The Crimson Duke of War: Historian In Another World

Days had passed since that fateful day, Justinian and Maria were still staying in the town, just in case the wretch had returned.

But nothing, absolutely nothing had happened, even the town itself had now begun to rebuild and recover from the massacre that had happened.

It was as if... the wretch itself had just disappeared.

"D-Do you think the stranger might have taken care of it?" Maria cautiously asked.

"No..." Justinian replied instantly.

While Jiang Chen itself was powerful, he was still mortal, and even as a vessel of the heavenly dragons, he wasn't immune to the presence of the void, only resistant to it.

Even in the spin-off itself, when he found himself fighting creatures of the void, he wasn't alone; he required the support of other characters to fend off another wretch.

But... it was absolutely undeniable that the presence of the void had begun to disappear, so maybe Jiang Chen did actually manage to kill it.

"Let's go..."

Justinian sighed, changing his clothes and packing their belongings as they prepared to leave.

"J-Just like that...? S-So..."

"Yeah... maybe he did somehow kill it."

"I-I see..." Maria smiled, while Justinian's hesitation was worrying him; hearing him say it was still enough to convince her.

After all, she was still the golden heroine with a pure heart.

***

They left the village without ceremony, with Lyram, however, giving Justinian a parting message as they left, a simple message to his daughter when Justinian manages to bump into her.

"You know..."

Maria tried to speak, wanting to mention what happened to her amulet, but instead, she couldn't find the right words. Justinian already looked worried enough.

She didn't want to make it worse.

"Never mind."

She shook her head, smiling at Justinian, wanting to keep him relaxed.

"Take the lead, tour guide!"

If Justinian had to think of any positives that had happened during their stay at the inn, it was that the natives who were following them had now disappeared.

The reason? Unknown.

As they continued to trek, Justinian at this point decided that wasting more time by following the designated path would be a bad idea.

Choosing instead a shortcut, perilous, but significantly faster.

If he managed to activate the ring... most of the problems he just faced will take care of themselves.

That was the number one priority now.

"Hey!"

Maria suddenly shouted from behind.

"Hm?"

Justinian stopped on his tracks, looking back and seeing Maria holding literal fire in her hands.

"I-I managed to cast something without it blowing up!"

She said in sheer excitement, practicing her divine gifts every second she got while they were moving.

It seemed like, after what had happened with the wretch, becoming stronger was now a priority in Maria's mind.

"Told ya you can do it."

Justinian laughed, patting her back with surprising force.

"Ah, hey!" Maria laughed back, punching his shoulders lightly.

The tension from everything that had happened was slowly disappearing as the two continued to bicker and banter every step along the way.

***

"Let's stop here..."

Justinian pointed to the cave just ahead of the narrow ledge they were navigating; one wrong step was death, but at least they didn't have to worry about it collapsing under them with Justinian's magic.

His petrification makes it as sturdy as possible.

"T-Thank the gods!"

Maria cried out, sweating buckets despite the cold temperature. She was relieved she no longer had to tiptoe the literal edge of a mountain where one wrong step was guaranteed death by gravity.

Justinian entered first, already setting up camp, with Maria entering next, trying to catch her breath as she struggled to keep herself calm.

"How long until we arrive yet!?" She complained.

"Tomorrow, early morning," Justinian answered with a smile.

"Really!?" Maria jumped in victory; she had finally had enough of this mountain trip.

Well... she still found the trip itself fun, the path, however... was a completely different story.

Maria dropped her pack with a soft thud and flopped onto a flat rock, staring at the fire like it was a living creature. "I swear, every time I think I've gotten used to these mountains… they just find new ways to try and kill me."

"You're exaggerating," Justinian said, kneeling beside her to unpack some rations. "I've seen far worse. These cliffs are nothing compared to what we faced before."

Maria huffed, brushing a strand of snow-dusted hair from her face. "Sure… but gravity isn't usually actively trying to kill me on a mountain path."

Justinian smirked, handing her a small piece of jerky. "Here. Consider it a reward for surviving."

She accepted it with a grin, eyes sparkling. "Thanks. You know, if you keep complimenting me, I might start expecting it."

"Don't push your luck." Justinian leaned back, letting the warmth of the fire wash over him. "We have a long day tomorrow, and the sooner we rest, the better."

Maria nodded, still chewing thoughtfully. "I just… I feel like every step we take is a little safer now, even after everything that's happened."

"Mostly because I'm here," he said lightly, though there was a quiet undertone of seriousness behind it. "And you're getting stronger. Both in confidence and in your abilities."

Maria's gaze fell to her hands, fingers brushing the faint green glow of her amulet. "I hope so… I can't let anyone else be hurt like that again."

Justinian glanced at her, noting the resolve in her eyes. It wasn't just about strength. She had changed, hardened by what she'd seen, but still holding onto that spark of hope and determination that made her… well, her.

The fire crackled, the sound mingling with the distant rush of wind against the cliff face. Silence settled over them, but it was the kind of silence that felt alive, the calm before the storm.

"Tomorrow," Maria said softly, almost to herself, "we'll reach Mithral's center of worship. The sooner we get there, the sooner this ring can do what it's meant to."

"Exactly," Justinian agreed. "And once that's done…" He paused, thinking of the road ahead, the dangers that still lurked. "…we finally start putting all of this behind us."