The Stonehearted Knight-Chapter 158: Entering the ruin

The journey to Notresol was uneventful. The long journey forced many to nap or partake in games. Hex was the only one with eyes on the scenery.

The ruins of Notresol lay further down south. The landscape changed as the journey went on. The lush fields around Notrelune turned into hills with rocky, uneven grounds. The final stretch changed back into greenery. Bushes and trees were covering the path forward. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

The Hawks were seated in the first coaches and carriages. This was the Commander’s order. As such, when the path became impassable, the soldiers got off and started clearing up. Hex joined them despite their protest.

Slowly but surely they got closer to the ruin. The first thing Hex noticed about the ruin was the wall. It was overgrown in places and in others, it was missing pieces.

’What is this feeling?’ As they neared the outer walls, Hex’s senses picked up more and more powerful energy fluctuations. Most came from inside the walls.

’Demons and Fiends. A lot of them.’ Hex couldn’t estimate how many creatures he sensed but he knew they weren’t few. If so many were near the wall, the core areas would be filled with more dangerous Heartless.

The area outside the gate was clear of bushes and trees. The Northern Hawks had a camp set up here for some time to monitor the ruin. The people here never ventured deep inside the city. Their main task was to check whether the Heartless left the ruins. According to Althea, the Heartless remained inside the city. They survived on rodents and other small animals that dared to enter the walls.

"Everyone, gather around. Don’t shout. Don’t wander around. And don’t be a dick." A stern-faced elder Hawk shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hex joined the young Hawks, who immediately followed the instructions. The area they had to gather was a large field with soft grass.

"They will start giving the instructions once everyone is here," Althea whispered to Hex. It didn’t matter to Hex. He enjoyed the warm sun and the soft breeze against his skin. Having spent most of his life in damp, cold crevices, he welcomed the change.

There were tens of carriages bringing people over. And an equal amount of coaches filled with descendants of the elite and nobles were behind them. They sought thrill and fun, seeing this trip as an adventure they could brag about later.

From what Hex gathered so far, many more carriages would join later. They brought medics, potion masters, and of course merchants. No wealth-worshiper would miss out on this event said to be the biggest of the past decade.

It took more than half a day before every participant arrived at the clearing. In the beginning, everyone adhered to the rules but as the group grew a few rebels appeared.

"Why can’t we just enter?"

"Indeed. This is a competition. Are they planning to give those Hawk chicks and soft nobles a headstart?"

Hex glanced at the small group of young men clad in fur and holding large swords and axes. They had long beards and bushy heads. Their grins revealed their broken teeth. They were not far from him.

"Hey, look at those titties!" One of them pointed at Hestia and said to his friends. The group whistled and made "oooh" and "aah" sounds. They felt emboldened when Hestia looked at them with a smile. Hex didn’t meddle. He just shook his head, knowing fully what they would experience in a bit.

Sure enough, as soon as they walked toward her and tried to grab her butt, the grass around them shot out and wrapped around them. Before they could cry for help, the grass wrapped their mouths and pulled them to the ground. They lay on the ground, wrapped in green grass, appearing as part of the field. The people around chuckled, while a few eyed Hestia warily.

"Is someone causing trouble?" Right then the elderly man appeared and asked, his eyes on the heap of grass-bandaged humans.

Hestia and Hex who stood beside them, shook their head in unison. They even sat on the wriggling grass as if nothing happened.

"Excellent. I like orderly people."

The elder pointed at a table behind him with a large heap of rolled-up scrolls. "That is a map of the city before its destruction. We marked some areas with red and blue x’s. Blue means there is a high concentration of Heartless but of lower ranks. Red means there are probably stronger Heartless there, whose presence scared us so much we ran with our tails between our legs.

But please remember. The map is outdated and based on information from scouts who emphasized speed over accuracy. Speed to run away. So, don’t rely on them. In fact, we will be relying on you guys to get accurate data. We haven’t placed any black x’s on the map but if a number of you die in a certain location, we will be sure to add them on future maps."

The elderly man gave a toothy grin at the end of his explanation. Only now did people notice his eyes were real. They were fabricated gems, functioning as eyes.

"Oh, these?" He pointed at his eyes when he saw the horrified faces of some. "This is just the result of seeing things not meant for human eyes. You will see." And then added, "After that, you won’t be able to."

Hex nearly laughed. He liked the man’s nasty humor. Not many shared his sentiments though. He heard a few of them curse the old man under their breath.

The elder either didn’t hear those curses or ignored them. He gave a few more instructions. They had to enter in groups. It was up to them who entered first.

"I will go first!" A loud shout came from the other end of the group. People parted as Tarquin and his small group made their way to the table with the maps. Hex recognized Elsa, Gabe, and the muscular Gabriella amidst them.

As they walked to the gates, the group saw Hex. Taruin smirked at him while the others ignored him, except Elsa. She looked at him with a similar curiosity as she had done to his other persona. It made Hex feel a bit weird.

’She is strange. Better to stay clear from her.’

One by one, people started to gather and enter through the gates. The Hawks had decided to enter in small groups too. They would spread out. Although they were here to participate, they saw it as their responsibility to support others in case of danger.

"Will you join us?" Althea asked. She couldn’t solo as an officer. She had a team to lead.

"I think I will go solo the first day. I just want to do a bit of recon," Hex said, entrusting Hestia to her. She was better suited for team fights.

As for him, he had other plans.