Chapter 18 : Chapter 18
Chapter 18. In Search of the Moonlit Grass (3)
‘Did I get it?’
Blanc was certain he dealt an effective blow to the giant centipede, feeling the dull sensation at his fingertips, but.
Basically, the creature called a centipede was a creature that blocked external threats with a hard exoskeleton.
SCREEEEEEECH!
Blanc’s sword embedded in the center of the giant centipede’s crown.
It was still emitting white lightning and discharging remaining lightning energy, but the problem was it went in too shallowly.
‘Damn it!’
It had only been half a year since he trained in the White Thunderbolt.
It had only been a little over two months since he started receiving teachings from Edwin. A young body taller than peers but not yet complete.
It was a sharp and precise strike, but power was lacking.
However, the giant centipede, feeling fear and pain from Blanc’s sword piercing through its shell even though it went in shallowly, started thrashing about madly.
SCREEEEEEECH!
“Aaaaaargh!”
Since it was a high cliff where his corpse would turn into mush if he fell, Blanc desperately held onto his sword stuck in the centipede.
He struggled to keep his balance somehow on top of the centipede thrashing enough to make him feel like the sky was overturned and the moon was below his feet.
“Young Master!”
Ting, ting.
Rakshar was shooting arrows at the centipede’s body part unable to aim for the head where Blanc was attached, but as expected, piercing the centipede’s hard exoskeleton with arrows was impossible.
Rakshar kept shooting arrows thinking this wouldn’t work, but consequently, it became a very excellent action.
SCREECH!
Although the arrows just bounced off, the giant centipede, needing a target to vent its anger on, started crawling up quickly towards the cliff top where Rakshar was, moving its legs rapidly.
“Rakshar, dodge!”
Blanc, noticing the centipede was targeting Rakshar, warned Rakshar, but the centipede climbed the cliff at an unbelievable speed.
The giant centipede, which jumped up the cliff in an instant accurate to the expression ‘soared’, rushed at Rakshar covering the moon floating in the sky with its huge body.
“Rakshar!”
Blanc quickly let go of the sword he was holding and landed rolling onto the ground as soon as the centipede climbed the cliff completely.
However, perhaps because he landed urgently, he couldn't regain his balance, and so he couldn't block the centipede rushing at Rakshar.
As the giant centipede opened its maw and pounced towards Rakshar, the faithful hunter was swept away by the surging centipede without even daring to react and disappeared into the forest.
CRASH, CRUUUNCH.
Along with the sound of trees breaking loudly and the ground being dug up, thick dust rose.
“Rakshar! You bastard, I will kill you!”
The centipede and Rakshar disappeared into the dust making a huge roar into the forest.
In the place where Blanc, who regained his senses only now, followed hurriedly.
“Grrrr. Aaaaaah!”
There was Rakshar holding the centipede’s jaws and roaring like a beast.
SCREECH, SCREEEEECH!
And the giant centipede trying to close the opened maw somehow to cut Rakshar in two.
Moonlight shining through the collapsed trees was falling towards Rakshar.
Today was the night of the full moon.
***
The villagers living near the White Claw could not sleep last night.
Because along with metallic sounds giving goosebumps just by listening, sounds of the mountain breaking were heard.
Was it like this when the flame mage said to be here 150 years ago destroyed the mountain?
The villagers, trembling under blankets all night, gathered a few village youths as soon as dawn broke and started searching the mountain to find the epicenter of the roar at dawn.
“Aren’t those horses?”
“There were people said to have gone up the mountain yesterday, are they their horses?”
What the youths found first were two horses tied at the entrance to the mountain.
“They look like very expensive horses…….”
“Don’t touch them for no reason. They look exactly like horses nobles ride.”
The youths wondering while looking at the two horses snorting peacefully soon screamed and started running away seeing something moving in the forest.
“Aaaaaah! It’s a werewolf!”
“Run!”
Looking at the villagers running away in panic, the bloodied werewolf and the black-haired boy whose fists were dyed in blood sighed in relief.
“Still, we came down alive.”
“I-It is the f-first time the rising morning sun is so welcome. Young Master.”
It was truly a hellish night.
When Ulrich spoke about the Moonlit Grass, there wasn’t a single word about a giant centipede.
Perhaps it wasn’t there when Ulrich picked the Moonlit Grass. Perhaps the centipede settled down after that period.
‘Still, it’s fortunate we brought it safely.’
Inside Blanc’s bosom was the Moonlit Grass rolled in cloth to block sunlight.
“Let’s go down, Rakshar. We should stop by the village and do simple first aid first.”
“U, Understood. Young Master.”
The two people went down to the village and finished simple treatment.
The village chief held them back saying it was unreasonable to move with those bodies and to rest, but the two left hurriedly saying there was no time.
-If you go to the cliff, a giant centipede will be dead. The Tolome family will send people later, so please guide them well then.
According to the words of the person who went up the cliff to check the words Blanc left behind.
A black giant centipede never seen before since birth was lying dead.
And near the crown of that centipede, a sword was stuck with the crossguard pushed in all the way.
A few days after that.
There was a rumor circulating in villages near the capital Baltimere.
It was a story about a black-haired boy of the Tolome family who killed a giant centipede.
***
Emilia was loitering in front of the main gate of the Tolome mansion today as well.
“Emilia, we said we will contact you immediately if we see them.”
“Still, I will wait. I can’t sit inside because I’m anxious.”
Emilia stood in front of the main gate waiting for the two, adamantly refusing the guard’s words to go inside the mansion since the weather was cold.
Blanc had told Emilia his destination even while rushing out like dawn.
Emilia was worried about Blanc and Rakshar who went out and didn't return for the second day, but more than that, she was worried about Iselin becoming paler and paler.
“Why did he go out. Really!”
Blanc said he was moving to find the secret treasure of the Cadmus family. It was an excuse made up appropriately since he couldn't be certain the Moonlit Grass would still be in the cave.
However, Emilia resented Blanc leaving to find the family treasure while Iselin was dying.
‘He was a kind and warm Young Master, but attending to his own business while Lady Iselin is dying. It’s all because he changed from receiving too much shock.’
Since Emilia didn’t know he was going to find the Moonlit Grass for Iselin, it was an action that seemed like a cold-blooded person.
“Please come quickly…….”
Emilia just hoped Blanc would see that pitiful girl at least once before Iselin’s breath ran out.
“Uh? Over there! Isn’t that the werewolf?”
“That’s right! Maybe because he is big, he is visible well even from afar.”
There was no one among the people of the Tolome family who didn’t know Rakshar, the half-werewolf.
Even if they avoided him.
“The Baron is visible next to him too.”
Twilight fading away.
The figures of two people riding horses were seen rushing with the reddened sun behind them.
“Young Master! Here, here!”
Emilia welcomed them waving her two arms in gladness seeing the figures of the two she waited for anxiously, but.
“Open the gate!”
“Giddy up! Giddy up!”
Blanc passed by swiftly just raising dust, ignoring Emilia.
“E, Emilia…… Why are you here?”
At least Rakshar recognized Emilia and stopped his horse approaching, but the frozen north wind’s cold was already raging in Emilia’s heart.
“This is all because of those Gartaria bastards! How kind our Young Master used to be!”
Emilia was so angry she discovered Rakshar’s bloodied appearance only later.
***
“What does that mean!”
Bartomyu looking at Edwin as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Baron Blanc who went out yesterday dawn brought the hidden secret treasure of the Cadmus family, and they say it is the Moonlit Grass.”
Bartomyu couldn't focus on work since his granddaughter was dying.
Amidst drinking strong liquor thinking about his young blood dying again less than half a year after his daughter Nedrian died, the news heard was unbelievable.
“Moonlit Grass…… Moonlit Grass! Wasn’t it a flower only circulating in rumors. Edwin?”
“It was also my first time seeing the real thing, but as soon as I saw the flower called Moonlit Grass, I could recognize at a glance that it was genuine.”
It was the Moonlit Grass emitting faint silver moonlight from Blanc’s bosom as soon as sunlight disappeared at the end of twilight.
“Oh my god! Then shouldn’t we give it to Iselin quickly? Where is my commendable grandson, Blanc?”
“That is…….”
“That is?”
“He fainted as soon as he handed over the Moonlit Grass to Lord Weird. His whole body was full of wounds, and especially too much blood was flowing from both hands…….”
“What!”
To penetrate the hard exoskeleton of the centipede, Blanc pounded the arming sword stuck in the centipede madly with his two hands.
Due to that, his hands were ruined, but in a situation where he ran for a whole day for Iselin without yielding to it.
It was a task impossible to accomplish if not for the strong mental power forged for 30 years. It was a forced march that even Rakshar with a strong body clicked his tongue at.
“Then…… Iselin first! We must feed her the Moonlit Grass!”
Although he was worried about Blanc who fainted as well, the urgent one was Iselin.
However, Edwin blocked Bartomyu who kicked the chair and stood up to go to Iselin.
“But there is a problem…….”
“What again?”
What mountain after mountain was this.
Even Bartomyu, who had maintained a cool attitude all his life, felt irritation surging up.
“The family’s attending physician says he cannot handle the Moonlit Grass.”
“What kind of bullshit is this again!”
Although he was a doctor with excellent skills to be the attending physician of the Tolome family, even he was flustered to handle the Moonlit Grass appearing only in legends as it was his first time seeing it.
“Then find doctors who can handle the Moonlit Grass! Even if we mobilize all means of the Tolome family!”
***
“Count! Couuunt!”
“……What is this commotion? Lord Weird Tolome.”
Weird was shouting for someone madly while kneeling without tidying his messy attire, with eyes like a madman.
Panting, it seemed he had run madly throwing away the dignity of a noble.
“Help me! Please save my daughter!”
Far away, Weird’s servant who followed together was holding one of his shoes that had come off, not knowing what to do.
“I beg you as a father with a daughter too! Please save my daughter!”
“So explain the situation…….”
Weird Tolome who almost invades without any prior notice.
This was a very big discourtesy. At least the Weird Tolome he knew was not such a person.
‘Unfortunately, it seems he went crazy…….’
“I have already heard and know the fact that Lord Weird’s daughter was poisoned, but how can I do what even the doctors of the Tolome family couldn’t do? I am just a scholar researching this and that as a small hobby. I apologize.”
Berger was holding too great a reputation to say he researched as a small hobby.
“I am an alchemist, not a doctor, so it seems you came to the wrong place.”
“No! No! Only Lord Berger can save my daughter.”
“What does that…….”
He was just dealing with him because the crazy Weird Tolome was pitiful. How could he save a patient the doctor couldn't save?
“Since the night is deep, please return…….”
“Moonlit Grass!”
Weird, grabbing Berger’s collar while kneeling, implored him with a feeling of vomiting blood.
“I obtained the Moonlit Grass! But no one knows how to handle it! So only Lord Berger can save my daughter! Please help!”
Berger gazed into Weird Tolome’s eyes calmly.
Although the eyes were bloodshot red from shedding tears incessantly, madness was not visible in them.
Only desperation was visible.
‘Damn it.’
“Prepare the carriage right now! There is no time!”
“Lord Berger, thank you!”
Weird Tolome was not crazy. He, possessing the brilliant brain the Tolome family boasted, was not crazy.
‘Moonlit Grass, even I am seeing it for the first time!’
Weird Tolome knew exactly. That the only person who could handle the rare flower called Moonlit Grass in this Baltimere was Berger.
That it was only Alchemist Count Berger Neudorf, one of the Kingdom's Meritorious Nobles and the head of the Alchemy School.