Ch.158Chapter 158

Dario and Isaac fled on horseback without time to cover their tracks.

Of course, at first Isaac was puzzled. While erasing tracks was troublesome, in his experience, it made escaping easier.

However, after hearing about the letter Dario had left, Isaac couldn’t help but be horrified.

Holding the horse’s reins, Isaac turned his head slightly to interrogate Dario.

“It’s surprising enough that Lord Dencan is a pervert who enjoys homosexuality, but… surely the contents of that letter weren’t sincere?”

“Oh, come on! Don’t say such creepy things! I’ve pledged loyalty to His Majesty, but I have someone else I love!!!”

Dario growled in disgust at Isaac’s question.

He had never been in a relationship before, but he certainly had never been interested in men.

And now he had to endure the insult(?) of being asked if he loved a giant twice his size!

“Ah, so you have someone else you lo—”

“Let me clarify—not just someone, but a woman. Not a man, not a Djin, not a monster—one hundred percent a woman. So don’t even imagine anything strange!”

‘I wasn’t thinking that far.’

Dario knew well that strong denial often raises strong suspicion.

However, Dario, having suffered so much mentally, was in no state to consider such things.

After all, someone he thought was a friend had not only viewed him with those kinds of eyes but had also imprisoned him. How could he not be distressed?

Moreover, he had trashed the home of that rumored person and left behind a carefully crafted provocation before leaving. In plain terms, Dario was terrified.

If he were caught, this time he might really…

“Aaaagh! Get out of my head! Hey, can’t you make this horse go any faster? We’re in serious trouble if we get caught!”

“This isn’t some legendary steed! It’s already running as fast as it can!”

While Isaac could understand Dario’s feelings, he had no special solution for the horse.

It wasn’t a carefully selected horse from a ranch, but one stolen from a stable—how exceptional could it be?

Honestly, the horse was already making a considerable effort carrying two adult men without rest.

The horse, seemingly offended, snorted roughly.

Finally, Dario, who was in the worst situation, groaned and rummaged through his clothes. He pulled out an herb and handed it to Isaac.

“This, give this to the horse!”

“How can I feed something to the horse without knowing what it is? Even herbs can be poisonous if given incorrectly!”

“Typical cautious Summoner. This herb is from my lover, you know? I heard it works well for males, so it might help.”

As it happened, their horse was indeed male…

Isaac examined the herb Dario gave him with a dubious expression. He couldn’t just feed something given by a half-panicked person.

As a mercenary and Summoner who had wandered around, Isaac had considerable knowledge of herbs.

However, he couldn’t identify the herb Dario had given him.

The herb, with its subtle golden-red berries, displayed remarkable vitality despite being uprooted.

‘There’s something mystical about it, though faint.’

It certainly looked like an extraordinary herb.

He just couldn’t gauge its effects because he didn’t know what it was.

After much deliberation, Isaac glanced at Dario and asked:

“You didn’t happen to get caught with a hidden lover before receiving this herb? Or perhaps you did something bad to your lover?”

“Do I look like that kind of person to you?! I’d rather stay celibate than do something like that. No, I couldn’t!”

“Hmm…”

“What’s with that ambiguous expression!”

Coming from someone who had captivated(?) the leader of a massive organization controlling multiple families, not just an ordinary family, the claim seemed a bit less mysterious…

Isaac decided to trust Dario this time. At least he didn’t seem to have willingly enchanted Dencan.

Besides, the horse’s condition was deteriorating. If it collapsed here, enemy pursuers would be upon them in an instant.

Isaac carefully pushed the herb into the mouth of the running horse.

“Prrrr?”

Feeling the sweet taste and clear sensation in its mouth, the horse instinctively chewed and swallowed the herb. Though it was just one herb root, the reaction was immediate.

The horse’s eyes widened, and with a powerful snort, its muscles expanded. Its depleted energy exploded like a volcano, adding vigor.

Like the legendary thousand-mile horse from the eastern legends, the horse galloped at twice its previous speed.

Almost falling off from the sudden acceleration, Isaac barely maintained his posture by holding onto the reins. He looked at his hand with an astonished expression.

What kind of herb could transform an exhausted horse like this…?

“What on earth did you give me?”

“I don’t know either, so don’t ask…”

Dario answered with a blank expression, half-mumbling. He had expected Elhemina’s herb to be good, but he hadn’t anticipated such remarkable effects.

While he was glad to have confidence in their escape, he felt somewhat depressed thinking about feeding such a thing to a horse.

Dario pouted. He looked at the horse and thought:

‘…Must be a precious herb?’

Indeed, it was a precious herb. In fact, it was beyond precious—it was a spiritual herb.

The elves, who formed the backbone of the Republic of Elvenheim, had difficulty conceiving due to their long lifespans.

Some hedonistic elves considered this beneficial for indulging in carnal pleasures, but for politicians who saw population growth as power growth, it was a significant problem.

The elves solved this issue with the power of the World Tree. They cultivated herbs beneficial for virility in areas rich with the World Tree’s mystical energy.

However, growing these herbs was difficult, and the lands rich in the World Tree’s mystical energy were practically semi-private property of the priests, making these herbs quite expensive for ordinary citizens.

Thus, when a woman gave this herb to a man, it was indirectly saying, “I have feelings for you”…

Naturally, Dario, unfamiliar with elven social norms, was unaware of this fact. If he had known, would he be fumbling around without properly confessing?

But in life, regardless of the method and process, reaching the destination is what matters.

‘When I return, I should bring a gift to thank her.’

Without realizing it, Dario was moving toward the appropriate response to an elven confession.

First, though, he needed to meet Wendigo and completely escape from Dencan.

* * *

Fortunately, Dario was not captured by the trackers sent by Dencan. Elhemina’s herb had certainly proven its worth.

Except for very brief rests, the horse galloped northward carrying two robust adult men.

It was a speed that even knights on quality military horses would find hard to match, so the herb hadn’t been wasted.

Moreover…

“Look, there’s Manheimr’s flag!”

“I heard the King was leading personally, but I didn’t expect him to advance this far already.”

Wendigo’s advance speed, after learning about Dencan’s main force from Darius, was tremendous. Dario and Isaac joined the army with great relief upon seeing Manheimr’s flag.

The nobles and warriors recognized Dario, a famous figure from Manheimr, and were surprised, promptly escorting him to Wendigo’s main force.

And so, Wendigo and Dario had a touching reunion that would bring tears to anyone’s eyes—

Thwack!

Wendigo’s very light forehead flick struck Dario’s head. Dario, with tears welling up from the pain that felt like his head would split, complained indignantly.

“Ow!? Why, why did you hit me!”

“For someone of high position to go to such a dangerous place and cause trouble—a forehead flick is a light punishment.”

“Ngh…”

When Wendigo scolded him, Dario could only rub his head without talking back.

He could have listed numerous excuses, but he knew well that doing so in front of Wendigo would only earn him more forehead flicks.

‘Your Majesty also always seeks out dangerous places despite your position…’

“I see you’re having disrespectful thoughts again. Is one flick not enough?”

“Huh, how did you know what I was thinking?”

Thwack!

Wendigo’s forehead flick struck again. Dario endured the pain without even screaming, just moving his lips.

Isaac, watching from the side, swallowed hard and tensed up. What disrespect was this madman showing to the king who had just saved him?

“By the way, I didn’t expect to meet you again in a place like this. Thanks to you, I was able to save this incompetent fellow.”

“Not at all! Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, I was able to mature as a Summoner. If anything, I should be the one expressing gratitude.”

It’s natural for a normal person to stand out next to a fool.

Though lacking the northern spirit, Isaac’s humble demeanor pleased the nobles.

He wasn’t arrogant despite being a Summoner, and the many scars on his body suggested he had experience in battle, which they appreciated even more.

Miloshi, wagging his fox tail, requested a reward for this admirable young man.

“He’s a rare humble young man these days. Moreover, Lord Dario holds an important position in Manheimr. If Your Majesty rewards this young man, many will praise you.”

“I, I really don’t need anything…”

“As Miloshi says, it’s only natural to receive a reward for meritorious service. If you don’t mind, I’d like to give you a reward after the war ends when we return—would that be acceptable?”

If he could refuse in this situation, that would be impressive in its own way.

Unfortunately, Isaac, who considered himself an ordinary person, didn’t have such courage. He bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

Wendigo, reading Isaac’s emotions, felt a little sorry inside but allowed him to withdraw. Isaac cited extreme fatigue and left the place.

People, seeing Isaac staggering with weak legs, were convinced that they had escaped through hardship and adversity.

In reality, he had stumbled because he was uncomfortable with the gazes of the nobles and Wendigo.

After he left, Dario, finally freed from his suffering, reported what he had seen and heard in Dencan’s castle.

Of course, there wasn’t any particularly special information. Most of it didn’t differ much from what they had learned from interrogating Gelman.

However…

“So you’re saying their leader is a man who likes men???”

“What… Could it be a woman disguised as a man? No matter how you look at it, how can a man like another man?”

“Disguise? That’s not normal to begin with. In all my life, I’ve never heard of a man who desires other men.”

The nobles were shocked to hear that Dencan was homosexual. There were plenty of perverts who desired women, but none who desired men.

People trembled with fear imagining that madman as king. Such a person becoming king might target even themselves if they were handsome(?).

The nobles burned with fighting spirit, driven by a fear they had never experienced before.

‘Well, homosexuality isn’t that unusual and isn’t impossible.’

Wendigo was also surprised, but compared to the nobles, he wasn’t particularly shocked. After all, a homosexual wasn’t some cursed creature, so there was nothing to be surprised about.

Even in his human days, he had been of the opinion that it was fine as long as they didn’t cling to him.

Wendigo calmly waved his hand, signaling Dario to continue. Dario finally mentioned the letter he had left for Dencan when escaping.

He didn’t mention the contents of the letter. If he did, he might be hanged for blasphemy, or worse, torn limb from limb.

“It was a masterpiece containing all elements that would touch his weaknesses and disturb his mind. As I expected, they will soon make a major move.”

“Meaning?”

“Yes. They will certainly raise an army to attack Your Majesty’s forces.”

Dario confidently assured with a smile.

Dencan would definitely march north with his army!

* * *

However, things don’t always go as expected.

Trusting Dario’s confidence, Wendigo advanced his army cautiously…

“Uh… It was definitely a provocation that should have worked. Emotionally making a mistake would have been the natural course, but this is strange.”

“……”

Despite the army’s advance being slower than planned, Wendigo’s forces reached Dencan’s sacred ground without encountering the enemy’s army even once.

Under Wendigo’s piercing gaze, Dario scratched his head and made excuses.