IPUAVNP Chapter 140

Chapter 140

 

The next day. 

The sun had not yet risen, and the early dawn was still thick with twilight.

Kyle and Brody were moving busily by the light of a single candle from the early morning hours.

They took care to make no noise as they washed up and packed their belongings.

Although they had told their family they would be leaving in the morning, they were preparing to depart while it was still dark.

If they traveled during the day, they would surely draw attention, and showing others their departure would only lead to unnecessary trouble.

That was why Kyle had decided the night before to leave early with Brody.

Brody had tried to dissuade him, saying it didn’t feel right to leave without saying goodbye to their family, but Kyle’s final act of consideration for them had been the meal they shared the previous night.

He didn’t want to see his family sad as they bid him farewell. He wanted their last memory together to be that peaceful evening of joy.

So, even if it was a cruel farewell to his family, Kyle made up his mind to leave this way for his own sake.

Once they were ready, the two of them transformed—one into a wolf, the other into a rabbit.

Brody wrapped herself in the pink cloak Eliza had gifted her and slung the backpack Eliza had made onto her back. She hopped along, following closely behind Kyle.

“Get on my back, Brody.”

Kyle whispered softly as they reached the stairs leading down to the first floor.

Brody wriggled onto his back, and only after ensuring she was securely settled did Kyle stand up and descend the stairs.

There was no hesitation in his steps as he left the home he had lived in all his life.

No lingering attachment, no regrets. He did not even glance around, lost in memories of bittersweet times.

The only certainty growing within him with each step was that he would never return here. That he would never see his parents and siblings again while he lived.

Yet, even with that cold certainty weighing on him, Kyle did not look back.

Not when he stepped out the front door, not when he crossed the garden.

He had no lingering attachment to the past. As the new dawn broke, he walked forward, never looking back.

Without hesitation, he abandoned everything and left his father’s house forever.

And yet…

Though the house remained silent as if no one had awakened, the truth was that no one had been sleeping.

Kyle’s family, already knowing he would leave like this, stood by their windows, watching him go until his figure disappeared from sight.

He never once turned back. They watched him abandon them so effortlessly.

Even after he was gone, his parents stood there for a long time, staring at the path he had taken.

They were hoping, however faintly, that he might walk that path back home one day.

Now, they would live the rest of their lives clinging to that empty hope, waiting for a son who would never return.

 

***

 

By the time Brody and Kyle passed through Nort Village and crossed Mount Nevo, the sun had already risen high in the sky.

Though Brody could have walked on her own, Kyle had not let her set foot on the ground since they left home. It seemed he intended to carry her on his back for the entire journey.

Thanks to that, Brody, comfortably perched like a noble, focused on her role as their guide, carefully studying the map and planning their route.

“At this pace, we should reach Morgen Village by tonight. There’s an inn there, so we can stay for the night.”

Morgen Village was a small settlement situated between Roden’s northern border and the foothills of Mount Alcamon.

After spending a night there, they planned to pass through the Alcamon mountain range and enter the Erbe Plateau.

“Do you want to stop by and see your uncle while we’re passing through the Erbe Plateau?” Brody asked.

Kyle shook his head.

“No. What for? We just saw him not long ago.”

“You never know when you’ll see him again.”

“Forget it. Too much hassle.”

His response was indifferent, but Brody narrowed her eyes.

He liked his uncle. She knew that.

He wasn’t avoiding him because it was troublesome—he was avoiding him because he was afraid his resolve would waver.

Brody saw right through Kyle’s thoughts but chose to pretend she hadn’t. Instead, she continued explaining their itinerary.

“Well, we can decide about your uncle after we reach the plateau. For now, we’ll keep heading north across the wilderness. You remember Quis Village, right? We’ll go there first, then continue westward. We need to avoid the lava fields of the Crescent Mountains.”

On their way here, they had taken the shortest route by traveling straight east. But this time, they planned to take the western route across the Knohen continent.

Unlike the barren wastelands and snowy plains of the east, the west had scattered villages, which meant they wouldn’t have to camp outdoors or go hungry too often.

“When we reach the northern part of Knohen, we can take a sled pulled by Malamute beastfolk to the bay. Unlike the abandoned lands in the east, the western bay has small harbor villages. From there, we’ll have to find a way to cross to Asgard on a herring fishing boat.”

Brody then reminded Kyle to be careful with their gold coins. They would need to bribe a fishing boat captain to take them to Asgard.

Kyle nodded and, after listening to the plan, asked Brody,

“How long do you think it’ll take to get home?”

“Hmm. It took us over two months to get here… so this time, it’ll probably take twice as long.”

“Hm.”

Kyle nodded as if he had expected that.

Brody studied him quietly.

She had thought he might feel unsettled about leaving home without looking back.

That he might worry about his family waking up to find them gone and feeling sad.

Ah, but… it wasn’t just his family that would be sad, was it?

“Kyle, did you at least say goodbye to the twins?”

She told him to go and comfort them, but she wasn’t sure if Kyle had actually visited his subordinates, so she asked.

As expected, Kyle remained silent, practically admitting that he hadn’t gone to see them.

At that, Brody grabbed his fluffy ears and scolded him.

“I knew it! Do you have any idea how sad they must be since you just left without saying goodbye?”

Perhaps she was only this concerned because they were the few in Roden who truly cared about Kyle and followed him.

Meanwhile, Kyle, unfazed, flicked the ear Brody hadn’t grabbed and muttered,

“Those guys are probably too busy to be sad right now.”

“Busy? Why?”

Brody blinked in confusion at his unexpected remark.

Kyle answered in a casual tone.

“Because they’ve been following us like stalkers since dawn.”

After saying this, Kyle suddenly stopped and turned around. Because of that, Brody didn’t even need to look around—she already knew they were there.

The next moment, the nearby bushes rustled, and two wolves emerged from within.

“Ah, ****. We’ve been caught.”

“What the hell? You knew we were here, and you just let us keep hiding?”

The wolves grumbling as they stepped forward were, without a doubt, the Oswald twins.

While Brody was still reeling from the fact that she hadn’t noticed their presence at all, Kyle, maintaining a cold expression, asked,

“Why are you following me?”

The unspoken message: Go back home.

In response, the twins scraped the ground with their paws, pouting like rebellious teenagers.

“By now, everyone must think we left with our boss. It’d be embarrassing to go back now.”

“So you’re saying you plan to keep following me?”

“…”

The twins were momentarily silent at Kyle’s question. But soon, they sighed deeply, as if resigning themselves to the inevitable.

“Honestly, what’s the point of staying in Roden if our boss isn’t there? It’s not like we’re going to follow Lord Abel.”

“Besides, ever since we were kids, the elders and villagers have labeled us as hopeless cases because we always followed you around.”

“Exactly. Our lives ended up like this because of you, so instead of abandoning us, you should take responsibility!”

It was a ridiculous argument.

Kyle found it absurd that they were talking about ‘responsibility’ when they had followed him around of their own volition.

But… he didn’t bother pointing that out.

It wasn’t worth the effort.

The twins didn’t need his permission anyway. They had already followed him this far without it. And even if he told them not to, they’d do as they pleased.

Excuses aside, they genuinely cared about their leader.

Kyle knew this, which was why he didn’t argue further. Instead, he sighed and, wearing an exasperated expression, muttered,

“Do whatever the hell you want.”

With that, he turned away without hesitation and continued walking.

The Oswald twins, though replying nonchalantly, “Yeah, we’ll do what we want,” couldn’t hide the excitement in their eyes now that they had his approval.

Brody, watching them grin at each other before confidently following after Kyle, couldn’t help but smile.

A rabbit and three wolves continued their journey, arriving at their destination, Morgen Village, just after sunset.

Though small, the village sat between Alcamon’s mountain range and Roden’s valley, making it a common stop for travelers.

Because of that, it had plenty of inns, and they easily found one with two vacant rooms.

Having arrived late, they ate dinner quickly before heading straight to bed, preparing for the journey ahead.

And then, late at night, while they were fast asleep…

“****, it’s chilly tonight.”

The innkeeper, who had just finished closing up for the night, stepped outside to extinguish the lantern hanging by the entrance.

Muttering to himself about the unusually cold night air, he reached for the lantern and blew out the candle inside.

Fwoosh.

“!”

The moment the light went out, something gleamed ominously in the darkness, pressing against his throat.

“Hik! Wh-what the—!”

His terrified exclamation was cut off.

A cold blade rested against his neck, pressing into his skin.

Paralyzed with fear, the innkeeper trembled, unable to even scream.

And then, from behind him, a low, merciless voice spoke bluntly.

“There’s something you need to do for us.”