From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone - Volume 2 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: An Old Country Bumpkin Cuts Apart the Dark Night

“Hiyaaaaaah!”

It was early in the morning, and in the Liberion Order’s training hall, plenty of people were devoting themselves to practice. I was well aware that I always arrived early, but even at this hour, the knights were still really enthusiastic. Such diligence toward the sword was worthy of praise.

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!”

I dodged a hearty slash and complimented my opponent. Currently, I was engaged in some practical training—taking on a knight in a sparring match. We were armed with wooden swords since accidents could happen if we used metal ones. Though, it wasn’t like I had a real sword to use at the moment anyway.

Still, a part of me wanted to try teaching lessons with real swords at least once. Perhaps this just showed how far I’d plummeted into the madness of swordsmanship. The stinging sensation of a real battle could not be emulated with wooden swords, and though I didn’t want to get involved in a real fight, I believed it was something that had to be experienced—especially for knights. Unlike adventurers, it didn’t seem like knights were blessed with many opportunities to engage in a real fight. If they found themselves incapable of swinging their swords at a critical moment, it could be problematic. So, I figured I could consult Allusia about it later. There’s a good chance she might turn that proposition down, though.

“Nrrrrrgh!”

“Whoa there.”

Oops. Silly me. I shouldn’t be thinking about other stuff while training. A wooden sword that was several times heavier than mine grazed the tip of my nose. I’d told her to swing it without holding anything back, but that thought kinda chilled me to the core. At any rate, her long sweeping slash had plenty of power behind it, but it also left her guard open. She was still developing, but as an instructor, seeing her grow so noticeably gave me a glimpse of what I had to look forward to.

“There.”

“Gyah?!”

Once she’d followed through on her swing, I lightly brought down my wooden sword on her undefended head. Her cute yelp echoed throughout the training hall.

“Okay, let’s stop here for now. Looks like you’re gradually getting better.”

“Seriously?! Heh heh heh heh...”

I relaxed my stance, marking the end of our bout. Kewlny patted her head and broke into a terrific smile. Yup, a puppy. Kewlny really is a salve for the soul. Still, she was nowhere close to perfecting her art. To further improve her technique, I had to communicate her strengths and weaknesses.

“You’re getting used to handling the zweihander now—your strikes are plenty fast enough. However, if you always swing the same way, your opponent will get a read on your range. When that happens, you should close in and use the ricasso, or else resort to thrusts. Otherwise, you’ll leave an opening like you just did.”

“Erk... Understood...”

Kewlny looked somewhat dispirited, but I was nowhere near as pessimistic. I hadn’t thought she’d be able to successfully wield such a peculiar weapon in so short a time. A pleasant miscalculation. She definitely had a lot of power in her small frame. From the very beginning, she hadn’t struggled much with the zweihander’s mass, and though she was using a wooden sword now, it had significant weight behind it. By the looks of it, she wouldn’t have a problem manifesting her power with the real thing.

Kewlny also learned fast. She had an honest personality and obediently absorbed my teachings. She’d sparred with a shortsword plenty of times, but this was supposed to be her first time using a greatsword in a bout. And unlike when she was doing practice swings, I can see that she’s properly visualizing her opponent. I’m glad.

She still had a long way to go, of course, but she’d at least grown to the point where she could push back the average knight with the sheer violent mass and reach of her blade. Kewlny had developed a good foundation by training her body over time—she’d obviously stuck to her training after leaving our dojo, and her skills were proof. Considering all this, I felt it was time for her to do some practical training with me.

She was capable of unleashing a continuous string of long-reaching attacks. Her petite frame allowed her to make tight turns and rotate very quickly. Once she mastered the variable grip and the general push and pull of combat, she was sure to grow much, much stronger.

“No need to feel so down,” I told her. “You’re steadily getting stronger.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

I wasn’t lying. At the very least, a zweihander suited her more than a shortsword. She’d accomplished much in a brief time, and I had high hopes for her progress in the future.

“Oh right! Master, isn’t it about time?” Kewlny asked cheerfully.

“Hm? For what?”

I had no idea what she was talking about. Had I made any plans? I was pretty sure I didn’t have anything scheduled beyond training.

“Your sword!” she exclaimed.

“Aah...”

I’d totally forgotten about it. But now that she mentioned it, quite a bit of time had passed—after training every day, thoughts of my new sword had just seemed to slip my mind. No, I don’t want to attribute this memory lapse to my age.

“I guess it’s been a week already,” I said. “I’ll have to go get it.”

“That’s right! Isn’t it exciting?”

Baldur had told me he’d need a week to forge my sword. That deadline had passed not too long ago, so it was about time to go collect. Oddly, I’d gotten used to not having a sword on me. Perhaps that was simply because I’d carried a wooden sword instead. Huh. That...might not be a great mindset for a swordsman to have.

Regarding the matter with Mui, it had been a week without any new information. Allusia and Lucy had apparently interrogated the Twilight thieves, but I hadn’t been told any specifics. I’d brought it up every now and then, but they’d just made sullen faces—it wasn’t a topic I thought I should prod at, but judging by their expressions, I could guess that things weren’t so simple. That said, there wasn’t really anything I could do. Allusia and Lucy knew this, so they didn’t share any information with me.

Well, it’s not my place to get involved—best to leave this to the big shots. More importantly, I have to get my weapon.

“Okay, guess I’ll drop by right after training today.”

Strike while the iron is hot—that didn’t quite apply here, but honestly, if the sword was ready, I wanted to try it as soon as possible.

“Ah, then I’ll go with you!” Kewlny suggested.

“Mm, sure thing.” Really, she didn’t need to come along, but I didn’t have a reason to refuse.

“Hee hee, I’m looking forward to it!” Kewlny said with a beaming smile. “Wonder what kinda sword you’ll get?”

I wasn’t quite sure why she was so excited about it—this didn’t seem like a thrilling event to me. But her current enthusiasm was far better than her being depressed. Kewlny was the kind of girl who was at her best when she was smiling. Besides, I did at least understand her curiosity. What kind of sword had been forged from the lavish materials of the named monster Zeno Grable? Frankly, I had no idea what to expect, and this was both exciting and frightening.

I want something normal. Just plain and simple. Something just like me.

“Anyway, we’ll go, but only after we’re done training,” I said.

“Yes, sir!”

That’s enough for our short break. Time to get back to it. I was naturally excited to meet my new blade, my new partner, but as a swordsman and an instructor, I had to fulfill my duty to the knights. Above all, I wanted to remain steadfast in the art of the sword.

“All right, come at me,” I said.

“Here I gooo!”

Kewlny readied her large wooden sword. Judging by the glimmer in her eyes, she was in even higher spirits than before. Well, she’s always in high spirits, but still. Even if this was training, I wanted to avoid getting hit by that huge block of wood. So, I fired myself up once more and focused on her attacks.

◇

“Okay, let’s call it a day.”

“Yes, sir!”

I exchanged blows with Kewlny for a while, and around the time the sun was high in the sky and trending to the west, we brought the day’s training to an end. This was also around the time I’d usually finished my lessons back in Beaden. Perhaps it’s a habit. Wake up early, get some exercise, and relax in the afternoon—that rhythm had been deeply ingrained in me. This schedule obviously didn’t apply if irregularities came up, but I didn’t get dragged into such events very often. The matter with Mui really had been an exception.

“I’ll go get changed!” Kewlny announced.

“Yeah, yeah, take your time.”

Kewlny had maintained her high spirits all throughout training and she was still going strong. I didn’t understand the appeal of keeping an old man company on a shopping trip, but she seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to leave it at that. Having cheerful company was more enjoyable than going on my own anyway. I glanced at Kewlny as she vanished into the dressing room, then got myself ready. All I really had to do was wipe off my sweat. It sure is easy being a man at times like these.

“Now then...”

Normally, this would be around the time when Allusia would pop up out of nowhere...but she didn’t seem to be around today. She hadn’t participated in morning training, so she was probably busy in meetings with Lucy or the like. I was curious, but I didn’t have anything to contribute to the topic. I’d find out more when the investigation reached a stage where they could make an official announcement.

So, I paid that topic no more mind and instead focused entirely on my finished sword. Oh man, I’m starting to get excited. I stood in front of the office for a short while, and Kewlny soon came out in her usual casual outfit.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“It’s fine—wasn’t that long.”

Ever since coming to Baltrain, I’ve suddenly had far more opportunities to go on outings with women. Though, pretty much all of them are my former pupils... Come to think of it, I haven’t had to listen to my dad’s demands for a while now. Guess that perk comes with the distance.

Still, it was better to give such things at least some thought...even if I didn’t think any woman would fall for an old man beyond his prime. Whatever. I had something more important to focus on. My love life was a trivial matter I could sweep under the rug for later.

If I remembered right, Baldur’s smithy was in the central district. I’d gone there just over a week ago, but I wasn’t sure I could find my way back. On that point, I was grateful Kewlny was tagging along—I didn’t end up getting lost.

“I wonder what kinda sword he forged,” Kewlny mused.

“Who knows? It’s a longsword, so I’m pretty sure it won’t be that eccentric.”

We chatted as we walked. Selna had been the one to make the request to Baldur, but she’d asked only for a longsword. I was about seventy percent excited and thirty percent worried when I thought about what kind of weapon had been forged. I could guess that the blade wouldn’t be too far off the beaten path, but the materials used were on another level. In all my life, I’d only ever used metal swords.

“I’m sure it’ll be super cool!” Kewlny exclaimed.

“Ha ha ha. I hope it’s something that suits me.” A cool longsword? I didn’t want to wield something covered in weird ornamentation. I was pretty sure Baldur understood that about me.

“Oh yeah, while we’re getting my sword, you should also give him a report,” I said.

“Hwuh? Me?”

“C’mon, about your zweihander.”

Kewlny had switched from a shortsword to a zweihander at Baldur’s smithy. That’d been just about a week ago, so she was still getting used to using it. Regardless, she seemed to be doing pretty well—it was important to be able to show growth.

“Right! I kinda feel like I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Glad to hear that.”

I’d recommended the zweihander to her, so I would feel pretty discouraged if she’d said it didn’t suit her. I hadn’t given Kewlny a farewell sword as a child, so I wanted to train her until she reached the point where I could do just that. This feeling...it’s like parental affection, right? Not that I have any kids.

“We’re here!”

As we walked and chatted, a familiar building came into view. The building was snugly packed between others, but the place had a certain charm to it.

“Coming in.”

“Excuse us!”

The two of us entered the shop together.

“Ooh, Master Beryl and Kewlny.”

Standing behind a counter practically covered in weapons was Baldur. He was having a staring contest with a certain sword. After seeing who we were, he leveled us with a grand smile, flashing his teeth.

“I figured the sword I requested should be done by now,” I said.

Actually, Selna had been the one to make the request. I was starting to feel slightly hesitant, even though it was a little late for that—the sword was complete, and it would be meaningless to not accept it.

“Oh yes! That one’s already done—and it turned out great! Hang on a sec, Master.”

“S-Sure.”

Before I could react, Baldur vanished behind the counter. He’d gotten really excited all of a sudden and looked to be in a rush. Guess he really is confident about the sword.

“Maybe we should’ve talked about your zweihander first...” I remarked.

“Ha ha ha, I don’t really mind,” said Kewlny.

I could hear a bunch of banging and clanging coming from behind the counter. Baldur’d mentioned being really motivated, but I didn’t think he’d be that passionate about this project. It was just my sword, after all. I turned to Kewlny, feeling a little sorry that she’d tagged along all this way.

Then, suddenly, the muscular blacksmith burst back out from behind the counter.

“Here ya go, Master! Take it!” Baldur shouted, thrusting a sheathed sword in front of me.

So this is it? My new sword? I’m getting nervous. I haven’t bought one in years—this is turning into a pretty major event.

“I’ll gladly accept it.”

I took the sword from Baldur and drew it from the sheath. It slipped out easily. Beneath the light pouring in from outside, the blade glimmered with a faint red glow. The length was, as I’d predicted, somewhere around a hundred centimeters, and its overall size wasn’t all that different from the beloved longsword I’d used for many years. However, the profile was more slender than convention, making for a blade that was just as effective for thrusting as it was for slashing. Frankly put, this weapon was cleverly made.

“It’s double-edged with Zeno Grable’s bone as its core,” Baldur explained. “I coated the outside with elven steel. Carved a shallow fuller on it too. The metal is pretty pliable.”

“Hmm, elven steel, huh?”

I’d only heard about that ore before—never seen it. I didn’t know much except that it was a rare metal. A fuller was a groove that ran down the length of a sword. Apparently, it was supposed to increase pliability and slashing power, but as a swordsman, I’d never gotten a real feel for that effect.

“It was quite literally bone-breaking to shave down that named monster’s materials! I had a ton of fun!”

“I-I see. Good for you.”

Is it fun to shave down bone? I don’t get it. But I suppose that’s a matter for a blacksmith’s perspective. It’s a good thing that Baldur enjoys his work. 

I could attribute the faint red glow coming off my blade to the elven steel. The word “steel” usually brought to mind a simple dull gray, so this color was a pretty fresh experience. The red wasn’t bright or anything, just the faintest glow, so it didn’t stand out that much. But that scored highly in my books. Coupled with the slender blade, my new sword was quite a chic weapon. Frankly, I kinda felt like it didn’t match an old man like me.

“I used Zeno Grable’s hide for the grip and sheath,” Baldur continued. “It’s pretty stiff for hide, though. The guard is also made of elven steel, and I embedded fangs in the middle of it.”

“Hmm...”

Because of Zeno Grable’s hide, the feel of the grip was somewhat peculiar. It was curious, but it didn’t feel bad. When I grasped it, the friction felt moderate, so I knew I would get in some good swings.

Much like the blade, the grip and sheath were red to match Zeno Grable’s main features. The guard was elven steel too, so it was quite sturdy. A cheap weapon would skimp on such details, but I doubted Baldur’s work was so crude.

“Mm. Looks like a good sword,” I said, swinging it lightly.

The blade slid through the air, audibly slicing the wind. I hardly felt any air resistance, but there was still a definite weight in my hand. To put it simply, the blade was really sharp. I wasn’t exactly a connoisseur, but even I could tell that this was quite the weapon. As expected, good materials plus a skilled smith made for a good sword. That should’ve been evident from the start...but when I held the weapon in my hand like this, I felt an indescribable mix of tension and excitement.

“It’s your sword, Master,” Baldur said. “Don’t worry about it—just take it.”

“Mm. I suppose I’ll do just that.”

Baldur’s words didn’t pressure me, but they dispelled my hesitation.

So this is my new sword? I’ll be in your care, partner.

“What a pretty blade!” Kewlny exclaimed.

“Ha ha ha. It might not suit an old man like me.” The reddish blade really was a novelty. A bit too dazzling for a plain guy. I turned back to Baldur. “Just checking... The bill—it’s already handled, right?”

“Damn straight,” Baldur replied cheerfully. “Selna covered it.”

How much had it cost to make this sword? I didn’t really want to know, and it was probably best to keep it that way. I decided to honestly accept the end product without worrying about the rest. And I’ll try not to comment that I’m older than Selna.

Kewlny’s sparkling eyes were fixed on my sword. “I’m curious about how sharp it is!”

Oh? So you’re curious? You really want to know? Right, I do too. I wanna swing this thing right away. Of course, going for a bout right outside on the street probably isn’t the best idea.

“Unfortunately, I don’t got a place for you to test it,” Baldur said. “Pretty sure I mentioned that before.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

Not only were we in Baltrain, but this was the central district. The land costs here were at a premium, and a practice space would need to be pretty large. Thus it would be costly to have such a space made. Places where you could freely swing a sword were fairly limited in the city. It’ll be best to return to the order’s training hall and get a feel for it there.

Since we were basically done talking about my sword, I decided to shift the conversation. “Oh right, about the zweihander—looks like it suits Kewlny well.”

“That’s good to hear,” Baldur said.

Kewlny wasn’t perfectly accustomed to it yet, but she had the disposition for it—a large blade suited her better than a shortsword. She seemed to understand this instinctively, so things were progressing well.

“Well, y’know, put it to good use,” Baldur added.

“Righto!” Kewlny replied cheerfully.

Baldur turned back to me. “You too, Master. Take care of that sword.”

“Aah, sure. You got it.”

This was a sword I’d obtained through a strange twist of fate—I wasn’t going to treat it crudely. As long as I didn’t have to face an irregular opponent like Zeno Grable, this sword wasn’t going to break so easily—after all, strong materials from that huge monster had been used to forge it. And even though my old sword had just been regular steel, it had still lasted for a long time. Indeed, the Zeno Grable fight really had been an irregularity... Now that I was thinking it over calmly, the flow of events didn’t really make sense to me.

“Okay, then...”

My business was done, and I got my thoughts in motion. Though training was over for the day, any healthy swordsman would want to swing a newly acquired blade as soon as possible. I did feel a little tired, but it wouldn’t be a problem to keep going a bit longer. I didn’t have anything to do this evening anyway.

I’m ready to spend some time sweating in the training hall and getting a feel for my new partner.

“All right, I’m going back to the office,” I said. “What’ll you do, Kewlny?”

“Ah! I’ll go with you!”

It seemed Kewlny was going to follow me. I was grateful—though I could swing a sword on my own, having company would be nice.

“Come and let me know when you need it sharpened,” said Baldur.

“Mm-hmm. Thanks.”

From what I could see, the edge was splendid, so I didn’t think it would need that much sharpening—Baldur probably understood what was best though, so I would definitely take him up on that offer.

“Okay, shall we head back?” I asked Kewlny. “Sorry for having you tag along with me.”

“No, no, I’m totally curious too!”

My plan was to do some warm-up exercises and get a feel for my new sword. This wouldn’t lead to Kewlny’s growth in any way, so I felt somewhat guilty that she was accompanying me. But, if she wanted to come along, I didn’t have a reason to refuse.

With the red sheath at my waist—perhaps just a bit too conspicuous—I strode down the city streets. Baltrain’s central district saw a ton of pedestrian traffic at all times except during the dead of night. I thought the sheath might attract the eyes of these pedestrians, but plenty of adventurers had flashy getups, so my sword alone didn’t stand out all that much. I’m glad I’m not garnering unnecessary attention.

“Hmmm... There’s no place to test the edge in the training hall either, huh?” Kewlny mumbled, stealing glances at my waist every now and then.

“Nope, there isn’t.”

She was right—training at the order was largely done with wooden swords. There wasn’t anything around I could cut with a real blade, aside from perhaps the order’s furniture... But how crazy would I have to be to dice up that stuff without asking? I didn’t want anyone to get angry with me. I considered leaving town to do some monster hunting or something like that, but security was pretty scrupulous in the vicinity of a large city, so chances were low that I’d just find a monster wandering around nearby.

I didn’t technically need to confirm the sharpness of the blade’s edge—after all, I didn’t have an obsession with battle or anything. But a part of me simply wanted to know how sharp my new toy was. Maybe I was just a bit excited, a mood unbefitting of this old man. Frankly, I didn’t want this demeanor to become my norm—this type of excitement could ruin my image. I hoped my feelings would calm down during the walk to the order’s headquarters.

“Hee hee, you’re like, totally restless, Master!” Kewlny pointed out with a huge grin.

“Well, you know, just a little.”

It seemed my spirits were soaring high enough that Kewlny could notice at a glance. I’d spent a little over a week with no weapon at my waist—having a sword back should’ve relaxed me, but it had done the opposite.

Haah. Calm down. Calm down, me. Okay. I’m calm. Probably.

I soon decided how I would begin my sword practice. First, I’d go through the forms and drill the sword’s length and weight into my body. It wasn’t very different in size from my old sword, but every weapon had minute idiosyncrasies. I needed my body to learn them and get used to the new sword; otherwise, I could misread my range at a critical moment and mess up my slash. I’m a plain old man, so I at least want to look cool when I wield my sword.

“Here we are... Hm?”

The order’s office wasn’t very far from Baldur’s smithy. Chatting with Kewlny and thinking about my new sword made the time pass quickly, and before long, we were there. Just as the building came into sight, I spotted a small silhouette standing next to the usual guards.

“Ooh, Beryl. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Lucy? What’re you doing here at this hour?” I asked.

“Miss Lucy! Hello!” Kewlny exclaimed.

It was the commander of the magic corps, Lucy Diamond. Some light still lingered in the sky, but it was a little late for anyone to be visiting the office. And judging by what she’d said, she’d clearly been waiting for me. I wondered what she could want, but just for a second—lately, there’d been only one reason for Lucy to visit me.

“Beryl, I have to speak with you,” she said. “May I have some of your time?”

There was none of the pushiness she’d shown during our first meeting. However, her tone and expression indicated that this was not a request she made lightly.

“Sorry, Kewlny,” I said. “Seems I have to go.”

“D-Don’t be!” Kewlny stammered, waving her hands about. “No need to worry about me!”

I just ended up dragging Kewlny around with me, didn’t I? Guess I’ll have to make it up to her later.

“Shall we?” I said to Lucy.

Lucy turned to Kewlny and gave her a light wave. “Sorry about that.”

Not that it was that bothersome...but why didn’t I get an apology for having this suddenly dropped on me? My plans of relaxing and doing practice swings for the rest of the day were dashed. I prayed this wasn’t about something weird, but since I was now pretty familiar with Lucy, I wasn’t optimistic on that front. The two of us walked the streets of Baltrain, basking in the setting sun. As always, we were a pretty unbalanced pair. Her, Allusia, Selna... I couldn’t get used to walking alongside celebrities.

Just as the silence between us was starting to get boring, Lucy spoke up. “That knight was quite the energetic girl. One of the order’s youngsters?”

“Aah, you mean Kewlny?”

Kewlny was, in fact, the Liberion Order’s symbol of cheerfulness. That had been her nature since her days at the dojo. It was great to see that her brilliance hadn’t lost any luster over the years.

“Kewlny’s a good girl,” I said. “She’s still young, but she has solid instincts.”

“Good to hear,” Lucy replied with a chuckle.

I wasn’t all that familiar with the relationship between the order and the magic corps—about all I’d witnessed was Ficelle selling potions wholesale to the order’s office—but it didn’t seem like there were any ill feelings between them. I had acquaintances in both organizations, so I was happy to see everyone getting along. Officially, I was affiliated with the order, but I certainly didn’t want to be in the middle of hostile relations. Frightening... This old man just wants to live in peace.

“By the way, where are we headed?” I asked.

I’d ended up going along with Lucy, but I had no idea what our destination was. She’d only said that she had something to speak about—she hadn’t mentioned what was going on or where we would be talking.

“Hm? My house,” she answered. “It’s near the northern district, so it’s a bit of a walk.”

“Ah. Well, I don’t mind.”

Lucy’s house, huh? She probably lives in a huge mansion. That was just my imagination running amok, though. Being invited to a lady’s house was quite the situation for a bachelor, but alas, the woman asking was Lucy, and I knew my heart would never throb for her. And now that I thought about it, Mui was being cared for at Lucy’s house. I was curious about how she was doing, so this was a good opportunity to check in.

“Is it something we can’t talk about in public?” I asked. If we were just going to chat, we could’ve done that while standing around or even at a shop somewhere. But since we were going out of our way to talk in her house, I figured the topic must be rather important and secretive.

“Well, something like that,” Lucy answered with an awkward smile.

Considering her personality, this reaction was somewhat strange. She always acted like she didn’t have a care in the world—a vague response must’ve meant that circumstances had to be quite complicated. It made me needlessly suspicious. I really hoped this wasn’t going to be something troublesome.

“Oh, by the way, that’s quite the interesting weapon you’re carrying,” Lucy muttered, looking at the sword at my waist.

It was indeed interesting at a glance. A sheath made of red hide wasn’t exactly common. I knew Lucy was a magic specialist, but did she also have familiarity with weapons?

“I got it through a minor connection of mine,” I replied. “Are you knowledgeable about swords too?”

“No, not at all.”

Not at all, huh?

“I sense a faint trace of mana coming from it,” Lucy added. “It’s similar to the mana that envelops magical equipment.”

“Hmm...”

So she could see stuff like that? I didn’t know the first thing about mana, but it seemed a wizard of her level was capable of perceiving it.

“Does that maybe mean I can shoot magic out of this thing?” I asked.

“I wonder about that. But it really is the faintest trace, so I somewhat doubt it.”

“I see...” Not that I’d really had any hope...but it was still a bit unfortunate. “Anyway, a wizard can tell whether something has mana?”

“It differs based on the individual. Those who can should be able to sense it.”

Was that how it worked? This field was completely foreign to me, so none of it made sense. Maybe Ficelle could give me answers the next time I spoke to her. Allusia, Selna, and Kewlny had never mentioned anything about magic, and I’d never asked. Maybe the knowledge really was limited to those with the disposition for it.

“Wizards sure are amazing,” I muttered.

“What are you saying? You swordsmen can sense bloodlust, can you not?” Lucy retorted. “It’s the same thing. On the contrary, if you ask me, that’s far more amazing.”

“Aah, I get it...” That was a good parallel—it was unreasonable to ask the average person to sense bloodlust. I couldn’t really give a detailed explanation of how I sensed it myself. Detecting mana was like the magical version of that. And, while we’re on the topic of magic... “Lucy, I’m a little curious about something.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“You all use magic, right? Why are you called wizards instead of mages?”

The word “magic” was common across the world. Those who used magic were rare, but they were recognized everywhere. Thus, one could assume that magic users would be called “mages,” but for some reason, the world at large referred to them as wizards. It wasn’t a huge difference, but I was nonetheless curious.

Lucy sighed. “You really don’t know anything about magic, do you?”

“Sorry. I’m awfully ignorant.” But what could I do about that? The world of magic really had nothing to do with me.

“Very well—allow me to teach you while we walk,” Lucy said. “Be grateful! My lectures usually cost money.”

“Ha ha ha, then I’ll listen respectfully with that in mind.”

Lucy’s house was near the northern district, so we still had a way to go. It was a little too far to walk all the way there in silence, and I was happy to build up some knowledge while chatting.

“To begin with, the word ‘magic’ covers an enormous range of events,” the great teacher Lucy started. “By definition, it refers to any phenomena that is generated with mana as an intermediary. In that sense, we are all mages.”

“Hmm.”

I gratefully lent her my ear. Any phenomena generated with mana as an intermediary—that was a ridiculously wide range. I didn’t have any knowledge of what exactly mana was capable of, but magical equipment existed, so the scope had to be huge.

“The concept of magic has existed for a long time, but it’s said that humanity has only become able to manipulate it relatively recently. During that time, people apparently started to refer to ‘phenomena that can be replicated by the hands of man’ as wizardry. This definition draws a clear distinction between what we do and all other magic in the world.”

“I see...”

“In short, wizardry is a category within the vast scope of magic. But by nature, they’re the same thing.”

Lucy was using words like “it’s said” and “apparently,” so this had all probably happened far before our time. Swords were also weapons that’d been employed by humanity since antiquity—the sword techniques I wielded had also been passed down continuously through the ages, and by no means were they techniques you could just come up with on the spot. However, magic seemed to possess a history to match, or even surpass, swordplay.

“That’s why there isn’t a single wizard today who calls themselves a mage. By doing so, a mage implies that they’re capable of wielding all magic.”

Even a wizard of Lucy’s level hadn’t come close to standing at the edge of the abyss of magic...let alone gazing within it. It was quite an overwhelming field of study.

“Sure sounds tough being a wizard,” I remarked.

“Heh heh heh, of course. Every day is about research and studying.”

Swordsmanship was also an accumulation of daily studying, but it was probably nowhere near as much or as precise as what magic required. Though, it’s not like learning the way of the sword is easy or anything. I just can’t help but compare.

“Of all the magic in the world, humanity apparently cannot replicate even ten percent of it with our own hands,” Lucy explained. “Good grief, the road ahead certainly is long.”

Those last words came with a sigh of resignation, and with that, the great teacher’s generous lesson was over.

“I’m acutely aware that this is a domain I can’t even attempt to keep up with,” I said. “But thank you for explaining.”

“Ha ha ha, this much is nothing.”

To a wizard, all that info was probably day one stuff—the basics of the basics. I felt a little disappointed in myself for not knowing even these rudimentary concepts at my age...but the information that made it all the way out to the sticks of Beaden was pretty limited. Knowledge of magic wasn’t exactly necessary for village life, after all. Besides, it wasn’t bad to still be learning at my age. It was best to view things optimistically.

“Oh, here we are,” Lucy said.

A while had passed while we were talking, and soon, we’d arrived at Lucy’s house. It was now evening, a little before night would engulf the world. Depending on how long this talk is gonna take, it might be completely dark before I make it back to the inn.

“Sure is big...”

I glanced up at the splendid mansion and gate before me. She really does live in a nice place. I’m a little jealous. Living in such an enormous house would be far more than I knew what to do with, though.

“Come on in,” Lucy said. “I have a guest today too.”

I stood frozen for a few seconds as Lucy opened the gate, revealing the garden that spread out before the mansion.

“A guest...?”

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one she’d invited here. Seriously, who could be waiting for me? I was curious, but not hopeful.

As I remained captivated by the size of the place, Lucy passed through the gate and then called out to me.

“Come now, what are you standing there in a daze for?”

The word “guest” bothered me, but that would answer itself in due time. There was no point in asking Lucy about it. I wasn’t lying about being surprised by the mansion’s appearance, so I decided to use my shocked reaction as a cover for my trepidation.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking how big this place is.”

“Hee hee, isn’t it?” Lucy replied cheerfully. She then gave a wry smile. “Well, so I say, but I only use a fraction of the rooms.”

With a house this size, even Lucy, Mui, and the servants couldn’t fill it out.

“I’m looking for a house right now,” I said. “It’s pretty hard to find something with a convenient location and a reasonable place.”

“Well, the central district is awfully expensive,” she replied.

I got the standard response for my grumbling. Lucy, you’re not one to talk, though—you own an enormous plot in the central district. But she was the commander of the magic corps, so her wage was probably quite good. Definitely on a different level from one of the little people like me.

Now that I was living in Baltrain, I wanted a proper residence, but that was a little beyond the reach of my current finances. That said, I didn’t really want to be paid more than what I was receiving. Absolutely everything about my lifestyle was different from when I was an instructor at the dojo, so comparing my income would be pointless—I was sure I was being paid a relatively good wage.

However, considering my commute to the order’s office, I wanted a place in the central district if possible. The residential area in the eastern district probably wasn’t bad, but it was rather far from the order. I couldn’t help but think twice about it when I considered the convenience of living in the central district.

Above all, there was one reason I hadn’t gotten my own place yet: the inn was awfully comfy to live in. It was relatively cheap, close to the office, and had plenty of nearby taverns and such.

It was so comfortable that it made me hesitant to leave the nest. Living out of an inn forever probably wasn’t a great look, but there also wasn’t much point in this old man worrying about his public appearance. Either way, this wasn’t something I had to figure out right here and now. I was better off shifting my thoughts to the topic Lucy wanted to discuss.

“Okay then, pardon the intrusion,” I said.

Lucy smiled. “Mm-hmm. Make yourself at home.”

I stepped through the door and was greeted by a vast, well-furnished entrance hall. The building was just as big on the inside as it appeared from the outside. Frankly, I was a little envious. Houses in Beaden weren’t exactly cramped, but the capital really was on a whole different level.

As I continued gawking, a woman came out of a door farther inside.

“Mistress Lucy, welcome home.”

“Ah, hello, Haley. I’ve returned.”

Simply put, Haley was a gentle-looking maid. Despite her prominent wrinkles, she gave off a sense of refinement, one that had likely been fostered over many years. Her dark, glossy hair was tied up in a chignon, and she wore black-rimmed glasses. Behind them, her clear, black eyes exuded a calmness that was befitting of her age.

“Beryl, this is Haley Shaddy,” Lucy said. “My maid.”

“Umm... Pardon the intrusion. I’m Beryl.”

Haley responded with graceful manners. “A pleasure to meet you. My name is Haley. I’ve heard much about you, Master Beryl.”

She appeared to be around my age or a little older. If not for her maid outfit, it would be no exaggeration to say that she looked like an elegant noble. Everything she’d heard about me had surely come from Lucy. I was a little curious about the details, but it wasn’t the time to delve into that topic.

I didn’t see Mui, though I was pretty sure she was somewhere in this house.

“Master Ibroy is waiting,” Haley said.

“Got it.” Lucy nodded. “We’ll be right there.”

Master Ibroy... Who could that be? I hadn’t heard the name before. Well, I was sure to find out soon.

“Beryl, this way,” Lucy said as she started walking. “Haley, we don’t need tea.”

“As you wish.”

Lucy moved through her house with confident strides. Was it fine to just follow her? I didn’t really know what constituted proper manners in this situation. She did say, “This way,” so it was probably correct to go along with her. As for Haley, she’d vanished behind a different door after receiving Lucy’s instructions.

I followed Lucy through the entrance hall. Simple wooden doors lined the hall around us, and she led me to stand in front of a specific room. It didn’t appear to be a bathroom or kitchen or anything—in all likelihood, it was a parlor.

Lucy knocked and announced, “I’m coming in.” She then opened the door and entered the room. As expected, it was a parlor. At the center of the spacious room was a table and four chairs. Three of the seats were vacant, but someone was already occupying one of the chairs on the left side.

“You’re late, Lucy,” said the man in the chair. His voice sounded old, yet somehow invigorated. “I got tired of waiting for you.”

“Sorry about that, Ibroy,” she replied.

The man named Ibroy was sitting casually in his chair. He wore a robe that fell past his knees. His black hair was graying, and despite its longer length, it was cleanly kept, making him look rather prim. He was probably older than me—the wrinkles on his brow and cheeks were pretty deep. They didn’t make him look intimidating though, and I could tell that he was a man of gentle demeanor.

At a glance, I got a good impression of him. But because of my quick assessment, I couldn’t help but feel a little wary. It would be rude to call him fishy, but there was something behind the surface of that gentle smile. What’s more, he was acting awfully casually with Lucy. Clearly, he wasn’t just some old man.

“Is he the one?” Ibroy asked.

“Mm-hmm. This is Beryl,” Lucy answered. “I guarantee his skill.”

“Umm, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Beryl Gardinant.”

My skill? I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Anyway, I got my greeting out of the way, then took the chair next to Lucy. Our seating arrangement had Lucy to my right, and Ibroy straight across the table from her. The chair next to him was empty.

Once we’d taken our seats, Ibroy spoke. “Now then, I’m sure you must be confused by the sudden meeting. First, allow me to introduce myself.”

Hmm, he’s taking charge? Not that I really care who’s in control of the conversation. I don’t have any say in the matter since I don’t even know what’s going on. Still, please, please, don’t drop something troublesome in my lap.

I was about to find out who this man was, but I still felt like nothing good could come of it. After all, this whole thing involved Lucy.

“Ha ha ha, I’d rather you not feel so cautious,” Ibroy said with a smile.

Perhaps he’d seen the doubtful thoughts written across my face. Could he blame me, though? I’d been dragged out here without an explanation to meet a mysterious man. It was only natural to be somewhat disgruntled and suspicious. I wasn’t such an upstanding person that I could trust someone unconditionally on our first meeting. Either way, now that I was here, there was no point in complaining about it. I decided to at least hear him out.

Ibroy cleared his throat then straightened his posture a little. “I’m Ibroy Hallman, a priest of the Church of Sphene.”

Ugh, a man of religion? This is definitely going to be a pain. Can I go home yet?

Ibroy chuckled. “Ha ha. Do you hate God?”

“Aah, no, not exactly...”

Crap, my feelings really do show on my face. I wasn’t totally sure how Ibroy had interpreted my expression, but I doubted he’d sensed a positive reaction to his words. I didn’t take part in any religion—I was secular. That said, I didn’t look down on the devout. Religion was a wonderful part of culture that offered much emotional support to the populace. But to me, the concept of gods was simply too nebulous. I placed my faith in the sword instead.

“Beryl, do you know about the Church of Sphene?” Lucy asked.

“Only the name.”

I knew of the major religions because students learned about them during general education. And since the Church of Sphene was an authority in religious circles, I’d heard a fair bit about them. I didn’t know all the details of the faith, but they were a monotheist religion that worshiped Sphene. This practice didn’t originate in Liberis, but a neighboring country called Sphenedyardvania.

Liberis occupied a vast portion of the northern Galean continent and bordered two other countries. One was a small country to the southeast, Sphenedyardvania. They were a religious state that spread the word of the Church of Sphene, though they didn’t have much territory and certainly not as much national influence as Liberis. Apparently, the majority of the citizens there were devout. I even had an acquaintance there who practiced, though I hadn’t met up with them in a while.

Liberis’s other neighbor was to the southwest—the Salura Zaruk Empire. Their territory was about as vast as Liberis, but about half the land was desert. Just as its name implied, the Salura Zaruk Empire was an imperial nation, and it had a history of going to war with Liberis. However, nowadays, things seemed relatively peaceful between the two countries...though I didn’t know any of the details.

There were, of course, more countries and lands to the south, but I didn’t know much about them. Since I probably wasn’t going to travel outside Liberis for the rest of my life, I didn’t need to know. Adventurers like Selna probably have a lot more insight about the continent—maybe I can ask her about it later.

As I mused over such things, Ibroy said, “Please, there’s no need to be so wary. I’m not here to convert you.”

“I hope not...”

Well, at least he’d made that clear—I didn’t want anything to do with his faith. Guess I’ll believe him. I didn’t know if he was a good or bad person, but he was well acquainted with Lucy, so he probably wasn’t terrible. Trusting him, however, was a different matter. He’d gone out of his way to arrange this meeting, so we weren’t here to have a friendly chat. And I couldn’t just sit around without a care in the world when I had no idea why he’d wanted to meet. I also couldn’t throw a fit and storm out. Ultimately, I had no choice but to hear him out. Ibroy probably didn’t mean me harm.

“Remember how we caught that Twilight fellow the other day?” Lucy asked. “It was a bit of work to get him to spill the beans, but we uncovered some worrying information.”

Twilight was the scoundrel who’d deceived Mui—Lucy had brought down judgment upon him. I knew he was currently being held captive in the order’s basement where they’d interrogated him. What had they done to get him to confess? I kinda don’t want to know, and there’s no need to ask. I want to live in ignorance of that world.

“Worrying information?” I repeated. “And this has to do with Mr. Ibroy here, I presume?”

“Yes, that’s the gist of it,” Lucy confirmed.

Got it. Still, I couldn’t see the connection between a petty thief and the Church of Sphene. Even if Twilight was a devout believer, they wouldn’t dispatch a priest to resolve the matter of his capture. I didn’t get what was going on, but the stench of trouble hung in the air. Please spare me that...

Ibroy spoke next, apparently seeing this as a good opportunity to explain himself. “Let’s start by telling you about us.”

Well, there’s not much point in telling me about the church, but I won’t get anywhere by pointing that out. I decided to listen to him quietly.

“I don’t know how much you know, Beryl, but we of the Church of Sphene believe in the one god, Sphene. Our faith originates in the belief that Sphene performs miracles.”

“Miracles?” I asked curiously.

“Wizardry to treat wounds and restore lost limbs,” he elaborated.

“Ibroy, are you sure you can say that?” Lucy cut in. “Calling it ‘wizardry,’ I mean.”

Ibroy laughed. “Ha ha! Well, calling it that does make it easier to understand, yes? I won’t go as far as quoting the scriptures to a nonbeliever.”

It seemed that their deity was based on someone who’d used magic to heal people, though I didn’t know if Sphene was a mortal person or an actual god. Anyway, miracles, huh? There were a lot of words for magic in this world, and ‘miracle’ was just one of them. On that point, swordsmanship was the same—all of it was swordplay, but there were many different techniques and styles.

“So you’re saying that the Church of Sphene differentiates wizardry from miracles?” I asked.

“Exactly,” Ibroy confirmed. “I’m of the belief that they’re essentially the same thing. Though, don’t ask me to say that in front of any believers,” he added with a chuckle.

I was pretty sure that wasn’t something to laugh at. Scriptures were supposed to be of the utmost importance to those who served God. This man was quite a sly priest.

“There is one example of magic I would like to discuss—something considered by our faith to be Sphene’s greatest miracle.” Ibroy paused for a moment, and when he spoke again, his tone changed a little. “The ability to resurrect the dead.”

Things are getting shady... Mui and Twilight had also alluded to resurrection magic—perhaps this connected them to the priest.

A resurrection miracle had been passed down through the ages as a legend in the Church of Sphene. That in itself wasn’t strange. Legends were simply like that, and swordsmen had plenty of outlandish anecdotes too. However, trying to accomplish something so unrealistic in the modern day was a problem. Legends were legends because they couldn’t be replicated.

“Just to be sure, has that miracle ever—” I started to ask.

Ibroy cut me off. “There’s no way it’s ever been reproduced. Resurrection by magic is merely part of a legend. That is my view on the matter.”

“Thought so.”

Life would be easy if it was possible to bring back the dead. But because Ibroy was talking about this, it was definitely described within the Church of Sphene’s scriptures. In other words, a good number of people within the faith believed in resurrection magic.

“Hmph, it’s obviously a dramatization,” Lucy grumbled.

“Lucy, I’m not telling you to have faith, but do choose when and where to say such things,” said Ibroy.

These two seemed pretty friendly. In all likelihood, they’d known each other for a long time. But anyway, we still hadn’t gotten to the main point.

“I understand that the Church of Sphene talks about such things in their scriptures,” I said. “However, I don’t see why you called for me.”

There was no way Ibroy had come here just to chat about the scriptures. As a priest of the Church of Sphene, he couldn’t have that much free time. He’d gone out of his way to come here and call for a meeting with me, of all people. There was no way he’d done all that just to proselytize.

“We’ve identified the one who’s been supplying Twilight with magical equipment,” Lucy explained, her tone far more serious than before. “Reveos Sarleon, a bishop of the Church of Sphene.”

Another man of the cloth, and a bishop at that. Regardless, even if I took this information at face value, I didn’t see how I factored into it.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Ibroy said. “I’d like to hire you to capture him.”

“H-Hold on a minute,” I sputtered. “Why me?”

Absolutely nothing about this made sense. The culprit who’d supplied Twilight’s magical equipment was a bishop of the Church of Sphene—that much I could process. But why was I being hired to capture him? It felt like there were a bunch of gaps in this conversation. Wouldn’t this be settled in an instant if Lucy went after him? Why bring this up to an old man like me?

“You’re the only choice we have,” Ibroy explained. “After all, we have to keep up appearances.”

I suppose that makes sense. The Liberion Order also has to keep its image clean. Such organizations had to place an importance on public perception since they existed because of people’s support. Still, why had I been selected for this task?

“Reason one—I can’t make a move,” Lucy said with a sigh. “The magic corps cannot stir up trouble with the Church of Sphene.”

“Well, that I can understand.”

The magic corps was one of the Liberis Kingdom’s trump cards, matched only by the Liberion Order. If its commander picked a fight with the Church of Sphene, it was sure to develop into a major problem. The Church of Sphene was the state religion of Sphenedyardvania, so any friction might quickly turn into an international issue.

“Allusia can’t make a move either,” Lucy continued. “The order is in the middle of making preparations to summon Reveos as a key witness.”

“Hmm... Wouldn’t that resolve things?” I asked.

I could understand if evidence obtained by torturing Twilight was insufficient. That was why they were making moves to get a testimony from him instead of just arresting him. However, in its own way, summoning this Reveos guy would settle things.

“Bishop Reveos is a citizen of Sphenedyardvania,” Ibroy said. “If he’s guilty of anything, it’ll be a simple matter for him to flee the country.”

Ah, so Reveos wasn’t from Liberis. He was probably here for missionary work as a bishop for the Church of Sphene.

“Mr. Ibroy,” I said, “wouldn’t your word help with that issue?”

I was essentially asking, “Can’t you do something about it yourself?” Even if the Twilight thieves were involved, this matter was fundamentally an internal squabble within the Church of Sphene. Couldn’t they resolve it themselves? Why did I need to be involved?

“I am but a priest,” Ibroy said bitterly. “It’ll be tremendously difficult to restrain a bishop without any material evidence. Besides, Sphenedyardvania’s Holy Order can’t be bolstered into action. Mobilizing them across the border requires significant pretense, and above all else, it’ll take too much time.”

“The Holy Order...”

I’d heard of the Holy Order before. They were much like the Liberion Order, except since Sphenedyardvania was a religious state, its military forces were naturally under the command of the church. The most preeminent of these organizations was the Holy Order, though I didn’t know much more than that.

Their skill was an unknown factor, but I doubted they were weak. A religious state still had a proper government. Sphenedyardvania controlled less territory than Liberis and didn’t have much national influence, but that didn’t mean we should underestimate them. Ruling a country involved managing a huge number of people and boundless expectations. So, as an operational military force, the Holy Order couldn’t be purely ceremonial. I certainly have no intention of picking a fight with them.

“Twilight and Reveos were working under a certain contract,” Lucy continued. “In exchange for diverting magical equipment from the church, Twilight was to provide the church with two things: people with the disposition for magic, and people who seemed like they could be used after death.”

I was at a loss for words. The deal between Twilight and Reveos was clearly illegal. This definitely couldn’t be made public. If it was, the Church of Sphene, or maybe Sphenedyardvania itself, would fall under heavy criticism.

“I can guess what their objective is,” Lucy added. “In all likelihood...they want to reproduce Sphene’s miracle.”

The greatest miracle recorded in Sphene’s legend was the resurrection of the dead. This bishop was probably an extremely devout believer—though, was it truly acceptable for him to incite this whole incident simply because of his devotion?

“I-In that case, you can make a request of the adventurer’s guild or something,” I protested. “They’re not affiliated with any country.”

“Beryl, do you wish to expose Sphenedyard’s private affairs to an enormous organization that spans the world?” Ibroy countered. “That would become rather troublesome.”

So adventurers were out of the question. He did have a point. Making a request of the adventurer’s guild obviously meant providing them with the details. And guild members weren’t idiots—those details would be enough for them to figure out the truth, and it could mean exposing Sphenedyardvania’s shame to the entire world.

“I do not wish to overlook the evil happening within the church,” Ibroy said. “We don’t have definitive proof, but I doubt this Twilight fellow threw out Bishop Reveos’s name at random.”

True. It was weird for a petty thief to mention a bishop. Normally, no one would expect those two types of people to have any interaction. Twilight wouldn’t have mentioned Reveos’s name unless there was some kind of connection.

“Reveos isn’t currently a suspect,” said Lucy. “But he’s a potential one. There’s no solid evidence though, so the order can’t take a strong stance. At most, they can summon him. However, if he escapes while things are unclear, the truth will remain buried in darkness.”

There was a hint of uncharacteristic irritation in her voice. She was clearly angry. Lucy treated magic with more sincerity than anyone else I’d ever met. Even if there was a legend of resurrection, she couldn’t forgive someone for distorting the ways of magic, for making it inhuman. Personally, I agreed with her ideology, even if not quite unconditionally.

Though some of my hesitation had been pushed aside, there was still a problem we couldn’t overlook regarding Ibroy’s request.

“I’m...actually a special instructor for the Liberion Order,” I told him.

Yes—my title was the problem. For argument’s sake, say I was still nothing more than a swordsmanship instructor at a dojo out in the sticks. In that case, I would have no conflict of interest regarding his request. But that didn’t apply anymore—though I hadn’t been instructing the knights for long, I now worked for the Liberion Order. I’d obtained the title due to Allusia’s favor, but it’d come with an appointment letter from the king himself, so I could hardly claim to be a regular citizen. And if the order was making moves to call this bishop in as a key witness, it meant that they were acting through official channels. Having their special instructor disregard those channels without asking would definitely be bad.

“You haven’t been knighted, right?” Lucy said. “An instructor is still just hired help. Besides, hardly anyone beyond the knights even recognizes you as the order’s special instructor.”

“Y-You’re really pushing it...”

I felt like this was a lineup of extremely convenient wordplay. It was true, even if it nearly twisted the facts. I hadn’t been knighted by the king, so I wasn’t a member of the order nor had I taken an oath of allegiance. She’d drawn her conclusion by bending the truth to get the result she wanted.

In the end, I simply couldn’t accept that this incident would involve me.

“Does Allusia know about this?” I asked.

“Of course she does,” Lucy answered. “This plan was made in light of that.”

My last ray of hope...was dashed. Twilight was being held captive inside the order’s office, so it would be strange for Allusia to be ignorant of these details. They’d already cleared this request with her.

“We’re not asking you to charge in there and capture him,” Ibroy said. “If anything, it’d be more accurate to say that we want you to capture him if he tries to escape. Nothing would be better than Bishop Reveos obediently coming in to provide a testimony.”

Uh...it sounds like things have proceeded on the assumption that I’ll accept? But I haven’t said a single thing about taking the job. Seriously, ever since coming to Baltrain, people keep throwing me into situations without asking whether I’d actually like to be involved.

Anyway, this request sounded better now that it didn’t involve attacking a church. They just wanted me to stake the place out.

“Could you pitch in and help?” asked Lucy. “Think of doing it for Mui’s sake.”

“It’s pretty unfair to bring up her name now,” I complained.

We had saved a little girl, and now it was time for the adults to clear things up. And frankly, bringing up Mui was a rather convincing argument—I was reluctant to back out when my absence could harm her in some way. It was important to sever any anxieties she had about the future, including ones related to her sister, so that she could walk down the proper path going forward.

“Oh yeah, does Mui know about this?” I asked.

“She doesn’t,” Lucy answered. “There’s no point telling her now.”

“Guess not...”

There was nothing to gain by going up to her and saying, “Your sister was sold to an evil bishop.”

“You’ll be rewarded accordingly for your efforts,” Ibroy said. “So, Beryl, can we entrust this matter to you?”

Hmm, what to do? I’m not really interested in a reward. If anything, I’m more worried about Mui’s future. Even if we’d arrested Twilight and a few of his underlings, she’d still been part of that organization. If we didn’t get to the root of things, that anxiety would linger over her forever.

“Haaah...”

No matter how I looked at it, this proposal was beyond my capabilities, but that didn’t mean I could just sit back and do nothing about it. I couldn’t think of anyone else they could go to either, especially since it would be detrimental to spread this information around.

Well, crap. I’m blocked off in every direction.

I was also a little worried about refusing a request from these two big shots. I knew they wouldn’t harm me. However, if I was really the only one they could rely on, this problem wasn’t going to get resolved. There was no way to solve this cleanly. Something was sure to go wrong, or the truth was going to vanish into the darkness before anything could happen.

Yet despite all of this, the biggest thing bothering me was...

“I don’t think we can ignore the impact of me making a move on my own.”

Someone who didn’t know about this request could claim that an egotistic old man high on his string of victories had gone and captured the bishop on his own. That was sure to produce unnecessary casualties, so I wanted to avoid that outcome. Also, to act independently of the order, I needed some kind of just cause. I wasn’t prioritizing my self-preservation or anything, but I felt like I didn’t have enough of a motive to act.

“Ah, yes. The Liberion Order is going to summon Bishop Reveos to make a testimony, whereas you’ll have received an official request from the Church of Sphene,” Ibroy explained. “I believe that should settle everything.”

“I want to get solid evidence,” Lucy joined in. “To that end, we absolutely cannot allow Reveos to escape. I don’t want to give him time to postpone this.”

I was pretty sure that didn’t settle anything. My solid lack of imagination found this whole situation plenty unreasonable, and I didn’t think I was the appropriate choice of personnel to begin with. This was a tremendous gamble—they were placing all their chips on the wrong horse. I seriously wanted to go home and pretend I hadn’t heard any of this. However, this had all started because I’d decided to help Mui without thinking things through. Therefore, it was my responsibility as an adult to see this to the end.

“Haaah... Very well. I’ll do what I can,” I conceded.

“You will?!” Ibroy exclaimed. “You’re really saving our skin. Thank you.”

As he said, if Reveos quietly came in as a witness, everything would be settled and this whole request would end uneventfully. I had to place all my hopes on that outcome. But I also needed to remember that they’d brought this request to my doorstep because they weren’t very hopeful he would comply.

“You may treat this as a formal request from the Church of Sphene,” Ibroy added. “In the unlikely event that something happens, Lucy and I will vouch for you.”

“Indeed.” Lucy nodded. “I can’t personally contribute to this, but you may rest assured on that front.”

“Oh, I see...”

At least they were vouching for me and I wouldn’t get in trouble. Did that even bring me peace of mind?

“So? What exactly should I do?” I asked. Now that I’d agreed, there was no need to drag things out. I wanted them to quickly tell me what I’d be doing, then go back to the inn and sleep.

“The order is planning to summon him the day after tomorrow,” Lucy explained. “Considering the timing...you act tonight.”

“T-Tonight?!”

That’s a crazy lightning strike they’re planning.

“It’s in your hands, Beryl,” Ibroy said.

“R-Right...”

Goddammit. Whatever. It is what it is...

“Now then, I’ll excuse myself,” Ibroy said, standing from his seat.

So he didn’t need to brief me on the specifics? Or was he leaving that entirely to Lucy? I still hadn’t received any information.

“I suppose I don’t need to see you off,” Lucy replied. “Later, Ibroy.”

“Ha ha ha, you’re the same as ever,” Ibroy responded cheerfully. He then turned to me. “See you later, Beryl. It’s in your hands.”

“Yeah, sure...”

In my hands, huh? Well, now that I’ve accepted, I’m gonna do what I can...but I still haven’t been told what exactly I’m up against. Please tell me they’re not expecting me to raid the church on my own.

“Oh, Master Ibroy. Are you leaving?”

“Aah, Haley. Forgive me.”

Ibroy had bumped into Haley on his way out. Maybe Lucy had decided not to see him to the door because she knew her maid was just outside. I still thought she should show some proper manners and escort him to the entrance, but we weren’t quite finished with matters here.

“So? What do you want me to do?” I asked again, shifting my focus back into the room.

“Mmm. I’ll go over that now.” Lucy got up from her seat and took a thin book from the bookshelf by the wall. From what I could see as she flipped through the pages, it was a map of Baltrain. “Reveos is usually in the northern district’s church,” she explained, pointing at the map. “That’s where we want you to keep watch.”

“Hmm... So you say, but I don’t really know the layout up there.”

The northern district was where Liberis’s royal palace was located. Ever since moving to Baltrain, I hadn’t gone to the northern district at all—I’d only been to the central and western ones. Frankly, I’d never had the need to venture there. So, with my current knowledge of the city, having something pointed out on a map wasn’t enough for me to go on.

“If you take a carriage to the northern district, the church will be right there,” Lucy said. “It’s also within walking distance of my house. Considering the time, either way will work, but...”

“I’m afraid I’ll get lost, so I’ll take the carriage.”

The carriages that made the rounds of Baltrain ran relatively late into the night. Many residents worked in the central, western, and southern districts, but they lived in the eastern one. That was why the carriages were still busy well after the sun had set.

On that point, I was staying at an inn in the central district, and my primary commute was to the order’s office, which was also in the central district. Despite living in the big city, my radius of activity was terribly small. I was getting used to Baltrain itself, but my last visit to the northern district had been long, long before I moved here.

“The Church of Sphene is located near the carriage stop,” Lucy explained. “You should be able to see it once you get off.”

“Here’s hoping.”

It would be ridiculous to accept this request only to get lost on the way there. Lucy had said that it stood out, so I had no choice but to pray that this was the case.

“I wouldn’t mind having someone to lead the way,” I added.

“I’d love to, but...”

Right. Neither the magic corps nor the order could make a move. I had to act alone.

Lucy sighed, then continued. “Judging by Reveos and Twilight’s contract, many people will be bothered by this coming to light. If they’re all going to be pulling out of the country, he likely won’t make a move alone.”

“Hmm...”

Reveos was suspected of trafficking and human experimentation. However, judging by what Lucy had just said, he wasn’t researching the miracle on his own. He probably couldn’t—not without anyone finding out. So, he must’ve had collaborators, or at least, a number of influential people who shared his ideology. I should’ve asked about it while Ibroy was still here. If this was going to end in a fight, I wanted to know the scale of what I was taking on.

“I guess...we can’t discount things coming to blows,” I said.

“If he attempts to run away in the night, or if he tries to use force to get his way, that’s entirely possible,” Lucy confirmed. “Well, with your strength, it won’t be a problem.”

“I wonder about that...”

This whole thing sounded like nothing but problems to me. I’d had no issues handling a bunch of pickpockets, but if I was going to be taking on people who were as strong as knights, it would be a different matter. And if their influence and forces remained a mystery, this could get pretty rough.

“What’ll happen if I let him get away?” I asked.

“I don’t really want to think about it...” Lucy murmured. “It’ll likely become a hot dispute between Liberis and Sphenedyardvania.”

The Liberis Kingdom couldn’t overlook the chance that the Church of Sphene might back the bishop’s evil deeds. After all, Sphenedyardvania couldn’t allow themselves to be criticized because of the words of a petty thief—not without hard evidence. That was probably how things would turn out. I didn’t know much about affairs in other countries, but if someone suddenly started censuring them, it was unlikely for them to nod along meekly. That was why it would be best to capture the bishop. However, our side had far too few pieces we could use to make a move.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a stakeout,” Lucy assured me. “If he quietly comes in for questioning, nothing will happen.”

“We can only hope...”

She was acting cheerful, but she and Ibroy had deemed that outcome unlikely. That was why they’d brought this request to me. I prayed I was being needlessly anxious, but the world was filled with bad people.

“This is just my conjecture, but the likes of resurrection magic doesn’t exist,” Lucy said.

“Hm? You mentioned that earlier.”

“However, Reveos has been continuously researching it. Dealing with corpses takes time and labor, and they don’t just vanish when used up. So, where exactly are the bodies that he’s sacrificed to his cause?”

Please stop. I really don’t want to hear that. If he was testing resurrection, he obviously needed corpses. That was why Twilight had been sending specific types of people to Reveos—ones who wouldn’t be noticed if they disappeared. Were those people dead or alive at this point? It wasn’t clear. The truth would likely come to light if his misdeeds were exposed, but currently, the truth remained shrouded in darkness.

“I have a bad premonition,” Lucy said. “So I’m hoping you can make sure he’s captured.”

“Got it. I’ll do what I can.”

Bad premonitions were usually dead-on. Not that I had anything to back up that notion. It would, however, be best if things settled down before I bumped into Reveos—he and I would inevitably clash. I unconsciously reached for the sheath at my waist, though I prayed I wouldn’t have to wield my sword against a human opponent. After all, I didn’t want to kill anyone.

“Okay then, it’s about time to get going,” I said.

“Mm. Be careful.”

I took a look out the window. It was already getting dark outside. If Reveos was going to make a move, it was going to be tonight. And if I arrived late and missed him fleeing into the night, then this whole thing would end up being meaningless. I wasn’t enthusiastic about this job, but it was a formal request from Ibroy, so I couldn’t slack off.

“Sorry about this,” Lucy muttered as I left the parlor.

“I understand why the magic corps can’t make a move. But, well, I can also see that I’ve drawn the short end of the stick.”

Even if I’d never met Lucy, this probably would’ve fallen into someone else’s lap and gotten resolved without me knowing. Or not. If Mui and I had never met, things would never have gotten this far. To trace it all the way back, this whole thing was Allusia’s fault for recommending me as a special instructor. Without her intervention, I’d still be teaching children swordplay in Beaden without a care in the world. The more I thought about it, the stranger this twist of fate seemed.

This responsibility was far too heavy for an old man in his forties. However, I wasn’t the kind of person who could simply ignore such promises after making them.

“Ibroy already mentioned this, but you’ll be rewarded appropriately,” said Lucy. “I’m counting on you.”

“Ha ha. I won’t keep my hopes up on that end.”

With those parting words, I left Lucy’s house. First, I had to get to my destination. She’d mentioned it being within walking distance, but I didn’t know the exact way and visibility was poor. I decided to obediently take a carriage.

“Ah, crap.”

Where’s the nearest carriage stop, anyway? I can’t believe I forgot to ask Lucy something so important.

In a panic, I hurried back to her.

Lucy answered the door with a look of bewilderment. “Hm? What’s wrong, Beryl?”

“Um. I don’t know where the carriage stop is...” I explained, somewhat embarrassed.

“Oh, that? It’s...”

Apparently, it was straight down the road. Since I wasn’t familiar with the area, I’d been worried about what I would do if I needed to take a winding path. Honestly, I didn’t really have any time to waste on getting lost.

I nodded at her. “Thanks, that helps. Okay, for real this time—I’m off.”

“Mm-hmm. It’s in your hands.”

Just as I said farewell to Lucy once more and started to leave...

“Ah.”

I bumped into the guest of the house, Mui. A young maid was standing next to her wearing the same clothes as Haley.

“Mui,” I said. “I didn’t see you around. You were out?”

“Yeah...” she replied curtly. Still, her thorniness was mostly gone. I didn’t sense revulsion or unease in her voice. That was great.

“Oh, Mui, welcome back,” Lucy called from the door. “Did you buy everything?”

“Yeah...” she said again.

Mui held out the bag in her left hand. It seemed she’d gone out on a shopping trip. This scene made me feel like I truly had a child...though I didn’t think Lucy could play the role of the mother. The maid accompanying Mui bowed and then vanished into the entrance hall. It turned out that Lucy had more servants here than just Haley. She sure did live an extravagant life.

It was already dark outside. Mui’s expression was inscrutable. Combined with how taciturn she was now, I wasn’t able to ascertain what her state of mind was. So, I decided to start the conversation by praising her.

“Shopping, huh? Good job.”

“Shut it...” she grumbled. “Anyone can do this.”

Hmm, did I mess up? I’m pretty sure kids are supposed to be praised when they do their best at chores.

“The hell’re you doing here, old guy?” she asked.

“Aaah, umm... I had a little something to discuss.” I decided to feign ignorance. Lucy hadn’t told Mui anything yet, so it was best for me to avoid the topic too.

“I see.”

Mui didn’t press the issue. A few moments of silence hung over us as we lingered in the doorway.

“Anyway, I’m glad to see you living a good life,” I said after a while. “This is Lucy we’re talking about. I figured she might use you as a gopher or something.”

“Hey, what kind of image do you have of me in your head?” Lucy protested from behind me.

Quite frankly, Mui was looking a lot better than before. Her clothes weren’t tattered, and though they weren’t flashy, they were clearly clean. The darkness made it hard to be sure, but her skin and hair looked glossier too. This was proof that she was getting adequate nutrition and sleep, and it showed that Lucy was properly taking care of her. Even though I wasn’t Mui’s father, knowing this brought me relief. My lighthearted remarks came from a place of caring, but I tried not to let that show too much.

“Why?” Mui asked as she watched Lucy and me talk.

I glanced her way. “Hm?”

“Why are all of you...being so kind to me?” she muttered awkwardly. She didn’t sound dissatisfied, but confused.

“Hmm...”

I didn’t quite know how to answer that. I scratched my head and turned to look at Lucy. She also seemed a little unsure about how to answer.

“It’s only natural for an adult to take care of a child,” Lucy replied eventually.

“Agreed,” I added. “A normal adult will hold out a helping hand...even if only to those who are within their reach.”

Lucy and I arrived at the same answer, and this was my honest opinion on the matter. True, Mui had dabbled in crime. Those acts couldn’t be justified even if she’d done them for the sake of survival. If we went around rationalizing them, pretty much all criminals in the world would be innocent due to extenuating circumstances. However, for better or worse, Mui had escaped from that world, and her crimes weren’t that grave to begin with. Taking her age into consideration, if she showed signs of remorse, it was only appropriate to end things with a stern warning.

“I... I didn’t have any adults like that in my life!” Mui shouted, squeezing her voice out. “I just...! I just...kept stealing from others, only thinking about how to live another day! I only met you ’cause you looked like an easy mark! And then you gave me money! And did all this stuff! Why? Why...?”

Her bewilderment turned into screaming that echoed all around us. I was sure she was actually rather clever despite her lack of education. She’d given her crimes a lot of thought. It was also easy to imagine the worthless adults who’d surrounded her when that had been the only life she’d known. The scoundrels in the thieves’ den had, in fact, matched that profile.

She was likely confused. I didn’t know how exactly she was being treated now, but judging by what I could see, Lucy wasn’t being cruel. That was something to delight over, but Mui couldn’t seem to come to grips with it.

First, there was a need to properly face the problem inside her heart. However, Lucy seemed more appropriate to take on that responsibility. I shot Lucy a quick glance, but she was just standing back and watching.

Whaaaa? After all she’s been putting me through, isn’t this unfair? I feel like I’m being used at her convenience. I understand not telling Mui of their suspicions about Twilight and Reveos, though. Oh well. Guess I was the one who started all this—the one who created the opportunity for us to pull Mui out of that bog.

“Mui, you’re a kid,” I said as gently as possible. I wanted to avoid overstimulating her.

Memories of admonishing unruly pupils came to mind. The dojo was a place for learning swordplay, so there were always mischievous rascals about. Mui’s circumstances were a little different from usual, though—I could hardly sum her up as a rascal.

“Kids don’t have to worry about the complicated stuff,” I continued. “It’s important not to stop thinking entirely...but you can start by stretching out and relaxing in the environment provided to you.”

“Those’re just...pretty words to trick children!”

“No. It’s the truth,” I asserted bluntly. Children were assets of the future that adults were meant to protect. None were valued higher or lower than others. “There are no adults here trying to trick or manipulate you. Didn’t I tell you before? It’s the adults’ responsibility to do something about this. That’s the proper way for a grown-up to act.”

“You’re telling me to just take advantage of my situation?”

“Hm? Yeah. Exactly. Got a problem with that?”

Despite her age, Mui was always looking to her future...or, perhaps, she was resigned to it. That was the impression I got from her. Considering the environment she’d been in until now, her mindset was understandable. We needed to remedy that.

Children were meant to rely on adults—taking care of them was our responsibility. And if we did our jobs right, the children would grow both in body and mind, learn to make proper judgments, and slowly figure out the workings of society through their own experiences. It was the duty of a parent—or an instructor, senior, or whatever other adult—to watch over them. Mui hadn’t been in a place to receive such guidance, though. Her sister had probably been the only one to fit that role.

Considering her age and her bad experience of being sheltered by thieves, the fact that she saw herself the way she did was possibly because of her sister’s teachings. The girl had surely been a wonderful big sister—one so wonderful that she’d had no place in the gutters of society. But that was exactly why that world had swallowed her, leaving her unable to protect her little sister to the end.

“Is that... Is that really okay?” Mui asked.

“It’s fine, Mui,” I confirmed. “You have a future. You have a much longer and brighter life ahead of you than the likes of me.”

In contrast to this withering old man, Mui was still capable of so much. There was plenty of time for her to make course corrections for her future. And that was precisely why I had to take responsibility for picking her up.

It was difficult to wipe clear all her suspicions right here and now. So, it was best for her to take some time to get used to her new environment.

“Well,” I said, “if you still refuse to accept our help without giving something in return, then once you become a splendid adult, treat this old man to a delicious meal. At that point, we can call it even.”

I patted her head. I didn’t notice her body language at first, but since she wasn’t brushing my hand away, she seemed to be accepting it.

“You’re making fun of me, dammit,” she protested weakly.

“I’m not. How hurtful.”

“Ooh! When that time comes, treat me as well!” Lucy joined in. “I’ve been giving it my all too!”

“You’ve just been running wild,” I retorted, recalling how she’d left all the thieves to me.

“What?!”

After that, though, she had taken Mui in.

“Hmph.”

Mui snorted as she watched us. It seemed she now saw the futility in arguing her point. And since Lucy hadn’t interjected either, she must’ve been largely in agreement with me. It was up to the adults to handle our egos and see this through.

“C’mon, go inside,” I urged, pulling back my hand.

“Fine...” Mui made a pouty face and started walking.

“Okay then, Beryl, it’s in your hands,” Lucy said encouragingly.

“Yeah. I’ll do what I can.”

This conversation made me remember why I’d come here in the first place. Mui hadn’t yet had enough time to truly get back on her feet. Absolutely everything in her life had taken too sharp a turn. I prayed that she would find peace in her second chance at life, and to that end, I needed to sever all sources of her anxiety.

I turned around to take one last look, and I saw Lucy hugging Mui from behind in front of the door. Hmm. If Haley was the one hugging Mui, the scene would be picturesque. When Lucy does it, it just looks like two kids messing around. I mean, Lucy even looks younger than Mui.

“Makes me feel like a father being seen off to work by his children...” I mumbled.

Seriously, this pretend family is awfully ridiculous. Still, it doesn’t feel bad to have people tell me goodbye when I’m heading off to do a job. Guess I’ll go and give it my all. It’d be best if I end up having to do nothing, though.

◇

After parting ways with Lucy, I went to the carriage stop she’d told me about, waited for a carriage to arrive, and got a ride from a somewhat confused-looking driver.

There were very few people riding a carriage to the northern district at this hour—normally, at this time of night, people would be going in the opposite direction. The north was mostly a tourist area, with the royal palace being the main attraction. There was only one small residential area, so far fewer people lived there than any other district. Considering this, it wasn’t all that surprising that I was the only one in the carriage.

“Haah...” I sighed as I watched the townscape slowly scroll by.

If Reveos was going to make a move, he would do so in the dead of the night when the entire city was asleep. It would be fine if he didn’t show up. But if he did...well, I would have no choice but to restrain him. That was what I was here for. Considering that I’ll be facing off against people, not monsters, maybe I should’ve brought a wooden sword. Unfortunately, all I had was a very real blade with a terrific edge made out of Zeno Grable’s remains. It’s not like I can go testing its sharpness on a human... At any rate, I prayed that things were going to end peacefully. However, the fact that this request had been thrown into my lap meant that nobody was expecting it to end that way.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.”

“Aah, right. Thank you.”

While I’d been sinking into such half-hearted thoughts, the carriage had stopped in the northern district. I paid my fare and then stepped out—the gentle night wind brushed against my cheeks. Around me, it was completely silent, and I only spotted the occasional pedestrian off in the distance. That made sense, though. The royal palace was here, so unlike the western district, nobody would be making a ruckus this late at night. The place was so silent that even if there were any noisemakers, the garrison would arrest them right away.

It was hard to tell with so little light, but I could see the palace’s shadow stretching into the sky not too far away. I would’ve preferred to see the castle while it was bright out. I’m sure it looks brilliant under the blue sky. My last memory of the palace was from a long time ago, so its luster would likely be unaffected by making that comparison. I wouldn’t have minded spending one day living in such a grand place. But that was a pretty unrealistic dream for an old man from the sticks.

“Okay, then...”

I turned away from the palace’s shadow and focused on the buildings at ground level. According to Lucy, the church should be visible from the carriage stop.

“Is that it?”

I peered around, focusing on the buildings that had light leaking from their windows. I soon spied the outline of a building in the opposite direction of the palace that stood somewhat higher than its surroundings. Maybe it was perched atop a small hill. I estimated it to be less than an hour’s walk away, and though it didn’t quite have the palace’s height, its steeple shot far into the sky. At a glance, I couldn’t spot any other buildings like it, so it was probably safe to assume that this was the church in question. And if I was wrong, I could have a huge laugh later.

“It really is quiet out...”

My muttering melted into the night sky. On the somewhat long road to the church, I crossed so few people that I could count them all on my hands. It really was too late—hardly anyone was walking around. There were probably soldiers patrolling around the palace, but I couldn’t see anything like that in this area. If I started a ruckus here, the sound would instantly carry, so even if the garrison was nowhere in sight, it would only be a matter of time before they came rushing from the palace. I wanted to avoid that, if possible. And if things did come to blows, I wanted to quickly deal with the situation.

“Hmm...”

The church was, in fact, perched atop a small hill. The path to the main temple went up a slight incline, and from where I was, I could see the closed front doors. I didn’t see anyone around, but a faint light was pouring out of the windows. Mounds that looked like cemetery plots were situated on either side of the building. Perhaps the people Twilight had handed over to the church were buried there. What a repulsive thought.

“The lamps are on... I guess they’re still here?”

I doubted any of the faithful were there to pray at this hour. In all likelihood, Reveos’s faction was inside. I couldn’t hear any sound from where I was, and I couldn’t tell what they were up to. It wasn’t like I could just barge in, so I took up a spot out of sight and waited. If anyone saw an old man sneaking around the church on his own, they would definitely find him suspicious. I was really glad there was nobody else here—it was entirely possible that someone might report my shady behavior.

At any rate, how long was I supposed to stake out the place for? My stomach was feeling a little empty, and I doubted any shops in the northern district were still open. It would be unrealistic to stick around here forever, but I also couldn’t predict when the folks inside would come out, so I couldn’t step away. Seems I have no choice but to endure my slight hunger.

“Oh?”

I watched for a while, fighting a mental battle against my stomach, and finally, I saw some movement near the church. The quiet sound of a lock clicking resounded in the quiet air, and several figures stepped out of the main temple’s front doors. At that moment, I realized that I hadn’t asked what Reveos looked like, so there was no telling who was who.

There were quite a few people in the group, and several among them were wearing full plate armor. The men seemed like heavy armored knights—certainly not devout worshippers congregating at the church for prayer. It made more sense for them to be escorts for the bishop’s escape attempt.

I slunk into hiding by the road approaching the church, and there, I got a better look at them. They were carrying a lot of luggage—I spied several large wooden boxes, each carried by groups of men, including the heavy knights. This makes it even more likely that they’re trying to flee. Otherwise, why would they be carrying so much stuff in the middle of the night?

If our predictions were correct, I couldn’t shut my eyes to this—I was here, and I had to do my job. I stood up, feeling a little stiff in my hips, and approached the group.

“Have a moment?” I asked casually, acting like I’d just passed by coincidentally.

I could see them react to my voice—agitation abruptly swelled among the huddle of people. At first, they seemed shocked, but their demeanors soon turned wary. Many eyes focused on me. They were very clearly nervous.

“And who are you?” a man in the center of the group asked. “I doubt you’re here to offer a prayer.”

He looked around the same age as Ibroy—a little older than me. His hair was pretty much pure white, which reminded me of the guildmaster, Nidus. But unlike that kind old man, this one had a thorny voice.

“It’s just as you say,” I answered. “I’m not here to worship.”

“So what business do you have?” the man asked. “We don’t have time to deal with a lost lamb.”

Now then, what to do? They were clearly wary of me. The heavy knights looked ready to draw their swords at a moment’s notice. Paradoxically, the fact that they were so cautious of a single passing old man reinforced Lucy and Ibroy’s theory that they were up to no good. But there was no need to tell them about that.

“May I assume you’re Bishop Reveos Sarleon?” I asked.

“Indeed I am.”

It turned out the old man I was talking to was my target. As he spoke, his abundant belly shook. He didn’t look much like the ideal image of a bishop. Not that people could be judged entirely by their physique.

At any rate, I wasn’t sure how to move this conversation forward. Right now, he wasn’t bolting off or attacking me, and the other members of his party must’ve also been confused about how to deal with a sudden intruder. Even if they were guilty of something, Reveos still held a position of influence as a bishop of the Church of Sphene. Thus, he was better off avoiding any unnecessary quarrels. Well, whatever. No point letting this drag on. Let’s cut right to the chase.

“I believe you’ve been called in as a witness by the Liberion Order,” I said.

“That has nothing to do with you,” Reveos replied.

The atmosphere changed a little. To be specific, the heavy knights stepped forward to stand protectively at Reveos’s sides. They reached for their swords. I could sense the faintest bloodlust seeping through their armor.

Haah... No avoiding a fight now. I don’t really want to use my sword here, but oh well. Not that I want to take on knights in full plate either. It’s hard to force a sword through metal.

“Can I ask you to come with me, Bishop Reveos?” I asked, standing so that I could draw my sword at any moment.

“Spur.”

The bishop quietly cast his eyes down and called out to the heavy knight next to him. The man named Spur nodded silently, then drew his sword. Seeing this, the other knights unsheathed their weapons too.

Well, crap. So it’s really come to this. I didn’t want to fight, but there was no avoiding it. I drew my own sword from its red sheath. The time for settling things peacefully through conversation had passed. That time limit was way too short, dammit!

“This, too, is God’s decree,” the bishop declared. “There is no problem whatsoever with having one more man offer himself to our miracle. Do it.”

Reveos’s words were the signal. The knights came rushing toward me. There were three...no, four of them. The rest set down the baggage and formed a protective circle around the bishop. An armored opponent was already difficult to stab, so taking on multiple at a time was a little beyond what I’d expected. Will I get out of this alive? Not that there was any point in complaining when a sword was closing in on me. I simply had to do my job.

“Shhh!”

I parried the incoming sword strike and jumped back to put some distance between myself and my enemies. Getting surrounded in close-quarters combat would make things impossible. It seemed these knights weren’t equipped with longswords—their weapons looked like estocs. That was a pretty rare weapon to see. Was this the standard equipment of the Church of Sphene’s Holy Order? If so, the influence of Reveos’s faction extended as far as their nation’s knights. I wondered if Ibroy was going to be all right. I doubted we would put an end to this conspiracy by capturing a single bishop.

When I leaped back, the knights came to a sudden stop. To be precise, the knight who’d attacked me slowed down, and the others seemed influenced by his behavior—they all stopped moving around him.

“Tch...”

The knight clicked his tongue and threw aside his estoc. Then, he drew the dagger from his waist and prepared himself for battle once more. Huh? What’s going on? Why’d he toss away his weapon? The shrill sound of metal clanging against stone echoed across the quiet northern district. Drawn by the sound, I glanced at the discarded estoc. The place where my sword had struck the blade was clearly dented, and the estoc blade was badly chipped.

“Ha ha, now that’s a surprise.”

My eyes naturally fell to my hands. You’re kidding me, right? This thing is insanely sharp. It completely destroyed my opponent’s blade after a single clash. How tough is it, exactly? Dammit Baldur, what kinda crazy weapon did you forge for me? I don’t know if I can tame such a wild beast.

“That sword is dangerous. Be careful...” warned Spur. “On him!”

The knights were shocked, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get them to back down. Spur, who was probably their leader, lit a fire under the others, and the knights charged once more.

“Not just gonna quietly turn yourself in, I see!”

“Gah!”

One down. I repelled the estoc that stabbed at me from the side and followed with an upward slash. I could feel my blade cutting through the full plate and carving at the meat inside. I’d already confirmed this in the last clash, but my new sword truly did have an edge sharp enough to easily slice through some simple armor. It no longer mattered whether my opponents were dressed up a little. On the contrary, I had to be more careful to keep my cuts shallow and avoid killing them. I wasn’t sure whether I should’ve been grateful or not.

“Hmph!”

“Guh!”

That’s two. I handled a diagonal slash by parrying the estoc as it sheared down from above. I then shifted my grip on my hilt and slashed horizontally, cutting a straight line through the full plate’s torso and sending fresh blood gushing into the air. I felt my blade tearing through plenty of flesh, but I was pretty sure it hadn’t been fatal. Dammit, it’s been too long since I last had a serious fight to the death. I hope my senses haven’t dulled.

“You little!”

“Shhh!”

Three. The knight whose estoc I’d broken came at me with his dagger in a reverse grip. I took half a step back to dodge the downward slash. Before he could bring it back up in another attack, I struck the knight’s dagger with a horizontal sweep.

“Ugh! Be careful! He’s strong!” one of the knights shouted.

Well, I’m not really that strong. They’re clearly thinking that because of the weapon I’m using. Here’s hoping that thought slows them down.

“Permission to use miracles. Don’t be careless,” Spur said, his calm voice resonating in the area.

Miracles, huh? As far as I know, that’s a term for magic that heals wounds. So, what kind of miracles are you going to use? Please tell me you’re not going to fling fireballs around like Lucy. And if you are, you shouldn’t be calling them miracles.

“O great God in heaven, grant us your divine blessing. Bestow us with strength.”

The knights chanted some kind of ritual prayer. Once they were done, a pale light poured out of their bodies, then converged back into them. Uh... What did that do? I can’t tell. Doesn’t seem like offensive magic, at least.

“Whoa!”

Once the pale light settled down, one of the knights charged again. I repelled a thrusting estoc to the side and jumped back to gain a bit of distance.

“I get it now!”

They were faster than before, and their strikes were heavier. In all likelihood, that magic had strengthened their bodies. No matter what you did with a sword, the attack itself was physical, so improving its wielder’s power and speed was a simple way of increasing the threat of the weapon.

“Charge in together! Don’t give him the space to counterattack!”

At Spur’s command, multiple knights charged at once. One, two... Gah! Counting is a pain in the ass! Not that I have the time to sit back and count, anyway!

“Hah!”

“Dammit!”

I blocked a downward swing from an estoc. It would’ve been nice to be able to break it like the one before, but I needed to build up some strength for that. And now that they were trying to surround me, putting all that force into one blow would leave me open to an attack from my flank or from behind, which would end this whole fight.

“Take this!” I cried.

“Guh! You son of a—!”

I diverted the estoc’s momentum to the side, then slashed at its wielder. I hit his full plate, but the slice was too shallow to reach any flesh. Even during this short exchange, two others had circled around me. Crap, this is no good. I’m getting surrounded.

Unlike the thieves, each of these knights was pretty skilled. They were also well coordinated. Add the fact that they all wore armor, and it meant that lackluster attacks wouldn’t reach them. I had to properly put my body behind my strikes. However, if I focused too much on one of them, I would get attacked from behind. I didn’t have eyes in the back of my head, so taking on multiple opponents was really bad. Yup. This is just plain horrible. What should I do?

“Hah!”

“Hrrk?!”

As I was in the middle of panicking, I somehow dodged the estocs coming at me from all sides. Then, something barely visible to the naked eye suddenly came flying in between our clashing weapons.

“Who’s there?!”

Immediately after this interruption, the knights and I backed away from each other and looked to where the projectile had come from. A girl was standing there with a sword at the ready, her black robe fluttering behind her.

“Ficelle?!”

It was the magic corps’s young ace, Ficelle Habeler. I hadn’t recognized my former pupil when we’d first reunited, but now I couldn’t mistake her for anyone else.

“Wh-Why...?”

Against my better judgment, I ignored my clash with the knights and immediately questioned her. No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t see any reason for Ficelle to be here. The magic corps weren’t supposed to be able to take part in this matter with the Church of Sphene—Lucy specifically had said that she couldn’t be involved. It was strange... Why would an ace of the corps poke her head into this? It made Ibroy’s request for me to act independently seem totally meaningless.

“Just a coincidence,” answered Ficelle. “I just happened to pass by and see a ruckus. So I stopped it. That’s all.”

Ficelle kept her sword at the ready as she gave a concise explanation. She glared at the knights. A coincidence, huh? I doubt that’s really true. This is probably Lucy’s doing. No matter how they spun it, it would be impossible to make excuses if the commander took part in this mission personally. So, she’d sent Ficelle here to act like it was a “coincidence.” That was probably what was going on.

“Gwah?!”

“I’m here too! Just by coincidence!”

I heard some shouting from the opposite direction and whipped around to look. A petite woman was swinging a two-handed sword around and engaging with one of the knights.

“Kewlny!”

I yelled her name spontaneously—her arrival was far too unexpected. Probably Allusia’s doing... Still, this was a very dangerous hand to play. If I was on my own and the worst happened, this would end with just my sacrifice and nobody would lose any face. However, if anything happened to these two, it would have a direct effect on the order and magic corps’s reputations.

Seriously, how goddamn reckless. I mean, if you guys were going to set everything up for this request, I would’ve appreciated a little more trust. You didn’t have to toss two of my former pupils into the mix. I’ve got no idea why you sent me here on my own.

As a result of letting my thoughts run wild, some of the tension drained from my shoulders. I really had been nervous. But now, my stiffness was gone...in a good way.

“Tch! He’s got reinforcements!”

I wasn’t the only one confused by the sudden backup—the knights guarding Reveos were far more shaken than I was. They began reforming their ranks in a panic. Before this, they were content to just try and surround me, but now things were different. I had a wizard capable of flinging long-range magic and a knight swinging around a huge sword. Trying to decide how many knights to allocate to each threat gave birth to a moment’s hesitation.

“Be careful, you two!” I shouted to Kewlny and Ficelle. “The knights have strengthened their bodies with magic!”

They could now attack with more power than their physiques suggested, but that was preferable to them hurling projectiles at us. Still, a strong melee assault posed a threat for a swordsman. Kewlny in particular was still a developing talent, and she wouldn’t be able to hold her own against an active frontline knight. Dammit, Allusia, didn’t you mess up your personnel selection a bit here? It’s a little late to complain, though.

“Calm down and deal with it,” Spur said. He was the only knight to maintain his composure among the chaos. “We still have the advantage.”

Ficelle had only unleashed a long-range slash, while Kewlny was still busy fighting a single knight. That didn’t really balance the scales. Even if Ficelle was still an unknown quantity, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Kewlny was still rough around the edges.

And yet, judging by her short exchange of blows, she was just barely good enough to win in a one-on-one fight. If Kewlny and Ficelle could properly disperse their focus, it was entirely possible to gain control here. That, of course, was on the huge assumption that neither of them was going to lose.

I could consider that later. Overthinking wasn’t going to improve the situation.

“An opening!”

“Guh?!”

I took the initiative and attacked the nearest knight, who was still confused by the chaos. I couldn’t kill him, so I regulated the strength and depth of my slash. Thanks to my weapon’s sharp edge, it was now far easier to cut through armor, but I wasn’t used to holding back like this. I was armed with swordsmanship that was, at most, meant for self-defense—my techniques weren’t for fighting to the death.

The knight I’d struck fell to the ground. Seeing this as a good opportunity, Ficelle fired magic to keep another knight in check, then instantly closed the distance. She had the right idea—this was a terrific chance. There were still many knights, so it was best to reduce their numbers before they rallied.

“Take this!”

One of the remaining knights who’d tried to encircle me earlier yelled as he came at me.

“Shhh!”

I blocked the horizontal sweep from his estoc. The shrill sound of metal clanging against metal echoed in the dark night. Resonating with it, I felt a slight numbness in my arms. Hmm, looks like I can’t let this drag out too long. Their sword strikes were enhanced by magic now, so if I continued blocking them normally, my body wouldn’t be able to hold out. My weapon would probably be fine...but I was an old man. There was a limit to my stamina, unfortunately.

I used my wrists to pivot my parry and struck back with a diagonal slash. I drew a straight line through the knight’s full plate from his shoulder to his waist, sending a considerable amount of blood spewing into the night sky. The knight groaned and collapsed limply to the ground. Crap, that might’ve been too deep.

It wasn’t a bad thing that my blade could cut through metal armor like cheese—quite the contrary, actually—but it was a little difficult to judge how much to hold back. I could only pray that he was still alive. I felt quite guilty, but they’d been the ones to attack me. With that thought in mind, my only choice was to strike. If I held back more than necessary, I’d be the one dying.

“So, how are those two doing?!”

I was done dealing with the knights right in front of me, and I still had plenty of stamina. As to be expected, I was worried about Kewlny and Ficelle. If they were at a disadvantage, I had to go help immediately. I didn’t want to see my former pupils cut down in front of my eyes.

“Hmph!”

“Ugh... You little!”

I turned to see Ficelle fighting a single knight. It seemed she’d already silenced a few of them. That’s the magic corps’s ace for you. Despite her youth, her skill was the real deal. By the looks of it, she was finding the right times to back off and fire magic, and when given the opportunity, she charged in and slashed directly with her sword. It was a unique fighting style that was a variation on the classic hit-and-run. Even during her days at the dojo, Ficelle had excelled at mentally scanning the battlefield—she always had a wide grasp of what was going on around her. Her fighting style focused on that strength, and she looked like she was in total control. I probably didn’t need to help her.

As for Kewlny...

“Hiyaaaaah!”

“D-Dammit!”

She was fighting energetically. It was a little too early to relax, though—Kewlny was still in a desperate struggle against the first knight she’d attacked. She was still far too rough around the edges. The extra reach of her zweihander and her powerful attacks should’ve been enough to overwhelm her opponent. However, she was still in the early stages of mastering two-handed swordplay, and her knowledge was shallow. She wasn’t quite proficient enough to take on an active knight. That was what I believed, at least.

“Oh?”

As I looked more closely, I noticed that Kewlny’s movements seemed a little different from what I knew. That’s weird. She still moved in an untrained manner when we had our mock battle. It was to the point that I only deemed today as appropriate for our first session. I hadn’t imagined Kewlny doing anything beyond flailing her zweihander around and relying entirely on strength, so I was a little taken aback. I wasn’t sure about what her training had been like with her shortsword, but this was supposed to be her first real battle using a zweihander. Despite that, she seemed awfully calm. She had a proper grasp of her opponent’s weapon, predicted his movements, and though her technique was somewhat sloppy, she was managing just fine.

“Guess I’m a failure as an instructor.”

Kewlny’s skills had improved in such a short time. She’d probably been swinging her sword quite a lot when I wasn’t looking. My normal training regimen for her hadn’t been lax in any way. How much had she forced upon herself beyond that? The knight she was facing was in no way weak, and an estoc had favorable compatibility against a zweihander. Even so, Kewlny was maintaining her advantage somewhat.

I took a short breath.

Between Kewlny and Ficelle, I’d been under the impression that the former would clearly require help, but it seemed that was unnecessary consideration. Seriously, it was always a delight to see my pupils’ growth. I recalled the words Henbrits had once said—seeing those under your umbrella grow gave birth to an indescribable sense of elation.

I couldn’t go losing to my students. Gathering strength in my legs, I sprang back into action.

“O great God in heaven, grant us Your divine blessing. By Your tranquil power, bestow these souls with the pulse of life.”

Suddenly, I heard someone chanting. It wasn’t Spur; it wasn’t any of the knights either. This chant, which was different from the last, resonated quietly in the night sky that hung over the tumult of our battle.

Reveos.

He was kneeling in front of one of the wooden boxes the knights had put down. It looked like he was praying to it. A pale light enshrouded the box for a few seconds, and then, with a bang, the box shook and revealed its contents.

“What the... A person?”

A human figure stood up in the darkness. I wondered why a person had been sealed inside a box, but the fact that Reveos’s chant had brought them out was even more curious. I doubted he’d packed the wounded or sick inside that box.

“Wha...?!”

With another series of bangs, the other boxes around Reveos opened. People rose from each one. Dammit, his magic goes beyond just one target?! Not that I know anything about magic, but come on, the way he was praying makes you think he was focused on one box.

There were six of them. We now had more enemies to deal with. The situation was far too peculiar—we couldn’t assume they were regular people. It was probably best to assume they all had some kind of special ability.

“Until I see this miracle completed, I can’t allow anyone to get in my way.”

“Bishop. This way.”

It was hard to tell whether Reveos was speaking to me or to the six mysterious figures. After saying what he had to say, he turned on his heel. Spur pierced me with his gaze through his helmet, then went with him.

“W-Wait!”

That bastard is trying to run! Nothing is ever easy! I’d planned on supporting Kewlny, but the situation was different now. Everything would be meaningless if Reveos got away. I didn’t have to go as far as wounding him, let alone killing him, but I had to at least subdue him.

“Ah?!”

As I tried to run after the bishop, the six mysterious figures stood in my way. Their movements were sluggish—they didn’t look like people who’d undergone any training. They would be easy to break through. With that in mind, I figured I would run right past them, but my feet came to a stop.

One of the people staggering toward me had dark blue hair, and her features very closely resembled...Mui.

“No way...”

I’d predicted this. Reveos had been taking in corpses and those who wouldn’t be missed if they died. Add to that the miracle of resurrection written of in the Church of Sphene’s scriptures, and I could guess that he was using magic indiscriminately to desecrate the dead.

This had gone too far.

“You scum!”

I cursed him without thinking twice. I couldn’t sense the breath of life in any of the six people who were approaching me. They didn’t look alive at all. They were no more than corpses being manipulated from a distance—this was obvious from the states of their bodies.

“Master, I’m done over— What?”

“Master! I won! Huh...? What’s going on?”

Having finished their battles with the knights, Ficelle and Kewlny ran over to me. It was great that both had safely triumphed. Kewlny was sweating profusely—she’d been badly pressed. She was still developing her skills, so winning in a serious one-on-one fight was worth celebrating. However, even after their victories, these two were speechless at the blasphemy standing before us.

The best choice right now was to ignore the six and capture the bishop. The logical part of my brain understood that very well. To repeat myself, the six people who came out of those boxes were very sluggish, so anyone with some amount of athleticism would be able to shake them off easily. And with every second that passed, Reveos’s footsteps got farther away. I had to make a quick decision—I wouldn’t make it in time unless I acted immediately.

And yet...

“You two stand back. I’ll take care of them.”

Ficelle, Kewlny, and myself... Taking these three options into consideration, I had to be the one to thrust my sword into the hearts of these six people. The men and women staggering toward me didn’t speak. They likely weren’t even conscious. They only obeyed Reveos’s command to get in our way.

“I’ll lay you back down to rest... I won’t ask for forgiveness.”

I readied my sword. Reveos was unmistakably at fault here. Ficelle, Kewlny, and I had only gotten caught up in it. If I hadn’t listened to Lucy and Ibroy, I would’ve gotten by without even knowing about this desecration—my former pupils wouldn’t have been caught up in it either. However, things had already proceeded down a dark path.

This was likely incomplete resurrection magic. Reveos had cast a lousy miracle just so he could get away. No, even if this was a resurrection miracle in its complete form, it was still unforgivable. I didn’t have any religious faith, but as one who lived by the sword, the lives and deaths of others were part of who I was. What’s more, these people were completely unknown strangers who’d been picked up off the streets.

The deaths of these puppet corpses wouldn’t come from a proper crossing of blades. Thus, the burden of cutting them down was too heavy to place on the shoulders of the two young girls with me. This was different from slaying monsters.

“Shhh!”

I exhaled sharply and charged into the group of people.

That’s one.

I cut down a man with brown hair who still had an air of youth to him.

That’s two.

I cut down a well-built man who was approaching his senior years.

Three.

I cut down a young woman with innocent features.

Four.

I cut down a blossoming woman with fluttering long hair.

Five.

I cut down a young man who was clearly still a boy.

And six...

I cut down a young woman with dark-blue hair who was on the cusp of being an adult.

There were no death cries. They probably didn’t even know they’d been killed. The remnants of their souls had simply been forced back to the faraway abyss. Regardless, this didn’t change the fact that I’d cut down six innocent civilians—even if they were already dead.

“We’re going after him,” I said. “He can’t have gotten far.”

“Y-Yes, sir!” Kewlny yelped.

What kind of face was I making? What tone had I spoken with? This side of me probably wasn’t something I should be showing my pupils. I was glad it was nighttime. Ficelle and Kewlny were both still young, and they weren’t people to whom this boring old man should carelessly vent his discontent.

As mentioned, Reveos couldn’t have gotten far. Given his healthy physique, even at full speed, he wouldn’t be faster than me or my pupils.

Everything would go to waste if we let him escape. I felt sorry for the knights I’d cut down, but I was pretty sure I hadn’t killed them, so they had no choice but to manage on their own.

Wait...Kewlny and Ficelle are here too.

“Kewlny, call the order to come right away,” I said. “I want them to secure and maintain the area.”

“Huh? G-Got it!”

“Ficelle, chase Bishop Reveos with me. I don’t know this district, so you lead the way.”

“Understood.”

There was no need for all three of us to pursue Reveos together. On the contrary, it was important to clean up the aftermath of the battlefield in front of the quiet church. I could leave that to the Liberion Order. As for chasing the bishop, Ficelle and I would be enough.

After getting Ficelle and Kewlny’s confirmation, I immediately broke into a run. I didn’t know what was going through their minds; however, judging by their earlier reactions, they had to be considerably shaken. I had to give them a clear goal to focus on so that their minds didn’t have time to dwell on their bewilderment. They both have a task they need to do, after all. 

As I sprinted away, I felt like the woman with dark-blue hair—the one I’d lain low with my sword—was watching me with vacant eyes.

“He ran off that way,” Ficelle said. “Probably down this path.”

“Yeah, lead on.”

I ran alongside Ficelle, glaring in the direction that Reveos and Spur had vanished. That said, the northern district was unfamiliar to me. I had a general idea of which way to go, but I didn’t know how exactly to get there. I had no choice but to rely on Ficelle’s navigation.

“Ficelle, I’m guessing Lucy sent you?” I asked.

“No... Just a coincidence,” she answered curtly.

“I see.”

So she was planning to maintain the coincidence story to the very end. Well, that made sense if she was taking into consideration the worst-case scenario. And even if she was only talking to me, perhaps she deemed it best to restrict what information she released.

We continued running through the quiet northern district for a while.

“Found him,” Ficelle said.

It was a dark night, so visibility was poor. However, when there were so few people walking around, someone running away in a panic stood out that much more. We saw a well-rounded figure alongside another man whose full plate armor was clanking noisily. It seemed our game of tag was coming to an end sooner than expected—Reveos and Spur were simply that slow. It was frankly unreasonable to ask someone with a heavy build and another wearing full plate to run quickly.

“Haah...! Haah...!”

“Halt right there, Bishop Reveos.”

“Ugh...!”

After getting close enough to hear Reveos panting for breath, I called him to a stop. I was in a really bad mood. An unintended thorniness laced my voice, and it was clear enough that even I could tell it was there. This is no good. I have to calm down. It was possible that this situation could degrade into another fight, and such a mental state would dull my strikes. I gave my mind a moment to rest, then took a deep breath to calm my spirit. I thought Reveos might try to run away again, but unexpectedly, he did as he was told and came to a stop. He could’ve simply been exhausted, though.

“I’m with the Liberion Order,” I said. “We’ll be asking you many questions in a more appropriate place, including questions regarding the magic you just used.”

I didn’t mention anything about Ibroy. I was glad he didn’t ask why the Liberion Order was making a move or why they’d summoned him for a testimony—I wouldn’t know how to respond. But regardless, he’d given me irrefutable evidence of his misdeeds with that half-assed resurrection miracle. It was probably fine to get things moving now.

Ficelle silently held her sword at the ready. She was emphasizing to our foes that she wouldn’t allow them to escape again. Her sword magic was really convenient at times like these. Even if they tried to find an opening to run away, Ficelle could deal with them immediately using her long-range attacks.

“To think that you fail to understand the value of my research...” Reveos muttered in irritation.

“I have nothing to ask about your research,” I retorted.

I didn’t give a damn...no matter what he claimed to have made. I fully denied the miracle of resurrection—those were my personal feelings. The principles of life weren’t meant to be tampered with by the hands of man. Doing so would naturally plunge some into despair...just like what had happened to Mui.

“You’re coming with me, Bishop Reveos.”

Reveos clearly wasn’t the type who was capable of fighting. The only hand he had left to play was Spur, who he’d taken with him on this attempted escape. I didn’t know how skilled Spur was, but thinking of it in simple terms, it was two of us against one of them. Victory was well within our grasp.

Now that I think about it, I ended up leaving things back there to Kewlny. Was that really all right? Well, I guess she’s a member of the order, so she should know what she has to do.

“Spur...”

“Sir.”

As expected, Reveos resorted to relying on Spur. The knight silently nodded, then drew the estoc at his waist. He had an expert’s stance. He was clearly on a different level from the other knights.

“Whoa?!”

In the next instant, Spur’s estoc was right before my eyes. I repelled it in a fluster. I hadn’t been properly prepared, so I failed to ruin his sword like I had with that first knight. This guy’s fast! How can he move like that in full plate?! I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“Hrm!”

“Hgh...!”

Yes, I’d parried his estoc, but Spur maintained his balance and continued slashing. Oh, come on! Estocs are meant to be used more delicately, dammit! The tip of his blade fell down on me with terrific power and speed—two, then three times.

I tried knocking him off-balance, but unlike with Henbrits and Selna, it was difficult to throw his strikes to the side because he didn’t put all his weight behind his sword. He was properly regulating his strength from his hips, shoulders, and arms—trying to use as little power as he could to move as fast as possible.

The battle had started so suddenly, but Ficelle wasn’t moving. Spur and I were too close together, so even if she’d tried using sword magic to support me, she might’ve hit me instead. I didn’t think he’d get this close so fast either!

Spur was clearly two or three levels beyond the others. The speed of his sword was in an entirely different league. Also, it seemed his estoc was better made than that of the standard knight. Despite parrying it several times, I couldn’t break it.

A second clash, and then a third. Our silent exchange continued. As it did, I sensed his focus shift faintly. I couldn’t see his eyes because of his helmet, but Spur was definitely concentrating on something else.

“Gh! Ficelle!”

Judging that our battle would drag on, Spur suddenly shifted his target from me to Ficelle. She wasn’t being careless. However, from her perspective, Spur’s sword had been aimed completely at me. His redirection was a surprise attack. And to defend against it, she had to throw her body to the ground.

“Hmph!”

“No, you don’t!”

The clang of Spur’s estoc clashing with my longsword echoed shrilly in the air. We were locked blade to blade. Dammit, it’s been a while since I last experienced this.

“Ficelle! You okay?!”

“I-I’m fine!”

That was close. If my judgment had been a millisecond late, Spur’s estoc would’ve definitely slashed Ficelle. She was capable in combat as both a swordswoman and a wizard, so I wasn’t going to complain about him aiming for her. After all, this wasn’t a friendly match—we were engaged in a deadly battle. However, even though I understood the logic behind that, I wasn’t the type of person who could remain calm and watch his former pupil be exposed to danger like that.

Don’t think you’ll get off lightly, Spur. The calmness of mind I’d achieved earlier was vanishing, flaring up into anger once more.

“You’re strong,” Spur said. “Hence, this is regrettable.”

“Guh!”

Contrary to my expectations, Spur poured strength into his arms, grinding our blades together. Goddammit, he’s got me beat in terms of pure strength! I wasn’t the type to rely on brute force to begin with, so clashing head-on in a contest of strength wasn’t my forte.

“O great God in heaven, grant us your divine blessing. Bestow me with strength.”

“Hgh?!”

Spur chanted as we continued our clash. Crap! No! This is bad! Magic is bad! I pushed as hard as I could, but I was gradually getting forced back. Dammit, I was already at a disadvantage when he was just using his muscles, so adding magic to that is really not ideal! Shit, I’m gonna lose!

Just as my arms were about to give...

“I won’t let you.”

“Guh!”

Ficelle interrupted our clash. Her longsword swept up as if to cut off Spur’s arm. The sound of her blade slamming against his gauntlet rang in the air. She didn’t manage to sever his arm, but the impact threw him back a little. Using that opening, I pushed hard with my longsword and jumped back.

“Ficelle...! Thanks! You really saved me!”

For the moment, I kept my distance. I’d really lost face there...needing to be saved right after saving her. Luckily, she wasn’t someone who was only here to be protected. She was a splendid swordswoman in her own right.

“Ah...”

Moving my eyes off my opponent for a second, I spotted Reveos trying to run away again. Dammit, he’ll escape at this rate.

“Ficelle! Go after Bishop Reveos!”

Everything we’d done would be for nothing if he got away. That said, it would be far too foolish to chase the bishop and ignore Spur. This would all be for nothing if we were cut down from behind. So, our only choice was for me to keep Spur busy while Ficelle chased Reveos.

Ficelle hesitated in silence for a moment, then said, “Got it. Be careful, Master.” She dashed off immediately.

“Tch...”

“Like hell I’ll let you!”

Spur shifted his focus away from me for an instant, and this time, I launched myself at him. I kept my arms folded and attacked with a compact sweep, but he quickly held his estoc up to fend off the blow.

“I’m not done yet!”

I followed up by stepping in close and swinging my longsword. He dodged it by a hair’s breadth. Given his reflexes, I guess that’s to be expected... But come on! You’re wearing full plate! Can’t you be just a little more careless?!

He was the type to overwhelm his opponent with a great number of attacks and a strength that didn’t match his appearance. I couldn’t let him have the initiative. Coupled with his magic, he clearly had more physical strength than me. It was dangerous to lock swords with him up close.

“Shhh!”

“Hrm...!”

After a sweep, I switched my grip and attacked again with a return slash. He matched my blade and successfully blocked the strike. Gah! I’m not really good at staying on the offense! But considering his specialty, I’d rather not be reacting on the defense!

I had to keep attacking and aim for an opening. Normally, wearing full plate made you a little negligent—you’d depend on the defensive properties of your armor. That had been my hope.

“Impudence!”

Perhaps annoyed by my continuous assault, he swept his estoc wide. It was slightly cruder than his previous precise attacks. Normally, I would’ve taken half a step back to dodge it...but I decided to believe in Baldur’s strength and the potential of my longsword. Besides, things were different now that I wasn’t surrounded by knights. This was a genuine one-on-one fight. Spur was my only opponent.

“Hmph!”

I exhaled and slashed, putting all my strength into intercepting the estoc. This wasn’t a strike that allowed me to dodge—I was entirely focused on breaking my opponent’s weapon, though either of our swords could potentially be destroyed.

Using a striking weapon like a mace or hammer would be one thing, but a sword was meant for slashing, not meeting other weapons head-on. Swords were forged to be as long and narrow as possible to increase their slashing power, so they simply weren’t suited for the task. However, I believed my longsword could withstand such abuse. This was half gambling, but if I didn’t do something about this equilibrium between us, beating Spur would be difficult. Those were the feelings I placed behind my strike.

“Wha?!”

I won the gamble. With an ominous clang, Spur’s estoc snapped in two. I couldn’t see his expression through his helmet, but he was clearly shocked.

“Got you!”

With my longsword free and Spur frozen in a moment’s hesitation, I spun my blade around for a slash from his shoulder to his torso. I could feel definite feedback through the hilt of my sword. At the same time, red blood gushed into the darkness.

“Guh! How could I fail...?!”

It seemed that even the magic enhancing his body didn’t strengthen his resistance to physical attacks. After tearing open his full plate, my sword had definitely carved through his muscles. Dammit, I didn’t hold back enough because of the blood rushing to my head. Well, Spur wasn’t the type I could beat by holding back to begin with.

I looked down at Spur as he collapsed face-first to the ground. A pool of blood started forming beneath him.

“Gotta go after Ficelle now...”

I was worried about Spur’s condition, but unfortunately for him, Ficelle and Reveos were a higher priority.

“I’ve still got a long way to go...”

Anger and discontent had dulled my blade, forcing me into an unexpectedly hard fight. Not only that, I’d needed my former pupil to bail me out. This was proof that I lacked concentration. There’s no point lamenting over that fact now, though. To learn from that experience, I had to carve today’s shameful behavior into my mind so that I would never forget.

“Okay...”

After taking a quick breather, I raised my head. Looks like I’m not too far from the church. I took a moment to pray that the Liberion Order would somehow find Spur, and then I broke into a run.

There was just one problem.

“Crap... I don’t know the way.”

Despite somehow defeating Spur, I’d lost sight of my primary target. I didn’t know the layout of the northern district, and visibility was poor due to the darkness. In the worst case, I could end up lost. I’d rather not go through that, but I can’t just keep idling around here either. Hmm, guess I gotta move. I’ll just start running in the direction Reveos went.

“He couldn’t have gotten that far...”

I’d overtaken him once before, so I knew that the bishop wasn’t very fast on his feet. Besides, with his physique, he probably didn’t have the stamina to keep running. On the other hand, Ficelle was a young, active swordswoman and wizard—in terms of simple athleticism, I couldn’t imagine him giving her the slip. Also, she could use sword magic, so even if he maintained a certain distance, she could easily adjust the strength of her strike and hit him from afar. Magic sure was convenient.

“O-Over there?”

After running for a while, I spotted people who looked like Ficelle and Reveos. It seemed that any concerns I had were unfounded. As I got closer, Ficelle looked up anxiously.

“Master, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Good job, Ficelle.”

That Spur guy really had been a tough opponent. With a regular longsword, I probably would’ve had a much harder time. Actually, it was questionable whether I could’ve beat him. I gotta thank Baldur—this sword is too good for me.

“So Spur...was beaten. Dammit all, what a worthless man.”

Reveos cursed, knowing that my arrival meant Spur’s defeat. He sure had a lousy personality—it made me want to punch him. Why had Spur so faithfully aided this man? I wondered whether I would get the chance to ask him about it... That is, if Spur was still alive.

Incidentally, both of Bishop Reveos’s hands were tied with rope. He looked completely like a criminal now. Ficelle had likely prepared the rope for this exact purpose—she wouldn’t have had any rope on her unless she’d known the plan from the very beginning. Dammit Lucy, you really did send Ficelle here with that in mind. Not that there was any point in bringing that up now.

“Master, where do we take him?” Ficelle asked.

“Hm? Oh, right...”

I had been asked by Ibroy to capture Reveos, but I hadn’t been told where to bring him. I couldn’t exactly haul him back to the inn. Did taking him to the Liberion Order’s office make the most sense? It was already late at night, but someone was probably still there.

“We’ll take him to the order’s office,” I decided. “Please lead the way.”

Ficelle nodded. “Understood. It’ll be a bit of a walk. That okay?”

“I have an idea of how far it is. It’s fine.”

And so, our destination was set. By all rights, I would’ve preferred a carriage for traveling this distance, but I questioned whether anyone would board one under such circumstances. So, I decided to walk. All that was left was to bring Reveos to the order and hand him over, and then my job would be done. I hoped to give him to someone who knew the circumstances, like Allusia, but I doubted she was still at the office at this hour. There was probably only a handful of personnel on the night shift.

“You fools don’t understand—” Reveos protested. “You don’t understand the nobility of pursuing the depth of miracles.”

“I don’t care,” I spat. “Nobility can’t heal the victims you created with your ideology.”

I didn’t give a damn what he had to say. Nobody would’ve cared if he’d simply been researching his scriptures’ miracles—he probably could’ve continued his research for years to come. However, not even Lucy immersed herself in research at the cost of troubling others. Well, maybe she had troubled me a little. This guy couldn’t be forgiven for using innocent people as his test subjects. No matter how noble the miracles of the Church of Sphene were, they weren’t worth sacrificing people for.

Reveos was dead wrong. That was simply all there was to it.

“You’ll come to regret getting in the way of our research,” Reveos continued barking.

“Is that so?”

This man really did talk too much, almost like he was drunk on his own righteousness. Even if he had agreed to testify as a witness, he probably would’ve spent the whole time talking about how “just” his cause was. Maybe that was why, instead of jumping and twirling through loopholes to avoid the invitation, he’d chosen to run.

There was still something bothering me, though—it had to do with the identity of those knights. Judging by their equipment, they obviously weren’t part of the Liberion Order. However, they’d been far too skilled and too well equipped to be run-of-the-mill bandits or thieves. In all likelihood, they were from the Holy Order of the Church of Sphene. I’d never met one of their knights before, so I couldn’t tell for sure.

Well, we would find out once the Liberion Order investigated the scene. My job was to capture Reveos and bring him to them. Everything after that was up to Allusia and Henbrits.

“What’s wrong with consecrating the worthless to God?” Reveos kept arguing. “You’re a moron if you can’t assign priorities based on—?!”

“Keep your mouth shut,” I said, cutting him off and grabbing him by the collar. His words had me feeling more high-strung than I’d expected. “That is, if you don’t want to get hurt.”

“Master, calm down,” Ficelle murmured, looking somewhat surprised by my behavior.

“Right, sorry.”

This guy was scum. There was no mistaking that. It wasn’t my place to pass judgment on him, though. That would be vigilantism. As one who guided others on the path of the sword, I couldn’t afford to do such a thing—that was what a country’s laws and justice system were for. I understood the logic behind that, but there were still repulsive pieces of trash like this guy who grated on my nerves. I slowly released my grip.

“Unhand me. The likes of you shouldn’t be touching a man of my stature.”

There’s no point in talking to him... Haaah, what do I do about my anger? It’s got nowhere to go. I guess it’d be a little bad for my reputation if I beat him to a pulp now. He’s still a bishop, even if he’s rotten to the core.

“Be quiet,” Ficelle snapped. Anger and irritation were clear in her voice too. “You’re in no position to talk. Also, your breath stinks.”

“Hmph. Stupid little girl.”

And what does that make you for getting caught by said stupid little girl? I barely managed to keep those words to myself. I didn’t want to wear down my mind and spirit by arguing with him. So, I decided to simply ignore him, drag him along in silence, and then hand him over.

We kept walking through the nighttime city, and, though the bishop argued with us, I somehow managed to maintain my self-restraint. Time stretched on as the three of us proceeded in silence. This would’ve been a good opportunity to take my time and enjoy the sights of Baltrain, especially the northern district, but unfortunately, the situation was a little too serious for that. I’ll keep that idea in mind for later—it would be nice to try some sightseeing in the future.

As I continued walking, I pondered one question that remained unsolved: had capturing Reveos truly fixed everything? There wasn’t much I could personally do to repair the situation.

Oh well. Forget the complicated stuff. I can just throw it at Allusia, Lucy, Ibroy, or the like. First, let’s hurry up and hand this guy over.

◇

I wasn’t sure how long we’d spent walking. It felt like we’d gone quite far over a long period of time. Ficelle and I were used to the exertion, but Reveos was gasping for breath. Well, he didn’t look like the type who exercised much.

Upon reaching the Liberion Order’s office, we weren’t greeted by the folks on night duty. No, the commander herself was there.

“We’ve been awaiting your arrival, Master.”

“Allusia? You’re still here?” I asked, my voice a little shrill at the unexpected sight.

Normally, she would’ve gone home a long time ago. And yet, her greeting suggested that she’d been waiting for me. Well, they had sent Kewlny and Ficelle to help, so everything had likely been taken into consideration. Allusia had been aware of Lucy and Ibroy’s plans too. Everything had gone well in hindsight, but what had they planned to do if I’d failed? Wouldn’t that have ended with the order and magic corps running wildly into a fight before Reveos had the chance to testify? It made me question why they’d gone out of the way to have Ibroy make this request.

“Oh man... This kinda stuff chills my nerves,” I complained.

“Hee hee. I knew things would be fine in your hands, Master.”

As expected, Allusia had given me her unconditional trust. Cut that out. I’m just an old man.

“Commander, what shall we do with him?” one of the knights next to Allusia asked, gesturing to Reveos.

“Take him downstairs,” she ordered. “We’ll deal with him appropriately tomorrow.”

“Ma’am!”

The knights took Reveos away. After walking so far, he didn’t look like he had the energy to put up even a vain struggle. My job was now complete.

Still, that Spur fellow was a formidable foe. I might’ve been in trouble if not for my weapon.

“Well done today, Master,” Allusia said. “And you too, Ficelle.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Allusia.”

“It was nothing... This is just work,” Ficelle said, curling into herself a little. She was kind of cute. “I’ll be leaving, then. Later, Master.”

“Mm, take care.”

After safely handing over Reveos to the order, Ficelle withdrew. She’d done really well in that fight. Learning magic must’ve been a relatively recent event for her, but even so, she’d successfully merged it with her swordplay.

Her sword magic looked considerably troublesome to face. Ficelle’s swordsmanship was impressive on its own too, so having all kinds of magic flying out of her blade made it more than a pain to deal with. On that point, her style had a strength that differed from Lucy’s—while Ficelle could battle on the front lines, the corps’s commander was totally suited to fighting in the rear. In terms of simple magic output, Lucy was probably stronger, but taking into consideration everything that could happen in a real battle, it was possible that Ficelle could beat her. That was simply how flexible Ficelle was at handling all kinds of situations.

“Will you be calling it a day too, Master?” Allusia asked.

“Not yet. If you can lend me a little of your time, I have something I want to report.”

“Of course. I don’t mind.”

Allusia’s voice brought my idle thoughts to an end. Now wasn’t the time to be wondering who would prevail between Ficelle and Lucy. It was getting pretty late, so I could technically leave this for the following day, but I decided to go ahead and do it now—better to ask her outright about what was bothering me. I would likely need time to digest the information anyway.

“Is the site being secured?” I asked.

“After receiving Kewlny’s report, I had a squad dispatched there,” Allusia answered. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That’s good.”

It seemed Kewlny had gotten to the order ahead of us. She wasn’t still here though, so maybe she’d been dispatched with the other knights.

“You seem rather tired,” Allusia remarked.

“Yeah, well...I guess I am. I had a rough fight.”

Exhaustion was apparently showing on my face. I was, in fact, pretty tired. My enemy had been strong—it was pretty rare to witness that level of skill. I was just glad that Baldur’s longsword was so sturdy. The reason I’d won was thanks to bulldozing my way through—I’d relied entirely on my weapon’s durability.

“Huh...” Allusia looked a bit stunned. “A swordmaster strong enough to push you into a hard fight...?”

“Cut that out. You’re making it sound like a huge deal.”

In the big wide world, there were probably countless people who could give me a hard fight. There was no point in using me as a measuring stick. Frankly, it was pretty embarrassing when she did.

“Well, he was strong... The men accompanying Bishop Reveos looked like knights. They were armed with full plate and estocs.”

“Estocs...” Allusia muttered. As I’d thought, this was an unusual weapon here in the kingdom. She sank into thought for a while, then continued. “As far as I know, among the organizations active in this region, only the Holy Order of the Church of Sphene makes wide use of estocs.”

“Thought so...”

That fact was now pretty much guaranteed. Ibroy had mentioned that if he’d had the time, he would’ve gotten the Holy Order involved. However, it seemed Reveos’s faction had influence among those knights. In that case, this likely wasn’t going to end with Reveos’s capture...though it would help if his faction’s failure caused them to fall apart naturally.

Hmmm, whatever. Even if they’re a neighbor, I don’t have any obligation to stick my neck into another country’s affairs. It’s got nothing to do with me. Ibroy will just have to do his best.

“There are unconscious knights back at the church,” I said. “You should be able to press them for information about what’s going on behind the scenes.”

“Right. We’ll start by thoroughly interrogating them about the circumstances surrounding this situation.”

If another country’s knights were up to no good in Liberis, then this was already an international problem. That was why the investigation had to be handled that much more carefully. After all, the order couldn’t pick a fight based entirely on false accusations. They had to quickly and carefully uncover what was going on behind the curtains, make sure they were positive about the truth of the matter, and then Liberis had to make an official declaration. That was how I assumed it worked.

“Also...I ended up cutting something I didn’t really want to cut,” I muttered.

“Hm?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Allusia looked a little troubled by this. I wondered how I would explain it to Mui, and I almost felt like I shouldn’t. It would probably be better for her mental stability if I took that secret to the grave. I found this conclusion to be somewhat pathetic, but since I wasn’t capable of doing anything about it, it was probably better off being buried in darkness.

Telling the truth didn’t always lead to a better result. By taking into account the circumstances, timing, and boundaries, it seemed better not to talk about it. Mui was already in an unstable position, so I couldn’t place another unnecessary burden on her. I doubted that remaining silent would result in anything, good or bad. And time would eventually solve it—time was a salve that healed all wounds. Maybe that wasn’t necessarily true for people of all ages, but for someone as young as Mui, it was the best solution.

“Now then,” I said. “I suppose I’ll entrust the aftermath to the order and head back to the inn.”

“Very well. Good work today, Master,” Allusia replied. “Please leave the rest to us.”

Lucy and Ibroy probably wouldn’t mind waiting a day for their report. I had no idea where Ibroy was staying anyway, so I could probably just tell Lucy and the rest would figure itself out. And now that I’d gotten reassurance from Allusia, I felt safe leaving the rest to the knights. Ultimately, my title as special instructor served no purpose in an investigation.

So, no matter what the fine details were, this case was closed for me. That was all I could say about it. Now, all that’s left is to wander back to the inn alone under Baltrain’s night sky.

“Fwaaah...”

The moment I left the order’s office, I unwittingly let out a yawn. Today had been a tiring day. I wanted to get back to my bed and pass out. Staying up late at this age was harsh on the body, so I decided to go straight back to the inn and sleep.

◇

“Yo, I’ve been waiting.”

“Hm? If it isn’t Lucy.”

The next morning, I rose and made my way to the order’s office to train the knights. Despite yesterday’s harrowing events, I couldn’t shirk my daily duties. At the entrance, I spotted a figure waiting with folded arms.

It was the magic corps’s commander, Lucy Diamond.

“You went out of your way to wait for me here?” I asked. “Sorry about that.”

“I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m the one who asked you to do something unreasonable.”

It seemed she was here for me. She’s quite the hard worker, coming out first thing in the morning. I’d wanted to give Lucy a report, but I’d been hesitant to barge into her home, so having her wait for me here had worked out perfectly. There was a lot we had to discuss.

“Do you mind if we head to my place again?” Lucy asked.

“That’s fine and all, but I technically have work to do.”

I was okay with her invitation, but I was a special instructor here, so I had to give lessons every day. The last time we’d met up had been after my work was over, but it was currently bright and early in the morning. I was supposed to be training. Though I could go to Lucy’s house, I would need to tell someone that I wasn’t going to be in the training hall. I didn’t want people to think I was slacking off.

“I already informed Allusia,” Lucy said. “It’s not a problem.”

“Oh, I see... You’re well prepared.”

It turned out my concerns were unnecessary. Lucy had already taken care of things. She really was the type to act immediately once her mind was set—the speed at which she shifted from idea to action was tremendous. I could learn a thing or two from her. Though, I was a bit unsure about what traits I should and shouldn’t imitate.

“Allow me to formally thank you,” said Lucy. “Good work yesterday. I heard most of the story from Allusia.”

“Thanks. Well, it was pretty rough.”

I never actually entered the order’s office, but instead walked toward Lucy’s house, chatting with her all the while. Now that I thought of it, the order’s office, the magic corps’s headquarters, and Lucy’s house were all equipped with magical communication devices. It was convenient that information could be shared so quickly.

“You can tell me the rest once we arrive,” Lucy said. “Ibroy is coming over again.”

“Ah, thought so.”

It turned out that we were gathering again, just as we had yesterday. That made perfect sense—Lucy had served as an intermediary, but the request had officially come from Ibroy. Technically, it was a request from the Church of Sphene made behind closed doors. It would be weird for him not to be there.

I was getting a little bored on our walk, so I decided to turn the topic to Lucy’s house guest. “Oh yeah, how’s Mui been doing?” I asked.

“She’s doing well,” Lucy answered. “But I suppose she’s a little quiet. She probably has no clue what to do about her future.”

“I see.”

It was good to hear that she was okay, at least. And frankly, I understood Mui’s feelings. The world she’d been raised in had turned upside down—how was she supposed to know how to live her life beyond that gloomy world?

It’s like I was thinking yesterday. Time will eventually solve things.

It was true that her life had changed greatly, but unlike me or Lucy, she was still young, with many more years ahead of her. She still had plenty of time left to forge a brilliant future, so it was best to patiently wait for her to adapt to her new life.

It’s an adult’s privilege to wait for a child’s growth... Not that I have any children of my own.

“Well, I suppose there’s no choice but to wait for time to resolve the conflict,” I said.

“Agreed. Mui is still young.”

Lucy seemed to agree. On this topic at least, Lucy’s values and thought process were more similar to mine than Allusia’s or Selna’s. Perhaps it was a matter of age. Lucy looked younger than Mui, but she was older than me. I don’t really want to think about that, though.

We still had a ways to go before reaching Lucy’s house, so I decided to broach a topic that had been bothering me.

“Oh right.”

“Hm?”

“Did you instigate Ficelle into action?” I asked.

“Come now, Beryl, what are you talking about?”

Why you little... Playing dumb? Lucy had the slightest grin on her face—she really had sent Ficelle intentionally. However, the fact that she wasn’t saying it meant she was technically drawing a line. She had to keep up the act, at least a little. In that case, I have nothing more to say. Ficelle and Kewlny had shown up by coincidence, and it was right to just sweep those details under the rug.

After chatting some more about nothing in particular, we reached Lucy’s house. A man greeted us when we arrived.

“Lucy, Beryl, good morning.”

“Yo, Ibroy,” Lucy responded. “Sorry, did we keep you waiting?”

“Not at all. Not like yesterday. I just arrived moments ago.”

This time, Ibroy was waiting for us in front of the gate, so he probably had just arrived. I’d only just met the man a day ago and wasn’t on particularly friendly terms or anything, but judging by what I’d seen of his personality, I figured he was the type to go inside without any hesitation.

“Hello,” I said.

“Beryl, good to see you again,” Ibroy replied. “Let’s hear what you have to say once we’re settled in.”

It seemed that he hadn’t been informed of the incident yet. Well, it’d only been a day.

“No point in standing around here,” Lucy declared. “Come in.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Ibroy followed her with practiced manners.

When we opened the door to the entrance hall, we found Haley there waiting for us.

“Mistress Lucy, Master Ibroy, Master Beryl, good morning.”

“Hi there, Haley,” Ibroy said. “Pardon the intrusion.”

I was pretty confident that I rose earlier in the morning than most, but I was starting to wonder how long all these people had been awake. Haley was a housekeeper, so it wasn’t unnatural for her to be up early. Lucy, on the other hand, seemed like the type to have a messed up day-night cycle. That was just my impression of her.

Once we were all seated in the same parlor as yesterday, Ibroy spoke up.

“Now then, Beryl—let me start by thanking you for your hard work yesterday.”

He wasn’t aware of the details, but he also knew that I hadn’t neglected my duties or anything. I’d never had any intention of doing so.

“Thank you,” I said. “Well, it was a little rough.”

“Ha ha ha. Just as I said yesterday, you’ll be properly compensated. So...how did things go?”

Okay, maybe calling it a little rough is an understatement. Still, there was no point in complaining to Ibroy about that. I’d accepted his request, after all.

“I’ll start with how things ended,” I said. “I captured Bishop Reveos. He’s currently confined in the Liberion Order’s basement.”

“I see. That’s good to hear.”

Ibroy’s expression relaxed. He must’ve found it hard to shut his eyes to Reveos’s evil deeds.

Lucy chimed in. “See? He did just as well as I said he would.”

“Indeed, he did. I’m glad we relied on Beryl.”

“Please, there’s no need to go that far,” I said, sidestepping their praise.

It had, in fact, been hard work, but they didn’t have to put me on a pedestal like that. The fight had been pretty rough, though. Either way, Reveos was sure to be punished properly for this—somewhere out of my sight.

“I have to give my proper thanks,” Ibroy insisted. “I’ll probably even go up in the church’s ranks.”

“H-Ha ha ha...”

Well, if a bishop was arrested, that meant his seat was empty. And as the person who had orchestrated Reveos’s capture, Ibroy had become a major contender for it. This old man was shrewd, which matched the first impression I’d gotten of him. How many ulterior motives was he weaving deep inside his mind? Regardless, he was free to do whatever he wanted as long as it didn’t directly bring harm to me.

“Also, when I went to capture him, he probably used a miracle,” I continued. “What he summoned forth was, um...something like manipulated corpses.”

“I see...” Ibroy murmured. “I suspected as much, but it seems it’s settled now.”

His research to resurrect the dead had been, unquestionably, a lousy failure. I didn’t deny the research of magic itself, but it was hard to stomach such inhumane acts.

“Hmph. Well, the nation will surely pass judgment on him,” Lucy said, her reaction as harsh as expected. She had pretty strong opinions about resurrecting the dead. “Oh, yes. Not to just tack this on, but I’ve also thought of a reward for you.”

“Hm?”

Did she simply hate the topic of resurrection? Or had an idea just come to her mind? Lucy’s expression was suddenly brighter as she shifted the conversation to my reward. I wasn’t reluctant to accept anything they offered, but I didn’t want to carry too much cash on me, and since I was living out of an inn, it was problematic to receive any material goods.

“Beryl, would you like a house?” Lucy asked.

“Huh?”

What? I don’t think I heard that right.

I froze at the unexpected word. “A house?” I repeated just to be sure.

Why a house? I mean, I want a house and I’m actively looking for one. I’ve even mentioned that to her before.

“That’s right,” Lucy said. “What? You don’t want one?”

“No, wait, hang on. You’re skipping too many steps. I’m confused.”

I mean, take a look. Even Ibroy is making a weird face like he has no clue what you’re saying. That’s how things go when you offer a house out of the blue.

Right now, I didn’t have nearly enough information to make a decision. It would be weirder to immediately say, “Yeah, sure, I’ll take it,” if someone randomly offered you a house.

“I mean exactly what I said...” Lucy responded. She seemed somewhat downhearted and perhaps found my confusion unexpected.

Honestly, I was more than grateful for the offer—I just wasn’t sure how she thought I was just going to say yes after only a brief explanation.

“Oh, right,” Ibroy joined in as if suddenly remembering something. “Lucy, you had another house before buying this one.”

“Yup, that one,” Lucy confirmed.

It seemed Ibroy knew about the house she was offering. This reinforced my idea that Lucy and Ibroy had known each other for a long time. I didn’t know when exactly she’d bought this house, but the fact that he knew about her old place probably meant they were old acquaintances. Going off of what Ibroy said, Lucy owned another house before moving here...and she was now offering it to me as a reward.

Huh? Seriously? I feel like houses aren’t things you just hand out like that.

“I-I’m grateful for the offer...but is it really all right for me to accept something like that?” I have to be sure...

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Lucy answered casually. “I have it cleaned periodically, but nobody lives there. This actually works out just fine for me.”

It seemed Lucy still owned the house, but it was uninhabited. Wouldn’t it make more sense to sell it, then? Well, maybe some circumstances were preventing that.

“You’re still living out of an inn, right?” Lucy continued. “I figured this would be perfect for you.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but...”

If this had been an offer from a complete stranger, I would’ve absolutely suspected some kind of catch. But this was Lucy offering, and though my suspicions weren’t totally quelled, they weren’t ringing alarm bells. Still, this whole thing seemed outrageous.

“I suppose that would also be preferable for me,” Ibroy added. “I mean, having your reward sent to an inn would be problematic.”

“Right...”

Objectively speaking, an old man at my age having no permanent address and living out of an inn was pretty bad. I understood that much. I wasn’t the type to put that much emphasis on my reputation, but I had been appointed as a special instructor for the Liberion Order, so a part of me wanted to maintain the bare minimum of standards. That was why I’d been house-hunting during my free time. Still, this was all a bit sudden. I knew Lucy wasn’t trying to trick me or anything, but...

A house just for lending a bit of a helping hand? That’s obviously gonna be a shock to anyone. Can’t you think things through a bit more?

“W-Well, I’ll consider it...”

“Really?” asked Lucy. “I thought you’d take it immediately.”

Go find me someone who would say yes on the spot. I want to see that guy for myself.

“A-Anyway, Bishop Reveos is the important part here,” I said, getting us back on track.

Honestly, I wasn’t that fixated on receiving rewards. It was only right to receive payment for a job—that was how this whole transaction worked. Still, an excessive reward was unnecessary. Such things generally led to other far worse requests that didn’t make up for the initial payment. While this wasn’t always the case, I felt like I had to remain cautious...no matter who the offer was coming from. It was simply my nature to be guarded about these things.

“You’re right,” Ibroy said. “This might sound spiteful coming from a member of the Church of Sphene...but I’m sure the bishop will be stripped of his seat.”

“And you’ll be the one to take that empty seat?” I asked.

“Ha ha ha, you’re jumping to conclusions, Beryl.”

I couldn’t really understand Ibroy’s true intentions. Was it possible that he’d schemed this whole course of events? If he had, then this plan had been both too sloppy and too grand, all at the same time. Either way, he would remain a shrewd old man in my mind until I could parse his true nature.

“Also, there were several men who appeared to be knights guarding Bishop Reveos,” I revealed. “They were armed with estocs.”

Allusia had stated that they were knights of the Holy Order, but we still weren’t sure if that was the case.

“They were...almost without a doubt, the Holy Order of the Church,” Ibroy murmured. “I see...”

Seems that he’s also of this opinion.

Ibroy sank into thought. After a while, his expression softened. “Well, simply discussing this among ourselves isn’t going to do anything. For now, let’s celebrate our success.”

He did have a point. Even if there was some conspiracy going on, the three of us weren’t capable of predicting what it was. Judging by what I knew of Reveos, an investigation probably wasn’t going to get much out of him—he’d just go on bloviating about how important his miracle was or what a noble purpose he had. I didn’t know what laws he’d broken or how exactly he’d be punished, but an acquittal was probably out of the question. At the very least, he was definitely guilty of conspiring with thieves to abduct innocent people. It was anyone’s guess what would happen next.

“You really did well to pull it off,” Lucy said, slapping my shoulder. “Good job.”

“Ha ha, thanks.”

Someone who looked like a little girl was sympathizing with an old man in his forties... It painted a pretty crazy picture.

“Now then, want to go take a look at this house I plan to give you?” she asked.

“Huh? Now?”

This flow of events still didn’t make sense to me, but Lucy was dead set on handing over this house.

“Just accept it,” Ibroy said. “Beryl, you’re troubled by the fact that you’ve stayed at an inn for so long, aren’t you?”

“Well, that’s true, but...”

I wasn’t exactly opposed to the house, but this was two-on-one. Hmmm... This reward is totally unexpected, but I suppose it’s a happy turn of events. I don’t have to decide right away, so maybe it would be a good idea to see the interior and location first. I still can’t make heads or tails of how it’d come to this, though.

“You may decide after seeing it,” Lucy said. “I’m not forcing you.”

“Well... In that case, I’ll take you up on it.”

“Good, good. Shall we?”

Lucy rose from her chair, her expression even more cheerful than before. This was only reinforcing my opinion that she was quick to act. It felt like she always made immediate decisions and took instant action.

Ibroy stood from his seat as well. “I suppose I’ll be leaving too. It seems the church will be busy for a while.”

Lucy nodded. “Mm. Go—exert yourself to the fullest.”

A bishop had just been arrested, so things were definitely going to be busy for him. Ibroy’s skills could potentially turn the tide and facilitate common ground among church leadership.

“Oh, is everyone leaving?” Haley asked as the three of us left the parlor.

“Mm-hmm. Something came up,” Lucy said. We’d only just decided to leave and tour the house, so there was no way Haley knew about our plans. “We’re going to see that.”

“Oh dear...” Haley smiled. “Hee hee, understood.”

Somehow, Haley always seemed perfectly in sync with Lucy’s temperament. It showed how much experience she’d accumulated over the many years. This was a woman who was very capable at her job, albeit in a very different way than, for example, Allusia.

“Have a safe trip,” Haley added with a bow.

And just like that, we left Lucy’s house. I still didn’t understand half of what was going on, but there was no point in bringing that up now that things had gotten this far. So, I decided to just enjoy this private open house.

◇

After leaving Lucy’s house, I peered up at the sky. A clear day... It felt refreshing to walk under the blue sky.

“Nice weather today, huh?” I muttered casually. I much preferred a sunny day to rain or snow.

Lucy nodded. “Indeed, it is. If only the climate stayed like this all the time. Fwaaah...” She stretched her arms up high and let out a long yawn.

“So where exactly is this house?” I asked.

“Not too far from here.”

If it was close to Lucy’s home, it was probably in the central district. Since land was relatively expensive in this district, the property was likely prime real estate. It’ll be nice if the house is somewhat close to the guild and the order’s office.

“Oh, right. About what happened yesterday,” I said.

“Hm? There’s still more?” Lucy asked curiously.

The topic was a little dark for our relaxing stroll through town, but we continued nonetheless.

“One of the corpses I took out looked a lot like Mui’s sister... I can’t say for sure, though.”

“I see...”

It could’ve just been a coincidental resemblance. There weren’t infinite facial structures, and apparently, every person had three doppelgängers. Still, from what I’d seen personally, that exact shade of blue hair was pretty rare. It was only natural for me to assume a connection.

“You probably shouldn’t tell Mui,” said Lucy. “It won’t accomplish anything.”

“Ah, so you think so too?”

At least Lucy shared my opinion in this regard. It seemed my instincts hadn’t been wrong. There was no good way of telling a little girl, “Your sister was used by an evil bishop, and I cut her down while he was manipulating her dead body.”

“At any rate, please support her,” Lucy added. “She’s feeling awfully lonely.”

“Hm? I intend to.”

I had no plans to completely ignore her, but if anything, shouldn’t Lucy be the one supporting her since they were living together? At this point, my daily routine didn’t have much in common with Mui’s.

“Speaking of Mui, I’m thinking of enrolling her in the magic institute,” Lucy said. “We can’t allow such a talent for magic to be crushed, after all.”

“Is that so? I agree with you there.”

Well, Lucy was thinking of Mui in her own way too. Instead of letting her spend her days idly, it was necessary to give the girl some sort of objective. To put it crudely, she needed something to distract her. And, she did have a rare talent. Regardless of whether she would join the magic corps in the future, it wasn’t a bad idea to allow Mui to polish her skills at the magic institute. Problems that could be solved would remain in limbo if Mui just spent every day brooding.

“Oh, here we are,” Lucy announced.

“Hmmm... Not bad.”

We found ourselves just a little outside the middle of the central district in a somewhat quiet neighborhood. There were hardly any pedestrians. In all likelihood, the people who lived in these residences were just about to leave for work. I estimated this property to be about halfway between the order’s office and Lucy’s house, or perhaps just a bit nearer to Lucy. It wasn’t particularly close, but also not too far away for a daily commute. I could see myself walking that distance every day.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad spot.

“It isn’t all that big,” Lucy said. “Not that you really mind, I assume?”

“It’s more than enough,” I answered.

I stood before a one-story house that looked a little snug for a building in the central district. Despite its size, there was more than enough space for me to live alone. I had barely brought any luggage with me from Beaden to begin with—not much more than my sword, traveling expenses, and some extra clothes.

“Now then, is she here?” Lucy asked, banging on the door.

“Huh?”

Hang on, someone’s inside? I thought nobody lived here. My brain froze at the sudden development.

“Who the—? Oh, Ms. Lucy.”

“Mui?”

A girl with sharp eyes and dark blue hair stepped out. This was Mui Freya. I’d noticed that she hadn’t been at Lucy’s. It turned out this was where she’d gone off to.

“Old g— Mr. Beryl, you t— You’re here as well?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I said. “Just act like you usually do.”

What’s with the weird self-corrections? Her eyes shifted around awkwardly as she tried speaking with unfamiliar and polite terms. It was cute in its own way. Ah, I’ve turned into a total old man admiring a child’s growth.

“Ha ha ha ha!” Lucy grinned. “Haley kept pestering her about her speech.”

“I see.”

Haley had no shortcomings as a servant. She was an excellent counterweight to Lucy’s wild side—she really had it together. And for that reason, Haley couldn’t allow such a little girl to speak coarsely, even if she was a guest. I could easily picture Mui’s disheartened look as Haley chided her.

“So, what have you been doing here, Mui?” I asked.

“Oh... Cleaning, cooking—stuff like that.”

Somehow, I felt really guilty about being given a house that a young girl had cleaned up for me—it made me look like a useless bum. Okay, let’s not think about that part. It seemed Mui was spending time here and preparing to become independent instead of remaining in Lucy’s care all the time. This was, of course, for her own sake. There was a difference between watching over someone and being overprotective.

“Since we’re here, shall we take a look inside too?” Lucy suggested.

“Sure.” If I was actually going to live here, I had to check the interior, so that worked out just fine for me.

“I haven’t gotten to the small stuff yet, but most of the cleaning is done,” Mui reported.

“Good work, Mui,” I told her. “Very impressive.”

“Hmph.”

I tried giving her some honest praise, but I didn’t get much in terms of a reaction. Still, just like I’d thought the other day, she was a lot less thorny than when I’d first met her. Living a peaceful life seemed to have mellowed her out. Mui was still young, so the change was especially pronounced.

The three of us spent a while going around the house. It looked somewhat old, but it was in good enough shape to live in, especially since Mui had cleaned the place up recently. Nothing here seemed like it would be an inconvenience.

“So, what do you think?” Lucy asked.

“Not bad at all,” I answered. “It’s a nice house.”

“Ha ha, that’s good to hear.”

The place was even fully furnished, so I could technically move in right away. The thought of moving had my mind drifting to the inn I’d been staying at—and the few taverns in its vicinity. Well, setting aside the inn, I could visit those taverns whenever I wanted. Besides, I was excited to explore this area of the central district for more places to eat.

“Then it’s decided,” Lucy declared. “Don’t worry—I’m not planning to ask for any money. You may also think of this as an apology for picking a fight when we first met.”

“Aah, right, that did happen.”

Yeah, our first meeting had indeed started with a sudden battle. She really had been a horrible nuisance. However, if the reward for that was a house in a prime location, then it certainly evened out.

Just as I was starting to feel deeply moved by my new home, Mui spoke up. “Well, um, I’ll be in your care.”

Her words hit me like a bolt from the blue, and I tilted my head in confusion. “Hm? How so?” I asked.

Lucy turned to me. “Beryl, what’re you asking? You’re going to be living with Mui.” She paused for a moment. “Hm? Wait... Didn’t I mention that?”

“Huh?” What?! You didn’t say a single thing about it! “Hang on, what do you mean?”

This is weird... Why are we talking about me living with Mui? Is that what Mui meant by being “in my care”? And Mui, don’t just go along with it! Where’d your attitude go?

“I can’t have her staying at my place forever, right?” Lucy explained.

“Mm, that much I understand.”

That part was fine with me. Lucy wasn’t going to be raising Mui for the rest of her life—the girl had stayed with her as a temporary measure. I knew that, but the rest didn’t make sense.

“Mui must become independent,” Lucy continued. “That said, we can’t suddenly throw her out on her own.”

“Mm, that’s right.”

Normally, Mui would be saying, “I can manage fine on my own,” or something, but she remained silent. Well, she’d never lived a life that didn’t involve pickpocketing, so maybe she had no idea what to do if that was prohibited.

“So, you’ve been selected for the job,” Lucy concluded.

“That’s the part I don’t get...”

This is weird. It’s definitely weird. The whole conversation is going over my head.

“But Mui is fine with it,” Lucy added.

I paused for a moment and then turned to the girl. “You really okay with this?”

“Well, it don’t sound bad...” She then averted her eyes and said, “But it don’t sound good either...”

This attitude was better than outright refusal, but I questioned whether something had happened—why had she become attached to me? I was used to dealing with children because of my time at the dojo, but this was different from handling a pupil. Perhaps yesterday’s events had endeared her to me. It was true that I’d told her to relax and enjoy her current lifestyle. However, this old man still found these circumstances to be a bit...sudden.

I sighed. “Haah...”

I felt a certain responsibility for this girl. There was the matter of her sister too. I knew I couldn’t serve as her sister’s substitute, but as an adult who’d gotten involved with her life, I believed it was my duty to see that she became independent.

“Besides,” said Lucy, “I have a proper reason for choosing you.”

“Hmm. Mind if I ask?”

Just as I was coming to the conclusion that I had no other choice—not in a negative way, mind you—Lucy was presenting a reason for selecting me. I decided to hear her out. Nothing to lose...

“Mui has a talent for magic,” Lucy stated. “That’s why I believe it’s best for her to enroll in the magic institute. You agree with that, correct?”

“Yeah.”

She was exactly right. The magic institute was, without a doubt, the best place for magic users to learn about their powers. There, they could flourish. Anyone who had the innate ability to use magic received preferential treatment, and according to Lucy, the institute didn’t care about birthright or upbringing. Considering Mui’s situation, all of this was pretty much ideal.

“However, to enter the magic institute, a parent or guardian’s approval is required,” Lucy explained.

“Is that so?”

I was really ignorant when it came to magic, so I hadn’t even known of such a rule—this was my first time hearing it. Still, I now had an idea of why I’d been chosen.

Mui didn’t have any parents. Well, maybe they were still alive, but Mui had never known them, so any hopes of finding them were slim. What’s more, her one and only known blood relative had passed away. She now had no family whatsoever, and it would be very hard for her to enroll in the magic institute. It was only natural for someone to step up and fill that parental role.

“That’s why I thought you should become her guardian,” Lucy said.

“I see...”

I was finally starting to understand, though I wasn’t sure whether I agreed just yet. Becoming Mui’s guardian meant becoming responsible for her, at least until she graduated from the magic institute and could be independent. I doubted Mui was thinking of going back to a life of theft—it was best to trust her on that front.

“I won’t be a bother...probably,” Mui said apologetically. Perhaps she was thinking that my conversation with Lucy was going poorly.

“Yeah, I’m not worried about that,” I told her. This was all so sudden, but I wasn’t doubting Mui in any way. I had to make that clear to her.

“The institute has dorms,” Lucy added. “She’ll spend most of her time there, so I doubt this’ll become a major issue.”

“Is that the main problem here...?” I mumbled.

I felt like Lucy was evading the true nature of the matter at hand. Yes, living in a dorm would mean that Mui and I would spend little time under the same roof, so that would solve some things without either of us having to be overly considerate. However...

“Couldn’t you be her guardian, Lucy?” I asked.

“My position is somewhat inconvenient for that,” she answered. “Even if I’m fine with it, Mui would be singled out.”

“Hmmm...”

She did have a point. If the current commander of the magic corps were to take in an orphan and enroll her in the magic institute, all sorts of rumors would spread. It was easy to forget, but Lucy was a person of status. In terms of simple titles, maybe the same went for me, but the history, weight, and above all else, the fame and influence of her title were all on a different level. I wouldn’t want all of that attention to fall on Mui’s shoulders—better to avoid it.

“Allusia...would also be out of the question,” I muttered.

“Indeed,” Lucy agreed. “Her age would be a problem.”

The one other person who knew of Mui’s circumstances came to mind, but I immediately realized that the knight commander would be no good. She was quite young, and this wasn’t the type of thing the commander of the Liberion Order should be burdened with.

“I get it now...”

After thinking it through, I could see that the best option—or the only one left after the process of elimination—was me. I reached a hand to my head, and the sound of me quietly ruffling my hair filled the room. I was the one who’d said I would take responsibility for Mui, even if only to the extent that I was capable. I hadn’t lied about that, and a part of me wanted to do something for her.

“Well, you know, it might sound strange coming from me, but this is only for the purpose of documentation,” Lucy added. “I’m not telling you to act like father and daughter or anything.”

Should you really be saying that, even if it’s true? This old man thinks the magic corps’s commander and the role model of the entire magic institute shouldn’t be talking like that.

“Haah... Fine,” I said.

I couldn’t be a substitute for Mui’s big sister. However, I had a relatively large amount of experience with children. Being a parent was different from being an instructor, of course, but I couldn’t express such anxieties in front of Mui.

“R-Really...?” Mui asked.

“Yeah, well... Guess I’ll be in your care too,” I told her.

Being a child was so unfair. That look on Mui’s face... Anybody would want to listen to what she had to say. Also, I felt guilty about having slain Mui’s sister...even if she’d already been dead. I was unable to tell Mui that—if I did, it would even be fair for her to blame me. However, just as originally sworn, I’d already decided to keep that secret from her. Lucy and I would take it to the grave.

Perhaps being Mui’s guardian was a form of atonement. I didn’t really understand stuff like that, but I was going to look after this girl. If doing so leads to her growth and a bright future, it’s only right to resign myself and accept it.

“Okay! Here are the documents for the institute,” Lucy pulled some papers from her pocket. “I have a pen too.”

“You’re well prepared...”

These were probably enrollment papers and proof that I was Mui’s guardian. We sat down in some of the chairs at the nearby table—Lucy had likely set this situation up to make it effortless for us to read over the documents. Everything was in place to get a few signatures immediately.

“Oh yeah—do you know how to write, Mui?” I asked.

“A little...”

It was easy to guess that she hadn’t received a proper education. She would have to learn to read and write from this point onward.

“Oh, well, when you’re here, I’ll teach you,” I said.

“Got it...”

Lucy burst into laughter. “Ha ha ha ha! Like a father already!”

Quiet, Lucy. Can I just punch her? I guess not. Well, I am getting a house from her, so I feel like I owe her more than she owes me. Things are getting complicated.

Anyway, I had to take responsibility for barging into Mui’s world and pulling her out of it. The time had simply come to do so. It was no big deal—I had experience from my time raising Selna. Things were sure to go relatively well.

“Ummm... M-u-...j...?”

“Aah, you spell it like this...”

I took a seat and watched Mui struggle with her pen as she signed the document. Ah, this reminds me—I should probably write a letter to Beaden. A lot had happened since I’d come here, and I was curious about how Randrid was doing at the dojo. I wondered how I would even start such a letter, and only one thing came to mind. I smiled bitterly to myself.

Dear Dad,

I found a house and a child before finding a wife.