Chapter 615

Chapter 615

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Chapter 615

Nathan Zuckerman swiftly dismounted his steed, shouldered his pack, and ascended the rugged mountain path as if carried by the wind. The conversation he had earlier with his liege lord played over in his mind.

"I've dealt with all those who entered my assigned territory. Is Sir Aile still around?"

"It seems so. I found traces left by him first; he must be nearby."

Zuckerman's rendezvous with Kishiar was later than anticipated. Subduing the mercenaries was not challenging, but finding his stealthy liege, who moved without a trace, took time.

He found his liege quietly observing mercenaries who were like mushrooms sprouting from the earth, only their faces visible. These were the marks of the remaining companion, Yuder Aile, as Kishiar had mentioned.

"Buried quite well, arent they? It doesn't seem like his first attempt at this."

It was a surprising exclamation to make upon seeing the buried men, but Zuckerman found himself in agreement with his liege.

The signs of battle around the men Yuder had left behind were plentiful. They looked less like the aftermath of Awakeners clashing and more akin to a street brawls chaotic traces, suggesting the mercenaries had employed every means in a desperate resistance.

However, the absence of Yuder's own signs among the many meant all their efforts had been futile. Yuder Aile had thoroughly outplayed the two awakened mercenaries and buried them here alone.

He wasn't one to waste time without reason; likely, he had done this to extract information.

"Quickly fulfilling the mission while perfectly hiding his traces, and not forgetting to complete the part I assigned. Even though he started later than us because he dealt with those who used tracking abilities first."

"It will certainly be difficult to identify who did this based on these traces alone."

"That it will."

Kishiar, having finished observing, lifted his head. He surveyed the surroundings, gauging the direction, and then strolled leisurely towards a particular spot.

"So... How did it go on your end, Nathan?"

Zuckerman succinctly reported the information he had gathered from the mercenaries. Upon hearing that their backer was Baron Renbow and that a sage had contacted them from that quarter yesterday, Kishiar lightly replied that he had uncovered as much.

"Nothing too surprising, then. And, dealing with the Awakeners wasn't too difficult?"

"Yes."

The mercenaries Zuckerman had faced were troublesome Awakeners with significant abilities. There was one who could move short distances instantly and another who could manipulate the wind to create diversions, ideal for escape in the mountains.

Therefore, Zuckerman had lured them into a trap using a herbalist's rest cabin he had stumbled upon. By skillfully pretending to leave Yuder's traces, he had turned the mercenaries into his prey. In the confined space of the cabin, no one could withstand Nathan.

"The information provided by Sir Aile beforehand was quite helpful. The cabin had plenty of useful tools, so it wasn't difficult."

Before the mercenaries converged, Yuder had provided Nathan with several strategies to counter typical types of Awakeners he would face, as if he already knew Zuckerman's combat style. The advice was precise.

Even if Nathan Zuckerman had not known the method, it would not have significantly hindered him in dealing with the matter at hand, but having this knowledge made the task several times easier.

It was a startling realization, but Yuder Aile seemed to eerily know everything.

The Nathan Zuckerman of old might have strived to uncover the true identity of Yuder Aile upon such a realization. However, the man he was now harbored no such inclination. He could hardly deny that the recent events had influenced this change in attitude.

"You seem to have grown quite close," remarked Kishiar, suddenly sporting a peculiar smile.

"...May I ask whom you're referring to?" Nathan inquired.

"You and my assistant," Kishiar replied, seemingly in jest. Yet, it was known that Kishiar often embedded unfathomable implications within such remarks. Having witnessed his liege exhibiting unusual behavior towards Yuder Aile on several occasions, Nathan decided not to dismiss this question lightly.

"We are not close," he stated flatly.

"Really?" Kishiar prodded.

"As I mentioned before, it was Sir Aile who sought advice first, and I merely contributed a little. Just because we discussed strategies to counter the enemy doesn't necessarily imply closeness, in my view."

Nathan was referring to a time when Yuder Aile was absent, and Kishiar, who had just woken up from his sleep, had summoned him to recount recent events. The sharp-witted man easily surmised that his loyal adjutant had been collaborating with his assistant to gauge his unusual condition.

"Hmm. Even if many are clamoring for my attention, you barely acknowledge them. Yet, you share tea and snacks with my assistant, even going so far as to secretly watch over me, and you claim you're not close... Nathan, I'm beginning to think your standards of friendship might be a tad different from the common notion. What do you think?"Findd new stories on nov/e(l)bin(.)com

Caught off-guard by the question, Nathan Zuckerman drew upon years of experience to navigate his lord's unexpected inquiries.

"If there is a particular answer you wish to hear from me, please, just say so."

Kishiar did not specify how exactly he wished Nathan Zuckerman to change. Nathan realized that he would probably spend a very long time pondering the meaning of his lord's words.

Just then, as if sensing something, Kishiar abruptly turned his head elsewhere, which perhaps deprived Nathan of more time to reflect.

"...Yuder?"

"Yes?" Nathan responded.

"I sense a scent. Something is..."

Muttering unintelligibly, Kishiar's expression suddenly hardened with a terrifying intensity. A man whose eyes changed color like flames leaping into a fervent red, he launched himself toward the darkness that had descended upon the forest. Nathan, too, sprinted after him. The two men, undeterred by the cracking of branches under their feet, hurtled down the narrow path with astonishing speed.

"I thought it was closer..."

Kishiar, who seemed to see something in the darkness, moved his hands as if reaching out and continued to speak in an undertone, the words faintly reaching Nathan. During the pursuit, Nathan Zuckerman caught sight of a few men embedded in the ground.

It was when they headed towards a rugged hill, not far from there, that a pungent smell of blood, mixed with a strange scent that Nathan Zuckerman had never encountered before, hit his nostrils.

Kishiar's shoulders tensed up in an instant. He, too, had undoubtedly detected the peculiar scents. A profound silence fell upon Kishiar, and even Nathan, who had long served him, could sense an unfamiliar emotion crossing the man's face.

Moments later, a ghastly scene unfolded before their eyes.

A stranger lay collapsed with a sword impaled in his back, surrounded by a pool of blood.

The peculiar scent wafted most strongly around this area.

Just by the sight of the hilt of the sword in the man's back, Nathan Zuckerman knew to whom it belonged.

"Your Grace!"

Nathan's cry was swift, but Kishiar moved faster towards the scene. Ignoring the impaled man, Kishiar peered intently down the shadow-enshrouded slope below.

Silence.

Then, from the depths of the dark shadows, a command was issued.

"Nathan. Bury the one here in a place easy for retrieval. Then return and search the horse for the packs. There is a medicine I had instructed to be packed in my gear. Bring those... and if you find my condition to be poor, take that medicine and go to the cabin you mentioned earlier with Yuder Aile, and make sure to administer it."

With those final words, Kishiar fearlessly dove down the slope.

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