At Krest’s question, Gunther answered briefly.
“It’s the manifestation of Remesia, the Apostle of Repose. I took her into custody a few days ago.”
He hesitated for a moment, but in the end he chose not to lie. Sooner or later, the truth would surface anyway, and that would lead to far worse consequences.
“...A manifestation?”
A heavy silence, thick with disbelief, settled over the air. To everyone’s surprise, the first to move was Head Kylis. With a trembling hand, he pulled back Rem’s hood. After taking a deep breath, he staggered back.
...His shock was justified. Even in such a dangerous situation, Rem wore the faintest smile, and her face was exactly the same as that girl beyond the fortress walls whom Kylis had been watching in utter despair.
Vsh-shik!
Roen Greints, heir of the second family and the female heavy knight, was the first to draw her short sword.
“I don’t know why you still haven’t taken action, but she needs to die.”
A moment later, Werner Camaril’s twin daggers flashed as well. This was exactly the reaction Gunther had expected.
The fact that those weapons were not aimed at Gunther himself was thanks to the reputation he had painstakingly built over the entire journey. But even that reputation was not enough to protect Rem.
But at that moment—
Clang!
Roen’s short sword and Werner’s daggers were knocked aside at the same time. Through the ring of metal and scattering sparks appeared Seril Barkel and Servan Barkel, standing with drawn blades and flushed faces.
“How dare you bare your weapons before the head of House Barkel? No matter how serious the reason, this has gone too far.”
“The nerve of you.”
A strange glint flashed through Gunther’s eyes. The twins, who had remained meek when they themselves were insulted, reacted instantly the moment their father’s dignity was slighted.
“This is House Barkel’s territory. Before you reach for your swords again, I advise you to reconsider my words.”
“Kh...”
It was a weighty argument. Werner and Roen clenched their teeth and fell silent. However, their gazes remained fixed on Rem.
Meanwhile, Head Kylis stood rooted in place, unable to decide what to do. His cautious and gentle nature revealed itself clearly in that scene. In contrast, Albern stepped between the twins and the Round Table knights, long spear in hand.
“Everyone, remain calm.”
Then, exactly as Gunther had instructed him, he began calmly explaining why the manifestation could not be killed. It was an extremely timely intervention. His words sounded far more convincing than if Gunther had spoken them himself.
“........”
The conflict gradually died down. That was when Krest Royen, the first to voice doubt about Rem, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) finally spoke.
“Let’s proceed according to the law.”
All eyes turned to him at those unexpected words.
“What I mean is, let’s lock her up first and think. According to Sir Albern’s explanation, we can’t kill her anyway, correct?”
He looked at Gunther as if asking permission.
“We’re already holding everyone who was brainwashed in the underground prison of Barkel’s inner castle. It’s on the way, so why not do the same with her?”
.
.
.
“Hello.”
Rem accepted her imprisonment obediently. Behind the bars, the girl whose hands were tightly bound simply swayed her head from side to side instead of returning the greeting.
“...Are we not going to see each other for an eternity now?”
Guards stood all around, boring harsh looks into her. The manifestation did not possess the ability to brainwash others, but just in case, they had been given “Sanity” in advance.
Rem watched the entire process quietly. Her gaze was enigmatic. Sadness? Regret? Or was she simply detached? Gunther held her in his gaze for a moment, then deliberately turned around and left without saying goodbye.
‘Nothing can be done about it.’
Attachment... could it be called that? It was hard to use such a soft word, but the fact remained: he had grown used to having Rem by his side. However, he could not keep dragging her along. The moment everyone here was cured, they would be sent straight to the front lines. No matter how harmless this being seemed, taking a manifestation onto the battlefield was unacceptable.
Rustle.
Immediately after Rem was locked away, Head Kylis hurriedly led Gunther’s group to the place where those who had been brainwashed were being held.
“...If you truly can heal them all, it will be an enormous help. It means we’ll be able to send reinforcements to Laska Plain.”
“It will happen. We too will lend our humble strength to the battle on the plain.”
“...Your words give me strength.”
The reason every knight kept talking about Laska Plain was simple. It was the “breadbasket” of the entire Continental Union.
‘The border zone with Luthien, one of the largest granaries on the continent, and at the same time a strategically vital junction.’
A place where three crucial factors converged at once. Even if Valloren was in turmoil internally because of the Apostle of Repose, the key to conquering the kingdom would always be that plain.
The problem was that the front at Laska Plain had gradually begun to bend in recent days. Valloren’s internal forces had been destabilized by the Apostle of Repose, forcing part of the army to be pulled back to secure the rear, while the other Union countries, facing crises of their own, had recalled some of their reinforcements.
‘In that kind of situation, if Barkel’s army can be restored and returned to the front, it’ll be an enormous contribution to the defense.’
And then Night Raven’s immense merit would be recognized.
Barkel’s army consisted mostly of light cavalry. The quality of the horses bred in these lands was exceptional, granting superb mobility, and the soldiers themselves were skilled enough to shoot accurately while riding at full speed. On the broad, open expanse of Laska Plain, they would perform at their very best.
Bubble, bubble.
...That was why the role of “Sanity,” now boiling in the cauldron, was more important than ever.
“...So this is that famous medicine?”
As Gunther began mixing the ingredients, the people around him slowly started gathering closer. Among them was a mage from the Magic Tower, sent by Seiran, the kingdom of mages, to assist Valloren. The man, who introduced himself as Bolton, spent the entire process casting suspicious glances between Gunther and the potion. His face was full of disbelief that a problem the Tower’s magic had failed to solve could be resolved with mere “alchemy.” But Gunther had no time to pay attention to that.
‘The condition is worse than I thought.’
The people locked in this prison were those who had been directly affected by the Apostle of Repose. Without exception, all of them had been subjected to deep suggestion over a long period of time. Repose’s brainwashing was not simple hypnosis—it was a method whose effectiveness grew stronger the more often the victim repeated the actions desired by the caster.
These people, against their own will, had maimed the residents of Barkel lands with their own hands countless times. That was why this time the concentration of the brew was pushed all the way to the limit. A heavy medicinal aroma filled the room.
[The Drug-Addicted Saint says this treatment will take somewhat longer than usual this time]
“Parco, I’m counting on you.”
“........”
“Parco?”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
It was then that Cheonmae suddenly approached him. Gunther noticed that the string of her bow was already drawn.
“Hey, junior.”
“Yes, senior.”
“You’re saying the treatment’s going to drag on? Then there’s not much for me to do here for a while. I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Where?”
Cheonmae jerked her chin toward the bubbling cauldron. In front of it, Krest was watching the evaporating medicine with interest.
“This gentleman says the traces of the Apostle of Repose haven’t disappeared ‘completely.’ There are a few faint imprints left, but they’re too weak to track.”
Cheonmae snorted.
“But you know, just because they couldn’t find anything doesn’t mean I can’t. Honestly, I don’t believe for a second that the Apostle of Repose ‘simply withdrew.’ We need to sweep the surrounding area properly. Something’s bound to turn up.”
At those words, Gunther reflexively checked the special compass.
Wuuuuun.
However, the compass still behaved as if it were broken: the needle could not settle and simply spun wildly. That translucent compass pointed to only one thing. Colossal Karma.
‘Does that mean healing these people is the source of the greatest Karma in the area?’
From an outside perspective, that interpretation seemed the most logical. And if so, the Apostle of Repose truly should not be nearby.
‘Well, either way, we need clues about where the Apostle went.’
Gunther thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Senior, if you notice anything suspicious at all, retreat immediately.”
“Ha! Look at that, the little brat’s already started worrying about his seniors?”
With her rough palm, Cheonmae thoroughly ruffled Gunther’s hair. He froze for a moment, staring into her kind eyes behind the owl mask. Too much time had passed since someone last patted him on the head—the last person had been his father.
“Don’t worry. I know better than anyone how terrifying those Apostles are.”
With those words, Cheonmae strode confidently out of the prison corridor. Her slender silhouette quickly dissolved into the darkness.
‘Actually, there was something else I wanted to ask...’
Watching her go, Gunther quietly called over the remaining members of the platoon. Sensing something was up, they gathered around without drawing attention.
“It looks like the treatment will take several days, and during that time there’s something I need you to do.”
Ryan, as if he had guessed something, whispered:
“Is this what you mentioned last time?”
Gunther gave a short nod. Before leaving Border City, he had received a lead from Zakhar Mordecai, the Second King of Flame, about a certain hidden piece. It was one of the secret warehouses where Zakhar, back when he was Grand Master of the Society of Holy Flame, stored confiscated heretical relics. And by sheer coincidence, one of those warehouses was nearby.
“Zakhar said he was the only one who knew about this place. That means even after all this time, the items should still be there.”
The platoon members exchanged impressed glances. Levain Bernecker’s eyes in particular gleamed.
“...A secret warehouse of the former Grand Master of the Society of Holy Flame? That’s worth seeing. It has to be full of high-ranking relics, right?”
“Most likely. We’ll have to fight not only Valloren, but Seiran and Nereus as well, and there are at least bishop-level enemies ahead. The more relics we have, the better.”
Relics were not mere artifacts. They were fragments in which the authority and essence of gods had been engraved. For example, the inner armor from The One Who Sends Unreturnable Love Letters. Even an item from a worthless trash-tier god had once saved Gunther’s heart by enduring a Perfumer’s strike. So the items Zakhar had collected under the pretext of “punishing heretics” could very well include powers effective against Luthien itself.
[Alphonse of Red Street mutters that his relic is amazing too]
[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats strokes the empty sword belt at his waist]
[The Drug-Addicted Saint remains silent]
Tarsha swept her gaze over her comrades and asked:
“And who are you sending?”
“Ryan first.”
Ryan nodded silently. For him, who had suffered at the hands of the Society of Holy Flame, raiding their warehouse was a kind of revenge.
“And one more person.”
The second choice was Levain. His thief-class agility would help him deal with any traps... and frankly, he looked ready to stab anyone who tried to keep him out. Blanc Ibel looked far too lazy for this, while Tarsha clearly had no intention of missing the chance to interact with Seiran’s mages. Parco, naturally, could not leave the cauldron of “Sanity,” so the choice was obvious.
“Perfect, then we move out right now?”
“What about the welcoming feast...”
“You’re planning to go drown yourself in booze again? Dream on.”
Levain, having instantly seen through Ryan’s intentions, dragged him away. There was no need to worry about that pair. Ryan was a sharp guy, and as for Levain, that went without saying.
“We’ll be back soon! With our arms full of treasure!”
With a radiant face full of anticipation for his favorite kind of work, Levain waved goodbye. Gunther waved back with satisfaction.
‘Good. Everything’s going smoothly.’
The moment they entered the center of Barkel, things had immediately started looking up.
‘Now all that’s left is...’
The feast and some rest. While the medicine brewed and the healing process continued, he would have free time. He planned to spend it clearing nearby dungeons or collecting other hidden rewards. It was time to make use of his “hardcore nerd” knowledge again. Gunther stretched, a faint smile on his face.
.
.
.
And the next day, Seril died.
