Chapter 298: Confirmation

The captain of the Land Drifters looked at Kismet and finally asked the question that had long lingered in his mind.

“This long lasting agreement—we all know what we want. I know what I want, what they want, and what Kenas wants. But I’ve never been able to figure out what you want.”

“Don’t be so tense. I don’t need any resources. All I want is a good story. You know, music without ups and downs just isn’t worth listening to.”

Wilder didn’t trust his words so easily.

“Even though the Land Drifters only operate on the Western Continent, we’ve carried travelers from all over. And from their mouths, I’ve heard your name. The Harbinger of Death. it’s always accompanied by death.”

Kismet tilted his head and showed a helpless expression. “Can’t be helped, I suppose. Maybe it’s because I’m always tied to partings and loneliness. That’s just the main theme of my fate.”

Aruba frowned slightly as he stared at Kismet. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about the way this man spoke.

So he changed the subject. “What does Gorsa want with that half-elf?”

“How would I know something like that? But it’s definitely not a secret rendezvous with a lover.”

Wilder narrowed his eyes at Kismet, clearly not buying it.

Sure enough, Kismet added, “But ever since he met that half-elf, he’s switched from focusing on the Light element to the Darkness element.”

Wilder’s eyes narrowed further. “Are you saying… that half-elf is connected to Gorsa’s plan to resurrect Yura?”

Aruba clenched his fists. “Then isn’t she more important than that apprentice? Can we control her?”

No sooner had Aruba said it than Kismet and Wilder both gave him a complicated look.

Wilder simply skipped over Aruba’s question. “Can we pull the half-elf to our side?”

Kismet shrugged. “You might not be able to afford the price.”

“The ones who benefit the most will naturally pay the biggest price.” Wilder chuckled, the stubble on his face trembling with the motion of his muscles. “Didn’t you show up today just to be our go-between?”

Kismet strummed his harp strings and lowered his head with a soft laugh. “I’m just passing through.”

…

After Kismet left, Wilder remained deep in thought, mulling over the new information about the half-elf.

Aruba, who hadn’t dared to speak much earlier, stepped forward and lowered his voice. “Is this Kismet… really trustworthy? Could he be working with them?”

Wilder shook his head. “No. That three-way agreement wouldn’t have happened without him putting in serious effort.”

“But didn’t you say he doesn’t want anything? Then what’s he after?”

“I don’t know. Rumor has it that his presence always heralds large-scale death. I suspect… everything he’s doing might be part of his attempt to advance to Third Rank Wizard.”

“Third Rank…” Aruba suddenly felt bitterness rising in his throat.

All the pride he held in his youth had been worn down by the harsh struggle of advancing again and again.

The kingdom might hold him up as a symbol of glory, but Aruba, standing among true geniuses, couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Especially after his recent, inexplicable failure to advance—it had hit him hard.

He had fled from Kenas to the Land Drifters not just to recover from his injuries, but also to clear his head.

Ever since he got hurt, he’d been haunted by nightmares.

In those dreams, he was always playing the harp—playing until his fingers bled, his flesh peeling away—yet still unable to stop.

And then he would look down and realize… he wasn’t playing a harp at all.

He was plucking at his own ribs, one by one.

A flicker of anxiety returned to Aruba’s face. He quickly took his leave of Wilder and left the deck—perhaps off again to vent on some woman.

Wilder glanced at Aruba’s retreating figure with disdain, snorting through his nose.

After a while, he suddenly asked aloud, “Did you catch Kismet’s emotional hue?”

A jelly-like creature appeared on Wilder’s shoulder, chameleon-like in its ability to shift colors.

It was glowing green, with a single large eye that spun rapidly.

Upon hearing Wilder’s question, it made no sound. It simply turned its head and stared directly into his eyes.

Without hesitation, Wilder thrust a hand into his eye socket and gouged out his eyeball, blood vessels and membranes still trailing from it. He casually tossed the eyeball into the open mouth of the strange creature.

That was his companion sprite.

He had named it Gleamdrake.

The name was grand, though Gleamdrake itself was just a weak little sprite with an odd appetite and a few quirky abilities.

After swallowing the freshly harvested eye, Gleamdrake didn’t even chew.

Wilder watched as his left eyeball floated inside the sprite’s translucent body, tinting its bright green glow into a murky brown-red.

Like a rotting, mold-infested swamp.

Satisfied, Gleamdrake stopped staring at Wilder’s other eye and let out a high-pitched cry.

“Croak—”

Only Wilder could hear it.

“He’s excited?” Wilder stroked his bristly chin, the hairs obediently flattening beneath his touch. “Every time Kismet gets excited, a great number of people die… Could this Blood Sail Town curse be connected to him too?”

…

After being ambushed by Cadis of the Land Drifters, Saul had shut the gates of Black Castle and withdrawn the Devil Vines from the forest.

Dark green tendrils burst from the ground and coiled around the black castle like a giant snake wrapping a thin, long-bodied man.

Within the eternally gloomy forest, Black Castle gave off a soundless wail. Anyone passing by the foot of the mountain would feel a stabbing chill and dizziness.

This once again spread fearsome rumors of the Black Castle throughout Borderfall City.

And naturally, such a full defensive stance drew the attention of his allies.

So, just two days later, Buri returned once more.

This time he didn’t ride in a carriage, but galloped to the Castle atop a tall, brown warhorse.

Unfortunately, when he arrived at the gates and announced himself, all he received in return were the rustling of leaves and the chill wind swirling at the door.

“Lord Saul?” Buri calmed his steed, trying to ease its tension, and called out again to the temporary master of Black Castle.

A long silence passed before the gates of Black Castle creaked open.

Buri let out a breath of relief, quickly dismounted, and stepped onto the porch.

But the moment he saw what was behind the door, that breath he’d just exhaled was sharply sucked right back in.

“Lord Saul? I saw signs of battle in the woods—are you alright?”

There was no sign of Saul behind the door—only dense, writhing vines like a mass of serpents.

Saul had sealed the gates entirely with the Devil Vines.

“Disappointed to see I’m still alive, Buri?”

Saul’s raspy voice came from somewhere behind the twisting foliage.

Buri’s expression grew solemn. “Lord Saul, if you have any doubts about me, just speak them plainly. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but as the liaison between the Kema Duchy and the Wizard Tower, I am responsible for all my actions. I hope you can give me a chance to explain. If you’re still uneasy, I can notify other wizards from the duchy—or even Grand Duke Kira himself.”

The interior of the gate was silent for a long time.

Buri spoke again. “Or I can go directly to the Wizard Tower.”

Saul’s voice finally returned, still hoarse. “That won’t be necessary. The new master of Black Castle will arrive soon. Until then, I won’t see anyone. I won’t say anything. Leave.”

Buri sighed. He knew Saul was likely suspicious of him now, but without communication, there was no way to clear his name.

He took a step back, descending the stairs.

“Very well. But I hope that when the new master arrives, you’ll grant me a chance to explain. We each represent the Wizard Tower and the Kema Duchy. A misunderstanding between us could damage the alliance—and only serve the true enemy.”

There was no response from Saul. The massive doors slammed shut.

Buri looked troubled as he took another step back and turned to leave.

But just as he turned, a falling leaf was swept up by the wind and brushed past the corner of his lips.

And in that fleeting moment, Buri’s lips curved up ever so slightly.

When the leaf was gone, the faint smile disappeared without a trace.

“Confirmed,” Buri thought. “The mark is in place. Now the next phase can begin.”

At the same time, inside Black Castle, Saul turned around with a look of amusement.

“Confirmed,” Saul thought. “Buri and Cadis are working together. Let’s see what their next move is.”

Back to back, separated by the massive gates of Black Castle, the two men walked away in opposite directions.

(End of Chapter)

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