Chapter 176 Puppets Tied Up On A String
“They’re here, Sir,” a Kobold reported.
Kezmet nodded and then eyed the approaching Caravans with a solemn look on his face.
Currently, they were standing on the top of a canyon, overseeing the Caravan passing below them.
If they wished for it, they could cause a landslide that would bury these Humans and wipe out more than half of them in a single move.
But Kezmet didn’t do that.
Their Shaman had emphasized to him that their role was to only make sure that the Caravans would not venture anywhere else as they traveled on the White Road, leading to the White Forest.
Truth be told, there was another route that the humans could have taken, which would still lead them up to the White Mountains Marches.
This Mountain was home to the Mountain People, the Mountain Trolls, as well as the Kobolds.
Their task was to ensure that the Humans wouldn’t take the route up the mountains and simply continue their journey towards the White Forest.
The Kobolds didn’t bother to hide their presence from the Humans because this was the most effective strategy that would not lead to casualties on either side.
As someone who stood on the high ground and had the terrain advantage, all they needed to do was stare down at the Humans, pressing upon the latter an invisible pressure that made them extremely wary.
They had also set up a blockade on the path that led towards the mountain as insurance.
Fortunately, the Humans didn’t deviate from their route and traveled past the blockade that they had set up.
‘If they continue with this speed they will arrive at the White Forest in three days,’ Kezmet mused. ‘After that, they will be trapped with nowhere else to go. I wonder, just what does that bastard Necromancer want from these Humans?’
The Kobolds may not be the most peaceful of races in the Lands of Alastor. However, they weren’t the type to start a war without a good reason.
They were a race that preferred to expand their nest under the ground and mostly kept to themselves.
But ever since the Necromancer invaded their nest, they were forced to obey him. Should they fail to follow, the eggs in their hatchery would all become corrupted, giving birth to monstrosities that were half kobold, and half undead.
‘I don’t see any blue-haired individuals outside,’ Kezmet thought as he scanned the warriors that were escorting the wagons. ‘Maybe they are inside the wagons.’
The Kobolds continued their vigil for half a day until all of the Humans passed by their Domain.
Once he was sure that the Allied Tribes were headed to the White Forest, Kezmet returned to their nest to report to their Shaman.
“Good,” the Shaman replied. “And did you see anyone with blue hair among the Humans?”
Kezmet shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone with that hair color walking outside. Maybe they were inside the wagons.”
The Shaman nodded. “Make sure to not tell anyone about our discussion. Keep this secret to yourself.”
“I will,” Kezmet replied before leaving.
Now that their duties were done, it was up to the Necromancer’s other puppets to make their move.
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Three days later, the Tribes finally reached their first checkpoint and made camp right outside the White Forest.
All of them were tired from their journey, and all the Chieftains agreed to let everyone rest for two days.
The warriors all needed to recover their strength before they would be sent to scout inside the Forest and deal with the dangerous creatures that would potentially block their way.
The White Forest spanned for miles, and several monster groups were lurking inside of it, including Goblins and Lizard Folks.
Even so, with the combined warriors from the Allied Tribe and the Nomad Tribe, they were certain that these monster groups would think twice before attacking them.
“Let’s go outside to get some fresh air and stretch our bodies,” Lily proposed. “We’ve been cooped up inside the wagon for days. It will be good to have a change of pace.”
Ethan nodded and followed Lily outside of the carriage.
The dark circles under his eyes were nearly gone because he did nothing but eat, sleep, and meditate for the past few days.
Lily’s companionship had allowed him to regain a sense of calm, allowing him to function normally.
When the two appeared, the members of the Allied Tribes greeted them with kind smiles.
Ethan and Lily returned their greetings as they looked at the White Forest in front of them.
Although it was vastly different from the Great Eagle Forest of Brynhildr Academy, Ethan still felt a sense of familiarity with it.
It was as if he had been there in the past, despite the fact that this was the first time that he had been to this place.
Suddenly, Ethan fell into a trance.
His vision zoomed past the towering trees, traveling at great speeds. Suddenly, his vision hit what seemed to be the base of a mountain, cutting off any progression forward.
But, this only lasted for a few seconds before a path appeared in front of him.
If Ethan didn’t know better, he might have thought that the mountain had been split in half, creating a passage that was big enough to allow three wagons to travel side by side.
When this path appeared, Ethan’s vision once again zoomed forward until it broke through to the other side.
There, he saw a wide plain, filled with grazing animals like deer and bison.
The young man’s vision once again moved forward before stopping at what seemed to be a giant lake that spanned for miles.
The only difference was that this wasn’t really a lake, but more like a giant lagoon that was connected to the sea.
Ethan’s vision once again shifted, piercing through the water, allowing him to see a city that was submerged under water.
At first, he thought this was the City of Atlantis that he had once read about in a book, but since he wasn’t sure about his guess, he simply observed it from different angles.
At the center of the city, a pyramid could be seen. At its very top, a stone trident with its tips facing towards the heavens glowed faintly.
Suddenly, a voice that was gentle and firm at the same time reached his ears.
“Come, Tide Bringer. Let the world know your story.”
After hearing that voice, Ethan felt his vision slam back into his body like a stretched rubber band that had been released.
Ethan’s body shuddered as he took a step back, and then swayed where he stood. If it weren't for Lily immediately supporting his body, he might have fallen on the ground face-first.
“What happened?” Lily asked in a worried tone. “Are you feeling dizzy?”
“A bit lightheaded, but I’ll be fine after a while,” Ethan replied. “I think I saw something beyond the forest that is calling out to me.”
Lily glanced in the direction of the White Forest before shifting her attention back to the handsome young man.
Truth be told, she could feel a dense concentration of magic power somewhere in the forest, but she couldn’t specifically pinpoint its location.
The back of Ethan’s left hand glowed faintly, making the mark of the Sea God’s Trident appear.
It then materialized in front of Ethan and hovered in front of his face.
The young man reached out to it, allowing it to return to its original size.
Safiya, who was following behind Ethan to ensure that he was safe, suddenly felt a surge of anticipation in her heart.
As if being guided by a mysterious force, Ethan raised his trident towards the sky.
A moment later, something unexpected happened.
The Forest in front of him parted, creating a path that was wide enough for three carriages to move side by side.
Those who saw this couldn’t help but gasp, and the gazes of the Allied Tribes that had landed on Ethan’s body changed to awe and disbelief.
Great Chieftain Falkor, who was currently talking to Great Chieftain Adrian, looked at the forest in front of him before shifting his gaze to the Great Chieftain of the Kendall Tribe, who had a relieved expression on his face.
‘So, that’s it…,’ Great Chieftain Falkor thought as if he realized something important. ‘This is why the Allied Tribes decided to head to the White Forest despite the Natural Barrier.’
Great Chieftain Falkor then looked at the young man with blue hair in the distance, who was holding a trident in his hand.
On the surface, the Chieftain's gaze was steady, and yet his heart was beating wildly inside his chest. He was hopeful and fearful at the same time.
Hopeful that they now had a path to survival.
And fearful that this hope would be crushed as swiftly as his relief had come by the unseen hand that was toying with the lives of men and beasts as if they were nothing more than puppets tied up on a string.
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