Minori left Carne Village at first light, under the watchful eyes of the village chief and Lachimon.
Only after Minori's figure disappeared into the distance did Lachimon finally let out a breath of relief.
From the very beginning, his instincts had screamed at him—this young man was dangerous.
In all his years, Lachimon had never heard of anyone who could tame a creature like a Dark Ghost Hound.
Especially—
He swallowed hard at the memory.
The small, seemingly obedient ghost hound had not shown affection toward its master—but fear.
That fear was real.Primal.Deeply ingrained.
It said more about Minori than any words ever could.
—
Lachimon glanced sideways at the village chief's composed expression and sighed softly.
Clearly, the village chief had not taken his warnings seriously.
"Ah..."Lachimon muttered under his breath.
Fortunately, the man bore no ill will toward the village.
At least, not yet.
After Leaving the Village.
Minori wasted no time.
Once far enough from Carne Village, he tightened his hold on the small Dark Ghost Hound and unleashed his true speed.
No longer bothering to conceal his strength, he moved like a phantom across the dense forests.
Along the way—
He encountered only a handful of wild beasts.
No goblins.No monsters.
This absence was telling.
Minori narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
It made sense.
Over the past month, he had hunted extensively throughout the outer edges of the Great Tob Forest.The scale of his slaughter must have been larger than he initially estimated.
The Adventurer's Guild had apparently noticed the sudden decline, even sending investigation teams.But judging from the lack of adventurers in the area—and the vague news from Carne Village—it seemed they had found no concrete evidence.
No monsters meant no witnesses.
Thus, the Guild remained ignorant.
With no opposition to slow him down—
And with his newly strengthened body—
Minori reached visual range of E-Rantel in less than two hours.
When he first journeyed to Carne Village, it had taken him an entire day.
Fortress City: E-Rantel.
Before him rose the colossal, triple-layered walls of the fortress city.Rough, solid, oppressive—even from afar, their presence was overwhelming.
This was not a city built solely by mortal hands.Magic, and perhaps relics from past ages, had undoubtedly been involved.
"Magnificent," Minori muttered to himself.
Even though it wasn't his first time seeing it, the sheer scale of E-Rantel always demanded a moment of respect.
—
At the checkpoint beneath the massive gate, a handful of soldiers loitered.
It was early yet.
In a border city like E-Rantel, traffic generally began later in the day, when travelers and merchants felt safer from night predators.
Even though monster activity had recently diminished, old habits died hard.
Thus, the soldiers were idle, chatting lazily.
"Hey, someone's coming,"one soldier said sharply, spotting Minori's figure.
The others straightened immediately.
As Minori drew closer—
the soldiers' casual demeanor vanished, replaced by wariness.
The Dark Ghost Hound trotted beside Minori, alert but well-behaved.
The little creature's head turned this way and that, clearly curious about the bustle of human civilization.
Minori's black robe fluttered as he approached the city gates.
Reaching into his pouch, he retrieved the necessary copper coins for the entry toll.
He offered them wordlessly to the soldiers.
But—
One soldier stepped forward, frowning slightly instead of taking the coins.
"Sir, are you an adventurer?"he asked cautiously, glancing between Minori and the ghost hound.
"No," Minori replied curtly, arching an eyebrow.
The soldier looked momentarily surprised.He exchanged a glance with his companion before speaking again:
"Then, do you possess a travel pass?"
Minori's expression didn't change.
But inwardly, he grew alert.
When he had first arrived in E-Rantel, a month ago, no such formality had been required.One simply paid the toll and entered.
Now—
It seemed something had changed.
Minori shook his head silently: no travel pass.
The soldier sighed.
"I'm sorry, sir. Due to new orders, we must inspect any visitors without a pass. May we have our magic caster examine your belongings?"
The request was polite, but tense.
Clearly, the soldiers recognized that Minori was no ordinary traveler.
Any man who could casually lead a monster like a Dark Ghost Hound could not be underestimated.
"Why the sudden change?" Minori asked quietly, voice neutral.
The soldier hesitated, struggling for words.
"I... I don't know the full details, sir."He lowered his voice slightly, glancing around nervously.
Before more could be said, another soldier, previously observing the situation from the side, approached hurriedly.
He stared at Minori's black hair, studying his face carefully—
Then recognition flashed in his eyes.
"Wait, weren't you the one who came with Madame Bareare?"
The soldier sounded surprised.
Black hair was rare in the Kingdom.Even after a month, he still remembered the man who had traveled alongside Lizzie Bareare, the famed pharmacist.
At that name—
The inspecting soldier's face changed visibly.
"You mean Lady Lizzie Bareare?!"
Minori inclined his head slightly.
"That's right."
The soldiers immediately looked conflicted.
Clearly, Lizzie Bareare held considerable influence in E-Rantel.
Her reputation for miraculous alchemy and potions was no small matter.
After a moment's hesitation, the inspecting soldier sighed.
"I apologize, sir. These are orders from above. We must check anyone without a pass, no exceptions. Even we don't know the full reason behind it."
His voice was low and apologetic.
Minori waved a hand dismissively, signaling he understood.
A moment later, the copper coins disappeared into a soldier's pouch,and the gate guards waved him through without further hindrance.