Chapter 53

#053

As their eyes met, the man made a pitiful expression, as if to say he couldn't help it.

‘Calling out my name must have really startled him.’

While Ian was savoring the moment.

“We already knew what you looked like. Black hair with a bluish tint, black eyes. One of you has a beard and a scar on his face. The most important lady has red hair and green eyes. You fit the description perfectly.”

The leader added, as if to console him.

Ian and the man’s eyes met again, and he smiled.

“So, it’s better to just come along quietly. If not, we’ll just check and let you go.”

Would you go if you were him?

Ian’s eyes darkened.

The leader nodded.

“Good attitude. But don’t try anything foolish. We’re pretty confident in our shooting skills. Besides….”

He lowered his voice as if sharing a great secret.

“We can return just by capturing that little lady. There’s additional reward for catching you two, but even without that, it’s a substantial sum.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ian nodded and added.

“Then shoot. I’m going to move now.”

“……?”

The leader’s brows furrowed.

A look of confusion.

Ian demonstratively moved his arm.

As his robe slightly opened, the Sword of Condemnation was revealed.

Ian placed his hand on the hilt.

The leader’s brows finally creased.

“You’re a madman. Just shoot him!”

Whoosh, almost simultaneously, crossbow bolts were fired at Ian and Miguel.

Their shooting skills were as excellent as the leader had claimed.

The timing was almost the same, and the aim was precise.

But ironically, their excellent skills became their downfall.

Whoosh!

A wind barrier that swept around instantly scattered all the bolts.

Ian, who had intended to deflect one, took off his robe and leaped forward.

The Sword of Condemnation, drawn from its sheath, fell directly onto one of them, who hadn’t even realized what was happening.

Crack!

“Guh….”

The man, split in half from the top of his head to his neck, fell backward, eyes wide.

Blood and brain matter splattered.

Ian landed on the saddle, and his left hand swung like a whip.

Thud!

Wind followed his movement, and the head of another man was thrown back.

A dagger was deeply embedded in the center of the fallen man’s face.

“What a madman….”

Just as the leader realized the situation, Ian was already leaping off the saddle.

Crack!

Another man was cut diagonally from the back of his neck to the opposite side of his ribcage.

The upper body fell, splattering blood and entrails.

The lower body remained on the horse.

Ian rolled and landed.

“……!”

The leader’s eyes bulged with rage.

Cutting a person in half with one stroke was no easy feat.

It required immense strength, or a technique at the peak of mastery, or at least a weapon that could be called a legendary sword.

It was impossible to know which was the case, except for Ian himself.

What mattered was that three of his subordinates were dead in the blink of an eye.

“Y-You bastard…!”

The last man, realizing the situation too late, threw his crossbow and drew his sword.

Ian, who had already regained his composure, threw a dagger at him.

The man, not completely helpless, dodged the flying dagger by leaning to the side.

But he couldn’t block Ian’s leap that followed.

Ian, leaping higher than the saddle, struck down with his sword.

The mercenary parried Ian’s blow with his sword and attempted a counterattack.

It was a standard response.

Crack—

Until the mercenary’s sword broke.

The Sword of Condemnation was deeply embedded in the man’s shoulder.

“Aaaah—!”

A scream. Ian, who had landed on top of the man, pulled out the sword and prepared to finish him off.

The leader, who had approached to within striking distance, was there at that moment.

He had planned to attack from behind while Ian was killing his subordinates.

Whoosh!

The man, who had raised his sword, froze in place, feeling a sharp pain in his back.

Miguel’s bolt had pierced his back.

“Guh….”

The leader, swaying and falling off his horse, let out a suppressed groan. He saw his horse galloping away, abandoning him.

Thud.

And there, Ian landed in front of him.

The fallen leader looked up at him, whose eyes were cold and emotionless.

The leader, crawling on the ground, pleaded.

“Spare… spare me….”

Ian squatted in front of him.

Thud. A sword was embedded near the leader’s face.

Blood and fat slid down the blade.

A flat voice followed.

“Who issued the bounty? A merchant of the Empire?”

“The Empire…? I don’t know what you mean. I only heard the story… but it wasn’t them. They were… knights from Agel Lan….”

The leader, despite his exhaustion, answered honestly.

Ian, narrowing his eyes, added.

“If they’re from Agel Lan, they should know that you can’t capture us with just your kind. Did they really issue a bounty for our capture?”

“There was a reward just for reporting the location. The reward for capturing us was even greater… Ah, this.”

A sudden realization flashed across the leader’s face as he spoke.

He looked at Ian with a bitter smile.

“I was already wrong. That’s why I tried to extract information.”

“Well, you can’t survive with your guts spilled out.”

Ian stood up, answering calmly.

The leader, coughing up blood, eventually chuckled.

“Don’t think this is the end… We have many comrades… Your names are… already known in Bel Rond….”

His voice faded.

But Ian was no longer looking at him.

Knights. The Royal Guard, perhaps.

A plausible scenario flashed through his mind as he scratched his chin.

The enraged king of Agel Lan. The Royal Guard sent out on his orders.

They probably couldn’t cross the border in large numbers. At most, five. It was likely even fewer.

‘They probably moved in the direction of Lusad, half-believing, half-doubting.’

After a few days, they likely realized they were on the wrong path.

And from then on, they must have issued bounties in every village they visited.

A foolish move, but one only possible for knights.

If things got out of hand, even lords, who are as greedy as mercenaries and merchants, could get involved.

Judging from the current situation, it was only a matter of time.

From then on, it would be a real mess.

“From what I hear, our names and descriptions are spread all over the area… It’s too late to cut them all off, isn’t it?”

Miguel asked cautiously.

Ian shrugged.

“If you know, let’s start by getting rid of these.”

Miguel got off the driver’s seat.

They tied the bodies to the saddles and scattered the horses in all directions.

It wouldn’t help much, but it would delay the discovery of the battle site.

Ian, leaving one horse, mounted the saddle.

To secure an additional means of mobility.

Now it was a race against time.

His eyes met with Lucy, who was sitting in the cargo area, and he smiled calmly.

“After all that fuss, cutting our hair and everything, we still got caught.”

Lucy shook her head.

“But that’s why we could get here without any major incidents. It’s fine.”

Her voice showed no sign of fear, despite the recent bloodshed.

After all, she was probably the most familiar with death among twelve-year-olds.

Lucy blinked and added.

“But why didn’t you use magic? You were going to kill them anyway.”

Even in this situation, she was curious. A true mage’s temperament.

Actually, he did use gray magic.

Ian, muttering to himself, shrugged.

“Magic should only be used when necessary. If I use it on these guys, I might run out of mana. It’s the twilight of magic, after all.”

As Lucy nodded.

Ian suddenly raised his arms.

“Look at me now. When you fight with a sword, it looks like this.”

“Creepy.”

“Exactly.”

“But it’s cool. It looks strong.”

…Stubborn, just like a mage.

While Ian was savoring the moment.

“So, what will you do now? Just keep going as planned?”

Miguel, who had climbed onto the driver’s seat, asked.

“No.”

Ian approached the carriage and looked back at the mountain in the distance.

If they continued, their location would be known within a few days.

“How much time can we save by crossing there?”

It was time to activate Plan B.

***

Miguel sighed.

“This doesn’t seem like a good decision, no matter how you look at it. Just to save two to four days….”

“If we get surrounded and chased during that time, you’ll think differently.”

Ian said calmly.

Miguel’s sigh deepened.

They were now climbing the mountain, entering a valley between two mountains.

There was a path, like a shortcut, but it was in a terrible state, as if no one had used it for a long time.

It was to be expected. According to Miguel, this place was a cursed land where monsters were said to live.

“I heard this story a few years ago. By now, the madness of the Black Wall or some strange grudge might have settled here. I know your skills, but….”

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to fight. Just guard the carriage. Besides….”

Ian looked up at the sky.

Dark clouds were gathering.

“It’s too late to turn back anyway.”

Miguel, who had never considered it, but.

This was a contingency plan he had in mind from the moment they decided to move near the cursed land.

The trackers wouldn’t expect them to just enter the cursed land.

Even if they did, the weaklings wouldn’t dare follow.

Moreover, this way, they could save time, making it a win-win situation.

“I miss Philip. He would have supported me in a situation like this.”

Miguel muttered, resigned.

Ian smirked.

“It wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.”

His horse snorted.

Not just the horse, but the horses pulling the carriage were also terrified.

It was a natural reaction.

The place was desolate, with no sign of life, and the trees were black and withered.

Something was definitely lurking in this mountain.

Rustle.

“……?!”

Miguel turned his head sharply at the sound near his ear.

But he saw nothing.

Just the dark trees and the cloudy night sky.

Rustle. Rustle.

“Is it the wind…?”

“No way.”

Ian’s eyes were already cold.

He had heard this sound a few days ago.

“I think I know what kind of monster lives here.”

“What kind of monster… lives here?”

Ian suddenly raised his hand.

Miguel, looking in the direction he pointed, widened his eyes.

“……!”

He finally saw a shape moving swiftly on the trees.

It was a gray spider, hiding like a shadow, almost the size of a wolf.

“Cave spider…?”

“Yeah. That’s a cave spider. That one too. And that one.”

Ian looked around and said.

Miguel, who had stiffened, fumbled for a torch in his bag.

Whoosh.

As the flame ignited, Miguel saw the glowing eyes between the trees.

More than ten cave spiders were watching them.

“The cave spiders of Bel Rond all escaped from here.”

“So… the monster that lives here is….”

“Their mother, I guess.”

Rustle. Rustle.

As if his words were a signal, the sound of the cave spiders’ feet, like the wind, surged from all directions.

Ian, at that moment, turned to look at Lucy.

“Watch closely.”

“……!”

Lucy’s eyes widened.

Ian’s eyes, which were now staring at her, were burning red.

“This is the moment when you need to use magic.”

Whoosh.

Red flames burst around him.