The storm, earthquake, and tsunami that had ravaged the land were now perfectly calmed.

All that remained were the aftermath of the destruction.

The Tower Master dispelled the magic barrier and chuckled.

There is a difference in realms depending on how much one has comprehended the mysteries.

Naturally, this applies to magic as well.

There were spells that only those who had reached a certain level could wield.

What Adamanth used was limited natural domination.

It was a spell from the School of Multicolored Jewels of domination magic, permitted only to superhuman-level mages.

It was a powerful spell.

By controlling mysteries and merging with nature, it could bring about a single phenomenon.

In terms of pure destructive power, it ranked highly among domination spells.

The method to break it was singular: destroy the core of the mystery at the center of the phenomenon.

If the core was destroyed, the phenomenon would naturally disappear without its center.

As powerful as it was, it had a clear drawback.

But Ketal did not target the weakness.

He simply overpowered the phenomenon with pure strength.

'A monster of strength.'

Ketal looked satisfied.

"Not bad."

Adamanth was gone.

His body had collided with Ketal's shoulder and shattered into pieces, leaving no trace behind.

However, Adamanth reappeared once more.

"You insane barbarian! How dare you dispel my magic!"

Adamanth's face was filled with fury.

He had been enveloped in the omnipotence of dominating nature itself, but this barbarian in front of him forcibly extinguished it.

He raised his staff furiously.

Crunch.

In that moment, Ketal's bloody hand pierced Adamanth's chest.

"If that's the best magic you can show, there's no need to continue."

"You! Scoundrel!"

Adamanth resumed his original form, holding his staff.

Ketal decapitated him.

But before the severed head even hit the ground, Adamanth had already regained his form.

'The problem is this, after all.'

Adamanth did not die.

If he decided to hold his ground, it became extremely troublesome.

Ketal considered knocking him out, but knowing that mages had responses to nearly everything, he figured there would be a countermeasure for that too.

"Hmmm."

Ketal pondered.

The ship of Theseus replaces its deck, sails, and other components with new ones.

Wood, cloth, and leather are swapped out.

So, what has Adamanth replaced?

Not just his human form, but even his attire.

Ketal glanced at his hand.

The blood on it had disappeared.

Various pieces of information flashed through his mind.

Then a possibility emerged.

Ketal stamped his foot.

Adamanth did not dodge.

Since he would revive anyway, there was no reason to avoid it.

But this time was different.

When Ketal reappeared, he held a piece of black cloth.

It was the collar of the robe Adamanth had been wearing.

Ketal had torn off a piece of the robe by lunging at it.

He carefully folded the torn robe piece and placed it in his hand.

Adamanth, taken aback by this relaxed demeanor, watched in confusion.

Ketal, having fully folded the robe piece, clenched it in his fist.

"Ugh."

In an instant, a wave spread out.

Just as clapping creates sound and a ripple effect, the act of clenching his fist sent a wave through the air.

The air compressed momentarily.

A short while later, Ketal opened his fist.

"Oh?"

Ketal's eyes gleamed with interest.

Tiny rainbow-colored particles were in his hand.

The piece of the robe had been compressed into these rainbow-hued granules.

It wasn't particularly extraordinary to compress the robe into powder with his strength, and the rainbow colors were strange but ultimately it was just a piece of cloth.

However, Adamanth's expression had changed.

"You, you scoundrel."

His face was exceedingly odd.

It seemed to express anger, fear, and bewilderment all at once, like multiple faces overlapping.

Emotions radiated through his entire body.

"That's your essence. Or rather, your collective essence."

Ketal smiled and pierced Adamanth's chest again.

The body regenerated.

But this time, there was a difference.

The collar of the robe that had been torn off did not return.

"From here on, you'll have to stake your life as well. Will you continue?"

"……."

Adamanth gritted his teeth.

After a moment of contemplation, he made a decision.

"…I will withdraw."

"What?"

Elene's eyes widened.

Withdraw, all of a sudden?

That immortal monster?

But Adamanth was already waving his staff, preparing a spell for spatial leap.

He gave one last look at Elene.

"Stubborn princess. Do as you wish. There will be no more obstacles. Go and do whatever you desire."

The spell was completed.

Adamanth spoke as if foretelling the future.

"But in the end, you will return. Your only comrades are us."

With those words, Adamanth vanished.

A quiet stillness lingered.

* * *

As Adamanth dictated, there were no more obstacles.

They moved forward, and Elene and Aaron remained silent.

Before long, they reached a point where the border was visible in the distance.

Then Patrick spoke up.

"I guess this is as far as I go. It's another country, after all… entering it feels a bit off."

"Oh. Is that so? Sorry to hear that."

Looking back, Ketal had practically dragged him along.

Patrick shook his head.

"No, I was prepared for this from the start. Just traveling together was plenty enjoyable. We went through all sorts of things."

"That's good to hear. Are you planning to return to your territory now?"

"I suppose so."

"Take this food with you. It should be enough."

"Thank you."

Patrick packed the food and began to leave.

Ketal saw him off.

"Hope to see you again."

"It's likely. Not too long from now."

Patrick spoke in a peculiar tone.

After Patrick departed, they continued their journey.

——————

HEL SCANS

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

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——————

The border that was once a distant sight drew nearer.

Finally, they arrived right in front of it.

The soldiers guarding the border pointed their spears with tense faces.

"Hey, barbarian! This is the border of the Denian Kingdom! Step back!"

"I'm a mercenary. I can provide identification."

"Nonsense! Get lost! If you don't back off, we'll attack!"

"Is that so?"

Ketal scratched his cheek.

No country would welcome a stranger crossing the border without proper identification.

If he were alone, he would have to go through numerous procedures as he did in the Barkan territory.

But this time, he wasn't alone.

Ketal stepped aside.

"Elene. It's your turn."

"…Yes."

Elene slowly stepped forward.

The sudden appearance of a young woman startled the soldiers, causing them to back away.

"Who, who are you?"

"I am the first princess of the Lutein Kingdom. Elene Mavlocci."

The soldiers' eyes widened as she spoke gloomily.

"I have come to see King Barbossa Denian of the Denian Kingdom."

* * *

The soldiers did not believe Elene's words.

It was natural.

No one would think a princess would show up without a single escort knight, wearing a robe covered in dirt and dust, accompanied by someone like Ketal.

But she had proof.

A necklace bearing the emblem allowed only to the royal family of Lutein.

Among the border officials who came to verify, there were some who recognized Elene's face.

After several procedures and confirmations, it was established that she was indeed Princess Elene Mavlocci of the Lutein Kingdom.

Considering the hardships they had endured, it was remarkably quick.

Before long, they were escorted to the royal palace of the Denian Kingdom.

"Not bad."

Ketal muttered as he lay on a bed in the guest room.

In the past, when he was on Earth, he had visited a famous museum.

There, he saw a bed once used by the French royalty from long ago.

He had wanted to lie on it, but of course, he couldn't get near it, so he had to swallow his tears.

The bed he was lying on now was very similar to the one he had seen in the museum.

He was now in the royal palace.

"Made it big."

He was staying in the same building as the king of a nation.

He was quite satisfied.

Ketal rolled around on the bed.

It was incredibly soft and plush, like lying on a cloud.

It was far superior even compared to modern beds.

He reached out and popped a grape from the side table into his mouth.

It was sweet.

Though not as sweet as the highly cultivated modern fruits, it was still sufficiently sweet and juicy.

'And the quest is completed.'

[Quest 785 completed.]

[Reward will be given soon.]

What would the reward be this time?

He had always wondered since the white snowfield.

There had never been a specific tangible reward given.

The only thing he could surmise was that after clearing a quest, situations or events tended to unfold in a way that benefited him.

Whatever it was, it had never been bad for him.

Perhaps this situation itself was the reward.

Ketal buried his head in the bed.

As he was enjoying the room, someone knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened, and a woman entered.

"…Are you comfortable?"

"Absolutely. Want to sit down?"

Elene nodded cautiously.

Ketal sat on a chair in front of the table, and Elene took a seat opposite him.

Ketal, observing her for a moment, exclaimed in admiration.

"You look quite different."

Elene had discarded her filthy robe and was now wearing a clean dress.

The dirt had been washed off her face, and her hair had been tidied.

She was truly beautiful.

Even compared to an elven queen, she wasn't lacking.

A blush spread across her face.

"Th-thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I'm able to enjoy this luxury."

Ketal smiled broadly.

Ordinarily, Ketal would never have been allowed into the royal palace.

It was only natural.

There wasn't a vassal foolish enough to bring a barbarian into the same place where their king resided.

Even though Ketal had a C-rank mercenary badge, vassals always had to consider the worst-case scenario.

But due to Elene's strong insistence, Ketal was also granted entry into the palace.

Although he was under surveillance, it wasn't a major issue.

"No, it was my insistence. I'm grateful you accepted."

Elene shook her head.

From her perspective, Ketal was nothing short of a savior.

He had turned the entire Lutein Kingdom into an enemy for her sake, all for a single gold coin.

Like a prince on a white horse.

Elene's face grew dazed at the thought.

But the feelings that arose quickly faded.

She lowered her head sadly.

Ketal asked,

"What's the situation?"

"It's been decided that I will meet with Lord Barbossa tomorrow. Everything will be resolved then."

"It might not end there."

"…That could be true."

Elene looked at Ketal.

"Mr. Ketal, you know about the devastation of our kingdom, don't you?"

"I have some ideas."

"Could you tell me? What has our kingdom, and… what have I become?"

Ketal nodded.