The Power of the Saint is All Around (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 5

Act 5:

Hawke’s Domain

AFTER THE FIRST BLACK SWAMP was found, reports came in from all around the nation, one after another. Black swamps had been discovered in caves and caverns in every single domain.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it held exactly true to the adage, “where there’s one, there’s one hundred,” but it was true that the reports came in rapid succession. Maybe it was simply the result of finally being able to check places they hadn’t previously prioritized.

The black swamps came in a variety of sizes, but I went to each area to purify every single one of them regardless of their size. I was a bit tired from traveling all around the country, but fortunately, I was able to handle them.

At long last, the reports stopped coming in, and just as I finally had a moment to rest, a request for a knightly order to be deployed arrived at the palace. After hearing the details, the king immediately decided to also deploy the Saint.

The request had come from Albert’s family, House Hawke. Their domain was far to the north, and just as their rank, Marquis of the Hawke Borderlands, suggested, it was located along the national border. It was an important location for the country, since a highway leading to another country ran through it.

House Hawke’s lands employed a large number of soldiers, which made sense, as they had to be vigilant against raids from the country on their border. Where the kingdom’s army protected the borders, House Hawke’s private forces protected the lands of the domain, and mercenaries bolstered whoever hired them. These soldiers not only fought people, they also protected the region they were stationed in from monsters, which appeared frequently.

Due to the large number of soldiers they kept handy, they had been able to handle the monster population on their own without aid from the knightly Orders. Under normal circumstances, they never needed to rely on the palace.

The king likely viewed this request for aid—from such a strong house that governed such an important area—as alarming.

The palace acted quickly, and a week after the request from House Hawke arrived, I left the capital with one of the Orders.

As we were in a hurry, we didn’t stay long at the manors in each region along the way, just as we had when traveling to Klausner’s Domain. Nevertheless, since the Hawke Borderlands were at the titular border of the kingdom, the journey took much longer than the other one had.

“Mmngh.” As soon as I got out of the coach, I raised my arms above my head and stretched as far as I could. I heard all kinds of popping—I’d been stuck in the same position for forever.

“It’s hard not to feel a bit tired after all this,” Albert said as he stretched beside me, hands on his hips. He had been with me inside the coach, and I supposed even he wasn’t accustomed to traveling this far, despite how often he went on expeditions.

“That’s for sure. After this rest, we’ll be heading straight for the capital of the domain, right?” I asked.

“Indeed. You must be tired. Go ahead and relax over there.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I looked where he was pointing to a spot behind him. I headed there to find a white sheet had been laid out on the ground, somewhat like a picnic blanket. On top of the sheet lay a light meal. There were also folding stools set up around it. The attendants traveling with us must have arranged it all in the short time between when we had stopped and when I had alighted from the coach.

We got ourselves seated and received cups of tea from the attendants. I thanked the attendant as I took mine and relished the cup’s heat as it warmed the palm of my hand.

Hawke’s Domain enjoyed a colder climate than the capital, and it was beginning to feel a bit chilly. I was therefore grateful for the warmth. I took a sip and inhaled deeply.

As I looked around, I took in rocky mountains capped with snow. They reminded me of the Japanese Alps, and we seemed to be pretty high above sea level.

“This is really doing the trick,” Albert said nonchalantly as he similarly used the tea to warm his fingers.

“For me too,” I agreed as I took another sip.

“It’s so cold here because the land is a bit elevated.”

“This whole region is pretty mountainous, right?”

“Indeed it is. I’m surprised you know.”

“I read up on the region a bit before we left. It’s important to do preliminary investigations.”

The majority of Hawke’s Domain was mountainous, and the average temperature was colder than the capital’s all year round. The second largest lake in all of Salutania was also located there. I had heard the lakeside was a famous tourist attraction as well.

I had learned all this from the classes I took at the palace. Similarly, I had learned other important information for our expedition, such as the typical strength of the local monsters.

In this kingdom, the monsters got stronger the farther away from the capital they manifested. Therefore, since the Hawke Borderlands were farthest away, the monsters in this domain were of the strongest variety. That was the reason why the Third Order had been deployed for this expedition, as they were the Order with the most monster-slaying experience.

In addition to that, the grand magus of the Royal Magi Assembly had accompanied us. It wasn’t just because he had thrown a tantrum like he had with the rice business either. The king had ordered him to come along.

Based on the surplus of firepower we were packing, I had an idea of just how hard they were expecting this expedition to be.

“We should get a move on again,” Albert said just as I finished drinking my tea.

“Yes, sir.”

Everyone around us started packing up.

Two more hours of coach travel later, we arrived at our destination.

The capital city of Hawke’s Domain was surrounded by ramparts, just as the one in Klausner’s Domain. A moat circling the walls was drawn from the river. Also, while the capital city of Klausner’s Domain was on a hill, this one was built on level ground.

Seen from the direction we were traveling in, the city butted up against the left side of the highway, and at the leftmost point from the road, I saw a castle. Both the castle and the buildings sported dark blue rooftops, which gave the city a serene air.

I didn’t notice until we had entered the city, but while the land appeared flat, there was actually some difference in elevation. The castle was built at the highest point, and there was a bit of an upward slope before you could reach it.

I had assumed that the castle would be a single building, but it was actually composed of multiple structures. A series of three- and four-storied buildings acted as a wall. According to Albert, his family lived in one of these buildings.

The coach came to a stop in the courtyard past the castle gates. Just as I had been informed they would be, Lord Hawke and a multitude of his people were waiting for us in front of a building with a grand entrance. I assumed that made this Lord Hawke’s estate.

The man awaiting us was in the prime of life; I assumed he was Lord Hawke and that the woman beside him must be his wife, and that the rest were their servants. The lord and lady were front and center while their attendants stood in a line behind them.

I had seen this sight enough times that it made me start to wonder if there was some sort of nobility mold out of which they had all been cast.

I got out of the coach with Albert’s aid, and when I looked up, I met the eyes of the man I assumed to be the lord. A gentle smile immediately crossed his face.

I was guided toward the lord and lady and stopped at an appropriate spot. At that point, the man said, “Thank you, truly, for coming such a great distance. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am the lord of this domain, Helmut Hawke.”

“And I am Claudia, his wife.”

It was all going just as I had imagined it would. I was greeted by Albert’s parents, the Marquis and Marquess of the Hawke Borderlands. Lord Hawke had blond hair and blue-gray eyes, just as Albert did. His hair was a darker shade than Albert’s, and overall he more closely resembled Albert’s older brother, the minister of military services.

Lady Hawke had silver hair that fell in gentle waves and light purple eyes. She had a kind air about her. The light gave her hair a pale-blue sheen, so perhaps it wasn’t accurate to call it strictly silver.

Now I could see how all three brothers resembled their parents in one way or another. The minister of military services looked just like his father, while Lord Smarty-Glasses had the looks and eye color of his father but the hair color of his mother, and Albert had the colors of his father but the looks of his mother. 

Even though I was momentarily absorbed in these thoughts, I didn’t forget to properly respond.

“How do you do? I’m Sei Takanashi.” Just as Lady Hawke did, I pinched the skirt of my robes and curtsied.

Albert and the grand magus performed their greetings as well. At first, Albert greeted his parents formally, perhaps because he was in work mode. But that was indeed only at first.

“Welcome home,” said the marquis.

Albert smiled slightly and murmured, “Yes. I’m home.”

“You all must be tired after such a long journey. We shall show you to your rooms, so please feel free to take your leisure until dinner.”

“Thank you.”

They didn’t prolong the conversation and immediately guided us to our quarters out of concern for our well-being. Although we had taken breaks along the way, I was grateful for this. I had used Healing Magic on myself to ease the pain from sitting in the same position for hours on end and the fatigue, but still!

While the butlers showed everyone else to their rooms, I was led away by Lady Hawke.

***

Whenever I arrived at a place, things happened in basically the same order. It depended on the time of our arrival, and on my level of exhaustion, but typically, on the night of my arrival, I had dinner with the lord’s family. Things were no different in Hawke’s Domain.

While the lady escorted me to my rooms, she invited me to dinner. At the appointed time, five of us gathered in the dining room: the lord and lady of the house, Albert, Yuri, and me. As soon as we were all present, Lord Hawke gave the signal for the meal to begin.

We were served meals made using ingredients for which Hawke’s Domain was known. Hearing mention of specialty products reminded me of the party I had hosted, but the dishes we were served weren’t based on what I’d featured then. It wasn’t food seasoned with herbs either, which were all the rage in the capital these days. It was the food they had always eaten in this domain.

“There’s so much cheese,” I said as I took a bite of one of the numerous cheese-forward dishes.

“Indeed. Our domain thrives on producing fine cheeses, so we produce all manner of varieties,” Lady Hawke explained with a bright smile.

Each dish used a different kind of cheese, and all of it had been made here in Hawke’s Domain.

“This white wine goes down so smoothly,” I said. “It’s delicious in its own right, and it pairs beautifully with every dish you’re serving.”

“Thank you so much for saying so. The wine was also made here on our lands.”

I’d known that Hawke’s Domain was famous for its artisanal cheeses, but I hadn’t known they made wine as well. Perhaps that was why Hawke’s Domain had a very particular kind of dish.

By that I meant cheese fondue. Albert had mentioned it to me once before. A fondue was made of a ton of cheeses melted into a heated white wine. In Hawke’s Domain, it was typical to eat it by spreading it on bread, but it also tasted delicious with boiled vegetables, cooked bacon, and other foods. However, it wasn’t the type of dish one served at a dinner hosted at the table of nobility, so we weren’t enjoying it at that meal. Rather, it was available in restaurants in the city.

In addition to cheese fondue, the domain also had dishes like raclette and gratin. I hoped to try them while we were in the borderlands, but I supposed it might be difficult as we’d be busy monster slaying. Alas.

Ever since we sat down for dinner, Lady Hawke had been the one doing most of the talking. Lord Hawke and Albert made occasional comments, and even Yuri just offered short remarks. Only the voices of we women echoed through the dining room.

Maybe the men in House Hawke were the stoic type? Although that didn’t seem to be the case based on Albert and Lord Smarty-Glasses’ usual behavior. Maybe they thought that I’d have an easier time talking with another woman and so were just being quiet.

As Lady Hawke and I were happily discussing Hawke’s Domain, she said something that I couldn’t just gloss over.

“Huh?! You have hot springs here?” I exclaimed.

“So we do. At the lake to the north of our city, hot water springs forth by the riverbank.”

There were actually hot springs here?! How could I not get excited? I had always adored hot springs, especially back when I lived in Japan.

The truth, though, was that I could count the number of times I’d ever been to a hot spring in my life on one hand. I had probably only ever gone during family vacations. Once I started working, I’d rarely had a day off, and I’d always spent those days catching up on housework. So to me, hot springs had remained an unattainable dream.

No one had mentioned hot springs since my summoning, so I had assumed there weren’t any to be had. But now I knew otherwise.

In this world and this life, in which I had so much more free time…maybe I could go? I had a feeling that was the case. The only roadblock was that I was kind of sort of in the middle of a job.

Once we’re done, perhaps we could take a bit of time to go? Maybe I should ask Albert in private later.

“Are you interested in hot springs, Lady Takanashi?” asked Lady Hawke.

“I am. We have them in my birthplace as well, but I never really had a chance to go. It would be nice if I could enjoy one again someday.”

“Is that so? We have a villa in the town where the hot springs are located. You’re most welcome to visit there, if you would like,” Lord Hawke proposed.

I snapped out of my hot springs daze. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

My eyes must have sparkled, because Albert immediately promised we could go after we finished the expedition—another proposal that filled me with joy.

Naturally, I gave my enthusiastic assent to this plan. Knowing I would have such a reward once we were done fired me up. I was going to put my all into this expedition.

According to Albert, although the town had hot springs, it hadn’t been turned into a tourist attraction. The main visitors to the springs were citizens of Hawke’s Domain and the soldiers in House Hawke’s employ—as well as mercenaries, who used them to heal their fatigue after going monster slaying.

In other words, it wasn’t an extravagant facility for noble use, nor were there shops with expensive baubles on sale, nor restaurants with fancy food. No trendy cafés either. Even so, I was more than content with the mere idea of being able to soak in a hot spring and relax.

However, I did feel like it was kind of a loss. Hot springs were rare in this country. That much was clear from the fact that I had never heard anyone mention them.

Maybe if they developed the area and advertised it, a lot of people would come sightseeing? Especially if they had one of those kinds of establishments…

It was probably because those thoughts were going through my mind as I listened to Albert speak that I accidentally uttered, “Massage parlors…”

“Massage parlors?” Albert looked confused, likely because he had never heard the term before.

Crap, I thought as I tried to smooth things over. “Oh, uh, you mentioned that the knights use the hot springs too, right?”

“So I did.”

“Getting a massage after warming your body in a hot spring is a great way to relieve exhaustion! That’s why I was thinking it would be nice if there were a place to get a massage after bathing in them.” 

Albert had just been telling his father that he would like to let his knights use the hot springs while we were here as well, so I tried to connect the dots. I trailed off at the end, but they seemed to follow where I was going.

Lady Hawke wasn’t about to let the topic end there, though. “Is that the only benefit?”

“Uh, I don’t know? Oh! It might also be good for chronic health conditions?”

“What do you mean?” Lady Hawke was smiling, but something in her look scared me.

I braved it to reply, “Ah, like with motor dysfunction. Soaking in hot springs is said to help alleviate symptoms such as not being able to move your hands and feet so well after an injury.”

I really did my best to hang on. I had a feeling that I knew what would happen if I mentioned it was said to have beautifying effects as well. This was why I segued to injuries instead, which the knights were likely all dealing with.

This caught not only Albert’s interest but his father’s. They both employed a number of soldiers. Injuries were an unavoidable part of the monster-slaying profession.

After that, I started describing how massages helped to loosen muscles and how they would likely be even more effective with essential oils.

I was surprised to see Yuri take an interest in the latter part. He asked me all kinds of questions about oils. By the time he asked me if massages and essential oils could increase his magical abilities, I understood where he was coming from. He had landed on that notion when he heard that massages could help increase blood flow.

Did blood and magic have some kind of connection? I would have to ask him later, when I got the chance.

Incidentally, Lady Hawke grilled me for details too. She wanted to know if a massage after a dip in the hot springs might have promise as a beauty treatment.

The essential oils used for massages were also used in beauty products, so it was easy enough to make that connection. There was no way that Lady Hawke, a fearless fighter on the battlefield that was high society, could have missed that fact.

This time I was unable to grit my teeth and deny the look of hope she shot my way. I folded and told her I would make time to explain it all in detail once we were done with the expedition.

After that, the dinner continued with an amiable atmosphere as our hosts regaled us with more tales of Hawke’s Domain.

***

The day after the dinner party, Lord Hawke spoke with me about the expedition. The monster population had been increasing in the vicinity of a certain mine. It was located in a different direction from the hot springs and it was far from the capital, so it would take us a few days to get there.

Nearby, we would find a settlement where the miners and guards lodged. This settlement was much smaller than the domain’s capital. Apparently, it consisted of only the building where the miners lived, the living quarters of the person who managed the miners, and an eating hall for everyone to gather. It was an inconvenient dwelling for any length of time, but if it had a place to sleep, it was sufficient for their needs.

There was a reason why the miners lived in these kinds of settlements: Since the mines were in the mountains and there were a ton of monsters in the area, it was difficult for anyone but miners to live there permanently, as anyone who did would have to know how to deal with monsters. Because of this, the miners’ families lived in a village a short distance from the settlement. Simply put, the miners were working away from their loved ones.

The village was located in the flatlands and so didn’t have to worry much about monsters. It had shops that sold everything you might need to live; there was even an entertainment district. As such, the miners returned home to their families on their days off.

I spent several days leisurely jostling in the coach from the capital until we arrived at our destination.

The mining settlement was surrounded by walls of wood and stone. Just as I had been told, it was composed of only the bare minimum number of buildings that the miners required. It did have a small plaza for the soldiers who were there to slay monsters, as well as for guards. We decided to put up camping tents in this plaza for our own needs.

As the knights set up the tents, Albert, Yuri, and I went to talk to the warden of the settlement. The warden was clearly unaccustomed to dealing with important people such as us, but he did his best to convey the current state of affairs.

Sure enough, monsters had been manifesting in great numbers. But recently, the monsters had begun to take on new forms.

“New forms, you say?”

“Y-yes, my lord. All the monsters we had seen up until now were, well, alive.”

Alive? A certain concept sprang to mind at that wording. I wasn’t the only one to think it, either.

Albert asked the warden to explain himself, and the man timidly answered, “They’re, um, not alive.”

“Not alive.”

“Yes…”

“Are you implying that they were animated corpses?”

The warden hesitated before he finally answered, “Yes.”

This made me frown. I know this kind of monster. That’s gotta be it. 

I was sure of it.

The warden had never heard of such a creature before, so when people had reported their existence, he had been dubious. That was why he had been so nervous while telling us about them himself.

On the other hand, after having fought monsters all over the country, Albert and Yuri knew of the existence of such entities—hence why they were so calm as they discussed it.

“They must be undead,” Albert said.

“So it seems,” Yuri agreed.

When I discussed holy water with Yuri once before, he had mentioned undead as well, so I’d confirmed their existence in this world. That didn’t mean I actually wanted to meet any. As for what bothered me about them, it came down to the way they looked. In games back in Japan, there had been undead who didn’t look so grotesque, but there had also been the kind that did.

According to Yuri, both varieties could be found in this world. Since the warden had clearly said these monsters weren’t alive, it was highly likely that it was easy to tell that they weren’t from, you know, visual details. In other words, the kind of undead appearing near the settlement were the hideous sort.

That brought us to the next problem we’d inevitably face: the odor. I had never smelled a corpse before, so I could only imagine, but I was sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

As Albert and Yuri spoke, they gave each other a look. I had a feeling it wasn’t just because they were worried about aromas.

“Were they only sighted inside the mine? Or outside as well?” Yuri asked the warden.

“There were more of them in the mine, but I hear that they’ve been spotted in the area nearby as well.”

“I see.” Yuri put a thoughtful hand to his chin.

“Is something wrong?” I asked out of curiosity.

“I was just mulling over what kind of magic to use to defeat them.”

Why’s he worried about that? Although, didn’t he once say that no kind of magic is especially effective against undead monsters?

I asked him for more information, and it sounded like he was wondering if he could cast Fire Magic. That made sense. While Yuri could call on every type of magic, he was particularly proficient with flames.

It seemed I wasn’t wrong, because he then uttered, “It’d probably be more efficient if I took them down with fire spells.”

The way he said it made me remember just how many people spoke of Yuri and his love for the thrill of battle.

After speaking with the warden, we headed back to the tents.

The knights planned to do as they always did: split into a few squads, thoroughly explore the territory, and then decide their next course of action. That was the long and short of it.

I was sure that Yuri and I would be doing something else while still calling it investigating. To wit, as per usual, Yuri was going to go mop up the monsters in the vicinity to level up as much as possible. I would do what I usually did too: investigate the local herbs—while looking out for monsters too, of course.

I got Albert’s permission just in case, at which he just laughed and said he couldn’t exactly ask me to change my ways. 

I’m sorry!

Starting the next day, we began scouting the area. Just as the proverb says: So many countries, so many customs. Here and there, I spotted herbs that weren’t native to the regions near the capital. There were even herbs that I had only seen in illustrated reference books, which got me really excited. Buoyed by that excitement, I picked them carefully.

“Is that an herb as well?” Albert asked as I looked closely at the plant I had just picked.

“Actually, I don’t know.”

“You don’t?”

“I’ve never seen this kind of grass before. I decided to pick it just in case it actually does qualify as an herb.”

Perhaps it had some kind of medicinal effect. I was planning to keep it as a specimen to look up when we got back to the capital. It made me wish I could use Appraisal Magic, though. If I could do that, then I could decide right then and there whether to keep it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so blessed, so all I could do was study it the normal way.

Oh, but I suppose I could ask the grand magus to cast it for me later? He is here with us, after all. I might as well.

Just as I was putting the herb in my backpack, Albert suddenly said my name in a quiet voice, “Sei.” 

“Yes?”

The knights grew tense as well.

A moment later, a monster that looked like a boar appeared in the distance where Albert was pointing. At the signal of the knights taking the lead, they all charged it simultaneously. They cut it down swiftly, but as it turned out, we hadn’t noticed that the monster wasn’t alone. The battle erupted.

Nevertheless, all the knights were highly experienced on the battlefield. They focused and took down the monsters one after another. Before I knew it, the fight was over, and none of our allies had even taken any injuries.

“There really are a lot of them.”

We had expected as much, but there were a cosmic ton of the monsters, and they appeared with great frequency to boot.

“No kidding—and even with Sei here,” another knight agreed.

He didn’t need to mention it!

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I couldn’t help but squint and glare.

The knight suppressed his laughter as he apologized.

Hmph!

Albert was laughing too, but after a moment, his expression grew serious. “Considering the number of monsters, it’s likely we’ll find their source.”

“Yeah…”

The knights’ expressions once more grew tense. Even though no one said it, we were all thinking the same thing: Somewhere around here, we would no doubt find a black swamp.