ushernet Chapter 104: The Serpent Knight
Chapter 104: The Serpent Knight
Upon returning to the inn, Charles and his companions were struck by the startling realization that no one else remained within its walls.
It appeared that all the guests had fled overnight, as if a phantom had swept through the establishment. Even the innkeeper, who was supposed to be guarding the premises on the ground floor, had vanished without a trace.
Furthermore, the chaotic state of the inn suggested that these individuals had departed in a great hurry.
"Could it be that they encountered an immense danger?" Charles pondered aloud. "Even prisoners in a jail do not manage to escape so easily, they should have taken refuge inside the inn rather than fleeing to unknown locations."
"Are there any other places perhaps more secure than the Rock Fortress? Have they all fled to the camp guarded by the Serpent Empire?"
Eck voiced his concerns, a hint of confusion evident in his expression as he turned to Charles and the others.
Charles, his face grave, shook his head decisively.
"Regardless of the circumstances, it is undeniably unsafe for us to remain here. Are you truly certain that you wish to rest for the night in this inn before we set off?"
Eck, receiving no answer from Charles, felt a twinge of disappointment. Thus, he pressed on with another question.
"Set off? Where exactly are we supposed to go?" Charles suddenly retorted, turning the question back on Eck.
Eck appeared somewhat perplexed: "Wasn't your initial intention for staying here to obtain that treasure hidden beneath the ground? Since the blind old man has been confirmed to be a skeletal lizard in disguise, the intelligence he provided must surely be false.
If that treasure does not exist, then why should we linger here any longer? Should we not hasten our departure from this place fraught with peril?"
Eck believed that his reasoning was indeed the most sensible.
Given that the treasure did not exist, and that they would likely encounter additional dangers at the Rock Fortress, why should they linger any longer?
Naturally, they ought to continue their journey forthwith.
Departing from the Rock Fortress as swiftly as possible would be the most prudent course of action for Charles and his companions.
Upon hearing Eck's remarks, Charles smiled slightly.
"It is true that the blind old man was a skeletal lizard in disguise, but I maintain that the information provided by the skeletal lizard may not necessarily be false."
No sooner had Charles uttered this than Medusa chimed in.
"Skeletal lizards typically dwell underground, which implies that they possess a deeper understanding of subterranean spaces than do the Serpent people or the other races residing at the Rock Fortress."
"Furthermore, did we not previously employ divination to ascertain the veracity of the skeletal lizard's claims? Ultimately, the outcome of the divination revealed that the skeletal lizard's words were entirely truthful.
Thus, we must locate the treasure hidden underground before we consider departing."
After delivering this statement, Medusa turned her gaze toward Eck and Johann.
Eck nodded, signaling his agreement with Medusa's explanation. Johann, who had remained silent thus far, simply listened intently to the discussions of the others.
"Very well, let us inspect the conditions of the inn. If there are no further dangers present within, we can retreat to our respective rooms to rest."
Charles felt it was prudent to retire early for the night.
After all, the hour was getting late, and if they continued to squander time, they would have little opportunity left to recuperate.
Charles planned to undertake other actions first thing tomorrow morning.
After uttering these words, Johann fell silent.
Although Eck did not entirely agree with Johann's perspective, he recognized that there was little he could do at this moment. Thus, Eck chose to close his eyes and succumb to sleep.
At the moment when everyone, except for Little Green, had drifted into slumber, a shadowy figure appeared on the top floor of the inn. This indistinct silhouette belonged to the Serpent Knight.
The reason there were no other patrons in the inn was that the Serpent Knight had driven everyone away. Upon entering the establishment, the Serpent Knight immediately sensed Medusa's presence.
Despite Medusa being significantly more powerful than the Serpent Knight, her aura was exceedingly difficult to conceal.
Once the Serpent Knight detected Medusa's essence, he promptly deduced that she was an exceptionally formidable Serpent being.
Since all the prisoners in the Rock Fortress prison had been released, the Serpent Knight assumed that Medusa was a particularly powerful inmate.
When Charles and his companions returned to the inn, the Serpent Knight had already detected their presence.
However, the Serpent Knight did not take immediate action.
At that moment, he had already sensed Little Green's existence.
The combination of Medusa and Little Green was a force that the Serpent Knight could not contend with. Thus, the Serpent Knight decided to wait until the majority of the group had fallen asleep before launching a surprise attack.
Silently, the Serpent Knight ascended to the second floor of the inn. He now stood just outside the room occupied by Eck and Johann.
He pressed his ear against the door, straining to listen to the sounds emanating from within.
"These two individuals in this room are exceedingly weak, launching an ambush against them would not significantly aid my objectives in battle."
Having assessed Eck and Johann's capabilities, the Serpent Knight proceeded directly to the door of Charles and Medusa's room.
The Serpent Knight immediately sensed Medusa's presence.
In that instant, he raised the spear he held in his hand.
"At last, I've caught you!"
The Serpent Knight hurled the spear with great force towards Medusa's position within the room.
However, before the spear could penetrate the door, a dagger flying from a distance struck it, deflecting its trajectory.
The Serpent Knight swiftly turned his gaze toward the direction from which the dagger had come.
A pair of massive wings appeared within the Serpent Knight's line of sight.
Confronted by the sudden appearance of an enemy, the Serpent Knight did not succumb to panic.
Instead, he simply retrieved a mirror from his pocket.
The moment the mirror was produced, Little Green suddenly experienced a searing sensation.
"Your attack is ineffective against me! Your gravest mistake was failing to ambush me before I made my move. Had you chosen to strike first, you might have already succeeded in killing me."
The Serpent Knight spoke coldly.
In his view, Little Green should have directed the dagger's attack at himself, that might have caught him off guard.
Yet, just as the Serpent Knight's words faded, a spear suddenly thrust forth from within the room.