On the third day since we departed for the north.

The group consisted of my servant Donnie, the knight Russell, two soldiers, and a village resident.

The resident was brought along as a guide.

The biggest problem when I decided to head north was persuading the marquis.

After all, no father would send his youngest son, who had almost died once, to such a dangerous place.

Nevertheless, I decided to try convincing the marquis.

I told him there was a fruit in the north with excellent healing properties, but its efficacy required picking and eating it directly.

Even to me, the explanation sounded flimsy, but the marquis's response was unexpected.

He didn't even ask what my real reason for going north was.

No, it was as if he already knew the reason. He absentmindedly fiddled with his ring, got lost in thought, and muttered,

'So it was you.'

Even now, I don't know the reason. Nor do I know the meaning behind those words.

I only guessed that the house was hiding some kind of secret—something so bold and significant that he would send his young son to the north.

There is more than one truth the marquis hasn't told his children—the reason for the family's exile and the death of the marquis's wife, for example.

He probably kept them hidden thinking they might bring harm to his children.

Anyway, on the morning of our departure.

The marquis came to my room, wished me a safe journey, and then purposefully avoided me.

It was clear from his manner that while he didn't want to send me, he had no choice.

And so, the journey began much more easily than I had expected.

But the further north we went, the colder it became.

The temperature was harsh, but the wind was even worse—it was so strong it was hard to keep our footing.

A biting wind that felt as if it could cut through bone.

Everyone marched in a single line in silence.

When the terrain was rough, Donnie carried me on his back; otherwise, I walked on my own.

If a blizzard struck in this situation, we'd have no choice but to abandon our expedition.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

"If we go a bit further from here, there's a warm cave! We need to spend the night there!"

After I asked my question, Russell also inquired to the guide.

"Is that cave safe?"

"I heard there's a giant deep inside! As long as we don't go too far in, it's safe! I've stayed there several times myself!"

"Listen up, everyone! The giant might also be heading south, expecting this winter's severe cold! No one let your guard down and be on alert!"

"Yes, sir!"

Our party pressed on, forcing their way through the wind.

Just as Russell said, the giant could be moving now. Since it's not that cold yet, it might still be out foraging.

The risk and hardships were worth it.

The 'demon's essence', which only six people in the entire world were said to have consumed, was within my grasp.

There was no room for hesitation or calculation. No amount of money could buy it.

I have no idea where guildmaster found the demon's essence. He confessed it by accident when drunk, so the explanation was brief.

If it wasn't a slip, he probably would have kept it secret forever.

This is the area where, before our guild was founded, our party hunted trolls.

Troll blood was an expensive ingredient for instant recovery potions.

Back then, guildmaster, our party leader, brought us here seeking efficiency.

The demon's essence is said to come in the form of an orb containing immense strength.

Each one has a different nature, and the way its power manifests varies. The types I know include [Rage], [Lightning], [Storm], and [Flame].

There was once a powerful mage who used thunder magic for the first time, and it was said he could use such skills because he consumed the [Essence of Lightning].

When you obtain such immense strength and naturally acquire 'skills', it's only natural.

They're called demon's essences for a reason.

Those 'orbs' were discovered alongside ancient remains shaped like demons. In other words, they aren't hunted and acquired, but rather found and picked up.

So, someone might have already found and consumed one—someone like Art Syren, who appears to have taken a demon's essence.

Or perhaps someone did, centuries ago.

That would mean the war against the demons described in the book actually happened here—the demons' power remained in the form of orbs.

I should have read that book more carefully.

"Donnie. Do you know much about the war with the demons?"

"I heard about it a lot as a child."

"What kind of stories?"

"A long time ago, the Demon King and his demon legion invaded Rac, but seven heroes from the seven races created by the god united and drove them out. But after that, the seven heroes quarreled fiercely."

The seven heroes quarreled.

I wondered what that had to do with the demon's essence.

Donnie continued.

"I don't know why they quarreled, but it's said that because of it, the seven races came to hate each other and severed their relationships. There's a legend that the Elin put a curse on the sea so that humans couldn't cross over."

"Who are the Elin?"

"You really don't remember the Elin? They're a magic race."

"Do they look like humans?"

"They look exactly the same except for their ears. But they're much more beautiful."

Even if I didn't know what Elin were, would they really cast a curse across such a vast sea just because they dislike humans?

Maybe if it were divine power, but never by magic. Such a massive barrier could never be created otherwise.

This brings up one question.

If the Elin intended only to protect their own race, then the barrier should have surrounded the Elin continent alone.

But the cursed sea is located in the middle of a wide ocean.

It doesn't feel like it's just to prevent humans from crossing, but rather to trap humans within the barrier.

Why would that be?

Perhaps, fearing that humans tainted by evil would invade the Elin continent, they cast the barrier long ago.

Or perhaps demons descended on the human continent, prompting their action.

"What do the other races look like?"

"There are too many races to count!"

"Just the ones that produced the seven heroes."

"Well, first, there's us humans, and the magic race Elin. The Dwarves, called Dran, are blacksmiths. Then there are the dragon race Amir, and the beast warriors, Tak. The giants are called Gadisil. Finally, there are the Yan, who are human, but entirely different from us."

"Do they all look human?"

"The Yan are human, but their skin is different, almost like barbarians. Elin and Dran, as well as Amir, look similar to humans. The dwarfish Dran aren't much different in personality either, but Elin and Amir only resemble humans on the outside. Those two races are said to lack human emotions."

"And?"

"Tak are beast warriors. Imagine monsters that talk and wield weapons. They sometimes cooperated with humans, but are enemies now. And I heard the giant race, Gadisil, was wiped out long ago. The giants living here are just monsters."

"Do they each live on separate continents?"

"Elin never leave their own continent. Dragon race Amir live on a distant southern island continent. Dwarf Dran are found on every continent since they're famous blacksmiths. Beast race Tak mostly live in jungles or hot regions—they can't stand the cold."

"There aren't any such races here, right?"

"I don't think there are any intelligent races here."

There were no such races in the game Rac.

There were no races that could be called humanlike—just swarms of monsters. Hunting those monsters was how you made money.

Finally, the landscape began to look familiar.

I'd hunted in this area about thirty times. Mostly for giants, but eventually the arctic trolls were hunted to extinction and I stopped coming.

"Hold on!"

"Everyone, stop!"

At Russell's shout, the group halted.

We had come to a slightly elevated hill.

Looking around, I spotted areas where I had hunted in the past.

Where would the demon's essence be?

It would likely be where a demon general or some such died—not just an open field. guildmaster also said he picked it up while hunting.

If it were an ordinary cave, someone would have discovered it long ago.

When I asked the village elders, none recalled residents or soldiers growing unusually strong in the past.

That meant the troll lair was certainly it.

But there's no way we could hunt a troll with this group.

I can't count how many times I died to trolls as a beginner. Besides, this isn't the game Rac, but reality.

Wait, hold on?

Guildmaster explored this place alone before bringing the party here. That means he hunted a troll solo before we did our group hunts.

So, it must have been a troll lair I hadn't visited!

Since guildmaster already took out that troll, we never went there. All I had to do was find a lair we hadn't hunted with guildmaster!

"Let's go that way!"

"Head northwest!"

The group set off again.

There was one cave that used to be a troll lair, but where there were no trolls.

We used it as a safe overnight shelter when it got dark during hunts.

/ / /

"Ugh. The stench of wild animals!"

Everyone pinched their noses at the large cave entrance.

The entrance was halfway up a high cliff, and animal bones were piled thickly on the ground below where we stood.

At the sight, Russell said,

"This appears to be the den of a white-furred giant. The beast eats animals and tosses the bones outside. Given the overpowering stench, it seems the lair is not abandoned."

Everyone stared blankly at the cave entrance.

A giant could touch the entrance if it stretched its arms, but for a human, it was rather high up. That had to be intentional.

"You won't fall to the giant, will you, Russell?"

"Giants are big, but slow."

"In that case, please lure it away for us."

"Master, what do you plan to do?"

Everyone but Russell looked terrified.

They knew we weren't here to hunt, but seeing a giant in person was frightening. The guide's expression was priceless too.

"Master. Even though giants are slow, when a human takes ten steps, it can catch up in one stride. If you fall..."

"If the giant shows up, sir Russell will lure it away with arrows from a distance. The others can hide, and escape at that moment. Donnie, climb up first and help me up."

"You're not... going in the cave, are you?"

"I am. You stay here. I'm going in alone."

Everyone was trembling with fear.

I looked up at the cave entrance.

From today, my life will change.

Without a doubt.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=I really like the info dump...I generally don't, but I don't know why I like it this time...【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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