Reincarnated

Chapter 36: Marquis Heloin's Illegitimate Son(1)

Cain sat up from his bed after noticing that the silent evening had become noisy. He stood up and went straight to his window. With a little swipe of the curtain, Cain peeked at the commotion outside. He activated his mana and reinforced his vision using it making it possible for him to see what was going on several hundred meters away from where he was.

Near the border between the city and the Great Lands were a huge crowd of knights, soldiers, mercenaries, and even mages. They were forming a circular shape in something that Cain couldn't identify what.

"It's so loud."

Cain glanced to his right and saw that filzer was looking towards th same direction where Cain was looking at. He was wearing a robe that was loosely tied to his waist.

"Someone died yet again."

Filzer commented, his eyes were staring at the crowd far away from their estate.

Cain turned his gaze back to the crowd and there he saw once an opening was created lay a body that was unrecognizable because of its limbs tore to several pieces and the main part of its body was either missing or was lacerated harshly.

Cain frowned at the sight before going back in his room. With a few steps, Cain closed the distance between him and the door to his room. He went out of the mansion and stayed in th garden until the hour came for them to leave.

***

At the entrance of the Great Lands, stood Filzer and Cain, both had calm expression as they waited for Marquis Heloin and his men to arrive.

They didn't have to wait long because the Marquis appeared along with the subjugation party behind him.

"Are you ready?"

Filzer asked as he looked every single person who was behind the Marquis.

The question was directed at everyone, but only one man had the right to answer.

"Yes."

Marquis Heloin gripped the long sword sheathed in his waist as he answered Filzer's question.

'He looks quite reliable right now. Sadly, I know excatly what he's hiding behind that mask.'

Cai thought and stood up straight behind Filzer.

"If you' are ready, then we shall depart."

Filzer turned his back on the party and led the way as they entered the forsaken Great Lands where monsters live and where their prey was waiting for their arrival.

***

"It's awfully quiet."

A person behind spoke in a hushed voice, being careful not to attract any monstershidingg in the bushes.

"The atmosphere is bad because of how quiet it is."

Another one seconded.

Cain took a glance to the back without any one noticing before looking up at Filzer who was walking beside him.

Even the ancient Dragon had not said anything since they entered the Great Lands.

It was as if he was lost in his thoughts, which was unsual for him to do.

"Is there anything that I need to know about?"

Cain broke the silence between them, but it stretched even more after he spoke.

Several minutes later, Filzer opened his mouth.

"It's strange."

Cain's eyes flew towards Filzer after hearing him say his first sentence since they entered.

"What is?"

"The monsters are continually retreating as we go deeper into the center."

Filzer informed with a crease on his beautiful face.

"Is it a trap?"

Cain frowned at the surrounding in front of them. He suddenly felt guilty. The moment they left the border into the Great Lands he had deactivated his mana to conserve his strength for any upcoming battle, bu it made him unable to realize what was happening in his surroundings.

He had relaxed his senses as he believed that the ancient Dragon could do the examination of theirsurroundings alone.

Cain activated his mana and used it to percept his surrounding, particularly to the front where the density of the trees have been continually increasing.

An just as Filzer have said, there were several low-tier monsters in front of them concealing their presence. They were matching the party's pace by retreating deeper to the forest as they advanced.

"They are luring us to the hive."

Cain commented as he narrowed his eyes to the several presences a few dozen meters away from them.

"Exactly, The only problem is we can't just subjugate them right away."

A frown appeared in Filzer's forehead before taaking a secret glance on his right.

"Why?"

Confused by Filzer's view of the situation, he looked up at the ancient Dragon.

"Because they might have some mind connection with the demonoid and are occasionally informing it about us."

Filzer explained before returning his gaze back to the front.

"But isn't that another reason to subjugate them?"

"No. We must thread the path slowly and carefully. Our enemy is connected to the demon race. Do not forget that."

Filzer looked at Cain with a solemn gaze. His eyes were telling him not to misunderstand his intention from his words.

Cain shut his eyes tight before opening them back and looking back to the party. Coincidence or not, he saw a man standing behind Marquis Heloin.

The man had an unkept appearance with his hair in a mess and his armor looking overused. That man was shooting daggers at the Marquis's back.

The man's bangs were covering his eyes, but it was enough for Cain to see the hostility in them.

The man seemed to have noticed that someone was looking at him as he immediately moved his irises and met Cain's eyes.

The man glared at Cain first before avoiding his gaze and clicking his tongue.

'Interesting.'

Cain thought to himself and continued to walk. The Great Lands were covered with tall trees and their density was higher than most forest which made it difficult for them to know if it was still day or if it was already night. The mist and fog that was concealing their senses and making them easily lose their direction did not help. It was fortunate that the party was composed of great fighters who have escaped death at least once.

They wouldn't be lost so easily in the thick fog.