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Chapter 125

He smacked his lips as he poured a second drink, and Trude approached his table.

"Is the beastfolk woman asleep?"

Ian nodded as he lifted his glass. Charlotte had fallen into a deep sleep after her bath. Despite her strong vitality and recovery abilities, the time she spent alone in that pigsty of a house had taken its toll. In Ian\'s eyes, it was a miracle her wounds hadn\'t worsened.

"And the carriage?" Ian asked.

Trude smiled as he sat down. "It\'s parked next to the stables. I slipped the stablehand some coins, so it’ll be ready whenever you need it."

Ian nodded. Lucas’s efficiency was impressive. While Ian was with Charlotte, Lucas had sent the carriage to the inn. Trude and the mercenaries had volunteered to handle the rest.

"We also did a round of the outskirts. Most people had no idea anything had happened. There seemed to be some sort of magical barrier around the house. But one person saw a large silver bird and two large bats flying over the wall. Said it was early morning two days ago and thought it was just a drunken hallucination."

You\'ve gone above and beyond.

Ian nodded approvingly. "Good work."

He had already guessed that Thesaya had left the city. Escaping was her specialty, and causing a commotion in the city would have been a blunder. She was likely still on the run, avoiding capture.

Though it\'s a slim chance...

Even so, it didn’t change the plan. In fact, leaving the city would make it easier for her to catch his scent and follow.

"...Was that silver bird Thesaya?"

Ian stared at Trude, who quickly smiled in response.

"I was just worried, considering the situation. It seemed likely."

"There are those pursuing her. Which are the demons lurking in Lu Sard."

"D-demons...?" Trude\'s eyes widened, as did those of the surrounding mercenaries. They held their breath, looking at each other.

I thought they wouldn’t ask more questions.

Trude swallowed and lowered his voice. "Was she kidnapped by demons, then?"

"Most likely."

"But why...? Were you planning to go to Lu Sard because of that? To kill the demons?"

"Something like that."

“...Of course...”

Sighs and murmurs of awe spread among the mercenaries. Their gazes on Ian grew more reverent and intense. These were all survivors of the Bellium Fortress.

Some had even witnessed Ian’s battle. It was natural for them to see him as a savior fighting against the continent’s darkness. Ian clicked his tongue.

"Stop looking at me like that. It’s creepy."

Trude quickly averted his gaze and spoke.

"Then you should leave soon. If you stay in the city, you’ll be stuck for at least a month. I heard the archduke wants to meet you, and both the Temple of Brazier and the Great Church of the Empire have sent people."

The archduke is understandable. But,

"The Temple of Brazier and the Great Church?"

"Rumors are spreading. They praise your achievements, probably wanting to make you a saint or an apostle of their order."

I’ve become disgustingly famous.

Ian let out a short laugh, thinking of Lucy and Miguel. Meeting them again would be pleasant, but now wasn’t the right time. A simple reunion wouldn’t suffice. If they were alive, there would surely be a time to meet again.

"...I need to leave before it gets any more complicated."

"Don’t worry about keeping it quiet. We’re the Dragon Slayer’s warriors, after all. We wouldn’t hold you back."

"That Dragon Slayer title..." Ian chuckled dryly.

Trude and the mercenaries had formed a mercenary group called the Dragon Slayer\'s Warriors. They were currently the only mercenary group in Travelga.

They maintained ties with the barbarian warriors and the defense forces they had fought with in Bellium and quickly absorbed the remaining mercenaries, solidifying their position. A new great northern mercenary group was born.

Trude spoke quickly. "Following you would require more than ten lives, so we decided against it. But rest assured, we won\'t be an obstacle in your path. If you ever need our help, we\'ll gladly follow. That’s an unchanging fact, as long as we are the Dragon Slayer\'s warriors."

He\'s got a way with words.

Ian half-listened to Trude\'s speech as he raised his glass. Trusting mercenaries\' loyalty was as futile as expecting devotion from a priest or reliability from a mage.

"That\'s your choice. But know this: if you tarnish that name by resorting to thievery, the Dragon Slayer himself will come for your throats."

"What do you take us for... Haha. By the way, will you be heading down through La Drin and Bel Ronde?" Trude forced a laugh and quickly changed the subject.

Ian shrugged. His original plan was to travel safely through Imperial territory to Lu Sard. It would be a longer route, but it would avoid the chaos of border conflicts until he reached Lu Sard. However, with Thesaya missing, he had no choice but to take the shortest route, as he had done when entering the north. The fastest way from Travelga was to head south through the outskirts of La Drin and Bel Ronde.

"It\'s chaotic here, so the news isn’t as fast as it used to be, but I’ve heard La Drin is a mess. They were the first to clash with Bel Ronde. Refugees say it\'s in ruins. As for Bel Ronde, it\'s constantly at war with everyone."

"Thanks for the information. I\'ll keep that in mind."

"Well... Rest up. You seem to have a lot on your mind. We’ll leave you to it."

Trude and the mercenaries stood and bowed.

"Keep it down while you drink. Don\'t disturb the captain. If anyone gets loud, you\'ll get your throat ripped out.” Trude glared at the other mercenaries before heading upstairs.

The already quiet tavern fell into an even deeper silence.

You guys were the loudest ones.

Ian smirked and lifted his glass. Trude was right; he did have a lot to think about.

***

It was late into the night. The empty tavern was silent; even the waitress who had brought him a new bottle of liquor had gone to bed. Ian remained at his table.

You can never predict the butterfly effect...

Ian brought the glass to his lips, revisiting thoughts he had already pondered several times. The Vampire Empress had said she would wait, but Ian hadn\'t trusted her words completely. While she might prepare for his visit, he doubted she would give up on seizing Thesa. He had kept Thesa as close as possible to crowds and himself, trying to protect her.

Sending them to the barbarians while he went to Bellium wasn\'t just about protecting the barbarians. Yet, the world that had once been a game had currents he couldn\'t fully control. Events like Mev’s downfall, the border wars, or the invasion of the northern undead legion were inevitable, almost destined.

A character who never had an escort quest in the game... Maybe I was holding back the tide, and she got swept away the moment there was a gap.

Ian shook his head lightly. These speculations were meaningless now. The important thing was how he would respond. Just as Mev and Lucy had survived, and as he had faced the massive variable of a dragon and survived, the outcome wasn’t set in stone, even if the overarching events were.

There might still be a way to complete the quest without killing Thesaya. She hadn’t fully transformed into the Empress of TrueBlood yet, so there was a chance.

If the current Empress of TrueBlood could still give out Thesaya’s quests...

A wry smile crossed Ian\'s lips as he reached the same hopeful conclusion again.

I\'m naturally thinking of saving her...

He brought the glass to his lips. This was mere wishful thinking, a shallow self-deception. The likelihood of needing to kill her was much higher. She was, after all, a boss and a demon from the game. Ian didn’t entertain the idea of Thesa dying first. If it came to that, vengeance would be all that remained. There would be no hesitation in that.

...Whatever happens, I\'ll have to accept it. As always.

Ian reached a different conclusion this time, downing his drink in one go. The harsh burn traveled down his throat. Grabbing the bottle, he realized it was empty and reached for another, finding it already half empty.

“...?”

Wait a minute.

Pouring another drink, Ian’s brow furrowed. He suddenly realized the strange sensation he\'d been ignoring. His gaze fixed on the glass.

“No way.”

He muttered, downing the freshly poured drink in one gulp. He poured another and drank it just as quickly, then put the glass down with a sense of futility.

“It’s not just my imagination....”

Ian rarely got drunk easily, and even when he did, his judgment didn’t falter. He never experienced hangovers either. But no matter what, with drinking strong alcohol, he could always feel a pleasant buzz.

Now, there was none. He had drunk a bottle and a half of strong liquor, plus three more shots in quick succession. The slight burning and brief dizziness were all he felt, and even those vanished quickly. His naturally high Mental Fortitude and Resistance had been bolstered by his increased Stamina and the Primordial Vitality skill.

Either I\'m breaking down alcohol at an incredible rate or not absorbing it at all... Damn it, who knows.

One thing was certain: he could no longer get drunk.

One of the few joys that kept me going in this damned world.

"Damn...." He sighed, pouring himself another drink. It was an instinctive action to stave off his bitterness.

Maybe I should look for some cursed item that lowers my stats...

The sound of footsteps on the stairs interrupted his thoughts of lowering the stat.

"...You\'re still awake, Ian."

It was Charlotte. She had come down the stairs fully equipped. Ian, watching her more composed face, soon noticed the item around her neck.

"That looks like Thesaya’s eyepatch."

"Yes, it is," she answered sheepishly, sitting across from him.

Ian gave a faint smile. "So sentimental. Thesa would be pleased to know."

"...It\'s not about sentiment. It\'s for revenge against those crazy bitches."

"...?"

Pouring herself a glass of water, Charlotte muttered.

"No matter how much I think about it, I reach the same conclusion. I fell under their spell the moment I made eye contact. It was brief, but enough. So if I cover my eyes completely... I can avoid becoming their puppet."

Ian was about to dismiss it as nonsense, but then he furrowed his brows, thinking of Thesaya from the game. In her final phase, there was indeed a random pattern that caused any character who looked at her to fall under mind control.

Hypnosis was a skill all vampires possessed, but... If she absorbed the twins’ true blood and became even stronger...

Nodding, Ian spoke. "But they won\'t be easy to deal with, especially with your eyes covered."

"It won’t be easy. But I have senses as sharp as Thesa’s. With enough practice, it won’t be much different from having my eyes open. I\'ll make sure of it."

Charlotte\'s voice was calm, not sounding like a boast.

...It\'s not something I can talk her out of.

Ian shrugged and asked, "How’s your body?"

"I feel very light."

"Good."

"I\'m ready to move whenever you are."

Ian looked at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. Charlotte met his gaze steadily. She clearly wanted to leave immediately.

"You seem to have forgotten something."

Ian chuckled and put down his glass.

"I slept for an entire week."

***

The sky was beginning to lighten with dawn. The sound of hoofbeats broke the quiet of the main road.

Leaning casually against the watchtower of the closed gate, the gate captain smirked as he saw the approaching carriage.

"In quite a hurry, aren\'t we?"

He gestured to the soldiers to open the gate. Descending the stairs along the wall, he walked up to the carriage. Charlotte, sitting in the driver\'s seat, nodded at him in recognition. As the soldiers opened the gate, the gate captain approached the carriage.

"Leaving so soon? I thought you\'d rest for at least another day."

Ian smirked and looked at him.

"If I rest another day, I\'ll be stuck here for a month."

"If anyone asks, I\'ll say I opened the gate on the Dragon Slayer\'s request. I don\'t know anything else. Will that do?"

Ian shrugged. "Tell them I threatened you with a sword if you like. I\'m leaving anyway; just pass the blame onto me."

The gate captain\'s smile widened. "I’ll handle it. Stay safe out there, Dragon Slayer of the North."

"You too. Thanks for everything."

The gate swung open. With a polite bow, the gate captain stepped aside. Ian, with a faint smile on his lips, watched as the carriage moved out.

The gate captain watched the carriage disappear before heading back up to the watchtower. Watching the carriage make its way down the road, he finally murmured.

"Every time, he leaves without a trace of regret."

The gate captain realized Ian\'s premonition was accurate that very afternoon when a group of barbarian warriors arrived in the city looking for him.

The Dragon Slayer\'s disappearance was confirmed the next day when priests of the Radiant Goddess arrived. Archduke Olaf only learned of his whereabouts from an urgent message from a border post a few days later.

Ian Hope had left the north.