Chapter 114: Chapter 114

As the price for daring to speak of Her Majesty the Queen’s marriage, Count Glusa was beaten within an inch of his life, bound tightly, and thrown into a corner of the tent.

At this, he truly wept tears of injustice.

‘Why on earth…?’

Having ears of his own, he was also aware of the rumors that the Queen and Shan were suspiciously close.

But common sense dictated that a queen descended from the Great Emperor Baren could not possibly roll around with an Altoan.

Naturally, the count believed that all of this was merely a fake rumor meant to tarnish Cheryn’s honor.

From his perspective as an Ajun royal, the Altoan Shan was less of a human being and more like a well-trained hunting dog.

Just as one would not seriously believe a rumor saying, ‘Your queen gets it on with horses in the stable every night.’

Of course, had he voiced this thought out loud, he would have truly been beaten to death.

Late at night, Shan lay on the bed set up inside the tent, placing his hand into the box containing the spider right beside him.

Far away in Hasra, in the bedroom of the Red Palace, Cheryn controlled that spider to communicate with him.

The very first topic they discussed was the knowledge obtained from interrogating the Cardinal.

Cheryn was immensely pleased that they had extracted most of the secret arts preserved by the Old Faith.

[I never expected him to know this much. It seems they didn’t consider the slightest possibility of a leak. Though I suppose anyone at the rank of Cardinal would be the type to gouge out their own eyes and chew them for the Holy See.]

“It certainly didn’t look easy to extract information.”

Shan replied, recalling the image of the Cardinal who had seemed utterly stubborn even when completely helpless.

Had they not used drugs, he seemed like the type who wouldn’t answer even if they sliced off his fingers one by one.

When the topic of the ‘Book of Truth’ came up next, her writing speed slowed down as if she had fallen deep into thought.

[The secret regarding Altoans and magic, is it?]

“Do you know anything about it?”

[I think I might understand what angle they’re suspicious of.]

Cheryn was a follower of the New Faith believers, or strictly speaking, closer to an indifferent believer or non-believer… and a mage, but she had also studied the scriptures of the Old Faith believers in the past.

It stemmed from the idea that to defeat an enemy, one must first know them.

Among what she had read back then were biographies recording the achievements of ancient saints, and she said she had read peculiar passages several times.

[In the anecdotes of Saint Nesia, descriptions of white feathers fluttering appear unusually often. Yet that content was deleted from standard scriptures. Some memoirs recording Saint Yakin’s past deeds even describe his eyes as so pitch-black that even the whites weren’t visible.]

Among these kinds of books, quite a few had been designated as forbidden books by the Holy See.

Of course, Cheryn, who had a deep interest in the history of the ancient Altoan Empire, had thoroughly searched even the restricted sections of the royal library to read them.

[Before, I just passed it off thinking it was about a young lady who liked white feather ornaments, or someone with unusually large pupils, but if they were Altoans, the story might get quite interesting.]

However, this did not answer why the ancient Goddess Faith had persecuted the Altoans so obsessively.

[The answer will likely come if we look at the book called the Book of Truth that the Cardinal mentioned. It would be great if I could dig through the Pope’s underwear to find it later.]

Of course, for the time being, that was far out of reach.

Was it not a situation where less than two months had passed since the Pendia civil war completely ended?

Libert was a country with about three times the land area of Pendia, a far greater population, and abundant resources.

Though it was constantly plagued by Horais bandits, Ajun raiders, and Ruman pirates, its sheer core power was indisputably the strongest in the Arman Alliance.

To drag out the Pope of the Western Holy See, who enjoyed the protection of such a Libert, and search for secret documents, far more changes would truly be needed.

For instance, arming a standing army of over ten thousand soldiers entirely with magic equipment…

At any rate, for now, it remained a distant story.

After reporting all the information obtained from the Cardinal in that manner, Shan also reported the results of pressing Count Glusa.

Upon hearing that her older sister Cassia was likely being abused, Cheryn did not control the spider for a long while.

Moments later, Shan could feel the spider’s front legs trembling faintly with rage as it wrote.

[Whether an Ajun prince or king, they will pay the price someday.]

Shan knew that Cheryn’s ambition did not end with being the Queen of Pendia.

Her true dream was to one day unify the entire Arman Alliance and become the Empress of a restored Empire.

If that day were to come, the future of the Ajun royals would not be very bright.

For Cassia was the only family member Cheryn cherished.

After the heavy mood lingered briefly, Shan subsequently brought up Count Glusa’s absurd proposal of marriage.

In truth, it was such an unpleasant story that he hadn’t wanted to speak of it, but hiding it intentionally felt even stranger.

Besides, more than a few people had heard it, so she was bound to find out eventually anyway.

[That fellow proposed to me right then and there?]

“Yes…”

Shan, who had been communicating with his hand inside the spider box, looked up into the box when the Queen offered no response.

The large wild spider, which he had spent a long time searching for and catching, was shifting its body side to side in a little dance.

‘What is so funny to her?’

Based on his past experience, Cheryn used such a method whenever she expressed bursting out laughing.

A moment later, having composed herself, she wrote again.

[You didn’t happen to kill him, did you?]

“I was close to doing so.”

Had there not been others around like Roden, he would have simply killed him, buried him, and claimed he had fallen in battle.

[While we’re on the subject, my taste is quite firm.]

“May I ask what it is?”

[Someone who trusts me completely, whom I trust enough to share all my secrets with, and who is strong enough to come rescue me whenever and wherever I fall into crisis.]

“Then that guy definitely won’t do. He was such a weakling that a single proper blow from me would probably kill him.”

[Well, that is troublesome.]

At Cheryn’s words, Shan felt a ticklish sensation in his chest and chuckled despite himself.

Shortly after, the smile faded from Shan’s face at a thought that suddenly crossed his mind.

Though they were closer than anyone else, she was the Queen of Pendia, and while he was a duke, he was an Altoan.

If the situation were such that it was fine for them to draw even closer, Cheryn herself would have stepped forward.

That she did not meant that even the achievements Shan had built up so far were insufficient for him to officially stand by the Queen’s side.

Therefore, what Shan needed to do from now on was to become even greater… the greatest in the world.

That way, even if he claimed Cheryn, no one would dare to utter nonsense.

*

The next morning, the Pendia royal army returned to Hasra leading the prisoners of the Ajun Kingdom under the escort of two knights.

Included among them were Count Glusa, who had been beaten into a mess, and other priests who were squawking for the truth behind the Cardinal’s death to be uncovered.

Now, the Demonic Realm expedition force had twenty members left in total: five knights, nine squires, two mages, and four priests.

The two royal knights excluding Shan, Roden, and Lug were Sir Abras and Sir Colun, respectively, who were wandering knights from Palles and Shedil who had been hired, performed great deeds in battle, and come under Cheryn’s command.

Honestly, compared to the original royal knights, they were a step below, but among the wandering knights Cheryn could hire right away, they were the most skilled.

Thanks to that, while their numbers were roughly similar to or slightly larger than an ordinary expedition team, their actual combat prowess was truly overwhelming.

Even the weakest squires were equipped with multiple magic artifacts, enough to fight decent knights, and their commander was none other than Shan.

Because everyone rode well-trained warhorses, the Queen’s expedition force moved at a speed far faster than ordinary people walking.

Before long, they arrived at the Kanzen Marsh, the domain of Viscount of Treba.

“Oh, this place has changed tremendously in the meantime as well.”

Shan exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the landscape unfolding before him upon entering the marsh.

Between the damp mud where feet sank deep and the puddles of water, a fairly respectable road had been constructed.

Large stones were laid on the ground, gravel was placed on top, and stone slabs finished it off, with a width spacious enough for three or four horses to pass together.

“How on earth did they build a road like this?”

“Naturally, through the power of magic. I heard they used a chemical that hardens when reacting to water when mixed with soil.”

“Oh.”

“They must have also used drainage magic artifacts to pump out the water.”

“That must have cost a lot of money.”

“I heard it was enough to be offset by the activation of logistics in the Treba region. Various magical creatures that can only be cultivated in this environment sell for quite a high price.”

In particular, thanks to using fertilizer made by dissolving the Hydra’s venom obtained last time, the harvest was said to be immense.

Palles imported and recycled it to reap massive profits, and invested those revenues back into building roads… a virtuous cycle.

The result after two years had passed was what lay before them now.

As they traveled along the roads spread out like spiderwebs across the marsh, merchants and travelers could be encountered quite frequently.

Seeing twenty heavily armed cavalrymen, those people would startle and drop to their knees, or tumble over trying to flee into the marsh thinking they were bandits.

“There is no need to fear. We are Her Majesty the Queen’s order of knights.”

As Tavera spoke proudly, the merchants finally relaxed and bowed their heads.

Some among them, upon recognizing Shan’s crest, prostrated themselves flat on the ground and revered him.

“O Hydra Slayer!”

“We greet Your Grace the Duke!”

To the people here, Shan was known as the one who had snuffed out the life of the Hydra that once plunged the marsh into terror.

Seeing their lord and knight commander being worshipped, the squires and royal knights burst into laughter.

Thanks to the well-paved road, before long they reached the City of Treba deep within the marsh.

Shan had never been to this city during the Hydra hunt in the past, so it was his first time seeing it.

The city was situated on the rare firm ground within the Kanzen Marsh, and on a farm near the city outskirts, hundreds of pigs could be seen growing.

It seemed to be the result of the ones Asha had taken as treatment fees continuously breeding offspring.

Approaching closer and asking the swineherd, he said they fed them root plants that marsh boars frequently ate.

Though tough and tasteless for humans to eat, it suited the pigs’ palates quite well and grew wildly like weeds, making it convenient to use as feed.

The city guards approached nervously at the sight of cavalrymen suddenly appearing to ask about pig farming methods.

Before long, upon realizing their identity was the Royal Knights led by Duke Velakar, they quickly reported it to Viscount of Treba, the lord of the domain.

Shan’s group was soon invited by the Viscount and able to step inside.

“Oh, welcome, welcome! I feel embarrassed to receive such precious guests so abruptly.”

Viscount of Treba, who had returned to his hometown after Cheryn’s coronation, greeted them warmly, albeit looking somewhat flustered.

Shortly after, when the business of taking Grand Priestess Asha along on the Demonic Realm expedition came up, he showed a reluctant expression.

“Mmm, the Demonic Realm… will Priestess Asha be able to endure it? I heard it’s a place where three or four out of ten die.”

That Asha was quite close to Viscount of Treba was already a fact known to anyone who knew anything.

Before being the Grand Priestess of the domain, no one would want their lover to head to a dangerous place.

Of course, he was a vassal of the Queen, and Asha likewise had a duty as a Grand Priestess of the Eastern Holy See to respond to royal authority.

However, instead of relying on that to browbeat him, Shan chose the method of calmly persuading him.

“I understand your concern, Viscount, but we are armed with a force incomparable to ordinary Demonic Realm expedition teams. I, of course, will personally take extra care of the Grand Priestess, who is the saintess of the Eastern Holy See. Furthermore, there are women among the accompanying mages and priests, so discomfort will be minimized.”

Spoken so gently, it was difficult to stubbornly persist in saying no.

On top of that, Asha, who had been summoned, showed no particular reluctance either.

“If I am needed, I shall go.”

Finally, Viscount of Treba let out a deep sigh and bowed his head.

“…Please take good care of her, Duke.”

They stayed in the City of Treba for a few days, preparing emergency rations to store in the magic refrigerators they brought along.

In particular, they packed a generous amount of well-dried pork jerky, which would easily last for several months or more when stored in the magic refrigerator.

Since everyone was riding horses, they also packed plenty of grain for the horses to eat.

Along with Asha, a guide joined the expedition team as well.

He was one of Cheryn’s spies who traveled in and out of the Ajun Kingdom through the Demonic Realm from here.

The former explorer, slightly under forty years old, introduced himself as Randol.

“I shall serve you with my life, Your Grace.”

“There is no need to go that far. Your own life is the most important. Just do as much as you can.”

Randol, who had spouted a cliché phrase as people usually did to superiors, looked flustered at the unexpected response.

Perhaps because Shan was an Altoan and a former explorer, his way of thinking was clearly different from typical nobles.

Having worked as an explorer based in Elos, a small city north of Shedil, Randol had heard plenty of Shan’s fame but had never met him in person.

“I will do my best.”

After pondering for a long while on how to answer, Randol gave that response after squeezing his brain.

*

A few days later, the expedition team left the City of Treba and moved straight northeast.

Heading along the well-paved road toward the edge of the Kanzen Marsh, the territory beyond was the Demonic Realm.

“Oho, so this is the Demonic Realm…”

Looking at the black-dyed, ash-like earth, Lug muttered with a face half filled with excitement and half with anxiety.

Coming from a rural fief in central-southern Pendia, this was his first Demonic Realm expedition.

In fact, that was true for everyone except Shan, Roden, and the guide.

In the first place, the Demonic Realm was a place where one had no reason to visit unless one was an explorer.

Monsters for building fame as a knight appeared within Pendia as well.

Around the time they entered the Demonic Realm, Shan placed one of the spiders he had brought along into the box and waited for a signal.

Even after several minutes passed, the spider did not respond and only struggled to escape.

‘As expected, control magic doesn’t reach all the way to the Demonic Realm.’

This was something Cheryn had also surmised in advance.

That perhaps due to traces of magic left by the ancient Altoan Empire, the flow of power in the Demonic Realm was slightly different, so the box’s functions might not work.

Since they had discussed it the day before, she would not feel confused just because communication was suddenly cut off.

Not long after officially entering the Demonic Realm, they encountered several groups of monsters.

The frequency was far greater than back when Shan had operated as Green Eyes.

No doubt it was because having over twenty members attracted relatively more attention.

Of course, that did not cause any problems for their journey.

“Heave-ho!”

“Ooh, how refreshing, Sir Roden!”

As Roden swung his flail and blew off a werewolf’s head in a single strike, Lug clapped his hands upon seeing it.

At this, Roden waved his hand bashfully.

Frankly speaking, given equipment like what they had now, even the squires, let alone him, could subdue such creatures.

Indeed, against ordinary monsters rather than large ones, the squires carried out an overwhelming slaughter without sustaining a single scratch.

Watching Vico and Tavera wiping their weapons after combat, Shan fell into thought for a moment before calling out to them.

“Vico, Tavera.”

“Yes, My Lord!”

“Did you call for us!”

“Once this expedition is over, I’ll knight the two of you soon.”

At Shan’s proposal, their eyes widened round.

The two boys were eighteen and nineteen years old, respectively.

Although Tavera had completed his coming-of-age ceremony not long ago, he was still somewhat young to become a full knight.

Unless one was an unprecedented genius like Shan, usually one could only receive knighthood after turning twenty.

“May we really dare to do so?”

“Thanks to training hard all this time, your skills have reached an acceptable level, and you know how to use Fighting Spirit. With the power of magic artifacts added, you’re clearly superior in martial prowess compared to ordinary knights.”

When Shan turned around as if seeking agreement, Roden also nodded.

“Indeed. Otherwise, there’s also the option of taking the upperclassman course at the newly established Royal Knight Academy…”

“We want to be knighted by Your Grace the Duke!”

At Roden’s suggestion, the two squires replied in horror.

Having experienced Darkal’s teachings for even a brief period, they could guess how harsh the Royal Knight Academy, where Darkal served as principal, would be.

Rather than undergoing another training course there, it seemed better to jump at the opportunity while he acknowledged them.

Nodding his head, Shan recited something that suddenly crossed his mind.

“Come to think of it, I heard the knight and squire system will also be changing soon.”

“How will it change?”

“They say the Royal Knight Academy will handle knighting exclusively from now on, while squires will shift into a form handled by older senior soldiers.”

At Shan’s answer, Lug, who had asked the question, let out a soft exclamation of “Oh.”

If traditional squires were auxiliary soldiers attending to knights and aiding in battle as knight candidates, now the former and latter were a concept completely separated.

Older, experienced soldiers would reliably handle assisting the knights, while boys destined to become knights would be thoroughly fostered at the knight academy instead of spending their growth period tumbling around in actual combat.

Shan also considered that better than the traditional apprenticeship training method.

Since he himself had learned from Darkal in that manner.

“Hmph…”

The knights discussed whether the new method Cheryn was pursuing was right or wrong, based on the experiences they had lived through.

Even while doing so, the squires constantly fought the swarming monsters, and the priests bestowed blessings upon those squires, boosting their stamina.

It was truly worthy of being called a field of practical training.

Of course, the Demonic Realm was not an easy place that could be navigated through simple brute force alone.

As Shan had experienced in the past, compasses would go haywire, or the surrounding terrain would alter drastically, suddenly causing a marshland or sand desert to stretch out before their eyes.

Each time that happened, the one who played an active role was none other than the guide Randol.

“This way.”

“Is that so? To me, it feels like we’re heading too far east…”

“I am certain.”

Randol firmly asserted that his opinion was correct to Lug, who expressed doubt.

Shan threw his weight behind Randol’s opinion.

“Let’s trust the guide. He’s an expert who has traveled in and out of the Demonic Realm dozens of times.”

“Understood.”

Although Shan and Roden also had a couple of experiences exploring the Demonic Realm, it was hard to compare with someone who had lived traveling to and from the Demonic Realm for over a decade.

At this, Randol inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

If the superiors had started insisting on their own stubbornness, no matter how much of an expert he was, it would have been impossible to properly guide the way.

Thanks to that, he was able to properly guide the group even amid the constantly changing environment.

After officially entering the Demonic Realm, the mages and priests who had played little role until then also performed actively.

Using various magical tools they had brought, they provided minor conveniences such as warming bodies or starting fires, and helped overcome environmental obstacles through various miracles.

“All done, brother.”

“Thank you!”

As his beloved horse, which had been staggering as if on the verge of death moments ago, recovered its vigor under Asha’s touch, Sir Abras expressed his deep gratitude and stroked the horse.

Although his favorite horse was not a famous steed like the Horais warhorses Shan or Roden rode, it was a fairly expensive breed, so had it lost its life to something like heatstroke, he wouldn’t have been able to sleep out of grief.

Watching this, Shan asked Arwin, who was carrying him.

“Are you alright?”

Arwin replied instead by snorting softly and shaking her head.

It seemed that this degree of heat was not much of an obstacle for the fellow.

How many days had passed as they steadily advanced northeast?

Roden, who kept pulling out the map to look around, let out a soft exclamation.

“Hey, it seems we’re slowly finding the path we saw before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Take a look at this here. Doesn’t it look similar?”

As Roden unfolded the map he had drawn during the past Demonic Realm exploration and showed it to Shan, everyone in the expedition gathered around to look at it.

Though there were minor changes, such as a place that had been a river being frozen because the terrain changed into a snowfield, it was definitely in a shape similar to what was drawn on the map.

“Let’s see… if we head north from here for about two days, we should arrive.”

As expected, compared to when they departed from Shedil, starting from much further north meant the time taken to arrive was far shorter.

Back then, it felt as though going up alone took several weeks to a month.

Of course, the fact that everyone was mounted was also an important difference.

Even if they consumed more food and water and expended the priests’ divine blessings, in terms of mobility, they were easily more than twice as fast.

Exactly one day after finding their location, they finally discovered the ruins of the ancient city burned down by the Crusaders.