Chapter 23 (1)

Chapter 23 (1)

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The remains were lined up on the ground. Despite the excavation not being finished, there were more than ten of them, and all sorts of artifacts were being pulled out one after another.

Maeves face, as she looked at those things, had hardened into a stern expression.

It was because the muddy bones of the skeletons overlapped with the face of her brother Vernon.

No. It cant be. Theres no way.

She denied it immediately, but getting rid of the already surfaced thought wasnt easy.

It would have been better to have valiantly perished confronting darkness rather than this.

To be left without even salvation as nourishment for some nameless demon, or if they were abandoned in the darkness and their bodies could never be found.

If thats the case

A scraping sound echoed from the clenched fist.

Even if I have to stake everything

At that moment when her eyes were fixed in a dismal way, as if sinking into a swamp.

The more I look at it

The voice of Ian resonated.

It doesnt seem like the actions of the one were looking for.

Maeve, who had quickly regained her composure, turned her gaze.

Ian, looking just as usual with a stern face, was staring at something in his hand.

Philip blinked and asked.

You mean its not the work of a dark mage?

The method is different, for one. He doesnt use magic. They arent offerings from the mountains.

And?

These bodies. About half of them are clearly criminals, but the rest are soldiers. Theyre probably the ones who were escorting the criminals.

Ians gaze swept over the remains.

The act of using a regular army of this size as sacrifices, I wouldnt even do that. Especially not if its Lord Orendels army, I wouldnt even spare them a glance.

Orendel Did you say that?

Yeah.

Ian held out what was in his hand.

It was a medallion that had been found while searching through the bodies.

Half-rotted, the emblem was blurred, but the characters at the bottom were recognizable.

Dave. Orendel.

Philip checked it carefully and muttered.

Its true. Its an identification badge issued only to regular soldiers.

Its too risky for a hidden dark mage to be involved. Its too dangerous an opponent.

Maeve, who had been silently listening, opened her mouth with a noticeably calm expression.

Its a convincing argument.

Its just speculation for now. Still.

The moment he saw the medallion, Ian easily reconstructed a reasonable assumption.

His deduction was nothing more than fitting clues together.

Whats the big deal about targeting investigations?

Since he had to kill them anyway, even if he was wrong, it wouldnt really be a problem.

So, then

Ian brought up the main point in a relaxed manner.

I plan to confirm it myself. Whether this is an accident or the result of someones conspiracy.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Confirm it yourself?

You havent decided on the destination for the next contract yet.

!

Maeves eyes finally widened.

What are you talking about? A next contract?

Ignoring Philips bewildered question, Ian continued.

There must be someone in Orendel who knows about them. If we go up the chain of command, something might come out, right?

However, not everyone was enjoying the peace.

!

Maeve woke up suddenly as if having a seizure.

In her retinas, she could see the severed head of Vernon shedding tears of blood.

She couldnt breathe for a moment.

Now Im even having nightmares like this.

Maeve wiped her cold sweat from her forehead with a wry smile.

The sky was overcast.

The trembling of the carriage was finally noticeable.

Even peace is uneasy. What foolish impatience is this?

Maeves wry smile deepened.

Her gaze suddenly returned to the mausoleum stone beyond the backrest.

A familiar back figure carrying a mace.

If theres something, Ian would have noticed it first.

From some point on, she had been placing more trust in Ians judgment than her own.

In a way, it was only natural.

She couldnt have come this far on her own.

It was probably due to anxiety and doubt that she made the wrong decisions.

As she had done several times before.

But on the contrary, Ian had continued to prove himself right.

Even this carriage was one such case.

This carriage, closer to a cart, had been abandoned on the roadside.

Miguel said that it was a trace of a massacre.

A kind of tombstone left behind after being swept away by an attack or plundering.

He ignored his warning not to touch anything ominous, as expected of Ian.

This was because he believed it would be more efficient.

In the end, his words turned out to be correct.

As the burden of words lessened, the pace of marching increased, and the group could replenish their stamina by taking turns to rest.

Maeve had almost shaken off the effects of her injury as well.

I fear that I might eventually lose sight of my purpose and be swayed by ambiguous emotions. So, perhaps its better for Ian to continue leading from now on

Are you awake?

At that moment, Ian blurted out suddenly.

Maeve was startled, but she didnt show it and opened her mouth.

How long was I asleep?

About a couple of hours. You woke up at the right time.

Ian turned to look at her.

Well soon reach the Graveyard Forest.

!

Maeve instinctively sat up.

Eerie trees and the ashen mist beneath them.

Since when Why didnt you inform me in advance?

Well, thats what I said

Miguel looked awkward.

You told me not to speak.

It was Ian who answered in place of Miguel.

He added while looking at Maeve.

If you had known in advance, you wouldnt have rested like this.

Translator; ippo

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