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It was a montary act to open ones eyes wide.
Of course. Ian.
Maeve nodded her head and replied.
Ians eyes were filled with relief as he thought she wouldnt refuse.
She spoke again.
Considering the seriousness and danger of the matter, I promise an appropriate compensation. If you wish, even a noble title-.
The conditions arent important right now.
Ian interrupted.
First, you should reconsider the terms of the contract.
The terms? Why?
A perplexed expression.
This was sothing she couldnt imdiately understand.
Ian shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
If our goal is to identify and eliminate traitors, the thod of continued companionship wont lead to success.
Finally, Maeve paused.
There must be a reason youre saying this.
Well, first and foremost, because standing out in the village is too obvious. Dont you know that as well?
Knights clad in full plate armor were a rare sight in Agellan.
Because of that, all attention was drawn wherever they went.
Just like when they entered this village.
I cant avoid the eyes of the traitors, can I?
Maeve finally mumbled.
Ian added with a aningful look.
Plus, theres a reason why we need to head straight to the capital. Aside from wasting ti, it wont be easy to leave once we set foot in the castle again. I am a witness to the existence of the dark mage, and the king is preparing for war.
Even in such a situation, to go to war-.
Even if the dark mage is plotting and there are traitors involved, do you think the king will give up on war?
Maeve fell silent, unsure of what decision the king would make. She couldnt be certain.
So, if I take on a new commission, well need to divide our roles. You on the inside, on the outside.
Ian calmly spoke while eting Maeves gaze.
Then each of us can find more traitors.
He made it sound reasonable, but in the end, it ant he would be going alone.
Anyway, the quests he had to resolve were mostly closely related to the fallen in Agellan, so just carrying out his original plans would resolve her commission-linked quests as well.
Maeve would avoid falling into the clutches of the traitors sches. At least thats what she believed.
There would be at least a sliver of trust.
Maeve, who had no way of knowing Ians true thoughts, fell into contemplation for a mont.
That makes sense, Ian.
Eventually, she opened her mouth.
But as you ntioned, the fact remains that we need an external witness to prove the existence of the dark mage.
Well, its not like our rcenary group is the only one, right?
! Right, I forgot about Miguel.
Maeve opened her eyes wide and sighed.
Regardless of his actual personality, Miguel looked like the epito of a battle-hardened veteran rcenary.
He was a suitable witness.
It was the mont when Miguels fate would be decided. Even though he was unaware.
Take your ti and think it over. Consider whats best. Theres still ti.
Ian added leisurely.
He had the leisure to do so because he was confident that Maeve would accept the proposal.
Up until now, she hadnt been a suitable counterpart for Ian in situations like this.
Understood. I will.
Nodding her head, Maeve suddenly looked at him and said.
Youre truly unpredictable. I thought Id start by asking what you could offer as compensation.
In everything, theres a sequence.
Ian chuckled to himself inwardly.
So, you brought up the noble title for that reason?
It wasnt just for that. I also thought that you could play a significant role in the kingdom.
Unfortunately, I would decline that. Id rather have more money.
With the birth of a territory, money will eventually end up in your hands.
Instead, I wont be able to leave. Id have to serve the king.
That would be better than living as a wanderer, wouldnt it?
I suppose theres a reason for it.
Ians voice grew softer.
He had to see the ending of this world.
He had to find out who had summoned him here.
Even if it was a god, he wanted to know why they had him do these things.
If he couldnt get an answer, he would at least find so satisfaction in dealing a blow.
Helping the mad avengers and completing quests involving those consud by the madness of the Black Wall, it was all just part of the process.
Right. Theres a story behind it.
Maeve mumbled as if understanding.
Ian picked up the lantern on the rock beside him.
Shall we head back now? Ive wanted to wash up for a while.
Sure, thats a good idea.
As Maeve nodded her head, Ian turned around as if waiting for her.
Following him, Maeve stepped away from the rock. However, it was only for a mont. She soon casually stuck close to Ians side.
It was just after she had done so that Ian opened his mouth.
By the way, what you said was true.
What are you referring to?
God was indeed watching over .
!
***
Ippotranslation
***
The Next Day.
The group left the village shortly after noon.
On both sides of the saddles of their newly acquired horses, bags containing supplies, including food, were securely fastened.
There was no other village to pass through until they reached the Graveyard Forest. It also ant there was no room to turn back.
However, the silence that perated the group was not a result of the difficulty of the path, but rather sothing more concealed.
Maeve remained silent, her face hidden by her veil, contemplating the topic Ian had brought up the previous night.
.
.
Philip and Miguel, who hadnt t each others gaze since the previous night, couldnt find their voices, seemingly occupied with reading Ians mood.
In reality, even though Ian was at the center of all the silence, he was disinterested in such circumstances.
Rather, he was content with the rare tranquility and imrsed himself in the sensation of the reins.
When Ian subtly extended his hand, a translucent white bead was revealed.
It was filled with a dense, mist-like magical energy. It was one of the beads of the two magics that had been purified in the temple.
This precious object held a value beyond comparison with magic stones. While magic stones were nothing more than magical batteries, the bead served a more significant role as an amplifier of magic.
Even Ian, who had only mastered interdiate-level magic, could unleash firepower that rivaled that of an archmage.
Its a sha that its consumable
At least while the bead was working, Ian wouldnt be able to find his equal in Agellan. The look in Ians eyes, as he clenched his fist again, was filled with satisfaction.
It would be great if I could find an opportunity to confirm if this works properly.
And as always, an opportunity ca sooner than expected.
The group had completely veered onto the back road Miguel had ntioned.
Contrary to its na, the Red Valley outskirts were mostly ashen in color.
The road was narrow and undulating, much like Miguel had described. However, the group encountered an obstacle that was entirely different from this terrain.
What is this? We cant even ride our horses through here.
Translator; ippo
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