Chapter 275

Ian guided the horse down a different path than the one they had come from. Going back the same way would be like begging to be arrested, and he had no desire to engage in a midnight chase with the city guard. Especially not when he was carrying a severed head in one hand.

Clip, clop—

The white horse slowed down as it entered a curved alley. Ian's gaze shifted to the rooftops of the buildings ahead. He heard distant murmurs and shouts echoing around them.

"... Good thing I came this way," he muttered, finally taking in the dim alleyway.

It was a quiet backstreet, sparsely populated. Despite being a quiet backstreet with a sparse population, the city maintained order as only a few drunkards, staggering passersby, and half-clothed women scattered here and there.

"Care for a little fu—oh, damn it," a woman who had approached them quickly grimaced and turned away.

It was likely because of Ian’s disheveled appearance, the dwarf seated in front of him, or perhaps the severed head in his hand.

Or maybe all three.

Regardless, no one else came near or blocked their way.

Ian's expression relaxed. He didn't know exactly where this path led, but cities often formed interconnected webs. As long as he kept moving in the right direction, they’d eventually arrive at the manor.

—Are you going slowly on purpose?

Elia’s soft voice whispered in his mind.

—Yes.

Ian replied, noting that the Whispering skill didn’t seem to drain much magic. Elia’s magic sustained the entire spell, and even after all this time, she showed no signs of exhaustion. If she wasn’t secretly hiding a massive reserve of magic, then Whispering probably cost no more energy than a basic Magic Detection spell.

—You're waiting for everything to settle, aren’t you?

After a moment of thought, Elia added, as if she’d finally realized his intent.

Yeah, I’m also waiting for that quest completion window.

Ian chuckled internally as he ruffled her hair with the hand that held the reins. He wondered if he was treating her too much like a child, given that she was a full-grown adult. It was easy to forget that fact, given the nature of dwarves. Fortunately, Elia didn’t seem to mind.

—We’ll probably know soon. Sir Philip is getting close enough to hear my Whisper.

—He doesn’t know how to use it, though.

—I’ll just have to teach him, then.

Can someone who can’t even handle magic armor pick it up that easily?

Ian thought, shrugging. In any case, it wouldn't hurt to try.

—By the way... are you planning to carry that head the whole way?

—Yes.

Elia sighed softly.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Suppressing a smile, Ian glanced down at the top of her head and then casually added,

—By any chance, did you drink the Source of the Dragon, too?

—The Source? Of course not. It only provided us with a good environment to grow self-sufficient, not that kind of help. ... Wait a minute.

Elia quickly looked back.

—Godfather, did you drink the Source?

—So, you’re completely ignoring the rules now, Elia.

—Ah, sorry.

Elia awkwardly turned back to face forward as Ian let out a chuckle before answering.

—Anyway, yeah, I did.

—My goodness... From what I know, it has only granted its Source to two agents throughout history. And that was a long time ago.

—Well, what an honor...

Ian responded dryly, though it was clear he wasn’t serious. He cared more about the quest completion window that still hadn’t appeared than how many agents had drunk the Source before him.

Is something wrong?

—Everyone who drank the Source of the Dragon gained tremendous power. You must have as well, right?

Hearing Elia’s whisper, Ian smirked.

—Who knows? I don’t think I got much out of it.

—What effects did you get?

—I can finish spells faster and don’t fail as much anymore. Probably.

—... That sounds like an incredible ability.

I was hoping for more Magic Recovery or an increase in Magic Capacity, though.

Ian shrugged.

To be fair, Ian was a special case. Normally, mages became vulnerable while preparing spells, and moving too roughly would often ruin the casting. It was a critical weakness in battles where every second counted. Ian himself had experienced moments where his spells had almost failed in the heat of combat.

But ever since he drank the essence, his spells no longer failed unless he took a heavy hit, and he could complete lower-tier spells in the blink of an eye. Normally, this would have required much higher Intelligence, not to mention stronger Mental Fortitude.

... Thinking about it like that, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

—Sir Philip is close. I can sense him.

Elia added shortly after. While Ian looked down at the top of her head, the Whispering skill continued.

—Sir Philip, can you hear me? What’s the situation at the mansion?

No response came.

As they rounded a corner, Ian added,

—Think of it like a prayer. But instead of praying to a god, it’s to us.

Silence returned, and Ian was about to click his tongue when—

—Can you hear me? If you can, please respond when you can hear me. Can you hear me?

A faint whisper echoed in Ian’s mind.

—Yeah, I can hear you. Stop already.

—It works! Finally!

A question followed Philip’s shout.

—Did you finish the job? Did you kill the curse caster?

—Yeah. I’m bringing his head back right now.

—Good. You’d better hurry.

Philip responded immediately, letting out a sigh before adding,

— At this rate, we’re all going to end up in prison... except for me.

***

The soldiers who had gathered around the mansion formed a semicircle surrounding the merchant wagons. The merchants, who had gone outside to prove their innocence, quickly explained the situation.

However, things were unfolding in a direction they hadn’t hoped for.

"We told you, we’re the victims here! Do you know how many of our people that dark mage killed?" Fael shouted, frustration clear in his voice.

The other merchants standing behind him nodded in agreement, their faces showing the same frustration. Yet, the tips of the soldiers’ spears remained pointed at them.

"We’re aware," replied the official standing at the center, his expression as cold as his voice. His face, illuminated by the torch a soldier held, appeared almost mask-like.

Without even bothering to fix his disheveled clothes, the official continued. "The testimony given by the Apostle of the Radiant Goddess matches your story, so there’s no doubt in that regard. But."

He continued, glancing at the merchants with a cold, irritated gaze, "it doesn’t change the fact that you brought such a dangerous person into the city. A corrupt one, at that. And I hear he escaped alive. No way could have happened without prior knowledge or planning. This means there could be an accomplice among you."

"Why would we do such a thing? There’s no benefit for us in that!" Fael protested.

"We will determine if you truly received no benefit once we finish the investigation. It is crucial to address any level of involvement with corruption, regardless of its size. There's a potential risk to the entire city. We will conduct all actions under the law."

Crossing his arms, the official added, "If you’re truly innocent, we will release you with no issues."

Fael swallowed nervously before asking, "... How long will it take to prove our innocence?"

The official clicked his tongue. "At daybreak, Count Thaddeus will contact the royal house and the Great Church. You won't be going anywhere until an authorized investigator from the Great Church arrives to take charge of the investigation."

"The Great Church...." Fael and the merchants sighed.

Being stuck in a filthy, smelly prison for a long time was one thing, but the greater fear was the possibility of losing their heads. If the investigation team included someone backed by one of the larger merchant guilds, it was as good as a death sentence.

"Even though the Apostle of the Radiant Goddess is here, and he has already proven our innocence? What more evidence do you need?" Fael shouted, turning to look at Philip, who was leaning against the frame of the merchant wagon.

He had stood up and defended them earlier, but now he was sitting idly, like the guards who had set their weapons aside, quietly observing the situation. He didn’t even respond to Fael’s plea.

"Without a doubt, I trust his testimony. His innocence is the only one that has been proven here. However, didn't he state he is currently unaffiliated with the Great Church?" the official added, clicking his tongue in frustration.

"He doesn’t yet have the authority to represent the Order. And besides, even an Apostle could fall victim to deception. Corrupt ones are inherently cunning, and a person capable of committing such horrors wouldn’t hesitate to lie with their silver tongue."

"That's..."

"So, please cooperate," the official interrupted, staring directly at Fael. "If you refuse to come with us, we’ll consider you accomplices and act accordingly."

"That’s... Wait—"

Ignoring Fael’s protest, the official nodded toward the soldiers.

"You may want to stop for a moment," came a calm voice.

At that moment, all eyes turned to the Apostle of the Radiant Goddess, who had finally stood up.

Without glancing at the merchants, Philip stepped forward and added, "The most undeniable proof of their innocence is arriving right now."

Philip raised his hand, pointing behind the soldiers. Naturally, everyone's gaze followed the direction of his gesture.

Clip, clop—

A white horse, adorned in shining armor, was stepping over the fallen gate.

As the official furrowed his brows, taking in the man's sight and the dwarf atop the horse, Ian’s voice cut through the air.

"It’s not me you should look at."

As Ian, now near the soldiers, reached the official, he casually tossed the object he was holding in his hand.

"...!"

The official’s eyes widened in shock as the severed head bounced on the ground and rolled to his feet. Its lifeless eyes stared blankly, and its tongue hung out grotesquely.

"That’s the head of the dark mage who attacked this place."

Ian dismounted and gently lifted Elia off the horse as he spoke. After ensuring she was safely on the ground, he walked toward the soldiers, who instinctively stepped back.

"I killed him while he was trying to escape on a smuggler’s boat."

Ian locked eyes with the shocked and fearful official, glanced at the distant merchants, and added, "They hired me to track this man. This should be enough to prove their innocence. A servant of the corrupted wouldn’t make such a request, would they?"

Philip had relayed to Ian the entire conversation between the official and the merchants as they made their way here. Philip had sat silently for so long because he focused on passing the information to Ian in real-time.

The official, who had been staring at Ian, finally took a cautious step back and asked, "Are you the Apostle’s squire?"

A squire...?

Ian smirked internally, but kept his eyes on the official.

"And if I am?"

"Then I request your cooperation. At daybreak, both of you will need to recount the events that transpired here fully. Your testimonies will suffice. However, the investigation into the merchants will proceed as per protocol."

Ian’s brow furrowed. "There’s already enough evidence."

"I’m afraid there’s no other way. The Count does not tolerate even the smallest irregularity in the city’s affairs. And since this incident involves a corrupted being, it’s likely to draw attention from both the church and the Imperial court. The Count will not simply let it slide."

Damn, this guy’s annoyingly meticulous. It must be because it’s the capital.

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly. The quest was still incomplete, and the merchants were not yet truly safe. The lord would undoubtedly summon the Great Church’s investigation team and wouldn’t tolerate even the smallest loss to himself. During the investigation, there is a possibility of one or two merchants being held responsible and facing significant repercussions.

How did this get completed in the game? Was there a dialogue option or something?

Ian scanned the diverse group of merchants, with Fael at the center, and clicked his tongue again before turning his gaze away. Philip’s stare had been growing more intense for a while now.

—At this rate, we’ll be stuck here for days, and things will only get messier. Are you just going to let that happen?

As soon as their eyes met, Philip whispered, clearly waiting for this moment.

—Or... would you rather leave it to me?

There was a hint of excitement in Philip’s voice, which Ian didn’t think was just his imagination. He sighed through his nose. Much like Philip, he had known for a while how to resolve this situation quickly. He just hadn’t been keen on using that option.

I didn’t want to make a big scene in the capital...

Of course, the decision didn’t take long. Ian whispered a few quick words to Philip.

"In that case, we will take possession of the dark mage’s head. The soldiers will respectfully escort the merchants," the official added, as though Ian's silence signified agreement. He signaled to the nearby soldiers as Ian’s gaze returned to him.

"Stop." Philip’s voice cut through the air.

The soldier who had been reaching for the severed head hesitated, while Philip took another step forward, his voice steady and firm.

"We are well aware of how faithful and law-abiding the Lord of Basmut and his officials are. However, since this matter involves a corrupted being, we will take over the investigation."

"... You must be aware, of course," the official replied, confused, his brows furrowing as he turned to look at Philip.

"No matter how blessed by the Radiant Goddess you are, Sir, you are still not—"

"Of course, I’m not," Philip interrupted. "But the person I’m about to introduce is."

"...?" The official tilted his head slightly, clearly perplexed.

Philip cleared his throat, then spoke with a solemn authority that seemed to spread outwards, filling the surrounding space.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons and kneel, showing the proper respect."