The Relic Dealer (1)

“Leaving already? That’s a shame, my friend!”

A booming voice echoed through the castle gates.

“We didn’t even get to share a meal after the battle!”

Tears welled up in the large eyes of the massive green figure, a sight that seemed oddly out of place.

“So, I prepared something! It’s jerky made by our goblins, from the finest beasts! Don’t hold back, eat to your heart’s content!”

Thud!

Tarum, the chieftain of the High Orcs, shouted as he heaved a large sack onto the cart. The cart, already laden with goods, swayed under the added weight.

“Looks like the wheels might give out…”

“If the cart breaks, just carry it on your back!”

”…”

“Your head’s still not quite right! No worries, just eat plenty of food and meat!”

Tarum laughed heartily, giving the dwarf a hearty pat on the back.

As Bjorn reached for his pouch of explosives, Dalen quickly sent him off to join the others, then extended a hand to the beaming Tarum.

“Thanks for your help in the war.”

“No, it is we who should thank you, Dalen!”

Tarum grasped Dalen’s hand and pulled him into a bear hug that would have crushed an ordinary person. After the bone-crushing embrace, he recounted their journey.

“After losing our guardian, we decided to leave our homeland. When we descended the mountains, we found human settlements in ruins. The scent of battle was strong.”

The human settlements Tarum mentioned were the fortresses that had fallen to the vanguard of Suum.

The High Orcs had ended up in the royal city of Eclahim, far from the World’s Teeth Mountains, simply by following the trail of devastation.

Who would have thought the High Orcs’ love for food and battle would lead them here? The lingering question was how they managed to cover such a vast distance.

“Our goblins are quite handy! They built sleds and had the white wolves pull them.”

”…I see.”

“With sleds, we could carry plenty of food. Even when the wolves died, we got meat from them and caught new ones! Nothing goes to waste with the white wolves!”

It reminded Dalen of how medieval Mongolian nomads praised their horses.

Assuming this world remains intact, perhaps in the distant future, the rulers of the northern continent might not be humans but High Orcs.

Thanks to the goblins’ craftsmanship, which turned wild resources into feasts, the High Orcs gained unprecedented mobility.

Without their support, the outcome of the war might have been entirely different. Their aid allowed Felber and Lucia to support Dalen, enabling them to withstand the combined assault of two great demons.

‘Thankfully, my choices weren’t wrong.’

Dalen stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Victory had been precariously snatched. It was a trial he couldn’t have overcome with his strength alone.

Had he pursued only personal power, disregarding everything else, he would have plummeted off the cliff’s edge on this narrow path countless times.

While relieved he hadn’t missed his one chance, the truth that the journey ahead was equally perilous sent a chill down his spine.

Shaking his head to dispel his thoughts, Dalen listened as Tarum spoke in a somber tone.

”…Perhaps we were trapped in the mountains for too long. Thanks to you, we could leave our homeland and find freedom.”

Tarum’s dark eyes trembled slightly.

As the chieftain of the High Orcs, he likely shared a similar sentiment with Dalen.

In the face of impending doom, everyone walks their own tightrope.

For Tarum, the stakes included not just his life but the fate of his entire race.

“Don’t burden yourself with too many thoughts at once, Tarum.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

Despite everything, the young chieftain’s journey had been successful so far. In Dalen’s view, the future didn’t seem too bleak.

Even though they were a different race, the victory in the war had fostered a friendly atmosphere towards the High Orcs among the city’s residents.

It was said that the High Orcs and goblins planned to help rebuild Eclahim and the fortresses for a while.

Having integrated into the civilization of the largest northern nation, they were free from the clutches of imperial merchants who skinned and sold hides, at least for the time being.

Tarum, his eyes darting around, clenched his large fist and turned away.

”…The High Orcs fight freely. I think I finally understand what our great ancestors meant.”

With those words, the tattooed green giant slowly walked away. Dalen watched him for a moment before mounting his horse.

In the distant eastern sky, the sun was rising.

It was time to return.

---

The northern front was half-destroyed, but the infrastructure, like roads in the rear, remained intact.

After the war, the Ironblood Army quickly began securing and repairing the roads connecting various regions.

This was to ensure that the tens of thousands of refugees from Eclahim could swiftly return home, avoiding the threat of monsters.

As a result, Dalen and his companions, heading south, encountered refugee caravans several times an hour.

Their numbers even exceeded the original population of Eclahim.

‘They must be people seeking work.’

Rebuilding a half-destroyed city required a lot of manpower, inevitably leading to the circulation of a large amount of gold and silver.

The city that repelled the invasion of the evil god seemed poised for a rapid recovery. If the continent remained stable, it would shine even brighter than before.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

On the long stone-paved road stretching from north to south.

Eight warhorses and two ponies carried people, dwarves, and a dragon at a steady pace.

Following them were two supply carts, loaded with provisions and gifts from the Kingdom of Char for the Golden Palace of the Labyrinth City.

Felber glanced back at the carts and muttered.

“Ugh, exchanging diplomatic gifts when the end is near. We were on the brink of the capital’s destruction, and yet here we are.”

“But Master, your official status is the Tower Master of Elgaia. If they don’t acknowledge the contribution of such a crucial asset, it would upset both the Tower and Falcion.”

“Tommy, the only reason I still have ties to the Tower is because those old hermits in their labs have been pestering me with their sentimental nonsense for the past thirty years.”

“Haha, of course, but still…”

“Those old hermits didn’t even lift a finger, so what kind of reward is this? If they have money to spare, they should raise the pay for us or the mercenary mages.”

Even the most serious archmage can become a headache for their apprentice.

Watching the lively exchange between the master and apprentice, Dalen chuckled quietly.

‘The transcendent beings of the Golden Palace must have been anxious too.’

The transcendent beings residing in the depths of the Golden Palace would do anything to prevent destruction.

Though not officially announced, it was said that the city alliance provided immense support to the Kingdom of Char during the war.

Massive supplies of weapons, food, and materials. Arranging large-scale mercenary deals, including mercenary mages, and more.

With such significant tangible and intangible support, the Kingdom of Char had to reciprocate to maintain face.

The presence of two envoys from the Kingdom of Char in their group was part of that context.

“To outsiders, we might look like ordinary travelers, but in reality, we’re a group of superhumans carrying treasures… Haha, that’s the romance of it.”

“Craig, take it easy. You almost got yourself killed chasing that ‘romance’ last time. And this group doesn’t look like ordinary travelers at all.”

“Are you trying to ruin my romance? I thought you, my fellow comrade, would understand me…”

The two men bickering over trivial matters were Craig and Roman, enforcers of the Special Task Force.

Craig, whom they met in a border village of the Kingdom of Char, and Roman, who had been part of a labyrinth mission, had both crossed paths with the group on the northern front.

In any case, transporting the Kingdom of Char’s gifts in response to the city alliance’s support was the first mission the group took on after the war.

Since their destination was the Crow’s Nest, where Sienna was, it was a journey they were going to make anyway. The transport mission allowed them to nearly double their usual pay, so it wasn’t a bad deal.

[Gold, gold. Mountains of gold. Hehehe.]

”…”

[This world must be preserved, if only to spend all this gold… Hehehe.]

Thanks to this, the demon in the subspace had been grinning like that ever since they left the capital.

‘I should visit the auction house in the Labyrinth City while we’re at it. It’s about time to upgrade our gear.’

Despite the chaos caused by monsters across the continent, the prices in Falcion remained stable.

Even though it was a massive city with millions of residents, it was capable of perfect self-sufficiency through various technologies and magic.

In fact, the prices of magical weapons and equipment had reportedly dropped slightly.

According to Sienna’s raven, the reason for the growing chaos was that many wealthy individuals were selling off their hidden treasures.

Pushing aside the complicated thoughts about the journey ahead, Dalen looked up at the sky and slowly exhaled.

“Whoo…”

His warm breath met the cold air and froze.

White mist rose, and the damp air settled on the tip of his nose.

Yesterday, instead of snow, rain had fallen—a sign they were nearing the border of the city alliance.

The endless stream of refugees from Eclahim they’d passed over the last fortnight had also become a rare sight.

’…The Empire’s holy war.’

The Empire’s declaration of a great southern war against all neighboring nations.

The holy war was supposed to be an event in the latter part of the scenario.

With the Suum crossing the Frost Highlands to invade the Tsar’s lands, it wasn’t surprising for the Empire to declare a holy war.

However, Dalen had his doubts.

‘With such a massive force in motion, there’s no way the necromancers, the vampires of the Empire’s east, would just sit idly by… hmm?’

A faint noise interrupted his thoughts. Dalen turned his head.

Several kilometers away in the forest, the clash of weapons mingled with screams and shouts.

In these times of impending doom, monsters and bandits were everywhere.

But it wasn’t the battle itself that caught Dalen’s attention.

‘That was definitely the sensation of space being torn.’

Having fully absorbed the insights left by the Gray Sage, Dalen’s understanding of space had significantly improved.

He could now faintly sense spatial distortions occurring kilometers away.

Pausing to focus, the presence within his sensory range became clearer.

Someone was tearing through space, leaping dozens of meters at a time, repeatedly.

Only a transcendent being of the sixth rank could manage such a feat. And they were heading straight for him.

“Prepare for battle,” Dalen ordered. As his companions swiftly drew their weapons, Dalen placed his hand on the new axe he had acquired.

The presence tearing through space was now within a few hundred meters.

At this speed, they would arrive any moment.

He considered predicting their arrival point and throwing his axe in advance…

“Aaaah!”

His hand hesitated on the axe. Dalen frowned.

He had assumed the approaching figure was a skilled spatial mage or a transcendent, yet the scream sounded oddly familiar.

Felber, seemingly having the same thought, lowered his raised staff. The old man spoke.

”…Isn’t that the voice of Galleos, the merchant leader?”