Chapter 141 – Return (1)


    How far north had they traveled?


    There was no sign of any monsters around. In other words, all the monsters in the area had moved south.


    “Is this really okay?”


    Marquis Foltaine seemed concerned, ncing back repeatedly.


    “Don’t worry too much.”


    “Aren’t you putting too much faith in the Swordsman of Illusions? He’s not even in proper physical condition.”


    “Just because his body is weak doesn’t mean his mind is too.”


    This time, Duke Serin made a peculiar expression.


    “Is it his reputation that you trust?”


    “No. I trust the man I’ve seen with my own eyes.”


    “……”


    That response would have sounded particrly significant to him. In another sense, it also meant that I trusted the two people here just as much.


    ng! aang!


    At that moment, a faint sound made all three of us stop in our tracks.


    “That sound……”


    “Let’s head there immediately.”


    It was the sound of a sh. A battle had likely begun. Without hesitation, the three of us dashed toward the source of the sound.


    And soon.


    “……!”


    In no time, a vast swamp spread out before our eyes.


    “……Haynes’ Swamp.”


    Marquis Foltaine muttered with a tense voice.


    “It’s thest gateway to the northern region of ck Swan. In the past, our nation’s scouting forces swept through this area, but none ever crossed this point—they all perished.”


    “As you’ve probably noticed, stronger monsters like Twin Ogres appear in bunches from here on. And with terrain like this……”


    “There’s no choice but to retreat and regroup.”


    As they exchanged words, Marquis Foltaine nced in the direction of the shing sounds. The clear, resonating ngs of battle were growing louder.


    “More than anything…… Monsters like that reside in the swamp.”


    Marquis Foltaine’s brow furrowed deeply.


    The Swordsman of ughter, who had disappeared for a while, was locked inbat there.


    Her opponent was a gargantuan monster, farrger and more overwhelming than anything we’d encountered so far.


    “A hydra…… So such a creature actually exists.”


    Even Duke Serin shook his head in disbelief at the sight.


    -ROOAARRRR!


    It was a three-headed monster of the highest rank, often thought of as a subspecies of dragons.


    Not only did it resemble a dragon, but each of its heads could also unleash deadly breaths.


    It was truly the kind of monster you’d only read about in books.


    “If something like that is guarding the northern border…… Hahaha. What could possibly lie beyond? This continent is still brimming with untouched, unknown realms beyond human reach.”


    “At any rate, this confirms it.”


    Marquis Foltaine turned his gaze toward me again.


    “There’s no way the Meeke Principality and the Hart Kingdom didn’t know about that monster’s existence.”


    “They must have intentionally concealed the truth.”


    Duke Serin readily agreed.


    Even if they annexed ck Swan into their territory, people wouldn’t move in unless thebel of a nd of death’ was removed.


    With territorial disputes and the constant looming of the fear of wars, who would want to live in a ce where such a monster existed?


    So, they had hidden its existence.


    ‘Did the two nations agree to a ceasefire after learning of that monster?’


    With the war dragging on and unpredictable variables like that monster in y, the prolonged conflict must have seemed unsustainable.


    However, retreating without any gain would’ve been a blow to their pride. They must have made ns to revisit thisnd someday.


    And for that……


    ‘……They must have pitted the elves and dwarves against each other.’


    As those two races advanced, their unpredictability as variables would only increase. After that, humans had likely withdrawn their armies, feigning goodwill.


    ‘Humans and their endless greed……’


    Marquis Foltaine’s words gave credibility to my hypothesis.


    “To take down that thing, they’d have to send at least a Master. But no king, whether from those two nations or anywhere else, would ever allow that.”


    Masters were game-changers. One Master alone could shift the tide of a war. However, nations rarely deployed Masters in international conflicts.


    Because such an act would escte into full-scale war.


    “It’s an unspoken rule. Everyone knows that if Masters enter the fray, mutual destruction is inevitable.”


    Duke Serin brushed his hair back as he spoke. The presence of the ‘Empire’, a shared enemy, ensured this.


    With the threat of such a formidable foe looming over their heads, no one could afford to risk losing their strongest assets.


    Soldiers could be trained, but Masters could not be easily reced.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    “And yet…… We currently have three Masters here with us.”


    “……!”


    “Let’s step in.”


    The lunatic was already fighting the hydra on equal footing. If we joined in, we could likely y the creature without much difficulty.


    “Are you sure? Killing it might tempt the two nations to covet thisnd again……”


    “We won’t kill it.”


    “Huh……?”


    “The hydra holds back the northern monsters and suppresses human greed…… From our perspective, it’s a kind of guardian deity.”


    A faint smile crossed my lips as I finished speaking.


    “So we’ll simply make it understand. We’ll show it who the real rulers of thisnd are.”


    “……!”


    “Let’s just sever one of its heads. We can say that the Swordsman of ughter died during that intense battle, and was devoured by the monster.”


    At that moment, the three of us leapt into the air simultaneously.


    Booom!


    A scorching breath swept past the spot where we’d stood.


    Perhaps due to previous battles fought together, we exchanged intentions with just a nce.


    Swoosh!


    Marquis Foltaine took the left head, and Duke Serin took the right.


    -Screeeech!


    The tide of the battle quickly turned in our favor.


    At the same time.


    Swish!


    I vaulted upward as well.


    “You may have three heads…… But we’ve got four on our side.”


    -ash!


    My sword neatly severed the hydra’s middle head.


    -Screeeech!


    The hydra writhed in pain.


    It quickly retreated into the depths of the swamp, leaving behind the severed head.


    Of course, we didn’t pursue it.


    “……Huh?”


    Marquis Foltaine tilted his head, puzzled. Something was glowing in the severed Hydra head.


    “It’s the hydra’s spirit stone.”


    “……!”


    A spirit stone.


    An essence condensed from a creature’s life force after countless years of existence.


    As much as it was difficult to obtain, if used properly, it could be a very special ingredient for a mana pill.


    “I’m too old to have much use for it.”


    Surprisingly, Marquis Foltaine didn’t seem greedy for the spirit stone. No—perhaps he wanted to give it to me, using his age as an excuse.


    “……”


    The lunatic Erina let her actions speak for her. She abruptly cut off a horn from the hydra’s severed head.


    Snip! Snip! Snip!


    Using the horn, she sheared off her long silver hair.


    In mere moments, her hair was cropped short, and she dyed it with the Hydra’s ck blood.


    And then.


    “Wow……”


    A ck-haired woman, with an entirely different vibe from before, was born.


    “……Remarkable. Who would’ve thought hydra blood could be used like that?”


    “Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be poisonous despite its appearance.”


    “Honestly, I don’t think I could stomach doing that…… She’s really something else.”


    All eyes turned to Duke Serin.


    “Since you severed it, the spirit stone is yours, Your Highness.”


    Thankfully, he, too, didn’t seem overly greedy.


    “Well, I’ll dly ept it.”


    Personally, I had no reason to refuse. This would be a valuable material to help me grow stronger.


    Finally, when we crossed the swamp.


    “That’s the forest ahead.”


    The dreadful swamp had ended, and beside us, a beautiful river flowed. Following the stream, a lush northern forest soon came into view.


    “My goodness……”


    “Wow……!”


    Before usy a breathtaking sight.


    At the river’s end, a waterfall cascaded down. Beyond that, flowers of all colors were in full bloom.


    Rare medicinal herbs, many of which I recognized but never saw before in person, were scattered all around.


    “Look, there’s Rune and Prisia too.”


    “An alchemist or a poison master would faint with joy at this sight.”


    It truly was a forest of treasures, but I restrained myself and picked only the flowers we needed most.


    Fortunately, I found our target quickly. I had memorized its description in great detail.


    “Let’s head back now.”


    “……!”


    At those words, Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue, clearly reluctant to leave.


    “Are you sure you don’t want to look around a bit more? There’s treasure everywhere.”


    “No treasure is more precious than myrades.”


    “……!”


    At that, Marquis Foltaine’s lips curled into a faint smile.


    “Heheheh.”


    Duke Serin gave me his characteristic peculiar look, and Erina looked at me with her brusque eyes.


    “Alright. Let’s go back.”


    ***


    Meanwhile, at Milon’s estate, Duke Herman had arrived on official business.


    However, Marquis Milon seemedpletely uninterested in his guest. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere.


    “Aren’t you waiting for them too desperately?”


    Duke Herman teased lightly. Indeed, Milon was repeatedly sighing as he stared out the window.


    “I’m worried.”


    “Marquis Milon, worried about someone else…… A sudden change like this is quite offsetting, even for the people that witness it. That’s not who you used to be.”


    “Is it so strange to worry about a friend?”


    “……!”


    Duke Herman’s eyes widened at those honest words. It was an extraordinary shift.


    ‘Truly…… it’s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes.’


    Duke Herman shook his head in disbelief. He even felt a spark of doubt.


    “Are you sure it’s not your sister’s cure you’re worried about?”


    “Honestly, even if they return without the medicine, it won’t matter to me.”


    “Are you sure?”


    “They’ve already done so much for me. Someone they have no real connection to.”


    Duke Herman wanted to confirm his sincerity.


    “Maybe it’s because he’s sly. At first, it was to bring you into the ck Swan, andter, to gain a title……”


    “They went back into that deathtrap of a ce for my sister, without any conditions attached.”


    “That just makes them clever. They’re not letting their guard down, even with a fish already on the hook.”


    “If that’s the kind of fisherman they are, I’d dly be caught.”


    Duke Herman was left utterly speechless.


    “A true friend is someone who reaches out in your time of need. Don’t you have anyone like that, Your Grace?”


    “……!”


    Duke Herman flinched, immediately thinking of Marquis Foltaine.


    “When you’re at your lowest, having a friend who lifts you up is a blessing I now understand deeply.”


    “……”


    “I just don’t want to lose that kind of friend.”


    Atst, Duke Herman let out a small, resignedugh.


    “Ancelot haspletely enchanted you, hasn’t he?”


    At that moment.


    “Isn’t it rude to talk behind someone’s back?”


    “……!”


    Both men turned, wide-eyed.


    “Ancelot!”


    Milon couldn’t suppress a bright smile. Duke Herman was equally taken aback.


    “When did you return? I should’ve been notified immediately……”


    “I just arrived, so don’t be too hard on your men. I came straight here as soon as I got back.”


    With that, Ancelot turned to Milon.


    “By the way, I’m on my way back from leaving the Pane in Ne’s care.”


    “……!”


    Milon’s pupils quivered violently.


    “Don’t get too excited yet. Save your joy for when the cure isplete.”


    “Ah……”


    “More importantly, listen to this. I discovered something incredible out there.”


    Duke Herman tilted his head in curiosity.


    “Something incredible? What are you talking about?”


    Milon also nced quizzically at Ancelot.


    With both men’s eyes fixed on him, Ancelot broke into a mischievous smile so wicked it seemed almost sinister.


    “Heheheh, I’m rich now. Possibly the richest man in this country.”


    * * *