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Chapter 152

The horses wore blinders, blocking their peripheral vision to prevent them from panicking or exhausting themselves out of fear. These were among the items bought from Fael. Normally, Ian wouldn\'t have considered them, but they had some resistance to certain status effects, as confirmed by the item information.

Even during the night journey, the horses\' breathing remained steady, indicating that the blinders were somewhat effective. Like other frontier kingdoms, Lu Sard\'s skies were perpetually covered in ominous clouds. The forest was silent, with only flocks of birds making the dark clouds in the night sky seem even blacker.

"Philip, start looking for a place to park the carriage," Ian instructed.

"Yes, lord. I\'ve been waiting for your signal," Philip responded quickly, glancing at Charlotte for assistance. She licked her lips and scanned the surroundings, appearing well-practiced.

In forests of the plain, there were always spots where dense bushes or clusters of small trees grew together.

"That spot looks good," Charlotte soon said, pointing in a direction.

Philip promptly steered the carriage toward it.

"Ah, I can see it now. It\'s perfect," Philip said, squinting into the darkness.

Their method of setting up camp involved parking the carriage between bushes or trees, and securing the horses among them.

While Philip followed this routine, Charlotte prepared feed for the horses, not forgetting to mix in some freshly cut grass from nearby. Ian and Mev cleared space inside the carriage for them to lie down. Though it wasn\'t comfortable, it was sufficient for them to curl up and rest in pairs.

Since leaving Burbrook, this had been their usual camping routine. They didn\'t light a campfire, but fortunately, the weather was mild enough to sleep without one.

"You two rest first. We\'ll take the first watch tonight," Philip said, poking his head down from the carriage\'s roof.

Ian and Mev nodded without argument. Though neither would sleep immediately, they didn\'t mind, knowing Philip and Charlotte often bore the brunt of the work.

Ian and Mev lay down on the floor and the seats, now familiar with the positions. As Ian turned toward the wall and closed his eyes, the sound of rustling leaves in the wind and Philip\'s whispering voice reached his ears.

"Don\'t vampires like the moon? I thought we\'d see the moon once we entered Lu Sard, but it\'s completely hidden here too," Philip said to Charlotte.

Her voice followed from the coachman\'s seat. "That\'s news to me. Maybe werewolves, but vampires too?”

Despite everything, Charlotte was the one who responded most to Philip\'s chatter. It was a habit she had developed while traveling with Thesaya. That\'s why they usually took the first watch together. Mev and Ian, on the other hand, preferred silence and often skipped unnecessary conversation, especially during the watch.

"Really? I thought vampires liked the crescent moon and werewolves liked the full moon," Philip said, sounding surprised.

He added, "I thought you\'d know since you traveled with Thesaya for a long time."

"I must have told you. She doesn\'t know much. You might know more about vampires than she does," Charlotte replied.

Ian silently chuckled at how Charlotte was talking about Thesaya as almost an idiot.

It was true that Thesaya knew little, but she learned quickly. She never forgot a story she heard once, even if it was mentioned in passing and not taken seriously. If she was still alive, she would surely remember her contract with Ian and the promise to go to Lu Sard.

"I still can\'t imagine it. Listening to Charlotte\'s stories, it\'s easy to forget that she’s a demon. That such a demon exists...."

"She wasn\'t like that from the beginning. I never thought I\'d end up rescuing her."

"Ah, you said your relationship with her wasn\'t good at first."

"It was worse than that. I intended to kill her with my own hands."

"Wow... By the way, could you tell me more about your relationship with her?"

Ian turned his attention away from the quietly ongoing conversation between the two. It was partly because the chatter was of little interest, but more so because another sound was irritating his nerves.

The sound of the rustling wind. He initially thought it was caused by the trees shaking, but the low, continuous sound persisted. Of course, a cool breeze was seeping through the gaps in the carriage, but he felt an oddly unsettling feeling. It was all the more disturbing because he couldn\'t sense any murderous intent like being pricked by a needle or splashed with cold water, nor any trace of sticky magic.

Yes, it seemed oddly peaceful.

Reaching a conclusion, Ian opened his eyes and sat up. His eyes, fully adjusted to the dark, clearly made out the interior of the wagon.

"Can\'t sleep?" Mev asked in a low voice.

Ian, rising slowly, responded, "I have a bad feeling."

No further explanation was needed. Philip and Charlotte\'s conversation abruptly halted. Mev also sat up, reaching for her armor and equipment.

Ian stepped out of the wagon, passing the horses. He stopped only after putting some distance between himself and the camp. Charlotte drew her fanged sword, and Philip strapped on his shield, looking around the back of the wagon.

Whoosh—

At that moment, a gust of wind swept over Ian\'s entire body. His eyes, which had been flickering with a gray hue, now calmed, and the remnants of magic, barely perceptible to those with highly developed Intuition, dispersed into the wind.

“...!” As if that was a signal, tiny red glows began to appear in the distant trees. They all emerged in the trees and quickly filled the surroundings.

"Crows...?" Charlotte muttered.

Numerous crows perched densely on the branches, staring at the wagon in the center. The glowing red eyes dimmed, and then the crows began to flap their wings. The sky of the forest darkened as they took flight in waves.

"By Lu Sola," Philip muttered, gripping his sword tightly. His sigh was drowned out by the echoing cries of the crows, a sound that provoked fear.

However, it was insufficient to affect Ian. He calmly observed the flock circling overhead. The crows soon gathered into a dense mass, then dove toward Ian in a dark wave with flickering red lights.

“...?”

Coming straight at me?

Ian tilted his head, then steadied his stance. As he readied his sword, lightning began to crackle along its blade.

Whoosh—

The wave of crows was suddenly swept away by a rising whirlwind, scattering them in all directions. The gap in the wave was quickly filled by more crows from behind.

Ian extended his left hand immediately after.

Whoosh—

The Force Field rose in front of Ian, causing crows to burst into blood and feathers as they struck it, like cashing into the window. However, it couldn\'t hold them all back. The area around Ian was engulfed in a wave of black birds. The surface of the Force Field cracked faster than it dissipated. Soon, it shattered silently.

However, it had bought Ian enough time to concentrate the lightning on his sword. He thrust the glowing blade into the approaching wave.

Boom— Crackle!

Amidst the sound of flapping wings, a heavy roar spread, and spider web-like lightning branched out in all directions. The lightning swept past Ian and struck the crows that were advancing toward his group.

The crows dropped with a thud, and the ones following them split into two groups, convulsing as they were forced apart to the left and right. Although the number had drastically decreased in an instant, there was still a significant number remaining.

Ian\'s gaze, which alternated between the two groups, suddenly turned back to the sky ahead. A smaller group, split from the main one, was flying straight toward him. The ones that had been scattered by the Whirling Barrier had regrouped.

To survive that and still not die. Well, they clearly aren\'t ordinary crows.

With this thought, Ian took in the sight of the two groups circling in the darkness once more, and then quickly looked back.

"Protect the horses! They\'re targeting you!"

"Understood!" Mev, who had just exited the wagon, lowered her face guard and shouted. She drew her sword and stood guard in front of the horses while Philip’s voice followed.

"Lord! Look ahead!"

I know.

Ian silently replied to Philip, staring at the approaching crows with his gray eyes. The birds were already within striking distance. Ian extended his left hand, seemingly in anticipation.

Whoosh—

A gust of wind surged from his hand, scattering the flock. Ian raised his sword and leaped into action. It was time to cut them down one by one.

The situation at the campsite was no different. The two flocks split left and right, surrounding them like a tidal wave. The sound was like a torrential downpour. Charlotte crouched on the wagon roof, ready to spring.

"...."

Philip, standing opposite Mev, sighed as he watched the approaching black wave. If they got caught in it, there wouldn\'t even be bones left. The horses behind him would meet the same fate. Even the thick-skinned Northern horses would be torn apart.

Just as the wave was about to engulf him, Philip extended his hand holding his sword.

Whoosh—

A brilliant curtain of light flared around him. The wave of crows hit the barrier, not merely bouncing off but burning away instantly. This was evidence that they were either undead or under the influence of dark magic.

Crash—

On the other side, where Mev collided head-on with the crows, her whole body crackled like frying beans. Despite being minions of darkness, they were still just birds. They couldn\'t pierce her full plate armor, but the relentless assault continued. She didn\'t just endure the onslaught but started slashing through the crows with her sword.

Her speed was unmatched, faster than usual. The flashing arcs of her sword surrounded her like starlight, creating what looked like a barrier of sword. It was a near-magical skill, but Mev moved without any hint of awe, pouring all her strength into her actions.

The dismembered birds fell to the ground with a thud. Their beaks were abnormally large and protruded in the middle, revealing small, saw-like teeth in between.

Smack! Slash!

With his right hand extended to maintain the veil, Philip swung his shield with his left hand, striking down the crows that had managed to bypass Mev. Thanks to the sufficient accumulation of holy power, the veil still shimmered vividly. On one side, the relentless flashing of the crows burning up created a continuous light show, while on the other, the desperate battle to protect the horses continued.

Slash! Thud!

Charlotte moved nimbly, leaping over the horses and slashing with precision. Each swing of her sword cleaved through the crows. Despite the chaos, the duration of the encounter was shorter than it felt. The surviving crows flew haphazardly, desperately searching for any gap.

Despite their valiant defense, they were just three. Small gaps inevitably appeared whenever they exhaled or landed.

Neigh—

One crow managed to bite into a horse\'s side. The horse reared and screamed.

Crash!

Philip struck the crow clinging to the horse\'s side with his shield, clicking his tongue. There was no time to check the horse\'s condition. The immediate concern was the holy barrier, which was fading quickly due to the sheer number of crows striking it.

Oh Lu Solar, Philip silently prayed, gripping his sword tighter.

"You\'ve held up well." Ian slid in beside him, his sword already soaked with blood.

"Everyone, gather around!"

Ian\'s eyes glowed with gray magic as he shouted. Mev leaped back, and Charlotte rolled to the ground, landing in a crouch.

Whoosh—

A fierce whirlwind erupted around the campsite, scattering the crows like paper. The group caught their breath, quickly taking defensive positions in four directions. The black shadows in the sky regrouped and swooped down again.

I can\'t just burn them all. Damn it.

Ian muttered, punching a crow. The risk of using red magic was too high. The environment was perfect for a wildfire, and flaming crows crashing down would set everything ablaze. Not to mention the risk of their location being discovered, the horses and the carriage could also catch fire.

Using gray magic like Chain Lightning was also tricky. In the chaotic situation, it could electrocute not just the horses but his companions too. Using something like Glacier Wall would deplete his magic power immensely.

...How is it that, in the end, physical combat is the most efficient? I\'m supposed to be a mage.

Despite his thoughts, Ian continued to swing his sword and fists. The rest of the group also performed their roles diligently. Realizing that the crows were not persistently targeting them made their response much easier. The area around the group was now covered in a black carpet of dead bird corpses.

Dead crows piled up around them, forming a black carpet.

Whoosh—

The crows, now significantly reduced in number, finally retreated.

“Phew... phew....”

The group panted, watching the shadows disappear into the darkness. They were covered in feathers and blood, but no one was injured. Even Philip had no scratches, though he might find a bruise or two once he took off his armor.

“Who would have thought we\'d be in such danger from crows....” Philip muttered while Ian inspected the fallen horse.

Its side was torn, flesh gouged, and blood poured out.

Fuck... The only casualty just had to be the horse.

A clicking sound escaped from Ian\'s mouth. There was no time to wait for this animal to recover. It might have already been infected. Therefore, they would have to release it and leave. The only consolation was that the horse of Northern lineage wasn\'t injured.

"They seemed to be targeting the horses. Am I the only one who noticed?" Mev asked, catching her breath. She raised her face guard and looked at Ian, her face glistening with sweat.

Charlotte, sitting on the wagon roof, brushed off crow carcasses and looked at Ian.

"I noticed too," Ian said, standing up.

Philip sighed shortly. "Seems we all thought the same. But why? Wouldn\'t it make more sense to target us?"

"They probably wanted to disable our mobility while keeping us alive."

“...You mean they aimed to take out our means of transportation?”

"Why else would they do this?"

"Then, these were scouts of some sort." Mev crushed a twitching crow under her boot.

Ian leaped onto the wagon roof and nodded. "Most likely. It seems like we’ve entered the vampires\' hunting ground."

A memory from the game flashed through his mind. He had faced a similar situation before. Back then, it was a pack of undead hounds rather than crows.

It seemed to be a widespread tactic throughout Lu Sard.

"Since the scouts failed to achieve their goal...."

Ian, peering into the forest\'s darkness, turned to Mev and added, "The main force will be coming soon."

As if on cue, the faint sound of hoofbeats echoed from the darkness beyond.