worst templar he could face. He was a ferocious templar who had only gotten stronger after losing his ego. It would be hard to leave a battle with him unscathed. He could not be certain he wouldn’t get hurt. Dane was someone who preferred using his head but in contrast to his brilliant mind, he had only learnt enough martial arts to protect himself. Dane was outstanding when it came to leading the troops from the rear but now he was forced to step up.

‘Because there’s not enough people.’

The Templar of Beasts appeared but not from the main gates as one would expect but from the forest to his west. He had indeed taken the fastest route from the Crown Prince’s palace to the 4th Prince’s. As suggested from the particular row of trees rustling in the forest, the Templar of Beasts zipped through the forest. He had evidently lost his reason. 

‘If he still had his reason, he would have tried to confuse me by coming though the main gates.’

Dane knew Hernan. There was no way Dane, Amor and Hernan wouldn’t have known each other. Whether or not they were aware, they had been used as tools for the emperor. Of course, the relationship they had with each other was not of affection. But he knew how Hernan thought. 

At that point, Dane realised. 

‘Now, he is no longer the Hernandez Durzel von Develo I once knew.’

He was no longer the brilliant yet competent knight and templar. He was now just a Templar of Beasts who had lost all his reason. And he was going to meet him soon. Of course, he would be much stronger than before. But that was it.

Dane smiled. If he had to face the previous Hernan, Dane would have had a hard time. But if that man was moving purely on instincts, it was not impossible for Dane to win. 

He hopped off the ceiling lightly. Meta, who had been waiting as planned in the hallway, quickly lowered his head. Dane nodded his head at the sight of the long silver thread hanging from Meta’s arm. 

“Are you ready?”

“It is just as you’ve ordered, my prince. The Templar of Beasts is running recklessly along the route you had predicted. Just as you’ve told me to. I managed to tweak the direction he was heading in slightly through my abilities.”

As he spoke, Meta’s expression darkened momentarily. 

“Of course, it was not enough to even stop him in his tracks.”

“Why are you disheartened? That was what I had expected”

“My prince.”

“You’re one of Ashley’s proud knights, aren’t you? Be more confident in yourself. And the odds are not completely unfavourable.”

At the same time, Dane lifted the bracelet.

“Chosone. When he passed through the first gate, where’s Meta’s thread?”

“It’s now on the wall!”

Meta’s thread was an artefact specific to Templars of Thievery and it contained divinity. One of his threads had been hung at the first gate by Chosone in advance, allowing them to track the location of the Templars of Beasts. This was an ability only Meta had. Of course, if it had been the real Hernan, he would have never fallen for such a cheap trick. 

This was what convinced Dane that he was not who he used to be. All that was left of him now was his existence and his instincts running wild. His current self was much easier to deal with. 

“A high mountain can always be climbed.”

That was what Dane thought. 

As soon as he decided to help Ashley, Dane had visited the Templars of Vulcanus and had them work at their tools. The Templars of Vulcanus were used to incorporating abilities of other gods into objects and modifying artefacts by correcting their cores. They had reconstructed an artefact that contained the powers of the God of Fire that was thought to have long disappeared. 

“It explodes with one hard strike.”

Soon after, word broke out that the Templar of Beasts had passed through the second gate. Just then, the gears in Dane’s head started turning fast. Based on the reports he received, the points the patrols brought up, Dane calculated the next step in just a moment before yelling his order at the person guarding the said gate. 

“Now!”

Boom!

A roar could be heard not too far away. Dane looked at a spot in the forest where he could see smoke rising from. It didn’t look too far from the palace. 

‘This won’t hurt him much. But it’s better than nothing.’

Dane’s eyes glistened in the silence. He shook the bracelet three times. He then spoke to the bracelet that gave off a green light. 

“Ray, get ready.”

As soon as his words were relayed, Ray’s solemn voice came from the bracelet. 

“Yes. Is the Templar of Beasts coming this way?”

“Yes.”

As he left Ray’s voice behind him, Dane turned to Meta who was with him.

“You know what to do right? It’ll be your job along with Ray’s and brother’s to bring the Templar of Beasts to the designated spot.”

Now, he was heading to the designated spot to get ready and wait. 

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Yes, my prince.”

Dane immediately headed upstairs before leaning against white railings to stare at a spot of the forest that was rustling more than its surrounding area. The spot was drawing closer and closer. Hernan had been definitely hit in the explosion. But he was still moving.  He should have passed through the first three gates with minor injuries. But Dane’s side had prepared more than that. 

“Of course.”

Catching a sinner could also be known as capture. (1)

“Shall I now step up for the princess?”

However, since the man they were catching had no reason, it would be more accurate to call it a hunt. Dane made eye contact with Meta before separating from him and heading in a different direction. This was the beginning of a hunt to save someone.

***

Lord Ray moved. I glanced at Lord Ray who was trying to move slightly anxiously. 

“Well, I’ll be carrying out the plan now.”

I nodded firmly. Based on the voices from the bracelet earlier, Hernan seemed to have already reached the palace. Dane had expected the head-on battle to be in either bedroom or the hallway along the second floor. After Lord Ray finished his preparations and alternated his gaze between Amor and I, I nodded my head.

“I’ll be in the adjacent room.”

This was to prepare for Castor’s appearance. Lord Ray and Amor looked reluctant to place me at a spot that was not too far from where the battle was going to take place. Since 10 minutes ago, they had been trying to persuade me to stay in a safer spot but neither could win against my stubbornness. 

“It’s alright. Even if I get a little hurt.”

“Princess.”

I gave a faint smile. 

“Am I being too much?”

“Extremely much.”

Oh dear.  I wanted to burst out laughing at the fact that I never managed to get the last word with him. At the same time, it felt like some of the tension clogging the air had been relieved. I sneakily turned my head before speaking to Amor.

“Stay safe, brother.”

“Don’t fool around.”

With the most displeased expression, he swept down his sunken face. But he then sighed as if he couldn’t do anything about it. Turning a blind eye to his gaze, I smiled slyly. There was nothing to worry about. As soon as I turned to Amor with that smile, his eyes grew indescribably large. 

“Princess!”

A strong gust of wind blew. At the same time, my body shook. For a moment, my vision flipped and white strands of hair appeared before my eyes. Before I could even grasp the situation, my vision was flipped once again as my body was slammed to the ground. Ignoring the slight pain, I raised my head. My vision was spinning but only momentarily. Only then could I see what was in front of me. 

“… Hernan.”

I stared at the man of whom I could only see his upper body. The cool air he was breathing on my neck felt both familiar yet unfamiliar. The man looked at me without a word but slowly raised his sword. 

Clang.

Sparks flew right in front of my eyes. At the sharp sound, I shot up like I had just woken up from sleep. Before my expression slowly contorted. 

His eyes looked so dead it was almost as if there was nothing in it. They were not of the colour I was familiar with. Seeing the man with those unfamiliar purple eyes was like meeting a stranger for the first time. 

I was reminded once again that Hernan had really forgotten me and had lost everything. 

“Princess! Hurry!”

I sprang up and quickly retreated. As soon as I stepped away, vines wrapped themselves around Hernan’s arms and legs as if they had been waiting. 

Clang.

Hernan was thrown out the room through a wide open door. I noticed Ray following suit after him quickly. Amor turned to glance at me before whispering softly. 

“See? Hernan doesn’t remember you.”

His voice was bittersweet contrasting the situation we were in.

“Wait here.”

***

Clang.

Ray moved. 

“Lord Soricks! Please take care of the right!”

Just as he was about to head to the right, he was forced to block a strike from the Templar of Beasts. The sharp collision of the blades scratched at their eardrums. Soricks immediately gritted his teeth.

‘What kind of strength…!’

Unable to hold out against his strength, he flew backwards. But before the dust could settle on the ground, Soricks quickly returned to his spot.

Clang.

A long sword thrusted towards his position. 

‘God damn it. This is what he must have meant when he said he got stronger than before!’

Templars were usually physically stronger than the average human. However, if templars’ powers could be sorted according to their specialisations, Soricks’ powers were more relevant to ‘seeing’. 

“Are you alright?”

He realised the difference in his power with that of the man in front of him whose physical abilities had peaked. He recalled having a sword fight with Hernan a long time ago. Of course, considering the gap in their powers, Hernan had let him land some hits on him but he still lost badly in the end. And that difference felt even more prominent now. 

“Yes. I’m alright.”

Just as Soricks was about to grab his sword, he felt a slight twinge of pain in his wrist. It must have been because Hernan had grabbed him by his wrist earlier when he tossed him..

T/N:

(1): There’s a specific word in korean used in this occasion but there’s no english equivalent