Mana beasts are different from demonic beasts.
Unlike the pure bloodlust and bloodline powers that demonic beasts inherit, mana beasts are just an evolution of their own species.
Whisperers are Mana Beasts. Their speciality is poisonous claws, swift coordination, and astonishing speed.
But they are known to move in their packs. Once their leader dies, the pack either disperses or turns on itself.
'Then…Why can't I see their leader?' Ailsa thought, gripping her sword, standing just outside their carriage.
Even if she was a student of Marcus, her sole duty right now was to escort him to the Dukedom of Krells. If she fails to do just that, she wouldn't be able to call herself a suited heir for Krells.
Suddenly, seven hounds just appeared out of the dense forest. She couldn't even see them. They were stronger than usual B-grade beasts.
No, their speed and aggression were above B-grade ones.
If in a moment Ser Drako hadn't plunged his sword, sending a strong wave to throw them back, she couldn't even have ensured her own life.
She closed her eyes… and took a deep breath, circulating aura throughout her body. She could notice small sparks of aura trying to seep into her sword.
She calmed herself and focused on the sounds of the horses, the steps of the wolves of the carriage, the boots of knights…And the lock of the carriage door opened with a soft clink.
Marcus Rile calmly walked past her, glancing at her sword with a warm smile and stood in front of Ser Drako.
Maybe sensing something innate, all of the hounds hiding in the forest growled and lunged out at the same time.
A swarm of more than fifty hounds moved at a phenomenal speed.
Drako charged his aura once again.
Ailsa gripped her sword tightly and screamed in rage to block the jaws of hounds.
She couldn't see how Marcus, Drako, or any other knights were performing, but she knew that if she got scratched by a single one of them, it would be over for her.
And she wasn't sure if she was going to leave unscathed either.
They were fast. Two of the hounds gripped her sword.
They didn't care if their jaws were being cut by it. They were just violent. They were moving in packs, but this wasn't how normal whisperers moved.
Just then…for a single moment, it felt as if the reality had shifted itself.
She stumbled back and looked at her sword; only the heads of hounds were gripping it; the rest of their bodies had been cut into several pieces of meat.
"What th-" She murmured, and looked around. Everyone had the same reaction.
Drako looked at Marcus as he lowered the cane…pieces of meat dropping on the ground with blood intact. The cuts were so precise that even if Drako had time cut the dead body of a hound, he wouldn't be able to sever them like this.
'No way…' Ailsa thought.
'Did he just kill over fifty mutated whisperers…by severing them into pieces, just with his cane?' She thought, leaning on the carriage's gates as her sword dropped down along the heads of the hounds on it.
'He really is Luna's warrior for a reason…'
.-.-.-.-.-.
'Fuck…'
'This headache is worse than a hangover…' I thought.
Sure, this was decent progress for my Perception - Blank Canvas.
But it can only be used once.
Resting my head on the seat, I closed my eyes. I wasn't meditating. I really needed some cool air to calm myself down.
My aura reserve was almost minimal. It felt like I was walking into an enemy's territory with not a single weapon at my disposal.
Just like before, no one spoke a single word since the moment we continued our journey again. But their attitude now was more of reverence than ignorance.
I looked outside as the carriage passed through the border walls of Krells. No one stopped it.
The sun wasn't really visible because of the clouds. But the silent breeze, snow on the houses, and thick woollen clothes suggested it was really cold outside.
For some reason, I wasn't feeling cold. I'd rather be out without a shirt than in this long coat.
I sighed as our carriage passed through the residents and made its way to the Keep of Black-Ice, Castle of Mordrak Krell.
Knights wearing black armour and woollen robes opened the massive black gates of the entrance to the castle.
Seven counts serve under the territory of Krells. But Mordrak trusts only five. The remaining three are either part of some factions or have not gained Mordrak's attention yet.
To break his ideologies, I need to break his circle of trust.
I'm not talking about…deceiving him. I'm talking about showing him the reality. A political reality which he fails to comprehend.
"We've arrived, My Lady," Drako said, opening the doors of the carriage.
"…" Ailsa nodded and stepped out, waiting for me.
Instead of maids, Knights were lined up at the main gates of the castle. And in the centre of the massive stone gates of the Dark grey castle, stood a tall man with the body of a brute, who had the same chestnut hair as her.
He was a Gravitant. A high-ranking knight who could not only control the dense aura to precision, but could also use it to force people into domination without lifting his sword.
A man just one step behind being a transcendent. And the strongest of all Knights. Mordrak Krell.
The moment I stepped out, all the knights lining up the corners of the pathway stomped their feet once, reverberating a strong beat of a drum in the air.
And… I loved this cold air.
"Welcome to my castle, Count Rile," Mordrak spoke as I walked towards him. Ailsa and her knights were already gone.
"A scholar and a warrior, a count and a professor, I'm glad to have you here with just a single invitation of mine," He continued.
"I don't think there's anyone who can reject an invitation from a duke himself," I spoke, but didn't bow.
I just couldn't bring myself to bow. Maybe it was the sense of reverence that this body had developed over the years.
"Good, I dislike wasting time with courtesies," Mordrak replied, and turned around. "Come, let's have a drink first, there are people…important people waiting for you,"
"I hear that the tea and wine of the north are the only things the people of Krells live for. I'd love to have a taste of them." I nodded.