I did sense people. Due to the complete lack of life within Id Invicius’s territory, they were really easy to identify right away. Only Lucy couldn’t tell. It was amusing how vividly the difference between swordsmen and wizards was depicted here. We were all combatants on the field of battle, but we had a huge variation in our approaches. There were merits to both styles, but the experiences we’d gone through and the intuition we’d developed were different on a fundamental level.
“Have they noticed us too...?” I muttered.
“They must have,” Allucia said. “They’re here, so they can’t be amateurs.”
This was made evident by the fact that they were now moving toward us. Just as Allucia explained, anyone with experience in close combat would notice when other people entered this abnormal space. Looking at it the other way around, you could say that they were accustomed enough to battle to be able to sense our presences too.
If this was the search party of adventurers who were out looking for Surena, it would be simple to explain the situation. However, it would be a bit of an issue if this happened to be a hostile force. Well, if they aren’t open to talking, we’ll just have to beat them up.
Preparing for the worst, Surena and I took the front, while Allucia stuck with Lucy, seeing how she was capable of bursting into action the fastest. A while later, two people stepped out of the treeline in the distance.
“Stop!” one shouted. “Who goes there? Identify yourselves.”
It was a young man who looked to be about Randrid and Henblitz’s age. He was somewhat lankier than them, but that didn’t mean he lacked strength. His muscles were just very tightly packed. You could say his entire body had been trained purely for battle, cutting all excess fat. The fact that this was visible through his clothes proved the extent of his abilities. At a glance, he appeared quite skilled. He had silver hair that resembled Allucia’s, but there was a violet tint to it that gave off a very different impression. Much like her, there was a certain mystique to this.
Judging by his equipment, he wasn’t a knight. He wore a long coat with several metal plates affixed to it and carried a drawn longsword in his hand. It was no normal longsword, though. Squinting to get a better look, I could see its undulating edge. It was a flamberge. This weapon focused on creating lacerations and causing heavy bleeding. To put it bluntly, it excelled at killing. I didn’t believe in any gods, but going entirely by his appearance and weapon, he looked like the god of death. That was how tranquil and dominant he seemed.
As I continued observing him, Surena stepped forth and announced herself.
“I’m Surena Lysandra. I’m hoping that’s enough for you. If not, then I must ask you to identify yourselves as w—Ebenrain?! I never thought you’d be mobilized...”
“Lysandra, in the flesh? Haaah... Guess you’re fine, then. Glad to see that part’s solved.”
Once she got a better look at him, her tone changed completely. The man named Ebenrain also blinked in surprise for a moment, then sighed in relief. It seemed they were acquaintances. From what he was saying, maybe they were the adventurers who’d come to look for Surena. However, the way Surena had said “I never thought you’d be mobilized” bothered me a bit. Maybe he was just that much of a big shot.
“Ebenrain...” I muttered. “Um... Joshua Ebenrain...?”
His name and hair weren’t exactly common. I happened to have known a young man who’d shared those exact features. Well, not a young man at the time—the person I’d known had been far younger. Hearing me, he turned my way.
“Hm? You know m—”
He froze in clear shock, his expression twisting completely.
“D-Don’t tell me... Master Beryl?!”
It was a completely unexpected reunion. How could anyone have predicted this happening all the way out here? However, I wasn’t quite sure you could call this a happy reunion.
“Yeah... Long time no see, I guess?” I said. “Never thought you’d call me ‘Master’ again.”
Joshua Ebenrain was one of my former pupils. However, he’d left the dojo before learning all of our techniques.
“Oh... I suppose it is impertinent of me to call you that,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Beryl.”
“Aah, call me whatever. I did teach you for a bit.”
He was quite different from the Joshua I’d known. It’d thrown me off a little. It had been a long time since I’d seen him, so maybe it was normal for him to have grown in both body and mind. Even at my age, I was definitely still growing.
“Hmph. You too, Ebenrain?” Surena said, scoffing. “The world is both vast and small.”
“Me too...? I see, so you’re also...”
There was a strange sympathy between them. I knew the possibilities weren’t zero. I’d spent a long time teaching swordsmanship, so I had plenty of pupils who’d achieved great success. The world was big, but in any occupation, the higher you went, the fewer the people. That was why in the world of martial arts, it was entirely possible for those who’d risen to the top to know each other or to have had the same teacher. I’d simply never considered that I would be that teacher.
“Aah, sorry to cut in,” Lucy said, “but now isn’t exactly the time for chitchat. I’m sure you feel the same.”
“You’ve got a point there...” I agreed. “Joshua, we’re chasing a named monster. What about you?”
My reunion with him had been unexpected, but we couldn’t exactly renew old friendships. We were here to defeat Id Invicius. Joshua’s objective was to rescue Surena—he hadn’t explicitly been ordered to defeat the monster. I doubted he would get in our way, but I was curious about how he would move next.
“If it isn’t a bother, I’d like to accompany you,” he answered after a moment’s consideration. “If the knight commander and even the magic commander have set forth, then my group can’t be the only ones slinking back to town.”
His eyes were fixed on Allucia and Lucy to the rear. Those two were celebrities. The fact that I was walking shoulder to shoulder with them, and with Surena, was somewhat unreal.
“I see. We could do with the help,” I told him. “We’ll be counting on you.”
There was no reason to refuse him. A battle against Id Invicius would be better conducted with a small squad of elite members. His abilities were in no way lacking for this. Joshua hadn’t learned all of our techniques, but looking purely at his skill with a sword, he stood out prominently.
I did have some slight anxieties, of course, but he’d grown considerably since those days. I was sure he’d matured, and I could at least guarantee that he wasn’t scheming to stab me in the back.
“I’ve caused you a lot of trouble,” Surena said. “Allow me to thank you properly.”
“It’s fine,” Joshua said. “Working in a group like this is an experience that makes the hassle worth it.”
Setting aside the fact that they seemed to be normal acquaintances, everyone saw him as having enough skill to be selected for Surena’s search party. I had no idea what kind of life he’d led since leaving the dojo, but Surena wouldn’t have been talking to him like this if he were a bad person. I was secretly relieved to see he hadn’t fallen off the proper path.
“We haven’t fully introduced ourselves,” Joshua said. “This is my partner. I guarantee she won’t slow us down.”
“I’m Misty. A pleasure to meet you.”