Chapter 237

Chapter 237

Nasser looked at him again, as if to ask what he meant.

Ian, finishing his drink, continued. "As you said, if they know we're coming, they'll be on guard and suspicious. We won't be trying to eliminate that suspicion. Instead, we'll do the opposite."

Exchanging a glance with Philip, Ian added. "People like that can't stand being suspected themselves when it happens."

There wasn't much more to say, and as Nasser tilted his head slightly, Ian brought the glass back to his lips without further explanation.

"Should I at least give him a brief explanation?" Philip asked cautiously.

Nasser, his eyes shining, looked back at Ian.

Filling his empty glass, Ian shrugged. "As long as it's brief."

"Of course." Philip, quickly responding, looked at Nasser.

"There’s a basic strategy called the 'good knight, bad squire' tactic. This time, we’ll be using a variation of that."

A true disciple indeed.

Ian, watching Nasser nod intently and listen, suppressed a chuckle and took another sip from his glass.

***

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking on the closed window echoed. Ian, who had been meditating, opened his eyes. An artifact ring that had once belonged to Nasser was on his left index finger. It increased both Mental Fortitude and the level of Meditation skills. Nasser probably wasn't aware that this option existed.

Thanks to that, Ian, who had achieved level four in Meditation, could now enter and exit Meditation effortlessly in any position or situation.

At the highest level, it seems you can meditate even while moving...

Thinking this, Ian checked the surroundings once more before opening the window.

Spello's face appeared. "We’re almost there, sir."

"Really? Understood."

Spello nodded lightly at Ian's response and walked ahead of the carriage.

The march, which started in the morning, lasted until afternoon without pause—a rapid march without rest. Of course, no one complained. There was no reason to be unhappy about returning home quickly.

Complaints, even if there were any, wouldn't reach the carriage at the end of the procession.

"It seems we'll arrive about half a day earlier than planned." Philip, seated across from Thesaya, murmured quietly.

Both he and Mev kept their hoods on, even with the windows shut—Philip, likely to hide his drowsiness. Ian glanced outside, watching as the carriage descended a winding hill. Beyond, beneath a gray canopy of clouds, the dark blue horizon of the sea stretched out.

"So the salty smell wasn't just my imagination...." Thesaya murmured absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the view beyond Ian's window, captivated by the sight of the sea for the first time.

Of course, Ian's perspective was different.

Even the sea in this world looks gloomy.

The surface of the water, dark navy like a winter sea, didn't look calm at all. Coupled with the overcast sky, it seemed as if a storm could break out at any moment.

But at least it wasn't as lifeless and black as it appeared in the game. And it wasn't just the sea that differed from the game.

"It’s really big... They weren’t kidding when they said it’s the center of the western Empire...."

Ignoring Philip’s muttering, Ian took in the sight of the coastal scenery. A wide canal, extending from the sea, encircled the entire city, enclosing it with its walls. As a result, Racliffe looked like a massive artificial island.

The walls extended from both ends of the canal, forming a circle that reached the open sea. Watchtowers and lighthouses rose intermittently, drawing attention, along with massive siege weapons. Several open sea gates, like missing teeth, were dotted along the wall.

A few sailing ships were just passing through the gates. Their long oars splashed rhythmically in the dark blue sea. Inside, several ships were already docked at the long harbor beneath the coastal walls. Black flags, each with different emblems, fluttered atop their masts.

Ships from the Black Isles, I suppose...

In the center of it all, the city, filled with buildings of various sizes, still bore the clear aftermath of the catastrophe, just as he had heard. Many houses had collapsed, half-destroyed, or were in the process of being demolished and rebuilt.

Faint black smoke rose from various places along the streets, likely from burning the remnants of monsters or curses from the underground waterways. Despite its overall grim appearance, the city was far more intact and massive than it had been in the game.

Still, not everything is different from back then.

Ian’s gaze settled on the large castle at the edge of the city, facing the sea. In the game, it was where the Plague Duke, one of the Chapter Three bosses, awaited. Of course, the only similarity to the game was the fact that he would fight the Duke. Compared to then, the Duke would be considerably weaker this time, and the tiresome and arduous process leading up to the encounter would be eliminated.

... After all that trouble last time, I should take the easier route when I can.

At that moment, the carriage turned a bend. While Thesaya quickly opened the opposite window, Ian leaned back, resting his head on the seatback. They still had some time before entering the city.

***

Ian thought, but soon realized it wasn’t. Even as they approached the carriage, the horses did not slow down at all.

Clip-clop—

A middle-aged man in a rather luxurious navy uniform brushed past the carriage. As he did, he glanced at the carriage, making eye contact with Ian for a split second.

"..." Ian clearly noticed the twitch in the man’s eyes when their gazes met. His features were vividly etched in Ian’s memory. He had a sickly and irritable look, the typical appearance of a spellcaster.

Soon, the carriage slowed down, and another set of hooves approached. This time, it was someone familiar: Spello.

"Is there a problem?" Ian asked as the carriage came to a stop, seeing Spello’s expression.

Spello, who was close to the carriage, opened his mouth. "Well... His Excellency is currently at the mansion, not the castle. He is resting due to exhaustion. Therefore, Lord Matthias, who was handling the duties, rushed to the Duke’s residence to deliver the news."

Ah, so he’s a spellcaster.

Ian, raising one side of his lips slightly, spoke. "So?"

"I apologize, but could you wait here for a moment? I’m sorry. There are procedures to follow... I can’t do anything about it...."

"You’re not suggesting we wait here with the soldiers, are you?"

"Oh, no. The soldiers will return to their duties. Of course, I will stay here."

"Well, that’s fine then." Ian shrugged and accepted, which seemed to surprise Spello, who widened his eyes as if he didn’t expect such an easy acceptance.

"Just guide the carriage to the side of the road and ensure no one approaches."

"Yes, I will do that. Thank you for your generosity," Spello quickly responded.

Generosity, huh?

Ian suppressed a laugh. While he did so, Spello guided the carriage to the roadside. It stopped in a small semicircle, naturally changing its direction. Through the window, Ian could see the procession of soldiers passing through the gate of the inner castle and the towering castle itself. He closed the window after seeing Spello step away from the carriage.

"I had a feeling, and it turns out I was right."

Thesaya closed her window, and almost simultaneously, Philip removed his hood and spoke. "Indeed. It looks like it's going to take a bit of time."

They had already expected that the Duke would make them wait. After all, the church’s saint envoy had arrived with the infamous purifier. While the Duke couldn’t avoid meeting Ian, he probably needed time to prepare for the worst-case scenario. With so much at stake, he had to be even more cautious.

"Let us know if anyone approaches, kitty," Thesaya whispered as she slightly opened the small window near the driver's seat.

Ian began adjusting his gear, which had been loosely draped over him. The rest of the group also sprang into action as if on cue. Thesaya strapped on a leather belt adorned with a fairy rapier and threw daggers, while Mev and Philip took off their robes and checked their armor.

"I didn't expect there to be a separate mansion. I'm curious to see what happens. Will they come here, or will they summon us?" Mev muttered as she secured her two-handed sword diagonally on her back.

Philip, tightening the armor on his forearm, immediately responded. "They’ll likely summon us to the mansion. There are too many eyes here. He’ll want to consider the possibility of his identity being exposed. It’s unlikely he’d keep the void-marked abomination in the castle."

"It seems we’re finally about to descend from the mountain...." Ian murmured.

Philip, who had been strapping his steel shield onto his back, looked at him.

Ian shrugged. "I’m just saying I agree."

"If they are summoning us to the mansion, it means they might be planning to kill us if things go south...." Mev whispered coldly, her eyes sharp as if a battle were about to start as she draped her robe over her shoulders again.

Thesaya, twisting her waist back and forth, added, "Well, there’s plenty of unpleasant magic lingering here. As long as things don’t get too noisy, there’s no risk of being discovered."

"The Duke probably won't go that far. Killing us would be too much of a hassle to deal with afterward."

Ian leaned back and added, cracking his neck from side to side.

"But for that very reason, if things do start, he’ll make sure it’s thorough."

"You're telling me not to let my guard down, right? There's no need to worry about that anymore—" Thesaya quickly closed her mouth.

Charlotte had tapped on the small window near the driver’s seat.

They arrived sooner than expected...

While Ian pondered, Mev and Philip, having straightened their robes, pulled their hoods over their heads.

Clip-clop—

Soon, the sound of galloping hooves stopped near the carriage. After a brief silence, there was a knock on the carriage window.

When the window opened, Spello’s now-familiar face appeared. This time, however, he wasn’t alone.

"...." Ian’s eyes flickered momentarily as he noticed the rider standing behind Spello.

It was a beastfolk.