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Chapter 247

Could it be the status window?

Ian\'s eyes narrowed slightly. Given that the quest window had just appeared, it wasn\'t an entirely outlandish theory.

So, is the status window somehow attached to my soul?

Ian pondered silently but chose to shrug. It was always better to hold back in such situations and let the other person draw their conclusions. Fortunately, there was a convenient excuse he could use.

"Perhaps it\'s the power of my bloodline," Ian suggested.

"Hmm... Even if an ancient bloodline was manifesting, a power like yours... But yes, I don\'t know everything. It’s not entirely impossible," Archeas murmured, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Ian quietly mulled over the vision he had seen earlier.

"Even those royal children, in whom the power of their lineage is most clearly evident, are born with different abilities. You might be the same. Whatever it is, you have truly been born with a precious power, Ian."

Archeas gave Ian a fresh look, as if seeing him in a new light.

"When I first heard your story, I had my doubts. But experiencing it firsthand, I now understand how extraordinary you are. Nothing can easily taint your soul. Perhaps that\'s why you’re so bold and composed."

... That\'s probably just my high Mental Fortitude,

Ian then snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Archeas.

"So, what do you think? After seeing my memories?" Ian asked.

"... Indeed, I strayed off course for a moment. What matters now isn’t the ability you were born with," Archeas replied, nodding thoughtfully.

The grip of its hand, still holding Ian\'s, tightened. Covering the back of Ian\'s hand with its other hand, it added.

"You\'ve been through a lot. You’ve endured so much, and I’m sorry. I burdened you with such a dangerous task and wasn’t able to help," Archeas said softly.

Ian\'s eyebrow arched slightly. He hadn’t expected such words, and the warmth emanating from Archeas’s hand felt oddly comforting.

... What’s this, offering me comfort now?

Ian thought, before letting out a low chuckle.

"That’s true. I was planning to offload everything onto you if things didn’t go well. Though it never came to that."

"That’s unfortunate. I would’ve been happy to help," Archeas said with a smile.

"No need to regret it. Just reward me handsomely, and we’ll call it even."

"Of course. Do you think I don’t know you by now?" Archeas grinned. "I originally planned to give you one of my treasures. But you’ve taken on more danger and achieved greater things than I expected. So, I must give you a reward befitting that. The gods may be displeased, but..."

Archeas gently patted Ian\'s hand. "Don\'t worry. I\'ll take care of that."

What, is this something like a bonus reward for exceeding expectations?

Ian wondered as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever it is, I\'ll gladly accept it," Ian said with a smile.

Archeas\'s grip on Ian\'s hand tightened slightly as it leaned closer, its golden eyes gleaming with a deeper meaning.

"But be careful, Ian," Archeas warned, its tone serious. "Don\'t let the chaos consume you. What you went through was incredibly dangerous."

... So we\'re having this conversation, after all, Ian thought as he nodded calmly.

"I\'ll keep that in mind. But don\'t worry too much. You’ve seen for yourself the state of my soul," Ian replied confidently.

"Indeed, I have," Archeas agreed. "But they don\'t call it chaos for nothing. Always stay alert. If it ever consumes you..."

"Trust me," Ian interrupted, "I will remain human, now and always."

The assured tone in Ian\'s voice seemed to ease the tension. Archeas\'s expression softened into a gentle smile.

"Alright... I’ll trust you. With such assurance, I do feel a bit more at ease," Archeas said, giving Ian\'s hand a reassuring pat before sitting up straighter, as if to change the subject.

"Anyway... It’s surprising, really. Edward Kralen turned out to be both a corrupted one and a member of the Round Table. Once news of his death and identity reaches the central powers, the repercussions will be significant."

"The city\'s nobles are more worried about losing their heads. The citizens are in a state of anxiety," Ian remarked.

"That\'s to be expected, unfortunately," Archeas sighed. "But don’t worry too much. Human history has always progressed this way."

"That sounds rather irresponsible," Ian chuckled dryly.

Archeas continued with a touch of bitterness. "Blood will be spilled, no doubt. But it won\'t be as much as you might fear. Chaos often presents opportunities. The royal court and the Order won\'t miss out on that, I assure you."

Archeas tilted its head slightly as it added, "Especially those who aspire to power and those within the Order seeking to become its new leaders."

There was a lot implied in those words, but Ian merely nodded.

Archeas\'s smile turned slightly mysterious. "You don’t seem interested in the central powers at all. You have other questions, don’t you?"

"It’s not that I don’t care," Ian replied, "but it’s not my priority."

And I’d rather avoid getting involved with the royal house, Ian thought.

In the game, getting involved with them led straight into the uncontrollable mess of Chapter Four, which was why he was wary of going to the central regions.

Archeas nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, there are more immediate concerns, I’m sure. Ask me anything. If I can answer, I will."

Ian met Archeas’s gentle gaze for a moment. He no longer felt the need to ask about the status window. It was clear now that Archeas couldn’t see it. If it had, the ever-curious dragon would have surely asked about the strange, unreadable symbols.

The status window, it seemed, was something only visible to him.

So instead, Ian decided to start with a question related to the task he had been given.

"Why did you ask me to eliminate a member of the Parliament?" Ian asked.

"... Didn\'t I already explain that?"

"You hinted at it," Ian clarified. "But I want the real reason."

Ian tilted his head slightly. "I believed that your intentions were for the peace and stability of the continent. But now that I\'ve come this far, I think there might be another reason as well."

And the memory I just saw of yours...

Ian swallowed his words and stared at Archeas.

"The chaos is only getting worse, isn\'t it? If the balance of those forces collapses, it could spark even greater turmoil."

"Indeed... As expected, my agent is quite sharp." Archeas gave Ian’s hand another gentle pat, as if proud.

As Ian pondered how long this hand-holding would continue, Archeas continued speaking.

"Yes, peace is not my goal. It’s something I wish for, but I know it’s an unattainable dream. As long as you humans have grand ambitions, true peace is impossible. However, I do want this world to regain stability. At least, eventually."

"... So you asked me to do this, knowing it would cause chaos first?" Ian asked.

"My dull mind couldn\'t find a way to avoid bloodshed entirely. Instead, I only thought of a way that would be less painful and spill as little blood as possible."

A bitter smile touched its lips. "If possible, I wanted more of the bloodshed to fall on those who deserved it. But even this plan would have been impossible without meeting someone as invaluable—no, as unique—as you."

Ian’s brow furrowed slightly.

So Archeas had chosen the lesser of two evils for the sake of stability?

Once again, Ian felt that despite Archeas\'s seemingly kind nature, it often skipped over crucial details in its explanations. Fortunately, it was at least sincere with answers.

"So, how do you plan to bring stability to the continent?" Ian pressed. "As you know, the continent is already a mess, and it’s only going to get worse."

Since it always responded to questions in some way or another.

Archeas chuckled softly. "You always push one step further, don’t you? It’s strange... but I find it endearing. Very well. You have the right to know. I was going to tell you over a drink, but I’ll share it with you now. It’s not all that surprising, really."

Looking Ian directly in the eyes, Archeas spoke plainly. "I want to get rid of the Black Wall."

The words froze Ian in place. It made sense—this was the very thing that had ended his ability to progress in the game. And yet, hearing it from Archeas’s mouth was something he hadn’t anticipated.

"The Black Wall. It\'s a monster that has become all too familiar now. But at the same time, it continues to slowly devour the continent, even at this moment." Archeas continued with a subtle smile. "So, isn\'t it natural that I would want to get rid of it?"

Ian exhaled slowly, then asked, "Isn\'t finding a solution to that the role of the royal house and the Order?"

"True, but by the time they come up with a solution, it will be too late. They don’t want it gone immediately, you see."

Ian’s brow furrowed again. Normally, he would dismiss this as lore or the setting of the game, but the Black Wall was something he couldn\'t ignore. Few knew much about it, and it could hold the key to quests he had missed.

Archeas continued, "More than that, they are thinking of researching and using it. Not to mention the Magic Tower. It\'s no longer a secret that many mages are fascinated by the Black Wall. And the Round Table, they were the ones who tried to use it in the worst possible way. That\'s why I asked you for help. I couldn\'t allow their plan to succeed."

"... So, have you found a way?" Ian asked.

"I have a lead, at least. You seem to be very interested in the Black Wall yourself. I suppose it’s only natural. Mages are always drawn to the unknown."

Archeas chuckled again, lightly tapping Ian\'s hand as it continued, almost humming.

"How could one not be intrigued by the unprecedented demonic realm that suddenly swallowed half the continent? People have entered, but none have returned, and no one knows the exact state beyond it. No one understands why it spreads madness and chaos. It’s truly tempting."

"You sound like someone who knows the answers to those questions," Ian noted.

"Not at all."As Archeas spoke, a subtle smile played on its lips. "I\'m just speculating. I don\'t know everything. I’ve never seen what lies beyond the Black Wall myself, after all. If only someone had returned from there, then things would be clearer."

That someone would be me, Ian mused inwardly.

He was likely the only one who had glimpsed even a part of what lay beyond the Black Wall and lived to tell the tale. But, of course, he had no intention of revealing that. Not even to Archeas. Doing so would undoubtedly lead to countless complications, not to mention questions he couldn’t easily answer.

Saying he knew because he’d been there in a game was out of the question. Even if Archeas somehow understood, it would never believe him. Besides, the reality of the situation was likely far worse now than it had been when he encountered in the game.

"Are you seriously thinking about crossing the Black Wall yourself?" Ian asked instead, focusing on gauging Archeas’s true intentions. This was far more critical.

"Not at all. The Order, the royal court, even the gods wouldn\'t allow it. It has to be destroyed from the outside."

"And how do you know what’s on the other side?"

"I don’t, but there’s bound to be something. Probably something terrible. But thanks to you, we now have enough time to prepare. Time for me to prepare as well."

Archeas paused for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Let’s not talk about this any further. There are things I cannot tell you, no matter who you are. But don’t worry—I won’t ask you to take care of it for me."

"Even if you did, I would have refused," Ian replied, a faint smirk on his lips.

Archeas chuckled. "Of course you would. Even so, be prepared... Though it won’t be soon, I will eventually bring down the Black Wall. When that happens, I may need your help, whether or not you like it."

Ian exhaled a brief sigh in response.

So this is part of the grand scheme.

Deep down, he had always been aware that he would eventually need to cross the Black Wall. His only wish was to prolong that moment as much as possible. However, Archeas\' intention to destroy it meant time was running out.

And as he had learned from experience, just because the wall was destroyed from the outside didn’t mean what was inside would vanish. Things were never that simple. Chaos would undoubtedly follow.

So, telling it not to bring it down isn’t an option either.

Even if he could find a way to explain it to Archeas, someone else would likely take up the task. He had a strong sense that the Black Wall was destined to fall one way or another. The fact that he had crossed it in the game only reinforced that certainty. After all, since crossing was an option, so there must be a way to come back.

Though how exactly that happened, even Ian wasn’t sure—he had never bothered to read the strategy guides for that.

Archeas, who had been observing Ian’s expression closely, finally spoke. "It seems I’ve given you some rather difficult things to think about."

"... No, it’s fine. It’s better to know what’s coming so I can prepare for it," Ian replied with a sigh, meeting Archeas’s gaze. "I just hope there’s enough time left. I need to survive to help anyone else."

"That’s exactly the kind of reason I expected from you," Archeas said with a smile. "As I mentioned, you don’t need to worry. I won’t make a move until after the Round Table has fallen. The chaos they created will probably unify the Empire. Whatever I attempt will happen after that."

"That’s a relief..." Ian didn’t bother to hide his relief.

After all, he needed more time. While he had certainly grown stronger compared to his time in the game, there was no guarantee he would survive in the reality of Chapter Four. His inherent weaknesses as a character hadn’t changed much.

Even if he were to invest all his remaining ability points and skill points immediately, he still wouldn’t be a true archmage. At best, he’d be considered a warrior who was exceptionally skilled in magic.

At that moment, Archeas, who had been watching Ian’s changing expressions with amusement, spoke up. "In truth, I expected you to hide the fact that you were my agent. But surprisingly, you didn’t. Instead, you’ve used it to your advantage."

"... That wasn’t my initial plan," Ian replied. "But I didn’t see any reason to hide it."

"Exactly. I’m not blaming you. In fact, I think it was a clever choice. I’m glad my name alone could be of some help to you. That’s why I decided to share these stories with you."

Archeas smiled warmly as it continued. "Someday, you might find yourself in a situation where you’ll need to reveal what tasks you’ve been carrying out on my behalf, whether you want to or not. I wanted to give you a suitable excuse for that. You can\'t exactly reveal the task I assigned you, can you?"

"In other words, you want me to present your objectives as my own. I understand," Ian responded.

"Yes. You’re investigating the Black Wall and looking for a way to bring it down at my request. That’s the official line. Actually, I was hoping you would remain my agent in name, even without any real tasks."

"... Even if it\'s just nominally?" Ian tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

Archeas nodded. "Yes. Even if it’s only nominal, the Order would continue to keep an eye on you, and that would give me a bit more freedom. But after seeing your memories, I realize I can’t ask that of you. It’s gone beyond just being watched; there are now those who would try to take your life."

"Well, then, let’s keep it official," Ian said, causing Archeas to blink in surprise.

"...You’re willing to keep up the pretense?"

"At this point, even if I declare that I’m no longer the Agent of Platinum Dragon, those who wanted me dead won’t just accept it and back off."

Ian shrugged as he continued. "It’s all the same anyway. I might as well continue. Besides, as you said, using your name has been helpful in certain situations. I’m not going to go around flaunting it, but if the need arises, I’ll keep using it."

Archeas, momentarily at a loss for words, finally responded.

"You really are practical, aren’t you?"

Ian chuckled softly. Seeing Archeas wear such an expression unexpectedly lightened his mood, easing the frustration he had felt.