Chapter 60: The Bone, the Death Flower, and the Night

While Kreyn and Varyn set out in search of the Withered Flower, Norma, Groza, and Diaro waited for them not far from the shore.

They were running late, they were supposed to return ten minutes ago.

Well, Norma wouldn’t have to wait any longer. Kreyn and Varyn were running toward them as fast as they could, along with four Vine Beasts.

"Norma," Diaro’s calm voice rang out. "Go on, help them."

"Tsk." She clicked her tongue. "I know that without you telling me! Varyn, I’m coming!"

Groza hurried to get to her feet. "I’ll help."

But Diaro stopped her.

"Don’t bother. Norma can handle everything. She knows what she’s doing. Just watch from afar."

Diaro smirked.

"After all, I wouldn’t pay her as much as she’s asking if she were useless."

This couldn’t help but spark curiosity in Groza’s gaze.

Norma stopped abruptly at the water’s edge and pressed her palms to the ground.

Tremble! Tremble! Tremble!

The ground shook as ripples spread across the lake’s surface.

With a splash, two stone columns appeared at the edge, then more and more, each one taller than the last, like dominoes.

"Jump!" Norma exclaimed, and Kreyn and Varyn reacted immediately.

No sooner had they leaped onto the columns than Norma summoned several more, but these were significantly wider and taller, forming a wall behind them.

BAM! BAM!

The Vine Beasts crashed into the columns; unable to dig their claws into the smooth stone, they fell into the water.

"Good job."

Kreyn landed next to Norma.

She frowned. "Tsk. Why did it take you guys so long? I’m sure it’s all because Varyn had to save your useless ass!"

"No."

Varyn replied, heading toward Diaro.

"We completed the mission, but something did hold us up, that’s true."

She leaned down, handing Diaro the Withered Flower.

He accepted the flower as his eyes drifted toward Kreyn, who was holding another one.

"You found two flowers in the same spot?"

Inside, Kreyn smirked. ’Huh, he just made Varyn’s task easier. Now she won’t even have to lie, she can just go along with his assumption.’

"Yes." Varyn nodded. "We killed many Vine Beasts, but they fiercely defended the flowers - we had to run."

Diaro looked toward Norma’s stone columns, which one by one were beginning to crumble.

"Huh. I see. I was thinking to ask you to find a few Withered Flowers so our new friends could get something too, but it seems the world heard my thoughts. Hahaha, how well everything turned out, right?"

Varyn sighed with relief, pressing her palm to her chest. She lied to him, but she didn’t want to.

"Oh... I’m glad to hear it."

But Kreyn had a different reaction.

’What the...? Did he actually consider that, or did he realize Varyn’s story was bullshit?’

Then, his gaze fell on the black flower.

’Well, either way, he doesn’t seem angry. I got what I wanted.’

[Withered Flower

[A flower that loves silence and the energy of the dead. It grows in quiet and secluded places, posing no threat in and of itself, yet piles of corpses often gather near it, serving as a strange adornment and a source of resources.]

’Not a word about the Deadbloom Vine... So I’ll be able to find these flowers in other similar places somewhere in the world?’

Kreyn nodded, tucking the flower into his pocket.

’I see. That’s good to know.’

"What should we do next?" Kreyn turned around. "You got your money and the flower. So, how about we head to the observatory?"

Diaro smiled.

"Sure. But I was hoping you could fulfill the third condition right now. That would make things a lot easier." His amber eyes brightened. "I don’t like waiting, it kills me."

Kreyn shrugged.

"Too bad. Sure, I’ve collected genes from these beasts and can create something for you right now, but it’ll be utter garbage. I don’t think that’s what you were hoping for."

"Oh, so you’re one of those who values quality over quantity. Good to hear it. I definitely didn’t mess up with the third condition."

Then, Diaro stood up and headed toward the van.

"In that case, let’s head to the abandoned observatory right now. Norma, you’ll ride on top of Roco. The rest of you, I invite you into the van with me."

"YAY!" Norma exclaimed joyfully as she ran toward their monster mount.

Kreyn and Groza exchanged glances as he nodded his head forward. She simply nodded back, trusting him.

But Diaro stopped right in front of the van’s entrance, turning back.

For some reason, Varyn had stayed behind, looking toward the shore.

"Varyn, dear, is something wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No... Just..." she muttered uncertainly. "I feel like someone was here, very recently. Maybe last night or even earlier."

"What?" Norma turned her head. "What kind of idiot would come out here at night?"

Varyn walked over to the shore and tossed a rock aside. When she straightened up, she was holding a white bone, clean except for the dust.

"I saw it right at the beginning, but I didn’t think much of it, but... where did this bone come from?"

It seemed like a simple question with many answers. Varyn thought so too, but it turned out not to be that easy.

"I don’t see any signs of a fight, and even if some monster had died here, there should be flesh, blood, or tendons left on the bone, at least something. But it’s smooth and clean. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure out why."

Groza thoughtfully touched her lip.

"Maybe the wind just blew it here?"

"Yeah!" Norma exclaimed from the side. "Don’t worry about it, let’s go!"

Varyn turned to Diaro as he nodded affirmatively.

"S-Sure." She tossed the bone aside, and their convoy set off.

Norma sat on Roco and steered their monster mount as it moved straight toward the observatory, while the rest of them were comfortably settled in Diaro’s van. It was like a small house, with a refrigerator, couches, a table, and even a compact bathroom in the corner.

Groza got used to their new company, striking up a conversation with Diaro with ease. She was curious to learn more about the merchants, while Varyn remained reserved as usual.

But...

Kreyn was silent.

His expression had grown darker from the very moment Varyn picked up the bone from the shore.

It was just a theory, a guess, but for some reason, deep down, he felt that it was true.

’Bones, flowers carrying the energy of death, and the night... It all sounds too good to be a coincidence. He... He was at that lake. But why, and where is he now?’

Kreyn looked out the window at the stone plateau. They were getting farther and farther away from Crooked Horn.

’Garius said that someone had cut off Leora and Nario’s heads. Even back then, it seemed strange to me. Could one of the townsfolk be a psycho?’

He shook his head inwardly.

’Nah, there was only one weirdo whose smile gave me the creeps - Arstar. He did it, and then he came here to collect the Withered Flowers. Shit, I should’ve killed him back then. I’d feel more at peace now.’

Kreyn sighed and turned to Diaro, interrupting the conversation.

"The abandoned observatory. How long until we get there?"

"Oh, very soon!" Diaro replied energetically, pointing to the window on his side.

They were heading down as the edge of a vast field came into view in the distance.

"And, Kreyn, what you said about the Vine Beast got me thinking about something."

"Hmm?"

Diaro smiled as a golden gleam flashed in his eyes.

"I think we can find a truly rare gene for you. But it’ll take some work - from all of us."