Chapter 61

"I'll go with you."

Kiril received an envelope from Marida. After reading the card inside, Aldis pondered for a while.

But then, as if making a decision, he stiffened his expression and suddenly offered to accompany Kiril. Kiril, who had received great kindness and had neither the means to repay it nor the money to pay for a guard, hesitated, saying it was too much trouble. However, Aldis insisted, saying, "It's no problem, it's on my way. I have some business in the City-State Alliance."

The City-State Alliance, located to the west of the Naglas Kingdom, is not strictly a country. It would be more accurate to say that it is a collection of various small and medium-sized city-states that have formed an alliance.

Each city-state has its own king and governs independently without interfering with other cities. Therefore, while the name "City-State Alliance" is recognized as a country name by people in the Naglas Kingdom, to the people of the City-State Alliance, it feels more like a region or a camp to which their city-state belongs.

Kiril's hometown, the city-state of Reiting, is located at the easternmost part of the City-State Alliance. Situated between the various cities of the City-State Alliance and the capital of the Naglas Kingdom, Gran, it has developed as a transit point for trade with the Naglas Kingdom, serving as the eastern gateway.

The distance from the capital to Reiting is about three days' walk for an adult. Reiting and the capital are connected by a road, and the surrounding security is not bad.

However, this is only in comparison to other places, and there is still a risk of encountering bandits or dangerous beasts. It would be unusual for a child like Kiril to travel alone without a guard.

That's why Aldis's offer was a godsend. However, when Kiril asked for the reason, Aldis only gave vague answers like, "Don't worry about it" or "It's for my convenience."

For Kiril, having a mercenary like Aldis accompany him was a great comfort. But the fact that the situation was so convenient for him, and that it all started with the envelope he had, made him feel uneasy.

"I'll keep it for you tonight."

Saying this, Aldis took the sword found in the ruins.

After resting in a warm bed for the first time in a long time, Kiril left the capital with Aldis the next morning.

According to Aldis, the strange humanoid creature appeared again last night. The reason the creature's scream didn't reach the inn was that Aldis had gone to a deserted place in the middle of the night to drive it away.

Kiril felt guilty about putting all the burden on Aldis. In his mind, there was a constant struggle between the rational part that felt ashamed of his own weakness and the immature pride that refused to acknowledge it. Expressing gratitude in words seemed cheap, and he couldn't think of any other way to repay Aldis.

"I'm going to Reiting for my own convenience. It's also on the way to a hunt I have to do."

Aldis seemed to sense Kiril's frustration.

Dressed in a slightly short violet robe and a violet cloth wrapped around his forehead, Aldis looked to be around fifteen years old, just reaching adulthood, an age when he would usually be treated as a child. However, his demeanor was full of confidence, and his words were backed by a firm resolve.

Despite his ordinary appearance, even his black eyes and hair gave Kiril a sense of reassurance. Though only three or four years older, the person in front of him had a calm presence as if he had lived for decades.

Would Kiril be able to develop such depth when he was Aldis's age? Thinking about this, Kiril quickened his pace to catch up with Aldis, who was walking ahead.

The day after Kiril and Aldis left the capital.

Just before reaching the border, they veered off the road and headed north. This was to carry out a mission Aldis had received from a middleman named Jan in the capital.

The mission was to hunt down a monster that had appeared near a body of water. It had been spotted in a village near the border about five days ago, when Kiril and Aldis were still in the Kosus Forest.

A villager who had gone fishing as usual noticed a purple creature floating on the surface of a nearby pond. At first, the villager thought it was an illusion and rubbed his eyes, but when he clearly saw the creature, he fainted.

The villager had seen a monster called the "Heterosaint."

It was a huge spherical body that resembled a blue mineral, covered in purple flesh, with only a part of it exposed like an inorganic eye. From this indistinguishable mass, twelve tentacles extended into the water, each ending in a suction cup for capturing prey. It was a purple mass with twelve dangling tentacles, simply put.

The villager, who had fainted, returned to the village with great caution, careful not to be noticed by the monster. Upon receiving the report, the village was in an uproar. The "Heterosaint" was a dangerous monster.

If the "Despair" is the apex predator in the grasslands, the "Heterosaint" is the apex predator in the waters. Its strength was on par with the "Despair," and it was even more troublesome to fight in water or on the surface.

Of course, ordinary villagers had no chance against it, and even mercenaries who made a living from fighting would be defeated if they were not skilled enough.

The village chief immediately sought help from the capital through his connections, but the capital was experiencing unprecedented prosperity due to the newly opened northern iron mine. Carriages were constantly heading north to transport people and materials, and returning with ore and timber.

Naturally, security and the safety of the area around the iron mine were necessary, and part of the royal army was assigned to guard it. Of course, this was not enough to cover the vast area, so mercenaries were recruited under extremely favorable conditions, and skilled mercenaries were flocking to the north to take advantage of the opportunity.

Additionally, a significant number of personnel were dispatched to investigate a small island that had been the territory of a monster called the "Four-Feathered" and to seize a fortress that had been the lair of a monster called the "Red-Eater." As a result, the royal army was taking time to form a hunting party for the "Heterosaint."

So far, there had been no casualties, but the fish in the pond were an important food source for the village. If the situation continued, it could lead to a food shortage.

Jan, who had been running around trying to call back mercenaries from the north, was overjoyed at Aldis's return. The fact that he immediately offered Aldis two gold coins, an exorbitant amount, was proof of this.

In the end, Aldis accepted the mission, partly because it aligned with his goal of going to Reiting.

"We should be able to see the village soon... Are you tired, Kiril?"

"No, I'm fine."

After about thirty minutes of walking on a rural path off the main road, Kiril and Aldis finally saw their destination.

From a distance, it looked like an ordinary village. Wooden houses were scattered, surrounded by a simple fence.

When Kiril and Aldis entered the village through the main entrance, they felt a sense of unease.

"There's no one... here."

"It's too quiet..."

Even for a quiet border village, the complete absence of any sound was suspicious.

"Has the whole village evacuated?"

"If that's the case, it wouldn't be a problem—"

Just as Aldis was about to answer Kiril's question, a loud noise reached their ears. It sounded like wood being forcibly broken, followed by faint human screams.

2017/11/03 Correction: aquatic monster → monster appearing near water

2019/05/03 Correction: "with Gran" → "between Gran"

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2019/07/30 Correction: "regardless" → "despite"

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2019/08/07 Correction: "rebels" → "bandits"

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