The Villain Carries the Holy Sword – Chapter 57.2

Chapter 57.2: A Chance Encounter (2)

“They’ll all say you, right? So act like someone who’s going to be one of the Seven Nobles of Airian.”

“Abel could be the Count too.”

As soon as Cain finished speaking, Abel responded like lightning.

“No way! You absolutely have to be the Count, brother!”

“Abel, people change their minds……”

“Never! It’s enough for me to just watch your back, brother.”

Isoel turned her head and smiled slightly. Oleciren opened her mouth to speak to Cain, who seemed troubled.

“Okay, enough of that. Let’s go quickly. If we leave early, we should be able to get back before sunset.”

Cain scratched his cheek needlessly and got on the horse prepared by Count Crowl’s side.

Since they couldn’t ride within Ironheart Castle, the four of them moved along the paved road, enjoying the pleasant, dull thud of the horses’ hooves.

Buildings five to six stories high stood beside them, and beyond them, plumes of steam rose from moving trains.

It was a real city, unlike the quiet rural town of Ethelred.

“By the way, why do you suddenly want to go to Qaclington with me?”

To Cain’s question, Oleciren brought up the question she had discovered while reviewing last night’s tax data.

“In that case, it’s perfect to go and do some field research. It’s no problem since I’m going with Isoel anyway…. Besides, Isoel mentioned wanting to go on a trip.”

“How much did you bother her to make Knight Isoel say that?”

“Hey! What kind of thing is that to say to an elegant and perfect princess like me?”

“Should I ask Isoel?”

At those words, Oleciren, her eyes sparkling mischievously, turned her head to look at Isoel, who was on the far left.

Then she shook her head and turned back to Cain.

“Somehow, I think she’ll agree with you, so never mind.”

“Yeah, clumsy princess.”

“I’ll let you off since I’m the older sister.”

Cain chuckled at her words.

It wasn’t the bitter smile he usually wore, but a light, boyish smile, and Oleciren smiled back.

The morning sun shone down on them, and the wind blew, thick with the scent of spring.

Even amidst the noise of the bustling city, their conversation continued. Knight Isoel and Asher followed behind them.

As they emerged from the castle gates, the four of them urged their horses into a gallop.

Green meadows and sparsely blooming white and yellow flowers flashed by. Perhaps because it was a slightly sloping plain, the wind felt cooler as they ran faster.

“Whoa, whoa.”

A small gorge came into view, and the four of them slowed down.

It wasn’t that far.

They could see an old bridge, so they began to cross one by one in single file.

“Is it because of this gorge that there are no railroads?”

Knight Asher asked.

Even though it was rare to see anything but narrow-gauge railroads in the steel Crowl County, which ran from the mines to Ironheart, Qaclington didn’t have any trains.

“It’s not that, in this day and age where we build iron bridges. It’s probably because of the ground.”

“The ground?”

Isoel crossed first, followed by Oleciren and Cain who stepped onto the opposite land.

Asher, who arrived last, was a little surprised as he looked at the ground.

It was completely different soil from the other side.

Thump━.

Rather than the clatter of hooves, it felt like stepping on soft cotton.

Cain looked at Oleciren, and she began to explain what she had learned about the Qaclington area through the documents.

“It’s a legend, but it’s said that an unknown devil lived here. They say that if you offer sacrifices to the devil, it will make the land fertile, which is why the soil here is like this.”

Even though she was a princess, she had to be respectful when speaking to a formal knight, so her tone was different from when she spoke to Cain or Isoel.

Knight Asher flinched at the word “devil.”

“Was there really a devil?”

Oleciren chuckled and pointed to a gently sloping mountain in the distance.

“See that over there? It’s a dormant volcano now, but it used to be active, which is why it’s like this.”

“The soil near volcanoes is light and dark. That’s why there’s a mine here too.”

Asher’s face relaxed a little.

It seemed more like a modern person to be afraid of devils than volcanoes or unfamiliar places.

At that moment, Isoel, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

“In the past, when there was no logical system like magic or science, people encountered things they couldn’t explain and attributed them to mystery and awe.”

They were all moving slowly enough that they could listen to Isoel’s words.

“Rather than thinking the eruption of a volcano was caused by the mana of the earth’s veins gathering together, they would think that the devil of the volcano was angry.”

“Ah! So all the devils in stories are like that.”

Asher nodded in understanding.

As a knight, he was good at fighting, but when it came to things like this, he was a complete idiot. So when Isoel, who seemed wonderful, spoke, he naturally agreed.

But Isoel wasn’t finished.

“But there are still things like holy swords in this world, and witches and the coming Demon King exist. And in magic towers, there’s a field called demonology that studies devils.”

“Oh…”

“We can’t say for sure that they don’t exist. However, as a knight of Young Master Cain, I recommend you think critically.”

It wasn’t arrogant advice, but rather advice from someone in the same position.

Asher nodded vigorously.

He looked like he would take out a notepad and write it down if he had one.

Cain smiled naturally, feeling Isoel’s warmth as if he could hold it in his hand, and looked ahead.

The Qaclington mining town, nestled at the foot of Qaclington Volcano, was slowly coming into view.

“Devil, Demon King, whatever it is, I’ll stab it with my sword. Let’s go.”

“What about witches?”

To Oleciren’s question, Cain shrugged.

“If it’s a witch I know, I’ll just let her get hit by my sword once.”

“I’ll remember that.”

And so, the four of them were able to enter Qaclington before noon.

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