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There was a faint magical aura emanating from it. He skimmed through it briefly, but it was filled with bizarrely distorted characters, making it impossible to discern whether it was enchanted or encoded.

‘I’ll take this for now. And this… a sigil?’

He had heard that some dark mages carried specially crafted sigils.

Though this was the first time he had seen one in person and couldn’t be entirely sure, it seemed likely.

‘I hope touching it doesn’t trigger any curses.’

Despite his unease, he examined it carefully and found a name engraved on it.

It was a surname he had never heard of before. However, if he took it back to his family, they might be able to find out something useful.

He also grabbed the staff and the jewelry. He left the robe behind.

The robe had become so tattered that it would be difficult to repair and, in its current state, it wouldn’t serve its magical function. It was essentially worthless.

“The village chief is coming.”

“Hmm?”

Whether it was because they thought everything was over or if they wanted to lend a hand now, the villagers who had gathered at the village entrance were cautiously approaching under the chief’s direction.

Although they had somewhat organized themselves into formation, it looked quite shoddy.

The village chief approached and looked down at the dead dark mage. Even though the mage was no longer moving, fear was evident in the chief’s eyes.

“Sir Knight, is it all over?”

“Yes.”

Ian stepped forward and answered in Mael’s place.

“As you can see, the dark mage is dead, so you can rest easy.”

“Um, what do you plan to do with the corpse?”

One of the villagers raised their hand and asked cautiously.

“Is it not our responsibility to bury it?”

Ian let out a hollow laugh.

“There’s a common mistake people make when dealing with dark mages, and do you know what that is?”

“Ah, no.”

“Burying a dead dark mage. It’s a foolish thing to do. Why? Because dark mages are seekers of truth, but they are also priests who worship the outer deities. Just as a priest’s remains can become a relic imbued with divine power, a dark mage’s remains are imbued with dark magic.”

“I… I see.”

“Yes, and the remains of a dark mage have the power to attract entities from the outer realms, which could lead to a horde of dark creatures descending upon this place.”

“So, what should we do?”

“Obviously, it’s best to call a priest to perform a purification. I noticed there’s a church in the village; someone should go fetch a priest. Or is there someone among you who can perform this task?”

The village chief and the villagers looked around in confusion, exchanging glances. Ian blinked in surprise.

“No one?”

“Well, there was a priest here until recently, but he left after receiving a message from the Shrine of the Great Gods. He was supposed to return within a month, but….”

“Hmm. In that case, we’ll have to burn it.”

Someone muttered.

“If we burn the dark mage, won’t it bring a curse upon the village?”

That comment sparked a murmur among the crowd. With nearly fifty people starting to talk amongst themselves, it became quite noisy.

Just as Ian was about to scold them to be quiet, the village chief took the initiative.

“Everyone, be quiet! It’s so noisy, really! What kind of behavior is this in front of the knights?”

“But…”

“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet!”

“……”

The village chief glared at the villagers with a harsh look before bowing to Ian.

“I apologize for the sight. Should we just burn the body then?”

“That would be fine.”

The villagers’ faces were filled with fear. If they actually burned the corpse, they would surely start crying out that they were cursed by the dark mage if anything went wrong.

“Sir, could I have a moment of your ear?”

“Hmm?”

Ian looked over at Marie, who had come closer and was leaning in to speak.

Although the proximity was a bit too close for comfort, Ian listened calmly.

“How about taking the remains back to your family? You could get a crate, pack it with salt for preservation, and transport it that way.”

“…Hmm.”

“There’s space in the carriage. Or you could attach wheels to the crate and drag it along.”

Perhaps they could burn it along the way. While ordinary fire would take a long time to consume it, using the Bane of Evil could reduce it to ashes quickly. The decision was made.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

Ian immediately proposed to the villagers.

“It seems you’re not comfortable with cremating the dark mage here, so we’ll take the remains and handle it ourselves.”

“Wow!”

Cheers erupted instantly. It seemed that the idea of cremating the dark mage there was particularly unsettling.

“However, we can’t take it away just like this, so could you provide a coffin and some salt? Of course, we will pay for them.”

Given that he was offering to pay, there were no complaints. They agreed to provide the items and asked for a little time. Since he planned to stay in the village for the day, it wasn’t a problem.

After leaving the cleanup to the villagers, Ian returned to the inn and relaxed.

The next day, late in the morning, the village chief and a carpenter arrived at his lodgings with the items.

Inside the sturdy coffin lay the dark mage, neatly positioned and covered with salt.

“Hmph.”

Ian looked down at it with a disapproving expression.

It was a dark mage. Although he had no personal grudge against them, it didn’t mean he felt comfortable with the sight.

They were known for conducting experiments beyond the bounds of humanity and aligning with the outer deities, who were considered the main enemies of humankind.

In short, they were deserving of their fate. Yet, seeing them lying comfortably in such a clean coffin made him feel a pang of irritation.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue and closed the coffin lid.

“Would you like me to nail it shut?”

Ian nodded at the carpenter’s question.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

One nail per hammer strike. This would ensure that the coffin wouldn’t open during transport.

The preparations were complete.

Although the delay due to the outer gate and the dark mage wasn’t expected, his family wouldn’t make a fuss about it.

The carriage carrying the coffin was now ready to depart.

* * *

About seven hundred years ago, in the eastern part of the El Carda Empire, there was a country named Xail.

Rooted in a small peninsula, this country began an active campaign of conquest based on its innate physical abilities. Within 200 years of its founding, it had acquired vast plains and abundant resources, transforming into an empire.

The Xail Empire thrived beyond belief.

Great leaders emerged, rarely seen even in centuries, and capable individuals gathered under them, showcasing their abilities. A powerful army guarded the country from external threats with no gaps.

Despite enduring hardships and adversities, the empire overcame them all and enjoyed a golden age for hundreds of years.

However, even the seemingly eternal empire eventually fell.

The beginning of its downfall came one day when monsters appeared along the coast.

With grotesque appearances that elicited disgust and fear, and physical abilities surpassing those of adult men. Even if their limbs were severed, they fought on relentlessly, with rapid regeneration and tenacious life force, coupled with a brutal nature that made them exceedingly difficult and burdensome to confront.

People called these monsters emerging from beyond the sea “the outer sea’s fiends.”

Yet, the invasion of these outer sea monsters was not limited to the Xail Empire.

All neighboring coastal countries were attacked. Contrary to expectations that the monsters would appear in limited locations, they emerged unpredictably, cutting through the air wherever and whenever they wished.

The inland areas, which had been considered irrelevant, were thrown into turmoil, and the world was plunged into chaos.

“The end has come.”

People cried out in distress. They prayed to the Twelve Lords, who were said to be representatives of the gods, hoping to awaken from this nightmare and seek salvation.

The lords responded.

They would do so.

Twelve chosen heroes vowed to save the world.

But it wasn’t easy. Even heroes struggled to face the countless outer sea fiends.

As time passed, many countries fell, but the Xail Empire stubbornly endured against the ever-pressing tide of fiends.

During this period, the Xail Empire sent diplomats to the observing inland nations, urging them to unite forces.

Although the immediate threat seemed minor, what if the other nations outside were to fall?

It was clear who would be next in line.

Thus, every nation and every race decided to join forces under the leadership of the Xail Empire.

Even the previously adversarial El Carda Empire and the Karam Empire, recognizing the dire situation, extended their hands to one another, prompting other nations to follow suit.

With the apocalypse looming, there was no time to consider personal gains, leading to high levels of cooperation.

Although it was challenging, the initiative taken by the El Carda and Karam Empires compelled others to act accordingly.

Despite some trying to further their own interests or stir up confusion, everything proceeded smoothly.

The Xail Empire breathed a sigh of relief. If things continued like this, it seemed they might restore their former daily life. Hope seemed to appear.

Yet, tragically, another disaster struck. A being of a different caliber among the fiends emerged.

A fiend who called itself a divine apostle suddenly appeared before people and declared:

“This land will belong to the gods.”

The weak creations would become its servants.

Witnesses to this declaration went mad on the spot, spouting nonsense and spreading grim rumors.

The Xail Empire resolved to defeat the apostle.

However, the apostle was formidable. Merely approaching caused a crushing pressure, making anyone who met its gaze lose their sanity. With a mere gesture, the land cracked, and mountain peaks flew.

Although they eventually managed to defeat it after much struggle, the devastating truth was that there were multiple apostles, and their god was about to descend.

The Xail Empire, reaching its limits, had to make a choice.

Whether to plan for the future or fight to the end.

After prolonged deliberation and debate, they chose to do both.

First, they requested the El Carda Empire in the east and the Karam Empire in the north to accept the emigration of their people, which both empires gladly agreed to.

There was no reason or ability to refuse.

The Xail Empire formed a suicide squad with the remaining personnel to fight against the apostle and the fiends advancing towards the capital.

The outcome of this battle remains unknown, as there were no survivors or visitors to report on it.

However, it was clear that the fiends of the outer sea also suffered significant losses.

The absence of apostles among the fiends attacking the El Carda Empire and the Garam Empire confirmed this.

Thanks to the Xail Empire’s decades-long resistance, the El Carda Empire had established numerous fortresses and managed to defend with relatively minor losses. After 15 years of intense conflict, they began their counterattacks.

By the 20th year, they had occupied parts of the fallen Xail Empire’s territory and established a new defensive line.

Among those who made notable contributions during this process was the founder of the Berger family, who had fled from the Xail Empire.

The El Carda Empire acknowledged this contribution and, in recognition, provided extensive territories and built a fortress with the latest technology of the time, known as the Triple-Walled Fortress.

Named “Lampus” in accordance with the founder’s wish to serve as a beacon or torch for the land, it lived up to its name as the light of the east.

And now, Ian had arrived at the place where the history of the Berger family, from its beginnings to the present, had unfolded.

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