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Path to Prosperity - B1 Chapter 37
🕑 Added 2024-07-10 10:00:06 +0000 UTC
Something about the Glacia Knight Captain felt different but to think he has an Ego. I wonder what his Ego does.
Percy eyed Ulfhar, who cursed his subordinate quietly before paying more attention to the small wolf summon. The monster rushed to the carriage and stopped before Percy. It circled him multiple times and sniffed in the air while exuding mana.
“Don’t block it.” A voice rang out beside him as something pressed against him. Whatever pressed against him wasn’t physical but gaseous and invisible to the naked eye. Percy looked left and right as the pressure on his body increased. It pressed hard on his chest and reached his neck until the unknown thing reached his neck. Percy tensed up, his muscles bulged, and he was about to unleash a burst of mana to remove whatever was pressing against him when it retracted.
The little dog whimpered, looking at Percy as if he’d beat and kicked it just now. The Glacia Knight controlling the Card tilted his head and frowned deeply.
“Is the trail too old?” Ulfhar asked, but his subordinate shook his head, “No. The Silver Snout Dachshund knows where we have to go. It’s just that it never reacted like that.”
He looked at the captain and continued quieter. Unfortunately, Percy didn’t hear what the Glacia Knight said. He would have loved to know what had just happened because nobody explained anything to him.
Ulfhar’s expression didn’t change, and he gestured to his subordinate to move. The Silver Snout Dachshund barked in Percy’s direction a few times but turned and charged into the plains as fast as its tiny legs could carry the little monster.
The coachman smiled at Percy, who had difficulties controlling his expression.
“That is what I meant when I said the Glacia Knights have their means to locate the Lesser Demon. The Silver Snout Dachshund is a rare breed and drop Monster Cards less likely than ordinary monsters. Most don’t even think about hunting them because you can easily tame them. This one was Igor’s pet. It died tracking a demonic beast in the south and turned into a Monster Card.” He cleared his throat and smiled sadly, his eyes trailing Igor and the Dachshund, “Sometimes stuff like that happens. Either way, the Silver Snout Dachshund transformed into a special Monster Card with a Tracking Augmentation. It can track anything with little to no clues, but the chances of finding the target’s most recent location are higher by entering the target’s hunting grounds – if known – and scanning someone who has encountered the target. I don’t know exactly how it works, but you must have sensed the Dachshund’s mana.”
Percy nodded slowly.
A Tracking Augmentation would have been helpful for Guildmaster Lexter. He would have caught the Archyeas with one.
The Guildmaster was probably also a Cardist, but Percy had no idea what kind of monsters he could summon.
Certainly not a Tracking Augmentations. I think that’s certain at this point.
Percy snickered inwardly and returned to the coachman to the carriage. They continued using the even merchant trails another two hours before the Silver Snout Dachshund led them to uneven grounds in the plains.
This doesn’t look very inviting. The forest was more pleasant to the eye.
The forest was flourishing and full of life. Both flora and fauna were growing rapidly in the forest. Percy knew it would be different in other regions, but he didn’t expect the Meiso Plains to look that different. First, the Meiso Plains looked like always. An endless expanse of flat terrain covered in grasses and wildflowers swaying in the breeze. That was what Percy expected. Maybe some shrubs and rare lone trees highlighting the scenery, but that was it.
He didn’t expect their destination to be an uneven, desolate patch of wilting grass and dying flora.
“It’s not far from here,” The coachman mumbled tensely. He had been calm and composed until he saw the dying flora. From that moment onward, the coachman and the Glacia Knights transformed. Their nonchalant and joyous behavior was replaced by seriousness and vigilance.
Ulfhar made a sign, and everyone jumped from their horses and patted them before the creatures…dispersed.
Their horses are also summoned. They’re Monster Cards?!
The Glacia Knights walked around the carriage and changed into a defensive formation around Lady Reeze as the door to her carriage swung open. She studied the surroundings curiously and frowned at the dying patch of land.
Percy didn’t glance long at the noblewoman but was surprised at how much she’d changed in the last few hours. Lady Reeze was covered in light armor, a mix of metal to protect her vital spots, and tempered leather or hide to protect the rest of her body without taking away her mobility. She wore multiple rings, bracelets, and a necklace. A short sword hung down her side, and she wielded a small wooden staff, probably a wand.
Everything is an Artifact engraved with multiple runic enchantments. Elite Artifacts of the highest quality. If it wasn’t obvious that she was of noble birth before, her current appearance makes it quite clear.
Lady Reeze noticed Percy’s gaze and responded with a disgusted look while waving her hair back. She scoffed again as she studied his equipment momentarily and turned around. One of her silver rings lit up as she pressed her hand against the large insignia of the Reeze Dukedom, and the massive carriage disappeared.
I…should have expected that one. Spatial equipment.
Lady Reeze turned back with a prideful expression and looked at Percy as if to say, ‘Did you see that? That’s how wealthy I am!’
The noblewoman irritated Percy. Was every noblewoman like that, or was this one just…unique?
It would be impressive if you earned this, but that is your daddy’s fortune. Did she expect me to praise her or to exclaim in surprise?
Lady Reeze clicked her tongue and turned away. She said something to her Guardian, Ulfhar, and followed the Silver Snout Dachshund without waiting for her bodyguards to follow.
Even though the young noblewoman confused him, he was surprised to see her walking ahead. He’d expected most nobles to always hide behind their people, but she seemed eager to fight the Archyeas. Furthermore, despite wearing light armor and various accessories – Artifacts of the highest quality – Percy discovered scratches and traces of use everywhere. The Glacia Knights eyed Percy oddly for staring at their lady with such intensity, but he didn’t mind. As long as they didn’t think about attacking him, Percy would be fine.
She acts like a pampered little girl but has some combat experience. Didn’t I read about the noble household being the pillars of the kingdom’s military forces? What was it again? The privileges of nobles are not as cheap as most people say. Nobles must fight the strongest enemies to protect their land, the kingdom, and loved ones. Maybe I should renew my impression of nobles?
Percy had yet to learn how to understand nobles, their actions, and their behavior. Maybe they did everything for a reason?
With that in mind, Percy returned to the coachman, who was happy to answer his questions. Talking to Percy took his mind off the upcoming battle.
Unfortunately, the distraction didn’t last long. The last remnants of life left the surrounding landscape as they followed the Dachshund, which winced and yelped uncontrollably less than ten minutes after they entered the dying patch of land. A rotten, pungent smell entered Percy’s nose even before the giggling resounded through the dying land.
He stiffened and turned to their right, where a familiar, grotesque creature awaited them. The Archyeas, unfolding its long, leathery wings, laughed loudly, bulging, eerily dark eyes locked onto Lady Reeze. The creature’s head flicked to Percy, and its expression derailed momentarily. It stared at Percy as if confused about what he was doing there. The moment ended faster than anyone could react, and the Archyeas resumed giggling quietly. Only Percy’s mind was still stuck in the moment the Lesser Demon had been staring at him.
Why did it look at me like that?
The Archyeas screeched suddenly, tearing Percy out of his train of thoughts, and charged ahead. Its large wings beat in the rhythm of its footsteps, accelerating the Lesser Demon’s top speed. It approached the Glacia Knights, who had already made their move quickly.
The Glacia Knights were veterans on the battlefield and responded like that. Several Glacia Knights summoned their horses and mounted them smoothly while retrieving massive lances from their storage Artifacts. Two riders shot to the left while another pair moved swiftly to the right and charged to the center of the battlefield, executing a perfect pincer attack to restrain the Archyeas’ movements. The Lesser Demon couldn’t stop, or the lances would impale it.
What is it going to do? Fly? Retreat? Or continue to attack?
Theoretically, the Lesser Demon would never flee from a battle. Still, speaking from his little practical knowledge, Percy knew that a theoretical understanding of a monster’s usual behavior didn’t mean it would always behave like that.
The temperature around them dropped suddenly, and the ground around Melissa Reeze froze, but nothing else happened. She groaned impatiently when the Lesser Demon decided to charge ahead.
The Glacia Knight Captain made his move. He unsheathed his longsword eerily slowly and waited until the last moment before pushing ahead. He kicked the ground hard, stirring the loose earth around him, and transformed into a flash.
Ulfhar appeared behind the Archyeas, their backs pointed to each other and brandished his blood-soaked sword. Dark blood spurted through the air, and the Lesser Demon’s upper body slid down from its lower body.
It landed on the ground with a resounding thud.
The Archyeas had been killed. Just like that, the terror of Raewood had died.
So fast! How can someone move so fast in such heavy armor?!
Percy’s eyes bulged in surprise, “Amazing!”
“Of course. The Glacia Knights are the best of the best!” Melissa exclaimed, her voice filled with pride.
She realized what she was doing too late and turned away from Michael with a scoff.
Percy didn’t mind that. He studied the Archyeas’ corpse, confused about how a powerful creature could die this easily.
Will they take the corpse? Maybe they’re too busy or don’t care about its corpse.
He smiled at the unlikely scenario and was about to turn around when his heart tightened. A resounding giggling swept all across the dying path of land. Percy shuddered, and his head flicked to where he presumed the giggling had come from. His eyes darted to where they found the Archyeas before, and he focused on a small spot.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. The giggling seemed to disappear like a bad nightmare. Then, everything changed.
The space seemed to twist and turn around the spot Percy was focusing on. His hair stood to its end, and his hands reached for the Gnoll Blade and the iron dagger.
The space opposite them cracked open, and a vibrant violet light illuminated the surroundings. The light expanded slowly in all directions until it was the size of the Glacia Knight riders.
The Glacia Knights pushed forward. They paled when the violet fissure in space appeared but reacted quickly, moving ahead instinctively to protect their lady and the civilians.
What was that? Did I see something through the fissure?
Only the edges of the crack in space glowed violently. The rest showed a lifelike landscape, a bloody red land filled with deadly monsters. That was all Percy could see from the glimpse he caught before the first creature emerged from the fissure. It was a familiar, deadly creature with humanoid skin, stretchy, violet hide, razor-sharp claws, and leathery wings.
An Archyeas emerged from the crack, its giggles resounding through the dead silence of the dying land.
“An Infernal Lair!” The coachman gasped in terror.
Meanwhile, more Archyeas and something much bigger emerged from the crack.
