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Exhaling a pleasant breath at the burning sensation in his throat, he eventually looked back at Charlotte, who was watching him.
Quickly averting her gaze, Charlotte licked the corner of her mouth and uttered,
Have you fought those kinds of ancient beings before? You seem quite familiar with them.
Before? Puha. You really know nothing!
The answer came from Miguel.
With slightly glazed eyes, Miguel gestured towards Ian and shouted,
The number of ancient magical beasts, specters, and fallen ones that this guy has killed right in front of me easily exceeds several dozen. Its not for nothing that hes called the Savior of Agellan, you know?
Charlottes ears perked up.
What? Youve never dealt with those kinds of monsters?
Turning her gaze away, Charlotte picked up her glass. She seemed ashamed that she had nothing to say about being treated like a child.
Youll get sick of facing them from now on. Im a specialist when it comes to those bastards.
Speaking indifferently, Ian looked at Charlotte with a casual gaze.
Of course, youll have to fight for your life too. You have to repay the debt you owe me in full if you want to get your tail back.
Charlottes eyes trembled as she looked at Ian.
Strangely enough, what filled her eyes was anticipation.
Sealing her lips with her tongue, Charlotte eventually uttered,
If thats what it takes to get my tail back someday, Ill gladly do it.
She certainly wasnt in her right mind.
Suppressing a chuckle inwardly, Ian silently poured the drink into his mouth.
Since he couldnt avoid it anyway, he might as well enjoy it.
Luci, Miguel, and the priestess headed to the temple the next day.
Ian declined their invitation to join and remained in the village.
Unlike them, for whom this was the end of their journey, Ian had several things left to do in the village.
In Charlottes eyes, Ian certainly had some eccentric quirks that set him apart from other humans.
The very first thing he did after waking up from a full half-day of sleep was to take a bath.
He even spent over an hour meticulously washing his body, changing the hot water several times at his own expense.
The humans she knew, even nobles, did not have such an obsession with bathing.
After all, they would just get dirty again.
Afterwards, Ian went around the village buying necessary items.
Mostly cold weather gear and various provisions for enduring the northern chill.
It was a considerable amount, and he did not even try to haggle over the prices.
Not only was it surprising that Ian had a lot of money, but the real surprise began after that.
How are you going to carry all that? Are you going to load it onto a wagon?
Watching Ian sort through the items after returning to the inn, Charlotte asked.
Instead of answering, Ian casually displayed magic that made the objects disappear into thin air.
Despite his indifferent attitude, her curiosity did not linger long.
Ian tossed her a bearskin cloak and cold weather gear to wear under armor.
Flustered, Charlotte questioned back.
After all, she was practically his slave, and ordinary humans assumed beast-people did not feel the cold.
To a certain extent, that was true.
Why? If you freeze to death, thats just more work for me, isnt it natural?
The next day, Ian dragged her around to stockpile food and other supplies.
It was only natural that Charlotte drew attention during the process.
Bringing that ill-omened beastkin around, eh?
Could be more than just a beastkin at this point. Things like that should be killed and skinned.
Such looks and treatment were all too familiar to her.
After becoming a palace guard of the Upper rank, there were fewer who openly spoke that way, but the essence never changed.
Except for a few strange characters like Xavier, humans always treated her as an odd slave or an ill-omened beastkin.
Of course, the law was always on the humans side.
When there were many eyes watching, ignoring them was the answer, so Charlotte always carried herself with her head held high as usual, paying no heed.
But Ian was different.
I heard beastkin hides are especially tough and warm. Hey, how about handing her over to us? Well pay a good price.
The moment one of the merchants suggested that, Ian promptly punched him square in the face.
Then, he proceeded to knock out all the village toughs that came rushing over as if he had been waiting for them.
Even as the villagers gathered with hammers and tongs, he seemed unbothered.
Rather, after breaking the last thugs arm as if to make a point, he looked back at the villagers.
Anyone else need a beastkin hide?
Unsurprisingly, no one stepped forward.
Ian nonchalantly completed the remaining preparations.
And he did not mention that action at all.
Until the next morning when they departed the village by wagon.
Why did you do that yesterday?
In the end, it was Charlotte who asked first.
Beating those guys up.
Ah, that. Im not the type to just listen to nonsense. What about it?
Charlotte glanced at him, wondering if he was serious.
Do you really think thats all it was, nonsense?
The fallen ones Ive killed were all human. But I dont call all humans proto-fallen.
Leaning back in his seat as usual, Ian added indifferently,
Im sure its the same for your beast-people.
Charlotte blinked her eyes.
Honestly, she didnt know how to take it.
She had expected a situation as humiliating and miserable as the beginning.
But looking back at Ians recent actions, it seemed he just regarded her as a servant at most.
And even more, she didnt feel bad about it at all.
Rather, the opposite was true.
It felt like she kept owing him favors, surpassing that to a sense of being indebted to him.
Could this also be an aftereffect of losing my tail?
From now on, you deal with it yourself. Dont let any nonsense reach my ears.
Startled by Ians words, Charlottes ears perked up before she eventually looked ahead again.
They arrived at the Temple of Furnace.
After a rather long conversation with Cherwin, he brought Charlotte to the massive furnace in the center of the temple.
And she too received the Furnaces blessing.
A not unpleasant sensation of warmth filling her body somewhere.
As Charlotte inwardly savored the feeling, Ian exchanged farewells with Luci and Miguel who had come to see them off.
Luci hugged Ian tightly.
Even Miguel did the same.
Ill head to the Empire after my training. I hope we meet again then, Sir Ian.
Furrowing his brow as if displeased, Ian nevertheless nodded.
Although Luci and Miguel seemed to have much more to say, Ian did not engage in a long conversation and climbed onto the wagon.
Riding in the drivers seat, Charlotte asked,
Which direction are we heading?
Luci and Miguel called out something from behind, but Ian did not look back even once.
He merely sat deeply with a faint smile on his lips, as if that was the wanderers way.
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