MTLNOVEL Chapter 25: Lich and Dragon (2)
Bruto looked at Andrew, the soul fire in his eye sockets crackled as it burned. There was also a faint layer of mist around him. Paired with his withered bones, the scene was truly horrifying.
Andrew's expression froze completely, he held his breath, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
The surroundings were silent.
A light breeze blew by, pressing down the sparse, withered grass nearby.
You want to know what was going through Andrew's mind at this moment? It was quite complicated.
The first time he saw Bruto, his mind went completely blank and he froze up. After a brief silence, his initial reaction was to run away. However, he quickly felt the overwhelming magic power emanating from the other.
This wasn't Gray, this was an extremely powerful Lich. That kind of oppressive aura was many times stronger than Andrejewitsch.
No need to think, he knew there was no way he could escape.
And then? What else could he think? *Of course, his mind continued to be a blank slate.* His legs were already starting to go weak uncontrollably.
*Just when Andrew was basically certain he was dead, with no plans to escape left, something bizarre happened.*
Bruto tilted his skull slightly, and the soul fire in his eye sockets bent into two question marks.
"Huh, what does this mean?"
Before Andrew could figure it out, the small beastman Turuk beside him had already started screaming. Immediately after, he turned and bolted, running for his life.
Alright, this was the most normal reaction to seeing a Lich.
At the same time, possibly due to Turuk's scream, Andrew's eyes widened, and his legs buckled as he plopped down on the ground.
"Hey, you don't need to fear me! I'm a righteous Lich! Have you heard of the White Bone Holy Light Court?" Bruto quickly shouted, "I just wanted to ask you for directions!"
This sentence left Andrew dumbfounded.
What was going on? The other didn't recognize him?
Hmm... This was actually quite simple, but it needed to be explained from two dimensions.
First, from Andrew's perspective.
Had Gray issued a wanted order for Andrew? Yes. Was Andrew the number one wanted fugitive of the White Bone Holy Light Court? Correct. And not only that, but Andrew was also the court's only wanted fugitive. Yes, the only one.
By normal understanding, Gray would be desperately, frantically searching for him. If he got caught, Andrew's fate would definitely not be good.
Andrew thought so too.
However, the reality might not have been that way. Gray actually never wanted anyone. If he issued a warrant for someone, his original intention might just be to "bring him back," not "do something to him." Moreover, it's possible this person wasn't very important, just someone he happened to remember he should bring back. The reason he was number one wasn't because Andrew was that important, but because he was the only one to be found... The situation was similar to suddenly remembering you hadn't had dried dates for a long time, so you said, "I want to eat dried dates." Yes, you said it and it was indeed the only thing you wanted to eat at the time. But it didn't mean you'd tell everyone to help you find dried dates, nor would you be willing to pay a big price for them. You might even forget after saying it, because you had more important things to do.
*Simply put, Andrew overestimated his importance.*
The other angle needed to be understood from Bruto's perspective.
Did Bruto know Andrew?
Definitely.
Where did he know about him?
From the novel. The Lich Council started tracking the Silver Moon Knight Order from Black Dragon City. Before Gray entered Black Dragon City, Andrew had already separated from him. He and Jones, and Dora were left in Azlan Mountain. Even later, when the news of Andrew's defection came, Gray heard it from Jones. After leaving Azlan Mountain, Gray never saw Andrew again. Bruto? Of course he hadn't seen him either.
As for whether Bruto knew that Gray was chasing an elf named Andrew?
Maybe, maybe not. Maybe someone told him, but he forgot. After all, who would remember a minion's name for no reason?
That's a normal reaction, right? Even readers forget who a character is if they haven't appeared for two volumes. *So from this perspective, Bruto was clearly a qualified reader. As for Andrew... Oh, he was obviously an unimportant member of the Silver Moon Knight Order, lower in status than Jones.*
*Thus, the current situation.*
*Bruto thought their fear was a normal reaction, after all, it wasn't the first time he had scared someone.*
*As for Andrew... smart as he was, he quickly figured it out. Though realizing he wasn't important and had been worrying for nothing was quite hurtful, at least the current situation was good news.*
After a moment of silence, the small beastman Turuk, who had run a distance away, came back, trying to pull Andrew along. Andrew grabbed him and constantly took deep breaths as he looked at Bruto, "Don't be afraid, he belongs to the White Bone Holy Light Court, he must be a good guy!"
Upon hearing this, the small beastman was stunned. Bruto then cackled, "Of course, I am definitely a good guy. Elf, I appreciate you, you have good judgment. So, have you seen a dragon?"
As he spoke, Bruto slightly parted his jaw, his gaze shifting back and forth between Andrew and the trembling small beastman.