Savage Forest - Chapter 118.1

“What was that woman’s son’s name again? Was it Gernan?”

At the mention of her son’s name, Servia’s eyes widened in shock. She lifted her head abruptly. Behind her, an old man was also being dragged along, similarly bound. His mind seemed to have left him long ago, as he muttered incoherently to himself.

It was Servia’s father, Haron.

‘He’s completely gone.’

Yaru clicked her tongue as he observed Haron’s vacant expression.

The Garganta allied forces had successfully absorbed Servia and Gernan’s forces after a fierce battle. During the skirmish, Gernan had escaped, while Servia and Haron were taken hostage.

“How is Servia holding up?”

Yaru asked the soldier to keep watch over them.

“She hasn’t changed. Still refuses to say a word.”

Yaru gazed at Servia’s fierce eyes, glaring back at her with hatred.

‘…She’s a proud woman. Even in this state, she hasn’t revealed the number of forces Gernan took with him.’

Servia’s father, Haron, had shown signs of mental instability since their time in Aquilea.

‘There was a reason Haraibo took over as the chief elder of Aquilea.’

Yaru now understood why, when Servia left for Garganta, she had taken only her father, Haron, leaving behind the rest of the elder council.

‘She had been hiding the fact that her father’s mind was gone all this time from the people of Aquilea.’

It made sense.

In Aquilea, anyone with a damaged body or mind was exiled to the empty plains. Worse still, their family could be deemed tainted by “dirty blood” and cast out as well. Such was the brutal law of the Aquilea plains.

In the end, Servia fell victim to the very rule her family had helped establish.

Yaru had heard about Haron’s notorious past from Rigata. Haron was the elder who ruled Aquilea during the destruction of Cartantina. He was also the one who released the deadly hippis into the barren plains, indirectly causing the death of Tarhan’s mother.

‘So that senile old man is the enemy of both Enya and Tarhan’s family.’

Yaru’s gaze toward Haron naturally turned cold and harsh. Haron, however, paid no mind to Yaru’s cold gaze. He stumbled along, drooling from his mouth, gripping a strand of Servia’s long black hair as if it were the only thing guiding his steps.

Seeing Yaru’s expression, Nihitan let out a faint chuckle and muttered.

“He doesn’t even remember his own name anymore. If Servia didn’t take care of him, the old man couldn’t even feed himself or go to the latrine on his own.”

It was a way of telling Yaru not to bother.

Yaru shrugged in response at Nihitan. His partner sometimes had a soft spot, even for enemies.

“What’s our next destination?”

Kasar asked, pulling his gaze away from Servia.

“The waterfall, of course.”

Yaru answered immediately, her eyes scanning the upper reaches of the forest. Nihitan glanced toward the heart of the woods and murmured anxiously.

“There’s a lot of unrest.”

Several birds shrieked as they flew erratically in the distance. The forest itself seemed restless, moving almost violently.

“We better move quickly before something else happens.”

Yaru said, signaling the group to continue.

At that moment, Rio, who had been carried on the back of one of Kasar’s men, stirred awake. Her energy had noticeably waned since they entered the forest.

As she lifted her head, Kasar turned to meet her gaze.

The exchange between them felt charged as if the very air shifted with just a glance. Yaru couldn’t help but twist her lips slightly, noting how their relationship reminded him of Enya and Tarhan back in Aquilea.

“Let’s move out!”

With that command, the small group began making its way toward the waterfall.

* * *

Not far from where Yaru had climbed a tree to scout, another large group was on the move. Led by Piache and Kiyan, this group was made up of members from the Nervana Forest and the pharmacy.

Despite having many elderly and frail individuals among them, they had made swift progress through the forest, largely thanks to Kiyan.

As the long-standing leader of the Nervana Forest, Kiyan’s knowledge of its pathways far surpassed that of the younger members. She knew every shortcut and every broad path that would make their journey easier.

Piache found herself silently grateful to have such a capable leader by her side.

“This path is one of the broader routes left in the Nervana Forest. If you’re planning to pull that cart along, this is the only way. The younger ones probably don’t even know this road exists anymore. It was used back when our numbers were greater before the tribe began to weaken.”

Kiyan said, glancing behind the group.

At the end of her gaze, a heavy cart rattled along, carrying supplies. It had been entrusted to them by a woman named Romba, who claimed to represent the leper’s den.

“You’re headed to the Nervana Forest, right? I have something I’d like you to take with you. I’m sure it will prove useful.”

Piache also turned to look, her eyes filled with unease as she glanced at the heavily loaded cart. Romba had demonstrated the use of the weapons to the people from the pharmacy, showing them how to operate the unfamiliar tools.

Piache was honestly afraid about the weapons.

‘There’s no doubt they’ll be useful… but I’ve never seen anything with that kind of power before.’

Even Lehijin occasionally cast worried glances at the cart.

Kiyan, on the other hand, seemed to have a slightly different opinion.