Chapter 7 Part 9

‘I’m probably just associating everything with the Black Hound because it’s been on my mind,’ Elia thought. She believed that if there were any issues, Aksion would inform her first. She intertwined her small hand with Aksion’s.

Rustle.

A strange noise drew their attention. It wasn’t just the wind. After confirming that Sasha’s illusion was holding up well, Elia sighed with relief.

“They won’t see us. But it’s best to keep our voices down,” she whispered.

Despite the illusion, it was safer to be cautious. Elia carefully stepped towards the source of the noise. What she saw beyond the bushes made her eyes widen.

‘Young Kroaskes?’

Creatures as large as hunting dogs were moving in a line. They leapt into a small river connected to the Gruorg Marshlands. By the time they crossed the river, they had transformed into adult-sized beasts as large as carriages.

‘They’re growing.’

Elia’s expression turned serious. Even though rapid growth was characteristic of monsters, this speed was abnormal.

“Let’s follow them,” she suggested. Aksion nodded in agreement.

They moved stealthily, following the creatures to the center of the marshlands. Elia was taken aback by what she saw.

‘How many are there?’

The vast marsh was filled with Kroaskes, all fully grown. There were no smaller creatures in sight. Just then, the Kroaskes’ eggs hatched, and the newborns were immediately pushed into the marsh by the adults, transforming into fully grown creatures almost instantly.

‘So this is why their numbers never dwindled.’

When hunting monsters, their growth rate is factored into the strategy. However, plans often fell apart due to their abnormal growth rate.

‘That…’

Elia’s eyes scanned the marsh. In the center, on an island-like landmass, stood a giant tree. Embedded in its trunk was a black gem, roughly the size of a child.

‘A magic stone.’

The situation was more severe than she had anticipated. Unlike mana stones that store magical energy, magic stones were primal gems filled with monstrous energy, making them extremely dangerous.

‘So that’s why their numbers increased so much.’

The tree’s roots stretched beneath the marsh, blessing the monsters with its magic stone. At their current growth rate, they would soon attack nearby villages.

‘We need to remove the magic stone to end this.’

Magic stones were only safe for monsters. If mishandled, they could explode, devastating the area.

‘Can I handle it alone?’

Purification magic or divine power was effective against magic stones. While Elia knew some purification spells, she doubted she could manage the task alone.

‘I need at least one more person.’

Given the explosive nature of the magic stone, they needed to proceed cautiously.

“We need a mage or priest skilled in purification,” Elia said.

“I’ll send for someone immediately,” Aksion replied.

They decided to retreat for now and report the situation. Back at the camp, they relayed the news.

“A magic stone, really?” Jacob’s expression grew stern. They had assumed a simple hunt, but the discovery complicated things.

“My spirit can handle purification, but we need another with similar abilities,” Elia explained.

“A mage or a priest, then,” Jacob agreed. Aksion gave the order.

“Summon a high-ranking mage.”

“Yes, sir,” Jacob prepared to send a knight. Elia’s butterfly spirit followed them back to camp.

Two days later, in the afternoon, they heard movement outside the barrier stone. The knights who had left the camp returned, accompanied by an outsider.

“Is that the mage? Quite the colorful hair,” Chelsid remarked. The silver-haired mage smiled as everyone stared. Elia recognized the face.

‘Rien?’

Before she could react, Aksion introduced him.

“He’s a mercenary mage, proven by his past achievements.”

“Rien, at your service,” he said with a slight bow. It seemed Aksion knew him well.

Rien’s gaze swept over the knights, including Elia. She realized she needed to summon Sasha quickly in case her disguise failed.

“Let’s return to our positions. We’ll start the investigation tomorrow morning,” Aksion ordered. The knights dispersed to prepare. As Aksion turned, Rien’s yellow eyes fixed on Elia.

He approached her and whispered in her ear, “This is a side job.”

“A side job?” Elia asked, puzzled.

“Yes. I’m quite money-obsessed and take on many jobs.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

Elia nodded, unable to hide her confusion. Rien’s secret was that he had been caught overcharging Aksion and dragged here as punishment.

‘Is that really true?’ Elia still had her doubts. His fees had always been suspiciously low.

‘Maybe Valunize has a reconnaissance system?’ she wondered. Given his position, it was unfortunate if true.

Aksion hiring a mercenary mage wasn’t unusual. ‘The mages at the castle are likely loyal to Tartan,‘ she thought.

With nothing left to lose, Elia whispered to Rien, “Please keep my identity a secret.”

“Sure…,” he hesitated, clearly hinting for a bribe. Elia handed him her earring.

“Here.”

Rien examined the earring under the sunlight, mumbling, “Upper-grade ruby with 1-carat diamond accents…”

He was accurate. ‘Is he a gem appraiser too?’ Elia mused. She hadn’t realized her earring would come in handy this way.

Rien pocketed the earring with a satisfied smile. “Of course, your secret is safe with me. You’re quite skilled, I must say.”

“It’s just something I picked up,” Elia deflected.

Rien nodded as if it were no big deal. “Well, I’d better get going. Being too close might bring bad luck.”

Elia was puzzled by his words, but before she could respond, Rien turned away. However, he didn’t get far as curious knights blocked his path.

“Do you know our spirit mage?”

“It’s been a while since we saw a mage. Can you show us something interesting?”

Elia and the knights had grown close during their time at the camp. She had no choice but to fabricate a connection.

“We knew each other from my mercenary days.”

“Indeed,” Rien confirmed.

“Wow, you did mercenary work too? As expected of our spirit mage,” Jacob exclaimed. Chelsid eyed them with a mischievous grin.

“Are you perhaps former lovers? The atmosphere seems intense.”

Elia knew he was just teasing, but Rien’s serious reply left her speechless.

“Please refrain from such remarks,” he said, as if meeting an old enemy.