I rummaged through the embrace of the sprawled corpse.
The name of the man sacrificed by Abiyang was Wolf. In the small village where I lived, there was no need for identification, but it seemed that wasn’t the case at the ‘main headquarters.’
The bloodstained wooden plaque was dyed with a chilling light.
It was an unpleasant stain no matter when I saw it. I tried to wipe the blood off with my sleeve but eventually poured water from my canteen to wash it away.
Drops of water fell from the wooden plaque.
Before they even hit the ground, the moisture scattered due to the frost.
The cold of the North was truly horrific.
The fortunate fact was that both Abiyang and I were still in relatively good condition despite this brutal cold.
I was an expert warrior, and Abiyang was wearing the snow leopard skin I had gifted. The biting winds of the North had no way to penetrate.
The only headache was the man who had already lost his life, lying dead.
He was wearing especially thin clothing.
He might have had a naturally high tolerance for cold. Otherwise, there would be no explanation for his grotesque attire.
It was a troubling reality.
Abiyang’s transformation magic was skillful. Not only could it perfectly mimic another’s appearance, but it was also difficult to detect any traces of it.
Even so, all magic has its limits.
No matter how much of an Abiyang one might be, it was impossible to deceive the clothing as well. In other words, that thin clothing had to serve as Abiyang’s disguise.
Concerns about hypothermia needed to be addressed immediately.
I wondered and asked Abiyang.
“…Should we wait for more elves to come?”
“We don’t have time. Also, I don’t want to take more lives of my kin than necessary.”
Abiyang’s reply was firm.
It was a valid reason. I couldn’t think of any rebuttal, and all I could do was nod along with a slight groan.
To be honest, I was worried.
Although Abiyang would take on the appearance of a sturdy man, their true form was that of a delicate maiden. I wasn’t sure if they could withstand the harsh cold for several hours.
However, their will seemed exceptionally strong.
I understood that feeling. While they drew their knife to display their will, there would be no way to feel calm about killing a kin.
In the end, I could not dissuade Abiyang to the very end. All that slipped from my mouth were common words of concern.
“Be careful, Abiyang.”
“Don’t worry. I’m an elf… This is where I was born and raised. Surely, I can endure the cold for a few hours?”
With that, Abiyang even straightened their shoulders.
It seemed they were trying to show confidence. However, the fact that their body was devoid of any excess fat only served to emphasize my sympathy.
Despite having increased their food intake recently, they still looked like this.
With no body fat, it would be even harder to withstand the cold.
Nevertheless, I decided to accept Abiyang’s bravado. After all, I had no justification to stop them.
With an awkward smile, I nodded my head. Only then did Abiyang begin to prepare.
They decided to thoroughly wash and dry the bloodstained clothes first.
There was a minor delay in setting up a campfire, but soon, Abiyang was able to enter the ‘headquarters’ looking completely like Wolf.
I was waiting a short distance away.
That said, I had no trouble assessing the situation. It was thanks to the raven sitting on Abiyang’s shoulder.
This magical creature birthed by the Empire was immensely capable. Not only could it store visual information, but it could also share visions and sights in real time.
Of course, there was a condition that it had to be within a certain range.
But that was of no concern to me at the moment.
As I closed my eyes, unfamiliar scenery surfaced in my mind, along with a voice that tickled my ears.
It was through the eyes and ears of the raven.
“Wolf, what’s this raven?”
“I’m not sure? It just flew in and sat on my shoulder. Maybe it likes me?”
Abiyang was having a casual conversation with the sentry.
Even when seen again, they were a girl with talent in acting. If she had undergone professional training, she might have become a dangerous spy in human society.
That was a relief for humanity.
“Really? That seems suspicious… Is it a dangerous animal?”
“Huh? This raven?”
Hmm, Abiyang stroked their chin. After a brief silence, she continued with an insincere excuse.
“Well, that could be, but it’s not something we can know, right? Why don’t I just ask Lord Leorick?”
“Lord Leorick? Ah.”
The sentry seemed to recall something upon hearing Abiyang’s justification.
After letting out a short gasp, he smiled contentedly and patted Abiyang on the shoulder.
“Come to think of it, Lord Leorick was looking for you. Wolf… You’re finally being recognized.”
What was that all of a sudden?
It seemed that Wolf had some prior engagement with Leorick. Observing the sentry’s expression suggested that something special must have happened to Wolf recently.
Although Abiyang and I couldn’t guess the details.
It could easily become a crisis.
However, Abiyang burst into hearty laughter, turning the situation around. Instead of pretending to know, she chose to mumble her words.
It was a not-so-bad strategy.
As evidence, the sentry only returned her smile.
There was no hint of suspicion.
“Thank you, I can’t let Lord Leorick wait even for a moment… I should be going. Where is Lord Leorick now?”
“He’s where he always is.”
Abiyang nodded and began to walk.
No one, including the sentry, stopped her. In fact, a few even offered her congratulatory remarks as she passed by.
Abiyang had a subtly tense expression.
She was essentially a fearful girl. There was no reason for her to welcome such an unexpected variable.
However, one comforting aspect was that she no longer had to go through a troublesome process to meet Leorick.
Before long, Abiyang stood in front of a shabby hut.
At first glance, it resembled the homes where the elves of the village lived. Despite being a dwelling where the leader of socializing resided, there was no sign of guards.
But both Abiyang and I knew.
From the beginning, Leorick was not a person in need of guards.
His strength was nearly monstrous. No matter how well-trained a warrior might be, one could not physically strengthen oneself to such an extent.
It truly was a ‘forbidden power,’ hidden by the Dark Cult.
As Abiyang approached the encounter with Leorick, her body stiffened for a moment. It was due to her nerves.
Moreover, as a strong wind brushed past, Abiyang began to shiver, clad in her already thin clothing.
There was no time to wait any longer.
As Abiyang took a determined step forward.
Before long, I was able to spot the person I had been looking for.
The shabby hut was merely a disguise. Leorick’s true dwelling was in the dungeon.
It was an extremely desolate room.
A stone bed and various surgical tools came into view one after another. Leorick was groaning in thought amongst them.
“…Lord Leorick.”
At that quiet call, the hideous middle-aged man finally came to his senses.
A smile emerged on his face, which was melted like a mess. It was an amiable smile that didn’t match his ghastly appearance.
Leorick crossed himself upon seeing Abiyang disguised as Wolf.
“Oh, Emmanuel! Brother Wolf, you’ve finally arrived.”
“I’m sorry for being late, Lord Leorick. I came across a peculiar animal for a moment…”
As Abiyang pointed to the raven resting on her shoulder.
Leorick’s bewildered gaze turned toward me. To be precise, he was looking at the raven, but thanks to the shared vision, I had the opportunity to examine Leorick’s face closely.
He had deep eyes.
He must have once been a devout priest. Only someone who had spent a long time nurturing their mind could possess such tranquil pupils.
Thus, it was even more puzzling.
What had led this man to lose his sanity completely?
Leorick walked over and carefully reached out his hand towards the raven. His fingers gently patted the raven’s head.
The raven did not resist, and Leorick wore a satisfied smile.
“What a cute creature. But, do crows live in coniferous forests?”
“I’ve seen them occasionally. But I’ve never seen one that isn’t shy like this….”
“Don’t worry too much, Brother Wolf. Isn’t this also the Lord’s will? Even though we are in distress, it’s not good to adopt an attitude that denies all creatures.”
Abiyang feigned surprise and bowed her head.
It seemed that this was the usual way for an elf to treat Leorick.
It was an appearance that clearly served her superior.
“I’m sorry, I lack in learning…”
“There’s no need to blame yourself. Sometimes I can be wrong, and you may be right. Always maintain a questioning attitude.”
With those words, Leorick clapped his hands together.
It seemed was to change the topic.
A gentle tone flowed from his lips.
“Nonetheless, thank you for your hard work, Brother Wolf. Today, as promised, I have prepared a gift for you.”
“Uh, if you mean a gift…?”
“Of course, it’s a ‘blessing.’”
At that unexpected reply, Abiyang’s body slightly stiffened.
