Chapter 657

"No matter how much I drink, I don’t even seem to get drunk," said Thesaya.

Looking up at the frozen branches receding behind the carriage, she tipped the bottle to her lips.

As she swallowed the strong liquor, a low voice came from beside her.

"Though it would have been better if it were a little less cold and shaky."

It was Nasser, curled up under his cloak and hood. Like Thesaya, positioned his head toward the driver’s seat.

Removing the bottle from her lips, Thesaya let out a low chuckle. "Weak for someone who was an Apostle."

"You always know how to strike where it hurts most." Nasser, revealing only his face, wore a bitter smile. "It is true that traces of grace remain in my body. But even so, I am not as robust as I was then, Elder."

"Then stop complaining out here and go inside."

"Isn't the Vice High Priestess asleep? With all this jolting, I'd surely bump into him and wake him up."

Smiling as if finding Nasser's bored answer unexpected, Thesaya held the bottle out over his face. "Then drink this at least. It'll warm you up as much as a blessing."

"Though it does make one dizzy..."

Despite his words, Nasser reached out from beneath his cloak, took the bottle, and pushed himself upright.

"I miss warm tea. I don't know when I last tasted civilization."

At his sighing voice, Thesaya snorted and looked up at the branches passing overhead. Meanwhile, Nasser took a swig of the liquor, frowned, and looked down behind the carriage.

"Come to think of it, those two must be the most exhausted of all."

He was looking at the two riders following the carriage side by side. Ian and Mev, on their respective horses.

Snatching the bottle from his hand, Thesaya said, "Does that look like suffering to you?"

"Of course. Sitting in a saddle all day on a running horse is labor in itself."

"Depending on who you're riding with, sometimes it turns into play."

Looking down at Ian and Mev, who were exchanging glances with faint smiles, Thesaya shrugged her shoulders.

"Though I still don't know what he sees in that Redhead."

Nasser stared at her, then curved his lips into that familiar, knowing smile. "Are you jealous by any chance?"

"Jealous?"

Snorting and taking the bottle from her lips, Thesaya swept back her long, windblown silver hair.

"No matter how favored by the gods she may be, an Elder fairy like me being jealous of a human—" She broke off mid-sentence. Thesaya’s eyes twitched as she realized snow had mixed with the wind blowing.

It began with no warning at all. The two exchanged a glance, then looked toward the front of the carriage.

Woosh—

From the darkening distance, wind mixed with snow was rushing in. Thesaya squinted and looked down at the back of the hooded head in the driver’s seat.

"Didn't you say it wasn't time for blizzards yet, Beard?"

"Huh?

Ah

, yes!" Startled, Caleb replied without taking his eyes off the front, "It's not always the case, but it is still early for snow—"

"Then this really isn’t a natural phenomenon." Cutting him off as if she knew it, Thesaya brought the bottle to her lips.

Caleb nodded. "Though it is earlier than I remember, we have entered the outskirts of the wasteland. If we go a little deeper, the demonic realm will probably begin."

"We should prepare for battle," said Nasser, squinting. His tone was as calm as ever, contrary to his words.

"We might have to abandon the carriage once we enter the demonic realm," said Caleb.

Thesaya's brow twitched. "What?"

"We are running along the road for now, but to eliminate the source of madness, we must enter that forest," Caleb replied immediately, sensing the sharpness in her voice.

Glancing at the forest to the right, he continued, "We won't be able to drive the carriage in there."

"

Hmm

... is that so?" Nodding, Thesaya looked back behind the carriage with strange anticipation in her eyes. "You heard him, Ian. That’s what the guide says. What do you think?"

Ian had already pulled up close behind the carriage. Looking up into Thesaya's eyes, he jerked his chin and stood up in his saddle.

Swoosh—

Despite the swirling snowstorm, he balanced effortlessly, then launched himself forward in a powerful leap. Moro didn’t falter in the slightest.

Thud!

Tracing a clean arc through the air, Ian landed on the carriage roof, his cloak fluttering.

Straightening his slightly bent knees, he approached Thesaya and said, "You’ve scouted inside there before?"

Startled by Ian's voice, Caleb looked up. "Yes, Great Warrior! The wasteland wasn't this wide in spring!"

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Unlike when Thesaya or Nasser had spoken, Caleb pulled back his hood and turned around fully. Looking up at Ian as he accepted the bottle from Thesaya, he pointed toward the right side of the carriage.

"Unless all the scouts are mistaken, the source of madness should be dwelling somewhere in there."

"I see." Nodding, Ian opened the bottle.

Staring into the snowy darkness, he brought it to his lips and asked, "And the next demonic realm?"

"There would be another source if we kept going straight along the road, but to join the barbarian subjugation squad, we'll need to turn that way at the fork." Caleb glanced around once more, then pointed toward the left front of the carriage.

"You haven't forgotten the mission. Excellent." Taking the bottle from his lips, Ian jerked his chin. "We're not abandoning the carriage. Slow down and follow the road."

"

Huh

? Ah, yes! Great Warrior!" Caleb tilted his head, then answered quickly. When he tugged on the reins, the galloping white horses gradually reduced their pace.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

From Caleb’s perspective, simply following the road carried a high chance of entering the demonic realm. Once inside, they would inevitably draw the attention of whatever monsters lurked there.

"You’re just going to pass it by?" Nasser asked.

Ian shook his head. "No. Only the carriage will pass by. Sir Mev and I will go inside, purify the source, and return."

"What?" Thesaya frowned, looking up at him.

Caleb widened his eyes and looked back again. "Are you saying only the two of you will go in there?"

Shock was plain in his gaze. He knew the Great Warrior was a demigod, but to a mere human like himself, it still sounded recklessly suicidal.

"Not two. Three."

The carriage door swung open as the words echoed out. At the same time, the Priestess Lucifer appeared, her hooded cloak pulled tight around her.

"The Goddess has granted her grace. It must mean to burn the demonic realm." Looking up at Ian on the roof, her eyes shone orange. "And I’ll need to be there to bestow blessings upon my sister’s blade."

"She really loves putting her Apostle in danger." Clicking his tongue quietly, Ian bent down and offered his hand.

As Lucifer took his hand and climbed onto the roof, Caleb furrowed his brow. "But, Great Warrior. We only have rough information. We don’t know the exact location of the source. And deeper inside, unlike the outskirts—"

"Space will be distorted. I know," said Ian as Nasser stood up and stepped back to make room for Lucifer.

Looking down into Caleb's eyes, Ian added, "Don't worry. We'll be able to find the path to the source instantly."

Caleb’s brow twitched. Right then, Ian capped the bottle and casually lifted his right hand to his chest. Only then did Caleb notice the thin bracelet coiled around his wrist.

He realized it was a snake when it uncoiled and slithered onto the back of Ian's hand. Looking down at Caleb with ominous glowing purple eyes, the snake flicked its tongue.

"So I’m sitting this one out?" asked Thesaya, looking up at Ian with a frown.

Lowering his right arm again, Ian nodded. "Someone has to guard the carriage. A blue mage like you is the right fit here."

"Well... I mean, that’s true, but still," Thesaya mumbled, wrinkling her nose.

Handing her the capped bottle, Ian added, "It won’t take long. We’ll push straight through and eliminate the source."

As Thesaya smacked her lips, Lucifer met Ian’s gaze and moved toward the right edge of the carriage. "I'll ride in front."

Mev, who had been riding alongside the carriage, released the reins and opened her arms. Lucifer leaped down into her embrace, settling neatly in front of the saddle.

"Come back safe so Redhead doesn't go crazy," said Thesaya, looking down resignedly.

Settling in front of the saddle in Mev's arms, Lucifer nodded. "Yes. See you later."

Before her answer was even finished, Caleb's head turned to the other side. Ian had passed Nasser and was jumping off to the left of the carriage.

Thud—

Landing lightly on the saddle of Moro, which was walking alongside, he sat down with his cloak fluttering.

Urging the mount forward, Ian overtook the carriage and said, "No matter what happens, don’t stop the carriage and don’t leave the road."

"Yes, Great Warrior." Caleb nodded, unable to tear his eyes away as Ian passed in front of the white horses. Almost at the same moment, Ian snapped the reins once more.

Roar!

With a roar like a beast’s bellow, Moro charged straight into the snow-laden forest.

"Let's go too, Sister!" Lucifer's shout followed.

Selim, the white horse carrying her and Mev, galloped after them. Caleb's gaze remained fixed on the back of the demigod receding through the blizzard.

"So this is... our Great Warrior...." A low exclamation escaped his lips.

This was on an entirely different level from simply repelling attacking monsters. Yet the entire process unfolded without a hint of hesitation, as if it were only natural. Even the Red Knight and the Saintess of White Flame followed his instructions familiarly, as if long accustomed to doing so.

"Looks like we're missing all the fun parts," Thesaya said from behind.

As Caleb blinked and looked back, Nasser, who was sitting on the roof again, smiled. "The most dangerous parts, you mean. Well, it'll be comfortable thanks to that. I didn't want to fight on that snowfield anyway."

"Didn’t you hear what Ian said? We’re not here to loaf around either, Half-Ear," Thesaya snapped at him.

Despite her words, she too settled back down on the roof, already uncorking the bottle.

Nasser, pulling his hood deeper, deepened his smile. "With a great mage like you here, Elder, what need is there for someone like me to step in?"

"You think flattery will make your life easier? You saw correctly, Half-Ear. You just watch. Whatever comes, this Elder will block it all."

Shrugging, Thesaya's gaze returned to Caleb.

"You too, Beard. Don't worry and just follow the road. It won't take long."

"You really seem to have a lot of experience with this," Caleb said, unable to hide his awe.

Curling one corner of her mouth, Thesaya brought the bottle to her lips. "We’ve already pinpointed the source. And it’s not as far as you might think. You guided us well, Beard."

Watching her drink nonchalantly for a moment, Caleb asked, "How can you be sure of that?"

"Ian’s familiar is being wonderfully talkative." Taking the bottle from her lips, Thesaya added with a laugh in her voice, "You'd be surprised if you knew how noisy it is in my head right now."

She had to mean that ominous serpent. Caleb frowned, unable to understand how the snake could be chattering. Still, that wasn’t something he dared ask.

Boom—

Suddenly, light flashed from beyond the darkness where the blizzard raged. Startled, Caleb looked to the right of the carriage.

Boom, boom, boom—

Almost simultaneously, a series of orange explosions erupted in the distance. Instead of fading immediately, they spread, illuminating the darkness. Through the swirling blizzard, countless shadows, writhing as if dancing, were revealed.