Ch.28Aftermath (1)

This world is a sunfish.

Even when it seems to be running smoothly, it’s a world like a sunfish where the extinction button gets pressed and everything collapses.

‘I was feeling a bit relaxed since there was no friction between the major nations…’

Like true sunfish, since they had no problems among themselves, the Apostles had stepped up to diligently drive the world toward destruction.

Of course, knowing this fact didn’t change what I needed to do. I had planned to deal with what they were after from the beginning.

I just felt like an invisible time attack timer had started ticking.

‘I might need to confirm what I need to and rush to Gagap.’

While I was organizing my thoughts, Lilly finished checking if there were any remaining Apostles in the area and returned.

“I looked around thoroughly, but there aren’t any left. Even if there were survivors, they probably fled long ago.”

“Then I guess we can say this long assassination request is finally over.”

The battle itself didn’t take long. That’s natural since my stamina couldn’t last for days and nights of fighting.

Instead, other aspects took time. From the preparations while waiting for the request to arrive, to the travel time it took to get here.

“Though the target changed to the hunter, that’s right. Even if I stepped in at the end, I never expected you to do this much. Maybe you’re strong enough to make a name for yourself now?”

“I’ve just barely reached the starting line.”

I looked at my sword broken in half. Though it broke when its time had come, it seemed to show me how far I still had to go.

The sword energy I could now use, the physical abilities supporting it, and my own secret trump card.

I could say I was relatively strong compared to average fighters. But compared to true powerhouses like Lilly, I was just a promising rookie.

“Well, shall we head back now?”

“No, I still have something to do.”

The hunt had just ended.

So what should I do next?

Looting, of course.

* * *

“Fortunately, they had collected quite a lot of items.”

I was standing in line at the checkpoint with much lighter steps than when I had left.

The lightness came both from my physically lighter body and from being able to make up for the experience points I couldn’t gain.

‘I was disappointed about not leveling up, but who would have thought it would turn out like this.’

“You ate all those elixirs by yourself, Frey, you’re a pig, a pig!”

“Where would you find such a pretty pig~”

Though my stomach stung from Lilly’s repeated punches from inside my robe, it was bearable.

No, I would have endured it for a lifetime if it meant securing all those elixirs.

“Well, you already had plenty, Lilly. We shared the magic spring water, remember?”

“With elixirs, the more the better. And that small amount wouldn’t even register in your liver.”

The fortress had quite a stockpile of elixirs.

Although most were low-grade elixirs below B-rank, the quantity was significant enough to bring about meaningful changes.

‘I never thought I’d experience filling my stomach with elixirs.’

Lilly approached wanting a taste too, but I was able to fend her off with the power of our contract.

Thanks to absorbing all those elixirs by myself, we spent a bit more time in the cave, but it was definitely worth the investment.

“But… the line seems longer than usual today, doesn’t it?”

I looked at the line going through the checkpoint. Though I hadn’t used this gate often, I could tell the line was longer than average.

“Yeah, there are many merchants, adventurers, and mercenaries. Is there some festival going on?”

“I didn’t hear anything about a festival before we left.”

Moreover, there were scattered demons visible, which seemed odd if increased traffic was due to a festival.

While it made sense that demons would use this route given its proximity to Demon Territory, the number seemed strangely high.

‘It doesn’t seem like a war situation either, as the atmosphere isn’t particularly hostile.’

I racked my brain but couldn’t come up with a clear answer.

“We’ll find out once we get inside, right? We can walk around and try some street food too.”

“Then I’ll just report the completion of the request at the church, and we can explore afterward.”

“Great~”

Having eaten nothing but preserved food recently, she must have been craving proper meals.

Lilly could return to the Fairy Kingdom for food, but she seemed to dislike being treated like a princess there, which was why she preferred staying here.

At first, she returned home because she felt awkward with me, but after we became closer, she spent more time here, which indirectly showed how much she disliked it there.

After waiting for a long time while chatting with Lilly…

Finally, it was my turn.

“Please cooperate for a moment.”

“Here’s my adventurer badge and church certification.”

“Gasp… Ah, n-no… Confirmed.”

I passed through the checkpoint without any issues this time. That was expected since there was nothing unusual about me.

However, the guard’s reaction seemed a bit strange.

‘He couldn’t have seen my face… and there’s nothing special written on my badge or certification.’

My name was written on it, but otherwise, it was no different from others.

I headed toward the church with an uneasy feeling.

“Ah, you’re here! I was worried because you were late.”

Shortly after arriving at the church, Conan Arthurs came running out.

His concern seemed genuine, as his eyes showed relief upon seeing me.

“I returned safely, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

“W-with Lilly here, nothing bad could happen, right?”

“Yes, this must be thanks to the goddess’s blessing.”

Conan flinched momentarily when Lilly suddenly popped out from my robe, but he quickly regained his composure.

“So… how did the handling of the Apostles go…”

“We dealt with all of them. We destroyed the fortresses they were building and confirmed there were no more hiding. You just need to handle any possible aftermath.”

Hearing my words, Conan finally sighed with relief as if the matter had been concluded and sat down in a chair.

“When I first heard the Apostles were coming, I was so troubled… Even after you accepted the request, I considered following you…”

“Thank you for trusting and waiting for us. Also, regarding the cave the Apostles were using as a base, it’s rich in magical energy. I’m thinking of informing the guild about it after the cleanup is complete.”

Increasing adventurer rank or fame doesn’t just come from completing good requests. Discovering dungeons or new areas is also a method.

‘I actually considered using the cave myself, but since I need to keep moving around, it seemed impractical.’

There was no benefit in hiding it, and who knew when other rats might crawl in, so I thought it better to make it a public facility.

“I understand. But… your robe has changed.”

“Oh, you mean this?”

I looked down at the robe I was wearing. It was clearly more luxurious than the one I had worn before.

It was the robe used by the Lich I had fought.

“An Apostle was wearing it, and it looked nice, so I took it.”

It wasn’t just nice-looking—it was superior to my previous robe in most aspects.

Self-repair and temperature control were basic features, and it also offered defensive capabilities I couldn’t expect from my previous robe.

‘Above all, the spatial pocket attached to the robe is the most valuable part.’

I had stored all the items deemed useful in the spatial pocket. That was the second reason for my light steps.

It was disappointing that it lacked perception-hindering magic, but this robe was still far better.

I had worried it might smell since a corpse had used it, but fortunately, it seemed to have been kept clean as there was no odor.

“I… I see.”

“By the way, the city seems unusually crowded. Do you know what’s going on?”

I ignored Conan’s gaze, which seemed to feel some kinship with my robe, and asked about what I had been noticing.

“Ah… about that, I think it would be better for you to see for yourself…”

Conan seemed to know about the changes in the city. After thinking for a moment, he suggested I check it out myself.

“Well… it doesn’t seem too serious. Alright, I’ll walk around with Lilly and get some food while we’re at it.”

I thought he could have just told me, but assuming he had his reasons, I decided to check it out myself.

* * *

Lilly and I finished discussing the request at the church and left.

As promised earlier, we bought two nicely grilled skewers from a food stall.

We walked down the street while eating with Lilly.

‘Indeed… the number of people has strangely increased.’

Though not a dramatic change, the average number had definitely increased. I wondered if some new attraction had appeared in the city.

And after walking for a while…

“Huh…”

“Pfft!”

We could see the reason.