บท 30: Preparation (2)
June 26, 1437. Velheimort Forest.
Aurora Earhart
The crackling sound of breaking branches echoed through the dense forest as I, alongside my bodyguard Kiall and a handful of knights, conducted another investigation. Our goal was simple—gather as much information as possible about the mysterious red crystals.
I first discovered one of these crystals five years ago while keeping an eye on my younger brother. Back then, Raphael had killed a massive wolf, and inside its body, we found the crystal.
Since officially becoming a Guardian and assuming the title of Honored Knight, I have dedicated all my efforts to studying these crystals. However, despite the best efforts of our family, no one has been able to uncover their secret. All we've managed to piece together fits onto two sheets of paper, and those were merely basic notes.
Still, we did learn something. These crystals emitted a strange, malevolent energy that drove living creatures insane, granting them unnatural strength. In exchange, the energy burned away their life force and stripped them of their sanity.
We couldn't determine the exact origin of the crystals. At first, we suspected the Sawyers, but after consulting neutral mages and our own experts, it seemed unlikely. Besides, it wouldn't make sense for the Sawyer family to create such crystals—any seasoned cadet could kill an enraged beast, let alone knights or Guardians.
Even if the Sawyers had the means to create these crystals, they couldn't have placed them so close to our castle. Yes, we have their spies, but executing such actions would be too dangerous…
This thought caused me to slow my pace for a moment.
What if someone from our family was helping them?
Noticing my hesitation, Kiall called out to me:
— My lady, is something wrong?
The entire group of knights halted, awaiting my orders. I looked them over, as if trying to read an answer in their faces or armor.
They were all dressed in standard dark armor with helmets on their heads and cloaks bearing the family crest on their backs. These were regular castle knights, not affiliated with any specific order.
My gaze stopped on Kiall, a slender young man around my age. Like the others, he wore armor, but his helmet was off, revealing his finely chiseled features, green eyes, and short, bluish hair. His expression was one of concern as he looked at me, waiting.
His gaze warmed me, and I couldn't help but smile.
Kiall had been by my side since I was six years old, just like all our bodyguards. In the thirteen years we'd been together, we had grown so close that he felt like family.
But unfortunately for him, I didn't return the feelings he had for me.
Turning my attention back to the depths of the forest, I continued moving forward, saying:
— Nothing in particular. Keep searching the area. We might find something.
— Yes, my lady, — the knights responded promptly.
We continued on for about half a kilometer before I heard a distant growl. Without a second thought, I pulled my sword—Graving, adorned with gold and dark metal—from my spatial ring and gave the order:
— Prepare yourselves. Monsters approaching, 860 meters ahead.
— Understood!
All the knights, including Kiall, drew their swords and assumed defensive positions, ready to face whatever was coming.
I focused my mana, summoning a swirling wave of fire that coiled in the air like a serpent, poised to strike.
Within seconds, three stone bears, their eyes glowing with a malevolent red light, burst through the bushes.
I surged forward, closing the distance with blinding speed, my movements enhanced by mana. Reaching the center bear, I decapitated it in a single, swift motion before turning to the next.
The beasts barely had time to react, but their instincts kicked in—they lunged at me. While I engaged the second bear, Kiall and the other knights focused on the third. Their attacks were coordinated and swift, leaving the beast no room to counter. Kiall led the knights with precision, directing their strikes with sharp accuracy.
Watching them work as a unit, I felt a sense of calm. The outcome of this battle, like every battle where they fought alongside me, was never in doubt. Knowing that the end was near, I decided to speed things up.
Channeling more mana into my spell, the fiery serpent lashed out at the second bear, coiling around its massive body and setting its hide ablaze. The beast howled in agony as the flames began to melt through its thick skin.
Stone bears were enormous, dangerous predators, standing at nearly five meters tall, and were considered one of the most formidable opponents. But against me, under the weight of my magic, they were nothing more than caged rats.
Not wanting to prolong the creature's suffering, I infused my blade with aura and swiftly severed its head.
Turning to check on Kiall and the others, I saw that they had nearly cornered the third bear. Their synchronized attacks, bolstered by Kiall's wind magic, had nearly incapacitated it before it could even strike back.
Within half a minute, the third bear fell.
The entire battle had lasted barely two minutes.
I scanned the corpses of the bears, searching for any clues about the crystals' origins.
— Cut the bodies open and search for crystals, — I ordered.
— Yes, my lady! — the knights replied, immediately setting to work, carving into the beasts in search of the strange stones.
As they worked, Kiall approached me, his face thoughtful.
— My lady, do you really think we'll find something? It feels like we're wasting our time. We've learned nothing new in the past five years.
I smiled at his frustration.
— I understand how you feel, Kiall. But it's our duty. We'll keep searching until we find a lead. Help the knights, and use your wind magic to check the area.
— ...Understood.
Kiall turned and began carrying out my orders.
I couldn't blame him for his doubts. Even the elders and Liliana didn't see the crystals as a major concern. And perhaps they had a point—for them, these monsters posed no real threat. A single swing of their blade could wipe any of them out.
But I couldn't afford such complacency. I had Raphael and Alice to think about, and I couldn't be sure that they wouldn't be endangered by these cursed crystals in the future. What concerned me most was the growing number of monsters appearing with this strange red aura. Someone had to be behind it. Someone capable of embedding these crystals into creatures, turning them into mindless killers.
The only suspects that came to mind were family members. At first, I suspected Lucius, but his long absence ruled him out.
But I didn't have enough information to pinpoint the true culprit. I couldn't even understand their motives. Why would anyone do this when every second person in the castle could easily destroy a common monster?
With a heavy sigh, I pushed those thoughts aside and approached the knights to check their findings.
As expected, they had managed to extract crystals from the bodies. I picked one up and tried to channel mana through it, but as always, there was no response. Something inside the crystal repelled the mana, though the reason behind this remained a mystery even after numerous attempts to analyze it.
Suddenly, I heard quick footsteps behind me and turned around.
— My lady! — Kiall rushed over, clearly agitated.
— What?
— I found human footprints near where the bears came from. And using the wind, I sensed the presence of two people in that direction.
I frowned. Kiall was an excellent tracker. Thanks to his magic, he could detect the presence of people within a three-kilometer radius and pinpoint their exact location. There was no doubting his words.
— Understood. Lead the way, — I replied curtly.
Kiall nodded and quickly moved ahead, leaping from branch to branch. The knights and I followed, moving swiftly through the treetops. It was an efficient way to cover ground quickly, allowing us to traverse a great distance in mere minutes.
Descending from the trees, we arrived at a rocky outcrop with a cave entrance nearby. And then there were the footprints.
But the most important thing was the smell. The stench emanating from the cave was almost unbearable. It wasn't just the usual rot or waste—it was something far worse. A mixture of blood and an ominous energy that only someone with heightened mana sensitivity could detect.
And this place is so close to the castle?
I couldn't understand how no one had found this place before. Regardless, I turned to face my men, carefully scanning their expressions.
— Alright, we're going inside. Draw your blades and prepare for an attack. Kiall, keep scanning the area.
— Understood, — he responded.
We began our descent into the cave. It was rocky and seemed ordinary, but the deeper we went, the more my unease grew.
After walking about two hundred meters, a light appeared ahead. As we drew closer, we came upon a massive chamber. Below, there were cages—some empty, others containing beasts. Near the cages stood tables stained with blood, and strange tools lay on shelves, their purpose unknown to me.
In one corner stood large glass tanks filled with a yellowish liquid, and inside them were humanoid creatures. I couldn't tell what they were. In the center of the room were devices connected by tubes leading both to the tanks and to a massive iron door at the far end of the cave.
Between the cages and by the door, people in white coats moved about, guarded by armed soldiers.
My unease deepened.
Kiall whispered quietly:
— Where did they get such technology? And why are they using Earhart weapons?
Exactly. The guards were armed with the same weapons as our knights. But how? And then there was something else.
— Look over there, — I pointed toward a crate near the iron door, filled with red crystals.
— Those are the crystals?!
— Yes, it looks like this is where they're made.
It was becoming clear that the Earhart family was somehow connected to these crystals. But why? And who was behind all of this? The questions swirled in my mind, yet I couldn't find a single answer.
Setting my thoughts aside, I turned to my knights.
— No matter what, we need to capture everyone and question them.
— Yes, my lady!
The knights drew their blades, imbuing them with aura, ready for battle. But just as I was about to give the order to attack, a sudden crash echoed through the cave.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck the rock ledge we were standing on, shattering it beneath us. I felt the ground give way, and we began to fall.
It was so fast, I barely had time to react!
I curled my body mid-air and managed to land on my feet, immediately scanning the area for the mage responsible. My eyes locked onto a woman.
She appeared to be in her thirties, dressed in a white lab coat, with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and glasses perched on her nose. Lightning crackled around her body, and a sly smile played across her lips.
— Took you long enough! I've been waiting, — she said mockingly, her voice laced with amusement.
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