A Mythical Journey To Remember - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - Camilla

The lion tore people apart, the smell of blood was palpable, the screams were loud, and my first instinct was to get the hell away from here! But anyone who turned their backs on the beast became its target.

It was as if despite its overwhelming power the beast was still acting in line with its instincts and going after weaker targets. I was still far enough that it wouldn't bother coming after me, and maybe luck would protect me.

As the people were being slaughtered, one thought rang through my mind: I could help them!

I wasn't much of a hero, and if I had no other option, I would have run away. But for now, I was the only one who could do anything in this place, and confusing the lion would work in my favor and help me run away easier from this beast. Some people would still die for my escape, but there wasn’t anything that I could do about that.

Since the encounter with the thugs, I always kept some potions on my person, and the pepper spray potion should confuse the lion. After that, I would escape because I wasn't too confident about beating a lion, especially one as fast and agile as this. It moved with such grace that it might even have supernatural affinities.

Or maybe all lions were that agile? I wasn't a lion expert. The only interesting thing I knew was that despite being called the king of the jungle, lions didn't actually live in jungles.

I took out my potion, but before I could throw it, a figure moved toward the lion at incredible speed. In a silver flash, just as the lion was about to swipe its paw at a bystander, that paw ended up flying. The beast roared in pain and backed off, and there stood a woman in front of it.

With silky dark hair, yellow eyes, and pale skin, the woman was unnaturally beautiful. She carried a normal straight sword in her hand and wore leather armor that hugged her body, revealing very little. At first glance, she seemed fragile, and one attack could kill her. But appearances could be deceiving.

When the lion got a better look at her, fear filled its eyes, causing it to back off. However, the woman was anything but fearful. With unnatural speed, she ran toward the beast and in less than a second, she was on the lion's back. Her sword swung down, revealing that her fighting style wasn't just elegant and technical. Her arms possessed power beyond what they suggested as she effortlessly bisected the lion, spilling its intestines onto the ground.

The lion yelped, but before its head hit the ground, the woman decapitated it for good measure.

She jumped back, leaving the lion's lifeless body in a gruesome mess. Others were shocked at the lion's death and stared at its corpse. My gaze was drawn to the woman. There wasn't a speck of blood on her leather armor. She simply swung her sword once to remove the blood and then sheathed her blade.

Impressive. She was strong, perhaps even stronger than Myrina.

The woman looked toward the king, and the sickly man nodded in approval.

It seemed like my decision not to get too involved with royalty was the right one. With monsters like these roaming around, they could kill me before I could even make a peep.

As the lion lay dead, the crowd calmed down and whispered to each other.

"Thank the Gods, the head guard is here."

"As expected, someone like her can handle something like this."

"Do you think those rumors about her are true?"

The woman appeared to be well-known locally, possessing supernatural strength. Still, it had nothing to do with me. Instead, I collected my earnings. The old bet maker handed me my money without issue but withheld twenty copper talismans as the bet man's fee.

I nodded, slightly annoyed but unwilling to make a fuss. Unfortunately, the old man misinterpreted my silence and said, "Consider it a fee to ensure you're not cheated. Not many would willingly part with such substantial winnings."

His two guards loomed on either side, daring me to speak up. I didn't want to engage in a fight or invite unnecessary trouble, especially since I had nearly doubled my money. "Have a good day."

Heh, I earned more here than through days of arduous work. Perhaps I should consider a gambling career and live a leisurely life.

It started as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more enticing it sounded. Though I desired to witness the wonders of these mythological times, it didn't mean I was fearless in the face of danger. However, when I remembered that living a life of leisure here meant not even having a flushable toilet or internet to entertain myself, I quickly gave up on such an idea.

I returned to the group, and Budas held onto the goat. Billy was struggling, and the ex-bandit tried to reassure him. "Come on, little guy, there's no need to thrash around. If you escape and someone spots you wandering alone, they might take you and have you for dinner."

His words had no effect on the goat. When Budas noticed me, he grumbled, "He's been like this since the lion appeared."

I hadn't noticed; my attention had been focused on the lion and the brutal death that followed. I picked him up, and Billy calmed down as soon as he was in my arms, resting his head on my chest.

We walked out of the Colosseum alongside others. While some events were still scheduled, no one felt like staying longer. Some grumbled about not getting their money's worth. However, most remained unaffected by the man torn apart by the lion or the other victims when it leaped at the stands.

People in the BC era were hardcore!

After realizing that the Colosseum event wasn't as enjoyable as I had anticipated, I decided to take everyone to a nearby pub. Budas ordered some ale, and I did the same, although I opted for mine to be watered down. Auto, on the other hand, had a glass of milk. She grumbled but reluctantly drank it. Regardless of ancient times, there was no way I would allow a child under my care to consume alcohol.

Even though it wasn't yet evening, the pub was bustling with over a dozen people. Some were engrossed in various games, while others sat alone, nursing their drinks. Laughter and conversation filled the air.

Adjacent to our table, two men engaged in a lively discussion about their carpentry jobs and the current projects they were working on. Judging from their conversation, they were likely locals. Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked them, "Excuse me, I'm new here. I've heard about the head guard, but I don't quite understand why she fascinates everyone."

The old man grumbled something under his breath, but the younger man, who seemed to be an apprentice, beamed with delight. "That's Lady Camilla. She's the head warrior and the city's strongest fighter. She's also responsible for tracking down and hunting down the monster that emerges at night. Despite her relentless efforts, she has had little success. As a result, her reputation has suffered, and some people have begun questioning her abilities."

So, she was in charge of finding the monster, which piqued my interest. If she couldn't defeat it, I doubt anyone else in this city could. Except for Herackles, if he was still around these parts.

"Perhaps she's pursuing the wrong lead, and the killer isn't a monster but someone trying to conceal their actions by making it appear supernatural," I suggested.

Although my words lacked concrete evidence, they served their purpose, and the apprentice continued speaking. "No, that's not possible. The victims all had their blood drained, and some even resembled mummified husks. Besides, Lady Camilla surely conducted thorough research before reaching her conclusions."

It seemed the young man was a Camilla fan, so attempting to sway his opinion would be futile. I still needed more information about this alleged monster. "Has anyone actually seen the monster?"

"No," the youngster shook his head. "Although there were rumors that the previous head warrior had been secretly working with the monster. But he has remained silent despite being imprisoned."

"Humph!" The old man snorted in disdain. "There's no way the previous head guard would stoop so low. You, youngsters, know nothing about his honor. It's just that this conniving Camella framed him when she had the opportunity to become the new head guard!"

The youngster frowned. "She would never do such a thing. Besides, she is the granddaughter of a demigod, making her more suitable for the job than someone who collaborates with monsters!"

"The granddaughter of a demigod? Don't make me laugh, you snotty brat. Those are baseless rumors," the old man insisted.

As they started arguing, I backed off, not wanting to get involved in their bickering. Auto looked at me and sipped her milk, leaving a white mustache-like spill on her upper lip. "You're quite skilled at provoking conflicts and pretending to be innocent."

"Shitty brat says what?"

"What?"

"Gotcha," I smiled. She seemed confused before her eyes widened. Perhaps these concepts hadn't been invented yet.

Nevertheless, regardless of what was happening in this city, we needed to leave. Initially, I had planned to stay and rest a bit longer. But considering the circumstances, I would never forgive myself if something happened to Auto just because I decided to linger here to enjoy the local scenery.

Though the monster targeted children, even I wasn't safe, given that it also killed adults, presumably those who witnessed it. How troublesome…