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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 220
The Hero who emerged from the secret passage headed straight for the market street.
As he walked, the perplexed face of Mother Ghost came to mind, and he stifled a chuckle.
’It’s been a while since she’s been treated like this.’
Of course, she wasn’t always the leader of the Shadows.
Mother Ghost, too, was once just a solitary agent like Nyhill.
It was said that during the fierce struggle for the throne when Euphemia ascended, she sided with Euphemia and could now claim her current position.
She earned recognition and took her place in a major organizational restructuring.
‘What are tools for…’
If she truly thought of herself as a tool and acted as such, such a political choice would not have been possible.
Mother Ghost must have been an agent with a stronger sense of self than anyone else.
Mocking the thought of her devouring Nyhill as if she were prey, the Hero found it rather amusing.
‘For the time being, I’ll have to entrust mundane tasks and pending requests to you.’
…Whatever Mother Ghost was aiming for, it wouldn’t be an easy task to achieve.
Just as the Hero was organizing his thoughts, his footsteps came to a halt in front of his destination.
It was Lindel’s market street, more precisely, the beginning of the street densely packed with herbal shops.
‘There are quite a few shops here.’
The representative products of Lindel’s commercial district were none other than herbs.
Rare herbs found only in the Great Forest were traded here through the hands of fairy folk.
Fairy folk regularly exchanged herbs for various necessities, and thanks to this, Lindel became home to numerous alchemist guilds, including branches of Glendor.
“Hoo.”
As he took a deep breath, a fresh scent enveloped his nostrils.
The Hero glanced through various herbs with his eyes.
Things stored in containers, things being dried on drying racks, and even things planted in pots.
Iris of Laplace constantly commented without rest.
‘Good…’
The Hero began to walk, scrutinizing each comment one by one.
‘Sunfire grass, Firewind seeds, Heat Ghost Flower, Heat Greenery…’
He repeated the items he needed to track.
They were herbs with the effect of boosting internal heat and dispelling cold.
‘They’re also precious herbs traded exclusively in the south.’
Ivar suffered severe injuries from dealing with extreme cold.
Every time he would draw mana, he’d experienced a chilling sensation spreading from the extremities of his body.
In urgent situations where he didn’t know when he’d be followed, what he searched for first upon arriving in the south would be difficult to discuss.
‘Since he needs to recover quickly, herbs are essential.’
But that didn’t mean he needed to start inquiring recklessly here.
The Hero had already calculated in his mind.
‘After all, he wouldn’t have directly bought the herbs himself.’
Ivar had a larger and more muscular physique than an ordinary warrior.
Moreover, he had distinctive features of a barbarian, including striking facial features and elaborate combat tattoos, making him stand out even from a hundred meters away.
Would such a person come directly to Lindel?
‘He probably hid somewhere in the Great Forest… Most likely, a representative is purchasing the herbs and delivering them.’
So, pushing too hard right now would be a mistake.
What he needed right now was…
‘Subtle observation.’
He didn’t need to chase after everyone who bought these items.
He just needed to find those who bought these herbs at regular intervals but gradually reduced their purchases.
‘With Ivar’s physical abilities, he’ll noticeably improve with the help of herbs.’
So, he wouldn’t need the same amount of herbs as before.
Among those showing such a buying trend, if he chased after those who periodically traveled outside Lindel, he could reach where Ivar was hiding.
‘If, by chance, he doesn’t reveal his tail…’
Then he would buy up all the heat-related herbs circulating in the south to flush him out, even if it meant clearing out all the shops.
Swoosh-
As the Hero surveyed the shops, he turned his head.
Outside Lindel’s walls, a vast and dense forest caught his eye.
“There was a traitor among us.”
“……”
“The Demon King attacked in the worst possible situation. If it weren’t for this, everyone would have died.”
…Wherever he is, however he’s hiding, he will find him.
He will find him and make him pay for his betrayal.
In an instant, emotions that had been buried for a very long time surged fiercely in the corner of his eyes.
* * *
October in the south is hot.
It’s the kind of weather where people wear short sleeves and shorts.
But the man in the cave was different.
He was wearing winter gear more suitable for North Hale, moaning in agony…
“Cough, cough!”
With painful screams, he opened his eyes.
“Ugh…”
What Ivar felt upon waking up was a dreadful cold.
It felt like countless ice blades were tearing through his insides.
Thud-
Ivar’s hand spread the herbs on the ground without discrimination.
Only then did the trembling of his body subside.
Trembling with chills, Ivar gritted his teeth.
“…Dorempa.”
In this dark hideout, his hallucination often visited him.
A stern face and eyes full of responsibility.
Dorempa’s expression didn’t change even when his fist dug into his side, tearing it apart.
He only retaliated with a snarl.
“I can’t let a traitor like you live.”
Those fierce eyes were saying that.
…It was the eyes that reminded him of his father, who died in the invasion of the demon army when he was eighteen.
[Haha, Uncle Ivar, let’s have a match when we meet again]
As the memory of the innocent girl came to mind, Ivar’s breath became slightly rough.
“…Damn.”
Ivar wrapped his body tightly once again with the blanket.
Then he looked towards the entrance of his hiding place.
A cracked voice echoed through the narrow cave.
“Who’s there?”
His awakening was due to the presence outside.
A few days ago, he received a week’s worth of herbs.
There was still time for the helper to return.
Ivar looked with narrowed eyes at the approaching silhouette.
Woo-woo-
The fierce wind began to wrap around his large fist.
“…….”
But once Ivar confirmed the identity of the unwelcome visitor, he dispersed his mana again.
At the same time, a deep sense of disgust spread over his face, which was difficult to hide even with heavy battle makeup.
Thud…
Step by unstable step.
The man with vacant eyes walked, drooling from his mouth.
He was implanted with a demon bug, also known as a ‘communication bug,’ allowing communication with the demon realm.
The man’s mouth opened, and a steady tone of voice came out.
“The Hero has arrived in the south.”
Ivar felt the suppressed chill returning.
“What? What about Rosenstark?”
“He guessed that you had hidden here.”
Ivar reflexively glanced at the entrance of his hiding place, then turned his gaze back.
“So? Are you here to warn me to be careful?”
“Of course not.”
The more the man continued to speak, the more his body trembled.
It was due to the convulsions and spasms caused by the communication bug messing with his head.
Ivar spat out a curse.
“What the hell. Just spit it out and get lost.”
A moment of silence.
Then the gloomy voice spoke again.
“I always wanted to correct that foul mouth of yours. But unfortunately, I won’t have the chance.”
“…What?”
“It’s an order.”
Ivar tensed, waiting for the next words.
“When you recover, gradually reveal yourself.”
…Reveal himself?
Ivar’s eyes narrowed in confusion.
Further explanation followed.
“The Hero will continue to travel between Rosenstark and the south for a while. Word has it that he’ll wander anywhere in the southern cities while he’s back at the academy. Shake your tail in front of him so he can chase you.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“…Huh.”
Only then did Ivar’s eyes tremble slightly with understanding.
“So, you’re telling me to lure the Hero to the south continuously. Why?”
“Do you need to know that?”
“These bastards…”
Roar-
Ivar’s fist struck the cave wall with force.
He knew he was seen as a tool, but he didn’t expect such a demanding request.
‘Has my usefulness diminished because I was caught?’
Even if he gave his all to hide, now he had to become bait.
Ivar glared at the man.
“…You’re just beating around the bush to tell me to die.”
Whack. Whack. Whack.
The laughter was harsh and abrupt.
The man convulsed and laughed.
Ivar trembled in shock.
It wasn’t the appearance of the human before him that was eerie.
It was the thought of the archdemon giving orders from behind.
…It was because he remembered Theo, the old man of loss.
After laughing for a while, the man spoke.
“Yeah, die. But wouldn’t it be better for you to die?”
Ivar’s face twisted in anger.
“You… the promise…”
“Of course it will be kept. If you keep yours.”
Swoosh-
The man leaned closer to Ivar’s face, his nose almost touching.
“I’ll give you detailed instructions again soon. For now, focus on recovering.”
“…….”
“As you know, you’re the best bait to draw the Hero’s attention to the south. You have to hold out for at least a month. Don’t be overshadowed by petty excuses. Got it?”
“…….”
“I’m asking if you understand.”
“…I understand.”
“Good.”
Thud-
With that, blood gushed from the man’s nose and mouth, connected to the communication bug, like fireworks.
The man’s body convulsed as he collapsed to the ground.
Ivar wiped the disgusting blood off his face and body with a contorted expression.
…You bastard.
But as always, he had no choice.
“…Leader.”
Ivar’s hand grasped the herbs on the ground again.
The time of judgment was approaching.
* * *
The Hero rubbed his stiff eyes and stretched.
“…I don’t even know how time is passing.”
As he implemented necessary measures, the day disappeared in the blink of an eye.
His current location is a safe house on the outskirts of the city.
He was examining the information collected from there.
The amount of information gathered in just half a day was so vast that it was hard to believe.
‘Thanks to Mother Ghost’s hard work.’
The Hero had ordered her to cooperate with Glendor Branch first.
Glendor was practically a deputy governor in Lindel, so he judged it would be of great help.
Of course, Mother Ghost opposed it.
“It can’t be done. There’s a risk of leaking classified information.”
“Even if that’s the case, speed is our priority. But anyway…”
“…?”
“You keep forgetting your position.”
“….”
Mother Ghost seemed very displeased, but she followed the instructions well.
With the addition of the Shadows of the Intelligence Division to Glendor’s existing information network, they were quickly able to track the trends in the trade of herbs.
It was right after that they discovered a suspicious individual buying small amounts of herbs under different names.
Slish slish-
The Hero sighed and underlined a part of the document.
It was the purchase history of the person presumed to be the ‘delegate.’
One conclusion was reached.
‘Ivar arrived in the south earlier than expected.’
Sunfire grass, Firewind seeds, Heat Ghost Flower, Heat Greenery…
All these herbs were of a kind that required extremely careful handling.
Since the shelf life of the medicines made from them was only about a week, if they knew when the ‘delegate’ purchased the herbs, they could roughly guess when Ivar arrived in the south.
‘About two weeks ago.’
It was remarkable speed considering he must have suffered serious injuries and evaded inspections.
As the Hero held that conclusion in his mouth, Mother Ghost’s displeasure momentarily vanished.
She scrutinized the Hero with a strange look in her eyes.
“I didn’t know you were skilled in alchemy.”
“Is that important now?”
“….”
“Ivar has probably recovered a lot already. You have to hurry.”
Mother Ghost didn’t seem to have any objections to that.
“It’s not over just because we found someone suspected to be the proxy. He surely made it more complicated.”
“Yes.”
Mother Ghost’s grumbling seemed to disappear momentarily.
She seemed to understand that there was no time to dwell on it.
The Hero gave her a deadline.
“We haven’t finished tracking down the person suspected to be the ‘delegate.’ You have ten days to bring back key information to find him.”
Mother Ghost shivered at the shorter deadline than expected.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“You’ll be traveling around the south for investigation anyway, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Then you can also handle this.”
The Hero passed on a pending request he received from the mercenaries.
The content was as follows:
Wanted for a lover who had an affair with a mixed-blood fairy and ran away to the forest.
It was an assignment suspected to be commissioned by a high-ranking official hiding his identity.
“What is that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“No, it’s not.”
The Hero chuckled, looking at Mother Ghost’s slightly distorted brow.
Well, he wasn’t just going to play around either.
No, in fact, he had to move busier than Mother Ghost.
‘Ten days…’
Of course, the chance of confronting Ivar head-on in ten days was slim.
As long as he wasn’t an idiot, he would keep moving to evade pursuit.
But it was certain that the collision with him was imminent.
The task he faced now was to build up enough strength to not lose to him when the time came.
▼
Salvation – Obtained clues about ‘Horizon,’ the 5th Ritual.
▲
Fortunately, the method for it was already prepared.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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