Chapter 32: A Temporary Halt

Hay woke as dusk began to settle.

His shoulders felt heavy, and his body slumped. The constant noise and commotion outside the house during the day had frequently woken him, leaving him feeling as though he hadn’t slept at all.

Now, the village was quiet as a mouse. The same stillness pervaded the house.

“Renki, where is Mrs. Ethel?”

“At the village chief’s house. It seems she’s concerned about the orphans.”

“Have the reinforcements from the Kranze Mercenary Band arrived yet?”

“Yes. They all departed for Mount Senugel earlier today to conduct a search.”

“What about Lexa and Chen?”

“Both of them went to the mountain.”

Hay nodded, his face etched with fatigue. After finishing the somewhat undercooked, mealy potatoes, he rose from his seat.

“Then I’ll go for a walk.”

Renki quietly retrieved a cloak and draped it over Hay’s shoulders. It seemed Renki had taken care of the cloak Hay had carelessly tossed aside after last night’s battle.

“You washed it.”

“I washed it while you were sleeping, Master. It’s chilly outside; you might catch a cold if you wear something thin.”

“Thank you.”

Hay offered a slight smile. As he loosely fastened his cloak and stepped out of the house, he noticed mercenaries milling about.

There were faces he didn’t recognize. They must have been the mercenaries brought by the Kranze Vice-Captain.

Hay walked at a leisurely pace, rubbing his chest with his palm.

The mana, completely depleted during yesterday’s battle, was now replenishing itself after his rest.

Moreover, he sensed that the vessel within his body, capable of accumulating mana, had expanded.

It seemed that expending all his strength and unleashing the power of every spirit last night had contributed to his growth.

This was a fortunate development for Hay.

‘At this rate, reaching the intermediate level shouldn’t be difficult at all.’

It hadn’t been long since he reached the lower-intermediate rank, so could this expansion of his vessel be related to the prior depletion of his spirit power?

‘Should I try using it all up again sometime?’

He lowered his hand and now touched his abdomen. The wounds had all healed, leaving only faint scratches.

He remembered being pierced by the Black Mage’s metal hand. That, coupled with the thought of his previous life, which ended in death from overwork, made him reconsider.

‘No. From now on, I need to be more careful with my body.’

While growth was welcome, dying from sheer exhaustion was an experience Han Tae-hyun’s past life had already provided enough of.

****

Yulid Kranze, Kisen’s senior disciple and the Vice-Captain of the Kranze Mercenary Band, was a hulking man with red hair and a red beard.

He appeared to be about two meters tall, with an impressively large physique.

Though of a different race, his imposing stature and demeanor made him strikingly resemble the action actor Dwayne Johnson.

Outwardly, he seemed stronger than Kisen, yet Yulid Kranze was merely a Practitioner, a rank below Kisen.

“But why did he hand over the mercenary band to Kisen, his junior disciple?”

This mercenary band had been founded by Yulid’s grandfather. It seemed a little incomprehensible that he would entrust it to someone else, even a junior disciple.

“Vice-Captain Kranze, you see, absolutely despises anything that requires thinking or is simply bothersome. As a mercenary band stationed within the city, they frequently have private audiences with the lord, and finding it all too irksome, he just offloaded everything onto his intelligent junior disciple. Consequently, Kisen primarily handles office and administrative duties, while the Vice-Captain remains busy taking on requests and ranging far beyond Nudan’s borders.”

Lexa was the one who answered.

“So, it’s like, ‘I’ll handle the physical work; you handle the thinking.'”

“Exactly! That’s precisely it.”

Lexa grinned, revealing her teeth. Hay arched an eyebrow.

Indeed, Vice-Captain Kranze certainly didn’t look like someone who enjoyed intellectual pursuits. He seemed to be the type who was simple-minded and preferred to push through with brute force.

“By the way, Fortune-teller, how is Chen doing?”

Hay asked, turning to Lexa. Lexa gestured with her chin towards the baggage cart at the rear of the procession.

“He’s completely out of it.”

Just as she said, Chen sat beside the coachman’s seat on the baggage cart, utterly lost in thought. He clutched a bundle in his arms, which contained Adel’s limbs, a part of her remains.

Hay had assumed she would have been buried, but that wasn’t the case.

He heard that Chen intended to take her to Arcavia, the City of Mages, to hold a funeral with his master there.

Apparently, the two had originally promised to go to Arcavia once this current task was finished.

“You also said you’d go to the City of Mages with him, didn’t you, Fortune-teller?”

“Strictly speaking, I’m the one taking him. To reach Arcavia, you need guidance from a resident there. Adel originally possessed the ‘Compass,’ but it vanished along with her. Without it, Chen can’t go alone.”

It was an unknown city, not marked on any map, its very location a mystery.

He had heard that the ‘Mirror Labyrinth’ existed there. Furthermore, a special compass, which guided the way to Arcavia, was said to be essential for safe passage through it.

“Why don’t you come with us too, Mr. Unemployed? Aren’t you curious about what Arcavia is like?”

Hay shook his head at Lexa’s suggestion.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it, but he had heard certain things about Arcavia’s mages from that old geezer.

‘Those old folks there are lunatics. Truly madmen.’

He recalled Hellheim’s disgusted reaction when asked about the City of Mages.

If even that madman considered them lunatics, didn’t that say it all?

While Lexa didn’t seem like a lunatic, Hay had no desire for unnecessary adventure.

“If you change your mind, just say so. The residents of our Arcavia don’t particularly care for outsiders, but they welcome Spirit Users like you. I’ll go sit with Chen now!”

‘What exactly is a Spirit User like me?’

Lexa smiled brightly and returned to Chen. Hay glanced at Lexa, then turned his attention to Vice-Captain Kranze, whose voice was now booming.

“No one’s missing, are they?!”

Yulid’s voice was as formidable as his physique.

“As previously announced, we are now heading to Kelfanity Village! The residents of the village at the foot of Mount Senugel will remain there until further orders from the lord! Follow closely, and ensure no one falls behind! Move out!”

At his shout, the long procession began to move from the front.

The villagers, having loaded their belongings onto mules and other livestock, set off with grim expressions.

They were people who had lost their families and homes overnight.

Several individuals held tightly to the hands of orphaned children.

The villagers had received orders from the Lord of Nudan to relocate to Kelfanity Village.

This was due to the destruction of their village and the heavy casualties among the young men who had participated in the battle, making it impossible to guarantee their safety.

Although it was described as a temporary measure until the village could be restored, no one knew when they would truly be able to return home.

“Master, let’s take the carriage.”

Renki said. Hay nodded and boarded the carriage Kisen had provided for him.

Inside the carriage, the elderly Mrs. Ethel, whom Hay had been indebted to for several days, was already seated. She was dozing, her head nodding.

Hay gently pulled the blanket from Mrs. Ethel’s lap and draped it over her shoulders.

“Shall we begin treatments right away?”

“Yes. Call them in one by one.”

At Renki’s question, Hay adjusted his posture. Kisen had given Hay the carriage specifically to provide a space for treating the injured.

A moment later, Renki leaped from the moving carriage and ushered someone inside.

Hay examined the injured person. They had sustained a severe arm injury.

While not life-threatening, the area around the wound was turning black due to infection.

“The healing water will cure the infection and heal more than half of your wound. Once you reach the city, you’ll need to have it stitched and properly cared for to make a full recovery.”

“Or could I just drink more healing water tomorrow? It heals faster, doesn’t it?”

“In that case, come to Torres’ Inn tomorrow. You’re aware that my healing water costs 50 silver per dose, aren’t you?”

Hay meticulously assessed each injured person’s condition and dispensed the healing water. Renki, meanwhile, recorded their names and signatures on a list of those who had received treatment.

They had departed from the village at the foot of Mount Senugel in the morning, but it was already dusk by the time they reached Kelfanity Village.

The carriage came to a halt. Mrs. Ethel, having eaten a snack earlier, had fallen back asleep. Hay gently woke her, helped her out, and then disembarked from the carriage.

At the village entrance, the chief of Kelfanity Village, the chief of the village at the foot of Mount Senugel, Kisen, and Yulid were engaged in conversation.

The discussion concluded swiftly, and the chief instructed the young men of the village to open the gates.

“Residents of the village at the foot of Mount Senugel, enter the village and follow the chief’s instructions!”

Yulid bellowed. People began to file into Kelfanity Village, one by one. The village chief’s wife, a relative of Mrs. Ethel, approached Hay.

“Thank you, Sir Spirit User. For looking after my aunt.”

“It was nothing.”

Hay transferred Mrs. Ethel’s hand to the village chief’s wife. Mrs. Ethel, however, clutched Hay’s sleeve.

“My grandson, where are you going, leaving your grandma?”

Mrs. Ethel wore an expression much like a frightened child. Hay smiled gently and stroked the back of her hand.

“Grandma, I’m going to work. I’ll be back after one night.”

“Truly?”

“Of course.”

It was, naturally, a lie.

Unaware she had been deceived, Mrs. Ethel’s clouded eyes sparkled. This elderly woman, afflicted with dementia, would completely forget everything that had happened today once a single night passed.

She would forget Hay, Renki, and even the other mages she had spent several days with. Just as she had forgotten Adel, who had been so kind to her, and no longer asked about her whereabouts throughout the day.

“Yes, yes. Do your work well, and be sure to come back to your grandma quickly, alright?”

Mrs. Ethel chuckled softly and, supported by the chief’s wife, entered the village. She even turned back to wave at Hay until the very last moment.

Hay smiled and waved back until Mrs. Ethel’s figure disappeared beyond the palisade.

“Master.”

Renki, standing beside him, called out. Looking down, Hay saw an inquisitive look in his eyes. Hay yawned and rubbed the back of his neck.

“How many people are left to treat?”

“Seven.”

“I’m tired. Let’s finish quickly.”

Hay re-entered the carriage.

After treating the remaining seven people, they finally arrived in Nudan much later.

****

The free contract with the Kranze Mercenary Band concluded simultaneously with their settlement.

Despite the late hour, the office of the Kranze Mercenary Band was bustling with returning mercenaries.

Staff from the Mercenary Guild had also taken over the captain’s office, busily shuffling documents and raising their voices. It was no less chaotic than a marketplace.

“Are the documents for the lord’s report not ready yet?”

The Baronet, an aide to the lord, was also present.

“Can’t you see I’m writing them now?”

Kisen, looking utterly exhausted, shot a sharp glare at the aide with his hollow eyes. Under the expert’s fierce gaze, the lord’s aide whimpered and cowered.

“I’m just asking you to hurry a little. Many people died in this incident, didn’t they? Word has already reached the capital, and the lord is waiting, unable to sleep.”

“Of course he shouldn’t be able to sleep. How many people died?”

“No, Captain Kranze. How can you say such a thing?”

The Baronet spoke, clearly displeased.

“Did I say something I shouldn’t have? So many people died; wouldn’t it be rather inappropriate for the lord to sleep soundly?”

“Look here!”

“By tomorrow, the fact that it was a demonic beast subjugation, not just a monster hunt, will quickly spread throughout the city and beyond. The families of the deceased, unaware due to the secrecy agreement, will surely react strongly. They will naturally be furious that mere soldiers and mercenaries were mobilized for a task that should have been handled by the Royal Army, won’t they?”

“What exactly are you trying to say? Everyone knew what they were getting into! Are you blaming the lord just because a few people died?”

Kisen pressed his temples, as if battling a headache.

The Baronet’s face flushed red, then paled.

The guild and mercenary band staff, who had been busy with settlements and paperwork, stopped what they were doing and furtively glanced back and forth between Kisen and the Baronet.

‘A few people died?’

Hay couldn’t help but scoff.

He wanted to smack that aide on the back of the head.