The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: The Reaper’s Arrival Part 2

The dark-red-haired man rolled his shoulder.

"You can just go back to your room, Shiyen. I told you I could handle this myself."

The woman calmly returned her katana to its sheath.

"And I told you that if you insist on disregarding your orders, I’ll report it."

The man’s expression stiffened.

Then he laughed.

"You’re still serious about that?"

"Of course, seriously."

"Fine, fine. I was only joking."

He looked around at the bodies scattered throughout the forest.

"Still, we arrived in time. I was told this area had already been dealt with, so I didn’t expect another outbreak."

Shiyen’s gaze moved across the corrupted remains.

"Then the previous report was incomplete."

Her voice remained calm, but the implication was obvious.

Someone had missed something.

Frederick finally stepped forward.

"May I ask who you are?"

The two turned toward him.

For a moment, neither answered.

Frederick noticed the insignia on their clothing.

A strange eclipse-like marking.

His eyes narrowed.

He had seen that symbol before.

"Are you members of the Eclipse Order?"

The two exchanged a brief glance.

Then they answered at almost the same time.

"We are."

Frederick released a quiet breath.

"So it really is you."

He sheathed his sword.

"Then I owe you another debt. Without your intervention, we would have suffered considerably more casualties."

The captain nodded as well.

"Your timing was exceptional. Those creatures had already overwhelmed our formation, and even our strongest fighters were struggling to contain them."

Ken simply rested the war axe against his shoulder.

"We were nearby. That’s all."

Frederick studied him.

There was no arrogance in his voice.

No desire for recognition.

He spoke as though rescuing an entire knight formation from an advanced corruption outbreak had been nothing more than an inconvenient detour.

"If I may make a request," Frederick said, "would the two of you accompany us back to the estate? I would like to offer proper compensation for your assistance."

Shiyen shook her head.

"There’s no need."

"We were simly following orders."

Frederick’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"Orders?"

Ken smiled beneath his hood.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Lord Frederick."

The answer was polite, but final.

Frederick understood immediately.

Whatever the Eclipse Order was doing in this forest, these two had no intention of discussing it.

Before he could continue, a disturbance erupted deeper in the trees.

ROOOAR!

Several corrupted creatures charged toward them.

Ken sighed.

"More?"

Shiyen drew her katana.

The two moved at once.

Ken charged directly into the group, his single double-ended axe sweeping in a wide arc.

WHOOM!

The first creature was thrown aside.

He reversed the weapon.

CRACK!

Another collapsed.

Shiyen moved through the gaps he created, her katana flashing between the creatures with terrifying precision.

SHING!

SHING!

SHING!

Within moments, the remaining creatures had fallen.

The knights could only watch.

The captain’s eyes remained fixed on them.

"Those two..."

Frederick didn’t answer immediately.

He was looking at the markings on their robes.

Then something clicked.

He remembered the territorial war.

The violet-haired woman wielding that enormous scythe.

The young man who had fought against heavily trained knights as though their attacks were nothing.

They had carried markings similar to these.

Not identical.

Different members appeared to possess different variations.

Frederick’s eyes narrowed further.

"Captain."

"I noticed it as well."

"So did I."

The captain looked toward the two Reapers.

"Different markings, but the same general insignia."

Frederick nodded slowly.

"Then perhaps those markings represent different divisions within the organization."

"And if those two belong to the same division..."

The captain’s expression became serious.

"...then the strength we witnessed during the territorial war may not have been limited to those individuals."

Frederick remained silent.

The realization was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

There were more of them.

Possibly many more.

And if the two standing before them were capable of dealing with advanced corrupted creatures so effortlessly, then the Eclipse Order possessed a level of power far beyond what the kingdom currently understood.

Frederick looked toward Ken.

"Those markings... Do they signify a particular group within the Eclipse Order?"

Frederick remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting toward the deeper part of the forest.

The battle had ended, but the atmosphere around them had not become any less oppressive. The faint traces of corrupted energy still lingered between the trees, and judging from what the knights had encountered on their way here, there was little reason to believe that the creatures they had just defeated were the only ones remaining.

He turned toward Ken and Shiyen.

"There is something I would like to ask of you."

Ken lowered his weapon slightly.

"Yes, Lord Frederick?"

"Our original objective was to investigate the source of the corruption and eliminate any corrupted creatures found within this territory. However, after what we have encountered, it is apparent that the situation is more serious than we initially believed."

Frederick glanced toward his injured knights.

"Several of my men are already wounded, and we have yet to determine how far the corruption extends. If there are more advanced creatures deeper within the forest, continuing without sufficient support could result in unnecessary casualties."

He paused before continuing.

"I would therefore like to request your assistance."

Ken and Shiyen exchanged a brief glance.

"If you are willing to accompany us farther into the forest and assist with the subjugation of the remaining corrupted creatures, I will personally see that you are properly rewarded for your efforts."

Ken considered his words carefully before answering.

"You are offering us a formal commission?"

"Yes."

Frederick nodded.

"You have already saved the lives of my men. I would not ask you to continue putting yourselves in danger without compensation."

Shiyen looked toward the forest.

"Do you have any information regarding the creatures farther ahead?"

"Only what our patrols have reported," Frederick replied. "The corruption appears to become denser the farther one travels from the territory’s boundary. We also received reports of creatures that were considerably stronger than the ones normally found in this region."

The captain stepped forward.

"We suspect that the creatures may be gathering around a particular area, although we have not yet identified the cause. Our intention is to locate that area, eliminate the remaining threats, and determine whether there is a source responsible for the spread of corruption."

Shiyen nodded slowly.

"I understand."

Ken looked toward his companion before turning back to Frederick.

"We accept the request."

Frederick’s expression eased slightly.

"Thank you. Your assistance will be of great value."

"There is no need to thank us yet," Ken replied calmly. "We have only agreed to accompany you. We should determine the situation before discussing the result."

Frederick gave a small nod.

"That is reasonable."

He then looked toward the knights.

"Those who are still capable of combat will remain with the main formation. The wounded will be escorted back with a smaller group once we have secured a safe route. No one is to advance beyond the formation without orders."

"Understood, my lord."

The knights immediately began reorganizing themselves.

Those who could still fight checked their weapons and armor, while the others helped tend to the wounded. The exhaustion from the previous battle was evident on their faces, but none of them complained.

Frederick looked back toward Ken and Shiyen.

"I cannot guarantee what we will encounter beyond this point. If the situation becomes more dangerous than expected, I will not ask you to remain if you believe continuing would place you in unreasonable danger."

Shiyen regarded him for a moment before answering.

"We understand."

Ken adjusted his grip on his war axe.

"Then we should proceed while we still have daylight."

Frederick nodded.

"Yes."

He raised his hand, signaling the knights to prepare.

The formation began moving once again, this time deeper into the forest.

Frederick rode near the front with the captain, while Ken and Shiyen moved slightly ahead of the formation.

It was fortunate that these people appeared to be on their side. Still, the more Frederick witnessed of their abilities, the more difficult it became to understand just how many monsters of this caliber the Eclipse Order possessed.

Every one of them seemed to possess strength far beyond what their appearance suggested.

As a high-ranking swordsman himself, Frederick knew exactly how difficult it would be to face either of the two Reapers directly. Even if he fought with everything he had, he could not confidently say that victory would be his.

And yet...

They were still young.

Frederick’s expression grew slightly more serious as he watched the two figures disappear into the forest.

If this was the level of strength they already possessed at such an age, then just how powerful would they become after another ten years?

He could hardly imagine it.

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