Chapter 256
"You’ve already heard, haven’t you?" Ian said, wiping the remaining bread in the stew bowl. His plate was almost empty now.
"Yeah. You were wondering if the island folks were in cahoots with the Duke, right? But that’s not the real reason, is it?"
"There’s nothing else. That’s all there is to it."
"Hmm… Is that so? Alright. I’ll believe you."
Thesaya added with a peculiar smile on her lips.
"I thought Ian was planning to go to the islands."
Quick to catch on.
Ian thought as he put the bread in his mouth. As Thesaya had guessed, what he said was merely a surface reason. The Black Isles, like the South, was a region he hadn’t visited, so he asked to gather information in advance.
Philip, his eyes curious, asked. "So… as the rumors say, were they in cahoots?"
"They were close, but they weren’t minions of Round Table.""Oh, is that so? That’s somewhat of a relief then...."
Instead, it seemed they were serving some other monster.
Ian added inwardly as he watched Philip sigh with relief.
According to Palmar, some lords of the isles served a being that was slumbered beneath the sea. This explained why their ships rarely suffered attacks from the monsters of the Black Sea. The islanders clearly had their own dark secrets.
Charlotte and Thesaya had also heard this, but neither of them showed any interest in that part.
Maybe one day we’ll have to fight something like a Kraken.
For now, it wasn’t an immediate concern. He did plan to visit the Isles eventually, but not anytime soon. The remnants of the Isles had fled in a hurry. If he headed there now, it wouldn’t be taken well. He’d be lucky not to sink to the bottom of the Black Sea along with his ship. Even he wouldn’t survive being lost at sea, especially against the entire pirate fleet of the Isles.
Placing his fork down, Ian lightly smacked his lips before speaking. "So, what’s your plan when you get back?"
His gaze turned to Charlotte, who was sitting on his left.
"Are you going to kill that priest and all his followers? Like you mentioned earlier?"
Charlotte nodded. "Yes. The priest and his close aides must be killed. Kruxica will be saddened, but there’s no other choice. And their skins will be stuffed and hung on the castle walls."
As another gruesome conversation began so casually, Elia, who had been listening with fascination, let her mouth drop open. Ian, however, nodded calmly. There was no need to worry about Elia’s reaction.
Once they left the city, she would inevitably encounter many horrific situations. Besides, she was an adult and a dwarf at that. All the dwarves Ian had met were strange but tough. Elia would likely be the same.
Charlotte continued, "There’s no more certain way to show that the tribe has purged the traitors. The younger warriors who strayed onto the wrong path will scatter with their leader gone. Of course, some might resist, unable to accept the situation..."
She glanced down at her left arm, which, despite her casual attire, was still wrapped in Palmar’s tail.
"I’ll cut off the tails of every one of them."
"An iron-blooded chieftain will be born..." Ian muttered, imagining her covered in severed tails.
Knowing Charlotte, it was easy to believe she would do whatever it took for her tribe.
Ian quickly wiped the smile from his face and added, "But that alone won’t be enough."
"... Even if I finish dealing with the internal matters?" Charlotte asked, her brow furrowing. It wasn’t that she doubted his words; her gaze showed a desire for a more detailed explanation.
"Yes. You’ll be up against those cunning elves from the Central. Once they bring their forces and purifiers into the South, whatever you’ve prepared won’t matter. They’ll question your authority and look for any excuse to undermine you. The moment they find even a shred of inconsistency, they’ll act on it."
"...."
"You’re not actually planning to kill all the berserkers, are you? Just because they’ve lost their tails doesn’t mean Kruxica will abandon them."
"That’s true..." Charlotte’s expression twisted with frustration. "Damn it... I had a feeling."
Ian quietly watched her as she muttered to herself. He felt he understood why the beastfolk had been defeated by the elves. Their sense of kinship itself seemed to be a weakness.
If they had been humans or elves, they would have simply killed off all the corrupted ones. That would have been much easier and cleaner. Otherwise, it was a fight they were bound to lose.
Of course, it wasn’t that there were no solutions.
"So, you need to flip the table," Ian said, causing Charlotte to whip her head around to face him, her ears perking up. The four scars running down one side of her face were now fully visible to Ian.
"You’ve seen it a lot while traveling with me. If you can’t win even when you know the opponent’s hand, you need to render it null and void."
"What do you mean? How?"
"Finish the internal purge. Then immediately send an envoy directly to the Great Church, demanding they dispatch an investigation team," Ian explained.
Charlotte’s eyes widened.
Ian continued nonchalantly, "Tell them you’ve eradicated those who attempted to corrupt the tribe. Include solid evidence and drop my name. That should prompt them to act quickly."
"You want me to use... your name?" Charlotte asked, surprised.
"You can say you returned after serving Ian, the Northern superhuman and the Agent of Platinum Dragon, for a long time. That’s the truth, after all," Mev interjected smoothly, always quick to grasp such strategies.
Ian nodded in agreement. "You could even say you returned on my orders to cleanse the darkness in the South. That would add a lot of credibility to your words."
Charlotte blinked, finally understanding. She murmured, "So if the investigation team completes their work and reports that the tribe is clean..."
"Then Aynas and the other elves won’t be able to call in purifiers. The matter would already be settled within the Order itself. That would eliminate any justification for them to invade the beastfolk’s territory with their private armies," Ian said, smoothly finishing her thought.
Charlotte stared at Ian with a curious expression. "Ian... you really are something else..."
"Of course, the elves might still try to sabotage things. They could even plant one of their own among the investigators. That’s where..."
Ian trailed off and turned to Nasser. "... this guy might be able to help. Even in the Great Church, there must be at least one trustworthy bishop who isn’t tied to the Dawn Brigade, the pure devotees, or the elves."
Nasser rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... There aren’t many names that come to mind. Most of the Great Church’s priests and bishops have some form of vested interest or connection."
Soon, that familiar, relaxed smile appeared on his lips as he looked at Charlotte. "However, I can think of a few individuals who don’t hold prejudices against the beastfolk. Of course, it might require some additional donations. While Lord Ian’s name will carry weight, adding some gold coins will certainly speed up the process."
"That level of funding is something I can certainly manage," Charlotte responded without hesitation. Having traveled with Ian, she had become quite familiar with dealing with clergy.
Ian nodded. "Good. I was considering the possibility of hiding the berserkers somewhere if we couldn’t find a solution, but it looks like that won’t be necessary. Still, just in case, make sure to prepare a place for them. If there’s no village, build one if you have to."
"Yes... As you go down south of the territory, there are steep mountains called the Table Mountains. I’ll turn that area into a temporary place of exile."
"And if you can add the guarantee of a fairy family to it, it’ll be perfect," Ian said, turning to Thesaya.
"Let’s hope you really are from Erenos, Thesa. You could be the final piece needed to overturn the game and save the beastfolk."
As the group’s attention focused on her, Thesaya blinked and said, "Since I am the family head and an elder, you want me to send an envoy to save the beastfolk?"
"It would be better if you did it yourself. Time it with the visit of the Order’s investigative team. It’ll be a decisive blow to the central fairies."
"Even though I’m the youngest, I’m still an elder. That makes sense. I hear our family is nearly ruined anyway. I could turn it into the first family to have relations with the beastfolk. That would also increase our influence in the South, wouldn’t it?"
"In a situation like this, you’re still thinking about the benefits first. You are truly an elf," Charlotte said with a laugh, nodding as she looked at Ian. "I’ll do it, Ian. I don’t know how to properly thank you… for showing me the way."
"I’m just talking. Achieving all of this won’t be easy. There will be a lot of variables. And of course, it’ll be dangerous," Ian replied.
"Yes... I have to get full control of the tribe to make it all happen," Charlotte said, her eyes getting all serious.
Thesaya leaned toward her and added, "So keep your wits about you. Don’t die before I can help you."
"Don’t worry. I won’t die. I’ll accomplish everything."
"You will succeed. The Radiant Goddess will bless you. And, of course, the God of Battle will protect you as well," Philip added.
Ian nodded along but then stiffened slightly as a thought crossed his mind. Without him around, Charlotte wouldn’t have a way to receive the Blessing of Battle. He realized he couldn’t just send her off unprepared.
After organizing his thoughts, Ian stood up and said, "It seems we’ve reached our conclusion."
He grabbed the bottle of liquor in the center of the table. "Now, all that’s left is to drink."
Everyone except for Elia hesitated for a moment and looked at him. Unfazed, Ian uncorked the bottle and began filling the glasses in front of them. The color was lighter from the added water, but the refreshing and sweet aroma remained the same.
"Of course, let’s drink," Philip stood up, cheerfully exclaiming as if to lighten the mood.
While he made his way around, delivering glasses filled with liquor to the group, Charlotte mumbled awkwardly. "On a day like today, I talked too much about myself."
"That’s just because you’re a bit clumsy," Thesaya teased with a smile as she lifted her glass. "How will you save your tribe being that clumsy?"
"Why don’t you worry about your own family, pointy ears?" Charlotte replied calmly. "You being the head and elder of your family doesn’t make the future any brighter, you know."
"Funny. Just look at today. Ian hasn’t said much to me at all. That means he trusts me more," Thesaya said, grinning.
"It’s probably because it’s useless to talk to you. You don’t listen to advice," Charlotte shot back.
Soon, the two of them began casually exchanging insults as if it were nothing. Ian didn’t bother to stop their argument today. He simply let out a faint chuckle.
"Don’t misunderstand. Those two are very close. Close enough to risk their lives for each other," Philip whispered to Elia, who was sitting next to Nasser, while he watched the scene unfold with an amused smile.
Elia blinked in surprise. "That’s interesting. In the books I’ve read, it says that beastfolk and fairies are almost like sworn enemies."
"They were, at first," Ian replied, taking a sip of his drink. Even diluted, it still tasted good.
Philip glanced at Ian with a sly smile.
"May I share how these two became friends?" Philip asked.
"I’m curious about that as well. In fact, I’ve always wondered. Especially the part related to the demon," Nasser quickly added.
Ian nodded, letting Charlotte and Thesaya’s voices from either side flow in one ear and out the other.
"This story goes back to the kingdom of Agel Lan in the frontier. That’s where I first met Thesaya. Oh, by the way, both my lord and I are from Agel Lan. That’s also where I first met Lord Ian. But let’s save that story for another time. To start, I’ll tell you about my first meeting with Thesaya…."
Philip continued to ramble on, as he glanced between Elia and Nasser, who were equally intrigued. The room was soon filled with a lively atmosphere.
"…"
As Ian and Mev’s eyes met across the table, they exchanged a smile and subtly raised their glasses. It was a fine night, with plenty of time still left to enjoy.
***
A deep, resonant sound echoed, as if vibrating through his entire being. It was a sound that resembled the wind, or perhaps an incomprehensible whisper. Ian realized that he was staring into the darkness. The darkness had a sticky, tar-like texture, and it seemed to ripple and distort, as if it sensed his gaze, forming waves that resembled screaming faces.
The scene was so vivid and realistic that it almost felt surreal, even more so than anything he had experienced in the game.
"…"
Ian instantly recognized that this was the Black Wall. It was exactly as he had seen in Archeas’s memories. The fact that he was dreaming about it now was likely because of that.
It must have left an impression on my subconscious. Or maybe it’s the aftereffect of our souls being connected…
Ian lifted his head to look up. The sticky darkness stretched endlessly upwards, and halfway up, it transformed into swirling black smoke, almost like an ominous aurora.
They called that the Veil of Perception, didn’t they?
Seeing it like this, Ian could understand why mages were so fascinated by the Black Wall. It was something that was neither solid, liquid, nor gas, yet it undeniably existed, and it contained immense power.
Moreover, as he stared at it, he felt his gaze being drawn in as if it were pulling him closer. He could almost hear whispers in his ears, urging him to surrender to his instincts and step into the unknown world beyond.
"It’s a shame it’s not your world," a calm voice echoed beside him at that moment.