manynovel Chapter 83 Miracle Without a Trace
Chapter 83 Miracle Without a Trace
Chapter 83 Miracle Without a Trace
Pegasus inhaled the cool air and looked down at the clouds stretching across the towering cliffs below.
The sky was clear and spotless, and the midday sun swallowed his shadow until it was just a tiny dot.
It's getting late.
He sheathed his sword and habitually raised his arm, intending to wipe his sweat with his glove.
A gentle wipe failed to absorb any sweat.
Frostflow's martial arts techniques caused subtle changes in his body.
His current water output is terribly low; even with intense training, he can no longer experience the exhilaration of being drenched in sweat.
As for whether this matter is good or bad, Bekas cannot judge for the time being.
Mr. Mosley said his consciousness might turn to frost, but that description is still too abstract.
He was just a martial artist and not good at understanding rhetoric.
But turning into frost might not be a bad thing. He's already forty-six years old, and perhaps the cold can slow down or freeze his aging process.
Pegasus stopped thinking about it and quickly walked from the balcony on the top floor of the tower to the spiral staircase made of giant stones, and down to a room on the middle floor.
This room was originally empty, but now it has been furnished with a lot of simple yet complete furniture, enough for two or three people to live comfortably.
He stood at the doorway and looked down at the desk under the window. A well-dressed little boy was sitting on a raised cedar chair, his feet dangling in the air as he studied.
Seeing his master's diligent appearance, a gratified smile appeared on Pegasus's face.
In order not to disturb Kathy, Pegasus chose to sneak over.
However, when he came to Cathy's side, the boy still discovered him.
Kathy looked up at Pegasus.
Kathy has a small face, just like his mother's.
He also inherited the Lyons family's fair skin and the Capello family's orange-yellow hair.
However, Kathy's naturally curly hair slightly annoyed Bekas.
Fortunately, the melody was just right, making Cathy still a beautiful little boy.
"Lady Casey, how did things go this morning?" Pegasus asked softly.
Upon hearing this, Cathy pouted, her eyes reddened, and she began to sob.
"Pegasus—"
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"There's a word in the first line that I don't recognize."
"You can skip this for now and continue reading. I'll teach you what that word means when I get back."
"That's what you told me—but I just keep thinking about it, and no matter how I think about it, I don't understand what it means. Suddenly, I feel a pang of sadness in my heart—"
Bekas wiped away Kathy's tears and moved a stool to sit beside him.
"Once you know enough words, even if you don't recognize a particular word, you'll be able to roughly guess its meaning."
"real?"
"Yes," Pegasus nodded seriously.
He felt that one should try to show a gentle expression when dealing with children, but his face would always unconsciously become stern.
"Alright, sir, I'll help you finish this page. That concludes today's reading assignment. This afternoon..."
I'll take you to Master Jode and have him give you a course on heraldry.
After speaking, Kathy lowered her head.
"What is it, sir?"
"Master Jode—he doesn't seem to like me."
Why do you say that?
"I can never remember what he says, and he always asks me to answer some questions."
"Sir, no one here dislikes you. It's not directed at you; he just needs to confirm whether you have the necessary knowledge."
That was his duty.
"Um—Pegasus, am I annoying?"
"My lord, you mustn't say that! How could you possibly have such a thought?"
"I can't learn anything—"
"You're just too young, not even six years old yet. All children are like that."
"Other children have mothers, but I've never seen my own. It must be because I'm too annoying and cry too much that she won't want to see me—"
"That's not true, Miss—Madam loves you very much."
"real?"
I swear.
"When can I see her?"
Farewell—Natalie's parting words echoed in Pegasus's mind.
"Wait until you've learned all the lessons."
"Ha! That's great, Pegasus, I'll do my best!"
After reading a page of the storybook with Cathy, Pegasus took her to the Herald's room.
He, on the other hand, went to the main castle of Whitewood City.
Pegasus successfully met the owner of this territory in the Earl's study.
Reggie Davis was peeling a melon with a small knife when he glanced warily at Beccas in the doorway. "Oh! Sir Bourne! You wanted to see me? Come in and have a seat."
Pegasus walked up to him and got straight to the point:
"Lord Davis, I think I've been here for five years now."
"Five years? Ah! Time really flies. So, Duke Cassy is five years old now?"
“That’s right,” Pegasus frowned, “but in five years, we’ve remained stagnant.”
"Don't rush, Pegasus, we need to wait for the right time."
"But you promised me that you would immediately assist the Lyons family in regaining control of this plateau."
"But you also promised me that you would bring Natalie Lines up."
Pegasus was speechless for a moment before speaking again:
"Kathy is Natalie's child, and it's a boy."
"Yes, a boy without a father."
Reggie took a bite of the fruit, the nectar dripping from his dry lips and soiling his thick stubble.
"All the lords in the world know that Natalie Lines is Bob Capello's fiancée, and our Earl of Goringburg has been missing for many years."
Bekas retorted, "Bob is unfit to rule the plateau, and they were never married."
"Then tell me Cathy's father's name, Pegasus,"
Reggie leaned back and shrugged.
"Otherwise, he's just a bastard. Do you want all the nobles of the plateau to kneel before a bastard?"
"Then he's Natalie's child too! The only bloodline of the Lines family!"
"How can you prove it?"
"Kathy has orange-yellow hair just like Natalie."
"That only proves that the blood of the forest flows in his veins," Reggie said to Pegasus. "The highland soil is too hard; forests can't expand easily there."
"But there will definitely be people who believe it," Pegasus stubbornly stated.
Reggie sighed and shook his head at Pegasus, saying:
"Bourne, you are indeed an excellent warrior, but in terms of strategy and politics—how so?"
Still a bit immature.
Bekas could not deny this.
Because he couldn't even compete with Natalie.
He could only humbly lower his head and say, "My lord, please enlighten me."
"There are too many hidden dangers in taking action now; a little analysis of the situation will make that clear."
Reggie picked out the pit, swallowed the remaining pulp, and wiped his fingers clean with a handkerchief.
"The plateau has been isolated from the world since ancient times, but it is internally divided into many factions, and various forces have been fighting openly and covertly for countless years. The Lanes family naturally has the most supporters, but there are also many who are not on good terms. Some families even have a history of rebellion, and the marginal nobles are even more opportunistic."
"But we can try to win them over," Pegasus interjected.
"Yes, that will surely expose the fact that my Whitewood City is hiding Lord Jasper's grandson, and this..."
This is exactly the situation I was most worried about.
"Are you worried your castle will fall into war?"
"Hahaha."
Reggie laughed when he heard Pegasus's words, which left Pegasus somewhat confused.
Reggie explained:
"Whitewood City occupies a natural stronghold. For thousands of years, although it surrendered along with Goringburg, it has never been breached by a human army in a direct confrontation. Sir Bourne, I have considerable confidence in the defensive capabilities of my castle."
"Then why?"
"The plateau is not united. Once the enemy knows my leverage, they can formulate a countermeasure."
I can think of a few options right now. Find Natalie, deny Cathy's identity, or even just grab any child and claim they're also a descendant of Lord Jasper.
"Are all the lords of the plateau this foolish?"
"Of course not, at least not all. The vast majority of lords wouldn't believe a child who just appeared out of nowhere."
Reggie said with a smile,
"But don't expect them to be too clever to discern from the many claims that Casey is the true heir of the Lines family. Do you understand, Pegasus? They don't need to fight; they can simply disrupt the game and ruin our plans."
"Hmm...—"
Pegasus hesitated for a moment. He already knew the chances were slim, but his stubbornness flared up again.
"But what if it succeeds?"
"You, you—"
Reggie shook his head in exasperation.
"Even if we succeed, it will be useless. Goringburg is currently in the hands of the Capello family, but the real power lies with the Zorc family of Gray City. Our Duke Casey is too young. Once they request to assist in governing, no one can stop them. The Lines family will become their puppets from now on."
Hearing this, Pegasus finally gave up and listlessly found a chair to sit down.
After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a few negative words:
Is there really no hope?
"That's not entirely true. At least we still have Casey as a card in our hand."
Reggie said,
"As long as we keep it in our hands and unleash it at the right moment, giving our opponents no time to react, we have a chance to realize our ambitions. So, Pegasus, be patient, we just need the right timing."
"But—" Pegasus looked up. "My lord, look at my beard, it's already frosted with white. I'm no longer young, and my arms will become increasingly weak in the future. I'm worried that if I wait too long, I won't be able to help much."
"Settle your mindset, Lord. Don't put the cart before the horse. If you can't help, but you can help the Lyons family recover, I think there's no better outcome."
Hearing this, Pegasus calmed down a bit and nodded:
"You're right, sir, I was too stubborn—"
Reggie frowned at Pegasus, a helpless smile appearing on his face. He sighed and said:
"Pegasus, do you remember the Lynes family's motto?"
"How could I forget? 'Breathe carefully.'"
“That’s right,” Reggie smiled. “Take a deep breath, Knight, and then let’s talk about something interesting.”
Pegasus nodded and did as instructed, then asked:
"Sir, what interesting things have you done?"
"My ore production has surged recently, I'm so happy! Hey! Slaves are really useful, just give them a little bread and they'll work for you all day!"
Pegasus's expression darkened:
"Excuse my bluntness, Earl Davis, but the practice of using slaves is not the right way. The kingdom has resisted slavery for hundreds of years, and any lord who tolerates the existence of slaves will be despised."
"Don't be so tense, Pegasus. If I were to treat my fellow countrymen as slaves, I would be an absolute beast. But the ones I enslave are only the children of evil."
Pegasus's eyes widened in shock: "Sir, you mean those green-eyed people?!"
"That's right."
"My lord, these people are the embodiment of misfortune; they may bring calamity to your territory!"
Reggie frowned. "Hmm? Why are you so certain?"
"Since these green-eyed people set foot on our land, strange things have been happening frequently in the territories of various families, and the mutation rate of magical beasts has suddenly surged in the past two years."
Reggie, however, disagreed: "The evil in the Crying Fjord is becoming more active, and the east winds have been blowing more often in the last two years. I think that might be the reason."
Pegasus gathered his thoughts and then said:
"The evil sorcerer organization on the frozen continent is growing stronger, the religious atmosphere in the Holy Envoy Principality is becoming increasingly tense, and from the Far East continent, I occasionally hear about auspicious omens appearing. All of these are changes that have occurred in the last five years."
"Yes, the situation has been changing too fast lately," Reggie nodded.
"However, sir, I believe the root of all this is the arrival of these green-eyed people."
"What's the reason?"
"Put a wolf into the forest, and the forest will still be a forest, because the wolf is part of the forest itself. But if you put a magical beast in, the forest will quickly decay, because the forest does not have the ability to adapt to such a powerful alien creature."
Pegasus said with concern, "Those green-eyed people are the monsters of our world. They arrived within the last five years. It's all a conspiracy by the Navigator; he wants to bring disaster to the world!"
"You're exaggerating, Pegasus. I don't believe those who can be easily enslaved could have such a large impact, but—"
At this point, Reggie stood up and walked to the desk.
"Speaking of Warcraft, Pegasus, have you been busy lately?"
Pegasus immediately realized that Reggie had something important to say, so he followed him:
"No rush, what are your orders, sir?"
"Take a look at this," Reggie said, picking up a letter from the desk and handing it to Pegasus. "If you're not busy, I'd like to ask if you'd be interested in this."
Pegasus glanced through it briefly: "Another magical beast has appeared?"
"Yes," Reggie nodded. "The highlands are known for their demon-hunting skills. Weapons made from exotic minerals produced here are incredibly effective against monsters, which is why the lords of the highlands are always getting commissions to hunt demons."
"You want me to go demon hunting?"
"I've already turned down quite a few requests, including a rare 'demon' incident, but if this continues, no one will ask Whitewood City for help, which is bad for the territory's future. Therefore, I've decided to occasionally accept one or two requests."
Reggie said,
"I have long heard of your martial arts skills, but you have been living on the edge of a cliff for years and have had no opportunity to use them."
I'm worried I might be a bit rusty. Even though you're a guest, if you'd like to help—"
“No problem, sir,” Pegasus bowed. “Over the years, the Duke and I have received a lot of help from you, and this is a good opportunity for me to repay your kindness.”
"That's great because you're willing."
Reggie walked around to Pegasus's side and patted him on the shoulder.
"I'll give you thirty soldiers with demon-hunting experience. When can you set off?"
"I need to say goodbye to His Excellency the Duke first, and set off no earlier than nightfall."
"No need to rush, let's leave tomorrow morning."
"I will not fail in my mission, sir."
"I have never doubted this for a moment, Sir Pegasus!"
That evening, Pegasus informed Kathy of his whereabouts.
Kathy said, "I will pray for your safety, Bekas."
What a kind and lovable child!
Pegasus desperately held back his tears, knelt down on one knee in front of Kathy, and kissed the back of his hand.
Early the next morning, Pegasus led his troops out.
Since the team is small and was commissioned by others, there is no need to worry about supplies.
Therefore, the demon-hunting teams are extremely efficient in their marches.
On the seventh day, he had already arrived at the target area.
This is Bekas, a coastal town located in O'Brien Bay. I've been here before and lived here for a while, so I'm quite familiar with it.
What a coincidence! A demon-hunting mission that Reggie gave him by chance made him feel like he was returning to a familiar place.
Of course, not all of his memories here were pleasant.
There are a few fragments that even frequently appear in his nightmares.
Pegasus had always lived a life of constant danger, and he knew all too well the impermanence of life.
In just a few years, a once familiar place will become unrecognizable.
However, there must be one or two of his acquaintances among them.
However, he came on official business, and things like catching up with old friends can wait until he finishes his mission.
Soon, he met the town's baron.
The baron's herald recounted the trouble he had encountered to Pegasus.
Pegasus listened and nodded, saying:
"I understand, gentlemen, the demonized cat, is that it?"
The herald nodded: "Yes, and they're currently lurking in the town, causing widespread panic!"
The baron chimed in, "I've heard that a single magical beast can easily kill a fully armed soldier. Good heavens, there are cats everywhere in town, and just as many in my fortress. If I'm not careful, I might end up being eaten by those beasts!"
"My lord, I have organized all the soldiers to exterminate the cats in the town," the herald said. "We have already killed no less than a hundred, all to ensure your safety as much as possible."
"But those are just ordinary cats; the monsters are still hiding around me!"
The Baron said in alarm, and suddenly turned his gaze to Pegasus, saying earnestly,
"Lord Bern, please help us!"
Pegasus nodded: "That's why I've come. Please trust the warriors of the Highlands' professionalism in handling magical beast affairs! However—."
"What's wrong, sir?" the herald officer asked hurriedly.
"I'm very curious about why Warcraft appeared. Could you tell me when it first appeared?"
"About half a month ago," the Herald replied, "after discovering the monsters, I tried to deal with them using the army, but found that those monsters were completely beyond our capabilities. Therefore, I suggested to the Baron that we immediately seek help from the Lyons Plateau."
"A wise decision," Pegasus nodded. "Do you have any clue what triggered the demonization?"
The baron and the herald exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads.
Pegasus decided to rephrase the question: "Have you ever seen a green-eyed person?"
"Slaves?" the herald asked.
"In the Kingdom of Great Scripture, they are indeed widely treated as slaves and traded," Pegasus replied.
The baron frowned and said, "Slave trading is impossible on my territory!"
But the herald said, "No, sir, there might actually be one."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the room turned their attention to him.
The herald officer immediately added, "Sir, those green-eyed people aren't human; they are children of evil, practically livestock. Moreover, I don't think this has anything to do with demonization. That green-eyed person has been in town for over half a year."
"No, it might be related," Pegasus stated confidently. "There might be an incubation period. I believe there is something ominous about these green-eyed people. Their presence will cause the surrounding area to be invaded by evil forces."
Of course, this is just Bekas's guess.
But based on the current situation, this is very likely to be true.
If that's the case, when he returns, he must strongly persuade Reggie to dismiss the slave miners in the territory.
He paused, then continued:
"In short, I advise you all to avoid harboring green-eyed people within your territory."
The baron nodded repeatedly: "I understand, Sir, I will do as you say and drive away the green-eyed people who have already entered the city as soon as possible!"
"Hmm," Pegasus nodded, "Then, the rest is my job. Please rest assured, gentlemen."
We will wipe out all the monsters in the city.
Before they could even respond, Bekas had already taken the first step.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the empty corridors of the fortress.
Leading his team to the town's streets, Pegasus ordered them to split into groups of three and search for any trace of the monsters.
In this way, even if the monster is powerful, at least one person should survive and be able to bring information about the monster to Pegasus.
Meanwhile, Pegasus was not idle either; he searched for clues all by himself.
Soon, he noticed that a small, living creature seemed to flash by in a dark alley.
Pegasus approached to investigate, but found nothing.
However, this is a dead end.
If there really was something, it couldn't have escaped Pegasus's keen eyesight.
Could it be that I misread it at the beginning?
Bekas left the place, but soon he had a similar feeling in another alley.
But in the end, they still gained nothing.
This time, Pegasus could no longer dismiss it as an illusion.
After several more fruitless attempts, he concluded that either the demonic cats had gathered around him, or these evil creatures had spread throughout the city!
At this moment, his subordinates came and reported that a soldier had been attacked by a demonic cat.
Bekas rushed to the scene, where a soldier's body lay on the ground.
The soldier had only one wound: three claw marks that cut through his thick iron helmet and penetrated deep into his skull.
It was as if he had been attacked not by a kitten, but by a hungry and ferocious lion.
"How was he attacked?" Pegasus asked.
The soldier in the same group replied, "We thought we saw some movement in this alley, so we came to check. By the time we realized what was happening, he was already dead."
"Did you see the moment the monster made its move?"
The soldier shook his head: "The monster evaded everyone's sight and launched a sneak attack on him, and it only made one move."
Bekas rested his chin on his hand and began to think.
He observed the surrounding environment and imagined where he should ambush the enemy if he were to launch a surprise attack.
Bekas was surprised to find that although the place was narrow and dark, there were no obstacles at all.
Even small cats have almost nowhere to hide.
Upon careful recollection, the alleyways that had been previously searched and showed faint signs of monster activity were similar in environment to the current attack site.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.
Pegasus immediately grabbed a local resident and asked, "Has anyone been attacked by monsters in the street?"
Although the other party was afraid of Pegasus's cold expression, they still shook their head in response:
"I've never seen it—all the tragedies I've heard of have happened in dark alleyways—"
Pegasus let his opponent leave, a fleeting smile playing on his lips.
He immediately went into the alley to confirm his guess.
Reaching one end of the alley, Pegasus drew his sword and gathered power within his body.
He then unleashed his martial arts skills, swinging his sword forward.
A cold current swept across the entire alleyway in the direction the sword tip pointed.
The ground and the walls on both sides were immediately covered with a thin layer of azure frost.
Just then, two patches of frost suddenly fell off the wall.
Upon landing, it transformed into the shape of a cat!
The two cats were as black as phantoms, but one side of their bodies was covered with a layer of frost.
I was right!
The transformation of a creature into a demon must be due to the influence of some extraordinary power.
The fact that the magical cats in the town always roam in the shadows, yet no one has ever seen them in open, bright places, suggests that the extraordinary element influencing them is likely related to shadows.
The demonic cats, hiding in the shadows, are undetectable even to Pegasus.
However, based on experience, monsters in this state still cannot avoid the effects of area-of-effect attacks.
Therefore, Pegasus used the Frost Flow martial arts technique on the shadow in the alley.
His experience proved to be effective.
With just one move, Pegasus forced out the Demon Cat.
The two cats also instinctively attacked Pegasus.
And the narrow space is the perfect place to unleash the Frostflow martial arts.
He plunged his sword into the ground and then unleashed his attack.
The frost that had formed on the wall burst open in an instant.
Frost erupted, filling the entire alley like a blizzard.
The monsters that charged through the alleys had no way to escape.
Their movements gradually stiffened, their running speed slowed down, and they eventually stopped in place, turning into ice sculptures.
Pegasus drew his sword and stepped forward.
He casually lifted his toes and kicked lightly twice.
The ice sculpture shattered into dust, and the magical beast perished along with it.
Once a method is found, it will only be a matter of time before Pegasus eliminates all the monsters in the town.
He recalled all the soldiers to avoid further unnecessary casualties.
After that, he went into the city to hunt demons alone.
Three days later, Pegasus confirmed that he had hunted down all the demon cats in the town and reported back to the Baron.
The Baron expressed his gratitude to Pegasus and increased the reward by thirty percent, presenting it to him in full.
Pegasus accepted the gold and, not wanting to waste any more time, prepared to set off immediately to return to Whitewood City.
As for meeting acquaintances—
Oh well, he wasn't that close to that person anyway, so there was no need to see him, and besides, he didn't have anything in particular he wanted to say.
The herald came to see him off as instructed by the Baron, and Pegasus, naturally unable to refuse, nodded in acceptance.
On the way, the herald expressed his gratitude to the Baron once again.
"Don't mention it," Pegasus said. "I'm just doing this for money."
"Phew—. Anyway, Sir Bourne, you've cured a long-standing problem for me."
Pegasus, mounted on his horse, gave the other side a wary look:
"So, you're worried about other things too?"
"Yes, in a few days, I will have to lead the entire army to attack a rebel in the city. He attacked me and my guards."
"Hmm?" Pegasus asked curiously, "Just one person? Yet you need to mobilize all your soldiers to attack?"
"That man has occupied a fortified library, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. We must gather our troops to take it down."
Pegasus was taken aback and immediately asked:
"Is it the library at the far end of the corner?"
"Hmm? Sir Bourne, you've heard about it too?"
"Um—" Bourne didn't know what to say.
After a long while, he asked:
"Can you tell me what your motives were for starting the war?"
The herald told him the truth, and Bourne's expression grew even more grim:
"So, you're the ones who're actually stirring up trouble out of nothing?"
Upon hearing this, the herald immediately blushed.
"Disrespect for the Baron is a serious offense."
"Don't use those high-sounding excuses; they're nothing but fabricated charges."
Byrne scoffed, giving the herald a disdainful look. "But I have a suggestion for you: don't offend that administrator."
"Offend?" The herald was clearly puzzled. "Sir Byrne, why do you say that? Do you know that administrator?"
"know.
'
As soon as he finished speaking, Bourne saw a look of shock on the herald's face.
Bourne added, "I also received a lot of help from him."
"This—" the herald said, his voice trembling, "Who exactly is he?"
"Who are they?" Bourne sneered. "I'd like to know too. In any case, they're definitely not ordinary people!"
"Can...-"
"Enough with the nonsense," Bourne said, growing impatient. "Sir, how do you rate me?"
"You have resolved the monster crisis for us; you are undoubtedly a first-rate knight of exceptional strength."
"Yes, I've killed quite a few monsters these past few days."
As he spoke, Bourne turned to the other person.
"But do you know that the power I used to kill those monsters was thanks to that gentleman!"
After he finished speaking, Bourne noticed that the herald officer had suddenly stopped.
Bourne reined in his horse and looked back.
The heraldic officer's jaw was agape, his eyes staring blankly ahead.
Clearly, he was overwhelmed by shock.
"snort-
Bourne chuckled.
Even he, if he discovered that he might have offended someone he absolutely shouldn't have, might not have a better expression than this herald.
Fortunately, this heraldic officer still has a chance to make amends.
At this moment, they had reached the border of the baron's territory.
Bourne then kicked the spurs and led his team away.
Only one piece of advice remains:
"Take care of yourself."