172 - 24 Hearts

**Chapter 172: The Tree and the Iron** Dressed in a rugged leather outfit with conspicuous leopard prints, armed with a bow and arrows, and a dagger at the waist, they were unmistakably hunters. What emanated from them wasn’t hostility but a faint tinge of fear. Their hand that held the bowstring and arrow trembled slightly, hinting that they might shoot at any moment. “Aah!” If an arrow were to be shot, they would die. Arhil turned around, an anxious expression on her face. The elves, seemingly unwilling to tolerate the hunters’ hostility, had already aimed their arrows at them. To prevent this uneasy standoff, Arhil opened her mouth, intending to step forward. “Th-…!” However, she was stopped before she could start speaking. Judah reached out a hand, preventing her from advancing. Arhil had no choice but to halt her steps at his outstretched hand. Looking at Judah, she saw him glaring at the hunters and shaking his head as if signaling her not to proceed. “Why?” She asked for a reason, but Judah did not answer. Turning back to the front, she noticed one of the hunters aiming an arrow directly at her. It hadn’t been loosed yet, but its precise aim at her made Arhil twitch. “You’ve made a wise choice. If you had shot, you would all have died right there.” “……” Judah spoke quietly, staring down the hunters. At his words, the oldest-looking hunter frowned and lowered his bowstring. Then, after tapping the shoulders of his fellow hunters, he began retreating cautiously. Once they had gained some distance, the elves lowered their bows, and the hunters turned and quickly fled without looking back. "Are you letting them go?" An elf behind Arhil asked in a cold voice. It was the friendly female elf who helped Arhil with the dishes every evening, distributing the bowls. Yet now, that friendliness was gone. She was staring at the fleeing hunters with a stern gaze. It was surprising to see such an expression from an elf usually full of smiles. "They just showed caution without actually shooting an arrow, right?" "…You’re too lenient. They won’t realize how close they were to death. They’ll head to the castle and bring people back without knowing." "Probably so." "Trouble will arise. You’ll regret letting them go now. If killing them is difficult for you, I can take a few and we’ll finish them off." Judah mused over the elf's suggestion briefly. As hunters, they wouldn't be missed for a day or two. That's plausible. If it came to it, elves could silently track and eliminate these hunters without a trace. There would be no need to worry about them returning to the castle and rousing the people. Considering future ease, requesting help from the elves wasn't a bad idea. "Make a decision." The elf urged Judah. He was about to consent when he glanced at Arhil. Seeing her shake her head, signaling not to, Judah let out a small sigh. “No, let's just let them go.” “Why?” “Perhaps they weren’t meant to die here. Let's go. Even if they return with more people, I’ll handle it.” “Understood.” The elf didn't argue further. Judah cast one last glance in the direction where the hunters fled, then led the group onward. They had a long journey ahead and no time to linger. Ideally, the hunters wouldn’t report back to the castle, but that was just wishful thinking. Walking for a while, they took a brief rest before continuing. During that time, Judah felt a faint tremor in the earth. “Haa.” He let out a soft sigh. The elves seemed to notice, but Arhil did not. “Where are you going?” Recognizing Judah's intent to step back, Arhil, who had been walking with an elf, asked curiously. “Do you really want to know?” He asked with a mischievous expression, and Arhil seemed to have realized something, laughing and nodding. “Ah, you sneaked some extra food while others took care of business. Don't worry, no one's curious about personal matters. Go ahead.” “Go on with the elves. I'll catch up soon.” “Alright~ Take your time! Hehe.” Heading in the opposite direction of the group, he felt constrained, so he pulled back his hood, exposing his hair, and signaled for the elves to pull theirs back over their heads. Understanding his gesture and lip movements, they nodded, quietly pulling their hoods back down as they passed by. Once a certain distance was gained, he turned around, enhancing his body with magic. Energy pulsed through him as if he’d consumed a stimulant, reviving the weary body. He lightly pushed off against the ground and began to run. The resonance of hooves pounding the earth told him more than a few riders were coming. 'Seems they’re heading this way.' The hunters must have reported back to the castle. Otherwise, there wouldn't be this sudden chase. Judah positioned himself on the expected path and waited. After three to four minutes, he noticed groups spreading out and signaling as they spotted him. Dozens of cavalrymen soon appeared behind them. “Well, well.” One cavalier sped past, ignoring him. Judah immediately pursued, drawing a cheap dagger from his waist with his left hand. Calculating the galloping speed and the positions of trees along the way, he threw the dagger. Whizz! Imbued with magic, the dagger seemed to miss its mark at first, only to strike the right foreleg of a horse at the exact moment it galloped past. The horse staggered, losing balance and toppling, sending its rider tumbling harshly across the ground. “Where are you off to?” The action wasn't flashy, but it certainly drew the cavalry's attention. The fallen horse whimpered pitifully, and the soldier who had toppled groaned from the shock of the fall. It was a wonder he hadn’t lost consciousness. Seemingly uninjured, he attempted to rise but staggered from the impact, leaning against a tree trunk before slumping down. Watching Judah approach, the soldier's face hardened as he fumbled at his thigh, cursing softly when he realized his crossbow was missing. "Damn it!" Scanning the ground swiftly, the soldier spotted the crossbow lying intact, an arrow still loaded despite the fall. Ignoring his pain, he lunged, grabbed the crossbow, and aimed it at Judah without hesitation, pulling the trigger. Judah, witnessing the crossbow bolt flying at him with fierce speed, twisted his body sideways and reached out his hand. He wondered if he could catch it, but perhaps due to his agility or sheer luck, he managed to grasp the arrow. 'Ah, got it—' Judah was more surprised than the soldier about catching the bolt. "Oh, you're a good shot! Aiming right at my face in that split second—it seems you've had a lot of practice." Judah twirled the caught arrow with his fingers and flung it back towards the soldier. "Practice makes perfect, huh?" "Ugh!" The arrow flew like a dart, embedding itself in the soldier's thigh. "Don't make a fuss. It's not even fatal." Judah said as he walked towards the soldier who was gritting his teeth. The soldier tried to reload, but Judah kicked the crossbow into the air, smashing it down with force. *Crunch!* "Gah!" The soldier gasped at the sight of his broken crossbow. "Haha, surprised? Oh, was it precious to you? But surely, not as precious as your life?" Reflecting on it, the crossbow to the soldier was akin to a soldier’s rifle. If he returned alive, he would likely face stern punishment. However, Judah had no intention of considering such matters. The metal crossbow was now in pieces, rendered unusable by Judah’s single blow. "Ugh, who are you?!" "You'll find out later. I don’t want to repeat myself unnecessarily." The soldier glared at Judah with a groan but soon averted his eyes under Judah’s gaze. Then, a moment too late, several crossbow bolts flew towards Judah. Sensing them, Judah ducked to dodge two and unsheathed his dagger, slicing the third in half. Watching the two halves of the bolt fall to the ground, Judah’s eyes widened. Even in such a situation, all he could think was... 'That was cool!' It felt like a scene straight out of a drama, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. The cavalrymen who had initially charged ahead now encircled him, aiming their reloaded crossbows. "Do not move!" "Whether I move or not is my choice. You all can’t tell me what to do." Judah said with a slight grin, looking up at the mounted cavalry. Their eyes twitched, ready to release their bolts at any moment. Casually, Judah assessed their weaponry and continued. "Did you come from the castle? Seems the hunters reported in. I should have just killed them." "Stop your nonsense and put down the dagger in your hand. Sneaking past the castle without entering is something we can't tolerate—even if you’re an adventurer." Such a hassle. Judah reached into his coat. The mounted soldiers seemed poised to pull their triggers but Judah, unfazed, retrieved a pendant from his <Bag>. It was the 'Collector of Fragments' pendant he had obtained after defeating the Earl in the magical kingdom of <Calypso>. The cavalry seemed puzzled by the pendant suddenly produced before them. "I am a member of <Radiance>, operating under orders from Duke Ies. Stop making this difficult and bring your leader." As he spoke, Judah released a surge of magic. The oppressive aura spread outwards. The intimidating presence of someone with a sacred weapon terrified the horses, and the soldiers found themselves involuntarily holding their breath, eyes wide. Although he quickly restrained his magic, the soldiers continued staring at him, dumbfounded. In the seemingly frozen moment, Judah spoke with irritation. "What are you standing around for? Didn't you hear me ask for your leader? The name of Duke Ies isn’t something to take lightly... Or are you disregarding a subordinate of the Duke?" "P-please wait a moment!" One of the cavalrymen, taking Judah’s stern gaze, quickly pulled the reins and galloped away. Watching him, Judah let out a satisfied hum. He then addressed the soldiers still aiming their crossbows. "What are you doing? Lower your crossbows." Exchanging glances, the soldiers cautiously lowered their weapons. --- **Author's Note** Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Next week is Christmas! Everyone, Merry Solo Christmas to us all!