CH 122

Subjugation and Rakain (13)

She had to endure it because she knew well that she shouldn’t be weak at all. However, not showing it outwardly did not mean that she was all fine on the inside.

That was probably why Lucy didn’t get on the same carriage.

It was to give her some time to express her fears by herself.

“You’re… you’re doing fine, right? You have to be okay. Don’t get hurt…”

Roelin’s voice trembled. It was not that she didn’t know for a fact that Kergel had been a strong person. Nevertheless, she was still worried about him.

Moreover, the subjugation seemed to be more difficult than one expected, so her hands and feet all trembled as she was afraid if something really happened to him.

Even a coward couldn’t help it. He had been the only family she had and now that he was in a dangerous place, how could she not be afraid at all?

If she could just do as she wanted, she would have already rejected the Duke of Bönt’s words and asked him to go to Kergel’s place immediately instead.

But she couldn’t. No, her reasoning had managed to block her from saying that.

Before she was an ordinary woman, she realized once again that she was an Empress.

In addition, she comprehended the fact that it was her responsibility since she was not moving alone, but many people would be moving together at what she said.

Therefore, her selfish greed alone could not lead others to such dangerous places.

“I know it in my head……”

Roelin sighed while leaning against her back. It was a decision that she fully accepted, but her mind kept on wanting to go the other way.

But at that moment, Lucy’s voice could be heard outside the carriage.

“Empress, we will be moving soon.”

“Okay. Lucy, get in here then.”

Roelin folded all her complicated thoughts and opened her mouth to Lucy who was just outside of the carriage.

She was well aware that this had been the best choice for now.

* * *

“……”

After Kergel suddenly stopped talking, he looked up at the sky. His golden eyes narrowed as he stared at the clouds that were flowing south.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

Gilov approached his side and asked as if he was wondering about his reaction. Then, Kergel lowered his gaze from the sky and opened his mouth in a subdued voice.

“Isn’t that strange?”

“What? What are you talking about……”

Gilov leaned over at Kergel’s unexpected words. Kergel eventually continued as he pointed his finger to the sky.

“I can’t see a single bird in the sky.”

“Ah…”

“Not just for today, but for the last few days too.”

“………it is strange to think about it.”

It was not until Gilov heard Kergel’s words that he narrowed his eyebrows filled with questions. It was really unexpected. However, once he realized the current situation, the question was bound to grow in return.

It was definitely a bird-like environment. There were many trees for birds to nest in and it was a place that had been rich in food. However, not seeing a single animal was something that could not be easily overlooked.

“Is there a bird among the monsters?”

“We can’t rule out the possibility. If you were to look at the situation right now.”

Kergel nodded back to Gilov’s question. Then, he suddenly found something in front of him before he climbed down his horse and strode ahead.

There was a trail of monsters passing by. He bent down and touched the traces of the ground himself. As if it had not been long since it passed, the soil was still damped with blood.

“I think we’re going to face it soon.”

Kergel gazed back and opened his mouth. The others also looked at the traces around them and sharply raised their senses, just as Kergel did.

Kergel, who was still looking at it, then turned his eyes back.

Not a single bird at all.

It bothered him somehow. However, he wouldn’t be able to solve that specific question right away.

No, if he had subjugated monsters, it would then be a question that could be solved more naturally.

He looked up at the sky and forced the question away before he whistled softly towards the back. His horse quickly understood the sound of Kergel’s call and approached.

After stroking the horse’s neck a couple of times, Kergel mounted his horse sharply. Then, he narrowed his eyes sharply and kicked the horse on the side.

He couldn’t afford to think about anything else since he had to prevent another victim. Yet it wasn’t even supposed to be like that?

“Giddy up!”

Kergel darted forward with his horse as if they had become a single body.

* * *

“Kyahoo!”

“Ah! The monster, the monster……”

The herbalist trembled before he collapsed. The basket that he was carrying eventually rolled down the sloping slope.

As a result, all the carefully dug herbs poured out one by one, but the man couldn’t care less about it.

It was because of the monster that had appeared right in front of him.

It was literally a ‘monster’.

Could such results be achieved by repeatedly breeding and mating all kinds of animals?

The monster that was screaming in front of the man looked like it could not be called just by any one name.

But he couldn’t call it nothing either. This had been because the characteristics of such various beasts were revealed clearly in each of the movements of the monster.

As a result, the fear was bound to get doubled.

“G, Help me! Help…”