I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain-Chapter 587

"Uh, th-that is—" Sanford paused, then scrambled up the last of the stairs and bowed his head. "You are correct, sir. My apologies…"

Ian stopped before him and gave a slight nod. "Just as I thought…"

"It—it was unavoidable. We strayed too far from our original course. That made the frontier port much closer."

Watching Ian’s expression nervously, Sanford hurriedly continued, "Besides, a great number of sea beasts were heading back into the inner sea. The sailors are far too injured and exhausted, and with the ship in this condition, turning back immediately would have been too dangerous."

Ian looked out at the sea beyond the bow.

Catching the sunken look in Ian’s eyes, Sanford nervously wet his lips with his tongue and added, "O-Of course, we will escort you back to the Empire, sir. Just give us time to repair the ship and replenish our crew and supplies in Barnaso. We will finish as quickly as possible!"

"So, when do we arrive?" Ian asked, looking back at Sanford.

Sanford stuck out his injured arm with a grimace and answered, "We just have to get past this cliffside. We should be able to arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest."

"I see. Did you inform the other passengers that our destination has changed?" asked Ian.

"Yes. I informed the young master from the capital and the priestess."

"And they agreed?"

"Then he kicked up quite a fuss. But, well, it’s not as if we have any other choice. The priestess didn’t say much. She asked where Barnaso was, then just told me to inform you, sir." Sanford shrugged, scratching the strap of his eyepatch where it crossed his cheek.

"If you head north from there, would you reach Agel Lan?"

"I’ve never gone myself, but… that’s what they say."

"Just as I thought…" A corner of Ian’s mouth finally curled up slightly.

Lucia had clearly been thinking the same thing he was. Although Sanford was watching him nervously, heading to the frontier wasn't bad news for them. He and Lucia had been planning to stop there anyway. This had actually saved them time.

It was a disaster for those who needed to get to the capital or the central territories, but as Sanford said, it couldn't be helped.

"A-Agent of the Saint!" a voice cried from the bottom of the stairs. It was Simon. He glanced back, motioning to come quickly as he climbed.

Sanford let out a low cough and whispered, "Then, I’ll be heading down, sir. I should go wake Hashim."

"While you’re at it, bring me some liquor. The kind you drink. The stronger, the better," Ian said, turning to lean against the railing by the stairs.

Sanford nodded and quickly descended. A moment later, Simon, Brennen, and Shahin appeared in his place. Ian raised a finger toward Simon and Brennen, then looked at Shahin.

"Where’s Mukapa?"

"He is rowing below, sir," Shahin answered politely.

Ian readily nodded. An orc warrior could easily do the work of two or three sailors by himself.

"Bring him up, will you?"

"Yes."

"And while you’re down there, follow the captain and bring back some liquor for me as well."

"I will do so. Please wait a moment." Shahin answered promptly and scurried down the stairs.

Ian finally turned to the two men standing before him, a faint smile on his lips.

"You two are looking quite dashing."

It was, of course, sarcasm. Simon and Brennen looked no better than vagrants, just like Sanford. Their hair was matted and tangled, their faces and clothes smeared with dried filth. The stench they gave off hardly needed explaining. At this point, Shahin looked almost clean by comparison.

Simon, giving an awkward grin, quickly bowed his head at Brennen’s glance.

"Glory to the radiant light."

"And it seems you know who I am now," replying, Ian let out a weary sigh.

Simon quickly raised his head and smiled. "Of course, sir. I had heard the rumors that you had returned from beyond the Wall, but I never imagined you would be so close!"

"I sincerely apologize for our rudeness thus far, Agent of the Saint," Brennen added, giving Simon another look before bowing his head.

Simon, startled, quickly bowed again.

Ian let out a short snort. "You’ve committed no offense worth apologizing for, so let’s leave it at that. It seems you had a hard time below deck as well. I’m glad you’re safe."

"It is all thanks to you. We are grateful, Agent of the Saint," Brennen replied, raising his head. He glanced behind Ian with a bitter look in his eyes.

"It was truly a mythological battle, Agent of the Saint!" Simon blurted out, lifting his head abruptly.

A discomfiting fervor was burning in his eyes as he looked at Ian. "There are still times when I doubt if what I saw was real. I’ve heard many unbelievable stories, but after experiencing it myself, I’m convinced they must all have been true. No, perhaps they were even understated!"

Here we go again.

Ian clicked his tongue, unimpressed. This kind of fawning really wasn’t for him.

"When I return with news of the Agent of the Saint, the capital’s social circles will be turned upside down once again!"

As Brennen nodded in agreement, Simon added, "Not only did you return safely from beyond the Wall, but you command a demonic beast, and you even executed the archdemon that was plaguing the inner sea! Everyone will join in chorus to praise your great—"

"I would appreciate it if you kept what happened here to yourself," Ian cut him off in a flat tone, his sunken eyes fixed on Simon.

Simon, who had flinched, managed an ambiguous smile. "B-But, Agent of the Saint, even if we remain silent, what happened here will not remain a secret. There are too many witnesses. Even if you were to issue a gag order to everyone…"

Simon glanced down the stairs and continued, "Sailors not only forget the meaning of the word secret when they drink, but they also have a knack for distorting and exaggerating the truth, do they not?"

After a silence, Simon added, "Therefore… wouldn’t it be better if I spread only the exact truth myself? It would surely serve you better, Agent of the Saint."

You just want to run your mouth, don’t you?

Despite the thought, Ian clicked his tongue and said, "Just make sure nothing you say brings trouble to me or those around me."

What Simon said was, after all, persuasive in its own way. Simon had seen Moro in its true form and Ian riding on the back of the possessed sea beast. It was unlikely he would go around spreading rumors that Ian was a corrupt man who commanded minions.

"Of course, sir!" Simon’s face brightened dramatically. "I swear to the Radiant Goddess that I will neither exaggerate nor understate, nor will I do anything to tarnish the Agent of the Saint name!"

"Agent of the Saint..." Brennen, who had been listening with a shake of his head as if he couldn’t believe it, finally interjected.

Meeting Ian’s gaze, he added carefully, "Have you heard that our destination has changed?"

"I have."

"I am relieved you already know. This is shameless of me, but while we wait in Barnaso, would it be possible for you to stay with us?"

Brennen lowered his voice, bowing his matted head as if ashamed. "I have heard it is a pirate city, teeming with pirates from the archipelago and barbarians from the Black Sea…"

"We’ll see." Ian shrugged, then looked down. "Here he comes. Let’s talk about that again in a moment."

The braided orc warrior was emerging from the stairs, his head bowed. As Simon and Brennen stepped aside, Mukapa, his shoulders hunched, climbed the stairs and turned to Ian.

"I am glad you have awoken. Are you well?"

"Well enough. You did well."

"It was an honor only to fight beside you in such a great battle, Great Warrior," Mukapa replied with a bow, then reached over his shoulder. The battle hammer was secured diagonally across his back.

As he took a bottle of liquor from Shahin, who had followed him up, Ian shook his head. "Keep it. It’s not like I’ll have any use for it for a while."

"Yes."

As Mukapa nodded, Ian uncorked the glass bottle and took a swig. The liquor was strong enough to burn his throat.

Frowning pleasantly, he looked back at Mukapa. "You’ve heard the destination has changed, haven’t you?"

"Yes."

"We’ll be heading to the frontier from there."

Simon and Brennen’s eyes widened at almost the same time.

Without a glance at them, Ian added, "We’ll be heading up to the North through the frontier. We can just split off toward the Empire on the way, so let’s travel together until then."

"Strictly speaking, the frontier is still part of the mainland, so my commission ends the moment we arrive. But if it is your will, I’ll gladly accompany you," Mukapa replied calmly.

Brennen blinked a few times before he cautiously asked, "So, you mean you are entering the frontier?"

"That’s the plan," Ian replied.

Looking as if he had been struck by lightning, Brennen said, "I have heard that the frontier is now no different from a living hell, teeming with monsters and infested with demonic realms."

"And it’s also where the people I need to meet live. Don’t worry. You can just stay in Barnaso and take a ship back."

"That is… true, but…" Brennen trailed off.

Simon, who had been glancing between Ian and Shahin, suddenly said, "Would you allow us to accompany you as well?"

"Young Master!" Brennen turned to him, his eyes wide.

Simon met his gaze nonchalantly. "The captain said he saw a lot of monsters heading back into the inner sea. No matter how dangerous the frontier is, wouldn’t it be much safer than us heading out to sea on our own?"

"That is a valid point." Brennen nodded, at a loss for words. Perhaps he felt too ashamed to argue further.

"Well, I don’t see why not," Ian said then.

Simon and Brennen’s heads snapped toward him at the same time.

"Th-Thank you, Agent of the Saint!"

"But we’ll have to part ways at some point. Our stay in the frontier might be longer than expected. If that happens, well…" Ian shrugged one shoulder and looked at Mukapa. "Leave with Mukapa on the way. This one is heading to the capital, too. That’s fine, right, Mukapa?"

"If it’s your request, I’ll gladly take it."

"Excellent. After all, I’ve already seen with my own eyes the strength of your martial prowess," Simon said with a bright smile, then turned to Shahin.

"You’re happy too, right? You’re close with Sir Mukapa, boy."

"…That’s true. But why would I be happy about it?" Shahin asked, blinking.

Simon shrugged as if it were obvious. "Why else? We’ll be going to the capital together. You’ll have more time to spend with each other."

He was treating him like a stray dog, and now this.

A smirk played on Ian’s lips as he brought the bottle to his mouth. The two of them had been inseparable for a while now. Clearly, Simon had taken a liking to the boy.

"That will not be possible, Young Master," Brennen said then.

Simon turned to him, still smiling. "Not possible? What do you mean?"

"We cannot take this child with us."

"I thought you were joking. But you’re serious, aren’t you?"

Simon’s brow finally furrowed.

"You were so enthusiastic. Why the sudden change of heart? The Agent of the Saint blessed this boy. He’ll be the center of attention in high society the moment he appears—"

"And that is precisely why it is not possible," Brennen cut him off firmly and looked at the shabby, beggar-like boy. "As you said, Young Master, he will receive everyone’s attention. They will all try to get their hands on him from all sides. Even from within the house. Unless we keep his existence a secret, we will not be able to protect him."

"Huh?" Simon’s mouth fell ajar. He looked as if he had never even considered such a problem.

Brennen added solemnly, "He is a child blessed by the Agent of the Saint. We cannot allow him to get swept up in such petty rivalries and lose his way. You yourself, Young Master, are only thinking of showing him off."

"No, what? Do you think I’m some kind of social-climbing fool?" Simon finally said, a slight frown on his face.

He looked at Shahin. "I am that kind of fool. So it won’t work out. I’m sorry that I’m not powerful enough, boy."

Shahin’s eyebrow arched.

Simon shrugged. "Don’t worry. I’ll use my own allowance to support your siblings. The Elder said she would help anyway, right? I’ll speak to her separately. I have to repay you for saving my life."

"I am grateful, but…" Shahin offered an awkward smile and added, "I never intended to follow you in the first place, Young Master."

"What? Why? Don’t tell me, you were planning on going with the Elder?" Simon’s eyes widened. He looked as if he had been slapped in the face.

Shahin shook his head. "No."

"Then?" Shahin’s gaze shifted to Ian. "As you said, Young Master, the Radiant Goddess took notice of me because of the Agent of the Saint. So, I wish to repay my debt to him."

"What a useless thought. Lu Solar took notice of you because you have the talent. Not because of me," Ian said, his brow furrowing.

"Thank you for saying that. But even so, I must repay my debt to you. You are the one who allowed that talent to be recognized," Shahin said with a bow.

Ian let out a dry laugh and shook his head, bringing the bottle to his lips.

Simon, who had been glancing at Shahin, added, "In any case, it will be difficult for this boy to cross the inner sea for the time being, will it not, Agent of the Saint? And to be honest, I don’t quite trust leaving him with that captain."

Simon clearly wanted to help Shahin. Of course, that couldn't change Ian’s mind.

"I know you’re quick-witted and have guts, Shahin. But that’s not enough to travel with me," Ian said, lowering the bottle.

As Simon clicked his tongue and Shahin bowed his head, Ian nonchalantly added, "So, go to the capital with Mukapa."

As Simon whipped his head around to look at him, Shahin, who had flinched, carefully raised his head. "To the capital, sir?"

"That’s right. I have a knight in the Great Church. I’ll write you a letter. If you take it to him, he will train you."