Chapter 534
Thesaya answered, "Nope. Don’t remember a thing."
"There are also two more warriors with only one eye now," Charlotte immediately added.
At that, Thesaya’s brow finally furrowed slightly. "That happened during a fight, didn’t it? It was unavoidable."
"That’s why I’m not holding you responsible. Be satisfied with that."
"So cheap. Maybe I should just scrap the whole deal." Thesaya spun around in a huff.
Erenos had officially joined hands with the beastfolk. It was one of the bombshells Thesaya would drop at the family meeting when she returned to Tahena. Of course, her plan was to use Ian’s name to quash any opposition.
"I’m counting on you to handle things back there. See you at Maro Tel. I won’t be too late," Charlotte said, turning to Palmer and Idris, paying Thesaya no mind.
Ian was busy tucking the necklace inside his breastplate.
"Yes, Great Chieftain," Palmer replied immediately.
Idris also bowed his head slightly. The two were to be the temporary leader and deputy, commanding the beastfolk while Charlotte was away, escorting Ian."Shall we go then, Ian?" Charlotte asked, looking at him.
Ian, who was adjusting the chain strap for his greatsword after securing the necklace, readily agreed. "Yes."
As Charlotte turned, the two beastfolk’s gazes naturally shifted to him. Ian moved his neck and arms around and added, "Take care, you two."
"We will await the day we see you again, Great Warrior," Palmer said with a bow.
Ian turned and let out a soft laugh. "You’d be better off hoping we don’t. If we meet again, it’ll be a very dangerous situation."
"I certainly hope such a day comes," said Palmer.
"I will gladly lay down my life to fight," Idris even rumbled.
Walking alongside Charlotte, Ian shook his head. The thought that they were a good match for Karha came to him once again. In a few years, Karha’s influence here might become as strong as it was in the North.
"Aren’t your steps a little too light?" Thesaya naturally fell into step beside Ian, who was walking with Charlotte.
As if she’d never been pouting, she was now glancing at Charlotte with a mischievous look. "You wanted to leave too, didn’t you? This backwater place."
"Well, it’s true that I feel unburdened. Now it feels like we can finally have that talk we couldn’t finish, Ian. About what you went through over there." Charlotte nodded readily, taking the wind out of Thesaya’s sails, and looked at Ian.
It’s a pain to tell this story again…
Ian smacked his lips and turned his head to the right. Thesaya was staring at him with sparkling eyes.
As if she’d been waiting, she blurted out, "Can I do it, Ian?"
"Go ahead."
"Really?" A smile spread across Thesaya’s face, and Charlotte’s brow furrowed.
"But don’t drag it out or tease her," Ian added.
"Alright, alright," Thesaya answered dismissively and strode ahead.
She lifted her chin slightly, her hands now clasped behind her back. Grumbling under her breath with a frown, Charlotte quickened her pace to follow.
"-----!"
"----!"
Just then, cries like wolf howls erupted from behind them. The beastfolk had stopped their work and were crying out. It was their farewell.
Honestly, you lot don’t look even a bit like canines.
"Lucifer, you know her, right? She crossed the Wall with him. In the frontier, there were monsters that looked like they came straight out of the void—"
"Slowly, and in more detail, Pointy-Ears. Don’t just skim through it because you know the story," interrupted Charlotte.
Ian simply trudged on, watching the backs of his two friends walking ahead. The time left before they had to part again was too short.
***
Rumble…
Beyond the thinning branches of the trees, the vast expanse of dark clouds flashed. The group, walking on a path that led northeast out of the forest, turned their heads in the direction of the thunder.
"Looks like lightning struck over there again. How many times is that just today?" said Thesaya.
The dark clouds grew thicker the farther north they went. At least among the group, no one was ignorant of what it meant for the sky to be like this outside of the rainy season.
"The state of the inner sea must really be unusual. Its influence is reaching all the way to the north of Maro Tel," said Charlotte.
"Well, what can you do?" Ian replied nonchalantly.
Thesaya looked at him and added, "We’ll find out the details when we get back to Tahena, right?"
"I suppose so."
"I suppose so," Charlotte echoed a beat after Ian, as if to herself.
Thesaya rolled her eyes to look at her. "You really don’t want to come with us, Kitty? We wouldn’t even have to cross the Deep Forest, just take a detour for another two days or so…" She let the words die off, lips closing before the sentence could end. Charlotte’s expression had already given her the answer.
All good times have to end eventually. The quiet, simple days the group had shared these past few days were no exception.
"I want to, too," Charlotte said, drawing Thesaya’s eyes back to her. "It’s been so long since I’ve felt this at ease. And hearing the stories… I just wished I could’ve been there with you."
However, she kept her gaze fixed ahead, as though meeting Thesaya’s eyes might shake her resolve. "Still, I have to go back and see to my duties. So I can only go with you that far."
As Thesaya’s eyes widened, Charlotte jutted her chin forward. "There’s the signpost. We’re almost at the northeastern border."
"That’s faster than I expected," murmured Ian.
As Thesaya finally turned her head forward, Ian’s gaze was already fixed beyond the main road. Up ahead, a warning sign adorned with animal bones stood tall.
"Should we sleep here for the night? Grill some meat?" Thesaya suddenly suggested after a few more steps.
I feel like I’ve heard something similar before.
Ian shook his head, and Charlotte, of course, did the same.
"Fine. I’m the only one who’s sad about this, I get it. Alright. Let’s just go our separate ways." Pouting, Thesaya spun around.
"I still can’t believe it, Ian, that she’s the Tyrant of Erenos," Charlotte said, watching Thesaya’s back as she strode ahead.
"Her acting skills have improved tremendously. You could practically say she has a different personality," Ian replied with a soft laugh.
Unlike Thesaya, his steps were gradually slowing. Of course, it wasn’t just because he was sad to part.
"You haven’t forgotten what I said, have you?" Ian asked.
Without taking her eyes off Thesaya’s back, Charlotte nodded. "You told me not to answer the royal family’s summons right away, even if war breaks out. That rushing in would only turn us into cannon fodder. You said to wait, quietly build up our strength… right?"
"Perfectly. And if by some chance I call for you…"
"It means the situation is that dangerous. I’ll bring only the elite and cross over to the mainland."
"Right. Don’t bring everyone. You could all be wiped out. The bloodline has to survive."
Though I’ll do everything I can to keep it from coming to that.
Charlotte finally turned to Ian. "Even if that happens, you won’t have to bear the responsibility alone, Ian. Of course, I’ll be with you no matter which side you choose."
During their journey, Charlotte had heard almost everything about what Ian had experienced beyond the Black Wall. Ian, taking over from Thesaya, had condensed the key points for her.
Perhaps because they knew time was short, both Charlotte and Thesaya had listened without complaint. Thanks to that, Charlotte now knew that a war between the Dark Prince and the royal family was about to begin, and that Ian had not yet decided whose side to take.
"It’s reassuring to hear the Great Chieftain say that," Ian said with a smile, coming to a stop.
The signpost was just ahead. In the distance, Thesaya had stopped and was turning back with a sigh. Charlotte also stopped and turned to face Ian.
He drew her tail from his pocket dimension, then met Charlotte’s eyes with a small shrug. "It’s time you finally get this back, Great Chieftain."
Charlotte’s expression was far from pleased, as though she’d never really planned on taking it back at all.
Ian’s lips curled into a smirk. "You’re my lieutenant anyway, Charlotte. Karha appointed you as my right hand, so you’re even more strongly bound to me. So let’s just call this a sort of ceremony."
He held the tail out to her. She stared at him with shimmering eyes for a moment.
"I will accept it, Great Warrior." Bowing her head, Charlotte respectfully held out both hands.
You don’t have to be so formal about it.
Despite his thoughts, Ian also held the tail with both hands and placed it ceremoniously onto Charlotte’s palms. Having spent most of its time in his pocket dimension, Charlotte’s Wildness had neither rotted nor dried out despite the long time that had passed.
Charlotte’s slightly trembling hands closed around her tail.
Swoosh…
A faint red divinity spread out from both her and Ian. A moment later, one of Ian’s eyebrows twitched.
"No… pick your moments… to butt in…" he muttered under his breath, then suddenly grabbed his left arm and sank to his knees.
Charlotte’s eyes widened. She lowered the arm holding the tail and stared at him. "Ian?"
"I’m fine. Just leave me be…" Ian grunted through a frown, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. A searing pain, like being branded with a hot iron, was spreading throughout his left arm. The combat tattoo was clearly expanding.
How much more are you going to draw on me?
The heat had already traveled almost down his arm. One or two more expansions, and it might even cover the back of his hand. Of course, it also meant that the Blessing of Battle Ian would receive in the future would be even stronger.
"Let’s give him a moment alone," said Thesaya.
Charlotte’s gaze finally shifted to Thesaya, who was standing in the middle of the road. "We need to say our goodbyes too, Kitty."
Thesaya stood with her cloak thrown back, arms slightly open. When her eyes met Charlotte’s, she turned away with a grumpy look.
"If we part now, we won’t see each other for a while. Don’t tell me you’re not even going to give me a hug? Then I won’t give you your farewell gift either. I spent so much on what I got for you—oomph—" Thesaya’s sentence ended with a strangled sound.
Charlotte had rushed forward and pulled her into a fierce hug, her arms wrapped so tightly around Thesaya’s slender shoulders that it was as if she were trying to swallow her whole.
Pulling Thesaya into her embrace, Charlotte said, "You’re my savior. Of course I have to hug you, Pointy-Ears."
Dressed only in thin leather, Thesaya’s face was half-buried in Charlotte’s fur. Her two legs dangled in the air.
Lowering her head to Thesaya’s silver hair, Charlotte whispered, "Thank you, Thesa. For bringing Ian, for giving me your elixir, for coming to see me, and for everything. If there ever comes a moment when you and Ian need me, I’ll come running. Of course… after I’ve established the new laws for the clan. Anytime after that."
Thesaya let out a low groan and trembled slightly, but Charlotte didn’t let go. "So, let’s see each other again before too long. Okay, Pointy-Ears?"
"Oomph… ugh!" Thesaya struggled more violently.
Only after she punched Charlotte in the side with her fist did Charlotte finally release her.
Staggering as she landed, Thesaya clutched her throat and shouted, "I thought I was going to suffocate! Are you trying to break me, you clumsy beast?"
Her face was flushed red as she panted, clearly out of breath.
Charlotte paused, then scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I forgot I was wreathed in divinity. I was just—"
"I know. It’s okay," Thesaya cut her off, stepping forward and hugging Charlotte. "It’s not like you being a dummy is anything new. Still as soft as ever, unlike me. It was a bit annoying, but…"
She rubbed her face against Charlotte’s chest before finally tilting her head up, meeting those orange eyes. "Still, it’s true you were quite admirable. So I’ll give you the gift I prepared."
"But I prepared nothing."
"I didn’t expect you to, you idiot." Despite her chiding, Thesaya reached a hand inside her breastplate and fumbled around.
Soon, she pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment tied with a leather string and pressed it against Charlotte’s fluffy chest. "I’m done with using crows. So from now on, contact me with this."
"A Scroll of Correspondence?" Charlotte took the parchment with her left hand and blinked.
"Yes."
"So that’s how you knew the price of the Scroll of Correspondence so well," Ian interjected, shakily getting to his feet.
As the red divinity scattered like a heat haze, he straightened up and added, "You knew because you bought one."