Chapter 217:

Chapter 217:

* * *

The Scarlet Scales Knight Order swung into action as soon as the sun rose. Their chosen route was to cross ‘Mount Beryl’ to Dunkelhai, which was the opinion of Lumen, who came to Cadel at dawn.

A mountain with a high peak, but not the highest, and one with the fewest recorded sightings of the Scarlet Dragon. Cadel was pleased to note that it wasn’t the highest peak.

But there was one thing he had overlooked, whether Mount Beryl was the highest peak in the Mountains of Silence or not. Cadel’s physical strength was not up to the rigors of the climb.

‘Shouldn’t I be able to build up a base level of fitness by doing this all the time? Did I expect too much? At least I shouldn’t be panting like someone about to faint at the very beginning of the mountain.’

Cadel bit his lip, trying to control his ragged breathing somehow. He was ashamed that he was shaking like a hundred-year-old man when all his men were as calm as if they’d just gone for a walk.

“It seems like you’re having a hard time.”

He gritted his teeth and held on, but it seemed that the sight was even more noticeable. Lumen slowed down his steps as he watched Cadel, who took the last stand, struggle desperately.

“It’s not hard. I’ll make it.”

“You’re breathing like a troll, Leader.”

“That’s because your hearing is unnecessarily good...... Ah, that’s enough. Don’t make me talk.”

It was too much to even talk. When Cadel threw up his hands in annoyance, Lumen smirked and slid down behind him, placing one hand on Cadel’s back and starting to push. Gett your favorite novels at no/v/e/lbin(.)com

“......What the heck, I don’t need it.”

“It has been so long since I saw a speed this slow. I don’t want to die from dragon’s breath.”

Cadel tried to shake off Lumen’s kindness out of pride, but his touch was too soothing. His walking strength was halved, and he finally felt alive.

In the end, Cadel graciously leaned into Lumen’s hand, saying he’d accept the compromise for the sake of everyone’s safety, ignoring the chuckles behind him.

The hike started early in the morning, but they were only halfway up by nightfall. There were too many variables, including steep slopes and having to retrace their steps.

“There are ramps all around. The rocks are sharp too.”

Garuel, who had been searching for a place to camp with Lumen, shook his head in disbelief and threw his pack under the tree where his comrades had gathered.

“We’ll just stay here for the night. As much as I’d like to explore further, our commander is not....... feeling well..”

Garuel’s gaze fell on Cadel, slumped like seaweed on Van’s back. He had Lumen supporting his back the entire time he was climbing the mountain, and he was flying with Lydon to minimize his physical drain, but perhaps because the average terrain was rough, he got tired more easily than usual.

Cadel lifted his head from where it was buried in Van’s shoulder and muttered weakly.

“Sorry, guys....... I’m really going to start working out when I get down this mountain.”

He didn’t dare to look at his subordinates, who must have been exhausted from taking care of him. In response to Cadel’s gloomy promise, Van, who was carrying him comfortably, spoke in an affectionate voice.

“I’ll help you with your workout, Commander.”

Long red hair that went down to his waist. The hair, which boasted a powerful presence like a flame, was shiny like silk without any tangles, even though it was long. And then Cadel realized that there was no wind blowing on the lakeside where he was.

“What a strange soul you are.”

Despite the distance, Cadel could hear the man’s voice clearly. It was gravelly and harsh, but at the same time, it had a soft range that was almost beautiful. In short, it was a strange voice that defied description.

The man didn’t approach, so Cadel took the first step. The man didn’t take any action as Cadel stepped in front of him.

“......Did you call me here?”

At Cadel’s question, the man’s lips quirked up at the corners and he smiled in a crooked way. It was a pretty mean look, but up close, the man’s face exuded an air of nobility that made even that look seem perfectly appropriate.

Even though he had long hair, he had a large bone structure that did not make him feel delicate. He was a good foot taller than Cadel, so much so that Cadel had to crane his neck to see the man’s face. In contrast to his flaming red hair, his eyes were a soft green, arguably the most mysterious and beautiful shade of green Cadel had ever seen in his life.

Cadel wondered if this was the color of the eyes that held Samra*. The color of his eyes, a multicolored green that blended into many different shades of green, was mysterious enough to mesmerize even a glimpse of it. Not only that, but his skin was transparently clear, his lips wrinkle-free and smooth, the bridge of his nose pointed and sharp, the contours of his face flawless, and he didn’t look human at all. He looked less like a person and more like a magnificent statue somewhere.

*Samra: from Samramansang (????). The literal meaning is “Like a wide-spreading forest (samra), all kinds of things are spread out (mansang)”. To put it simply, it represents the situation in which all things exist, and furthermore, it represents everything (phenomena, truth, world, universe). In English, it has a similar meaning to “All”, but is also slightly different.

‘I wonder if I’ve become a little dull to people’s faces now.’

The man was a handsome man with a different vibe from his subordinates. To the point where Cadel wondered if he could just dismiss him as a handsome guy.

If Cadel hadn’t been surrounded by a sea of gleamingly handsome men every day, he might have been freezing like an idiot right about now.

“If you didn’t call me, why am I here? Don’t you know this?”

“You have a lot of questions.”

“It would be weird not to be curious about this situation.”

“You can just dismiss it as a dream.”

It was because Cadel had a body that did not dream. The man scanned Cadel’s troubled face as if searching, then stretched out his long index finger and pointed between Cadel’s brows.

“What are you—”

Suddenly, he felt a dizzying sensation that seemed to pierce through his body. His heart swelled and his eyes widened at the unfamiliar, suffocating sensation.

He felt a tickling irritation in the cracks of pain, like a shallow current running through the veins of his body. Cadel reflexively drew up his mana to defend himself, but it was useless. He felt no power in his body.

“Cough...... S, stop......!”

Cadel, who could barely move his legs, stumbled backward. But even though the man’s finger fell off, the pain was still there. Cadel glared resentfully at the man, covering his head with a headache that was getting worse.

“What have you, done to me......?!”

The man snorted, unperturbed by the fierce stare. As he watched Cadel stagger away, arms folded at his leisure, he spoke with a hint of displeasure in his voice.

“I’m really curious about this body of yours.”

At the same time, a series of previously invisible system windows began to pop up.