"Near here?" Ian asked, his eyes twitching.

Mev froze mid-drink, and even Miguel and Nasser paused for a moment. Thesaya, however, simply shrugged as if it were nothing.

"I’m sure of it. When I escaped back then, I ran this way. It’s a ridge I’ll never forget."

"Fair enough. You’d be the only one who’d recognize it." Ian finally nodded.

It was only natural that none of them had noticed. Those who had gone to Glumir, including him, had entered by circling through Imperial territory.

"Still, I didn’t expect you’d want to stop by there," Ian added lightly. That had been the reason his eyes had twitched.

Thesaya hadn’t mentioned it once during their entire journey here.

Of course, that wasn’t surprising. Glumir had once been the stronghold of the vampiric bloodline, and she had endured countless horrors there.

That was exactly why none of them had brought it up, not even as a joke.

"Well, it’s true I didn’t really plan to stop by. I was a little curious about what it might look like now, but I didn’t even know we’d pass nearby." Her tone and expression were no different from usual.

Reaching out, she smoothed Lily’s hair again as she continued, "And if I’d brought it up earlier, you would’ve insisted on going even if it meant turning back. We’ve got a long road ahead, so I didn’t want that. But now..."

She glanced at Ian again and smiled. "At this point, we’ll probably see it just by following the road."

That’s surprisingly considerate of her.

Ian let out a chuckle.

At that moment, Nasser scratched his head and said, "No matter how I think about it, Glumir is unlikely to be intact. It was a demonic stronghold—if anything, it wouldn’t be strange if it had turned into a massive demonic realm."

"Then we'll deal with it. Like we always have." Mev replied, lowering the bottle.

After briefly exchanging a glance with Ian, she looked up at Thesaya and added, "If that’s the case, it’ll be a meaningful battle. One that lets you sever your ties with the past completely."

"Oh? You think that’s why I want to go, Redhead?"

"Isn’t it?" Mev blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question.

Thesaya smiled playfully at her. "It’s not like I only have bad memories there. That’s why I’m curious: whether the nightmare returns, or if it will feel like another hometown where my new life began."

"Ah, that’s a much better reason." A smile finally spread across Mev’s lips.

Ian glanced at her, then said, "Glumir’s in low terrain, so it won’t be hard to spot. Let’s check it out, satisfy your curiosity, and then set up camp nearby."

Mev nodded easily, handed the bottle back, and started moving.

Nasser smacked his lips and added, "Still, it’s a relief to hear we’ll be resting before the next fight."

"We’re going to rest properly. Miguel, can you set up the sacred flame? The one you used at the magic tower," Ian replied, turning slightly.

"Huh?" Miguel blinked at him in surprise, then nodded. "Well, it’s doable. But we should be careful. The sacred flame might attract monsters instead."

"If it’s become a demonic realm, there’ll be warning signs anyway. We’ll stop if needed."

"Now that’s something I like to hear. Got it." Miguel brightened at that.

Ian started walking as well.

Just then, opening the carriage door, Mev turned back to look at him.

"Not getting on, Ian?"

It was probably because Nila, who had been in a subtle standoff with Moro, started moving.

Walking toward it, Ian gave a small nod. "I’m not that tired yet. I won’t wake you until we set up camp, so get some rest inside."

"Yes, my lord," Nasser answered without hesitation.

"Want something to eat at least?" Mev asked.

Stroking Nila’s neck, Ian lightly shook the bottle in his hand. "This is enough for now. After all that stench, I’ve got no appetite."

"Alright. We’ll keep the floor clear, so come in anytime if you get tired,"Mev said, sounding slightly concerned, before stepping into the carriage.

Nasser quickly followed her in, smiling as he climbed aboard. "Then, see you later, my lord."

He didn’t even give Ian a chance to reply before shutting the door.

He must be completely exhausted.

Chuckling under his breath, Ian swung himself up onto Nila’s saddle.

"There looked to be a main road just a bit off to the side. We’ll head that way," Miguel added, flicking the reins.

As the carriage began to move, Nila followed alongside at an easy pace.

Snort...

Moro, who had been watching Nila, let out a breath and moved to the opposite side of the carriage. The motion was smooth and familiar. Even so, Ian didn’t miss the way Nila briefly glanced at Moro’s retreating figure.

Seriously...

Suppressing a laugh, Ian raised the bottle to his lips. The fact that Glumir was nearby was good news for him as well.

If a new demonic realm had formed in what was once the stronghold of the vampiric bloodline, it was bound to be anything but ordinary.

That was why he’d asked Miguel to prepare a sacred flame.

Better get a proper rest while I can.

He needed the time just as much. The Avatar of Platinum was still on cooldown, and he had pushed his Willful Grasp to the point his head throbbed.

Most importantly, he had burned through a significant amount of magic.

Good thing it’s the dawn of magic.

Clicking his tongue, Ian took another slow drink.

Though many of his stats had improved, his actual magic pool hadn’t changed all that much. At best, he could cast one more high-tier spell or a few additional mid-tier ones.

For someone of his lineage, it was almost ironic: the thing he had to be most careful about was magic exhaustion.

And unlike other conditions, it wasn’t something he could resist once it set in.

He did have several carefully selected gems from the magic tower stored in his pocket dimension, in addition to the one equipped on his left hand. However, they weren’t a fundamental solution.

If I could freely use divine power, things would be a lot easier.

However, he still didn’t know how to awaken it. He had faced numerous demons since then, yet never once regained the sensation he’d felt when fighting Karha.

And Karha, too, no longer granted even the faintest blessing in battles like these.

At this rate, he might just watch silently, even against enemies on the level of archdemons.

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

Before long, the carriage merged onto a main road branching off from the narrow trail.

Like everything else they’d passed, it was completely neglected. The trees lining the gentle incline twisted grotesquely, as if a malignance had seeped into them.

"Still no word from the princess?" Thesaya asked casually after a while.

She had finished fixing Lily’s hair and now rested her chin lightly atop the girl’s head.

Ian let out a short scoff and shook his head. "Nope. You sound pretty curious. It hasn’t even been a week since the last update."

A few days earlier, Seras had sent word from the capital again, asking for advice.

According to her, the opinions of both the central nobles and the royal family had begun to split in two. One side insisted Hyked should be declared a traitor and put down immediately, while the other argued that, as the Pope wished, determining whether he had truly fallen should come first.

"I’m curious whether the Emperor will stay silent again, just like you predicted, Ian. If he does, that would really mean he’s swallowing the humiliation and waiting," Thesaya said, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

Ian didn’t bother replying, simply raising the nearly empty bottle to his lips. His prediction hadn’t changed. That was why, in his reply to Seras, he had told her to do her best to persuade the Third Prince not to take either side.

"Which got me thinking..." Thesaya continued, "Maybe the perfect opportunity the Emperor is waiting for just isn’t going to come."

Ian, the bottle still at his lips, turned to look at her.

Resting her chin atop Lily’s head, Thesaya shrugged. "Wouldn’t that make everything fit? The princess’s prophecy coming true, and me telling you to kill the Emperor right away."

"Huh?" Miguel, who had been quietly holding the reins, turned around.

His face twisted as though he doubted his own ears. "What did you just say? You told him to kill whom?"

"Just look at it. If the Emperor were gone, everything would be much simpler. The Empire wouldn’t split in two, and the clash between the Dark Prince and the Great Church wouldn’t keep getting delayed," added Thesaya without even looking at him.

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly. Miguel’s, on the other hand, looked ready to pop out of his skull.

"No—hold on. You really told him to kill the Emperor? Are you out of your mind?"

"Calm down, Prosthetic. That wasn’t something the current me said." Thesaya finally turned toward Miguel, adding the explanation in a soothing tone.

Miguel’s face twisted even more. "What the hell is that supposed to—"

"Just ignore it. There are things you’re better off not knowing," said Ian.

"How am I supposed to do that when I can hear everything? You’d have to say something less insane for me to ignore it. We’re already under suspicion as it is—"

While Miguel rambled, Ian drained the rest of the bottle in one go.

Maybe what she meant back then wasn’t actually to kill the Emperor.

Thesaya wasn’t the only one reconsidering things.

"So, what do you think, Ian?" Thesaya asked, after Miguel finally shook his head in disgust and fell silent.

Ian, already biting the cork from a fresh bottle he had pulled from his pocket dimension, answered flatly, "Well, it’s not a completely absurd guess."

"What? Then are you really planning to? No, I mean, would you actually?" Miguel whipped his head around, eyes wide, lowering his voice as if afraid someone might overhear.

Ian let out a chuckle and shook his head. "No. If anything, it’d cause less fallout for me to become the Emperor’s opportunity instead. So why would I bother?"

"Huh?" Thesaya tilted her head, turning toward him.

Miguel blinked, completely lost.

Glancing at Thesaya, Ian curled one corner of his mouth. "On the surface, I still serve the Emperor. And my influence has grown a fair bit, too. If I wanted, I could probably get a private audience."

"And then?"

"I’d tell him the truth: the Dark Prince doesn’t want the throne. He wants to judge the Great Church. Of course, the Emperor would get rattled along the way too."

Ian shrugged and idly tilted the bottle in his hand.

"He wouldn’t believe everything I said. But he’d check, at least. No one wants the Great Church weakened more than the Emperor does."

"Hmm. But wouldn’t that drag us straight into the royal family’s internal conflict?" Thesaya nodded, but still raised the concern.

Ian lifted the bottle to his lips and shrugged.

"That’s the annoying part. I’m just saying it’s an option. I don’t have the time—or the intention. And I’m not agreeing with your guess either, Thesa." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Hm... I suppose... Right. You were saying they wouldn’t attack each other without proper justification anymore. Then maybe, instead, through the princess..."

As Ian tipped back his drink, Thesaya murmured to herself, almost like a whisper. Her hand idly stroked Lily’s hair as if it were a crystal orb.

"No, it’s too late to leak it now. It’d only make our intentions look suspicious. Then maybe instead..."

So she’d been thinking about things like that all this time.

Ian chuckled as he drank.

Then, suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

The road had flattened, and the surrounding trees had grown sparse.

Far in the distance, the familiar silhouette of a vast estate, ringed by broad walls, was slowly coming into view. However, the furrow in Ian’s brow wasn’t simply because Glumir had appeared.

"Now this, I didn’t expect."

Instead of having become a demonic realm, Glumir still looked inhabited.