At Ernest's Cemetery, Ivo returned to this place while whistling. The sound of people crying could be heard even as he entered the cemetery gate.

The cry of a mother who lost her beloved child.

The cry of a wife who lost her husband.

The cry of a man over the death of his best friend.

Even a small child cried in front of the small grave he made for the death of his cat.

Crying and wailing, in this place, you will only hear these. They are the followers of the teachings of death. They are ordinary people who even after studying this teaching still cannot bear the weight of losing their loved ones.

In front of the simple shrine in front of him, Ivo paused for a moment. He saw Veibel sitting in the middle of the shrine looking at himself on a water vessel.

Even when Ivo approached him, he saw Veibel who was still without moving at all. He was like a tree that was not moving whose roots were already very deep in the ground.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, Veibel got up and put a smile on his face.

“My friend, I apologize for my previous rudeness.”

“No. It’s okay. You are the owner of this temple and a Shaman, I was the one who was rude for entering this temple without your permission.”

“Ah, my friend, you are always welcome in this place. If you can’t find a place to take shelter someday, you can come to this place. With my name, I guarantee your safety while you are in Ernest’s cemetery.”

“It's an honor for me”

The two talked to each other. Veibel greeted Ivo warmly and entertained him with what he had today.

Coarse bread and water were quite luxurious for Shamans. Veibel showed a little face and wanted to apologize for not being able to offer something decent, but Ivo stopped him.

“You seemed to have some trouble on your way here. Do you need me to help you take care of that?”

“Mr. Veibel, that is unnecessary. I have already taken care of this problem and he probably won’t be a problem for now.” Ivo said as he put the hard bread into his mouth.

“Still, as my friend, where should I put my face when I hear that my friend is being targeted by an assassin.” Veibel showed a slight frown on his face.

The calm eyes he had had a hint of cruelty in them. With the magic he had and the Senses that Shamans gained while guarding the cemetery, he could tell that Ivo had come after facing someone.

If it was a normal fight, Veibel wouldn’t have brought it up. But when he felt the aura of death slowly disappearing from his friend’s body, Veibel knew that Ivo had just experienced something that almost killed him.

Shamans, those who dedicate their lives to the cemetery, when the Court of the Dead appoints them and the shaman sacrifices the freedom they have, the Court of the Dead will give them a great deal of compensation.

One of them is the eye that can see the aura of death. This is a special kind of eye that can show how dangerous and how close death is to you.

A strong death aura will not show when you die, but the threat of death is so strong that you could die right then and there.

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Ivo showed a slight smile. He knew a lot about Shamans and had come to the cemetery on purpose after facing Ivor Ashen.

“Mr. Veibel, I am not a vengeful person. If someone tries to kill me and they succeed, then that is the day I die. But I'm not a pushover who would give in to death. If they have the right to kill me, then I will also kill them while preserving my life.”

“Life and death are the laws of this world. People may be angry and hold a grudge when someone tries to kill them, but I am not like that. Since I am still alive, let him go, and don’t bother him.”

Veibel who heard this fell silent. The cruelty that had appeared in his eyes disappeared a little and was replaced by a gentle gaze. “You are right. If that is what you want, then I will not bring up this matter again.”

“Ah, right. Previously, Seva came here and left a gift prepared for you. It may not be something valuable but this is our gratitude for the information you provided.”

Veibel handed a box to Ivo. It was an ordinary wooden box without any carvings. Even so, Veibel handed it over carefully.

When Ivo opened it, there was only a pitch-black marble and a white paper written in black ink.

Ivo read it and frowned slightly.

Veibel looked at it and explained a little. “Since you rejected the offer we gave you earlier, I have asked Seva to slightly increase the gift that will be given to you. Do you know what this is?”

Ivo shook his head. However, it didn’t mean he didn’t know.

I know but…

Did they really give this to an outsider?

Damn it. There’s no way they would give this to an outsider. If they wanted to give this thing to an outsider then the implied meaning that the Court of The Dead wanted to convey was very obvious.

Veibel explained. “This is a Mana Nucleus. A magical material developed by the Court of the Dead. It will definitely help you surpass most of the students who enroll in White Snow Academy.”

“As long as you eat it, you can be sure to enter White Snow Academy and complete your parents’ will.” Veibel said with a happy smile on his face.

“I asked for it to be given to you. I hope you like it.”

“You asked this for me?” Ivo said with his hands shaking slightly.

Veibel nodded. “When Seva heard what I asked to be given to you, she was a little surprised at first. After a bit of debate, she agreed to give this thing to you.”

“Ah, thank you.” Ivo nodded when he heard it.

Bullshit!!!

There’s no way someone with the rank of Arbiter could give something like this.

This item is only given to the Guardians of the Land of the Dead. Only they and people with ranks equal to the Guardians of the Land of the Dead can get this item.

Ivo wanted to throw the Mana Nucleus in his hand far away from his sight.

“I’ll eat it when I get to the inn.”

“No! You can’t. The effects of this item are so strong and a little dangerous. You absolutely can’t eat it without any supervision. You better eat it now and I’ll watch over you. If anything untoward happens, I can handle it.”

Ah… those eyes…

The gaze emitted by Veibel was something so pure from the bottom of his heart. Ivo could tell this because of his vast experience.

I’m not trying to be arrogant, but if I were asked how long I’ve been alive, then I’d already be over 150 years old if you count the time dilation in this game. Knowing whether someone’s intentions are pure or have ulterior motives is not difficult.

I am happy with your good intentions, but you chose the worst path for me. Ivo wanted to shout this but he only replied with a smile.

“I am truly grateful.”

***

In contrast to Ivo, a man was walking with difficulty while suppressing the pain and trying to expel the foreign mana in his body.

“What is this?? Ugh…”

Ivor almost spat out a mouthful of blood but swallowed it back. With all the strength he had left, he expelled all the foreign mana that had lodged in his body.

The poison had now disappeared as if it had never existed. Even so, the effects it produced were still affecting his body.

“This process is truly tiring…”

Leaning against the wall, he sat silently as he looked up at the sky. It was a blue sky without a single cloud. It was a vast sky that he did not know how vast it was.

“My Lord… I am truly sorry…”

I have disappointed you.

Not only did he fail to kill his target, but he was also caught in a dilemma where he had to follow Ivo’s one request.

“I failed this time. Besides, I have to follow that person’s request.” Ivor shuddered as he remembered the look Ivo had given him.

He could have ignored the request and conveyed the agreement the two of them had made to Raven. But after thinking about it for the umpteenth time, he refused to do so.

Ivo had promised to protect Raven from the pursuit of the Court of The Dead. He had believed from the start, the reason he attacked Ivo was because he seemed very dangerous to Raven.

So, he was ready to sacrifice himself to kill the man even though he failed in the end.

“It seems like I was just playing around in the palm of that guy’s hand.”

Just one request… what’s so difficult.

I just have to do what he asked and finish this relationship. After that, I can bring those two people to kill Ivo.

I will kill him with my own two hands.

With that determination, he got up and returned to Raven’s place.