Chapter 69

“……”

Amidst the silence, only the sound of hooves could be heard. Ian felt a renewed sense of the absence of the talkative mercenary and the curious girl.

A slight feeling of emptiness.

But there was no lingering attachment.

They had found a new home and an opportunity to lead the rest of their lives in a more meaningful direction.

If they had continued with him, they would have only honed their skills in fighting and killing.

In the end, death would have awaited them.

‘…Or perhaps something worse.’

This journey was sufficient with those who had no other choice, like him, or those who, like Charlotte, made life-and-death battles their life’s goal.

So, let it be forgotten. It would be better if they never met again.

Repeating the same conclusion to himself, Ian turned his gaze.

The desolate landscape stretching along the road.

Traces of frozen snow in every shadow.

It was typical northern weather.

But he felt no cold at all.

Thanks to the divine power within him.

Unlike in the game, Cherwin had said the blessing would last about ten days.

With L'Ente having bestowed more divine power, it might last even longer.

‘…If I gradually infuse it with chaos energy, the duration might extend even further.’

A plausible hypothesis.

But Ian decided to experiment only when the blessing was about to end.

If it went wrong, it would waste precious chaos energy.

The recovery rate of chaos energy was much slower than mana.

The need to grow the fragment of chaos or speed up its recovery was becoming increasingly apparent.

There was a clear limit to the amount of mana that could be increased, and chaos energy was more versatile.

The power of the void was a bit concerning, though.

Still, he had to keep getting stronger, so he couldn’t afford to be picky.

Especially now that his stat distribution was a mess.

‘…At least my defense has definitely improved.’

The new armor he had equipped was mostly made of chain and thin metal plates.

He had chosen it because, when he tried it on, it felt no different from leather armor in terms of movement.

Now, no one would think he was a mage.

Even if he cast a spell right in front of someone, they would assume he had magical weapons or artifacts, as long as they didn’t make eye contact.

‘…Maybe I should have bought a visored helmet in town.’

One day, he might end up wearing full plate armor and wielding a two-handed sword.

A bitter smile crossed Ian’s lips at that thought.

“…Ian.”

The one who had made him stronger and faster turned to look behind him.

“Why.”

Ian replied calmly.

But he didn’t hide his gaze, causing Charlotte to flinch.

“W-well….”

Ian’s brows furrowed slightly.

Lately, Charlotte had become more anxious and watchful of his reactions.

It seemed like a process of becoming more dependent on him, but apart from that, she appeared to have a pathological aversion to owing favors or feeling indebted.

Probably due to the pride of her race.

“Come to think of it, it’s past mealtime.”

Ian, who had spoken, threw a piece of jerky to her.

According to the innkeeper, it was bear meat, but it tasted like it could have been rat meat.

“Let me know if you need more.”

Charlotte would be taking on the most dangerous role in battle. Naturally, he had to pay attention to her condition.

If she wasn’t in good shape, it would only make things more troublesome for him.

“Eh… No, um. Thanks. I’ll eat well.”

Charlotte, holding the jerky, seemed flustered.

Ian’s brows finally furrowed.

“Is there something else? If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t make it awkward.”

“W-well… I wanted to know if we’re on the right path and when we should set up camp. I… I’ve never been a coachman….”

She, too, seemed to feel the absence of Miguel, who used to nag at every opportunity.

Even so, asking such basic questions was surprising.

Ian pulled out a map from his coat.

It was something he had received at the Temple of the Forge.

It wasn’t enchanted, nor was it accurate or detailed, but it showed the geography of the surrounding area.

“A little further, you’ll come to a fork in the road with a rocky outcrop. Take the left. I’ll tell you when to camp, so don’t be a nuisance.”

“…Okay. Got it.”

Charlotte looked ahead again.

Her drooping tail betrayed her disappointment.

Ian, chuckling, looked back at the map.

Far to the north of the Temple of the Forge, beyond the western edge of the Ahigor Mountains, which stretched like a wall, was the mark left by Cherwin.

It indicated the location of the Ice Forest, which extended from the abandoned land.

The fact that nothing was drawn around or inside it was, of course, because nothing was known about it.

Cherwin’s voice echoed in his mind as he had thrust a thick history book along with the map.

- The symbol on your hand is likely one of the emblems of the ancient northern kingdoms. However, the emblems of the ancient northern kingdoms varied slightly depending on the ruler as well as the state.

- So, did you find a match?

- A similar one.

She had shown him the emblem of the Northern Giant Kingdom. It was indeed similar to the one on Ian’s hand.

- No one knows the exact name of the Giant Kingdom. It’s only known that one of the early power figures who explored the power of the void was the last queen of the Giant Kingdom. She sought the army of immortals and the power of immortality. The outcome is self-evident.

- Immortality and eternal life. Typical.

- She devoted herself to research in her palace. Records about her and the kingdom’s end are vague. Some say that an army of immortal giants still slumbers somewhere in the Ahigor Mountains.

It was true. In the game, Ian had explored the ruins of the ancient Giant Kingdom buried deep in the mountains.

It was where the Grand General of the Giants, who had lost his intellect and memory, and his army were sealed.

- Occasionally, giant warriors, revived with the madness of the Black Wall, are found near the mountains. It might not be entirely false. And the forest you mentioned….

- It’s connected to the side of the mountains. I understand. It’s a bit of a distance, but not completely separate.

- We don’t know what’s inside that cursed forest, but thanks to you, we now know that something related to the ancient Giant Kingdom lies there.

The true nature of that something was still unknown.

Not only had he not encountered it in the game, but he had never read about it in any walkthroughs.

He regretted not reading the walkthroughs from start to finish, instead of just skimming through the necessary parts.

‘…At least I know the location now.’

Thinking this, Ian leaned back in his chair.

This tranquil peace, like the desolate landscape, should be enjoyed while it lasted.

Northern nights were notoriously harsh.

No one could predict when or where something would disrupt the peace.

***

“Huh….”

While Charlotte clumsily prepared the camp, Ian’s brow twitched.

Heaving a sigh mixed with his breath, he looked at his left hand.

The symbol on his palm was resonating.

A faint wave of mana spread from his hand, signaling something.

He knew exactly what this meant from experience.

“Get ready.”

At Ian’s words, Charlotte, who was attempting to light a fire for the third time, looked at him.

“What kind of preparation?”

“Prepare to do what you like.”

Ian shook his hand.

A spark leaped from his fingertips, instantly igniting the firewood.

Charlotte, looking at the fire with a hint of frustration, quickly turned her head.

“Fight? A fight is coming?”

Her orange eyes sparkled.

Her face seemed to say that the moment to prove her worth had finally arrived.

She perked up her ears and looked into the darkness.

“There…! They’re coming…!”

“…You can already sense them?”

When Ian asked, Charlotte raised her head proudly.

“No need to be surprised. The senses of the Naga are among the best of all races on the continent. And I’m particularly good at it.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ian smirked and nodded.

“First, pile a lot of rocks on the carriage wheels. If you don’t want to chase after a runaway carriage alone.”

“…Ah. Right.”

Charlotte started moving hurriedly.

She seemed unaware that she was now obediently following Ian’s orders.

Meanwhile, Ian stretched and looked around the darkness.

All he could see was the deep darkness.

The northern region he remembered was a haven for all kinds of monsters.

Most of the citizens of the Northern Autonomous Region lived clustered around key points like the Temple of the Forge or Travelgar.

According to Miguel, the madness of the Black Wall had awakened ancient beings that were once dormant, making an already dangerous place even more perilous.

Whish—

Beyond the desolate darkness, the creatures began to stir, proving his words.

Undead in tattered rags.

They were likely the resurrected army of ancient northern dead.

‘This doesn’t happen every night, right?’

Thinking this, Ian drew his sword, gripping the lower part of the blade as Meve had done in Agel Lan, and leaped forward.

Whoosh—!

The wind rushed with his running steps.

A shuffling skeleton quickly approached.

Unlike the ones he had seen in Agel Lan, this one took a defensive stance upon seeing Ian.

It meant it wasn’t just a mindless undead.

However, the outcome was the same.

Crack—!

The Sword of Judgment shattered the undead’s worn-out sword and its skull.

As the wraith inside flickered and dissipated, Ian was already smashing the next undead’s skull.

Crack—!

Another one, and then the next.

Ian effortlessly shattered the heads of the undead soldiers.

Crack! Crack—!

The commotion continued from the side.

Charlotte, who had rushed over, was wreaking havoc.

Gripping dual swords, she seemed to be proving that her wild nature was still intact, hacking away at the resurrected dead.

It was a different fighting style from before.

Her ferocity had increased, but it was a much less efficient method.

‘She’ll definitely draw attention.’

But considering the role she would take on in the future, it wasn’t a bad change.

It took no more than ten minutes for the undead army to turn back into piles of bones.

“…Phew.”

Ian, sheathing his sword, took a short breath.

The refreshing feeling in his body confirmed that he had fully adapted to this world.

The resonance in his hand had subsided, but he felt a clear sign that it would repeat.

‘Inviting them to come and then gathering monsters doesn’t make sense, does it?’

Is it some kind of trial for the chosen one?

Thinking this, Ian sat by the fire and realized that Charlotte was still wandering in the darkness.

She had glanced at him throughout the battle and was now wandering among the fallen dead.

“What are you doing?”

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Charlotte returned to the fire.

But she couldn’t hide her shocked expression.

Staring blankly at the fire, she suddenly spoke.

“How did you do it?”

“What?”

“How did you… take down more monsters than me? I was sure that in close combat, I was slightly better….”

Was she that shocked by this?

Ian raised an eyebrow, but Charlotte remained serious.

“How…?”

After looking at her for a moment, Ian said,

“To me, you seem more suited to be an assassin than a warrior.”

“What…? I was born a warrior and I am still a warrior.”

Charlotte said, her pride wounded.

Well, if that’s how she feels.

Ian shrugged.

“Then keep fighting that way. I don’t care.”

“……”

***

Charlotte counted down the days.

But the large-scale attack that had happened the previous night didn’t occur the next night.

Only a few monsters that had wandered around attacked.

The same happened the next day and the day after that.

Finally, the next day, an undead army attacked.

Charlotte, as if waiting for it, went all out.

“Why…?”

But nothing had changed. She had only achieved a similar level of contribution to Ian.

“I don’t understand why you care so much about this.”

“……”

Ian seemed unfazed, but she couldn’t be.

She knew nothing else but fighting.

Her constant talking had even slowed their progress, and she had failed to find a suitable campsite. She still struggled to light a fire and often burned the jerky.

So, to justify her claim to the tail, she needed to excel as a warrior.

Instead, her mistakes and sense of debt only piled up over time.

She didn’t realize that her wild nature was fading at an accelerating rate.

All she could think about was making up for it.

A few days later, an opportunity presented itself to her heightened senses.

“……!”

Charlotte, who was on watch, perked up her ears.

Her gaze turned to the darkness beyond the carriage.

Her pupils dilated almost to a circle, and her fur stood on end.

A faint smell of blood reached her heightened sense of smell.

And the presence was unmistakable.

Charlotte had first sensed this presence four days ago.

At first, it was more obvious.

Desperate and fearful breathing. A slightly stronger smell of decay.

It was similar to the presence of an injured monster and soon disappeared, so she hadn’t paid much attention at first.

But when she sensed it again the next day, things changed.

The presence had approached to a distance where even Charlotte could faintly sense it, then disappeared.

It had just happened again.

Charlotte finally realized that the presence was following them.

Why it followed and then moved away was obvious.

It was looking for an opportunity to attack.

Without considering that they might notice.

Well, sensing such a subtle presence was nearly impossible for any Naga who wasn’t as exceptional as her.

“Can’t you sense it?”

“What?”

Ian, who asked indifferently, was unsurprising.

Charlotte’s lips curled back, revealing her fangs.

If she eliminated a threat that even he hadn’t noticed, it would be a significant contribution.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

“……?”