Chapter 70: Beast fighting

“But are those really new beasts?” Talos asked, feigning surprise to change the subject.

Unaware of his motives, Michael answered solemnly.

“With the lizards gone, it seems new ones are trying to take over the territory.”

Michael glanced at Rita for confirmation.

His charming smile made it hard to ignore. Rita nodded reluctantly, and Talos groaned in despair. Glaring at his pretense, Rita sighed repeatedly.

‘Fragments are likely connected. Satan fled to the rocky region too. So, Asmodeus probably knows about this.’

Why Asmodeus left this area unattended was unclear, but in the worst case, they could face both Lucifel and Asmodeus simultaneously.

Regardless, new snake-like beasts had appeared in Bamil forest.

With Talos’s unit wiped out, further conquest seemed impossible. Michael cautiously agreed, and Talos nodded silently.

This conquest was a public contest between Talos and Karina.

Their notorious rivalry made this setback fodder for gossip—Talos’s defeat.

Blena subtly observed Talos’s reaction.

The Talos she knew would prioritize consoling the innocent over personal victory.

“What a shame…” Talos muttered, scanning the group.

“…innocent lives lost.”

Blena’s eyes widened at his cynical monologue.

As expected of her Master—she must have misjudged him earlier. Moved, Blena felt a surge of emotion.

“But their deaths were valiant,” Talos added with a regretful expression.

Blena’s eyes widened again.

Though she’d normally accept it without thought, his words felt more like relief than sorrow.

‘Am I being influenced by Rita’s feelings?’

Blena shook her head to dispel her negative thoughts.

“For their sacrifice, I must try harder,” Talos said bitterly, looking at Rita.

“So, I want to join you now.”

Rita stared coldly.

In Bamil forest, only two or three beast corpses were found.

Even if the attack was sudden, it was laughable that a Mage Tower Master like Talos was so thoroughly defeated without contributing.

Worse, he was saved by his disciples.

Karina’s side would relish this news, and Talos’s carefully built reputation would crumble.

‘Is he planning to cover this failure by joining me publicly?’

A brief storm. If he followed Rita and defeated a mother beast, his prestige would recover.

Calculating his obvious scheme, Rita narrowed her eyes.

‘What should I do? Let him tag along and ignore him? Or refuse?’

If he joined, dangerous situations could arise, giving her leverage to intimidate him.

But her group was full of supreme-ranks; Talos’s strength wasn’t appealing.

Instead, making him lead another front would be wiser.

Above all…

‘Even a man like him is an ally for now. I can’t sacrifice him for personal grudges.’

Thanks to Blena, Rita realized Talos was still a “life.”

So, even if she wanted him dead, that was a matter for after the war.

Suppressing the murderous intent rising within her, Rita calmed herself.

“It’s fine. Master, please form a new unit and take charge of Bamil forest.”

“What? Me, Bamil again…?”

“If Bamil falls to them, the southern camp could be at risk. So, please take responsibility for this place.”

“But, Rita, didn’t you ask for my help last time?”

“We don’t need reinforcements for the mother beast pursuit. We’re used to our way.”

“But the Child of the Forest died, didn’t she? So, I should join to help…”

Rita grew suspicious of Talos’s clingy attitude.

Retaking Bamil could restore his reputation, yet he insisted on following her.

‘Is he trying to cling to me for survival? Or does he have another scheme?’

If so, she couldn’t allow it.

Honestly, traveling with Talos, even as an ally, was dreadful.

Rita refused firmly.

“To be blunt, if you can’t handle this level of beast swarm, you’ll struggle to keep up with us.”

Though polite, it was a clear dismissal of his abilities.

Talos’s face flushed, but with his skills questioned, he had no retort.

“W-Well, you’re right. I was shortsighted, Rita. I’ll strive to be more helpful,” he said, coughing awkwardly.

An uncomfortable silence followed, broken only when Rita turned away, allowing Michael to smile stiffly.

Nursing his anger at being dismissed, Talos glanced at his disciples.

Blena avoided his gaze and followed Rita.

Alois, meeting his eyes, offered a small smile, but it was tinged with faint disappointment.

He looked at Talos with pity.

Just a month ago, Talos was a grand figure to him.

But after following Rita, Talos seemed small and insignificant.

Having witnessed Talos’s desperate plea for his life, Alois kept replaying that image.

‘Is this really who Lord Talos is?’

Pausing at a fork, Alois tilted his head.

He considered asking Blena, who knew Talos longer, but, ever cautious, he stopped thinking in the heavy atmosphere.

***

News of the snake-like beasts spread quickly, along with Talos’s unit’s failure.

The expedition camp buzzed with unease.

“A failed operation? The mood’s already bad…”

“Everyone but Talos died?”

“The Mage Tower Master, and that’s all he could do? Disappointing.”

After Karina’s Free Mages excelled in Allen forest, Talos’s news deepened the soldiers’ disappointment.

Still, Talos had loyalists who kept him afloat.

“You must be devastated. The Master tried to protect his disciples, only to survive alone…”

The Mage Tower’s blind supporters erased his incompetence.

Young mages joined, vowing revenge for the fallen.

Thanks to them, Talos easily gathered a second unit.

“The Roge Peninsula is likely the snakes’ territory. Since Bamil is nearby, the Master’s unit alone may struggle,” Rita said, studying a map and pinpointing Lucifel’s likely location.

Valery, observing closely, nodded.

“Reinforcements are being organized. Karina’s nearly secured Allen forest, so we’ll establish a new camp there for immediate supplies.”

“If the snakes are our next enemy, Bamil will become the front line,” Sercia added, assuming Lucifel’s territory was the northeastern coast.

Taking advantage of the beasts’ retreat, soldiers were dispatched to secure a defensive line.

Floria, hearing the news, stepped forward first.

Urged to hunt the beasts immediately, Rita and her group decided to scout around Bamil forest.

“Let’s prepare and meet at the scheduled time.”

The departure was set for noon.

With time to spare in the early morning, Rita moved discreetly to scout Asmodeus’s territory.

Yan followed, hesitating and watching her cautiously, likely recalling her earlier reprimand. Rita gave him a wry smile.

“We’re riding a bird. Is that okay?”

Recalling Yan’s fear when clinging to an eagle the day they met, Rita asked.

His purple eyes lit up, then wavered.

After a moment’s thought, Yan nodded with a determined look. Rita chuckled.

“Dreamwoven Creation.”

Sneaking out of the camp with Yan, Rita summoned a creature in a clearing.

Expecting him to panic, she was surprised by Yan’s calm reaction to the giant eagle.

Rita climbed onto its right talon, and Yan followed onto the left.

At her signal, the eagle flapped, rising slowly.

‘Is he okay?’

As altitude increased, Rita glanced at Yan.

Surprisingly, he was staring below with wide eyes, showing no fear.

Unlike last time, his composure intrigued her.

‘What’s he staring at so intently?’

Curious, she followed his gaze. Beneath them, a snow-covered winter forest unfolded.

To Rita, it was just a white expanse, so she shook her head, puzzled by Yan’s open-mouthed awe.

“W-Wow…”

The winter landscape in Yan’s innocent purple eyes was breathtakingly beautiful.

The cold air brushing his cheeks felt novel and refreshing.

He gazed blankly at the vast white forest under the blue sky, letting out foolish gasps of wonder.

Then, he turned to look back at the path they’d traveled. The endless horizon shifted colors at some point.

The white that had blanketed the earth gave way to vibrant hues of soil, trees, and leaves.

To Yan, it looked warmer, brimming with life.

His eyes grew wider, spotting a village or city as a dot in the distance, staring endlessly.

A gust of wind made him turn forward, where a dazzling white landscape reappeared.

Green and white alternated with each turn, fascinating him for a long time.

His half-open mouth only closed when they neared the rocky region.

“We’re landing soon.”

The eagle descended in a whirlwind, vanishing like smoke before touching the ground.

Rita landed gracefully, but Yan, missing the timing, flailed and fell.

Rita called his name in alarm, but he stood, grinning sheepishly.

“We’ll scout this area. Follow closely.”

Rita led the way, eyeing the distant valley and rocky terrain.

This forest was once home to Satan’s offspring.

Now, with Satan dead, only discarded lizard husks remained.

“Just in case, stay cautious,” Rita warned, scanning carefully.

The dry terrain, dotted with trees and burrows, was perfect for snakes to appear unexpectedly.

A nearby river also made it ideal for thirsty goats.

“Dreamwoven Creation.”

Rita summoned a small bird and sent it toward the rocky area.

With Yan as lookout, she shared its vision. But Asmodeus’s presumed territory was desolate.

Beyond the valley, a cliff landscape with few trees revealed black-furred creatures moving slowly.

Goats with thick horns and red eyes—beasts—roamed, descending the cliffs.

“Are they hunting for food?” Rita mused.

Their numbers were fewer than expected.

When gathered, they fought among themselves, not lightly but to the death.

So focused on fighting, they didn’t notice her summoned bird overhead.

“Monsters. Fighting,” Yan muttered, observing.

Rita, startled, dismissed the summon.

Hundreds of meters away, without shared vision, Yan described their actions as if he’d seen them himself.