Chapter 92

#092

Upon hearing the conversation exchanged between Charlotte and Tesia, Askel repeatedly tilted his head in confusion.

It was too specific to be a lie, but it was still hard to believe.

"If what you say is true... then you must be warriors on par with Karha."

"Ian might be."

"......"

Askel didn’t express his doubts even though he found it hard to believe.

The group didn’t force him to believe either.

They just found meaning in the conversation itself, as Askel’s belief wasn’t a crucial part.

"Hmm…."

Finally, the village came into view.

In the middle of the forest, away from the main road.

Seeing the densely packed wooden palisades on a small hill, Ian remarked,

"It’s much larger than I expected."

"Our village has a statue of Karha. There are only a few such statues in the entire northern region, so many people have moved here instead of to the autonomous city."

Askel said.

His tone was far from boastful or arrogant.

Ian easily guessed that Askel probably wanted to move beyond the gate of the autonomous region.

It was unexpected.

At his age, most people would idolize terms like great warriors or heroes.

‘Not my concern, though.’

"Please wait a moment. I’ll open the gate."

Askel walked briskly toward the gate blocking the village entrance.

"It’s almost like a fortress."

Charlotte said, looking at the northern warriors with bows on the palisade.

Ian nodded slightly.

"It wasn’t like this from the beginning. It must have been fortified over time."

The wood used for the palisade was a mix of old and new. The trees near the hill were all cut down to the stumps, making it look even more like a fortress in the forest.

"My stomach feels a bit queasy. I don’t feel good."

Tisia muttered, frowning.

Ian turned to her.

"Your stomach feels queasy?"

"Yeah. Not as bad as when we were near the temple you visited before, though."

"Hmm."

Ian scratched his chin.

There’s a statue, he thought. In this snow-covered place, it seems they’re not just relying on the northern people’s spirit.

Charlotte snorted.

"Good. Be quiet. Take care of your eyes. If you’re found out as a demon, things will get complicated."

"My eyes aren’t under my control. How am I supposed to take care of them?"

"That’s not my problem. Pretend to be blind or something."

"That doesn’t make sense-"

"Shut up. The gate is opening."

Ian cut her off.

Charlotte and Tisia looked ahead. The gate was opening.

Ian took a step forward.

The gaze of the sentries on the palisade followed them.

Beyond the thick gate, a northern warrior with narrowed eyes appeared.

'Typical barbarian warriors.'

Miguel had said not all northerners were muscular, but most of the warriors visible now were bear-like in size.

They all wore various animal furs, making them look even more so.

Ian passed through the gate, unaffected by their gazes.

Behind him, Charlotte’s low, growling breaths continued.

She was probably having a staring contest with the gatekeeper.

"I’ll take you to my house. Follow me."

Askel, who had been waiting, turned around.

"That’s a demon. To receive such guests in this time... are they trying to involve the village in something?"

"Seems that way. They have no shame. Well, it’s Askel, a coward, so it’s not surprising."

"Such a coward coming from the lineage of those great warriors…."

Low voices continued from behind.

Askel moved as if he hadn’t heard anything.

"A coward, Askel…?"

Charlotte frowned and asked. Askel shrugged.

"Ever since the snow started covering the village, I’ve been advocating that everyone should move beyond the gate. I was the only one of my age to say that, so that’s how I got the nickname."

"If I were in your place, I would have cut out their tongues. So they couldn’t speak nonsense again."

"I don’t think I would do that. Maybe because I’m a coward."

"Unlikely."

Ian chuckled.

"Very few people can speak their mind while looking straight at me and this one. Especially when alone."

"I agree. You’re not a coward."

Charlotte chimed in.

Askel smiled calmly and continued walking without a word.

Ian took in the village.

On either side of the muddy main road, log houses lined up.

They looked randomly built, but there was a strange regularity.

The busy residents, even while moving about, cast wary glances at the group passing by.

Even in a closed village, the level of caution was excessive, especially with Charlotte present.

"There aren’t many men around."

"It’s a busy time. Those who were on guard last night are sleeping, and the rest have gone hunting and searching. As I mentioned, we’re facing a problem."

They were already in the center of the village.

There was an open space that seemed to be a square and a relatively large building.

It looked like a kind of banquet hall.

Askel raised his hand.

"That’s the statue of Karha."

"I’ve already seen it. It’s quite an old stone statue."

The statue stood beside the square.

It was a long-haired warrior holding a large sword with both hands, the blade pointing downward.

Ian’s senses became naturally more acute as he gazed at the statue.

"They say it was made to look exactly like the real thing. There’s no way to verify that."

Askel said, and Ian shrugged.

"Given the divine aura, it might be true."

He could feel divine power from inside the statue.

It wasn’t as clear as the statue of Lu Sola or the holy fire in the temple of the hearth, but there was definitely something inside the statue.

Charlotte looked at the statue with interest, while Tisia frowned quietly. Askel turned to Ian.

"Can you sense the divine aura?"

"Yes. Can’t you?"

"Only when it’s very clear. …Well, given what I’ve heard, you might be able to. You’re supposed to be an incredible warrior."

You really say anything.

Ian chuckled and nodded toward the statue.

"The blood on the tip of the sword."

The ground near the tip of the sword held by the statue was stained dark red.

"Yes. It’s flowing from the sword."

"It’s a miracle."

Like the statue of Lu Sola emitting light, Karha’s sword was covered in blood.

Even so, it’s blood. It’s almost a miracle that the Church of Lu Sola hasn’t declared Karha an evil deity.

"It started about two months ago. They say it’s an ominous omen, that the warrior’s sword will be stained with blood."

"Two months…?"

"Considering the events that have happened since, it might not be entirely wrong."

"Hmm…."

Ian’s eyes twitched slightly.

It coincided strangely with the time he entered the north and the time he made a pact with the demon in the underground palace.

‘…Overthinking it. Not everything is because of me.’

Ian chuckled softly.

It’s possible it’s related to him, but there are plenty of other reasons for the statue to show ominous signs.

The Sword of Judgment at his waist hummed low.

‘What do you want? I’m not interested in you guys.’

Muttering to himself, Ian passed the statue without a second glance.

The red light at the tip of Karha’s sword flickered more clearly, but he didn’t notice.

***

At the end of the alley, Askel stopped in front of a house near the palisade.

"Here we are."

"It looks big for a single person."

"I live with an old man. Don’t worry, my guests will be fine."

Ian frowned slightly.

"Maybe it’s better to go to an inn."

"Our village doesn’t really have an inn. I’ll rent an empty house, so please wait a moment. I also have something to tell you. Please wait."

Askel went inside the house.

After a brief conversation, the door opened again.

"Please come in. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Ian exchanged a glance with Tisia. When she nodded slightly, he entered the house.

The interior, filled with the stench of animal fur and a cold chill, had an old man sitting in a corner chair looking at Ian.

He was thin with white hair, and his left eye was missing, replaced by a deep scar from his forehead to his chin.

The old man’s brows furrowed slightly upon seeing the group.

"Hmm."

"Don’t be rude to my guests."

Askel said indifferently while lighting the stove.

The old man gestured toward the table in the middle of the room.

The old man’s left hand was missing below the wrist.

"Sit down."

Ian sat calmly. Charlotte and Tisia naturally gathered around.

The old chair creaked.

Askel, who had lit the stove, turned around.

"I’ll rent a house and get some food. Do you need anything else?"

"Can we take a bath?"

"A bath…? It’s possible, but…."

Askel blinked in surprise at the unexpected request. Ian shrugged.

"Then prepare a bath and warm the house. I’m tired of the cold."

"Yes, I’ll be back soon."

Askel left.

An uncomfortable silence fell.

The old man, who had been watching the group, finally spoke calmly.

"I heard you’re monster hunters."

"Mercenaries. We mainly fight monsters."

"Have you already received a request?"

"Not yet. I haven’t even heard about the problem in the village."

"Hmm. Are you trying to get the village warriors’ approval? They won’t agree."

Ian’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Can’t you just hire mercenaries here?"

"That’s not the case. But even if you’re experts, three people can’t solve this problem. It needs to be solved with the village warriors."

"Maybe…."

Ian thought of the warriors near the palisade. If three of them couldn’t solve the problem, it wouldn’t change even if there were dozens more.

"But the warriors won’t agree. They’ll think it’s meaningless to solve the problem with outside help. Askel is already out of favor, and bringing in outsiders might lead to retaliation."

The old man clicked his tongue.

"Karha fought to survive, but everyone has forgotten what’s truly important. If this continues, we’ll all die."

"Then why not just leave?"

The old man chuckled.

"I’m an old man looking for a place to die, not a place to live. The young ones should live."

"Hmm…."

Ian’s eyes became strange as the old man spoke.

At that moment, the door opened.

Askel entered with a basket.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. I’ll prepare the meal."

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes."

Askel placed the basket and handed Ian a money pouch.

Ian frowned slightly.

"There’s not much left."

"For now, you’re my guests. I didn’t want to use any, but I don’t have much money."

"Hmm."

Ian, scratching his chin, suddenly looked at the old man.

"Old man."

"…?"

"Can you cook?"

"Just roasting over a fire."

"Then I’ll ask you to do it."

The old man stood up without a word.

Askel tilted his head.

Ian nodded toward the empty seat at the table.

"Sit down."

Askel, who sat down, blinked. Ian said bluntly,

"What’s the problem in the village?"

"Well… even if you’re strong, three people can’t solve it. The village warriors need to help. That’s the priority."

Just as the old man said.

Ian, inwardly chuckling, looked at Askel calmly.

"That’s not your decision. Both the feasibility and the method are my judgment."

"…!"

"Your job is to explain the request and offer the reward. That’s the extent of your role as the client."

Ian shrugged and added,

"I hate dragging things out. Since it’s come to this, I won’t ask again if not now."

After a moment’s hesitation, Askel finally spoke.

"…Every night, monsters surround the village. We call them white demons."

"Details."

"At first, there was only one. A large, white harpy I’d never seen before. I saw it once, and it looked more like a demon than a harpy. It had no eyes, just a white crown-like horn. When the village warriors rushed out, it flew away. But…."

"The next night, it came back with subordinates. This time, an ogre."

Askel blinked.

"How did you know?"

"Keep talking."

"At first, it was just one ogre, watching from a distance. The next day, a few more harpies came, and the day after that, there were goblins. That’s when we realized it was bringing more subordinates, and we went to exterminate it."

"You failed."

"Yes. It sent the monsters and fled. This happened a few times. Then, a while ago, it started bringing the undead."

Ian’s brows furrowed.

"Undead…?"

"Yes. Walking skeletons. When the warriors go out, it sends the undead and flees."

Ian’s eyes narrowed.

A mutated harpy queen. A named monster from the game.

Originally, harpies lived in small groups centered around a queen.

Apart from flying, they weren’t particularly strong in combat.

Their charm effect, a mental attack, didn’t work on anyone with even slightly higher mental strength.

But the one tainted by the Black Wall’s madness brought other monsters.

It also retained its natural caution, fleeing quickly if not targeted from the start or distracted.

However, bringing undead was a pattern not seen in the game.

‘Did this change because of the reality? Or because I killed all the giant named monsters?’

"It’s been repeating. We’ve had some casualties, and fatigue is building up. A few days ago, we stopped extermination and started searching for its nest during the day."

"There won’t be any results. The monsters have accumulated."

"…Yes. Fortunately, the numbers haven’t increased further, but the casualties will be significant if we fight. Moreover, now we only see the undead, not the demon itself."

"Typical harpy tactics. So…."

Ian nodded and looked at Askel.

"If we take care of it, what can you offer in return?"

"That’s-"

"I have a few imperial gold coins. I’ll give them all to you."

The old man interjected.

Askel, surprised, looked at him. A quest window appeared in front of Ian.

White Demon. The reward was to increase one point in strength.

…This seems to be a quest originally for barbarian warriors.

Smiling, Ian said,

"I accept. The contract is established."