East Road Quest

Chapter 83: Taimon

“How much farther to Taimon?” Jade asked.

“Three chiffons,” Merald replied briefly.

Jade converted the distance to a more familiar unit in her mind.

‘It’s just over a mile.’

Suddenly, Merald halted the campion. He stared intently at a spot where Jade could only see trees.

“It seems the army of Heldra has stopped,” Merald muttered.

Sage asked quickly, “How far?”

“Two chiffons from here, and about the same from Taimon.”

“Can you see Heldra?”

“Not from here.”

“That’s good. At least they haven’t started their attack yet.”

“I had that thought, but…”

Merald’s voice trailed off, tinged with unease.

Jade inquired, “What’s the problem? Heldra can’t move at night, only during the day, right? So it’s not strange for them to be stopped there all night.”

“They tire quickly at night, but it’s not that they can’t move at all. Until now, they’ve moved during the day for efficiency’s sake, but for an attack, they might move boldly.”

“So, they could move fiercely, but it’s better to move inefficiently at night without sentries than during the day when they’re present?”

Jade questioned.

Merald nodded.

“Heldra is a monster that attacks merely by moving.”

Merald, seemingly concerned, said to Sage, “Take Jade and go ahead to Taimon, Granny.”

“What will you do?”

“I need to check the situation.”

Without further questions, Sage nodded and drove the forest ostrich ahead.

“Be careful,” Jade said.

“Who’s that for?” Merald asked.

“Jade to Merald.”

Merald chuckled and whistled. The campion carrying Jade responded to the sound and chased after Sage’s forest ostrich.

Merald watched Jade until the last moment, then dismounted the campion and climbed up a tree.

Jade watched him disappear, then turned her gaze forward. Soon, her campion caught up with Sage’s forest ostrich.

Jade waited to be alongside Sage before speaking.

“Merald always seems to be watching me.”

“He’s not watching you. He’s worried. You’re not used to the expressions of an orc.”

“I see.”

“Is it hard?”

“No problem.”

“You don’t have to lie to me.”

“…I’m a bit tired and weary. It’s funny, but I’m sleepy too.”

“I can see that. Merald probably sees it even more clearly. That’s why he’s fretting over you.”

“I thought I hid it well, but it seems I didn’t… Wait, so he was watching me!”

“Hmm, it was a complicated expression,” Sage said with a smile.

“Understand this. Merald has been fighting alone for hundreds of years. He’s not used to fighting with someone’s help.”

“I don’t want to show false confidence. I’ve only managed to extinguish demons a handful of times.”

“I thought you lacked experience, but was it that few?”

“That’s why I want to plan thoroughly and practice before I do it. I’m not even sure if a demon that size will be extinguished by my small hand.”

“I don’t know much, but isn’t light magic unaffected by the size of the target?”

“In theory, yes, but I’m worried it won’t work out that way.”

“Don’t tell Merald what you just said. He’s already feeling like he’s entrusting his life to a child and jumping off a cliff. If he sees you so anxious, he’ll trust you even less.”

As the campion and forest ostrich emerged from the dense forest, a massive wall came into view. Beyond the high wall, a few buildings shone with an emerald hue, and even higher towers were visible.

Upon closer inspection, even the wall was made of dense trees. Jade surmised that the other buildings were likely hidden behind this tree wall.

“That must be Taimon.”

“Yes. It’s the largest elf city in the Great Oak Forest region.”

“And the tree wall?”

“In human terms, it’s a city wall.”

“It looks alive.”

“It is. It’s three times stronger than a wall built of stone, and it heals itself within days if damaged.”

Sage proudly explained that although the structure was solid, its height surpassed any human construction Jade knew of.

“Is that about two pons in height?” Jade inquired.

“Exactly. It might just be the tallest among the walls of the elf cities, don’t you think?” Sage added, with a hint of bitterness.

“But to Heldra, that’s merely the length of its stride. Such a height is no more than a wooden fence to it.”

A noise from behind made them turn; Emerald, riding a champion, was quickly catching up.

“Did you find out anything?” Sage asked.

Emerald caught up and replied, “Buffalord is in command. That explains everything.”

Sage nodded in understanding.

Jade questioned, “What does Buffalord commanding have to do with Heldra not attacking Taimon?”

“Buffalord fears me. At this juncture, with Taimon so close and me not appearing, he suspects a trap,” Emerald answered while surveying the walls of Taimon.

“There are too many guards.”

Jade squinted and spotted hundreds of archers and spearmen standing on the oak wall. Instead of the usual battlements or towers, there were branches and tree holes.

“Why so many? If it’s to counter the Komora army, there should be even more,” Jade remarked.

“If it were the small Komora, yes. But against Heldra, it only increases the damage. I must speak to them.”

They rode further and reached the oak walls of Taimon. The trees, thick as several arms, were intertwined so tightly that not even a needle could pass through.

There was no sign of a gate.

“Stay here for a moment,” Emerald said before moving forward alone, looking up at the tree wall and shouting, “I am the Sentinel of the Dark Forest. I’ve come to meet General Taragon.”

The elves showed no reaction, and a slightly threatening atmosphere was felt. Crossbows could be seen peeking through the holes in the wall.

Jade cautiously asked Sage, “Why are they acting like this? Isn’t the Sentinel an ally to the elves?”

“It’s because of the appearance. Young soldiers under fifty often don’t know the Sentinel takes the form of an orc, which can lead to misidentification as the enemy. Even the older soldiers don’t particularly like the Sentinels,” Sage explained.

Jade couldn’t help but ask the question that had been with him since first meeting Emerald, “Why is an orc guarding the elves’ forest? Orcs live on the eastern continent, right?”

“That’s correct. But Emerald is…”

Sage half-opened his mouth but then stopped.

“Now’s not the time for that story. It’s not my place to speak without permission.”

Even after waiting for a while, there was no response from the wall.

“It seems I must step in. If someone accidentally shoots an arrow, it would be troublesome.”

Sage drove his forest ostrich next to Emerald and shouted upwards, “Is there a mage who knows me nearby? I am Sage, the mage of the Dark Forest.”

One of the long-bearded elves above shouted with joy, “Sage the Wise? Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me!”

“Oh, you’ve come. Please wait there.”

Soon, the middle part of the tree wall opened like a door, moving sideways. The seams were almost invisible, and the material of the door, similar to vines, blended in like camouflage.

To Jade, it seemed as if a door had appeared out of nowhere.

An elderly man with a long beard came out to greet them.

“To have the Wise of the Dark Forest come to Taimon in person is like gaining a mighty army. Please come in and lead our mages,” he said.

Sage shook his head.

“That’s not why I’m here. I’d like to meet General Taragon first.”

Sage spoke to the white-haired elder as if he were a child.

The elder obediently complied, like a student before Sage.

“Understood. If the Wise calls, we must answer. Please, come inside.”

“No, tell Taragon to come here. Heldra will move soon.” As she finished speaking, Heldra began to move. Jade could feel the sound and vibration.

The soldiers on the tree wall were startled and crouched down. A few nearly fell but were helped back up by their comrades.

“I will call him immediately.”

The mages hurriedly ran into the gate.

‘One mile, no, three shifons away, and still, the presence is felt. It’s unbelievable that I was within one shifon of such a monster yesterday. But today, I must get within reach.’

In less than a minute, a tall, blond elf riding a black champion appeared.

While the other soldiers wore elongated helmets to cover their rabbit-like protruding ears, this man wore a helmet with holes, allowing his ears to stick out. He had earrings with red gems.

“Taragon. It’s been a while.”

Sage raised his hand in greeting.

“Oh, wise one! And oh, the sentinel too!”

Taragon was more pleased to see them than any of the elves present.

“Why are you not at the oak wall when Heldra’s army is upon us? Where have you been?”

Sage asked, almost scolding.

“We were delayed escorting the people of Teymon to the northern caves for refuge.”

“Ah, well done. We have come seeking a way to vanquish Heldra.”

“Truly? Is it some ancient magic?”

Taragon asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Sage pointed at Jade with his thumb.

“Over there.”

Jade felt extremely embarrassed.

Taragon was taken aback, his expression bordering on disappointment.

“Is that not a human?”

“Yes, a human.”

Sage replied with a smile.

Taragon had so many questions he didn’t know where to start, his lips quivering with uncertainty. Jade worried that if he asked anything, she wouldn’t be able to answer properly.

Fortunately, Merald interjected.

“I will explain the plan.”

Only then did Taragon shift his uneasy gaze from Jade to Merald.

“Speak. I am always ready to heed the sentinel’s command.”

“I will halt Heldra’s advance. And Jade will be the one to eliminate Heldra. Sage will be her escort. During this, many Komoras will likely storm Teymon directly. You must hold them off.”

Taragon pondered the strategy for a moment before asking.

“Are you saying I should stand aside?”

“Once Heldra is slain, the next battle will be left to Teymon’s army. But until then, staying out of it is the best help.”

“But…”

“Did you not say you were always ready to follow my command?”

Taragon lowered his voice so that even Jade could barely hear him, conscious of their surroundings.

“Let’s clarify one thing. How can that small human have the power to eliminate Heldra? Even our greatest sorcerer spends all his magic and a whole day bedridden just to kill a palm-sized Komora.”

“Next time you catch a palm-sized Komora, pour a barrel of oil over it, lock it in a barrel, and set it ablaze for about an hour. Don’t waste all your magic and end up bedridden.”

Merald pointed at Jade again before continuing.

“Guard the wall. We will return after eliminating Heldra.”

Taragon glared at Jade.

‘It was Merald who spoke, so why is he looking at me?’

Jade swallowed nervously.

Merald drove his Campion up beside Jade.

“We proceed as planned before departure. Any questions?”

Jade shrugged.

“What’s there to ask? I’ll follow Sage closely. When the opportunity arises, I’ll stick by Heldra’s side. And extinguish… That’s the plan.”

“Be bold in your actions, as opportunities may not come often…”

Merald’s words were cut off by Sage.

“Enough. Repeating it too much might lead to mistakes.”

“The lives of 30,000 and the fate of the forest hang in the balance, naturally.”

“Great pep talk for someone already crushed by the weight of responsibility.”

Merald snorted and ran off into the forest.

Sage watched him go and then said,

“I apologize on his behalf. That one has no concept of consideration.”

“It’s alright.”

Jade replied.

Sage led the way on his forest ostrich, and Jade’s Campion followed suit, as if it knew the way.

Jade noticed her hand gripping the Campion’s horn was trembling.

‘I should have headed straight for Heldra without stopping at Teymon. Even if I failed and died, at least I would have died trying after coming this far.’

Jade regretted it, but it was too late.

‘Even when the Emperor spoke of Rome’s fate, it wasn’t this bad…’

Now that she knew the full extent of the situation, her fear grew. It wasn’t just 30,000 lives at stake, but a monster capable of trampling 3 million in a single day was slowly revealing its heads above the trees.

Not one, but five heads simultaneously.