“Garen is at the guild today. Let’s go right away.”
“Yeah, got it.”
A one-armed swordsman.
Even imagining it vaguely, a taciturn image came to mind.
He would look sharp and lean, and even when drinking, he would remain expressionless.
Someone who would not reveal a single emotion even after cutting down an enemy—
In other words, he would give off the impression of a cold-blooded man.
Lisa brushed her hair back and looked at me.
“Oh, right. The round trip will take almost two months...... At five silver coins a day, that makes three gold coins for the two-month round trip. That should be enough, right?”
“That’s fine. It’s a little above market price, but if his skills are certain, that much is all right.”
The Merchant Guild and the Mercenary Guild faced each other across a single road, so it did not take long to move between them.
CLATTER—
The moment we opened the door, acrid smoke greeted us, and the smell of alcohol hit me in the face.
‘Ugh, the smell.... This place is basically a raccoon den.’
The inside was dim, and the mercenaries were sitting however they pleased.
One bastard had a bandage wrapped around his arm, another had his shirt off, and there was even one sleeping.
“Can they really fight like this?”
For me, who had grown used to the razor-sharp discipline of the Imperial Army, the sight was so unfamiliar that I was briefly taken aback.
‘Oh, right. Lisa is a woman too.’
In this sort of atmosphere, she might get scared.
The moment I thought that, Lisa stepped forward.
CLAP, CLAP!
She clapped her hands and spoke loudly.
“Now— I’m from the Merchant Guild! I’m Administrative Officer Lisa! Mr. Garen, are you here?”
The noisy tavern fell quiet for a moment.
Then, from the far end, there came a CLATTER— as metal struck against something.
“Oops, my hand slipped.”
When I turned my head, I saw a man sitting there.
His head was easily twice the size of mine, and his shoulders were as broad as a mountain range. With a build like that, he would not lose out even compared to the northern barbarians.
“I spilled it again. This thing just won’t listen to me today, hahaha!”
Then the dark grain of wood where his right arm should have been caught my eye. Below it, a cup had overturned, leaving the floor glistening.
“Are you Mr. Garen?”
“Were you looking for me? I am Garen, yes.”
......That person was Garen?
I could not believe my eyes.
They say you should not judge by appearances, but I had never seen anyone like him in the Imperial Army.
“Hello. My name is Mikael.”
“Hahaha, what a handsome company head, rare in a village like this. If I formally take the job, I will serve you with all due respect then.”
...For now, his basic attitude passed.
I began the interview in earnest.
“Ha ha... Thank you. First, there is one thing I’m curious about.”
“Oh? What are you curious about?”
“May I ask what kind of weapon you use?”
“Do you know what a bastard sword is?”
Of course I did. A little small for a two-handed sword, too large to call a one-handed sword— commonly known as a ‘hand-and-a-half sword.’
“Yes, I saw it in a book. But you use that with one hand?”
Garen raised the corner of his mouth.
“I can show you outside. If you do not believe me, would you like to see?”
“Oh, I would appreciate that.”
“Ha ha! What a suspicious company head. I suppose I will have to show you myself!”
He rose from his seat and lifted the scabbard.
THOOOM—
A metallic sound as heavy as his build rang out beneath the table.
He might be able to lift it with one hand, but swinging it freely should be difficult. Well, I could confirm right away whether it was a bluff or not.
And—
WHOOSH. WHOOSH.
...It was not a bluff.
He swung the bastard sword lightly, as though a child were handling a wooden stick.
The pressure of the wind reached all the way to where I stood.
He seemed like the sort of man whose motto would be, ‘If something is stuck, first check whether you lack strength’—
In other words, a man with monstrous strength.
“Would you like me to show you more? I can do this all day.”
If both his hands had been intact, he probably would have used a greatsword.
Worried that people might misunderstand and think we were causing a disturbance in the middle of the village, I quickly waved my hand.
“Ah, no. I saw enough! I’ll sign the contract right away!”
Lisa looked back and forth between Garen and me with surprised eyes. A moment later, a smile spread across her lips.
“Oh! You’re finally signing the contract?”
Garen set down his sword and straightened his posture.
He bowed his enormous body in greeting.
“Ha ha! Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Garen!”
“Yes. I look forward to working with you. We’ll be leaving right after lunch today. We don’t have time. Is that all right?”
“Of course! Naturally! I will prepare at once.”
“I’ll explain the details of what you need to do once we’re on the way.”
“Just leave it to me!”
How should I put it? He was a little overwhelming....
But strangely, I felt drawn to him.
And so, I went ahead and signed the contract.
∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿
[Mercenary Employment Contract]
▪ Client: Mikael
▪ Contractor: Mercenary Garen
This contract is concluded as the merchant Mikael hires the mercenary Garen for escort and security purposes in carrying out western trade.
Contract Period: Approximately 60 days (round trip basis)
Compensation: 5 silver coins per day, total payment of 3 gold coins
< Official Mercenary Guild Seal ⚔ >
∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿
Now all that remained was to leave.
“You said you’re leaving this afternoon, right? Tell me lots of interesting stories when you get back. Be careful.”
“Yeah, take care too.”
After seeing Lisa off, I told Garen about the plan from here on. Contrary to his hearty way of speaking, he was a sharp man.
From the western trade schedule to the cathedral’s preservation magic, and even emergency situations such as demon attacks, he understood everything without missing a point.
‘With this much, I can feel at ease.’
Part of my heart relaxed a little.
Now it was time to say goodbye to the people who would remain behind.
I returned home and finished saying farewell to my parents and sisters.
“Sis, I’ll be back. Look after the house.”
“Our youngest is acting tough again.”
“......”
“I hear salt-cured fish is famous there. Bring back something tasty, Mikael.”
Father and Mother came out to the door to see me off.
“I’ll be back.”
“You must be careful, Mikael.”
Mother’s eyes reddened.
...Before I knew it, the memory of my past life surfaced.
‘She was like this on the day I was conscripted too....’
Of course, this was a trip to earn money.
Even all told, it was only forty days.
Father hesitated briefly, then placed something in my hand. On my palm lay an old coin.
“What is this?”
“It is a keepsake from your grandfather. It is called a ‘record coin’... They say it faintly engraves what it saw over the course of a day.”
“Is it like a diary?”
“I am not sure, but it is similar. However, they said it requires mana to use, so you probably will not be able to use it either.”
“It is still amazing. Thank you, Father.”
Father nodded, chose his words for a moment, then quietly added,
“And....”
“Yes.”
“What you must be more careful of than demons is people. I trust you will handle yourself well.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
When I gripped the coin, a fine inscription glittered.
Outside the door, Garen was waiting.
He patted the side of the wagon with his palm and said,
“Everything is ready. Let us depart!”
And so, we finally set out on the road.
***
RATTLE, RATTLE.
I set off westward with Garen.
In my heart, I wanted to climb onto one of the mules, but since they were already carrying too much cargo, I could not.
“Company Head, you said we are going to the cathedral to sleep today?”
“Yes. We need to receive preservation magic, and we can’t sleep on the ground from the very first day, can we?”
“Right, right. Still, the mules are terribly slow, so this is a problem. I do not know if we will arrive before the sun sets.”
The cathedral we were heading for was near Brent Village, which could be reached only after walking a good half day west.
By the time the sun had completely set and moonlight shone over the fields, the silhouette of the cathedral appeared faintly on a hill far in the distance.
“Phew....”
I stopped the wagon at the cathedral entrance and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Is anyone there?”
A female priest in pure white priestly robes approached us. The fabric shone softly beneath the moonlight.
“Who are you?”
“Hello. We are traveling merchants from Heindel.”
“Yes.”
“We came to ask whether we might stay here for one night. We are on our way to the western region with foodstuffs loaded... so we would also like to receive preservation magic.”
“......”
She tilted her head slightly.
Her gaze was directed at us, but the tips of her feet were subtly pointing away from Garen.
‘Is she wary of us, perhaps?’
“Come in for now.”
“Thank you!”
STEP. STEP.
Inside the cathedral, I saw priests and young acolytes offering prayers even at this late hour.
She slowly walked toward the altar.
In front of the altar, a gray-bearded man was praying.
I could tell at once— he was the highest-ranking person in this cathedral.
“Bishop. There are people requesting a night’s stay at the cathedral. They also wish to receive a preservation blessing.”
“Ah, if that is the case, we should help them. You must have come a long way.”
He stopped praying, rose from his seat, and extended his hand to us.
“Welcome.”
“Hello, my name is Mikael.”
“Good to meet you! I am Garen, serving the company head!”
At Garen’s booming voice, several people inside the cathedral looked up in surprise.
The bishop’s gaze turned to the central altar.
“Every blessing in this land is accompanied by a sign of reverence. And the greater the devotion, the better.”
He spoke indirectly, but in the end, it meant we had to pay.
Of course, it was not as if we lacked money.
‘But I want to pay with something else.’
Uncle Hagrid came to mind.
“Um... Would it be all right to offer our sign of devotion in another way?”
“Ahem. We have long accepted only the established method as devotion, and unfortunately, there are no exceptions.”
Would there be no exceptions in the future either?
“Ah... That is unfortunate. A relative living in the Southern Kingdom said she heard the ‘Word of God’....”
“......!”
The bishop’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Surely you are not trying to borrow God’s name carelessly?”
“Of course not...! Though my aunt did say something like this.”
“Yes?”
“She said the Church in the south has poor relations with the center lately. It is not as though they fought... Apparently, they simply cannot communicate well with each other.”
I waved my hand and showed an apologetic look.
“I was thoughtless.... Relations are poor, and I brought up something unnecessary....”
There is only one God, but interpreting His will is the work of humans.
Later, when the war began, the sects split apart—
but at the time, I had simply let it pass as ‘I suppose that is how it is.’
I heard later that the rift had already begun around this time.
“How do you know that......?”
“Yes?”
The bishop’s gaze wavered in empty air for a moment.
It was something only a tiny minority would know at this point.
Even those at the rank of bishop would more often than not be unaware of it.
That would make my words all the more credible.
“Wait a moment. The voice bestowed by God... should be better the more widely it is spread, should it not?”
The atmosphere changed.
As long as it was true, what the Church called a ‘God’s response’ was worth more than gold.
“Oh! Really? I think so too.”
His eyes gleamed.
“Then could you tell me the contents of that ‘revelation’?”
“Of course. The truth is, we are on our way to the western region. We are going to help people in need... so might we receive a blessing?”
“Still, we are meeting you for the first time... There is a procedure called a ‘hearing.’ To put it simply, it means asking God again.”
A hearing? Ah, the ritual that filters out bastards who do business using God’s name.
‘He still hasn’t stopped doubting me.’
By the way, what Uncle Hagrid mentioned really was a revelation, right?
If a problem arose during the hearing procedure, things would become troublesome.
“Very well. However, I am worried the food might spoil, so may we receive the blessing first?”
At the word ‘first,’ the bishop’s expression hardened again.
What a difficult person.
I tilted my head again, pretending to be pitiful.
A clergyman should benefit everyone, shouldn’t he?
“Hmm....”
Deep wrinkles formed on the bishop’s forehead.
“The hearing ritual... can proceed slowly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. First, it would be proper to at least hear the words.”
I opened my mouth with a very serious expression.
At times like this, one had to show a reverent attitude.
“Ahem, hmm. A pillar of fire shall rise in the north. Soon the world shall tremble, so avoid calamity— that was the message.”
To be precise, I did not know either.
As long as the meaning was conveyed, was that not enough?
That was how revelations were in the first place.
At most, they were two sentences long. At shortest, they ended in a single phrase.
“Ahh, a-a pillar of fire... Thank you very much.”
A strange light briefly crossed the bishop’s eyes.
Even after chewing it over, it seemed like a revelation with no particular meaning,
but did it really have some important significance?
In any case, at least in that moment, he looked like a devout clergyman. He spoke to the female priest who had guided us.
“Sera, take good care of these people. They have come a long way today, so give them the warmest room, and bestow the preservation blessing without holding back.”
“Yes, Bishop.”
RATTLE, RATTLE.
We moved the wagons and mules to the place the female priest had designated.
She knelt beside the wagons. Clasping both hands together, she whispered softly.
“O God, please protect this grain and water so they do not spoil on the long journey. Until they reach the hungry, let Your blessing dwell within them.”
A faint light bloomed from her fingertips.
...Garen reacted before the foodstuffs did.
“Wow! This is my first—”
“Shh, be quiet!”
“Hup! Yes, Company Head.”
If he had once been in the Imperial Army, this should not be his first time seeing it, should it? Why is he surprised?
“——Lux Aeterna.”
WHOOOOOOSH.
The cargo boxes inside the wagons vibrated gently and were wrapped in a sacred energy like cold air.
“Huff, huff....”
She wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Her slightly damp brown hair clung to her temple, then slowly slid down.
“Thank you, Priest.”
“You are welcome. May God’s grace be with you.”
After hesitating briefly, she opened her mouth.
“Um. Mr. Mikael....”
“Yes?”
“You said you were going west, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Her gaze wavered slightly.
“Could I ask... one favor of you?”
Something feels unusual.
Still, it would be strange to refuse outright.
“Yes, of course. Could I hear it first?”
She glanced once at Garen, who was standing there blankly, then leaned her head toward me.
And then—
she whispered into my ear.
My body flinched at the warm breath.
“There are too many eyes here, so it is a little difficult. After midnight... could you come to the storeroom?”
What is this? A request? A warning?
Or could it be......?
Looks like sleeping with my legs stretched out tonight is out of the question.