“You’re sure industrious, boss. Almost like you’re taking a page outta my master’s book.” Sanya sighs openly. I take it she’s not rude to just me, her boss. In that instant, a massive figure slowly moves toward us through the thick fog. It’s even more massive than the giant squid, and judging from its shadow, it’s not a living being. One of the crew runs frantically across the deck toward the captain’s quarters, his face white as a sheet, screaming. His reaction is far more intense than when the giant squid appeared just minutes ago. “Ghost ship! It’s a ghost ship! They hate the living! Shit, we gotta keep away from that thing! It’ll suck our souls right out of our bodies!” “Thank God Toudou didn’t choose to cross the sea…” I consider myself relatively fortunate, and yet this is what I’m dealing with. If this is my encounter rate for enemies, I don’t even want to know what Toudou’s unlucky party would end up dealing with. Seriously, it’s a good thing we didn’t come out to sea in a rowboat. Sizing up the dilapidated ghost ship that appeared in the middle of the storm, Sanya stands, obviously annoyed. “…Ughhh, I hate the undead…” “They’re just my specialty…” The ghost ship is many times larger than our vessel. The hull is riddled with a number of massive cracks; it’s a wonder that it hasn’t sunk, given the shape it’s in. Or, no, perhaps—perhaps it’s already sunk, and it just hasn’t realized? It’s said wandering souls that perish on the open seas become listless and turn into demonic spirits. They then lure others in and continue to grow more powerful. How pitiful. It must be something like fate that brought us face-to-face. I might as well purify them all. As the rainstorm continues to pour down like a waterfall from the heavens, I turn my open palm to face the approaching ship as if drawing it in. He’s…a freak of nature. Watching the events unfolding before her very eyes, for the first time, Sanya Chatre fully grasps the reason why her master dispatched her to this man. He had the grit to decide to cross the ocean, even though it’s under the Demon Lord’s army’s control. He didn’t hesitate for even a moment in attacking the giant squid with his mace. The first time she felt something was off was when he told her how long he could maintain his Intimidation. Sanya’s own time—three or four hours—is a long interval for any mercenary. Yet, when Ares heard this, he brushed her off and said he would cover any time outside of hers. These weren’t the typical words of a priest, who generally doesn’t have a scrap of combat ability to speak of. She thought he was just reckless when he said he was providing support to defeat the Demon Lord, but judging by the scene in front of her, she realizes it’s not altogether unfeasible. Sanya is conceited in the sense that she believes she’s not just a normal mercenary, but her boss on this mission eclipses her—he’s in a different league. Sanya’s estimation of Ares has risen. In spite of everything, it seems this man’s fit to be leader of the pack. She nods to herself. “Ohhh… Oh God…” A single tear falls from the corner of the eye of Captain Romoro, the man who brought this ship out to sea in the first place. Ghost ships are the most vexing monsters to fight on all the high seas. It appeared in the middle of a storm and is now chasing relentlessly after the vessel. There are many sea monsters to be on the lookout for: giant squid, which ambush ships and drag them down to the ocean depths with their tentacles, or ground sharks, which speed through the water and try to devour everything in sight. What sets a ghost ship apart from these is that it isn’t alive. Regular attacks won’t work on it. This was once a regular ship that was sunk and then revived through pure hatred. Now, it refuses to sink even on the wild, choppy seas, and the innumerable droves of undead crew members lying inside its quarters thirst by the second for new prey. There are rumors that defeating the ghost ship’s captain will destroy the vessel itself, yet no one has been able to verify such claims because there hasn’t been a single sailor who’s encountered a ghost ship and lived to tell the tale. If one appears, all a person can do is pray the brunt of its attack misses and try to escape. Romoro was ready to die the moment he heard his crew’s screams. There was no time to spare for regret as the terrifying chill of death seeped into his entire being from the feet up. However, a plume of smoke erupts from the ghost ship, and it starts to pull back as if in retreat. A single beam of white light illuminates the darkness, even blotting out the glow of the storm’s lightning. In the moment after the captain and crew recoil from the flash, it’s all over. Next to the captain, a low-ranking deckhand who was similarly struck dumb by their awful situation rubs his eyes in disbelief. His gaze is fixated on the “harbinger of death.” “Captain, is this…a dream?” “No—” Their ship has just two convoys: a rather sketchy small-framed woman dressed in a hooded robe and a priest wielding a massive mace. Without an official permit from the Kingdom, they’d have been laughed out of port. But now, a monster that normally heralded certain death is vanishing farther and farther into the distance. It is that moment when the captain finally understands that Ares and Sanya are the most skilled convoys he’s ever met in the decades he’s spent on the high seas. To his knowledge, they are the first crew members to ever survive a ghost ship encounter. Though he is momentarily stunned from the impact, the captain soon returns to his senses. Their vessel is still caught in the storm. Its greatest threat may have retreated, but neither he nor the crew can let their guard down now. Monsters are not their only enemies. Just as the captain begins to reprimand the low-ranking crew member, still petrified in a dreamlike state, the door to the captain’s quarters opens. Ares steps inside from the wind, rain, and raucous din outside. His soaked hair sticks to his face, and he’s drenched from his head to his boots, but his expression is perfectly calm. A girl Captain Romoro has never seen before follows behind him and shuts the door. She has tanned amber-brown skin and silver hair. She has the signs of a werebeast protruding from the top of her head and her rear—most people would be taken aback, but the captain is wholly unperturbed. Ares makes no mention of her and looks to the captain, speaking like he’s making small talk. “Captain, we need to follow that ship.” “……What?” Ares whips his finger toward the direction of the ghost ship. “We let it go, but it has an incredible amount of life force, potentially as much as a high-ranking demon. Do these ghost ships appear regularly on the high seas? How often do you run into one? They seem weak to exorcism, and they’re a suitable enemy. I didn’t expect it to escape after taking just a bit of damage, though. Shit.” Ares is clearly annoyed and clicks his tongue while the captain answers, stiff as a board. “……No way in hell… We ain’t gonna pursue it.” The werebeast following behind Ares grunts in a huff and says to him, “…See? I tried tellin’ you… What’ll we do if the ship sinks in a storm because of your recklessness?” “We’ll doggy paddle.” “…Aren’t you going to have some?” “I…don’t eat meat.” The hooded girl answers Amelia’s question and stuffs her cheeks with a cubed chunk of travel rations. The open-air fire crackles. Amelia’s companion hasn’t changed at all, even since they got off the runner lizard. The girl’s voice is relaxed—not a trace of anxiety. Amelia bites off a strip of the dried meat, expressionless until the strong salty taste causes the corners of her eyes to twitch a bit. Amelia tends to keep a strict poker face, but the newest member Ares assigned to her does even more so—Amelia has no idea what she’s thinking. And the hood makes her face impossible to read. Amelia has seen the face of her new companion—Rabi Chatre—only one time. Since then, she’s refused to lower the hood. Rabi must have noticed Amelia staring at her. As if giving an excuse, she says, “I’m just really shy… It’s not that I don’t want you to see my face, Amelia. If you really want me to, though, I’ll take off the hood…” “No…it’s fine.” Rabi seems relieved at Amelia’s response and relaxes her shoulders, slightly squirming underneath the hood. Then she changes the subject. “At the moment, Toudou and company seem to be doing just fine.” “You can tell from this distance?” Toudou’s party has made camp about three kilometers away. They’re within range of Amelia’s detection magic, but even Ares wouldn’t be able to tell what’s going on from this distance. Amelia’s eyes go wide, and Rabi politely places her hands on her knees before answering. “My hearing is…better than Sanya’s. That’s probably why your boss placed me with you. I can detect anything happening around us in an instant.” “…I see.” Amelia’s detection magic is first-class and covers a wide area, but it’s not suited for daily use. With a party member at her side who can keep regular watch over their surroundings and excels in sensing danger, the chances of Amelia running into any real trouble are even lower. Amelia falls silent and Rabi tries to ease her mind. “Please don’t worry. My job is to protect you. I have confidence in my skills.” Yet, even if this is the safest choice, traveling separately from Ares is less than ideal in Amelia’s eyes. Not that she could voice this complaint to his face, of course. “Thankfully, no overly powerful monsters should spawn on the way to Cloudburst. The front lines are far north of here, after all.” The route Toudou’s party is traveling has not yet been invaded by the Demon Lord’s forces. All that is visible across the expansive plain is sparse vegetation. There aren’t even forests, and the monsters that do inhabit here are limited to small furry animals. Just as Rabi said, there aren’t any monsters that will attack them on their path. “If anything, I’m worried about Sanya. Crossing the ocean in this day and age is hardly a sane decision.” “…If that’s so, then why did you come with me?” Amelia has sincere doubts about Rabi, whose tone of voice is without a trace of worry. These two girls Ares hired are supposed to be mercenaries—and mercenaries generally shy away from dangerous missions. Not to mention the journey ahead is a perilous one that is sure to involve inescapable hardships. Amelia can sense Rabi smiling from within her hooded cloak. “Picking and choosing missions is for third-rate mercenaries. Taking a simple job anyone can complete is not for heroes—achieving the impossible is. So says my master. If anything, Amelia, I’m perplexed by how you obey your boss’s every order… But I won’t bother you for the details. Prying into your affairs is not a part of my job.” “I had an idea when my master told me I was gonna cross the ocean…but now I really know why he dispatched me.” We’ve made it out of the storm by the skin of our teeth, and the ship is peaceful once again. Sanya stretches her back lithely in her assigned cabin. She’s tossed aside her drenched robe, and her tail, which soaked up water like a sponge, is now completely dry. “My master loves to play tricks on people. He’s always throwing us headlong into precarious jobs.” “If you’re upset about something, let’s hear it. Your food, provisions, and pay are equal across the board, regardless of how much fighting we do. I can also cast Heal on you, and depending on how things turn out, you might just get a bonus.” “I was told that I’ll be fighting a steel tiger werebeast, but I didn’t think I’d be drenched from head to toe in seawater or battling a giant squid or undead. This is a scam.” “No. I didn’t say anything about fighting a steel tiger werebeast. I only said that I require people who can take one down. Priests do not tell lies. And you didn’t even fight against any undead anyway.” “AHHHHHHHHH! You tricked meeeeee!!” Sanya tears at her hair as she screams. The contract I made was only with her master, though. There’s no way that someone as experienced as Bran would ever mistake the meaning of my words. This is a crime of conscience. “Do you want to go home?” “I’m only joking. If my master found out I ran away, there’s no telling what’d happen to me.” Sanya furrows her brow at me. It seems she’s not so irresponsible that she’ll abandon her post. Sanya rubs her tail, now dry of seawater, and makes a show of sighing at me. “I gotta wash this later…” “Will it hinder you in combat?” “…Would you not bathe if it hindered you in combat?” Bran said she’s a silverwolf. Unlike steel tigers, this breed of werebeast forms packs based on valor. Sanya is mixed-race—silverwolf and human. Aside from her ears, tail, and the color of her hair, she’s the same as a regular person. Her kind primarily leads quiet lives in packs within forests and the deep reaches of mountains; you hardly see them mingling with the human population. I’ve never even fought one myself. Werebeasts, with their superior physical forms, do not typically wear any armor. This is also true for Sanya, who wears shorts and a bikini-top shirt that exposes her healthy amber skin. I had a hard time asking her to wear the hooded overcoat. I assigned the other mercenary—Rabi—to Amelia because I knew she wouldn’t know how to handle Sanya. I decline to answer Sanya’s question and change the subject. “Has anyone on the ship reacted to your being a werebeast?” I don’t know how deep werebeast discrimination runs. People might be biased against her even though she’s more human than werebeast. Sanya lets go of her tail and stares into my soul with her silver eyes. “Nah. They’re all too busy talking about the crazy priest who wanted to chase after a ghost ship.” “…” “You definitely showed me up, boss, definitely. We each leave a different impact. Compared to you, I’m just a cute set of ears and a magnificent tail, merely a… No, absolutely a stunning human being.” “This isn’t a damn competition.” I simply got excited because I rarely have a chance to level up myself. Sanya howls, as if talking to herself. “But I won’t lose next time! I didn’t come here to get soaking wet and shoot arrows at a squid. No matter how much battle lust you’ve got, boss, I don’t want you taking my job.” Just who is talking about battle lust here? Don’t lump me in with Gregorio. Sanya puffs out her chest, full of pride. I have something to say myself. “Yeah, I know. But make no mistake, this is just the opening act. The real adventure begins once we actually arrive at Cloudburst. Just settle down for now, and before long, you’ll have more than your fill of demons.” “…Excuse me? I’m a scout. Combat’s not my main occupation, y’know.” “Yeah, well, I’m a priest.” “Lies.” “…” “Total bullshit.” “…” If I’m not a priest, then what am I? I don’t wield a mace just because I enjoy it or anything. Not to mention, I’ve employed these two mercenaries to take care of battle for me. I never want to fight a steel tiger ever again. Sanya has clearly misjudged me already. I tap her on the shoulder. “Your bow skills are exquisite. I’m counting on you.” “…Mm. I’ll do all I can.” Sanya must not be used to compliments. She ignores most of what I’ve just said to her and nods meekly. Taking down that giant squid in the middle of a storm with a single shot to its weak spot was truly incredible, but steel tigers aren’t defeated so easily. Because she’s half human, her physical prowess is far less than a pure-blooded werebeast. She doesn’t carry any other weapons except the bow and knives, either. Maybe she has a secret skill I don’t yet know about? I vacillate on whether to ask her. A mercenary’s life is only as good as the hand they hold. They should never reveal their hand so easily, nor should it ever be pried into. Not to mention, Sanya doesn’t have close ties to the priesthood like Stey does. As I look at Sanya, who’s started to tweak her bow, a noise erupts outside. “Hey! A pack of ocean serpents is coming closer! Dammit! Just when we thought we were shit outta luck running into a ghost ship, we’ve now got these things to deal with! And all on the same day, in this massive ocean!” “Call the convoys! Now!” Hurried footsteps approach the cabin. This must be a greater number of monsters than when the storm hit. Being on the ocean makes being on land look like a cakewalk in comparison. Sanya lets out a small sigh before standing up. She shoulders her freshly tweaked bow and begins to stretch. I furrow my brow and ask, just to check, “Sanya, has anyone ever told you you’re bad luck?” “Eh? Don’t blame this on me. It’s all you, boss.” “No way. I’m confident in my own decent amount of luck. You’re the grim reaper here.” Sanya looks up at me, completely incredulous. “Cloudburst, ho!” Hearing the lookout’s cry, Captain Romoro clenches his fist and exhales sharply. This voyage kept everyone on their toes the entire time. The crew who worked so hard to operate the ship let out a collective shout of joy. Past the wide expanse outside the window, a cityscape is visible near the horizon. It’s unlikely that any massive monsters will attack at this distance from the shore. There wasn’t a single day of peace during our eleven-day voyage. We ended up getting attacked by one massive beast or another on a daily basis. It started with the giant squid, the ghost ship, and the ocean serpents. Then came a behemoth turtle several sizes larger than our ship, some flying sharks, and finally, a massive bird so huge that it practically blocked out the sun. It felt like we were getting lashed by a storm for over half the trip. There’s a good chance I wouldn’t have been able to protect the ship by myself. Hearing the crew’s shouts of joy, Sanya—whose expression had been growing stiffer by the day—finally sighs in relief. Even for someone who’s been under Bran’s intense tutelage, the constant swaying and lurching of the ship, the frigid winds, and having to protect the weak crew members have all taken a palpable toll on Sanya. “…I did not imagine our everyday combat would be this arduous. There are too many monsters resistant to Intimidation out there.” Watching the brave crew members who had summoned the gumption to traverse the sea in this perilous day and age succumb to exhaustion and keel over one by one was a true nightmare. If I didn’t cast Heal to cure them immediately, we would have run out of capable sailors to operate the ship. Captain Romoro remained alert and gave orders until the last moment. He replies to me with visible shock, “…You’re right. This voyage was exceptionally rough. A total disaster, the absolute worst experience I’ve ever had in all my years as a sailor. It’s a miracle we’ve arrived in one piece.” “Thank God… So this was the absolute worst experience. It can’t get any worse?” “…Worse than this? Only thing I can imagine is running into the sea demon himself.” The captain screws up his face in a grimace. If this is rock bottom, that means I’ve overcome the worst the ocean can muster. I didn’t gain any levels, but I definitely gained experience. The ocean no longer scares me. In the end, Sanya must be the one who brought all this calamity upon us—she’s bad luck, no doubt. She must be able to tell what I’m thinking—she casts a miffed gaze my way. When I brought Sanya onto the ship, I expected trouble to break out between the crew and her, but it turned out that we were so busy going from one battle to the next that there wasn’t a chance for anything to happen. That may have been our only silver lining. “…I’m just gonna say it—you’re the actual grim reaper here, boss.” “No use in bickering about it now. We need to be thankful we’re here alive.” “…I’ve had my fill of the ocean for a while.” “Don’t worry—we’re done with the high seas. Next, we head to the ocean floor.” That’s where the temple is located, after all. I speak without a trace of jest, but Sanya looks like she’s just witnessed the apocalypse unfold before her. “…I’m gonna get some air.” Sanya plods out of sight. We’ve only just reached Cloudburst, but she’s really had a hell of a time already. Seeing her leave with her tail sagging limply, Captain Romoro seems to have sympathy. “That girl is a mercenary, right? She looks young—you better take proper care of her.” “…Yeah.” You’re damn right. I’ve been looking for personnel for ages. I won’t let her out of my sight. Sanya is standing all by her lonesome at the bow of the ship. Given how melancholy she’s coming across, it’s no surprise that the crew members aren’t speaking to her. They’re all casting intermittent glances her way, but none of them approach her. “Rabi should’ve joined you, boss.” “…” “Even if you’re supposedly the strong one, bringing me here was a mistake. You’re messed up in the head—no matter how dangerous the ocean’s supposed to be, that was too many damn monsters. You’re nuts. You’re a swindler. I brought a hundred arrows with me and I’ve only got ten left.” Sanya is at her wits’ end. As she swings her tail from side to side slowly, standing petrified, I pat her slender shoulder in consolation. This girl is a mercenary. If she wants to escape, she can do so with ease. I have to keep her here. “Sanya… Even without arrows, you have your knives, right?” “Boss… Is that all you have to say?” “Your arrows will be covered as an expense.” “No. No, not that, boss. That’s a given. You’re totally heartless.” Let’s not forget that hiring you was a private expense in the first place… Sanya’s a lot more sensitive than I expected. I thought she had real valor. Now I’m concerned. Her eyes downcast, Sanya doesn’t look particularly noble or strong. That impudence I saw when she first joined us has been washed away by the ocean. The high seas are terrifying, indeed. “Sanya. Listen to me carefully. Compared with your predecessor, you are infinitely more accomplished.” At least Sanya isn’t a total ditz and doesn’t fall on her ass. Her predecessor may have more mental fortitude, though. Sanya blinks and looks up at me. Her eyes are a deeper silver than her hair, and tears fill them. “I’ll tack some extra onto your pay and tell your master about your accomplishments here. So please lend me your skills for just a while longer.” A while longer—yes, until Toudou defeats the Demon Lord, so maybe another three years? I can no longer afford to support Toudou with just Amelia and myself. If it had been Amelia on board the ship with me, I don’t think our stamina would have lasted. As I lower my head solemnly, Sanya responds, bewildered, “…D-did I really do a good job? Better than my predecessor?” “Yes.” Her predecessor was a real piece of work, after all. Compared to her, Sanya is void of any eccentricities and is easy to work with. She’s simpler somehow. Some of the light returns to her eyes. “Don’t worry. Even the captain said this was the worst voyage he’d ever been on, right?” “Y-yeah, he did.” “It was a bit rough—but it won’t be as bad going forward.” Of course, I’m not going to tell her that she’s a bad omen or anything like that. All’s well that ends well. Despite my consolation, Sanya suddenly looks reproachful. “A bit rough? Did you say ‘a bit’? I’ll be blunt—I really don’t think we’re gonna mesh that well.” Yes, a bit. Sea monsters are massive, and being forced into the disadvantageous position of fighting from a ship’s deck is a huge pain, but they weren’t exactly fearsome enemies. Thanks to our sterling efforts in driving them back, we didn’t even have any deaths. Having an extra set of hands really does make a huge difference after all. Eleven days would be far too long to work without sleep or rest. It was worth hiring Sanya for that reason alone. I look far in the distance toward the cityscape of Cloudburst before continuing. “Without you, Sanya, I would have been forced to come to Cloudburst in a rowboat.” “That doesn’t sound like a joke…” It’s no joke. Back when I didn’t put any stock in the power of sea monsters, I would have probably done it. Or, wait… Maybe if I was alone, without Sanya and her awful luck, the monsters wouldn’t have spawned like crazy? Sanya is giving me the cold shoulder. I make a pained face and say, “It would be disappointing… Hugely disappointing, really, but if you don’t want to go forward, we can terminate your contract right here and now. Of course, that means you would have to pay me back… I’ll talk it over with Bran.” There’s no way she’ll agree to it. I droop my head dejectedly and Sanya swallows a lump in her throat before her lips move. “…N-no—” Hearing her speak, I snap my head to attention. “Oh really? That’s a relief. Well then, let’s get back to the captain; everyone must be worried about us.” “Wha…? W-wait— Huh?” Sanya is thoroughly confused. I put my hand on her back and push her forward. Sanya is one of Bran’s disciples. If word was to get out that this legendary mercenary’s apprentice gave up after just ten days of work, I’d see the repercussions when looking for additional backup in the future. Tripping over her feet as she walks forward, Sanya looks absolutely incredulous. “Hang on… Did you just trick me?” “Perish the thought. Okay, let’s go! The ocean isn’t your specialty, right? Once we meet up with Amelia and Rabi, everything will get easier.” The color returns to Sanya’s face. She clenches her fists and pricks up her ears. “Y-yeah, you’re probably right! Once Rabi’s here…dealing with the ocean’ll be a piece of cake!” “Your master told me that the two of you together are even stronger than he is.” This is mostly lip service. Even with werebeast blood coursing through their veins, there’s no way two teenage girls could surpass the likes of a legendary mercenary known in every corner of the Kingdom. “Yeah, that’s right. Hey, boss, how long did you say it’ll take Rabi and Amelia to get here?” The lip service worked—Sanya is now completely recovered from her malaise. She must really miss her companion, Rabi. Now I recall that silverwolves form packs in the wild. Even though she’s half human, Sanya might have retained a part of this trait. “They’re progressing just fine, without any particular incident. They told me yesterday that they were close to reaching a small village in the mountains. Once they pass through there, it’s a straight shot to Cloudburst. They’ll be here in a week to ten days, I’m sure.” It’s extremely fortunate that nothing has gone wrong with Toudou and his party. That said, they manage to get themselves into trouble no matter what they do… Sanya’s eyes are ablaze as she whispers, like a young maiden in love, “I hope Rabi gets here soon…” “We’ll gather information on the temple until they arrive.” “Okay. I’m good at that sort of thing, y’know.” Looking toward the quickly approaching harbor, the silverwolf girl laughs, beaming with joy. The small village that Toudou and party have arrived at lies quietly at the top of a narrow mountain path. It’s a mere footnote on the map they received from the Kingdom. They climb the path, driving back the occasional monsters that appear, and after arriving at the village just before sunset, they are met by a number of annoyed-looking villagers. There are multiple routes that lead to Cloudburst, but avoiding the mountains makes for an extremely long detour. Toudou and company chose the narrow path they’re on now because it’s supposedly the shortest. This small, self-sustaining village doesn’t appear to get many merchants visiting it. The party is asked a number of questions at the entrance to the village before stepping safely inside. After moving through there and down the mountain pass, it will just be a few more days to Cloudburst. “…I wonder if something happened here?” “It didn’t seem like they were questioning us just because we’re outsiders, that’s for sure.” Toudou’s expression grows stern as the villagers exchange hushed murmurings and furtive glances in the party’s direction. It’s not a particularly welcoming crowd. Limis senses their rude, contemptuous looks and glowers right back. “We should pass on through without stopping, don’t you think?” “Hmm. The sun’s already going down…” Toudou looks up at the pale-pink sky. Regardless of how strong the monsters in this area are, she would like to avoid descending the rugged mountain path in the dark. “But this place…doesn’t seem to have an inn, does it?” Limis notes as she checks out the few austere homes that line the village. Yutith’s Tomb, one of their previous destinations, also had a nearby small village—Purif—but it was nothing like this. The towns in Golem Valley were also small but still active with an influx of mercenaries. Nothing about this desolate village indicates activity. In fact, it looks like it’s about to rot away into obscurity before their very eyes. Aria shrugs and mumbles, “…There doesn’t even appear to be a church…” The Church of Ahz Gried is highly involved in the daily lives of its people. Toudou always thought that even the smallest village had at least one house of worship, but she can’t see a building adorned with the cross scale—the symbol of the Church—anywhere here. Without a church present, they can’t level up or receive medical treatment in the form of holy techniques. They can’t cast a prism to keep away any legions of darkness, either. “How do the villagers even manage without a single church…?” Toudou wonders. “…Who knows? …I mean, it’s a tiny little village, after all…,” Limis chimes in briefly, almost like she’s making an excuse. Taking up the rear is a little girl with shining emerald hair—Glacia. She silently returns the villagers’ empty stares. One of the villagers can’t stand the tension of her wordless gaze and looks away. The party quickly surveys the entire village, but they find only fields and crude homes—nary a shop in sight. They circle their environs and eventually come to a stop in front of an estate that’s much larger than the rest of the houses. “It doesn’t seem like they have room for us. Maybe we’re better off camping outside?” “There are a number of exclusive villages, after all…and yet—there’s something about the way the villagers are staring at us…” Aria frowns, clearly perturbed, and in that moment, she hears a voice from behind. “Goodness… What have we here? Travelers—what a rarity. You’ve certainly come at an awful time of year…” Aria instinctively reaches for her sword on her waist in response. She’d let her guard down from being inside a village. The speaker is an elderly man. He’s bent at the waist and his skin is worn and withered. His hands grip a gray cane, and his clothing is just as modest as that of the other villagers, but his sorrowful, cloudy eyes impart a sense of mysterious power. He’s completely undisturbed by Aria reaching for her sword. The group makes no effort to hide their wariness, and the old man speaks in a gruff rasp. “My apologies. I’m…the village headman. You must have traveled long and far to come here… I’m sure you were shocked. However—there’s a reason for all this. Please forgive us.” “A…reason…?” Toudou hesitantly repeats. The village headman’s expression shifts, and he hesitates before explaining: The god of a nearby mountain periodically demands a sacrifice, and as a result, the village has lost its former vigor. “On the third night after the full moon, we must provide a young maiden as a sacrifice, or the god says it will destroy our village…” The old man’s eyes burn brightly, like a wild animal’s. The incomprehensible emotion churning within them causes Toudou to shudder. Is it despair? Anger? Sorrow? Or is it delight? She can’t read him at all. “Three days after the full moon—tomorrow, right?” Limis furrows her brow and gazes up to the sky, now fully past sunset. “This village seems suspicious. There are all kinds of evil thoughts coursing through it.” “…Yes, you’re right.” The strange squawking of a nearby bird can be heard off in the distance. Getting too close to the village will put them at risk of being noticed by Toudou, according to Rabi’s assertion. Therefore, Amelia and Rabi have made camp near a watering hole approximately one kilometer away. The runner lizard made quick work of the narrow mountain path and rests on its haunches, exercising Intimidation on any nearby monsters. The moon shines brightly. Amelia munches on a piece of dried meat, which she’s rather sick of by now. Their conversation turns to the small village that Toudou and her party have stopped at. “Any village without a church is usually not a good sign. All decent villages have priests assigned to them.” Rabi Chatre continues her bitter assessment casually. However, Amelia largely agrees. The Church exists to lift people’s spirits, and it also provides a certain utility. The lack of a church building doesn’t come without a definite reason. For example, any knowledge of the village’s existence by the God of Order’s followers would cause issues. Rabi is speaking much faster than usual. Her shadow is cast sharply on the ground from the campfire light. “Any god who demands a sacrifice is up to no good, best labeled an evil god.” “I’ve heard that intelligent monsters sometimes pretend to be gods in order to attract prey…” “There don’t appear to be any particularly strong monsters dwelling nearby.” Rabi puts her silken-gloved hand to her face and strains her ears against the night. Just as she said, there haven’t been any monsters that have come to attack them and the runner lizard along this mountain path. “Bandits have also been known to impersonate gods, but only complete imbeciles are fooled by them.” As Rabi speaks, Amelia stops and ponders. The path they’ve traveled is a sad, decrepit trail that not even itinerant traders would traverse. It’s the sort of place that bandits would choose to lure in prey. Rabi shrugs and looks up. Her face is covered by a thick cloth mask, and only her deep ruby-red eyes are visible underneath. “Even if it was a god, they’d have to be incredibly foolish to meddle in something like this.” “…” “That’s what shocks me about people who go looking for trouble. I came here with you because your boss looks crazy and is clearly terrifying, but I should have left this up to Sanya. No matter how good my hearing is, I can’t stop anyone from throwing themselves into danger.” “…Don’t say that—you’re supposed to be protecting me.” Amelia sighs. Ares said that Rabi is the diligent type, but just how, exactly? Rabi quickly takes back her words. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ll tell him directly when I have the chance.” “Should we go to the village? Ares told us to meet with the party directly if necessary, after all—” If Toudou is going to take on a favor for this creepy village, Amelia and Rabi will have no problem pretending to have run into them by chance. If they all get together, it should be possible to guide Toudou and company in a safe direction. Glacia, the girl Ares snuck into Toudou’s party, has not proven a very accomplished spy. Rabi stands up suddenly. Her figure, smaller than even Amelia’s, would be taken for a mere child’s if she wasn’t wearing her suspicious hood. She’s only about as tall as Limis, too. Rabi pats the dust off her coat as she stands, saying, “No. As your escort, I cannot allow us to dive headlong into the face of danger. Personally, I’m opposed to it. I’m timid. Moreover…it’s not the time to panic just yet.” “…” Amelia was told that Rabi has an exceptional ability to perceive danger, and she did get that feeling a number of times on their way here. However, isn’t this another matter altogether? Amelia is incredulous as she speaks to Rabi, who’s now turned away from the campfire. “…Where are you going?” “I’m going to gather some flowers and whatever else I find. There aren’t any dangerous monsters nearby, but you just stay right here, okay?” Soft beams of moonlight illuminate the path. With a cheerless expression, Rabi runs through the sparse tree line. Her footfalls are light, and she hardly makes a sound. Her hood, worn low, twitches back and forth. Rabi’s sense of hearing is vastly superior to a human’s; she can distinguish between the wind and the murmuring of a stream, and even with a loud bird’s cry mixed in, she’s easily able to ascertain what’s happening up at the mountain’s peak, where this god supposedly dwells. “I got stuck with such an annoying job…” Sanya, who is currently accompanying Ares, and Rabi are a team. They’ve always been paired together on any of their master’s assignments, and it’s rare for them to be working separately. Of course, they wanted to work together this time as well, but their boss wouldn’t let that happen. Rabi is particularly perceptive when it comes to other people’s strengths. Unlike Sanya, who has to actually come into contact with someone first, Rabi can quickly tell who she can and can’t cross. Most people are easily appeased, but this time, their client could not be defied. It’s a rare case. When he said they’d be split up, she had no choice but to accept it. The sharp gaze he gave her the first time they met flashes across Rabi’s mind, and she shakes her head to block it out. The only thing she should be thinking about and focusing on now is accomplishing the mission assigned to her. Truth be told, compared to Sanya’s mission on the ocean, Rabi’s duties should be a cinch. It’s a simple escort job. She’s not exactly fond of these kinds of missions, but as long as she’s able to flee any danger, then it’ll be easy. The water capital is still quite far away, but it’s not a dangerous stretch of land. The Holy Warrior should be able to cross it, and it’s unlikely that any troublesome monsters will appear. “Oof… I didn’t expect the Holy Warrior to get himself wrapped up in this kind of trouble… I really miscalculated.” Rabi stops near the mountain’s peak. A cold wind blows abruptly, and Rabi gathers the sleeves of her overcoat, shivering. In a moment, all falls silent. It’s as if the world around her is holding its breath—there are no birds chirping, no beasts growling. A sure sign that something is amiss. Maybe this is a high-level monster’s territory, or someone’s casted a prism. The villagers were behaving oddly—there’s no doubt that something inhabits the peak. Rabi is a pacifist. In truth, she didn’t even want to leave her village. However, she has to complete her mission. She’s been entrusted with protecting Toudou’s party and Amelia. She learned about them earlier: The Holy Warrior’s party is made up of only low-level members, and Amelia is a priest. Among the entire group, Rabi has the highest life force—even as half a man—thanks to her master’s tutelage. Even if she’s assigned as an escort, she has a responsibility to assess her opponent thoroughly. That’s one of a scout’s most important functions, after all. She rubs her hands together, wrapped in thin white gloves, and breathes deeply to calm her senses. She whispers in a shaky voice, “…There’s something…here.” It’s not her mind playing tricks on her. She hides in the shadow of a tree and holds her breath. An icy shiver runs down her spine. Her innately timid nature—the ability to sense danger—is setting off alarm bells in her head. She quells the feeling rising up inside her and strains her ears. Rabi is different from Sanya in that her sense of smell is not so fine-tuned. Her eyesight isn’t that good, either. Rabi has faith in her ears and her ears alone. She twitches her ears from within her hood in order to pick up any sounds. Rabi is petite. Compared with Sanya, she’s much lighter and lacks muscle. She also doesn’t carry anything like a bow and arrows. Her only option for defeating monsters above a certain level is to ambush them. Just then, something brushes against the toe of Rabi’s boot. She furrows her brow and bends over to inspect it. It’s white and hard. Almost like…some kind of bone. Rabi quivers like a leaf. Then she realizes: —There’s no sound. Even honing her auditory faculties, she can’t read the presence of the monster that’s supposed to have made the peak its stronghold. Rabi clutches at her chest to quell the sound of her accelerating heartbeat. Her field of vision is shrouded in a dark void. She looks up at the sky in sheer amazement. The moon, which was emitting a soft light until moments ago, has disappeared. —Wait, no. It hasn’t disappeared. Rabi’s eyes fly open in astonishment as an enormous black mass descends upon her, blocking out the light of the moon. The party climbs the mountain path under the glaring sun. Toudou takes the lead, keeping her sword drawn and remaining on the lookout for monsters, while Limis follows behind with her staff. “Hey, are you sure about this?” A wasp monster the size of a small dog buzzes through the air, and Toudou cleaves it in half before answering, “…Well, it’s on the way, after all.” Their goal is the mountain god dwelling on the peak that’s demanding a young maiden as a human sacrifice. This is something that Toudou simply cannot overlook. Toudou has fallen into the good graces of so many people since coming to this world. The villagers they all just met aren’t necessarily one such example, and they didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome, but still, she can’t just ignore something like this. Recalling the villagers’ pallid faces, Toudou heaves a small sigh. “Any god that demands a sacrifice…isn’t a god at all.” “Well, even if it is, it’s an evil god, no doubt.” “There’s no way a god exists in a place like this. Garnet’s been quiet, after all…” Limis looks at Garnet, perched on her shoulder. Gods are vastly different entities from human beings, naturally. They have a colossal presence. If the being that’s demanding a sacrifice is truly a god, then Garnet should be throwing a huge fit right about now. At the moment, Garnet looks quite bored as its tongue slithers in and out of its mouth. Glacia prods at the path with a stick she picked up along the way, looking highly curious about her surroundings. The path to the summit is much better maintained than the path that led to the village, likely from all the trips up to offer sacrifices. As they approach the peak, the air around them grows more and more silent. The cries of various insects and bird monsters are nowhere to be heard. Only the wailing wind remains. Aria stops abruptly and surveys their surroundings, furrowing her brow. “…It appears that we’re not alone…” The shiver running down her spine is definitely a sign that this is the territory of a powerful being. Limis grips her staff in one hand, alert and ready to cast a spell at a moment’s notice. The summit is still a long way off. Toudou draws the holy sword Ex and looks at the path stretching up ahead. Aria adds, “I don’t think it’s some kind of god. That much would show in the terrain. I believe it’s a small, cunning goblin of sorts. The villagers may have looked off for whatever reason, but I think their story was true.” “A goblin…huh…?” Most of the monsters that Toudou has slain so far have been incapable of understanding human language. Toudou retrieves her shield from her magical storage implement and grips it at the ready. The only monster Toudou’s ever encountered that really possessed any sort of intelligence was the demon she saw in the Great Forest of the Vale. Toudou may be much stronger than she was back then, but she’s not entirely sure she’s capable of defeating a demon of that ilk. The party approaches the summit. Toudou narrows her eyes. “…I can smell blood.” “…You’re right.” Aria nods and turns her steely gaze to the mountain peak. The path has only sparse trees, leaving nowhere for any creatures to hide. That means they can’t, either, but the chances of being hit with an ambush are low. Thirty-three—that’s the number of people the village headman said have been offered up for sacrifice over the past ten or so years. In that time, many mercenaries passing through have summited the peak to eradicate the evil god, but none of them have returned. Toudou shivers as she ruminates over this information, but it’s not out of fear—it’s excitement. There is nothing that the holy sword Ex can’t cleave through. Limis’s flame magic has burned all kinds of monsters to a crisp, and even Aria made it through the battles they faced in Golem Valley. Their chance of victory aside, Toudou could not refuse the village headman’s request. Because she, Naotsugu Toudou, is the hero. A crudely fashioned stone altar lies at the peak, built by hewing stones together and stacking them haphazardly. Its facade is riddled with cracks, and had they not been told there was an altar at the peak, they might have never noticed it. The mountain isn’t very tall, but with nothing around to block their view, they’re greeted by a resplendent scene stretching far below. The party approaches the altar, the front of which is covered in dark-red stains. It doesn’t impart any degree of sanctity. Toudou has visited a number of churches in her life, and they all had a particular atmosphere about them, as if all traces of filth had been wiped clean. She looks away from the altar and checks her surroundings. Aria is standing just behind her, guarding her blind spots. Limis raps her staff against the front of the altar and says hoarsely, “There’s…nothing here.” The moment Toudou goes to answer, she notices a black figure passing through the trees. Just as she’s about to cry out, Aria appears to have noticed it as well, and her expression turns grim. “An ursine. I wonder what it’s doing so close to human civilization…” As Aria speaks, the black figure in Toudou’s field of vision begins to take shape. The dark mass she had been seeing was its back, blanketed by an umbral coat of fur. Now, it stands up slowly and locks its two dimly gleaming golden eyes on Toudou. The figure moves languidly as Toudou rasps, “…A bear?” “It’s a monster,” Aria explains hastily. “Nao, use caution. They are formidable. And this smell of blood—” The ursine stands tall on both its haunches directly in front of Toudou. The smell of blood intensifies. The creature’s thick black fur made it look like some great enigma. Once it stands up, it closely resembles the bears that Toudou is familiar with, the only difference being how stable this monster appears to be on its two hind legs. Long bladelike claws extend from both of its front paws. The ursine starts dashing forward. Its swift two-legged gait makes it look just like a human. It closes the gap between them in an instant, and as Toudou recoils at its unexpected behavior, the bear goes to strike her without emitting so much as a roar. Aria steps in quickly to block its claws with her blade. Aria’s magical sword Lightning Howl and the bear’s lacquer-black claws clash, sending sparks flying. The bear’s claws slide along the blade, producing a horrible screeching noise. Toudou is left momentarily petrified from the scene, and Aria pushes back against the bear’s claws with all her might as she shouts, “Nao! Ursines are high-level monsters! Stay alert!!” The beast swings down its other paw. Aria’s warning snaps Toudou back to her senses and she blocks the swipe with her shield. The weighty impact rushes through her arm, and her thoughts finally catch up to the action. The bear is nearly three meters tall. It stares down at Toudou with its emotionless golden eyes. “Flame Lance.” Limis’s spell launches toward the bear. The bear sidesteps the deep-crimson lance and avoids the attack. The magic lance rockets through the air and impales the trees behind, scorching them to cinders. “It avoided a spell?!” Toudou’s breath is ragged. She’s shocked by what just transpired, but she still steps in to deliver a diagonal slash attack. The ursine receives her blow with its claws. Toudou feels slight resistance from the blow, but the holy sword Ex slices right through the bear’s jet-black claws. The tip of her sword grazes the beast’s right arm, and it howls in surprise. The monster holds its right arm as if protecting it, almost humanlike, and stomps on the ground furiously. Stones that had landed nearby now fly through the air, and Toudou blocks them reflexively with her shield. The bear is well outside of her sword’s attack range. Roughly ten meters away from them, the monster examines Toudou and her party with palpable rage in its eyes. Toudou can feel intelligence in that gaze, and she shudders with fear. She didn’t expect the giant bear to stand on two legs, much less behave like an accomplished warrior. She’s completely shaken up. “What…is that thing…?” “It’s a type of monster endemic to Ruxe’s northern regions. They’re highly intelligent and have bladelike claws, and they’ll attack anyone who enters their territory. These monsters are very closely related to demons.” “Very closely related…to demons?” Aria circles around the black beast and alters her stance. Toudou swallows a lump in her throat—the ursine’s expression is fierce, serious. She speaks again without taking her eyes off the beast. “Is this…what’s demanding the sacrifice?” “That’s a question of just how intelligent it is… However, it is possible. At the very least, there’s no way any of the villagers could attempt to take it down. Even the average mercenary wouldn’t likely—” This is the first time Aria has actually fought one, but their fearsome nature is well-known among the nation’s military. Ursines inhabit the mountains, so it’s exceptionally rare to see one on the prairies. However, encountering one of these monsters here almost certainly leads to an immediate order for its quick defeat. Even though Aria has leveled up recently, this is not the sort of monster she should be fighting one-on-one. Toudou could possibly take it down in one blow with a sneak attack from the holy sword Ex, but this bear is already on the defensive. However, that doesn’t mean they’re completely out of luck. They are four members strong, after all. Aria expertly positions herself in front of Limis in order to prevent any attacks from landing on her, even haphazardly. A monster this intelligent will assess the difference in ability between itself and its opponent. However, this particular ursine is highly agitated and breathing raggedly. Although the claws on its right paw have been sliced in half, it shows no sign of fleeing. This creature is teeming with pure wrath. Bloodlust fills the air and Aria is frozen stiff. The monstrous bear rushes forward with unbelievable speed for its size. “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” Toudou instantly rushes to close the gap and howls at the monster as its claws come slashing down. The city of Cloudburst is unlike any place I’ve been to before. Its development is readily defined by one characteristic: the massive canal running throughout the city. In keeping with its name, the “water capital,” the canal and the bizarre, complex waterways that branch off it are full of countless boats coming and going. It’s much faster to charter a boat than travel by land here. Most of the people who pass through are elementalists, since this is a sort of holy ground for them. They are all high-level mages who are skilled enough that they can be particular about the spirits they form covenants with, and so long as they’re not an anomaly like Limis, they can likely employ the services of elemental spirits other than water types. The fact that the city hasn’t gone to ruin despite the lack of any ships entering its port is perhaps a testament to the efforts of the mages who travel here. “I’ve surveyed the area briefly, but there isn’t anything to be concerned about.” As I walk around Cloudburst, I hear a voice from behind me. I wasn’t particularly on my guard, and yet I didn’t expect her at all. Her concealment skills are highly formidable. The owner of the voice—Sanya—sidles up beside me. She’s already lowered her hood; her silvery wolf ears twitch back and forth, surveying our environs. “I see… What about werebeasts?” “Werebeast mages are extremely rare, so they’d stick out. None here. I don’t detect any followers of darkness or any kind of hostile presence. I can’t detect the sunken temple whatsoever, either.” “What about any other disturbances?” “There are plenty of those in this day and age. I don’t sense anything particularly off.” We haven’t been in the city for very long, but Sanya appears to have ascertained our surroundings quite thoroughly. A talented scout’s work looks like magic to the uninitiated. She was able to locate me without my having told her of my whereabouts, and she even gave me a report on her findings—truly incredible. Sanya points to her nose and casually tells me, “Demons and anyone affiliated with the Demon Lord give off a particular scent. It stings the nostrils. That scent is nowhere in this city. We’re safe for now.” All I can smell is the sea… I can only imagine how easy things would have been in Golem Valley with her around. “Anything else?” “I wouldn’t be able to detect if someone affiliated with the Demon Lord had their memory wiped from a potion or spell. I think we can eliminate that possibility, though.” “You’re probably right.” Cloudburst is not a famous city. Its importance falls far short of Golem Valley’s. I wouldn’t waste my efforts on this place, even if I were the Demon Lord. “Keep me up to speed if any anomalies pop up.” “Yes, boss.” Sanya responds with complete confidence. According to Bran, the mercenaries I hired amount to only half a man each, so I imagine that Sanya isn’t distinguished in the realm of combat. I’m seriously looking forward to seeing what the full-fledged scout Rabi has in the way of surveying skills. “Also, boss, when will Rabi and the others get here?” “Toudou’s party has taken a pit stop, so…” Per Amelia’s report, it looks like Toudou and company have undertaken the task of defeating some kind of suspicious mountain deity. I’m not particularly worried, since she mentioned that Rabi claims to not have detected the presence of any strong monsters, but it all depends how things transpire. “Once they settle their current affair and make it through the mountains, they should be here in ten days.” “So not long, then,” Sanya answers promptly. I have some lingering concerns about Amelia and Rabi’s combined combat skills, but Sanya must trust them. I can’t help myself from being so worried—maybe I should take a page out of Sanya’s book. “It all depends on just what sort of mountain god they’re dealing with. They might be forced to descend the mountain and take a different path.” Sanya swishes her tail and looks puzzled. “Hmm, well, it’ll only be a beast creature or, at worst, a demon, right? And Rabi won’t be the one fighting it.” “A beast creature is one thing, but they’ll definitely struggle with a demon…” Even a half-breed werebeast doesn’t have much of an advantage against a demon. In reality, Sanya may stand a better chance, but Rabi doesn’t have a fraction of the stamina or strength in her blood that Sanya does as a silverwolf. That said, it’s not like I’m actually expecting Rabi to fight. Sanya blinks at me for a couple of seconds in response and shakes her head before saying something unexpected. “No, Rabi won’t have any problems. She’s stronger than I am anyway. What do you think the ‘fury’ in ‘Lightning Fury’ stands for, boss?” This enemy is formidable. Toudou lets go of all her previous inclinations and slashes her sword down on the beast. She hesitated on her first attack. But even now that Toudou has repositioned herself to face her opponent head-on, it’s still very strong. The air resonates with the black beast’s howls and Toudou’s ragged breaths. The bear must have sensed the difference in this attack—it now aims a swipe of its claws at the hilt of the holy sword Ex. Toudou parries the blow with her blade, feeling the bear’s incredible power reverberate through it, and takes a step back. She’s quite fortunate that she managed to cleave the claws of its right paw in half with her first attack. And she’s lucky to outnumber it. “I’ll guard Limis!” Just as she said, Aria puts herself in front of Limis. She aims her sword at the beast’s eyes to divert its attention. Limis squeezes her eyes shut and recites a brief incantation. The bear’s manic gaze shifts from Toudou, to Aria, to Limis. Its expression is muddled with animosity and intelligence. Then it hones in on Toudou and brings its injured right paw crashing down. In that moment, Glacia, who had been circling behind the beast, leaps into the air. She grips the blunt weapon that’s nearly the size of her entire body—a war hammer even Toudou would have trouble wielding—and swings it swiftly, bringing it down in front of her. The ursine notices the attack at the last second and turns to evade, but it’s too late—Glacia’s war hammer smashes it into the ground beneath. Flesh and bone audibly creak. The ursine bellows in retaliation, and in the same moment, Limis’s spell incantation is complete. Having silently taken note, Toudou and Aria step back. The bear’s eyes are racked with pain as they fixate on Limis. Innumerable balls of fire rise around her. She brings down her staff with force and chants the spell’s name. “Rapid Flame.” The flames shoot forward like bullets in pursuit of the beast, which has already started to retreat. The spell’s impact hits the ursine directly in its jaw. A dull thud. The giant beast flies through the air from the impact, but the attack isn’t over yet. The remaining flame projectiles floating around Limis all rain down upon the bear in succession. They strike its arms, legs, face—a perpetual firestorm. The impact of the flame bullets, which would instantly incinerate a low-level enemy, sends the beast tumbling across the ground. The flames subside, and the air reeks—the bear’s fur is singed. But the black beast still writhes. Limis gasps when she realizes that the ursine has repelled each and every one of her flame bullets. “…!” “Limis, follow it up!” It’s been damaged but not mortally. As Aria screams, she approaches the downed bear. Toudou rushes forward in tandem and steps in to attack from the side. Limis prepares another incantation, this time planning to fully incinerate the beast. The ursine stands up sluggishly and howls, shuddering. Its vile cry rips through the air but Toudou shrugs it off, completely fired up. This howl is nothing compared to what she saw in Golem Valley. The bear twists its body to avoid Toudou’s diagonal sword slash, but this time, she manages to just barely puncture its hide. The beast contorts its face as black blood sprays through the air. Toudou steps back and Aria jumps in. Her fluid strike flashes like lightning, but the bear catches it with its claws. This creature is superior in speed and physical strength. Yet, no matter how strong the opponent, constantly fending off blows will leave an opening. As the bear tries to retreat, Glacia is lying in wait, swinging her war hammer as if it were just a twig. In that breath, Limis finishes another incantation. “Flame Sword.” She brings the massive red-hot flame blade directly down on the bear’s head. The party immediately surrounds the ursine, and it crashes to the ground in front of Toudou like it’s just lost its balance. Its black fur is charred and riddled with scars; fresh blood stains the ground. Toudou lowers her holy sword, flecked with blood and viscera. She pants raggedly, recalling the battle as she looks down at the lifeless bear that didn’t even manage to let loose a death knell. Beholding the long, sharp claws splayed out on the ground, she whispers, voice trembling. “What a horrid beast…” “You were lucky to rob it of its right claws with your first attack. Those things are so sharp that they can be forged into blades themselves,” Aria responds, her expression still stiff. This was a monster far more formidable than any of them could have imagined. Had Toudou not been able to damage it with her first attack, they might not have gotten off so easily. “I thought it was just a normal bear…” “Right—because it looks like one. Ursines killed a lot of people before they became more commonly known.” “…Well, this sure is a weight off our shoulders, then.” Limis hasn’t cast any spells in a blue moon, and as she stumbles a bit, she picks up the claws of the fallen bear. The long, bloodied talons give her the creeps; they look like the blades of some sort of cursed sword. “If this is ursine territory, then there probably aren’t any other monsters around… At least, I can’t imagine anything more powerful inhabiting this place.” “Let’s take the body and return to the village.” Toudou touches the beast’s corpse, still warm, and deposits it into her magic-item storage. She takes a look around, but there isn’t a trace of any human sacrifices—only the ursine’s blood and remnants of the battle. “…Yes, let’s head back. We need to report this.” “…Right.” Toudou stares at the small altar for some time before nodding at Aria’s prompting. The moment the party returns, they notice a change in the atmosphere back at the village. However, it’s not a good change. The mood was dark when they first visited the village, but now, upon returning, it’s even grimmer. The villagers’ eyes go wide as they pass Toudou and her party. They look genuinely shocked. “Did something happen?” she wonders aloud. “…Let’s pay the headman a visit. He should be waiting for us there,” replies Aria. The party hurries to the headman’s house. If they’re not quick, they might not be in time to stop the preparations for the sacrifice. They arrive at last at the headman’s residence at the end of the village. It’s a small abode—hardly enough to be called an estate. The villagers have surrounded the house from a distance, peering over as if here to observe the situation. When Toudou looks toward them, they collectively cast their gazes to the ground. Their behavior is suspicious, but in a different way from when they first visited. The thick door opens as soon as they knock on it. Peering through the gap is a young girl the party has never seen before, probably around the same age as Limis, but her dark-brown hair and alabaster-white skin belie the fact that she’s just a village girl. Her eyes are red, like rubies, but it’s a different part of her that attracts more attention. It’s her ears, which droop from the sides of her head—clearly not human. The girl isn’t bothered by Toudou’s gaze and beams at her before turning back around. Her long skirt, extending below her knees, rustles gently. “Gramps! Toudou’s back!” “Gramps…?” At her call, the village headman appears from the rear of the house. His appearance hasn’t changed from when he first explained the conditions of the sacrifice to Toudou, but his eyes are shockingly lifeless. He looks at Toudou suspiciously for a little while before quickly jerking his head up. Before the headman begins speaking, the young girl takes Toudou by the arm and leads her into the house. It’s just the headman, the young girl, Toudou, and her party inside. The sun is high in the sky. If they hurry, they should still be able to descend the mountain today. “Toudou, we are eternally grateful to you. It was…my turn to head up to the peak today…” “Not at all… I only did what I could.” “Ideally, I would like to offer you some form of thanks… But there’s nothing in this village…” “The ursine’s body will fetch a high price as materials. You don’t need to worry,” Aria answers. She’s been staring at the headman, who still looks unwell, for some time. The young girl must have noticed Aria staring. She would have been the next to be sacrificed. The headman’s young relative slaps him on the shoulder. He looks terrified, his whole body shuddering. “Hey, Gramps! Tell them ‘Thank you,’ too!” “…I-indeed. We are deeply indebted to you.” Toudou watches the two of them doubtfully, but the young girl’s sweet smile wins her over. She must be very thankful—after all, she was the one set to be sacrificed. “Well then, we’re actually in quite a hurry, so…” “Yes. I pray for a successful journey for you and your party.” The young girl folds her hands and fingers together in prayer as she responds. The group leaves the village and heads down the mountain path. Toudou recalls their experience as she cuts down the monsters that stand in their way. “…What a weird place,” she grumbles. “…Yes, I agree…” The village was small, but it left them feeling more uncomfortable than any other place the party had visited before. Limis, who’s been quiet so far, lets out a sigh of relief. The image of the young girl, bound for sacrifice, is burned into her memory. “…She was a werebeast, that girl.” “Yes, it’s certainly rare to see one in a place like that.” She had droopy, downturned ears and a cheery expression that was out of character for that particular village. Werebeasts are not the target of any specific discrimination according to the Kingdom of Ruxe’s laws. That said, they don’t face direct discrimination, but they are quite rare to behold. There’s also the fact that many of them have sided with the Demon Lord’s army. The party didn’t expect to see a werebeast, a rarity even in the royal capital, all the way in this far-flung place. “She said she was a relative of the village headman… But seriously, what a rarity. She must be mixed race somewhere down the line.” “They didn’t even look anything alike.” From age alone, they looked like grandfather and granddaughter, but the physical resemblance just wasn’t there. Amelia must have been thinking the same thing—she nods emphatically. “She has to be a mixed-blood wererabbit. Out of all the werebeast breeds, they have the smallest number under the Demon Lord’s control.” “Wow, really?” “They’re mostly of timid spirit, and they dislike conflict. Which is why they’re not quick to side with the Demon Lord, nor with humankind…” “Also… They’re known for their stunning appearance and as symbols of peace,” Limis chimes in. Hearing this, Toudou recalls the young girl. Her slender frame and innocent smile couldn’t be more removed from conflict, that’s for sure. Surely she must be considered a heretic back in that village. That could have easily been the reason she was next up for sacrifice. Toudou continues to ponder this for some time before saying in the cheeriest tone she can muster, “…In that case, we need to hurry on ahead for her sake, too.” “Once we’re through the mountains, we can use the carriage. That won’t leave long until we arrive at Cloudburst.” Toudou takes one last look behind her: the cloudless sky, the towering mountains. Not even a glimpse of the village is visible. Rabi Chatre waits for Toudou to disappear from view completely before letting out a sigh. “I can’t stand any of this!” “Eep…!” The village headman yelps and falls over, then looks at the villagers now surrounding Rabi. A number of them have their bows aimed at her. But it’s futile. She may not be very physically capable, but she’s not so weak that an amateur’s arrow would ever pierce her. Rabi sneers, something she never did when pretending to be the young girl for sacrifice, and spits out her words. “This village is pathetic. Using a monster like that… Is this what they mean by ‘The older, the wiser’?” “N-no… I…” “I knew all along. There are barely any children here, yes? Who would dare to suggest sacrificing a young girl?” The headman has no answer. There’s nothing he can say to Rabi, who killed the same kind of beast that has murdered so many mercenaries looking to get their revenge and then dragged its massive head back to the village. The face of the creature that died without knowing just what hit it is burned into the back of the headman’s mind. The fact that Rabi doesn’t even look strong at all is the most terrifying part. Amelia, who was surveying the village, returns and states matter-of-factly, “I found an underground storehouse. Inside are what I believe to be the personal effects of those sacrificed.” Rabi nods in understanding and leans toward the headman, locking eyes with him. An ursine is a ferocious magical beast, but they have no practice that demands human sacrifice, nor are they inherently malicious. The one that attacked Rabi in the middle of the night was three times the size of the one she left behind for Toudou to fight, and it was the same breed. The fact that the entire sacrifice story was a bluff is now obvious. Otherwise, why else would they mention it to anyone who visited their village? “Well, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on when there weren’t any personal items left behind in the ursine’s den.” A mercenary’s equipment is valuable. You could easily build an estate or two off a single item, depending on the type. Mercenaries always carry weapons and often precious stones, which don’t even take up much space. That alone is reason enough for people to prey upon one another. There’s nary a mercenary weaker than the average villager, but if there are any powerful beasts around that can finish the job, that’s an entirely different story. To add it all up, there’s no way that a monster demanding sacrifices from a village just happened to be lying in wait on the Holy Warrior’s path. Human malice is far more prevalent in comparison. Rabi’s questioning is quite simple, and the village headman replies, trembling, “P-please forgive me. It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision…” She puts her index finger to her mouth, contemplating. “…Certainly…the truly culpable one here is the magical beast, and under the law of the Kingdom, we can’t quite charge them with any crimes.” In reality, a traveler getting lost on their path is a daily occurrence. Without any witnesses, this incident would never have come to light. There’s a glint in the village headman’s eyes as Rabi explains. He lowers his head down to the ground in supplication, a pitiful expression on his face. “Y-yes, that’s right! I beg of you. I’ll give you everything we collected. Somehow…please forgive us this time…” Rabi looks pensive for a few moments before finally grinning. “Hmmmm…………… No.” “…Wha—?!” The village headman is dumbfounded. His head cocks unnaturally on its axis before tumbling to the ground. A few seconds later, almost like a delayed reaction, blood gushes forth from his neck. Suddenly, Rabi is holding a nearly foot-long hatchet in her hand. His disembodied head rolls on the ground. Amelia grimaces as she looks on in astonishment. “You certainly didn’t…hesitate.” “Recovering the victims’ personal effects is a given—the dead have no use for them. These people will harbor grudges, so I’ll have to cut our losses. Unlike Sanya, I’m timid, so I don’t intend to leave even a scrap behind for fear of what the future might bring. Even if…these people aren’t particularly strong.” Rabi left the smaller ursine behind to gauge the Holy Warrior’s abilities, and also because she knew that Toudou might stay in this area for an unforeseeable amount of time if he couldn’t find anything. Rabi knows her own weaknesses. She’s far weaker than Sanya in terms of physical strength and intuition. Sanya’s strong; that’s what makes her and Rabi different. Rabi has to be stealthy in order to survive. She has to leverage her lovable appearance and tremble like the weakling she is in order to throw her enemy off their guard. In other words, the “fury” in “Lightning Fury” means an absolute assassin. The crowd cries out, and an arrow flies toward her. Its aim is way off, but Rabi smashes it to bits with her hatchet regardless, then flies at her next trembling prey. Now that she’s shown them who she is, she can’t leave a single witness behind.
Chapter 35
63 min read