The place where the item to break the seal of Rebrion was located was a dungeon at the border between Edenria and the Empire.
Since the break had been extended due to the Leviathan incident, Ian Volkanov immediately took a carriage toward Edenria.
Initially, he considered searching for Ariel’s traces, but he decided that unsealing Rebrion took priority.
‘I know how powerful Rebrion is. I can’t just give that up.’
From what Belphegor had said, Satan and Lucifer wouldn’t just sit idly by.
The situation had reached a point where the Demon Kings who could have bought time for his plan were now annihilated.
Even those who had been acting leisurely must have started to feel anxious, and they would soon be making their moves.
‘You always have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.’
If he could obtain Rebrion, a weapon that could rival the Holy Sword Elysion, it would be a satisfying preparation.
If there were still a long way to go before lifting the curse, perhaps he would have gone to find Ariel. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been a bad choice.
But that wasn’t the case. With only about 5% of the curse left to remove, this was the best course of action.
That was the reason.
“Whew.”
The reason why Ian quickly packed and headed straight to Edenria.
Of course, he wasn’t going alone.
“Didn’t you tell me this was outdoor training? Why are we riding in a carriage instead of using a proper training ground, Ian?”
“Training outside is outdoor training, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ve got somewhere to go.”
“What are you up to this time? I have no idea anymore.”
Igor, who had boarded the carriage, leaned back against the seat as if giving up.
Igor was the companion Ian chose for this trip.
“There were plenty of people I could have brought along—Eri, Lia, or even Reina and Bianca would have gladly come if I asked.”
But Ian specifically picked Igor, and for a good reason.
‘Given that the situation at Ark Academy was an emergency with demons descending… it wouldn’t be right to drag Eri along.’
Though she was hiding her identity, she was still a princess.
She was already overwhelmed with royal duties, so anyone with any sense would consider her situation.
‘Lia said she was going out with friends for the first time in a while, and taking Reina or Bianca didn’t feel right.’
While it was true that they had grown closer, inviting one of them to tackle a dungeon together still felt a bit distant.
Since he had already succeeded in killing Leviathan, the urgency to improve rapport had lessened.
‘This time, Igor is the right choice. It’s a dungeon raid, after all.’
There was no need to overthink it. Since the goal was a dungeon raid, it made sense to bring the most suitable person.
In that regard, Igor was an excellent choice.
‘The dungeon we’re heading to this time is inside an old mansion near the border between Edenria and the Empire.’
The dungeon, situated inside an abandoned building, would be filled with formidable monsters and constant battles.
‘Thanks to my training, I don’t tire easily, but the best part is that Igor isn’t afraid of anything.’
Most people would be paralyzed with fear at the sight of the incoming hordes, unable to perform to their abilities. But Igor wasn’t one of them.
Whether or not it was true that he came from a warrior race, Igor didn’t get scared unless it was something truly terrifying.
‘Honestly, it’s the opposite. Igor might even want to challenge a Demon King if he saw one.’
Ian was confident that Igor was the best choice, which was why he had brought him along.
“Hm… Ian. You didn’t bring us to this place for outdoor training, did you?”
“Isn’t it nice? The atmosphere is quite something.”
It was Ian’s casual response that allowed him to bring Igor to the dungeon without much worry.
Hearing Ian’s response, Igor’s neck creaked as he turned his head.
He couldn’t understand what Ian was saying.
“Huh. Has the meaning of ‘atmosphere’ changed? Where I’m from, we would’ve called this place a dump.”
At first, Igor had been excited when Ian mentioned outdoor training.
Vishen was a closed city, befitting a nation of minority tribes, and its people rarely ventured outside unless necessary.
Igor was no exception. Training aside, he had never traveled to another town in his life.
Coming to the capital for Ark Academy was his first time leaving home.
“…I was looking forward to this. But this…”
Even Volkanov territory wasn’t bad. Even though it was cold, it offered new experiences. But this seemed a bit too much.
“Isn’t this a ruin?”
Ian had brought him to a ruin. Hidden deep in the mountains, surrounded by overgrown trees, with vines covering the walls.
The windows were shattered, and the decorations were rusted—were they really going to train here?
“This isn’t the Edenria I imagined!”
“What exactly were you expecting? Where else could you find a place like this? It’s spacious and nice, isn’t it?”
“Nice? What’s nice about it! I was so excited to see the Holy Land!”
Having never been to Edenria before, Igor had harbored high expectations.
A city of saints devoted to God. What would it look like?
He imagined bright, serene buildings filled with peace, and people with kind smiles.
But Ian had utterly crushed Igor’s expectations.
“This isn’t the Holy Land; it’s just a ruin! Did we seriously ride a carriage all the way here for this?”
Though it was large, there wasn’t a single intact spot, making it feel like they had ended up in Astelgia instead of the Holy Land.
Igor couldn’t contain his anger and kept grumbling, but Ian simply looked at him with a gentle smile.
‘He seems really upset….’
Looking back, it made sense. Igor had spent his entire life in an isolated area and had just started exploring new places—how exciting that must have been!
Given how eagerly he sought freedom, it was no wonder he wanted to explore as much as possible.
‘He was even happy to visit the unremarkable Volkanov territory.’
If it was the Holy Land of Edenria, he must have had even higher expectations.
Edenria, being the sacred ground of the Erysian Church, rarely allowed non-believers or outsiders to visit.
So, to come to such a rare place, only to end up in some ruin instead of a bustling center?
No wonder he was fuming—he’d have every right to throw a punch.
‘But I needed Igor for this.’
Ian felt a bit guilty.
Though he might lack tact, he wasn’t without a conscience, so he had prepared a gift for Igor.
As he watched Igor fume, Ian chuckled softly and patted Igor on the shoulder.
Igor glared at him, thinking it was a provocation, but then Ian spoke.
“Once we’re done here, I’ll make sure you can travel freely wherever you want.”
“What? What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“It’s not a joke. This time, I’ve secured permission from Edenria to travel anywhere as a reward. If we finish this dungeon quickly, you can spend the rest of the time enjoying the city.”
“Really?”
“You know I might exaggerate, but I’ve never lied, have I?”
“That’s true.”
Igor’s eyes lit up instantly.
It was true he’d been deceived many times before, but Ian had never been one to go back on his word.
The problem was that things usually didn’t go as expected, but Ian always kept his promises.
This time wouldn’t be any different. Igor knew what he had to do.
“Then let’s conquer this dungeon quickly!”
Igor, now fueled by anticipation rather than anger, marched briskly toward the mansion.
If he finished this, he’d get the chance to embark on the trip of his dreams. He couldn’t let that opportunity slip away.
‘How long have I waited for this?’
He remembered vividly the Erisian priests who had visited Vishen during his childhood for proselytizing.
At the same time, a dream had taken root in his heart.
‘This is my chance to meet the nuns!’
He wasn’t interested in the rough warrior clans; he wanted to meet kind-hearted, open-minded people.
Now that the opportunity to fulfill that dream was right in front of him, he couldn’t let it pass by.
“What are you doing, Ian? We need to hurry if we’re going to clear this dungeon.”
“I’m coming. Aren’t you being a bit too eager?”
“Eager? This is how I’ve always been.”
Igor, now smiling as if his earlier anger was forgotten, pushed through the waist-high grass and headed for the mansion’s entrance.
“Whew.”
After catching his breath, Igor forcefully pushed open the creaky door, and what he saw made him pause.
“Uh… how does a house end up like this? I’d rather camp outside than stay here.”
“The exterior didn’t look ordinary, and the inside is no different.”
The inside was utterly wrecked, with a musty odor filling the air.
The eerie atmosphere made him shiver for a moment, but with his unyielding will, there was no need to be afraid.
“Let’s get going. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can enjoy our break!”
Igor, having steeled his resolve, moved forward confidently. But just as he was about to follow, something caught his foot.
Swish!
“Huh?”
As he took a step forward, he felt something underfoot.
‘Is that… paper?’
What he had stepped on was a piece of paper. In a place he assumed was abandoned, why was there paper scattered on the floor?
Curious, Ian stopped Igor and looked at the paper.
And at that moment, he understood.
[These are the safety guidelines for night patrols within the mansion. Under no circumstances should the contents of this document be disclosed to outsiders, and the Flareon family will not be held responsible for any accidents caused by ignoring or violating these instructions.]
‘The dungeon’s theme is random, so I was wondering what we’d get. Looks like it’s a fear-debuff dungeon.’
He had just realized the true nature of the dungeon they were about to enter.
