Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 68

“Are we deliberately passing through the Horneld Duchy? Is there something here?”

Michelle called out to me as we rode side by side.

We had left Viscount Riofendarl’s territory and were now making our way toward our homeland, the Kingdom of Elver.

Our goal was clear—to search for any records of past battles against the Abyssal Demon, Disemna, and to gather information in preparation for the next confrontation.

The biggest challenge, however, was figuring out how to find what we needed.

If Disemna had already gathered Eranda’s remains to create a vessel, then it might already be beyond our reach…

But worrying wouldn’t change anything.

Some things would unfold as they were meant to.

The fact that my mind was so fixated on Disemna meant that something deep within me—perhaps something in my very bl00d—was urging me to bring it down.

It was as if the time had come.

“Honestly, I’m just following my instincts. This feels like the best path, the inevitable one.”

“I see… Then let us ride forward while considering what might lie ahead. And no matter what awaits us, I will fight.”

“Michelle…”

Her expression was resolute, her stance strong and unwavering. She looked radiant.

I felt a pang of guilt.

“Please, don’t look at me like that. I chose to follow you of my own will. It is out of gratitude and affection. If you pity me, it only troubles me. Or do you not want me here?”

“Of course not. You’ve always been a great source of strength for me. Especially when I first left the kingdom—I was filled with uncertainty.”

“Then that’s all that matters. Let’s keep going. If anything catches your attention, let me know.”

“I will.”

Michelle had always been like a caring older sister.

As we continued on, I recalled how much more overprotective she had been when I was younger.

While passing through the duchy, we heard many rumors.

Apparently, Duke Horneld had finally been captured, and his father, the former duke, had been dragged out of his secluded estate as well.

Both had been taken to the royal capital.

For the time being, the kingdom had dispatched civil officials to oversee the region in their absence.

The people awaited this change with a mix of hope and anxiety.

“Lax…”

“Yeah…”

Beyond the capital of the Horneld Duchy, further down the road, we came across an ancient shrine.

“Something wrong?”

As I stared at it, a passing merchant spoke up.

He was thin and frail-looking, but his eyes held an unmistakable resolve.

There was something unusual about him.

“This shrine… something about it feels off.”

I had no reason to hide my curiosity, so I answered honestly. The merchant, however, narrowed his eyes as if assessing me.

“This shrine belonged to… well, I suppose I should say formerly belonged to Duke Horneld. He maintained it personally and would visit it from time to time. If you’re drawn to it, you might want to keep that to yourself.”

“Is that so…? Why would he maintain something like this?”

“That, I don’t know. Probably no one does—except the Horneld family.”

“I see…”

There had to be a reason this shrine caught my attention.

And then, I felt it—an unshakable sense of unease.

There was no question about it.

I had to investigate.

“You’re going in?”

The merchant’s tone made it clear he thought I should reconsider.

“Yeah. There’s something here. I can feel it. I’m Lax—Lax Werdeen. I was recently granted the title of Count.”

“You…? Forgive me. Among my peers, your name has been a frequent topic of discussion. The sage who braved the dungeon without fear, the one who protected a town from a stampede with courage. I apologize for my rudeness.”

Once I revealed my identity, the merchant’s demeanor shifted to one of respect.

“No need to apologize. In fact, thank you for sharing this information. We’ll take a look inside.”

“Understood. Be careful. There are rumors that this place was a center of demon worship.”

“I appreciate the warning.”

I hadn’t expected such a direct mention of demons.

So, this was where they had been lurking all along.

But now, I understood why I was drawn here.

Upon stepping inside, I was met with a chilling, damp air that clung to the dimly lit space.

And then—

“Open Skill List.”

I instinctively felt that this was what I needed to do.

The moment I did, an unfamiliar skill appeared before me.

“Truth Revelation”…

Was this an advanced form of appraisal?

As far as I knew from speaking with the dungeon administrator, there had been no such skill related to appraisal in my list. That meant it had only just manifested.

Had coming here been the trigger?

I glanced at Michelle beside me, but she showed no particular reaction to the shrine. She was simply surveying the surroundings, alert yet unaffected.

So it was just me?

Was it because I was The Sage?

There was no time to dwell on the reasons now.

What mattered was what this skill could do—and the words that had just appeared before me.

“Long ago, I lost a fragment of myself.
Though it was something precious, as I lingered within the borders of the in-between, I began to forget.
And so, I inscribed this here, so that I may always remember.
For that fragment is the emptiness within my heart.
I must reclaim it… for I shall return to my castle.”

So even Disemna had a purpose.

But no matter what it was, it would never justify playing with human lives, with the world of men.

Resolving myself once more, I turned my back on the shrine and stepped outside.