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Chapter 175

Ian answered calmly, "I mean exactly that. Once we enter the Empire, you two should leave."

"Why...? We just finally—mmph." Thesaya\'s words were cut off by the large hand of the beastfolk.

As Thesaya rolled her eyes, Charlotte spoke, "You wouldn\'t say this without a reason. What is it? Do you have another task for us?"

"Well... there are several reasons."

Ian nodded casually and looked at Thesaya.

"Your request is complete, Thesa. Nothing is targeting your life anymore. So for now, there\'s no need for you to stay with us."

"Payment! You need to receive the payment for the request!" Thesaya shouted, pushing Charlotte\'s hand away forcefully.

Thesaya then continued, "That\'s how it works. A mission must be followed by appropriate payment."

"I\'m not saying you won\'t get your payment."

"Then?" Thesaya asked, puzzled.

Ian lifted his glass and looked at her. "You are now an elder elf, Thesa. But no one knows what that truly means for you, not even yourself. You don\'t know how to wield weapons, and you\'ve lost the powers of a vampire. So, at present, you\'re just a faster, more perceptive elf."

"Are you saying... I\'m not helpful?"

"In a sense, yes. For now." Ian took a sip from his glass as Thesaya\'s face froze in shock.

He continued as he set the glass down, "You need to understand yourself, Thesa. But that\'s something no one here can help you with. Maybe other elves can."

"...!"

"That\'s why I\'m telling you to leave. Go to the southern part of the Empire. Find the other elves. I\'ve heard there are a few young trees of Life there. Discover who you are, awaken your abilities, and become a true elder elf."

"... And regain my memories?" Thesaya asked, her eyes showing a slight change.

Ian shrugged. "If you can do so without changing fundamentally, then try."

"Changing... how?"

"No one knows if you, with all your memories, will be the same as you are now."

"You mean she might become a typical elf? That makes sense."

Charlotte muttered, looking at Thesaya.

"She might be like this because she doesn\'t have her memories."

"So, you\'re saying you prefer me the way I am now, without memories?" Thesaya blinked, as if considering the idea for the first time, and then asked.

Ian and Charlotte just shrugged.

Thesaya\'s expression turned peculiar.

"You guys are... really something...."

There was no longer any sign of shock or disappointment in her eyes. Instead, a variety of other emotions had taken their place. Ian couldn\'t discern all of them, but to him, they all seemed embarrassingly sentimental.

"Alright. I won\'t go out of my way to recover my memories. It\'s not like it is something I can force, anyway. If it could happen, it would have by now, right? But... anyway... thank you guys. For saying that."

... I can\'t bear to listen to this.

Ian frowned slightly as he spoke, "I\'m saying this for your sake because it helps me too. If possible, find your place in elf society. It won\'t be easy, but it\'s not impossible. Even without your memories, you are still an elder."

"I understand. I\'ll give it a try."

"Just to reiterate, it won\'t be easy. Elves are not the most trustworthy of folks."

"It doesn\'t matter if it\'s difficult."

Thesaya, speaking firmly, gave a confident smile.

"I\'ll do it, Ian. I\'ll become a useful elf and come back."

Ian nodded calmly. "You don\'t have to come back. Staying there might be more helpful, not just for me, but for Charlotte as well."

"... Why for the kitty?"

As Thesaya tilted her head in confusion, Charlotte looked at Ian with wide eyes.

Meeting her orange gaze, Ian continued, "I heard something before. If things continue as they are, soon the elves will use the church to exterminate the beatfolks. They might not kill all of them, but they might enslave them."

Thesaya\'s eyes widened as she looked at Charlotte. Mev and Philip were equally surprised, as this was the first time they had heard this.

"Why didn\'t you tell me this?" asked Thesaya.

Charlotte averted her eyes from Thesaya\'s gaze as she replied, "Because it wasn\'t certain. It was just something one elf said."

"You mean that guy, Findrel Aynas," said Mev, narrowing her eyes.

Charlotte growled low and nodded. It seemed she was recalling the mood of that day.

Ian took another sip of his drink and said, "Charlotte did everything she could to save you. Now it\'s your turn to help her."

"...." Thesaya\'s eyes darkened to a deep green.

Charlotte spoke in a monotone voice shortly after. "I don\'t need her help, Ian. I saved her to repay the debt of her saving my life multiple times."

"This is about your kin. Put aside your pride and principles."

Ian\'s firm words met her gaze.

"There was something we agreed to discuss after this matter was over. Let\'s talk about it now."

Charlotte\'s eyes widened momentarily.

Ian continued in a steady voice, "You\'ve fulfilled your role more than enough. Even though it started forcibly, you\'ve always exceeded expectations. The debt you had for attempting to kill me has long been repaid."

"...."

"So go with her. Teach her about the South. You\'re the one who knows it best. And after that, save your people."

Ian paused, looking between Charlotte and Thesaya.

"You two have moved past the grudges between your kin and become friends. You\'ve saved each other multiple times. This time will be no different. Support each other in achieving your goals. Naturally, it will also benefit me."

Charlotte, her mouth opening and closing as if at a loss for words, finally managed to speak, "... Saving my people doesn\'t seem like something that would benefit you."

"That remains to be seen. I might have a reason to go to the South," Ian said with a shrug.

"Are you coming to the South, Ian?" Thesaya asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"As I said, maybe," Ian replied.

"So that\'s why you told us to stay there... Alright. I\'ll wait there. And...."

Thesaya nodded and murmured, then turned to Charlotte with a peculiar smile.

"In the end, we\'re together again, Charlotte."

"... Don\'t call me by my name. It\'s disgusting." Charlotte, avoiding Ian and Thesaya\'s gaze, took the glass of wine in front of her and sipped it slowly, as if buying time to process her thoughts and feelings.

Philip, who had been watching them with a strange expression, turned to Ian and smiled.

"As expected, you are remarkable, my lord."

"Yes, truly... noble," Mev added nonchalantly.

Ian, grimacing as if disgusted, lifted his glass. "I\'m saying this for my benefit. Having these two stay there helps me, so don\'t get any wrong ideas."

It wasn\'t just empty words. The southern part of the Empire was one of the additional regions included in the DLC of the game. And to Ian, it was an unexplored territory.

During his time playing, he focused solely on clearing the main scenario, leaving non-essential areas for later. In fact, that applied to nearly all the DLC content. When he could no longer progress the story, the option to explore the DLC areas also disappeared.

However, it was going to be different this time. At some point, he would set foot in the South. If Charlotte and Thesaya were there, they would surely be a great help in navigating that unknown territory.

However, whether that situation existed in the game or not is uncertain...

Ian casually brought his glass to his lips. The battle with the Vampire Empress had made one thing clear: even when he created scenarios that didn\'t exist in the game, events would still unfold in some way.

While the risk of unexpected butterfly effects persisted, the newfound freedom to make decisions without being constrained by the game\'s flow was significant.

"Who is this elf that spoke about the beastfolks? Since we\'re talking about it, it might be good to know," Thesaya asked suddenly, as Mev and Philip exchanged amused smiles.

Ian reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out a silver brooch shaped like a flower.

"He said his last name was Aynas. It seemed like a notable family. This is their emblem."

"Hmm.... Aynas. Got it. I\'ll remember that."

Ian continued, "They might track us down. Probably to kill me and Charlotte. If that happens—"

"Kill them. Whoever it is." Thesaya interrupted firmly.

She met Ian\'s gaze with a sly smile. It was a smile that reminded him of her vampire days.

"I care about you guys more than the elves. They\'re just my kin, but you are my family. Isn\'t that how humans think? Those who threaten families deserve to die."

Ian, chuckling briefly, raised his glass and added, "You sure know how to say some embarrassing things."

“So what? It\'s not like I\'m making it up.”

"Just keep it to yourself next time."

"I won\'t. It’s funny to see your reaction."

"...."

"I understand your point well, Ian," Charlotte said.

She put down her glass and looked Ian straight in the eye before she added, "I don\'t know how to express my gratitude properly."

"... Can\'t?"

"Yes. Even though you told us to, I still feel I owe you a debt. And it\'s the same for them."

Charlotte turned her gaze to Mev and Philip.

"Unlike you, I might not get another chance to repay the debt if I miss this opportunity. I could end up stuck in the South for a long time."

"...." Ian turned his head.

Mev nodded silently, sipping her drink, while Philip avoided Ian\'s gaze as he brought the meat to his mouth.

Charlotte continued, "So, let us stay with you until we catch and kill the corrupted one they are chasing, Ian. After that, we will leave for the South as you instructed."

"... A request," Ian finally said, gripping his glass tightly. "This is a request, not an order."

"... Yes, request." Charlotte\'s lips curled into a slight smile as she raised her glass.

Philip promptly raised his glass as well, smiling as he met Charlotte\'s eyes. "Thank you, Charlotte. It\'s reassuring to know you\'ll stay with us."

"I agree. I wasn\'t expecting a reward, but I can\'t refuse the help of a skilled warrior like you," Mev added as she lifted her glass.

Thesaya, watching the group, quickly grabbed her glass. "Then I\'ll also consider this as repaying my debt to you all. After all, you risked your lives for my request."

"Indeed, you are different from other elves, Thesa," Philip responded with a smile.

Soon, all eyes naturally turned to Ian.

"... I don\'t know how you all get along so well." Ian let out a small laugh and extended his glass.

The group clinked their glasses together and drank in unison.

"Now that we\'ve brought it up, it\'s best we move on to the main topic we didn\'t finish earlier."

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Philip turned to Ian.

"When would be the best time to leave, my lord?"

Ian, refilling his glass, looked at Charlotte.

"How many days will it take to fully resupply our equipment?"