Chapter 55: Danger
The path back to the Silent Wind Military Base was long but, fortunately, uneventful. Most of the monsters in the area had already perished under the blades of Vlad and the soldiers the previous week, and those that remained had scattered.
Of course, the lack of evident enemies did not mean Vlad and First Lieutenant Mitchel would lower their guard.
Vlad was still at the head, ready to face any incoming threats. His reflexes and power were enough to handle any danger.
Lieutenant Mitchel and the rest of the soldiers, including Clasius, Roman, and Amara, formed a perimeter around the civilians, keeping everyone marching in an orderly manner and protecting them from the sidelines.
At the back were Jormungandr, Mirena, and Cazan. The small yellow cat and the women were able to unleash attacks with a massive range, so they were more than able to cover the rear. And Cazan could transform into a massive colossus that could destroy demon beasts with his bare hands, so he could protect the duo in case anyone managed to get close enough.
That was a tight and well-developed military formation, one that depicted just how well-prepared the soldiers were for this type of mission. While the civilians were not tasked with defense, they did have a job, and that was to drag all the bodies of the hundreds of demon beasts from the town along with all the Hippopotamus Monster’s meat, blood, and bones.
Despite hundreds of civilians consuming as much meat and blood as they could, there was still plenty left, and the bones could not be left behind. It was not just to commemorate the battle, but practically, as the bones of a Champion Monster were extremely hard and durable.
With the bones of a Champion Monster, it would not be hard to make sharp weapons and spears harder than anything made of steel. If powerful mages trained in weapon crafting or smiths had these bones, they could make even better weapons with all sorts of abilities. There was no way Vlad would allow such a treasure to be left in Good Side Town for someone else to take.
Vlad’s face was serene, his eyes sharp as he led the massive group through the rough terrain. It was not easy to go uphill, but the Champion Monster’s blood and meat had worked wonders for the civilians, and all of them had more than enough strength to push forward.
Despite all that, something bothered Vlad. He could not shake off the feeling that something dangerous was approaching them. Everybody was already on guard, and expressing his concern would just make the civilians jumpy, which could incite chaos, so instead of spreading the news, he just pushed his focus to the limit and made sure to keep an eye on the surroundings.
The more Vlad and the rest of the soldiers advanced toward the Silent Wind Military Base, the more powerful the feeling of danger was on his mind. It was only on the fifth day of marching when the military base appeared in Vlad’s eyes that he finally understood the danger’s origin.
’I was actually walking toward the danger, and not the danger walking toward me.’