Chapter 18 (1)

Chapter 18 (1)

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It was a momentary act to open ones eyes wide.

Of course. Ian.

Maeve nodded her head and replied.

Ians eyes were filled with relief as he thought she wouldnt refuse.

She spoke again.

Considering the seriousness and danger of the matter, I promise an appropriate compensation. If you wish, even a noble title-.

The conditions arent important right now.

Ian interrupted.

First, you should reconsider the terms of the contract.

The terms? Why?

A perplexed expression.

This was something she couldnt immediately understand.

Ian shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

If our goal is to identify and eliminate traitors, the method of continued companionship wont lead to success.

Finally, Maeve paused.

There must be a reason youre saying this.

Well, first and foremost, because standing out in the village is too obvious. Dont you know that as well?

Knights clad in full plate armor were a rare sight in Agellan.

Because of that, all attention was drawn wherever they went.

Just like when they entered this village.

I cant avoid the eyes of the traitors, can I?

Maeve finally mumbled.

Ian added with a meaningful look.

Plus, theres a reason why we need to head straight to the capital. Aside from wasting time, it wont be easy to leave once we set foot in the castle again. I am a witness to the existence of the dark mage, and the king is preparing for war.

Even in such a situation, to go to war-.

Even if the dark mage is plotting and there are traitors involved, do you think the king will give up on war?

Maeve fell silent, unsure of what decision the king would make. She couldnt be certain.

So, if I take on a new commission, well need to divide our roles. You on the inside, me on the outside.

Ian calmly spoke while meeting Maeves gaze.

Then each of us can find more traitors.

He made it sound reasonable, but in the end, it meant he would be going alone.

Anyway, the quests he had to resolve were mostly closely related to the fallen in Agellan, so just carrying out his original plans would resolve her commission-linked quests as well.

Maeve would avoid falling into the clutches of the traitors schemes. At least thats what she believed.

There would be at least a sliver of trust.

Maeve, who had no way of knowing Ians true thoughts, fell into contemplation for a moment.

Following him, Maeve stepped away from the rock. However, it was only for a moment. She soon casually stuck close to Ians side.

It was just after she had done so that Ian opened his mouth.

By the way, what you said was true.

What are you referring to?

God was indeed watching over me.

!

***

Ippotranslation

***

The Next Day.

The group left the village shortly after noon.

On both sides of the saddles of their newly acquired horses, bags containing supplies, including food, were securely fastened.

There was no other village to pass through until they reached the Graveyard Forest. It also meant there was no room to turn back.

However, the silence that permeated the group was not a result of the difficulty of the path, but rather something more concealed.

Maeve remained silent, her face hidden by her veil, contemplating the topic Ian had brought up the previous night.

.

.

Philip and Miguel, who hadnt met each others gaze since the previous night, couldnt find their voices, seemingly occupied with reading Ians mood.

In reality, even though Ian was at the center of all the silence, he was disinterested in such circumstances.

Rather, he was content with the rare tranquility and immersed himself in the sensation of the reins.

When Ian subtly extended his hand, a translucent white bead was revealed.

It was filled with a dense, mist-like magical energy. It was one of the beads of the two magics that had been purified in the temple.

This precious object held a value beyond comparison with magic stones. While magic stones were nothing more than magical batteries, the bead served a more significant role as an amplifier of magic.

Even Ian, who had only mastered intermediate-level magic, could unleash firepower that rivaled that of an archmage.

Its a shame that its consumable

At least while the bead was working, Ian wouldnt be able to find his equal in Agellan. The look in Ians eyes, as he clenched his fist again, was filled with satisfaction.

It would be great if I could find an opportunity to confirm if this works properly.

And as always, an opportunity came sooner than expected.

The group had completely veered onto the back road Miguel had mentioned.

Contrary to its name, the Red Valley outskirts were mostly ashen in color.

The road was narrow and undulating, much like Miguel had described. However, the group encountered an obstacle that was entirely different from this terrain.

What is this? We cant even ride our horses through here.

Translator; ippo

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