CHAPTER 12

Carmen Valtas.

But Carmen Valtas?

The surname that followed was no ordinary one. In this harsh northern land, Valtas was a name that, if you didn't know it, you might as well be a spy. All because of one man.

The Black Wolf, Ensis Valtas.

The greatest warrior in the north, he was known as the queen's strongest sword and a relentless stickler for principles.

Carmen, as if she had read my thoughts, flashed a bright smile with her pitch-black eyes and said cheerfully,

"You're right. The Black Wolf, Ensis Valtas, is my father. But just so there's no misunderstanding—I should say this upfront—I'm an illegitimate child."

An illegitimate child? To the Black Wolf, that inflexible stickler for rules? As far as I knew, he had remained single ever since losing his wife.

Maybe people really are different from their reputations.

But pressing further here wouldn't be polite, so I gently changed the subject.

"Could you introduce the others with you?"

"Of course!"

Her strong, refreshing voice had a natural friendliness that could win over anyone.

"This one here, wearing the robe pulled down low, is Tonisa the Mage. She'll be guiding us to the ancient ruins."

Tonisa didn't even look at me properly, just gave a slight nod in greeting.

I gave her a light nod back with a mild smile. I didn't feel any need to get closer to her.

Most "mages" were just closed-off fools, anyway.

In this world, becoming a mage was very simple—

You had to be born a mage.

From the moment they left their mother's womb, they held magic within them. While it varied slightly from person to person, they would all experience an "awakening" at a certain age. At that time, a flood of knowledge about the ancient language would pour into their minds.

Thus, they would be reborn as a true mage—able to twist the very laws of reality using ancient spells and their innate magic.

All without paying any price.

However, perhaps because of all the information crowding their minds, they tended to be innately averse to learning anything new. As a result, most mages were little more than uncultured brutes with power.

Expecting refinement from a mage was like trying to find a snow rabbit curled up in a pure white field—it was almost impossible.

So there was no need to get involved too deeply and stress myself out.

After watching my brief exchange with the mage, Carmen went on to introduce the heavily armored one-horned man behind her.

"This is Sukus. As you can see, he's a member of the One-Horned Tribe. He's always a trustworthy, dependable friend."

The man called Sukus took a step forward and extended a hand toward me.

"Pleasure to meet you, Demon Slayer Marnak."

I offered an awkward smile and reached out to shake his hand.

"Just Marnak is fine. That nickname is a bit embarrassing."

"Achievements earned through your own hands are nothing to be ashamed of. You should take pride in them."

The large hand gripping mine began to squeeze tighter.

Yep, that's the One-Horned Tribe for you.

The priest I'd met before, Cornu, was well-socialized—probably thanks to his priestly role. But the One-Horned were a race who deeply enjoyed testing their strength against others.

It was usually easier down the road if you showed a little toughness from the start.

So I tightened my grip and pulled.

Sukus, whose head was at least a whole size bigger than mine, lost his balance and lurched forward.

Then, with one foot, I subtly hooked his leg.

Thud.

His massive body fell to the ground with a heavy thump. I smiled and reached out a hand toward him.

"Will that suffice?"

Sukus, lying on the ground, burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Impressive! Impressive! You really are the Demon Slayer! That strength is on par with us One-Horns—and I like that quietly fierce attitude of yours too!"

Laughing heartily, he took my hand and stood up.

"I'm glad you like it."

"When this is all over, let's share a drink!"

"I'm looking forward to it."

Even though, with my lost sense of taste, alcohol was no different from bland water—but there was no need to ruin the mood with that.

Seeing that I'd finished my introductions, Carmen laughed brightly.

"Well, now that the greetings are done, shall we get going? We can fill in the missing conversations on the way. It'll take us a full two days of walking to reach the ruins of the Ancient Empire, after all."

The crackling firewood, the sparks flying—

In the dim night, only the campfire glowed.

Carmen pushed another log into the flames and struck up a conversation.

"Not going to sleep? Your watch is over. Might be best to grab some rest before sunrise."

"I've already slept enough. I can't fall asleep again."

It had been two days since we left Guis. Carmen and I, being around the same age, had grown fairly close.

I had also built a decent relationship with Sukus. As for the mage, Tonisa, she was an extremely quiet woman, so we hadn't spoken much—but I didn't really mind.

I pulled the fur cloak I'd bought before leaving Guis tighter around myself. The fine strands tickled my cheek playfully.

"The more I look at you, the more I think—you don't seem human, Priest Marnak. Are you perhaps half One-Horned? Maybe one of your parents was?"

"My father was definitely human, so should I take that as a suspicion of my mother's virtue?"

At my playful jab, Carmen chuckled.

"Just kidding, just kidding.

Still, you're at the prime of your youth—don't you have any good stories to tell? A man of your looks must've had plenty of women."

I picked up a nearby piece of firewood and tossed it into the flames.

"I'm like a field of untouched snow—pure and pristine."

"Oh? That's quite the surprise. Then, do you have a type? A particular kind of woman you like?"

Carmen's eyes sparkled with amusement as she asked, and I felt a tiny squirming motion in my chest pocket.

"Hmm. I suppose I like women who stay by my side."

The movement in my pocket stilled. Carmen nodded in agreement.

"True. Waking up to a woman peacefully sleeping beside you... that's definitely a beautiful thing."

"Since I answered your question, how about sharing yours?"

"My type, you mean?"

"Yes."

Scratching his cheek a little shyly, Carmen looked into the fire and spoke.

"Well... I think a woman's heart is the most important thing."

"Kill, kill,"

At those innocent words, Mother made a satisfied little twitch from within my pocket. But before she could finish her pleased wriggling, Carmen traced a large shape in the air with his hands.

"Of course, since the heart is in the chest, you need a large vessel to hold a large heart, right?"

"Kill?!"

At the sudden turn the conversation had taken, the Mother of Decay was genuinely flustered.

Carmen turned his head, looked me in the eyes, and beamed.

"Priest Marnak, I like big-chested women."

That utterly unashamed statement gave me a sense of innocence in a very different direction from earlier.

Before I could say anything, my mother shouted inside my head:

"Kill (殺)!"

As she flailed, urging me to stay away from this lewd man, I gently patted my pocket to calm her and smiled.

"Having a clear preference isn't a bad thing. It can serve as a guiding light in life.

But, if I may give a piece of advice—maybe refrain from saying that in front of women."

Carmen burst into hearty laughter.

"Haha! I wouldn't go around saying things like that just anywhere. I only said it because it's you, Priest. And besides, haven't we gotten along quite well these past few days?

Talking with you feels like chatting with an old friend."

Truthfully, I also found myself liking this cheerful man quite a bit. I let out a soft chuckle and replied,

"I feel the same."

"KILL HIM!!!"

We greeted the morning with my mother's shout echoing in my head: Choose your friends wisely!

It was finally time to enter the ancient ruins.

"I'm opening it now."

In a soft voice, Tonisa murmured ancient words and pushed the 'key' into the air.

The space twisted, and a black hole opened its mouth.

Seeing the ruins of the Ancient Empire, my chest tightened a little.

This was my first ruins expedition, after all.

Entering the ruins of the Ancient Empire was a simple process:

1. Obtain the "key," a special item that allows access to the ruins.

2. Travel to the coordinates written on the key, and read the ancient language inscribed on it.

3. Push the key into the air and turn it—clockwise or counterclockwise, as desired.

If those three conditions were met, the entrance to the ruins would open.

However, only mages could read the ancient language written on the key, which made mages absolutely essential for any ruin expedition—

with one exception: the player of this game.

That's right—I could read the ancient language.

I had no mana and couldn't use magic, but I could read. I had tried several times to get my hands on one of those "keys," but they were rare and valuable—and someone like me, with no roots or connections in this world, had no luck obtaining one.

"Let's go!"

With a loud cry, Carmen stepped boldly into the black hole.

Following him in order were Sukus, then me, and finally Tonisa.

As soon as Tonisa, the keyholder, stepped through, the black hole began to slowly vanish.

Now, the only ways out of the ruins were to use the key again or to find an exit hidden somewhere within.

"Wow."

"Whoa."

Carmen and I let out awed sounds as we took in the ruins around us.

Seeing them with my own eyes—after only ever glimpsing them through screenshots online—was an overwhelming experience.

At the end of a tunnel carved from immense white stone stood a colossal, pristine white structure, exuding presence.

But despite its immaculate beauty, there was no sign of life.

No chirping birds, no buzzing insects, no sounds of beasts breathing.

There was only silence—the heavy, ancient silence of time that had settled and remained undisturbed.

As the awe settled and the stillness crept in, Carmen gave a small grin.

"Well then, shall we head in? This place looks far better preserved than any ruins I've entered before—there's bound to be loads of relics."

Well preserved, huh?

That one phrase snapped me back to focus.

In game terms, ruins that were well preserved tended to be higher in rank.

And that meant a greater chance of high-level guardians appearing.

Of course, there was always a possibility it was just a bonus ruin with no guardian at all—but best to stay on alert.

There's no harm in staying cautious.

Not to mention, high-rank ruins held high-grade ancient relics.

Excitement bubbling under my feet, I stepped forward, following right behind Carmen.