Chapter 41: Unexpected Encounter
After a few twists and turns, Lumien and Azalea finally set off for Bantaro Farm.
The sun blazed overhead, and the city had entered its busiest hours, bustling with noise and activity.
Unlike when they first entered Arsnova, this time they would be leaving through a different gate. This route would take them across a bridge leading to another region further east, known as Bangrave Land.
Bangrave Land was a vast, fertile area with a few long mountain ranges stretching across its expanse. The land also served as the border between the Liurnia Kingdom and Asura Kingdom.
Because of its large size, it was impossible for the Liurnia Kingdom to fully oversee Bangrave Land. As a result, they established only a few settlements along the major routes, leaving the rest of the area unprotected. This lack of security meant Bangrave could not be classified as a Safe Zone.
The term "Safe Zone" was used by the Liurnia Kingdom to describe areas that were protected and free from roaming monsters.
Not all regions within the kingdom held this status. Besides Bangrave, there were several other areas that were also excluded from the Safe Zone. The famous ones for example, Lachia Plain in the north, Amita Mountain Range in the West, and Tawar Forest in the south.
...
Soon, Kuro carried them beyond the city gates. Once again, Lumien was greeted by the vast expanse of the sea. A gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying the salty scent of the ocean. But unlike before, when he could hear the thunderous waves crashing against the shore up close, he now stood at a much higher elevation, giving him a breathtaking view of the coastline stretching out below instead.
Arsnova was a city built on an island, its lower section connected to the mainland of the Liurnia Kingdom, while the upper section extended toward Bangrave Land. From this vantage point, Lumien could see towering cliffs in the distance, with a dense forest stretching endlessly behind them.
A few merchant carriages rumbled past, traveling in the opposite direction as him, their wooden wheels creaking against the stone-paved road.
Peering over the edge, he inhaled sharply, momentarily awestruck. Below him, the sea stretched endlessly, its surface shimmering under the golden light of the sun. The water churned restlessly, waves crashing against the base of the bridge’s towering pillars.
It took them over a dozen minutes just to cross the massive bridge. When they finally reached the other side, they were met with a T-junction, where each path led deeper into the dense forest.
Fortunately, a wooden signpost stood at the intersection, with the names of various destinations carved into it, pointing in different directions.
Without it, Lumien feared that he and Azalea would have been completely lost and would have had to ask a passing merchant for guidance. After all, they weren’t locals, and the map Azalea had studied only marked Bantaro Farm’s location—it didn’t show the exact roads leading there.
Just as they were about to set off down the path indicated by the sign, Azalea suddenly whipped her head around.
"What’s wrong?" Lumien asked curiously.
"I thought I heard something..." She paused, listening for a moment before shaking her head. "Never mind, it’s probably just some animals."
Lumien shrugged and nodded, and the two resumed their journey.
What they didn’t notice was a weak hand sticking out of the thick bushes just a few feet away. The hand was pale and shaking, reaching out as if trying to grab something—or maybe call for help. But its movements were weak, and after a few seconds, the hand lost its strength and dropped to the ground, vanishing into the shadows of the dense plants.
...
"Strange..."
It’s almost an hour since they left the T-junction, yet all Lumien could see was the same endless stretch of dense forest.
The journey had been smooth so far, fortunately, but the lack of variety in the scenery was beginning to bore him. Adding to his discomfort, he wasn’t accustomed to sitting on horseback for such a long time. He could already feel the dull ache creeping into his lower back, and his legs were starting to stiffen.
He couldn’t help but wonder: if he were still the sickly version of himself from before, how long would he have lasted? Ten minutes? Five? Or maybe just a single minute?
At that moment, Lumien found himself wishing for modern vehicles—especially motorcycles. Riding one would be far more comfortable than spending hours on horseback.
His thoughts were interrupted by Azalea’s voice, snapping him back to reality.
"What do you mean by strange?" he asked.
Azalea glanced around before replying, "Haven’t you noticed? We haven’t seen a single person on this road."
Lumien frowned.
Now that she mentioned it, she was right. Throughout their entire journey, not a single traveler had passed by—neither coming from the opposite direction nor heading the same way as us.
That was odd. A road leading to a farm shouldn’t be this empty. Normally, merchants, farmers, and travelers would be coming and going—transporting goods, delivering supplies, or returning home from the city. So why was the road to Bantaro Farm completely deserted?
"Maybe it’s just not harvest season," Lumien suggested. "That would explain why no farmers are out selling their crops."
"You think every single person in Bantaro Farm is a farmer?" she countered.
"There should be plenty of residents who work in the city," Azalea continued. "Even if the farmers are staying put, others should be commuting. And what about merchants? People still need daily supplies—spices, tools, food, etc. There’s no reason for this road to be this empty."
Abruptly, Azalea pulled the reins, bringing Kuro to a sudden stop.
"Could you at least warn me before hitting the brakes?" Lumien complained, rubbing his forehead. His head was spinning from bumping into Azalea’s back when she abruptly stopped.
But Azalea didn’t respond. She sat completely frozen, staring straight ahead at something. Her silence made Lumien even more curious, so he leaned to the side to look past her and see what she was staring at.
What he saw sent a chill down his spine.
A horse lay lifeless on the road, its body unnaturally still.
But that wasn’t the most disturbing part.
Its stomach had been ripped open, intestines spilling onto the dirt in a tangled mess. The blood was still fresh, pooling beneath the carcass, while flies buzzed frantically around it.
The metallic scent of iron hung thick in the air, and as it reached Lumien’s nose, he instinctively covered his face, stifling a sudden sneeze.
"What the hell?"
"Sister, what kind of creature do you think did this?" he asked, voicing the first thought that came to his mind.
Despite the gruesome scene before him, he found himself more startled than sickened. The sight of torn flesh and exposed organs should have made most people retch, but not for him. It hadn’t yesterday, either, when he watched the troll mercilessly crush the gladiator in the arena. He had stared at the brutality with unsettling indifference, and even now, he was surprised by this unfamiliar side of himself.
"I doubt this was the work of wild animals," Azalea said, pulling out a handkerchief and pressing it to her nose.
Instead of dismounting to inspect the corpse personally, she guided Kuro to move slowly around it, observing from a safe distance.
Lumien frowned. "Why do you think that?"
The first thought that crossed Lumien’s mind upon seeing the state of the horse was that a wild animal had hunted it down and torn its stomach open in the process. But Azalea seemed certain that wasn’t the case.
"Wild animals hunt to survive. After catching their prey, they either devour it on the spot or drag it back to their den. But look at this horse—aside from the torn stomach, its body is completely intact. Nothing has been eaten, no limbs are missing."
"That means the attacker wasn’t interested in its meat!"
"If it wasn’t after the meat, then why attack the horse at all?" Lumien said.
"There could be several reasons," Azalea replied calmly. "For example, the horse might have accidentally wandered into the attacker’s territory and was killed as a result. Another possibility is that the attacker hunted it purely for fun."
"Then, doesn’t that mean a wild animal is still the most likely culprit?" Lumien argued.
Both reasons Azalea provided could easily be linked to the behavior of wild animals. Some hunt for enjoyment, while others are territorial and will kill any creature that dares to intrude on their space.
"At first glance, yes. With the evidence right in front of us, it’s easy to assume a wild animal did this. And you’re not wrong for thinking that way." She paused, then smirked. "But don’t forget my other identity. Besides being Ofnir’s daughter, I’m also a Silver-Rank Adventurer. I didn’t earn that rank by doing nothing."
"Based on my experience, I can confidently say this was not a work of wild animals, but monsters!"
"Monsters?!" Lumien asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Which ones?"
Azalea didn’t hesitate. "Goblins."
"Goblins..."
Lumien’s mind instantly filled with images of a short, green, grotesque creature with yellow eyes and a savage, lustful gaze.
The most well-known traits of goblins were their obsession with gold, their tendency to steal, and their preference for targeting humans—especially women.
As Azalea’s words sank in, his thoughts snapped back to reality. "Should we turn back, then? This wasn’t part of the plan."
Their original plan had been straightforward: travel to Bantaro Farm, where he would practice his abilities on moving targets like wild animals then go home.
As for dealing with monsters? That had never even crossed his mind.
He might now be able to conjure a fireball from his palm, but he had never seriously considered the idea of fighting monsters with his current abilities. His lack of experience was the real problem here.
As for all the talk about throwing fireballs at "Giant" Brian’s face—that had been nothing more than a joke.
Given Brian’s infamous reputation, Lumien was certain he wouldn’t last even a single round in a serious fight against him.
Sure, he was several times stronger than he had been a week ago, but he wasn’t foolish enough to believe he was invincible.
