Free Web NovelChapter 567: 567:Time To Return
Ethan, Maverick, and Hale stood inside a quiet tent while finishing their preparations, and the faint smell of treated leather filled the air as they adjusted their disguises carefully and checked every small detail so that nothing looked out of place.
They had used animal skin to reshape their ears, and the crafted extensions blended naturally with their hair while giving them the proper appearance of elves, and their clothing had also been changed to match the merchants they would travel with so that they would not stand out in any way.
Ethan adjusted the edge of his sleeve and glanced at Hale while narrowing his eyes slightly.
"You look strange," he said.
Hale snorted lightly and touched his ear while frowning.
"You don’t look any better," he replied, and then shook his head as if he was still not used to it.
Maverick stood beside them, and his expression remained calm as always while he checked the surroundings once more and made sure there was no mistake.
"It will hold," he said. "As long as no one looks too closely."
Ethan nodded, and then he took a slow breath while steadying his thoughts.
"Let’s move."
Soon after, the three of them joined the elven merchant caravan, and under the cover of routine trade movement, they began traveling along the hidden routes that were controlled and protected by the elves while maintaining a natural pace.
The path they followed was not direct, and it wound through forests, narrow passes, and quiet plains while avoiding major conflict zones, and the merchants moved in a steady rhythm while keeping a low profile and speaking only when necessary.
Days passed, and one day turned into another while the journey continued without interruption, and for nearly a week there were no problems while the route remained clear and safe.
Ethan stayed quiet most of the time, and his eyes remained alert while he observed everything around him, and even though the travel seemed calm, his mind never truly relaxed.
Then, everything changed.
A faint sound reached them, and at first it was distant and blended with the wind, but as they moved forward, the sound became clearer and more distinct.
The echo of war.
Clashing metal.
Distant shouts.
Ethan’s steps slowed slightly, and his expression changed as he lifted his head while listening carefully.
"Do you hear that?" Hale asked quietly.
Ethan nodded.
"I do," he replied.
Without wasting time, he stepped aside slightly and activated his disguise art more deeply, and his presence faded while his figure blended into the surroundings.
"I will check," he said.
Hale frowned slightly.
"Be careful," he added.
Ethan did not respond, and his figure moved ahead silently while keeping his presence hidden and his aura suppressed.
He reached a higher point and looked ahead, and what he saw made his eyes narrow immediately.
A battlefield stretched across the plains.
Humans and Beastmen were clashing directly, and both sides were locked onto each other while fighting with full force, and the ground was already scarred with marks of battle while bodies lay scattered across the field.
But what caught Ethan’s attention was not just the fight.
It was the human army.
"...This..." he muttered under his breath.
They looked different, and their formation, their equipment, and even their movements felt unfamiliar compared to the regular forces he had seen before.
"They are not standard troops of Arcadia" he thought.
The battle was intense, and neither side seemed willing to back down while both pushed forward again and again, and the clash felt like it would not end easily.
It was a deadlock.
A brutal one.
Ethan watched for a moment longer, and then he pulled back quietly before returning to the caravan.
Hale looked at him immediately.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"A fight," Ethan replied.
"Humans and Beastmen."
Hale frowned.
"That close?"
Ethan nodded slightly.
"And the human side... something feels different," he added.
Before Hale could ask more, a voice cut through the air sharply.
"Halt!"
The caravan stopped immediately, and the guards stepped forward while their expressions turned cautious and alert.
From ahead, a human squad approached, and their armor was worn but still functional while their weapons were ready, and their eyes scanned the caravan carefully as if looking for something hidden.
One of the elven guards walked forward calmly.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
The human soldier shook his head slightly.
"There isn’t any," he replied.
He paused briefly before continuing. fгeewebnovёl.com
"We just want to trade for some resources. You see, we are badly in need of supplies."
Both sides observed each other carefully while waiting for the next move, and the air between them remained tense but controlled.
At that moment, Kalro, who was the leader of the elven group, stepped closer to Ethan and lowered his voice.
"Sir Ethan, what should we do?" he asked.
Ethan blinked once and looked at him in slight surprise.
"Huh?"
"Why are you asking me?" he asked.
Kalro replied calmly.
"It’s the Queen’s order. She said if we encounter any situation, we should ask for Ethan’s opinion."
Ethan raised his brows slightly, and a brief thought about the considerate Queen passed through his mind.
Then he spoke.
"I don’t have much to say, but you can exchange a few supplies and get some intel in return," he said.
Kalro’s eyes lit up slightly.
"I was also thinking about this," he replied.
Soon, they allowed the leader of the human squad to step forward, and he introduced himself as Harlo, a young man who carried himself with confidence and who was at the King Knight realm.
Ethan looked at him and slightly adjusted his tone to sound older.
"Young man, can you tell me about the human situation?" he asked.
Harlo looked at Ethan and Kalro for a brief moment while studying them carefully.
"You all don’t look like troops from Arcadia," he said. "Are you here for support?"
Ethan then added without hesitation.
"We know nothing. We just stay in our forest," he said calmly.
Kalro glanced at Ethan with twitching lips but did not interrupt.
Ethan ignored it and kept his focus ahead.
Harlo exhaled slightly and spoke.
"We aren’t from Arcadia," he said.
"We are from the Xylos Empire. Arcadia has lost a few prefectures, and that allowed these bastards to pass through and reach our territory, and now we are forced to join hands and defend."
