Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 666: Fleeing the battlefield

Chapter 666: Fleeing the battlefield

By the time the battle between Agrios and Aristophon came to an end, Alex had already returned to the ditch where Victoria remained waiting, her expression revealing her worry for him.

"You are injured," Victoria remarked as she rushed to his aid.

Alex replied. "Tis but a flesh wound."

Victoria naturally didn’t bother trying to figure out what he meant as she reached for his shoulder to inspect it.

"It’s been tainted," Victoria muttered worriedly.

"Unfortunately. To think that an ordinary human soldier would be capable of utilizing Quillion to such an extent. Thankfully, I’m not fully cryptid; else, I doubt I would have been able to make a run for it." Alex admitted with a rather embarrassed look on his face.

He’d left intending to make his presence known only to end up running away like a coward.

It was unfortunate, but regardless, it helped him understand the situation in Henos, which was vastly different in Ra’as.

In Ra’as, Alex had watched as vampires, hyenas, and Mystics dominated battlefields, wiping out human soldiers without issues.

Here, it was the exact opposite.

It seemed as though only fools would dare to have a pure cryptid army or rely on Mystics to change the tide of battle.

He watched as Cryptids died to mere humans, despite their inherent capabilities, same with Mystics.

And the reason for this was Quillion.

This singular resource was useful in every state which made it almost impossible for the supernatural world to make a difference here.

Which made him wonder how he was meant to be a light to individuals who had their lives all sorted out.

What exactly could make these men despair?

He couldn’t help but tremble at the implications of Adam’s words.

"Can we leave now?" Victoria asked, jolting him from his introspection.

Alex glanced at the now silent battlefield.

Aristophon had lost, losing his entire army before also dying to the blade of a random soldier.

A rather unfortunate end to a bold man.

Currently, Agrios had his subordinates scout the battlefield for stragglers while picking up anything useful from the dead.

"Let’s go," Alex said. "Our work here is done."

"Alright."

And so, the two made their way away from the battlefield, hopeful that they wouldn’t be caught by Agrios and his subordinates.

***

Iason, head of the guardsmen in Tesus, made his way into a tavern, accompanied by two guards.

It was quite late so the tavern was filled with customers, all raising a ruckus as they indulged in wine and meat while dancers entertained them with rather eye-catching moves.

He looked around for a bit before he found who he was looking for, ignoring the looks sent his way both by the dancers and the customers as he arrived at a table occupied by three ladies.

"You asked to see me urgently. I’m sure you are aware of my post so I’d assume your reason for summoning me is important." Iason calmly said with Ana responding.

"Something like that. May we talk somewhere more private?"

Iason glanced around before nodding. "As you wish."

Satisfied with his response, Ana asked Nadia and Arwen to wait while she went up to the second floor with Iason, accompanied by some suggestive whistles from the tavern’s patrons.

Iason let out a sigh, which didn’t pass Ana’s notice. "Is there a problem?"

"You tell me. I accompanied a beautiful young lady to her room without an escort."

"Ah." Ana quickly grasped the implications, leaving her quite amused. "Surely that shouldn’t be a problem."

"It is if I’m married." Iason pointed out, prompting Ana to pause before she turned to face him.

"You are married?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am. Aren’t you a bit too young?"

Iason replied. "I was betrothed to her before I was born."

"Rather archaic."

"If that is why you asked for my presence, I would be rather disappointed, Miss."

"Dear me, my apologies, I shouldn’t be asking too many questions," Ana muttered while facepalming.

"I’m listening."

"As much as your warning about the Beast is welcomed..."

"You still wish to embark on a search for him?"

"Indeed."

Iason let out a sigh. "I had a feeling that would be the case."

"Oh?"

"You already braved traveling across the Azure Seas. I doubt a little warning is going to be enough to send you packing."

"I’m glad you understand."

"I don’t... However, since you have decided to remain stubborn, who am I to force you to go against your decision?"

"Apologies."

"Don’t apologize; in truth, if not for my responsibilities, I would have liked to become an adventurer; of course, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to go after the Beast."

Ignoring the subtle jab, Ana intoned. "So, do you have an idea of where we could start?"

"No," Iason said with a shake of his head before adding. "However, there are those that might."

"Pray tell."

"They call themselves Beast Hunters or Hunters for short. The first-generation Hunters claim to be related to the denizens of Erethetri, the first victims of the Beast. Their mission involved finding the Beast and exerting judgment on him for the genocide he carried out."

"Where can I find them?"

"Head over to Nysodosia; their headquarters is there. However, I’d advise you to be careful when approaching them." Iason said, causing Ana to raise a brow.

"Of?"

"Though they started as a righteous group seeking to destroy the Beast for its atrocities, the current Hunters are nothing like their predecessors. They are more akin to bounty hunters, hunting down exotic creatures and selling them on the black market. The chances that they would have information on the Beast is quite low so best not to get your hopes up."

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome." Iason intoned. "You can leave immediately after the Call of Dawn tomorrow. If you have coin, I can help you prepare a horse-drawn carriage along with some food for the trip tomorrow."

"That would be appreciated." Ana said.

With that, Iason turned and left, leaving Ana alone in the candle-lit hallway.