Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Mev muttered, "Is it thanks to us running ahead...?"

Thesaya, still with some energy left, hopped ahead and opened the door of the carriage. She shouted back, "All the supplies are safe!"

She peeked her head out of the carriage door with a smile. "It smells a bit, but everything looks intact."

"And the equipment?" Ian asked.

"Yeah. You really took good care of it, redhead. It paid off."

"That’s a relief..." Mev nodded.

Ian sighed as he glanced at the dead horse lying beside the carriage. It was good that their supplies were intact, but they would still have to abandon the carriage.

Could I revive it with chaotic energy...?

He wondered briefly, but dismissed the thought. Even if it worked, it could cause more problems than it solved. It was best to avoid actions that could be seen as corruption, especially under the gods’ watchful eyes.

At least Karha was the only one who noticed my fusion with chaos...

Ian was confident that the other gods hadn’t seen his transformed state. The underground was typically beyond the gods’ sight, and the demonic realm had yet to be fully established.

Even after killing the Defiled Tree, it would be difficult for the gods to see the inside demonic realm immediately. Plus, he had hidden Della Lu’s Grace in his pocket dimension. Karha likely noticed because of the direct mark on his body.

Maybe that’s why Karha gave divine power to me... to keep it hidden from other gods?

It wasn’t an unreasonable theory. If true, Karha had helped him in more ways than one.

Well, after scribbling on someone else’s body without permission, the least you can do is that.

While Ian was inwardly muttering ungratefully, Philip, who had taken a suitcase out of the carriage, spoke up. "We’ll need to camp somewhere tonight. Where should we set up?"

"In the city," Ian replied, gesturing to take the pack from Philip. "It’s too open here. I don’t want to sleep next to a field of corpses."

"Understood," Philip nodded as he handed over the pack.

Ian started walking, and the rest of the group, each carrying their share of supplies, followed him. The road to Tessen was eerily empty, devoid of any bodies. All the minions had congregated near the monastery, leaving the path and the city itself free of corpses.

"This looks bad. It’ll seem like we did this," Thesaya remarked as they passed through the open city gates.

Tessen was as silent as a grave. The moss and mold that had covered the city were now black and withered, making the place seem even more ominous. It felt as though monsters or spirits might leap out from the shadows at any moment.

"That won’t happen. Not for a while, at least... No one will come near this place," Philip replied in a somber tone.

Ian, leading the way, turned off the main road and entered a single-story building. The roof had partially collapsed, and bricks had fallen from the walls, making it little better than a ruin. However, being a single-story structure, it was less likely to cause serious injury if it collapsed further. The air inside was stale, much like the basement they had just left. Broken, rotting furniture lay scattered across the floor.

"Give me a few minutes," Philip said, kneeling in the center of the house as he followed them in. He muttered a prayer, and a soft golden light soon enveloped his entire body. Divine power radiated from not just his right hand but his entire being, casting a gentle glow throughout the room.

Sss—

Dark smoke rose and dissipated from various spots, and the air quickly became fresher.

Is this like sunlight sterilization?

Ian chuckled softly as he set down his pack. The others, seeing the improvement, began laying out their belongings on the floor. They were likely trying to remove any remaining toxins and spores from their items. Ian also opened his sealing box from his pocket dimension, pulling out all the equipment he had stored as backups. He left them out for everyone to collect later.

Charlotte, after standing with her arms outstretched to bask in the divine power for a moment, turned around and took a deep breath.

"It’s warm, but we should still have a fire. I’ll look for some firewood."

"I’ll go with you, kitty," Thesaya said.

"Why?" Charlotte asked, a bit puzzled.

"If you collapse while wandering around looking like that, what then? Move along, don’t block the way." Thesaya pushed Charlotte’s back as they exited the house, clearly more interested in exploring the ghost town than helping with the firewood.

"Phew..." Philip finished his prayer and stood up.

The golden light lingered, illuminating the room softly. The once damp and musty air now felt much fresher. Philip seemed momentarily fascinated by the sight he had created, then turned to the others.

"You two lords should rest first. You both look extremely tired."

"You need rest, too. We all do. You go first," Ian said, unpacking his bag.

Mev, having removed her helmet and set it on the floor, nodded in agreement. "Yes, rest first, Philip. Ian, you too. I’ll take the first watch."

How unbearably wholesome.

Ian chuckled to himself but didn’t argue further, spreading out his blanket. He was exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. Despite having some reserve of physical and magical energy, the mental fatigue was overwhelming. He had been through too much—having his consciousness kidnapped multiple times, wrestling with chaotic energy, and experiencing transformation and reversion, all while remaining aware.

"There’s food in the sealing box. Help yourselves. And sort out the watch rotation. Wake me when it’s my turn." Ian added as he crawled into his blanket.

"This is my request as well."

"...."

"I’ll find a way to kill him without becoming wanted by the Empire. Until then, wait. I’ll gladly let you have the honor of taking his head."

"...Alright. I’ll do that."

She is surprisingly obedient in situations like this.

Ian smirked inwardly as he continued, "Anyway, it might be pointless to talk about this now. He might not be a council member or the end of your quest for vengeance."

"Even so, I’ll be able to eliminate one more corrupt being."

"Then it seems we’ll have to travel together a while longer."

"...We’ll see." Mev’s response made Ian raise an eyebrow as he took another sip of the drink.

Mev turned her gaze to the fire and finally spoke. "After Racliffe, I have a favor... no, a request to make. Ian."

"A request...?" Ian’s lips curled into a slight smile as he picked up another piece of bread. "You mean Philip, don’t you?"

"... How did you know?"

"Just a hunch. What, you want me to escort him?"

"Something like that. Take him to the main church. Can you do that?"

"I can’t promise anything right now. There’s no guarantee my mission will end at Racliffe."

"...What if we assume that one of us achieves our goal first?" Mev asked.

Ian shrugged while chewing his bread. "It still wouldn’t change anything. You seem to have forgotten that one of my conditions for accepting a request is the consent of the person involved. So, what do you think?"

Ian turned to look behind him. "Philip."

"How did you know I was awake?" came Philip’s groggy voice from the corner.

Mev’s eyes widened as Ian continued. "You weren’t snoring."

"... Do I usually snore?"

"Most of the time."

In truth, Ian had heard Philip’s quiet exhale when Mev spoke, but this explanation seemed more plausible.

"I guess I’ll have to pretend to snore next time," Philip said, embarrassed, as he got up and looked at Mev. "But is it really necessary to ask Lord Ian? Couldn’t you just come with me?"

"... I said that because I don’t plan to," Mev said, hesitating.

Philip frowned. "Why?"

"I’m planning to return to the frontier, Philip."

"The frontier...?"

Ian also stared at Mev, recalling their unfinished conversation before they entered Tessen.

"Why the frontier? It must be in chaos now."

"That’s not something you need to know," Mev replied calmly.

Philip looked shocked. "It’s not something I need to know? If not me, who will carry out your plan—"

"A grown bird must leave the nest," Mev interrupted, looking at Philip. "The same goes for you, Philip. You’re no longer a squire. You’re a knight. You need to find your own sky and fly far and high."

"But... my lord... I prefer being with you. Actually, with everyone here. I don’t care about knighthood or titles..."

"Never forget that you are a holy knight acting on the will of God. You have your own duties and responsibilities now. You cannot ignore them."

This is getting emotional now.

Ian continued his meal, listening to their seemingly endless conversation.

"It’s only a possibility, but..." Ian finally spoke again after finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth with a drink. "It’s possible he might not need to go to the capital."

"What?" Mev frowned, and Philip widened his eyes. "Do you have a plan?"

Ian tilted his head. "Have you forgotten who my client is?"

"...!"