The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 40.1

The commander gazed at Evelyn for a long moment as the bear caught the fish in the moonlit night. After a while, he revealed his thoughts with a bright smile.

A knight who had lost his right arm.

Evelyn’s eyes welled up as she watched him sprint in his unique manner.

“Why is it always whales and fish? They always create something like me.”

Ilya laughed lightly, his laughter carried away by the wind as he turned around.

Ilya and the knights who had rushed to the riverbank stood before Madra with tense expressions. Adjutant Aelon approached Ilya and opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty, allow me to speak first.”

Ilya nodded his head.

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten that René and I brought Mandragoras?”

“Wasn’t that done by René’s eagle?”

“We have a skilled illusionist. What is there to worry about?”

Ilya nodded with an expression that couldn’t be silenced.

The commander glared at the white flower with a fierce expression and grabbed the stem, pulling it forcefully. Despite the strong resistance, he momentarily lost his balance but quickly regained it.

Finally, the buried roots beneath the ground began to reveal themselves. The upper part of the roots looked swollen and resembled a person’s head.

“Aelon, be careful!”

René desperately called out the commander’s name. At that moment, a strange sound carried by the wind echoed.

[Aaaaaaah!]

[It hurts; it’s unfair; it’s agonizing.]

“I don’t want to die.”

“Now stop killing me.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“Ehehehehehe!”

Tendons surged in Aelon’s hand, gripping the Mandragora stem tightly.

To dispel the resounding and gloomy sound that echoed little by little, Evelyn focused her mind. Beads of sweat formed on her round forehead.

Woooooo.

With the thunderous sound shaking the ground, something fluffy and stirring emerged from the water’s surface.

“That’s a bear!”

A gigantic brown bear, its fur drenched in blood, shook its entire body as if it felt uncomfortable. The splashing droplets scattered brilliant lights in all directions, resembling stars in the night sky.

Woooooo.

Roaring and pounding its chest, the bear began to chase after the fish, leaping in all directions.

Squeeeak!

Frantic fish sprang up, screaming in alarm. Under the bright full moon, a chase ensued between the bear and the fish.

The screams of the bear’s roar, the fish’s cries as they fled, completely drowned out the Mandragora’s shrieks.

“Yesss!”

Aelon exerted all his remaining strength as he pulled the stem. With a sudden jerk, he felt something being pulled up, causing him to stagger.

Aelon raised the Mandragora high, grinning at Evelyn.

“Let’s begin!”

At Ilya’s shout, they all pulled the Mandragora stem with all their might. Eerie-shaped herbs flew through the sky and piled up in the corners.

“You damn bunch of weeds! I’ll put an end to you today.”

Woooooo.

The sound of the bear roaring, having finally caught the fish, filled the lake of death.

The knights, wielding the mandragora as if possessed, wrinkled their noses.

“What’s going on this time? This kid’s imagination is truly abundant!”

At Ione’s exclamation, they all straightened up and looked around, their eyes widening. On the other side of the lake, bears were cooking the caught fish and hosting a party.

Bubbling and sizzling, the enticing aroma of the cooked fish made everyone’s mouths water.

Nicholas, who had been tossing the mandragora in that direction, exploded with anger.

“Your Majesty, if we leave here, let’s go to Maslo and feast!” “Let them eat until their bellies burst.”

Evelyn laughed softly, reminiscing about happy memories amidst the pouring moonlight.

****

“Your Majesty, are you going to take all of this? How about burning it and taking only a portion?” the Commander asked, looking at the pile of Mandragora. Illya turned to Rene and asked, “Can you burn it with magic?”

“Let’s give it a try. Well, it didn’t work before, but now it might,” Rene replied.

Her white hand waved through the air. “Burn it all and return it to nature.”

With a crackle, sparks flew from the human-shaped roots. The small flickering flames quickly grew and spread to the sides, building up like a blazing fire.

The roaring flames rose as if they were about to engulf them, then diminished. The suffocating smell of blood filled the air, only to gradually fade away as the flames vanished.

When Ilya gestured to Rene, she approached Evelyn. “Pia, let’s go back first.”

“What?” Nikolas explained to a bewildered Evelyn.

“We’ll examine the temple and then return. You rest first.”

“The temple…?” Evelyn’s finger pointed to a building shining white under the moonlight.

“Is that… the temple? The place where the Black Forest Clan’s priestesses and warriors fought for their lives?”

As Ione trembled, looking at the now-ruined structure, she said, “I also want to see…”

Before Evelyn could finish her sentence, her body floated and rose into the air. From below, Nikolas waved his hand back and forth, then disappeared.

“Oh my! It didn’t work earlier, but strangely, it’s magic now!”

“Miss Rene!”

Evelyn flailed her arms and legs in the air, glancing at Rene. Rene giggled at her antics.

They swiftly flew over steep rock cliffs and arrived at the gorge in an instant. Rene helped Evelyn down in front of a barrier of trees.

“Madam, are you tired? Rest a bit until the others arrive,” Rene said.

“Thank you, Rene.”