Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 73: The Knight’s Tomb

Rowan woke up bright and early in the morning. Youth was definitely good. Getting up at Merein’s house, he took care of business and prepared to go outside. He gathered his equipment.

"Where are you going?"

"Going to look around here and there."

At Merein’s question, Rowan answered immediately. She didn’t rush Rowan to repay the money. She trusted her eyes. Normally she wouldn’t lend it, but she believed in Rowan’s conduct.

’She might suspect me.’

Like a thief jumping at shadows, Rowan was suspicious of Yuval and Merein. They might think he came here to do something.

"Five apples for 1 copper coin! Buy now quick!"

"But they’re all wrinkled..."

He spent a day meaninglessly. Merein didn’t particularly give Rowan hints to leave, and neither did Yuval. If Rowan didn’t feel burdened enough to leave on his own, he could live at Merein’s house anyway, which was often empty and had plenty of rooms.

If problems arose, Merein would say so immediately. She wasn’t the type to suffer silently.

’She’d actually prefer I stayed.’

Rowan had borrowed 1 silver coin. Because it was big money, he didn’t know Merein’s intention for lending it like that. The reality was thanks to Rowan’s usual conduct, but Rowan didn’t know he had a special character.

"Not a single proper one."

The guy from the coastal port just talked like that and didn’t come to Merein’s house even the next day. Yuval scratched his head. He was writing or drawing on parchment the mercenaries he’d met so far, noting memorable characteristics.

Merein had also gone along, so she helped with that writing.

Yuval and Merein were busy forming a new mercenary group. Talking before bed in the evening was all. Even with Rowan having entered his room early, the two’s writing continued.

They shared opinions and organized evaluations. They divided rankings. Rowan thought Yuval recruited mercenaries by first impression, but he was wrong. He was meticulous and had excellent judgment.

"For now, let’s split up to find mercenaries to become comrades."

When there were no mercenaries to his liking, Yuval increased efficiency to get information. Merein didn’t oppose.

"Got it."

Rowan could hear that conversation with the door crack slightly open. He carefully got back in bed and tried to sleep.

’Everyone’s living busy lives.’

Even with the last suspicions gone, Rowan carefully spent one more day. Investing time in recruiting mercenaries.

"What? Mercenary captain? You’ll be my captain? Watch your mouth. You don’t even look experienced. Ptui!"

"Crazy bastard. Deep Forest Rowan? Never heard of it. Move!"

Most spit on the ground or shoved Rowan’s shoulder passing by. Rowan’s first impression was definitely not a seasoned mercenary. But performing commissions alone was also difficult.

"What did you do today?"

At Yuval’s devoted words, Rowan also spoke devotedly. Yuval seemed like an ordinary mercenary, but after meeting mercenaries all day today, Rowan had to revise even that. There was no mercenary as calm and cool-headed as Consensus Yuval. Rough mercenaries were macho men absorbed in machismo.

To Rowan, they just looked like men with shit in their heads.

"I tried to form a mercenary group, but everyone refused saying I lack experience."

Yuval made an understanding laugh.

"Hehehe. Well, that’s natural. Say the word anytime. My mercenary group is open."

Yuval, who properly knew Rowan’s skills, said. His worries couldn’t help but lengthen. Because Yuval was treating him well.

Lying in bed, Rowan closed his eyes and thought. The wolf Dono climbed onto the bed and settled next to his legs. The crow Kaiya was on top of Dono’s body. The crow was totally the boss.

’Bounty hunter isn’t bad either.’

Especially thinking of Rowan’s black dream, it definitely wasn’t bad. The next day, Rowan departed at a similar time without fail. This time, the place he headed was to the blacksmith Aeon of Steel Smithy.

"Do I only handle iron? I handle leather too. But I can’t give you a good price. It’s not my main business."

He asked various things. Rowan purchased five arrows and handed over 10 copper coins. He could definitely feel the prices were cheap. Normally it was 15 to 25 coins.

"Come anytime."

Having oversupplied arrows, Rowan didn’t immediately leave through the gate. He went to find general store owner Sore of the general store and purchased sturdy rope in 5m length. Only 3 copper coins.

"It’s short for rope, so nobody wanted to take it. Take it cheap. But come visit often."

"Yes. Thank you."

Because even at minimum, people purchased 8m or more. Because the ends were already adjusted with fire and even scrap leather was used to finish both ends, touching it further seemed like a loss.

Rowan even gathered the rope and headed outside the gate.

The place he was heading was a place called Quiet Mountain near Torch Fortress. A place only herb gatherers visited. Even that, too many went too often, so those going were few. Because herbs disappeared to the point of being invisible.

Now at Quiet Mountain where no one visited, there was Rakson’s legacy. The map drawn in his secret manual. Rowan headed there.

Passing the entrance and climbing mid-slope, he greatly left the path. Before he knew it, Rowan’s hand held a long tree branch trimmed with a dagger.

Swish!

He roughly parted the brush. He moved without hesitation. Then suddenly went down below, carefully turned his body and walked backward erasing footprints. Rowan who climbed back up smiled satisfactorily and headed to his destination.

That smile didn’t last long. The map was terrible.

’The scale is shit, so I have to search everything one by one. This area is definitely it though.’

He had to repeatedly climb up and down. Time took longer than expected, and Rowan put in more effort scouring everywhere. Even rough mountain paths couldn’t stop Rowan who’d played in deep forests. He ignorantly searched the vicinity.

He could find it only after eating lunch.

’Here it is.’

300 paces farther than he’d thought, there was a secret passage. A place in a visual blind spot that could only be seen by going down, and that was clearly designed targeting.

’There might be traps.’

Rowan held a torch and advanced little by little, tapping everywhere with the long tree branch. The passage was very long. Straight, and looked like it took much effort to dig through.

Rowan’s expression changed seeing the mural.

’This is... the secret technique Rakson taught me.’

His hand felt along the mural. The process of a secret technique using shields as armor substitute was drawn.

’Blockieren Zuruckfang (Block and Recapture).’

Below it, writing was written.

[Akkir Roleon contributes strength to making a knight’s tomb commemorating a friend falsely accused.]

’Son of a bitch.’

The background of the secret technique received from saving a knight in Tangled Vine Forest during soldier days instantly turned into a lie.

Heat rose to Rowan’s face. Because Rakson himself had said if he didn’t speak properly about the secret technique’s background, he’d immediately be marked as an enemy.

Without batting an eye, he’d lied.

’What the hell was he thinking?’

Rowan became unable to understand him. Because everything was exposed as lies. Simultaneously, he realized that because of those lies, Rakson on the brink of death had told him to take his secret manual.

’...’

"Phew."

Sighing, Rowan couldn’t move his steps.

[Merung HallGreen contributes strength to making a knight’s tomb commemorating a friend falsely accused.]

All 12 secret techniques were drawn in this straight passage. The moment when it became certain everything about Rakson was lies. And he knew that his decision to retire to Black Mountain Village could also be escape.

’Damn old man. At the end, he must’ve felt like raising a knight.’

Cursing at the end of the passage, Rowan could confirm the wall full of patterns blocking the way was a door. He didn’t immediately grasp the door handle stuck tight with his hand. Standing far away, he tapped with the tree branch and looked at the door carefully.

He saw letters written within the patterns. Rowan read the letters feeling along with his hand. Carved hastily for style or concealment, carved in relief then suddenly carved in intaglio, so he missed some.

[Gulliver Alastor, head of House Alastor exterminated by false accusation. Don’t hold resentment and be buried to bury everything. This is a tomb erected for you by 12 friends who couldn’t protect you. That head cut at the execution ground. Remember Ghost Shield Akkir Roleon who stopped dozens of times shedding tears while carrying that sealed head.]

[Alastor, my poor friend. Forgive me who couldn’t raise even one sword for you. Even after decades pass, I’ll pour drinks every night for that name.]

[Hearing news of a friend’s rebellion from abroad and rushing over with dishonor on my shoulders, but you didn’t even flee and went so quickly. I’ll definitely kill that bastard who wagged his wicked tongue. On Rick Jean’s name.]

[I’ll definitely take responsibility for your family. If everyone pleads to His Majesty, we can at least protect the family. I’ll protect at least your daughter Serian.]

What he’d thought were patterns were also writing. Rowan spent time decoding it all, losing track of time. There, it was no different from letters from the 12 friends who’d made this knight’s tomb.

Vowing revenge, telling him to shake off resentment, having lingering attachment. All sorts of different words like trying to relieve worries about family were written.

Rowan pulled out the door handle with his hand.

Grrrrrr.

It made noise scraping against stone. Being a passage, that sound echoed loudly. The interior was a circular room. There was one coffin, and something was also written on the floor in front. On the wall right ahead, one longsword was mounted, the blade sharply glinting in torchlight.

The sight of a longsword vividly alive in a dust-filled place gave an eerie feeling.

"Huff! Huff!"

Rowan blew his breath and checked the floor writing first.

[Gulliver Alastor

128th head of a prominent family in northern Medio region, and a family with 5,000 years of history heads to the back of history as of today.

Everything will be forgotten, but knight families of Medio region will remember even as time passes.]

The paragraph was spaced and 12 names were written.

’They put in quite some effort. Is there even gold?’

Rowan was unhesitating. A modern person who’d seen the Egyptian pyramids turned into tourist traps. No way he’d keep ethics about graves. Graves were money. More cruel than this place’s grave robbers was capitalist ideology.

He opened the coffin as is.

Some dust rose. He saw a skeleton gaunt but with frame very properly in a warrior’s form. Wearing luxurious clothes, with quite a few ornaments. Various items filling the coffin’s gaps were also all fairly valuable things.

’Only one gold ring though.’

Most others were silver ornaments. Even those alone seemed worth 30 coins. Rowan frantically stuffed them in his leather backpack. And that hand contacted the skeleton’s bones.

"Ah!"

Rowan screamed at the thrilling feeling. Black smoke assaulted him. And it was definitely not a vision. Rowan who’d fallen back greatly got up in panic. Cold sweat flowing down his spine said this was reality.

"Wof Wof Wof!"

The wolf Dono barked loudly. The crow Kaiya was outside. Black smoke kept spurting from the coffin.

In the bizarre phenomenon, Rowan gripped his round shield properly and drew his shortsword. Within the smoke, two vivid gray sparks blazed up.

[Kraaaaaaagh!!!!! My everything! My honor! My, my daughter!]

The skeleton wearing torn luxurious knight’s clothing spewed black smoke while screaming with its lower jaw fully dropped, turning its head here and there, then roughly gripped with its hand the longsword mounted on the back wall.