Chapter 505
After a long stretch through winding canyons, a vast wilderness suddenly unfolded before them as if by magic. Sparse patches of withered grass and bare trees jutted up here and there.
"My goodness..."
But Diana, marveling as if she had seen green for the first time in her life, constantly looked around. She paid no attention to the conversation of the two on Moro behind her.
"The royal family wants to focus on restoring the capital and the front lines, and the Great Church seems to want to quell the internal chaos of the Empire first. The lack of smooth cooperation between them is beginning to show its side effects."
"Sounds like the documents were full of complaints about the crusaders and the purification squads."
"They expressed it in a roundabout way. It seems the Great Church is currently focusing on the purification of the West. They predict it won't be easy, as it's been neglected for the longest time." Lucia nodded impassively.
Color was finally returning to her complexion. She had been suffering from a hangover-induced headache all day.
"If we think about the West, it might be better for Prince Hyked’s presence to remain hidden for now. Once it’s revealed, the Great Church will likely turn their eyes to the front lines," said Lucia.
"I don't know if that's good for us, but, well." Ian nodded indifferently. He’d already decided to stay out of the conflict between the Empire and the Dark Prince. If he could help it, he wouldn’t get involved at all.
"What about the South?" asked Ian."As you know, the erosion didn’t cause too much damage here. And since they never really relied on the Great Church's help, they’ve gotten used to resolving things on their own."
"That's a relief," said Diana. She turned back as she walked, her boots crunching over the dusty path, and offered a cold smile. "To think the South is still being discriminated against. I was worried too much had changed, but it's just as I remember."
"That's... fortunate. In any case, the public order in the South seems to be quite stable. That's probably why troops were dispatched to the capital and the North," said Lucia.
Ian smacked his lips briefly. "Feels like seeds of madness will take root again soon. This peace won’t last long."
"Well. It'll probably be fine," Diana said indifferently.
Looking around the still somewhat desolate area, even though grass and trees had started to return, she added, "I bet only those flat-nosed freaks live around here. Those things are warriors until they die of old age. If they find anything resembling a demonic realm, they'll charge forward, clacking their buckteeth."
Is it because she's back in her homeland? Her racial slurs seem to be getting more refined.
"The most livable areas in the South, which you reach by going straight northwest from here, are, as you know, firmly held by humans and us fairies. If something happens, they'll scramble to subjugate it. Not only for the spoils, but because it could be a stepping stone to advance to the capital," said Diana, looking beyond the road.
"And the beastfolks are responsible for the western jungles, right?" said Lucia.
Wrinkling her nose as if disgusted by the mere thought, Diana nodded. "Yes. Those smelly beasts are always thirsty for hunting and slaughter. They won't miss the chance to satisfy their disgusting instincts. Honestly, I hope they fall for the temptation of madness. So we can wipe them all out at this opportunity."
"Uh… that’s not quite what I meant." Lucia scratched her chin awkwardly.
Ian, who had been looking down at Diana, said, "There's something I haven't told you. One of my closest friends is a beastfolk. And she’s here, in the south."
"Is that so?" Diana asked, pausing.
Ian shrugged. "And she’s also the best friend of your new elder."
"What did you say?" Diana's face contorted as she looked back at Ian. "How on earth did such a terrible thing happen? The elder of the family, friends with a beastfolk? That’s disgraceful—"
"You'd be better off not saying that in front of your elder. And of course, not in front of me."
Diana froze at Ian’s cold tone. Though she kept walking, her expression was tightly furrowed.
Ian, clicking his tongue briefly, nodded. "I understand you hate beastfolks. But know this—she risked her life for your elder."
"To think we owe a beastfolk..." Diana muttered with a sigh. It was a natural reaction, as Ian had never told her the detailed story.
Lucia, who had a strange smile on her lips, looked back at Ian."Honestly, I didn’t believe it at first either. The beastfolk I remember was either hellbent on killing you or devastated after losing her tail."
"The tail? Ah, yes. Now all my questions are answered." Diana, who had lifted her head in a flash, finally curled her lips into a smile. "She was your pet, wasn’t she, Ian Hope? If that’s the case—"
"I said she’s my friend, didn’t I?"
At Ian's cold gaze, the smile vanished from Diana's face as if washed away. She quickly turned forward again. Ian, who had stared silently at the top of her head where the mask rested for a moment, turned his gaze back to Lucia.
"A lot has happened since then. As you know."
"Are you planning to go see that beastfolk again?"
"As long as it's not too far out of the way. Probably."
"I'm looking forward to it. Then I'll be able to meet her again, too. The same goes for the one we're going to meet now. I've heard stories, but this is the first time I'll be seeing them in person."
Was that so?
Ian, blinking his eyes, soon nodded. Thesaya may have seen her from a distance, but Lucia likely hadn’t.
"I heard she is a very free-spirited and fun person, is that right?" Lucia asked.
"Who said that?" Ian asked back, a corner of his mouth curling up.
"My sister."
"Figures. Well, you might get along. She’s just as headstrong as you." Ian added with a slightly deeper smile and shrugged. "Whether she’s still the same as I remember, I'll have to see when we meet."
"She’ll have adopted the dignity befitting her position," Diana interjected quietly.
Without looking back, she added, "Because that's what being an elder is. You have no choice but to become like that, even if you don't want to."
"Well... that's not bad either."
Better than seeing her running around barefoot again.
Ian looked into Lucia's eyes. "So, the only news after the Wall fell was that an emergency alert was issued to all frontline fortresses?"
"Yes. As Sir Billion said, it seems the time for the next order from the mainland has passed. The Archduke of the South might have a Scroll of Correspondence that connects directly to the royal family, but in any case, it hasn't been disseminated to the front lines yet." Lucia, blinking her eyes quickly, nodded.
"We’ll have to check for news of the inland sea once we reach the city," muttered Ian, impassively, and turned his head.
As if sensing his gaze, Diana immediately added, "As that servant kid said, we're not stopping at any other villages before we reach Ahram. Especially around here. I'd rather sleep outdoors than stay in one of those snub-noses' settlements."
"I'd like to try sleeping in an Orc's hut," Lucia murmured quietly
Diana shook her head as if disgusted. "Don't say such terrible things. No matter how much the world has changed, the way those buckteeth live won't have changed at all. Their disgusting food and suffocating rules, too."
Whipping around, she looked up at Ian with desperate eyes and added, "Can you believe they demand guests follow their rules too? They even set a wake-up time, and they take it as an insult if you leave food. Believe me, Ian. Orcs are the kind of people who think even the food at the stronghold is delicious. I'll go hunt something instead—"
She was clearly worried Ian might change his mind.
Ian, letting out a soft laugh, cut her off, "Alright, calm down. You're the guide for this group. We'll go as you lead."
"Good. Wise choice," said Diana, finally letting out a sigh of relief. "It won't be dangerous, either. Those snub-noses don't like their territory being disturbed."
In any case, it was clear she hated stopping by an orc settlement as much as death itself.
Lucia, who had been smiling quietly, added, "I just hope there are no major problems with the inland sea. I'll be satisfied as long as the sea routes aren't all blocked. In the worst-case scenario, we might have to go all the way to the southwestern end."
"Well, in the worst-case scenario, we'll have to take the risk." Ian, smacking his lips briefly, looked at the wilderness stretching beyond the road.
The sky was densely covered with dark clouds. Otherwise, it would have been as hot and dry as a desert.
"If we look, there's bound to be at least one boatman who will set sail even in a sea teeming with monsters."
"Only people from the islands would do such a crazy thing. I don't know if it's still the case, but most of those island folks are sea robbers," said Diana, clicking her tongue.
Ian shrugged. "They probably still are. The situation might be even worse than you remember. There are even those who worship monsters of the deep sea."
"Not surprising. Corrupted pirates. It suits them perfectly." Diana snorted.
Lucia stroked her chin seriously."If we have to cross a monster-filled sea, a corrupted pirate’s ship might actually be safer."
"Yeah. They might be in league with the Bukikia, but the chances of sinking would be much lower."
Of course, they’d have to be ready for a knife fight onboard—but still better than the ship Billian recommended.
"Well, let's just go and see. Whatever it is, it'll be better than wandering the black land."
"I agree. To be honest, I'm a little excited, too. Only new things are waiting for us." Lucia, smiling brightly, looked back at Ian. "And it's my last journey, too."
"Yeah. As long as you’re enjoying it, that’s enough." Ian chuckled softly and adjusted the reins.
The dry and dreary southern wilderness awaited them in silence.
***
The group's journey continued smoothly along the road. The sky was still full of dark clouds, and at night, ominous thunder sometimes flashed.
"It feels like I'm back home. It's so peaceful."
"Yeah. Nice and warm during the day, too."
For a group that had survived the hellish terrain of the demonic realm, this was nothing short of a picnic. It might not be so in the future, but at least for now, it was.
They even had no difficulty in procuring food. Diana easily hunted beasts like snakes, foxes, badgers, and even desert rabbits.
"Aren’t fairies supposed to love nature?" Lucia asked in confusion as she realized they’d been eating meat at every meal.
"Of course. I love it so much I want to eat it and become one with it." However, it only earned Diana's ridicule. "So go start a fire, Lucifer. While I skin this."
"Okay."
Thanks to this, the group didn’t have to touch the preserved food they’d brought from the front-line fortress—except for water. As a bonus, the nearly empty spice container had finally been used up. Night was no different from day.
—So many interesting things happened while I was gone? Again?
To the point where they even had the leisure to chat idly with Yog, who had finally finished its reflection.
Several days later, they finally saw the pale ivory walls rising in the distance beyond the plains.
"Finally, a civilization worthy of the name has appeared..." Lucia murmured, looking at the castle walls. It was the free city, Ahram.
The walls were low enough to be called a fence, allowing a clear view of the rectangular buildings behind them. It was on a scale comparable to a major city in the capital.
"I was a little surprised to hear it was a big city, but it really is. In my memory, it was an unremarkable town. How on earth did it get so big?" Diana muttered, walking alongside Moro. She looked more surprised than impressed. As she glanced at the wide-open main gate, she pulled the mask from the top of her head back over her face, likely to hide her expression.
"It’s probably because it’s a strategic point connecting to the front-line fortresses. Crowds naturally gather, and some people must’ve settled down."
Passing through the castle gate, Diana nodded. "I guess... back in my day, that front line was much further east."
Ian felt a strange sense of awe, too. He had returned to civilization—alive. Moreover, Ahram was a metropolis that felt exotic in many ways. The very form of the buildings was different from the Empire's.
Feels like something out of a Middle Eastern movie...
The same went for the attire of the crowd, a mix of humans, fairies, and orcs.
There were some in Imperial-style clothing, but the majority were either wrapped head-to-toe in thin cloth in the southern style or, conversely, had their bare skin exposed. It seemed they found the group just as exotic, as the passing pedestrians’ gazes occasionally lingered on them.
"Everyone looks like they've been eating well and living easy. So sleek," Diana muttered, her tone laced with a strange jealousy.
Sensing her thoughts, Lucia smiled and leaned in to whisper, "That just means it's a good place. Now you get to live in this abundance too, Diana."
"What you see isn't everything," Ian added calmly.
At night, in the corners of the city, the corrupt and the heretical would hold their filthy gatherings, while in the back alleys, criminals and drifters clashed in quiet power struggles.
Stick around for a few days, and one was bound to hear every sort of grim and unsettling rumor the city had to offer.
Guess I’ve really become part of this world.
Ian mused, surprised at how mercenary his thoughts still were.
"That looks like an inn. People in different outfits are gathered there. I see some drunkards, too." Lucia pointed and smiled at Ian.
A corner of Ian's mouth, who had looked at the same place, also curled up slightly. "Some things don’t change—even across the sea."
Beyond the street, near a building with a stable, people were gathered in small groups. Some were vomiting against the wall or collapsed in broad daylight.
"Wait, don’t we need money now? Unfortunately, I don't have a single penny…" Diana whispered as if the thought had just occurred to her.
"Don’t worry. I’ve got us covered." Ian held up a small storage box. "Enough that we won't have to worry about eating and sleeping."
As he opened the lid and took out a thick stack of Imperial gold coins, Diana's eyes widened.
"You were... rich, too?"