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“Haah, how did this happen?”

As he moved, Repenhardt let out another sigh. Sillan offered a comforting smile and reassured him.

“Hey, Mr. Repen, don’t be too down. These things happen in life, right?”

After discovering the empty heart of the ruins, Repenhardt quickly moved to explore other areas. But the result was the same everywhere. The only things present were various monsters bound by the ruins, and all artifacts from his memories had vanished. Moreover, clear signs of recent destruction were visible throughout the passageways and chambers.

It was clear. Someone had raided the Elucion ruins before him!

Sillan continued with a light-hearted comment.

“Those ruins weren’t your property, Mr. Repen. Someone else could have explored them first.”

The tale of rushing to ancient ruins after purchasing expensive information, only to find someone else had already looted them, was a common story among adventurers. Thus, Sillan didn’t find the situation strange at all.

However, for Repenhardt, the situation was utterly unacceptable. The discovery of the Elucion ruins was supposed to happen 17 years later, by Repenhardt himself. This wasn’t a simple case of someone getting there first.

‘The future has changed…’

Repenhardt, having time-traveled to this era, had anticipated that the future might gradually become distorted. As a mage, he was well-versed in the concept of causality.

‘Could the effects be happening already?’

It wasn’t impossible. For example, if a person who was supposed to die in Repenhardt’s past lived because of him, that person could accidentally discover this dungeon.

Of course, Sillan, unaware of the complexities, simply interpreted Repenhardt’s expression as one of someone who had come up empty-handed and continued to offer consolation.

“And it’s not like we came away with nothing. That seems like a pretty amazing artifact.”

As he spoke, Sillan glanced at Siris, who was walking behind them. She was fiddling with a small stick, about 30 centimeters long, in her left hand.

At first glance, it was a plain wooden stick without any decoration. However, as Siris murmured softly, the stick began to transform.

“Nihillen.”

Light poured from both ends of the stick, forming a shape. It lengthened from side to side, bending smoothly, and strands of light emerged, connecting its ends. What was once a mere stick became a large bow of light.

Siris placed her hand on the bowstring of light. An arrow of light materialized in her grasp. She repeatedly drew the bowstring.

Pop, pop, pop!

The arrows of light were rapidly fired, successively snapping branches of trees dozens of meters away. Sillan asked, observing her actions,

“How is it, Siris?”

“It’s a remarkable weapon.”

Even within her cold tone, an undeniable excitement was evident. Siris was utterly fascinated by this new magical bow.

The Magic Bow Nihillen.

This magical bow did not require separate arrows, was unaffected by wind or gravity, and could load and fire multiple arrows depending on the user’s concentration. Moreover, it had the power of mana gathering, automatically charging with magical power even when left alone, and, most importantly, it was extremely portable. After all, it was just a stick in its normal state. Even Sillan, who had seen quite a few artifacts from the Age of Silver, recognized it as a significant artifact.

“To just abandon such an incredible thing, tsk tsk.”

Unlike other relics, this one appeared to be just a simple piece of wood, which was probably why it was left behind. Since it did not emanate any magical power, it’s likely that its previous owner didn’t realize it was an artifact.

“But how did Mr. Repen know this was an artifact?”

In fact, the Magic Bow Nihillen had been the primary weapon used by Siris in her past life. At that time, Repenhardt hadn’t fully realized its significance as a great relic. He had brought it back for research, intrigued by the material of the stick he had never seen before, and during this research, he discovered its functions and gifted it to Siris. It was only later that he realized the stick was a remnant of the World Tree Elvenheim.

Of course, he couldn’t tell Sillan the entire story, so he vaguely brushed it off.

“Ah, I had some information about it. Anyway, I’m glad you like it.”

Repenhardt smiled weakly, watching Siris as she continued to shoot Nihillen at nearby trees as they walked.

The arrows shot by Nihillen differed subtly in aiming sensation compared to ordinary bows, especially since they were unaffected by gravity and flew in a straight line instead of an arc. Thus, Siris was diligently comparing the archery she had learned with the usage of Nihillen, adjusting her senses.

“So, don’t be too disappointed. It’s not like Elucion is the only ancient site on the continent, right?”

“Um, that’s true, but…”

Despite Sillan’s comforting voice, Repenhardt’s expression did not lighten.

‘The Voice of Elucion is unique.’

The future might have changed, but what hit him the hardest was his failure to acquire the item he immediately needed. The other relics were manageable, but there was no substitute for the Voice of Elucion. It was the only artifact in the world that could restore magical powers to him.

“Ugh…”

As he walked along the mountain path, he could see white smoke billowing from beyond the forest. And then, a large village encircled by tall fences emerged through the trees. Sillan said with a delighted expression, “Ah, it’s starting to come into view. Gehallen Village. It’s been a while since we’ve had someone else cook for us. Let’s grab a meal here.”

Gehallen Village was a fairly large mountain village located on the western side of the Setellad mountain range. Situated at a pass through the mountains, most of the houses in the village doubled as inns. Repenhardt and his party found an inn bustling with people and ordered their food.

Soon, a robust-looking lady came to their table, her arms laden with generous portions of bread, soup, and salad.

“Eat up, everyone. Should I prepare another serving for each person?”

The lady joked, looking at Repenhardt’s sturdy frame. They all began to eat, feeling the warmth of rural hospitality. The simple fare of black bread and pumpkin soup was surprisingly delicious. Sillan looked a bit surprised. Despite the humble ingredients, the flavor was impressive?

“Wow, this is delicious!”

“Isn’t it? Our cook’s skills are top-notch.”

The lady beamed with pride, then her expression suddenly turned sour.

“But those pompous fellows, thinking they’re food critics, were complaining this and that.”

“Pompous fellows?”

“Some knights from a noble family arrived here about a week ago. They said something about exploring a ruin?”

Repenhardt’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“Could you tell us more about that?”

“Eh? Why do you ask, young man?”

The lady looked puzzled, tilting her head. Repenhardt discreetly handed her a silver coin, which she refused with a frown.

“Hey, you don’t need to pay for stories like this.”

Eventually, after a lecture on how young men should not frivolously spend money lest they be punished, Repenhardt finally got the story he wanted.

“So, about a week ago…”

A group of knights had stopped by Gehallen Village with the intent of exploring a new ruin in the Setellad mountains. They stayed here for a while, getting ready, and complained constantly about how uncomfortable the beds were and how the food was unfit even for dogs.

“Did you not hear where they are from?”

“They were brought by Viscount Kelberen, but somehow, they all seemed to rank higher than the Viscount himself.”

This village of Gehallen was one of the autonomous communities under Viscount Kelberen’s jurisdiction. So, it was understandable that they recognized Viscount Kelberen but not the others.

‘Maybe I should head to Viscount Kelberen’s residence first?’

As Repenhardt was lost in thought, the lady clapped her hands and continued speaking.

“Ah! Now that I think about it, there was one knight among them shining in gold. He was a truly good man. Kind and considerate even to us villagers. But it was funny to see him all in gold, even his sword was made of gold.”

In an instant, Repenhardt realized the identity of the person. A golden armor and a golden sword could only mean one thing in this vast continent.

‘… The Golden Knight of Graim! They were from the Count Tenes family.’

* * *

The Viscountcy of Kelberen was located near the southwestern side of the Setellad mountain range. It was a small domain, mostly mountainous, which barely managed self-sufficiency in agriculture. However, it boasted rich deposits of iron and copper ore, making the lives of its people quite affluent. Thanks to these resources, Viscount Kelberen was considered one of the wealthiest individuals in the Kingdom of Graim, despite his lower noble rank.

Inside the castle of the Viscount, a man appearing to be in his mid-thirties was dining with the Viscount. With a lavish feast before them, the Viscount of Kelberen, who was over fifty, was earnestly showering the man with praises.

“You are truly remarkable, Sir Eusus!”

The man humbly shook his head in response.

“It is all thanks to the assistance I have received from Viscount Kelberen.”

The Viscount waved his hand and continued speaking.

“Even so, wasn’t it Sir Eusus who vanquished the monsters of that ruin? Truly, the Golden Knight of Graim, his fame is not unmerited as I have clearly seen.”

It was a month ago that Viscount Kelberen had received a message from the man before him, Eusus. He had doubted at first whether the tale of a tremendous ancient ruin lying dormant within his domain was anything but a dream. After all, the wealth that could be acquired from exploring such ancient ruins was extraordinary, and no lord would find unwelcome news in the prospect.

However, what truly delighted the Viscount wasn’t the existence of the ruins, but the opportunity to forge a friendship with the Golden Knight, Sir Eusus. For a rural noble of little consequence, possessing nothing but wealth, the chance to become acquainted with a knight of high renown within the Kingdom of Graim was almost non-existent.

Following Eusus’s request, the Viscount made preparations for the exploration and welcomed the Tenes Knights. He even joined the expedition himself to strengthen their bond. Having never neglected his knightly training since his youth, he was a robust man, embodying the vitality of youth despite being over fifty. He was confident in his ability to protect himself, no matter the dangers of the ruins.

Throughout this journey undertaken to build a closer relationship, Viscount Kelberen found himself genuinely enchanted by Sir Eusus. The knight was strong and kind, always composed in any situation, and caring towards his subordinates. He was the epitome of a knight out of a tale.

Despite losing many men in the perilous exploration, Eusus successfully explored the ancient ruin, Elucion, and returned with tremendous treasure.