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Chapter 176

Ian gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Don\'t bother. Just buy with money. Mev, go with Charlotte tomorrow to purchase the equipment."

"Understood."

As Mev nodded and took the bottle of wine, Philip furrowed his brow and said, "Surely, you don\'t intend to leave the day after tomorrow, my lord? That wouldn\'t be nearly enough time for you to recover."

To recover, huh?

Ian chuckled and gestured toward Philip\'s bandaged and immobilized shoulder.

"You should worry about yourself more. You can\'t even wield a sword in that state."

"I\'m fine. I have the blessing of the sacred artifact. The wound was deep, but it\'s healing well without complications or aftereffects."

“Always acting tough... What about you, Sir?”

"I\'ll follow your lead. Anytime is fine with me."

"The three of us can handle the preparations, so you two should focus on resting," Charlotte added.

Ian nodded, but Philip spoke up firmly.

“As a squire, I can\'t neglect my duties. It’s enough for you alone to rest, my lord.”

"Honestly... looking at you now, you don\'t seem much help, freckles," Thesaya\'s blunt comment made Philip\'s already flushed face even redder.

Soon, Philip began listing the things he could do without using force. It was nothing more than bargaining or making threats.

The group disregarded his objections and talked about the supplies required for the journey. Ian listened absently, his fist tightening and loosening. He was aware that he wasn\'t fully healed yet.

Although the pain was minimal, his bones had only just started to mend. He might need several more days of recovery, possibly even more than when he had almost died battling Tahumrit. Well, this time, there was no dragon\'s magic to aid in his recovery.

This is already an incredible healing ability. Human greed truly knows no bounds.

Ian smirked and spoke up, “Alright, we’ll leave the morning after tomorrow.”

Philip turned to him quickly. "Really? So soon? You\'d only be resting one more day!"

"If it\'s because of me, there\'s no need to rush, Ian. The time remaining for my tribe isn\'t that short," Charlotte added.

Ian shook his head and replied nonchalantly, “I can rest while traveling. Besides, I won’t do anything while we’re here, so make sure everything is well-prepared.”

"... Alright. We\'ll do that," Charlotte nodded.

Mev also gave Ian a reassuring look.

Philip, muttering that he had no choice, looked around at the group and smiled.

"How reassuring. Not long ago, it was just my lord and I hunting the corrupted ones. Now, we have the superhuman from the North who slew a dragon, a beast warrior skilled enough to kill a vampire blindfolded, and an elder elf who was once a demon. No matter how challenging the corrupted one awaiting us might be, I\'m confident we\'ll handle it with ease."

He raised his glass, smiling with a hint of intoxication. “They\'re still just individuals; they can’t be as strong as the entire vampire clan, can they?”

Mev, Charlotte, and Thesaya raised their glasses in agreement.

Ian muttered just after, “... It\'s a good thing Miguel isn\'t here.”

“What do you mean by that?”

If that guy were here, he’d have thrown a fit, saying you’re saying all the wrong things.

Ian thought to himself, smacking his lips and raising his glass.

“Just drink up.”

There was no need to ruin the mood with unnecessary comments.

Thesaya downed her wine in one gulp and set her glass down with a clink. “So, where exactly are we going in the western part of the Empire? And what’s this about the corrupted ones?”

“Come to think of it, Thesa still doesn’t know. Hmm... where should I start?”

“From the beginning, all of it.”

“Shall I? Alright, since the night is just starting.”

“You do say the right things sometimes, freckles.”

Philip chuckled, taking a drink as Thesaya skillfully refilled her glass. Mev and Charlotte sipped their drinks and listened to Philip’s story.

It looks like we’ve got a bunch of drinkers here.

Ian smiled silently and leaned back in his chair. The lively conversation continued for quite some time, lasting until the plates and bottles were emptied late into the night.

***

As promised, Ian focused on resting without leaving his room. He ate hearty meals mainly consisting of meat from the morning onwards, spending the rest of his time in bed.

His companions, however, were busy. Even Philip and Thesaya were bustling about, and it seemed she was quite a help with the negotiations. Whenever she stared blankly, people felt as if they were being scrutinized by a noble, growing anxious. Probably because becoming an elder fairy intensified her unique, ethereal, and noble aura.

“When I talk, merchants just snort, but now they’re offering discounts on their own. It’s getting annoying,” Philip’s grumbling voice often reached Ian’s ears as he drifted in and out of sleep.

“Charlotte, did you feel like this too?”

“No. When that happens, I show my claws or teeth. That usually lowers the price a bit more.”

“...”

"It seems you\'re not very skilled at bargaining, Philip."

"No... I don\'t think you could really call that bargaining..."

“Just focus on checking the horses and carriages. Don’t do any heavy lifting; your shoulder wound might reopen.”

“...Yes.”

While listening to his companions\' conversations as they occasionally returned to the room, Ian spent a sleepy day. They never once bothered him. At night, they lay down on the fur-covered floor, ignoring Ian’s offer to take the bed.

Ian started getting out of bed the next morning. The city had been hustling since early dawn. Holding a wine glass, Ian lazily leaned against the window. Their room was on the highest floor, at the farthest edge of the castle. While he couldn’t see the inner castle’s main gate, he could see a panoramic view of the city.

His gaze fixed on a group passing through the castle gates.

“The soldiers leaving the city now are under the command of Sir Osric. They’re headed to Felmir at the border to take control of the castle. It shouldn’t be too difficult since the current commanders can’t escape suspicion of being vampire allies.”

Philip’s voice came from behind as if he knew what Ian was looking at. Entering the room with Mev, he approached Ian, explaining without being asked.

“The new lord, Viscount Belan, left with most of the troops earlier. He’s headed to the capital with Bishop Donovan. They intend to seize power under the pretext of quelling the chaos in the city and the royal family, and he’ll likely receive a new title as well.”

He stopped in his tracks and clicked his tongue. "Everyone seems to be red-eyed with the thought of getting their hands on some territory."

"It’s understandable. They have a legitimate cause and it\'s essentially a race against time," Mev, standing next to Ian, murmured as she scanned the dreary skyline covered with storm clouds.

"They\'ve conscripted too many troops. As a result, Glumir is now virtually defenseless. They didn’t seem to have a large force to begin with...."

"That\'s all thanks to us. This area was already far from the front lines, and now there are no monsters nearby either. They\'ve even started opening the castle gates to welcome people, trying to show that the place is safe."

"...So, we’re no longer a concern for them," Ian said indifferently, taking a sip of his drink.

Philip shrugged. "They\'re probably busier preparing to leave. Besides, even if we decided to stay here, there\'s no legitimate reason to stop us. After all, we are the saviors of Lu Sard. The new lord might have left in a hurry because of that."

Philip looked at Ian with a peculiar expression. "If you were to change your mind, they would have no choice but to hand over Glumir."

"You sound like you hope for that."

"Not at all. You\'re not the type to govern a mere territory. Perhaps a country, though."

I wouldn\'t take even a country. I\'d rather have an extra skill point.

Ian chuckled shortly and surveyed the city with disinterest.

"And the preparations to leave?"

"Almost finished. We\'re leaving in the Empire\'s carriage that we arrived in. We have three horses ready, well-fed, and strong. We\'ve stocked up on clothes and provisions. As you can see, we\'ve also gained some new equipment in a hurry."

Philip extended his functioning right arm to display the newly purchased shoulder and wrist guards. Despite using mismatched pieces from the Ark Caravan, he looked more like a seasoned mercenary than a knight’s squire.

"Good. You\'ve done well."

As Ian took another sip, the door burst open with a heavy thud. Charlotte and Thesaya entered, laden with equipment, which they dumped onto the table.

"You bought a lot."

"It\'s all for you, Ian."

Ian frowned at Charlotte\'s words.

"Looks like too much for just me."

"We brought anything that looked useful. You have the best eye for equipment, so you can pick and choose."

"Don\'t worry. Anything left over will be returned for a refund. Of course, that\'s the kitty’s job," Thesaya said, aligning the items.

What is this, a personalized service?

Finally, Ian let out a chuckle and approached the table. After the battle with the vampire clan, he needed to replace nearly all of his gear.

"This, this, this, and this—" Ian touched each item lightly, easily sorting out what he needed.

Unfortunately, most of them were of lower quality than what he had used before. It was inevitable; even the best equipment was ultimately consumable. Even the near-sacred Judgement Sword had been broken in half.

"Alright, that\'s it."

As Ian made his selections, Thesaya moved each piece swiftly to the side of the bed, dusting off her hands with a smile.

"The rest will be returned by the kitty, and I\'m heading to the backyard. The redhead promised to teach me swordsmanship."

"Swordsmanship...?" Ian looked at Thesaya anew.

Now that he noticed, she was wearing various leather armor pieces and had a decent longsword strapped to her side. It was a practical outfit prioritizing mobility, making her look like a proper elven warrior.

Thinking that the elder seemed more like a mage, Ian shrugged. There was no rule that mages couldn\'t wield swords, after all. Just as he did.

"Don\'t worry, Ian. I\'ll make sure no accidents or injuries occur," Mev added.

Ian let out a short laugh and set down his glass.

"Just don\'t beat her up like you did me. With her character, she might really come at you with everything she\'s got."

"Then she\'ll learn that much faster."

Of course.

Ian shook his head and headed back to bed. Though he wasn\'t tired, he knew it was essential to sleep whenever possible. By morning, he would be back to spending long hours in a shaking carriage or on horseback, followed by nights relying on campfires for warmth and dew-covered mornings.

As the group quietly began to leave the room, Philip, standing at the back, glanced at Ian lying on the bed and added, "Everything is proceeding smoothly, my lord. Rest easy. Tomorrow, we will leave Glumir without any issues."

***

...Without any issues, my foot.

Ian woke up late at night with this thought. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the dark ceiling. He could clearly feel the distinct waves of corrupted magic. It had appeared suddenly, without any warning, and it wasn\'t far away. His nerves on edge, he faintly heard the sound of something breaking—thick wooden boards—and then a short scream.

...Someone\'s breaking through the main gate.

Without further thought, Ian sprang up from the bed. He wasn\'t the only one who had woken up.

“....”

“....”

Thesaya, already awake, and Mev, sitting up, followed by Charlotte, all glanced at each other.

Click, clank—

Then, without any further prompts, they all began to gather their gear. No words were necessary.