RGS Volume 4 Part 19

Before Abel, who had fallen, could turn his body over, the soldier knelt one knee on the ground. The other soldier had a face full of dissatisfaction, but his eyes gleamed with greed. Abel, as instructed by the soldier, slowly began to lie down, then suddenly stopped and turned his head towards them.

“What is that sound?”

“What?”

The soldier behind, who was about to reach out his hand at Abel’s slow movement, frowned and asked. However, he soon realized that Abel was probably stalling him, and he snapped irritably.

“What sound? Shut up and quickly…”

“Can’t you hear? It definitely sounded like something swinging.”

When Abel spoke seriously, the soldier who had been reaching out paused and listened. The other soldier standing next to him also focused, but all they could hear was the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. But just as they were about to give up, Abel added quietly.

“I know this sound. It’s the same as the sound a knight makes when he swings his sword at obstacles while walking. It’s completely different from the sound of the wind.”

The two soldiers looked at Abel with a doubtful expression and couldn’t help but listen carefully again.

Was it really the sound of a swinging sword?

They concentrated, but still couldn’t discern anything other than the sound of the wind. However, Abel’s small exclamation was heard again.

“Ah, that was the sound just now!”

The soldier behind Abel grabbed his arm in annoyance.

“What sound are you talking about? Stop making things up. Do you think I’ll let you off because of this?”

“Lower your voice. Do you really not know?”

With a serious tone, Abel turned his upper body and grabbed the soldier’s hand. He looked him in the eyes and whispered softly.

“Could it be that we’re being chased?”

“What?”

The soldier was slightly startled and lifted his head. The soldier who had been standing also began to listen more intently to the wind, as if suspicious of Abel’s words. Seeing this, Abel urgently added.

“Please put out the lamp. If someone is chasing us, I don’t want to be captured and tortured. I’d rather die here.”

The soldiers exchanged glances. Now both of them showed a slightly flustered expression, and the soldier holding Abel stood up while still holding him. However, in his haste, he didn’t notice that Abel had picked up a small rock from the ground and concealed it in his hand.

“Put out the fire.”

The soldier holding Abel commanded, and the other soldier holding the lamp nodded. He glanced at Abel, who was being held and bent down to extinguish the lamp. The casual thought of the naked Regas, trying to escape while another soldier was holding him was soon buried in complete darkness.

As the light that had been illuminating the open space disappeared, the field of their vision was instantly obscured. However, they could now focus more on the sound. Amidst the faint sound of the wind, they struggled to find any signs of the presence of other people. Then suddenly, they heard a small noise from some distance away.

Tap.

The sound of something falling to the ground. Startled, the two tense soldiers drew their swords simultaneously. They had already forgotten about releasing Abel’s arm and moved forward towards the source of the sound. Soon, one of them shouted threateningly.

“Who’s there?!”

However, instead of the source of the sound, an unexpected noise came from a different direction.

Thud, Clatter.

This time, the sound of something falling was clear, and it came from right behind them. They turned around in surprise, but in the absence of light, they couldn’t see what had happened. However, they could guess who the source of the noise behind them was.

“Damn it, catch the Regas!”

“Light the fire, quickly!”

Their confusion lasted only a moment, and only then did the two finally realize that they had lost Abel and shouted at each other. The soldier who had let go of Abel moved towards the sound of the footsteps, while the other bent down to where the lamp had been. However, there was nothing to grasp. Abel had kicked the lantern with his foot to extinguish the lamp.

“D*mn it!”

A loud curse echoed through the air. It did not come from the soldier who couldn’t find the lamp. It came from the soldier who had reached out his hand and waved towards the empty air. At the very tip of his outstretched hand, he had lightly touched Abel’s body. However, the next moment, when he reached out his hand again, he couldn’t grab anything. Although he could tell that Abel was nearby, he couldn’t easily catch him, whether Abel had changed direction or not.

“Light the fire!”

“D*mn it, I can’t find the lamp!”

Cursing, the soldier chasing Abel let out an animal-like growl from his mouth as he flailed his arms.

“You little rat!”

Swish, swish.

He started running around, waving his arms forward, chasing after the sound. He could hear the footsteps and heavy breathing coming just in front of him. Instinctively sensing that he was close behind, he reached out his arms again. However, what he only grabbed was a tree that he almost collided with.

He quickly stopped his steps, but due to the momentum, he couldn’t help but hit his shoulder against the tree with a thud. Swallowing the curse that naturally came out, the soldier changed direction and started running again. However, his speed had decreased compared to before, and his outstretched hand had turned into a means of checking for obstacles.

He had no time to wonder how the Regas could run through the darkness without bumping into anything while he himself was fumbling like this. No, he thought he heard a faint tapping sound from ahead. It seemed like someone had fallen, but soon, the sound of running continued.

His impatience grew as he felt the other person getting further away. The soldier hurried his previously hesitant steps, but soon he had to slow down. Now, the branches of the trees were brushing against both of his arms. It meant that he had completely left the open field and entered the forest.

His entire body tensed up at the obstacles in the forest that would soon become fully apparent. The fact that he could still hear the sound of movement ahead also made him anxious. Even without seeing it, he could feel that the other person had run further away as he entered the forest.

However, judging by the sound, the other person wasn’t that far away. The soldier clenched his teeth in anger and swung his sword. Whish, as soon as he confirmed the emptiness with the sound of the wind, the soldier rushed forward. The sound of breathing echoed in his ears.

Here!

He thrust his sword into the darkness.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

It was more urgent to prevent the fire from spreading than to extinguish the flames that had quickly engulfed the huge quarters. Not only was it difficult to approach due to the sheer size of the fire, but the emperor’s quarters were not far away, so all the commanders, including Ashler, came out to command the soldiers.

The burnt quarters reeked of burning oil, making it immediately apparent that it was arson, but no one could dare say it out loud. It was the Regas quarters of the King’s Heart. If arson was suspected, the first to be accused would obviously be the emperor’s troops, who were opposed to the King’s Heart.

Furthermore, Norhox’s subordinates were standing around with their hands behind their backs, watching the fire as if they were merely spectators. They whispered among themselves and occasionally glanced somewhere as if they were waiting for someone.

Who are they waiting for?

Ashler looked around however, he didn’t have time to dwell on it anymore.

If what they were looking for was Karas, it was important to hide the fact that he had not yet awakened. Fortunately, the fire wasn’t spreading any further and it had almost been contained, so there was no need to secretly move the emperor.

But what if they found it strange that the emperor hadn’t appeared in such a large fire?

“Could it be that Norhox’s dogs are up to something?”

Roster, who had approached nearby, asked in a low voice. He seemed to have the same thought as Ashler and stared at Norhox’s subordinates.

“No matter how you look at it, this fire clearly looks like arson, yet those guys look rather relaxed. That means they’re the culprits. Why on earth would they kill the Regas they brought here?”

Who knows. Ashler muttered softly, then noticed that everyone’s attention was focused on one spot. Following their gaze, he saw someone running frantically from a distance. It was the war profiteer, who seemed to have just woken up, as he was poorly dressed, and his hair was a mess. Ashler’s mind suddenly sparked with a realization.

Could it be they were trying to restrain the war profiteer?

“What’s going on? Could there be an internal conflict?”

Roster whispered in shock, seemingly having the same thought. He added, frowning as he watched the war profiteer running towards them.

“It seems the war profiteer has indeed done his job. To the extent that Norhox feels the need to restrain him.”

However, the problem lay beyond just causing internal conflicts. If he fully tasted power and completely sided with Truyde, they would lose someone they had spent six years raising as a check against him. Thus, even if Norhox really was trying to restrain him, their discomfort still remained. Moreover, Ashler was also bothered by what Roster had said.

“That man’s eyes have become even hazier than they were a few years ago. It’s genuinely unpleasant.”

Ashler wanted to talk more with Roster, but Nani was calling him. Unlike before, his voice was serious and low.

“Sir Ashler. You need to come with me.”

Seeing Nani’s unusual demeanor, Ashler immediately realized that something serious had happened. And from where he followed him, he found a pale Melmond and the butler. Ashler looked around, fearing that one of Norhox’s men might recognize Melmond.

“Sir Melmond, it’s best if you don’t come near here. If by any chance Norhox or his men recognize you, they might get the wrong idea.”

“But Abel—”

“I will find Lord Abel. I know you were surprised by his disappearance, but he must probably be somewhere nearby.”

After finishing his words, Ashler turned to Nani with a reproachful look, questioning why he had brought the two of them here. However, Nani, whose face was as pale as theirs, spoke unexpected words.

“I found Lord Abel.”

“What? Where is he?”

“……”

“I’m asking you, where is he?”

“Well,” Nani, who barely opened his mouth, glanced sympathetically at Melmond and the butler before adding with difficulty.

“The soldier guarding the emperor’s quarters reported seeing someone who looked exactly like Lord Abel. He said he had mentioned Sir Melmond and Sir Ashler’s names in his mouth, saying he had to see His Majesty. But then someone came and took him away, or rather, almost dragged him away.”

What?

Ashler barely managed to hold back his loud voice unknowingly and then asked quietly.

“Who was it?”

“They said it was the emperor’s Regas.”

Nani’s eyes, filled with anxiety, shifted away from Ashler and looked somewhere else.

“And then he took him over there.”

His finger pointed to the Regas’ quarters, which now only had smoke rising from it.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Thud!

Pain spread from the wound where the sword had pierced his back, and blood flowed. However, the impact of hitting the ground came first. Abel’s bare body was already scratched by branches, and blood was flowing here and there, so he didn’t care about the wounds from the sword.

The only thing his whole attention was focused on was the protruding object that had caused him to fall. The obstacle, which was higher than his ankle, had a deformed shape with a round surface. It seemed to be covered with rough tree bark, but the top was smooth where the bark had peeled off.

As soon as Abel confirmed what he had touched, he immediately changed direction and started moving his body. However, perhaps due to the shock of falling, he couldn’t get up right away even when he heard the sound of a soldier’s footsteps nearby. He knelt down like an animal and felt his way forward with his hands. At this speed, it was obvious that he would be caught by the soldier no matter how dark it was.

“D*mn it, you little rat, I know you’re there.”

The soldier’s curse, which could be heard faintly, spread out from above his head. And the familiar sound of the wind followed. The soldier swung his sword in the air. Soon, the sound of the blade cutting through the air was heard as if it was striking Abel’s location. Abel, who was crawling slowly, couldn’t escape that range and was in danger of being cut by the sword. Just as his vision blurred, he heard the sound of a crash.

“F*ck it! What the hell is this!”

The soldier, who had fallen heavily enough to make the ground shake, cursed again. Despite the sound, Abel continued to feel the ground and slowly moved forward ignoring it. In the darkness where nothing could be seen, he pushed through the round obstacles that protruded from the ground with his hands, relying solely on his sense of touch.

The obstacles, interconnected like vines, extended endlessly from where Abel had fallen to everywhere his hands could reach. They were the aerial roots of bald cypress trees, which had risen above the ground and were exposed to the air. This was a forest of bald cypress trees with roots protruding like humps on the surface.

The natural obstacles were helping Abel. In the darkness, it was a dangerous terrain where no one could easily tread, providing him a final chance to escape. Although the soldier would still be chasing him from behind, he tried to calm his mind and felt the dirt on the ground with his hands.

His palms, scraped by dirt and tree roots, stung and grew numb as his sense of touch dulled. The delicate skin peeled, and blood seemed to seep from where the bark got caught between his fingernails, but he focused on moving forward bit by bit, as naturally as breathing. He took a deep breath as he felt the wind blowing against him.

He smelled the fishy scent of water. When he realized that the lake was nearby, he became anxious. He wanted to increase his speed. When he felt that the curses from behind were getting further away from him, he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to widen their distance. As the urgency surpassed his fear of the obstacles, his groping hand touched the empty space with dryness.

His knees were bleeding, became damp, and mingled with the dirt. The more his wounds spread, the more the stinging pain grew with each scrape against the ground. Nevertheless, Abel quickened his pace. He gasped, breath coming out in ragged bursts. Crawling alone left him breathless.

Fortunately, his heart was still holding up. In fact, he was almost grateful to be able to endure it. But, perhaps due to a moment’s carelessness, his outstretched hand slipped off from the root he had grasped. As the strength supporting his upper body crumbled, Abel’s body, which had been moving forward, also fell to the ground.