“My name is Mate. Please call me May.”
“Alright. May. Looks like you’ve been through a lot.”
“It’s nothing compared to what you have endured, Lord Outer.”
“Iselin said all contact was lost. What happened?”
“Demons attacked our hideout. Three died then, and we requested protection from King Akila.”
Mate’s expression darkened.
The fact that their hideout had been discovered by demons was a major problem in itself, and the mission Iselin had entrusted to them was essentially a failure.
The proof was Choi Kangjoong.
If nothing had happened, he wouldn’t have come at all.
Behind the joy of being safe now, regret had taken root.
“Akila isn’t opposed to the Union?”
“That’s true, but he’s not the type to smile while stabbing you in the back. He’s honest, so I believe we can trust him unless he decides to kill us.”
“What about Elder Pofish?”
“He is friendly towards us, but he was one of the two Beastmen who knew the location of our hideout.”
“And the other one?”
“King Akila.”
Mate also explained the relationship between the two.
Elder Pofish was a distant relative of Akila.
Akila had followed Elder Pofish closely since childhood, but lately, conflicts had become frequent.
“They don’t clash over every little thing, but they even disagree when establishing minor strategies.”
“That’s exactly it. A young king being swayed, then trying to break free as he matures.”
“And it’s more problematic because it’s happening during the demon invasion.”
“They might be targeting this very moment.”
“What will you do now?”
“We need to draw a line. Between those who will be prey and those who won’t.”
Choi Kangjoong took Mate and left the cave.
“Can we meet Akila?”
“Even if he says no, I’ll make sure we meet. But won’t that backfire?”
“Why?”
“If you reveal yourself, Lord Outer, the demons will try to hide even more.”
“No. On the way here, I saw the Bluestone Fortress. It was heading this way.”
“Ah! In that case, rather than hiding, they’ll try to defeat you, Lord Outer.”
“If we give them a good beating, we’ll find out who the demon is.”
“As expected of Lord Outer!”
Mate was also a capable Elf, skilled enough to be deployed in small numbers to a place that could become enemy territory, but Choi Kangjoong’s perspective was different.
“I’ll arrange a meeting right away.”
Mate contacted the Elves at the Royal Castle while guiding Choi Kangjoong.
As they walked, Choi Kangjoong dispersed Central Stealth Scouts and Stealth Scouts.
Over the Dimensional Sea, he summoned Sky-eye Giants.
A demon Dimension Ship, hidden within the Sky-eye Giant’s field of view, was detected, so he also left ten Titans there.
They soon arrived at the Royal Castle.
The interior of the castle was as practical as it looked from the outside.
The passages were narrow and the doors thick, making it easy to block intruders.
It was an impregnable fortress, provided there was no gunpowder or magic power, and sufficient food and water.
Choi Kangjoong and Mate entered the hall.
It wasn’t small, but Iselin’s mansion was so grand in every way that this hall felt small to Choi Kangjoong.
Akila stood before the throne.
He was a head taller than the other Barents Beastmen, with a wild and fierce mana pulsating around him.
Elders stood to his left and right.
The one at the very front with many scars on his face was Elder Pofish.
Choi Kangjoong sensed traces of demonic energy from him.
It was very faint, but it couldn’t escape the senses of the Outer Mind, which could dissect even a soul down to its essence.
Even if he wasn’t a demon, it was clear he had been in contact with one.
“The Union’s strongest Hunter?”
“He doesn’t look strong.”
“He’d fly away with a flick.”
“Be quiet.”
Elder Pofish scolded the other elders.
“I am Akila, King of the Barents Beastmen. Are you the Hunter Outer Mind from the Enterprise Union?”
Akila’s voice boomed through the hall.
“Yes.”
“Welcome. However, you don’t seem as strong as the Elves said.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.”
“That’s also true.”
Elder Pofish took a step forward.
He didn’t seem to mind interrupting the conversation between the king and his guest.
Choi Kangjoong didn’t think much of it, but Mate frowned.
“Welcome to Barents. Did Queen Iselin send you?”
“Yes.”
“As you can see, we are in desperate need of the Union’s help. The lives of two billion Beastmen are in danger.”
“The Union has no intention of standing by either.”
“That’s a relief. We are truly grateful for the Union’s decision. We are especially grateful for Queen Iselin’s support.”
“We brought food and weapons. Where should we put them?”
“There’s a warehouse near the harbor. Warriors will guide you.”
After a bit more conversation, Choi Kangjoong headed towards the warehouse to drop off the food and weapons.
Once even Mate had left the hall, Akila spoke.
“Uncle. Can we really trust those people?”
“Do we have any other plan besides them?”
“No. But what they ultimately want is submission. The Union is just a facade with a good pretext.”
“There’s nothing we can do. We are weak. But they said they have fought and defeated demons many times.”
Akila made a face and shook his head.
“We are warriors. The only time we lower our bodies is when we hunt. We cannot become slaves!”
“Akila! Then all your people will die!”
“I’d rather die standing than live kneeling. Don’t you all think the same?”
Akila roared with fierce eyes.
The elders avoided his gaze.
“I wish you would calm down. The one called the Union’s strongest Hunter has arrived, so there will be changes.”
“History books say Elves are arrogant and boastful, and Humans are good at lying. I can’t even believe they killed a hundred thousand demons.”
Akila had also been to the battlefield several times.
Each demon he met then was a formidable foe.
A demon casting a Great Magic was hard to bring down even with hundreds of warriors charging.
The idea of killing a hundred thousand such beings was simply unbelievable.
“I think the same. It’s clearly an exaggeration. But we can’t ignore it. He was sent by Queen Iselin.”
“Understood……”
The elders left the hall.
Left alone, Akila plopped down onto the throne.
The Stealth Scout relayed all of this, without missing a single detail, to Choi Kangjoong.
Choi Kangjoong poured fresh meat and grain into the warehouse.
The eyes of the Barents Beastmen widened in astonishment.
They never imagined that Choi Kangjoong, who had arrived empty-handed, would possess such a quantity of supplies.
Some chaos ensued as starving Barents Beastmen grabbed meat and ran, but the warehouse manager managed to control the situation, his eyes glistening with tears as he thanked them.
Barents Beastmen, with their keen sense of smell, flocked to the warehouse, drawn by the scent of food they hadn’t smelled in a long time.
They were all gaunt, and some Beastmen had lost so much fur that their ribs were visible.
Choi Kangjoong distributed a little food to them as well, then went to where the Elf informants were staying.
It was lodging provided by Akila, with Barents Beastmen guarding—and surveilling—them.
Choi Kangjoong gathered the Elf informants and connected them to Iselin via the Central Stealth Scout.
The Elf informants reported what had happened and begged for forgiveness.
Iselin said she would assess their merits and demerits upon their return, then asked Choi Kangjoong.
-What is King Akila like?
“He seems to not trust us. He’s worried about becoming a slave.”
-The history of the Barents Beastmen is one of war and conquest. They are similar to wolves and don’t understand the concept of a union. It was always either submitting under another leader or becoming the leader themselves.
“That’s the problem. What happens if King Akila refuses to join the Union to the end?”
-We must respect their choice.
It meant she would watch them be destroyed by demons if that was their choice.
It was cold, but Iselin wasn’t the master of the Union, and she couldn’t possibly take responsibility for all two billion Beastmen.
As a Queen, saving the Barents Beastmen, a different species, wasn’t among the things she could do.
-How widespread are the demons?
“There are quite a few on the front lines. The general’s condition didn’t look good either.”
-What about King Akila or Elder Pofish?
“Akila is clean. But Elder Pofish is suspicious. It’s very slight, but I sensed demonic energy.”
-He must have been in contact with demons. He’s the type to do anything to save Barents. His intentions might be good, but his methods could be bad. When demons approach someone like that, it’s easy for things to end badly.
Choi Kangjoong thought of Joo Gun-hak, Joo Eun-jong’s father.
The man who made a deal with an Immortal Demon to revive his dead wife.
That incident had caused a major rift between him and Joo Eun-jong.
-At least it’s fortunate that King Akila is fine.
“You seem to think highly of the Barents Beastmen?”
-It’s not good for the Union if demons swallow all the Barents Beastmen. And they are a good species for guarding the front of Elves who shoot arrows.
“They do look sturdy.”
-Please endure a little longer. You can use the Elves there however you like.
“Alright.”
Then, I’ll end here.
Choi Kangjoong sent the Central Stealth Scout to Kuongi and put it into hibernation.
Since Central Units had low nutrient efficiency, this was the way to minimize nutrient consumption.
“Come to think of it, you said there were also Elves who went to Elder Pofish?”
“Yes. I will summon them all. Please command us to do anything.”
Mate knelt as he spoke.
“I’ll look for them myself. Just tell me their location.”
“It’s not far from Elder Pofish’s house.”
Choi Kangjoong sent a Stealth Scout to the location Mate described.
It was a two-story house located a little down from Elder Pofish’s residence.
The Stealth Scout climbed over the five-meter-high wall and entered.
No one was guarding it, so there was no need to use Active Camouflage Armor.
“I smell blood.”
“Barents Beastmen fight often, so bleeding is frequent.”
“No. It’s the smell of Elf blood.”
Mate’s expression hardened.
The Elves who came here were equipped with strong self-control by default, so there was no way they would fight no matter what the Barents Beastmen did.
Choi Kangjoong used the Stealth Scout to examine the interior of the house.
Only Barents Beastmen were inside; no Elves were visible.
“There are no Elves.”
“None…? We definitely exchanged letters two days ago.”
“Is that so?”
The Stealth Scout followed the scent of Elf blood.
The strongest scent came from the floor of the food storage room behind the kitchen.
When he mentioned this, the other Elves emitted a faint killing intent.
Looking at the floor from multiple angles, stairs leading below were visible.
He cut open the door to the basement with a Scythe Claw.
A foul smell rushed up.
The scent of Elf blood was also strong.
The Stealth Scout, blending with its surroundings, descended the stairs.
Not long after, a basement of about 990 square feet appeared.
There, three Elf heads were dangling from the ceiling.
Where their bodies had gone was obvious.
They had been dismembered and likely fed to demons, Magic Beasts, or perhaps even Barents Beastmen as rations.
“They’re all dead. They’ve been dead for over a week.”
Mate and the Elves quietly swallowed their rage.
“We’ll need to keep a close watch on Elder Pofish.”
“The one who sent the letters must have been a demon. Barents Beastmen wouldn’t know our methods, nor would they be able to imitate them.”
“The fact that they fooled even you means they are properly connected to demons.”
“That’s correct……”
Choi Kangjoong sent a Stealth Scout from the Central Stealth Scout to thoroughly search the basement.