NOVEL WEB Chapter 110
Chapter 110
“Hmm, doesn’t it seem like it hasn’t grown any bigger?”
“Even when compared to other wolves, it’s definitely unique.”
At Myna’s affirmation, Nia leaned in with an expression of interest.
“I didn’t get a good look earlier, but somewhere the fur seems cleaner, and the eyes are black. Moreover, this inside its body… is it mana? This is definitely mana, isn’t it!”
Nia was so shocked that she put down the bag slung on her back and immediately delved her hand inside. Shortly after, she pulled out a pair of round glasses and put them on. The silver frame of the glasses twinkled strangely as she did so.
“Oooh… Ooooh?”
Calmly yawning, the White Beast allowed itself to be inspected. Nia then circled it, emitting peculiar exclamations as she went.
The White Beast shook its head in an expression of irritation.
“Manifestation of mana… no, it’s more like it’s similar to us. Hm. If it’s not considered a spirit because it was originally a living being that underwent an ascension, then is it an Eastern divine beast?”
She began to closely harass the White Beast, examining its eyes or rummaging through its thick fur.
Usually, even a tame animal would bare its teeth when pestered to this extent, but the White Beast merely shook its head to evade Nia’s touch and displayed no signs of aggressive behavior.
It would be accurate to say it was in a state where it was incapable of showing hostility towards our group.
‘Stay still. Otherwise…’
‘…wooow.’
With clenched fists, I silently sent a glare, and the beast’s pupils subtly shifted. Accepting its fate with resignation, it endured the touch.
‘A divine beast, perhaps.’
The White Beast understands commands quickly and displays a significant level of intelligence, far beyond what a regular wolf or a mere contaminated beast would exhibit.
It’s as if it has ascended to a completely new level. This makes sense if it became a divine beast.
The sensation of souls connecting.
It’s like when I first drew Calion, indicating a spiritual binding between the White Beast and me.
What was peculiar, however, was that the tainted mana within me had evaporated simply due to our connection. Carefully speculating, it seemed that the process involved the power of the Goddess to cleanse the corrupted mana. The purified mana was absorbed entirely, turning the regular beast into a divine one.
“If it’s a sudden ascension into a divine beast, there must be an origin. Let’s see, connections…”
Apparently, there’s something only a magician can observe. Nia’s gaze, after departing from the White Beast, wandered through the air and finally settled on me.
She looked at me with a fascinated expression, and I nodded in response.
“That’s how it happened.”
“So, what?”
“I don’t know either.”
Nia’s lips slightly parted.
Her expression plainly showed perplexity.
She seemed to be hoping for an explanation, but what could I do? I truly didn’t know.
‘The moment I named it, it started evolving.’
Perhaps the Goddess bestowed it as a gift. It was just the right time when I needed a mount.
The imperial army’s warhorses, burdened with the weight of armor, would quickly tire even with just Calion aboard.
When I was racing across the Lude Plains, leading the knights on the fiercest and largest horse they had, even that finest warhorse collapsed with a metallic clang, unable to endure further.
In comparison, the White Beast is a perfect fit for me.
The ability to effortlessly leap over the walls of Solorun.
When considering its power with mana and its small size, I believe it can handle the weight of Calion just fine.
Indeed, it was effortlessly traversing the harsh northern environment. With its enhancement as a divine beast now complete.
‘I trust you. Hail, Sora.’
In my role as the Chosen One, I offered a small prayer.
As I silently praised the Goddess within my mind, Myna approached and gently brushed the White Beast’s fur, showing a look of intrigue.
“A faint trace of the Sun’s power emanates from it.”
“When I ride on the White Beast, the insignia reacts too.”
“It seems the Goddess has bestowed her power. By the way, is this creature’s name really White Beast? The naming is… somewhat unusual.”
“Perhaps it would be unfamiliar to Lady Myna, but the name was inspired by Eastern characters. White Beast (白救), meaning ‘White Savior.'”
“White Savior… it’s a good name.”
Actually, it merely refers to a ‘White Dog’ (白狗), and it’s a casual naming inspired by a term from my previous life.
Well, no one’s been to the Eastern Continent, so I suppose it’s fine. Nia hasn’t traveled to the remotest corners of the Eastern Continent either, so she wouldn’t know.
“…”
I felt an odd gaze.
Glancing to the side, Charles was staring at me with an expressionless face.
‘Master.’
‘…Be quiet.’
We exchanged messages solely through our eyes, but fortunately, it seemed he understood. Charles redirected his gaze to the map he held in his hands.
The black crow once mentioned that he had traveled across the Eastern Continent, so Charles might be finding the White Beast’s name a bit strange.
Completing the brief mental contest with Charles and turning my head, I saw Myna gently stroking the White Beast’s nose.
The White Beast’s jaw slightly opened.
“Waugh.”
It was even lifting its lips, enjoying Myna’s touch.
‘Hehe.’
A completely different demeanor from how it acted with Nia. Even to the point where it almost rolled over to expose its belly. The difference between Nia and Myna, there’s only one explanation:
‘Due to divine influence, perhaps.’
Given the Goddess’s influence during the process of becoming a divine beast, it’s likely that it feels a sense of closeness to Myna, who possesses a similar power.
“If the tainted mana within the White Beast was purified, could it be possible for the others as well?”
Myna, emanating a glow, placed her hand on the wolf she rode on when arriving at Solorun. As a result,
Swish.
The wolf’s red eyes turned black.
There was no change akin to the formation of internal mana as seen in the White Beast. However, the oppressive presence of mana that subtly irritated was completely absent.
“It’s a bit tiring, but it seems successful.”
Myna’s drooping hand, drained of energy, gently swept over the wolf.
“Wowow!”
The wolf, while still of similar size compared to other wolves, showed newfound intelligence in its eyes.
It would be hard not to consider it more intelligent given how most other corrupted wolves had been drooling with tongues lolling out.
While I was having this conversation with Myna about the remaining wolf pack, a small commotion broke out, and a feeble voice reached my ears.
“Comrade.”
Glancing to the side, Wade approached with reddened cheeks, accompanied by soldiers from Solorun.
Though the soldiers of Solorun hesitated to approach due to the wolf pack, Wade moved forward until he reached me, supported by a knight, and opened his mouth.
“In Yelkin, it might be better to put Lord Macbilian at the forefront rather than the Duke.”
This was suggesting to use our familial connection as a title.
“Much time has passed since we severed ties with the center. Information from the center occasionally reaches us through pilgrims and travelers, but frankly speaking… most consider us no different from the others. The northerners think as such.”
Wade continued speaking with a serious expression.
“There are many in the center who harbor hostility.”
“…Indeed.”
Considering the current situation of the north and the front lines, it was quite possible that stress had reached its peak.
Solorun, as a rear supply base and a city exchanging with other regions, had a rather liberal attitude towards outsiders.
However, other cities differ.
This was the point Wade aimed to highlight.
“Thank you for the advice, Duke Trios. However, I have no intention of changing my stance.”
I came to the north to render assistance as Iris’s husband and the empire’s Duke.
The center has changed.
And at the heart of that change are Iris and I.
We have not forgotten you. I have come to help the north.
There was a need to flip the perception of the northerners and reconnect severed ties.
“Nevertheless…”
“It’s fine. The center did abandon the north, after all. It’s something we must endure.”
Though it was a result of the disputes over interests among central nobles, we cannot ignore problems caused by others’ actions.
As one seated in a position of power, deciding the major and minor affairs of the nation, responsibility and duty rested upon me.
Speaking of responsibility, memories of my previous life as an office worker surfaced momentarily.
“There was that guy who dumped everything on the junior and then walked away.”
I remember trying to console the junior, who relied on sleeping pills to deal with insomnia.
The junior never recovered from depression and eventually quit. And with his resignation, more work flooded in.
That irresponsible person who had treated the junior harshly didn’t last long, either, being fired after getting greedy not long after.
“Those who leave don’t return.”
Shaking my head, I mounted the White Beast.
After firmly securing my legs for balance,
I softly embraced Myna, who sat in front, and grabbed the White Beast’s fur. In a single motion, the beast stood up.
“Gr-r-r.”
The White Beast’s growl stirred the rest of the wolf pack to stand as well.
With all preparations for departure complete, I spoke to Wade, who watched us with an anxious expression.
“If situations improve, you must surely send a letter to Lord Hanson.”
“Rest assured. Though the magician has provided us with aid, we still require assistance. Once the snowstorm settles, I’ll send a message via the Supernal One.”
With a firm response from Wade, I nodded and gave the fur a gentle tug.
Thud. Thud.
With a heavy reverberation, the White Beast pivoted its body.
Seemingly readying to leap, the beast lowered its posture, and just as I was observing the gathering mana under its paws, an unexpected voice reached my ears.
“Lord Macbilian.”
Our eyes met, and Wade continued his speech.
“Thank you for saving Solorun. We will never forget this deed. If you need assistance, I will respond without hesitation.”
With those final words, Wade performed a respectful bow. The knights and soldiers nearby, who had been spectating from afar, also bowed their heads.
“Thank you, Your Grace!”
“We will always remember your kindness!”
“May your journey be blessed with light!”
“Please visit Solorun again when you pass by!”
With the shouts of many echoing behind us, the White Beast pushed off the ground.
Our target was the suspicious light spotted by the patrol.
On the White Beast, it wouldn’t take long to arrive, especially since it’s conveniently located midway to the Gateway City Yelkin.
Whoosh.
The bone-chilling gusts of wind pierced through.
The world blurred with an incessant swirl of murky white snow.
The White Beast, having leapt over the walls, lead its pack of wolves swiftly through the snowstorm.
***
At the moment Cain’s group departed Solorun and raced through the snowstorm,
The suspicious light was discovered nearby.
A group cloaked in robes emerged in the vicinity.
A group of five slowly traversed the snowy plains.
The fur-trimmed thick robes they wore flapped roughly against the fierce gales.
While the people gripped the flapping robes firmly against the strong winds, the relentless gusts eventually swept them aside, revealing the attire of the five.
Winter-proof thick fur clothing.
Light armor designed to protect key areas and a sword sheathed at the waist were evident.
Symbols of a tree and a wolf decorated the scabbard.
Devalleta.
The emblem of the impenetrable iron wall that barred even their enemies and the masters of the north. In the north, apart from those with extraordinary courage, there was only one group who bore the crest of the Grand Duke’s family.
Rustle!
A sudden headwind ripped off someone’s hood.
Revealing the figure of a youth with long golden hair tied into a single braid. Despite the snowstorm, his sharp features harmonized perfectly with his piercing gaze.
The young man with golden hair, Arthur Briarten, pulled his hood back up. In the brief moment, snow had accumulated inside the hood, leaving his hair damp.
Arthur shook off the dampness in his hair.
‘Hmm…’
The cause of the snowstorm.
It had been weeks since he left the Devalleta Castle to solve this issue.
Battling this harsh environment, even passing through the Gateway City Yelkin, they had been aimlessly heading south. If they continued, they might even reach Solorun.
‘Although I don’t doubt Miss Erika’s abilities… can we really find anything in this environment?’
Arthur’s worried gaze shifted towards the head of their group.