How the Shadow of the Marquis Lives

Chapter 117

Cyan and Allen, Ergé and Hector.

After escaping Everwhale, they headed straight to the giants’ tomb.

There is no such thing as a warp gate there, so I had to go by horse, but it wasn’t that far.

In the first place, the city of Everwhale is located in the center of the continent.

After leaving the city and running for a while, I was able to quickly enter the tomb of the giants.

“Did I say Keldwin? Where is the city from here?”

“huh.”

It is a mountain range with endless mountain peaks.

Crossing the peaks one by one, they headed a little deeper into the depths.

I didn’t know Keldwyn’s exact location, but I knew roughly where it was.

After entering from the entrance and crossing about two mountains, it is said that there is a mountain with thicker forests than other mountains.

It is located somewhere on the mountain.

“Does it feel like a village of slash-and-burn farmers?”

“Maybe.”

If you live in the forest, you will probably be self-sufficient by hunting or gathering, but you may be cultivating grain like a slash-and-burner.

“No matter what, there can be no traces of people living there. It won’t be hard to find.”

Xian and the others entered the mountain with such thoughts.

However, what greeted them were only monsters, not traces of people.

Giant Ant.

While slashing and burning the swarming monsters, Xian searched for human traces.

Surely there was a city nearby, but I was able to find traces.

However, it was impossible to analyze or trace the traces because they were all trampled by ants.

I was having trouble with him.

I could barely find any vivid traces.

Freshly shed blood.

I found a drop of blood that was clearly different from the bodily fluids of the ants and hadn’t dried up yet.

Found it after following it. A person being attacked by ants.

“I managed to find someone.”

That was just what happened.

* * *

“Uh, uh… … .”

With the startled man in front of him, Xian looked to the side.

The remains and bodily fluids of ants scattered here and there. The smell of the corpse of a colleague must have swarmed, and in the meantime, a lot of ants flocked again.

“It’s comfortable to come on your own, but why are you protruding so much?”

Beside him, Hector grumbled with lightning bolts.

As he pursed his lips, Allen made the first move.

[ Purification area, waves ]

As he swung his sword sideways, a fan of blue flame burst out.

The flames of Altima burned up Giant Ant’s magic, and the ants collapsed helplessly.

Hector wasn’t standing still.

Contrary to Allen, he fired only a few thin bolts of electricity and it was over.

However, all the ants that were hit by the electric shock collapsed with foam on their teeth.

When two people are so busy catching pests.

Xian approached the man, accompanied by Hergé.

“What is your name?”

When Xian asked, the man trembled.

In his eyes, dozens or hundreds of ants collapsed helplessly behind Xian.

And right in front, the one who seems to be the leader of that bloody party.

He gulped and spoke softly.

“T-Tees, but it’s called T-Tees.”

“It’s Xi’an.”

Xian held out a hand to him. Teas looked at the hand, blinking. I guess I don’t know what the heck that means.

As Xian urged him to move his hand, Tees grabbed Xian’s hand and stood up.

“Thank you.”

“Looks like you’re hurt a lot.”

“There are many wounds, but they are all minor.”

“That’s good. By the way, being here means that you are a resident there, right?”

“there?”

“Keldwin. I am looking for it.”

Tess’s face was momentarily tense.

Why are these strong-looking people looking for Keldwin? Have you come to chase or catch someone?

From his point of view, he had no choice but to think so.

Keldwyn is a city where people who fled from their countries for various reasons are gathered.

However, in Thies’ eyes, Xian’s party didn’t look so weak that they had to give up everything and run away, and they didn’t look like they had many stories.

Above all, all four were too young.

“If you guide me, I will reward you.”

Xian said whether he knew his vigilance or not.

Tees swallowed again.

If this is the case, things are different again.

‘At least it’s much better than dragging an ant into it, right?’

Even if not himself, they will find Keldwin someday.

If that’s the case anyway, it would be better if you guide yourself and take a case.

In an instant, he finished the calculation.

It didn’t even take into account that the other person was the benefactor who had just saved his life.

To survive in Keldwyn, this level of calculation was essential.

“Let me guide you. How could you refuse the lifesaver’s request?”

Of course, the words were well spoken.

He smiled and started riding down the road to Keldwyn.

‘It smells like a well-fed and well-bred nobleman.’

You can feel it not only in the polite way of speaking, but also in every gesture. Unlike people like himself, he seems to have been thoroughly educated in etiquette since childhood.

I don’t know why such people are looking for Keldwin, but in his experience, such people do not go against their word.

I would have done it if I had ignored it like a non-existent person.

He cautiously asked Xian, who followed him with his eyes shining.

“I… … In case of any case… … Ah, that’s because you can’t use currency in Keldwin. Usually, everyone trades in spot, but… … .”

Sian looked at him and replied in a nonchalant way.

“Didn’t you already?”

“yes?”

“Your life.”

Teeth’s face went white.

It may refer to saving lives from ants, but it may mean something else.

Tees could never ignore the latter case.

“Yeah, it was, hahahaha.”

He stopped thinking nonsense and began to lead the way calmly.

* * *

Walking through the woods following Tis, who had become quiet, Xian was thinking about the object in his arms.

A bronze mirror wrapped in cloth.

The cloth also had a function to block the mana that the mirror naturally emits, probably because it was enchanted.

‘In the end, I couldn’t figure out how to use it properly.’

He came all the way here and studied how to use primitive magic whenever he had a chance.

The realization I felt when I looked in the mirror at that time. If I could summon it again, I felt like I could become one step stronger.

But since then, nothing magical, let alone similar, has happened.

It was just a useless artifact that had a lot of mana.

‘There are more reasons for the Demon Dragon King to pursue me.’

In order to make himself an apostle, and separately from him, Pamela, an apostle, has a grudge against him.

These two reasons alone are full, but one more is added.

‘I know, but I received it.’

Of course, if I really hated it, I would have rejected it.

However, Xian accepted primitive magic from Instructor Tail.

This thing was a treasure.

It may bring disaster, but maybe it will bring more blessings.

‘It would be easier if the Demon Dragon King was shackled like Hector was.’

It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not without possibility.

According to Psyche, the Demon Dragon King is also a demon of the same level as Psyche and the King of the Sea. It was said that they do not fill each other with shackles or not.

If so, Ravi’s ability that shackled Psyche might work on the Demon Dragon King.

‘If it succeeds.’

If he could make the Demon Dragon King his subordinate like Hector did.

The empire as well as the family head would not be able to threaten themselves.

It’s best to be like that. But Xian smiled bitterly and shook his head.

‘It’s too unlikely.’

Psyche didn’t know anything about Ravi, but the Dragon King is supporting the Black Magic Tower along with the King Haeryung.

And it seems that the Princess Haeryung knows something about Ravi.

If so, it would be correct to assume that Ravi’s information flowed to the Demon Dragon King as well.

We even met face-to-face.

“I… … .”

At that time, Tees spoke to Xian, who was lost in thought.

It seems that the city is getting closer and closer, so the worries are getting bigger.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask what you’re looking for Keldwin for? If anyone is looking for it, I will help.”

It was a lie, of course. An excuse made up in order to hear the purpose of Xian’s party.

Xian knew he was talking moderately, but he answered anyway.

It’s not like you’re hiding a purpose.

“I was thinking of going to the eastern end. I plan to head east using Keldwin as my base.”

“To the far east!? Isn’t that where the morale is the deepest and people don’t live?”

“It’s not like I’m going to live, so what?”

That’s right. Tees was speechless.

Then, after a while, feeling relieved that he hadn’t come to catch anyone in the city, he brought up this and that.

“If the eastern end was the goal, it would have been better to turn upwards from Glacier Baengnyeong rather than establishing a foothold in Keldwin.”

“Turn upwards?”

“Isn’t going all the way to that coastline the least likely way to encounter monsters?”

“It is too far. It’s not like there aren’t sea monsters.”

“That is true, but… … However, the situation here is not very good to just cross and go straight… … .”

What Thies was talking about was information that Xian, who was on the continent, did not know.

Originally, the tomb of giants was a place where countless monsters fought over territory and created an ecosystem.

A state that has been struggling for many years and has reached a dramatic balance.

But lately the balance has been disrupted.

“The Giant Ant pushed everyone else outside.”

A giant ant with no powers like an ogre, no regenerative powers like a troll, and no other abilities.

There was only one thing they excelled at.

fertility.

But with just one, he trampled on everyone and took control of this monster’s land.

Even if he kills and slays even the mighty monsters, he can no longer withstand the swarming ants many times over.

“Is that why it’s so hard to cross?”

“yes. In the past, if you knew the territory of monsters well, you could go to a fairly deep place along the border. In fact, there are old people who used to go back and forth that way in the past. But now that doesn’t work. You cannot cross the territory of the ants.”

Recently, this area is completely different from the ant kingdom.

Because of that, Keldwin also said that there was a lot of noise about moving the city further back.

‘is it.’

Xian stroked his chin.

The details were a matter to be revisited after entering the city, but the overall situation seemed to be sketched out.

“Creating through the territory of the ants will be impossible unless you push the army like crazy from the Empire.”

It was ironic indeed.

The Grave of the Giants, as the name suggests, is the land where the giants disappeared. They were the largest race in the world.

But now, it is the ants, the smallest species, that dominate the land.

Well, they were so big that they couldn’t be compared to normal ants.

‘Anyway, I have to find a way to pass through the territory of the ants.’

Once the immediate goal has been identified.

For him, I need to get more information and consult with my friends.

It all happened after arriving in Keldwin.