The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 204

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 204

Rita leaped over broken trees as she followed the trail. Luca quickly gathered the Special Agents and hurried after her.

After passing through areas that looked like they had been torn apart in a rampage, long streaks appeared as if something heavy had been dragged along. They silently followed those tracks.

Then at some point, explosive sounds echoed from the distance in succession. Though the sounds were small, they could be heard clearly in the surrounding silence. Rita and Luca’s gazes met.

“Signal flare sounds.”

“I’ll go check.”

Luca partially transformed into beast form, then nimbly climbed up a tree with his fur-covered limbs. After quickly reaching the top and gazing into the distance, he soon jumped back down.

“It looks like Ranger unit members encountered a group of monsters. Based on the type and number of signal flares, there seem to be many monsters, so they’re moving outside the Black Forest to respond.”

“Where did those signal flares go off?”

Rita asked as she spread out the map she had received from the Hunter. Luca furrowed his brow and stared intently at the map, then drew a long line across one area.

“From here to here.”

Rita took a pencil and marked that line, then drew a round circle at a spot somewhat distant from the Hunter’s shelter marked on the map, where spruce trees were drawn.

The location where the broken dead trees had been. And from there, she estimated the direction they had walked and drew a line. After that, she extended the line connecting the signal flares Luca had indicated straight out. So it would meet with the line of the direction they were heading.

“If the monster group consists of those who fled via the shortest route to escape the Black Dragon.”

The point where the two lines converged. A mountain slope connected to the White Mountains rose up there. Along with a place name written in the Hunters’ crude handwriting.

Whispering Cave

She pointed to that location with the tip of her pencil.

“There’s a high probability Gid is in this vicinity.”

“Oh… wow, that makes sense.”

Lucas widened his eyes and nodded. Lillieta stared at the place name “Whispering Cave” for a moment.

This cave is connected to the Empire’s founding myth. It was a story she heard yesterday while learning about the terrain of the Black Forest from the Hunter with the map spread out.

A place that came to be called the “Whispering Cave” because voices could constantly be heard even when no people were visible around.

In fact, this location was said to be a hideout where fugitives persecuted by the Holy Empire that ruled the continent before the Kairam Empire was established had hidden and lived.

About a thousand years ago, there was the sole surviving prince from a small kingdom that had been destroyed for believing in Shadea religion rather than the Holy Religion, which was the state religion of the Holy Empire.

He fled to the Black Forest with the kingdom’s survivors who followed him to escape the Holy Empire’s pursuit, and after nearly being wiped out by monsters, he was rescued by those hiding in the Whispering Cave.

The two groups quickly grew close as they shared the same enemy in the Holy Empire, but the cave that was already difficult to live in became even harder to stay in as the number of people increased and the Holy Empire’s pursuit closed in.

Eventually, the fallen prince led everyone away from the Whispering Cave to head south in search of new territory to replace it, and that journey became the Kairam founding myth, with that prince being Kairam’s first Emperor.

‘A place connected to the founding myth. Is it a coincidence?’

In that myth, the reason the prince could become a leader who earned the loyalty of both groups was said to be because he met the Black Dragon hiding deep in the Black Forest and was recognized by that great being.

This means the location where Geunkuk-je first encountered the Black Dragon was near the Whispering Cave.

“—That Black Dragon was actually an ancient Oathbinder who had become a Beast like Gid, and ultimately calmed the rampage and returned to human form?”

“It’s just that there’s a possibility it could have been like that.”

The conversation she had with Oli came to mind.

‘What if Gid came to the Black Forest not simply to avoid people, but because like Oli, he discovered some possibility within the founding myth…’

Perhaps he wasn’t really trying to give up on himself either.

I wish someone would kill me forever.

The muttering of Gid Pascal going mad in her memory suddenly echoed in her mind. Like thorns digging into tender flesh.

“Sister?”

She came to her senses at Lucas’s puzzled voice. Rita quickly swallowed something surging at the back of her throat and hurriedly answered.

“Oh, sorry. Let’s keep following the trail for now.”

They continued tracking the dragged trail along with the Special Agents.

Then the trail ended with a deeply carved mark. No matter how much they looked around, there were no other traces. It seemed the ‘Black Dragon’ had kicked off the ground and taken flight from this point.

The group was momentarily flustered, but resumed their search targeting the Whispering Cave as Lillieta had speculated earlier.

Meanwhile, the Ranger unit’s signal flares sounded several more times in the distance. They had begun engaging the monster group, and it meant they could handle it without major problems among themselves, asking if things were okay on this side. Lucas fired a signal flare in response meaning they were safely proceeding with the search.

And they fought a battle with monsters that had gathered due to the signal flare they shot up.

“We should have brought spare communicators. These signal flares are too noisy…”

Luca grumbled as he rubbed the sticky fluid on his massive claws against a moss-covered tree to clean it off. Rita replied while checking Silvergrass’s condition.

“Can’t help it. We already have two with yours and my magic gun, so it’s a bit much to bring more of the already insufficient communicators.”

“Huh, didn’t all the Tritoma squad leaders get communicators distributed? And there’s Hanna, who awakened as a full communicator. But it’s still not enough?”

“Of course it’s not enough. The Beast legion under the Commander has virtually occupied the Imperial Palace, so we need to establish a communication network to respond. It’s far from enough to distribute to regular Special Agents as well as new Oathbinders and Crown Prince faction nobles. Since we’re ultimately on individual operations, one each for ourselves is sufficient.”

“Oh… I, I see.”

“Our Youngest, I know you don’t need to use your head much because you have a good body, but let’s use your head sometimes too.”

She stood on her tiptoes and gently ruffled the Youngest’s blue hair. Lucas grumbled about being treated like a child again while slightly bending his waist to make it easier for her to pat him.

The moment Rita noticed this and chuckled because it was cute.

She sensed corrupted magic power within her expanded detection range. She immediately hardened her expression and spoke quickly.

“Beasts.”

“What?”

“About 1.2km ahead. They’re not approaching. Not Named-class, and about ten of them.”

At her words, Lucas immediately commanded the Special Agents following behind.

“Maintain concealment and advance to 1km ahead. Prepare for combat with approximately 10 unidentified Beasts.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The Special Agents answered briefly in small voices, then immediately lowered their lantern covers and formed ranks. They showed good military discipline.

While Lucas was just a rookie Youngest within Beacon, to the Winterfield branch Special Agents he was an overwhelming commander with monster-like skills and countless real combat experiences that didn’t match his age.

Soon everyone began advancing quietly, suppressing their presence with covered lanterns. Not long after moving through the dew-laden grass, bizarre breathing sounds of Beasts could be heard in the dim surroundings.

[Notice: Activating night vision function.]

Rita observed the forms of monsters visible between twisted tree trunks with the artificial spirit’s help.

‘From their appearance, they seem to be Beasts created from corrupted monsters of this forest… but they’re too docile and disciplined. Must be the Commander’s Beast legion.’

Pascal was indeed here. That bastard seemed to be using Beasts subjugated by the Commander to search for Gid.

She whispered quietly to Lucas beside her.

“It’s the Beast legion. They’ll have a reporting system, so we need to eliminate them all at once. I’ll take the white-furred Gnoll-type, Goblin-type, and giant butterfly-type Beasts on the left.”

“Then I’ll immediately pounce on that big guy that looks like a Yeti over there. Let’s leave the rest to the Special Agents.”

“That—”

Before her answer could finish, the entire forest shook with a rumbling vibration sound. Both Beacon members’ heads simultaneously turned toward the direction where the vibration began.

Through gaps in the canopy, the blue sky that didn’t match the darkness on the ground could be seen. Mountain slopes jutting up irregularly above the randomly extending tree branches could be seen hazily in the distance.

Below the shadowy cliff where the Whispering Cave would be hidden, strange black flames flickered and swayed.

“…!”

It was a fire she had seen before. The same color as the flames the Black Dragon had spewed toward the sky while shedding tears of blood.

From beyond that fire came a long, gloomy howl. It was the sound of a dragon crying.

Gid was fighting something.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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