Isabella's figure disappeared behind the side room door, which she pulled shut behind her. Leopold stood where he was, his hand still suspended in midair, as if he had wanted to say something to keep her there but was too late.
He lowered his hand, scratched the back of his head, lowered it again, and gave a dry cough. Blake was already snoring softly and evenly. The guy was truly carefree.
In the latter half of the night, before dawn had even broken, the air outside carried the cool dampness of dew.
Leopold stood at the doorway of the hunter's cabin. He took a deep breath, letting the moist scent of the forest fill his lungs. Footsteps sounded behind him.
“...You woke up early,” Isabella said, walking up to his side.
Leopold turned his head, his gaze lingering on her face for a brief moment. A few strands of white hair clung to her forehead; she also looked as though she hadn't slept much all night.
“What about you? Why didn't you sleep a bit longer?”
Isabella didn't answer his question. Instead, she stepped up beside him and followed his gaze toward the woods. “Leo, it's time to set out.”
Inside the cabin behind them, Blake rolled over, mumbled something unintelligible, and stumbled to his feet.
Blake walked out of the cabin, yawning as he went, with tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes. “...Who's setting out? You can't leave me out when it comes to dealing with the Demon Race.”
The three of them headed east along a narrow path at the edge of the forest. Leopold led the way. He glanced down at the broken stalks of grass and bent shrub branches on the ground, slowing his pace.
“Someone passed through here. More than one, and they were heading south.”
“How long ago?” Blake also squatted down to take a closer look.
“...At most half a day ago,” Leopold said, straightening up. His gaze followed the bent grass and branches ahead. “About five or six people, carrying heavy loads. The footprints are deep, so they were likely carrying something on their backs.”
“The captured people?” Isabella's voice dropped slightly.
“It's possible.” Leopold was already moving, following the tracks. “Or it could be looted supplies. We'll find out once we catch up.”
Blake rotated his wrists. “Finally, something to do.”
The tracks stretched eastward for about two miles, cutting through a patch of low shrubs before vanishing by a stream.
Blake crouched by the stream, parting several clumps of trampled wild grass. “...They crossed the water.”
“There are footprints on the other side.” Isabella had already leaped across the stream and was standing on the muddy bank. “They went in that direction.”
Leopold followed her, continuing his pursuit along the footprints left in the wet mud. After walking another mile, the trees ahead suddenly thinned out, revealing a cleared clearing where trees had been felled.
A campfire crackled in the open space before a wooden shed. Five or six figures with dark-red skin sat huddled around the fire, their long sabers and hand axes resting close at hand.
“Only six?” Blake lowered his voice, his tone thick with disappointment. “I thought we'd run into an entire patrol.”
“Keep it down, let's assess the situation first.” Leopold's gaze swept past the campfire, landing on the wooden shed on the far side of the clearing.
Built from thick logs and tree bark, the shed had no windows. A heavy bar lay across the door, secured by an iron padlock.
“...There are people locked inside,” Isabella whispered, crouching behind the bushes beside him. “Three or four of them. Their presences are a bit weak.”
“Leave a few alive. We need to find the demons' stronghold.” As Leopold spoke, he stood up and walked toward the camp.
The six demons by the fire looked up at the same time. One of them reacted first, his hand already darting toward the long saber at his feet. “Who's there?”
“Just passing through.” Leopold spread his hands to show he was unarmed. “I got lost, saw the firelight, and decided to come over.”
Six pairs of eyes locked onto him in unison. Leopold used the firelight to size them up in return.
Dark-red skin, with two shallow bony ridges on their foreheads—the classic traits of low-tier demons.
“A human?”
“Hahaha! Talk about delivering yourself to death!” The one in the center stood up, towering half a head over Leopold. He rested his axe on his shoulder.
The other five demons rose as well, some gripping long sabers, others clutching hand axes.
“Boss, what do we do with him?” the one with the hand axe asked, grinning widely. “It's been a long time since I've tasted human flesh.”
“Human, do you know whose territory this forest is?” the demon addressed as the boss asked, shifting the axe on his shoulder.
“No,” Leopold replied honestly. “That's why I came to ask.”
The demon with the hand axe had already circled to the side, wearing a malicious smirk. “Boss, stop wasting words on him. Let's break his legs first, then ask our questions.”
“What's the rush?” The axe-wielding boss tilted his head. “This kid dared to walk in here alone. He might have something valuable on him.”
Leopold stood his ground. He didn't retreat, nor did he take a defensive stance; he simply stood there quietly.
The boss sized Leopold up for a few seconds before letting out a scoff and gesturing to his side.
The demon with the hand axe caught on immediately. He took two steps closer from the flank, weighing the axe in his hand. “Boss's orders. We break your legs first, then we talk. You'd better not move.”
Leopold still didn't budge. He merely watched the demon draw closer step by step. Only when the other party raised the hand axe did he speak:
“I suggest you don't do that.”
“Your suggestion is worth jack shit!” The hand axe swung down fiercely.
Leopold sidestepped. The blade of the hand axe sliced past his shoulder, carrying a howling gust of wind with it.
The demon froze for a moment. He had clearly seen the human standing right there. How had the guy shifted half a step aside in the blink of an eye?
“Like I said, I suggest you don't do that,” Leopold said coldly.
“Don't you look down on me!” the demon roared in fury. He swung his hand axe again, bringing down a brutal, violent wind aimed straight for Leopold's shoulder.
“Sigh, why won't you listen to me?” Leopold's figure distorted in the shadows. When the hand axe struck, it cleaved through nothing but a plume of black mist.
The demon's strike hit empty air. Unable to recover his balance in time, he stumbled half a step forward.
In the next instant, Leopold materialized to his front-right. He simply extended a single finger and gave the demon's temple a light flick—
Boom!
The demon was sent flying backward. His body slammed heavily into the edge of the campfire, scattering burning logs in every direction.
The remaining five demons froze in unison.
The boss slowly lowered the axe from his shoulder, a trace of vigilance finally appearing in his eyes. “...You're no ordinary human.”
“I never said I was,” Leopold replied, pulling his hand back and flexing his fingers. “I'm just passing through.”
The boss didn't waste any more words. He swung his axe up violently, unleashing a dark-red arc of light that slashed straight down toward Leopold's head!
Leopold remained expressionless. He merely raised his right hand slightly. Shadow surged from his palm, condensing into a shadow shield before him.
The axe blade slammed into the surface of the shadow shield, sinking into it as if stuck in a thick mire, unable to be pulled free.
“...What?” For the first time, genuine shock washed over the demon's face.
Leopold looked at him and lightly flipped his right hand. The shadows dissolved from the shield's surface into several thin threads, creeping up the handle of the axe. In the blink of an eye, they coiled around the demon's wrist.
“Who... who on earth are you?” The boss's pupils trembled violently as cold sweat broke out all over his body.
Leopold didn't answer. He turned his head slightly to glance at the other demons, who were now frozen in place.
“Three, four, five... five left,” he counted quietly, then looked back at the bound boss. “I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer well, I'll let you go. If you don't...
“Then I'll just have to ask someone else. After all, the choice is yours.”
Leopold's voice was calm, but every demon present could feel the surging intent to kill beneath that placid surface.
Rate on N.U.
