Chapter 501 – 501 – Spark

Chapter 501 – Spark

Esther ran her hand through her black hair, smoothing it back. As the strands settled, they cascaded down like an ebony curtain. Through the curtain, her lips parted, revealing a soft, pink expression as her voice escaped.

“Gift?”

Though he hadn’t explicitly called it a gift, Enkrid gave a vague nod. His demeanor was neutral, yet Esther’s eyes sparkled like stars fallen from the heavens. For some reason, a sense of euphoria seemed to ripple through her. Was she in a good mood? Sometimes, people simply felt that way—like waking up to an exceptionally refreshing day.

Enkrid began laying out the items he had brought from his backpack. Killing the Apostle had yielded quite the haul—artifacts and relics among them. Some were clearly magical in nature, though several pouches tied with string had not even been opened.

“Poisons, or something close,” he muttered.

Thanks to Hira’s guidance, Enkrid had intended to leave these behind in the western lands. However, he had been advised that a mage would find them valuable, so he had brought them along. Some items were intact, but many were damaged—like a cracked pearl necklace, a halved ring, a handkerchief embroidered with a weeping woman shedding blood-red tears, and the teeth of some monstrous creature. Among them were treasures of considerable worth, which Esther recognized instantly.

The Apostle Enkrid had encountered in the western region, though unable to fully resist, had been a formidable mage prepared to rival even Count Molsan. In magic, preparation could create an overwhelming advantage. Enkrid’s sudden assault had backed the Apostle into a corner, highlighting the mage’s comparative lack of adaptability. The Apostle had dedicated their life to transforming ordinary lands into magical domains—an obsession of a lunatic necromancer. Such madness often masked genius, and this necromancer’s ambitions were nearly realized before fate intervened. Unluckily—or perhaps as someone’s karmic retribution—they encountered Enkrid and Rem.

Esther’s slender, pale fingers untied one of the pouches. As she began carefully storing the items Enkrid had spread out, she commented, “Not bad.” Her eyes were already assessing the artifacts’ values.

Mages were relentless in their pursuit of knowledge. Anything that could aid their research or spells was inherently desirable. Still, she wondered, where had Enkrid acquired such rare objects? Talisman fragments capable of deflecting curses and other malevolent forces, talismans imbued with western magical energies—it was as if he had looted a mage’s hoard. No, he must have done exactly that.

Enkrid’s calm reply confirmed her suspicion: “The advice on dealing with mages was useful.”