Chapter 50 The Ninth Son Part 2

The five people stood in place, looking at each other and around the mountain, but they didn't see a single person. They could only hear the man's soft laughter echoing in the mountains.

Abrafo looked at the other four and said, "Well, this is really interesting." His eyes were still searching.

Yul said, " So, we're not alone."

Hajime said, "I guess not... your theory of seeing a white deer is indeed very accurate."

U-ri asked, "What are we going to do now?"

Michio looked at the other four and asked, "Should we stay or leave?"

Yul sighs and looks at the men. "I wonder if we are actually in Magior?"

The four men looked at Yul and said in unison, "What?"

Yul pulls out his map to show the others. "This was shown to me last night."

Hajime took the map from Yul and said, "And you are too lazy to tell us." He looked at the map, which showed a route to the place called Magior. "Well, according to this old map, we're not even near Magior." He handed the map to Abrafo.

Abrafo took the map and looked at it. "Are we really going to follow this old map?"

Michio, standing next to Abrafo, peeked at the picture on the map and said, "Do you have any other suggestions?"

Abrafo said, " The last time we followed this damn map, the route took us to the sacrifice ground. We almost died there. I suspect the map was designed to fool us into killing ourselves."

"I agree with Abrafo," said U-ri, taking the map from Abrafo. "The last time we followed this map, it led us to the wolves that were trying to eat us."

Yul said, " But it also led us to a clue that we didn't have in the first place."

Michio said, " It's true. If you don't pay the fine, you get nothing."

"Getting the keys to No Man's Land is a very dangerous task," Yul said, looking at the people behind him. "I can understand if any of you don't want to continue."

When the men are discussing their differences. The strange man's laughter stopped.

Hajime hated arguments the most. To change the subject and divert everyone's thinking, he said, " Since there is nothing here, let's go down the mountain. I'm sure there is a village nearby." He looked at Yul and Abrafo. "If the two of you are up for some walking?"

"Not me... my legs are still hurting, and I'm going to rest here even if the sky falls," Abrafo said, walking back into the cabin.

Michio said, "Let's have breakfast first...it's not a good thing to talk on an empty stomach." He grabbed U-ri's arm and walked into the cabin. "Yul, come in."

Hajime walks towards the door and finds that Yul is not following him. He turned and asked, "Aren't you coming in for breakfast?"

Yul says, "You go…" He grabs his sword and straps it back on.

Hajime asked, "Where are you going?"

Yul said, "I'm going to look around."

Hajime knew that Yul was determined to find the key to No Man's Land, but in Yul's condition, he knew that Yul couldn't go far, so he grabbed Yul's arm.

"You're not going anywhere," Hajime said firmly, dragging Yul's back into the cabin. "Let's go have breakfast, and if you still want to go later, I'll go with you."

Yul pulled his arm away, "Hajime... you have no idea how important this mission is to me."

Hajime said, " I know this mission is important to you, but your safety is also important to me...not just me, but everyone. So, before you leave, I must make sure that you are in good health, only then are you allowed to continue."

Yul said, "I have never failed the mission His Majesty entrusted to me, and I don't want to fail now."

Hajime grabs Yul's arm again and drags him towards the cabin. "Well, now, the task your wife gave you is to eat and heal your injuries. You'd better not miss this task, otherwise."

Yul asked, "Otherwise?"

Hajime grinned at Yul, "Otherwise your wife will turn you into a wooden man."

Yul sees two shadows lurking behind the bushes. He stepped forward and yelled, "Get out of those bushes and show up, or I'll shoot you."

Hajime quickly looked to where Yul was staring "What is it?" he asked. "What do you see?"

Yul whispered, " I saw something behind those bushes."

Hajime looked, and slowly walked out of the dense bushes where the big white deer he had seen before. Hajime looked at Yul in surprise. " He seems to understand human language."

Hajime stepped forward and Yul grabbed Hajime's arm. "What are you doing?" Yul asked worriedly.

Hajime said, " I think this white deer just wants to make friends and won't harm us." He approached the white deer that was also walking towards him.

Hajime slowly extended his hand to the white deer's forehead. "I won't hurt you." He smiled at the white deer and touched the white deer's forehead. "Yul...look, this deer is harmless. I think it just wants to make friends."

Yul shook his head and said, "I'll ask you again when we run out of food."

Hajime looked at Yul madly. " Even if there is no food, I will not hurt this white deer...Look at its blue eyes and white eyelashes. Somehow this deer looks like me." He smiled and continued to pat the white deer. "Its fur is also so..."

Yul retracted the sword with his left hand and cut off the arrow aimed at Hajime's back. Hajime turned around quickly and saw many men rushing towards them.

A man in armor shouted, "Give us the white deer." The men continued to charge at them, three hunting dogs barking in the distance.

Hajime patted the white deer, "Run quickly..."

The white deer glared at Hajime, and quickly fled towards the forest and mountains behind the cabin. Three dogs rushed forward, barking wildly, chasing the white deer.

Six men and one woman stopped in front of Yul and Hajime, while the rest of the men chased the white deer and the hunting dogs.

Kexin looked down at Yul madly. She points her sword at Yul. "If you hadn't cut my arrow, the deer would be mine," she grinned. "Arrest them."

Hajime asked, "Why did you want to arrest us?"

Kexin said, "I have been chasing that white deer for four days, but you cut off my arrow when I have a good shot."

" Although your shot is good, it doesn't mean you can hit it," Abrafo said, leading Michio and U-ri out of the cabin.

Michio whispered, "They surely have many men with them."

Abrafo hit Michio's left abdomen and said, " We have defeated the group of wolves. We can easily defeat a group of men."

When the men and their dogs returned, Abrafo and Kexin started talking. Kexin quickly asked, "Did you find it?"

One of the men said, "No, my lady. The smell of the deer seems to have disappeared at the foot of that hill." He pointed to the rocky hills behind the cabin.

Looking at Hajime, who was dressed in white, with long white hair and eyelashes, Kexin was so angry that Hajime looked like the white deer. She grabbed the riding whip around her waist and swung it towards Hajime.

Yul quickly grabbed the whip and pulled Kexin off the horse. Yul pushed Hajime back, his hand already grasping the hilt of his sword.

"My lady," the men rushed over to support Kexin.

Kexin stood up frantically and wiped the dirt off her clothes. She looked at Yul madly, " How dare you pull me off my horse?"

Yul said, "Nobody is allowed to hurt Hajime."

Hajime looked at Yul, and murmured, "Yul..." Hajime suddenly felt a sense of happiness in his heart. It was a long time ago that someone stopped someone who hurt him. The hero in his mind had saved him many times, but now, he couldn't remember what the hero in his mind looked like. It seems that he hasn't thought about his past life recently, because he forgot to think about his past life; the people in the past also slowly fade away with each new sunrise.

Kexin gritted her teeth. "I can hurt anyone I like," she said angrily staring at Yul and Hajime.

Yul looked at Kexin and said, "You can hurt anyone you like, but you can't hurt anyone who stands with me. Especially him." He looked at Hajime. "If I'm still standing, no one is allowed to hurt him."

Hajime looks at Yul's hand, which has started to bleed. Hajime grabs Yul's hand and says, "Yul...your hand is bleeding."

Seeing Yul doting on Hajime so much, Kexin became even more angry. Kexin swung her sword to stab Yul and Hajime. Yul quickly kicked her sword aside and hit Kexin's right thigh, making Kexin fall forward towards him. Yul pushes Kexin back to her men with his left hand.

Kexin gritted her teeth, "Release the dogs."

Abrafo snorted, "Bad idea..." He drew his sword.

Hajime looked at Kexin and Hajime became angry. Kexin suddenly reminded Hajime of Akako. The more he looked at Kexin, the more Hajime's breathing rapidly increased. "I hate women like you the most." He gritted his teeth and glared at Kexin.

Hajime suddenly became angry, which surprised the four people who were traveling with him.

Kexin looked at Hajime frantically, and said, "Release the dogs now."

Kexin's men let go of the dogs and the dogs rushed towards Hajime and the others who stood a few feet away from Kexin and her men.

Hajime pursed his lips together and let out a short whistle. As soon as Hajime finished his whistle, the gray wolf who was patrolling the cabin suddenly let out a loud roar and appeared from the side of the cabin.

Hajime smirked at Kexin and said, " Tear up those dogs into pieces."