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Charlotte’s achievements included not just necromancy, but also portal magic.

So, couldn’t we just use portal magic to get to the abyss?

That wouldn’t work because portal magic needed a medium to recognize the coordinates of the destination.

A calling ticket from the association served as that medium.

If the owner tore it, a calling signal was sent. Even without tearing it, just possessing it allowed the coordinates to be recognized, so it could come on its own.

When Calandas first came, he also used the Demon Merchant’s belongings as the medium.

Meeting Roseha as a clone for the first time was the same.

Even Charlotte could quickly open a portal using a medium while returning from a dungeon.

As soon as the intruder alert rang from the crystal ball, we could just portal back.

On the other hand, to get to the abyss, we needed to find a suitable mode of transport.

In the medieval era, the only mode of transport was carriages.

Ordinarily, I would have gone to the city to hire a carriage.

“Sir Knight, where are you headed?”

“To the Northwest.”

“Oh, I knew it!”

Fortunately, before sunset on the first day, I was able to catch a ride with a trading carriage.

The destination was the Astoria Border Count’s residence.

It was a prestigious count’s house that guarded the Empire’s Northwest leading to the abyss.

‘…But I knew it?’

I suddenly felt a chill and asked.

And the ominous answer confirmed my fears.

“A monster wave is about to occur in the abyss, isn’t it? You’re not on an expedition seeking to gain merit, are you, Sir Knight?”

“….”

Unlike the magic realm, the abyss was invaded by frigid monsters devoid of reason.

The Astoria Border Count had historically served as a barrier against the monsters of the abyss.

A massive monster wave occurs once a year in the abyss.

‘And that’s happening now?’

No wonder my luck felt too good.

I had miscalculated the timing by quite a bit.

In the <72 Dungeon Strategy Guide>, there exists a sub-scenario about the abyss monster wave.

It seemed like a real headache, and now I might actually experience it.

‘It’s too late to turn back now.’

I had no intention of helping the border count defend.

The plan was simply to find the dungeon buried in the frozen waste of the abyss.

Naturally, I would face the monster wave along the way, but who were my subordinates?

First and foremost was the level 83 Witch Charlotte, capable of large-scale magic.

Since necromancy was her main focus, the more monsters she killed, the stronger she would become, and she also packed plenty of mana potions.

Level 88 Isabella was equally reliable.

Her blood magic allowed her to perform widespread attacks, and the blood of the monsters would become Isabella’s strength.

Both of them were specialized mages and vampires suited for large-scale battles.

And not to forget, there was also a level 88 Dullahan.

On top of that, we even had a boss who could move the sacred sword safely from afar?

The four of us could easily tackle the monster wave.

‘This might even be good.’

We could level up while farming too.

But even so, why should I casually stop the monster wave for the border count?

Why do a favor for someone else?

I decided to avoid the monster wave as much as possible and only fight if we had to.

“You’re right. It is an expedition to the abyss.”

“Indeed, Sir Knight! Please hurry and get in. If you’re with us, we feel secure!”

Before boarding the carriage, I glanced back.

I saw a bat perched on a tree, staring at me.

When our eyes met, it cheerfully waved.

‘It’s keeping up well.’

I boarded the carriage first, followed by Charlotte.

Inside, rugged-looking mercenaries welcomed us.

It was a cargo carriage, so we were all crowded together, making quite the commotion.

After all, war was imminent, so traders, mercenaries, and vagabonds would be gathering.

They were all mercenaries risking their lives for one big chance.

“Nice to meet you, Sir Knight. I am Hans, the leader of the Frost Claw Mercenary Company.”

The man who introduced himself stepped closer and extended his hand for a handshake.

As we shook hands, the carriage started moving and rattled.

We instinctively leaned against the wooden boards.

Hans’ armor straps were loose, indicating he might have been resting.

“Is the lady your squire, Sir Knight?”

He asked that this time to Charlotte.

Given her attire, she certainly looked like a squire.

In Hans’ eyes, she probably resembled a noble lady.

Sometimes noble ladies act as squires, so his gaze was not suspicious.

Charlotte nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

As expected, Charlotte was garnering all the male attention around her.

Of course, they were merely staring; no mercenary dared to subtly throw her a wink.

There’s an invisible barrier that comes with status.

Hans, who had been staring blankly at Charlotte, suddenly redirected his gaze.

“Which family do you hail from, Sir Knight?”

“I am a knight from the Beryon family, wandering to find my master.”

“Ah, a wandering knight, I see.”

I wasn’t sure if there even was a Beryon family.

Mercenaries don’t bother memorizing noble families’ names.

There are many small and humble families in the Empire, so it’s not easy to keep track.

“Beryon, huh? I suppose it’s an insignificant family since I’ve never heard of it.”

A voice came from the back.

I locked eyes with a knight in gleaming full plate armor.

“Over here, I’m from the Count Brittany’s house. Just like you, I’m also a wandering knight.”

There was a hint of blatant disdain since he didn’t use a title.

He appeared to be a knight filled with a sense of superiority.

[Lv. 61]

His first impression might have been unpleasant, but he was quite competent.

He prattled on all on his own.

“I wonder if you’ve heard of Gohan, the trolslayer?”

…What’s with that name?

Not some Buraltak version 2 but Gohan?

I didn’t feel like giving him any support and ignored him with a sigh.

I caught the sound of a snicker but chose to keep my distance.

Unlike me, Charlotte glared at Gohan with murderous intent.

It felt like if I didn’t intervene, she might unleash magic right there.

“Calm down.”

I cautiously touched her shoulder, and Charlotte bowed her head as if apologizing.

If you act up here, it’ll all be for nothing. Please hold back.

‘But that guy…’

Next to Gohan was a girl clad in rags.

She bore signs of abuse all over her body.

No knight would treat a squire like that; she was, without a doubt, a slave.

I’d never seen a knight wandering around with a slave instead of a squire.

Looking at her level and equipment, she seemed like a knight, but…

‘She can’t be a sex slave, right?’

In the medieval era, there were all sorts of perverts with every kink imaginable.

Nobles were even worse; being a lolicon or a bracon was part of the norm.

Typical beasts. At least it’s not necrophilia—

‘Oh.’

That intense pink level.

I turned my head from Charlotte to Gohan.

Anyhow, the girl looked like Gohan’s sex slave.

It would be a hassle to interfere, but I couldn’t help but feel concerned.

After that, Charlotte and I remained silent.

It would take about a week to reach the count’s residence.

I was worried if we could make it without any trouble until then.

Charlotte had a disguise spell, but that was a huge area, not just a small part of her face.

Instead of wasting mana, I’d just have to wear my helmet most of the time and occasionally reveal my face.

While Charlotte and I kept quiet, the mercenaries were chattering a bit too much.

I whiled away the time pretending not to care about their conversation.

During the ride, a topic sparked my interest entirely.

“This state of affairs is unbelievable. Be it the Shrine of Faith or the monsters from the abyss, it’s just too much.”

“Troubles piled on more troubles. There’s been so much talk. Most importantly, two heroes have died, right?”

“True, compared to that, a monster wave seems trivial. Haha… When compared to the Shrine of Faith, it’s oddly reassuring.”

The main culprit was sitting right here.

I couldn’t ignore it since they were talking about me.

“I’m thinking of volunteering for the subjugation squad targeting the Shrine of Faith.”

Suddenly, Gohan uttered something that drew everyone’s attention.

“Apparently, soon they’ll put together a subjugation squad from the command. It’s mainly composed of the Empire’s shining stars.”

He seemed to scan the crowd, likely measuring their reactions.

“Knights who achieve great feats during this expedition to the abyss can join the subjugation squad. I seek no reward; I simply set out to subjugate the Shrine of Faith.”

“Oh, indeed, it is Gohan of the Count’s house.”

“The Count’s knights truly are different….”

“Gohan the trolslayer. Remember my name. Soon I will be celebrated as the knight who conquered the Shrine of Faith.”

The aura of murder I sensed from the side wasn’t just my imagination.

I quietly touched Charlotte’s shoulder.

Like déjà vu, Charlotte seemed regretful and bowed her head.

“I’ve heard there’s a witch at the Shrine of Faith. Did you know?”

Gohan tugged on the slave’s hair.

“This little brat here is also a witch. It’d be a shame to kill her, so I’m keeping her as a slave.”

Oh, please.

I prayed silently, glancing sideways at Charlotte.

Surprisingly, I didn’t sense the ominous aura I was expecting.

Maybe I had worried too much.

With her consistently emotionless demeanor, Charlotte remained unaffected by any heightened feelings.

She might radiate murderous intent, but she wouldn’t create a confrontation out of nowhere.

‘…Actually, I’m the one more worried here.’

The more I looked at that girl, the more sympathy I felt.

Her eyes were hazy, devoid of emotion, akin to some kind of puppet rather than a human.

While this gave me some relief, it also weighed on my heart.

Lately, I’d been so numb to the death of humans that I thought my heart had become like that of the undead.

Looking back at the sympathy I felt, it was clear my heart was still human.

‘I want to just close my eyes and save her.’

In the abyss game, there was the Witch of Ash’s hut.

Coincidentally, she sheltered other witches and orphans who had lost their parents.

If I took that girl there, I was sure she’d be raised well.

But saving her would only grant me emotional satisfaction, leaving me with nothing else but trouble.

Of course, getting exposed wouldn’t mean death. But it would complicate things for sure.

‘What should I do….’

After that, I could only mull over the girl countless times.

***

The sound of insects announcing the stillness blended with the wind, creating a lonely song.

Late at night, Charlotte and I volunteered for the first watch.

The knights tried to persuade us to rest, but I wanted to do the first watch and the last.

What could I do lying down when I couldn’t even sleep?

I wanted to chat with Charlotte while on watch.

We sat side by side on a tree stump by the campfire.

Charlotte used a stick to coax the dying embers back to life.

The night air was cold, and she stretched her hands towards the fire.

For a while, we sat in silence, just passing the time.

It was Charlotte who broke the silence first.

“I’m sorry. I’m not good with words.”

She realizes it herself.

I hadn’t really given her a prompting.

I had been quietly contemplating whether to share my concerns with her.

I secretly wanted to ask Charlotte what she wanted to do about that young witch.

Even if she was a witch like Charlotte, it seemed she wouldn’t care much.

Having slaves was common in this era, and Charlotte seemed to confront reality rather than indulge in personal feelings.

Though wanting to help the witches, she probably held back as I would bear the consequences.

I thought the same way.

Rescuing that young witch wouldn’t yield any gains for me.

I knew that, still, the modern human heart kept tugging at me.

We had the ability to save her; the process wasn’t even difficult.

To be frank, if we made up our minds, we could ensure her safety after rescuing her.

“What do you think about that young witch?”

I poured out my thoughts I couldn’t hold back.

Charlotte looked at me, wide-eyed in surprise.

“Are you perhaps intending to help her?”

Without hesitation, I nodded.

“If she were an ordinary slave, I might have turned a blind eye. But she’s still a young girl. And she’s a witch, like you.”

“….”

Even if she’s a witch who despises humans, Charlotte ultimately is human.

She’s not a born psychopath or sociopath; her environment has shaped her that way.

Because of that, Charlotte possessed empathy and couldn’t disregard the young witch.

“I feel the same way, but…”

“Be honest. Don’t you want to save her?”

Charlotte chewed on her lips for a while before managing to respond.

“That’s correct.”

“Then it’s decided.”

That put my mind at ease.

Reflecting back, my motivations for saving Helbock were similar to my current feelings.

I knew that dogs and young children triggered my compassion too.

“Sometimes, you really are quite kind, Boss.”

It was a meaningless remark, but the moment we made eye contact, Charlotte bowed her head.

“…That was a slip of the tongue. I’m sorry.”

She seemed to be wondering why she apologized before realizing it too late.

Surely, kindness doesn’t suit the boss of the Seven Lairs.