Chapter 333

Ian looked at the disheveled appearance of Miguel and added, "Up working at dawn again. I told you to get your rest when you need it."

"I said that. But you know how stubborn Lucy can be. And the villagers don’t seem to sleep much either."

"... Yeah, I figured," Ian muttered as if it was hardly surprising.

Over the past few days, the villagers had been up at the crack of dawn, working tirelessly without a moment's rest.

"I thought the brazier would take a few more days, but they all rushed at it from dawn and finished it up. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but they met all of Lucy’s requirements. Considering the work hours, it’s impressive. Well, just look at your statue... ahem. Anyway."

Miguel cleared his throat hastily under Ian’s gaze before continuing, "Lucy’s just putting on the finishing touches. If we head out now, it should be just about done."

"... Alright." There was no reason not to go. Ian let out a small sigh as he put the scroll back into his pocket dimension and stood up.

Miguel’s eyes roved over Ian, who emerged from the tub with steam rising from his body, and a sly smile crossed his lips.

"You've gained more scars. And you’ve built up more muscle than before."

"You’re full of nonsense today," Ian said while drying his body with a cloth.

Miguel looked away as he added, "I’m just stating the facts. Just the facts."

Well, he wasn’t wrong. Ian’s body had become bigger and more defined compared to the time when they used to fight together. It must have been due to the increased Strength stat. However, thanks to his naturally lean frame, he still appeared more agile and sleek than overly bulky. Agility probably played a part in that too.

Not exactly a wizard’s body...

With a faint smirk, Ian picked up the thick fur clothes sprawled on the bed. There was no need to wear the polished armor that was carefully laid out in this place.

"I hear that the messengers who came back empty-handed are supposed to return this afternoon." Miguel, who had stepped fully into the house and leaned against the wall by the door, looked at Ian.

"If they don’t respond to the call, are you really going to go and drag them back here yourself?"

"That’s the plan. Why? Is there a problem?" Ian asked as he shoved his feet into a pair of leather boots lined and trimmed with mysterious black fur.

Miguel shook his head. "No, not at all. The more we have when we go into battle, the better. It’ll mean fewer casualties on our side."

"You know your stuff."

"I was just thinking that at this rate, we might end up building an actual city here—a true Northern stronghold, not just a settlement."

As Ian picked up his bear-hide cloak, he nodded. "That wasn’t my intention, but well, it wouldn’t be bad."

Miguel looked at Ian with a renewed sense of admiration and added, "I think you’ll go down in history as the greatest of the Great Warriors."

"That’s because all the so-called Great Warriors of the North were just madmen obsessed with fighting."

Ian snorted as he draped his cloak over his shoulders. "If anyone had tried, they could have done it."

Uniting the Northern tribes was an essential step toward becoming a true warlord of the North. Once a strong foundation was established, more Northerners would naturally gather. Even the Northerners of the autonomous territory would genuinely follow Ian.

Of course, Archduke Olaf might not view it favorably. But as long as the front lines were held securely, there would be no grounds to question his actions. If the army sided with Ian instead, things could become dire. Ian, however, had no intention of clashing with him.

I just need support, that’s all.

Archduke Olaf staying in his place was necessary for Ian to avoid being held back. It was also the easiest way to keep both the royal family and the Order in check.

"Well... it doesn't seem like such an easy task to me. Only someone like you could do it. After all, you’re the great man with a statue in his honor."

Ian's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at Miguel.

Miguel quickly averted his eyes and muttered, "I-I'm not teasing. Maybe you haven’t heard, but you are the only Great Warrior who has achieved something greater than Karha. You killed a dragon, after all. As you know, even Karha ultimately failed in that. That’s why a statue was made—"

"Just lead the way and stop digging yourself into a hole."

"Ah, r-right..." Miguel, who was sweating nervously, quickly turned around and opened the door.

This guy, seriously.

Ian snorted dismissively and followed him out onto the street. A lively scene unfolded, contrasting with the gloomy sky. Though it wasn't even noon, the entire village was bustling. Not a single person in the village appeared to be idle.

"Great Warrior."

"... Great Warrior."

Villagers nodded their heads as they passed by Ian. On the first day, they would stop and bow whenever they met him. Now, busy with their preparations, they only nodded as they hurried by. Ian found this much more comfortable.

"I'm worried about the people staying behind in the village. It seems like they’re trying to give us all their food supplies," Miguel whispered, lowering his voice.

The women were tirelessly making preserved food for the army, as well as blankets and undergarments. Even the children were busy running errands or tending to the horses.

Ian muttered in response, "We can send some supplies back to the village when we reach Travelga."

"Will we really have that luxury...? It's not just the goods; we’ll be short on money too."

"Don’t worry, we’re not short on funds."

"... What?" Miguel tilted his head in confusion, but Ian ignored him and walked down the alley.

"Gilfi! Bring that hammer over here right now!"

"Pull that rope straight! Want to see someone flattened?"

A different bustling scene was taking place nearby. Some were dismantling the old palisade, while others were building a wider one. In the clearing between, people were sharpening the ends of logs and shaping supports. It wasn't uncommon to see others cutting roots off tree stumps.

"The pace of work is ridiculously fast, isn’t it?" Miguel said, glancing at Ian with a chuckle. "Then again, you played a big part in that."

You're particularly talkative today.

Ian shrugged lightly as he thought. It was true that he had actively helped with the lumber work over the past few days. This was necessary, as many of the warriors had left the village to carry out his orders, leaving them short-handed. Of course, it wasn’t as though he had spent all day chopping wood. Ian had chosen a simpler and more efficient method.

"Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone use a dragon weapon like that," Miguel said.

Ian had used Platinum Claw, a Truesilver Steel Sword, to cut through the trees like they were paper. The bright, golden magical blade had felled even the largest tree trunks effortlessly. While the Mantra circuits drained magical energy quickly, the durability of the Truesilver Steel Sword remained unaffected.

"Well, not that I’ve seen a real dragon weapon before now," Miguel added with a chuckle.

Ian couldn’t help but laugh lightly at Miguel’s banter.

"It’s there to be used. Might as well use it whenever you can."

Ian would have gladly lent out the Truesilver Steel Sword if it meant speeding up the work. However, that would have been pointless. The spell circuits engraved in the sword were attuned only to Ian. No one else could wield the Platinum Claw.

"They really did clear everything out," said Ian as he looked beyond the dismantled stockade.

The villagers were entirely focused on expanding the wooden defenses, leaving the newly cleared space filled only with tree stumps.

"Those moving in will have to build their own homes. Anyway..." Miguel smiled as they turned down the road leading to the central clearing.

"It’s a wonderful sight, isn’t it? So full of life."

"It’d be better if we weren’t preparing for war."

"Come on. That’s why everyone’s working so hard. Did you forget? Northerners are a people of battle."

Ian answered with a faint, bitter smile.

After all, it was he who was leading them into danger. Not that he suddenly felt guilty—if the front lines fell, even more would suffer. Besides, these people would rather put all their effort into preparation and face their enemies head-on.

"There it is." Miguel pointed out as they saw fewer people moving about, revealing the central square.

The statues of Karha and Ian were no longer visible. Instead, an altar stood in front of where the statues had been, tall and imposing.

"It’s bigger than I thought."

Atop a wooden platform built with smoothly carved planks stood a large, square, wooden brazier that seemed to have been pieced together. It looked more like a giant wooden box than a brazier, perched on a smaller square base.

It’s almost as tall as I am...

A set of wooden stairs, forming a horizontal L-shape, rose beside the brazier. A villager stood on the steps, finishing the stack of kindling at the center of the brazier.

Miguel nodded approvingly. "I told you, it’s quite something. It must have taken a lot of effort to build. The old folks went straight to bed as soon as it was done. They’re probably all passed out by now."

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"What’s she doing over there?"

Ian pointed his chin toward Lucia, who stood on the wooden base, her back to him. Next to her was a boy with a bucket balanced on his head. When Lucia dipped her hand into the bucket, the black water inside rippled. She began to write on the surface of the brazier with her fingers that had been dipped in the dark liquid.

"Oh, that? It’s water mixed with plenty of ashes. She’s inscribing prayers with it. Doing that ensures that the holy fire won’t burn the brazier itself," Miguel explained immediately.

Miguel glanced at Ian as he slowed his pace and spoke up quietly, "May I ask a small favor?"

"What is it?"

"...I might be an ignorant man, but I know that this isn’t a simple ritual. The current Saintess should be able to handle it smoothly, but still..."

Ian looked back at Miguel, who was watching Lucia with concern in his eyes.

"So, you want me to make sure she doesn’t fail?"

"More than that, I’d like you to stop her if things don’t go well before she pushes herself too hard. She’ll definitely try to see it through, even if it’s too much. We can’t have her getting hurt. It’s not like today is the only day."

Miguel met Ian’s eyes briefly and added, "She might not listen to me, but she’d obey you without question."

... If anything, she’s acting more like you

, Ian thought with a smirk as he responded.

"Fine. But today might be the only day."

"

Eh...

?"

"We don’t know when we’ll have to leave the village. I don’t want her to go through the ritual alone."

Miguel’s face shifted to one of realization as if he hadn’t considered that possibility.

"Well, but..."

"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she succeeds."

"What are you going to—"

"You’re here, I see."

"Greetings, Great Warrior."

Before Miguel could finish, the Northerners on the platform spotted Ian and bowed. Lucia turned around, noticing them, and Miguel clamped his mouth shut with an awkward smile.

Lucia glanced between them and smiled. "You arrived just in time. I’ve just finished the final preparations."

"Looks like you’ve had a rough morning," Ian replied as he stopped in front of the platform.

Lucia shook her head. "It’s the others who worked hard. I didn’t do much."

"Didn’t do much,

huh?

" Ian snorted. There were clear signs of fatigue in her eyes.

"Why don’t you rest a bit before starting? You look tired," Miguel suggested.

Lucia looked back at the villagers stepping off the platform and shrugged. "I’m fine. I think I’m ready to start."

"All right. Let’s do it, then." Ian stepped up onto the platform.

Lucia looked up at him. "Are you really going to watch from here?"

"Yes. I might be able to help if needed."

"Help? How...?" Lucia tilted her head in confusion.

Ian said nothing more and gestured toward the top of the stairs. Lucia blinked and turned toward the steps without asking further. She must have thought that Ian would not explain.

...Not that it’s a grand secret.

Following her up the stairs, Ian took in the sight of the brazier. Up close, he could see just how much care and effort had gone into its construction. While it still looked like a large box, the surface was smooth, with no gaps between the planks, and the ends were perfectly aligned. He could see the faintly inscribed prayers on the sides—lines Lucia must have painstakingly carved throughout the morning. Ian clicked his tongue softly.

...I wish I could throw that thing in and burn it too.

As he turned the corner, the statues lined up behind the altar came into view. While Karha’s presence was understandable, seeing his statue still felt strange.

And that there are more of these out there is just...

Swallowing a sigh, Ian noticed Lucia stopping at the top of the stairs and stepping aside. Ian stood beside her. The stairs were wide enough for the two of them to stand side by side comfortably. The interior of the brazier was visible. Like the exterior, the inside was lined with planks, but it had holes punctuated at regular intervals. The stack of firewood in the center was arranged in a way that left the middle hollow.

"...I’ll begin now." Lucia, who had been steadying her breathing, spoke up.

She was already holding a dagger in her left hand. Ian narrowed his eyes slightly but nodded, saying nothing.