The Light-Bearing Adventurer (3)
Shiiik!!
With a sharp whistle of wind, the red blade of my sword returned to its black hue.
Crack!!
A splitting sound echoed from Inadia's entire body, followed by a pop!! as his sword and shield cleaved clean in half.
Then came a bang, and his armor shattered into fragments along the path my blade had carved.
Inadia...
"Th-this... can't be..."
He's... fine!?
All his gear was destroyed, his sword snapped in two. Yet his body and the clothes beneath were unscathed—no wounds, no cuts.
"What the hell is this sword...? What kind of ability does it... ugh."
No way... did it really only destroy his equipment when I asked for the power to break that bastard's gear!? What a literal-minded sword... damn it.
The moment I swung, dizziness hit me hard, along with crushing fatigue. I toppled forward, pulled by the sword's momentum in the direction of the swing.
"I'm alive... no, my sword!? My armor!!"
Inadia seemed more shocked that his prized weapons and armor were wrecked than the fact he'd survived the strike.
Shards of his armor and shield littered the ground around him. Clutching his broken sword in the center, he began trembling with rage.
"Like this... my family... Father will... this lowly scum... again!! Again!! AGAAAIN!!! Kirgil, you porter bastard!! You did it to me AGAAAIN!!!"
He charged at me with the severed sword. It was just a hunk of plain metal now without its magic, but to me, unable to move, even that was a threat.
Ugh, so dizzy. My vision's fading.
He kicked me in the gut, but I was too numb to even feel pain.
Face-down on my belly, he loomed with the broken blade aimed at me. He was muttering something, but my ears were ringing—I couldn't make it out.
He swung the sword down.
That'll smash my face in. But my dazed mind makes it feel like it's happening to someone else.
In that instant.
A blinding light seared Inadia's eyes.
What the—? I turned my gaze toward the source.
There was another sun.
"Well, well, what do we have here? This punk really trashed the place. And the miracle Hero and Saintess... yeah, now I get it."
Ah... not a sun, then.
An adventurer who wasn't one of our party stood there.
Emitting a dazzling light, he rushed at Inadia, who was shielding his eyes.
"My little sister Sarma!! She called me in a dream a few days ago, and it was because of this asshole!!"
Ah... I remember that light.
It was the light I'd seen in Prosek.
The light-bearer who had the glow but not the brains—that bald adventurer.
He smashed into Inadia with his spear shaft.
The sacred sunlight reflecting wildly off his head made my eyes sting, and I closed them.
Then, I lost consciousness.
Warm. Cozy. Comfortable.
Is this what heaven feels like? Or am I in heaven right now?
If so, then these hands cupping my cheeks must be an angel's touch. I want to hold them.
"Kirgil!? You're awake?"
"...Yeah. Ashu? What's with the tears?"
Ah! My mind snapped back to reality. Not heaven—just Ashu's lap.
She'd healed me and nursed me back to awareness, it seemed.
"Ugh... uwaa."
I tried to sit up, but dizziness threw off my balance again. Ashu caught me as I slumped and settled me back on her lap.
"You've lost a lot of blood—don't push yourself."
"Waaah! Kirgil-nim, you're safe! I'm sorry. I was useless again. Really... I'm so sorry and so frustrated!!"
Hairil had stuck around to the end instead of fleeing, after all.
I wanted to pat her reassuringly, but... ugh, my hands wouldn't stop trembling, no strength in them.
Seeing that, Hairil took my hand and placed it on her head herself, then bowed deeply.
"You... next time something like that happens, toughen up and run. I ordered you to, as your leader. Don't do it again."
"I'm sorry. But... sniff... you're safe."
Hairil rubbed her head against my hand, holding it in place.
Cute kid.
"Wait!? Inadia—that bastard Inadia?"
"Look over there."
Ashu gently lifted my limp body and turned my head. There lay Inadia, hands bound behind his back like a criminal, sprawled on the ground.
Beside him were Hodo, Panash... and the light-bearing adventurer.
"Hey, Ashu. Remember that guy?"
"Yes. I never imagined his light would shine on us like this. I just want to offer my thanks."
The adventurer noticed me stirring and gave a casual hand wave.
I'd only glimpsed the blinding light from his head before—never gotten a good look at his face.
Now, up close... he fit right into a You Are Shocked worldview. Looked like he could pull out a dagger, lick the blade, and cackle kukukuku any second. The real miracle was no tattoos or scars on that dome.
No, drop the prejudice. He's our benefactor. Light itself!
Our savior—mine, Ashu's, everyone's!
"Yo, nice scene here? Total flower field. Flower field."
His looks aside, that hip slang... if he weren't our savior, I'd think he was picking a fight.
"Oh, right! Never gave my name. Sart.
My little sis Sarma called me in a dream to come where the miracle Hero and Saintess were. She was chattering away in a blindingly bright spot."
"I'm—"
"I know. That's why no intro needed. Just lie there.
In Prosek, you're demons if you don't know you guys. Hell, even demons know you. Plus, that Saintess teased me."
"But you said your sister called you in a dream? ...No way."
I asked Hairil to fetch the female warrior's armor we'd gotten from the dungeon.
"Huh, yeah. That's Sarma's. But it's too new. No way they'd make two of these on purpose. Did that girl seduce a bunch of guys and get multiples made?"
"Um, actually, your sister was around here and..."
"I know. I know. I already know she's dead. That's why I wanted to stomp this punk flat, but he swore he didn't kill her, so I just beat and tied him up. Kept spewing noble bullshit in the cringiest way.
So, what're we doing with him?"
Personally, I'd kill him and bury the body, but better leave it to Ashu.
She already had a plan, it seemed.
"We'll take him to Forest Hideout. Give him fitting punishment there and announce it to the kingdom."
"Boring. I'd gag him, tie him tight, give him a bleeding wound, and toss him in the woods.
If you wanna fix his manners alive, sell him to the Padra siblings beyond Prosek mountains. Or was it Diggi now? Anyway, they pay top coin for nobles. Want their info?"
"Thank you. We've already received so much help from you."
"What're you talking about? Thanks to you, I can drag my bratty sis home who never listens to her big bro. I should be thanking you. Anything, just say it."
His speech was rough, but trekking here for his sister's body showed he cared as a brother.
"Aish, you guys kill the vibe all sudden. I came for my other sibs too. They'll wanna see their dead sis and tell you not to pull this crap... fuck it! Whatever. Just tell me where Sarma is quick."
Of course. I suggested recovering first, eating, then heading out.
A rustle—Inadia was stirring.
"Ugh... urk! What... what happened? Why am I tied up? Hodo-nim, Panash-nim, what's going on? Feels like I passed out from strong booze... don't remember after that. What the..."
That motherfucker... The curse slipped out.
Pulls that shit at dawn and plays "Booze blacked me out~"? Like a drunk driver saying "No memory" ends it?
Just... huh?
Ashu lifted my head off her cozy lap.
"Kirgil, be right back. Hairil-nim, watch him for me."
Hairil panicked on how to handle my head, so I asked for a rock pillow instead of her tiny lap.
Ashu eyed Sart's pack right away. He'd raced from Prosek overnight—spare unlit torch rods aplenty.
She borrowed a fresh one.
"Oh! Ashushikara Princess, you're safe! What happened here? I blacked out after that strong booze. What on earth..."
Hodo scowled hard. Panash glared in contempt at the grounded Inadia.
Ashu... smiled sweetly down at him.
"Inadia-nim, sadly, a great impurity seeped into you last night. Probably why you can't remember."
"Oh no, how did this..."
"But rest easy. I can purge it with Kalderan's light. Once my ritual ends, your impurity will be cleansed."
"Thank you. As expected of the noble, pure Saintess. Please start the ritual... can you untie me first?"
"Sorry. Can't touch you before the ritual—might spread the impurity. Everyone else, please step back.
Inadia-nim, it'll be tough, but can you stand on your own?"
No, that bastard aimed a sword at the princess!?
Beheading him now wouldn't be enough. What's Ashu thinking?
Does Kalderan have a prayer to reform scum?
Ashu swung the unlit torch grandly, preparing the ritual and clearing everyone back.
Meanwhile, Inadia struggled to his feet, arms bound, grunting.
"Princess, I'm ready."
"Then, we begin."
Confirming everyone back, Ashu faced him with the torch rod.
And prayed.
"[Purification with Kalderan's light.]"
Thwack!!
Of course!
Ashu needed a club, not a torch.
Thought it'd be a holy pyre, but this works too.
"Guhack... Prin... what the..."
Ashu prayed toward Inadia, slammed waist-first into a tree trunk at a dangerous angle.
Her bracelet glowed.
"[Kalderan shall shine warmly upon thee.]"
"Ah... ah... the wound... feels better now..."
"[Purification with Kalderan's light.]"
Smack!!
Oof. Now he's hung on a branch like wet laundry.
Ah! Now I get Kalderan's purification!
Sun-drying!
No washing machines here, so big laundry like blankets gets sun-dried unless special circumstances.
They beat out well-dried, disinfected laundry with sticks, dust and bugs scattering.
Disinfecting filthy laundry under the sun and beating off the grime—that's Kalderan's purification.
But... Ashu's beating corn kernels off him, not dust.
"Euuugh, P-princess, s-spare me. I d-didn't..."
"[Kalderan shall shine warmly upon thee.]"
"I don't know anyth—"
Normally, you'd smirk sadistically here, but Ashu's demeanor was utterly solemn.
Like the cleanup batter stepping up in the ninth with bases loaded, two outs—dead serious.
Ashu swung... no, prayed, bearing the crowd's expectations.
"[Purification with Kalderan's light.]"
...And so, the seventh round of the life-or-death purification ritual.
"M-memories... back! Princess!! I remember... please! I'm sorry! I committed a mortal sin!! Please!! Please!!"
Success at last in exorcising Inadia's impurity.
Ashu approached him still solemn, utterly serious.
"[Purification with Kalderan's light.]"
Crack!!
Inadia slammed upside-down into the underbrush behind her.
"...With this, the ritual concludes."
She declared solemnly, like a bishop ending mass.
Sart clapped and cheered.
"Damn, Saintess got that charm! Killed it! I'm hooked on Kalderan faith! Signing up when I get back! Decided!"
Ashu, Sart... Kalderan God's got weird tastes.
Come to think of it, Ashu said I had light too?
Uwaaaah...