Episode 44
Antonio sent the other members out of the bedroom. As soon as the door closed, he slowly turned to face me.
As if he had something important to say.
“There’s a possibility… that the one behind all this might be my father.”
“What?”
I froze, doubting my own ears.
“Why would His Majesty do such a thing?”
I asked, my voice trembling.
“It’s not certain. It’s just a possibility.”
Antonio continued, his face shadowed with doubt. He looked as though countless thoughts were clashing in his mind.
“If that’s true, then this civil war is essentially fueled by demonic power… The Empire is taking too much damage.”
“The Tristram Empire has grown too large. There are too many regions beyond imperial control.”
His voice sounded calm, but it was laced with barely suppressed anger and confusion.
I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts.
“Honestly, I don’t understand. Couldn’t it be one of the other noble factions?”
Antonio slowly shook his head.
“The original Tristram lords are easier for the Imperial Family to control. But…”
He paused and took a deep breath.
“The lords of annexed lands—those who used to be royalty in other nations—are different. My father might’ve felt the need to break their spirit.”
Something about that didn’t sit right with me.
“Kasiya may have been an independent kingdom decades ago… but didn’t His Majesty try to form an alliance through marriage with the ducal house? Why would he need to hurt them?”
“My father is someone who wouldn’t hesitate if it’s for the Empire’s stability. Even an allied house could be a threat if they become too arrogant.”
Antonio clearly saw the Emperor as a prime suspect. I bit my lip, uneasy. It felt too dangerous to jump to such conclusions.
“…Let’s not rush to any conclusions.”
I carefully tried to dissuade him.
“I sent the forest owls to other regions too. They’re gathering rumors and will return to the capital. Let’s wait until then.”
Antonio remained silent for a moment. Then, as if making a decision, he spoke.
“Once I return to the palace, I plan to confront my father directly.”
“What?”
“Whoever is behind this, I can’t just sit by. If more demonic beasts appear in places without enough mages, more people will die.”
A ripple stirred in Antonio’s golden eyes.
Was it rage toward the Emperor? Or a sense of duty for his homeland?
To be honest, I hoped his theory was wrong.
“…Who knows. Maybe the beasts in other regions appeared naturally.”
I clung to any alternate possibility.
Antonio only let out a short sigh in response.
***
Just as we finished packing our gear onto the horses, ready to leave for the capital, an unexpected visitor appeared.
A middle-aged man in familiar uniform—he looked like a high-ranking official from the palace.
He walked up to Antonio, clearly aware of the others watching, and knelt respectfully.
“Your Highness. I am Oscar, the Chief Herald, sent by His Majesty.”
Antonio accepted the man’s greeting.
“You must have something important to say. Is this a confidential matter?”
“No, Your Highness. I will speak here.”
“Then go ahead.”
Oscar hesitated, took a deep breath, and spoke cautiously.
“There’s been a report from the eastern region of Marcana. A strange monster has appeared. Those who saw it… began to turn to stone.”
Gasps erupted among the members.
“People turned to stone?”
Antonio’s brow furrowed, and his lips tightened. Narrowing his eyes, he asked,
“People were petrified just by seeing the beast? What did it look like?”
“A… a chicken’s head with a snake’s tail.”
Oscar answered nervously. The members all stood frozen in shock.
“A chicken’s head and a snake’s tail? Captain, we’ve never heard of such a beast, have we?”
Hans asked, bewildered.
I immediately dug through my bag, searching for the avian beast encyclopedia Nathan had given me.
But I couldn’t find anything that matched.
“Could it be… a basilisk?”
Nathan suggested, his face pale.
I searched again, but Nathan shook his head.
“It won’t be in there. It’s not classified as an avian beast—it’s a reptile at its core.”
Antonio closed his eyes for a moment, fatigue and frustration clouding his expression. Then he let out a deep sigh.
“Someone’s unleashed something horrible again. Something that’s not even easy to find.”
He looked around at the members.
“We’re changing course. We’re heading to eastern Marcana, not the capital.”
I climbed onto my horse, hands trembling as I grabbed the reins.
If a basilisk isn’t an avian beast…
Then it might not understand me at all. I might be completely useless to the team.
“Wow… That kind of beast is rare even in Saragot. I can’t believe it’s shown up on the Arkad continent.”
Kallen rode up beside me, laughing bitterly.
“Basilisks are rare?”
“Yes. They’re born only under very specific conditions—when an avian beast lays an egg on highly cursed land, and it’s incubated by a reptilian beast. The odds are basically zero.”
Her explanation only made me more anxious.
If such a beast showed up in a land without magic…
There’s no way it’s a natural occurrence.
Even the members looked disturbed. A beast that turned people to stone wasn’t just another monster.
A basilisk was a catastrophe—capable of wiping out an entire city.
***
The journey east was grueling. Mountain ranges stretched endlessly, and decent lodging was nowhere to be found.
Unlike the easy roads to Kasiya, this route was harsh.
The knights quickly pitched tents, forming a makeshift camp that looked like a battle-hardened army’s base.
As I passed between the tents, I noticed something heavy in the air. Everyone moved like professionals, but their faces were shadowed with unease.
It finally felt like the real journey had begun.
Antonio tied his horse and sat reading the report Oscar had submitted on eastern Marcana. His brow twitched slightly—whatever was in the report, it wasn’t good.
“The problem is, we’ve never fought a basilisk before. As far as I know, you can’t meet its gaze. You’ll be paralyzed instantly.”
“Paralyzed?”
I flinched instinctively. Just imagining it gave me chills.
“Basilisks absorb human body heat to survive. The areas they touch turn to stone.”
“…”
The room fell silent. Just the thought of a creature that drained human life like that was horrifying.
“The report says some victims only had part of their body petrified… others were turned completely to stone.”
“Honestly, I’d rather face a dragon or wyvern. At least you can dodge their fire.”
Kallen grumbled. Some laughed faintly, but it didn’t last. Antonio suddenly said,
“…I’ll act as bait.”
“What are you saying?”
I thought I misheard. He sounded too casual.
“I can raise my body temperature with internal magic. If I lure the basilisk, you’ll have a chance to ambush it.”
I shook my head instinctively.
“That’s too dangerous. Too reckless.”
But the other members didn’t seem surprised—they nodded, as if this were normal.
“It’s not the first time the Captain has acted as bait. He’s lured out beasts for us to strike before.”
Bartol said, unfazed.
“If eye contact causes paralysis… could we use mirrors to reflect its gaze back at it?”
Kallen suggested hopefully.
Everyone looked briefly encouraged—but Antonio shook his head, flipping through the report.
“A local mage already tried that. It had no effect at all.”
The team fell back into silence.
