Chapter 171: Who Stole My Bones? (2)

“I’ve found them!”

A warrior returned, disheveled after a long expedition outside. Pablo’s rear hurriedly jumped up at the news from the tracking team.

“W-Is it really true?”

“Yes! We’ve discovered their traces!”

“Where?!”

“The Persellus Domain. Their tracks lead straight there!”

“Good job! Gather the warriors! I’ll lead the charge myself!”

The anticipated news set the Order in motion. Pablo swiftly began selecting the 30 or so individuals who would immediately head to Persellus Domain.

But word had already reached the tracking team and other warriors outside. They would surely join forces soon, perhaps numbering in the hundreds.

No, they might have already arrived at Persellus Domain for all he knew.

As soon as their preparations were complete, dozens of snow horses left the Order and headed east.

Of course, Louis’s party was among them.

They galloped across the snow-covered plain with incredible speed.

A member of the pursuit team saw Louis’s party occupying the place of honor next to the great warrior and asked his companion, “Who are the children with the great warrior?”

It was a natural question, given that he had been called back to active duty before he’d heard about Louis from those outside the sect.

His comrade looked around furtively before shushing him. “Be careful what you say!”

“What?”

“That person with the white hair leading them is the priest! And the others… I’m not sure. I think someone said they might be her disciples or friends…”

“Are you pulling my leg? A priest? When did our sect get a priest?”

“Do I look like I’m joking around right now?”

”…?”

The warrior’s unusually serious expression as he answered made the tracker blink in confusion. The tracker then turned his puzzled gaze towards the front of the group.

Tania and Kendrick, not knowing how to ride, sat on the backs of Kani and Khan respectively. They were captivated by the winter landscape they had never seen before, constantly looking around. Their innocent behavior further bewildered the tracker.

priest? Disciple? Friends?

What was going on… The confusion in the tracker’s eyes showed no signs of dissipating.

Meanwhile, Louis walked alongside Pablo, leading the way with a Salma carrying their belongings. He stared straight ahead as he asked, “Tell me about Persellus.”

“It’s a noble’s land within the Kanburk Kingdom, ruled by Duke Lutter Persellus. It’s about five hours away from our starting point on Salma,” Pablo replied.

“If the Marquis House governs this domain… it must be quite large.”

“Yes, I doubt there’s any domain nearby that rivals its size. In fact, if you searched the entire Kanburk Kingdom, you’d probably still find it in the top five.”

“What kind of person is this Persellus Marquis?”

Pablo, a young knight with an impressive resume of service to his kingdom, furrowed his brow at the thought of the marquis he had encountered some time ago.

“He’s… a quintessential warrior. One who reveres martial prowess and seeks physical strength like a disease. He’s considered one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom. Despite this, he remains a loyal and staunch servant to the royal family.”

“How does he strike you? Do you think he could be behind this plot?”

Pablo stroked his chin thoughtfully. After a moment’s deliberation, he answered.

“The medicinal herb kept by Louis…he who wields the holy relic is known throughout the Winter Continent, and thus, even more bizarre rumors spread alongside his name.”

“Rumor has it those who possess it can gain tremendous power to control the world…or that he who bears this relic blessed by the Pantheon can achieve great things… There are numerous other strange tales surrounding it beyond those.”

“So you think…since that Duke is obsessed with such power, he may have stolen that sacred relic?”

“Precisely. And to compound matters, the Duke recently re-emerged, having suddenly broken his decade-long seclusion in secluded meditation—but rumor has it he’s rather unstable due to a damaging incident—he hit his head and couldn’t get all the way back over that wall of retirement.”

“Oh? So you’re quite well-informed on these matters?”

“Well, given my position, as they say…I do tend to hear things from here and there.”

Louis snorted as he observed Pablo’s pitiful state and then ask incredulously, “By the way, is this dukeslideUp a senile old man?”

“I believe he’s seventy-two.”

“His cultivation level must be at the highest tier of second-tier, no?”

”…How did you know?” Pablo looked at Louis as if he were a ghost.

Louis shrugged. “It’s obvious when a guy comes out after ten years of solitary training. You should know from your own experience, right? You know how insurmountable the wall at the end of second-tier is.”

“That… That’s true.”

“The duke must be feeling his time is running out, so he’s trying every means to enter first-tier and extend his lifespan. That’s why his personality has become so irrational.”

Pablo nodded in agreement with Louis’s words.

Seeing this, Louis stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Anyway, we’re sure the duke had a motive.”

“Yes, sir.

Their trail went cold at the border of Persellus’s territory, so he naturally became a suspect. And with such a clear motive, it seemed increasingly likely that he was the thief.

Louis couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Would theculprits who meticulously planned this theft really leave such obvious clues?

Of course, it was possible that the Order’s Trackers, with their exceptional skills and persistence, had uncovered leads that others would have missed. Still, Louis remained unconvinced.

That would be too convenient. Something doesn’t smell right.

He couldn’t put his finger on why, but something felt off. Unfortunately, they had no other option at the moment. Without solid leads, their only recourse was to investigate Persellus’s domain, even if they suspected it might be part of the thieves’ plan.

…He’ll know when he sees it.

After several hours, Louis and his companions from the order arrived at the outskirts of Persellus Domain.

Their welcome was grim—no, savage. The scene that greeted them was a standoff between hundreds of warriors encircling the castle walls and a matching force facing them. The air was suffused with a murderous aura emanating from both sides, as though the slightest provocation could ignite a conflict.

Feeling the heavy atmosphere even at a distance, Pablo’s expression hardened. He leaned in to whisper to Louis.

”…Leave this matter to me,” he said. “It would be better if I handle it instead of yourself, Louis.”

Pablo believed it would be more prudent for him to take charge in this situation rather than risking Louis’s involvement personally. With his own reputation and connections built on the Winter Continent, Pablo felt well-equipped to navigate these treacherous waters.

Louis nodded dismissively at his request. “Sure, I wasn’t planning on speaking up anyway. After all, our concept is all about being ‘mysterious and powerful’.”

”…Excuse me?”

Pablo grasped that ‘our’ referred to dragons in Louis’s words, but he couldn’t make sense of ‘concept’ or ‘mysterious and powerful’.

In response, Louis smirked. “I mean… someone who conceals their true strength, you know? A being who keeps their power under wraps… something like that. Anyway, I’ll stay out of the way, so you handle things.”

“Ah, got it…”

Concealing his true strength, huh? So that’s why he took down several hundred of our order’s warriors the moment he arrived!

The words nearly burst from Pablo’s throat, but he wasn’t foolish enough to give voice to them.

Pablo simply nodded, letting it go. During their conversation, Louis and the Order’s men had joined the warriors surrounding the castle walls. To be precise, the warriors made way for them after recognizing Pablo.

“Oh, you’re here?” greeted the leader of the Pursuit Team, recognizing Pablo.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“Viscount Persellus won’t let us enter.”

“Did you explain the situation?”

“Not exactly, but I did say that there might be enemies of the Order hiding in Persellus’ territory, and we’d like assistance in searching…”

“And they’re still being so obstructive?”

“Yes.”

Pablo frowned.

At that moment, a loud voice boomed from the ranks of the opposing Viscount’s forces: “Who is this? Isn’t it the Order’s old monster?”

The voice reverberated with savage undertones.

An old man atop a snow horse emerged from the rear of the Duke’s forces.

He was a towering figure wrapped in black fur, with a face as red as a ripe tomato and a wild, unkempt beard.

Could this be what Guan Yu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms looks like in his old age?

The old man carried a massive spear in one hand.

When Louis spotted him, he whispered to Pablo:

“Is that… Duke Lutter?”

“Yes, it is,” Pablo confirmed, stepping forward with a nod.

“It’s been a while, Lutter,” Pablo called out. “The impetuous, headstrong boy has grown quite old, hasn’t he? I still see you charging at our ranks like a crazed bull.”

“Ha-ha! Let’s leave my youthful arrogance behind, Great Warrior.”

The soldiers of the Duke trembled at the mention of “Great Warrior.” Their agitation was tinged with fear.

In contrast, the morale of the Order’s warriors soared.

Aware of the situation, the Duke subtly asserted his presence to remind his soldiers of his leadership.

Woooom…

The energy of a tier-2 elite fire attribute warrior resonated through the air.

This aura caused the eyes of the Flame siblings, who shared the same elemental affinity, to sparkle in response.

Meanwhile, the Duke fixed his gaze on Pablo and spoke.

“It’s surprising that the old monster is finally coming out of hiding… Has the Order been chasing criminals with some serious offenses?”

“You’re right. And since I’ll be searching your domain, I’ll need you to pave the way for me.”

“That’s not possible.” Pablo frowned at the Duke’s blunt refusal.

“Not possible?”

“This territory has been governed by our Persellus ancestors under the king’s authorization. The Persellus family may rule here, but the true owner is His Majesty the King of Kanburk.”

“So what?”

“Lutter Persellus has the sacred obligation to harmoniously govern this land bestowed upon him by His Majesty the King. How dare you bring hundreds of armed soldiers into my territory?”

“Are you suggesting the sect, which has been in a friendly alliance with the Kanburk Kingdom, is now to be considered an enemy?”

“I never said that. But how can I not be concerned when hundreds of armored warriors are running amok in my territory? You should be careful not to misunderstand.”

“Isn’t that exactly what I’m saying?” Pablo bristled at this response.

The Duke flinched at the force of Pablo’s words and his sudden change in mood.

Hmph… The beast remains a monster, after all…

Pablo’s name was inevitably mentioned in any conversation about the strongest figures of the Winter Continent.

The ageless monster crouched within the Order. There was no one on the Winter Continent who did not know his name. Yet even in the face of this creature’s might, the Duke refused to back down. As if vowing to fight to the death, he bristled with renewed vigor.

Zzzt!

As the air between them crackled and tension spread throughout both camps, a message whispered into Pablo’s ear.

“Dammit, I’m frustrated! Hey, why don’t you get out of there?”

Startled for a moment by Louis’s voice—which he hadn’t heard in ages—Pablo quickly shook off the long hiatus. As if nothing had changed over the years, his body moved precisely as instructed.

Pablo retreated, relinquishing his position. In his stead, Louis sprang forward like a bullet. Amidst the questioning stares trained upon him, Louis tilted his head and spoke with a slight curl of his lips.

“A thief snuck into the Order and stole our sacred relic before vanishing. The trail led straight to your domain.”

“…?!”

As soon as he finished speaking, both sides erupted with commotion.

The Duke’s faction was astounded by the theft of their holy relic, while those from the Order who weren’t familiar with Louis couldn’t believe that this young man—who they had never seen before—had uncovered such a scandal first.

While both parties were preoccupied with their respective shocks, the Duke raised an eyebrow at Louis. “Who are you?”

“That’s not important.”

The Duke’s face froze at Louis’s overly simple response. Paying him no mind, Louis continued.

“Well then, now that I’ve explained the situation a bit, could you please let me in?”

“Inconceivable.”

“My, my… I asked so politely, yet you still refuse…” Louis’s lips curled slightly.

“Well then, I suppose there’s no other choice. We’ll just have to force our way in. The crowd has conveniently divided itself for a brawl anyway. Shall we have a match?”

The Duke’s mustache quivered at Louis’s taunting tone.

Meanwhile, the twins and Flame siblings standing in the back engaged in a hushed conversation:

“Oh? A fight?”

“The first time we’ll be in a free-for-all…”

“It’s okay. It won’t be too hard.”

“Really?”

Watching their nonchalant demeanor, Pablo muttered to himself:

“Hmph…”

He gazed up at the sky, musing, Strength in numbers… what a load of bull.

He had an ominous premonition that he’d come to resolve one issue only to leave with even more problems on his hands.