Chapter 6

“Rotate your arm.”

Inside Ian’s room on the second floor of the tavern, the innkeeper spoke while tightly fastening a leather shoulder guard onto Ian’s shoulder.

Ian obediently moved his arm.

“Good.”

The shoulder guard fit Ian perfectly and didn’t hinder his movements at all.

The tightness of the leather straps also felt secure.

“The most annoying part is done.”

Muttering that, the innkeeper began tightening the straps on the armor this time.

Ian had asked him to help with his preparations.

From now on, he would have to wear armor like regular clothing, so this work was necessary.

But that wasn’t the only reason he had kept the innkeeper around.

“You’re leaving immediately?”

Before Ian could speak, the innkeeper asked first.

Ian shrugged.

“I accepted a request.”

“Still, even so…”

“There’s nothing left for me to do here anyway. So I’m leaving.”

The innkeeper smacked his lips regretfully.

He’s acting absurdly disappointed.

“Forget that. Tell me about the rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“The ominous ones. People talk about them all the time.”

That was Ian’s real purpose.

Taverns were places where all kinds of rumors gathered thanks to wanderers, outsiders, and loose-lipped drunkards.

It was the easiest way to decide on a destination.

A kind of profiling investigation.

“There’s too many of those to count. The curse of the Black Wall is spreading like a plague. What kind do you want? A pack of wolves that only eat human flesh? A four-eyed crocodile living in the underground waterways? I’ve even heard of a headless rider and a fairy that feeds on blood.”

And those were just the rumors within the kingdom.

Ian also knew every single rumor was true.

It showed just how chaotic the Dark Age really was.

“Nothing related to locations?”

“Locations… There’s a rumor about a castle with blood flowing from the walls. A cave where screaming can be heard. A forest people enter but never leave…”

Ian’s eyebrow twitched.

That was the story he had been waiting for.

“That one sounds good. The Grave Forest, was it?”

“That’s right. Though despite the name, the story behind it isn’t much.”

Pulling the side straps of the armor tight, the innkeeper dusted off his hands.

“You rarely joined drinking conversations, yet somehow you know about it.”

“The same way you overheard my conversations downstairs. If you don’t like it, rebuild the floors.”

Chuckling, the innkeeper picked up the greaves and crouched before Ian.

“There’s an underground tomb in that forest. Apparently ancient elves built it. Anyway, back during the war against the demon race, they used it to bury fallen soldiers. Better than leaving corpses scattered everywhere, so they tossed them underground.”

Ian recalled the Grave Forest from the game.

It sounded like a fairly believable backstory.

“And then?”

“Commoners started burying bodies there too. Either tossing them underground or burying them in the forest. That continued until fairly recently. But at some point, thick fog started appearing.”

After properly fitting the greaves onto Ian’s shins, the innkeeper continued.

“After that, anyone who entered stopped coming back. Now nobody goes in anymore. That’s the whole story.”

“Nobody tried to solve the problem?”

“There’s nothing to gain there. Even grave robbers ignore the place. People can simply avoid going there, so why bother?”

“Fair point.”

Ian nodded casually.

“That’s exactly why it caught my interest.”

He had gathered all the evidence he needed.

The innkeeper raised one eyebrow.

“You’re planning to take that knight there? Without even knowing what’s inside?”

A black mage enjoying a private party in a paradise of bones.

Ian answered calmly.

“What could possibly be in some rural backwater? We’ll start with the place that seems most likely. How long would it take to get there?”

“On foot? About a week. Ten days at most. Faster on horseback. And since locals all know the name and location, it won’t be hard to find.”

“I see…”

A week. Ten days at most.

Back when this was a game, it felt like it was barely ten minutes away.

While Ian organized his thoughts, the innkeeper stood up.

“Anything else you want to ask? Or need help with?”

“No. Thanks for the help. I’m indebted to you until the very end.”

Ian stood up while picking up the sword resting on the table.

The innkeeper smacked his lips again.

“I didn’t expect the room to become empty this quickly.”

“I told you I wasn’t planning to settle down.”

“Even so, it wouldn’t have been bad if you had.”

Damn, he really is reluctant to let me go.

While Ian smirked, the innkeeper glanced around the room and casually asked,

“How long do you think this peace will last?”

Ian answered indifferently.

“Not long.”

“As expected…”

“The monsters will return.”

Ian fastened the sword to his waist and added,

“And war will break out too.”

“……”

The innkeeper’s breathing stopped for a moment.

The shoulders once filled with muscle, now covered by thick fat, stiffened with tension.

A common reaction from someone who had experienced war before.

“Don’t entrust your future to others. Especially not to mercenaries like me.”

Ian lightly patted his shoulder and added,

“You need to protect your niece yourself.”

“…Yeah. Looks like the day I’ll need that armor and axe you gave me will come after all.”

The innkeeper spoke almost like a sigh.

His voice sounded both like someone calmly accepting a hopeless future and like an old soldier renewing his resolve.

“You going to keep standing there?”

Ignoring it, Ian turned around and grabbed the doorknob.

The innkeeper nodded.

“You head downstairs first. I’ll tidy the room a little and follow.”

“Fine. If you’re late, I’ll already be gone.”

Ian added while stepping outside,

“You’ll need to watch out with that axe. It won’t last many uses.”

Thud. The door closed.

The innkeeper smiled faintly.

“So that’s why you were so generous. Figures. Still…”

He looked down at his own belly.

“I should lose some weight. War, huh…”

As he muttered repeatedly to himself, his eyes had already returned to those of a man willing to do anything to survive.

As though the past month had been nothing more than a sweet dream.

“Ooh…”

Philip let out a sound of admiration upon seeing Ian.

“You look impressive, my lord.”

Just earlier he looked full of complaints.

Apparently while Ian was upstairs, Philip had reached some sort of internal compromise.

“Hm.”

Mev, who sat across from Philip, nodded as well.

Wearing dark gray leather armor, Ian looked every bit like a proper mercenary.

Though the scabbard at his waist looked old, the sword itself was new, which strangely made him seem more trustworthy.

It meant he had survived long enough to replace several swords.

“The color is unusual. What kind of leather is that?”

“Kobold chief.”

“Kobolds are usually brown. Did corrupted mana dye it that way?”

“Then doesn’t that mean the armor itself contains corrupted mana?”

Philip added with a disturbed expression, as though he had forgotten his earlier admiration.

Ian chuckled.

“A future knight sure is cowardly.”

“Cowardly?! Not at all! Not even slightly!”

Philip jumped in protest.

Ian casually sat down across from them and added,

“Finish your meal. We have a long journey ahead, so you should fill your stomachs.”

Mev and Philip nodded and resumed eating.

Bread, meat, and stew.

The heartiest meal this tavern could provide.

“Have you decided on a destination?”

Not even a few minutes later, Philip spoke again.

Ian shrugged.

“For now. First—”

Just as he was about to continue, a shadow suddenly fell beside him.

Ian frowned and turned his head.

A pale face covered in freckles.

The waitress.

“What?”

Staring directly at Ian, she asked in a subdued voice,

“Is it true?”

“What is?”

“That you’re leaving. With these people.”

“Yeah.”

“As soon as the meal’s over?”

“Yeah.”

“How can it be so sudden?”

“That’s the life of a mercenary.”

“Even so. But…”

The waitress’s trembling voice gradually became damp.

“……”

Ian blinked blankly.

Philip and Mev also paused momentarily.

Because tears had gathered in the waitress’s eyes.

“…Sorry. It was just too sudden.”

After wiping her tears, the waitress bowed quickly and ran into the kitchen without looking back.

“…Hah.”

Only then did Ian let out a hollow laugh.

It was true they had grown somewhat attached.

Still, crying like that?

Clicking his tongue, Ian looked toward the kitchen before sensing another gaze.

“What?”

Philip, smiling like he had just witnessed something entertaining, said,

“You’re quite capable, my lord. They say winning a woman’s heart is the hardest thing.”

“Nothing happened. There’s nothing between us.”

“That’s not what her reaction looked like. That was clearly—”

“Nothing. Happened.”

Ian coldly cut him off.

Philip shut his mouth with a look that clearly said, Sure, sure.

If I cut off his nose, he wouldn’t be able to make that expression anymore.

While Ian made that decision internally—

“What exactly didn’t happen?”

The innkeeper asked while coming down the stairs.

Staring directly at Philip, who looked ready to speak immediately, Ian answered,

“Nothing.”

“…Anyway, continue what you were saying.”

Mev added.

Exactly what Ian wanted.

“We’re heading to the Grave Forest first.”

“The Grave Forest…?”

Philip tilted his head.

“I heard ominous rumors about it.”

“It lies along the route to the royal castle, so stopping there won’t be difficult. But I’d prefer a more precise reason.”

At Mev’s serious attitude, Ian nodded.

“That black mage must have some kind of hideout somewhere. According to him, he planted ‘seeds’ all over the place and is waiting for harvest time.”

“That much I also expected.”

“So I chose a likely candidate for where he might be hiding.”

“But there’s nothing there, is there? As far as I know, it’s just a place filled with unmarked graves and bones.”

Philip said.

Ian nodded.

“An ideal environment for a black mage. And since there’s nothing valuable there, nobody would bother searching the place. The problems also don’t spread beyond the forest, so it attracts no attention. I’d say that’s enough justification.”

“Even so, in the middle of the kingdom…”

Philip muttered as though he still couldn’t believe it.

“They say the darkest place is right beneath the candlelight.”

The innkeeper casually chimed in.

Gesturing slightly toward Ian, he added,

“The fixer here isn’t exactly kind, but I’ve never seen him wrong so far. At the very least, you won’t lose anything.”

“And what if it’s a waste of time?”

Ian rebuked him.

The innkeeper laughed.

“Well, either way, a cursed forest disappearing would be a good thing, wouldn’t it?”

Mev nodded.

“You both make fair points. Very well. We’ll follow the mercenary’s judgment.”

“Ian. Not mercenary. Call me Ian, Sir Riurel.”

Ian added.

Mev agreed easily.

“Very well, Ian.”

Only Philip still looked displeased.

“So we’re wasting at least an entire day out of our precious week.”

“If you’re scared, just say so. I’ll let you wait outside the forest.”

At Ian’s words, Philip’s eyes widened.

“Scared?! I’ll lead the way myself!”

Ian smirked.

“Fine. Make sure you do.”

Mev set down her fork.

“We don’t have much time, so let’s depart immediately. The meal was excellent, innkeeper.”

Philip quickly stood and gathered their belongings.

After nodding at Mev, the innkeeper turned toward Ian.

“Farewell. Let’s meet alive again someday.”

“We won’t meet again. Dead or alive.”

“You’re cold until the very end.”

“Useless hope only shortens your lifespan.”

Ian walked away with his back turned to the innkeeper.

Just as he reached for the door—

“Wait!”

The waitress’s urgent voice followed after him.

Ian’s brow furrowed again.

How clingy is she planning to be?

Turning around irritably, he saw the waitress holding out a tightly wrapped bundle of cloth.

“Take this with you, Mr. Fixer.”

“What is it?”

“I packed some ham and cheese and things like that. For your journey.”

“……”

Pressing the bundle into Ian’s hands, the waitress added,

“Be careful, okay? Promise me.”

After meeting her eyes for a moment, Ian awkwardly replied,

“Yeah. If someone tries something stupid, grab anything nearby and stab them in the throat. Your aim’s good.”

The waitress smiled.

Ian nodded and stepped out of the tavern.

For once, it wasn’t a bad farewell.

Just as a faint smile crossed his lips—

“My lord, did you see that?”

Philip’s voice rang out as he followed behind.

“That waitress’s eyes were truly overflowing with longing—”

Ian stopped walking immediately.

“Sir Riurel, I have a request.”

He turned toward Mev.

His eyes were as cold as ice.

“May I cut out your squire’s tongue? I think the journey would improve without it.”

Philip’s face turned pale.

“Absolutely not.”

Mev, already wearing her helmet again, passed by Ian and added,

“But if the day ever comes when it becomes necessary, I’ll grant permission.”

Philip forced an awkward smile.

“M-My lady, what a terrifying joke… My lady? Please tell me it’s a joke?”

“I’d gladly do so. For free.”

“Haha. Both of you have such cruel senses of humor. W-Well then, I’ll go fetch the horses we left behind!”

Moving stiffly like a wooden puppet, Philip hurried after Mev.

While storing the bundle into subspace, Ian muttered,

“Horses, huh…”

Riding wasn’t really his preference.

To people of this world, horses were valuable transportation.

But to Ian, they were troublesome burdens that became more exhausting the longer you rode them.

Still, this journey required saving both time and stamina.

“Can’t be helped.”

Clicking his tongue, Ian finally started walking leisurely.

After all, since he had once completed a request for the stable keeper, he figured he could probably get a horse cheaply.