Chapter 10

“…You’ll have to wash together with me.”

Ian quickly regained his composure and said it casually.

Mev looked away before replying,

“If I don’t look, there’s no issue.”

Using my own words against me now, huh.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying I don’t have confidence in myself.”

Apparently thinking it was a joke, Mev let out a short laugh.

It was the first smile Ian had seen from her.

After fighting together and arguing back and forth, she seemed far more comfortable around him now.

“I’m tired too. We should save time. We still have a long journey tomorrow.”

Adding that calmly, Mev resumed removing the armor from her other elbow.

“Well… I suppose that’s true.”

Clicking his tongue lightly, Ian finally finished untying his greaves.

No more conversation followed after that.

Only the sounds of armor being neatly removed continued.

“Ah, are you washing too, my lord?”

Soon Philip returned.

His hands and arms were freshly washed, and he even carried a soaked cloth.

He quickly approached and accepted the breastplate Mev had removed.

“Thank you as always, Philip.”

“It’s naturally my duty, my lady.”

Philip carefully set down the breastplate.

Then he turned toward Ian with eyes full of expectation.

Ian tilted his head slightly.

Philip hurried over to the leather armor and stared at the bundle beside it before asking,

“After I clean everything, should I oil it too?”

“Go ahead.”

He’s practically a loyal servant already.

Suppressing a scoff, Ian stood up.

Mev, now dressed only in a red quilted undergarment stained with blood, also rose to her feet.

Without her armor, she was about half a head shorter than Ian.

“The stream gets a little wider farther upstream. It should be more comfortable for washing, my lady.”

Philip added while lifting the armor.

He looked just as unconcerned about the situation as Mev did.

“Understood. I’ll return shortly. Come along, Ian.”

Nodding, Mev immediately started walking.

“…….”

So everyone here really is like this.

Just when Ian thought he had fully adapted to this world, he found himself feeling genuinely flustered in a very modern-human sort of way.

Following Philip’s directions, they walked farther upstream until the stream widened considerably.

Moonlight occasionally slipped through the thick clouds, scattering across the flowing water.

It was a quiet and peaceful sight, something surprisingly rare in this world.

“I think it’d be better if you go in first here.”

Mev suddenly said while walking silently ahead.

Ian scratched the bridge of his nose and stopped.

“Fine.”

“I’ll go a little farther upstream.”

Mev continued walking away.

…Feels like I’m turning into some kind of creep.

Clicking his tongue, Ian removed his clothes.

Then he strode directly into the middle of the stream.

The water was shockingly cold, but because of that, it cleared his mind.

Near the center, it became deep enough to reach his thighs, so Ian simply knelt and submerged his body.

The sticky feeling of sweat and blood slowly washed away.

Splash.

Soon another sound of water followed.

Mev had apparently entered the stream as well.

The distance between them wasn’t actually that far.

…What exactly am I supposed to do while being conscious of this?

Ian splashed cold water onto his face once before silently continuing to wash himself.

Only the sound of water echoed for a while.

“There’s something I forgot to ask earlier.”

Suddenly, Mev spoke up.

Ian was wiping blood from his waist after cleaning his shoulders and chest.

“Go ahead.”

“Were you injured anywhere?”

You’re asking that pretty late.

Ian smirked faintly before replying,

“No. What about you?”

“I’m fine as well. Impressive. You fought a werewolf and still came back without a single wound.”

“I got lucky.”

“There’s no way that’s all it was. I watched you fight. How should I put it…”

Mev paused briefly before continuing.

“Your style was unusual. It lacked any formal structure. In some ways, it felt more practical than even my own swordsmanship.”

“So you’re politely saying I fight like a street thug.”

Ian answered casually.

Mev immediately added,

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Same here. It’s true that my style has no foundation. I’ve never properly learned.”

A faint breath escaped from behind him.

“You’re quite funny. You’ve been joking around this whole time.”

Not a joke, though.

“And the way you order Philip around too. You’re definitely not an ordinary mercenary, Ian. Though… these days it’s not especially rare for former nobles to become wandering free men.”

Ian’s hand stopped while washing his back.

“Former noble…?”

“Even if you pretend to be a mercenary, you can’t hide the wisdom and knowledge reflected in your words.”

What kind of nonsense is that now?

“I really did grow up on the streets.”

At Ian’s answer, another faint breath followed.

Ian realized it was the sound Mev made whenever she smiled slightly.

“If you don’t wish to speak about it, fine. I’ll leave it at that.”

Now I’m the one wanting to ask whether this is a joke.

Ian eventually let out a hollow laugh.

Still, he understood why Mev had misunderstood.

This was a world where most people couldn’t even read, much less use sophisticated vocabulary.

Compared to them, Ian naturally seemed educated.

And in this world, that alone was enough to make someone seem noble-born.

Knowledge and culture were practically monopolized by the nobility.

Mev’s calm voice continued,

“Everyone has at least one story they don’t wish to share.”

“And you? Do you have one too?”

Ian suddenly asked back.

Not because he was truly curious, but because otherwise the misunderstandings would probably never end.

As expected, Mev fell silent.

Finally, some quiet.

Just as Ian was about to continue washing—

“…I suppose I can’t say I don’t.”

Mev answered in a lowered voice.

“I chose to live not as a woman of House Riurel, but as the Apostle of Tir En and the sword of the kingdom.”

Didn’t expect an actual answer.

Ian clicked his tongue awkwardly.

Apparently she had really opened up.

Still, he had no intention of listening to a personal backstory he didn’t even care about.

“There’s also something I forgot to ask.”

Ian quickly grabbed the conversation back.

“What kind of god is Tir En?”

Since the conversation had already shifted this far, he decided to ask the question he had been curious about.

After all, Mev was an Apostle of Tir En.

An Apostle was someone blessed by a god and capable of wielding fragments of divine authority.

Naturally, her greatest strength would be that divine power.

And since she might someday become an enemy, Ian wanted to understand it properly.

Even better if he could discover weaknesses.

There was no reason to fight fairly just because he believed he could win.

“Are you seriously asking?”

Mev replied in surprise.

Ian shrugged.

“I’m not exactly close with the gods. I’ve heard the name before, that’s all.”

The world of Aquilonia contained countless gods.

Unless players specifically searched for them, the game rarely explained their names or meanings.

Tir En was the same.

Knights occasionally shouted the name or recited prayers, but—

As a mage, Ian had little connection to it.

And it never became important enough in the story or quests to leave an impression.

“…I suppose that makes sense. Tir En is not a god easily served. Tir En is the God of Judgment. The second daughter of radiant Lu Sola and the sword that cuts down sin.”

Mev’s voice became solemn.

“That is why I, as the Apostle of Tir En, may remain silent but cannot speak lies, nor can I ignore sin. If I lose the god’s favor, I lose the blessing as well.”

“Sounds exhausting. Especially in times like these.”

Nodding slowly, Ian casually added,

“And if Judgment is only the first title, then I assume the others are even more impressive.”

“You mean the other name? Of course.”

A hint of laughter mixed into Mev’s voice.

Since betrayal and corruption were core themes of Aquilonia, nothing in its world was truly absolute.

Not even the gods.

Just like how another name for Lu Sola, the God of Light, was Fanaticism.

Ian asked,

“What is it?”

Mev answered calmly.

“Revenge.”

“……!”

“To cut down sin is ultimately to carry out someone’s revenge. And at times, it also makes you the target of revenge yourself. That is why Judgment’s other name is Revenge. Just revenge receives Tir En’s protection.”

“I see…”

Ian muttered while his eyes flickered.

At last, he understood the truth behind the Bleeding Avenger from the game.

‘So the Apostle of Judgment became the Apostle of Revenge.’

That meant weakening her divine authority would make fighting her much easier someday.

Holy knights possessed absurd combat strength, but they also carried equally severe restrictions.

And Mev had just revealed one of those weaknesses herself.

‘In that case…’

Still, Ian didn’t decide anything immediately.

‘Then the ghost called Resentment of the Avenger… that was also Tir En’s power?’

The Bleeding Avenger hadn’t simply been a one-time mid-boss.

Later, she reappeared as a vengeful spirit called Resentment of the Avenger and delivered a surprise strike against the final boss of Chapter 1.

The spirit vanished immediately afterward, but the boss’s health and every stat dropped below half because of it.

Though even weakened like that, the boss had still been difficult to defeat.

‘If I fight without the spirit intervening, it’ll be even harder.’

Ian clicked his tongue quietly.

Choices where you had to sacrifice one option for another weren’t really his style.

‘…I’ll observe a little longer.’

Maybe there was still a way to avoid sacrificing anything at all.

Just as Ian reached that conclusion—

“What god do you serve?”

Mev suddenly asked.

Ian immediately stood up and answered,

“No one.”

“You mean you serve no god?”

“That’s right. And I never will.”

Because maybe— no, probably— those things were the ones that dragged me into this world.

He didn’t know how beings that once existed only as pieces of data had become real.

But regardless, they were the most likely source of all his misery.

And he had absolutely no intention of worshiping them.

“…Sounds like you have your own story as well.”

Without answering, Ian stepped out of the water.

As he dried the water from his body, Mev’s calm voice reached his ears again.

“But surely, even now, some god is watching over you, Ian. Perhaps one already desires you.”

Ian looked up at the night sky.

Between the thinning dark clouds, the moon and stars shone brightly.

As though they truly were watching him.

Ian raised his middle finger toward the sky and said,

“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

By morning, the dark clouds once again covered the sky as though nothing had happened.

Philip had fallen asleep immediately after finishing dinner, but even the next day he still wouldn’t stop talking about the werewolf.

Since there wasn’t much else to do while crossing the forest, Ian eventually gave in after several hours and reluctantly opened his mouth.

Though his explanation was extremely simple.

The werewolf attacked, and he cut it apart.

That was basically the entire story.

“You truly never exaggerate your accomplishments, my lord. I understand now.”

Apparently Philip interpreted it very differently.

“I’m now certain the rumors about you defeating the kobold tribe were actually greatly understated.”

“It wasn’t a tribe. Just a hideout. And it wasn’t a conquest. Just a battle.”

Ian corrected him, but Philip ignored him completely while continuing to walk ahead.

“A werewolf… It’s my first time ever seeing a monster of that level. Well, technically only the head.”

What’s so impressive about that?

Ian replied indifferently.

“There should be plenty of monsters in the south too.”

“No. Hardly any near the border regions. The southern fortress army regularly exterminates them. After all, when pirates suddenly establish a country and keep invading whenever they get the chance, you can’t afford to fight monsters at the same time.”

Shrugging, Philip continued,

“It’s been around six or seven years since I was last in the south. Back then it was quite peaceful. So even when I heard rumors that monsters were flooding the kingdom, it never felt real to me.”

“I imagine it feels real now.”

“To be honest, not entirely. We’ve barely encountered any during the journey.”

Ian’s brows furrowed.

“Barely encountered any…?”

“Yes. Even after entering the Count’s territory, things remained fairly peaceful. The people looked exhausted, but the south was similar due to war preparations. That werewolf was honestly the first true monster I’ve seen.”

“…….”

That made no sense.

Ian’s brows narrowed further.

Since entering Agel Lan, he himself had already encountered hundreds of monsters.

Even back when this was still just a game, he had repeatedly been shocked that the kingdom somehow continued functioning despite the sheer number of monsters everywhere.

“It’s true.”

Mev, who had quietly listened until now, finally spoke.

“That’s also why Philip struggled to believe in the existence of the black mage. Even after entering Count Lumon’s territory, the only monsters we encountered were a few goblins and kobolds.”

How lucky do you have to be for that?

Blinking slowly, Ian suddenly realized something and turned back toward Philip.

“If you came all the way from the south to the Count’s territory, did you follow the main roads the whole time?”

Philip immediately nodded.

“Yes. We traveled from Valk Castle, stopping through villages both large and small.”

“Hah.”

At last, Ian let out a hollow laugh.

Because Valk City was exactly where he himself had first arrived after leaving the swamp.

It was also where he had truly started pretending to be a mercenary.

Like most nobles in this world, Count Lumon cared only about money and power.

Thanks to that, the city’s security was a complete disaster despite having a lord.

Ian solved the city’s problems in exchange for payment, then traveled along the main roads to the next villages.

Along the way, he continuously killed the monsters threatening the roads and settlements.

Which meant that Mev and Philip, who happened to travel along the same route afterward, unknowingly enjoyed a far safer journey because of him.

“So I was the one paving your flower road…”

Ian muttered while shifting his gaze ahead.

Far in the distance, the edge of the forest finally became visible.

Philip tilted his head.

“What do you mean by flower road?”

“It means your good days are over, Philip.”

Without even turning around, Ian answered while walking ahead.

“The kingdom is far more of a disaster than you think.”

“…?”

Philip understood the meaning of those words less than half a day later.