Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 381 - 381 182 Old Friend

381: Chapter 182 “Old Friend 381: Chapter 182 “Old Friend Following the direction of the Earth Vein Spirit Lamp, we occasionally stopped to search the rugged mountain terrain near the earth veins.

After spending an entire day doing so, it came as no surprise to anyone…

we found nothing.

But we didn’t expect to discover a vein of ore as soon as we set out, either.

Aside from trees, there were only more trees; we didn’t even see a single bird.

The exploration was even more boring than Leon had imagined.

This region, once shrouded by a curse and forbidden to life, evidently had not yet revived to the vitality of a typical forest in the brief months since.

Along the way, our conversation meandered from topic to topic without much connection.

The good news was that, without any forest animals in sight and no harassment from mosquitoes or snakes, Leon and the others treated the exploration like a spring outing.

At least there were sights of babbling streams and rolling hills to enjoy.

Without the “Underworld filter” of the cursed environment, the Nightmare Forest was quite scenic in its own right.

Perhaps in several decades or a century, the Orland people will rename this forest with a more positive, worldly name.

As the sunset approached, we found a clearing to set up camp and rest.

After pitching the tents, Leon snapped his fingers at the assembled campfires, and magic instantly ignited the firewood.

Watching the flames burst forth, he couldn’t help but reminisce about the days on the run when the three of us struggled to create a primitive bow drill surrounded by cold winds in the wilderness, desperately trying to start a fire.

Back then, even hoping for meager meals was a luxury.

Now, even in the wilderness, they could afford to eat to their heart’s content, dripping with grease…

it felt like another lifetime.

Lokhak’s attendant set up a cauldron he had carried on his back and boiled water from the stream.

Leon stirred the pot of spiced stew, spreading a delicious aroma throughout the temporary campsite.

Leon had stew, and Olivia was making vegetable soup.

The crackling campfire, under the dim light and flames, everyone gathered to enjoy an outdoor feast.

Leon wasn’t worried about attracting wild animals.

Not to mention how few animals there were in the vast forest, even if they did attract some, it would only add to the evening meal for the knights present, contributing a bit of hunting pleasure to the otherwise dull excursion.

“Leon,” Lokhak asked between bites, “do you think we’ll come across the place where we buried that…

knight’s remains on our way east?

That was Lord Eriv’s father, right?”

“The odds are slim.

When we encountered the previous Baron near Selva, it seemed straightforward, but with the time-space distortions inside the Cursed Land, who knows where the actual burial site is after the Spirit-like Field dissipated.”

Leon shook his head, “We could post a reward in the counties around the forest in the future.

Perhaps the pioneers developing the land will stumble upon it unintentionally.”

He remembered marking the grave with a wooden stick as a simple tombstone before leaving.

Of course, even if they found the remains, Leon had no intention of snatching away the armor that he had not had the strength to carry with him at the time.

He wasn’t in need of that little bit of money now.

Returning the relics and remains to Eriv’s son would be a way to thank him for the treasure sword that had brought the three of them such an opportunity.

It was a good thing he hadn’t said the sword was obtained from fighting a Corpse Ghost; otherwise, it would be awkward for everyone if Eriv saw the corpse Lokhak had dismembered, even if he wouldn’t be blamed.

As night fell, we chatted about ordinary things, and when the time seemed right, Kovis stood up to take out a Material Bottle and set up a Guarding Technique around the camp.

Olivia volunteered eagerly to keep watch, so Leon arranged for him and her to take the first half of the night, while Lokhak and his Attendant would take the second half.

As everyone settled into their tents, Leon sat next to Olivia, glancing at the three tents they had brought.

“If I’d known, I would’ve brought an extra one.” He rested against a log that Olivia had knocked over, now serving as a bench, with a hint of regret.

The arrangement was Lokhak and his Attendant in one, himself and Kovis in another, and Olivia and Treya in the last.

Any combination besides these would be awkward, especially if he wanted to sleep with his lover, leaving Miss Treya to share with the other three men.

Tents of this era were not exactly spacious.

Olivia, who knew Leon’s lack of propriety all too well, immediately picked up on the implications.

She reached out to tug at her lover’s ear, whispering softly, “What are you daydreaming about…

we’re outdoors, everyone’s here, and I won’t let you behave like you do at home.”

Leon turned to her with a woeful expression, “I didn’t say anything though.”

“But you were definitely thinking it~,” Olivia hummed, not believing for a second he didn’t have some mischief in mind.

“Injustice,” Leon protested, “I was just thinking about how to reweave the tale of the Three Kingdoms for you.

I’ve come up with quite a bit; do you want to hear it?”

“Really?” Olivia’s interest was immediately piqued.

All doubts were cast aside as she leaned in closer.

“Of course, listen up.

Once upon a time, Lord Vilte entrusted his legacy to the White King Castle, ready for his soul to depart to the other side.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes to find himself holding a mat standing among people.

And then he saw a familiar, fierce black-face warrior glaring at him, angrily saying, ‘If a man doesn’t exert himself for his country, instead, he sighs here, what kind of man is he!’…”

In a world without even computers, Leon began to tell a thoroughly modern tale of historical rebirth to the starry-eyed Olivia, recounting a wildly imaginative story.

After all, to make up for the girl’s regrets, it was simpler to concoct a saga about an uncle embarking on a second playthrough than to rewrite a classic…

Night passed, moment by moment.

But the two conversing above showed not a hint of tiredness.

As they spoke, Olivia’s lively eyes suddenly shifted, her gaze turning toward the dark of the woods, where the firelight could not reach.

“Leon, there’s a sound approaching, many footsteps, but…

their footfalls are light,” Olivia warned, staring at the commotion.

Leon ceased talking and stood up, grasping the hilt of the Pseudo-Thorny Sword.

Though there were few things in the forest that could threaten their group, he would not take any situation lightly.

“Wake everyone up,” Leon drew his weapon.

Quickly, the four in the tents, who had just fallen asleep, were roused and briskly exited their tents.

Not wanting to passively wait for the uninvited guests to approach, Leon gave Kovis an order.

“Illuminate the direction Olivia pointed out; let’s see who our uninvited guests are tonight.”

The young mage caressed the blade, infusing magic to activate the Magic Technique; the Rune Sword instantly transformed into a blade of dazzling light.

With a flick of his right hand, the sharp sword flew out of his grasp, illuminating the pitch blackness of the woods like a flare.

The blinding Magic Light exposed the figures that were trying to hide, revealing a large group of brown-skinned, dog-headed humanoid monsters, armed with spears, short swords, and even hauling pickaxes, stealthily approaching.

But those hiding in the darkness, startled by the glow of the Friendship Longsword, shrieked in horror, the light-sensitive creatures covering their tearful red eyes and scattered away screaming.

“Gahh!

~Gahhhaa—!!!”

Realizing they’d picked the wrong prey and target, that bevy of armed and armored creatures scrambled to flee.

Leon and Lokhak could not help but raise their eyebrows; these were indeed their “old friends” from long past.

“…What are those things?” Olivia frowned, her surprise clear as she looked at the ugly little creatures.

It was no wonder that even a usually well-mannered girl couldn’t help but judge these creatures by their appearance.

The visage of Wild Goblins was truly nauseating…

With this shift in perspective, Leon now had the leisure to carefully observe these humanoid monsters for the second time.

He couldn’t help but feel the need to apologize for the image of goblins from his past life by comparison.

With their canine heads and small, beady eyes, their bodies covered in festering bumps resembling skin diseases, not to mention the shamelessly exposed genitalia.

From any human aesthetic standpoint, Wild Goblins were a prime example of ugliness.

Compared to them, goblins from animations and games in his previous life could be considered handsome and dashing.

Kovis’s Flying Sword reached the limits of its control distance and turned back to the camp, falling back into the young mage’s hands.

Lokhak hoisted his heavy All-steel Axe onto his shoulder with a clang and approached Leon, asking, “Shall we pursue and finish them off?”

Times had changed; even alone, Lokhak was confident he could easily crush hundreds of such petty and harmful creatures.

Besides, Leon, Kovis, and the powerful Olivia were also present.

Leon shook his head, retracting the blade.

“No need to bother with them tonight, chasing them in the dark isn’t wise; since they’ve been scared off, you all go back to rest, there’s no threat to us anyway.

But these creatures have somehow made their way near Avalon, probably migrated here by mistake recently.

When we return, we’ll organize troops to clear them out from the surrounding area.”

Wild Goblins were no good, as recorded in the monster manual mentioned by Azeryan during conversations—this violent breed of humanoid monster had no capability of communicating with other sentient races, and given enough food, they had a strong reproductive rate and short life cycle.

While they posed no threat to knights and armies, they were an absolute scourge to the common folk.

The Holy Sun Church had long eradicated them from within the Seryan Kingdom, but it seemed that many Wild Goblin settlements still lingered in the wilds and border regions between Orland and Kantadar.

After the camp quieted down again, the rest of the night passed without incident.

The next morning, packing up their belongings, everyone once again followed Leon, guided by the light from the Spirit-like Field, trudging along the winding spiritual veins.

Yet, carrying the Spirit Lamp and walking, Leon couldn’t help but crouch down and gently touch the dense footprints on the ground.

Three-toed paw prints…

Could it be the tracks of the Wild Goblins from last night?

Leon looked up toward the distant woods, where he could faintly perceive broken shrubs.

The direction the Spirit Lamp indicated now coincided with the Wild Goblins’ escape route.

Was it a coincidence?