TGW Chapter 38 Part 3

 

Verota was anxious, wondering how he could calm Hysilo down. But when Hysilo returned to the tent, he burst into laughter.

“She’s got spirit. I like that. It’s no fun if it’s too easy. Snatching a flower growing on a cliff is what makes it all the more special.”

Verota sighed inwardly, thinking it would’ve been better if Hysilo had just been angry. Didn’t he realize anything from their previous exchange? The princess was no easy target. Yet Hysilo still thought of her as someone he could break, and that seemed pathetic to Verota.

“Lord Hysilo, if you provoke them too much…”

“This isn’t the Empire! This is the desert, our land. Do you want to bet on how long it’ll take before that haughty attitude crumbles?”

They stopped their argument when someone entered. A soldier informed them that one of the envoys’ knights had arrived. Moments later, Gilbert entered, placing the black cloth back on the table.

“We don’t need this, so we’re returning it.”

Hysilo smirked.

“You're putting pride before comfort. Wouldn’t your superior’s comfort be more important?”

“We have plenty of such items. No need for this, especially since it seems valuable to you. We don’t covet the belongings of those less fortunate.”

As Verota translated Gilbert’s words, he carefully watched Hysilo’s reaction. Hysilo’s eyebrows twitched, and his lips tightened.

After Gilbert left the tent, Hysilo burst out in anger.

“They’re pretending not to understand the value of this item! They say they have plenty?”

Hysilo stormed out of the tent, with Verota hurrying after him, concerned that Hysilo might cause trouble. But Hysilo didn’t go far; he stopped and stared off into the distance. Following Hysilo’s gaze, Verota saw the Imperial workers finishing the setup of their tents and adding the same black covering to their structures, including the workers' tents.

‘Hmm…’

Verota quietly took a few steps back. Hysilo looked like he was about to explode, and Verota didn’t want to become the target of his wrath.

Just then, there was a commotion near the Imperial tents. The white-horned horse, the unicorn, burst out of its shelter, evading those who tried to block its path and charged directly toward the Silver King’s tent.

Inside the tent, Sienna grabbed the reins as the massive horse barged in. If it continued to thrash about, the tent would collapse.

“Rit.”

The horse neighed and shook its head violently.

“Rit, calm down. What’s wrong?”

The horse circled around restlessly and then exited the tent. Sienna, still holding the reins, was pulled outside along with it. The surrounding knights were on edge, worried that the Silver King might get hurt.

“Rit, it’s okay.”

Sienna stroked the horse’s neck, trying to calm it down. The horse kept pressing its hindquarters close to her.

“You want me to ride you? Is that what you’re saying?”

Unsure if that’s what the horse truly wanted, Sienna mounted Rit to calm it down.

‘Why is Rit so agitated?’

“Grab it!”

“Ah!”

Suddenly, horses from both the Imperial and the guide’s tents began to panic and thrash. Some workers trying to control the animals were thrown to the ground. The chaos caught everyone off guard, leaving them frozen in place.

A deafening, screeching sound tore through the air, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.

The ground erupted. Sand shot into the air and scattered as something massive rose from beneath the earth. Someone screamed in horror.

“It’s a desert beast!”

‘That… that’s a desert beast?’

Sienna tightened her grip on the reins. The scene felt unreal. The monster resembled a gigantic arthropod, with a long body supported by numerous writhing legs. It held itself upright like a snake, and its massive jaws split into several segments near its head.

‘It’s huge!’

Sienna had heard stories that desert beasts were typically slightly taller than a person, maybe twice as tall at most. But this one was several times larger than anything she had ever heard of.

One of the workers from the guide party, who had been trying to control a horse, mounted it and attempted to flee. In the chaos, none of the warriors stopped him.

“Hold the horses!” Hysilo shouted as he rushed toward the stable tent, followed closely by his warriors. Another runaway worker was caught by a warrior, who slammed him to the ground and, without hesitation, beheaded him on the spot.

It was too late to catch the other one who had already fled. He had gained significant distance. But as the man and his horse ran, a fountain of sand suddenly erupted beside them, causing both to crash to the ground.

A desert beast emerged from the sand, its enormous jaws extending outward and stabbing into the man’s body. The struggling horse staggered a few steps before being attacked by a third desert beast. Onlookers gasped in horror at the scene of carnage.

“My God…”

“Damn, three of them…”

Hysilo clenched his teeth and quickly assessed the situation. There were three desert beasts, and one of them was massive. Desert beasts grew larger and stronger with each molt, their exoskeletons becoming more impenetrable. A beast of that size would be nearly impossible to injure, even with a well-aimed sword strike.

Their group had fifteen warriors. It was uncertain how much help the Imperial knights would be. Fighting three desert beasts was out of the question, even taking down one seemed like a stretch.

Hysilo made his decision and mounted his horse. For some reason, the largest beast nearby hadn’t moved yet. They had to flee before it began its full assault. The panicked Imperial group would serve as a distraction, buying them time.

“Retreat!”

At Hysilo’s command, the warriors mounted their horses and followed. Hysilo glanced toward the Imperial party, hearing the voice of someone—likely the person on the white horse—shouting for people to gather around.

‘Foolish.’

He scoffed internally. In situations like this, scattering and sacrificing some people was the only way to ensure others survived. Hysilo’s eyes gleamed.

‘As long as I save the princess, I’ll be fine.’

Saving the life of an Imperial princess would earn him a great reward.

Spurring his horse, Hysilo charged toward the unicorn, planning to snatch the princess from its back and escape.

“Everyone, gather around me! Quickly!”

Sienna, busy shouting orders, didn’t notice Hysilo approaching. Hysilo closed the distance quickly, leaning sideways with his arm outstretched to grab her.

Even amid the chaos, the horse’s instincts were sharp. Lit swiftly sidestepped, causing Hysilo’s hand to just miss Sienna.

“Damn it!”

With no choice but to continue forward, Hysilo sped past her. As he passed, their eyes met for a brief moment—Sienna’s hood had slightly fallen back, revealing her face. She frowned as she watched Hysilo ride away.

The desert warriors scattered in all directions.

“Cowards.”

“They're using us as bait.”

The knights gritted their teeth, holding back their curses.

The largest desert beast raised its head and twitched. It seemed to sense the movement of prey but did not give chase. Instead, its head slowly turned and fixed its gaze directly on Sienna.

“Ugh…”

Someone let out an involuntary groan, trembling with fear.

By now, the entire envoy had gathered around Sienna. The knights stood with grim determination, swords drawn, ready to fight to the death if necessary.

Sienna’s hand moved to her chest, feeling for the small pouch she wore on a string around her neck. Inside the pouch was a leaf from the sacred tree. She had requested it from the Emperor before departing for the desert.

‘I don’t know how strong its power is, but it’s doing something.’

The fact that the beast wasn’t attacking was proof of its effect. However, it wasn’t enough to drive the creature away entirely.

The monster slowly circled around them, its massive body leaving a wide track in the sand. The people huddled closer together, tightening their formation.

“Look, over there!”

One of the workers pointed. All eyes turned in the direction he indicated. One of the desert warriors had been unlucky enough to become the beast’s target.

Now they understood why the warriors had fled. They were gambling on survival by sacrificing someone else. If you were unlucky, you’d be the one to die.

Two of the desert beasts pounced on the horse and the man. They were too far away to see the details, but it was clear what was happening. The horrific sight of the man and horse being torn apart sent shudders through the group, even though they felt no sympathy for the man himself.

Then, an explosion shook the air.

Boom!

Something exploded above the heads of the two monsters, shrouding them in thick smoke. As the smoke cleared, people were left wide-eyed at the sight revealed. The warrior, who everyone thought had fallen prey to the desert beast, had launched a counterattack. They saw a figure standing atop the desert beast's head.

"No... way..."

It was a sudden mutter, but everyone understood. This wasn’t the warrior who had been attacked. There were now two of them.

The pair plunged their swords vertically into the desert beast’s head. The creature twisted in agony, its situation now reversed—it was being hunted.

These were the hunters of desert beasts.

Sienna whispered the word that came to her mind.

"Kaligo..."

Her gaze was momentarily captured by the distant scene, but the immediate threat remained close. A giant desert beast persistently circled, keeping a fixed distance. Then it changed direction. People hoped, just maybe, it was retreating.

However, the creature abruptly turned toward them, slowly at first, then suddenly whipped its body around and charged, stretching its torso and letting out a piercing scream.

"Kiieeek!"

"Ugh..."

Some dropped to their knees. Even the knights trembled, their swords falling from their hands. The shrill scream incited sheer terror, similar to the paralysis one feels when facing a wild beast.

"We... we're going to die! Aaahhh!"

One worker, unable to withstand the fear, bolted. No one could stop him in time. As he moved away from Sienna, the desert beast lunged.

Its split jaws came together, forming a sharp point like a spear, and pierced through the man's body. The sight was so horrifying that everyone held their breath.

Blood poured down from the man's limp body as the beast shook him side to side. His body, now impaled, slid free and was flung far away, hitting the ground with a thud.

‘It’s toying with us.’

Could this monster possess intelligence? Sienna clenched the pouch containing the leaves of the sacred tree, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Kiieeek!"

The creature screamed again. Several knights' knees buckled. They drove their swords into the sand to stop themselves from collapsing entirely.

Sienna, feeling dizzy, leaned on her horse for support. The massacre unfolding in front of her and the deafening roars of the beast made it hard to think clearly. Normally, she would have immediately realized the significance of Kaligo appearing so close by.

‘This can't go on.’

A sense of desperation washed over her. The sacred tree’s leaves wouldn't be enough to get them out of this situation.

‘How long can we hold out?’

Unlike the branches, the leaves wither in just two weeks. At most, they had four days left. But the people, tormented by the monster's screams, wouldn't last even half a day.

“Your Highness, you must flee.”

Gilbert staggered over to Sienna's side.

“As long as you have the sacred leaves, the monster won’t attack you. You can escape.”

“If I leave, you'll all die.”

“Please, don’t worry about us. We are willing to sacrifice our lives if it means ensuring your safety.”

Sienna shook her head.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Your Highness!”

“It’s too early to give up! There must be a way!”

The beast raised its head once more. Sienna gripped her reins tightly, bracing herself for another roar.

Swoosh.

A small stone whizzed through the air and exploded upon hitting the monster's head. Another followed, and another. The explosions sent thick gray smoke billowing down, enveloping the beast's massive body.

“Chiiiii!”

The creature let out a sound. If before it had been a fierce threat, this time it sounded more like a cry of confusion.

A hook-tipped rope flew through the air, wrapping around the beast’s upper body. More ropes followed from different directions, entangling the creature. A third rope joined them.

Three men, positioned in different directions, pulled on the ropes, binding the desert beast. They were clad in strange armor and helmets.

Sienna had seen that unique armor before. It was the special armor made from the hide of desert beasts, once showcased in the imperial palace's banquet hall.

“One, two, pull!”

Sienna's eyes widened. The voice was familiar.

All three pulled in unison. The beast, now immobilized, thrashed its tail wildly. As the tail swung toward them, the men released the ropes just in time to dodge, only to grab them again, never losing control. Their movements were nimble and precise.

Before the smoke had fully cleared, the men hurled stones at the creature. More thick smoke erupted, covering the beast's head.

The creature stopped thrashing, just for a moment. At that moment, another person appeared, climbing swiftly up the beast’s tail toward its body.

As the creature twisted, one of the knights shouted, “Oh no!” The climber lost his balance but quickly caught himself, gripping a dagger lodged between the beast's scales.

The three men holding the ropes pulled taut, preventing the creature from moving. A fierce struggle played out, with the beast shaking its body and lashing its tail in resistance, while one man steadily climbed toward its head. People watched, breathless, as the intense hunt unfolded.

The hunters didn’t need words; their roles were seamlessly divided. Their expertise made it clear this was not their first time hunting such a monster. Finally, the man reached the creature’s head, wedging his feet securely into its joints, and raised his sword.

With both hands, he drove the sword straight down. It sank in, leaving only the hilt visible.

“Kiieeee!”

The desert beast let out a scream, a sound so filled with agony that it made clear even monsters could feel pain. Though grating to the ears, there was also something satisfying about it.

Had desert warriors been present, they would have been shocked at something the imperial onlookers, who merely marveled at the hunt, couldn’t understand.

The desert beast’s weakness is its head. It wasn’t that people didn’t know how to defeat it; rather, the head was protected by the hardest shell, making it nearly impossible for most to penetrate.

Moreover, the hardness of the shell was proportional to the size of the creature, and today’s beast was massive—one of the largest on record.

The man who had driven his sword into the creature’s head jumped down as the beast writhed and convulsed. The other three hunters pulled their ropes even tighter.

“Kiiiii...”

The beast’s cry weakened. Green fluid dripped from its gaping jaws as they opened and closed. Its body twisted unnaturally, its upper and lower halves rotating in opposite directions. Then, its stiff body extended fully, and its jaws stretched out one last time.

The men pulling the ropes loosened their grip, and with a thud, the creature collapsed. Dust and sand rose briefly before settling. The world seemed to fall silent as everyone’s eyes focused on the man approaching the fallen beast.

People held their breath, fearing the monster might suddenly rise again, but there was no such reversal. The man grabbed the black hilt protruding from the creature’s head and, with a firm pull, withdrew the blade.

“Your Highness!”

At the panicked shout, the man sheathing his sword turned his head. An enormous unicorn had suddenly taken off, with Sienna on its back. With all the horses from earlier having fled, the knights had no choice but to chase on foot. They had no hope of catching up; the distance widened in an instant.

The man whistled as he ran. From beyond the sand dunes, a sturdy horse galloped down toward him. Without slowing his pace, the man grabbed the saddle and swung himself up, smoothly landing on the horse’s back.

Gilbert continued to run after Sienna, but soon he was gasping for breath and had to stop. He panted heavily, watching his distant master disappear from sight in despair.

As he stood there, a horse swiftly galloped past him, overtaking him effortlessly. One of the hunters seemed to be riding it.

Gilbert stared after the rider in confusion, unsure of what was happening.

“She’ll be fine.”

Gilbert turned at the familiar voice. One of the hunters stood beside him, and when the man removed his helmet, Gilbert’s mouth fell open in shock at the face revealed.

“Kuhn went after her,” Russ said with a shrug.

“That man… is he Marquis Raad?” Gilbert asked.

Russ nodded. Gilbert could only exhale in awe. “Hah...”

No other words came to him.

“We’ll stay here and wrap things up,” Russ continued, but then he suddenly turned, his eyes widening.

Far in the distance, the sky had turned a sickly yellow.

“A sandstorm’s coming!” Russ yelled, before taking off running.

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