SOTBW - 120

The towering wall encircling the field had no gates. There used to be some, but they were all removed after the Serith emerged. Now, the only way to go beyond the wall was to use ladders.

Maximón watched Jacob leading the soldiers before turning his gaze to the barren, desolate landscape. The roads that once connected to other countries had been destroyed by the Serith, and the ground had been overturned repeatedly by their dragging, crawling movements, making it impossible for even a single blade of grass to grow.

He stomped the parched, sandy ground with his military boots. No matter how much he scraped the surface with his boot, not a trace of moisture appeared. The lands outside the Kingdom of Bastronia were effectively turning into a desert. He had ventured out of the fortress on reconnaissance missions before, but the land’s condition had not been this dire back then.

Maximón scowled as he looked back at the wall. Several horses dangled in midair, slowly being lowered down. All over the towering wall were marks that looked like they had been stabbed with spikes—traces left by the Serith embedding their claws as they scaled the high walls.

They would need to repair the walls and fortifications before the heavy snow began. If the walls collapsed, not even Maximón could fend off the swarming creatures.

For monsters that hunted humans, the Serith were not particularly intelligent. A strike from a fully grown Serith could send dozens of sturdy adults flying tens of meters. A direct hit would shatter armor and pulverize the body. If they were to use their fists in addition to their strikes, the devastation would be even worse.

What was curious, however, was that the Serith didn’t use their fists from the beginning. They learned to fight gradually. At first, everyone had been skeptical, but as time passed, that ominous suspicion was confirmed. Initially, the creatures had simply climbed over the walls into the field. Now, however, they launched attacks led by mature Serith, and juvenile Serith even fled after consuming enough humans.

Thankfully, the intelligence of the Serith remained rudimentary. If they were any smarter, they wouldn’t bother climbing over the walls—they would just destroy them. In that sense, the fact that the Serith hadn’t attacked for several days was deeply unsettling.

Though the Serith attacked in packs like lionesses, once they breached the walls, they operated entirely alone. For such creatures to remain idle and motionless was highly unusual. Yet, it seemed that only two people—Maximón and Taylor—recognized the gravity of the situation.

“Commander, preparations are complete. We’re ready to depart,” Jacob reported, leading two horses.

Maximón, who had been staring at the cracked, desolate ground, climbed onto his saddle. The soldiers selected for the reconnaissance mission mounted their horses, cigars they had rolled in advance clamped between their teeth. Venturing beyond the towering walls into the Serith-infested territory, even in broad daylight, was fraught with danger.

After confirming the soldiers were ready, Maximón cracked his whip. Their destination was Mount Timberus. The mountain, the closest to Noctis Fortress, was a place densely covered in deciduous forest. It was within these woods that the Serith evolved into mature forms, split further, and strengthened their forces.

Riding without rest, they eventually spotted green leaves poking through the white frost in the distance. Trees in winter typically shed their leaves, standing bare and white as they awaited spring. But the forest where the Serith hid never lost its greenery, no matter how much snow or bitter cold it endured.

Instead, it grew so densely that sunlight could not penetrate. At night, the forest would suddenly grow barren, shedding its leaves in a cascade. Curiously, when the sun rose again, the forest would instantly return to its lush state.

As Maximón’s party neared Mount Timberus, they split into four teams. Maximón chose to act alone. To uncover the cause of the anomaly, he needed to delve deep into the forest, a task too dangerous to involve others.

He tied his horse to a tree at the forest’s edge and surveyed the area. As expected, the forest was as lush as midsummer, but something about it felt off. Unsheathing his sword, Maximón entered the woods, fully prepared to face multiple mature Serith.

Around the unnaturally overgrown bushes, patches of unmelted snow remained scattered. Even at the forest’s outskirts, the trees were unusually pristine. Hadn’t the Recheo Knights mentioned that they found no traces either?

Narrowing his eyes, Maximón looked up at a tree as tall as a cathedral spire. Its branches should have been tangled with web-like threads, but there was no sign of anything like that.

Feeling a strange sense of unease, Maximón halted his steps. Though the Serith were known to move without a trace, the complete absence of any presence was too much. It was as if the forest were entirely empty.

Climbing atop a massive tree root, Maximón suddenly lost his balance and stumbled. The root he had stepped on crumbled beneath him with a dry, brittle sound. He quickly regained his footing and examined the tree. Tapping its bark lightly with his fist, he heard it crack and splinter along its grain.

Frowning, he peeled back the brittle bark. Even through his gloves, the dryness of the tree was palpable. Turning in a random direction, he checked another tree. All of them were the same: outwardly intact but completely dead inside, like charcoal burned several times over.

Finally, Maximón realized the source of his unease. This forest was already dead. The Serith had abandoned it. As many had speculated, the creatures had completely disappeared from the vicinity of Noctis Fortress.

But why?

Why would they make such a decision?

Did those creatures even have the intelligence to think and decide?

Sheathing his sword, Maximón moved toward a faintly sunlit area. Though venturing deeper into the forest was dangerous, he was certain there were no Serith here. With no hesitation, he pressed on, eventually stumbling upon a devastated section of the forest.

The trees had fallen all in one direction, as if swept away by a typhoon, pointing away from Bastronia. Maximón stood on one knee, examining the traces left around the fallen trees. Massive footprints, deep enough to fit a whole finger joint, were scattered around the collapsed trees.

Maximón stepped into the middle of the long footprints, his expression hardening. Twice the size of the mature Serith he’d faced before… no, perhaps even larger. A creature of this size must have consumed an unimaginable number of humans, and with it, gained extraordinary combat experience.

If such a massive Serith were to attack all at once, the great wall might truly collapse. If Noctis fell, Bastronia would be doomed as well.

With his lips pressed tightly together, Maximón turned his gaze to the vast and silent forest. As soon as he returned, he would need to convene with the knights’ commanders. He had hoped not to see those creatures’ faces for at least a few days, but it seemed that was a vain wish.

An emergency meeting would need to be called. A request would have to be sent to the royal city for all available defense forces to be deployed to Noctis. How long would it take for a courier to reach the royal city? Eight days? Perhaps six if they rode without rest. Alternatively, they might have to scrape together forces from nearby territories, even if it meant arming the elderly and women. While they might not be able to fight directly, they could at least be taught to shoot arrows or pour boiling oil.

In the worst case, siege weapons might need to be prepared. They had refrained from using them to protect the walls and the soldiers in the field, but if the great wall were to fall, the entire fortress would be at risk, and even at the cost of their own troops, they would have no choice but to deploy them.

“...Damn it. They’re not giving us any time to rest,” Maximón muttered irritably.

As he turned to leave the forest, something caught his eye, and he stopped to look back. Among the devastated fallen trees, he spotted a red flower petal. The tension and unease that had distorted his face softened. Stepping carefully over the broken branches scattered around him, he approached the spot and found a camellia tree that had miraculously remained standing.

“When you go on a reconnaissance mission, try to find a camellia flower. She’ll like it.”

Maximón scratched the back of his ear at the memory, then plucked the most fully bloomed flower he could find. The sound of the flower’s calyx and stem separating was unnaturally dry, not befitting a living plant. As expected, this camellia tree was also withering. He sniffed the flower just in case, but it had no scent. Still, he couldn’t afford to wander the forest in search of a better flower. He had uncovered an ominous sign, and he needed to share the findings quickly.

As he carefully handled the flower, Maximón turned to leave. No matter what happened, he had to protect Noctis. Najane. Najane. Najane... For the mornings we’ll greet together, I won’t hesitate to resort to any means, no matter how dishonorable. As long as you’re by my side, as long as your gaze and touch belong only to me…

Whispering her beloved name to himself, Maximón pressed a gentle kiss to the cold petals.

“My favorite things? Hmm… lemons, pomegranates, raspberries, summer, straw hats worn only in summer, naps, poetry collections, jewelry with a story, camellias, and… you. You’re not sulking because I mentioned you last, are you? Of all the things I just listed, I like you the most. You already know how much I love you, don’t you?”

Then, another memory forced its way into his mind, uninvited. Maximón closed his eyes, still holding the camellia. Once again, it was the silver-haired woman. This time, she wasn’t alone. A man’s gentle baritone voice quietly accompanied her.

“Do you know that I love you?”

“Of course I do! I can tell just by looking into your eyes.”

“Then try to guess what my eyes are saying now.”

“Hmm, they’re saying you find me so lovable you don’t know what to do with yourself. Right? Am I right?”

“Yes, you’re right. I’ve never met anyone as lovely as you in my life. Emaydis, you are… far too precious for me.”

For a brief moment, Maximón’s pupils turned into those of a Serith, then reverted to normal. However, he was too focused on the sudden intrusion of memories to notice the fleeting change.

Maximón frowned slightly as he fiddled with the camellia in his hands. This time, his head didn’t hurt. Usually, whenever these unknown memories surged, it felt as though he was suffocating from the pain. But just now, it had felt so calm, like recalling an old memory or waking from a fleeting dream.

Looking down at the camellia, Maximón slowly resumed walking.

Lemons, pomegranates, raspberries, camellias…

As he repeated the list of things the woman liked, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“When you go on a reconnaissance mission, try to find a camellia flower. She’ll like it. And since she dislikes sweet things and prefers sour ones, a gift of tea made from lemons, pomegranates, or raspberries wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

The woman’s words overlapped with something Belshua had said.

Was it just a coincidence?

Now that he thought about it, he had instinctively thought of the silver-haired beauty as Najane. There had been no particular reason to believe so, yet he had done so without doubt—and even with conviction.

Looking down at the camellia in his hand, Maximón’s expression stiffened.

If he wasn’t going mad and imagining things…

Clutching the flower tightly in one hand, Maximón emerged from the forest. His heart pounded uncontrollably fast.

In a situation that even made him doubt himself, there was only one hypothesis he could formulate.

Reincarnation.