Chapter 65: Chapter 65

Ran did not have a long conversation with Tasker and returned to the hut.

'Wherever people gather, all sorts of conflicts inevitably arise.'

Then, what about Quersa?

'Since only Asriel's true followers have gathered, there's nothing to call a dispute.'

... That's what he had thought.

Conflict is nothing more than a clash of desires. Humans are bundles of desire.

Then he even reached the question of whether Quersa might not be a human society, and shook his head countless times.

At some point, Ran realized that he was often harboring doubts he did not dare allow himself to have.

However, guilt was gradually turning into pure curiosity.

The time he spent on the mainland and the close ties he had formed made him that way.

Ran looked down at the girl.

Perhaps because her place to sleep was comfortable for the first time in a while, Iel was sleeping soundly. Her face remained pale, and she was covered in cold sweat.

Ran lightly tapped with his sleeve and wiped away the sweat beaded on her face.

'I have to find the answer.'

No matter the sacrifice.

Iel regained consciousness the next day. Her high fever continued, and she complained of a slight headache. She would sometimes have dry heaves.

"These are symptoms of altitude sickness. Since her immunity has dropped considerably, there's also a chance of other complications."

Early in the morning, the military doctor came to see Ran and Iel.

At that time, he formally introduced himself as Terence.

From Ran's perspective, Terence seemed to be second-in-command within this safe zone. He had also been present during Huben and Tasker's secret meeting last night.

"I'll bring some medicine. She must get absolute rest for a while."

Ran was uncertain whether Terence came out of pure professional responsibility as a doctor, or if he had some other intention for visiting in person.

Since coming to the mainland, he always had to suspect everyone around him.

Habits do not change overnight.

Before Ran could even properly say a word of greeting, Terence turned and left.

While Ran stared blankly at the entrance, Rev unexpectedly poked his head inside, and their eyes met.

He came in cheerfully, smiling with ease.

"Oh, Iel. You've come to!"

Iel responded to Rev's genuine joy with a faint smile.

"There's no doubt Terence is a skilled doctor. Even here, he treats people's illnesses with herbs that grow in the mountains."

Rev said this, conscious of the fact that Terence had accused Ran of being thoughtless the day before.

He was holding a bundle of parchment in his arms. Ran's gaze unconsciously lingered on it.

Rev proudly held out the parchment bundle.

"Would you like to read it?"

"Did you write it yourself?"

"Yes. I've recorded my journey from my first participation in the Battle of Tielbo up to now in the form of a novel. It's an autobiographical novel. Somehow, the story is gradually turning into the biography of Commander Huben, though."

As Ran leafed through it roughly, he glanced at Rev's face.

There was an unmistakable trace of regret.

"What kind of person is Huben?"

Rev hesitated briefly, then slowly replied.

"Just, but cold-headed. He has an embracing quality that everyone relies upon, and he isn't afraid to do evil for them. A classic leader who bears solitude alone, I suppose."

When questioning someone, you must clear your emotions and approach everything from a technical standpoint. Only then can you read the emotions of the other person.

In that respect, inquisitor was practically a vocation for the inherently unsociable Ran.

And that habit remained with him, unchanged.

Ran noticed Rev's subtly shaking pupils, unnatural lip movements, and intentionally subdued tone.

"He must have been a great leader. Do others share that opinion?" Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⟡fire.net

"Well, I guess so. Isn't that why everyone follows Commander Huben? There hasn't really been any trouble so far..."

Ran only nodded. He continued reading Rev's writing with his eyes.

"It looks like I'll have to stay here for a while. Would you show me around?"

The two left Iel to rest and went outside.

The members were busy from early in the morning.

There were twenty-seven men and eight women, each assigned their own work. Regardless of gender, roles were assigned fairly based on the jobs and status they had before coming to the mountains.

Tasks varied from crucial activities such as hunting and gathering for survival to scouting and guarding the surroundings. Maintaining a neat and orderly environment within the safe zone was also an important part of daily life.

Rev explained that it was all thanks to Huben that they could establish such stability and structure.

"Certainly, pioneering such a barren environment isn't easy."

Ran did not particularly deny it.

Looking around, he suddenly stopped.

Three women were spinning textiles on a spinning wheel near the lake. It was an ordinary scene, rarely seen in a refugee hideout.

Rev added his explanation from beside him.

"There's a sheep herd near the safe zone. Thanks to that, we've gained a natural resource. There's also plenty of wood around, and we have craftsmen, so we can make tools and be self-sufficient..."

Ran pointed at one of the three women. Her clothes were similar to the others, but her exotic appearance stood out. Her skin was unusually fair, and her hair was almost platinum.

"... She's a Northlander. Strictly speaking, a prisoner, but she's not being treated unfairly."

It must have been the woman mentioned in last night's secret conversation.

Sigurd. The sister-in-law whom Tasker wanted to protect.

"Oh, how did you sleep last night?"

A voice called out. Huben approached with a gentle smile.

Ran greeted him with a bow.

"I had a good sleep for the first time in a while. Thanks to your hospitality."

Ran told a white lie. His insomnia showed no sign of improvement. By now, he was half resigned.

"Hospitality? That's hardly the case. I heard your story from Rev. On your way here, you wiped out those imperial guards, didn't you?"

Ran gazed calmly at the secretly pleased Rev.

He hadn't thought he would be able to hide everything. Entering the safe zone, he was ready for this.

With Iel's life on the line, he couldn't afford to be excessively fastidious as he normally was.

"Yes. They were after me specifically, so I had to deal with them myself."

Both Huben and even Rev were slightly startled.

Rev hadn't thought deeply about the reason for meeting the imperial guard in the mountains.

Astana Mountain is vast. The reasons could be endless.

It could have been that a wanted man entered the mountain, and they followed and happened upon him, or simply a coincidence.

'The imperial guard was after Ran??'

He hadn't considered that far.

He had been occupied only with the fact that Ran easily defeated the imperial guards and commanded a guardian spirit, the Nachal.

He had already promised not to question Ran and Iel's circumstances, and Ran himself was not making a big deal out of it, so there wasn't even a chance to question it.

"I didn't realize that."

Huben's eyes narrowed.

"I paid special attention because Rev said you were his benefactor. But this is a different matter. It could be a serious problem that puts this safe zone in danger."

"I understand. That's why I plan to leave as soon as possible."

The atmosphere among the three was distinctly different.

Ran was not flustered by Huben's cold reaction. If he could leave peacefully, it would be welcome. The only thing he was concerned about was Iel's condition. He wanted only to buy time until she recovered.

Huben feigned a relaxed face, then patted Ran's arm.

"What's the rush? Don't be like that. We're comrades, aren't we? Let's put our heads together for once. Have you eaten yet? Come on, this way."

Huben had plans as well.

Even if the safe zone was self-sufficient, in the end, it was an isolated environment. It might look plausible on the surface, but there were many hidden dangers. For now, thanks to the unity of members in similar circumstances, it was being kept under control.

'There's no guarantee the safe zone will remain safe forever.'

That's why Huben was eager to find another group of survivors.

Just knowing there was another group of refugees elsewhere in the mountains would be comforting and psychologically stabilizing.

For the people of the safe zone, not just Huben.

"But despite our hopes, we've failed to find other Liberation Army comrades. We've found groups now and then, but the problem is they all turned out to be vicious bandits. Many of our comrades lost their lives because of this."

Huben chewed on the boiled meat vigorously. The fat gave his beard a greasy shine.

Sitting opposite, picking at his meal, Ran finally spoke quietly.

"If only we can ensure safety here, isn't there no need to risk people's lives trying to find other survivors?"

"This place is far from safe. We're exposed to countless dangers."

Every new moon, monsters go on a rampage. Beasts frequently catch their scent and flock in. There is always the anxiety that the imperial army could come at any moment.

Huben listed these reasons.

"Let me tell you, Ran, whenever I close my eyes I see Lucerne. The heat of that day, the cries of comrades, come back so vividly my heart feels like it will burst."

The Liberation Army won the Battle of Lucerne and advanced right to the gates of Gerinhild, the capital. It was a disgrace the imperial army would never forget.

"I made a promise to my fallen comrades. That I, Huben Bastian, would recreate the glory of that day and plant the Liberation Army flag in the very center of Gerinhild. And thus console your spirits."

Ran gazed at Huben silently.

Huben sucked on his greasy fingers.

"Whatever it takes, I decided I have to survive until that day. As a ghost of the Liberation Army."

A man walking the path of vengeance by choice, and another reaching for his desires under the pretense of a cause.

Ran's gaze shifted between them.

His sharp intuition increasingly tipped to one side.

The desire to make this refuge a paradise and reign as its king.

He could see that overflowing desire writhing within.

One question remained.

'Why did he ask Tasker the way to Northland?'

The question hovered unspoken on his lips.

'He must want an escape route.'

Even from just a short conversation, it was clear. Huben was cunning and clever. He always kept in mind that the safe zone could become dangerous at any time.

He must have been using settling in Northland as his last resort.

Of course, even if they managed to flee to Northland, it wouldn't solve all their problems.

They would have to survive among Northlanders who shun Imperials. They were like intelligent beasts from the perspective of an Imperial—they couldn't even communicate in the same language.

Still, Huben had a certain trump card.

He could take the Northland woman as his wife.

After all, Northland was also a human society. They would not be so cruel as to drive away an outsider who had become the family of one of their own.

The pieces fit together to some extent.

Ran twisted one corner of his mouth.

"In many ways, you're similar to me."

Huben interpreted his words as meaning that they both opposed the imperial army.

Half right, half wrong.

Securing a way to get to Northland.

That was the only similarity Ran saw.

"Commander, there's an urgent report."

Two armed men approached and gave a polite bow to Huben.

They were the members of the morning patrol.

Ran met the eyes of Tasker and the barbarian boy behind them; they seemed to have joined the patrol.

"The distortion on the path is more severe than before. All the roads near the Bear Monster Cave are warped."

"The Bear Monster Cave? Hmm. Maybe Terence was right—a connection between the distortions and the appearance of monsters."

"One nearby monster den has disappeared, so it's a relief for us, commander."

Huben stroked his beard, glancing at Tasker.

"The whole way home's gone, and you call that a relief."

The two patrolmen and Rev looked at Tasker in confusion.

It sounded like a kind of code. Huben's face hardened ever so slightly, careful not to give anything away in front of his subordinates.

'Does that mean the Bear Monster Cave was the only route to Northland?'

Huben's eyes rolled back and forth.

Ran shifted his gaze quietly between Huben and Tasker, quickly piecing things together.

"Looks like it's my turn to earn my keep."

There was no one in the Empire who could sniff out monsters better than Ran.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=