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Chapter 140

Ian took the essence beads from Philip, who looked disgusted, and led the way out of the goblin village.

Fortunately, the three surviving horses had somewhat recovered. Philip, delighted, gave them water. The one that had died was lukewarm.

"I’m thinking of taking one of its legs," Charlotte said, drawing a dagger.

Ian nodded. “Cut it large. Enough for tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t worry.”

Charlotte began cutting off the horse’s hind leg with skilled, unhesitant movements. Philip, who had initially watched with pity, swallowed hard when Mev began carving a large chunk of thigh meat.

The horses weren’t in condition to be ridden yet, so the group led them on foot down the mountainside. Though the demonic realm was closed, the fog was still thick and the sky was dark.

“...Good thing we brought the horses,” Philip muttered upon spotting the cart.

It looked like it had been rummaged through by animals. Though it wasn’t broken, the bags had been rifled through with the contents scattered.

“They must have smelled the jerky. It’s all gone.”

Ian didn\'t voice his thoughts about whether they were truly ordinary wild animals. It wasn\'t the right thing to say when everyone was utterly exhausted.

“At least the liquor bottles are intact!” Philip said with a grin, pulling out bottles and pewter cups from a bag.

Charlotte, who was preparing to light a campfire and roast the meat, brightened.

“That’s good.”

“Don’t drink too much. We need to keep watch in turns.” Ian murmured lazily, sitting by the fire.

He felt like he could pass out the moment he closed his eyes. But since he had leveled up, he would feel much better after a rest.

“A couple of drinks each should do.” Philip, who had rushed over, sat by the fire. His gaze was fixed on the chunk of meat roasting over the flames.

Charlotte turned and added. “When it’s cooked, carve it up and serve it.”

“Don’t worry about that... By the way, where are you going?”

“To find a stream.”

She nodded toward Ian.

“Ian likes to keep clean.”

She knows me well now.

Ian chuckled and nodded. “Don’t go too far. We can wash at the next stream we come across.”

“Understood. But I feel dirty today as well.” Charlotte muttered, leaping away.

It wasn\'t just an empty remark. Not only her, but everyone in the group was covered in blood and dirt.

“Here, have some.” Philip offered the skewered meat to Ian.

Ian chewed in silence, as did Mev, who had removed her helmet. Her face, spattered with droplets of blood, showed signs of fatigue. Philip handed her a cup of liquor. All items were from the rogue knight’s hideout. Mev downed the drink in one gulp.

Quite the drinker now, aren’t you?

Ian smirked silently, bringing his cup to his lips.

Mev, having set down her cup, spoke. “I saw it during the battle. I suspected it when you used another sword. The one I gave you broke.”

“...Yes.”

“I’m not blaming you. It’s yours to use as you see fit. But the holy power seemed unusual. Can you show it to me?”

“Of course.” Ian put down his cup and took out the Broken Sword of Judgment from his pocket dimension.

Philip, chewing on meat, sighed. “It’s not the first time the lord has broken a sword, but I didn’t expect even that one to break.”

“It’s surprising for me as well. A sword blessed by the Goddess shouldn’t break easily.”

“It just happened....” Ian, feeling a bit awkward, took a sip of his drink.

Mev, having received the sword, grasped the hilt and closed her eyes.

Soon, a soft sigh escaped her lips.

“The source of the holy power is intact. In fact, it’s more pronounced and larger than when I gave it to you.”

Larger?

Ian, chewing on his meat, looked at Mev.

She opened her eyes and continued. “It seems you’ve accomplished enough deeds to catch the Goddess’s attention, Ian.”

“Can the source of holy power grow like that?”

“That’s how sacred artifacts are made.”

So that’s why the Strike of Judgment has grown stronger.

Of course, it was the sword that pierced the heart of the corrupted dragon. At that moment, Tir En had infused the sword with a holy power it couldn\'t withstand. Some of that power must have been absorbed and settled into its core.

“It\'s a shame. If it hadn’t broken, it would have soon become a complete sacred artifact.”

“Is there no way to restore the blade?”

“I’m not sure. You can\'t just weld the blade back together. Even if you melted the sword and reforged it, the source of the holy power would dissipate.”

Just as Ian was about to click his tongue in disappointment, she added.

“But there might be a way. There have been historical instances where damaged sacred artifacts were fully restored. If I meet a priest who serves the Stern Goddess, I will make sure to ask.”

“...Thank you.”

So there might be a way.

Just knowing there was a possibility was enough to be encouraging. After all, the Sword of Judgment was an excellent sword that allowed him to use holy skills. He had never come across a better sword so far. If it could be restored and made into a complete sacred artifact, it might remain the best.

Given its current durability, I can use Sword of Judgment maybe five or six more times.... I’ll have to use it sparingly if I don\'t want to break it completely.

Ian nodded and checked the quest rewards he had received earlier.

Charlotte returned shortly after. She had gone into the woods and returned from the direction of the path they needed to take through the valley.

“There’s a stream just beyond this ridge.”

“Great. Then we can wash up on our way tomorrow.” Ian smiled and lay down on the ground.

It was a bit chilly, but he didn’t want to wrap himself in a blanket in this condition. Mev also lay down soon after. They fell asleep almost immediately.

By the time they were ready to leave the next morning, the thick fog had lifted. The party, now short one horse, crossed the mountain.

Gray forest and gentle, dull hills greeted them. They had arrived in Bel Ronde.

***

“So, there was a palace underground? And the last queen of the Giant Kingdom was sleeping inside?”

“Yes. Ian killed the queen. This ax is something we brought from there.”

“Lu Solar, my god... Even at a glance, it didn\'t look like an ordinary ax... It was an artifact.” Philip, sitting next to Charlotte in the driver’s seat, exclaimed.

Mev, riding beside them on her horse, listened to her story.

“Then it was Ian who truly brought an end to the giant kingdom,” Mev added.

Charlotte, showing the battle ax to Philip, nodded.

“Yes. That’s what I thought. Back then.”

Philip, staring intently at the ax blade, quickly looked up.

“Back then...? So, there’s more to the story?”

“Well, it’s not something to talk about now.”

“No... You can’t leave it there. We haven’t even left the underground palace yet.”

“A deal is a deal. Don’t whine.”

“Who’s whining... Just a moment.”

Clicking his tongue, Philip turned around.

“We’re almost there, sir.”

“Alright.” Ian, leaning back in his seat and reading a journal he had taken from the goblin nest, responded.

Philip, looking at him curiously, added. “Is that interesting?”

“Not at all.”

He wasn’t lying. It was filled with the ramblings of a madman, as with most corrupted ones. The author of this journal was particularly interested in familiars, specifically taming monsters.

Among them, he had researched goblins the most, as they were the easiest to subdue and control. The dark mage believed it was because goblins had weak souls. Therefore, if their bodies could be improved, they would make the best families. So he experimented with breeding goblins with various monsters and beasts.

It was pure madness. The ultimate destination of his madness was, of course, humans. He kidnapped a refugee maiden to use as a sacrifice. And the result was successful. A larger, more intelligent hybrid goblin was born.

He wrote that human women couldn\'t handle giving birth to goblins and that hybrids had an unusually strong desire to breed. The key was to find a way to suppress this desire.

No point in reading further.

Ian clicked his tongue and closed the nearly finished journal. There was no information about why the demonic realm had opened or what that purple void was called. The dark mage probably didn’t care.

Philip’s voice continued. “Yet you’ve almost read the whole thing.”

“It’s better than listening to you guys talk.”

“No way. I’ve been eagerly waiting for Charlotte to speak these days.”

“Of course you have.”

Philip, looking at Ian who snorted, cautiously added. “Speaking of which. What kind of entity was the Giant Queen? You’re the only one who saw her, sir.”

“It’s all in the past....” Ian muttered, clicking his tongue briefly.

Mev, quietly watching him, also seemed interested.

“...She was neither fully dead nor fully alive, blinded by futile ambition. She believed she could rebuild the Giant Kingdom if she defeated the devil.”

“Wow. But, from what I heard, the wraiths of the Giant Kingdom were real. So her ambition wasn’t entirely baseless, right?”

“If you can call an undead kingdom a kingdom... Enough questions. Pester the one sitting next to you.”

Don’t bother me.

Clicking his tongue, Ian gestured his chin.

“Essence beads?”

“Oh, right.”

Philip handed over the essence beads he had placed beside him.

He saw a bare hand with the glove removed. On the middle finger was an old, thick gold ring engraved with the symbol of Lu Sola. According to Philip\'s explanation, it was a relic once used by a saint of the order.

The uninteresting story of how he came to possess it was, of course, not listened to attentively. The important thing was that, regardless of the details, Philip could now use the divine power of Lu Sola.

“The contamination has been slightly purified, but it will take several more rounds of the same process to fully cleanse them.”

Of course, he couldn’t use as much holy power as an Apostle of Lu Solar.

The ring was a rechargeable relic. It gathered holy power into its core during the day, and in this cloudy region, it gathered even more slowly. The reddish essence Philip handed over was the result of this accumulated holy power.

Compared to the original purple, the color had lightened significantly, but it still wasn’t usable yet.

“Well done. I’ll ask you to do it again in a few days.”

But Ian had no complaints. Having a way to purify contaminated magic on his own was already a blessing. Temples with statues or relics were rare, and even if they existed, he’d have to argue with greedy priests.

Gallop, gallop—

The city was getting closer.

This was Stoneville, where Mev and Philip had business.

It was more like a large village, but in the frontier, this was enough to be called a city. Tall stone walls encircled the city instead of a proper fortress wall. On a hill stood a large manor surrounded by even higher walls.

“At least this place looks inhabited.”

The guards at the gate merely glanced at the group and didn’t block their way. With a knight in full plate armor on horseback guarding the wagon, they probably assumed a noble was visiting. Or maybe entry checks weren’t stringent in the first place.

As Ian muttered, looking at the people passing by, Philip nodded.

“This place is quite far from the front lines. There may have been chaotic times, but it’s one of the most stable areas now.”

“We’re heading to the temple. Will you come with us?” Mev asked as they reached the stables.

Ian, having dismounted, looked at her. “Do you need company?”

“Not really. There won’t be any fighting.”

“Then Charlotte and I will resupply and secure lodging.”

“Alright. Have a meal as well. It might take some time.”

“Of course.” Ian chuckled and turned away.

***

Ian and Charlotte walked around the town, buying preserved food, spare clothes, and several swords. The prices were high relative to the condition of the goods, likely due to limited supplies. This was irrelevant to Ian. His pockets were like a bottomless well right now.

“The quality of the iron doesn\'t look good. These swords might break after a few uses.” Charlotte commented as they entered an inn and tavern.

It was still midday, so the tavern wasn’t crowded. Only a few rough-looking individuals glanced curiously and warily at the unexpected newcomers.

“We can’t do anything about it. That’s why we bought several.” Ian said, taking a seat in a corner.

A sleepy-looking waitress approached. “What can I get for you?”

“Stew, meat, bread, and drink. The best you’ve got. Also, two rooms for the night. Oh, and we’d like baths.”

Ian said, stacking coins on the table and pressing one into her hand.

“There’ll be two more joining us later. The same for them, please.”

“Got it. I’ll take good care of them.” The waitress pocketed the coins and turned away.

Ian leaned back. Today, he would finally have a proper bath and a warm bed. The fact that the inn looked like it had no sense of hygiene didn’t matter.

Soon, the food was laid out in front of them. The stew, commonly called Eternal Soup, was made by adding different ingredients every day. There was also hard bread, sausage, and beer.

“The taste is so familiar it feels like home,” Ian muttered, taking a sip of beer and biting into a sausage.

Charlotte, also chewing, looked at him. “By the way, where are you from, Ian?”

“Isn’t it a bit late to ask that, considering how long we’ve been together?”

“True, but...”

“Well, let’s just say the marshlands on the outskirts of Agel Lan.”

“...Isn\'t that a place for exiles and the sick? One of the worst places to be banished to.” Charlotte said, frowning.

Ian shrugged, glancing at the door as it opened again.

“Then I guess I’m an exile.”

“...?”

While Charlotte tilted her head, Ian watched the person entering. It was a male elf with pointed ears, tied silver-gray hair, dull green eyes like a murky swamp, and pale skin. He wore chainmail with leather straps crossed over it and had a thin, long sword at his waist. He had a rather edgy look, with a thin cigarette in his mouth.

Smoke drifted from his mouth as he laughed and joked with his companions who followed him in. It smelled like herbs. It was a familiar scene from the game. Elves often dried herbs grown in their homeland and smoked them like this.

It smells like herbal cigarettes. I wonder if it tastes similar...?

Ian unconsciously licked his lips. The important thing was that he had come across an elf, a rare sight.

If I just go up and talk, he might think I’m picking a fight.

There were things he wanted to ask if he ever met an elf.

The elf, sitting and smiling with his companions, glanced in Ian’s direction. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the back of Charlotte’s head.