Chapter 113
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Guardians and the Underground Tomb (1)
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Was this proof that we were drawing closer to the northern edge?
As our journey continued, we encountered barbarian groups with increasing frequency.
Sometimes we could talk our way out without fighting, but more often than not, it came down to blows.
The mutants, in particular, lunged into battle the moment they spotted us.
They had lost all reason, after all.
"Graaaargh!"
Skin flushed red and mottled, eyes bloodshot to the extreme.
And a recklessness that threw all caution to the wind.
The barbarian mutants were objects of terror.
At least, from the perspective of the weak.
But we weren't weak.
Slash!
We didn't even need to form a defensive line.
The burly trio and the undead knights immediately handled the mutants charging at us.
Their skills had clearly improved since before.
'Bear and Conal have gotten even stronger.'
Was it because their physical abilities had enhanced?
Bear and Conal were more aggressive than ever.
And the mutants offered no real resistance to their assaults, simply offering up their necks in futile surrender.
'Gilbert and the undead knights have grown too.'
Gilbert went without saying.
The undead knights' skills had improved dramatically as well.
They had grown even more than Bear and Conal.
In truth, this was only natural.
As my own power rose, the magic reinforcing and summoning the undead had grown stronger too.
On top of that, hadn't we reinforced Gilbert and the knights' bodies with prime materials from the basilisk?
'Ah, but it's such a shame about losing their armor.'
The thought crossed my mind unbidden.
I let out a sigh without realizing it.
Due to the battle with the basilisk, Bear and Conal's chainmail was badly damaged.
Gilbert's had melted away entirely.
So the burly trio was down to just padded gambesons—hardly knightly attire.
Though it did make them look the part of proper mercenaries.
'Huh? It's over already?'
While I sighed like that,
the fight had already ended.
Only Pergal looked disappointed.
The rest approached the mutants' corpses to search for anything worth looting.
I joined them.
I wanted to examine the mutants' conditions.
'The closer we get to the far north, the more severe the mutations seem to be.'
The twenty or so mutants who ambushed us.
Over half showed physical deformities.
One arm unnaturally swollen, fingers sprouting in wrong places, that sort of thing.
Any worse, and they'd turn into outright monsters.
It felt like the north's chaos was only growing with time.
I wanted to reach Foerfront as soon as possible.
"Cedric."
I called out, and he turned from rummaging through a corpse.
"Yes!"
"How much farther to Foerfront?"
"At this pace, about a week."
A week.
Long if it felt long, short if it felt short.
"I can see the walls."
Cedric said, gazing ahead.
A towering mountain peak.
A city nestled at its base.
Adjoining barbarian territory, it was protected not by a palisade, but proper stone walls.
Oddly, though, they were shorter than a typical palisade.
"The walls seem awfully low."
I muttered, and Conal, overhearing, explained.
"Barbarians aren't great at siege warfare, so they built them short and thick on purpose."
"Ah, makes sense. Easier to snipe enemies from the top too—the range is shorter."
"Exactly."
I looked at the walls again after hearing Conal.
They looked sturdy, for sure.
"Halt! Who are you?"
We arrived at the gates while inspecting the walls.
The guards stationed there blocked our path.
They must have spotted the golem giant and realized we had a mage, yet their attitude was overbearing.
Spoke to their discipline.
'But what if I mention Count Dustin?'
With that in mind, I stepped forward.
And declared confidently.
"I am the mage Heros."
"Your business?"
"I've come to see Count Dustin."
"A guest of the lord?"
The moment I name-dropped Count Dustin, the interrogating soldier's demeanor shifted instantly.
The others followed suit.
"Whether I'm a guest or not is up to Count Dustin. Can you deliver this to him?"
I pulled a rolled parchment from my robes.
And handed it to the soldier.
"What is this?"
He asked with a dubious expression.
I answered readily.
"A letter of introduction from Count Chester."
The reason I used my real name instead of the alias John.
It was because of Count Chester's letter.
It plainly stated "Heros," so there was no hiding my identity.
'Revealing myself is the best way to meet Count Dustin right away.'
Truth be told, even without the letter, Count Dustin would have summoned me soon enough.
A mage traveling with a golem?
How could he ignore that?
But my proactive approach was to declare my status openly and seek aid legitimately.
"We'll send word to the castle. Mind waiting here a moment?"
The guard holding the letter asked cautiously.
I nodded.
He called over a young soldier, passed him the letter with a whisper, and the boy dashed into the city.
Count Chester's letter of introduction.
Its effect was tremendous.
I got an immediate audience with Count Dustin.
"We've arrived."
The servant guiding us halted before a door at the corridor's end.
He slowly opened the double doors.
The revealed space resembled the hall in Chester Castle.
Probably served the same purpose.
"Much younger than I expected."
As I entered, a deep baritone echoed through.
I looked toward the voice.
A dais opposite the entrance.
A middle-aged man sat in a fur-trimmed chair.
His unkempt dark brown hair fell to his shoulders, his rugged face covered in a thick beard.
Sitting alone at the head, he had to be Count Dustin.
'Feels more barbarian than noble.'
Count Dustin's vibe differed greatly from nobles I'd met.
Probably due to his rough appearance.
'Those below the dais must be his retainers.'
Knights and officials, by their looks.
They stood to either side, leaving the center clear.
I walked that path to the dais.
"It's an honor to meet you, Count Dustin."
I stood in the hall's center and bowed politely.
My followers behind me bowed to the count as well.
Everyone except the burly trio and undead knights looked awkward.
Tense around nobility, it seemed.
"I've brought a humble gift."
I glanced at Bear and Conal.
Understanding, they stepped forward and carefully set down their burdens.
Skulls: one basilisk, one griffon.
"One's a griffon's head. The other?"
Count Dustin examined the gifts with interest,
pointing at the basilisk skull.
Large enough for two grown men inside—it was natural for him to be curious.
'The retainers' reactions are good too.'
I quickly scanned Count Dustin's men.
From the moment Bear entered with the basilisk skull, their eyes were glued to it.
They still were.
I'd brought it expecting exactly this response—my gambit had paid off.
"A basilisk skull."
I declared its identity boldly.
"Basilisk?"
Count Dustin's eyes widened slightly.
His retainers reacted similarly.
"A basilisk?"
"Hard to believe."
"Look at the size. How many monsters have a skull that big?"
The retainers murmured among themselves.
But when Count Dustin raised a hand, they fell silent as one.
He broke the quiet.
"I'll gladly accept the gift."
"Thank you."
I bowed again.
Seemed I'd seized the initiative.
By revealing myself as the mage who hunted the basilisk, I'd proven I wasn't to be dismissed.
Perhaps because of that,
Count Dustin's attitude toward me softened noticeably.
"I read Count Chester's letter. Full of praise for you. Says you're the hero who saved Chester—what do you think of that?"
"Count Chester seems to think highly of me."
"So it seems. So, hero who saved Chester, why venture to this backwater? With nine skilled knights in tow, no less."
Count Dustin's gaze swept over the burly trio and six undead knights.
He'd pegged them as knights at a glance.
'How'd he know?'
The question was brief.
I quickly gathered my thoughts.
I needed to organize what to tell Count Dustin.
"I originally planned a journey to the far north to investigate the mysteries manifesting there. But along the way, I learned of the calamity striking the north."
"Calamity—the plague?"
"Yes. And I realized it wasn't a mere disease, but a form of curse magic."
"Hm."
Count Dustin listened quietly.
His unchanged expression suggested he already knew the mutations turning barbarians into monsters stemmed not from plague, but curses.
Makes sense—two mages among his retainers here.
They'd have detected the curse magic.
"The culprits are an organization called Eremus. A group of black mages—all members. The east suffered greatly from their schemes too."
"Eremus?"
"Yes. Their goal is to sow chaos in the empire. That's why they're doing this."
I laid out the situation for Count Dustin.
The same story I'd told Count Chester—nothing to trip me up.
"I've heard your tale."
Soon after, my explanation ended.
Count Dustin, who had listened with a grave face throughout, looked down at me and spoke.
And continued slowly.
"I understand the plague's source is black mages."
With that,
Count Dustin met my eyes directly.
"But one question remains unanswered. Heros, why did you come to me?"
Finally, Count Dustin asked.
This was the question I'd been waiting for.
"I've come seeking your support, Count Dustin."
"Support?"
"On the way here, we faced all sorts of enemies and endured many hardships. Now we're short on guards, food, gear—everything."
I said, meeting Count Dustin's gaze.
He saw through me and chuckled dryly.
But I wasn't done.
"Count Dustin. Aid us, and my men and I will take down the ringleaders behind the north's chaos."
The ringleaders behind the north's chaos.
I meant Northern Branch Chief Nicholas.
I'd mentioned it before, so Count Dustin knew who.
Thus, he didn't answer right away.
'Be my patron.'
I waited without pressing.
At last, he spoke.
"Heros. You seem an exceptional mage. Count Chester's letter, the basilisk skull—all attest to your prowess. But I'd like to test your skills myself. May I?"
Test me.
A positive sign.
He was open to supporting me, at least somewhat.
So I answered promptly.
"Yes."
I'd passed the gods' trials unscathed.
Become a devotee to over twenty deities because of it.
Fail a mere human's test?
No chance.