Chapter 63:

Chapter 63:

Chapter 63

The mention of Gannicus caught them off guard. They tilted their heads in confusion, not expecting him to come up.

Ruon briefly explained to them what he had seen in the past and what had happened inside the Demon Lord after he pierced his heart.

When he finished, Igor immediately put on his rosary and prayed, while Strabo burst into tears.

“How did he endure for hundreds of years? How painful it must have been!”

Julius’s words made the dwarf cry even harder, sniffling and wiping his nose with a handkerchief. Kyle spoke, ignoring him.

“So this was Gannicus’s temple. It was so badly damaged that even Gullan, who prides himself on his expertise in this area, couldn’t figure it out...”

He trailed off, then added with a serious expression.

“Ruon, do you doubt the Grand Church?”

Ruon, who had been silent for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.

“It seems unlikely that they didn’t know about the incident that resulted from the corruption of the priest who was the temple’s caretaker, where the Demon Lord was born in a place where they exerted their influence.”

Igor muttered with a grim expression.

“It’s still just a possibility, but if they deliberately kept silent about it... that’s something that should never happen.”

Kyle nodded and said.

“There’s definitely something fishy about it. But it happened hundreds of years ago, and they might not want to expose their own faults... Will they cooperate?”

“I don’t know.”

As Ruon replied dryly, Strabo, who had blown his nose with a handkerchief from who knows where, said.

“Not satisfied with killing the Demon Lord, now you want to dig up the secrets behind his origin? How far do you want to go with your amazing achievements? I can’t even fathom it.”

Ruon smiled faintly at his astonished eyes. He said.

“The death of the Demon Lord is not enough to end my story.”

It was a blunt and straightforward statement from Ruon’s perspective, but it didn’t seem so to the listeners.

“Sometimes you have a knack for saying cool things without a care.”

“Indeed, no one deserves the title of Champion of Tivella more than Ruon. My mother would think so too.”

Strabo, who seemed to be the most impressed, murmured with a blank stare.

“Ahh, Ruon. If the adventure and romance I always dreamed of took human form, wouldn’t it be exactly like you? Really...”

Here we go again.

As if to stop him there, Ruon quietly raised his palm and said.

“Then it’s goodbye.”

With that short sentence, the three men who had been babbling stopped talking at once.

There was an unprecedented silence in the tent. It was broken by Kyle.

“At least you said something this time.”

He chuckled, remembering what had happened at the tower. He took a sip of wine and opened his mouth.

“Then and now, I always wanted to join Ruon’s journey. It’s funny... Why do I follow someone who only goes to places where he could die at any moment?”

He giggled for a while, then continued.

“But it’s difficult now. I have to take this weakling to the Grand Church.”

He pointed at Igor with his thumb and smiled. It was hard to find the face of the woodcutter who had swung his hammer with rage on Kyle’s face.

He’s changed.

Ruon smiled sincerely at the sight of Kyle, who had followed him with a shield on his back, but now had his own choices.

“Do that.”

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll follow you as soon as I finish the job.”

After that, Igor and Strabo spoke. They both started to ramble about their regrets and memories of parting. The common point was that none of them thought this farewell was the last.

Ruon didn’t know where their strange confidence came from, but he didn’t want to spoil their mood, so he nodded along.

But he also thought to himself that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to meet them again someday.

Under the flickering candlelight, they spent the night with small talk. In the small tent, laughter erupted from time to time. None of the soldiers who had been on guard all night guessed that they were about to part.

When the sun rose to announce the morning, Ruon left the tent and quietly left the temple on his black horse.

***

“What are you talking about?”

Becky pouted her lips, and the nun added in a gentle voice.

“Ultimately, what I want to say is this. Praying with all your heart is good, but if you really want to help, you have to move yourself.”

With him..., she trailed off and held out a biscuit to her.

Becky took it without thinking and bit into it. She chewed and swallowed.

She didn’t quite understand what the nun meant, but she felt a glimmer of hope that someday she might be able to help Ruon. She couldn’t help but smile.

***

A large black horse was walking across the grassland, dyed in a faint pink by the twilight.

Ruon looked down at the wildflowers blooming in various colors along the path.

“Are we going the right way?”

The black horse, Nightmare, snorted.

“As if I can understand...”

At that moment, the rune hanging from his waist quivered. Ruon furrowed his brow as he sensed the emotion coming from it.

“...You’re saying we’re going well? Wait... can you understand what he’s saying?”

The rune quivered again. It was a yes.

Good heavens.

Ruon closed his eyes tightly. He had found himself in a strange situation where he could communicate with a horse and a sword. He had expected to feel lonely after leaving his party, but he was proven wrong.

He sighed lightly and turned his head to look at the vast plain.

He had been traveling alone for three days since he parted ways with his companions, but he hadn’t been able to visit any villages, so he felt rather ragged.

The reason why Ruon had separated from his party was simple. Their route and his destination were completely different.

Unlike the Grand Church of Tivella, which could be accessed through the port city of Nook in the south, Igor said that the Grand Church of Ganak was in the east of the kingdom.

‘I don’t know the exact location either.’

As he pondered the priest’s words, who was scratching his head, Ruon suddenly spotted a small village in the distance.

“You did well to trust your nose.”

Ruon lightly ruffled the mane of Nightmare and headed straight for the village.

The stableman, who was old and wrinkled, gulped at the sight of the black horse, whose height was more than that of an average adult.

“Brother, I’ll pay you whatever you want, but can I have this guy?”

What are you talking about?

Ruon tilted his head as he handed over the reins.

“What do you mean by that?”

The stableman coughed and said.

“It’s my personal desire to inherit the bloodline of such a sturdy beast. I have a mare in heat anyway...”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. He was pushed and fell by the intangible force that emanated from the black horse’s mane.

“Ouch!”

Heeheeheehee-

Ruon slapped the head of Nightmare and helped the stableman up.

“It seems difficult. He’s not an ordinary horse.”

“Is, is that so.”

He nodded his head hastily under the glaring gaze of the black horse. But he still couldn’t hide his greed and asked in a low voice.

“...Then can I know where you got this beast from?”

“I remember it was near Bern, but I’m not sure.”

Ruon answered politely and read the emotions of the sword that fell from his waist as he translated the horse’s words.

He approached Nightmare and muttered coldly.

“...I know you’re a valuable body, so just eat some hay quietly. Don’t do anything stupid.”

After warning him, Ruon moved his steps toward the inn of the village. He was looking forward to having a proper meal today. As soon as he opened the door, a dagger flew toward his forehead.

He quickly caught the flying dagger and growled.

“What is this now?”