I Became the Dark Knight in the Game
Chapter 32: The Chase (2)

Chasing someone proved to be more difficult than one might think.

The prey was desperate to survive and they would use every trick in the book to evade capture.

It was about squeezing every ounce of strength and wisdom for survival.

And relentlessly chasing such prey was a task that required both stamina and concentration.

Harkin gasped for breath and remarked,

“As expected, it was wise not to bring a priest. He would have been exhausted and collapsed by now.”

“I guess so.”

Mazel was equally exhausted.

Navigating the forest trails in the rain was a difficult task, even for an experienced bounty hunter like them.

The only one among them not showing any signs of fatigue was Dale.

Dale said while looking at Mazel and Harkin.

“It’s night. I think it would be good to get some rest.”

This battle was more like a marathon than a sprint.

Whether it’s the prey or the hunter, the one who can go the extra step will win in the end.

So there was no need to rush; conserving energy was more important.

Mazel nodded in agreement.

“…Alright. I’ll prepare the camp.”

“Hold on a moment.”

Harkin interjected. He looked around and then extended a map to Mazel.

“Are we roughly in this area on the map?”

Mazel examined the map and silently nodded his head.

Harkin grinned.

“Ah, then there’s no need to camp. It’s not on the map, but there’s a small village nearby.”

“How do you know that?”

“This direction leads to my hometown. But this is a village a few days away from my home, and I had some interactions with the villagers there quite a few times.”

This was welcome news.

It meant Harkin was somewhat familiar with the geography of this area.

Perhaps Garland considered this and that’s why Harkin was added to the team.

Dale said.

“Then lead us to that village.”

“Yes. It’s a small village without an inn, but for a fee, they’ll provide a roof to shelter us from the rain.”

That was sufficient.

The group was eager to dry their drenched bodies. Dale was also getting annoyed by the raindrops tapping incessantly on his helmet.

Harkin assessed the direction and then cautiously took the lead.

Even in familiar territory, one could never be sure what traps the enemy might have set.

They might also encounter wild beasts, like the black bear they had previously faced.

Just then as Harkin started leading the way, Mazel grabbed his shoulder.

“…Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

Mazel halted and examined the ground. The rain had almost erased the tracks, but his exceptional hunting instincts detected the prey’s trail.

He met Harkin’s gaze and said,

“…Our paths overlap with her trail.”

“Oh, that’s good… Wait. What does that mean?”

Mazel nodded in confirmation.

Their prey had also headed towards the village.

And the woman they were pursuing was reckless enough to unleash crocodiles in a city.

What could happen if she went to the villagers?

An anxious Harkin quickened his pace.

Before long, the village came into view. It was a small village with about twenty households at most.

What was noticeable was that no house in the village had any light leaking out or smoke coming out of the chimney.

Although it was early summer, the weather was quite chilly due to the continuous rain.

“……..”

Dale silently drew his sword.

His keen senses picked up the scent of blood mingled with the damp air.

Upon seeing this, Harkin swallowed hard and pressed his shield close to his body.

Something had clearly happened in the village.

Dale and Harkin took the lead and approached the village. Meanwhile, Mazel strung an arrow and kept a vigilant watch around them.

Dale and Harkin pressed themselves against the outer wall of the nearest house.

Dale gave Harkin a look, then, without hesitation, kicked the door with all his might.

Bang!

The wooden door shattered easily, but now was not the time to marvel at his strength.

Harkin and Dale burst into the house. And right then, their expressions hardened.

“Holy shit…”

“……..”

Bodies, presumably of the homeowners, were strewn here and there.

The condition of the corpses was the real issue.

They were severely mutilated as if torn apart by a wild beast.

Mazel, who entered shortly after, spoke indifferently.

“…..Looking at these bite marks, they were mauled by wolves. Seems that mage is now commanding a few wolves.”

The trio checked the rest of the houses, only to find the same gruesome scene as the first.

Bodies savagely torn apart.

There were no survivors.

Mazel who found clues in the last house spoke up.

“She stayed here for a while. The scattered drops of blood suggest that she bandaged her wounds here. It looks like she ate as well. There was no food in any other house in the village, so the mage must have consumed it all. Or perhaps she fed it to the wolves.”

Despite the grim situation, Mazel remained composed.

He meticulously analyzed the situation, even from the slightest clues.

Dale thought that Mazel seemed more like a detective than a hunter.

In contrast, Harkin was clenching his teeth. The annihilation of villagers he knew must have been a tremendous shock.

Mazel then examined the direction in which the woman had fled.

“Southwest. She went southwest from here. If it’s southwest… that leads to the swamp lands. She’s probably trying to evade pursuit by fleeing to the swamp.”

Swamps and jungles.

There couldn’t be a better place to shake off pursuers.

Even the bravest hunters hesitate to enter unfamiliar swamps.

The crocodiles she released into the underground sewers… So they came from the swamps.

But to bring crocodiles from such a long distance to the city. That was some great persistence.

Just how much did she despise the city?

In any case, this was a mage who could easily wipe out an entire village. The extent of the damage if she remained at large was unimaginable.

“Then…”

Dale who was about to discuss the next steps of their plan stopped speaking. Something was off about Harkin’s demeanor.

Harkin’s hands trembled as he clutched the map.

Dale asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“This swamp… The village next to it. Do you see it?”

“Yes, I see it. But what about the village?”

“That’s… that’s my hometown.”

“………”

Even Mazel who had been indifferent until now quickly shifted his gaze to the map.

The path the woman had taken so far.

And when tracing a line to the swamp, her intended destination, it intersected precisely with one village.

That village was Harkin’s hometown.

How would the mage who guided a herd of beasts act in Harkin’s hometown?

The answer was already evident in the surroundings.

Dale surveyed the village, which was surrounded by silence and littered with corpses.

Harkin’s hometown was destined to meet a similar fate and Harkin himself was well aware of this.

Harkin spoke with a trembling voice.

“W-we must hurry and follow her, before that bastard attacks our village. I’ll go first if necessary…”

Mazel responded calmly.

“Now is the time to rest. Rushing now and not being in proper condition to follow would be futile.”

It was a valid point, but Harkin refused to accept it.

“Right, it’s not your problem, is it? If you won’t go, I’ll go alone.”

“Calm down, Harkin.”

“How can I be calm at a time like this…”

Dale grabbed Harkin’s shoulder.

Harkin who was about to burst into anger looked up at Dale. The latter was staring intently at him.

“…Even if you can’t calm down, you must. Yes.”

Harkin calmed down.

The chilling aura exuded by this dark knight had the power to swiftly bring back one’s lost rationality.

A dejected Harkin bowed his head to Mazel.

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t your fault, yet I took out my anger on you.”

“…. I understand.”

The three of them entered a house with relatively fewer bodies inside. They broke up wooden furniture to start a fire and dried their wet bodies and clothes.

Harkin looked at the fire in the brazier with a gloomy expression on his face.

He looked as pitiful as a rain-soaked dog.

Dale too removed his helmet and meticulously wiped the moisture off his armor. Though it wasn’t likely to rust, this action was more like a habit.

Mazel carefully inspected his bow’s string for any signs of damage.

The atmosphere was heavy with gloom.

Yet, in that place, none seemed to pay it any mind.

After some time had passed,

Harkin who had collected himself grasped the map and spoke.

“Can we catch up to that woman before she reaches the village?”

Dale and Mazel did not respond.

It was a question with no easy answer.

The woman they were pursuing was injured now.

Her speed of escape had limits and the distance between her and them was undoubtedly closing.

However, whether they could catch up to the woman before she reached the village was uncertain.

Amidst their silence, Harkin spoke anxiously.

“We can’t go on like this. We must find a way to increase our speed.”

“Have you thought of a method?”

“Shortcut. We’ll use a shortcut!”

Harkin spread the map wide open.

He pointed to various places on the map and started explaining.

“She won’t be able to go straight to the swamp. There are complicated terrains and dangerous areas in between.”

“So, we’re going to bypass those dangerous areas and overtake her?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ll wait for her in the village. What do you think?”

Harkin looked desperately at Mazel and Dale, his eyes shifting between them.

Mazel glanced down at the map and then sighed.

“….First, let me remind you of something you seem to have forgotten. Our mission is to track and either kill or capture the mage, not to protect the village.”

Harkin closed his mouth and widened his eyes. The expression on his face seemed to ask, “How can you say something like that?”

But Mazel continued speaking regardless.

“And what if she suddenly changes her course? If we take a different path to overtake her, we risk losing track of the mage.”

“Th-that’s…”

It was a difficult argument to counter.

What if they chose a different path only to lose track of the mage? A more terrible disaster will occur.

Mazel was calmly stating his grounds for this view.

He was essentially telling Harkin to give up.

Harkin’s predicament was pitiable.

But being swayed by emotions and messing up the task went against Mazel’s principles.

He had always adhered strictly to these principles, which is why he was still operating as a veteran bounty hunter to this day.

Harkin was unable to say anything and just trembled his hands.

He also knew full well that he was being unreasonable at this moment.

Harkin then looked at Dale with an almost tearful face.

“Sir Dale, what do you think?”

“It seems Mazel’s opinion is the right one for now.”

“Ah…”

A disheartened Harkin lowered his head but he soon lifted it again.

He crawled on his knees and tightly grasped Dale’s hand.

“Please help me, Sir Dale!”

He pleaded with a desperate voice.

“Sir Dale, I know how selfish I am being. I must seem ridiculous to you. The same person who suggested abandoning the useless people on our journey to Irene is now asking for help. How ridiculous that must seem.”

When the carriage Dale was riding in was attacked by some one-eyes and was in danger.

Harkin had been opposed to the idea of bringing along survivors who seemed of no use.

And yet, here he was, pleading to save the villagers.

To Dale, it didn’t matter whether they were carriage passengers or villagers; they were all the same.

Some might mock Harkin for his change of heart, sneer at his plight, and say he was reaping what he sowed.

But Dale did not react that way.

People are simply like that.

Indifferent to strangers, yet capable of boundless warmth towards those precious to them.

Such was the duality present in people.

“Please. Please help me Sir Dale! If you help me, I swear to repay this kindness however I can! I will gladly live as your servant for the rest of my life, just to save my family…”

Harkin’s plea turned into sobs, and towards the end, he couldn’t even complete his sentences.

Family…

Dale mulled over the word “family”. Images of his grandfather and younger siblings came to mind.

They were the most significant and important part of his life They were still influencing his actions even after becoming a half-undead.

What did family mean to Harkin? Was it similar to Dale’s experience?

Dale didn’t know.

But as a “human”, he knew how he should act.

“Can you stand by that promise? To repay this favor for a lifetime. The followers of the Night Goddess are strict with their deals.”

“Eh…! O-of course.”

Harkin was a fairly competent shieldman. There was no loss in gaining his favor.

Dale nodded agreeably.

“Then, I will help you.”

“Sir Dale!”

“!”

Harkin’s eyes widened in surprise, and Mazel who was listening nearby was equally astonished.

Having been startled twice in one day, it could be considered one of the more unusual days in Mazel’s life.

Mazel shook his head in disbelief.

So the rumors about the unusual black knight are true.

Harkin grasped Dale’s hand and bowed several times in gratitude.

He seemed on the verge of tears, which prompted Dale to briskly shake off his hand.

“Stop whining now. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Uh, um. Okay.”

Harken looked sad for a moment due to Dale’s cold attitude but then his expression relaxed again.

After all, he was immensely grateful for Dale’s help.

Of course, he would have to repay this kindness manifold in the future…

Whether Harkin pondered this or not, Dale was already examining the map.

With the change in objective, a new plan needed to be formulated.

Let’s take a shortcut to reach the village ahead of her.

The shortcut Harkin pointed out was none other than through a mountain.

Indeed, cutting straight through the mountain seemed like a great time-saver compared to going around it.

But wouldn’t that be the same for the mage?

If a path was unused, there must be a reason. Dale asked,

“Harkin, why do people avoid this route? Is there a monster or something?”

Harkin nodded and confidently replied,

“Yes, there’s a giant there!”

Both Dale and Mazel glared at Harkin at the same time.

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