Chapter 14.2: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐๐)
Chapter 14.2: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ (๐๐)
There were two paths in the Black Forest.
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The first was well-known to most. It started at the forest entrance, narrow and rough but passable. It was the path the mercenaries took when they went wolf hunting.
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The second path was known only to hunters Joseph and Johan. It was barely a path, covered with dense bushes and invisible soil.
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However, Joseph found this path useful for traveling through the forest. Nobles would have thought him mad for suggesting it, but it was a convenient shortcut when he was alone.
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Johan also naturally learned this path.
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โ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด.โ
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Since there was no distinct path, the second path was marked by signs Joseph had left on trees. Following these signs was the shortcut.
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Joseph had mentioned setting traps on the first path in case he needed to escape. Surely, if a pursuer followed, it would be there.
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Johan raced down the second path. His horse snorted in annoyance at the bushes hitting its face but didnโt stop.
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Then, a horseโs neigh echoed from afar.
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โ๐๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต!โ
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Johan flinched. Hearing a horse in this forest meant only one thing.
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The pursuer had fallen into Josephโs trap.
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โ๐๐ถ๐ต. . . ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ.โ
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Johan quickly dismounted and pressed his ear to the ground, a hunterโs wisdom. This way, he could detect even distant movements.
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โ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ?โ
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The sound didnโt seem like that of a mercenary group. If mercenaries were pursuing, there should be sounds of at least ten or more.
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A face flashed through Johanโs mind.
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๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
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At the same moment he felt something being triggered, the image that flashed through Karamafโs mind as a small crossbow bolt whizzed by was the face of the hunter.
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That oddly irritating expression!
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โ๐โ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ!โ
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There was no guarantee that this trap was set by him, but Karamaf was certain. That was enough.
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Karamaf powerfully swatted away the incoming bolt. There was no need to catch it. The armor he wore could not be penetrated by traps meant for mere beasts.
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However, Karamaf had underestimated Joseph too much.
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After all, a seasoned hunter like Joseph wouldnโt target well-armed mercenaries.
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๐๐ก๐ฎ๐!
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A sound came from below, and a horse neighed. Karamafโs complexion changed. His beloved horse had fallen victim to the trap. It was a trap targeting the legs, not covered by the horseโs armor.
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โ!โ
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Triggering the rope would shoot the person above while simultaneously targeting the horseโs legs. It was a double trap aimed at the horse. Karamaf cursed as he leaped off the horse.
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โ. . .Sorry.โ
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The condition of the horse was worse than he thought. A foul smell rose from the wounded area, and its color had changed.
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โ๐๐ฐ๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ!โ
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Karamaf gritted his teeth. That insignificant hunter dared to harm his horse. To a knight, a horse was a comrade and partner. Even a hundred lives of a serf wouldnโt suffice in compensation.
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And with the fall, its leg was completely broken. Recovery was impossible. Even if there was a way, it couldnโt be taken out of the forest.
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๐๐ฐ๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ก!
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Karamaf beheaded the horse. It was the least he could do to end its suffering.
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The cold eyes of the elf knight blazed with fury. He had been calm even when killing Sir Gessen, but this incident had truly enraged him.
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โ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ!โ
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โI give up the pursuit.โ
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He didnโt know if anyone had escaped into the black forest, but he could no longer chase. He had to return and tear apart that hunter and contemplate his next move.
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Karamafโs eyes widened.
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Just as he decided to turn back, someone who looked familiar appeared from the depths of the forest.
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It was the son of Gessen.
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๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
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โAs expected, I was right.โ
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Johan confirmed Karamafโs face and walked out. He had thought that Karamaf was the only one who would follow him alone. He wasnโt sure why Karamaf had come alone. . .
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โ๐๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฉโ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด? ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฉ ๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ข๐ง๐ฆ.โ
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Karamafโs face was covered, so his expression was not visible, but Johan somehow felt that Karamaf was looking at him as if he were insane.
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After all, it was natural.
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The one who should have fled had suddenly appeared in front of Karamaf.
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โI see.โ
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Karamaf nodded as if he understood.
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โWhat?โ
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โHave you come for revenge?โ
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โThatโs one of the reasons.โ
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There were two reasons why Johan came.
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The first reason was that he coveted the wealth that Karamaf possessed.
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If he killed Karamaf, who was alone, the mercenaries would not know who killed Karamaf. They wouldnโt have thought he was killed by Johan. Perhaps they would suspect a monster.
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And the second reason was. . .
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โTo avenge your father huh. You have the qualities of a good knight. You wonโt become a living knight, though.โ
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โNo. Among those you killed, there were servants who were close to me.โ
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โ. . .??โ
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Karamaf looked at him as if he didnโt understand. Johan was not a coward to endure and flee when it was disadvantageous, nor was he the type to keep enduring when the situation allowed.
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Johanโs eyes calmly glared at Karamaf. They were the eyes of a lion targeting its prey.
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โYou will die here today.โ
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Johan walked out slowly. Karamaf stood still, as if waiting to see what Johan would do.
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โHeโs strong.โ
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Kaegalโs words came to mind.
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โ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ. ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐, ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
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โ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ ๐โ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ?
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โ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ , ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐. ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ? ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฒ? ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ , ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
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Karamaf was definitely a strong opponent. If even half of the songs sung by the minstrels were true, it would be so.
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But he was not afraid.