Dawn Traveler

Work Begins (part 2)

Kaaaaaaak! 

As the crying sound of Tyrant Isla was heard it flew far from the City of Terre.

“It’s frightening whenever you hear it.”

“I know. It seems like his stomach is full by looking at its relaxed state and the long crying sound.”

Nedhand and Grona had an interest in Isla. 

It’s impossible for the people who resided in Terre or had come to Terre to not know about Isla. 

Other wyverns did not build their nests near noisy human cities. 

Isla for some reason existed near the city and ate monsters or passing animals.

Because a wyvern was a dangerous monster, knights and magicians had made expeditions and were about to raid its nest a couple of times already but they always got caught and failed.

Climbing a nearly vertical cliff was not that hard, moreover Isla was not really attached to its nest. 

But as the expedition was nearly over, its mood got worse and it attacked houses and acted more tyrannically. 

The archers and magicians gathered and set up a trap but it knew those places well just like a ghost. 

And since it avoided all the spells that were shot from the ground it was difficult and hard to hunt the wyvern.

Even the infamous hunters on the continent would give up when it came to Isla. 

Fortunately because of the dozens of suppression attempts, it didn’t attack humans often now. 

After the Gras Empire had fallen, the attempt to suppress Isla couldn’t be done for a while. 

[The prey went so far away. Those shorties are not delicious. If they wear solid iron it’s hard to chew them too.]

The fact that Jess could read Isla’s mind was a great advantage. 

It was not just Isla’s, because he could also read the minds of other monsters in dangerous places it could be a considerable help in an adventure. 

After they left the City of Terre they set up camp in a mountain and kept on moving so they wouldn’t leave any trace of their whereabouts. 

Because there were many mercenaries wandering around looking for a request they were usually not this careful but the opponent was the Pedrove Marquisate. 

Even though they did not get caught for a while after they did the tomb robbery and went back, there was a probability of leaving traces so they did their best to hide their identity. 

Of course they carried on with different names as fake mercenaries. 

Grona checked on the tracks of the wheels and footsteps on the sideway.

“The mercenaries or travellers are not that many.”

“Tsk tsk. It must be because they are still anxious as the war had ended not so long ago. If they were like us, dwarves, who did not kill our fellow beings they would have been living at ease though.”

Rendall laughed at Nedhand’s words. 

“There are many dwarves who died at a bar instead.”

“What. It’s fine to die while drinking beer. Doesn’t beer exist so people would drink it until they die.”

They couldn’t lower their guard as they went outside the city. 

As the public peace worsened they could be attacked by monsters or bandits at any time. 

But with Grona’s wonderful vision and tracking they did their best to avoid meeting people and arrived at Pedrove’s territory. 

After they ate a meal Rendall spread out the map. 

“There is a small fortress. We need to take a roundabout route…. But there’s no need to ensure the current situation. Later when we return we need to be ready. Grona. I will leave it to you.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“I will go as well.”

Grona and Jess went ahead and were in charge of reconnaissance. 

Jess could not follow the dark elf characteristics of fast body movement but he had enough skill to do reconnaissance. 

As they secretly moved within the forest they approached the fortress.

“That is Brendan’s fortress. Jess, do you see it too?”

“It got destroyed so horribly. Without mistake magic machines must have taken a role there. Ummm, I really want to have it.”

Grona and Jess observed the fortress as they hid under a heap of bushes. 

“But it’s weird.”

“Yes?”

“There’s the smell of blood.”

Brendan’s fortress’ gate and wall, all of them had collapsed. 

“However the civil war just ended a couple of months ago.”

“Right. Moreover the war in Pedrove Marquisate’s side ended just last year. But even so there is a strong smell of blood.”

Within the forest there were many scents. 

Because of that it’s hard to exactly smell one kind of scent instead.

Although there was mana in this world, the difficulty was the same when trying to be conscious of something but there were other feelings mixed in that made you distracted.. 

But for the elves to smell any kind of scent was a certain thing. 

Because elves were a tribe with a developed smell of sense like a trained hunting dog. Of course dwarves would boast about their accuracy that was just as good as the elves when it was related to all kinds of alcoholic beverages. 

Dwarves were the ones who would know a stale beer first and would not want to reach out their hands. 

“Should I go and tell my parents?”

“Let’s try to approach a little closer. Let’s maintain not taking a dangerous path.”

Grona and Jess drew out their bows and stealthily approached the fortress. 

It’s hard for ordinary guards to notice the approaching Dark Elf Grona who was using the trees and bushes. 

But as they approached the fortress, there were no standing guards. 

“It seems like there are no guards around.”

“Impossible. Brendan’s fortress is a main gateway to enter the Marquisate and they bear an important role in handling the monsters’ invasion. Even though the installation has been destroyed there should be deployed soldiers.”

Even though Jess had put out the knowledge he studied earlier, he silently agreed with Grona’s opinion.

As he spent his time in the Elven Forest, he developed the ability to sense. 

Moreover he had known the fact that it was unusual for the thickening smell of blood.

“Stay here. I will be back.”

Grona ran into the fortress by herself. 

It’s not easy to discover a dark elf who had assimilated with the shadows while not making any sounds while stepping. 

She was moving faster than a normal human’s speed and was being stealthy so even if one listens carefully they would not notice her.

Grona who finally arrived at the fortress was gone beyond the collapsed wall. And after a little while there was a loud voice.

“Don’t come to this side!”

Jess had already read Grona’s mind as he was in the situation of roughly guessing what kind of thing happened there.

[All of them died. Terrible.]

There was nothing left but corpses in Brendan’s fortress. 

That and the swords, spears, magic machines etc. among the dead people’s corpses.

Even though Jess had already seen a lot of corpses, there was nothing good in seeing them more often than possible.

After awhile Rendall, Herz, Nedhand, and Laeli approached the fortress. 

“These traces look like they came from highly skilled knights. Was there a battle?”

Rendall who had a lot of experience looked over the surroundings while guessing what kind of thing had happened.

“An official army struck this place recently. There was no news from the border’s side but it’s impossible for the Heron kingdom to attack, and the pattern on this soldier’s armor… it must be the doing of Count Molotta.”

Pedrove Marquisate was proud about its vast family relationships. The problem was that there was a Marquis within the Marquisate itself who lost his life during the Civil War.

As the capability of a family weakened, the Emperor who formally acknowledged the succession of the Marquis’ status would have to be laying on a sickbed.

Because of that opportunity, as Count Molotta had a strong power in the nearby areas he led his forces and attacked the place in order to steal his nephew’s land.

Nedhand stroked his long beard that had grown during the travels.

“If so it sounds like this is a battlefield after all.”

“Yes. It seems like this is dangerous, should we go back?”

Grona aimed for going to another place.

Jess wished that he wouldn’t be dragged into a dangerous situation. Though with his ability if it was a dungeon he would study it first and could then protect his safety to some degree but if it was in a battlefield he couldn’t guarantee it.

Humans sometimes could be way more dangerous than any traps or monsters.

Herz had another opinion.

“In my opinion it could be a chance for us to do our job at ease instead. The tomb of the Marquis that we are trying to rob is a distance away from important fortresses or cities. So that place will not be embroiled in combat.”

Even though the tomb robbery was dangerous as they could bump into a war of the Marquisate, it was an active plan.

“Ummm. It’s indeed dangerous… but because we have come here it’s a shame to just return.”

Nedhand could not make a decision and looked at Rendall.

Rendall was the center and leader of this party. As the important decisions were entrusted to him the burden on his shoulders was heavy.

Rendall had sunk into his thoughts for awhile. 

[It’s okay to go back to Terre… but as Herz’s has said there is a proper way to avoid a ferocious battlefield as we aim for the three tombs. The security is slacking as well.]

Count Molotta also risked everything to devour the Marquisate so there was no way for both parties to have a reason and power to send troops to the places with graves.

Rendall nodded.

“Alright. Let’s rapidly move while avoiding that boundary. If it is difficult for us to get through then we will just give up early. Grona.”

“Yes.”

“If we take up too much time it can be dangerous, so we’ll just change the plan and try digging for only two days. When we arrive at the tomb site please don’t come in with us but search the surroundings instead.”

“If that is so I understand.”

“Jess. Carry Herz on your back. From now on we are going quickly and silently.”

Rendall carried Laeli on his back, and Jess was in charge of Herz.

Even though as a magician his weight was not that heavy, but since he wore leather armor and carried books and magic tools in his backpack he was heavy.

Jess ran and decided to pull out the very most of his stamina.

In reality as his body was filled with mana even if he carried Herz while climbing a mountain there would be no difficulty.

Nedhand just like a dwarf that even though his legs were short they had strong power and he was basically prepared.

“Let’s go.”

Grona who had wide vision stood at the lead.

Herz was preparing to invoke a lightning spell, while Jess was preparing his bow.

I don’t know if I will shoot an arrow.

Because it was the first actual fight where he personally was against another human he was overwhelmed by nerves and excitement.

Nevertheless Rendall, Laeli, and his family without any change would prefer for themselves to get hurt rather than their colleagues.

“There are knights moving far away ahead. The road should be wide enough but let’s wait until they pass.”

As Grona quickly ran to a wide area she secured a safe path.

[The Marquisate is surprisingly weak. We can win this battle easily. Count Molotta’s power has rapidly increased.]
[I wish the time we can plunder the city would come quick. Because of the training it has been a long time since we have last seen a woman.]
[If the battle in the center has finished it’s time to loot. Even if they resisted since our side has prepared well we would defintely win.]

When the knights in Molotta’s military passed far away ahead he read their minds.

To Jess even if he didn’t share any conversations with them he could collect important information whenever he wanted.

As they are doing a battle in the center everyone must be gathered to that side.

If one had dim decision making or didn’t have insight then one could not become a high ranked magician.

Herz’s words were just exactly like that.

There is a Marquis’ family’s cemetery in the valley of Mokart’s mountain.

As their history had stretched since the early stage of the Gras Empire their cemeteries were placed in remote places. 

They arrived at the valley safely with Grona as the one in charge of surveillance.

“There is a guard post. But there is no one guarding it. Looking at the traces it has been months since people stopped coming there.”

Since they avoided the Empire’s Civil War it was hard for dozens of soldiers to stand there and guard the cemeteries.

Because there were occupation forces in nearby defensive fortress and training station the necessity for guards was small.

Now the military is involved in a battlefield with Molotta’s military and is losing so they are retreating to the center.

If the guard post was operated they would sneak inside secretly and finish their job, but there was no need for them to do that.

“We should finish quickly and go.”

Herz used his wand and stood at the front.

“Dispel!”

He recited spells to invade the outer side of the Marquis’ many generations’ graveyard.

Starting from the dismantle of the second layer the tomb robbery started!

*Sneak sneak*

The 6th circle magician Herz recited a lifting spell in the nearest Marquis’ graveyard and a bright light sparkled thrice.

The one who installed the protection magic was a high ranked magician, but the spell had naturally weaken as time went on.

Moreover Herz was a professional in reciting spells to lift an invasion warning.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Nedhand had prepared a pickaxe and a small shovel as he intervened.

His duty was to make an entrance into the sealed graveyards.