The chain and blade echoing in the mist
【The Mist Forest】
The forest near Vestas was shrouded in mist.
Moonlight bled faintly through the haze, and the whispers of trees melted into the damp darkness.
A torch flickered uneasily, and beyond the reach of gas lamps, the cold scrape of chains echoed.
Gevas’ sturdy arms were bound by shackles, silently proclaiming his slave status.
Brushing back his gray hair, his blue eyes pierced the fog.
An ogre’s fang pendant hung from his neck, bearing the heavy memory of a burned village.
The days when he thrived as a wolf beastman hunter were reduced to ash by the empire’s flames.
The screams of his children and his wife’s final gaze haunted his dreams nightly.
“This mist is the Spearbia Empire’s hypocrisy itself—heavy, suffocating.”
His white breath dissolved into the haze, the scar on his chest frozen and unyielding.
He was a slave scout tasked with uncovering the secrets of Vestas Mine—
Bound by the Spearbia Empire’s orders, yet his heart remained captive to his ashen homeland.
An arrow’s howl tore through the trees, shattering the silence.
Gevas ducked on wolf instinct as an ancient oak behind him splintered.
Shards grazed his cheek, and the scent of blood mingled with the mist.
The wound was shallow but stirred memories of past battles.
“An ambush? The empire’s welcomes are always theatrical.”
Drawing his dagger, he slipped silently into the shadow of the trees.
His heart beat the rhythm of battle, his senses sharpening.
In the depths of the mist, the flicker of a torch revealed the enemy’s silhouette.
“Gevas, don’t move. I thought you weren’t one to rush toward death.”
A blond youth emerged from the fog.
Leaf, a fox beastman and former noble.
Slave chains bound his slender frame, but his green eyes retained the brilliance of the old social elite.
Fallen by Duke Varion’s schemes, he burned with resolve at the depths of humiliation.
Behind him, twenty scout soldiers blended into the mist, readying arrows and daggers.
Their ankle chains etched faint creaks into the forest’s silence.
“Arrows as a scout’s gift? Endoval knights or whimsical beastmen?”
Leaf’s quip rang out.
“Either way, it’s convenient for my comeback.”
His voice carried the sharp edge of a blade, stripped of noble pretense.
Gevas gripped his fang pendant and exhaled shallowly.
“I lost my reason to live long ago. Just get it over with.”
His low voice was heavy, like the ashes of his burned village.
Hatred for the empire that stole his family cast shadows in his blue eyes.
Leaf smirked, laughing.
“A world-weary hero as my partner? What a luxurious dream.
Your death is on hold until I reclaim my place among Spearbia’s nobles.”
In his hand, an old crest ring.
Picturing Varion’s traitorous face, his blade-like smile deepened.
Gazing at the enemy beyond the mist, obsession blazed in his green eyes.
【The Oath of Chains】
The Orlog Continent—a world of war where beastmen’s claws and fangs clash.
Seven nations vie for dominance with savagery and cunning, their bloodstorm raging for millennia.
Only the Endoval Duchy resists beastly rule with hidden magic.
Yet the Spearbia Empire’s shadow stretches relentlessly,
Targeting Vestas Mine—the forbidden vein sustaining Endoval’s lifeline.
Whispers call it the key to the continent’s magical hegemony.
Gevas, a wolf beastman, a middle-aged former hunter.
His village was burned by the imperial army, his family’s screams echoing in his ears.
The charred faces of his children haunt his dreams.
The ogre’s fang pendant at his waist marks him as a hunter who once ruled the forest.
His slave chains are another shackle binding his revenge.
“Slave collars—Spearbia’s idea of affection? A bit too tight.”
Spitting sarcasm, his blue eyes fix on the ashes of his past.
Hope is but a faint light at despair’s bottom—a dream of breaking the chains.
Leaf, a fox beastman, a former noble.
Once dazzling in Spearbia’s social circles,
He fell to slavery by Duke Varion’s schemes.
Varion’s mocking laughter pierces his chest, and he vows to erase his shame with power.
The crest ring on his finger is proof of his obsession to reclaim lost glory.
“On this continent, only strength breaks collars.
The mist’s brighter than my future.”
His green eyes burn with fierce desire, unyielding to resignation.
His smile is a blade, casting off the noble’s mask.
The scouts behind them, their ankle chains clinking, focus on mapping.
The mist cloaks the forest’s wounds, and Gevas’ dagger revives past battles.
Leaf draws lines on paper, his noble penmanship refining the map.
“Vestas Mine—the perfect stage for my return.”
Leaf murmurs.
“Spearbia’s nobles won’t spot me in this fog.
Not until I crush Varion’s throat with my own hands.”
His mocking tone carries a sneer at the empire’s schemes.
Gevas grips his dagger, staring into the mist.
Past battles resurface in the blade’s weight.
“None of my business. I’ll just finish the map.”
His words are cold, a blade rejecting the future.
Yet his hand, clutching the fang pendant, trembles faintly.
The flame of revenge still smolders at despair’s core.
Leaf shrugs, laughing.
“Such a dull guy.
Word is, Endoval’s Holy Knights are training nearby.
Heard about a Sword Saint, too. If they’re real, they might cut our chains.”
His eyes flicker, probing the core of Gevas’ despair.
Gevas narrows his eyes and spits.
“Knights? They’ll be crushed by beastmen. Same as the empire’s mercy.”
The ashes of his burned village cling to his words.
Leaf toys with his ring, his smile deepening.
“Try holding onto some hope, partner.
The Sword Saint’s blade might be the key to breaking our chains.”
His voice rings with pride, mocking the slave chains.
In the mist’s depths, torchlight flickers,
And the scouts’ ankle chains carve an ominous tune.
【The Shadow of Heroes】
Thick fog blanketed the forest, and trees swayed in the silence.
Footsteps pressed damp moss, tension swelling in the air.
Gevas crouched low, his dagger’s blade glinting in the moonlight.
Leaf gripped his crest ring, glaring into the fog’s depths.
The scout soldiers drew weapons silently,
Forming ranks that melted into the mist.
“They’re coming… imperial hounds or oracular apostles.”
Leaf’s voice echoed low through the fog.
The scent of blood and iron reached Gevas’ nose.
Past battlefields revived in his wolf senses.
“Whoever they are, they’ll just test my fangs.”
A presence tore through the mist, shaking the forest.
A scout groaned, an arrow piercing his shoulder as he fell.
Gevas pressed against a tree, counting enemies.
Two… no, three? Not Endoval’s rank-and-file.
Commanders, or perhaps—
“The Sword Saint rumor wasn’t just talk.”
Leaf muttered, readying his dagger.
Excitement and caution clashed in his green eyes.
A boy emerged from the mist, cutting through the forest.
Radix Brightmore Spencer.
Silver-white hair fluttered in the wind, golden eyes harboring a quiet flame.
A star-shaped pendant swayed at his chest, and the greatsword on his back sliced the mist like a sail.
The collar of his black noble military uniform bore forgotten pride.
Gevas gripped his fang pendant, muttering.
“This kid’s no ordinary knight…”
Leaf’s ring creaked as he thought.
“Can his sword cut my collar…?”
“Spearbia’s dogs, fools defiling the sacred vein!”
Radix’s voice rang through the forest.
“With my greatsword, I’ll sever your chains and shadows alike!”
His voice shook the mist, mocking the scouts’ ankle chains.
The greatsword reflected moonlight, like a star’s blade.
Gevas’ hunter blood surged in his chest.
Leaf’s smile sharpened like a blade.
“Not the Sword Saint… huh. But interesting. This guy’s no ordinary foe. A worthy enemy for my stage.”
Leaf flashed his dagger, ordering the scouts.
“Hold the line. His head’s my stepping stone to revival!”
Gevas gripped his dagger, suppressing a wolf’s roar.
“No reason to live, but a reason to fight… that’s still left.”
In the mist forest, the battle for Vestas Mine’s forbidden power begins.
Gevas’ fang pendant creaks, and Leaf’s ring glimmers eerily.
Radix’s greatsword hums under the moonlight,
Ready to sever the slaves’ chains and the empire’s shadow.
In the forest’s depths, Spearbia’s schemes begin to stir
【Afterword】
Hello, everyone!
Did you enjoy Episode 2, “The Chain and Blade Echoing in the Mist”?
What did you think of Gevas and Leaf’s sharp-witted banter, the tension unfolding in the fog, and the overwhelming entrance of the Sword Saint, Radix?
The battle over the secrets of Vestas Mine is only going to heat up from here. In the next episode, keep an eye on how Gevas and Leaf make their moves and what Radix’s greatsword will cut through!
Freyda and Mare are set to appear next, and their actions (and maybe Freyda’s surprising weakness?) will be something to look forward to. Your comments and support mean the world to me!
Whether it’s “Gevas’ fang pendant is too cool!” or “I’m curious about Leaf’s schemes!”, I’d love to hear any and all of your thoughts.
Please follow me on X as well:
https://x.com/LordAshford584?t=jkRUjo7xIAigQptNrBqBww&s=09
We’ll charge through the misty forest with full force in the next episode, so stay tuned!
