Chapter 17

# Episode 017

Despite the inn's lively atmosphere, a heavy silence enveloped the village.

The passersby who had been walking the streets had vanished, and only the flickering lights here and there pushed back the darkness.

It was a common night scene in the border villages of the Dark Age.

At least, there were torches and lanterns scattered about, making the situation better than usual.

Typically, people would only light their homes and wait for the monsters' time to pass.

At night, only strangers, wanderers, or those hunting monsters would be out and about.

Ian, fitting all three categories, held the lantern from the tavern entrance and began to walk.

Meb, who had been walking silently beside him for a while, suddenly spoke.

"You've really fortified your equipment."

You keep doing things that don't suit you.

Despite his thoughts, Ian replied calmly.

"The Forest of Tombs isn't far, you know."

On Ian's back hung a leather strap containing a mace.

At his waist was a new longsword, and on the opposite side, a dagger in its sheath.

'At least I don't look more like a mage now.'

While he muttered this pointless conclusion, Meb said,

"Do you really believe there's a black mage in the Forest of Tombs?"

"Yes."

Ian shrugged lightly.

"As you've seen, most of the rumors that spread in this town have a good reason."

"True. Many things have changed while I was away at the border."

Meb's green eyes, which were gazing at the village entrance, seemed to hold the darkness.

"The lives of the people have become harder. The law and order are chaotic, and the nobles have forgotten their duties. It's different from what I grew up with and what I've heard."

"You must have been away at the border for a long time."

"It wasn't short. It had to be that way."

Only then did Ian understand the often naive appearances of Meb and Philip.

No matter how talented a noble might be, the virtues of the Dark Age didn't suit them.

These people had spent most of their lives at the border.

Thus, they could excel in combat and tactics but remain ignorant of the world.

Perhaps he mostly agreed with her because he had no choice but to rely on her judgment.

"When I received the royal order to return, I never imagined it would be like this."

"Well, you didn't think the kingdom was enjoying a peaceful era, did you?"

"That's not it. We don't call this the Dark Age for nothing."

Despite the sarcastic remark, Meb answered seriously and then added,

"In that sense, meeting you is a stroke of luck for me, Ian."

Ian suddenly turned to look at her.

She was also looking at him.

Her calm green eyes. Perhaps due to her red hair or the dim lantern light, her skin seemed even paler than usual.

'If anything, you look more like a mage.'

Shaking off his stray thoughts, Ian replied,

"On the contrary. I was the lucky one. I had to kill that black mage eventually, and thanks to you, I got a hefty sum of money too."

"True. You could have done it alone, I'm sure."

Meb nodded readily.

"You've overcome countless dangers alone, from that cursed swamp."

"..."

Miguel, that guy, must have talked a lot.

"I'm surprised your reputation hasn't spread throughout the Agelran region, Ian."

Ian, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, said,

"So, what, do you want to hear more of my heroic tales and called me out here?"

"No. As I said, I have something I want to talk about."

Meb turned her body. Leaning against a rock at the village entrance, she gazed at the dark wheat field.

"...I first learned about the black mage's existence a few days after receiving the order to return."

Her voice continued dryly, like the wind sweeping through the wheat field.

"Before my return, there were many things I had to take care of. I was the center of the border defense, so I had to be meticulous to ensure my absence wasn't felt. During this time, a letter arrived."

Ah, so that's what you were trying to say.

Swallowing a sigh, Ian placed the lantern on the rock and stood beside Meb.

He wasn't particularly curious, but she was his employer and comrade, and there was no reason to cut her off.

"...It was a letter from Vernon."

A name he had heard on their first meeting.

Ian asked indifferently,

"Who is Vernon?"

"He is my only younger brother. Vernon Liurel. The head of the Liurel family and the shield that protects the royal family generation after generation."

Both siblings are knights, so it must be a prestigious knight family.

Despite his thoughts, Ian tilted his head. He didn't remember seeing Vernon Liurel in the game.

Perhaps he wasn't a significant character.

"You, the apostle of Tir En, guard the border, while your brother guards the king. It's a curious arrangement."

If it were true, it wouldn't be mentioned this way.

"As an apostle, I had to leave. If I had stayed, I would have been by the king's side, and the family would have made me the head. In that case, Vernon would have been deprived of everything he deserved. I couldn't allow that."

"Ah... You love your brother deeply."

Ian nodded.

Indeed. The eldest son, deprived of his family by his sister, wouldn't have a bright future.

This was a problem that could be solved by her giving up the headship, so she must have made the right choice.

Still, it wouldn't have been easy to give up a comfortable life and power.

It was a truly noble sacrifice, especially in the Dark Age.

Perhaps that nobility caught the eye of Tir En.

"The fact that Vernon knew this was the root of the problem. That child always wanted to prove himself to me. That he could lead the family on his own, protect the king, and even revive the family. He didn't need to prove it."

"...So, what did the letter say?"

"It said that darkness had fallen over the kingdom. While the king was focused on preparing for war, the black mage was quietly extending his influence. It also mentioned that many nobles were involved, perhaps even the roots of the kingdom."

Meb paused for a moment, then carefully rummaged through her clothes.

A neatly folded letter. Her eyes, fixed on the letter, seemed to travel back in time.

You're taking your sweet time.

Ian extended his hand.

"Can I read it?"

"You can read... Yes, you would know that."

Meb handed him the letter.

Ian carefully unfolded the paper.

The handwriting, reflecting Vernon's character, was hastily scribbled.

"...As you said, he's full of ambition."

After a moment, Ian curled one corner of his mouth and spoke.

"To use the black mage as an opportunity to revive the family."

The letter detailed his plans to hunt down the black mage, punish those involved, and even root out the traitors to save the kingdom and rule their lands.

"Does the Liurel family not have a domain to rule?"

"We have lived with the sole purpose of protecting the royal family. To guard the king, we had to be that way. Of course, I knew Vernon was dissatisfied with this fact."

Meb's voice grew somber as she held the letter.

"I planned to establish our family's domain beyond the border once the chaos was quelled. As a family that guards the border. I would return to the king's side, and Vernon would rule that domain."

"But your brother, fearing you might steal the credit, didn't share any clues, did he?"

"..."

Meb met Ian's gaze.

Ian added,

"If my words were too harsh, I apologize."

"...I'm just surprised by your insight. You see things clearly, and I have nothing to say."

It's not that impressive.

Ian shrugged.

The letter only contained the story of the black mage and his own goals.

The only message to Meb was that he would meet her in a different form when she arrived at the castle.

It was easy to infer what a young head of the family, plagued by inferiority and a desire for recognition, might have been thinking.

"Ultimately, his fears became reality. You made me search for the black mage myself, and even hired mercenaries."

"I didn't plan to. At first."

Meb's breath momentarily faltered.

It was very brief. She returned to her usual dry expression and continued,

"But I didn't receive a reply to the letter I sent. Not even on the day I left, and not even now."

"He might be busy hunting the black mage."

Of course, he didn't believe that, and neither did Meb, as she shook her head.

"Someone from the family should have contacted me. He must have ordered that no reply be sent until he returned."

"Could your letter have fallen into the wrong hands?"

"It's unlikely. The messenger was a servant who had been with the family for a long time, and the seal on the letter could only be broken by someone from the Liurel family. Unless they wanted to turn it to ashes, there was no reason to intercept it."

That's what you're saying.

"How long has it been since you sent the reply?"

"A month. ...And as of today, a week more."

"..."

Ian barely stopped himself from whistling.

The thought that Vernon might already be dead crossed his mind.

"A month is a long time."

Ian looked at Meb.

"Do you think the head of the family is still safe?"

"Maybe not. Perhaps. Probably."

Despite her calm answer, Meb's gaze seemed uneasy as she continued.

"But it's not impossible. He's a strong child who has trained all his life to surpass me."

Her tone sounded more like a hope than a belief.

She seemed to add, without expecting an answer from Ian,

"Even if he's not safe... It won't change anything. No, it might make it even more necessary."

She clenched her fist tightly.

"I need to uncover the truth, starting with the black mage."

"Hmm..."

Ian nodded.

He finally understood how Meb became a bleeding avenger.

Why she stormed the castle alone, why she tried to kill the king, what the unheard final words were, and whose revenge she sought to complete even as a wraith.

Since Ian had killed the black mage in the game, Meb probably never found the black mage.

Given the current situation, it was entirely possible that she didn't even know if Vernon was alive or dead.

And it wouldn't have been difficult for the corrupt nobles of Agelran to fuel her madness and whisper the wrong targets for her revenge.

'She must have been an easy target.'

Ian suddenly looked at Meb.

Now, that easy target was in his hands.

Along with a quest that seemed like a clear turning point.

It meant that her fate was in his hands.

"So, you want me to find the black mage for sure?"

After a moment, Ian spoke.

Meb slowly shook her head.

"I hope so, but that's not the only reason I told you this long story, Ian."

She looked at Ian.

"A month is a long time, as you said. Long enough for the traitors to realize Vernon's intentions. So, they will try to hide their true nature, knowing I'm returning."

Her calm and firm voice.

Her eyes, though dim with the lantern's light, revealed the precarious emotions beneath.

Her face, surprisingly, seemed young.

The attire, status, tone, and actions created a halo effect.

But looking only at her face, she appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties.

In a world with a short average lifespan, it wasn't old.

Especially from Ian's perspective.

'She was really a young head of the family.'

"If Vernon is no longer in this world, I will have no one to trust. Even if he is alive, it won't change. He will surely not follow my will."

After a brief breath, she said,

"So, I need a trustworthy ally. Ian."

"!"

Ian's brows finally furrowed.

So, that's why she was beating around the bush.

This was a one-sided request.

She had even resorted to exposing her personal story, a humiliating act.

It meant she concluded she couldn't handle everything alone.

And it also meant she considered Ian the only solution.

He didn't know how she reached this conclusion.

But he could understand why she was saying this now.

She wouldn't have wanted to say this in front of Philip and Miguel.

"...If that ally is already in conflict with the black mage, and possesses mental strength, insight, combat skills, and wisdom, it would be perfect."

As if to urge a decision, a quest window appeared before Ian's eyes.

It was a linked quest. The Corrupt Ones.

The goal was to find and punish the nobles who worship darkness.

The rewards were gold coins, ability points, and a few question marks.

It was tempting, but Ian thought calmly.

As with the apostle of Lu Solar.

He didn't want to be dragged along by the situation and the quest.

Especially when he could choose a more convenient and advantageous direction.

Fortunately, in this case, it wasn't difficult to make that choice.

"I am a mercenary. Mercenaries don't move just because of a request."

In this world, the party in a weaker position can only be the one who makes the request.

Ian, speaking in a cold tone even to himself, added while looking into Meb's eyes,

"Instead, do you mean to suggest a new contract with different terms after the current mission is completed?"

"!"