The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 32

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 32

Chapter Title: Crystallized Seeds and Intruders

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It was something like a sparkling diamond crystal.

A transparent rhombus-shaped crystal glittered with iridescent colors.

"The seed has crystallized?"

"Let's check the others."

Unsure if only this one was like this or if the others were too, the two picked some fruits and split them open.

Every fruit contained seed crystals.

Larger fruits even had two or three inside.

"If we plant these, will they sprout...?"

Jin muttered dubiously, while Nina rolled one of the crystals around, tilting her head.

"No, I really have no idea."

If they sprouted here, that would be a problem too. She looked up.

Trees bearing bright red fruits formed a grove.

"For now, let's collect a bagful."

"Yeah."

They looked fine on the outside, but who knew what effects they might have.

They cut off entire branches as samples, from the fruit down, collected fruits, and grabbed a handful of crystals.

"Let's go. I want to check even deeper before sunset."

Jin gauged the remaining daylight and nodded. Nina stared at him blankly before grinning. Jin asked, "Why?"

"No reason. Just glad your eyes are green. Looking at them cools mine off. Everything here's so colorful."

Nina squinted as she trailed off. Jin unconsciously rubbed his own eyes, then chuckled and tossed the words back at her.

"Then I'm glad yours are golden. It's like looking at the sun."

"Right? Pretty, aren't they?"

She shrugged, fluttered her eyelashes, and mounted her one-horned horse.

Jin let out a disbelieving laugh and climbed onto his.

The one-horned horses climbed rough rocky paths and narrow mountain trails without issue—paths no horse could manage—so the two made good time.

Then the one-horned horses stopped.

"What's wrong?"

When Nina asked hers, it snorted and stamped its hoof.

It clearly had no intention of going farther. Jin called from behind.

"What's going on?"

"It won't go any farther. Wonder why."

"Isn't there something dangerous ahead? We've never been this deep. Could be something unimaginable."

At Jin's words, Nina narrowed her eyes with a "Hmm..." and dismounted.

"Stay here. I'll go check."

Jin frowned and dismounted as well. They didn't even tie the reins.

"I'll come with."

"Might be dangerous, so stay."

"That's exactly why we go together."

He stuck close as he spoke, so Nina glanced back at him and nodded.

She drew her sword and gripped her buckler. Considering the trees and bushes, Jin drew his sword instead of his halberd. Nina's blade was about two finger-widths across, while his was roughly four.

They advanced slowly, watching their front and back, when a faint scream reached them.

Both flinched.

"Just now?"

"Shh."

A cold gust carried a much louder scream.

"People?"

Jin's face twisted, and Nina's expression darkened.

Humans, this deep in?

"Let's check it out."

Nina kicked off and dashed forward, with Jin right on her heels.

"Jin, watch your step!"

Suddenly, Nina dropped out of sight like she'd fallen into a hole. Jin halted. Right ahead was a sheer cliff, and down in the valley below, he spotted people.

"Nina! Spirit! Raaagh!!"

Yelling at the top of his lungs, Jin leaped down. Nina, who had been bounding goat-like from rock to rock with her light body, screamed at his reckless plunge.

"What? Jin!! North Wind!!"

At her shout, a fierce wind blew upward from below. Jin floated in midair for a moment before being flung in the opposite direction.

"D-Damn, that's cold."

Even the brief contact left him chilled to the bone, his breath still coming out white. But Jin swiftly pulled his halberd from his back and assembled the pole.

Nina landed lightly and yelled,

"That's dangerous!"

"How, with you here."

Jin said casually as he charged ahead. Nina shook her head with a "Tch" and ran the opposite way.

The people barely reacted to the pair's sudden arrival. They were completely fixated on the Belak in front of them.

Jin whistled.

'They're huge.'

Three massive bears.

Even ordinary bears could rip through people easily, but these were Belaks.

Standing on their hind legs, they were about 3 or 4 meters tall, their fur gleaming sharp and hard like steel spikes.

A mere brush from their front paws, with claws like blades, would impale anyone.

Corpses were strewn about—clearly heavy casualties already.

Some were fleeing, others holding spears to fight back.

"Winter, you are quiet death, steadfast shield, the fierce cold that halts all!"

Nina's blade frosted over white, and everywhere she stepped froze solid.

She nimbly dodged the first black bear's attack and kicked the white bear beside it with all her strength.

With a heavy thud, the white bear went flying.

"Jin! The gray one!"

"Got it!"

Jin swung his axe blade and severed the gray bear's arm.

"Groooar!!"

Black blood spurted out, and the enraged gray bear charged at Jin. Despite its massive bulk, it moved nimbly, but Jin dodged and kept up his assault.

"Opening!"

His axe blade slashed the bear's throat. But the head didn't come clean off.

It should have died or stopped after two-thirds of the neck was cut, but the bear swung its forepaw anyway.

'Too shallow...'

In a split-second decision, he released the pole and leaped back—just as Nina shot in like an arrow and kicked the bear's head midair.

The skin tore like a drumhead as the head separated from the body and flew far off.

Nina landed and frowned.

"Got careless. It's been a while."

"Yeah. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

Jin wiped cold sweat from his brow and shook his head.

"Normally, that cut should've stopped it cold."

"Probably high rank."

Nina whipped around. She scanned the spear-wielding group with cold eyes.

A long three-pronged sword spun rapidly in Nina's hand.

"So, what kind of commotion are you stirring up in someone else's territory?"

Jin planted his halberd with a thunk and leaned on it cockily.

The intruders exchanged glances and murmured among themselves. A woman stepped forward from the spear holders.

Her brown hair was tied back tightly, and she was quite tall—around 190 centimeters, perhaps. She had a sturdy build, clearly a warrior.

"I'm Poko."

The greeting was more polite than expected, but Nina had zero interest in playing nice.

She was pissed.

The Violet Forest was their backyard.

And they hadn't even noticed strangers trespassing.

"So, what's the deal with illegally entering Rubaenu territory? How'd you get in? What were you planning to do here?"

Poko raised her interlaced hands and bowed her head.

From her clothes to her greeting.

"Not from the Empire, huh?"

At Nina's increasingly snide tone, Poko spoke quickly.

"I fully understand your displeasure. But we're not here to cause harm. Please, hear us out."

"Fine. Talk."

Poko was extremely cautious. Half their landing party had died to just three Belaks.

All of them top-tier experts, no less. And yet this slender girl had dispatched two in an instant.

Meaning she could do the same to them anytime.

"We're from Lengxi. Do you know of Lengxi?"

"Yeah. Famous for its iron."

Lengxi steel was expensive and rarely imported. Even the special steel used against Belaks came from there.

Nina held up her sword.

"This was forged from iron custom-ordered from Lengxi."

15% of it, anyway.

But it was a hot, distant land far from the Empire.

Poko gave a faint smile.

"I work at the Karak Workshop in Lengxi."