Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 5 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Knight and the Savior

A shrill whistle rang in the air. It was the warning alarm from the guard on the watchtower. Men in imposing outfits appeared one after the other, manning the ramparts surrounding the village. I’d been told the army was stationed here. These men were in all likelihood soldiers. Taking a closer look, they had the same equipment as the ones who were accompanying us.

This made the ones who came out after them the town watch. Their armor looked battered; the metal parts were worn out and showed signs of frequent repair. Many of them were equipped with what looked like hand-me-downs from the army, but some were wearing homemade leather armor. Their weapons lacked uniformity, but all of them looked well-maintained.

Now then, it was good that we’d arrived at this village, but there was no sense in intruding with such large numbers and making them wary of us. It was decided that the commander and a few of her knights would head in first to explain the situation.

Their meeting concluded seamlessly. From what I heard later, the knight who’d left ahead of us as a messenger managed to arrive several days earlier and had already provided a simple explanation. After the talks were over, about half the remaining knights were invited into the village along with the students. The village didn’t have the capacity to house close to five hundred personnel.

Shiran came by to get me, and I rode our manamobile into the village. The walls were made of stone, but the village’s bungalows were made of wood. We went down a path that ran between vast fields, passing through several gates and defensive walls.

When I looked at the fields to my sides, I could see several villagers gathered together sporadically watching us pass by. It seemed they were aware that we were visitors from another world—their saviors, in their minds at least.

Anxiety and curiosity were compounded with longing and faith. Their gazes felt uncomfortable. Shiran sat by my side at the driver’s seat, serving as our guide. She started telling us about the general details of reclamation villages, perhaps out of consideration when she sensed what was going through my mind.

“Reclamation of the Woodlands begins by building walls within the cleared-out territory. Stones are imported from far away quarries to build a sturdy defensive perimeter. As the reclamation progresses, more walls are built for expansion. That’s how the village grows little by little.”

“Oh, so that’s why there are several layers of walls?”

“Precisely. The imported stone is used primarily for the walls, so the houses are generally made of wood, which is in extreme abundance. Several times a year, the army arranges the sale of excess lumber obtained through clearing the Woodlands.”

“Meaning the villages make their livelihoods through forestry?”

“Yes. The Woodlands’ soil is poor for crops. It’s said this is because the dense mana within the earth gets in the way of anything growing aside from the trees. Because of that, the harvest from any field is minimal. They make up for the deficit in food by purchasing it elsewhere using the money from the lumber sales.”

“Is your hometown also like this, Shiran?”

“Indeed. It’s only about a fifth of the size and somewhat poorer, but the atmosphere is similar,” Shiran said with a fond smile, recalling her own hometown. “This village serves as a stopover to Fort Tilia, so it’s on the larger side for a reclamation village.”

As we talked, attracting the attention of the villagers all the while, our manamobile gradually made its way forward. There was no way they could guess there were monsters inside. The village was unaware of my circumstances. We were just passing through, so it had been decided that there was no need to go out of our way to sow the seeds of chaos. The only ones entering the village were the Alliance Knights, so we didn’t have to worry about someone divulging my secret. Even if the village were to find out, they couldn’t do anything about it, considering the large force we came with.

We arrived at a two-story building near the center of the village. It was a little more glamorous than the other buildings we saw and had a signboard hanging from its roof. Shiran told me it was an inn for travelers that also served as a tavern. I left the vehicle to her and got down with Lily.

“Hey there, Majima. Long time no see,” Miyoshi Taichi said. His group of friends who’d managed to survive Fort Tilia were just getting out of another manamobile. “I watched you guys on the way. You played a big part in protecting all the soldiers, huh?”

“Well, more like Lily did. I didn’t do anything.”

Miyoshi had come over on his own to talk. After the attack on Fort Tilia, my servants and I had kind of been in hiding, and we hadn’t had much to do with the other students during the journey, so it had been about half a month since Miyoshi and I last spoke.

“How are they doing? They’re looking pretty pale over there,” I asked, casting a gaze at his exhausted friends.

“Oh, don’t worry about them. They’re just carsick,” Miyoshi replied with a wry smile.

The knights called us over and we entered the tavern. The spacious room was lined with tables. Two of Miyoshi’s carsick friends went to the rooms on the second floor to get some rest, while Lily, Miyoshi, a girl called Tada Ryouko—the remaining member of Miyoshi’s group—and I took a seat at a table. Black speckles stained the tabletop from long years of use. This was probably where the villagers spent their free time. Unfortunately for them, the place was cleared out today and nobody could enter.

The knights who came in with us declined to join us at the table, saying it was their duty to be on guard. They carried over four portions of food. They were simple meals of bread and root vegetable soup. There were also spirits available, but I declined. Lily could probably drink, but she refused, seeing that I wasn’t having any either.

I checked with Shiran when she came by, and it turned out she’d made preparations for the same meals to be sent out to Gerbera and Katou, who were still in the manamobile. Kei was taking them their food while the Alliance Knights were watching the surroundings. There was no need to worry about them encountering the villagers. As such, I didn’t hesitate to start my meal.

The only ones who spoke as we ate were Miyoshi and me. I’d had breakfast together with Miyoshi’s group one time at Fort Tilia, but the mood had been completely different back then. They knew that Lily was a monster now. They didn’t know how to take it. Miyoshi avoided speaking with her, whereas Tada didn’t speak at all.

Miyoshi told us stories about the imperial capital the entire time. He’d heard them from the soldiers on the way. Having just survived the incident at Fort Tilia, it wouldn’t be unusual if he were worried about the same thing happening in the future.

In the middle of our meal, the commander came by leading a few knights. She also brought an old man who served as the chief of this reclamation village. He welcomed us so formally he was practically prostrating himself before us. This felt uncomfortable, so I quickly finished my food to give myself an excuse to leave. Thankfully, the commander understood this part of my nature, so she arranged for us to be shown to our room right away.

“Tired?” Shiran asked with a smile when I entered the room and let out a huge sigh.

“Just a little. It’s mostly mental fatigue.”

“There’s a public bath in the village. How about going in with Lily? I’m sure they will allow you to use it if we ask.”

A knock came at the door just around that time.

“Excuse me for interrupting your rest, but may I have a moment?”

It was the commander, accompanied by Mikihiko. She started by thanking us for protecting the soldiers from monsters along the way, then cut straight to business.

“Our original plan was to leave this village right away, but there’s been a small change to our schedule.”

“Meaning?”

“We’re thinking of staying here for the entire day tomorrow. To that effect, I would like to have your consent as well.”

Continuously walking through the Woodlands for several days while keeping watch for potential monster attacks had exhausted the soldiers more than expected. Furthermore, there were fears that Fort Tilia’s abandonment would lead to an increase in monster attacks on this village. There were already signs of this happening, and this had the villagers uneasy. So while the soldiers rested for the entire day tomorrow, the commander was going to lead a portion of the knights who could still fight to suppress the monsters in the vicinity.

“Understood. If you’d like, Lily and I can participate as well.”

“I could ask for nothing better. Please do.”

A smile came to the commander’s tired face. She then explained the details of the area we were planning to patrol tomorrow. We were to enter the forest in the early afternoon. That being the case, I decided to make a request.

“If we have the time in the morning, then I’d like you to help Rose and the others with some training, Shiran.”

“Like we discussed earlier? I don’t mind, but...”

Shiran looked to the commander, who nodded back to her. “I don’t mind either. We’re very much indebted to Takahiro, including tomorrow’s patrol. I don’t have any work for you before that. Do as you wish.”

“Very well. Then, Takahiro, I shall gladly undertake your request.”

“Great. Thanks, Shiran,” I said with a smile before adding one more thing. “Oh yeah. If we have the time, could I get some training too?”

“Oh? You gonna train, Takahiro? If so, maybe I can join in too? I’d like to try using a longsword a bit more,” Mikihiko said, raising his hand.

Seeing him like that, the commander smiled faintly. A harmonious air flowed through the room...but one person was reacting differently. For some reason, Shiran’s expression took a complete turn. A deep crease formed between her eyebrows.

“What’s wrong, Shiran?” the commander asked.

“About that, Takahiro...” Shiran trailed off. Her gaze wavered. She clenched her fist by her chest and pursed her lips. “Perhaps this is a good opportunity to tell you,” she muttered, then looked me in the eyes with determination. “Takahiro. Just as I said, I will undertake your request to train all of your servants. I also do not mind training Mikihiko. However, could we put a stop to your own training?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, staring at her quite rudely without meaning to.

It would be one thing if she didn’t have the time to help us with training, but helping all of my servants and Mikihiko while leaving me out didn’t make any sense. I thought she was maybe joking, but her single blue eye looked entirely serious.

“Takahiro. You shouldn’t fight any longer,” she said.

“I’m not really fighting because I want to...” I didn’t understand what she was getting at. I couldn’t hide the bewilderment in my voice. “But I can’t just back out, can I? If I don’t brush off the embers falling down on me, I’ll get burned. To avoid that, I need to acquire the strength to fight.”

“Even if the simple act of acquiring said strength is a danger in and of itself?”

Lily twitched at those words. She couldn’t possibly overlook a statement suggesting some sort of danger to my well-being.

“Hey, Shiran. What do you mean?” she asked stiffly.

“Exactly what I said. Takahiro’s abilities carry a risk.”

“Wait, hang on a sec,” I said, cutting back into the conversation. The things she was saying were arbitrary and troubling. I spread my arms in protest. “What do you mean risk? How exactly am I in danger here?”

“I see. So you truly haven’t paid it any mind yourself.” Shiran’s eye focused on my outstretched left arm. Asarina, who was languidly stretching out from there, jumped with a start. “And where in the world can you find a human with a monster growing from their hand?”

“Well... I mean, if it’s just a matter of appearance...”

“It isn’t a simple matter of appearance,” Shiran said with conviction. “Has your left arm not been affected in some way from having Asarina dwelling within it?”

In this case, my silence was the same as admission. I couldn’t refute her. Immediately after Asarina was born, I felt discomfort in my left hand. It was pretty natural. Her roots were spreading through my muscles. It would be stranger for my hand not to be affected. At first, I figured the discomfort would disappear over time. It still could, but...I couldn’t forget what I had done.

I accomplished the movement technique I’d used many times during the siege of Fort Tilia by having Asarina’s roots stretch halfway up my forearm so that she could pull my body. However, her roots going through my wrist did obstruct my mobility somewhat. Furthermore, the human arm turned out to be a sensitive organ. The deeper her roots dug in, the larger the side effects. This was unavoidable.

“Holding a shield is one thing, but you can’t use your arm for more dextrous work already, right?”

“How sharp of you...” I said, smiling bitterly. Lily and Mikihiko looked at me anxiously. I shook my head. “It’s not a big deal. My fingers are just a little clumsier. I’m right-handed anyway. In terms of pure strength, my left arm is actually stronger.”

“That’s not all,” Shiran continued, maintaining her serious expression half-hidden by her eyepatch. “If it was, I wouldn’t be telling you this. However... Do you remember, Takahiro? When I first helped you with your training at Fort Tilia, I told you that the way you use mana is peculiar.”

“Yeah... Now that you mention it, you did. What about it?”

This happened on the second day of my stay in Fort Tilia. Shiran had mentioned it when she saw the way I used mana to strengthen my body. At the time, I had been hiding my ability, so I’d broken out in a cold sweat thinking she had found me out.

“I’m convinced now after hearing of it more in-depth. The way your mana flows when you strengthen your body is the same as the legendary Great White Spider. It’s peculiar but perhaps natural in this sense.”

“Yeah. That’s right. I learned how to use mana from her in the first place...”

“That’s the problem, Takahiro.”

“What?”

Shiran dove into the details as I grimaced. “Takahiro, you’re aware that the rings we knights use to identify ghouls work by distinguishing the difference in mana flow between humans and ghouls, correct? Ghouls have a characteristic flow to their mana. This also applies to humans and any other monsters. We say ‘characteristic’ because it cannot be replicated. By all rights, that should be the case.”

Now that she mentioned it, Rose had said something similar quite recently. No one, not even another species of monster, could use a monster’s inherent abilities. Only that species of monster could replicate the particular flow of mana needed.

“Do you remember the other thing I mentioned when I first saw you use mana?”

“I think... Normally, mana doesn’t flow that way?”

“Exactly. It should be impossible for you to imitate Gerbera’s mana flow.”

I could do something that Shiran claimed was impossible... This was what she viewed as a problem, apparently.

“Most of the mana inside me comes from Gerbera, so...”

“Even so. Mana lies within the soul. The souls of humans and monsters differ greatly. Mana flows through the soul, meaning if the flow changes...”

Shiran’s gaze was keenly suggesting her remaining words.

“So that’s what you’re getting at.”

I let out a long sigh. Thinking back on it now, the girls had even treated me using a mana transfusion. All of the mana in my body had been swapped out with Gerbera’s for a moment. It was possible that some sort of irreversible change had occurred back then. Combined with Asarina’s roots digging through my body, it might’ve been a major turning point in my life.

“At this rate, I might turn into a monster. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

“I wish that was all,” Shiran replied, her blonde hair swaying in the air as she shook her head. “Takahiro, I do not know what will happen to you. Nobody does. It’s possible you could turn into something that is neither human nor monster.”

“That’s quite the horrifying claim.”

“This isn’t a threat, Takahiro. I truly do not know what could happen if you continue,” Shiran said, her eye piercing through me. “That’s why I believe you should relinquish your blade.”

Due to the peculiarities of how it worked with each of my servants, the mental path didn’t convey much emotion when it came to Shiran. Nevertheless, I could tell she was truly worried about me from her earnest expression. I felt a little sorry for this, but my response had been decided ever since that night I spent with Lily in Fort Tilia.

“Sorry, but I can’t accept that.”

“Takahiro!”

“If I continue being nothing more than a burden, any of them could get killed by no fault but mine. It would be too late to regret things then. I don’t ever want to think, ‘If only I’d done that,’ after losing someone precious to me.”

This was a worst-case scenario I didn’t even want to consider. It was the one situation I had to avoid at all costs. I’d already experienced the loneliness of losing everything at once, so I strongly refused to let the bonds I’d acquired slip through my grasp.

“Having said that... It’s not like I want to walk the path to my own destruction,” I continued. Even if I ignored Shiran’s extreme suggestion to withdraw myself from battle entirely, I needed to treat this change occurring to my body with more caution. “This involves my own cheat. Visitors from afar understand their abilities by instinct. As long as I’m careful, I should be able to sense the dangerous line before I cross it.”

For example, I was fully convinced it would be okay to acquire more servants through regular means. In contrast, when Gerbera had supplied me with mana, when Asarina had grown inside my body...and when I’d made Shiran my servant, I had known there were risks from acting so recklessly. It was important to fully ascertain my own limits. I was grateful to Shiran; her warning had taught me this.

“I could’ve continued doing unreasonable things without knowing it if you hadn’t pointed this out now. Tha—”

My gratitude got stuck in my throat.

“Please reconsider, Takahiro.”

Her earnest voice struck my ear. The violent gale of her emotions startled me. She gazed at me with her blue eye. It was like a sapphire flame. Our mental path didn’t normally convey much of her emotions, but right now, it told me of the passion in her heart. I could feel a burning zeal within her that wholly contrasted with her cold, undead body. It felt like she could lose herself to such heat.

“Shiran...?”

What drove her to this extent? Right now, it almost felt like she was cornered by something... It was uncharacteristic of her.

“Takahiro, you—”

“Stop, Shiran,” the commander said calmly, cutting her off before she said anything else. “Takahiro has already made his resolve. It isn’t for you to undermine.”

“But Commander!”

Shiran turned around vigorously to say something, but she held her tongue. The commander’s calm gaze killed her momentum and brought her back to her senses.

Shiran quickly regained her cool and said, “My apologies... I lost my composure. I stepped out of line... I need to get some air.” She bowed her head, then stood from her chair. “I shall teach you properly tomorrow, Takahiro.”

“Shiran. If you don’t want to, then I won’t force you...”

“No. It’s not that I don’t want to. That’s definitely not the case.”

“Are you really fine with this?”

“Takahiro, you’ve already decided to fight, haven’t you? Even if I don’t teach you how to use a sword, you will still enter the fray. In that case, I would like you to at least learn how to fight properly.” She looked at me earnestly. She was back to her usual reliable self. “However, I’m a strict instructor, just so you know.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“You wouldn’t, would you? Yes... That’s just how you are...”

Shiran smiled and left the room. The commander saw her off, then lowered her head to me.

“Please pardon my subordinate’s rude behavior.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’m actually grateful.”

I thought something had been strange about her behavior, but after thinking it over, Shiran was pretty close to me in age. It was normal for her to lose control of her emotions once in a while. I couldn’t possibly complain when she was just concerned for me.

“It may sound strange coming from me, but please try to understand her. She truly is worried about you from the bottom of her heart.” The commander looked at me, an anxious expression on her tough face. “Takahiro, do you know what manner of existence we knights are?”

“What manner of existence...?” I asked, cocking my head.

“Indeed,” the commander replied in a courteous tone. “We are subjects of our nation, but we do not devote everything to our country. We are of course loyal, but that is separate from being a knight. The reason we take up the sword is different from the soldiers of the army.”

“Ummm?”

“In short,” Mikihiko said, cutting in, “chivalry here is different from the samurai code. Loyalty isn’t their pillar.”

The commander nodded. “Just so. We devote our swords purely to the ideals of justice and the salvation of the weak. In a sense, we are much like the saviors who descend upon this world... There are of course knights for whom this does not apply. There are those who prioritize fame, those who are corrupt, and recently, I’ve heard there are even those who are simply bloodthirsty for battle. Shiran is different from them, however.” She looked at me with an almost frighteningly serious expression. “She is a knight. I’d like you to keep that in mind, Takahiro.”

Her tone was earnest. That was how important this was to her.

“Understood,” I said with a nod.

“Thank you very much.” The commander smiled with relief. There was an unexpected amount of motherly affection in her expression. “Please continue to take care of Shiran, Takahiro.”