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“No, really. Didn’t the Inquisitor already inspect the mansion? Since we’ll have to come back anyway, I just left it open.”

“It’s not like you’re begging someone to come and steal it… And you just left it like that?”

“Unless someone’s absolutely crazy, they’re not coming to rob my mansion right now.”

“…Fair point.”

If a thief dared to break into a place not only guarded by the Red Spear Knights but also the Inquisitor and the Paladins, it would be seen as nothing less than a challenge to authority. The punishment, if caught, was all too obvious. Semid probably felt confident enough to act this way.

At Semid’s gesture to enter, Ian passed him and stepped into the treasure vault.

“The catalog of items is right here, so don’t ask me. Check it yourself.”

“I trust nothing’s been taken.”

“Oh my, what do you take me for? If anything, I’ve added more, not taken anything out!”

Looking at Semid’s falsely indignant expression, Ian began flipping through the booklet.

‘There’s quite a few useful items.’

The Dimuid family was known for their keen insight into the true essence of things, and the items stored in the vault reflected that. They were all valuable in their own way. Among them were even a few artifacts—wasting away in a storage room like this seemed almost criminal.

“Sweetie.”

“…How many times have I told you not to call me that? No matter how much of a client you are, I don’t want to hear such nonsense from a man.”

“I could be a woman, couldn’t I?”

Ian gave Semid a sidelong glance. A woman?

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“Wow, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think!?”

“What is it you need? Are you trying to give me another job?”

“Well~ it’s not that I couldn’t, but I’m wondering if there’s any need.”

“And why’s that?”

“Your rates are too high. Does it make sense for a mere Level 4 mercenary to be taking dozens of gold coins?”

Ian nodded as he continued to skim the booklet.

“Of course, it makes sense. I’m not just any ordinary mercenary, I’ve got Berger backing me.”

Semid glared at him disapprovingly.

“If I had to hire you, I’d rather just employ several other mercenaries instead.”

“Didn’t I prove my worth? It was an excellent choice.”

“Not this time. The cost-benefit ratio isn’t right. If you’re so eager for work, try going to the defense line. A skilled fighter like you would be warmly welcomed there. And of course, the pay would be more than generous.”

“I’m pretty sure I’d die there, so that’s not happening.”

No matter how lucky he had been so far, there was no guarantee things would go as smoothly at the defense line. One wrong move, and his life would be in real danger.

Sure, it was a place where you could earn money and grow stronger, but he already had those opportunities now.

Ian’s firm reply caused Semid to frown.

“Sweetie, you’re ridiculous. How are you going to survive as a mercenary if you’re scared of that? Anyway, I don’t have any jobs for you. Try looking somewhere else. With all the incidents that keep happening, I’m sure there’s a place that could use you.”

Incidents?

“Hmm.”

There were a couple of possibilities around this time.

One was the defense line. Massive numbers of monsters, accompanied by fiends, were pushing through.

Two fortresses positioned at critical points on the main roads were nearly overrun but somehow managed to hold the line.

‘But there’s no point in me going there right now.’

Of course, since they were short on manpower, any help would be appreciated.

‘However, that’s all there is to it. There, I’d just be another soldier.’

Sure, being from Berger’s bloodline might earn him some preferential treatment, but expecting that on the battlefield is a luxury.

It was a great place to sharpen his skills and gain real combat experience, but he could do that elsewhere too.

This isn’t some critical event that could lead to humanity’s downfall, nor is there a pressing reason to head to the defense line.

‘I’d be better off going somewhere else.’

For example…

‘Gehill… Wait, what?’

As Ian skimmed through the booklet, his eyes stopped at a particular section.

‘Herwin’s Ring.’

The moment he saw it, he froze. An item connected to his next destination was here.

Memories of stories he had heard or experienced before his regression started resurfacing in his mind. He needed to organize his thoughts.

Ian pressed his lips together and stared at the printed text in the booklet, piecing together a plan on the spot.

‘Hmm. Interesting?’

The scattered pieces were starting to form a coherent line.

‘Is this really coming together like this?’

He couldn’t be sure if things would go as planned, but it was definitely worth a shot.

Almost as if entranced, Ian continued scanning through the booklet.

There were a few relics like swords and spears, but the nameless holy sword and the dagger Baek Ok-Ru he already carried were more than sufficient.

Unless they had some kind of special effect, they weren’t worth considering.

‘Just in case.’

He took a good look around the vault, wondering if there might be any more items like Herwin’s Ring. Unfortunately, there were none.

“Is this everything here?”

“Why, not impressed?”

“It’s not that. I just don’t see anything I really need.”

“For someone saying that, you sure sound disappointed.”

Truth be told, he had already decided what he would take from the start. But perhaps he should ask one more thing before leaving.

If he went back to the family now, the chances of being sent to Gehill were slim. Verdan might assign him another task.

Worse yet, he could be deployed to the defense line. In that case, he had to act first.

Ian slowly broached the topic.

“Recently.”

“?”

“There was a request for assistance from the Pantheon, wasn’t there?”

“The Pantheon? They always have those.”

“I don’t mean donations, but something more troublesome. Something related to Gehill.”

“…You.”

“Oh, come on. It’s not exactly a secret, and knowing about it won’t cause any problems, so don’t give me that look.”

“…….”

“They call it a request for assistance, but it’s really just an unpleasant obligation, isn’t it?”

“So?”

“I’ll take it on in the name of Dimuid.”

Semid looked at him with suspicion.

“…You? Why?”

“I happen to have business in that area.”

“Well, that’s good for me, but you’re not doing this for free, are you? What do you want?”

“Yes. Just give me one relic.”

“Are you out of your mind? Asking for a relic?”

When Semid responded with a baffled laugh, Ian pointed at a specific part of the booklet with his finger.

“Except for its historical value, it’s not that significant.”

“What is it? Let me see. Hmm… Herwin’s Ring? This…”

Semid’s expression turned uneasy. The relic was related to Gehill. Of all things, Ian had singled out this particular item. There had to be a reason. There must be.

“What’s there to think about? From the start, the plan was to take one item from this collection as part of the deal.”

Semid didn’t reply. The name of the Pantheon carried great weight, and the responsibilities as a noble were no small matter either. It was a duty that had to be upheld.

While this situation could free him from that duty, was it worth it? Going through the annoying procedures to avoid an obligation disgracefully wasn’t appealing…

‘Wouldn’t it be a win if I could settle this with just one relic?’

Just as Ian said, aside from its historical significance, Herwin’s Ring wasn’t especially valuable. There were plenty of items in the present day that could replace it. Even if it had some hidden feature, it would be useless to anyone who didn’t know about it.

“Do I need to hire mercenaries for you?”

“I’ll go alone. Having mercenaries or soldiers with me would only slow me down.”

“Alright. But don’t go back on this, okay?”

“Of course.”

Ian quickly secured Herwin’s Ring. Since he had already noted its location earlier, there was no trouble in finding it.

Semid watched him with satisfaction and handed him something else with a sly grin.

“And… since you’ve done me a big favor this time, I couldn’t just let you go without giving you a small gift.”

Ian, unimpressed, accepted the object Semid had hidden in his palm and asked casually.

“What is it?”

“A relic, Orleha’s Tassel. It’s an accessory called a ‘Sul’ in the Karam Empire.”

Ian’s eyes widened in surprise. Orleha. It was the divine beast worshipped by the Sandrea Kingdom, located near the southern seas.

“It’s a genuine artifact made in the great cathedral dedicated to the Lord of the Sky, Avinox. They used Orleha’s hair and threads blessed by the church to craft it. It’s said to protect the wearer from curses and bring minor good fortune. Of course, those rumors aren’t confirmed and are likely just superstition.”

“That’s quite a nice gift for something you call ‘small.’”

“Right? And Orleha controls fire, so it should work well with the Bane of Evil from Berger.”

Nodding, Ian attached the relic to his holy sword. Though it might be a bit cumbersome, hanging it from the hilt seemed to work just fine. He liked it.

“If I need another favor someday, I’ll call on you again, alright?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Ian tapped the tassel hanging from his sword hilt as he replied. He had a good feeling that his future plans would go smoothly.

However, that was a major mistake. Somehow, Dior had heard about this and barged into the room.

“Hey!”

“What now?”

“Are you crazy?”

“…What’s this sudden outburst?”

“What were you thinking when you decided to take on the responsibility that should have been handled by the Dimud family!? Have you lost your mind?”

Oh, so it’s about that. Ian muttered to himself and responded in a relaxed tone.

“I just accepted a request as a mercenary. Is there a problem?”

“There is! Because of you, I’m the one who has to go to Gehill now. That’s a huge problem!”

“…Gehill? How’s that connected to me? And why are you going there because of me? Wait, hold on. Ah, I get it now. So, our eldest brother was planning to send me to Gehill, wasn’t he?”

It looked like they were going to assign another Red Spear Knight to him, just like the last mission. How predictable.

Either way, it seemed Ian was destined to go to Gehill. He had acted unnecessarily. He could have just taken Herwin’s Ring and kept quiet.

Ian asked calmly.

“Why? Got some important plans? If that’s the case, just talk to the captain of the 4th Division and head out. It’s not like losing a deputy commander for a bit will cause any problems.”

“The great captain is off somewhere with the Pantheon, apparently.”

“Then should I lead the knights? I don’t mind.”

Actually, that’s even better. Leading the Red Spear Knights would be much more efficient than relying on some mediocre mercenaries.

“Are you seriously suggesting we put regular knights under your command? Maybe if it were the reserves. Stop talking nonsense.”

“So, no matter what I say, it’s not good enough, huh? Then what do you want me to do? Go ask our eldest brother. He’ll have another solution.”

Dior’s expression crumpled in frustration.

“I am the solution, you idiot! I already worked all this out with him!”

“Then why are you so angry? You expected this.”

“Because thanks to you, I don’t get any rest! It’s mission after mission! This damned world! You should be grateful I’m even trying to speak politely right now. Ugh… When am I ever going to date or get married if I’m always working?”

Seeing Dior sigh heavily, clearly weighed down by his frustration, Ian chuckled bitterly.

Was getting married really that urgent? Well, considering the impending end, it might not be such a bad idea to find a partner as soon as possible. There wouldn’t be any time for that later. One person suddenly came to Ian’s mind.

“Hey, brother.”

“What is it, idiot?”

“I know someone really good. She’s a mage from the Green Tower. She’s pretty, talented, and her personality isn’t half bad either. You’re not that far apart in age.”

“…There’s someone that perfect?”

“Whether it works out or not depends on you, but if you help me in Gehill, I can introduce you.”

Dior went silent.

“Well, what do you say?”

“Ian.”

His tone changed.

“You’d better keep that promise.”

Ian smiled brightly.

“Of course.”

———