LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 18
While sitting in the wagon without a care in the world, Karem felt no boredom at all.
Elder Iona, appearing both amiable and good-natured, seemed quite chatty for an older man. He incessantly rattled on about what there was in Iceland, both good and bad, even without Karem asking anything specific.
For Karem, who had been trapped in a village for more than 90% of his life after his reincarnation, this was rather a pleasant affair. Of course, he couldn’t exactly turn down someone of the stature of a Duke’s steward and an elder religious figure.
Though Catherine hadn’t directly mentioned it, Karem had gradually come to suspect the truth.
Through Iona, he was able to confirm that she had indeed been invited and hired as the personal wizard of Duke Alfred Felwinter of Iceland.
Gathering information under the guise of Iona’s chatter, serving meals for Catherine, and sleeping when the time came—those were pretty much the only tasks Karem had.
In fact, even if there were tasks, they didn’t assign them to Karem.
The cook and servants of the escort train were wary of Karem; they wouldn’t let him near fire or even touch the cooking utensils.
“Isn’t that only natural? Your age is one thing, but if you were to get hurt, the higher-ups would come down on us like a ton of bricks. It’d be a prime agenda item if something happened to the young serving attendant of the wizard hired by the Duke, especially when he even sent a personal letter,” they said.
Physically or politically.
Catherine declared as she shook her scroll. Karem understood instantly.
In modern times, it’d be like an outsider consultant’s secretary suddenly barging into the company’s cafeteria. It was obvious who’d be furious if the secretary got hurt.
Karem decided to leave cooking aside until they arrived at Felwinter Ridge.
His hands itched for the familiar taste of cooking, but he held back.
As Karem swallowed his disappointment and listened to Elder Iona’s ramblings, they passed through several villages and finally entered Iceland. Karem could truly feel why Iceland was called “Ice” land.
As they crossed the border into Iceland, the very air changed.
The chill of winter, dropping into single digits, was a sharp, cold scent penetrating deep into his lungs.
Just breathing lightly made him feel cold from his bones to his stomach, and he received a heavy cloak stored in the wagon. Karem was able to get one too.
The reason being Karem had insisted on draping himself in the skin of a mossy wild boar.
“Oh, speaking of which, we’ve entered Iceland, so it’s time to apply some oil.”
“Oil?”
“Yes. Iceland tends to get severely dry as winter sets in.”
“Oh, that explains it?”
Karem quickly understood why applying oil was necessary.
As they entered Iceland, he felt not only the cold but also dryness gradually pulling at his skin.
A clear sign of a dry atmosphere.
While Karem wasn’t familiar with this collaboration of dry air and cold winter in his current life, he had experienced it thoroughly enough in his past life to be sick of it.
“Kid. Just apply it silently. You don’t want your face to be torn by the biting wind.”
“Eeep.”
Karem vaguely recalled how in the past, his skin had frequently torn from the winter winds. Just imagining it was a horrifying scene.
Applying oil to his skin or wearing a scarf was only common sense to prevent that.
The past Karem had occasionally experienced dry skin and applying lotion in winter, so he was somewhat used to it.
However, applying pure oil like this was still a strange and fresh experience.
Squeak—
Brrrrr!
Suddenly, the wagon stopped. A loud noise similar to an eagle’s cry echoed close outside the wagon.
It was undoubtedly a warning sound.
“Huh? A warning sound?”
“An ambush?”
“Seems like it. Sir Atanitas, for a moment—”
Knock, knock, knock!
Before Iona could affirm Catherine’s words, someone knocked on the wagon door, and the window flew open.
A knight, with only his visor visible, warned them with the frigid air.
“Elder Iona, we’re under attack.”
“Monsters? Thieves? Which is it this time?”
“A pack of Hunter Drakes is closing in.”
Hunter Drake. Karem blinked, finding it hard to believe. He knew what a Drake was, but a Hunter Drake? He turned to Catherine with a questioning gaze.
Catherine, sensing the curiosity in his eyes, lifted her head from the scroll she had been pouring over.
“Simply put, Drakes are lesser dragons, like worms, wyverns, and Lindwurms. Among them, Hunter Drakes form packs like wolves.”
Catherine’s explanation was concise and easy to understand, but Karem’s curiosity only grew.
After all, the only monsters he had seen in his current life were goblins and slimes; suddenly, a Drake? It was natural that even curiosity that had never existed before bubbled up like mold.
“Are they similar to lizards?”
“Think of them as a mix between wolves and lizards with scales and shells, covered in feathers.”
“The Hunter Drake has thick layers of feathers instead of scales.”
As Iona, having finished speaking with the knight, sighed heavily, he had a moment of contemplation, then turned to Catherine.
“Sir Atanitas. I know it’s rude not to be appointed formally, but may I ask a favor?”
“Despite your elite guard being well-trained, is that so?”
“I trust our soldiers, knights, and warriors. You can never have too much power on your side.”
“You’re not wrong there.”
Catherine put the scroll away, indicating her agreement, and stored it back in her robes.
“Being cooped up in the wagon was a drag anyway. Hey kid, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Karem willingly followed Catherine out into the fresh, biting wind outside the wagon, his curiosity about the new monsters outweighing any fear for his life.
There was no way he could avoid the needle if it was already going through.
“What about Sir Hyphon?”
“Be careful! The monsters are close!”
The white autumn flowers that had settled on the reeds began to shake unnaturally. Hearing the rustling sound, Sir Hyphon warned.
Soldiers set up a barrier of shields around the wagon, with warriors scanning their surroundings.
Dismounted knights and riders were ready with their weapons, poised to spring into action.
Graaaargh! Urrrgh!
Just as the intimidating sounds of beasts ended, a massive noise erupted like a cannon, and monsters resembling wolves burst from the reed field, charging towards the wagon.
Hunter Drakes, larger than a bull and covered in grey feathers, quickly withdrew just before being pierced by spears.
It wasn’t a retreat; it was a threat. They spoke of organized hunting.
Karem realized the Hunter Drakes surrounded the caravan to confuse their prey. It was a scene he had seen many times in wildlife documentaries, only this time the hunt was directed at their procession.
Graaaargh! Urrrgh! Grrr!
Though he couldn’t help but flinch at their growls, Karem recognized that he wasn’t alone as several soldiers and warriors showed the same reaction.
Fear doesn’t discriminate by age.
“Hehe, kid. Are you scared?”
“Uhh, I’ve only ever seen daggers as weapons. It’s only natural to feel chill!”
Not to mention the only times Karem had seen beasts up close was during a student field trip to a zoo. The two types of monsters he had seen had been pretty far away.
And now, they were about to add Hunter Drakes to that list.
“Well, you’re still quite admirable.”
Elder Iona, who had been stroking Catherine’s beard, ruffled Karem’s hair fondly.
“Some first-timers facing Hunter Drakes end up losing their nerve and going limp.”
“That’s not untrue. Maybe it’s because you’re more mature than your peers?”
“Maybe he’ll become a fine warrior someday. Karem, just a moment—”
“Don’t even think about stealing my personal cook and attendant!”
“Haha! Just kidding, just kidding. A bit of truth mixed in there.”
Amidst their banter, the attack continued.
Having completed their probing, several Hunter Drakes emerged, towering above their brethren, each 1.5 times larger.
The warriors at the rear immediately hurled daggers, throwing axes, spears, and arrows to repulse the ambush.
Catherine, who had come out on a whim, fixed her eyes on the unfolding scene.
Even though she had stepped out just in case, it seemed unlikely she’d need to jump into action herself.
“Now!”
“Are you out of your mind!?”
“Get out of the way, move!”
“The knights are moving out!”
As the first wave of attacks hit the Hunter Drakes, Sir Hyphon ordered as soon as the warriors’ attack had created an opening.
At that signal, soldiers and warriors rushed to either side, and immediately the knights and riders surged forward, sweeping past the briefly startled Hunter Drakes.
As the monster formation faltered, the warriors began to encircle the Hunter Drakes.
The remaining soldiers and a few warriors only maintained the defensive formation.
Graaaargh!
Beyond the reeds, a low but unmistakable roar echoed.
Karem felt every hair on his body stand on end.
However, starting from that point, the Hunter Drakes that had not yet been surrounded began to retreat without even looking back.
Even those who were encircled and wounded began to flee in haste.
“Why are they retreating all of a sudden?”
“Because Hunter Drakes operate in packs—the stronger the numbers, the more formidable they become, and perhaps this ambush didn’t add up, so they gave up immediately.”
“But they’ve lost some already, haven’t they?”
Karem pointed beyond the encampment with his finger.
Yikes! Grrr!
“Whoa! Watch out for those claws!?”
“Don’t let your guard down! They’ll bite your arm off!”
“Shields in front!”
The three Hunter Drakes, completely encircled and unable to retreat, naturally resisted vigorously.
However, every attack was blocked by shields, and they were restrained by dozens of spears, which soon delivered the final strikes from knights and warriors.
“The pack can increase as long as there’s prey available, and it’s still autumn. They may want to hunt easier prey. Given that we’re close to Kingsland, they might head that way.”
“Hey, but are we just leaving that there?”
“It’s not like we have all the time in the world.”
They seemed to want to gather loot, but the soldiers and warriors’ mission was solely to guard the wagon—not to hunt.
The soldiers and warriors couldn’t hide their disappointment, but seeing the knights, including Sir Hyphon, shout at them with fierce expressions, they reluctantly tossed the monster carcasses into the reeds and covered the area with dirt.
Before the smell of blood attracted uninvited guests, the procession swiftly left the scene.