Chapter 142: Convoy and Lake
Raven walked along the outskirts of the forest and soon noticed flickers of light in the woods. At first, they resembled fireflies, and he didn't take them seriously.
But as he continued walking, he spotted fresh human footprints along the path. There were also broken branches and sword marks etched into the tree trunks.
Further ahead, he stumbled upon the corpses of wolves, goblins, orcs, and many other monsters.
'Seems like the work of a mercenary group,' Raven muttered quietly as he raised his hand.
"Elapsed Illusion."
Moments later, time around him began to rewind. A rabbit darted backward, and then over a hundred armored figures marched in reverse.
Soon, Raven got a clearer view of the group, watching them pass by as they fought wolves and goblins along the way.
They were well-equipped and moved in perfect coordination. What surprised him most was how they acted more like trained soldiers than mercenaries.
'Why are these reckless bastards venturing deep into the woods at night?'
[Says the one planning to enter the woods solo.]
Zera's comment echoed in his mind, but Raven paid her no mind.
He carefully manipulated the Elapsed Illusion spell, halting the rewind once the group appeared, then let time flow normally again.
Finally, he got a clear look at each member. Among the 70, around 40 wore silver armor, 3 donned hooded robes, five stood out in emerald armor with rune-etched weapons, and the remaining few were dressed like servants.
As battle broke out, the servants retreated to the convoy's center, while the silver-armored soldiers faced the monsters head-on.
Raven's expression turned solemn as he watched them easily subdue the wolves and goblins.
'Most of them are Radiant Walkers.' Through the illusion, he assessed their strength. Strangely, the people in the convoy's center didn't even lift a finger—they observed.
At the very center stood a man around 45, clad in golden armor. He had short grey hair, brown eyes, fair skin, and stood about 165 cm tall.
'Leader of the group?'
He also noticed the insignia of twin fishes etched into every soldier's armor.
'Twin Fishes? Isn't that Count Alden's insignia from Azurehaven?' Count Alden's territory bordered Thornevale's.
'Lucas Thornevale announced his expedition in a week... is this man trying to steal his prize?'
The discovery of the Agith Ruins and the unusual monster movements weren't a secret. Like Count Alden, many nobles and mercenary groups had launched large expeditions over the years. However, all returned empty-handed after advancing 10 to 15 kilometers into the forest, thanks to the increasing number of monsters and magical beasts.
But the Agith Ruins were located 30 kilometers deep.
'This group isn't just any mercenary squad,' he thought. He could tell that the black-robed men and the ones in emerald armor were much stronger than the silver-armored soldiers.
After observing them for a while, he dismissed the Elapsed Illusion spell and followed them from a distance.
He knew, though, that tailing them wasn't the best strategy.
'Why did the Fortuitous Finder spell activate on its own? What's the opportunity here?' He had a vague feeling that it was tied to this group.
He pondered for a while before deciding to act with caution. There were likely powerful Walkers among them who could detect him if he got too close.
Still, he knew that if he wanted to reap the benefits of the Fortuitous Finder spell, he had to join the convoy at any cost.
'But they won't just let a stranger in…' His only option was to steal someone's identity and take their place.
Easier said than done.
'I'll wait for the right chance.'
He continued roaming the woods, killing a few goblins and kobolds as he trailed them. What surprised him was that they didn't set up camp, but kept marching slowly.
For three straight hours, they cleared out wolves and other lurking monsters until they finally reached a vast lake and then began setting up camp.
'Finally.'
[What's your plan?] Zera asked.
'I'll wait,' Raven replied as he climbed a tall tree and observed the campsite from above.
Blending perfectly into the night, he narrowed his eyes from a thick branch. Below, the mercenary convoy had come to a halt by the lakeside. They avoided lanterns, using only a few fire torches. They weren't fools. The deeper the forest, the hungrier the beasts.
'Bright lights attract too much attention.'
He observed silver-armored knights removing their chest plates and greaves, stacking them beside their tents. Nearby, dull-faced servants collected wood, dug trenches, and erected a perimeter. At the heart of the camp, a large black-and-gold tent was pitched. Around it, a robed man whispered incantations and drew shimmering runes into the air.
'Rune Mage?' Raven's eyes narrowed. His rune mastery far surpassed his.
'Expert Rank for sure. A protective array? Seems like a rare-grade array.'
The air shimmered subtly as translucent barriers clicked into place around the central tent. The entire camp was silent—no drunken laughter, no shouting, no clanging pots. It wasn't just discipline. It was a survival instinct.
[What's next?]
Zera's voice echoed again.
Raven didn't reply. His attention had already shifted.
Near the lake, two cloaked figures slipped beyond the camp's bounds, heading toward the water. Their movements were smooth and practiced.
As they turned, Raven's eyes widened. He recognized one of them.
A red-haired girl walked with a light bounce in her step, her robe loose over her shoulders. The other—a pale-skinned girl with black hair—followed silently, her gait calm and noble.
'Not fighters. No weapons… but too composed to be clueless.'
From his perch, Raven watched as four soldiers exchanged glances and silently followed the girls. One nudged a young recruit, who stayed rooted near the tents.
Down by the lake, the black-haired girl stared at the water's surface, lost in thought. Her robe slipped off her shoulders and pooled at her feet. The redhead giggled, kicked off her sandals, and waded waist-deep into the lake.
"Phew! Finally, some peace, Jovie," the redhead sighed. "My shoulders feel like bricks. If I lift one more damn crate, I swear—"
She splashed water toward the other girl.
"What's on your mind? Didn't you join this convoy to earn some good money without doing much work?"
Jovie flinched and frowned. "You're too relaxed, Leah... We shouldn't be out here. What if something's watching?"
Leah turned, hair slicked back, smiling. "Let them watch. You're the pretty one, anyway."
Jovie blushed, hugging her arms. "Don't joke. This forest—it feels wrong. I heard that even the Count's been acting strange lately."
Leah's grin faded slightly.
"He is nervous, of course. It's the ruin of the past that holds so many secrets after all." Leah continued. "He put most of his money into this expenditure to earn big. Everyone's whispering. Half the servants think we won't make it back." She paused for a moment and then added.
"That's why I joined this convoy. With many Expert Walkers and Wizards protecting us, no monster can get near us. That's why I recommend this mission to you."
Jovie furrowed her brows and said while glancing around.
"But we shouldn't be walking outside the campsite. It's dangerous outside."
Leah dunked under, then resurfaced with a deep breath. She didn't answer right away.
"If I'm gonna die," she said finally, "I'd rather go clean. Not reeking of sweat and fear."
She swam closer, her voice softening.
"Besides... maybe I'll finally taste a healthy virgin man after a long time."
Jovie's eyes widened. "Leah!"
The grin returned. "What? I've got needs."
"You're impossible," Jovie muttered, though her lips twitched.
"I promised I'd look after you, remember? Just stay close tonight," Leah said seriously. "No matter what."
Before Jovie could reply, a rustle came from behind the rocks.
Footsteps.
Leah's body tensed. Her smile vanished.
Four soldiers stepped into view. The tall, brutish one at the front twirled something in his hand—their robes.
"Roval," Leah growled. "You again? Are you dogs?"
Roval smirked, holding the clothes just out of reach.
"Cold night. Want these back?" he taunted. "Come and get 'em."
"Give them. Now." Leah's voice turned cold as she stepped forward.
He chuckled. "Leave the pretty one behind, and maybe I'll play fair. You know how it works, Leah."
The other soldiers laughed. One began unbuckling his greaves.
Jovie froze in the water, trembling.
Silence stretched.
Then Leah moved.
She stepped out of the lake without hesitation, grabbed part of the robe from Roval's hand, wrapped it around her waist, and walked away. Her gaze didn't waver.
Roval leaned close as she passed and whispered cruelly,
"Don't break her so soon. Pretty girls like her crack with the right words. After playing, throw her away."
Then Leah disappeared into the trees.
Jovie stood alone, chest heaving.
"Leah?" she called, voice shaking.
No answer.
The guards stepped closer.
"P-Please…" she whispered, backing away.
They laughed quietly. Their silver boots clicked softly as they removed their armor and stepped into the lake.
Jovie trembled, stepping back—already surrounded.
"P-Please, leave me alone!"
They grabbed her wrists.
"If you help relieve our stress, we'll be your sword and shield till the expedition ends. Right, boys?" Roval asked with a smirk as he pulled her into his chest.
"Yeah! I might use my sword daily, though," joked a mustached guard with a rough face.
At that moment, Roval came up behind her, wrapping an arm around her chest before grabbing her right breast.
"N-No! I'm getting engaged next month!" she screamed in fury, struggling against him.
"Be nice when I tell you to be," Roval said coldly, attempting to drag her toward the shore, when he suddenly froze, a sharp pain surging through him.
"SH*T!" he shouted, instantly grabbing her neck and glaring at her.
"Let go, b*tch!"
A smirk curled on Jovie's lips.
"It's so hard pretending to be a scared little maiden," she said mockingly. Then, she squeezed harder, and Roval let out a shriek of pain.
The other guards recoiled in shock, releasing their hold on her.
What startled Roval even more was the feel of her neck—it was like grabbing solid steel.
"F*ck! She's hiding her strength!" he stammered, his face turning pale.
Meanwhile, the other guards hastily retreated toward the shore and reached for their weapons.
"Drop my clothes, and I'll let go of his precious little thing," Jovie said, still gripping him.
One of the guards rushed to grab her dress from the shore and tossed it into the water.
"You should've done that earlier," she muttered as she caught the dress mid-air, shooting them a sharp glare.
Suddenly, a chilling gust swept across the shore, sending shivers down their spines.
"You three. Leave," she commanded, her voice deathly cold.
Though they hesitated, Roval's anguished screams spurred them into retreat. They bolted, too terrified to look back.
Jovie watched them flee like frightened cats and chuckled softly.
Then, turning toward a nearby tree, she said calmly, "You can come out now."
A shadowy figure emerged from the trunk and walked toward the shore.
"It's been a while, Miss Jovie," Raven said, glancing at the writhing Roval. "I didn't expect we'd meet under circumstances like this."
Without warning, Jovie released Roval's manhood, swiftly wrapped her hand around his throat, and snapped his neck before Raven could respond.
"Me neither," she said flatly. "You can take over his identity, right?"