Monarch Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Rayne blinked, not understanding the question for a second. He hadn't used [Death Strike] in the battle, and there was no way anyone would know of [Lesser Regeneration]. Then, what was Casper talking about?

Before he could ask, Casper crouched in front of him, close enough that he could smell the faint ozone of burnt mana still clinging to her robes. “I know you used one during the battle.”

He barely stopped himself from frowning. “Mana skill?” he repeated hoarsely. “What are you—”

“You moved quicker than even Axel, and the man had been a soldier for over a decade despite not breaking through the first wall,” she cut in, voice low and firm. “Everyone knows you are strong, Rayne. You learn quickly, but you killed two stonefur bears on your own. No one could accomplish that without a mana skill.”

“I didn't do it alone.”

“You were the one facing the male bear alone when others were scattering away, and that one was far stronger than what's written in the army records,” she muttered, then frowned. “I had no idea it could even sense mana in the air. Stonefur bears normally never notice it, and their armour forms naturally as they grow. But some monsters are always exceptions.”

Rayne finally realised how Casper had come to such a conclusion. He doubted anyone would ever even think that he could have a skill to steal stats, and hence, she attributed his speed and strength to a mana skill.

He briefly looked beyond her and saw a few soldiers looking at him.

He had been too exhausted and glad about his survival to notice it before. They were seeing him as if he was an enigma, awe and calculation clear in their eyes.

When they saw him looking, they turned their faces away. Even his own party members whispered to each other, but there was no calculation in their eyes. Only grudging respect.

He turned his face back to Casper, who waited for a reply. Rayne wondered what to tell her. If he lied, would she be able to tell it apart? He didn't know, but there was no way he was revealing [Skill Stealer].

“What if I have one?” he asked finally.

Casper smiled faintly. “Then, everyone would want to know about it. Mana skills are extremely rare before the first class upgrade, and getting them means that the gods have seen your potential. Though, I believe teaching you cultivation helped with it.”

Rayne frowned. “Will that be a problem?”

“It depends.” Casper exhaled, looking at Axel, then back to him. “I believe it's okay. You can always say you picked it up from your family. With how the campaign has been in Pascar Plains, a spellsword will be treated well. The problems will come once you get out of here because of your status.”

“As a forsaken or traitor?”

“The latter,” she replied. “Having a mana skill means you will break through the first wall, and anyone who does so is given the position of at least a squad leader. But your fate will be directly in the hands of army officers above you. Maybe even the crown, but you don't have to worry about it right now.”

Rayne couldn't help but worry about it.

If he had to guess, there would be more people like Captain Clark than Captain Edran in higher positions, and they would hate to give him any advantage in the army.

He sighed, lowering his head. So many thoughts passed through his head that he even forgot that he had just survived a battle moments ago. He did have mana skills, but not the one Casper assumed.

But he also couldn't come clean.

In the end, he looked up at her, making a decision. “I have one that gives me a boost in strength and agility for a short burst. I used it against the bears. I don't know how I got it, but I was able to recall it after my days in the third level of the bug dungeon.”

She immediately leaned in, locking eyes with him. “Those types of skills are really convenient and sought out. No wonder you were able to escape the bear’s charge.”

Rayne didn't speak for a few seconds, then asked, “Are you going to inform Captain Edran?”

“He will know what you did either way from the report and would be able to guess. He's not an idiot. He already has an inkling about it, but don't worry, nothing bad will come out of it.”

“I sure hope so,” he murmured.

Casper only smiled and got up.

Around them, a few soldiers had recovered enough to move around, counting the number of the dead. Bran and Quinn were among them, checking on the bodies. He saw at least half a dozen casualties.

Fortunately, Squad Leader Rancour seemed to have survived, as his chest moved up and down slowly. Though, Rayne doubted he would be walking back to the camp since he was still unconscious.

“By the way,” Casper said, bringing his attention back to her. “Thank you for saving my life. If you hadn't jumped, I would have been meat for the monsters.”

Rayne nodded. “If you had died, we would all be meat.”

She only smiled, walking back towards Axel, who was talking with Hobbs. As he watched, all three of them discussed in low voices while Hobbs sent a few soldiers out into the forest.

Rayne wondered what they were talking about. He could have walked up to them to listen, but his legs needed more rest. At the end of the discussion, Axel didn't seem too happy.

He grunted something to Casper before stepping forward and clapping his hands.

When every soldier looked at him, he said, “You all did well to end the two bears, but our quest isn't over yet. We were sent to kill the male and female stonefur bear, but we have seen no sign of the female yet.”

A few soldiers immediately groaned, but Axel barked in a louder voice. “But with the injured, the exhausted, and dead, we won't be staying here a minute longer. Mage Casper's mana reserves have also thinned considerably and would take time to recover. Only a small group of scouts will stay behind and track the female bear, while the rest of us will march back to the camp. Understood?”

Every man immediately took a sigh of relief, some smiling while looking at each other. Rayne saw Axel's gaze on him for a second before he turned away.

He simply pulled himself back against one of the trees, resting.

The potion worked its way through him alongside [Lesser Regeneration], warmth dulling the worst of the pain, but his body still felt like it had been beaten with hammers. Every time he shifted, something protested.

The march to the camp would be long, and they would also have to carry the injured and the dead.

Rayne doubted he would be getting any prolonged rest till they got to the camp. He simply wished the eventual summon from Captain Edran would come tomorrow, once he would have a long night of sleep.

He would also have to make up a good story about his supposed mana skill if he wanted to keep up the lie, and hope that no one would ask to see his status.

Though that was unlikely because of—

“Rayne!” Nate's voice pulled him out of his train of thoughts, and he looked up to see that a lot of soldiers were already on their feet.

“Get up. We are about to move, unless you want to stay behind to help the scouts.”

He raked his eyes around the clearing to see that a few soldiers had made makeshift stretchers to carry the corpses, while others were supporting the injured. Bran and the scouts had already left.

How long has it been?

Rayne guessed that at least half an hour had passed and quickly pushed himself up. The pain on his side had subsided, but he still felt a sting as he joined up with the others.

He briefly looked down to see the shield he had thrown. It had been destroyed by the stonefur bear, and he would need to get a new one. He didn't remember how many it had been, but shields were the major casualties in each of his major battles.

Axel quickly waved everyone to start walking, and they left the clearing.

The stonefur bear corpses were left behind and scouts would check up on them tonight while another group of fresh soldiers will be coming and carrying them back to the camp tomorrow in a cart. He and his party were left out from carrying the injured and dead due to their contribution in the battle, so they walked in the rear alongside Jason, who looked like he needed a drink.

He was the only one among them carrying an unconscious soldier on his back.

Tired boots dragged over churned earth, and his party walked in silence, but Rayne could feel the questions burning in their gazes.

And finally, when they were an hour into the march, Kesh spoke, breaking the silence.

“You are not human,” he grunted. “I have decided that much.”

Nate huffed weakly. “I keep telling you people that.”

“I didn't notice growing horns or long ears on my face,” Rayne replied, looking over both of them. “And only a human would be stupid enough to jump on a stonefur bear’s back.”

Jason chuckled. “True, but what you showed there, I doubt even Axel could replicate that. What were you thinking, jumping on the bear’s back? Not even once, but twice.”

“Well, I actually wasn't thinking. There was no time for that,” he replied. “My body moved before I could tell it no. You yourself flanked it like it couldn't split you in half.”

“It didn't,” Jason said. “I guess that's what matters in the end.”

Rayne grunted, and the conversation ceased. He was thankful that no one had asked whether he was a spellsword, and he guessed that his party was simply giving him time.

Time that he sorely needed.

As they walked, he kept thinking of the skill he had told Casper about. He needed a name for it, as well as the limitations. Although other people couldn't project status like he could, they would have a complete understanding of a new skill as soon as they got it.

It would be safer to simply have a similar skill, but he doubted monsters would give it to him.

Rayne could only keep up the ruse and gain more strength and influence in case things went wrong.

Most of the march back went with him thinking these things over. No monsters thankfully came in their path, and even if they took breaks every hour, they made steady progress, especially with some of the potions letting the injured walk on their own midway.

The only thing of note was Fredrick staring at him during the breaks. He didn't scowl or scorn at him, simply looked as if he was evaluating him. Rayne didn't think too much about it, especially when he wasn't the only person doing so.

Even Hobbs and Axel gave him looks.

It was night by the time the palisade came into view. Torches burned along the walls, and Rayne could see patrols moving everywhere. More soldiers than average tonight.

As they walked towards the gates, he looked back to see if the scouts were going to join them, but only saw small animals running around the trees. It seemed like Bran and the others were going to spend their night out in the wilds.

But then, something else caught his eye as he saw the sentries’ faces in front of the gates.

They looked tense, shoulders straighter than usual.

“You noticed that?” John asked.

Rayne nodded. “Yes. Something happened when we were out.”

He immediately moved to the front of the group, his party right behind him. Some soldiers grunted, but when they saw who he was, they immediately gave way. Axel and Casper were talking to the sentries, and the first sentence he heard told him what was going on.

“They arrived in the afternoon, sir,” one of them said. “On one of their drakes. It took off soon after dropping them, and they have been in the commander’s tent since then.”

Rayne met eyes with his party, all of them immediately understanding who the sentries were referring to.

The Crown’s Hand were here.