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“No common traits?”

The appearances vary greatly.

“Indeed. It seems it was seen at midnight, which might explain the lack of common features. The witnesses didn’t hear any crying or see anything more than a fleeting glimpse. The footprints were erased.”

Then it doesn’t seem to be a goblin or Hyolang. I understand that tracking by traces is possible. Gawon continued speaking.

“We hired five Level 2 mercenaries to investigate, but for some reason, they haven’t come out since they entered the forest. According to the report’s date, it’s been five days.”

“It’s unlikely they ran away from a simple search mission, so they must be dead.”

“Probably so. Ideally, I’d like to send a knight, but I can’t deploy them based on personal judgment alone. It’s not a serious enough issue to waste high-level resources on goblins or Hyolangs when there are other places in greater need of urgent help.”

“Hmm.”

“So, I was going to head to the Mercenary Guild in a hurry. But, lo and behold, you showed up, thanks to the lord’s blessing.”

“So you met me.”

“That’s right. If you’ve thought it over thoroughly, I hope you can make a decision soon. As you know, if you refuse, we’ll have to look for another mercenary.”

Despite the urgency, Ian didn’t answer immediately.

Receiving a request from a temple isn’t a bad thing. It would be good for his experience.

Even though he started as a mercenary backed by the Bergers rather than from the bottom, if he wants to gain recognition later, he needs to successfully complete requests in various places.

But this was only relevant if aiming for the peak of mercenary status, which wasn’t Ian’s main concern. However…

“May I ask one thing? You don’t even know my level or rank, so the reason for giving me the request is to have the help of the Red Spear in an emergency, isn’t it?”

“Well, that’s part of it. But the priest who sent the report is someone I hold in high regard. Therefore, if possible, I’d like to send someone trustworthy.”

Ian nodded at Gawon’s honest admission. It’s good to have a connection with the temple, even if it’s not for that reason.

“I’ll accept the request. However, my fees are rather high. It won’t be worth it just for verifying the curse.”

“I will also cover the cost of travel and compensation. You won’t regret it.”

“No, there’s something else I’d like.”

“Hm?”

“I would like us to get along well in the future. As friends.”

“…Friends? Forgive me, but how old are you?”

“I’ll be nineteen this year.”

Gawon chuckled.

“I’m forty this year. If I had a child, they’d be about your age. A friendship might make me more of a loser, but it’s an interesting proposal. Truly. Alright, let’s be friends. I’ll prepare the request form, so please wait a moment.”

He stood up from his seat, walked to his desk, and returned shortly with a document.

“Here it is. Please review it. Also, I’ll submit a special request form to the Mercenary Guild, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“There’s nothing unusual here.”

“Then! I wouldn’t cheat a friend. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

“…It’s not related to the request, but is it alright?”

When Ian asked cautiously, Gawon nodded agreeably.

“There’s no problem.”

“Um, do you know anything about heroes?”

“Of course.”

“Then about the hero of Hamir?”

Upon hearing this question, Gawon’s eyes widened, and he burst into laughter.

Ian was stunned by Gawon’s completely unexpected reaction.

“Why do you say that?”

“Oh, no. I just thought of our young friend as just another man.”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t need to pretend you don’t know. I know everything. You must have heard rumors about the hero of Hamir being beautiful. It’s only natural for a teenage boy to be interested.”

“There seems to be some misunderstanding…”

“It’s fine. I can’t give you details, but the rumors about the hero are true. I’ve met them once, and they were truly astonishingly beautiful. It’s the kind of beauty that makes you want to see them again and again.”

“Could I… meet her?”

“Well, I doubt that will be possible…”

Ian sighed with a heavy heart.

“Don’t be too disappointed. If it’s meant to be, you will meet her.”

“…Yes.”

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

“No.”

Ian said this and slowly got up from his seat.

“I’ll set off as soon as I finish preparing the request. At the latest, I’ll depart by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thank you.”

After parting with Gawon, Ian returned to the mansion and found Verdan.

He had expected Verdan to be busy with paperwork or preoccupied, but instead, Verdan was leisurely sitting, sipping tea, and eating snacks.

“What did the temple say?”

As soon as Ian sat down, Verdan asked. Ian picked up a snack and answered.

“They said it’s fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

“By the way, the temple asked me to take on a special request.”

“…A special request?”

Ian handed over the document he was holding. Verdan took it with a sour expression, unfolded it, and sighed as he read through it.

“Ian, there’s always an appropriate procedure for everything. You decided to become a mercenary, but you were supposed to stay with the Bergers for a while, weren’t you? It’s a bit troublesome if you start taking on other requests like this.”

“I couldn’t help it.”

“You couldn’t help it? Did they threaten you with a sword or something?”

“It wasn’t like that. Remember when I fell off the cliff two years ago?”

“You said you jumped to hunt a deer.”

Ian frowned.

“I didn’t jump; I fell. I’ve told you several times that I didn’t know there was a cliff there.”

“So?”

“…The priest who treated me back then is the client for this request. He’s also the bishop of the temple.”

Verdan drummed his fingers on the armrest.

“It’s difficult to allocate personnel separately at the moment.”

“I know. Most of the Red Spear knights are dispatched.”

“There are remaining personnel, but they’re just reserves and not suitable. I’d like to attach even a Black Spear knight, but I don’t have the authority to do that yet…”

Ian chuckled, munching on his snack.

“Brother, it’s fine. I understand your concerns, but I’ll handle it and come back.”

“…I’ll assign a junior knight to you.”

“No, that’s unnecessary.”

A junior knight is essentially the same as a regular soldier—lacking experience and skills.

If it were someone like Mael or Mari, I could trust them, but such individuals are rare. It’s obvious that taking them along would only be a burden.

Ian left his seat after informing that he would depart the next morning.

* * *

Ian woke up early and set out towards his destination.

Unfortunately, there was no space-time teleportation circle in the village he was heading to, so he had to take a cargo carriage to the nearby area.

Every bump in the road brought a jarring impact to his rear, making it quite uncomfortable.

He could manage the journey there somehow, but thinking about the return trip made him anxious.

The only good news was that the journey went relatively smoothly. Although the distance to the city was considerable, he didn’t encounter any bandits or monsters.

However, the trouble began after he got off the carriage.

From village to village. The weather rapidly worsened during the journey, and eventually, it started pouring rain.

A bad omen, but fortunately, the village he arrived at seemed to be unharmed, with lights on in every house.

‘The defenses are lacking.’

There were no walls or barriers, just a simple fence. This wouldn’t stop any monsters; it only serves as a marker for vigilance.

Entering the village through the muddy paths, Ian noticed that, probably due to the rain, no one was out and about.

A pointed spire appeared through the falling rain. It was a cathedral. He headed there, brushed off the rain under the eaves, and knocked on the closed door.

Creeeak.

After a short wait, the hinges creaked, and the door opened. A young priest emerged.

Divine power subtly emanated from him. It seemed Gawon wasn’t mistaken in valuing this priest highly, as such a person would not typically stay in a small, remote village.

The priest looked at Ian with curiosity and asked,

“Are you here for help?”

“No, I’m here to offer help. I came at Bishop Gawon’s request.”

“From the bishop…? Let me get you a towel and some spare shoes to clean yourself up.”

Since entering the building as he was would undoubtedly make him filthy, Ian waited patiently.

After removing his robe, shaking off the rain, and changing into the shoes the priest brought, he was finally able to go inside.

The interior was warm and calm. Ian took a moment to relax and handed the request letter from the bishop to the priest.

After reviewing the letter, the priest returned it and bowed his head.

“Thank you so much for coming, Ian. I am Angelo, the priest of this village, Bona.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Ian.”

“Ian…?”

Angelo tilted his head but then nodded as if it didn’t matter.

“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? I was just preparing dinner. If you don’t mind, would you like to join me?”

Ian did not decline. He was served warm milk, white bread, and potato soup.

It was a pity that there was no meat, but he didn’t show his disappointment and finished his meal cleanly.

After filling up, he chatted with Angelo. Though he didn’t expect much, Angelo didn’t have much information.

He still couldn’t identify the monsters properly, livestock continued to disappear one by one each day, and not a single mercenary who went into the forest to search had returned.

Angelo bowed his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“It’s alright. It can’t be helped. I’ll verify things myself tomorrow.”

Ian decided to spend the night at the cathedral.

Though the bed was uncomfortable, after walking all day in the rain, he managed to get a good night’s sleep.

In the morning, after finishing his meal, he checked his gear and went outside.

The rain had stopped. The sky was clear, as if it had never been gloomy.

“Let’s go.”

As Ian warmed up and stretched, Angelo, who had offered to guide him through the village, came out.

He carried a fearsome mace in one hand and a sturdy shield in the other.

“…What’s that?”

“Oh, the mace and shield?”

“No, I mean, why are you bringing those?”

“Well, you’re planning to enter the forest after scouting the village, aren’t you?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Angelo flashed a kind smile. The mace and shield didn’t seem to suit him at all.

“I’ll accompany you.”

“…Are you a combat priest?”

“No, not exactly, but I have received related training.”

“That still sounds dangerous.”

“Isn’t it the same for you, Ian? It’s fine. Besides, if you hadn’t come, I would have gone into the forest alone.”

“That’s rather reckless.”

To be honest, it was a foolish choice.

“What else can I do? The villagers are extremely anxious. Many mercenaries have gone into the forest, but none have returned, and there are no local patrols. Even keeping watch at night is impractical. As a priest, I couldn’t just stand by.”

Ian gave a wry smile.

“If you were to die, the villagers would only be more anxious.”

“That’s actually something I’ve worried about a lot. But fortunately, you’ve come, so I believe that won’t happen.”

“…Hmm.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be a burden.”

“Alright. If you insist, I suppose I have to trust you.”

Since they wouldn’t be heading into the forest immediately, Ian followed Angelo’s lead.

———