Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 11 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Skanda’s Comrade in Arms ~Iino Yuna’s POV~

Two weeks had passed since I started chasing rumors of the fake savior with the Second Company of the Holy Order. The company had been dispatched to this region to gather information. The knights went around finding out what they could, and their commander, Gordon Cavill, compiled it all before sending it to the First Company.

Gordon and his knights devoted all their energy to their duty. Sadly, they’d yet to get any results. They’d found several abandoned villages, but the all-important fake savior still eluded them.

If this was in fact the work of the Lord of Darkness, Kudou Riku, then it was essential to catch him in the act. We continued traveling from village to village, gathering information as we went. And then, one day...

“An invitation from a noble?” I asked, repeating what Gordon told me.

“Yes. A messenger from Viscount Bann came to us.”

That was the name of the feudal lord here.

“He heard about you investigating the fake savior and insists on giving you a warm welcome,” Gordon added.

“We came here to investigate, though...”

“I understand how you feel, but the viscount will lose face if he ignores a savior in his lands.”

I grimaced, knowing he was right. To be honest, I didn’t want to go, but I also wasn’t going to disgrace a noble.

“Understood. Can you send a reply saying I accept?”

“Thank you, madam. I’m sure the viscount will be pleased.”

Gordon’s stern expression softened a little. By nature, he was like a wise old man. He had a large build and a bald head, so at a glance, he looked frightening and unrefined, but in truth, he was very considerate of others.

“Please leave things to us in your absence.”

Just like that, I ended up having to visit a viscount.

◆ ◆ ◆

Several days later, I took a day away from the Holy Order and visited the viscount’s castle. It was nowhere near as grand as Fort Tilia or Fort Ebenus. It was more of a small fortified building where the feudal lord and his clique could barricade themselves in and wait for rescue in case of emergencies. We’d already contacted them about my visit today, so they let me through right away.

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Miss Yuna.”

Viscount Bann came out to greet me, bowing deeply. Two rows of what looked like his subordinates also bowed behind him. I’d informed him that I didn’t want a grand show, but that had apparently fallen on deaf ears.

Or maybe this was actually a modest welcome. The town hadn’t been stirred up into a festival, at least. Some on the exploration team would adore such treatment, but I didn’t really like that kind of thing.

I found myself nearly grimacing, but I endured the urge. My eyes then stopped on someone lined up behind the viscount. He wasn’t bowing. On the contrary, he raised his hand in a friendly manner.

“Huh...?”

“Yo, Iino. Long time no see.”

He had a solid build and friendly features. My eyes shot open.

“Jinguuji?”

“’Sup.”

It was an unexpected reunion. The Dragon Jinguuji Tomoya, formerly of the exploration team, gave me an affable, masculine smile.

◆ ◆ ◆

Jinguuji was known as the Dragon in the exploration team. He’d been part of the first expeditionary force, and he was one of the members who’d reached Fort Ebenus with me. However, when I returned from Fort Tilia with the students who’d been stranded in the Depths, Jinguuji had already left.

Around half the exploration team members had left during that time. I’d heard many of them were staying in this region. Jinguuji was the first I’d reunited with. He’d heard by coincidence that I was nearby and had secretly arranged for us to meet at Viscount Bann’s castle. He’d kept this hidden because he’d been hoping to surprise me. I’d fallen for it completely, but I was honestly happy to see one of my old comrades.

After the party the viscount had prepared for me was over, I decided to drop by Jinguuji’s room. The viscount had kept me occupied during the entire party, so Jinguuji and I hadn’t had the time to sit and chat.

“Phew, we finally got some time to ourselves.”

“Oh? You’re getting me all hot and bothered, Iino.”

“Don’t be stupid. I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, taking a seat and glaring at Jinguuji. “I mean we can finally settle down and talk. It was pretty hectic with people greeting me one after another like that.”

“You could’ve just nodded along and ignored them.”

Jinguuji laughed and threw himself back, taking a seat on the bed as I grumbled about the party. His face was red. He’d had a bit to drink, so he looked like he was in a good mood. Incidentally, reinforcing one’s physical abilities through mana didn’t just strengthen one’s muscles; it also increased one’s resistance to poisonous substances. This applied to alcohol too.

With enough mana, one could prevent instant death from powerful poisons, and with that extra time, the poison could be removed entirely with healing magic. At my level, poison was pretty much useless. In the same vein, I could also stop myself from getting drunk off alcohol. On the other hand, it was a choice—if I wanted, I could get drunk. I’d never had any alcohol before, though, so I only knew of this by hearsay.

“‘O savior, O great savior.’ The types begging for attention like that will be satisfied so long as you look in their general direction, and I get my fill of tasty stuff in return. It’s a win-win situation,” Jinguuji explained.

“I understand what you’re getting at, but...”

I didn’t like doing things like that. I preferred to interact with more serious and sincere people. I didn’t want to make things awkward, though, so I kept it to myself.

“I’m not good with that stuff,” I said, shrugging. “Honestly, it’s more tiring than fighting monsters.”

“For you, yeah. You kill monsters instantly. I bet you never even break a sweat.”

“That’s not really true. I have a hard time once in a while too.”

I recalled my fight against one of Majima’s servants, Gerbera. Known as the Great White Spider of the Depths, she was exceptionally strong. I’d managed to beat her in a direct confrontation, but any warrior-level cheater would struggle considerably against her. He had other strong servants like Lily, so if they worked together, they could probably even defeat a warrior. Actually, there was no “probably” about it; they’d defeated Juumonji back at Fort Tilia.

“Hmm. You having a hard time, huh?” Jinguuji said, his eyes sharpening a little.

Back in the Colony, he’d fought shoulder to shoulder with me on the front lines. He knew what I was capable of.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in this world strong enough to give you a run for your money,” he added.

“I’ve been running around all over. I got the chance to learn a lot.”

“Ouch. It’s not like I’ve just been playing around. Anyways... Hmm, ‘a lot,’ huh? Oh, right. You went to Fort Tilia, yeah? Why’re you out here with a buncha knights?”

“A lot happened. What about you?”

“Nothing serious. Well, now’s as good a time as any. Let’s compare what we know. Honestly, I called you here ’cause I have something I wanna ask you. Can you tell me what the others from the exploration team have been up to?”

“Yeah, sure.” I didn’t have a reason to refuse.

We went on to tell each other what we knew. From that, I found out that Jinguuji had received invitations from a bunch of nobles and had come here to see one of them, Viscount Bann. He’d already gone around to several other nobles too.

“There’re a few others out there like me. For the most part, they’ve been helping the provincial armies suppress monsters in exchange for their livelihood.”

“Does that go for you too?” I asked.

“More or less. I’ve gone out fighting a few times while leading some soldiers. Well, unlike the big nobles who have armies in the tens of thousands, the provincial armies out here are only a few hundred strong. So it wasn’t as though I were some great commander.”

“The noble territories in this area are pretty small, after all.”

“Seems like there’re others going around village to village without bothering any nobles. ‘We’re fighting to save those in need,’ so they say. They’re the ones with proper motives, unlike the happy-go-lucky idiots like me.”

“Is that so?”

This was an unexpected boon. I’d been wondering about those who’d quit the exploration team and scattered in this region. Not only did I get to meet Jinguuji, I’d even gotten information on some of the others.

“Do you maybe know where they are?” I asked.

“Hm? Uhhh, I guess so. Just a few, though...”

“Really?! Can you tell me where?!” I exclaimed, pitching forward.

“S-Sure. I don’t mind. Did something happen?” Jinguuji asked, somewhat bewildered by my vigor.

“Yeah. Have you heard the rumors of a fake savior?” I said, calming myself down a little.

“Yeah, I’ve heard people talking about it, at least.”

“That makes things easy, then. I actually came here to investigate the rumors.”

“Hmm. How whimsical. Well, I guess that suits you.”

“Don’t poke fun at me. I’m being serious. Because of these rumors spreading, we could get mistaken as fakes too. I thought it’d be nice to warn everyone.”

Jinguuji gave me an understanding nod, and I started telling him what I knew about my visit to Fort Tilia, my mission into the Depths, the circumstances behind Fort Tilia’s fall, my scuffle and reconciliation with Majima, my return to the exploration team, and the details I’d discovered during my investigation on the fake savior.

“So that’s the gist of it, huh? Got it,” Jinguuji said calmly after I finished. He’d sobered up a little. “Just to check, you haven’t met any of the quitters other than me yet, right?”

“Nope. I’ve covered quite a lot of ground too. The Empire’s awfully big.”

“Hmm...” He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

“That’s why I’d like to know where they are,” I added.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you what I know, of course.”

“Really? Thank you!”

“No need to thank me. We’re comrades, right?” he added casually.

Jinguuji then told me where the others were. I pictured a map in my head and confirmed the location. Fortunately, Gordon’s Second Company wasn’t all that far from there now. At that distance, I could inform them of what I knew, then meet them there or go along with them too.

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to meet the others, though,” Jinguuji said.

“Huh? Oh, I get it. They might be on the move.”

That made sense. Both Jinguuji and I had been constantly moving. It wouldn’t be strange if the students in that village were doing the same. It was highly likely they’d be gone already.

“In that case, I’ll have to get going right away,” I muttered to myself. “Maybe I should go ahead on my own? No, that might invite an unnecessary misunderstanding. It’ll be safer to consult Gordon and go with them...”

“Hey, Iino?”

“Oh, sorry. What is it?”

His voice brought me back to my senses, but he didn’t say anything.

“Jinguuji?”

Despite calling out to me, he remained silent with his eyes to the floor, seemingly deep in thought.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

After a short while, he raised his head. “Will you stay with me?”

“Huh?”

His proposal left me wide-eyed in shock. I’d thought it was some kind of perplexing joke, but Jinguuji looked dead serious.

“I don’t mean it in a weird way,” he said. “Well, I don’t mind it that way either, but that’s not what I mean. I want you to work with me.”

“Can you explain?”

“To tell the truth, I haven’t just been lazing around. I...” He hesitated for a moment, then made up his mind. “I plan to somehow get back to our world. I want you to help me with that.”

“Go back...to our world?” I echoed, a chill running down my spine as I remembered Juumonji. “Jinguuji, did you...?”

“Oh. Don’t misunderstand. I’m different from Juumonji.”

I’d detailed the turmoil at Fort Tilia already, so Jinguuji knew what Juumonji had done and why.

“He was an idiot,” Jinguuji said. “Kill your friends to go back home? That’s goddamn crazy.”

I started, surprised by the anger in his voice.

“How many of us are left?” he continued. “A hundred? Two? How many of the original thousand are already dead? I’m different from that asshole. I’m getting back home with everyone.”

His strong will was practically tangible. To state the obvious, everyone who’d been teleported here had their own motives. Personal motivation had likely driven those who’d left the exploration team more so than those who’d chosen to act as a group. A certain someone who also had a strong will came to mind—though I hated him. Jinguuji acted independently, just like that guy did.

“What can you even do?” I asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know for sure. I know there’s no precedent. Still, I don’t think it’s impossible. We teleported from our world to this one, so it should be possible to go back. Even if his method was utter shit, there’s a certain persuasiveness to Juumonji’s logic too.”

We visitors were said to have the power to grant our own wishes. Juumonji had murdered his fellow visitors to “gain experience points” so that he could grant his wish of going home. Disregarding his methods, the idea of using our powers to cross the boundary between worlds had its merit. At the very least, Juumonji had considered it possible. In that case, maybe there were other ways, ones that didn’t require us to sacrifice one another. That was what Jinguuji believed.

“Also, the Holy Church is fishy,” Jinguuji added. “They hide the fact that our powers are based on our wishes from the public, right? They might be hiding other stuff too, like a way to go back, for example.”

Jinguuji appeared to be completely sober now.

“Anyways, I gotta gather intel,” he continued. “The capital’s probably the best place to find anything out, but if I go there before knowing left from right, it’ll be hard to judge if I’m being swindled. I’ve been going around so I can get the bare minimum of knowledge I need. Well, I might not be able to find out anything important, but if I learn as much as I can before going there, it might point me toward something big, and I might be able to sense something’s outta place if someone tries to trick me.”

I could tell he’d given this a lot of thought, because he spoke fluently and without hesitation. I only just noticed how many books adorned his room. They were likely from Viscount Bann’s personal collection. Jinguuji had mentioned going from noble to noble too. In other words, he had a good reason for his wandering.

“I’ve already called out a few trustworthy people,” he said. “There aren’t all that many of us, but we’re treated as saviors in this world. If we act smart, we should be able to find the information we need. Iino, it’d be reassuring to have you with us.”

“Jinguuji...”

“Can you?”

I hesitated for a moment. He looked so sincere. But, in the end, I shook my head.

“Iino...”

“Sorry. There’s something I have to do first.”

His proposal was definitely attractive. I also hoped that we could all go home. However, I couldn’t leave wicked deeds at large after learning of them. Nobody would die as a direct consequence of our going back home, but if we left the fake savior at large, more casualties were sure to come. It was easy for me to decide what to prioritize.

“I see...” Jinguuji said, sighing deeply before grinning. “Aw man, I got turned down.”

“Sorry.”

“Oh well. Everyone’s got something important to them,” he said casually, spurring on my guilt even more. “C’mon, don’t look at me like that.”

“Sorry, Jinguuji.”

“It’s fine. Oh, but...”

“It’s a secret, right? I know.”

Seeing as he suspected the Holy Church, it was better not to publicize what he was up to.

“Thanks,” he said with a relieved smile, then averted his gaze bashfully. “Well, ya know, if I find a way back, I’ll tell you. So don’t worry.”

“Thank you.” I giggled. He acted irresponsible every now and then, but he always kept his friends close at heart. “Jinguuji, you’re a good guy.”

“I feel kinda disappointed hearing that from a girl, but thanks.”

“Huh?”

“You just don’t get it. That’s why Watanabe got stuck spinning his wheels,” Jinguuji said, smiling wryly. “But I guess that makes sense.” His smile then turned to a teasing one. I had a bad feeling. “You’ve got the hots for someone else and all. I mean, you turned me down too. Man, I’m jealous.”

“Huh?” I scowled, having no idea what he was implying.

“Oh come on. I’m talking about Majima,” he said with a lewd grin. “You like him, don’t you?”

“What?” I froze. It took a few seconds for his words to sink in, at which point I felt heat rushing to my face. “Wh-Wh-What are you saying?! You’re wrong! How did you come to that conclusion?!”

“I mean, you’re clearly different when you talk about him,” he answered, his expression puzzled. “You really haven’t noticed?”

I could feel even more heat in my cheeks, but it was because of anger. How could I not be angry over such an outrageous misunderstanding? That was obviously all there was to it.

“You’re wrong! I hate that guy!”

I had discussed Majima while detailing what had happened. I’d also explained things so that Jinguuji knew for sure that Majima was utterly unrelated to the attack on Fort Tilia, but...but...that was only to right a wrong. That was all. Nothing else.

“Well, I mean, I guess I’m conscious of him. I mean, I hate him and all.”

“Hmmmm.”

“What’s with that face?”

“Nothing. I mean, I don’t really get what you see in the guy, but isn’t it fine? Love isn’t logical.”

“I do not like—!”

There was no point; I wasn’t getting through to him. He was just poking fun at me now. I was considering giving him a good whack if he said anything else weird, when suddenly, Jinguuji’s expression turned serious.

“Hey, Iino?”

“What?” I replied thornily.

“Things might get crazy from here on out,” he said, dead serious. “Don’t give in.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well...it’s just a hunch,” Jinguuji answered with a vague smile. “Even if we’ve got special powers, this world is still dangerous. You’re a girl too, so of course I’ll worry.”

“Nobody can beat me in a one-on-one fight. I should be the one worried about you.”

“Hah, the mouth on you,” Jinguuji said, smiling bitterly.

I could tell that he was seriously worried about me. I was very grateful.

“Jinguuji, be careful out there.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

The next day, I informed Jinguuji that I was leaving and returned to Gordon and his knights. The day after that, I made my way toward the village Jinguuji had told me about, planning to warn the students staying there of the fake savior.