Chapter 249

Rem silently watched a man and a horse.

What the hell is that?

Petting a beast that’s almost a magical beast?

‘Isn’t he afraid?’

Even if he got bitten, he wouldn’t just sit there, so Rem wasn’t exactly worried.

Encrid’s hand touched the horse’s head, stroked it, and the horse quietly accepted the touch.

Seeing the whole thing, Rem was dumbfounded.

That horse definitely had the blood of a magical beast mixed in.

Even without magic, it was easy to tell.

The protruding fangs, the subtle murderous aura from the horse’s whole body—

It all said as much.

And yet, while stroking that horse’s head, he spoke.

“You did well.”

Comforting it?

Rem watched the scene, wondering—was he actually bonding with it? Could a horse turning into a magical beast really be so obedient? Not even bite?

And if it’s becoming a magical beast, why isn’t he just putting it down? Why is he doing this instead?

Could something that only half-changed like that really endure in that state?

He didn’t know. He’d never seen anything like it. What kind of animal could withstand monster’s blood and hold off becoming a magical beast?

He wanted to worry, but it was just a single magical beast, and his captain was always an odd one. Since this was his first magical beast like this, Rem decided to watch.

While Rem was blankly observing the bond between a man and a half-turned magical beast, Audin sought his god.

‘Father, I ask—right now, is that magical beast also overcoming its fate?’

More than anyone present, Audin was in awe.

Is fate a fixed path? An unchanging, immutable thing?

Sometimes, it felt that way.

When he stood on the path of the Inquisitor, when he saw the eyes of those who died by his hand, when he heard high priests declare even the innocent as heretics—

“That is their fate! The fate decreed by our Father!”

Even then, he never believed those words. But he couldn’t break or smash the shackles of that fate either.

‘Father, what should I do?’

He prayed under the burning sun. He recited the scriptures. That was how Audin came to have doubts.

Later, he witnessed someone who shattered those doubts.

That person’s name was Encrid.

Watching and learning from him, Audin’s mind was troubled but he gained the strength to move forward.

And now.

He saw a man and a beast refusing, defying, rejecting what’s called unchanging truth.

“In the name of the Father, for the will of the Father, I dedicate my life.”

A chant flowed from his lips.

Holy power naturally arose, and a headache burrowed into his skull, but Audin smiled through the pain and sang his hymn.

Teresa, hearing the song beside him, found herself listening closely.

When she was part of the cult, she’d never felt such warmth—a voice like gentle sunlight.

‘A song.’

The heavy tone sank into her body and thudded against her heart.

She watched Encrid and the horse, listened to Audin’s hymn, and Teresa felt her heart tremble.

Naturally, she began to reflect on her own life.

Her life began and ended with the cult.

As her new self, what was she supposed to live for?

She had tried to live a life for struggle.

She thought that was all.

But no—Teresa felt a strange emptiness, as if a hole had opened in her chest.

Yet, she didn’t feel sad or distressed.

“The Father said, what’s full and what’s empty are both within yourself.”

After the short song, Audin recited a passage from the scriptures.

That line resonated with Teresa.

Jaxson simply watched the situation.

What’s with that horse? What is the captain doing?

A stray thought crept in.

‘Now he’s taming beasts too?’

Fitting for the Madman Platoon’s leader?

Jaxson just kept watching.

All Encrid did was place a hand on a horse’s head.

But that scene left a mark on everyone’s heart and mind.

And Encrid felt something like a strange kinship. It was a strange moment.

‘Why does it stick in my mind?’

This magical beast drew his eyes and heart.

Why? Because it resisted becoming a magical beast? Maybe. He saw his own past in it.

He suddenly thought of Esther. Did she refuse to come with them on the battlefield, saying to play among themselves?

A magician who changed between panther and human form.

At first, he’d thought she was just a beast.

Their first connection came from saving each other’s lives and building a story together.

But now?

There was no such exchange with this wild horse.

Yet, Encrid felt a sort of fondness.

So he kept his hand on the horse’s head. The horse only lowered its head, neither enjoying the touch nor resisting.

Just stared.

Its blue eye was clear and upright, its red eye flickered like a flame.

Encrid spoke from the heart, not the head.

“Want to come with me?”

Snort.

As if it understood, the horse pawed the ground. It seemed like a yes.

There were no words between them.

There was no time between them.

They’d just met, and recognized each other—that was all.

Encrid saw a horse that hadn’t finished turning into a magical beast.

The horse had just met a strange human.

“…You’re really taking that?”

Rem asked from behind.

“Yeah.”

Encrid replied, stroking the horse’s mane once and turning away.

Behind him was a wild horse, nearly a magical beast, but his movement showed complete confidence it wouldn’t attack him.

“Uh, uh, shit, that’s amazing.”

Even Rem was stunned—so how must the others feel?

“The scriptures say, even the lowliest creature has something in its heart. Love life. Love as much as you kill.”

As an apostle of the war god, Audin spoke.

Jaxson just watched quietly.

For some reason, Teresa’s eyes behind the mask seemed moist.

What’s with her now?

Encrid patted the horse’s head.

“It’d be nice to go together now, but I need to find a body for something like a funeral first.”

He meant Dunbakel. Taking in the wild horse was a separate matter.

Encrid hadn’t forgotten Dunbakel.

“I’m just assuming she’s dead for now.”

Rem snorted, drew his axe, and spoke again.

“If she’s dead after all this, she’ll just die by my hand again.”

Was that certainty, or hope, in Rem’s words?

Who knew? No matter how sharp his senses, that barbarian was good at hiding what he really thought.

“The forest is wide.”

Even if she survived, finding her wouldn’t be easy.

“If she’s alive, it’ll be easy to find her.”

Rem inhaled, his chest expanding nearly double.

As Encrid watched, Jaxson raised his hands to cover his ears.

Encrid tried to cover the horse’s ears, but the horse stepped back.

It seemed to say it was fine. Encrid quickly covered his own ears.

Rem let out a shout, filling his lungs with air.

“STU-PID-BEAST-!”

It was a roar that split the air.

A thunderous bellow—a true talent.

It was like a thunderclap.

The forest shook.

Whinny!

The clever horse staggered, startled despite itself, and startled winter birds took to the sky.

Screech!

Somewhere far off, a crow answered Rem’s shout.

It sounded like it was telling him to shut up.

Even with his ears covered, Encrid’s head rang.

“Stupid barbarian.”

Jaxson, with the keenest senses of them all, muttered, frowning for once.

“You could’ve warned us.”

Encrid commented, and Rem replied,

“You should know by now.”

“So?”

“If I yell as I walk through the forest, she’ll show up.”

Encrid figured it wasn’t a bad plan.

More importantly—

“Ragna will find his way back, too.”

They still needed to find the lost member who could only swing a sword.

“Let’s go look for the stupid beast.”

Rem said, and Encrid nodded.

With the monster leader dead, it was time for that.

As Encrid turned away from the wild horse, the horse didn’t follow but silently watched him.

“Not coming with me?”

He spoke as if to a person. Odd, but when he’d put his hand on its head, he’d felt a connection.

He thought the horse would understand—not the words, but the meaning.

Snort.

The wild horse shook its head and pawed the ground. Then it turned around and tossed its head toward the back.

Pawing the ground meant it would wait here.

Pointing backward—what for?

The grateful forest was wide. The monster’s trail was near the border of forest and plain.

Brown grass stretched across open land as winter neared—this was open country, a plain.

Beyond, a herd of wild horses could be seen. Not just a few—dozens at least.

It was obvious.

On this continent, monsters and magical beasts were everywhere.

To survive their touch, you had to band together.

That’s why humans formed domains, villages, communities.

Even a small village had at least fifty households for safety. Defensive walls were a must.

For population, at least ten to twenty were fit to fight.

Even that was only possible in relatively safe areas.

Where monsters were common, you had to live in a domain.

On the continent as a whole, that’s why people gathered in domains.

That’s why there were independent domains, not tied to any country.

In such a world, few could travel alone.

Of course, to survive on these plains, wild horses had to band together.

So what was this half-magical beast’s role in that herd?

“Were you the leader?”

Those left behind must be subordinates or family. Was that why it couldn’t just leave them?

Didn’t seem like it.

So?

Thump, thump.

It pawed the ground again. No way to know. Encrid thought he’d have to find Dunbakel and return here after going back to Martai.

“Wait—my subordinate comes first.”

Encrid said, and the half-magical beast stopped where it was.

It seemed to mean it would wait.

‘First, Ragna.’

Find him, then find Dunbakel.

“Rem. Shout again.”

They entered the forest, and Rem shouted once more.

“DUM-BASS-LOST-CA–!”

He was definitely doing it on purpose.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just call her name?”

“I refuse.”

Let him be. Finding Ragna wasn’t hard.

Rem’s shouting brought a few dumb human-faced dogs, but Teresa’s sword melted them before they even got close. They were cut down so cleanly the description “melted” fit perfectly.

Like winter snow melting in the sun.

Caw!

The next one lunged with an ugly cry; Teresa blocked the teeth with her shield and struck down with her blade.

Its body burst, leaving a filthy mark on the ground.

The next was hit by the shield and impaled on a sharp stump, dangling.

Even then, it was alive, so Teresa cut it vertically with her sword.

With a giant’s blood in her veins, she could turn a human-faced dog into a bloody pulp with sword, blade, or shield.

At first there was just one, then a few more.

But were they really so dumb as to keep running at her?

Didn’t they know they’d just die?

Even monsters filled with malice and killing intent must know fear.

The colony leader wasn’t even there to control their minds anymore.

The reason soon became clear.

“Took a shortcut.”

It was Ragna. Maybe he’d run into a fleeing pack, because blood splattered his armor.

He’d taken off his helmet and held it in one hand, and black blood dripped from his sword.

Ragna didn’t have a scratch on him.

Maybe the pack of human-faced dogs he cut down was running this way to escape.

“Idiot, goat-dung idiot, dog’s scrotum, die lost forever.”

Seeing Ragna, Rem showed his delight with insults, and Ragna returned the greeting with his sword.

He swung his sword lightly.

Rem, now holding his axe, blocked it.

Clang!

Sword and axe met, exchanging greetings.

“Want me to dig your grave since you’re lost?”

Rem said, twisting his lips.

Rem’s mood was especially fierce.

Ragna was no pushover, and the air between them turned rougher than usual.

Why were they so worked up?

Encrid thought there was only one reason.

“Aren’t you going to look for Dunbakel?”

His trainee was missing.

Rem was surprisingly attached to those who came under his hand.

He ran across the battlefield to save anyone he thought had potential.

‘He says they have potential, but only after beating them half to death.’

Most who survived thanks to Rem had no idea.

Encrid only realized it himself after gaining experience.

“Crazy barbarian.”

Jaxson muttered.

And then.

“My ears are bleeding.”

The voice they were looking for spoke up.

From up in a tree. With a crusted wound on her forehead and a similar hole in her thigh—it was Dunbakel.

“Stupid beast.”

No matter how wide the forest, if Rem raised hell like that, she’d hear it. In the end, his racket worked.

Dunbakel dropped to the ground. Judging by her landing, she wasn’t seriously hurt.

“Why’d you come? I was going to kill the leader and head back myself.”

Encrid nodded at her words.

Maybe she’d picked up Rem’s speech patterns.

“Well done.”

Jaxson responded, Audin just smiled.

Rem’s harsh words turned gentle as he smiled and said,

“When we get back, you start over from the beginning.”

Dunbakel’s face twisted.

Why? She’d really meant to kill that leader and return on her own.

She was a beastkin—she was confident in fighting in the forest.

Changing the battlefield to her advantage was the goal.

As for her other goal, she’d just copied Encrid.

Saving an ally was the same.

Encrid looked at Dunbakel and spoke.

No need to ask in circles, or find a reason to wait, so he asked directly.

“Why did you do it?”

Referring to using herself as bait to save her allies.

Dunbakel blinked, then understood and answered.

“Because I can.”

It wasn’t some declaration of faith or will.

Encrid actually liked that better.

After that, Dunbakel said something else that caught Encrid off guard.