The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 108

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

My voice faltered in amazement.

The magic of the Magic Tower had long been an unbeatable fortress, untouchable by anyone. Countless challengers had attempted but none succeeded. With the Magic Tower monopolizing high-level magic, independent research alone had its limits. Yet, the Aslan Empire had achieved the impossible.

“I knew you would understand immediately, Officer Sei.”

The Crown Prince’s face brightened with a satisfied smile.

“Having the Empire develop its own magical capabilities has been His Majesty’s long-cherished wish. This success owes much to Officer Lisa Avil. We are fortunate she joined the Security Department instead of the Magic Tower.”

In truth, she couldn’t have gone even if she wanted to. The Magic Tower doesn’t accept women or different races as disciples. Unlike the conservative Aslan Empire, which at least doesn’t restrict women’s participation in society, the Magic Tower stubbornly clings to this archaic policy.

’I heard the founder of the Magic Tower, the first Ramphius, was a woman, though.’

She was said to be the first great mage to reach the level of the Ten Sages. Even a thousand years after her death, no one had yet achieved that level.

The reason the Magic Tower could remain the strongest was due to the research and magic formulas she left behind. Yet, the later generations openly discriminated against female mages. I couldn’t help but think that the first Lampas was probably rolling in her grave. The Crown Prince, who must have been aware of these circumstances, added a comment.

“In that sense, I suppose the Magic Tower deserves some credit for this achievement as well. I will express my gratitude to them at some point. Thanks to their rigid policies, the imperial family was able to secure such a brilliant talent.”

It was a noble form of provocation, typical of aristocratic manners. I could easily imagine the expressions of the Magic Tower mages who would receive this praise. I unconsciously smiled, and the Crown Prince chuckled along with me.

“Of course, there is still a long way to go. The magic we broke was not the highest level at the Magic Tower. But that’s precisely why we cannot let it be known that we have broken it.”

“They would certainly try to trouble you with even higher-level magic.”

“It would be fortunate if it ended there. They would try to ensure we never challenged their authority again by utterly crushing us. The Magic Tower always claims to be allies of the Empire, but I don’t believe it. Unfortunately, now is the time to be cautious.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes turned cold.

“Especially after what happened today, my conviction has only strengthened.”

It seemed he had also sensed the link between the Magic Tower and the Demonic Beasts. The presence of the two here was no mere coincidence.

“May I ask what exactly happened?”

When I cautiously inquired, the Crown Prince shrugged.

“I received reports that the Magic Tower was gathering people from various parts of the capital. I decided to confirm it with my own eyes, but I underestimated the situation. I didn’t realize they were gathering people by force.”

“…”

So, the intruder trying to gather intel was them.

I swallowed a sigh and draped my cloak over his shoulders. The Crown Prince’s eyes widened.

“I am fine, Officer.”

“Please keep it on. You have been poisoned, so your body has likely suffered a lot. The detoxification only helped to a certain extent; you need to recuperate for a while.”

“…I understand. Thank you.”

‘At least Edmil seems fine.’

I glanced at the man whom I thought had endured the same ordeal but stood still, looking as unruffled as ever. Perhaps due to his naturally strong constitution, he seemed to be holding up better than others. When I looked at him, he promptly extended the sword to return it. Shaking my head, I declined.

“You don’t have any other weapon with you, do you? Keep this for now, Officer.”

“…Thank you.”

Hesitantly accepting the sword, he stared at me intently, as if ready to bombard me with long-held questions. Yet, he didn’t manage to speak.

“Sir Sei.”

“…!”

It was Semeion, poking his face out of my coat pocket before anyone else could react.

“A… a fairy?”

Of course, I had anticipated such a remark. Semeion, now accustomed to this, didn’t even flinch. Without sparing a glance at the two frozen in shock, he addressed me directly.

“It’s too cold. Wouldn’t it be better to move to another place rather than stay here?”

It seemed he was concerned about me, having given my cloak to the Crown Prince. As if to emphasize his point, a chilly breeze blew through. The winter in Seoryeong wasn’t as harsh as in Bukryeong, but standing outside without fire was still unbearable. Everyone had to agree.

* * *

Boom—

In a dense forest, untouched by humans for thousands of years, a loud noise echoed. It was a tremendous vibration that shook the earth.

This disturbance also reached Markatis, who was deep in slumber. Slowly, he rose from his resting place. His eyes, groggily opening, sharpened into vertical slits.

Someone was forcibly intruding into his territory.

‘How dare they.’

He had noticed the increasing presence of the Demonic Beasts and monsters in recent times. Ever since he generously offered refuge to the forest’s inhabitants, their numbers had grown. But he thought, even so, no creature would be foolish enough to invade a Dragon’s domain. It seemed some had indeed lost their senses.

“Times have changed. There are those who dare to look down on me now.”

Markatis was a very rational dragon. Although he found the revival of the Demonic Beast and the infestation of monsters unpleasant, he considered it part of the world’s natural order and refrained from interfering. He aimed to faithfully fulfill the role of ‘Observer’ bestowed upon him by the gods.

‘But that doesn’t mean I’ll stay silent when provoked.’

Today, they would learn thoroughly whom they had dared to challenge.

A menacing laugh escaped from him, and a sinister aura began to rise from his entire body. Despite being a Green Dragon, known for their relatively gentle nature, a dragon was still a dragon. When angered, he could become the most ruthless of tyrants. For the first time in a long while, he was prepared to fully unleash his true nature.

However, that did not happen. The intruder who boldly broke through his barrier and entered his domain was entirely unexpected. The moment he spotted a familiar, even welcome face, all the rage that had filled his head dissipated.

“Well, well, look who it is. Isn’t that Lasrif?”

“…”

Wearing a long coat that reached his ankles and old leather boots, the intruder with green hair stood nonchalantly, resting a long spear on one shoulder. His expression was sullen as he glared at Markatis.

Lasrif of the Clonne race.

An elite warrior of the same age as the current knights. The man gritted his teeth and tucked the cigarette he had just lit back into his front pocket.

“You bastard. What were you doing all this time? Do you know how many times I called for you?”

“Really? Did you call me? My apologies. I was sleeping.”

At those words, the already annoyed man’s eyebrow twitched. Considering the situation his race had recently faced, it was understandable he wasn’t in a good mood. Not to mention, he naturally disliked Markatis. Thus, their current meeting was even more surprising.

“I never thought I’d see the day you’d come looking for me. The main territory must have finally heard about it? But why did you come personally instead of sending someone else?”

Markatis naturally assumed that warriors from the Clonne main territory had been dispatched. It was strange enough that Lasrif, who disliked him, came alone. Lasrif sneered crookedly.

“You don’t need to know. Just hand him over.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t play dumb. The old chestnut tree’s last words exposed everything. You took our Aesang.”

“Ah, that’s what this is about.”

Had they only gotten that far? Markatis, realizing the situation, felt somewhat troubled. Clearly, they were unaware of the subsequent events. Given the current circumstances, there was plenty of room for misunderstanding. Seeing Markatis hesitate, Lasrif’s expression became even more hostile.

“Don’t think of keeping him to yourself, thinking this is your chance. Hand him over quietly while I’m still asking nicely.”

“No, wait a minute. Isn’t it a bit too much to misunderstand me like that? I was just protecting the kid, that’s all.”

“Given your track record, how impressive must it have been? How many times have you tried to kidnap members of our race? If you have any conscience, remember the agreement you made with us.”

Markatis found himself at a loss for words, scratching his cheek awkwardly. Indeed, he had a special agreement with the Clonne race that dated back hundreds of years. The agreement stipulated that he couldn’t enter their territory without permission and had to be accompanied by Clonne warriors during his stay. This agreement was the result of several failed attempts in which he had been caught trying to lure innocent members of the Clonne race into captivity.

“That was all a misunderstanding. I merely invited them to my home. Just because I welcomed them warmly and kept them for a bit longer doesn’t mean it was kidnapping.”

However, Lasrif, who had been one of the victims of that incident, wasn’t convinced by such an excuse. He immediately scoffed.

“A bit longer, you say? Perhaps ten years is just a bit for you. You locked them up and prevented them from leaving, yet you claim it wasn’t imprisonment?”

“Hmm, well, I was a bit naive back then. I only thought from my own perspective…”

“Ugh, enough already. Anyway, you did well saying that. If you were protecting him, that means you’ve admitted you were keeping him, right? Now bring him to me, right now.”

“You’re being unreasonable. At least you could say thank you, right? No matter what happened in the past, the fact remains that I saved the kid.”

“Fine, I forgive you for luring and imprisoning the kid. Happy now?”

“Hmph.”

Markatis found himself speechless again, sighing heavily. But the next words he spoke were not what Lasrif wanted to hear.

“I’m sorry, but he’s not here.”

“Haha, did I just hear gibberish? I must be hearing things.”

“Don’t be angry. I’m serious.”

Raising both hands in a placating gesture, Markatis sighed.

“Do you think I’d risk breaking that agreement? It’s true I took care of him for a while, but once he regained his senses, he left. He said he had to deliver news to Semeion.”

“…And you just let him go?”

“What else could I do? Given your race’s propensity to claim kidnapping whenever anyone is stopped from leaving, I was terrified of the allegations.”

“Do you even hear yourself? You’re disgustingly inflexible!”

Letting a young kid leave alone without any protection—this was beyond belief! Lasrif’s barely suppressed anger reached a boiling point. Overwhelmed with fury, he grabbed Markatis by the collar.