Chapitre 85: Chapter 250 - Now You Talk to Horses?
Chapter 250 - Are You Now Talking to Beasts and Horses?
"Thank you for accepting me."
Enkrid tilted his head.
Suddenly? Now?
It felt strange to hear such words. Saying that one saves people because they can was awkward.
The beastwoman had been a mercenary among a group of thieves, one of the most notorious in the kingdom.
Was it possible for someone like her to fight with her life on the line to save soldiers?
And was that something he should like?
No, it was exactly what Enkrid liked.
Though he dreamed of being a knight, he didn't expect the people around him to behave like the knights in stories. He didn't expect them to adopt the same actions, attitudes, and mindsets.
But when someone could help yet chooses not to, when they see the oppressed but turn away, why was that?
Was it because their hearts had nothing in them?
Was it because abandoning and ignoring others was familiar to them?
Was it because it was to their advantage?
There was no honor, no belief, no loyalty, and no burning passion in those who valued ignoring others and seeking personal gain.
'What can you become by living like that?'
What value was there in living that way?
Enkrid was a man with a dream.
He hated passing by the weak and injustice.
He couldn't just pass by because there was something hot inside him that wouldn't let him ignore it.
Just like when Rem beat the noble's son or cracked the officer's skull, Enkrid didn't dislike Rem.
"Well done."
That was what Enkrid said.
The others were astonished.
One said "Thank you" immediately, and the other said "Well done."
It felt like everyone was only saying what they wanted to say.
It was funny how the conversation flowed so smoothly, making it even more absurd.
Enkrid didn't know what mindset Dunbakel had, but he liked that something in her had changed.
After all, it was an act to save a weaker companion, and she hadn't sacrificed her life.
She had encountered unexpected enemies and tried her best. In doing so, she saved a comrade.
That change in mindset made her seem more like a team member than a thief, and Enkrid was glad about that.
He didn't care that she had just said "thank you."
'She's a strange one too.'
Their group had always been the one with the oddballs.
The former thief's present state wasn't bad, and that was enough.
Enkrid moved on.
Words like "thank you" meant nothing. What mattered was that they lived, saved others, and their mindsets keep changing for the better.
That was enough.
Dunbakel accepted Enkrid's praise in her own way.
She felt that saving a comrade and surviving was the right thing to do.
If it wasn't for that, there would be no reason to search for her.
It was then that Enkrid caught her attention. Black hair, blue eyes, an indifferent demeanor, and subtle kindness.
He was the man who had accepted her, an extraordinary leader she could trust.
She had survived, and she had saved her comrades.
Her actions followed his will.
Thus, it seemed she had become part of Enkrid's team.
Until now, she had reluctantly stayed with them, but now, she felt like she truly belonged to the group.
"Hey, your eyes look like they ate something emotional. The boss was about to arrange your funeral. He thought you were dead."
Rem spoke.
It was true.
"Is that so."
Dunbakel didn't care.
Rem clicked his tongue and snorted in disbelief.
"Tch, they say the black dog does the work and the white dog gets the love."
No one paid attention to Rem's words. Ragna was roughly sketching a map of the forest in his mind.
Of course, it was a pointless and useless thing to do.
'Wasn't that supposed to be the shortcut?'
He had thought it was a fast route, but why did it lead to the wrong place?
His sense of direction was messed up, but Ragna just thought it was bad luck.
Audin smiled softly.
Seeing Dunbakel's attitude toward saving her comrades seemed like the beginning of a change.
He enjoyed watching people break their limits.
Theresa nodded as she looked at Dunbakel.
She had heard that her background was complicated, just like hers.
She felt some kinship with the beast-woman.
Of course, she didn't express it outwardly.
Jaxen was indifferent.
'Has she finally become somewhat useful?'
The beast-woman, who had only ever known how to fight, was still clumsy in that regard.
It would have been easy to just kick her out, but she was accepted. That was the leader's choice.
Jaxen didn't think much of it. He thought she would die soon, but she stubbornly survived. That was his only observation.
Enkrid examined Dunbakel's face, shoulders, chest, stomach, and thighs.
He even pressed on the wounded areas with his hands.
"It's troublesome to do it here."
Dunbakel spoke with the typical mindset of a beast-woman.
Just because her reproductive instincts were strong didn't mean she had no sense of modesty.
This was a place with many eyes watching. It would be uncomfortable to be exposed and do anything, but the place itself didn't matter much. She could do what she needed to standing up.
"You stupid beast. He's just gauging whether he should send you back like this."
Rem, quick-witted as ever, scolded from the side. Dunbakel wasn't embarrassed. She was only disappointed.
"Come with me. The wound won't worsen."
Dunbakel spoke first.
There were some useful herbs in this forest. It wasn't called the "Grateful Forest" for nothing.
Dunbakel had found a herb called "ground bean" or "silk herb," which, when crushed or cut, released a white sap.
Applying that sap to a wound prevented infection.
It was one of the things she had learned as a mercenary.
She had already treated the wound by this point.
The sap had dried on the wound, turning into white powder that fell away.
"If you think you're going to die, ask Rem to carry you."
Enkrid spoke, and Dunbakel frowned while Rem laughed.
"Try it. I'll chop your legs off with an axe."
Of course, that was just a joke.
Enkrid resumed walking.
"Do we really have to?"
Jaxen asked. He followed without speaking, but was wondering if there was a reason to return to that remark.
If they were planning to return to the territory, they wouldn't have bothered with Dunbakel's wounds, so it wasn't hard to guess Enkrid's destination.
"It's bothering me."
Enkrid replied. There was no need to follow; this was especially just a matter of his own whims.
They could have ended things if they simply returned to the territory.
'Why?'
Enkrid asked himself, but there was no answer.
It was a decision based on emotion, not reason.
"You can go ahead."
"No, I'm fine."
Jaxen didn't argue anymore, and when Rem saw him, he mischievously teased him, saying he seemed like a hungry wild cat who should go catch a few dead rats. Jaxen ignored him.
Dunbakel didn't need to be supported.
Though she wasn't as large as a giant, beastwomen were also physically strong.
She wasn't limping.
"A wandering Theresa."
Hadn't they not even exchanged greetings until now?
The newly born hybrid giantess immediately spoke her name, and Dunbakel looked up at the much taller female giant before speaking.
"Don't you know my name?"
"I do."
"Then that's enough."
Both of them belonged to Enkrid's group, and that was enough to understand.
Theresa understood as well.
The group then returned to the place where the wild horses had been.
The wild horse was still there.
Thud.
The horse made a sound when it saw Enkrid, as if pleased. How many days would it have waited if they had just gone back?
"Did you wait?"
Thud.
"Yeah, what's going on?"
Thud.
"Hm. You want me to follow?"
The wild horse turned its head and wagged its tail, signaling.
After watching that for a moment, Dunbakel spoke carefully.
"Are you now talking to horses?"
For a moment, no one spoke. It certainly looked that way to all of them.
"Do you see it like that too?"
Rem asked in an unusually serious tone.
Jaxen also frowned.
'Everything's fine, but why is he talking to beasts? There's a difference between communication and conversation.'
"Haha, they say everything in the world is connected, so there's no difference."
Audin chuckled and murmured something cryptic.
Dunbakel decided to trust and follow along, accepting it as it was.
In fact, she herself thought she might try talking to a horse sometime in the future.
Wasn't he doing what he wanted and walking the path he chose?
"Hmm."
Having been both killed and revived by him, Theresa took everything calmly.
Talking to a horse wasn't something to criticize.
"Right, so we're going there?"
Enkrid was not one to care about others' opinions. He moved based on the horse's gestures.
The group followed behind the wild horse, which stomped its hooves on the ground.
Dozens of wild horses, which had been further away, began to follow them as well.
If someone were watching from afar, it would certainly look like a strange sight.
As they walked, the path descended. Though there were always differences in elevation, this was a particularly steep decline.
From the forest's edge, it was a cleverly hidden deppresion that was barely visible.
What should this land be called?
There were no mountains, just a sunken terrain. A plain basin?
It seemed as if a colossal god had dug the land with his hands.
But the strange geography wasn't the only odd thing.
Enkrid, distracted by random thoughts, noticed traces of something not natural, but man-made.
A gray stone wall. It was half-collapsed, with signs of age, and somehow, despite winter approaching, grapevines were tangled over it.
Black grape berries were visible on the vines.
"What is this?"
Rem muttered. He seemed just as intrigued.
A gentle warm breeze blew from inside the basin.
It was actually a warm breeze. Something not easily found in the northern regions at this time of year.
Enkrid picked a few grapes and put them in his mouth.
They were sour but sweet.
They were fine fruits. Wild horses also ate a few, and those who followed also popped some into their mouths.
Dunbakel put a whole bunch in her mouth and chewed.
She seemed hungry, as she chewed the seeds too.
It was understandable. She had been hiding in the forest for three days.
There was no proper camp setup.
"Eat."
Theresa pulled some jerky from her pack. Dunbakel ate a few more grapes and then took the jerky without saying thanks.
"This place is suspicious."
Enkrid muttered to himself. Or was it a question thrown toward the wild horse?
Hee-ing.
The wild horse neighed low and lowered its head, showing hostility.
It wasn't aimed at the group. It was facing forward.
Sunlight was shining down below the basin, but there was a bluish glow inside the stone wall.
The glow wasn't just floating.
Clatter.
The bones of a skeleton soldier creaked with a unique noise.
"A skeleton?"
It was an undead soldier holding a rusty sword and shield.
"A collapsed tomb, perhaps, brother?"
Audin spoke as he surveyed the surroundings.
"It seems like the ground collapsed, causing the tomb to fail in its purpose."
Jaxen added.
In the past, undead were sometimes placed to guard tombs.
That's what this looked like. A hidden tomb, one often noted in treasure hunters' journals.
Beyond the gray stone wall on the right, the glowing eyes of undead began to appear, increasing in number.
The undead had rejected death and reversed the path of life.
Enkrid casually counted the numbers.
"One, two, three, four... seven?"
The number wasn't small, but it wasn't particularly threatening either.
These were the ones who had confronted the centaur colony head-on.
Clatter! Clatter!
The skeleton with glowing blue eyes rattled its jaw. Undead, especially low-tier ones, couldn't speak.
Only high-level undead could show intent or will through lingering thoughts.
Well, there was no need to talk with monsters anyway.
The undead, some holding rusty swords and shields, others with bone spears, and even skeletal hounds, moved forward.
There were two skeletal hounds and five skeleton soldiers.
Enkrid, staring at them, unsheathed his sword.
Clink.
Before Enkrid could act, a massive figure moved forward first.
"I strike down those who have fallen and entered the path of reversal."
Undead were targets that must be punished by priests or those devoted to gods.
Audin moved forward, clasping his palms to his chest, then spreading his arms to the sides.
Boom.
A rusty sword swung at Audin, who dodged with a half-step, the sword slicing through the air.
From the side, a rusty spear thrust toward him.
To an average soldier, this might have been a dangerous moment, but not for Audin.
He grabbed the spear's shaft mid-air.
At the same time, he swung his fist like a hammer, vertically, to the skull of the one who wielded the sword.
Whoosh. Crack! Snap!
With one blow, he split the skull in two, then grabbed the opposing spear and lifted its owner into the air before smashing him down.
Crash!
With a loud noise, the entire body of one skeleton shattered.
"These bastards."
Audin's eyes glinted with intensity. There was no need for Enkrid to step in.
In the blink of an eye, the seven skeletons were wiped out.
"There's more inside."
Jaxen, with his keen senses, spoke.
Enkrid felt something similar.
It was a sensation reminiscent of when they had encountered magical traps before.
Along with the ominous feeling, there was a strangely irritating smell in the air.
Burnt smell?
Another skeleton appeared before the group. It was holding a trident, and its body was burning.
Whoosh!
Even from more than ten steps away, the heat wave hit them. The intense warmth could be felt, and it made their skin feel hot. If they stayed a little longer, sweat would start to pour.
"A burning skeleton?"
Rem muttered. It was exactly that.
Undead don't feel pain, so this was possible. It was a monster under the effect of an unquenchable fire spell, its entire body burning.
Hee-ing!
The wild horse cried out when it saw the creature. It seemed to be saying that this was the reason they had come here.
And that was true.
The wild horse was the master of this land. The horse was reflecting on the past, specifically the threats it had faced when the land had collapsed.
The wild horse had a duty to protect its herd.
That's why it had to eliminate this threat.
Despite deciding to leave, the horse knew what it had to do, and it had come to ask for human help.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
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Power Stone 
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