RUSTLE. RUSTLE—
Holding my breath, I headed toward the storeroom behind the cathedral.
Not even dust rose beneath my feet.
I was on my way to hear the request of the female priest I had met earlier, Sera. Of course, I was not helping out of goodwill.
‘Having at least one connection among the clergy can’t hurt, right?’
That was how I had soothed myself before setting out.
RUSTLE. RUSTLE—
Of all times, it had to be at this hour, and in this place.
If she even had to avoid the bishop’s eyes....
It must be a fairly important secret.
If the request was unreasonable, I could just refuse it outright.
There was just one thing that bothered me.
When I was young, I had once read a lurid romance novel out of curiosity. And—
‘In this sort of atmosphere, an accident always happens.’
“Did going back to the past make me lose my mind?”
A demon had clearly taken up residence in my head.
I performed an exorcism ritual inside my mind.
She was already waiting, dressed in plain clothes instead of priestly robes.
“Thank you... for coming.”
“Ah, not at all. What is this about?”
“It is... I think it may be related to the revelation you mentioned earlier.”
I blinked.
What? There was more here?
I kept my expression deliberately calm.
“Please tell me in detail.”
“I did not hear it directly, but... I heard a similar yet slightly different revelation.”
“......”
“When the blizzard ceases, and a blood star rises in the northern sky, the long-slumbering king shall walk forth once more.”
At that phrase, ‘the long-slumbering king,’ a chill ran down my spine.
Surely, it could not mean that being?
In my past life, the Demon King appeared much later than now.
I did not even know whether he had existed from the beginning or had suddenly dropped into the world one day.
But one thing was certain.
He was the absolute being who had united the demons, who had been constantly forming and breaking alliances, into one.
My heart grew urgent.
“Who did you hear this revelation from? Are you certain?”
Her gaze wavered for a moment.
“That... I cannot tell you.”
“Then when is that supposed to happen?”
“I do not know......”
“Can you receive a more specific revelation?”
“That depends... on God’s will......”
She moved her lips, then continued.
“So if you... hear a similar revelation, or if it changes, please be sure to let me know. We might be able to prepare before something terrible happens.”
“Do revelations change that often?”
Damn it. When I came to my senses, I was the one interrogating her instead.
I had even forgotten that I was supposed to be acting as the sixteen-year-old Mikael.
Feeling needlessly awkward, I changed the subject.
“I apologize. What was the favor you wanted to ask?”
“Ah, my older sister went to a cathedral in the western region for relief aid.”
“Yes.”
“So... I was wondering if you could also transport the medicinal herbs the cathedral has in storage.”
Her heart was admirable, but it would be difficult to grant the request.
“The wagons are already full, so I think it will be difficult to load any more.”
“I will cast the ‘Blessing of Levita’ on them for you. The weight will become much lighter.”
“......!”
A regular priest using a high-ranking prayer that should only be possible for someone at the level of a High Priest?
...If she was willing to do that much, it would be possible.
But I was a merchant first and foremost.
“I think it would be possible if I received a suitable fee.”
“I will simply give you what remains.”
Sera hesitated briefly, then added,
“Please give some to my sister, and you may sell some yourself.”
Pardon? Isn’t that smuggling them out?
“Uh... Is that really allowed?”
“Yes. It does not matter. It is for helping people in hardship anyway.”
She was sincere. I had no intention of refusing, but now I had no grounds to refuse either.
“Understood. Judging from the atmosphere...... you are doing this behind the bishop’s back.”
“...Yes.”
I did not ask any more. Even if I learned more, I was in no position to help.
She brought medicinal herb boxes out of the storeroom.
“Those green herbs should be steeped in water and drunk, and those blue herbs should be crushed and applied to wounds. They should be effective.”
“Understood. I will transport them safely.”
HWAAAAAA.
Instead of answering, she placed her hands on our wagons and offered a prayer.
Light seeped into the wagons and flowed gently along the wood grain. The air grew so still it felt as though it had stopped for a moment.
SWAY—
After finishing the prayer, she lost her balance.
A scene from a lurid romance novel passed through my mind, but I did not catch her.
THUD.
I had no need for unnecessary romantic entanglements.
She patted off her backside and stood up, then looked at me. Ahem, was she glaring?
“It is done. Then I will leave it to you.”
“Yes, I will deliver them responsibly. Then, what is your sister’s name?”
“Sena.”
After Sera left first, I waited a little while before returning to the room.
And—
inside the room, Garen was sitting with his eyes wide open. Was he not asleep...?
“Company Head! You have no idea how much I looked for you after you disappeared, Company Head!”
“Wh-what are you talking about? I went to the bathroom.”
“Ah, is that so?”
He smiled on the outside, but his eyes alone seemed to pierce straight through me.
After a brief silence,
a hearty laugh burst out.
“Kahahahaha, you are at a good age!”
Watching him, I muttered inwardly.
Is he putting on that hearty act?
***
Around daybreak, Garen and I hurriedly finished getting ready to leave. We needed to move as quickly as possible, since we had no idea what variables might arise.
The dawn air stung my cheeks.
“Bishop, thank you very much for your generous consideration.”
“I merely did what I ought to do.”
“Then we will be on our way......”
When I saw Sera’s face in the distance, I lifted my hand briefly in farewell.
RATTLE, RATTLE.
Half a day had already passed since we left the cathedral.
“Mr. Garen.”
“Yes, Company Head!”
“I heard from Lisa that you used to be in the Imperial Army. Could you tell me a little about that time?”
Now seemed like the best time to ask about Garen’s past.
“Ha ha, it was nothing much....”
Unlike him, the end of his sentence trailed off.
“Ah, you don’t have to tell me if it is uncomfortable!”
“It is not that. I was Imperial Army in name only. I retired quickly, you see.”
“What? Why?”
“I originally used a sword meant to be held with both hands.”
Rather than a sword, it must have been practically a club.
“Wow... You mean something like a greatsword?”
“That is correct. It was a big fellow, so I had to pour mana into it every time I used it. But I got a little greedy. I drew out too much, and....”
He lifted the prosthetic on his right arm and smiled forlornly.
“One of my hands burned away. Thanks to that, I was discharged early.”
“Oh no...... I am sorry.”
“Ha ha, it is all right. It has already been more than ten years.”
He laughed heartily and continued.
“If anything, my current life suits my personality better. Mercenary work fits me much better than the army!”
“......”
Pouring Aura into a greatsword meant he possessed an absurd amount of mana to begin with.
If he had handled it properly, he would have been less a person and more a walking siege engine.
But after going through an accident like that, it would be difficult even to think about using mana again....
‘Is there any way I can help?’
I sank briefly into thought, searching through the memories of swordsmanship training from my past life. While we were walking like that—
CLOP— CLOP, CLOP!
Dust rose.
The sound of horse hooves drew closer and closer.
‘What is that?’
When I looked back, several carriages were rushing toward us with escorts in tow.
Judging by their scale, they were about the size of a small merchant company. However—
‘They are moving too fast.’
Even if we were going slowly to match the pace of the mules, that was not the speed of merchants.
If they had trade goods loaded, they would not be able to run like that.
“Company Head!”
“Yes?”
Garen gripped the reins tightly and spoke.
“I think you should move somewhere safe.”
“What do you mean?”
“We sometimes run into groups like that. Merchant companies that forcefully buy trade goods at rock-bottom prices.”
So Father’s warning to be careful of people was true.
“Ah....”
“There was a name for them... What was it again?”
“Something like ‘predatory merchant companies’?”
“Ah! Right, that. That!”
Garen laughed as he nudged up the bastard sword on his back.
“Please go hide for a moment. I will try to resolve this amicably.”
That’s the same “amicably” I know, right?
“Ah, it is all right. I can protect myself, at least.”
“Ha ha, if you say so. They have almost closed the distance already anyway!”
“Uh... There is more than one of them.”
There were too many people for a small merchant company.
I found myself counting them automatically.
‘Seven swordsmen, four crossbowmen, one mage.’
It would be troublesome if there was a mage involved.
Garen might struggle alone.
I probably could not use Aura... but I would have to intervene depending on the situation.
CLOP, CLOP—
The rider at the front drove his horse forward, kicking up dust. His shadow reached us in an instant.
He looked down at me from horseback and twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Kid, let me ask for directions.”
What an arrogant tone.
“Yes.”
“We are trying to get to the western region, you see.”
“Just keep going straight.”
“Is that so? But we lost all our trade goods on the way here, so could we buy some of yours? We will pay you well. Heh heh heh.”
Bastards like these all say the same things.
‘Is there somewhere they learn this?’
At that moment, Garen stepped forward.
“Now, speak with me. Mercenaries should talk to fellow mercenaries, should they not? Ha ha!”
“Why? I want to talk to this little company head.”
I turned my head and stopped Garen with a gesture.
“Mr. Garen, wait a moment. How much will you buy them for?”
“How much do you want to sell them for?”
“...How about fifty gold coins?”
“What?”
Silence flowed for a moment.
Then, perhaps finally understanding what I meant, the mercenary bastard’s brow furrowed. If it had been Garen, he would have understood long ago, you idiot.
“You little bastard. Do you want to die?”
“Pfft! Of course not.”
“You bastard. Are you laughing right now?”
He placed his hand on his scabbard.
“There is no one here anyway. I would not buy it even if you said you were selling for three gold coins. Understand?”
I looked around.
There really was no one.
I barely held back the laughter that was trying to leak out.
“Then we will be on our way.”
SHING.
In the end, the mercenary bastard drew his sword and aimed it at me.
“Unload everything here and get lost.”
And—
SPLURT!
My vision flushed red.
Hot blood struck my cheek, and something fell with a dull sound.
The bastard’s head rolled to my feet.
A brief silence and a fishy smell filled the air.
Garen shook the blood from the back of his hand and said,
“They attacked first, after all. Please rest for a moment!”
“Be careful!”
I stood there gripping the sword I had received from the Oxhorn Pass workshop.
I was close enough to help Garen if things went wrong.
THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD!
Garen gripped his bastard sword in one hand and immediately ran forward. Facing him, five swordsmen charged at the same time.
The distance between them was not even ten steps.
‘Judging from their level of equipment, they seem to be about low-grade swordsmen.’
From far away, the crossbows spat bolts in short bursts.
“Hrrah-cha!”
Garen swung his sword and knocked the bolts away.
Sparks flew with the sound of metal striking metal.
He lowered his body and charged in.
THUD— THUD— His stride grew wider and wider.
Five steps.
At that distance, they were within Garen’s range.
Garen’s sword drew a diagonal line from above to below.
CRAAACK. CRUNCH.
With a metallic shriek, armor was torn apart.
The sound of flesh splitting and bones being crushed burst out almost at the same time.
It took only an instant.
The bodies of the five mercenaries collapsed, half split open.
‘That’s possible without Aura?’
Battle was, by nature, momentum. I could hear the frontliners screaming all the way from here, already terrified.
“M-mage! Hurry and do something!”
A woman who appeared to be the mage was chanting lowly. The air trembled faintly.
I should start moving too.
The moment I thought that—
something flashed at her fingertips.
A thin scrap of paper.
“......”
Uh, wait. A scroll?
Then the casting speed was....
In that instant, a chill ran down my spine.
“Garen, dodge!”
“Yes?”
“I said dodge!”
CRACKLE—
Lightning tore through the sky and fell.
Burning dust scattered in every direction.
‘Ah, no.’
TAP TAP TAP TAP—
I broke through the dust and charged into the enemy formation at full speed.
My ragged breathing pounded in my ears as if it would burst.