Chapter 28

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 29

Chapter Title: Star Festival and the Ashen Wolf (1)

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Death had settled over the forest that was once thick with verdant green.

Even long after the flames that had engulfed the entire woodland had subsided, the acrid stench of charred wood lingered in the air. It was as if the fire had devoured even the passing breeze, leaving the atmosphere stagnant.

Every time the knights moved, ash billowed up around them.

Adrian covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and kicked the fallen magical beast in front of him with his boot.

"Hah, because of this pathetic thing."

The magical beast that had contaminated a vast area near the capital was no bigger than an ordinary wolf. With nowhere left to hide, it hadn't even put up a proper fight before being torn apart by the knights' swords.

Floyd looked back at the forest, which had been brimming with life just hours ago.

One tiny magical beast had caused so much damage. He blamed himself for being too weak. If he could sharpen his senses even further and wield that mad flame freely, there wouldn't have been any need to reduce this vast forest to ashes.

At Adrian's glance, one of the knights drew his sword and began dismantling the beast—to harvest the valuable byproducts that would fetch a high price.

Parts like the heart, claws, eyes, and blood of magical beasts had all sorts of uses but were hard to obtain, making them worth a fortune. It wasn't an exaggeration to say Torkan's wealthy storehouses owed much to these beast remnants.

"Doesn't seem like it was a strong one. Just a single mana stone, and it's cloudy too."

Kirshan peered into the dissection and remarked.

Every magical beast, big or small, had stone-like cores inside them. The number and clarity of these mana stones varied with the beast's size and strength. The strongest ones possessed stones so transparent and radiant they resembled jewels.

"Better if they're strong, anyway. The clever ones are a pain to deal with. All this mess because of just one."

The forest burned by Floyd's flames would be barren of life for a long while.

Wherever those frenzied flames passed, it was always the same.

Unlike magical beasts, they didn't spread corruption, but they left no trace of life's vitality in their wake. As if cursing everything they touched, the flames spared no small spark of hope, incinerating it all.

"It'll take about three or four years for the forest to recover. We'll have to haul in fertile soil for a while and keep watering it regularly."

Floyd nodded absently at Kirshan's words.

"Yeah, whatever. We'll worry about that later. Even if we torched the whole forest, we caught what we were after—so this calls for a toast. Everyone worked hard, so let's head back, stuff ourselves silly, drink till we drop!"

The knights erupted in cheers at Floyd's shout. For a moment, the desolate, deathly forest felt infused with vitality.

Floyd was always like that. Instead of regretting what was done or fretting over what was to come, he focused on the joy right in front of him.

People were drawn to his bold, carefree nature, gathering around him. Even the captains of the various knight orders were no exception.

The knights, weary from the scorching heat of the fierce flames, the exhaustion of tracking the beast, and the labored breaths in ash-choked air, regained their spirits thinking of the feast awaiting them upon return to the capital—and the Star Festival.

Mounted on his red mare, Floyd smirked at the excited chatter about the festival among the knights, then spurred his horse forward to lead the way. Adrian and Kirshan rode alongside him like wings on either side.

As they galloped on, fresh breezes began to mingle with the air thick with ash, char, and death.

Kirshan glanced sideways at Floyd's expression. Having resolved the tough problem at hand, his lord seemed unconcerned with future troubles, combing back his hair with evident satisfaction.

This is the perfect moment, Kirshan thought. To ask about the Lily Palace princess. Floyd became unusually sensitive whenever Roxiana came up, making it hard to broach the subject despite his burning curiosity.

"My lord. Do you know exactly how the princess of the Lily Palace treated those patients?"

"Holy power, probably."

Adrian, riding opposite Floyd, answered. Brushing back his dull silver hair that had fallen into his eyes with an annoyed flick, he continued.

"Word is, right before Kanta fell, she spent time secluded in the Grand Temple."

"That was likely pre-wedding prayers. She was set to marry Crown Prince Pellur, after all. And if the princess could wield holy power, the priests wouldn't have just sent her away."

"Still, she's a princess of a nation—they couldn't lock her up just for using holy power. If it wasn't that, how else could she have cured all those patients in that situation? When I checked the treatment room later, there wasn't a trace of demonic energy left."

"Hmm. I've considered holy power too, but... I doubt the arrogant Grand Temple, backed by the emperor, would let her go out of consideration for Kanta."

It was common knowledge that holy power dealt far greater damage to magical beasts emerging from rifts than magic did.

As knights and priests who could wield it fell in battle against the beasts, the Empire and Grand Temple began managing all those with holy power under the pretext of minimizing further sacrifices.

Thus, anyone with the talent to handle holy power was forced into the temple's service, unable to leave without permission—regardless of their own will.

Those in the know understood that the 'noble sacrifice' rationale was just a ploy to bolster the Empire and Grand Temple's power. By controlling the force that countered magical beasts, they made every nation on the continent dependent on them.

Floyd, who had been listening silently to his subordinates, slowed his horse to let the trailing knights pass ahead. Once they were out of earshot, he lowered his voice.

"The princess said she's a spirit summoner."

Adrian and Kirshan were so stunned by the words from their lord's mouth that they thought they'd misheard.

"Pardon? What?"

"Spir... spirit, what did you say?"

"Spirit summoner."

Floyd repeated it once more.

"Spirit summoner."

Adrian and Kirshan blinked in disbelief, exchanging glances.

Everyone knew spirits existed in theory, but no one spoke of them in this world. Finally, Kirshan ventured cautiously.

"You mean... the spirits we know? The wicked beings said to dwell in earth, fire, wind, and water?"

Floyd hesitated to affirm it outright, since he himself struggled to fully believe her words.

"Well... according to the princess, they're not wicked."

Adrian snorted in disbelief.

"That princess—isn't she a bit off in the head?"

Floyd drew his sheathed sword and smacked Adrian's occiput with it. Adrian, caught off guard by the lightning-fast strike, rubbed the spot but pressed on undeterred.

"No, my lord, I'm not saying the princess is bad or anything. Think about it, though. Her whole family dead, her kingdom fallen, turned from princess to slave overnight—it's not weird if her mind snapped. Holding onto sanity this long is the impressive part."

Adrian deftly dodged the next swing of the scabbard and continued.

"Don't get me wrong—I'm truly grateful she healed those people. Saving Dennis? I'm thrilled, thankful. If he'd died, Hexston would've lost it. I might've too. The kid wasn't even gone yet, and Hexston was already half-mad. But the princess? Parents dead, all her siblings gone. Of course she'd crack. Damn, now that I think about it, I'd go insane too."

Adrian nodded, seemingly convinced by his own theory, then added,

"My lord, that princess needs proper treatment. I hear there's a doctor who communicates well with the mentally ill. We should bring him in and assign him to her..."

"Some say spirits are the ones creating the rifts."

Kirshan cut in, unwilling to let Adrian's nonsense continue.

"Others call spirits the true magical beasts."

"Yeah."

"But quite a few surviving texts are favorable to spirits. The Empire banned them as forbidden books, so not just anyone can read them, but a few are in the Grand Duke's library. Those say that long ago, spirits had good relations with humans—fertileating the land for them, bringing rain in droughts. Especially powerful spirit summoners..."

As if getting revenge for the interruption, Adrian jumped in.

"Hey, why are you taking this so seriously? That princess just lost her mind... Agh! My lord!"

Floyd kicked the flank of Adrian's horse, sending it bolting ahead like an arrow. Kirshan watched Adrian's retreating figure with no sympathy and continued.

"Powerful spirit summoners could even house spirits within their bodies, wielding their power more directly and intensely."

"What do you think? Could the princess really be using a spirit's power?"

"No."

Adrian, who had somehow circled back, answered.

"You can't get dragged into this, my lord. I'm convinced that princess is deeply traumatized. She needs treatment before it worsens..."

Floyd moved to kick the horse again, but Adrian blocked it with his leg. As the two traded frantic attacks and defenses, Kirshan, who had been pondering aloofly, finally spoke.

"The Grand Temple will do anything to establish God Weden as the one true deity. Suppose they spread false rumors to suppress spirits—once worshipped as gods—and exterminated spirit summoners. And suppose the princess truly is one, healing those tainted by demonic energy with spirit power."

"Meaning spirits aren't magical beasts, but beings that can oppose them."

Kirshan met Floyd's gaze.

"Yes—like your flames, my lord."