The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 113

The maze was not as bad as I had initially thought. Its structure made it relatively easy to find places to hide if I ever encountered someone.

“It sounds like things are getting chaotic upstairs. What on earth is going on?”

“From what I overheard, it seems like one of the warehouses got busted.”

“Huh? How did that happen?”

As the patrolling guards chatted, they passed by me. That made three successful evasions so far. I was progressing toward my destination faster than I had expected.

Just a little further now…!

I waited until the patrollers were completely out of sight before preparing to move again.

Boom!

“…!”

Suddenly, a loud vibration shook the area, and the surroundings erupted in commotion. I quickly ducked back into hiding as soldiers, armed with weapons, came rushing out.

What’s going on?

At first, I thought I had been discovered, but their movements didn’t suggest they were searching the area. They all had grim expressions as they surged toward a specific direction.

“Did I hear that right? The shackles have been broken?”

“Weren’t those supposed to be unbreakable?”

“I don’t know! Just move!”

“Damn it, what kind of bad luck is this? Why does everything keep happening so early in the morning?!”

Listening to their frantic shouts, it was clear that some kind of incident had occurred. Yet, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling creeping over me. Somehow, I had a hunch this unexpected situation might be related to them.

When I saw the direction they were heading, my suspicion grew even stronger. The energy pulling me forward was emanating from that same direction.

Could it be that they know I’m here?

Just as I felt them, they might have felt me too. Thinking it might be a signal sent to me made my heart race.

Boom! Boom boom!

But the moment of excitement was very brief. Another loud tremor resounded, and then everything quickly fell into silence. A foreboding stillness, so intense that even swallowing felt cautious.

‘What happened?’

The answer soon came. The sound of footsteps and numerous presences approached. The soldiers who had just rushed off were returning. In the forefront were additional personnel I hadn’t seen earlier. They appeared to be knights and mages from the Magic Tower, clad in enchanted armor. One of the faces was familiar.

‘That person is…’

Plain brown hair and brown eyes. An ordinary appearance, yet somehow striking. It was unmistakable. It was the very person I had encountered in Fortuna, the mage who was with that unsettling silver-haired boy.

“Oh dear, I don’t know what’s happening all of a sudden. Thank you for handling it, Lord Vaen. If it weren’t for you, it would have been a disaster.”

‘Vaen, right. That was the name.’

Hearing the name confirmed it. It was indeed the person I had met. Although the silver-haired one wasn’t with him. Vaen, with a calm smile on his face, eased the tense atmosphere.

“There’s no need to be flustered. This was all expected. Things have been too quiet until now. They probably wanted to catch us off guard.”

“Ugh, seems we let our guard down amidst the morning chaos. I deeply apologize.”

“It’s fine. From now on, we’ll increase the dosage of Spes. I wanted to handle things peacefully, but that seems difficult now.”

“Yes, understood.”

Judging by how instructions were given and followed smoothly, it seemed Vaen wielded considerable authority. It also meant he was an exceptionally skilled mage. It felt a bit strange that someone who looked only just an adult, around my age, was leading such a powerful group.

“And from now on, we’ll need to implement separation measures. They need to understand what happens if they act up. And how lenient their treatment has been thus far.”

“Quite right. Being gathered together must have led them to unnecessary thoughts. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

“Let’s isolate them, two to three in a room. Knights should be isolated individually. Especially keep a closer eye on that hydrangea.”

“Yes, Lord Vaen.”

‘This can’t happen.’

This was bad news for me. If they scattered, it would take more time to rescue them. There was no guarantee that the guiding sensation I felt would persist.

The heat pressing down on my entire body was intensifying by the moment. Checking the temperature on my forearm, I bit my lip. This might be the first and last chance to save everyone.

“……”

At that moment, the man who had been silently walking beside Vaen suddenly stopped. He was significantly taller and larger than the others, with distinctive blue-gray hair. His presence was striking. He was also the only one in casual clothes among the group.

When he stopped, Vaen also halted and turned around. Everyone else seemed to tense up. It was clear the hierarchy in the space had shifted from Vaen to this man.

“Lord Eliha? Is there something wrong?”

The name sounded vaguely familiar. Perhaps one of the Demonic Beasts who had attacked the village had mentioned it.

“If we had known this would happen, we should have brought Lord Eliha.”

Yes, that’s what they had said.

He was a figure referred to with extreme honor by the Demonic Beasts. Very likely, he was a leader among them. He lifted his head with an indifferent expression.

“…The scent of flowers is overwhelming.”

Suddenly, a strong wind gust swept through the area. Instinctively, I raised my arms, but the air had already slammed into me before I could react.

Screeeech! Boom!

“Ugh!”

Before I knew it, I felt my body being violently lifted, and then a savage pain spread throughout. The impact felt like my entire body was being shattered. “Cough!” After a dry cough, I finally realized I had been slammed into a wall. It also dawned on me that my location had been discovered.

“A rat hiding in the shadows, huh.”

“……”

Through the haze of pain, I heard a murmured voice. A cold gaze settled on me from above. I didn’t know when they’d gotten so close, but I could see their shoes right in front of me. I clenched my fists, determined not to raise my head. If I met their gaze, defending myself might become impossible.

“Is this an intruder? I hadn’t noticed at all.”

Vaen approached and asked. The figure standing in front of him grabbed my hair and forcibly lifted my head. I considered closing my eyes but decided it wasn’t necessary against him and met his gaze. His brown eyes gleamed with curiosity.

“Where did you come from? The Aslan imperial palace? Or Bahakan? Or perhaps you’re a nosy Nokai? You don’t seem like a trained agent considering how sloppy you are.”

“……”

The answer came from somewhere else.

“It’s a Clonne.”

“…!”

Vaen’s eyes widened at the casual revelation. Gasps of surprise came from those who were watching nearby. Vaen, with a shocked expression, looked between me and the man called Eliha, then fixed his gaze back on me.

“You said Clonne?”

“Can’t you smell it?”

“Oh, now that you mention it! I thought there was a pleasant scent since before. So it’s coming from this person?”

It was deeply unsettling to think someone was smelling me. I grimaced, but Vaen just seemed delighted at the perceived scent.

“I never thought it would be a Clonne. You must be here to rescue your kin. What a pity. Sneaking in only to be caught because of the scent. Did you fail to control it due to nerves?”

‘He talks a lot.’

This was something I hadn’t picked up from the first impression. Probably because I hadn’t spent enough time with him to notice. As I kept staring wordlessly, he seemed to recall something, his eyes lighting up with realization.

“But you, somehow, seem familiar.”

“……”

“Tell me. Haven’t we met before? You don’t look like someone I’d easily mistake for another.”

I had no idea what kind of face that was, but I tried to ignore it. Once again, though, the answer came from somewhere else.

“I recognize him, Lord Vaen. He’s the suspicious guy who was briefly with the guest in Fortuna.”

It seemed one of the knights accompanying Vaen back then was here now. Suddenly, Vaen’s eyes darkened with recognition.

“Fortuna? Ah, now I remember. Yes, there was an incident like that.”

Nodding in apparent amazement, Vaen smiled gently, looking pleased.

“Now I understand. It was because you are a Clonne that he reacted.”

I couldn’t ask what that meant. He forcibly pulled me to my feet. Simultaneously, I heard a metallic clink and felt a heavy weight on my wrist. It took a moment to realize shackles had been placed on me. Vaen smiled as our eyes met.

“I wondered why you didn’t immediately call your Guardian when you got caught. Given how quickly you moved from Fortuna to here, you must have spatial abilities? Either way, it’s unfortunate. You probably won’t be able to get help now.”

“……”

“It might be good for you to learn how to control your scent better next time. Although, there might not be another opportunity.”

After a comforting pat, he handed me over to the soldiers.

“Take this one to where his race is. At least he achieved his goal of finding them. It’s fortunate, I suppose.”

Everyone laughed heartily at his mocking words. As I was forcefully led away, I let out a quiet sigh, taking care not to show any relief on my face.

‘…I did achieve my goal.’

There was one thing they were completely mistaken about.

The fact that I wasn’t giving off any scent yet was perfectly normal. In fact, the truth was that I was currently controlling it.