novelraw Chapter 129 : Chapter 129
Chapter 129 : Chapter 129
Chapter 129: Southbound (3)
Truthfully, there wasn't anything urgent, but there was a lot to do.
The magical item of the Red Tower's King. The existence pointed to by the smoke of the watchtower still occupied a considerable part of Harad's mind.
It was a curiosity that wouldn't disappear until he found out.
‘Avery Aquins didn't covet the magical item.’
The man's objective was Harad's capture.
He only thought of delaying the prophecy, he didn't show any sign of coveting the King's magical item.
‘Either the Deep Sea can't handle it, or they can't take it at all if it's not fire.’
Either case was one that stimulated curiosity.
Because specialty, by its nature, begins with exclusion.
There was also a tunnel he hadn't yet been to.
He had to figure this out as well. The more he did so, the clearer the map of the Boundary would become, and the closer he would get to the King's magical item pointed to by the smoke of the watchtower.
He also had to carry out Grand Duke Aratus's orders.
He had not yet received the recognition of the 4th and 5th Knights.
In fact, it's an easy task.
Recognition can be obtained at any time.
The beginning starts when he is recognized by all.
Harad had to become an indispensable existence in Serzila.
‘More than in my past life.’
In his past life, he was an escort important only to Elaine.
This time, he had to go further.
‘Ellen's escort.’
At a glance, it's a position with shortcomings.
Because Ellen of a collateral branch is a figure who could disappear at any time.
‘It seems the same to me.’
But in Harad's opinion, it was the same.
If Ellen disappeared, Elaine would appoint Harad as her escort.
If she finds out the dream and the secret, she will naturally do so, and if she doesn't, she will keep him by her side to find out.
So, he's doing well.
The regressed Harad was proud that he was fulfilling his duty.
‘This seems excellent enough.’
Isn't he catering to every single whim?
It seemed Elaine wouldn't be able to say anything even if she regained her past life.
‘I'm the one in a position to say something.’
There was a lot to say.
First, he wanted to hit her. Or burn her with fire.
“Then I'll leave it to you.”
“Yes, yes!”
Tunnel-Digger Rick bowed his head repeatedly, saying he would work hard.
While Harad and Ellen were away, Rick would widen the tunnel that had already been dug.
It might be stuffy, but it wouldn't be as narrow as before.
“This will probably be your first merit.”
At that, Rick turned the stone placed on the desk into dirt.
It was practice.
It seemed he was infusing magic to transform it into the same properties as his Origin.
“Is that efficient? It seems better to chip away from the outside rather than doing it all at once.”
At those words, Rick grabbed the largest stone.
It was a stone the size of his fist, and following the advice, he turned it into dirt from the outside.
Rick's face, when he finally lifted it, was as excited as a child's.
‘A Mage is a Mage.’
There is no Mage without curiosity and a thirst for inquiry.
Even that Cassion would change when he talked about magic.
Harad watched Rick practice magic a few more times before leaving the underground.
The entrance to the place where Rick was staying was the bathroom floor. It would change when he established a merit. He might even enter the Inner Fortress one day.
If a Mage guaranteed by Harad establishes a merit, Serzila will take care of them.
Even if the Grand Duke disliked it, Ellen would.
Closing the bathroom floor and coming out of the abandoned house-like safe house of the Intelligence Bureau, the sun had already risen. It was early morning. Harad moved his steps towards the Inner Fortress.
Since some time ago, the gatekeeper had been opening the gate politely, and the servants he occasionally encountered would smile and bow their heads.
Thus, the Inner Fortress was the same as always.
If Elaine were to leave, people would flock, but not Ellen.
She was not only from a collateral branch, but also a loafer.
She was quite popular, but not in a position to have an official event held.
‘She's the type who dislikes it too.’
In fact, Elaine had quietly left the domain a few days ago.
That's how it is known in Serzila.
“Where have you been?”
Ellen was in front of Harad's villa.
She was in simple casual clothes, casually holding a small backpack.
“Aren't you cold?”
The casual clothes were thin.
They weren't clothes you would see in the North.
“It's a waste of money to buy clothes there. It's a hassle to pack them.”
Serzila was weak to luxury, and Ellen disliked troublesome things.
Born with Innate Strength, she could get through many things with her body.
“Where's Shura?”
“She just fell asleep.”
Looking closely, Ellen's chest was wet.
It seemed she had cried while being held and fell asleep exhausted.
“Want to see her before you go?”
“It's fine.”
Seeing her tears would only make me feel bad.
There will be plenty of time to see her in the future.
“Serve her well.”
Arika, who was checking Ellen's backpack like a mother, said with a glare.
“Miss Ellen can sleep well anywhere, but if possible, provide her with a soft bed. There must be a lot of meat at every meal. And…….”
Arika was too talkative.
It was all content Harad already knew. So it was boring.
“Isn't Ellen your junior? Anyone would think she's your superior.”
“…….”
At that, Arika clamped her mouth shut.
To Ellen, that seemed to be the signal.
“Shall we go now?”
Ellen moved her steps as if she had been waiting.
It seemed she was tired of Arika's nagging.
* * *
Balbebron and Alena.
That couple was brave and wise.
The former was thanks to Balbebron, the latter was Alena's capability.
The asylum route is in the western sea, and Gildein is a front line located in the western part of the Empire.
But the couple found out about the sea route in the central part of the Empire.
Even though they were branded as demons by the Church, they went to the Empire, where the Church's influence was strongest.
‘Though they did go west again.’
If it hadn't been for the Mage who told them about the sea route in the central part of the Empire, the couple would still be hiding in the center of the Empire.
It was Alena's idea.
As the saying goes, it's darkest under the lamp, she chose the Empire as her hiding place, not the frontier.
In Harad's opinion, it was a pretty good idea.
It was a loophole of the Church, if you could call it that.
The places where the Church made a fuss about hunting demons were mostly the outskirts.
Because the central part of the continent was mostly cleaned up.
‘Though it's not like there are none.’
There are surprisingly many Mages who survived by thinking like Alena.
Of course, it comes with the premise that you have to have a thick skin, but anyway.
“Ekampote. Do you know it?”
Ekampote.
In that domain, the couple heard about the sea route.
“I know of it.”
The County of Ekampote.
My memory of the count is faint, but I know roughly about the land.
“Have you been there?”
“It's a secret.”
“How? You've only been a shut-in, you.”
The County of Ekampote was located in the central part of the Empire.
It was quite a distance from Iagar, which was located in the northeast of the Empire.
“It's a secret.”
At that, Ellen furrowed her brow.
It was the expression that came out when he answered with 'it's a secret'.
“How long will it take?”
“A little less than two months. For us, it would be less than a month.”
Ellen was fundamentally a fast walker.
Elaine was even faster. Right now, it was the latter. Ellen was walking like a Grand Heir.
“We'll probably arrive at Premont in about a fortnight.”
Premont is a land called the gate of the North.
To get from Serzila to the center of the Empire, one must pass through that land.
Perhaps that's why Ellen's steps were fast.
“Will Seria be there?”
Priestess Seria was the guillotine of Premont.
Ellen seemed to be looking forward to meeting her.
“I wonder. Wouldn't she have gone to the Inquisition?”
Seria was a priestess designated as the next Inquisitor.
She said she was thinking about it, but I wonder.
In Harad's opinion, there was no reason not to go.
It was a glorious position for a priestess who enjoyed hunting demons.
“No. Seria wouldn't have gone.”
However, Ellen was thinking that Seria would not become an Inquisitor.
Harad nodded slightly.
It wasn't a particularly important matter to him.
Seria was definitely an exceptional priestess, but that was all.
The sun set around the time they had passed five groups heading for Serzila and two villages.
Harad found a suitable spot.
It was a small clearing by the side of the road, and there were two old, rugged tents.
It was a campsite used by passersby.
Harad lit a fire in the bonfire that was only a trace.
“It feels like I'm in the Boundary.”
Ellen smiled, looking at the bonfire.
She had seemed excited since they started.
“Is this your first time in the Empire?”
“It is, right? I had no reason to go.”
This was Ellen's first time on this road.
She had left the domain, but not the North.
It would be the same for her as Elaine.
Since she had refused the Imperial Family's invitations until now.
It felt new.
Come to think of it, Elaine of my past life was like that too.
She was always interested in new things.
-Do you know? In the Empire, people from the Church are as common as dirt.
-I know.
-Ah. Right, that's why you were a shut-in.
-Fuck.
But she had no manners.
Ellen was different from that Elaine.
She must have had many questions about what the Empire was like, what was different from the North, but she didn't open her mouth.
She just kept poking at the innocent bonfire with a stick.
Her eyes would frequently glance at Harad. As the number of times increased, her excited expression faded.
“I should have come with Arika instead of you. Or by myself.”
How much time had passed, Ellen opened her mouth slightly.
“Suddenly?”
Harad tilted his head.
“Am I not fun?”
“Not my fun. You're not having fun.”
Me?
“I think I was too insensitive.”
The stick extinguished the bonfire.
“You don't have good memories of the Empire, you.”
Ellen was belatedly regretting it.
“Ah. Because I'm a Mage?”
“Yes.”
Asking Harad, who had lost his family because he was a Mage, about the Empire is a cruel thing.
That thought must have just occurred to her.
“So that's why you were so quiet. Were you thinking about that?”
“…….”
“Aren't we going for my sake?”
The reason Ellen decided to go to the Empire was also because of Alena and her husband's problem, but Harad's words that he wanted to find Glacier were decisive.
Because the faster they find the sea route, the closer they would get to Glacier.
“I don't think there was a reason to necessarily take you with me. I was being greedy.”
“What kind of greed?”
“……I don't know. I guess I just wanted to hang out with you.”
Ellen said bluntly, but she bowed her head.
“Do you regret it?”
“I think so.”
“Then we should go back.”
“…….”
Ellen didn't answer.
“Right. Whether we find it, or the Intelligence Bureau finds it. There's not much difference, really.”
“…….”
“We might not even find it and just waste our time.”
She had set out confidently, but there was no basis.
Without actually distinguishing Mages, finding the Mage who knows the sea route is no easy task.
“It's also true that I don't have good memories. I was from Iagar, after all.”
“…….”
Ellen hung her head low.
She looked gloomy.
“But you can just make good memories.”
“……?”
“Ellen, you can make them for me this time.”
Ellen slightly raised her head.
“I want to hang out with you too. As for the sea route, well. If we can't find it, we can just ask the Intelligence Bureau then.”
Harad laughed lowly.
“What do you think. Do you still regret it?”
“No.”
Ellen shook her head.
Her expression was interesting.
She was excited, but it seemed like she was trying to hide it because she felt bad about being sulky earlier.
Harad gave the answer to such a child.
“Then we should sleep early and leave early. To the Empire, I mean.”
“I'm sleepy.”
She's not sleepy.
Ellen quickly got up and went into the tent on the right.
Harad watched her back and then went into the tent on the left.
The inside was surprisingly clean. But for Harad, it was hot.
Because they had moved away from the North.
The temperature was cold for an ordinary person, and lukewarm for a Northerner.
‘I should sleep without my shirt.’
It was as Harad was about to take off his clothes.
The tent entrance was suddenly thrown wide open.
Ellen was holding a wooden pillow.
“It's cold.”
“What?”
“I said, it's cold.”
“Is that tent colder?”
Ellen shook her head.
“It's just cold here.”
That's impossible.
Ellen was a Northerner.
And not an ordinary Northerner, but a Serzila born with Innate Strength.
Now that she had awakened her Innate Strength, she could even sleep alone in the Boundary.
“Let's sleep together. It's warm next to you.”
“Are you still feeling bad about it?”
Ellen still seemed to have some lingering guilt.
“I don't know. Just lie down already.”
“Honestly, you're not cold, are you.”
“So what.”
Ellen ignored him and came in, then flopped down next to Harad.
“You, you're my escort, aren't you.”
“That's true.”
“Usually, an escort sticks around for 24 hours.”
“Didn't you say 'why go that far'?”
“That was in Serzila. This is outside. Who knows what might happen.”
Ellen didn't seem to have any intention of leaving.
Harad stopped taking off his clothes and lay down with his back to her.
“Look at me.”
Ellen whispered from behind.
“An escort should be watching the person they're escorting.”
“…….”
Harad turned over.
Ellen was staring intently at him.
“Aren't you hot?”
“I am hot.”
“You can take it off.”
Ellen knew Harad's constitution well.
In fact, it would be strange if she didn't.
Harad was sweating right now. Anyone could see he was a hot person.
“Can I?”
“……Yes.”
Harad didn't hesitate and took off his shirt.
It was a common sight in the North. The knights also trained with their shirts off.
Bundling up because it's cold was a shameful thing in the North.
“Aren't you taking off your pants?”
“That's a bit much.”
That wasn't a Northerner, but a pervert.
Harad lay down with only his shirt off.
It was then that he felt something.
Something that flew in out of nowhere pierced through the tent. Ellen's hand, which had jumped up, snatched it.
It was an arrow.
A visible wind was swirling around the arrow in a small whirlwind. It was magic.
“A Mage.”
It must be the Liberation Tower's Rebellion faction.
It seemed they were mixed in with the people they had encountered on the way.
They must have waited until night to attack.
‘I see. For them, this is an opportunity.’
Serzila is a land where one has to be mindful.
An empty roadside is not. Magic can be used.
It's a perfect opportunity for the Liberation Tower's Rebellion faction.
“Your prediction was right. How did you know?”
“…….”
“Ellen?”
There was no response.
Harad, who had been examining the arrow, turned his gaze to Ellen.
Her face was contorted fiercely.
“Fuck……”
Thump.
Ellen's hand crushed the arrow into pieces.
It was the future of the Mage who had attacked.