Chapter 118: Chapter 118

The King of Metals, called one of the three great metals alongside True Iron, the hardest, and True Silver, which accepted magic the best.

True Gold was also famous for being the rarest metal.

Unlike the former two metals, which sometimes mixed into Altoan artifacts or were mined in small quantities from mines, there were only records of a few instances where True Gold had been excavated from ruins in the distant past, and not even objects mixed with it remained in modern times.

“What do you mean that the magic reaction is certain?”

“It means every magical metal testing method I could perform yielded a positive result. It is a property unique to True Gold. It holds the properties of all metals, so depending on how it is handled, it is said it can be processed into anything…”

It was neither hard like True Iron nor did it accept magical power well like True Silver, but depending on how it was processed, any property could be bestowed upon it.

That was precisely why one of True Gold’s nicknames was the ‘Almighty Metal’.

“But why on earth was it contained inside a monster’s core? I have truly never seen anything like this. Moreover, looking closely, it isn’t just naturally embedded, but closer to a magical design… the pattern engraved on its body as well… Could it be that during the era of the ancient Altoan Empire, they were capable of modifying monsters?”

At Udin’s puzzled words, Shan recalled the story he had seen in his memory earlier.

Something about it being the ultimate masterpiece created by monster physiology, was it?

He didn’t know the exact meaning, but given the context, he thought it had been created as Udin said, or even if not, some artificial manipulation had been applied to it.

Though he would only know for sure after taking it to Cheryn, showing it to her, and asking.

Sorting out his thoughts, Shan silently stared at the mages who were still admiring the doppleganger’s core in awe.

In the past, the mage Zerpo would have worried first about being murdered upon discovering such a treasure, yet these people were not harboring such thoughts in the slightest.

It was likely because Shan’s status was different from the past.

The trust that Duke Velakar would surely not abruptly kill them just because he wanted to monopolize True Gold…

Thinking it was funny in hindsight to feel the honor and achievements he had accumulated over time in such a manner, Shan spoke to the mages who kept gasping in admiration.

“Then I will first call over the squires near the breeding pens. Having multiple hands will be more convenient, after all.”

“Understood!”

A moment later, when he crossed over to the breeding pens and informed those resting there that all threats within the ruins had vanished, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Of course, a few among them still looked around uneasily, but Shan was certain that nothing remained.

It was thanks to checking while sharing the doppleganger’s memories earlier.

Along with that, he also thoroughly passed along the creature’s characteristics that he had learned this time.

“You are saying that wasn’t the main body, but something created after separating from the main body!?”

“Yes. The possibility of encountering another is low, but if you happen to discover one in the future, do not rest easy just because you eliminated it; you must track down and eliminate the main body hiding somewhere. You can assume the main body generally has almost no combat capability.”

If these details were preserved in records, it would be of great help when someone else encountered a doppleganger in the future.

Shan himself had also benefited greatly from the knowledge built up through the bloodshed of other warriors in this manner.

“Wow…”

Lug looked back toward the inside of the breeding pens with an incredulous expression.

He was appalled by the realization that if Shan had not entered quickly and dealt with it, they might have had to face that monstrous enemy once again.

After clearing up the situation to a certain extent like that, they all headed to the space where the doppleganger’s main body had been, organizing and storing all the documents.

Upon stepping outside the ruins to rest, they could tell that night had fallen before they realized it.

Roden, who had been staring nervously into the interior of the ruins, greeted them.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah. Dealt with everything. Thoroughly.”

Seeing those following behind Shan and confirming that no one had died, Roden let out a soft sigh of relief.

Though he was subsequently shocked upon seeing Asha wearing blood-drenched priest vestments.

*

After placing the excavated items on one side of the campsite, everyone washed up, changed clothes, and took a rest.

Eating the food prepared in advance, Shan recounted to Roden what had happened inside the ruins.

“Five of them…”

“Could there still be any surviving ones?”

“I can’t be certain, but most of them have likely been vanquished. Or they might be staying deep within the Demonic Realm without coming out.”

Judging by its mention in ancient records, at least one had definitely ventured out into human territory and been vanquished, but considering there were not many related records, it seemed unlikely to be alive.

Regarding this, Roden brought up an interesting hypothesis.

“Maybe the dopplegangers that appeared in the past all held True Gold within their cores too. But the person who first discovered one deliberately omitted writing records about the main body.”

“Why?”

“Because then unsuspecting people would hunt down only the avatars created by the creature while spreading rumors. Something like, ‘A doppleganger keeps appearing here.’ Then, upon hearing the stories, one could go look for it, hunt down the main body, and claim the True Gold, couldn’t they?”

“I see…”

Shan could not help but admire Roden’s line of thinking.

Aside from the fact that it was a selfish and cruel method that disregarded people who might fall victim to the doppleganger, it was exceedingly efficient.

“If they tried to advance into human territory in the distant past and were hunted like that, perhaps the one we caught was the very last doppleganger in this land.”

“What a shame. If there had been more, we might have obtained even more True Gold.”

“What a terrible thing to say.”

With that, both of their gazes turned toward the doppleganger’s core.

The sphere, slightly larger than a human head, was intertwined with various complex colors, making it look like a substance not of this world.

“How much did you say the quantity was?”

“They said we can only know accurately after using special equipment to melt down and separate the materials inside. It seemed they also need to look into various things before that.”

“Aha.”

Of course, Udin’s actual explanation had been much longer and more complex, but as mages usually did, he spoke in a manner difficult for anyone outside their circle to understand, so that was all Shan could grasp.

“Depending on how much True Gold there is, the issue of distribution will become quite sensitive. Though Her Majesty the Queen sponsored the expedition, so naturally her share will be the largest.”

Furthermore, not only the True Gold, but the various materials obtained along with it were also highly likely to hold immense value.

It wasn’t an ordinary home, but books from a mage’s laboratory, after all.

Though they couldn’t be sure until properly analyzing them.

Comically, the fact that there was no room for internal strife despite such gains was thanks to the doppleganger.

Because what the creature had pulled off using Shan’s body was so grandiose, they had felt firsthand an absolute powerhouse looming directly above them, leaving them unable to even harbor thoughts of playing tricks.

Of course, even without that, since they were handpicked by Cheryn rather than a random rabble, they would not ordinarily dare take a risk that threw away both their status and honor.

“If you get to use True Gold, what will you use it for?”

“I was planning to just leave it to Her Majesty the Queen. Won’t she put it to good use on her own?”

“Seriously, you guy.”

At Shan’s nonchalant answer, Roden burst into a dry laugh as if baffled.

Wasn’t it far too plain for an attitude toward the rarest mineral in the world?

The fact that he hadn’t changed even a bit in this regard brought another laugh out of him.

As they were chatting about this and that, Shan caught a subtly awkward expression on Roden’s face.

Although he was not usually very sensitive to other people’s moods, he still picked up on his friend’s strange demeanor after staying together for several years.

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

At the direct question, Roden gave a bitter smile.

“I just feel pathetic that I had to step back again this time. It’s to the point where I’m ashamed of what I said to my father before. Not that I’m saying I should have been stubborn, though.”

If he had stubbornly insisted that he could do it back then and failed to pull his weight, someone might have died in his place.

So it wasn’t that he had made a wrong decision.

However, apart from that, it was difficult not to blame himself for running away without even trying.

Wondering if he might have succeeded if he had pushed the situation to the absolute limit.

Shan patted the shoulder of Roden, who was sighing like that.

“Don’t be too impatient. You are still young, Roden.”

“Not entirely. I’m already past the mid-twenties mark before I knew it.”

“Has it been that long already?”

“It has.”

Hearing that, Roden certainly had gotten quite older.

Since he was nineteen when they first met, and now he was twenty-four.

While Shan grew older, other people had naturally aged as well.

In truth, Roden was still young for a knight.

Lug, who had come with them, was a year older than Roden, and both Abras and Colun were in their thirties.

Of course, comforting him with such words was out of the question.

If the Duke, who had become the strongest knight in the Arman Alliance at seventeen, said such a thing, wouldn’t it sound like nothing more than deception?

Shan pondered what words to use to encourage his friend before opening his mouth.

“No matter what anyone says, I believe in you, Roden.”

The moment he heard that clumsy encouragement, Roden recalled an old memory.

Around the time the three of them had first met alongside his father, Callion, the words spoken by the boy who was still small and young…

‘Because Roden said he would help me become the strongest knight. I believe in Roden.’

Shan had truly brought to fruition what he had said back then.

Now he was the strongest knight of the Arman Alliance, a great figure comparable to Great Emperor Baren, the most powerful knight in history.

Even though Shan himself thought he was not yet equal to him after viewing the past through magic.

Regardless, since Shan had kept his promise, it was now his turn to fulfill his own.

Even if it took time and proved difficult, someday.

Roden steeled his heart like that.

*

Going back and forth to the ruins and stripping away everything usable took nearly two days.

It was because they had to thoroughly search again the sections they had only roughly explored while preparing for the doppleganger’s raid.

The fruits of completely finishing the search like that were truly tremendous.

Starting from the most important items (the doppleganger’s core and research materials) the number of Altoan artifacts imbued with simple magic alone reached dozens.

To haul all of this, they discarded a significant portion of the rations they had brought, and as for the refrigeration devices, they left behind only enough to hold the remaining supply, discarding the rest on the spot.

In addition, they disposed of all working magic tools like shovels and pickaxes after extracting and keeping only the mana stones.

Naturally, since heavy packs were loaded onto the horses, everyone had to walk.

Shan tickled the head of Arwin, who was angry at having a heavy load piled on her back, comforting her.

“Hang in there a little bit. This is nothing for you, right?”

Perhaps displeased that a grand horse like herself had to act as a pack horse, Arwin threw a few more tantrums afterward.

Only after employing his secret weapon (dried figs brought as snacks) could he placate her.

Seeing her move easily even while carrying over double the weight loaded onto the other warhorses, that much sulking was understandable.

Shan, who was hard at work catering to the sulky lady’s mood like that, glanced back at Asha following behind.

Unlike before, she had taken off her mask and let the shimmering pattern below her cheek show openly.

“Are you not going to cover your face anymore?”

When he brought up the mask, a faint smile surfaced on her expressionless, neat face.

“It is not just one or two people, so silencing all twenty would be impossible anyway. Wandering outside without a mask doesn’t feel as bad as I thought it would, either.”

In a way, one might call it resignation, but Asha’s face and tone held an emotion closer to liberation than frustration.

Perhaps what she needed all along was an opportunity to cast off the mask and reveal herself.

Unlike when they had come on horseback, traveling on foot meant their speed on the way back was almost half as slow.

It seemed that once they left the Demonic Realm, he would have to ask Viscount of Treba for one or two baggage wagons and horses to pull them.

Moreover, because the terrain shifts along the way had turned somewhat convoluted, it took them nearly twenty days after departing before they could finally exit the Demonic Realm.

Had the guide Randol not skillfully suggested a route back, they might not have escaped even after a month.

“That was surprisingly dangerous. If things went wrong, we might have starved…”

“Indeed.”

As Shan, looking into the baggage loaded on the horses’ backs, confirmed that almost no food remained and muttered, Lug beside him agreed.

Being taller than others to begin with, he also had a large appetite, so he felt great discomfort from the ration control during the latter half of the journey.

It could not be helped.

Because every time they loaded another handful of rations when leaving the ruins, they had to throw away one more item of loot.

After completely exiting the Demonic Realm and entering the Kanzen Swamp, Shan purchased baggage carts at a border village as planned.

In the past when the surroundings were nothing but marshes, such things were not sold, but after roads were installed everywhere, even small villages had a cart or two.

Even while carrying the same luggage, pulling a cart was easier than bearing it on saddles, so the condition of the horses improved significantly.

As the amount they could transport at once increased, about half of them could even rest.

“Ah, comfortable…”

“This place certainly isn’t a great place to live either, but coming out after being in the Demonic Realm, it really feels like nothing short of paradise.”

“Tell me about it.”

During break time, as Vico and Tavera sat back-to-back chatting among themselves, others chimed in.

If residents from a peaceful land like Libert were thrown into the Kanzen Swamp here, they would likely become monster food before lasting a few days; yet having experienced the Demonic Realm where monsters prowled daily and the environment shifted rapidly every few days, this place merely seemed laughable.

Having felt that emotion himself, Shan chuckled and walked around the area, catching a spider floating on the water’s surface.

Placing it in a box, before long the spider stiffened, signaling that it was under someone’s control.

[Where is the scar I care about the most?]

“Your thigh.”

Exchanging the brief Q&A, Shan recalled the time Cheryn had shown him her scar.

Back then, looking at the scar, he had only thought it unfortunate, but thinking back on it now, the sight of her lifting her skirt to show her thigh felt anew…

Biting his lips lightly as he banished impure thoughts, Shan focused on the writing on his hand.

Because the spider he had brought was smaller than the house spiders or wolf spiders he usually used, he needed to concentrate his consciousness on his hand.

Confirming that her counterpart was Shan, Cheryn began writing out letters.

[You’re later than expected. I was worried.]

“The facility was buried underground. In fact, you could say we found it faster than expected. It took a long time because everyone spent all day getting covered in dirt while shoveling.”

She had crafted and packed magic tools for excavation, including shovels, precisely because of that possibility in the first place.

[Were you injured anywhere? Though Priestess Asha would have healed you even if you were. You didn’t get caught by some strange curse, right?]

“Not at all. I am fine, so you don’t need to worry.”

At her worrying words, a ticklish feeling bloomed in his chest, bringing out a smile.

Clearing his throat lightly to calm his mind, Shan briefly summarized what had happened during the expedition and reported their gains.

Asking once more if he hadn’t been hurt during the part about fighting the doppleganger, she jiggled her leg upon hearing about the core mixed with True Gold and the perfectly preserved Altoan books.

[I’m really looking forward to it. I want to read them soon. I want to analyze that object too. Honestly, I expected a fair bit, but you achieved results beyond my expectations.]

“Did anything happen over on your side?”

Among the stories the royal knights had chatted about while he was away in the Demonic Realm, there had been such a concern.

The worry that the Western Holy See, disgraced from the last holy war, might scheme a second holy war and invade.

However, such concerns were dismissed for several reasons.

First, the damage suffered in the previous holy war by the Kingdom of Ajun, the mainstay of the Old Faith forces, had been severe.

No matter how small the proportion of elite forces might have been, five thousand to seven thousand able-bodied men dissolving into nothing in a foreign land was a fatal blow to Ajun, which already had low population density.

Second, Libert, which was the only one that might offer help, was also in the midst of a bloody three-way struggle between the returned Duke of Morayen, Count Balik, and the capital nobles, so it was in no state to talk about holy wars or anything of the sort.

As expected, Cheryn replied that there had been no major trouble.

[Over here, well, it’s always the same. If I tell them to do this, they say it won’t work for this reason; if I tell them to do that, they say it won’t work for that reason. I order them to shut up and do it, and then they lie down in protest.]

Even though he was reading it in written words, Shan unconsciously chuckled at the feeling of her characteristic cynical tone seeping through.

[Why?]

“No, it’s just fun talking like this.”

Communicating like this wasn’t bad, but he wanted to return to Hasra as quickly as possible to talk directly with Cheryn.

Seeing her face, hearing her voice, and if possible, holding her hand.

“If we head back as fast as possible, we might make it in time for your coming-of-age ceremony. This haul should be more than enough for a gift, right?”

Cheryn’s birthday was the last day of the year, and about two weeks remained until her nineteenth birthday.

Since they were carrying loads of baggage, it was a bit tight, but if they moved diligently, it was entirely feasible.

[A coming-of-age gift, how romantic. Actually, I am preparing a gift as well.]

“A gift for me?”

[Strictly speaking, it’s a good thing for me too. Or rather, a good gift for everyone.]

Cheryn, who had been speaking in a somewhat ambiguous tone, tapped Shan’s palm with the spider’s leg before continuing to write as if adding on.

[While you were away, the prey bit the bait quite well. It would be perfect to hook them as you return this time.]

Even though they were written characters rather than a voice, for some reason, the stench of blood reeked from them.