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Chapter 131

Philip, without turning his head, reassured her, saying not to worry, with a rogue-like smile still on his lips.

He\'s found his calling.

Shaking his head, Ian picked up the bottle next to him. It was wine. He placed two pewter cups on the table and poured the wine.

“I was thirsty. Thank you.” Mev, who had raised her visor, took the cup.

Her eyes and gestures showed signs of fatigue as if the tension had finally eased. It was understandable. No matter how formidable a human tank she was, clad in heavy full-plate armor and wielding holy power, it couldn\'t have been easy to break through such a fortress head-on.

It must have been a reckless decision for her too. Yet, she had pushed forward, likely because she didn\'t want to resort to sneaking in or ambushing against the corrupted.

Even for an Apostle of Vengeance... there\'s no moderation.

Indeed, moderation was the last word one would associate with her. Ian, who had taken a sip of the wine, set down his cup and spoke.

“Come to think of it, there\'s something else to report.”

“Report...?” Mev, who had drained her cup in one go, looked at him.

Ian refilled her cup with a smile. “As you might already know, the mission was accomplished. Lucy has safely entered the Temple of Brazier, receiving a warm welcome.”

A faint smile spread across Mev\'s lips. She nodded as she looked down at the wine swirling in her cup.

“Of course, I knew. I was certain about a month and a half ago when none of the pursuers following you returned.”

“You must have been quite troubled.”

“Not really. Thanks to you, I became the victim. His Majesty even wanted to keep me by his side until the end.”

“I heard that you left the kingdom before the war started.”

Mev didn\'t deny it. After taking another sip of the wine with her somber eyes, she spoke again. “There were many reasons. I didn\'t want the war. Even less the position of the supreme commander. Instead, I was preoccupied with another question.”

“Another question?”

“Yes. Just as Vernon was corrupted by Regis, I wondered if there was a mastermind behind Regis\' descent into darkness.”

It is a plausible thought. Ian muttered to himself as he brought the wine to his lips. She had lost almost all her family to the corrupted ones. It was only natural for her to suspect the presence of another culprit.

“So, did you investigate?”

“Yes. And I found a very small clue. But to investigate it, I had to leave for Menere. I hesitated for a while.”

Mev\'s gaze turned to Philip, who was engrossed in his search.

“It was Philip who pushed me. All I did was follow him reluctantly.”

“Hmm....”

That fellow would do that indeed.

Ian nodded as he watched Philip. He had already found two money pouches and thrown them onto the bed and was now taking out a dagger from a drawer. Sensing their gaze, he spoke.

“His Majesty was losing his sanity more and more. He was plagued by anxiety and impatience. I thought if you left the kingdom, His Majesty would give up on the war. Because the focal point to lead the soldiers would be gone.”

He threw the dagger onto the bed and sighed briefly.

“But in the end, His Majesty started the war. Even personally leading the entire army. It was complete madness... I apologize, I spoke too harshly.”

Shaking his head, he resumed his search in the opposite corner of the room. Mev brought the cup to her lips with a bitter expression.

Well, she couldn\'t be unaware of the situation in Agel Lan. It was not surprising if she felt some responsibility and guilt.

I shouldn\'t have asked. It ruined the mood.

Ian clicked his tongue and raised his cup.

“So you don\'t know anything about Lucy\'s current situation.”

“...!” Mev\'s gaze returned to him.

Ian shrugged his shoulders.

“This is also somewhat old news. Lucy sent a letter. Not to me directly, but it was delivered through someone.”

Ian continued calmly. He explained that Lucy had finally blossomed into her potential, changed her name, and was diligently studying as the heir to the High Priest. He also briefly mentioned Miguel\'s news.

“A priest, you say...? That Miguel, a priest?”

Philip, who had found a chest hidden under the bed, looked up sharply.

Ian gave a short laugh. “It’s true. He’s more than qualified. He had sacrificed himself to protect Lucy.”

“...If we ever meet again, I must express my sincere gratitude. And repay the favor. Knowing that Priest Miguel is always by her side... It\'s reassuring.”

“A priest... indeed.”

How unfitting.

Ian and Philip both let out a dry laugh, seemingly thinking the same thing. Warmth returned to Mev\'s smile. Her face showed that a burden weighing on her heart had been lifted.

Ian nodded his chin. “You can head up North now. It\'s not as far as you think.”

“...Later. Lucy will always be there.” Mev answered as she brought the cup to her lips. Two cups had already been emptied.

You\'ve become quite the drinker while I wasn\'t there.

As Ian poured the third cup, Philip\'s exclamation followed.

“Look at this, my lord.”

Ian and Mev turned their heads. Philip, holding a longsword taken from the chest, smiled as he half-drew the blade from its sheath.

“It looks like a decent sword. Would you like to try it?”

Mev shook her head with a wry smile. “No, you keep it, Philip.”

“If you say so....” Philip\'s smile, which had been ready to accept, suddenly froze. Ian was holding out his hand. Meeting Ian\'s eyes, Philip reluctantly handed over the sword.

“Bring it here.”

“...Yes.” Philip approached, pushing the blade back into the sheath.

Ian, gripping the hilt, narrowed his eyes slightly. He was able to see the information window.

[Thief\'s Longsword.]

It was a high-grade sword. It was more useful than an ordinary longsword, but not enough for him to use.

“You keep it. Don’t forget, I have the right to a share of the loot too.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I wouldn’t deceive you, my lord.”

Philip turned with a smile as if he had never been sullen.

He\'ll probably try to fleece me soon enough.

Ian scoffed and looked at Mev.

“It\'s about time to pay the reward for the commission, Ian. When do you plan to collect it?” She spoke as if she had been waiting for this moment.

You\'re not still looking for a place to die, are you?

Ian wondered as he took a sip of his drink, finally replying.

“Not yet. I’ll collect it when the time comes.”

“By then, who knows if we’ll still be together?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll find you no matter what.”

“Hmm... yes, if it’s you, there must be a way....”

Just then, the door opened without warning. Everyone\'s heads turned simultaneously.

“Things are almost wrapped up outside.”

It was Charlotte who came in, making the statement. One corner of Ian’s mouth lifted slightly as he took her in.

“I was wondering why you were so late.”

She carried a tray full of various pots in one hand and a large bottle of liquor in the other. Charlotte closed the door skillfully with her foot and approached the table.

“The servant said to bring food. Asked what kind of liquor I wanted, so I went to the warehouse myself. There was all sorts of liquor. This one smelled the best.”

Charlotte placed the bottle beside her and set the pots on the table. It was a stew boiled with various ingredients, hard bread, and, surprisingly, roasted meat.

“You have an excellent squire, my lord.”

Philip’s words made Charlotte freeze. She growled low as if suppressing her anger, then quickly turned to fetch a chair.

...These two are going to clash soon.

Philip, oblivious to Ian\'s look, added cheerfully. “I’ll finish up and then eat. You all go ahead.”

As Ian shrugged and grabbed a pewter cup for Charlotte, Mev finally removed her helmet. Her red hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Ian, who watched her for a moment, motioned to the food before them.

“First, let’s eat.”

Charlotte sat down, and Ian poured her a drink. The meal continued. Though they were strangers to each other, the food quickly disappeared without hesitation.

Everyone was famished. Ian hadn’t eaten for half a day.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Finally feeling full, Mev broke the silence, directing her question at Charlotte. Charlotte, rinsing her mouth with wine, gestured with her chin.

“That armor, it’s from the Libra Trading Company, isn’t it?”

“...How did you know?”

“I worked there. High-end goods have the company’s seal in a corner. It’s to prevent theft. It couldn’t have been cheap....”

“Yes. I exchanged it for the family estate.”

“You sold the mansion?” Ian asked.

Mev nodded calmly. “What use was it to keep it? I sold off all the property shortly after you left. Then I stayed at Regis’ mansion for a while.”

While investigating, no doubt. Ian thought, as Philip finally approached the table.

“I’ve put all the found items on the bed. Take what you need. Just like me.”

He glanced down at the new sword at his waist. Charlotte, who had filled her cup with liquor, suddenly stood up. She looked down at Philip for a moment, then turned toward the window.

Philip, puzzled by why she was glaring at him, tilted his head and sat down. He picked up some bread and spoke.

“Unfortunately, there were no incriminating items or records. As expected, he didn’t seem to know much. I don\'t think we\'ll find any new clues by searching further.”

“Clues?” Ian asked, leaning back in his chair.

Philip nodded. A peculiar smile spread across Ian’s lips as he met Philip\'s eyes.

“...So, you weren’t just searching here to loot the corrupted one’s belongings.”

“Of course not. Do you think I’d do this just for money?” Philip said shamelessly, bringing the bread to his mouth.

Mev answered instead. “You taught him well, Ian. You said that corrupted ones always leave clues because they can’t trust each other or because they want to reveal their identity in some way.”

Philip shrugged.

The kid sure knows how to use what he\'s learned.

Ian chuckled and asked. “Then, is this where the trail goes cold?”

“Not exactly. This was more of an unexpected lead. We never expected the corrupted one’s minion to have any significant information in the first place.”

So, you knew it but couldn’t just pass it by. Still, there seemed to be more.

Philip continued. “We found out something after dealing with the corrupted one in Menere. It turned out that after meeting someone from the Empire, he stepped into the darkness. But we couldn’t identify that person. Not even a name or title.”

“Instead, we learned of another corrupted one’s existence.” Mev chimed in, and their voices alternated from there.

Soon after, the war began, but they continued their journey. It was only natural that Mev gained fame in the process. Wherever there were corrupted ones, there were inevitably horrific experiments, conspiracies, tyranny, and plunder.

“...Each real corrupted one seemed to have an Imperial contact they communicated with. Surprisingly, they all appeared to be different individuals. Of course....”

“You couldn’t identify them.” Ian finished the sentence as if it was unsurprising.

Philip nodded and added. “Yes, until recently.”

Mev picked up naturally. “Viscount Flint once stayed briefly in the Empire. In Tessen, the western part of the Empire. He seemed to have a close relationship with a priest there, even exchanging letters to this day.”

“That person is the contact.”

“Yes. At first glance, it seemed like instructions to worship the Radiant Goddess, but it included phrases similar to those found in previous corrupted ones’ letters, like darkness for the light or new order.”

Ian\'s eyes narrowed briefly.

Philip, who didn’t notice, continued. “It was a priest named Jurd. For the first time, we accurately identified someone’s backer.”

“When the Viscount studied in the Empire, he kept a prayer written by that person in his diary. Without that, we wouldn\'t have known this time either.”

“The handwriting matched exactly.” A faint smile finally touched Ian\'s lips as he looked between the two.

They’ve practically become detectives.

Philip’s low voice continued. “We still can\'t grasp the overall picture, but there is a grand conspiracy, my lord. Perhaps, even the current war is happening as someone intended.”

“....”

Under Ian\'s gaze, Philip awkwardly looked away.

“Of course, this is just speculation. We haven\'t dealt with enough corrupted ones to be certain, and there are likely many more still operating in the shadows. Sometimes I feel like I’m falling into delusions, but... I\'ve strayed off topic.” Philip coughed lightly and looked at Ian.

Mev frowned. “I know what you want to say, Philip, but don’t.”

“But, my lord... don’t you feel that this meeting is the Goddess’s arrangement as well?”

“....” Mev let out a short sigh.

Philip looked back at Ian and spoke politely.

“We plan to pass through Bel Ronde and enter the Empire, my lord. Although the border area is heavily guarded, there must be gaps.”

“So?” Ian asked, lifting his cup.

Philip cautiously added.

“Would you accompany us to Tessen? Of course... it’s not a request, but a commission.”

“...!” Charlotte, who had been idly sipping her drink by the window, frowned and turned sharply.

Ignoring her gaze, Ian finished his drink and spoke. “It’s been a fruitful conversation. And the proposal is intriguing.”

He looked between Mev, who had an apologetic expression, and Philip, who had a tense look in his eyes, and added.

“But I can’t go to the Empire right away.”

“...!”

“I have unfinished business to attend to first.”