Episode 251: The Black Butterfly (2)
Elton's mission was to accompany Samuel Barber into Hell Gri to expand his knowledge of the new region.
He had been appointed as a so-called "scout of Hell Gri," and just as Arthur had said, Elton was able to hear and learn much about Hell Gri through Samuel.
‘Perhaps because of his spatial portal ability, Samuel knew everything about the continent’s geography and was very well-versed in regions beyond Hell Gri as well.’
Among the information Elton rembered most vividly was the geographic location of Hell Gri.
[Any region must be passed through Hell Gri.]
Hell Gri sat in the center of the continent, and Samuel had set up base there, in Demtor, where he wielded significant influence.
[From here on, you’ll have to stay sharp.]
Of course, by the ti they reached Demtor, it was no longer a safe enough place for Samuel to travel without an escort.
To identify the identity of the mage targeting him, Samuel went around stirring up the local black market branch in Demtor.
As he followed one clue after another, he gradually narrowed down the possibilities and finally reached the intel that one of the core figures in Demtor was a mage seeking Samuel.
That was when everything blew up.
[They’re all dead. Damn it.]
The black market branch burned down in a single night. All the informants were slaughtered.
And then—
[Be careful.]
A mysterious group began targeting Samuel.
Neither Elton nor Samuel had seen these people before.
They were a group clad in deep black robes pulled low over their faces.
Their black leather gloves were etched with runes, and each of them clutched a long spear in one hand.
They wore unified outfits, and the butterfly emblem on their chests stood out sharply.
P-p-p-p-pboom—
[......!]
And every single one of them could use magic.
The mont Elton faced them, he chose to retreat without hesitation.
His assassin’s instincts kicked in.
Engaging ant death.
Samuel specialized in movent, and Elton, when using Spectral Form, was skilled at evasion as well.
They managed to escape, triggering a pursuit.
Thus began a deadly ga of tag within Demtor.
The chase unfolded discreetly through the vast city, yet the resulting damage was massive—buildings were destroyed, people died from the magical chaos.
And yet, there was no response from within Demtor.
No, to be precise, they had no capacity to respond.
Elton had heard the news that the full forces of Demtor, including its Stars, had been mobilized for a witch hunt.
Once that news spread, the group pursuing them also vanished as if it had been a lie.
[Samuel?]
That went for Samuel too.
He only left behind the cryptic words, “The silver coin is calling ,” and disappeared the next morning with just a note left behind.
Fenry listened closely to Elton’s recounting of what had happened and then read the note Elton handed him.
[I’ll go repay a life debt.]
That was the single line written on the note Samuel had left.
After checking the contents, Fenry asked Elton,
“Do you know who Samuel owes that debt to?”
“I’m not sure. But it seed like they were exchanging signals using silver coins.”
“Silver coins, huh...”
Since it was impossible to guess anything from that, Fenry set aside the matter of Samuel and focused on sothing else.
“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be staying in Demtor?”
“Samuel disappeared, and then I heard rumors that the Ordor Forest was in danger, so I moved toward the forest...”
“The forest? Did you et the witches?”
She asked hastily, full of hope that she might hear news of the witches, but Elton shook his head grimly.
“It’s impossible to enter the village right now. The mages have ford a wide formation and are surrounding it from all directions.”
“Even with your abilities, you couldn’t get through?”
“There are just too many dangerous ones...”
Well, even Fenry herself would have trouble breaking through the encirclent ford by the Stars of Demtor.
“What’s the situation like? Does it seem dangerous?”
“They’re in a standoff. Doesn’t seem like a major battle has broken out, but I occasionally heard screams.”
“Screams? Don’t tell ...”
“They weren’t from the witches. I think they were mages.”
“So Demtor is being pushed back? But Arthur said the witches would be in danger.”
“I couldn’t grasp the exact situation since I was observing from a distance.”
In truth, he had intended to stay longer and observe the standoff between the witches and mages, but he discovered traces of the black-robed group that had attacked him earlier nearby and ended up following them to this place.
“I was worried Samuel might be in danger. I ca after them... but I didn’t expect to run into you here, Madam Fenry.”
“They moved freely through the Ghost Forest? Those mages?”
“They’re special mages. In Demtor, they were referred to as Irregulars.”
“Irregulars?”
Irregulars.
The term hadn’t yet spread within Demtor, but Samuel, after observing their combat, defined them as such.
They were a new combat unit designed to compensate for mages’ weaknesses—still secret even within Demtor.
“Samuel only knew the na. We haven’t identified their true nature yet, but one thing is certain...”
Elton glanced at his left arm, frowning. It was wrapped in a bandage—the wound inflicted by their spear.
“They’re extrely skilled in group close-combat. They use magical artifacts in tandem, and honestly... I still haven’t found a way to counter them.”
“They’re that strong?”
“If you fight them, you’ll understand what I an.”
“Hm...”
Fenry quickly organized her thoughts. From Elton’s story, she realized the situation within the forest was extrely complicated.
But her priority was tracking Kal Blazer.
Given that, running into Elton now was incredibly fortunate.
‘It’s not easy finding soone in the Ghost Forest more familiar with it than a ghost.’
She was lucky.
Fenry summoned Banri and exchanged a few words.
A mont later, Banri nodded and vanished into the ground like mist.
Feeling the emptiness of Banri’s absence, Fenry looked back at Elton.
“You’ll know once we clash with them.”
“Sorry?”
“You’re tracking them, right? Are you going to give up here?”
“Then Madam Fenry, you’re...”
“No, I don’t care about those guys. But the direction they’re heading... seems to be where my target is too. Let’s move.”
“They’re strong. Just the two of us...”
“I’m Fenry Chaser. Don’t trust ?”
“Samuel said the sa thing... and nearly died.”
Fenry took a deep drag from her long pipe and exhaled as she looked toward the opposite side of the forest.
The direction where Beneta was.
She had just sent Banri, so they would start moving soon.
“It’s fine. I’ve called your captain.”
Arthur Clayton.
He said he would move once he got the signal, but knowing him, he might already be on the move.
He always did things beyond expectation. Fenry wasn’t worried about backup arriving.
Originally, Fenry’s mission was to track Kal’s whereabouts, but now she had another problem.
‘The correlation between Kal and the Irregulars.’
Kal’s trail overlapped with the Irregulars’.
Were they allies? Enemies?
Or perhaps unrelated?
Depending on the relationship between the two forces, their response would have to change, Fenry predicted.
“I’ll explain more as we go. Let’s move.”
At Fenry’s words, Elton nodded and began examining the Irregulars’ traces.
As they entered the forest, the air felt suffocating.
The mana stored in their bodies slowly seeped into the earth, and even the empathic link with Banri disappeared.
The only card Fenry now held was the agility unique to Dark Elves.
She felt bound hand and foot, but with Elton nearby, she felt safer than before.
Following behind Elton, Fenry quickly filled him in on the situation in Tobaron.
“Kal?”
“You understand how important this mission is, right?”
At the ntion of Kal being the target, Elton hardened his expression and moved more cautiously.
He realized just how dangerous the mission truly was.
The trail they followed was ssy. A disorderly group of around a hundred.
“This was Kal’s party. And this...”
Another trail overlaying the first—this one neat.
They were the ones pursuing Kal.
“All the traces are consistent.”
“They’re from the Irregulars.”
Fenry, skilled in tracking, imdiately identified the Irregulars’ characteristics.
Their number was around fifty.
But their traces were systematic, with uniform strides.
Orderly.
“They fight like that too?”
“Yes. Their group coordination is terrifyingly precise. There’s no opening.”
“I don’t know who trained these guys, but they’re definitely a control freak. Must have a strong desire to dominate everything their way.”
“It’s not like eccentric mages are uncommon.”
“You’re sure it’s a mage who created them?”
“Samuel seed to believe so.”
“Hm...”
So Samuel knew sothing about these guys.
A short while later, they detected movent beyond the forest.
The two quickly scattered and hid behind trees.
The colorless forest was eerily silent.
A thin mist made it hard to identify what was coming, but before they could make it out, a grotesque sound echoed.
Uueh– Ooohhh–
A chilling scream.
Hearing it, Elton scowled and said,
“Looks like they’re possessed by a ghost.”
“What?”
Without hesitation, Elton approached the moving figures.
There were five of them.
Humans in familiar armor—though full of holes, suggesting they’d been dead for so ti.
Corpses now animated by spirits, moving like zombies.
“What the hell is this?”
“Even a dead body is a good al for ghosts.”
Unlike Fenry, who flinched at the sight, Elton accepted it calmly.
He’d spent nearly a month here with the witches.
There were few who knew the forest better than him.
“Soone killed these knights.”
“They’re Kal’s personal guards, right?”
“Yes.”
The knights with blue shoulder straps were clearly from Kal’s personal force.
And—
“So of the dead are shamans too.”
From the opposite side of the forest, three more figures stumbled in.
Shamans in tattered red cloaks—mbers of Kal’s own shaman unit.
As the dead sensed life and approached, Fenry pulled out her weapon, but Elton shook his head and stopped her.
Best not to leave unnecessary traces.
A little later, they discovered ten more zombies.
Also mbers of Kal’s party.
Now it was certain.
The Irregulars were targeting Kal.
“They seem hostile, don’t they?”
“It’s strange. I thought mages and Kal were allied.”
“That’s not the issue. Didn’t you notice sothing odd?”
“What do you an?”
“There aren’t any Irregular corpses. They’re all from Kal’s party.”
100 versus 50.
Kal’s numbers were far greater.
And his party included elites like Rengua, a 5-star.
As she examined the wounds, Fenry’s face grew stern.
Bodies mangled beyond recognition.
Not a single corpse was intact.
She’d expected it, but the Irregulars’ power far exceeded that.
After exchanging glances, the two quickly began searching the area.
Looking for Irregular bodies.
Soon, they regrouped with grim expressions.
A battlefield lay spread before them.
Seeing the traces, Fenry murmured under her breath.
“They’re this strong?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Right? It makes no sense. Kal being forced to flee?”
The two forces had clashed.
And shockingly, Kal was losing.
He had the advantage in numbers.
But was retreating.
That left only one answer.
“There’s a monster among the Irregulars.”
“Monster???”
Fenry scanned the area near the broken trees and found a red trail. She gently wiped it with her finger.
Blood droplets.
The ground was soaked in blood, as if death had rained down there.
And then, Fenry discovered a new trail.
Unlike the uniform steps of the Irregulars—it was a set of small footprints.
A woman’s.
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