Chapter 23 (1)
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The remains were lined up on the ground. Despite the excavation not being finished, there were more than ten of them, and all sorts of artifacts were being pulled out one after another.
Maeves face, as she looked at those things, had hardened into a stern expression.
It was because the muddy bones of the skeletons overlapped with the face of her brother Vernon.
No. It cant be. Theres no way.
She denied it immediately, but getting rid of the already surfaced thought wasnt easy.
It would have been better to have valiantly perished confronting darkness rather than this.
To be left without even salvation as nourishment for some nameless demon, or if they were abandoned in the darkness and their bodies could never be found.
If thats the case
A scraping sound echoed from the clenched fist.
Even if I have to stake everything
At that moment when her eyes were fixed in a dismal way, as if sinking into a swamp.
The more I look at it
The voice of Ian resonated.
It doesnt seem like the actions of the one were looking for.
Maeve, who had quickly regained her composure, turned her gaze.
Ian, looking just as usual with a stern face, was staring at something in his hand.
Philip blinked and asked.
You mean its not the work of a dark mage?
The method is different, for one. He doesnt use magic. They arent offerings from the mountains.
And?
These bodies. About half of them are clearly criminals, but the rest are soldiers. Theyre probably the ones who were escorting the criminals.
Ians gaze swept over the remains.
The act of using a regular army of this size as sacrifices, I wouldnt even do that. Especially not if its Lord Orendels army, I wouldnt even spare them a glance.
Orendel Did you say that?
Yeah.
Ian held out what was in his hand.
It was a medallion that had been found while searching through the bodies.
Half-rotted, the emblem was blurred, but the characters at the bottom were recognizable.
Dave. Orendel.
Philip checked it carefully and muttered.
Its true. Its an identification badge issued only to regular soldiers.
Its too risky for a hidden dark mage to be involved. Its too dangerous an opponent.
Maeve, who had been silently listening, opened her mouth with a noticeably calm expression.
Its a convincing argument.
Its just speculation for now. Still.
The moment he saw the medallion, Ian easily reconstructed a reasonable assumption.
His deduction was nothing more than fitting clues together.
Whats the big deal about targeting investigations?
Since he had to kill them anyway, even if he was wrong, it wouldnt really be a problem.
So, then
Ian brought up the main point in a relaxed manner.
I plan to confirm it myself. Whether this is an accident or the result of someones conspiracy.
Confirm it yourself?
You havent decided on the destination for the next contract yet.
!
Maeves eyes finally widened.
What are you talking about? A next contract?
Ignoring Philips bewildered question, Ian continued.
There must be someone in Orendel who knows about them. If we go up the chain of command, something might come out, right?
Alright. I understand. Youre right.
The decision was always clear with her.
Thanks to that, the next destination was decided.
While Ian was contentedly putting the medallion away.
Youve made another contract, havent you, Sir?
Philip asked in a low voice.
It was necessary, Philip. As you can see, theres a possibility of more than just the dark mage being involved.
But Sir
Enough of your chatter. Go get ready to leave, Philip.
Ian interrupted him.
If the horse dies, youre going to be the one riding on it.
Its not a time for joking, Sir.
.
Its not a joke. Alright.
When will he learn to read the atmosphere?
When Ian was looking at Philips back and clicking his tongue.
Uhm I think youve pretty much finished your conversation.
A tremulous voice echoed.
Underneath the pit, it was Miguel, drenched in sweat.
Is it okay to stop digging now? It seems like theres nothing else coming out.
Next to him, a pile of remains had been accumulated.
The result of their continued digging while the group was talking.
Ian looked at Maeve sideways.
She was staring at the remains as if she could pierce through them, with a look that seemed as though they were stepping on her eyes.
As if they were being trampled upon.
Sir.
?
A moment later, Ian added to Maeve, who finally met his gaze.
Could you offer a prayer?
Maeves eyes widened.
Did you say a prayer?
They could become demons and resurrect. It might be better to let them rest in peace.
Thats a good judgment. Ill gladly do it.
Resolute, Maeve stepped forward.
Kneeling in front of the pit, she began to murmur a prayer.
Ian watched the back of her head as she immersed herself in the holy power with a serene expression.
Recalling the twisted gaze she had on the remains a while ago.
Its fortunate that its easy to understand.
According to Ians view, it was undoubtedly a sign of madness.
Thats why he had asked for the prayer.
To suppress the madness with sanctity.
Of course, it was only a temporary solution.
Once a crack had formed, it would restart with even the tiniest trigger.
Thinking of the tasks that lay ahead, there were already plenty of triggers.
He was only momentarily lost in thought.
Ians pupils returned to their usual coldness.
But, I cant end this quest that Ive worked so hard on as a failure.
***
Ippotranslation
***
After leaving the contaminated forest, the journey became surprisingly peaceful, like a lie.
For several days, there were no ambushes or encounters with monsters.
However, not everyone was enjoying the peace.
!
Maeve woke up suddenly as if having a seizure.
In her retinas, she could see the severed head of Vernon shedding tears of blood.
She couldnt breathe for a moment.
Now Im even having nightmares like this.
Maeve wiped her cold sweat from her forehead with a wry smile.
The sky was overcast.
The trembling of the carriage was finally noticeable.
Even peace is uneasy. What foolish impatience is this?
Maeves wry smile deepened.
Her gaze suddenly returned to the mausoleum stone beyond the backrest.
A familiar back figure carrying a mace.
If theres something, Ian would have noticed it first.
From some point on, she had been placing more trust in Ians judgment than her own.
In a way, it was only natural.
She couldnt have come this far on her own.
It was probably due to anxiety and doubt that she made the wrong decisions.
As she had done several times before.
But on the contrary, Ian had continued to prove himself right.
Even this carriage was one such case.
This carriage, closer to a cart, had been abandoned on the roadside.
Miguel said that it was a trace of a massacre.
A kind of tombstone left behind after being swept away by an attack or plundering.
He ignored his warning not to touch anything ominous, as expected of Ian.
This was because he believed it would be more efficient.
In the end, his words turned out to be correct.
As the burden of words lessened, the pace of marching increased, and the group could replenish their stamina by taking turns to rest.
Maeve had almost shaken off the effects of her injury as well.
I fear that I might eventually lose sight of my purpose and be swayed by ambiguous emotions. So, perhaps its better for Ian to continue leading from now on
Are you awake?
At that moment, Ian blurted out suddenly.
Maeve was startled, but she didnt show it and opened her mouth.
How long was I asleep?
About a couple of hours. You woke up at the right time.
Ian turned to look at her.
Well soon reach the Graveyard Forest.
!
Maeve instinctively sat up.
Eerie trees and the ashen mist beneath them.
Since when Why didnt you inform me in advance?
Well, thats what I said
Miguel looked awkward.
You told me not to speak.
It was Ian who answered in place of Miguel.
He added while looking at Maeve.
If you had known in advance, you wouldnt have rested like this.
Translator; ippo
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