Chapter 40

# Chapter 040

"Retirement?"

Ian repeated.

Tsk, Miguel smacked his lips and said,

"It's a story of things not going as well as we hoped."

"Details."

"...Well, since we'll be meeting the Lord soon anyway, it might be better if you all know beforehand."

Miguel moved closer to Ian.

Ian frowned but didn't mind, and Miguel began to speak.

"After parting ways with you all, the Lord and I immediately came to Agelran. There were a few minor skirmishes along the way, but they're not important. Anyway, as soon as we arrived, the Lord headed straight for the castle, not the main house."

The tone suggested it was surprising, but Ian remained calm.

Meb would have done that and more.

"We almost immediately entered the castle. I was stunned. We were to meet the King an hour after arriving in Agelran. Anyway, His Majesty didn't even care about our appearance."

Miguel shrugged.

"The Lord's return was welcomed, and His Majesty praised his efforts. Then he noticed me. The Lord mentioned the apostates... the fallen ones, and said I was a witness."

"Seems to have gone smoothly so far."

Philip added.

Miguel nodded.

"I thought so too. Soon, soldiers brought the heads of the werewolf and the black mage, and the coffin of the former head of the house. The former head's body hadn't decayed. His Majesty was surprised and thanked the Lord. He also offered condolences and appointed the Lord as the new head of the house, asking him to take charge of the knights in place of the former head. And then..."

Miguel looked at Philip.

"He told us to return to the house to inform the family of the news and to rest sufficiently. He said it would get busy from now on."

"Huh...? What about the apostates?"

Philip tilted his head.

Miguel chuckled.

"Of course, the Lord mentioned it. But His Majesty seemed to think there was no problem since the apostates were already dead. When the Lord mentioned that apostates might still be active in Agelran, His Majesty's expression darkened. He then said he would convene a meeting and dismissed us."

"Isn't it supposed to be handled secretly?"

"I also thought something was off. But I didn't have much time to think deeply. The moment we returned to the Lord's main house, chaos erupted. The missing head of the house had returned, and he was fallen."

Miguel stopped speaking.

They had arrived at the next checkpoint.

There were guards again, but after confirming Miguel's face, they stepped aside without a word.

The atmosphere changed once more.

A wide, clean road. The houses, designed to prevent outsiders from seeing inside, had even whiter bricks and redder roofs.

And several covert gazes were felt, especially those filled with suspicion and hostility.

As Ian moved without showing any reaction,

"The Lord revealed everything. ...Including the fact that he killed the head of the house with his own hands."

Miguel's low voice continued.

"Everyone didn't blame the Lord, but the atmosphere became incredibly dark. The family line had been severed. The former head hadn't even married. Now, the only male in the Liurel family is—"

"So, what happened at the subsequent meeting?"

Ian cut in, tired of the personal details.

Miguel cleared his throat and said,

"The meeting was held a few days later. The Lord announced the existence of the apostates in front of almost all the nobles. I was a witness, and all the evidence was presented. No one could deny it."

Miguel's pace slowed.

They were approaching the Liurel mansion.

"Someone said, however, that this doesn't prove that darkness has fallen over Agelran. They demanded proof. Otherwise, it would only breed distrust among the nobles."

"Who was that person? Do you remember their name or face?"

"None at all. Honestly, I was terrified. ...You'd understand if you saw the way they looked at me."

Miguel added sheepishly and quickly continued,

"Anyway, the Lord didn't respond to that."

"You kept my existence hidden."

Ian said.

Miguel nodded.

"Neither of us mentioned it from start to finish. I did as the Lord instructed."

"Perhaps he was worried it might affect things here. A wise decision. So?"

"His Majesty agreed with the noble's words. He ordered the Lord to remain at home for a while. That's when the Lord's seclusion began, and it continues to this day."

"Is the Lord... alright?"

"Publicly, he handles his duties perfectly. Knights come and go frequently. Personally... well, I'm not sure."

Concern was evident in Miguel's eyes.

"We often talk, and I handle tasks for him, but he doesn't reveal his true feelings. Even more so than before."

"...I see."

Philip's eyes showed a mix of worry and anxiety.

"I'm counting on you. Honestly, I have no idea what to do."

As he spoke, Miguel stopped.

A large mansion with one side completely covered by a wall.

"Let's go in."

Miguel pushed open the door in the middle of the wall.

The garden beyond the door was revealed.

It was neatly maintained, but the silence was eerie.

'This is the atmosphere of a declining noble family.'

Ian entered calmly.

A servant in the corner of the garden quickly approached Philip.

As Ian looked around the two-story mansion surrounding the garden, he asked,

"Where is the Lord?"

"There's a study upstairs. Follow me."

Miguel strode ahead.

Philip, like a seasoned mercenary,

seemed completely at ease in his role as Meb's adjutant.

He even appeared genuinely concerned and angry about her situation.

'A mercenary with a heart. It's a wonder he's still alive.'

Ian's gaze suddenly stopped in the corridor.

A girl in a dress was staring at him.

With skin as white as Meb's, red hair, green eyes, and a nearly expressionless face.

"Miss. This is the Lord's guest."

Miguel said respectfully upon seeing her.

The girl's gaze shifted between Ian and Philip, then settled on Ian.

She bowed politely.

Ian nodded awkwardly, and she turned and went back into her room.

"That's Miss Lucy. Her name is Lucia, but everyone calls her Lucy. She's the Lord's cousin."

Miguel whispered.

"She's a pitiful figure, but... it's not the right time to talk about it."

Miguel quickly added, seeing Ian's expression.

Ian clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He hated learning unnecessary details, especially when they involved children.

It made him feel uncomfortable and even repulsed.

This world was too barbaric and cruel for such children.

So, Ian usually avoided getting involved with children.

He had crippled a few thugs and mercenaries who thought beating children was a game.

"We're here."

Miguel stopped and opened the door.

Inside, a long table and chairs were placed in the center.

Meb stood by the window.

The moment Ian saw her slightly gaunt face, he sensed that her inner world had completely changed.

Her green eyes were cold and lifeless.

"It's been a long wait, Ian."

Her voice was as cold as her words.

'She's been living like a machine.'

Ian nodded as he entered.

"It's been a while, Lord."

Philip ran to her almost simultaneously.

"Lord, are you alright? Your face is so gaunt. Miguel must not have been taking care of your meals properly."

Without pausing, Philip continued.

Meb's lips finally curved into a faint smile.

It was an awkward smile, one she hadn't shown in a long time.

"You've grown, Philip. I see you have a scar similar to mine."

Philip looked away awkwardly.

"The scar has grown."

"So... have you learned a lot?"

Philip met her gaze directly.

"Yes, a lot."

"That's good."

"Well, I'm just barely competent now."

Ian, sitting in a chair, teased.

Meb's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Thank you for bringing Philip back safely, Ian."

"It's his fate."

Ian shrugged and faced Meb.

"I've heard the gist of the story. You've been through a lot."

"It was my duty. Seeing Philip, it seems you all have been through more."

Ian and Philip didn't deny it.

Meb took her seat at the head of the table.

"Did you complete the mission I entrusted to you?"

"Yes. The culprits were Viscount Vercard and his eldest son."

Ian began with the conclusion and explained the events in Ordelle in detail.

When the story, occasionally supplemented by Philip, ended, Miguel sighed.

"You've been through incredible things again."

"...So, you have evidence and witnesses?"

Meb asked calmly.

Ian nodded and pulled out a sealed chest from his subspace.

"Whoa?! How did you do that?"

"Skillfully."

Ian dismissed Miguel's question and turned to Meb.

"This contains the evidence. And..."

Ian pulled out a scroll sealed with wax.

"This is a letter written by the current lord, Viscount Declan Vercard."

"You truly did your best."

"The most important part is still to come."

Ian added and calmly pulled out a book with an engraved emblem.

"A list of the apostates. Not all, but most of the key figures are included."

"......!"

Meb's eyes, which had remained calm, finally widened.

As Ian smiled, she regained her composure and stood up.

"The story will be long. Let's start with dinner."

Thanks to her determination for revenge,

Her eyes were regaining their vitality.

...Whether this was a good thing or not.

Ian sighed inwardly but shrugged.

"Before that, I need to bathe."

***

Ian entered his room and collapsed on the bed.

"Phew...."

A rare, pleasant sigh spread.

He understood why Miguel's face had been so shiny.

He had finally tasted food seasoned with spices and salt.

Clean new clothes and a soft bed.

Ian indulged in all the luxuries he hadn't experienced in a long time.

There was no reason not to.

A bloody situation would unfold again soon.

At dinner, Meb briefly explained her plan.

It was quite aggressive, but Ian agreed to follow it.

If it had to be done, a simple, aggressive approach was better.

'...Compared to the game, it's almost cute.'

Suddenly, his brows furrowed.

Someone was knocking on the door.

At this late hour, who could it be?

Ian's expression changed as he opened the door.

An unexpected person stood there.

Lucia. She looked to be no more than twelve, staring up at him.

"What is it?"

At his words, Lucia, who seemed to have just regained her senses, blinked and bowed.

"The introductions are done. What do you want?"

Ian added brusquely.

He had no intention of a long conversation.

He didn't want to ruin his good mood.

Unfazed by his tone, Lucia spoke.

"I have a question, so I came despite the rudeness."

"What is it?"

"Are you the mercenary?"

Ian's brows furrowed.

"Which... mercenary?"

"Miguel told me. The legendary mercenary who killed the dragon in the swamp, the headless knight, the cursed ancient tree, and the necromancer, is helping my sister, no, the Lord."

"......"

Miguel, that bastard.

Ian's brows furrowed even more.

He would have to cut out that tongue tomorrow.

"Is the mercenary... you?"

"...Yes. It was a drake, not a dragon, though."

Lucia's eyes widened slightly.

Her expression didn't change, but her eyes sparkled with a sudden, intense curiosity.

Of course, it was only for a moment.

"Thank you for answering."

She bowed politely.

Just dealing with a child was uncomfortable.

This one was a child-adult.

Ian scratched his chin and clicked his tongue at her gaze.

"Is there anything else?"

"If you are the mercenary... I want to ask you to take good care of the Lord. You might be stronger than my curse."

"Curse...?"

"Yes. The people I love all die."

"......"

What is this?

As Ian frowned,

"Good night," Lucia said casually and turned around.

Ian watched her small figure walk away for a moment, then shook his head and turned around.

"Is there not a single normal person in this family...?"

His muttering trailed off.

He tried to laugh it off, but Lucia's words lingered in his ears.

The people she loved all died.

A strange, ominous feeling washed over him.

Since becoming this body, his instincts rarely failed.

In the end, Ian let out a hollow laugh.

'...Well, it's fine. I'll just have to prepare for the worst.'