Wolves of Hader

Chapter 142

I was at a loss for words.

It turned out that Viscount Drian, who had disappeared from Robe twelve years ago, went to southern Beltern. To a place engulfed in war.

Since southern Beltern was ravaged by war and there were so many refugees, no one had been able to find him. By the time the war ended, it was impossible to track anyone.

I never imagined he would take the Emperor's bloodline, disguised as his second son, to such a war-torn place. There were no ties to the house, and it was an extremely dangerous region.

Also, Viscount Drian recognized Johnny during that chaos. Knowing that he would later become my secretary, he took care of him one way or another. Whether he realized it himself or his father told him.

I'd always assumed they were part of a viscount house from a southern kingdom. I'd found it odd that one viscount alone had held off refugees, but it made sense. Robe's noble houses didn't have knights, after all.

Why did he go to southern Beltern?

Did he have some reason to go, even while facing the devastation of war? Did he see something through the Sword of Divinity?

The very southern end of Beltern—where the three friends, namely my father, the viscount, and Prince Elborn, had once gone. Perhaps Viscount Drian intended to return there.

"Is something wrong?"

The couple looked at me in puzzlement.

So did their daughter, lana.

"My father's name is Gaz."

"What?"

The couple was equally shocked.

When they first came to Mouk ten years ago, our house didn't exist yet. Even our own members barely knew my father's name. There had never been time for his name to become known.

The couple's eyes grew moist.

I could feel their emotions—both joy and a kind of emptiness flooding in at once. I felt the same. Never did I expect to find my father's retainer here in Mouk.

My father and his friends did not see the same vision. So Viscount Drian must have only heard about it from my father—perhaps he said that if he ever came to Mouk, he would meet us.

"Could you tell me your name?"

"My name is Raban. I was in charge of finances in Viscount Drian's household. This is my wife, rune, and our daughter, lana."

I was in a bit of a hurry, but there were things I needed to know.

"What is the second son's name?"

"He told us never to reveal it to anyone."

"It's all right to tell us."

After a moment's hesitation, raban spoke.

"It's Ray."

"Is that his real name?"

"Yes, that's his real name."

"Do you know that the second son was adopted?"

"Adopted?"

It seemed even the retainer hadn't been told.

It appeared that this family began serving in Viscount Drian's household after the two-year-old second son, ray, was adopted.

"Do you know where Ray, the second son, is now?"

"I don't know where Ray is, nor the lady or the first son. There were so many refugees pushing onto the ships, things just turned out that way."

"So, everyone boarded different ships?"

"Yes."

"Do you think the Viscount managed to escape?"

Raban shook his head.

"Master didn't make it onto a ship. We only barely survived, by a hair's breadth ourselves. Even those who boarded the ships died one after another from flaming arrows."

The couple shuddered.

Johnny tightly shut his eyes.

"There were tens of thousands of refugees who couldn't escape simply because there weren't enough ships. Our lord spent his fortune trying to get his retainers out by any means. Even so, he never managed to escape himself."

Viscount Drian and his family are definitely alive. Heading into a region at war means he knew something about the future. Otherwise, there's no way he'd have taken his family in there.

They became separated in the chaos, but he must have believed his family managed to escape and go somewhere safely. Then, with Viscount Drian alive, why didn't he come looking for them?

"What was the original destination?"

"Our master never said. He just said we were heading south. We managed to avoid the battlefields, but upon reaching the southernmost tip, things turned out the way they did."

"That journey took two years, then."

"Yes. For the first year or so, we stayed in a valley of the central mountains. But we were pursued, and our household of about thirty gradually scattered."

"They chased you?"

"There were people after our lord. It was already wartime, but we had to work even harder to shake them off."

It seemed the Grand Duke had finally caught up with them.

I could hardly imagine how arduous that journey was. I wondered if the southern sea of Beltern was particularly dangerous for sea travel.

"Does Ray, the second son, have any tattoos?"

"How did you know that?"

"Do you know what kind?"

Raban looked at me curiously.

"A dragon tattoo."

"A dragon?"

"Yes. A red dragon tattoo on his right shoulder. I never saw it myself, but my wife did."

"Is that correct?"

His wife nodded.

"When the young masters were children and played in the water, I saw it showing through his thin shirt. The first son had a blue dragon tattoo."

"So both brothers have tattoos?"

"Yes."

I wasn't sure now which one was the elder or younger.

They're only a year apart, but I can't say for sure how old the Emperor's bloodline actually is.

"Then, which brother had brown hair and green eyes?"

"Both had blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Pardon?"

That didn't fit what I'd been told.

The commander of the royal palace security had said the Emperor's bloodline had brown hair and green eyes. Furthermore—

"Aren't people from Robe supposed to have black hair?"

"That's correct. But both young masters were blondes, like their mother."

"I see."

Wouldn't a blonde and a black-haired person usually have children with black or at least brown hair? The fact that the mother was blonde is unusual. When I visited Robe, I only saw black hair.

"Are there many blondes in Robe?"

"Very few. As far as I know, the viscount's lady wasn't originally from Robe. But I don't know exactly where she came from."

At that point, his wife spoke.

"The lady was very beautiful. She had quite exotic features. Among the ladies, we used to speculate she might have been half-Elin, half-human."

"Is that possible?"

Raban nodded.

"Apparently, there are mixed-blood people on some of the southern islands of Beltern. I've heard they're not much different from people."

"So, the lady may be from those islands?"

"Yes. But our lord never showed any special interest in those islands."

"Do you know where exactly those islands are?"

"Well... we were traveling those roads for the first time back then ourselves."

Maybe the viscount went to one of those islands of mixed-bloods.

"Do you know anything about the southern sea of Beltern? I find it strange you didn't take a ship."

"They say the southern sea is an icy one with drifting icebergs. It's very cold, and giant fierce monsters attack ships and make passage dangerous."

Perhaps there are more Elin there.

It's hard to believe that the Elin who had been on the Great Devil's Island all went east. Some might have gone south as well.

If they settled on islands inhabited by humans, half-human, half-Elin children could have been born. They probably couldn't have crossed the Antarctic region either—there's likely a barrier there as at the north pole.

But... does that mean none of Viscount Drian's sons are of the Emperor's bloodline? The tattoo color is different, too. Viscount Landan said before he died that there was a black tattoo on his shoulder.

The blue dragon tattoo on the elder son's shoulder could look black. But the Grand Duke's faction did not see it themselves; this was information found through a clue from our side.

"Is there any reason that Ray's tattoo or hair color is important?"

"No, not really."

My father and the two friends had traveled to the southernmost tip of Beltern when they were about my age. There's a good chance Viscount Drian met his mixed-blood wife in that region.

It seems he intended to return to her homeland.

It's possible that Viscount Drian is still there, perhaps with his wife, his eldest son, and the Emperor's bloodline.

"Until Viscount Drian returns, please stay at my house. You're not strangers to me, since you're friends of my father. I will serve you as I would my own father."

"That would be an honor."

"I'll be traveling to southern Beltern soon myself. I can't guarantee anything, but I may be able to meet Viscount Drian."

"I deeply hope you do."

The couple and Lana expressed their gratitude.

Meeting these people was neither a coincidence nor fate. It must be the fulfillment of a promise between my father and Viscount Drian.

When I parted ways with Eilin, she said her father had left to visit an old friend. I thought it was just an excuse to avoid me, but it wasn't.

Eilin's father had really gone to see his friend, Viscount Drian. So, if he hasn't returned, it's likely that he's there as well.

Once Ross got married.

And after I wrap up my business affairs as much as possible.

I intend to head for the southern tip of Beltern.

To find out what the three friends did there in the past. To learn why Viscount Drian and Eilin's father met again. To look for the Emperor's bloodline as well.

And also, the demon's essence and the Guardian are there. I don't know where the demon's essence is, but maybe my father and his friends went looking for them.

///

Preparations for the wedding were in full swing since morning.

In the garden in front of the six mansions.

It was quite cold, so the plan was to hold it on the first floor of the fortress's castle. But there were too many guests, so the event was moved here.

Instead, we set up several large tents. Inside, we placed stoves and even built chimneys. Each tent accommodated about ten tables, but space was still tight.

So we made additional space in the six mansions, and the ceremony would be held in the house of Ross and his wife in the center. The wedding will start tomorrow morning.

"Good thing the weather warmed up a bit. I was worried it'd be too cold."

"Indeed. We picked the right date."

Wearing thick coats, Donnie and I walked together. I liked strolling through the barracks, but wandering the mansion's garden was also quite pleasant.

It was while Donnie and I were walking side by side.

At the main gate of the low fortress wall over there, the intelligence squad leader was talking to a squad member.

All the intelligence squad members based in the capital came for the wedding. The new recruits were undergoing training in Mouk for information-gathering, so this was a chance to help with their training too.

The intelligence squad leader approached me, disguised as an old man. With Elin's magic mask, I couldn't read his expression.

"What is it?"

"We have information that strangers have entered Mouk."

"There are always many investors visiting."

"These were different. They were seen at the inn, but their gait was not normal for ordinary people."

"Assassins?"

"Yes. One walked with the distinctive gait of an assassin. It must have been an ingrained habit since, when a companion pointed it out, he changed his walk."

There could be only one possibility.

"Assassins of the Landan house, then."

"That's what it seems."

"How many?"

"It's hard to be exact."

Right after the intelligence squad left the capital...

Landan's assassins must have started entering Mouk one by one through Tris. That makes it hard to keep track.

"Do you think Landan's son came himself?"

"He's not skilled enough yet. Most likely it's the deputy-commander of the assassin squad—Landan Viscount's disciple."

"But the son might have come too."

"Then he must be in Mouk."

"That's way too rushed for revenge. If he's here now, after so many years of preparation, it means he's extremely angry. He only has one son, right?"

"Yes. He is currently twenty years old."

A guy blinded by vengeance.

He's definitely come to Mouk.

"How do you think they'll act?"

The squad leader glanced around.

"They're aiming for our unguarded moment. Choosing this time, when so many people are gathered, means they don't intend a stealthy assassination."

"They want to finish it in one strike."

"Yes."

Was this orchestrated by Viscount Landan's son?

Or by his disciple?

Brazen, either way.

"For them, this is the only opportunity to take out our entire family at once. Poisoning the food will be hard. Smoke would draw too much attention."

"That's why preparation is difficult."

If someone collapses, they wouldn't be able to kill the whole family or the key people. They must have planned a perfect method. What could kill most of those gathered here at once?

They would have expected the wedding to be in the fortress. The terrain in front of the mansions isn't much different. They probably won't change their method.

If we hadn't known at all, most of our house's power would have vanished in an instant. If most honored guests died, our force too would be wiped out at once.

I looked around the gardens and mansions.

From outside, you can't see into the tents for an accurate shot. Even inside, assassination wouldn't be easy.

They can't enter the mansions. Their method must work both at the fortress and in front of the mansions.

What's the common ground between here and the castle?

They can't do anything from the southern plain, nor mix with the guests—still, they could spread poison somewhere.

I looked at the garden again.

These mansions, like the fortress, are located in a gorge. The cliff to the right is far, the one to the left is close.

Got it!

"Send the intelligence squad to stake out the left mountain. Take plenty of fire-element ore fire pouches, too."

"The mountain?"

"They're going to shoot arrows. If they penetrate the tent, glass or poison pouches will burst inside."

"Couldn't they already be hiding there?"

"Can't approach in daylight—it's too exposed from here. The cold was biting up until yesterday. They'd freeze to death if they tried sticking it out for days."

"So, it'll be tonight."

"Right. Tonight they'll hide in that mountain."

I looked up at the mountain again.

"Use special equipment. Don't move until the targets settle in. Capture them quietly, but signal if you're discovered or if there are too many."

"Understood."

Now we no longer need to go after the Landan house.

The remaining assassins will all die here.

Including Landan's son.