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“Really? They gave permission that easily?”

“Well, it must be a headache for them too, trying to manage the knights or mercenaries. These people didn’t come here out of a sense of duty, so they wouldn’t want the responsibility.”

“So they’d rather let them roam freely?”

“The knights are here to gain honor and practical experience. The mercenaries will be working hard to complete requests and gain favor with the Pantheon. Even if there are casualties, it won’t be an issue. Everyone’s acting on their own.”

“So, they’re just making use of them.”

“True, but the Pantheon will still suffer some losses. It seems they prepared a lot for this mission.”

When Dior seemed to sympathize with the Pantheon, Ian felt puzzled, but soon realized why.

A mountain of supplies labeled “provisions” was piled high. Many people had already lined up, receiving the supplies in turn.

“Line up! Keep your order!”

“…’Even Backwards It’s Tomato’ mercenaries, seriously? What kind of name is that? One set and seven items!”

“Greenstone Knights, three sets and five items!”

“The provisions are handed out for a week’s use! There’s plenty, so don’t ask for more!”

The area was bustling. Ian stood in line with Dior, checking the supplies being distributed by the Pantheon.

They were giving out quite a lot—scrolls for hygiene, holy relics to protect against the curses and mental pollution accumulated in Gehiel, and even a compass that always pointed toward the fortress no matter where you were.

But what surprised Ian the most was the emergency rations. The package had the brand name “Del” written on it.

Ian marveled at the sight.

“Wow, this has been around since back then?”

The emergency rations were finger-length bars individually wrapped. A single bite was enough to sustain a grown man for an entire day.

There were many similar types of emergency rations, but what made this one innovative was that it was designed for users at Level 6 or higher who possessed spiritual energy.

Normally, it wouldn’t matter if they ate little, but using abilities consumed not only magical power but also a significant amount of calories.

‘The downside is that it’s completely flavorless.’

Still, there were quite a few people who liked it. They claimed it had a savory taste if chewed thoroughly.

‘If I stash away a box of these, I won’t starve no matter where I end up.’

Since the rations were being distributed according to the number of people, asking for extra seemed a bit inappropriate. It’d be better to ask later if he could get more somewhere else.

After receiving their provisions, the preparations for departure went smoothly.

The people gathered here hadn’t come for leisure. Some had already set off on their expeditions.

The Red Spear Knights had also crossed the wide-open gates of the fortress.

“Whew.”

The scene that unfolded before them was a ruined city.

A land trampled by the Black Dragon, White Fang. The collapsed walls and the remnants of buildings hinted that this place was once prosperous, though that was a thing of the past.

This kind of place had a high likelihood of hidden treasures, but Ian wasn’t particularly interested.

If there were any artifacts, the Pantheon would have long since retrieved them. They had built a fortress right in front of it, so there was no way they wouldn’t know.

After forming ranks and moving past the ruins, the vast landscape of Gehiel finally came into view.

Whooosh!

Due to the influence of the Black Dragon White Fang, parts of Gehiel had changed so much that it could hardly be called a grassland anymore.

The view was wide open, but the sky, stained purple, and the land, altered by the external magic, created a suffocating atmosphere. Such places were called Outer Worlds.

“The Pantheon sure is thorough with their preparations,” Dior said, lightly tapping the cross hanging at his waist.

The longer one stayed in the Outer World, the more their mental strength would drain, eventually driving them mad. Holy relics were essential to prevent this from happening.

Although the fact that it was a temporary contract was a flaw, it would protect both body and mind during their stay.

An hour had passed since they left the ruins, but they had yet to encounter any monsters.

However, the environment was gradually becoming more alien.

A faint mist, its source unknown, was slowly creeping over the grasslands.

Ian was accustomed to such landscapes, but it was not the same for the others.

“Is this okay?”

“It doesn’t seem like poison…”

To lighten the mood, the Spear Knights engaged in occasional chatter. At that moment, one of the knights in the rear looked back and spoke.

“What do they think they’ll gain by following us?”

The mercenaries were tailing them. While paths through the ruins were limited, once they left the ruins, it was a different story. They could go anywhere.

But instead of scattering, the mercenaries continued to follow them, which made the knights chuckle.

Even though various knight orders had dispersed, the mercenaries were drawn to the Red Spear Knights’ reputation.

They were likely hoping to receive help if they found themselves in a dangerous situation.

Dior, who was leading the group, responded nonchalantly to the comment.

“Leave them. They’ll drop off on their own soon enough. More importantly…”

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

“Looks like our guests have arrived! Battle positions!”

The knights at the front raised their shields and drew their swords. The uniformity of their movements made it seem like a well-rehearsed drill.

If the enemy had been more densely packed, they would have started with a spear throw, but unfortunately, there weren’t that many charging at them, despite the rumbling ground.

The monsters charged at the Red Spear Knights with frightening speed, only to be knocked back by their shields.

“Second line, thrust!”

The monsters that leaped forward were pierced by knights at the rear, who wielded spears wreathed in flames. The battle ended almost too quickly.

Normally, the knights wouldn’t even bother looking at the mana stones, but since they needed to report their results, a few knights drew their daggers to extract the stones.

Even after that, battles broke out frequently. Sometimes portals to the Outer World would suddenly open with a bone-chilling sound, and monsters would also be drawn to the noise of combat.

Considering Gehiel was an extremely vast grassland, the density of monsters was unnaturally high.

“Tsk, this is suspicious.”

“Hm?”

Ian, wiping the blood from his sword, turned his head to look at Dior.

“Did you find something nice while we weren’t looking?”

“I did consume the mana stones of some beasts, but can you tell?”

“You haven’t made any pacts with the Outer Gods or anything, right?”

“What nonsense are you spouting out of nowhere?”

“It just doesn’t make sense. How did you grow so quickly? It’s crazy to think you’ve been holding back this kind of talent all this time.”

Ian’s face clearly showed how annoyed he was at the wasted time.

“I was just waiting for the right moment.”

“You’ve gotten pretty good at talking nonsense.”

Ian laughed at Dior’s teasing tone.

He was right—Dior had gained that much confidence.

Smiling, Ian sheathed his holy sword and pulled out a ring from his pocket.

This was the ring said to have been given to the hero Herwin’s wife. The two rings formed a pair, and they were said to resonate when close together if one infused mana into them.

Although he had tried several times on their journey here, it hadn’t worked, so he wasn’t expecting much as he infused a little mana into the ring.

Humm…

A faint tremor.

“!”

Finally, a reaction.

“Hey, remember the promise? You said if I did you a favor, you’d set me up on a blind date.”

“Why does that suddenly make me feel uneasy…?”

“Since we’ve come this far, why not go a little deeper inside?”

“And you’re guiding the way?”

Ian nodded.

It didn’t really matter who led the way. With a compass in hand, there would be no issue finding the way back.

Dior was about to agree, but with a suspicious look, he asked, “What’s the reason? Now that we’re here, isn’t it time to explain?”

“There’s treasure buried here. And it’s quite valuable.”

A lot was left unsaid, but it was convincing enough.

Why? Because Ian had previously discovered a ruin.

It could be chalked up to coincidence, but from what Dior had heard during their conversation while traveling through Gehiel, Ian had also visited ruins in Judith.

That meant there might be ruins here, too.

“Wait, hold on. Hey, didn’t you somehow always end up involved with Dark Mages wherever you went?”

“…….”

“Are we going to run into Dark Mages again this time?”

“…….”

“Besides, we’re in the Outer World right now. It wouldn’t be strange if a Dark Mage was hiding out here, right?”

“…….”

“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything? You were full of nonsense earlier. Now why are you suddenly silent?”

“Oh, come on. How could I keep running into Dark Mages every single time? That doesn’t make sense.”

But the truth was, he had run into them. Without fail, every single time. Despite how unlikely it was to encounter Dark Mages, he had crossed paths with them repeatedly.

He had a feeling he might run into them again this time, so he couldn’t deny Dior’s suspicion.

Even if that wasn’t the case, there was one thing that bothered him.

“If you don’t want to go, I’ll go by myself.”

“Even with the risk?”

“To get the treasure, you have to be willing to take some risks.”

“And if we come along, what do we get out of it?”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

Dior’s eyes widened.

“Me? Why?”

“Because you agreed to do me a favor in exchange for the introduction. So, time to decide. Should I guide us or not?”

“…Fine, but don’t look at me like that. It’s disgusting.”

“Haha, alright. You’ll regret this decision, but I’m counting on you.”

Ian joked, but Dior started to worry whether he had made the right choice.

However, there was no turning back now. If things got dangerous, they could always retreat. But then, surprisingly—

‘He’s not hesitating?’

It had already been more than three days since they entrusted Ian with guiding them, and he strode forward confidently, as if he knew exactly where to go.

Despite the thickening mist at night and the disorienting conditions during the day.

Dior pulled out the compass he had tucked inside his coat. It was part of the supplies they received, pointing toward the direction of the fortress.

Even with the mist creeping over the grasslands, Dior remained calm thanks to this device.

And, there was something else that served a similar purpose…

‘That must be the ring at work.’

It was obvious whenever Ian periodically reached into his pocket to take out the ring.

It seemed the claim about treasure being buried here wasn’t just an empty boast. Now, curiosity began to build about what it could be.

But.

What piqued Dior’s interest even more was Ian’s combat skills. In the time they hadn’t seen each other, it seemed Ian hadn’t been slacking off in his training. His fighting style had grown far more intimidating.

‘Is there really something going on?’

A few years ago, Ian had been a man with dead eyes, drowning in alcohol and eating excessively. The contrast was too stark.

Dior didn’t think that previous demeanor was an act. Something must have happened. Otherwise, it was hard to explain how his movements resembled those of a seasoned mercenary rather than a knight.

‘And the experience.’

No matter what type of monster emerged, Ian never lost his composure. Whether they were small, medium, or large, he knew exactly how to respond.

It wasn’t just theoretical knowledge either. His optimized responses were the result of repeated trial and error, a sign of substantial experience.

‘…Well, whatever.’

If his younger brother had grown stronger, that was enough for Dior. At least he wasn’t acting foolishly anymore.

‘At this rate, he’ll surpass me soon.’

Although Ian had only recently reached Level 4, judging from his aura, it seemed like he wasn’t far from reaching Level 5.

While it took others years to advance levels, Ian was achieving it in just a matter of months.

He was like a completely different person. But despite the drastic change, Dior didn’t harbor any jealousy toward Ian.

‘If my brother is better than me, that’s something to celebrate.’

Still, he couldn’t afford to fall behind some fool who would chase a deer off a cliff.

Determined, Dior turned his head, noticing monsters approaching during his brief moment of contemplation.

Screeeech!

Unlike other knights who carried shields, Dior swung his left arm at the oncoming beast.

Bright red flames ignited between his fingers, surging forward and engulfing the advancing monster.

Fwoosh!

A pained scream erupted from within the flames.

The fire gnawed at the creature’s fur and skin, releasing intense heat as it burned.

Dior watched silently, tilting his head in curiosity. The creature’s body, which should have turned to ash, remained intact.

‘…Is it resistant to fire?’

If that was the case, then its physical abilities were likely exceptional as well.

Dior immediately sensed that the level of the monsters had increased. Scanning the surroundings, he saw that the Red Spear Knights were still handling the monsters without much trouble.

But beyond them, where the scattered mercenaries were fighting, cries of distress echoed. There were already casualties.

‘This isn’t good.’

Then, Dior noticed something unsettling as they prepared to camp for the night. When the darkness set in and the mist rolled through, the monsters retreated.

Campfires sprang up here and there to ward off the dark, but there were more than the previous night.

Dior let out a dry laugh, his lips curling upward.

“Ha. These bastards.”

They had been herding them all along.

———-