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Chapter 206

"I asked the Goddess for them."

"...?" Mev blinked, as if doubting her ears.

As Ian placed a piece of Della Lu\'s Grace on each of Charlotte\'s wounds on her neck, arms, and sides, he continued, "The corrupters defiled the statue and used it as the focal point for their ritual. I purified it and asked for a reward."

"And she granted it...?"

"As you can see."

"That\'s unbelievable... No, it\'s a pointless question. The results speak for themselves." Mev, who had been muttering in disbelief, shook her head, finishing her sentence.

Well, even I didn\'t really expect it to work, Ian thought as he grasped the last thumb fragment and added, "Once she recovers, we\'ll each take one. As you experienced, we never know when we\'ll face creatures spreading poison and disease again. Having these will be a great help."

"Indeed. Thank you, Prosperous Goddess..." Nodding, Mev closed her eyes and silently prayed to Della Lu.

Hiss—

The Swamp\'s Resentment, which had been sucking the curse from Charlotte\'s wounds, made a satisfied sound as it released her. Ian extended his right hand, and the black snake quickly coiled around his middle finger.

... It seems longer than before.

It wasn\'t an illusion. The snake wrapped around more than half a turn further than usual. He couldn\'t tell when this had happened, since he usually wasn\'t aware of its presence. Just like before, curses seemed to nourish it. It truly was a growth-type item.

Its abilities haven\'t changed yet...

Ian thought as he placed the last thumb fragment on Charlotte\'s side. While this didn\'t stack the abilities, he hoped that the increased area of divine contact would aid her recovery. Not all information was always displayed numerically.

Looking down into her faint orange eyes, Ian added, "Rest. Don\'t resist. It\'s all over now."

"Yes... truly... I\'m sorry..." Charlotte murmured, closing her eyes.

Why does she keep apologizing?

Ian chuckled briefly. Well, Charlotte did have a habit of getting injured often. Her aggressive combat style made it inevitable, though it probably weighed on her mind in many ways.

Regardless, Charlotte\'s expression and breathing seemed much more relaxed. Ian sighed in relief and finally examined the bed she was lying on. It was far from clean.

"You might catch something new just by staying here."

"Hey, you there!" Before Ian finished his sentence, Thesaya called out.

A servant quickly entered, startled by her commanding tone. Her eyes were filled with veins pulsing with magic, her swamp-colored irises glowing intensely. Ordinary people couldn\'t bear to meet such a gaze.

In an icy voice, she continued. "Tell the Count to prioritize cleaning and organizing the annex. We need to move the injured."

"Y-yes...! I\'ll relay the message immediately, my lady!" The servant bowed hastily and turned to leave.

She\'s getting too used to giving orders quickly, Ian thought, sitting down on the edge of the bed. The headache and dizziness he had forgotten about began to resurface.

Thesaya, narrowing her eyes, muttered right after. "But why do I still feel that disgusting aura? You said you purified the statue. The undead all collapsed too."

"That\'s because it\'s not over yet," Ian replied in a tired voice, looking at Thesaya and Mev in turn. "She\'s not the only one who needs rest. We need to recover from today\'s fatigue and prepare to leave immediately. Once we\'re sure where to go, we need to be ready to leave at a moment\'s notice."

"You stopped the ritual here, didn\'t you? Are you saying this isn\'t the end?"

"You\'ll get the details from Philip later."

"Just tell me a little. I\'m curious."

It\'s exhausting, honestly.

Ian smacked his lips and continued reluctantly. "The ritual didn\'t start only here."

"... So, it\'s happening elsewhere too?"

"Yes. When I erased the mark on the statue, I briefly saw the other side. They were magically connected."

"If they were preparing the same ritual elsewhere, it\'s possible. The corrupters in the West... they were all in league together." Mev muttered with a bitter expression.

Ian shrugged. "Perhaps. What’s certain is that another ritual has successfully concluded. Something much stronger than the ones that came here has manifested. The corrupters there have likely received greater rewards. Perhaps..."

Looking into her emerald eyes, Ian concluded, "Among them might be the one you’re chasing."

"Yes. It could be..." Mev murmured, her eyes darkening, then added, "Even if it\'s not, we can\'t ignore it. We must stop it before it\'s too late, Ian."

"Sounds exciting." Thesaya chimed in.

Receiving looks from Ian and Mev, she smiled bashfully. "I wonder what strange creatures are waiting for us next. They say real combat is the best practice. Just today, I could feel myself getting stronger. By the time we defeat them all, I\'ll be able to hold my own."

"... I understand your enthusiasm, but excitement is not the right word, Thesaya." Mev, after a moment of eye contact, spoke in a low voice. "These events are tragedies that should never happen."

"I know, redhead. If it hadn’t happened, I would’ve done everything to prevent it. But it happened. Ian said to enjoy it if you can’t avoid it. Isn\'t that right, Ian?"

"... You\'re not wrong, but it\'s not something to say in front of someone who lost family to the corrupters." Ian\'s cold rebuke made Thesaya flinch and glance at Mev.

"Oh, I... I’m sorry. I didn\'t mean it that way. It’s because I’m an elf. Thoughtless and selfish."

Mev let out a faint, bitter laugh. "It\'s alright. Thank you for the apology, Thesa."

"... I\'ll help with no complaints as a form of apology. Not that I wouldn\'t have helped otherwise. So..." Petting Charlotte\'s mane awkwardly, Thesaya turned to Ian.

"What kind of creature attacked the church? Was it as vile as the ones here?"

"Ask Philip. He\'ll happily give you more details than you want," Ian replied wearily, getting off the bed and resting his head against the bed frame.

Thesaya pouted and turned her gaze to Charlotte’s mane, while Mev stared into space, lost in thought. The silence didn’t last long.

“...!” The sound of a knock brought color back to Thesaya’s face.

The person who entered was, of course, Philip.

“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be happy to see you, freckles.”

Philip blinked at Thesaya\'s words, then closed the door and looked at Ian. “Seeing Thesa like this, it seems Charlotte is okay.”

“She’s past the worst of it,” Ian replied, with only his lips moving.

Mev spoke up immediately. “You came back sooner than expected, Philip.”

“Yes. I thought it would take longer, but the Count\'s reaction was surprisingly calm. He must already have come to terms with the situation. Besides, Thesa sent someone ahead.”

“Yes, that’s right. What did the Count say?”

"He told me to convey that message. Then, without saying much else, he got up and left. He mentioned that now that the situation is over, handling and cleanup take priority over reporting." As he spoke, Philip removed his sword, shield, and gloves, placing them on the floor before sitting down with a thud.

“He also said he would send a carriage once things were settled, so we should rest for now. I agreed and returned. Priest Luce went with him, so he could hear any remaining details from him later.”

“Good... that’s a relief.”

I don’t feel like lifting a finger.

While Ian nodded, Thesaya sprang to her feet.

“So, you’re going to explain everything to us too, right?”

“Yes. I’ll explain everything in detail—what I told the Count and more—hmm?” Philip\'s eyes lit up when he caught the item Ian tossed his way—a bottle of liquor from his pocket dimension.

“Thank you, my lord! My goodness, this bottle feels like a blessing from the Goddess.” As Philip spoke with a broad grin, Thesaya and Mev quickly seated themselves in front of him, their eyes fixed on the bottle.

Finally, some rest.

Listening to the sound of the bottle opening, Ian closed his eyes.

“Wake me when the carriage arrives,” said Ian.

Philip’s ensuing voice served as a perfect lullaby.

***

The residents of Drenorov, though accustomed to peace, were not weak. Some survivors dug large pits outside the city, while others moved the bodies remaining within the city into those pits. Several large pits filled with corpses appeared around the city walls and were soon set ablaze.

The acrid smoke covered the area outside the walls throughout the night, and the residents took turns praying in front of it, following the Western tradition of wishing for the souls to return to Lu Solar and the bodies to Della Lu. The group refrained from involving themselves in the city\'s affairs and quietly rested in the annex.

“A message from the Count.” The voice accompanied a knock, just past noon the next day.

“Come in.” Thesaya, who had been lying with her head on Charlotte’s belly, quickly sat up and replied.

The newly appointed steward entered politely. “The Count requests an audience with you, my lady.”

“Oh? When...?”

“He said any time you wish is fine.”

“Then tell him I’ll come as soon as we’re ready.”

"Yes. And... the Count has also requested that Sir Ivan accompany you."

Thesaya glanced at Ian, who was lying on the sofa across from her. When Ian gave a slight nod, she immediately responded.

"Understood. We will do so."

The steward bowed politely and left.

As his footsteps faded, Thesaya grinned. "That\'s good. I was hoping to meet with him once more before we leave."

"Why?"

"Our horses died again. I noticed the Count\'s horses were still alive. I plan to ask for some."

"... You really are something else."

"Smart, aren\'t I?"

Ian responded with a smirk. She had a knack for getting what she wanted, like a seasoned negotiator. It wasn’t an unreasonable request, considering that without them, Drenorov would have been overrun by the giant void locusts.

"If the Count wants to meet Sir Ian too, he’s probably going to ask you to stay. At least until his territory is secure." Philip, who was slowly preparing to leave, added. He was planning to meet with Luce at the church.

"Maybe. We’ll find out soon enough." Ian replied indifferently, getting up to change into his outerwear.

While he changed, Thesaya finished getting ready with Mev’s help, neatly tying her hair.

"Keep an eye on kitty, redhead."

"I’ll be heading out to the city too, to prepare for our departure. After that, I’ll go to the church."

Mev\'s statement made Thesaya frown. "Then who will take care of kitty?"

"... I will." Charlotte, speaking in a subdued voice, sat up. The pieces of Della Lu\'s Grace fell from her body onto the bed.

Ian, adjusting his collar, asked, "Can you move?"

"Thanks to you. I’m still weak, but I’ll be fine in half a day."

"Stop acting tough. Just lie down and rest, weakling." Thesaya scolded, to which Charlotte responded by licking her lips and stepping out of bed.

"I’m going to wash up and rest. Everyone else looks clean, and I’m a mess."

"Make sure to add the relics to your bathwater. It’s best to purify the water thoroughly before you bathe. Also, tell them to boil the water properly before."

"... Alright, I’ll do that."

At Ian\'s suggestion, Charlotte quickly gathered the scattered stone pieces. The group had started taking every opportunity to bathe, an influence of Ian. They might have been the cleanest wanderers of this dark age.

"I’ll be back soon, so don’t cry because I’m gone." Thesaya waved a finger at Charlotte and opened the door.

Following her, Ian turned to Mev. "I\'ll see you at the church. Once we’re done here, I\'ll head there."