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Chapter 40

"Explain," said Ian.

"...Well, you\'re going to meet her soon anyway. It might be better for you to know everything in advance." Miguel moved closer to Ian.

Ian frowned, but Miguel showed no concern as he began talking.

"After parting with you, Sir Riruel and I immediately headed for Agel Lan. There were minor skirmishes along the way, but that\'s not important. Upon arrival, Sir Riruel headed straight to the castle, not to her family home."

Miguel said it as if it was a surprising move, but Ian was unfazed. It was typical of Mev.

"We were admitted almost immediately. I was dumbfounded. Within an hour of arriving in Agel Lan, we were meeting with the king. The king didn\'t care about our appearance." Miguel shrugged.

"His Majesty welcomed Sir Riurel’s return, praised her efforts, and then noticed me. Sir Riurel mentioned the traitors... the corrupted. I was the witness," said Miguel.

"It seems to have gone smoothly up to that point," Philip interjected.

Miguel nodded, "I thought so too. Soon, soldiers brought in the heads of the werewolf and the dark mage, along with the former head of the household\'s coffin. The former head\'s body hadn\'t even decayed. The king was shocked, then thanked Sir Riurel, offered his condolences, and appointed her as the new head of the household. He asked her to take over the head position of the royal guard in place of the former head. Then..."

Miguel looked at Philip, "He told us to return to the family home, to rest and recover from the journey, as things were about to get busy."

"What about the hunt for the corrupted?" asked Philip, puzzled.

Miguel smirked, "Of course, Sir Riurel mentioned that. But the king seemed to think that, with the corrupted dead, there was no more problem. When she suggested that corrupted ones might be lurking in Agel Lan... his expression soured. He said he would convene a meeting and asked us to withdraw.”

"Not handled discreetly?" Philip asked.

"I too sensed something was amiss. And then, I didn\'t have much time to ponder. Chaos ensued the moment we returned to the family home. The missing head of the household had returned dead. And corrupted." Miguel paused as they reached the next gate.

A guard was present but stepped aside after recognizing Miguel\'s face. The atmosphere changed again. The streets were wider and cleaner. The houses, designed to block external views, had whiter bricks and redder roofs. And there were several discreet, wary, or hostile glances directed at them. Ian moved without showing any reaction.

"Sir Riurel disclosed everything... even that she killed the head of the household with her own hands.”

Miguel\'s low voice continued, "While no one openly resented Sir Riurel, the atmosphere darkened indescribably. The family\'s line was cut off. The former head had not arranged any marriages. The only men in the Riurel family now were on their deathbeds..."

"So, what happened at the meeting afterward?" Ian cut off the personal digressions.

Clearing his throat, Miguel continued, "The meeting took place a few days later. In front of almost all the vassals, Sir Riurel disclosed the existence of the corrupted one. I stood as a witness, and all evidence was presented. Unquestionable evidence."

Miguel\'s pace slowed. They were nearing the Riruel estate.

"Then someone spoke up. They said that this did not prove darkness had fallen over Agel Lan. They demanded proof. Without it, it would only sow distrust among the vassals," said Miguel.

"That person is surely corrupted. Do you remember their name or face?" Philip asked.

"Not at all. Honestly, I was too scared... If you had seen those glares, you\'d understand." Miguel added awkwardly and then quickly continued, "Anyway, Sir Riurel didn\'t respond to that remark."

"She hid my existence," Ian noted.

Miguel nodded, "Neither of us was mentioned, from beginning to end. I did as Sir Riurel instructed."

"She probably worried it might affect matters here. A wise decision. So?" Ian asked.

"The king agreed with the vassal\'s words. He ordered Sir Riurel to remain under house arrest for a while. That\'s when her confinement began. Until now," Miguel replied.

"Is she... alright?" Philip asked.

"Publicly, she\'s handling her duties perfectly. Knights come and go regularly. Personally... I\'m not quite sure," said Miguel.

Worry was evident in Miguel\'s eyes, "We do talk occasionally, and I handle tasks she assigns. But she doesn\'t reveal her feelings, even more so than before."

"...I see." Philip\'s eyes mixed worry and restlessness.

Miguel murmured, "I\'ll trust in your judgment. Honestly, I have no idea what to do."

As he spoke, Miguel stopped in his tracks in front of a mansion obscured by a wall on one side.

"Let\'s go inside." Miguel pushed open the large gate in the center of the wall with force, revealing the garden beyond. It was neatly maintained, but an air of desolation pervaded, chilling the atmosphere.

This is the ambiance of a noble family in decline, Ian thought, stepping inside impassively.

A servant quickly ran over to take Philip\'s horse.

Ian glanced around the two-story mansion enveloping the garden and asked, "Where\'s Sir Riruel?"

"Her office is upstairs. Follow me." Miguel led the way briskly.

Just as Philip had become accustomed to the life of a mercenary, so too had Miguel fully adapted to his role as Mev\'s aide, genuinely angered and worried about her situation.

A mercenary with a heart. Surviving this long is an achievement in himself, thought Ian.

Ian\'s gaze suddenly halted on a girl in a dress staring intently at them from across the hallway. Her skin was as pale as Mev\'s, her hair red, her eyes green, and her expression almost blank.

"Lady, these are guests of the head of the household," Miguel spoke formally upon seeing her.

The girl\'s gaze shifted between Ian and Philip before settling back on Ian. She bowed politely. Ian nodded back awkwardly, and she turned and entered a room.

"That\'s Lady Lucy. Her name is Lucia, but everyone calls her Lucy. She\'s Sir Riruel’s cousin," Miguel whispered.

"Looking at her, you\'d never know the depths of her plight... Not the time to discuss it, I suppose," seeing Ian\'s look, Miguel quickly added.

Ian clicked his tongue in annoyance. He disliked being burdened with tedious stories, especially those involving children. It was more than discomfort; it was distasteful. This world was too barbaric and harsh for children like her. Thus, Ian had always tried to avoid getting involved with kids. Though he had made exceptions to beat up thugs or mercenaries who thought beating children was fun.

"We\'re here." Miguel stopped and opened a door, revealing an interior with a long table and chairs.

Mev stood by the window. The moment Ian saw her somewhat gaunt face, he sensed her inner self had completely changed. Her green eyes, devoid of any warmth, were inorganic.

"You\'ve been waiting a long time, Ian." Mev’s voice, despite the content, was cold.

Living like a machine, Ian thought as he entered the room and nodded.

"It\'s been a while, sir," said Ian.

Almost simultaneously, Philip rushed to her. "My lord, Are you alright? You look too thin. It seems Miguel hasn\'t been taking proper care of your meals."

After Philip’s rapid-fire speech, Mev\'s lips briefly curled into a faint smile. It was an awkward smile as if she hadn\'t made such an expression in a long time.

"You\'ve become more robust, Philip. Seems you\'ve got a scar in a place similar to mine," said Mev.

Philip sheepishly averted his gaze, "The scars have increased."

"So... have you learned much?" Mev asked.

At Mev’s question, Philip looked directly at her,

"Yes. A great deal."

"That\'s good to hear," said Mev.

"Well, even with that, he\'s just barely become useful," Ian quipped as he took a seat.

"Thank you for bringing Philip back safely, Ian." Mev\'s expression softened a bit more.

"It\'s just that his life is stubbornly long." Ian shrugged and faced Mev.

"I\'ve heard the rough details. You\'ve had a tough time," said Ian.

"It was my duty. Seeing Philip, it seems you two had it rough," said Mev.

Neither Ian nor Philip denied her words. Mev took her place at the head of the table.

“Did the requested quest go well?” Mev asked.

“Yes, the culprits were Marquess Burchard and his eldest son,” Ian replied.

Ian started with the conclusion and carefully explained what had happened in Orendel, with occasional interjections from Philip.

After their tale concluded, Miguel let out a long sigh, "You\'ve been through quite the ordeal again."

"...So, you\'ve secured the evidence and witnesses?" Mev asked calmly.

Ian nodded and pulled a sealed box from the subspace.

"Wow?! How did you do that?" Miguel asked.

"Well." Dismissing Miguel\'s question, Ian turned back to Mev.

"Inside here are the pieces of evidence. And..." Ian took out a scroll sealed with wax. He added, "This is a letter written by the current governor, Declan Burchard."

"You really did your best,” said Ian.

"The most important part is still to come." Ian leisurely pulled out a tome with inscriptions. Ian continued, "It contains a list of the corrupted. Not all of them, but... it includes most of the key figures.”

Mev\'s composure finally broke, revealing a flicker of surprise. Ian smiled, and after regaining her composure, Mev stood up.

"It looks like we have a lot to discuss. Let\'s prepare dinner first." Mev’s eyes regained some life, perhaps driven by a will for revenge.

...Was this a good outcome? Ian internally sighed but shrugged.

"Before that, I need to take a bath," said Ian.

***

Upon entering his room, Ian collapsed onto the bed.

"Phew...." A rare sigh of contentment escaped him.

He understood why Miguel\'s face was so gleaming. After a long time, he had tasted food seasoned with just the right amount of spices and salt. Along with clean clothes and a soft bed to boot.

Ian indulged in these luxuries without restraint. There was no reason not to. Soon enough, he would be back to bloodshed.

During dinner, Mev briefly outlined her plan. It was rather radical, but Ian decided to go along with it. If something had to be done, it might as well be straightforward, even if it was extreme.

... And compared to the game, it\'s almost quaint, thought Ian.

Suddenly, Ian’s brows furrowed. Someone was knocking on the door.

Who could it be at this late hour?

Ian\'s expression changed curiously as he opened the door, revealing an entirely unexpected figure. It was Lucia. The girl, who looked no more than twelve, was staring up at him.

"What is it?" When he spoke, Lucia seemed to snap out of it and curtsied.

"Never mind the greetings. Just say what you came for." Ian added brusquely, not in the mood for a long conversation. He didn\'t want to spoil his good mood.

Without any sign of intimidation in his tone, Lucia spoke up. "I came to ask you something, despite it being presumptuous of me, sir."

"What is it?" Ian asked.

"Are you sir, that mercenary? The one?" Lucia asked.

"That... mercenary?" Ian\'s brows furrowed.

"Miguel told me. About the legendary mercenary who killed the dragon in the swamp, decapitated the headless horseman, defeated the cursed ancient tree, and vanquished the necromancer, all to help my sister, er, the head of the household," said Lucia.

Miguel, that bastard, Ian\'s frown deepened. It seemed he might have to tear Miguel\'s tongue out first thing tomorrow.

"So, you\'re that mercenary?" said Lucia.

"Yeah. Though it was a drake, not a dragon," said Ian.

Lucia\'s eyes widened slightly. There was no change in her expression, but her gaze momentarily sparkled with intensity, though it was brief.

"Thank you for answering," said Lucia.

She bowed politely. Dealing with children was already uncomfortable for him. This was a child, yet not quite. Scratching his chin, Ian, noticing her looking up at him again, clicked his tongue.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Ian asked.

"If you are indeed that mercenary... I wanted to ask you to please take good care of the head of the household. Perhaps, you might be stronger than my curse," said Lucia.

"Curse...?" Ian asked again.

"Yes. Everyone I love ends up dying," Lucia answered.

What\'s this all about?

As Ian furrowed his brow, Lucia casually said, "Have a good rest," and turned away.

Ian watched her small retreating back for a moment, then shook his head and turned around.

"Does this family not have a single normal person?" His muttering voice suddenly faded. He tried to laugh it off, but Lucia\'s words lingered in his ears.

The notion that everyone she loves ends up dying. A strangely ominous feeling crept over him. Since becoming what he was, his instincts had rarely been wrong. Eventually, Ian let out a hollow laugh.

Well, whatever. It won\'t hurt to be prepared... just in case the worst scenario unfolds.