“D-Did you save me? Sir! Please save our land. A monster has appeared.”
“The monster is already dead.”
At Edelmar’s words, the man’s eyes widened.
“D-Dead?”
“Yes. This place was the monster’s food storage. You and the other people of this land were kept here as its food.”
‘Why does he speak like that?’
Ian sighed and patted Edelmar on the shoulder.
It was a gesture that meant he would take over the conversation, signaling Edelmar to step back.
But Edelmar, misunderstanding the shoulder pat, simply grinned.
Ian shook his head and knelt on one knee in front of the man.
“Everyone, except for a few, has been rescued. Can you tell us when the monster appeared?”
Ian had rescued people many times in his role as a soldier.
He knew that most of the rescued were often in a state of shock or panic, unable to answer questions clearly. So, he spoke slowly and calmly.
The man’s panicked gaze slowly became more composed.
“I’m not sure when exactly the monster appeared. But people from our land started disappearing one by one about a month ago. We thought they left because they didn’t want to farm anymore, so we didn’t search for them. In our land, it’s not unusual for people to leave farming behind.”
Ian nodded and continued.
“Did any outsiders visit your land before people began to disappear?”
The man scratched his head.
“Our land is on the route to the capital, but we mainly farm, so visitors are rare. It was the same last month.”
“When was the last time an outsider visited?”
The man thought about it and then exclaimed.
“Two months ago, a noble stopped by with his daughter, who was thirsty and asked for water. Our chief brought them the cleanest bowl we had.”
Ian glanced at Edelmar, who nodded in understanding.
“Thank you for answering despite the circumstances.”
“No, it’s the least I could do for saving us.”
“The monster is dead, so you can use the tunnel to escape. Most of those who fainted are simply exhausted, so after two to three days of rest, they should recover.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“Those who are unharmed can help carry the fainted ones.”
Ian pulled out the corpse of the firefly monster from his inventory.
“The tunnel is dark. Carry this for light.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
After the man expressed his gratitude, Ian stood up.
“Let’s go now,”
“Yes.”
As Ian spoke with the man, those who had regained their senses hugged their family members, crying.
Leaving the noisy cave, Ian spoke again.
“Is there a way to find out which path Viscount Wistel used to enter the capital?”
“I’ll have Yan check.”
“Alright. And I believe we should report this to the emperor.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Ian, who never forgot a path once taken, led the way through the dark tunnel.
Both walked in silence, their footsteps echoing in the corridor as they each pondered.
When they reached an opening where sunlight streamed in, Edelmar jumped up through the hole.
Despite the height, Edelmar climbed up in one leap and asked,
“Do you need a rope?”
“This is no problem for me.”
With a grin, Ian kicked off the wall and exited through the hole.
“What do you take me for?”
Edelmar responded with a smile instead of words.
Ian, with an exasperated look, quickly walked toward where Rose was.
“Er.”
“Errr!”
Fenrex and Rose, who had been hidden by Ermenia’s illusion, suddenly appeared.
Rose’s face was tear-streaked, as if she had been startled by the sudden turn of events.
“Rose.”
Seeing Rose cry made Ian feel sad, and he reached out to hug her, but Edelmar stopped him.
“Take care of the blood first.”
“Oh.”
The strong scent of musk had momentarily dulled Ian’s senses, making him forget about the blood on him. He quickly prepared to cast a spell, but suddenly, something flew toward him.
“Use this.”
Edelmar had thrown him an artifact.
“The activation word is ‘Clean.'”
“Clean.”
As soon as Ian spoke, the artifact glowed, enveloping him in a column of water that quickly vanished.
The blood soaking his body disappeared in an instant, leaving him looking as though he had just bathed.
“Thank you.”
Ian handed the artifact back to Edelmar and picked Rose up.
“Uncle.”
“Did it scare you a lot? It’s okay now. Uncle’s here.”
Rose buried her face in Ian’s shoulder.
Ian felt sorry for her and was also displeased with Fenrex, who had let her cry.
“A wolf who lets its bonded one cry? Don’t go around calling yourself a wolf.”
“That’s not my fault!”
“Isn’t it your responsibility to calm her down no matter the situation?”
Fenrex’s face reddened, acknowledging the truth.
Ian clicked his tongue and gently patted Rose’s back.
“There, there. Don’t cry. Uncle is here, right?”
“Don’t leave me, Uncle.”
Ian kissed Rose on the head and said,
“Uncle would never leave you. I’ve told you, I’m happiest when you’re right by my side, haven’t I?”
“Mhm.”
Ian kissed her head once more. Meanwhile, people’s voices echoed from the direction of the hole, indicating they had come through the tunnel.
“We’re going to need a rope.”
“Yan.”
Yan fetched a rope from a nearby house and brought it to the hole.
“Stop bossing Yan around so much.”
“Isn’t that why he’s here?”
Ian couldn’t help but be slightly annoyed by Edelmar’s sly grin.
He shook his head and checked on the horses. Yan and the guards had protected them well, as neither horse showed signs of injury.
“Er. We’ll have a little talk later.”
“Errrr!”
With that, Ermenia disappeared once again.
Ian watched as Yan tied the rope to a sturdy spot near the hole and lowered it.
“We should eat once we leave the territory.”
“Agreed.”
Holding Rose with one arm, Ian mounted his horse.
“Let’s move quickly.”
While Fenrex transformed into a wolf, Edelmar mounted his horse, and the two left the territory before the rescued villagers could find them.
After they had gained some distance, Ian heard a rumbling sound from nearby.
Amused by the cute sound, Ian chuckled softly and brought the horse to a halt.
“Seems like it’s time for a meal.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
Ian, who had made an excuse about being hungry on behalf of the shy young lady, quickly dismounted from the horse.
“Rose, just wait a moment.”
Since he couldn’t cook while holding her, he set Rose down. She immediately clung to his leg.
“No, I want to stay with Uncle.”
“But Uncle needs to cook, you know?”
Rose shook her head vigorously.
“No, I want to stay with Uncle.”
“Alright, then.”
Carrying her while doing chores was no problem for him. Ian placed Rose on his foot and encouraged her to hold tightly to his right leg.
Then, with her clinging to him, he began gathering small branches for a fire.
“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”
“Not at all.”
Even before being chosen as a favored one, it was something Ian had done for his niece, and with his body having reached the level of an Aura Master, there was no way it would be uncomfortable.
In fact, he enjoyed seeing Rose giggle like she was on a ride every time he moved. However, Ian’s heart ached as he noticed the slight redness around her eyes.
Seeing Rose cry today had been a shock to him too.
If she had cried out of fear of the monster or the battle scene, he could have covered her eyes or removed her from the scene.
But what scared her was being in an unfamiliar place without him nearby.
Whether at the mansion or the townhouse, Ian had been away from her for extended periods, thinking she would be fine with Fenrex and Ermenia by her side.
It seemed he had miscalculated.
‘Maybe I should get a carrier for her?’
The locations where the sacred relics were kept were tough to reach.
They were either in treacherous mountains or underwater, places that weren’t suitable to take a child.
Ian had planned to leave Rose somewhere safe while he went alone.
He hadn’t refused Edelmar’s offer to join because he wanted someone to protect Rose in his stead.
But now, seeing Rose’s reaction, he realized he might have to take her along, even if that meant strapping her into a carrier.
“Do they make carriers for five-year-olds?”
“What’s a carrier?”
Hearing Ian’s muttering, Edelmar asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Ian waved it off, gathered the branches in one spot, and extended his hand to Edelmar.
“Could you give me the artifact?”
Edelmar chuckled at Ian’s confident attitude, as if he was merely asking for something left in his care.
Without further comment, Edelmar pulled the artifact from his pocket and handed it over.
“The activation word is ‘Fire.'”
As Ian was about to speak the word near the branches, a thought crossed his mind. He looked at Rose.
“Rose, shall we try this together?”
“What is it?”
“This is called an artifact. With this, you can cast magic.”
“Magic?”
Rose’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes. Want to give it a try?”
Rose nodded eagerly.
“Alright, step down and stand beside Uncle.”
As Ian released her from his arms, Rose stood next to him.
He handed her the artifact and directed her arm toward the pile of branches.
“Now, just shout ‘Fire.'”
“Fire?”
Even though her voice was filled with curiosity, the artifact activated.
A small flame touched the branches, which burst into flames.
“Wow!”
Rose clapped her hands in delight.
“Well done.”
Ian kissed her forehead, then took the artifact from her hand and returned it to Edelmar.
“Taking credit with someone else’s belonging, are we?”
Ian shrugged and took a pot from his inventory, setting it on the fire.
He retrieved some ingredients he’d taken from the villagers’ house, along with some food he had packed before leaving the estate.
The things he had bought with silver coins were flour and dried vegetables, while he had brought milk and butter from the estate to spread on bread.
Sighing at the meager ingredients, Ian muttered to himself.
“Guess we’re having soup for breakfast.”
