“Umm…”
When Rudell opened his eyes, it was already dark outside the window.
Feeling a slight dizziness, Rudell rose from his bed and looked around, realizing he was in a Nord tribe village.
At the same time, an overwhelming fatigue washed over him.
Was it because he relaxed too much?
His whole body felt as heavy as lead.
“You’re awake?”
“Leje?”
Just then, a familiar voice came from the side, and when he turned his head, he saw Leje lying in bed, her body wrapped in bandages.
“You… no way…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not seriously injured. It’s just the medicine the Nord shamans use; they say it’s good for minor wounds.”
“That’s a relief.”
Feeling a sense of relief from that answer, Rudell let out a short sigh.
Seeing Leje get hurt was painful for Rudell.
“By the way, what about Kurt and the others?”
At that moment, Rudell realized he couldn’t see Kurt or the others.
“They’re probably sleeping in the lodging.”
“I see. How’s your body?”
“I feel like I’m dying… I’m so tired I could just fall over.”
“Seeing you say that means you’re still alive, huh?”
Rudell glanced at Leje with a faint smile, chuckling softly.
Maybe thanks to that medicine the Nord shamans used, a bitter aroma filled the room.
For a moment, silence enveloped between Rudell and Leje…
“By the way, what happened to that guy Keres? Did you defeat him?”
“Not exactly, I just temporarily sealed him away. With his powers, he’ll be out before long. Probably… in three to four days?”
“Isn’t that a big problem? It feels like it’s been more than two days already.”
“T-Two days!? I was out that long!?”
At that, Rudell felt a daze wash over him.
He couldn’t believe so much time had passed already.
It was certainly good that his magic power had increased, but it seemed the aftereffects of exhausting it to the limit were also significant.
With that thought, Rudell let out a low groan, and just then…
“You’re awake.”
“Dagruul.”
Seeing Dagruul enter through the door, Rudell tried to get up.
“Stay seated. I have no hobby of lifting injured folks.”
“Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”
Nodding at Dagruul’s words, Rudell noticed someone else entering as well.
“It’s been a while, young friend.”
“Pachelbel?”
An elderly man dressed in the imperial army uniform.
He was none other than Pachelbel Brant, the captain of the imperial chivalry.
“Why is Pachelbel here…?”
Rudell tilted his head in confusion, and Pachelbel approached him, pulling up a chair to sit right in front of him.
“Well… for now, I’ll just say we’ve temporarily called a ceasefire with the Nord tribe.”
“A ceasefire… is that really true?”
Given how sudden everything was, Rudell spoke as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Look at this guy, has he been living his life fooled?”
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention to doubt.”
“Forget about it, but isn’t there something more pressing we need to discuss right now?”
“That’s right.”
The matter concerning Keres.
Right now, nothing was more important to Rudell than that.
“To summarize the events so far…”
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Rudell began to explain everything that had happened to Pachelbel.
Starting from how he ended up in the Eternal Winter Plains, to creating Dagruul, and coming to Amol Fortress for peace negotiations.
How he was unjustly imprisoned due to the church’s conspiracy but managed to escape secretly to find the culprit.
How he went down to the fortress’s underground, got caught in the church’s trap, and ended up facing Keres in a dire situation.
“I see… so that means he’s still out there.”
After hearing a rough summary, Pachelbel nodded seriously.
Although Keres wasn’t at his full strength, he was still strong enough to push even Rudell’s hero party around.
If he were to be unleashed again, it was obvious that he would pose a serious threat to the empire.
“There’s one thing I haven’t told you yet.”
“I have a feeling it’s not good news.”
Given past experiences, Rudell could easily guess it would be unpleasant news.
With a sense of dread, he looked at Pachelbel.
“Actually, after bringing you here, it seems forces resembling the church have taken over the surrounding area. That area has now turned into a demonic realm filled with monstrous beasts and fanatics.”
“Not that surprising.”
Logically speaking, if a power as formidable as Keres had been sealed, it was only natural for them to try to reclaim him.
Of course, Rudell never expected it would turn out like this from the start.
“So, what does the empire plan to do?”
“I’ve already sent a support request to the Holy Kingdom and the Kingdom. It seems we’ll have to face off in a big way.”
With things turning out this way, there was only one option left.
A full-blown war.
“In two days, when the support troops from the Kingdom and Holy Kingdom arrive, the battle will start immediately. Meanwhile, you’d better focus on recovery. See you later.”
“Make sure to rest well until then.”
“Let’s get started.”
“Sure, I hope you both take a look around.”
Pachelbel got up from his seat and went outside with Dagruul, while Rudell, who was watching them, lay back down on the bed.
“Cool…”
“Looks like you fell asleep in the meantime.”
And seeing Leje softly snoring, Rudell let out a low chuckle.
I guess that means they were that tired.
With that thought, Rudell also felt his eyes slowly closing, and soon after, his consciousness sank into darkness.
*
The next morning.
“Ughhh…”
Stepping outside, Rudell stretched his body and enjoyed the cold air.
The chill woke up his hazy mind.
“It’s quite lively around here.”
Maybe they received some support while negotiating peace with the Empire; the Nord tribe’s settlement looked pretty decent.
It was located on a hill that was just the right height for defense, and thick wooden palisades surrounded it widely.
In the watchtowers made of wood and stone, soldiers that seemed to belong to the Empire were preparing their cannons and wizards occasionally roamed about.
Not just military facilities, but the living quarters were also made of wood.
Of course, there were still many makeshift tents visible, but compared to the time when they barely survived in a half-collapsed fortress, it was a significant improvement.
In fact, the Nord tribe members around him exuded a vitality he had never seen before.
“I wonder if Mom and Dad are doing well…”
The weather reminded him of the cold back home.
Suddenly thinking of his parents, Rudell wore a worried expression.
With Kyle there, he didn’t have to worry too much about anything happening, but still, it was unsettling.
“Yawn… Good morning…”
“Awake now?”
Just then, the door behind him opened, and Leje emerged with a groggy expression.
Greeting him, she hunched down against the strong cold wind and shivered lightly. Rudell approached her and quietly cast a spell.
“Heat.”
“Phew… that’s much better, thanks.”
“No need to mention it.”
“Did you hear? We’re officially going to war with the Church in two days.”
“I obviously heard.”
Rudell nodded, and a brief silence fell between the two.
It would be the first full-scale war with the Church since the Crusade was declared years ago.
It simply meant that the forces they had been gathering across the continent were finally starting to mobilize.
“I’m feeling a bit tense. Don’t you think?”
“Right? It’s a real war, after all.”
Up until now, Rudell and his party had been caught up in various incidents, but this was their first real war.
It’s almost weird to not feel tense.
“Will everyone make it back safely?”
“Of course, everyone will come back safely. I’ll make it happen.”
Wasn’t that the reason they came all this way?
Looking at Leje as if she were talking to herself, Rudell placed a hand on her shoulder.
“That sounds really reassuring.”
In response, Leje looked at him with a faint smile.
But just for a moment.
“I wish I were stronger.”
“Here we go again. I told you you’re strong enough.”
Seeing her downcast demeanor, Rudell let out a short sigh.
Leje had been especially gloomy lately.
Every time Leje said such things, Rudell couldn’t help but worry she might do something crazy.
“But if it weren’t for you, we could’ve been in big trouble this time.”
“That was just… the situation was really bad.”
Hundreds of monstrous beasts, battles with church members, followed by fights with Keres.
Having fought three major battles in a row, losing was inevitable.
“I wish I had a holy sword or something…”
“There’s no helping it. Don’t stress about it too much.”
Seemingly disappointed about not being chosen by a holy sword, Leje sighed again.
As Rudell watched her, trying to offer comfort, that was when it happened.
“Wait a minute, a holy sword?”
An idea flashed through Rudell’s mind, and as he organized his thoughts, he looked at her.
If she had non-human specs, maybe it could be possible…?
“What’s up? What’s going on?”
Leje gave him a confused look in response to Rudell’s gaze, and then Rudell spoke to her carefully.
“I have something I want to try. Could you possibly help me?”
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