Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Black Wolf Leader, Requiem
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Tia welcomed Judah back after just a few days with immense joy. Perhaps because she knew he would be leaving soon, she made every effort to stay glued to his side at all times.
Judah pulled out the bastard sword bestowed upon him by the lord. The blade, partially chipped away by the brawler, had lost its former glory. The castle's blacksmiths in Serenia were highly skilled, so if he entrusted it to them, they could restore it to its original state.
However, the chipped sword's attack power was slightly higher. He planned to have it repaired for now, but since it felt like he might just store it in his <Bag> as a memento, he recovered its codes. He reclaimed the two prefix and suffix codes it had been enchanted with and reapplied [Sharpness of the Blade] to the chipped sword.
Afterward, he stopped by the forge to commission the repair of the bastard sword, bought two more daggers identical to the ones he already used, and headed to the Adventurers' Guild on the northern main road to register as an adventurer.
Thanks to his fame from hunting Black Wolves, the registration process was straightforward, and he received his guild card without any hassle. Once registration was complete, Judah and Tia grabbed a simple meal nearby and visited the lord's castle. They figured they needed to schedule a meeting in advance if they wanted to see him before departing in a few days.
Unexpectedly, the lord seemed to have been waiting for them and readily agreed to meet. Upon hearing this from the castle guards, Judah and Tia were promptly escorted to the audience chamber.
Caught off guard by how quickly they were granted an audience, the two exchanged puzzled glances as they waited for the lord. The butler informed them that it might take a little time due to his ongoing duties and brought in some pastries and drinks. As they quietly chatted with Tia while nibbling on the pastries, the door opened, and the lord entered. Judah and Tia rose from their seats to greet him.
"Ah. No need for formalities—sit down."
He gave a wry smile, waved it off with his hand, and took a seat across from them. A maid hurried in, placed a fresh teacup before the lord, and poured his tea.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting. Did I make you wait long?"
He spoke with a rather weary expression. They'd waited about twenty minutes. It felt like quite a while, but who could say "Yes, we waited forever" to his face? As Judah was about to reply no, Tia beat him to it.
"We waited about twenty minutes. It was a long wait, my lord."
"Tia!"
"? Why? It's the truth."
Judah sighed at her brutally honest response, while the lord burst into laughter.
"Haha. My apologies, lady. I quite like that straightforwardness of yours."
"Please don't take offense. I'm just not good at beating around the bush with things like this."
"It's fine. Honesty is no sin."
Tia bowed her head in apology. In truth, even calling it honest, few would dare speak this way to the owner of a holy sword. People usually flattered holy sword wielders with sweet words to stay in their good graces. This kind of candor actually worked in her favor. After some pleasant small talk, the lord, pressed for time, got straight to the point.
"Well then, our young hero—or should I say just 'hero' now that you're an adult?"
"Call me however you like."
"Then I'll call you Judah, like Sir Kaseun does. I was always envious of how friendly it sounded. Anyway, I thought you'd come right after your coming-of-age ceremony, but you're quite late. Coming to see me means you're about to set off, right?"
Judah nodded in response.
"Yes. I wanted to pay my respects before leaving."
A broad smile spread across the lord's face. Serenia Castle was unique in that even commoners enjoyed the freedom to relocate. As long as they had the money, they could leave anytime. Gaining status as an adventurer or mercenary granted permission to roam freely. But most had lived here for generations, feeling a strong sense of belonging, and knew how rare it was to find a place this good to live in—so hardly anyone left. There were exceptions, of course, but none who came to bid farewell in person. Even if they did, the lord's position wasn't leisurely enough to guarantee a meeting.
"I was planning to seek you out myself if you hadn't come by the end of this week. Good timing."
"Pardon?"
Judah feigned ignorance, widening his eyes in surprise. It was time to claim his reward. He subtly glanced aside and refreshed his quest window.
「Lord's Request」
[Number of Black Wolves Hunted So Far]
[Regular Wolves: 698]
[Leader Wolves: 5]
He had hunted a substantial number of wolves. With this many under his belt, the lord would surely reward him generously—Judah personally hoped for gold coins. The lord chuckled at Judah's innocent expression and rose from his seat.
"You seem to have some idea already. Wait here a moment. I'll fetch the reward for our hardworking hero."
He appeared intent on retrieving it personally and left the audience chamber. Soon after, he returned with a pouch tucked behind his back and set it down before Judah. The clinking sound revealed it was money—and a considerable amount at that!
"I pondered what to give you, and nothing seemed better than gold. Use it to buy whatever you need on your travels. Of course, with a hero's skills, even carrying this much around won't attract trouble from petty thieves, right?"
Judah let out a small laugh at the lord's words and opened the pouch. Even in the dim light, the gold coins gleamed brilliantly inside. Roughly 20 gold coins, by the look of it. More than enough. Judah bowed his head to him.
"Thank you, my lord."
"No need for thanks—it's just compensation for what you've done for the castle. Ah, but I do have one proposal."
"A proposal, you say?"
"Yes. Didn't I mention earlier that I was about to go looking for you?"
"...You did."
Judah eyed him with a reluctant expression.
"You haven't hunted Black Wolves much these past few months, have you?"
"Yes. That's true."
"Ah, I'm not asking for reasons or trying to pry. No need to worry. But Judah, ever since you vanished from sight, the Black Wolves have started showing up again. Hunters have spotted them once more. Some have even been killed already."
Hunters killed? Yet there was no trace of unease among Serenia's people. Still, if the lord himself said it, it must be true. As if recalling his fury toward the Black Wolves, a heavy mana emanated from him like subtle perfume. Though his words were gentle, the air around them grew oppressively thick, unlike any fragrance.
"So, I'm planning to wipe them out entirely this time."
"Wipe them out?"
Judah echoed in surprise. The lord curled the corner of his mouth and stroked his chin.
"Yes. A subjugation. Truth be told, this is the perfect opportunity. Their numbers have dwindled significantly over the past two years, and their push into the southern forest shows they've lost the turf war. We can focus solely on the Black Wolves without worrying about the White Wolves."
"May I ask how many will be participating?"
The lord paused thoughtfully before speaking.
"200 from the eastern guard, 200 from the northern guard. Total of 400 soldiers and 10 knights, with Sir Kaseun lending his aid."
Judah realized that with this force, they could subjugate the Black Wolves without his help. In fact, the soldiers and knights might not even be necessary. With a holy sword wielder like Kaseun joining, he alone could probably smash every charging wolf.
A subjugation quest guaranteed to succeed. But he recalled that in the game, it hadn't unfolded this way. It was simply posted on the village board as 「Process Requiem Appearing in the Eastern Forest. 0/1」.
'Interesting.'
The world wasn't following the game's script exactly. Changes like this were happening. Then again, this felt more like a natural progression.
"What do you say? Care to join?"
This was actually an opportunity. One he couldn't pass up.
"Yes, if Grandpa Kaseun is participating, I'd like to ask to join myself. But I won't just be along for the ride, will I?"
"Along for the ride?"
For a moment, the lord blinked in confusion at the idiom before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Haha, that's a fun expression. But no, you won't be. Just your participation will boost the soldiers' morale, Judah. Thank you for agreeing. The subjugation sets off the day after tomorrow at 7 a.m. No need to worry about forgetting—I'll send someone to your house."
"My lord."
Tia, who had been watching quietly from the side, spoke up. The lord's gaze turned to her, and he let out an "Ah," nodding as if suddenly understanding.
"Of course, lady, you're welcome to join if you wish. I'd worry sending Judah off alone, after all."
Grateful that he had anticipated her desire without her needing to voice it, Tia bowed her head. The lord, still smiling, rose and extended his hand for a handshake. Judah gladly took it.
"Then I'll count on you. I have preparations for the subjugation to attend to."
He bid farewell to Tia and Judah and left the audience chamber. The moment he did, a new quest appeared before Judah's eyes.
「Lord's Request 2」
[The Black Wolves, pushed out of the southern forest in a territorial battle with the White Wolves, attempted to migrate en masse to the eastern forest.]
[However, they were blocked by your blade and failed to enter the eastern forest for the past two years.]
[Though mindless beasts incapable of speech, their respect for the strong led them to insist on one-on-one duels, making this possible.]
[But now, defeated in the territorial war with the White Wolves, the Black Wolves have nowhere left to retreat.]
[The injured Black Wolf Leader <Requiem> is leading the remnants of its pack—excluding those that scattered—into the eastern forest.]
[Feeling threatened by the Black Wolves' resurgence, Lord [Chapelrin Fiercen] is preparing their subjugation.]
[You have been invited to participate in this glorious operation, involving 400 soldiers, 10 knights, and 1 holy sword wielder, in recognition of your past deeds. Join this inevitably victorious campaign and subjugate the Black Wolves.]
[However, take note of one thing.]
[While respect for the strong is part of the Black Wolves' pride, with the pack's survival now paramount, all but the leader will refuse duels.]
[Black Wolf Leader - Requiem 0/1]
[Black Wolf Leaders 0/80]
[Black Wolves 0/800]
========== Afterword ==========
Alright, shall we make tomorrow a fiery Friday?
Oh, and for all you Tia fans, I've prepared a brief 16kb "no smut" If side story. You can check it out once this 1-4 chapter arc ends.