Chapter 10
"...You might have to wash next to me." Ian managed to compose his expression as he spoke.
"It doesn't matter as long as you don’t look," Mev averted her gaze and replied.
To use that line again, thought Ian.
"I don’t know if I can do that," said Ian.
Mev, thinking it a joke, let out a short laugh. It was the first smile Ian had seen from her. After the battle and their verbal exchange, she seemed more at ease with him.
"I’m tired too. We need to save time. We have a long way to go tomorrow," Mev added as she calmly began to remove the armor from her other elbow.
"That’s... understandable." Ian, swallowing his words, finally finished unfastening his greaves.
No further conversation followed. Only the sound of armor being methodically removed continued.
"Ah, my lord, are you also going to bathe?" Philip returned after a while.
Philip had washed his hands and arms thoroughly and brought a wet cloth. Quickly approaching, he took the breastplate Mev had removed.
"Always grateful, Philip," said Mev.
"It's my duty, my lord," Philip replied.
Philip carefully placed the breastplate down. Then, with eager eyes, he looked at Ian. Ian nodded.
Approaching the leather armor, Philip looked intently at the bundle next to it and added, "Should I apply oil after cleaning it?"
"Yes, do that." Ian chuckled inwardly at his loyalty. He stood up.
Mev, now in her red quilted outfit, also stood up. Without her armor, she was about half a head shorter than Ian.
“The stream seemed wider upstream. It’ll be more convenient for bathing, my lord,” Philip said while picking up the armor. His expression was as nonchalant as Mev's.
"Understood. I’ll be back. Let’s go, Ian." Mev nodded and strode away.
“...,” Ian replied in silence.
It seems everyone here is like this. I thought I had adapted to this world. Feeling a modern-style embarrassment, he moved his feet. As Philip had said, the stream widened a bit further upstream.
The moonlight, peeking through the clouds, scattered finely over the surface of the water. A rare, quiet, yet peaceful scene in this world.
"It seems better for you to go in first here." Mev suddenly spoke as they walked silently.
"Alright." Ian scratched the bridge of his nose and stopped.
"I’ll go further upstream." Mev walked away.
...I feel like a streaker. Ian licked his lips and undressed. Then, he boldly stepped into the middle of the stream. The water was shockingly cold, but it brought a refreshing clarity. The deepest part reached his thighs, so Ian knelt down, immersing himself. The stickiness and discomfort of his body slowly washed away.
Splash.
Soon, another sound of water followed.
It must be Mev entering. She was closer than he had thought. ...What am I supposed to do being conscious of this? Ian doused his face with cold water and continued washing silently. Only the sound of water continued.
"There’s something I didn’t get to ask you earlier." Suddenly, Mev spoke.
It was around the time Ian was cleaning the bloodstains from his waist.
"Go ahead," Ian replied.
"Don’t you have any injuries?" Mev asked.
"You ask rather quickly," Ian chuckled as he replied. He continued, "No injuries here. What about you?"
"None for me either. It's remarkable. To fight a werewolf and come out unscathed," Mev replied.
"Just lucky," said Ian.
"That can't be it. I saw you fight. How should I say it...." Mev hesitated for a moment before adding, "Your style is unique. It lacks a set form. More practical than even a knight like me."
"So, you're saying I lack a foundation," Ian nonchalantly replied.
"That's not what I meant," Mev quickly added.
"And I didn't mean it that way either. It's true that I lack foundation. I've never had proper training,” said Ian.
A soft chuckle came from behind.
"Your jokes are quite amusing. Since earlier," said Mev.
‘It's not a joke,’ thought Ian.
"The way you command Philip, too. You're certainly not an ordinary mercenary, Ian. ...Well, these days, it's not unusual for a noble-born commoner to be around," said Mev.
"Noble-born...?" Ian's hand stopped cleaning his back.
"You can't hide the wisdom you carry or the insights that seep into your speech, even if you try to act like a mercenary," Mev replied.
‘What nonsense is this?’ thought Ian.
"I truly am from the streets." Ian's reply was followed by another faint chuckle. He realized it was the sound Mev made when she smiled.
"If you don’t want to talk about it, I understand. I’ll think of it that way."
Now I feel like asking if I'm a joke. Ian finally let out a hollow laugh. He could understand why Mev had such a misunderstanding. In a world where most people couldn’t even read, let alone understand complex words, a modern person like Ian would inevitably appear knowledgeable. Here, such knowledge alone could be evidence of noble lineage. Knowledge and culture were almost exclusively the domain of the nobility.
Mev's calm voice continued, "Everyone has a story they don't wish to discuss."
"Do you have such a story?" Ian asked, more to steer away from further misunderstanding than genuine curiosity. As expected, Mev fell silent.
At least it's quiet now, thought Ian. Just as Ian was about to finish washing…
"I can't say I don't," Mev spoke in a subdued voice. She continued, "I am not a lady of the Riurel House, but an apostle of Tir En and a sword of the kingdom."
Ian hadn't expected a response. He licked his lips hesitantly. It seemed that the conversation had genuinely opened up. But he had no intention of listening to stories he wasn't curious about.
"I also have something I didn't get to ask." Ian caught the end of the conversation.
"What kind of God is Tir En?" he asked, seizing the opportunity to clear up his own doubts.
Mev was an apostle of Tir En. An apostle receives divine blessings and wields a fragment of their power. Naturally, her greatest strength would be that divine power. Knowing how to deal with it, since she might become a future enemy, was his aim. Finding an easy way to handle it would be even better. There was no need to stick to a fair fight if it looked unwinnable.
"Are you sincerely asking?" Mev asked back.
"Not particularly close with Gods. I've heard the name but that's all." Ian shrugged.
In the world of Aquilonia, there were many Gods. Unless a player sought out the information, the game didn’t explain the names and meanings of Gods. Tir En was one of them. Some knights often invoked his name or recited prayers, but as a mage, Ian had little connection with him, and it wasn't a name prominently mentioned in quests or stories.
"Right. Well, yes. Tir En is not an easy God to serve. He is the God of judgment, the shining Lu Solar's second child, and the sword that endures sin.” Mev's voice became solemn.
"As his apostle, even though I may remain silent, I cannot speak falsehoods or turn a blind eye to sin. If I lose the favor of God, the blessing would disappear too."
"Must be tough in these times." Ian nodded thoughtfully and added casually, "If the first name is like that, I can only imagine what other names he might have."
"Are you referring to epithets? Of course," Mev replied.
Mev's voice held a hint of laughter. In the world of Aquilonia, where betrayal and corruption were key themes, nothing was absolute, not even the Gods. Just as Lu Solar, the God of light, had another name, Blind Faith.
"What is it?" Ian asked,
"Vengeance." Mev calmly spoke.
"...!" Ian replied in silence.
"To cut out sin ultimately means to exact someone’s vengeance, and sometimes it becomes the object of vengeance itself. Another name for judgment is vengeance. Righteous vengeance is protected by Tir En."
"Indeed...." Ian murmured, his eyes flickered. He had just uncovered the secret of the game's The Bleeding Avenger.
So, the apostle of judgment turned into an apostle of vengeance. If he could weaken the Power of the Apostle, it meant that it would make facing her much easier. Paladins had exceptional combat abilities, but they also had many restrictions. Even her weakness was just revealed by herself.
Then... But Ian didn't decide immediately. 'Was the Vengeance of the Avenger that appeared later also a power of Tir En?' mused Ian.
The Bleeding Avenger wasn't just a one-off mid-boss. It reappeared as a specter named "Vengeance of the Avenger," striking a deadly blow to the final boss of chapter one. Although the specter vanished immediately, it left the boss with less than half its health and abilities. The boss was still tough to deal with, even in that state.
It would be tougher without the specter. Ian clicked his tongue quietly. He didn't particularly like choices where selecting one meant forgoing another.
...I’ll have to watch a bit longer. Perhaps there was a way not to sacrifice anything. As he concluded…
"Which God do you serve?" Mev suddenly added.
"None," Ian said and stood up abruptly.
"You mean you don’t have a God?" Mev asked.
"Exactly. And I don’t intend to have one in the future," replied Ian.
Perhaps, or rather likely, those beings were the ones who dragged me into this world. He didn’t know how data fragments had become real entities. But as they were most likely the cause of all this misfortune, he had no intention of serving them as his superiors.
"...That seems to have its own story too," said Mev.
Ian left the water without responding.
"Even now, a God must be watching over you, Ian. Maybe even coveting you." Mev's calm voice followed him as he dried off.
Ian looked up at the night sky. The moon and stars twinkled between the dispersing clouds as if watching over him.
"I’m hungry. Let’s go eat." Ian said, raising his middle finger toward the sky.
***
The next morning, the clouds covered the sky as if the previous night's clear sky was a lie. Philip, who had fallen asleep immediately after eating, continued to rave about the werewolf the next day. With nothing else to do while walking through the forest, Ian eventually gave in and shared his story. It was a straightforward account of how he encountered the werewolf and slew it with his sword.
"You never exaggerate your exploits, sir. I’m now convinced." Philip seemed to have taken it differently.
"That means the rumors of you wiping out the kobold tribe were significantly understated," said Philip.
"It wasn’t a tribe but a stronghold. And it was a battle, not a conquest." Ian corrected him, but Philip, marching ahead, didn’t seem to listen.
"A werewolf, huh? It’s the first time I've seen such a creature. Well, only its head, though," Philip added.
It’s not a remarkable creature, Ian mused.
"There should be many monsters in the south," Ian responded indifferently.
"No. There are hardly any near the border. The southern fortress troops periodically eradicate them. With upstarts claiming to have founded a nation raiding us at every opportunity, we can’t afford to have our backs against monsters." Philip shrugged and added.
"I went to the south about six or seven years ago. It was quite peaceful then. That’s why I didn’t take it seriously when I heard about monsters ravaging the kingdom," said Philip.
"It must have hit you hard now," said Ian.
"Honestly, not yet. I've hardly encountered any on our journey," Philip replied.
"Hardly any...?" Ian's brow furrowed.
"Yes. Even after entering the Count’s territory, it was quite peaceful. People looked troubled, but that was more due to preparing for war, similar to the South. The real monster-like monster I saw was that werewolf."
That can't be. Ian’s frown deepened. Since he had set foot in Agel Lan, he had encountered at least hundreds of monsters. Even though it was a game setting, he had often been surprised that a country could sustain itself with so many monsters.
"It's true." Mev, who had been listening silently, spoke up. She continued, "That's why Philip didn't believe in the existence of a dark mage. Even after entering Count Lumon's territory, the only monsters we encountered were a few goblins and kobolds."
How lucky can you be? Ian blinked and then suddenly turned to Philip.
"Did you follow the main road from the south to the Count’s territory?" Ian asked.
"Yes. From Valk Castle, we passed through various small and large villages." Philip quickly nodded.
"Ah.” Ian chuckled to himself. It made sense now. The city he arrived at after leaving the swamp was Valk City. That's where he had started posing as a mercenary in earnest. Like other lords in this world, Count Lumon was only interested in money and power.
Due to that, despite the lord's presence, the city's security was a mess. Ian had taken care of the city's problems in exchange for money and then traveled to the next village along the main road. Since then, he had eliminated the monsters in the villages and on the main road he passed through, making Mev and Philip’s journey peaceful as well.
"I’ve set a bed of roses for them...." Ian muttered to himself, turning his gaze. In the distance, the edge of the forest was visible.
"Bed of roses?" Philip asked.
"Your good days are over, Philip," Ian replied without turning his gaze and continued walking ahead. He continued, "The kingdom is much more of a mess than you think."
"...?" It didn't take more than half a day for Philip to understand the meaning of those words.
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