Chapter 93: The Shadow on the Road
The fourth day of the journey began beneath a pale gray sky.
The Imperial Expedition Corps was finally approaching the western roads that led toward the capital.
The soldiers were exhausted.
The horses were tired.
The rescued villagers had begun settling into a routine.
For the first time since leaving the Crimson Highlands...
The expedition felt as though it might actually make it home without another disaster.
Kael didn’t believe it.
Something had been bothering him since the previous night.
He kept thinking about the strange reaction from the egg.
External presence recognized.
He hadn’t told anyone.
Not Darius.
Not Walter.
Not even Colonel Gareth.
Not yet.
He needed to understand it first.
The expedition entered a thick forest shortly after noon.
Tall trees surrounded the road.
Their branches blocked most of the sunlight.
The scouts moved ahead.
The main force followed.
Kael rode near the front with Darius.
Grom was somewhere in the trees.
Walter remained with the rear of the Black Dragons.
Everything appeared normal.
Then Grom returned.
He dropped from a tree and landed beside Kael’s horse.
"Commander."
Kael immediately noticed his expression.
"What?"
Grom looked toward the forest behind them.
"We’re being followed."
Darius’s hand moved toward his sword.
"How many?"
"I don’t know."
"Tracks?"
Grom shook his head.
"None."
Kael frowned.
"Then how do you know?"
Grom pointed upward.
"Birds."
Kael looked toward the trees.
Several birds suddenly flew away.
Then another group.
Then another.
They were moving in the same direction.
Away from something.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
"Stop the column."
Darius immediately gave the order.
The entire Black Dragon Company halted.
Colonel Gareth was informed.
Within minutes, the expedition stopped.
The Empty Forest
Scouts searched the surrounding area.
Nothing.
No enemy.
No monsters.
No tracks.
No broken branches.
Nothing.
The noble officer from earlier approached.
"Prince Kael."
Kael looked at him.
"What?"
"We’ve searched the area."
"There’s nothing here."
Kael looked toward Grom.
The goblin shook his head.
"I know what I saw."
The officer scoffed.
"Perhaps your scout simply made a mistake."
Darius stepped forward.
"He doesn’t make mistakes like that."
The officer looked at him.
"And you trust him because?"
"Because he’s saved my life."
The officer didn’t answer.
Kael looked toward the forest.
"Continue searching."
The officer sighed.
"Prince, we’re wasting time."
Kael turned toward him.
"Then go."
The officer blinked.
"What?"
"You believe there’s nothing here."
"Continue with the expedition."
"I’ll handle this."
The officer hesitated.
Then smiled.
"Gladly."
He walked away.
Darius watched him leave.
"That man is going to become a problem."
Kael nodded.
"I know."
Kael dismounted.
"I’ll investigate."
Darius immediately objected.
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"Commander—"
Kael raised his hand.
"I need to know what we’re dealing with."
Darius frowned.
"If you don’t return in fifteen minutes..."
"Come find me."
Darius nodded reluctantly.
Kael entered the forest.
The deeper he went...
The quieter it became.
No insects.
No birds.
No wind.
Kael stopped.
His hand rested on his sword.
Night Aura slowly gathered around his feet.
He didn’t activate it fully.
He simply kept it ready.
Then—
Crack.
A branch broke behind him.
Kael spun.
Nothing.
He waited.
Nothing.
He continued walking.
Ten steps.
Twenty.
Then he noticed something.
A tree.
Its bark had been scratched.
Three long marks.
Kael crouched.
The scratches were fresh.
But they weren’t from claws.
They looked like someone had carved them intentionally.
He touched the marks.
The system appeared.
Unknown Mark
Origin:
Unknown
Age:
Less than 24 hours.
Energy residue:
Ancient
Kael’s expression changed.
"Ancient..."
He looked around.
Then the egg inside his pack grew warm.
Kael froze.
He slowly removed it.
The mysterious egg pulsed.
Thump.
The carved symbol on the tree glowed faintly.
Kael stared.
The egg was reacting to it.
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
"You shouldn’t carry that."
Kael turned.
A figure stood between the trees.
Hooded.
Face hidden.
No visible weapon.
Kael’s hand tightened around his sword.
"Who are you?"
The figure didn’t answer.
Instead...
It looked directly at the egg.
"You found it."
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
"You know what this is?"
The figure remained silent.
Kael took one step forward.
"Who sent you?"
The figure smiled beneath the hood.
"Nobody."
"Then why are you following us?"
"I wasn’t following you."
The figure pointed toward the egg.
"I was following it."
Kael’s expression hardened.
The figure continued.
"That thing should never have been found."
Kael’s Night Aura intensified.
"Why?"
The figure looked toward the mountains in the distance.
"Because there are people who have spent centuries making sure its kind never returns."
Kael’s grip tightened.
"What kind?"
The figure looked at him.
"You already know."
Kael’s heart beat faster.
"True Dragons."
The figure didn’t deny it.
Without warning—
The figure disappeared.
Kael reacted instantly.
CLANG!
A hidden blade struck his sword.
Kael was pushed backward.
The attacker appeared again.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
Kael activated Night Aura.
He accelerated.
The attacker matched him.
Their blades collided repeatedly.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Kael stepped left.
Slash.
The attacker ducked.
Kael followed with a kick.
Blocked.
The attacker spun.
A blade cut across Kael’s sleeve.
Kael jumped backward.
His eyes narrowed.
"You’re skilled."
The figure said nothing.
Kael activated Light Magic.
His vision sharpened.
The attacker moved again.
This time...
Kael saw it.
A slight shift in the shoulder.
A change in weight.
The attacker’s next strike came from the right.
Kael parried.
Then countered.
BOOM!
Ice exploded beneath the attacker’s feet.
The figure jumped.
Kael followed.
Night Aura.
Light.
Ice.
His body accelerated through the air.
His sword came down.
The attacker blocked.
The force drove the figure into the ground.
Kael landed.
The attacker rolled away.
Kael raised his hand.
Blood Magic activated.
Five needles formed.
The attacker looked at them.
For the first time...
They hesitated.
Kael launched them.
The figure twisted.
Three missed.
One grazed the shoulder.
The fifth struck the ground beside the attacker’s foot.
The figure looked at the blood needle.
Then laughed quietly.
"You’re dangerous."
Kael stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The figure threw something onto the ground.
Smoke exploded.
Kael covered his eyes.
When the smoke cleared...
The figure was gone.
Kael searched the forest.
Nothing.
Only one thing remained.
A small black metal token.
Kael picked it up.
A strange symbol was carved into its surface.
Not Imperial.
Not demonic.
Not anything Kael recognized.
The system appeared.
Unknown Insignia
Energy signature:
Ancient
Known origin:
Unavailable
Warning:
Multiple matching signatures detected.
Kael stared at the message.
"Multiple?"
That meant the person wasn’t alone.
There were others.
Perhaps many others.
Back at the Expedition
Kael returned twenty minutes later.
Darius immediately approached.
"You found something."
Kael nodded.
"Someone was following the egg."
Darius’s expression changed.
"The egg?"
Kael realized he’d said too much.
He paused.
Then looked around.
Nobody appeared to be listening.
"Something connected to the ancient war."
Darius understood.
"What did they want?"
Kael looked toward the forest.
"The egg."
Colonel Gareth approached.
"Prince Kael."
Kael turned.
"Yes?"
"The scouts are ready."
"Good."
Gareth looked at the forest.
"Did you find anything?"
Kael held the black token inside his closed fist.
"No."
He wasn’t ready to tell him.
Not yet.
That evening...
The expedition finally reached the main Imperial highway.
The capital was now only one day’s journey away.
For most soldiers...
That meant home.
For Kael...
It meant questions.
The Emperor would want answers.
The Imperial scholars would want to examine the evidence.
The nobles would want to know what had happened.
The branch families would want to know what Kael had accomplished.
And the Empress...
Kael wasn’t sure what she wanted.
But he knew one thing.
She was watching.
That night, Kael opened his personal system window.
He reviewed everything he had gained during the expedition.
New combat experience.
Improved Night Aura.
Night Frost Step.
Greater Blood Magic control.
Knowledge of the ancient war.
Knowledge of the True Dragons.
And now...
A mysterious organization apparently searching for the egg.
Kael looked at the final notification.
Main Quest Update: Return to the Imperial Capital
Objective:
Report expedition findings.
Status:
90%
Secondary Objective:
Investigate the Ancient Seal.
Status:
Incomplete
Hidden Objective:
Unknown
Kael stared at the words.
"Hidden objective?"
The system remained silent.
He closed the window.
Tomorrow...
He would return home.
But Kael had a feeling that his life in the capital was about to become much more complicated than the expedition had ever been.
And somewhere beyond the forest...
The hooded figure stood beneath the moonlight.
Another person approached.
"Did you find it?"
The figure shook their head.
"No."
"Then why are you smiling?"
The hooded figure looked toward the distant capital.
"Because now we know who has it."
A pause.
"And who?"
The figure smiled.
"The Tenth Prince."