Thesaya snorted and glanced at him.

"You’re seriously asking that, Prosthetic? At those two?"

"Fair point." Miguel smacked his lips awkwardly and looked toward Nila and Moro walking on either side of the carriage. "With those two, it wouldn’t be strange if they untied the knots instead of cutting them."

"Thanks to that, we didn’t have to go looking for them. Alright then, shall we go, puppy? I’ll introduce you to the others." Thesaya scooped Lily up into her arms and dashed forward.

Watching her quickly disappear into the distance, Ian shook his head. "She’s not even trying to hide that she’s treating her like a pet anymore...."

"Take your time. We’ll load the supplies and check the carriage." Nasser added as he strode ahead.

Miguel slung the leather sack over one shoulder and hurried after him. "I’ll come and help."

"Well, if you insist."

Ian remained where he was, watching the carriage and horses approach beyond the two of them.

Looks like they’ve been wandering around here for quite a while.

At a glance, Nila and Moro seemed no different. However, Ian quickly noticed the change. Nila was no longer glaring at Moro with sharp hostility like before, and Moro wasn’t sneaking glances, waiting for a chance to approach her either.

"Something changed," Ian muttered with a faint smile, then suddenly paused.

Only now did he notice Mev slowing her steps and looking back.

There was no need to wonder what she was looking at.

Rumble...

With a dull vibration, the entrance to the magic tower sank back beneath the ground.

Even so, Ian could still clearly sense its location. The same was true for another entrance farther away. It was a perk of being the tower’s master.

"Don’t look so disappointed. It won’t take long," said Ian.

Mev blinked and turned toward him.

He simply curled his lips into a faint smile. "We’ll be back here before long. And when we do, we’ll judge Larmut together."

"Right. We will." Mev returned the smile.

Ian tilted his chin forward. "Which means we should head to Drenorov as soon as possible. Let’s move."

"Alright. But leave the traveling to us. You should get some rest, Ian. You’ve been awake far too long."

"Alright. I will," Ian replied as if giving in.

Mev smiled once more, gave him a playful wink, and moved ahead.

Walking behind her at a relaxed pace, Ian rubbed the back of his stiff neck.

He really was exhausted. No matter how superhuman he was, there were limits. However, he hadn't helped clear out the test subjects only for the attendants or his companions.

I still couldn’t level up.

He had been hoping to squeeze out extra quests and experience. Even after completing multiple quests and taking control of the Gray Magic Tower, his level hadn’t increased.

The closer he got to the level cap, the more exponentially the required experience grew.

This won’t do. I’ll watch how things play out, but if necessary, once we reach Racliffe...

Ian revisited the thought he’d already had several times.

Of course, it didn’t last long.

Clack— clack—

Nila approached first with a light, brisk gait. Behind it, Nasser and Miguel had already brought the carriage to a stop.

Thesaya was lifting Lily onto Moro’s saddle, settling her in front.

Snort...

Nila flicked its head lightly at Mev as it passed, then came to a stop in front of Ian.

Ian smiled and reached out. "Sorry we’re late. Must’ve kept you waiting."

Nila didn’t show any anger or displeasure.

As always, it simply pressed its head against Ian’s outstretched hand.

While Ian stroked it, it turned slightly in the same direction.

Noticing the splatters of monster blood across its body, Ian added, "You did well guarding the horses and the carriage. You must be tired—can you move right away?"

Nila let out a soft snort and looked at him with bright eyes.

Ian nodded and smiled, brushing its mane. "Then go with Mev. I need to get some rest."

Nila rubbed its head against his hand once more before walking ahead to Mev, who was already waiting.

Beyond them, Moro stood at an angle.

"Ian, can I carry my quiet little pup like this?" Thesaya asked from atop the saddle, one arm wrapped around Lily’s waist.

"If she looks tired, put her down right away," Ian replied easily as he looked at Moro.

Unlike Nila, Moro deliberately avoided his gaze, probably because it knew it had done something wrong, leaving Mev behind at the entrance.

"I’m not mad, so stop acting out of character," Ian said as he walked closer.

Only then did Moro look at him.

Ian let out a quiet scoff and passed by. "But reflect on it for a while. No more trouble—just carry her quietly."

Moro lowered its head slightly and snorted.

Ian said nothing further and looked toward the carriage ahead.

"It really untied every single knot on those ropes."

Miguel came around from behind the carriage, brushing off his hand as he laughed.

"At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if those two suddenly started walking on two legs and talking."

"It’s a bit messy, but the carriage is fine," Nasser added as he stepped out from the open door.

He then hopped up onto the driver’s seat and continued, "I’ll secure the horses properly and we’ll depart right away. Please go inside and rest, my lord."

"I’ll handle that." Miguel climbed up beside him. "You go inside and put your armor on."

"Right. And tidy things up inside too. It’s more than just messy," Ian added as he stepped up to the open carriage door.

The neatly arranged equipment was scattered everywhere, and the storage boxes were piled up haphazardly.

"Alright then." Nasser shrugged and jumped back down.

Stepping inside, Ian glanced to the side.

"She’d be more comfortable leaning on my armor than riding like that, Thesa," said Ian.

"That’s not true. Did you forget what this puppy went through? And this one’s more comfortable than Nila."

As Nila and Moro approached at a steady distance, Mev and Thesaya bickered lightly from their saddles.

Meanwhile, Lily, expressionless as ever, seemed uninterested, idly running her hand through Moro’s thick mane.

At this rate, they might actually start fighting over who gets to take her.

Ian simply shrugged and stepped into the carriage. The floor was a mess, but there was still enough space on the seat to lie down.

He casually picked up the black sword beside him and stored it in his pocket dimension.

"Excuse me." Nasser followed him inside and immediately began scanning the cluttered floor. "Please wait a moment. I’ll clean everything up quickly once I put on my equipment."

"Take your time," Ian replied, sitting down.

With his Willful Grasp, Ian closed the door, then pulled a small storage box toward himself, clearing space. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Nasser dropped to one knee in the newly opened spot.

Clink, clatter.

In the quiet carriage, the sound of metal echoed softly as Nasser adjusted his equipment piece by piece.

Meanwhile, Ian pushed up the armrest and stretched out across the seat.

Moments later, the small window leading to the driver’s seat slid open.

"So, we just keep heading southwest from here?" Miguel’s voice came through.

Lying back with his legs stretched out, Ian shifted his head slightly and replied, "Ask Mev or Thesa. They’ve both taken this route before."

"Ah, got it. Get some rest." Miguel replied, and the small window shut again.

The outside noise was completely cut off.

The faint clatter of Nasser putting on his armor continued.

"I’m guessing you weren’t too pleased with the decision I made in the tower," said Ian casually, one arm draped over his eyes.

That alone was enough to make Nasser pause.

Ian continued without hesitation, "You might even be wondering if the Round Table was right after all."

After a brief silence, Nasser replied, "You say unsettling things, my lord."

A faint smile curled on Ian’s lips. "You were raised as a pure devotee, weren’t you? Your doubts aren’t baseless."

"I can’t deny that. It’s true that you carry secrets that must never be revealed, and that I come from that background."

Returning to his usual calm tone, Nasser tapped lightly against the breastplate he had just fastened.

"The remnants of that past still linger somewhere in here. That’s all it is. It’s the reason I feel conflicted. I have no intention of betraying you."

"Hmm..." Ian nodded slightly, crossing one leg over the other.

Nasser continued evenly, "Everything in this world has two sides. There are things beyond my limited understanding. So someone like me—"

"It’s the opposite. That’s exactly what I want you to do."

"Pardon?" Nasser blinked, caught off guard.

Ian let out a chuckle. "You haven’t forgotten what we talked about before entering the tower, have you? Don’t follow my decisions blindly. Keep questioning and thinking, just like you are now."

Nasser looked at him in silence.

"And if you ever truly believe I’m wrong, oppose me with everything you’ve got. Right now, you’re the only one who can do that, Nasser."

A soft exhale escaped Nasser, almost like a laugh. "Well... the others would probably jump into a fire coated in oil if you told them to."

He resumed fastening his equipment.

"Understood. I still have no idea what you’re planning, but there must be a reason you’re saying this. Fortunately, I’m quite used to being disliked."

"We already know that," Ian replied lightly, tapping his foot against the armrest. "That’s enough. Finish gearing up and head out. I’ll sort the rest after I wake up."

"So this was less organizing and more a private audience. Understood, my lord. I won’t wake you—rest well." Nasser chuckled and continued equipping himself.

Ian didn’t even hear him leave.

Before he could enter a meditative state, the drowsiness he had been suppressing overtook him.

***

Ian inhaled sharply and opened his eyes.

His senses snapped back into place, and the ceiling of the carriage, etched with faintly glowing spell circuits, came into clear view. The tilted interior swayed gently with the movement.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Perfect timing. You woke up right when I took over, Ian," said Mev, from beside him.

Ian paused, then exhaled slowly and smiled. "Guess I got lucky. How long was I out?"

He turned his head slightly.

Mev, leaning back in her seat with her helmet off, answered with a strangely satisfied smile. "A full day."

"That long?" Ian let out a dry laugh.

I didn't think overworking myself could get this bad.

He pushed himself upright and looked down at the floor. His gaze landed on a high-quality storage case placed neatly among the organized equipment.

The others had organized everything while he slept.

"Did you have another nightmare? You didn’t look so good," Mev extended a bottle of wine toward him.

Ian took it without hesitation. "I’ve had worse. This one wasn’t too bad."

He drank from the bottle, then opened the chest with a thought.

After rummaging through it, he pulled out a large scroll.

It was a Scroll of Correspondence, its surface covered in intricate spell circuits. The patterns along the edges shimmered faintly, as if new content had been added.

Just as I thought.

Lowering the bottle, Ian added, "It was a dream about the Dark Prince."