To Landon

Even when the next day came, there did not seem to be any particular confusion. Apparently, it seemed clear that even after discovering the pope’s corpse, they intended to hide it. Because of that fact, it seemed there would be no confusion for a while because of the pope’s matter.

‘It will probably be revealed later. Now then, is it those bastards’ turn?’

Since he had avenged the queen, now it was time to avenge his daughter. To do that, he needed to examine the secret documents he had brought from the intelligence department.

「Traces of the secret organization were discovered in a city called “Landon” in the Nubea Kingdom. It appears that the number of missing people reached about one thousand, and six months ago, the moment there was movement to track them, they erased their traces and disappeared as though vanishing.」

‘Landon of the Nubea Kingdom, huh. I can start from here.’

In a way, he thought that perhaps the first war he had faced had been here. Of course, he had not participated, but from what he had heard then, he could tell that the Nubea Kingdom had pushed itself quite unreasonably.

To think they had tried to fight the Polia Kingdom, which had been called a great kingdom even at the time, over nothing more than a colonial border issue. He wondered whether they had been stupid or recklessly brave.

In any case, even now, they were paying dearly for the price of having challenged them afterward. Even though more than ten years had passed, they had still not fully paid off all the war reparations.

‘It certainly is strange, though, isn’t it? Why did the royal family of the Nubea Kingdom carry out such an unreasonable war against the Polia Kingdom? Was it because of pride?’

Tilting his head, he turned his gaze to the next page, and another report was written there.

「The city “Landon” is a place 60 km away from the capital, “Nuran.” The most famous thing here is that Oran, the only wizard in the Nubea Kingdom, built a Magic Tower there.」

‘Oh, Wizard Oran? This is a little unusual.’

A city where a wizard lived. He wondered how the secret organization had operated in a place like this. He thought that perhaps they might have had a cooperative relationship with him, but soon, from what was written below, he could immediately tell that was not the case.

「It was assumed that they had a cooperative relationship, but it was soon learned that this was not the case. A disciple he cherished was mysteriously killed, and it appears to have been the secret organization’s doing. From this, it was learned that they were not in a cooperative relationship. Wizard Oran is also presumed to have an enormous grudge against the secret organization.」

‘A wizard’s disciple, huh. A truly precious existence died…’

At present, when only an extremely small number of wizards remained, he could not think that wizards would continue to exist forever. In reality, it was rare even to create a disciple, and he knew that one had to be born by breaking through an extreme probability amid all kinds of blessings to possess the qualities of a wizard.

‘Since such a disciple died at their hands, his anger must be enormous.’

Although it could not compare to them attempting to assassinate his daughter, he felt a sense of kinship, thinking that he would feel something at least similar. As he thought that, he turned his gaze toward the Holy Knight standing beside him. Standing still in an unmoving posture, he had the appearance of an ordinary young man.

The ornate armor he had originally worn had been compressed and made smaller than even a grain of rice, then thrown away. Since Ian had to take him around, he could not have him walking around in armor. In any case, thinking that he should take him around and make use of him, he decided to strengthen him first.

“Hans, I will strengthen you.”

He stretched out his hand toward the Holy Knight, who seemed to have the name Hans, a name that could be called common across the continent. Shiver— The moment he entered Mental Manipulation, the moment he strongly desired 【Physical Enhancement】, it was achieved.

In an instant, the muscles that had already been perfect, bulged! and began writhing and expanding. Was it not truly fascinating? That the body could be strengthened through Mental Manipulation alone. If one believed, it came true. If the mind was strong, the body ended up developing on its own.

Of course, this was something that happened only very occasionally to ordinary people. As for Ian, he could control such things one hundred percent with his own will. Since he could even proceed with further strengthening using his own ability, it was quite extraordinary.

Holy Knight Hans’s body was becoming stronger and stronger. The surprising part was that the artificial biological storage organ, which stored and generated the divine power created by receiving the power of the White Crystal, was expanding and being strengthened.

The muscles that had grown larger as though swelling also compressed and shrank as though forming layers, and before he knew it, a body even greater than before had taken place. Ian, who had transformed him into an astonishing being in a short period of time, smiled in satisfaction.

‘Hmm, with this much, he won’t be pushed back anywhere, right?’

Thinking that, Ian moved with the thought that it was time to depart. Even when he left the hotel and even at the moment he caught a taxi and went, no one thought it strange that Holy Knight Hans was following behind Ian.

Like that, Ian and Holy Knight Hans easily boarded an airship through Mental Manipulation and immediately set out on a flight toward the Nubea Kingdom. Since they would probably have to stop at various routes, it would likely take two days.

November 10, around 8:08 a.m.

Early in the morning, the airship arrived in Nuran, the capital of the Nubea Kingdom. Ian, who immediately came out of the station, thought once again that it was fortunate this was still this era. Since identity itself was not part of a computerized system, as long as he used Mental Manipulation, both he and Holy Knight Hans could easily pass through the quarantine station.

‘By the way, since I don’t have an ID, it’s annoying to keep using Mental Manipulation, isn’t it? Should I just sneak in and out secretly?’

He wondered if that might actually be easier and better, and at that moment, when he left the station, he saw taxis lined up. However, he also saw a strange sight. Between the automobiles, quite a few carriages were also present. At a glance, they showed a backward level of civilization.

‘Come to think of it, when they fought a war with us before, sailing ships were mixed in too, right?’

Surely, much more time had passed since then, and this country’s level of civilization must have risen as well, but the fact that carriage taxis were operating even in the capital showed just how slow their development was compared to other countries.

‘In a way, our influence is not entirely absent either.’

Since they had to continue paying war reparations to them in installments, they had no money to develop. As horse sounds of hihing~ were heard, and he was examining these carriage taxis as though finding them curious, there were two presences quietly approaching. At the sight of them, Holy Knight Hans blocked the front.

“Oh my, your servant is sensitive. I am a taxi coachman. Would you not ride in my carriage? You seem to be a foreigner, and this has a very romantic charm, so it is worth riding.”

“If you ride in my carriage, I will make it a little cheaper.”

“This man’s words are lies. Even if he says that, he will soon change his words and make you pay more.”

“No, you! When did I ever do that?!”

“Why, did I lie?”

“You bastard!”

Before he knew it, they were grabbing each other by the collar and looking as though they were about to fight, making him wonder what this was. Looking around, he saw people soliciting customers from those who had come out of the station, much like here.

‘It seems competition is fierce between them to receive customers. More importantly, what are they saying?’

Inside the station, knowing he was from the Polia Kingdom, an inspector who could communicate with him had come out, but once he came outside, he could not communicate at all. He did not know what they were saying and could only figure out what kind of situation it was through their actions.

‘More importantly, why would I ride a carriage?’

When he was young, he had ridden them because he had no choice, but in an era like now where automobiles were developing, there was absolutely no reason to deliberately ride an uncomfortable carriage. The moment he immediately headed toward an automobile taxi regardless of whether they fought or not, the men who had been grabbing each other by the collar and fighting hurriedly ran over and blocked his way.

“What are you doing?”

“Judging by your way of speaking, are you from the Doicheun Empire? Do not be like that and ride in my carriage.”

“What are we supposed to do if you leave like this?”

“I do not know what you are saying, but move.”

I waved my hand as though annoyed and clearly showed that I was going to leave. At that sight, they glared as though saying no. At a glance, they looked as though they intended to force me into their carriage if necessary. Seeing that, Ian turned his gaze toward Holy Knight Hans and said.

“Handle them moderately and clear them away.”

At this, Holy Knight Hans nodded and immediately approached them. At this, they flinched. First of all, his body had become much larger than before, and his height was over 190 cm, so he had a sense of intimidation.

On top of that, when he grabbed the backs of both men’s necks and lifted them, the two could only make sounds of hieek! and huk! Amid the action of throwing them to both sides as though throwing away trash, the two taxi coachmen could only fall on their backsides.

Seeing that, Ian patted Holy Knight Hans on the shoulder as though saying he had done well, then moved toward the taxi he would ride. He felt gazes from the surroundings, but he ignored them. In any case, he planned to go straight to the train station and head to the target city, Landon.

At the sight of Ian approaching like that, the taxi driver hurriedly opened the rear door. At this, Ian himself, and even Hans, got in, and after Ian simply said the name of the train station, the driver somehow understood and immediately began departing.

Before long, we arrived at the train station and immediately purchased tickets. If I used my ability, I could have ridden for free, but seeing how this country was running, I thought it would be a bit much not to pay even this money, so I bought tickets and boarded.

Chik, piiik—!

Along with the sound announcing departure, the train began departing before he knew it, and it set off toward “Landon” as it was. Since the distance was 60 km, it was a distance they could arrive at in less than two hours. Before long, after two hours had passed, they were able to arrive at the station.

When they came out of the station, the competition between taxis was fierce here as well. He had Hans shake off these people, and this time too, he caught an automobile taxi and moved. As they moved along the road like that, a structure that naturally drew his gaze through the window came into view.

‘That must be the Magic Tower.’

It looked roughly about fifteen stories tall, and just by looking at it, it seemed to have quite a long history. From its appearance alone, it was like looking at a work of art. Since wizards themselves were people who lived while having long lifespans, that place too must have existed for at least over a hundred years.

‘Should I meet him once?’

For a moment, that thought occurred to him, but soon, he shook his head. It did not seem necessary to deliberately meet the wizard and search. There was probably information he had investigated so far, but their side had also investigated in the meantime, so the level of information both sides knew would be similar.

‘The last place where the trail was cut off was said to be an orphanage, right?’

Among the many people who went missing, many children had also gone missing. It was said that children without parents in particular had disappeared in large numbers. Among them was a place called “Loreline Orphanage,” and it was said that from this place, the bastards had periodically taken children who entered it away somewhere else.

‘Since half a year has passed, those children are already dead, aren’t they?’

It was truly unfortunate. As a father who had a daughter, children had concerned him before as well, but now he could not help being concerned even more. The moment he thought that, the taxi was already heading toward a place slightly away from the downtown area.

Screech. The taxi stopped, and before his eyes, he could only see the facilities of an orphanage that had already closed, with only a sign reading “Loreline Orphanage” standing there alone. As he got out of the taxi like that, the taxi left as it was, and amid this, we briefly looked around.

‘There is no presence at all.’

The investigation had already been completed, and since it was an orphanage originally built in a place without any people, there seemed to be no watching gazes. By the way, the iron gate was locked with chains. At that, Ian turned his gaze toward Holy Knight Hans and said.

“Break those chains.”

“Yes.”

After answering simply, Hans immediately approached the gate and reached his hand toward the chains that were locking it. In that state, he began applying strength. Bulge! At the moment his muscles writhed heavily, a creak— sound was heard, and at the same time, with a clank! the chains could be seen snapping apart.

He had already been strong originally, but as expected, since he had been strengthened even further, his strength was far greater. Before long, along with the chains falling to the ground, the gate opened wide with a creaking noise. Ian entered this orphanage, and Hans followed behind him.

Like that, after entering the building, he examined it, but perhaps because it had been abandoned for half a year, there was dust and cobwebs everywhere. He had thought that if he came here personally, there might be something worth obtaining, but there did not seem to be anything in particular.

‘If there were even a suspicious person, I could find out something, but since only the building is standing here alone, there is nothing I can find.’

As he wondered whether there was nothing he could obtain from this orphanage, there was one presence approaching this place. Perhaps Holy Knight Hans also felt it belatedly, because he turned his gaze outside the window and said.

“Someone has come.”

“That’s right.”

“They are entering now.”

It seemed there was a visitor besides them. However, since it was not from the gate side but strangely from the back garden, he thought that perhaps there was a back door and they had entered through there. Whatever it was, since there was a little hope, he gave Hans an order.

“If they entered this place, it must mean they are somehow connected. Hans, capture them.”

“Yes.”

At the same time as his words, Hans moved swiftly as he was.