NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 90
– 1 –
“Did you rest well, Serha?”
“Yes, Lady! Thanks to you!”
Immediately after finishing the organization and maintenance of the army, I called for Serha, who was in the guest room.
‘Maria’s skills have improved.’
I had restored her strength, but I had still instructed Maria, who was either a maid or handmaiden, to help with Serha’s grooming.
Perhaps because of this, Serha looked much more refined than before when I saw her again.
Her tousled hair and feathers were neatly arranged, making her appear cuter and less wild.
“I had no idea dungeons could be so comfortable! And that blanket was just amazing!”
“If you want, I can send a few blankets to the Harpy’s nest.”
“Really? My mother and tribe will be so happy!”
Getting a dozen or so blankets to win the goodwill of the entire Harpy tribe didn’t sound like a bad deal.
Since their physical features (mostly sharp claws) require regular provision of intact blankets, it would accumulate items I could exchange for currency if I sold them later with the condition of receiving costs.
‘Considering Kamaya’s tendencies, it might be easier for her to owe a debt if I sell them ‘cheaply’.’
“If you all are happy, that makes me happy too.”
“Hehe.”
Though I saw a sharp glint in Serha’s eyes as she giggled innocently, I pretended not to notice and turned my head away.
That girl. She’s quite observant.
“Now we need to head north. Please guide me.”
“Are you taking the entire army with you?”
“Not necessary.”
The personnel heading to the Coniferous Forest in the north would consist of half elite-level and regular Skeletons, along with two squads of Skeleton soldiers led by Skeleton officers.
However, the other Skeletons that are not soldiers usually move with the squads.
This is because elite-level soldiers and officers possess characteristics that influence vast areas.
‘Special collective tactics – The more surrounding same-type entities there are, the more every entity’s health and slightly magical power increases.’
‘Advanced command – The more surrounding lower same-type entities there are, the officer’s stamina and skill slightly increase, as does the skill of all entities.’
‘Gaze of vengeance – A gaze filled with the resentment of the dead shrinks the living. Nearby hostile life forms with average stats lower than 1.5 times that of the characteristic holder slightly experience a decrease in skill.’
Making allies stronger while weakening enemies—is a capability held by superior undead soldiers.
This was also part of the reason I had invested some of the few ‘high-level summon slots’ I currently possessed into them.
While there are buffs for allies for lieutenants, they fall slightly short and don’t provide as much value as the investments starting from the officers.
“‘Shade of the Void’.”
Swish!
As I rolled my foot on the ground with the incantation, my shadow greatly expanded, sucking in the soldiers lined up.
Moments later, all that remained were me, Eve, Xue, and Serha, as well as those who came out to see us off.
“What was that just now…?”
“It’s a spell that every Dungeon Lord possesses.”
“Wow!”
Nodding at Serha’s curious inquiry with her wide-open eyes, she began to circle around me, playfully stepping on the shadows on the ground.
Though it was a waste of time, I decided to watch that cute sight for a moment.
After all, it would take four days by ordinary carriage to get to the Coniferous Forest.
If something were to go wrong due to a slight delay, then it couldn’t be helped.
“There’s really nothing here…”
…Of course, I wouldn’t deny that I felt softened by her adorable demeanor.
“Are you all set?”
“Ah! I’m so sorry…! You were waiting, right?”
“It’s fine. Let’s go.”
I showed her a gentle smile and patted her head before we boarded the carriage.
– 2 –
During the hours when regular beings are awake, Xue becomes the driver, and when they’re not, Eve takes over.
Originally, horses would need time to rest, but this time it wasn’t necessary.
After all, we were riding a carriage pulled not by regular horses but by a ghostly white skeleton and a black shadow.
– Heehee…!
Clatter clatter…
Phantom Horse.
The creature typically treated as a set with the Death Knight.
If you look closely, you’ll realize that it was making noise despite its hooves not even touching the ground.
“Finally, we’ve arrived!”
Thanks to the special nature of this horse, we dismounted just as we reached the entrance of the Coniferous Forest.
There were no stops or places to rest, so we had arrived without resting even once.
Serha seemed excited.
“You must have been bored.”
“No! It wasn’t boring with you, Lady!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes!”
But it seems she wasn’t actually bored after all.
Looking at my face with a slightly burdensome gaze during the free moments, I thought she was certainly feeling bored.
‘I felt somewhat guilty about it.’
I wasn’t feeling bored.
I had spent most of the travel time focusing on the magic book.
It felt a lot like passing time reading web novels on a train, rather than actually being bored.
“I can hear fighting…”
– Crack.
As I shook off the slightly guilty feelings toward Serha, I noticed Xue murmuring something as she peered beyond the forest.
Bending slightly forward as if something was visible ahead, her ears were folded cautiously, and her entire body was tense.
Eve was also looking in the same direction, indicating something was in that area.
Perhaps a fight was happening nearby.
“It’s over…”
“Already? What a shame. I wanted to see how the fight between the two factions was going.”
“The fight nearby is done… but there’s still plenty more.”
“Really…?”
The area ruled by the queen of the north.
In other words, this Coniferous Forest where we just arrived is a plateau located about three days northwest of Solemio.
‘Was it called Mistheim?’
To the south and west, the Eisenlight Mountain Range, which is higher than this plateau, looms over it, and the plateau itself is shrouded in fog year-round, further concealing the dense Coniferous Forest inside.
Also, this plateau and forest share the same name.
“This is that tree.”
I had heard rumors about the trees here even among humans.
A dangerous place teeming with monsters, but the wood obtained here is of high quality and sells for a high price, so there are often requests for woodcutters and adventurers to accompany them.
Clunk.
Curious, I tapped the tree, and a strong resilient sound echoed back.
This “Kaisen Mistheim Ironwood,” as it’s called, constitutes the trees of this Coniferous Forest, and due to its robustness and flexibility, it is famous as a material for all kinds of weapons.
“Do they even know? That the reason they can live here unscathed is because of human needs.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“This wood is something humans highly covet.”
As such, the existence of the monster group here was well known even to the kingdom.
There’s a famous reason why this place hasn’t become a target for monster extermination, despite having such useful resources.
Though there are useful materials, the monsters that reside here are sufficiently hostile to humans without actively expanding outward.
Yet, there’s a reason why this place isn’t targeted for “monster eradication.”
‘Luck must be on our side.’
According to the results of researchers among mages, the reason the “Ironwood” grows solidly is due to the waste produced by the monsters living here.
“What you’re saying is…”
“It means that the bark of this tree is mixed with some of the monsters.”
“Uh. That sounds a bit grotesque…”
The manure from the monsters here contains components that help create “hard exoskeletons,” and it’s this phenomenon where the Coniferous tree maintains its resilient quality by absorbing that waste.
From a human standpoint, the situation simply requires periodic extermination of monsters to keep their numbers in check.
This is also why Solemio can still maintain its relatively large size as a city, despite being located in a poorly connected rural area.
Management of this place is jointly overseen by the Copgerin and Solemio Adventurer Guild.
‘So, it’s technically Mistheim Ironwood, not Kaisen.’
Given that, claiming this place wouldn’t be seen as confiscation, but rather as rightful reclamation of ownership.
Of course, that’s a bit of a stretch.
“First, let’s head towards the ruler of this place.”
“Understood! This way!”
“Xue. If there’s a fight happening nearby, let me know immediately. We should at least take a look.”
“Okay…”
Clack clack…
Swaaaash…!
While riding in the carriage led by Xue, I scanned the surroundings.
Unlike when we came here, Xue was leading the carriage at a relatively slow pace.
With just that, it was suspicious whether everyone could fully receive sun exposure among the dense Coniferous trees, as strong winds generated sounds around.
And the fog may be white, but it’s not letting sunlight in, casting a pale dark that makes it difficult to distinguish anything even within 10 meters with the naked eye.
Overall, it was a scene that felt mysterious and eerie.
The ‘flow’ felt within it was also strange…
Wait a minute.
‘Something feels off.’
While it’s common for high-altitude areas to have frequent fog, it’s rare for places like this to have fog that doesn’t let up year-round.
The reason the wind and magical power were clinging to this area was laid out right before my eyes.
“The culprit was the trees.”
– Clatter.
“Did you feel it too? The trees are capturing both light and mist.”
– Crack!
“If we research this properly, it might be interesting.”
The secret lay in this location, specifically in the air currents that each Coniferous tree was creating.
Swish…
The corpses of magical creatures, born from the magical bodies and blood nourished by manure, creating the Coniferous trees.
Those plants, having become accustomed to magical energy over such a long period, instinctively utilize magic to tightly cling to the moisture and light they require.
It should be considered that the trees’ manipulation of magical energy has reached the realm of primitive supernatural abilities.
In other words, it’s a naturally occurring labyrinth.
‘No wonder there’s so much fog, but it’s not clinging to the skin.’
When I cleared my thoughts and observed the area, I found that the nearby air was simply refreshing, not sticky enough to raise the discomfort level of passing travelers.
Even in a high-altitude region, with such high humidity, it would generally cause water to accumulate on the skin or outfit and become annoying.
“With this level of ability, new monsters should soon emerge in this forest.”
“Perhaps a new king…?”
“That won’t happen. There are already two leaders.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
If we provided a longer lifespan and a safer environment for the Coniferous trees here, they would soon transform like Alraune or develop into spirits.
The ‘research’ I mentioned meant that.
Clattering.
As I contemplated the scenes around me, I felt the carriage coming to a stop.
“This way… Huh?”
“I sensed signs of battle, Lady.”
“Alright. Let’s go on foot.”
It was news of battle.
Hearing Serha’s startled voice and Xue’s calm tone, I descended and began to move with Xue leading the way.
“Clang!!”
Bam!
“Kyahhh!!”
Smash!
Not long after, the scene unfolding before us was a battlefield splattered with the blood and mucous of warriors clad in hard exoskeletons and beasts.