Published: July 5, 2025
The next day.
Under the guidance of the third defense squad, a total of fifty-three from Naitorei Kingdom, including Abel, and fifty-two from Fundebie Kingdom, including Pope Graham, set out towards the eastern wall of the central area.
"Your majesty, both the daimyo's office and the governor's office have run out of horses... I apologize."
"It’s fine. It should be the first defense squad’s search, right? I’m used to walking, so don’t worry about it."
Captain Mora of the third defense squad bowed her head, and Abel nodded graciously.
Abel, a former A-rank adventurer, had no trouble at all moving on foot.
"I still have some resistance to horses other than Andalusia, so I’m actually happier walking."
"Is that so? You were handling it quite well, weren’t you?"
"I can ride, but I can’t relax like I can with Andalusia, where I can entrust everything."
Ryo expressed his complete trust in Andalusia, the horse they had entrusted to the kingdom.
"Is Andalusia your beloved horse, Ryo-san?"
"Yes, that’s right, Vice Captain Anjuri. She’s a very smart gray horse…"
Ryo answered Anjuri's question with a smile.
Ryo had specifically communicated to the five members of the third defense squad to call him Ryo.
Without mentioning his status, he simply explained, "I am one of the oppressed subjects of the kingdom by King Abel," which only made Abel sigh.
Of course, the five members of the third defense squad listened to those words without reacting.
Two hours later.
The group arrived at their destination without any incidents.
From the hill where they arrived, a sheer cliff was visible to the east.
It was indeed a sheer cliff.
The height of the cliff was considerable… probably several thousand meters.
Somehow, it even seemed like the upper part was jutting out toward their side.
An overhang, in rock climbing terms.
A rock wall with a vertical angle greater than vertical.
"I heard that the reason we can’t go to the central part of the dark continent is because it’s surrounded by sheer cliffs. That is it, isn’t it?"
"That’s right."
"The scale is different, but it feels like I’ve seen something similar somewhere."
"What a coincidence, I feel like I’ve seen it too."
"If my memory serves right, I think it was on the way to bring Abel from the Forest of Rondo to the City of Run."
"I feel like there was a golem’s nest somewhere ahead after walking along the cliff."
Yes, both Ryo and Abel remembered seeing it.
The scale was indeed different.
What they saw on the Londo Continent was about a hundred meters high.
However, Ryo remembered recognizing it as if it had been gouged out by something like a laser.
The sheer cliff visible in the distance was not straight but curved, with the top and bottom jutting out.
As if it had been gouged out by a laser cannon with a diameter of four thousand meters...
"It looks like it was carved by the final ultimate technique of swordsmen, 'ultimate judgment of the world: supreme devastation wave' that Abel is going to learn."
"Yeah, I’ve never heard of such an ultimate technique of swordsmen. It definitely sounds more like a mage’s technique."
"It must be the ultimate technique that a former swordsman swore he would never lose to a mage, a crystallization of blood, sweat, and tears. It’s incredible to gouge out such a massive rock."
"That’s definitely not true."
Abel denied it.
But Ryo wouldn’t back down.
He pointed decisively.
"That sword!"
The point he indicated was Abel’s beloved sword.
"What about my sword?"
"Abel, you’re still not fully drawing out the power of that sword, right? You’re aware of that, aren’t you?"
"Well, I do have that awareness."
Abel agreed with Ryo's observation.
Summarizing the many suggestions made by various people so far, it seemed that Abel’s sword was made by his ancestor, King Richard.
King Richard was a legendary king said to have mastered all six attributes of magic and reached the pinnacle of alchemy.
Since it was a sword made by such a person, honestly, Ryo had no idea how much power it truly held.