“Fainted?”
Ian’s eyebrows shot up at the mention of fainting.
Considering the person’s age, a loss of consciousness might be taken even more seriously, but…
The fact that this had been going on for days lingered in his mind.
‘If it was just due to feeling a bit unwell, calling a healer would have resolved it. But it’s been days like this.’
Wasn’t this a sign that something more severe was going on?
Furthermore, if the lady of the Volkanov Count family hadn’t recovered, it could mean she was afflicted by a serious illness.
“Do you know the reason? She wouldn’t faint suddenly, would she?”
“We tried to find out ourselves… but according to the priests, they can’t determine the cause.”
“So, it’s not just a simple fainting spell, then.”
As Ian continued walking, he furrowed his brows. Shulkin carefully offered his opinion.
“Perhaps you should pay her a visit?”
‘A visit, huh…’
Even though it wouldn’t improve her condition, maybe he should at least see her face.
Even if he resented her, he would seem worried upon hearing that his mother was unwell.
‘If I go… perhaps it could make a difference. If it’s a physical ailment, using Super Regeneration might help…’
But didn’t Shulkin already say that the priests couldn’t find the cause?
That meant it probably wasn’t a bodily issue.
Thus, all Ian could do was fulfill his duty as a son and visit his mother.
Shulkin, knowing this, had likely suggested it with caution.
‘At the very least… this isn’t the time to meet.’
But Ian had no intention of visiting Leticia right now.
He was already reluctant to waste time on meaningless matters, and meeting her without resolving their lingering issues wouldn’t be beneficial.
“Never mind. Let’s proceed to the storage first.”
“Understood.”
Walking along with Shulkin’s guidance, Ian looked out the window to ease his frustration.
Perhaps seeing the vast sky would lift his mood. However, what caught his eye was something else entirely.
‘Is that red hair Haley? And the girl in front… she looks like Ariel.’
The two standing at the training grounds—likely there for practice.
Although she was an Ark instructor, Haley also held the role of sword instructor for the Hero, so it was her duty to train Ariel.
‘Her injuries looked severe at the time… Starting sword training right after recovery?’
Admiring her dedication, Ian nodded in acknowledgment.
‘Did she just look my way?’
He noticed Haley’s gaze briefly shift from Ariel to him.
Could she have caught him watching?
He chose not to dwell on it.
“Just a coincidence.”
“Pardon? Were you talking about something?”
“No, just talking to myself. Let’s keep moving. There’s a lot to prepare.”
Ian didn’t believe that someone as busy as her, teaching a student, would have any reason to notice him.
With that thought, he continued toward the storage.
***
‘Maybe I overdid it?’
Recalling the items he prepared in the storage, Ian let out a faint laugh.
If he were simply granted permission, Shulkin would likely have suggested returning half of the items.
The thought amused him.
‘But I can’t help it. Ariel is that important.’
In the storage filled with the Volkanov family’s history, along with artifacts of great historical value, there were also plenty of rare items that would usually appear in hidden quests.
In a place filled with treasures, most would likely browse for items useful for themselves.
But Ian had immediately searched for items suited to Ariel.
‘To be precise, I looked for items that would boost her defense and survival to withstand Lucifer’s attacks.’
Starting with a robe crafted by Alex Volkanov for his frail wife in case of emergencies, a full set of armor made from Earth Drake’s scales, and even a ring imbued with the strength of a being once called a titan.
In total, he packed items that would be useful to Ariel.
Transporting them with mana alone took at least twenty minutes.
Some might view it as an excessive fuss, but Ian couldn’t do otherwise.
‘What else am I supposed to do?’
While the Hero, Ariel, was specialized in fighting demons, she had one flaw.
She had a tendency to charge headlong.
‘I experienced it firsthand in the original work… In every record I’ve seen after her battles with the Demon Kings, it often ended poorly due to her impulsive actions.’
That might make charging seem like a bad habit.
But charging itself isn’t a problem.
What is a warrior’s role? To buy time for archers and mages in the rear to prepare powerful attacks.
If she quickly storms into the enemy lines, their attacks will be focused on her, creating an ideal situation for those in the rear.
‘Right. Charging itself isn’t wrong. The issue is charging in without any warning.’
Ariel’s issue is not “charging” but “impulsiveness”.
He needed to remember the difference.
‘The best approach would have been to persuade her while making judgment calls myself as the situation demands. But it’s too late for that.’
If Ariel could simply stop acting on her own and follow the judgment of someone like Ian who could read the battlefield, that would be ideal.
But if it were that easy, there would have been no reason to come back in time.
‘Let’s say I tell Ariel what to do. Even if it’s difficult, she’d manage somehow. But as a warrior, she should at least be able to hold the front line on her own.’
Thinking about what Ariel needed to improve made his head throb.
No matter how he looked at it, her issue was that her remarkable strength wasn’t matched by her physical resilience.
‘If Ariel could withstand attacks without flinching, there’d be no problem with her charging recklessly.’
Why is an 8-ton truck with a broken steering wheel terrifying?
Because when it’s barreling down uncontrollably, there’s no stopping it.
But what if that truck was made of straw?
‘If she’s on the brink of collapse after a few hits, I can’t send her into enemy lines…’
A truck made of straw would hardly be frightening if its steering or engine broke; it’d be laughable.
In that moment, Ian reached a conclusion: he would transform Ariel’s fragile, straw-like body into one with an iron frame.
‘I have to face Lucifer, who’s even stronger than Satan. I won’t have the luxury of directing Ariel, nor can I stop her impulsive actions. So, if her charges could strike fear into the enemy, wouldn’t that solve the problem?’
If a hero wielding a Holy Sword charged into the enemy’s heart and couldn’t be brought down no matter how much they attacked, wouldn’t that be a nightmare for the demons?
‘Besides, the Holy Sword is the only weapon capable of killing Lucifer. She has to survive until the end.’
While focusing on defense and survival might make her movements heavier and affect her aggression, Ian decided not to worry about that.
‘Aggression? That’s fine. Ariel doesn’t have to do anything else. She just needs to stay alive long enough to drive that sword into Lucifer’s heart.’
He could compensate for her lack of offensive power with something else.
Ian Volkanov’s entire purpose was to support Ariel in overcoming her weaknesses.
He had already accepted that responsibility.
‘And this time, it won’t just be me and Ariel fighting.’
In the battle against Satan, Ian had gradually reached his limit.
So in this final fight, he planned to mobilize all available forces.
‘Not only the members of the Hero’s party who will gather by divine guidance… but also those connected by fate.’
There were Eri, Igor, and even Bianca and Reina, whom he had recently met.
And when the continent faced danger, the Empire’s warriors wouldn’t stand idly by.
‘Even if they’re past their prime… they’ll be enough to make up for Ariel’s weaknesses.’
Duke Bernogia, the King of Fists, the lord of Wignoron who once slew a dragon, and even his father, who had just awakened from a coma.
Other hidden powerhouses on the continent would start to reveal themselves.
In that case, there’d be no need to boost Ariel’s offensive capabilities.
‘Of course, I didn’t want to leave with only things for Ariel, so I grabbed something for myself too.’
With a small grin, Ian looked at the ring on his left ring finger.
The Ring of Infinity. A relic known to have belonged to a wandering sage from the distant past.
The name might suggest it increased mana, but it didn’t.
‘You could call it an inventory ring… It’s a ring with the ability to store items within.’
Given the sheer amount of items he’d prepared for Ariel, it had been difficult to move them, so he picked it up.
And after the transfer, it could come in handy in other ways too.
‘I thought it was limitless when I grabbed it, but… it isn’t.’
Though a bit disappointing, he didn’t think it reduced the ring’s value.
Having an inventory was incredibly useful.
It wasn’t just about storing items inside the ring.
‘Items stored in this ring are invisible to others.’
Using that trait, he could create variables even in battle.
If it were a typical in-game item, he might know other uses for it. But this was something Ian was encountering for the first time, so he’d have to figure it out himself.
‘Still, it wouldn’t be called the Ring of Infinity without reason… There must be a hidden potential.’
He didn’t know yet, but he was in no hurry to discover it.
With that thought, Ian continued walking.
‘All that’s left is to hand these items to Ariel.’
When he last saw her, she seemed to be training. She likely wouldn’t be in her room.
‘Should I just tell the maid nearby to say it’s a gift from me and leave it?’
Although it would be polite to hand over a gift in person, there was no need for such formality.
It wasn’t a celebratory birthday gift, after all…
‘Ariel would feel uncomfortable seeing me, so let’s just leave it.’
As he made his decision and looked up, Ian found himself in front of Ariel’s room.
Assuming no one was inside, Ian skipped knocking and carefully opened the door.
“Oh, brother…”
“Ariel? Why are you here…?”
“Well, this is… my room?”
“It is, but…”
‘What’s this? Shouldn’t she be training with Haley by now? Why is she here?’
Seeing his sister curled up on the bed, Ian’s eyes widened in surprise.
