Chapter 638 – 638. Domestic Catastrophe (3)
Under Errin’s command, the Arthia Knights, Adventurers, and Priests were organized into eight groups.
There are usually between 8 and 12 people in a group.
Many of Artia’s knights and two adventurers.
And in the form of placing priests one by one.
The most unusual thing among them was the group Erin belonged to.
This was because the group, which consisted of only three members, Cain, Eira, and Erin, the vice-captains of the Artia Knights, was the most risky composition anyone could see.
The balance is the most precarious because the number of members is small and the priest is not included.
But it wasn’t Erin who came up with this composition.
To be precise, it was the instructions of Riod and Eunhyeon, who relayed the story through Erin.
It was a special measure because it was too inefficient for one expedition to explore dozens of passages one by one.
The reason why none other than Eun-hyeon put her wife Erin in the group with the most precarious balance is because she believes in Erin’s power.
It is because Erin has powerful white demons who can answer her call and instantly become her power.
In fact, Erin alone was able to proceed with her search, but it was also insurance that she accompanied her other than that.
No matter how powerful Erin is, her physical strength and magical power are not infinite.
The longer the engagement continues, the more fatigue will build up in her body and drain her mental powers.
Cain and Ayra were the forces organized to back up Erinn.
It was ironic that they considered the knights of the Kingdom Knights as backup forces, so the adventurers and priests looked at Erinn with suspicion.
‘Who is that woman?’
A genius adventurer who achieved a gold rank in a short period of two years, according to a rumor I heard at first glance.
But even so, wouldn’t a party with such a composition be too arrogant?
Even if it was an adventurer specialized in solo, that seemed nothing but arrogant foolishness.
However, Cain, Eira, and other Artia knights did not raise any objection.
Because all of them recognized her Erin’s skills.
She was active in Orbis Island and Mo Graf Territory, and her skills in Erinn had already far surpassed those of her knights.
It was natural for the adventurers and priests who did not know that to react suspiciously.
However, since the Arthia Knights, who are the center of this search expedition, took it for granted, they couldn’t even raise an objection.
‘Well, it’s not even the group I belong to. I’ll take care of it.’
Since they weren’t included in that dangerous group in the first place, they didn’t even have the heart to raise objections.
“Then, let’s start off in our own groups.”
“Yes.”
The scattered expedition went into the anthill and explored the inside.
The formation of the three was in the form of a tripod, with Erin, who had a special sense specialized in searching, leading the way, followed by Eira and Cain side by side, keeping an eye on the surroundings.
Even as she passed through the passage of the dark anthill, Eira couldn’t shake her worried face.
“My father… Are you really okay?”
Through Erin, she heard that the four people, Rio De, Eunhyeon, Cha Hanseong, and Delia, were fine without major injuries, but since she had not confirmed it with her own two eyes, her anxiety did not easily disappear.
“Hmm… Will it be okay?”
Unlike Eira, who was worried about Rio de, Erin’s reaction to her was more normal than she thought.
“Aren’t you worried about Erin? She went down with him too.”
To Eira’s question, Erin narrowed her brow and answered as if she had waited.
“Of course I am worried! Do you know how anxious I was!?”
“That, so… ?”
“Sure! The real Hyuni doesn’t even listen to me! When I get home, I will really tell Illyana-sama to scold me!”
Erin’s reaction to her excited, impassioned babble didn’t quite match the cautious mood of her exploring the inside of her anthill.
Eventually, Eira noticed in Erin’s words that she was sure that Eunhyun would return safely.
She says she is very worried, but she never doubts Eun-hyeon’s ability itself.
Apart from her trust in his skills, it is natural for her as a wife to be concerned about her husband.
“… That’s great.”
The trust that can be trusted so firmly is amazing, Eira felt.
She couldn’t think of it.
Even though her father, Liod, had the honorable title of being the mightiest knight in her realm, she cared about Leord, even though she knew best how strong Liod was. Did not disappear
It is because he is a partner that Leo despises respect and is his father.
“Captain, you are not the kind of person who will end up in a place like this.”
Cain, who was in charge of the right side of the triangle, also spoke to alleviate Eira’s anxiety while walking while being wary of her surroundings.
Cain hadn’t thought at all that Leod was going to happen here.
“He… It shouldn’t end here.”
The motives of the knights who joined the Artia Knights, including Cain, were all different.
Someone for the sake of success with title and power.
Some longed for a brave and honorable knight.
For someone to pursue pure strength.
Even if their motives were different, the Arthia Knights all had a common idea.
‘If this is the person, he can entrust my life and follow me.’
Confidence that if you follow Rio De, he can achieve the motives and purposes he seeks.
Someone can build a track record and reputation and get ahead.
To be such a brave and respected knight by all.
You can learn swordsmanship and grow to become a strong man.
You can dream of such a future.
To the Knights of Artia, Riod was a strong bridge and light that showed them the way.
Just like Eunhyun did to Riod 20 years ago.
Cain never thought that Riod would collapse in a place like this.
To him, Riod is a respectable superior and an example of a knight he wants to follow forever.
That’s why I have no doubt that Leo will be safe.
“Yes… That’s right.”
Eido heard Cain’s determined murmur and nodded her head heavily.
He made a complicated expression when he realized that his father was respected and trusted by many knights.
Eira thought to herself.
‘Did I really see his father as a knight?’
Ayra is worried about Riod because he is her own father by blood.
Is it true that he was worried about reporting him as the knight commander of the kingdom?
It wasn’t.
“Let’s go.”
Eira, realizing the difference in perception between Cain and her, spoke with her determination.
She sensed the power in her voice, and Cain nodded her head.
“… Uh?”
Erin, who was leading the way in front of her, stopped her steps.
“Erin? What’s the matter?”
“… What is it?”
Erin slightly frowned and gazed at the darkness in front.
Erin’s expression did not look good when she smelled the smell from beyond the darkness, where the light emitted from the artifact of the bracelet that illuminated her vision could not reach.
“A person’s smell? However…”
A foul smell mixed with it, as if covered with filth.
Sensing Erin’s reaction as she cautiously placed her hand on the Levante handle of her waist, Eira and Cain also drew her swords and prepared for battle.
The three of them walked forward, relying on the light from their bracelets to slowly illuminate the front.
“Ugh… !”
Eventually, Ayra and Cain, who smelled the stench that was getting worse, hardened their bodies.
The interior of the darkened front was filled with the smell of rotting human corpses.
◆ ◆ ◆
While exploring the inside, Eun-hyeon climbed the upward path little by little, but felt the existence of a room caught in her senses and stopped him.
“Why?”
“… There is one place that worries me.”
Eunhyeon turned his head in the direction of the room.
Rio, Hansung Cha, and Delia also turned their heads toward the direction Eunhyeon was looking at.
There was only darkness where nothing could be seen, but no one took Eunhyun’s words seriously.
It was because Eun-hyeon’s guiding skills were excellent in moving this anthill, where there were numerous crossroads.
The current situation is that they rely on Eun-hyeon to find and lead the shortest route to the top while avoiding encounters with monsters as much as possible and minimizing the accumulation of fatigue from battle.
Even as they continue to replenish calories by providing a calorie bar prepared as a preserved food in their inventory, it was no different than Eun-hyeon leading this party.
“If you care, it would be right to investigate.”
Lyod was the first to express his opinion calmly.
The purpose of the search expedition, which he has been leading as a commander from the beginning, is to uncover the identity of something in this anthill and to eradicate the existence itself if it is a threat.
Currently, it was Eun-hyeon who suggested and led the three people, but Eun-hyeon followed the decision of the commander, Riod, for future judgment.
Fortunately, Riod had the same thoughts and judgment as Eun-hyeon.
When Rio de gave permission, Eun-hyeon nodded his head and slowly moved his steps toward the room caught in his senses.
“Eww…”
As time passed and they got closer to the room, Delia frowned at the stench coming from in front of her.
She wanted to cover her nose to prevent the stench from entering her body through her bronchial tubes, but with both hands holding the long sword, she held back the vigilance around her.
Finally, with Eunhyun at the head, four people arrived in the room.
When Eun-hyeon manipulated the brightness by manipulating the bracelet artifact he was wearing on his wrist, a bright light illuminated the room.
The room was as gigantic as the site of the battle with the female spider.
“”Suck!?””
And Cha Han-seong and Delia, who confirmed the scene in the room, gasped in astonishment.
“This…”
Leo was also startled by the sight he was seeing for the first time and stiffened his whole body.
Scattered all over the floor are huge broken eggshells.
And the bodily fluids and disgusting smells contained in the egg shells.
Seeing this scene, Eun-hyeon put the impression that came to her head into her mouth.
“A spawning ground?”
This was a spawning ground where something hatched in large numbers.
The number of egg shells easily exceeded three digits even if I roughly counted them.
Presumably, the human-shaped monsters with abnormally developed limbs like grasshoppers, which roamed the anthills, hatched from these spawning grounds.
And naturally, his gaze moved toward the place full of broken egg shells.
There were human women.
However, they could not be seen as human beings in front of them.
They are naked with no clothes on, and all of them have convex abdomens, reminiscent of full-term pregnant women.
And the corpses of human women lying coldly around.
The sight of the corpses and human women reminiscent of full-term pregnant women is horrendous and cannot be explained by words.
“Woo-wook… !”
Delia, unable to keep her eyes open, averted her eyes and, impatient with her vomit, poured out her gastric juices.
