VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 17

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 17

Big Bun recounted in detail everything that transpired that day.

Of course, he made sure to emphasize that they had been meticulous in their transport of the goods from Blackstone City to the trading hub near the elven kingdom. Hopefully, this would lessen the king’s wrath.

“You can’t remember the face of the culprit?” said Lark.

After being plagued by nightmares about it every night, Big Bun could recall even the most minute details of the event – from the swaying of tree branches, the rustling of leaves, the neighing of horses, down to the sound of the cart wheels grinding against stones and the smell of dirt.

But strangely, nearly everything related to the thief had become a blur. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t recall any significant details that could point to their identity.

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I can’t remember.”

The royal knights standing nearby frowned when they heard the answer.

In their eyes, it didn’t make sense for the merchant not to remember the face of the thief.

People’s minds process emotionally intense and threatening experiences. Our brain always prioritizes details crucial to survival, and that should have included what the attacker looked like.

Even the normally silent Captain Symon was displeased when he heard this. He felt that the merchant was twisting parts of the story to suit his narrative.

“Bun Gaultier, are you mocking us right now?” said Captain Symon coldly.

Big Bun nervously gulped and shook his head frantically.

“O-Of course not! Please believe me! I’ve been trying to recall everything! But for some strange reason, my memories related to the culprit have been eroding with each passing day!”

Captain Symon frowned. He gazed at Lark, wordlessly asking for his orders. The moment the king gave the signal, Captain Symon wouldn’t hesitate to cut down Big Bun where he knelt.

Luckily for Big Bun, Lark had no intention of putting all of the blame on him regarding this matter.

This man had simply followed instructions.

Logically speaking, if they followed command responsibility, Big Mona should be blamed for this blunder. It was Big Mona who told Lark to transport the crystal to the trading hub instead of producing the bloodstone water within the safety of Blackstone City to hasten the logistics of their trade with the elves.

Following that thought process, since Lark Marcus was the one who approved the idea, he was the one who should truly be blamed for this incident.

Big Bun had already gone far beyond what was expected of him by transporting the goods to the trading hub while mobilizing the strongest defense force available in the city.

If they had to blame someone, they should blame Big Mona and King Lark, not this pitiful merchant kneeling before him.

Of course, as the king, Lark knew he couldn’t openly admit he was responsible for this.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of owning up to the blunder. There was simply a time and place when a monarch had to bow his head and apologize – and this was not one of them.
If he apologized for every little thing, his authority as ruler of the nation would be greatly shaken.

Thus, as unfair as it may sound, Big Bun had to shoulder some of his faults in this matter.

“Bun, you said before in your initial report that the thief is an old woman,” said Lark.

Big Bun looked hesitant. “That… I’m n-no longer sure, Your Majesty.”

Unable to take it any longer, one of the royal knights in the room snapped. “This! Do we look like fools to you? Answer His Majesty properly!”

Lark raised his hand, wordlessly telling the knight to calm his emotions.

The knight bowed his head and apologized before returning to his position.

Lark said in a calm voice, “You’re no longer sure? Explain.”

Big Bun slowly bobbed his head.

“Yes. Even if you interrogate the other members of my caravan, they would probably reply with the same answer. Y-Your Majesty, I know this sounds hard to believe, but I’m telling the truth. After that day, the memories related to the culprit started vanishing from our minds. Although the event itself remains vivid, everything related to the appearance of the perpetrator now feels like a blurred dream.”

Lark fell silent. He looked at Lady Alice. It seemed that she was also thinking the same things he was.

The story of Big Bun was strangely similar to the story passed down to the Witches of Aravark.

According to them, a certain person had invaded the ancient underground city of Ist’ Tamat and ransacked the tomb within it several decades ago.

Even the witches of that time, who held power capable of tilting the tides of war, were rendered helpless when they faced the intruder.

Moreover, despite their abilities, the witches failed to see through the illusion spell concealing the thief’s identity.

It was only after several years of investigation that the witches finally figured out the identity of the person who ransacked the tomb.

The Wandering Sage.

The so-called strongest person on the entire continent.

A person veiled in mystery.

“Lady Alice,” said Lark. “What do you think?”

Lady Alice’s face turned grim. “If it’s that person, then this is a bigger problem than we thought.”

Lark’s gaze moved from Elias Farsight to the knights, then to Arcturus. He started wondering if these people would be enough should a fight against the Wandering Sage occur.

Even the Beast King could probably defeat Arcturus if they fought. The Ancient Fire Dragons would need to send out either Vulcan or Vesta to defeat the White Lion.

Unlike Vulcan, Arcturus was relatively young and inexperienced. It was also the reason why his father asked him to accompany Lark on his journeys.

If the Beast King, who was said to be around rank three in the Council of Scholars’ ranking, could defeat Arcturus, then the probability of their team winning against the Wandering Sage would be slim.

Should he come with them?

For a moment, Lark thought of accompanying them until they found the culprit.

But in the end, he decided against it.

Unlike these combatants, Lark was the king of a nation, and his presence was needed to resolve the problems between the United Grakas Alliance and the Dukedom of Mauko.

Also, it would be ideal for him to personally visit the Kingdom of Thornforge to convince them to join the Coalition later on.

“The Wandering Sage, huh?” muttered Lark.

Everyone in the room stiffened when they heard this.

Why had the name of that legendary figure suddenly come out of the king’s mouth?

It couldn’t be…

Big Bun’s eyes widened. His jaw hung. “C-Could it be… the W-Wandering Sage is the one who stole those items?!”

Lark thought for a moment whether or not he should answer Big Bun’s question. In the end, he said, “The Wandering Sage is the most likely culprit. That’s correct.”

“T-The… W-W-Wandering Sa—!”

“—It’s just speculation at this point. Since it’s apparent that the illusion spell has tampered with your memories, it’ll be better to call someone who can answer my questions instead. Someone whose memories aren’t muddled.”

Big Bun wondered what the king was talking about.

He’d just told him that even his caravan members couldn’t remember the culprit’s appearance.

While thinking of this, Lark summoned one of the Blackstone Knights that had escorted the One Stop Clop on their way to the trading hub.

Big Bun watched in amazement as the towering Blackstone Knight knelt in reverence the moment it reached Lark’s desk.

“Blackstone Knights should have a certain degree of immunity to illusion magic,” said Lark. He turned to the living suit of armor, “You will cease to exist after this.” Decisively, he added, “Sacrifice your essence for me.”

The Blackstone Knight seemed to understand its upcoming fate. Still, despite this, it grunted and willingly offered itself.

Lark placed his hand on the Blackstone Knight’s head.

“Now, show me what you saw.”

The Blackstone Knight groaned, and mana started flowing from Lark’s fingertips. It penetrated the Blackstone Knight then returned to its caster.

Its essence broken by the memory reading spell, the eyes within the visor dimmed, eventually vanishing completely.

The Blackstone Knight, reduced to an ordinary suit of armor, stopped moving.

Its sacrifice allowed Lark to see the events that transpired that day clearly.

“…A woman with black hair, clad in a red-brown cloak. Big Bun said she’s old, but in the Blackstone Knight’s vision, she looked a lot younger, probably in her thirties at most,” said Lark. “Elias, you’re capable of seeing through illusion magic, correct?”

Elias Farsight replied, “Although it depends on the opponent… I believe so, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t outright confirm it, but judging by his voice, it was apparent that he was quite confident in his ability.

“Good. You’ll be crucial in this mission. Since there’s a high chance that our opponent is the Wandering Sage, I want Lady Alice, Captain Symon, and Blackie to accompany the investigation team this time.”

If Blackie heard this, it would have thrown a tantrum and cursed the investigation team for not being strong enough to handle the mission on their own.

Lady Alice, on the other hand, readily agreed. As the leader of the witches, she knew how powerful the Wandering Sage was.

Combining all of these forces to hunt a single person may seem overkill, but it would be better to be prepared than sorry.

“The Wandering Sage, huh…,” said Elias Farsight.

“You look excited, Elias,” said Lark.

Elias’ change in expression was barely noticeable, but Lark could tell that he was looking forward to their encounter.

“It just feels surreal,” said Elias. “I never expected that there would come a time when I would be hunting the continent’s so-called strongest.”

Lark smiled.

He found it amusing that instead of fear, what Elias felt was excitement upon hearing the culprit’s likely identity.

Of course, there was no assurance that the culprit was really the Wandering Sage. But for now, they ticked all of the boxes.

“Your Majesty,” said Captain Symon. “Since all of us have been assigned to the investigation team, does that mean you’re going to the southern territories alone?”

“Yes.”

Captain Symon looked as though he wanted to object, but in the end, he refrained from speaking further.

The Captain was a staunch believer in hierarchy, and he would always follow the crown’s command no matter how dangerous or absurd it was.

If the king wished to go on his own to the southern territories, then so be it.

At this point, Captain Symon already knew that King Lark was powerful enough to fight everyone in this room on his own.

Of course, being strong didn’t necessarily mean that they should leave the king on his own.

He was simply respecting his wishes.

If given permission, Captain Symon would rather accompany King Lark and serve him on his journey to the southern countries, no matter how arduous or dangerous it may be.

“Then, that settles everything,” said Lark. “Remember, if the opponent turns out to be too strong, just flee. Your lives are more valuable than the stolen items. Do not forget that. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Bun.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“You will be locked up for a while. But don’t worry, I shall guarantee your safety under the name of the crown.”

“I-If you’ll allow me to ask… what will happen to my caravan members?”

“They will share your fate.”

“Your mercy is boundless! This servant is forever grateful, My King!”

Big Bun sighed in relief.

This was already the best outcome he could ask for.

As long as he and his caravan members were spared from the chopping block, he would willingly spend even a decade inside the dungeons.

After that meeting, Big Bun and his men were detained by the city guards temporarily. They would undergo due process later, following the rules of the kingdom.

As expected, Blackie was furious upon learning that it would be accompanying the investigation team to hunt the culprit.

The duration of this mission was indefinite. It could take days, weeks, maybe even months if their target was skilled in hiding and erasing their tracks.

Blackie was devastated at the idea that it would be spending so long away from Lark until they’d completed the mission.

***

After the meeting with Big Bun, Lark used his remaining time to explore the city.

It had been a long time since he’d visited this territory.

Although he should be impartial when it came to the territories he governed, Lark couldn’t help but look favorably upon Blackstone City.

This place would always hold a special place in his heart.

His town of beginning.

The place that sheltered him until he grew into what he was today.

“Look!”

“Oh heavens above! It’s His Majesty, King Lark!”

“The rumors are true! He really came to our city!”

“King Lark! Please look this way!”

“Kyaah! Our eyes met!”

Although Lark didn’t intend it to turn out this way, his simple walk had gathered too much attention from the citizens and turned into a Hero’s Procession. Thankfully, the royal knights accompanied him and prevented the people from crowding too close.

“Your Majesty!”

“We’ve heard about the Coalition Army!”

“Even the Empire bowed down to you! Hahaha!”

“You’re really the best! The greatest! You’ll always be the Lord in our hearts!”

“Hey, what are you saying?! Lord? He’s King now!”

As the former Lord of Blackstone City, Lark’s fame and reputation in the territory had reached their peak long ago.

His image as the person who made the city prosper was unshakable.

Some of the residents might not know the name of the current Lord, but no one in Blackstone City didn’t know the name of Lark Marcus.

There was even a statue near the mansion modeled after the young Lark Marcus.

Moreover, the Central Plaza had been renamed Lark Marcus Square.

Should he call it hometown advantage?

Lark’s popularity in Blackstone City was so extremely high that some people even prayed to him during mealtime.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please, can you bless my child?”

A woman, holding a newborn child, fearlessly squeezed through the crowd. She shouted desperately to attract the king’s attention.

“Your Majesty! Please!”

Afraid that the newborn child would be hurt, Lark ordered the royal knights to let the woman pass through.

The woman was close to crying as she held the child in her hands toward Lark.

“You want me to bless this child?”

“Yes!”

The child was wailing, snot dripping down its nose. It must have been terrified by the thousands of people crowding the streets to see Lark Marcus.

“What is the child’s name?”

“Her name is Nierva, Your Majesty.”

“Nierva,” said Lark. “It’s a beautiful name.”

Although Lark was uncomfortable blessing a child, believing that such things should be left to the priests, he decided to indulge her this time.

“Nierva. May you remain healthy always.”

Although it was an awkward blessing, it was filled with Lark’s sincerity.

Lark gently placed a finger on the child’s forehead. He inserted a very minute amount of lifeforce into the child, just enough to keep her healthy for a couple of years.

The child, feeling an inexplicable rush of vigor, stopped crying. It stared at Lark for a moment, then started chuckling. Seeing this, the child’s mother burst into tears.

“You, escort them to a safe location,” said Lark to one of the royal knights.

“As you command.”

After the woman and her child had been escorted by the royal knight to a less crowded location, Lark decided to end his short stroll.

Even he didn’t expect that he would be this popular.

After seeing him bless the child, several other mothers started approaching him with their children, hoping to also receive his blessings.

Lark couldn’t possibly go and bless all the children in the city. The lifeforce aside, that would also be physically tiring.

After ending his stroll, Lark also visited the officials he’d instated before—the various ministers of the city, The Scholar, and even Strabo, Videl, and Mikael Garios. He also met with Commander Qarat.

It was a joyful reunion.

Lark listened to their stories, specifically those related to the developments of the city.

Just for today, Lark forgot about his status as the king.

Today, he came here as the former Lord of Blackstone Town—a small town in the middle of the wilderness.

"Seven years have passed since then, huh? It feels like just yesterday that I first opened my eyes in this era."

From a small territory, Blackstone Town had grown into a city housing nearly two hundred thousand citizens. It had also become one of the largest trading hubs in the entire kingdom. Even its military, which used to be one of the weakest, had grown powerful enough to fight against an entire legion.

Lark couldn’t help but be proud of his subordinates’ accomplishments.

Even without him, they had continued building on the pillars Lark had laid back when he was still the Lord of the territory.

“I’ve finished what I need to do here. It’s time to visit the southern kingdoms.”

The next day, Lark departed for the United Grakas Alliance to meet with the Beast King.

The investigation team, on the other hand, continued their search for the thief who had stolen the bloodstone fragments.