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Chapter 181

With Charlotte resting her arms on the handle of an upside-down ax and the soldiers standing blankly, their gazes following, Ian continued to walk without stopping, despite his limping.

His gaze carefully scrutinized the black sword embedded among the debris. It had a weighted tip that protruded at the end, a long shaft with a slightly raised center, a crossguard shaped like a dragon\'s wings, and a dark, smooth blade.

As if sensing his gaze, the sheen on the blade flickered.

Is it asking to be held?

With a faint smirk, Ian stopped walking. Then he immediately grabbed the shaft.

Swoosh!

As if waiting, the sword\'s magical power surged through the shaft. The crimson magical energy swirled around Ian as he held the sword.

Ian\'s eyes turned completely dark red, even the whites. Emotions filled with all kinds of brutal visions, screams, malice, and hatred poured in.

—Kill them all... slaughter them... bring endless terror to them...

The whispers echoed in Ian\'s mind, fluctuating between loud and soft, shouting one moment and turning gentle the next. The chaotic thoughts reverberated back and forth, leaving him dizzy.

This powerful influence would instantly corrupt even a well-trained knight and turn an ordinary serf into a bloodthirsty murderer.

However, Ian only muttered, slightly annoyed, “... Yes, it is certainly a cursed sword.”

The influence did not taint his soul at all; it was merely noisy and annoying hallucinations. With a slight draw on his chaos power, Ian\'s eyes returned to their original state.

Swish—

Divine power spread from his ring, enveloping Ian\'s entire body. Ian didn\'t stop there and pushed his chaos power toward the sword.

—Kill them all. Kill...

The noisy thoughts that had been ringing in his mind suddenly quieted. To resist the encroaching chaos power, the blade emitted a sharp wail. The power surrounding Ian dispersed effortlessly. At that moment, Ian emerged, clutching the drawn sword. Mev stood up in surprise, and Charlotte, poised to charge at any moment, hesitated simultaneously.

Ching—

When Ian withdrew his chaos power, a short, chilling resonance spread from the blade.

No more hallucinations or visions appeared, but Ian could still feel the will within the sword somewhere deep inside. Its aggression had slightly subsided, but it was still full of malice toward him.

"... It seems some education is necessary," Ian muttered as he sheathed the cursed sword in the empty scabbard at his waist.

He didn\'t bother checking the information window since he had already got the item and could check it later. Though the scabbard was relatively short, leaving part of the blade exposed, Ian didn’t care and detached the scabbard from his waist. He then reached into his pocket dimension with the hand holding the sword.

Woom, woom—

The cursed sword cried. But Ian simply let go and pulled his hand out of the pocket dimension. The ominous presence spreading from the cursed sword vanished as if it had evaporated.

Come to think of it, I do not know what the inside of that place is like.

Recalling a question he didn\'t particularly want answered, Ian shook off the tingling in his right hand.

“The Dragon Slayer... sealed the cursed sword...”

“Oh, Lu Solar...”

Exclamations of varying sizes spread among the soldiers. Ian then realized that the divine power still surrounded him, not yet dissipated. The divine power transformed into a luminous halo, gradually dispersing and bathing the area in a golden light. The soldiers began kneeling right after that.

“Thank you, savior of Lu Sard...”

“Glory to the Radiant Goddess and the Great Platinum Dragon...”

“Glory to Lu Solar...”

Genuine prayers followed. Glancing around, Ian saw that even Mev and Charlotte had kneeled on one knee, each murmuring their prayers.

Why are they doing that too?

Thinking it was absurd, Ian chuckled dryly and looked up the chaotic staircase. The sound of brisk footsteps was approaching. As expected, a white-haired elf emerged from beyond the half-ruined corridor.

“It was quiet, so I thought as much... Is it all over, Ian?” Thesaya muttered as she surveyed the chaotic scene, then shouted at Ian.

Ian nodded and asked, “Survivors?”

“They’re all gathered up there. Just as a piercing shout echoed, they all collapsed, but they’re fine now. When I slapped them, they all woke up.”

“... That’s good. Lead them out of the castle. The castle might collapse, so guide them through a safe route.”

“Got it! But why is everyone kneeling?”

That\'s what I\'d like to ask.

Ian licked his lips instead of answering, then turned toward the entrance of the banquet hall.

***

The residents of Glumir, who spent the night wide awake behind locked doors, only learned the details of the commotion in the castle the next morning. A demon, presumed to be a remnant of the vampire clan, had invaded, and the Dragon Slayer, the savior of Lu Sard, had beheaded the demon. It was a story more than enough to excite the residents. Unlike the previous incident at the Labyrinth Mansion, which left only horrifying debris, this time there were many witnesses.

“According to Deb, he was enveloped in divine flames, wielded a sword of light as big as a person, and flew around. One touch from his hand brought a gust of wind, and when he swung his sword, thunder roared.”

“It’s a miracle only possible if he is an avatar of the Radiant Goddess.”

“Indeed. They say he commanded the Red Knight and the beast squire to save the soldiers first and faced the demon alone. If such a noble person isn’t a part of the Radiant Goddess, what is he?”

Whenever two people gathered, they were eager to share what they had heard. It took only half a day for many embellishments to spread.

“I heard he is close to the Stern Goddess. People say that the Red Knight is her apostle, right?”

“Nonsense. Lu Solar would hear you. The Stern Goddess is the daughter of the Radiant Goddess! So, the Red Knight serves her.”

“Ah, I see. Then, indeed, he is a part of the Radiant Goddess....”

“Ah, I envy Hans. He witnessed the cursed sword being sealed with a divine halo. He said it was an actual miracle, not just magic.”

“What’s there to envy? Many died at that site.”

“True. And without them, none would have survived.”

Normally, the castle\'s officials and soldiers would have frowned and scolded such blasphemy, but they didn’t this time. In fact, some soldiers praised the Dragon Slayer’s achievements even more fervently.

Most of these soldiers had survived thanks to the Dragon Slayer’s group. The castle’s officials and the lord’s representative accommodated the Dragon Slayer’s party in the best mansion in the city and assigned soldiers and servants to assist them.

To investigate the incident at the castle, they visited the mansion. Since the Dragon Slayer and the Red Knight needed rest, the white-haired elf, the Dragon Slayer’s squire, and the Red Knight’s aide handled the investigation. Of course, there were no problems. The entire process was swift and smooth.

“It would be nice if the Dragon Slayer didn’t leave. Then no one would dare to mess with us.”

“He must leave to fulfill the will of the great Platinum Dragon.”

“But you never know. If we show devotion, he might return after completing his holy mission.”

“Speaking of which, shall we pray?”

“Again...? Fine, let’s go.”

***

“... This is insane.”

Ian, glancing out the window, swallowed a sigh and turned back. The residents were still praying toward the mansion. They had done the same thing before he went to bed. Now, after sleeping for an entire day, it was still the same.

“Haven’t you gotten used to it by now?” Charlotte, leisurely continuing her meal, spoke up.

Mev, seated across from her, nodded while chewing her bread. They had woken up just as Ian was finishing his meal. Unlike Ian, who had passed out immediately after evacuating the residents, they had only slept once they were sure the nobles were not hostile.

“It’s the treatment you deserve. Ian, since this is the treatment you deserve, I wouldn\'t be surprised if the church elevated you to sainthood.”

Doesn’t that mean I have to die?

Ian chuckled as he sat down in an empty seat.

“Sainthood... I don’t even serve Lu Solar.”

As he grasped the wineglass in front of him, Mev continued nonchalantly, “Faith is just a pretext. As long as your actions are noble, it doesn’t matter. Would the gods lend you their power for no reason?”

“Well...”

It\'s because I’m a game character. Ian swallowed his words along with the wine. From his perspective, Mev\'s words were only half true.

Lu Solar was a Goddess who valued her followers\' faith and beliefs above all else. This was clear from the devout fanatics in the game.

Mev\'s voice continued, “Didn\'t you just see it? Thanks to you, the people\'s faith has deepened, which would please the Radiant Goddess.”

“They just need a reason to forget their reality for a while.”

“That’s what an apostle of the gods does. Give people hope.”

Better not say anything.

As Charlotte nodded in agreement with Mev\'s words, Ian clicked his tongue and raised his wine glass.

Well, if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. However, in my case, it’s not enjoying it but using it.

As Ian drank the wine, a knock sounded, and the door opened. Philip, still with a bandage on one arm, and Thesaya, wrapped in an elegant cloak, entered. Their solemn expressions changed immediately as the door closed.

Philip leaned forward and muttered, “I almost collapsed from exhaustion....”

“Exactly. Ian is the Dragon Slayer, but why do they keep asking us to shake hands?” Thesaya, who had flopped onto the floor while grumbling, clicked her tongue and stood up at Mev’s glance.

Philip, dragging a chair from the corner, sat at the table and looked at the food.

“Anyway, it’s all done. Anyway, we finished all the annoying procedures, and we will replace the equipment for the two lords and Charlotte, which got damaged during the battle. Of course, for free. It’s a reward for saving Glumir again.”

“That’s good news.” Ian nodded.

Philip immediately took the wine glass offered by Mev and downed it in one go before continuing.

“All the artisans in the city are working on the repairs. Even the residents are helping. As you know, I have all your measurements, so it made the work easier. They’ll load it all onto the carriage as soon as it’s done.”

“When will they finish it?”

“It will be ready by tonight. Ah, thank you, my lord.”

Philip gave a peculiar smile as he placed his glass in front of the bottle Mev had offered.

“Even though the castle is half destroyed, the people’s faces are lively. Just a moment ago, the stable master came to confess. He admitted the horses he gave us weren’t the best. When I forgave him, he replaced them with the best horses.”

“I’ve heard many things. Even the North wasn’t like this. ... Well, everyone was busy worrying that Ian might die back then. I’m thirsty too, kitty.”

“Don’t you have hands?” Charlotte frowned, but obediently handed over her glass.

With a grin, Thesaya took it and looked at Ian. “Anyway, it’s all over now. We just need to rest.”

“That’s good. Then we’ll leave before sunrise tomorrow.”

“Yes, before sunrise until— wait, what? Tomorrow?” Thesaya interrupted, holding her glass halfway to her mouth.

Ian nodded, and she widened her eyes.

“No way! I have had no rest. While you three were snoring away, I was running around with this freckle day and night, talking non-stop.”

“Yes, I mean, no. More importantly, your bodies need rest after the battle. All three of you. At least a few more days—”

“Something similar might happen again.” Ian cut off Philip’s words.

Everyone’s gaze turned to him.

Ian added after a brief pause. “The one who attacked us wasn’t a remnant of the vampire clan.”

“What...?” Philip’s eyes widened.

Mev and Charlotte exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Philip’s head snapped back. “Did you know, my lord?”

“I had a suspicion.”

“And yet, you said nothing to me? My report will go to the church. It will be as if I lied to the gods–-”

“It doesn’t matter; you didn’t know,” Ian interjected.

Philip’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “What does that mean?”

“You said what you believed to be true, so it wasn’t a lie.”

“....” Ian ignored Philip’s gaze and took a sip from his glass.

The truth was, he was too tired and bothered to explain.

After all, priests often played such word games.

“Do not worry, Philip. The Goddess will already know,” Mev spoke calmly.

Philip closed his eyes tightly and sighed in resignation.

“Then who was that enemy?”

“He was an agent of the dragon.”

Philip’s eyes snapped open.

“A dragon...? A dragon, you say...?”