CHAPTER 5
1052 Words
“Try.”
It was an unconscious answer, but Asterlayna paid no mind to it anymore. With the light orbs behind her, Asterlayna crossed her arms and smirked teasingly, receiving a deep frown from the unknown man.
“Alright…”
The man's tone became serious and raised his right hand, balling it into a fist. Asterlayna had heard the man yell out his title in the cave.
The warlock of the east.
It was a familiar title, it was stated in the novel once, however, no further information was stated about the warlock. In fact, the warlock wasn't even involved during the war.
‘I didn't know that he's the warlock…Most importantly, why on earth is the warlock talking about the allied kingdoms?’
A sudden and unfamiliar wave of energy wisped past Asterlayna. Before she knew it, dark purple veins had appeared on the man's fist.
Bang!
After a heavy punch, the barrier created by Asterlayna's magic shattered like glass.
“Done.”
The warlock coldly declared to Asterlayna, but Asterlayna only returned the cold look.
‘I guess things are starting to change since the knights brigade will arrive earlier…’
Asterlayna deeply thought.
‘But isn't the involvement of the warlock too much in exchange for saving the sanctuary?...’
“Your hand is injured…”
Asterlayna commented as she noticed blood dripping from the warlock's hand. The black-ish veins were now gone.
“It's because you made your barrier too strong…”
The warlock retorted with slightly pouted lips.
“I did? I didn't think a warlock would have a hard time breaking such a thin barrier…”
Asterlayna further riled up the warlock with a mocking expression.
“Showoff…”
The warlock muttered, low enough for Asterlayna to not hear. He gently rubbed his knuckles to soothe the pain inflicted by the barrier.
“What about the allied kingdoms?”
Before the warlock could say another word, Asterlayna had already thrown him a question.
But it's not like the warlock would answer her now, especially after how Asterlayna treated him firsthand.
“I'm not gonna answer until my hand heals.”
“Tsk…”
Asterlayna's expression crumpled like paper. Now, the warlock had a satisfied expression. He took a small peek at the nine tailed fox’s current expression with a soft smile before starting to complain again.
“I traveled miles and crossed an entire kingdom just to warn you about something because I've always admired your kindness…I didn't think you'd be this…cruel. To think you'd make this poor warlock injure his hand just to have a chance to speak to you…I…I'm truly heart broken…”
The warlock started to act up again. With fake tears streaming down his face and with an even faker saddened expression, he slowly lowered himself back to the ground again, but instead of hugging his knees together, he laid flat on the ground.
‘He’s really insane…’
Asterlayna wanted to give up and run away. However…
‘There must be something to what he has to say…I also feel bad about his hand…’
Although Asterlayna never wanted to feel compassion for the warlock, she still needed to hear what the warlock had to say, and in a sense, it was her fault that the warlock's hand ended up this way.
“...Follow me. I'll get someone to heal your hand.”
Asterlayna turned her head around and started to walk out of the cave, not bothering to check if the warlock followed her or not. Asterlayna had already walked a decent distance from the warlock and there were still no signs of the warlock standing up.
Asterlayna figured that the warlock really was just hardheaded.
But in a blink of an eye, the warlock was already behind Asterlayna, floating a few inches from the ground.
“Can't you just cast healing magic on me?”
The warlock softly placed his chin on top of Asterlayna's shoulder with a teasing smile.
Asterlayna stopped on her tracks. The lush forest she crossed to get to the cave entered her sight. They were already at the mouth of the cave.
Despite the sudden closure, Asterlayna's expression remained unfazed. She turned her head slightly to meet with the warlock's gaze.
The warlock tilted his head to see Asterlayna's current expression, but much to his dismay, her face was only blank.
‘Beautiful…’
Asterlayna, on the other hand, was busy thinking of ways on how she'll crush the warlock's face when they reach the sanctuary.
“That'll be just a waste of mana…”
Asterlayna retorted.
“Hmm…Waste of mana or…You can't cast a simple healing magic?”
Although it was just a trivial joke for the warlock, it was the truth for Asterlayna.
The past Asterlayna was known to possess the knowledge of every magic spell and circles—though this was just an exaggeration. Despite being a mythical being, there were still some spells that the original Asterlayna couldn't cast, but Asterlayna could very much cast a beginner level healing spell. But in Clara's circumstances, she couldn't cast a simple healing spell. Why? Because a healing spell was much more complicated than she initially thought.
“Warlock…”
Asterlayna softly muttered under her breath.
The warlock's smirk was wiped out from his face and was then replaced with a confused expression.
“Hmm?”
“Did somebody secretly follow you here?”
The warlock slowly looked around the surroundings. From inside the cave where they came from and to the lush scenery outside.
“Did they already find me?”
The warlock asked without a hint of seriousness in his voice.
“...Who found you exactly?”
An irk mark was seen on Asterlayna's forehead. Just how careless could one be to let an enemy tail them?
“Haha…I forgot that a group of thugs were trying to kill me on the way…”
The warlock scratched his cheek with his index finger with closed eyes and an innocent looking smile.
“I’m starting to wonder how you became a mythical being…”
Asterlayna muttered.
“Don't talk like that! Those people are no match against me, alright?! Just sit back here-actually no. You need to keep sticking beside me since those people carry bombs hehe…”
‘I’m f*cked…’
Bombs really did exist in this world…
- Writer
