The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 66

Chapter 66: The Decayed Village

Thanks to Serena and her group, the mountain had been purified. However, the traces of the poison that had ravaged the land still remained. The vegetation in the affected area had withered, and all that was left of the village were remnants, barely enough to recognize that people had once lived there.

Inside the only remaining stone dome, there was nothing. It was likely the work of Ganza’s son, who had sealed himself inside, possibly to prevent Fifth from taking Zanma.

“…We’ll examine this tomorrow. For now, follow me.”

“Serk?”

Without answering Rakul’s puzzled voice, I left the village. Rakul and the others followed, tilting their heads in curiosity.

A short distance away from the village was a clearing. There stood two small stones, positioned like markers.

“This is…?”

“They’re the graves of Ganza’s son and his wife.”

Ganza probably didn’t want to bury them in the poison-stricken village. That’s why he laid them to rest here, away from the village, and built their graves.

He likely didn’t anticipate the poison spreading so far. Poisons strong enough to affect not just the village but the entire mountain are exceedingly rare.

“But now the poison is gone. They’d probably rest better in the village itself.”

After placing my hands together in prayer before the gravestones, I began digging into the ground. With the help of Rakul and the others, we unearthed the remains of the two buried there.

We brought the remains back to the village and entered the stone dome. There, we buried the bones and had Rakul set up some rocks as gravestones. He carved their names onto the surface.

“Warrior Ganza, Son Gai, Daughter Hinori, Rest Here.”

After inscribing all the names on the stones, we all pressed our hands together in prayer for their peace. Then, suddenly, darkness spilled from the Chaos Crusader. That darkness took the form of two people.

“G-Ganza!?”

Rakul’s shocked voice was understandable. Though the figures were completely black, like shadows, one of them was undoubtedly the form of Ganza.

The other was a large, muscular man who resembled Ganza. While I knew the Chaos Crusader connected to them, this was the first time I had seen them in this form.

“It’s been a while, Ganza. And I suppose this is our first meeting, Gai.”

At my words, the two figures nodded. Then their voices echoed.

―Thank you. Now, Hinori and everyone else can rest in peace.

At Gai’s words, Serena and the rest of us breathed a sigh of relief. Ganza turned to Rakul and spoke.

―Rakul, you have become a fine warrior worthy of Zanma.

Holding back tears, Rakul bowed deeply at Ganza’s words. Ganza then turned to me and pointed in a specific direction.

―There is a stone door deep within the shrine. You should be able to open it.

“A stone door…?”

―Our souls will journey alongside your life.

With those final words, their forms disintegrated and returned to the Chaos Crusader. As I touched the sword, which now felt heavier, I murmured to myself.

“It was worth coming here.”

“Yeah…”

Wiping his tears, Rakul gripped Zanma tightly. With determination in his eyes, he made a vow before the graves.

“I swear again: I will become a knight who will not bring shame to you. I will always remain worthy of Zanma.”

As I watched Rakul make his vow, I thought to myself. This village may indeed have been destroyed by Fifth.

But not everything it had woven was lost. It lived on in me and Rakul. Coming to this village made me realize the strength of the people who had built it and what they had passed down.