LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Envoy (2)
The attackers numbered six in total. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be scouts from the Empire.
Not mere bandits, but a proper military unit, however small.
Gromnar and Stone Grunder didn’t even need to step in.
In fact, by the time they awoke and emerged from the tent, the situation had already been resolved.
‘…This guy’s a monster too.’
Morgan showed no mercy, driving his daggers into their necks one by one.
His movements were quick, almost too quick—something you wouldn’t expect even from elite warriors.
“Guh… Aghhh… S-spare me….”
Thud!
The last Imperial soldier collapsed, crimson blood pooling beneath him.
“Imperial forces, huh… Krk,” Lockhart muttered as he clicked his tongue, stepping out of his shelter.
This was exactly the kind of encounter the envoy wanted to avoid.
To run into Imperial troops on the very first night… it didn’t bode well.
“Dispose of the bodies with magic tools. We won’t be relocating.”
“Fine, fine.”
Morgan and I pulled out the magical tools for corpse disposal, pouring the liquid over the cooling bodies.
Hisssss…
The bodies melted away in an instant, leaving only faint traces of their existence.
Kicking at the now-empty ground, Morgan spoke up.
“Trash. That’s what the Empire is.”
His tone was heavy with disdain for his homeland.
“I left home when I was twelve. It’s been over 20 years now. Hah, time flies, doesn’t it?”
“……”
“Slavery isn’t exclusive to the trolls. Back then, the Empire was just as bad, if not worse. For instance, my mother was executed for the crime of petting a baron’s dog.”
Killed for petting a dog?
What kind of hellish place was this?
And that was his mother? No wonder Morgan carried so much anger.
“That’s the homeland I remember.”
“...That’s terrible.”
“Kuk, my mother’s death doesn’t sting much anymore—it’s been too long. What really got to me was all the horrors I witnessed on the way to becoming a Swahali among the trolls.”
He really had quite the backstory for an NPC.
…Or maybe I should just call him a local.
Through his explanations, some of my questions were finally answered.
Humans from the real world—referred to here as Earthlings—entered this world through specific cracks that appeared every six months.
The phenomenon started about 20 years ago, but its origin remained a mystery.
‘Come to think of it, that’s around the time Arcane Chronicle was released.’
That was about as much as I could deduce.
When Earthlings emerged from these cracks, they had a disproportionately high chance of possessing abilities compared to locals.
The two major factions on the continent of Setagaya—humans and trolls—soon discovered this and began competing to claim control over these cracks during their active periods, resulting in frequent skirmishes.
‘I could’ve ended up in the Empire instead.’
Maybe I would’ve been a teacher there too.
At least I wouldn’t have started as a slave. That alone made the Empire sound slightly better than here.
Morgan continued recounting his rise from a young defector to his current position as a Swahali.
Apparently, he even personally killed the baron who had executed his mother.
While his story was compelling, it wasn’t particularly useful.
‘This really feels like being stuck on guard duty with a chatty senior.’
Before I knew it, our watch had ended.
After switching shifts with Gromnar, I retreated to my sleeping bag in the makeshift barracks.
Thus ended our first night in the wilderness.
***
Perhaps it was due to the increased caution after encountering the Imperial scouts, but the second day passed without any notable incidents.
“Kiieek—!”
Aside from the occasional appearance of low-tier monsters, there were no real threats.
Not a single member of the envoy sustained injuries.
And so, the days passed: one, two, three, four…
By the time we reached the edge of our journey, we received our next warning.
“From here, we’re entering Naplen’s Grasp.”
Naplen’s Grasp—a foreboding name.
It was both a marker indicating that we’d entered dwarven territory and a dangerous zone infested with Naplen spiders, a high-ranking species of spider-like monsters.
To adventurers traveling in small parties, it was a place of dread.
“…Stay close,” Lockhart instructed.
As long as we avoided the central region, we weren’t likely to encounter the Naplen themselves. But still…
Thud!
Slash!
Plop!
Seeing even Lockhart and Morgan step into the fray to deal with minor monsters hinted at the tension.
Without a shaman in the group, encountering a swarm of Naplen would mean severe casualties, regardless of individual strength.
“Keep moving.”
I watched as Gromnar, my proud student from Troll Class B, pulled his greatsword from the maw of a giant spider.
Who knew advanced warriors could be this powerful?
He didn’t seem to have any unique abilities, yet his sheer physical prowess had been carrying our group throughout the journey.
The stability of the envoy was undoubtedly thanks to him—
Thwack!
What the hell?!
“Krk!”
An arrow suddenly flew out of nowhere, piercing Gromnar’s shoulder.
[The hidden trait Survival Instinct is warning you!]
At the same time, my Survival Instinct trait began to scream in my head.
Ever since entering Naplen’s Grasp, I’d been feeling a dull ache—it had finally reached a crescendo.
“Goooooo!”
“Kyaaah!”
It was an ambush.
“Don’t panic!” Lockhart shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Stone Grunder stepped forward to shield Gromnar, who had fallen to one knee.
“Two humans and four trolls… Not exactly a common combination.”
The attackers finally revealed themselves, stepping out from the shadows.
There were only two of them—a human and a dwarf.
‘…’
An unlikely duo, to say the least.
“Gromnar! Are you okay? Jinyu! Do something—anything!”
Fumbling with the supply bag, I pulled out a healing totem and drove it into the ground.
A greenish shimmer enveloped Gromnar, starting the healing process.
It was only a temporary solution, though. Judging by the size of the arrow and the wound, he wouldn’t be moving any time soon.
“That must hurt. Local specialty, you see.”
They were talking about the poison.
Naplen’s Grasp was teeming with venom from its resident spiders.
Even the trolls’ natural regeneration would be hampered by it.
Lockhart stepped forward, calm but firm.
“An antidote and a good explanation will be required.”
The cold gleam of his drawn sword underscored his authority.
“An explanation? Hah….”
The human attacker tilted his head mockingly.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, they showed no sign of fear.
The dwarf beside him finally spoke, muttering something in their native language:
“Aus pache po riosha.”
Ah, great. I don’t know Dwarvish.
For the first time, my Master of Languages! trait failed to live up to its name.
I instinctively turned to Toka for help, about to ask what the hell he’d just said, but—
“Get down!”
Huh?
BOOOOM!
“...!”
“Lockhart!”
A massive explosion erupted from the ground, engulfing Lockhart in a blinding flash.
Thud.
The mangled remains of the envoy leader, Lockhart, lay unrecognizable on the ground.
“G-gooooo….”
Lockhart had been killed in an instant, blown to pieces.
Everyone was struck speechless by the sudden turn of events.
The silence was broken by the attackers.
“Well? Was that explanation enough?”
“…You bastards…,” Morgan muttered, finally speaking up.
As someone connected to the Central Tribal Council, it seemed he recognized them.
“Oh? You recognize us? That makes me strangely happy.”
Morgan glared at the man.
“An archer and a dwarf mage… not a common combination. I thought you were dead.”
The man smirked.
“Well, it’s easier that way—having people think we’re dead.”
“What’s someone like you doing here, in a place like this? Have you switched jobs?”
“Oh, I don’t bother with battlefields anymore. There are easier ways to make money. Why bother?”
“……”
“Anyway, from our perspective, you lot seem to have some very impure intentions. You get what I mean, right? Leave now.”
“And if we don’t?”
“I’ll kill you.”
***
For hours, we walked in silence.
‘Should I just start singing or something?’
The thought crossed my mind.
With both our leader and our purpose lost, the remnants of the envoy were utterly defeated in spirit.
Their morale wasn’t just low—it was practically nonexistent.
The attackers had been identified as 4th-tier war mercenaries.
Even Stone Grunder, who had looked ready to rip Morgan apart after we retreated without retrieving Lockhart’s body, backed down upon hearing this fact.
Two 4th-tier mercenaries were far beyond what our current force could handle.
They weren’t quite at the level of battle commanders, but it would take someone of a great warrior’s caliber to even attempt to fight them.
And even then, victory wouldn’t be guaranteed.
‘…’
While part of me was relieved I hadn’t tried to intervene, another part of me…
‘This is so unfair.’
It really was unfair.
Why were these supposedly retired 4th-tier mercenaries suddenly here?
And we were so close to Iron Jesro too.
The thought of turning back now made me want to scream.
“Stop.”
The silence was broken after hours of trudging along.
Morgan, who had taken the lead while Gromnar fell back to recover, halted abruptly.
“Imperial forces.”
Great. Just great.
For a moment, I thought we’d run into a field boss like Naplen itself.
Given our streak of terrible luck, I wouldn’t have been surprised—
“There’s a knight among them. I’m not sure if they’re an aura user, though.”
“…Oh no….”
“Krk.”
Knights were the Empire’s ultimate weapons.
If the trolls had battle commanders, humans had knights.
And if this knight wielded aura, their potential power was terrifying.
“Why would a knight be here and not on the battlefield? Could they be an envoy, like us? Look, over there! Their banner!”
Toka pointed out a banner on the Imperial force’s wagon.
It bore no unit insignia or military symbols.
Instead, it displayed a clumsy depiction of a handshake, a symbol of peace and diplomacy.
‘An envoy.’
The Imperial group, numbering around 30, included a knight leading at the front.
From our vantage point in the high ground, they had yet to notice us.
As everyone held their breath, Stone Grunder finally broke the silence.
“What do we do, human?”
He directed the question to Morgan, the acting leader.
“……”
“I-I think we should just let them go! We don’t have a choice! Lockhart is dead, and Gromnar can’t fight!”
Toka’s voice was trembling, but it wasn’t out of fear.
Everyone could see that her suggestion was the most rational course of action given the circumstances.
Still, trolls were not a rational people by nature.
And the Abyssal Stone Troll Tribe? Even less so.
“Krk! Are you asking me to throw away my warrior’s honor again? Enough! Human, give the order to attack!”
Stone Grunder, seething with fury, looked ready to charge down the slope and attack the Imperial envoy’s wagon at any moment.
“……”
Morgan remained silent, deep in thought.
Surprisingly, it was Gromnar who stepped in to restrain Stone Grunder.
“Hold your tongue, Stone Grunder.”
“Krk?”
“Even with one useless arm, I could still kill you. If you keep this up, I’ll slit your throat.”
“P-please stop! What are you two doing?!”
Caught between the two warriors, Toka looked desperate for Morgan to make a decision.
Finally, Morgan turned to me.
“…Seong Jinyu.”
Huh?
Me?
“What’s your opinion?”
“……”
I hadn’t expected to be put on the spot, but my answer was already decided.
Like I said earlier, the thought of turning back was unbearable.
If we retreated now, everyone would face disciplinary action for failing the mission.
And if the human envoy managed to secure the alliance in our place?
The punishments would be severe, possibly even fatal.
Ssshink—
I drew my dual blades from my waist.
“Jinyu! What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? There’s a knight over there!”
But my hidden trait, [Survival Instinct], was quiet.
If there was ever a time to draw my blades, it was now.
I called upon a technique I had practiced hundreds, maybe thousands, of times.
[The hidden trait Descent of the Shadow has been activated.]
Shhhhhh—
Dark energy began to coalesce at the tips of my blades, swirling ominously.
“……!”
“W-wait, is that… aura?”
From this moment on, this envoy mission…
Would be led by me, Seong Jinyu, a troll language teacher.