Chapter 161 : Withdrawal
Chapter 161: Withdrawal
Aelin had miraculously survived.
Whether it had intended to or not, it had truly been a narrow escape.
Robin used up every remaining potion to treat Aelin.
Had a few more hours passed like that, the vicious wound would have worsened.
“After a good long sleep, you’ll be fine.”
After laying her down in an empty guest room so she could rest properly, he came down to the first floor.
There were not a few Adventurers who came to the Rest Stop injured, but everyone paid attention.
Because Serena, famous by the nickname ‘Beast Tamer,’ was their companion.
“Aren’t you going to treat me?”
“…I’m sorry.”
He had used all the lowest-grade and low-grade potions to treat Aelin.
In money terms, it was the same as spending 1 Gold and 10 Silver.
He could not afford any further expenses.
“Isn’t that discrimination?”
“I’m really sorry. Next time, I’ll prepare more potions.”
When Robin bowed his head, Serena let out a small laugh and patted his shoulder.
“When we get back to the city, grant me one wish.”
“What wish?”
“Let’s go to a Fish Pie place together.”
“……Alright.”
Seeing Robin answer reluctantly, she nodded in satisfaction.
In truth, Aelin had already given Serena a potion, so the wound on her shoulder had almost completely healed.
A scab had formed, but to an Adventurer, a wound like this was nothing.
“Anyway, it’s a relief that everyone’s safe.”
“You actually shook off a Lich. How did you do it?”
Sigbard told Serena what had happened with Robin.
How they had broken through the Lich’s magic and summons and landed a blow.
The surrounding Adventurers could not hide their amazement as they listened.
“You dealt damage to a Lich……?”
Even the manager showed interest and looked over.
Pleased by the pouring attention, Sigbard spoke even louder.
‘Saying he smashed the Lich’s Skull is an exaggeration.’
Though a bit of embellishment was mixed in, no one bothered correcting it.
“It’s been a while since a rookie showed up.”
The manager approached and sat beside Robin.
Judging by his expression, he looked like a child who had found an interesting toy, full of curiosity.
“I hear you use Fighting Spirit.”
“Yes. Don’t the people here as well?”
“The higher-ranked the Adventurer, the more likely they use Fighting Spirit, but not all of them do. Me included.”
It was unexpected that the manager did not use Fighting Spirit.
“If I may ask, what is your Adventurer rank?”
“Gold-Ranked. Even without Fighting Spirit, there are ways to build strength. Serena, come here for a moment.”
Serena approached with a sullen face.
When the manager placed his hand on Serena’s shoulder, a soft light shimmered.
Hwaaaat.
Serena’s wound healed cleanly.
“Thanks, Roger. Moments like this make it nice being a Paladin.”
“It’s nothing.”
Seeing it healed in the blink of an eye, Robin found it hard to believe.
Even for a priest who handled divine power, immediate healing was not easy.
“You must be quite devout.”
“Devout? That’s not exactly wrong.”
“Could you perhaps treat my other companion as well…….”
“No.”
He mentioned Aelin just in case, but was refused at once.
He treated Serena because he remembered a merit she had previously established.
Though they were acquainted to some extent, he was not generous enough to treat a complete stranger.
“Serena, you’ve got yourself a good companion.”
“Of course, he’s a good companion.”
“Eric was worried. He must feel relieved.”
While the manager and Serena exchanged updates,
the Rest Stop door opened and six Adventurers entered.
They placed two Silver Coins on the bar table and sat at an empty table.
“We’ll talk next time.”
The manager, familiar with them as frequent visitors, brought out their meals.
At a glance, they were proper veterans.
When they opened their mouths, the noisy first floor fell silent.
“The road to the city is blocked.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just as it sounds. The Imperial Knights are blocking Adventurers from returning.”
The manager joined their table to hear a more detailed explanation.
All the Adventurers, including Robin, listened closely.
“They say it’s to purge rebels. The ones left in the Uncharted Area are in for a rough time.”
“What does that have to do with blocking our return?”
“It does. Seems they’ve caught the tail of The Hand of Liberation.”
At the mention of The Hand of Liberation, Robin flinched.
He recalled the criminal they had captured during a patrol request before.
“And yet you all crossed over to explore?”
“Do you think they can block it forever? By the time we return from the Extreme Region, the control will be lifted.”
From the conversation just now, it became clear that all of them were Gold-Ranked Adventurers.
They were no ordinary fighters.
The Adventurer who had been speaking as their representative looked around and said,
“The manager’s going to get busy. Feeding all these mouths won’t be easy, will it?”
Those eavesdropping took a moment to understand what that meant.
If return was blocked, that meant supplies could not be sustained.
It meant the Rest Stops operating here and there would not be able to fulfill their role.
In other words, they would have to leave the Rest Stop in the near future.
But the veteran Adventurer’s next words cast despair over them.
“The Lich was wandering nearby. Did someone provoke it? Our priest had a hard time avoiding it on the way here.”
Even among undead, it was one of the most troublesome Monsters.
The creature had not forgotten Robin and was persistently lingering near the Rest Stop.
“You all heard that, right? If you’re careless, you might die, so take good care of your own lives!”
When he slammed his glass down, the first floor grew noisy again.
Only now, the topic of conversation shifted to how they would survive.
In the looks directed at the rookie, resentment was mixed in.
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
“It’s not like Serena’s especially strong against undead.”
“At least I can run away.”
“What if we run into a Spirit-Type Monster?”
“We’ll avoid it as much as possible?”
“And if we run into the Lich?”
Seeing her nod calmly, it seemed she had spoken without thinking too deeply.
“I’m here too. We’ll just beat a Wraith to death.”
“How?”
“We endure with grit.”
Though Sigbard said it in his own way to ease the burden, it did not help much.
Rubbing his throbbing temple, Robin let out a deep breath.
“Let’s talk again once Aelin recovers.”
The only Safe Area in this lawless land ruled by survival of the fittest.
The belief that safety could be guaranteed there began to crack little by little.
Aelin only fully recovered two days after falling asleep.
The moment she woke, she checked that her companions were safe and let out a sigh of relief.
But the real crisis was only beginning.
“We have to leave within five days?”
“It’s a relief you recovered quickly. I was worried you might not wake up.”
Though her condition had improved, the situation they were in was dire.
After hearing everything that had happened, she accepted the gravity of it.
“Do we have a plan?”
“Put your ear closer.”
Robin beckoned her nearer, then whispered into her ear.
“The manager plans to close the Rest Stop and head to the Extreme Region.”
It was something Serena only told him after he pressed her with questions.
Everyone would know when the time came, but for now, Robin’s group was the only one aware of this information.
Many of the others still thought that since it was a Rest Stop, it would continue operating.
“There are two options.”
He held up two fingers and continued.
“First, we follow the manager. We endure at a Rest Stop with more supplies than this one until the return control is lifted.”
When Robin had probed the manager about it, he had not refused the idea of them coming along.
Since he knew Serena, they were more trustworthy than Adventurers he had just met.
“And the second?”
“We go to the Safe Area. We survive there on our own.”
Though the Safe Area was not somewhere they could let their guard down, it was far better than remaining in a Dangerous Area.
“And this one doesn’t really make sense, but.”
“There’s more?”
Robin quietly raised a third finger.
“If the Gold-Ranked Adventurers staying here succeed in subjugation.”
“Is that even possible?”
“No.”
“Then why mention it?”
“You never know.”
With so many lives at stake, he had expressed his willingness to lend a hand.
Even the manager, who rarely stepped forward, had joined in, and Serena had added her strength as well.
While Aelin was lying down, two battles with the Lich had already taken place.
A confrontation only possible because the veteran Adventurer team had a priest.
Of course, killing the Lich had been difficult.
“I heard that even if you cut off its head, it comes back to life.”
“Is it invincible or something?”
“The most certain method is to pour divine power into it. But it seems it’s not easy to completely purify it.”
There were only two people who could use divine power: the priest and the Paladin.
If they bestowed blessings on others, it was insufficient for direct attacks.
“Aelin, what do you think is best?”
“Going to the Safe Area is the surest method.”
“I think so too.”
When he had discussed it with Serena and Sigbard, they had reached the same conclusion.
Someday they would cross into the Extreme Region, but not now.
There was no disagreement that retracing the path they had come would be easier.
“Can you run?”
“I’m in peak condition. I could even carry you and run.”
A rough plan formed in his mind.
They would sprint straight to the Safe Area.
If the Lich chased them, they would scatter Holy Water.
Having grown close to a Gold-Ranked Adventurer, Serena had managed to obtain eight bottles of Holy Water.
It had been possible because it was water blessed by a priest or a Paladin.
Though she usually seemed absent-minded, Serena was rather resourceful.
“Aelin, you’re awake?”
Just then, Serena opened the door and entered.
Perhaps because she had just been in battle, there was dirt smeared across her face.
“I told Aelin about what’s been happening. Is the Lich still going wild?”
“We managed to land a hit this time. Roger touched its core.”
Some Monsters possessed a core that served as the driving force allowing them to move.
It held a fist-sized stone within its body, and the manager had destroyed about a third of it.
It should have been good news, yet it was not entirely so.
“Maybe it got angry, because it’s become even more ferocious.”
This was why undead were troublesome.
Normally, when part of the body was damaged, combat strength decreased, but the Lich defied common sense.
Even after losing part of its core, it did not weaken and instead seemed even stronger.
“So I have something to say.”
Serena cleared her throat with a serious expression.
The way she acted made an inexplicable sense of dread creep in.
“What is it?”
“Roger’s withdrawing from the Rest Stop.”
“I know that already.”
“Today.”
He stared blankly at Serena, unsure what she meant.
“They set up a divine barrier around the Rest Stop, but there’s not much time left before it can’t be maintained.”
“Today… we have to leave?”
Knock knock.
At the polite knock, Aelin put on her helmet.
When Serena told them to come in, an Adventurer who assisted the manager bowed politely.
“There is an important announcement. Please come outside.”
When they went down to the first floor, Sigbard, who had already taken a seat, raised his hand.
At the central bar table, the manager and the Gold-Ranked Adventurers stood in a line.
Those seated at the tables merely whispered among themselves in lowered voices.
They were calm, as if waiting for a speech.
“Looks like everyone’s here, so let’s begin.”
A Gold-Ranked Adventurer standing beside the manager opened his mouth.
The manager gave a slight nod and then spoke bluntly.
“I will leave the Rest Stop in one hour.”
Silence fell over the audience, most of whom were Silver-Ranked Adventurers.
They stared at the manager, intending to at least hear him out.
“When I leave, the Lich will strike this place. That is all.”
A short and concise announcement.
He summarized only the essentials, and everyone expected something more to follow, but that was the end of it.
“W-What do you mean by that!”
“Manager! You’re the manager! You’re abandoning the Rest Stop?!”
The first floor was thrown into chaos in an instant.
Most denied reality, but the manager’s words did not change.
“The divine barrier will collapse in one hour. If you want to live, leave on your own.”
“There’s no such rule!”
“Can’t you request support from the Guild?!”
Dozens of voices overlapped, making their ears ring.
At last, someone, worked into a frenzy, shouted as if ready to draw his weapon.
“You’re going to run off alone? What about us!”
When he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, the manager slammed the table.
“This is a Rest Stop.”
“Y-Yes! It’s a Rest Stop! Safe from Monsters……!”
“Those who cause disputes die.”
He muttered it lowly, yet everyone heard clearly.
It was a warning laced with killing intent.
“I’ll say it again. While I am here. If you cause conflict, you will die by my hand.”
The Adventurers, who had been drowning in chaos, came to their senses.
They knew that one wrong word could cost them their heads.
“If you want to live, figure it out yourselves.”
As silence settled over the room, the manager walked out leisurely.
When he flung the door wide open, a transparent barrier could be seen trembling with cracks spreading across it.
The divine barrier was blocking the Lich’s magic.
Seeing it, the Adventurers quickly grasped reality.
Or rather, they could no longer deny it.
“You all heard that we can’t return to the city, right? Just think of it as leaving earlier than planned.”
He was right.
With supplies cut off, they had already needed to leave within five days.
It was merely that their withdrawal had been accelerated.
“Robin, what will you do?”
Sigbard had already packed his belongings, ready to leave at any moment.
Robin and Serena had done the same, and Aelin’s things had also been prepared.
“For now… let’s talk with the seniors.”
The Gold-Ranked Adventurers heading to the Extreme Region.
Those most at ease after the manager.
“How do you plan to escape from the Lich?”
“It’s simple.”
The man who seemed like their leader pointed at Robin.
“You can be the bait.”
There was not a trace of ill will on his face.
The man spoke calmly, as if stating an obvious fact.