Chapter 204: Harthol City (1)

Harthol City was a mid-sized trading hub located in central Lipaul Kingdom. Thanks to the nearby Tabor River, the region thrived with various fishing industries, and the docks served as a major distribution point for numerous merchant vassals.

"So, let me get this straight..." Varos, staring at the map, wore a peculiar expression. "Jedex is in Harthol City?"

Karnak corrected him. "Strictly speaking, Banner Ralphstadder, the secretary to the head of Tecas merchant guild, is there. We haven't confirmed that he's actually Jedex yet."

Varos scratched his chin. "Oh, come on. It's obvious, isn't it? Either way, it doesn't seem like the kind of place a major merchant would settle in."

Harthol City wasn't considered one of the major trade centers in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. In fact, it wasn’t even considered a major trade center within the Lipaul Kingdom itself. While a significant amount of goods passed through via the Tabor River, the city paled in comparison to larger, more critical trade routes.

It was, at best, a mid-tier city. Because of that, various merchant guilds coexisted in the city.

"If it were me, I'd be based in a larger city where I could oversee the entire group more efficiently," Varos commented.

"That would make sense. But don't forget, Tecas still has its official leader." Karnak chuckled. "This guy is just the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes."

"No, that's not what I mean. If he really is Jedex, then he's the actual leader, isn't he? It just doesn’t suit him."

"Well, the official explanation is that he's based in Harthol temporarily for business expansion."

It made sense from an operational standpoint. Being in close contact with multiple merchant guilds would streamline logistics and allow him to acquire trade-related intelligence more efficiently.

"And beyond the trading business, it's also an excellent base for a cult leader," Karnak added.

Varos nodded in understanding. "Ah, now that makes sense."

Cultists needed to remain hidden and operate in the shadows. And the best place to hide wasn't in a desolate wilderness. It was right in the heart of a city teeming with strangers. The key was ensuring those around them remained strangers, never forming deep connections.

"By that measure, Harthol City is an ideal hideout."

With numerous merchant groups interwoven into the city's fabric, there was a constant influx of unfamiliar faces. There was an adequate flow of information and goods, making it easy to relay orders to cultists spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

The city's size was also convenient. Larger cities tended to impose harsher crackdowns on cults, while smaller cities were more lax. In many a sense, Harthol had the perfect balance of factors. If Jedex were hiding, there was hardly a better place.

"And this works in our favor as well."

It was extremely difficult to infiltrate dungeons that cultists had taken over. Everything inside would be a trap, and every inhabitant an enemy. Karnak had already learned that lesson in the Maleficus Dungeon.

But Harthol City? As mentioned, it was full of nameless strangers.

"That makes sneaking in much easier."

***

The Dilead Mountains stretched between the Eustil and the Lipaul Kingdoms. A lone carriage rolled along the forested mountain path, flanked by oak and pine trees. It was Karnak and his group, traveling under the guise of merchants.

As the incident with Maloka had proven, Karnak's reputation had grown significantly, and the Black God's Cult was keeping a close eye on him now. Unlike before, they needed to avoid attracting attention from the cultists.

Thus, they had chosen a trade wagon for their journey. To maintain their cover, they had packed it full of goods: porcelain from the empire, spices from Atringen, textiles from Tarum, and more. It was everything necessary to make their disguise convincing.

Leaning back in the carriage, gazing at the clear sky, Karnak muttered leisurely, "Honestly, traveling by wagon is much more convenient in some ways."

Up until now, most of their journeys had been urgent, requiring them to travel on horseback. But this time, there was no pressing need to rush. In fact, stealth was more important than speed.

Because of that, they had gone to great lengths to conceal their identities, even disguising themselves as common traders. They had abandoned their mage robes and knight armor for simple everyday clothing. Serati and Lapicel had even dyed their hair.

Black, blonde, and brown hair were common enough to avoid suspicion, but red or deep gray stood out too much. Such striking colors made it easier for people to remember them. So, they had both dyed their hair a dull, common shade of dark brown.

The only issue was that Serati still attracted attention regardless. Frowning at her reflection in a handheld mirror, she muttered, "Should I add more freckles?"

Even in ragged clothing, her beauty was impossible to conceal. Back when they had infiltrated Trist City, they had ultimately given up trying to hide it and had simply disguised her as a spoiled noble heiress.

Lapicel, who had been sitting beside the carriage, shook her head. "If you add any more, it'll just look weird, sis."

Too much was as bad as too little. A few freckles looked natural, but too many would just seem like a skin condition.

Lapicel gazed at Serati with a tinge of envy.

Will I be as beautiful as her when I grow up?

As for whether she could become as strong as Serati... Well, that was certainly possible. After all, the very fact that she constantly pondered how to reach Serati's level of strength meant she believed it was inevitable.

But I doubt I'll be as pretty!

Lapicel wasn't unattractive. She was just cute, but nothing more. Even in her days as a martial king, she had gained fame as a warrior, not for her looks.

Serati, on the other hand? Even now, people passing by often turned for a second glance. If she really put effort into her appearance, she could easily be considered one of the great beauties of the era.

On top of that, she was already a blue-tier aura user. Wherever she went, she was recognized as a genius swordswoman blessed with both beauty and talent.

And yet, I had the misfortune of meeting a bastard and ended up like this.

Serati pursed her lips as she glanced at that

bastard

—Karnak—rolling around in the carriage.

And on top of that, I ended up infertile.

Then again, in exchange, she had regained both her arms, so she wasn't exactly in a position to complain. A sudden thought crossed her mind.

—Wait a minute, Lord Karnak?

—Hm? Why are you suddenly using telepathy?

—Sir Leven is one of your subordinates now too, isn't he?

—Yeah, and?

—So... does that mean he's infertile too?

Lapicel jolted.

Oh, did Brother Leven just slip off his horse?! Was he dozing off?

For reference, Varos was in the driver's seat, while Leven was riding separately on horseback. The carriage was too cramped for everyone, especially with all the cargo.

Barely managing to regain his balance, Leven sent a frantic message.

—W-W-Wait a minute! What exactly did you just say...?

He had been lost in thought when he suddenly overheard something he absolutely couldn't ignore.

—Oh, it's not what you're thinking, Leven. Your performance is still intact, but function is gone, I suppose?

Even though he knew Leven wouldn't hear it, Karnak instinctively glanced at Lapicel. It was his duty as a responsible adult.

—It's more like a shift from manufacturing to service, wouldn't you say? There’s no problem with usage, so don’t worry.

Varos added with a grin, giving a thumbs-up. It seemed neither Karnak nor Varos had even considered how serious an issue this was for Leven.

—What do you mean, don't worry?! This means my family's lineage is going to end!

That was true. The Strauss family now had no proper heir left. After all, Emil’s body had been taken over by future Leven. Even so, Karnak and Varos remained nonchalant.

—Come on, Emil's body is still intact. Something will work out.

—Or maybe Martial King Gellard will just have another child?

Gellard wasn't exactly old yet. He had married in his mid-twenties and fathered Emil and Leven, meaning he was only in his early fifties now.

—Th-that’s not something I want to think about...

Watching Leven sink into despair, Serati chuckled softly before turning back to her mirror. It was truly a hassle. She had spent her entire life honing her swordsmanship, with no experience in enhancing her beauty, let alone deliberately making herself look worse.

"How do people even make themselves look naturally ugly?" She muttered as she scrutinized her reflection. "

Ugh

, this is such a pain. If I were just average-looking, I wouldn't have to deal with this."

For the first time, Lapicel had a thought about her esteemed mentor and sister that she probably shouldn't have had.

Wow, that’s totally obnoxious.

***

The journey from Drunta, Eustil, to Harthol, Lipaul, took nearly a week, even on a fast horse. Naturally, traveling by carriage at a leisurely pace took even longer. To save time, Karnak's group had taken the most direct route possible.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

But that came with a tradeoff: they often had no choice but to camp outdoors. Out in the open, meals were inevitably rough. Of course, if luck was on their side, they could catch fresh game. But no matter how skilled a hunter was, securing prey without straying too far from the path was difficult.

"And yet, our Varos manages to pull it off." Karnak beamed with satisfaction. "You caught something?"

"Yep! A deer," Varos answered.

Karnak exclaimed, "Let's roast it!"

The deer was young, but still quite large. It was definitely enough to provide fresh meat for several days.

Naturally, Leven was dumbfounded. "Wait, how the hell did you even catch this?"

Varos grinned and sent a private message.

—After spending months being hunted by the Church of the Goddesses in the mountains, you tend to pick up a few things.

For the record, Karnak handled the cooking himself. Like most food enthusiasts, his endless pursuit of delicious meals had naturally led him to take an interest in cooking. Not that this made him an extraordinary chef or anything.

"I discovered a way to enjoy good food even while camping." Turning to the group, he confidently shared his wisdom. "Bleed it well, cook it slowly over low heat, and brush it with sauce made by a top-tier chef. That's all it takes to make anything taste amazing."

"Surprisingly, that's not entirely wrong."

As for butchering the animal, that posed no issue either. Both Varos and Karnak had plenty of experience stripping flesh from bone. "We've had a lot of practice with... processing

animals

, after all. Hehehe."

Just in case, Serati discreetly asked Karnak,

—By animals, are you referring to those that walk on two feet?

—What do you think?

—I'm not asking any more questions.

She had no intention of ruining her appetite with unnecessary details. Before long, the venison sizzled over the campfire, turning golden brown. Karnak was never one to be stingy. He also brought out a selection of preserved side dishes, which were stored fresh with magic. For this meal, at least, they dined like nobility.

"This is delicious, Lord Karnak!"

"Eat as much as you want, Lapicel."

"Should we open some wine?"

"Wine? In the middle of the day?"

The atmosphere was lively and carefree.

Leven sighed while shaking his head. "We're about to face one of the leaders of the cult, and yet there's absolutely no sense of tension here."

"What's the problem?" Karnak grinned as he carved another piece of venison. "We'll have plenty of time to be tense once we get there. No need to start early."