Chapter Thirteen: The Corrupted Knight
Upon entering the Greenland Great Forest, it seemed as though all the heat from the outside world was absorbed by this vast expanse of forest, causing the temperature to drop sharply. A gloomy atmosphere enveloped the area, and the once-bright sunlight appeared pale. The narrow strip of sky visible above the road added to the oppressive feeling. Towering ancient trees stood upright on both sides of the road like massive walls, giving everyone the sense that the Greenland Forest harbored many strange and inexplicable mysteries.
Although the Greenland Great Forest was only about two hundred li deep, due to its terrain, the road from the Bosen Plain to the Leon region was not a straight path. Instead, it wound around a huge ice lake in the forest before reaching the Nise River crossing. For centuries, few dared to take a detour through this dense primeval forest. This road was gradually expanded, repaired, and improved over three hundred years by the king of the Kingdom of Nicossia, who sought to conquer the Leon region. The construction took twenty years to complete, resulting in the road we see today.
Originally, this road was not very busy, but it still served as a connection between the Leon region and other parts of the Homer region, with some merchants traveling along it. However, with the emergence of various magical beasts on the Land of Azure, the Greenland Great Forest became a haven for them. Even after the Light Church and other forces on the continent carried out an unprecedented campaign to eradicate these beasts, the forest remained a haven for them. Over time, the danger posed by these beasts diminished, and the number and variety of magical beasts in the forest decreased significantly. Yet this was only what could be observed on the surface. No one had ventured deep into the forest to discover what mysteries lay hidden there. Nevertheless, it was a fact that the number of magical beasts appearing on this road had greatly decreased, which greatly reduced its usability. This, in turn, contributed to making the Leon region and the southern Caucasus region some of the poorest and most desolate areas in the Homer Province.
With the development of the ports in the eastern part of the Leon region and the completion of the dredging projects on the Nise River, water transport became the main means of cargo delivery in that area. As a result, this land route was almost abandoned, with almost all merchants choosing water transport—either by delivering goods to the Nise River by land or by shipping them directly by sea. Of course, no matter which route was taken, water transport was too slow, especially since pirates were active in the seas east of Leon, posing a great danger. Many valuable and time-sensitive goods still chose this route.
The intense cold atmosphere seemed to drain even the sunlight of its strength. Although the two knights had traveled this route before, they hadn’t felt such a fierce coldness, detectable even by ordinary people, when they passed through here a few years ago. Yet they had no idea where this atmosphere came from. Other than warning their temporary companions to be vigilant, the two could only pray to the God of Light for protection.
“Morsen, what’s going on today? Why do I keep feeling uneasy? This horse is the same—it seems like something is about to happen.” The horse beneath him paced restlessly, and despite its rider’s efforts to keep it under control, it remained tense.
“Don’t worry, Pete. You’ve been through countless missions—would you still get nervous over such a simple task?” A hint of mockery crossed the lips of their companion, who stood beside them on horseback. His mask, made of black metal, covered the upper half of his face, with only his sharp eyes revealing a teasing smile.
“Damn it! I’m not nervous because of the mission. It’s just that I feel like something unusual is about to happen. Haven’t you noticed that?” The man called Pete was dressed in knightly armor, with a dark cloak covering most of his body. A sharp knight’s spear hung diagonally in a deerhide scabbard at his horse’s side. Like his companion, his mask covered the upper half of his face, but it was a strange shade of blue-gray, seemingly carved from some special type of wood.
The conversation between the two was heard without any hindrance by another knight who had been standing at the forefront. Wearing the same attire—iron-gray knight’s gear, a cloak of the same color, and a pitch-black mask—with only a badge on his chest slightly distinguishing him from the other two. It was a silver, hollowed-out badge depicting an angel pierced through the heart by an arrow. The exquisite carving vividly portrayed the angel’s agony, despair, and resistance in its final moments. Any warrior or knight on the continent who saw this badge would know it was the symbol of the notorious mutant gang on the Land of Azure— the Fallen Knights.
Pete’s instincts were always accurate, and he could clearly sense the strange energies hidden in this forest. The Fallen Knight leading the way wasn’t afraid; having faced many dangers, he was accustomed to peril. Yet, this inexplicable aura made him uneasy. Could it be related to his current mission? A badfeeling crept into his mind.
Three miles away, Komer and his group also sped up. Almost everyone sensed something unusual in the forest—the sky seemed to darken, and strange noises came from between the trees on both sides. Yet upon closer inspection, nothing seemed to be there, which only added to the two knights’ concern.
The sound of horse hooves and wheels was particularly harsh on the gloomy road. Once again, a mournful howl seemed to come from deep within the forest on the right side. This time, the sound was much clearer than before. The usually silent and cold-hearted knight’s expression changed slightly as he urged his companion, “Green, this isn’t good. It seems to be the sound of magical beasts, and they seem to be in large numbers!”
Their expressions shifted abruptly, and almost at the same moment, they sensed danger. Even the normally calm knight couldn’t help but shout, “Quick, there are huge groups of magical beasts coming this way!” No sooner had he spoken than he spurred his horse forward at full speed.
As soon as the knights’ voices reached their ears, the two of them rushed forward. Komer and his group knew better than to delay; they immediately whipped their horses and charged down the road. The servants also spurred their horses frantically, following closely behind the group of riders rushing forward in haste.
Komer could clearly sense the fluctuations of magic coming from the distant forest—a strange sensation. He found himself without any resistance or aversion toward this magic emanating from those exotic magical beasts; instead, there was even a sense of closeness and comfort, along with an excitement and anticipation that took hold of him. This surprised and frightened Komer, as he couldn’t explain why such feelings arose deep within him, why he felt anticipation, attraction, even compatibility toward the magic emitted by those creatures regarded as extremely dangerous.
But there was no time for further thought at this moment. The sounds of beasts and roars from the depths of the forest echoed in their ears, and the air, tinged with a fishy smell, filled the entire area.
“What’s going on here? How could so many magical beasts be charging at us? Are they targeting us?” A stream of words burst from Eilot’s mouth. His pale face showed that he was completely unprepared for this sudden turn of events. Magical beasts, and that too, an unknown number of species—how could such monstrous creatures appear right on their path? Could it really be punishment from the heavens? Eilot, who had never believed in retribution from gods, was now confused.
“Enough, Eilot. Stop blaming fate. Since we’ve encountered this, maybe it’s just bad luck—we’ve run into a magical beast migration!” Komer’s intense desire grew clearer. He could clearly feel the intense heat radiating from the strange crystal attached to his chest. It was as if some kind of special thought or memory suddenly flooded his mind, with a series of vague images swirling within his thoughts, though he couldn’t understand what they meant for now.