Chapter 8

Glen Langford was searching for her figure.

Since that day, that time—

****

In the Kingdom of Nebetia, in the capital city of Lucia, there stands a grand and sturdy palace at its center.

In one of these palaces, the sharp sound of swords clashing and the voices of multiple men echoed. The men, enveloped in a tense atmosphere, clashed fiercely, their foreheads beaded with sweat, and they gripped their swords with serious expressions.

"Stop!"

A man's voice reverberated across the square. The deep tenor, lingering in the ears, carried an air of authority. At his command, the men who had been clashing swords stopped their movements and lowered their weapons.

"Training is over. Gather at the usual time tomorrow, dismissed for today!"

The man, with obsidian-like eyes and a sharp, handsome face, had jet-black hair that swayed lightly. His tall, well-built frame was clad in a black knight's uniform, and a longsword hung from his waist. On his chest, a red emblem representing the Kingdom's Knights and a badge signifying his rank as captain gleamed.

The headquarters of the Kingdom's Knights, the Sun Palace, was a place where knights gathered to bring safety and order to the country through their martial prowess.

This square was one of the training grounds of the Sun Palace, a place where many knights trained daily to improve their abilities.

The captain, who led this unit, turned his back on the knights immediately after announcing the end of training. Normally, he would remain on the field even after training, continuing to train with enthusiasm, but today he left the training ground in quick steps. His subordinates whispered among themselves, wondering if it was a sign of some great calamity, but he had no time to pay them any mind.

The man's destination was another palace, located on the opposite side of the royal palace. Like the knightly order that symbolized the kingdom's might, it was an important institution that upheld the country's defenses. It was the headquarters of the mages, the rare individuals who possessed magical power and worked tirelessly for the country's safety and technological advancement—the Moon Palace.

The man was searching.

He had visited this palace multiple times, searching for her.

She should be here.

The woman who left a lasting impression on his heart.

Ever since he saw that expression, he had been searching for her—.

****

It all began in early spring, when the winter chill occasionally returned.

It was a night when the moon floated in the twilight—

In the town of Beryl, south of the capital.

Despite the time when silence and darkness should have reigned, the place was enveloped in noise and chaos. Terrified screams and angry shouts echoed, and the sounds of people's footsteps and cries pierced the air. Amid the human voices, a beast-like roar resounded ominously.

The smell of iron—blood—filled the air, noticeable to those accustomed to it. The man, who had just set foot in the town, grimaced at the atrocity unfolding before him.

"Captain!"

A voice calling him from behind. The man, dressed in a black knight's uniform that blended with the darkness, turned around. There stood his young lieutenant and another young man who was being supported by him. The young man, though wearing the same uniform as the knightly order, had blood seeping through the torn fabric, and his clothes were dirty with mud. It was clear he was injured, as he dragged his feet while walking.

"What's the situation?"

"Sorry... We couldn't handle it..."

"Apologies are unnecessary now. Report the situation."

"...Yes. This evening, as the sun set, bandits appeared in the town and began looting. We, the 8th Unit, were trying to apprehend them, but then that thing appeared! That monster!"

The man narrowed his eyes in disgust at the report.

"Monster." A beast shrouded in black miasma, with formidable physical abilities and an abnormal level of aggression. It would attack indiscriminately upon seeing humans or livestock, scattering blood and flesh. Due to its ferocity, it was a target for extermination by the knightly order, a hideous and dangerous creature.

Monsters often appeared in forests or valleys, mainly in rural areas, but the man listened quietly to the report, puzzled by the appearance of one in the capital, even if it was on the outskirts.

"We were trying to fight back, but we couldn't take it down... And during the commotion, some of the bandits we had captured managed to escape..."

The injured knight, in a state of full-body wounds, bit his lip in frustration. The appearance of a monster while dealing with bandits required adequate personnel and equipment for its extermination. With the need to handle both, the unit was short-handed, inevitably leading to heavy casualties. That's why they had been dispatched as reinforcements, the 1st Unit, the strongest in the Kingdom of Nebetia's knightly order.

"There are also injured and dead among the townspeople who couldn't escape... It's a dire situation."

"I understand the situation. Where is the monster now?"

"It's currently wandering around the central square in front of the church in the town center."

"The town center is a place from which it can escape in any direction. This is troublesome... What about the bandits?"

"The bandits are further in."

"Further in? What do you mean?"

"It's strange... We split the unit into two groups, one to deal with the monster and the other to handle the bandits. But whenever we tried to chase the bandits, the monster would strangely block our path. It might be a coincidence, but..."

The man narrowed his eyes even more unpleasantly.

Monsters usually act unpredictably. It was impossible for a monster to protect the bandits by hindering the knights' efforts to capture them. Was it just a coincidence, or—

"I see."

"Also, we requested reinforcements because we couldn't handle it alone, but the situation was deemed urgent, and it seems another person has been sent to assist us."

"Another person?"

"Yes. A mage from the Moon Palace is being dispatched."

"A mage?"

"Mages" are rare individuals who possess magical power, capable of causing mysterious phenomena through magical formulas and incantations. They can manipulate the four elements that make up the world—wind, earth, water, and fire—and some can even handle special abilities.

Most mages focus on the research and development of magic. However, some possess both high magical and physical abilities—mages capable of combat. (As a side note, the knightly order often refers to these as combat mages and those who focus on research as research mages).

Occasionally, combat mages work with the knightly order in battles and monster exterminations, but their abilities vary. Additionally, many mages are eccentric, so the combat method must be adjusted based on the mage's personality. That's why Glen asked the 8th Unit's knight.

"Who is being dispatched? 'Lone Moon' or 'Waning Moon'?"

"It seems that the usual combat mages who respond to reinforcement requests are currently absent from the Moon Palace..."

"No combat mages of high rank, huh."

"Yes... Someone else is coming."

"Could it be a research mage? Or not a high-ranking mage?"

"I don't know. But I hope it's not an inexperienced mage."

"Well, whoever it is, it doesn't matter much."

Glen said this dismissively.

He had gathered the minimum information from the 8th Unit, who had been on the scene. There was no time to linger here. The situation needed to be resolved as quickly as possible, with his own sword skills.

"You should rest."

"No, I can still fight!"

"Your body says otherwise. Stop talking nonsense."

Glen stopped the 8th Unit's knight, who was dragging his injured leg and insisting he could still fight, with a sharp look. He admired the knight's spirit, but it was clear the knight was reaching his limit.

"Don't worry."

Glen slowly drew his sword from his waist.

The sharp blade, reflecting the moonlight, gleamed.

"I'll make sure to drench the enemy in blood and exterminate them all."

With jet-black hair and obsidian-like sharp eyes, the man, dressed in a black knight's uniform and with a handsome, brave face, smiled coldly.

His eyes were filled with anger and cruelty.

The man's name is Glen Langford.

He is the captain of the 1st Unit, the elite combat unit of the Kingdom of Nebetia's knightly order, known for its exceptional combat capabilities.

****

"Damn, this way?"

Kicking the cobblestones, Glen stopped at his destination.

In the town center, in front of the church, there was a square with a small fountain. What was usually a place of rest for the townspeople was now a gruesome scene. The aftermath of the bandit raid and the appearance of the monster was evident. As he confirmed the town's condition while cutting down several bandits on his way to the square, the damage was worse than expected.

Now, in the square, there was a beast shrouded in black miasma. Although Glen had just arrived, the ominous presence of the monster immediately caught his attention. Its sharp fangs and claws glinted dully, and its eyes, filled with madness and killing intent, saw only prey. The monster's gaze was on the knights—the 8th Unit's knights and some of his own subordinates who had come to assist. Despite their injuries, the knights held their swords, standing firm and maintaining a standoff. Glen's lips curled up at their determination to prevent the monster from escaping.

That's what it means to be a knight. Their resolve to protect the people, the ones they must defend, is the pride of a knight.

However, a standoff alone wouldn't accomplish anything. A decisive move was needed to break the stalemate. Glen, confident in his own skills and strength, gripped his sword, his partner, and stepped forward. As he walked to the square, he shook off the blood from the bandits he had cut down.

The target was the ferocious monster.

Just as Glen was about to take another step toward the monster, he heard it.

His senses, honed for combat, picked up a faint, beautiful voice through the wind and the sounds of the battle.

(...Is that a song...?)

Glen frowned at the out-of-place singing.

(...Singing in this situation?)

In the midst of the chaos, someone was singing carelessly. An out-of-place, foolish person who would easily become the next target if discovered by the bandits or the monster. Glen clicked his tongue in annoyance and scanned the area to find the source of the voice. After a thorough search, he found the person in the church's bell tower.

The figure was deeply cloaked, and their face was hidden.

However, from the voice, it was likely a woman.

The person, standing in a place from which they could overlook the town center, seemed suspicious.

A townspeople— or an enemy? Glen's hesitation was brief.

The figure, still cloaked and faceless, slowly raised their hands in front of their chest. A soft, melancholic, and beautiful voice echoed, and a faint light began to blink in the air, forming a special circle—a magic circle.

The incantation, the construction of magic, and the deployment of the spell—only a mage could do this.

Glen's narrowed eyes caught the mage's robe, the symbol of a mage in the Kingdom of Nebetia. He was certain this person was the mage dispatched from the Moon Palace to assist the 1st Unit.

(The atmosphere has changed.)

As soon as he spotted the mage, the trees around the square began to rustle. The strange sensation he felt on his skin was a prelude to magic.

The first to make a sound was a large tree in the square, its branches swaying and many leaves falling. The anomaly was not in the tree but in the vines entangled around it. The vines grew abnormally, moving quickly as if they had a will of their own.

The target of the vines was— the monster.

A roar echoed through the air.

The vines wrapped around the monster, tightly constricting its movements. The monster's roars and the saliva it spat as it struggled stained the square. Despite its sharp claws, it couldn't move forward.

The monster's movements were restrained—.

No one in the square was foolish enough to miss this moment. The multiple knights facing the monster tightened their grip on their swords. Glen, aware that he was one of them, kicked the cobblestones, his boots echoing, and raised his voice.

"Everyone, let's finish this!!"

"“Yes, sir!””

There was no mercy or compassion for the enemy in front of them.

What they sought was only its death.

With the knights' resolute responses echoing in his ears, Glen, without hiding his killing intent, thrust his sword forcefully into the monster with a fierce expression.

****

A blood-soaked monster corpse lay in front of him. Beside it, several bandits were tied up, unable to move. If the monster hadn't interfered, capturing the bandits, who were former delinquents, would have been easy for the elite 1st Unit of the Kingdom of Nebetia's knightly order. Some of the bandits were already dead, but that didn't matter. It wasn't necessary to capture all of them alive. A few who could confess their crimes and provide information about the bandit gang would suffice.

Glen and the 1st Unit's knights gathered in front of the captured bandits, waiting for the arrival of their comrades who were still scattered around the town. Once the final check for any remaining bandits was complete, the incident would be resolved.

Glen glanced sideways at the figure standing beside him and then shifted his gaze back to the bandits. His lieutenant standing beside him was not unusual for a captain.

"Captain, was that a mage earlier?"

"Probably."

"Amazing skills."

"Yeah, it's frustrating."

"Who could it be...?"

"How would I know? I'd like to know too. Capturing my prey like that."

"Always saying things like that... You're actually grateful, aren't you? They provided a lot of assistance, making it easier for us to move. I'd like to thank them, but it's a shame we can't see them."

The mage, who was supposed to be assisting, had not yet joined the knights. The mage, who had not revealed themselves, had continued to support the knights with magic even after restraining the monster. Glen and the other knights had felt the mage's assistance, creating barriers of wind to protect the townspeople from bandits and raining water spheres on burning buildings and debris. Without prior coordination, the mage's numerous spells had been the best form of support, not hindering the knights' actions. The mage, who had implemented these spells, must have been skilled and considerate, capable of casting multiple spells in succession.

However, it was suspicious that the mage had not yet revealed themselves.

Their name and appearance were unknown. Glen, considering that the mage might leave the scene without showing themselves, told his lieutenant, "I'll leave this to you for a moment. I'll be right back." Despite the lieutenant's attempt to stop him, "Wait, wait!" Glen ignored it and walked away confidently.

(It seems I'm the only one who knows the mage's location...)

The faint singing. It wasn't really singing; the mage was likely chanting softly. But Glen could hear it with his abnormally acute hearing.

However, even with his acute hearing, he could barely make it out. No matter how elite the 1st Unit was, the townspeople's screams, the monster's roars, and the noise from the bandits and knights had drowned out the singing, and they had not noticed the mage's location.

Glen stopped at his destination—the church—and looked up. His gaze was on the bell tower.

There was still a dark figure there.

Glen narrowed his black eyes.

Upon closer inspection, a small owl was perched on the figure's shoulder, which hadn't been there before. However, the figure was still deeply cloaked, covering their entire body and figure. Of course, their face was also hidden, and their features were unknown.

(The only thing I know is that it's a woman, based on her voice.)

Frustrated by the lack of information, he clicked his tongue. Just as he was about to go up to the church to see the mage's face, a gentle breeze caressed his cheek.

The mage's cloak in the bell tower also fluttered in the wind.

The hood, which had been pulled down to cover the face, was playfully blown off by the wind.

It was a young woman—.

Her long, wavy hair danced softly in the wind.

In the twilight, her exact hair color was unclear, but it seemed to blend into the darkness, likely a dark shade. The color of her eyes was also indistinct.

Under the moonlight, what was visible was a cool gaze, a slender nose, and a small mouth. Each feature complemented the others, forming a beautiful face.

The small owl perched on the woman's shoulder took flight, as if carried by the wind