The Demon of the Wasteland, Part 1
"Hey, you. Did you actually hear a single word I just said?" Yohan asked, his voice dripping with disbelief. Billy gave a firm, sweeping nod.
"Yes. I understood perfectly."
"Like hell you did. If you understood so perfectly, why the fuck are you still trying to tag along?"
"I'm tagging along precisely because I understand."
"No, I mean..."
This guy was dead set on coming along, no matter what. One look at Billy's face was enough to tell Yohan he was completely serious. Even if Yohan tried to ride off on horseback, Billy would probably unleash the full extent of his monstrous half-troll physical abilities and chase them to the ends of the continent. Even if Yohan borrowed the Goddess's power to teleport straight back to Junk Town, Billy would likely track them down eventually, asking around for them by name.
"The village elders told me," Billy said. "They said that while having me stay would certainly make the village safer, it doesn't mean everyone here is so weak that they need constant protection."
Yohan clicked his tongue at Billy's defense. He hated to admit it, but the kid had a point. While they might not be on Jack's level, there was no guarantee that none of the other villagers had some hidden, badass past. And that probably wasn't the only reason. Even if it all stemmed from a misunderstanding, the villagers who had shunned Billy for so long likely felt too guilty to rely on his protection now. Tsk. Yohan clicked his tongue inwardly at the thought.
"And... I just had this feeling. If I don't go with you now, I'll never get another chance."
"Good grief. You make it sound like we're heading straight to the underworld."
"T-that's not what I meant..."
Yohan had to hand it to him; Billy's resolve was rock-solid. Honestly, it had been impossible not to notice his desire to tag along from the very beginning.
"Man, if you just stay quietly in the village, you can make new friends and avoid sleeping on the dirt road like a dog."
When Yohan grimaced in reluctance, Billy looked like he was on the verge of tears.
—My Apostle. Since Billy's resolve is so firm, why not grant his wish?
Even the Goddess was taking Billy's side inside his head. Despite that, Yohan couldn't bring himself to readily agree. No matter how he looked at it, traveling with them was a one-way ticket to misery.
"Yohan. You already know. Billy's made up his mind."
Unable to watch any longer, Falco tugged at Yohan's sleeve. Then, she looked up at Billy.
"But once we're on the road, you won't have the luxury of being a picky eater. And you won't get much sleep either."
"I'm prepared for that."
Billy nodded in response to Falco's warning. Since his strict vegetarianism had been born out of guilt over his past, now that the emotional knot had been untied, it didn't seem to matter to him anymore.
Yohan stared at the two of them, lost in thought. Yeah. Forcing him to stay in the village just because he's suffered so much might actually be a form of oppression, even if it comes from a good place. The thought suddenly crossed Yohan's mind.
"Fine. Alright, I get it."
"R-really?"
Yohan finally relented, and Billy's face lit up with joy as he asked for confirmation. Come to think of it, hadn't the Troll Chief also murdered Billy's parents and kidnapped him under the guise of "good intentions"?
"Yeah, you idiot. Do I look like a liar?"
In the end, what truly mattered was one's own free will. Yohan let out a resigned sigh.
"But don't you dare regret it, okay? Living as a good person in this world isn't exactly a walk in the park."
"Don't worry. Most problems in life can be solved if you're either filthy rich or incredibly strong."
"Ha..."
Billy replied to Yohan's warning with a lighthearted joke. Yohan couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"But Yohan."
"Yeah, what is it?"
Just as they were about to set off again, Falco spoke up. Yohan paused and let go of the reins.
"We only have two horses, but there are three of us."
"Ah."
Now that she mentioned it, she was right. Yohan looked back and forth between Falco and Billy. It wasn't like they could go back to the village and fetch another horse, either. Far from raising cattle or horses, the villagers had to farm by hand using crude tools. The man-eating trolls had strictly forbidden them from raising any livestock that humans could ride.
"I-I can just walk..."
Realizing he was the one forcing his way into the group, Billy spoke with an embarrassed look. But Falco shook her head.
"No, it's fine. I'll just ride with Yohan."
"Are you out of your mind?"
Yohan, who had suddenly been volunteered to share his single-rider mount, protested in sheer disgust. But Falco ignored him, lightly hopping down from her own horse and climbing up onto Yohan's.
"See? It's fine. I'm light, so the horse can easily handle it."
She gently patted the horse's back. The beast, now carrying two riders, let out a soft snort and wagged its tail without showing the slightest hint of strain.
"Good grief."
Yohan let out a heavy sigh. Still, he couldn't exactly tell Billy to run on foot behind them.
"Screw it. Let's just get moving."
"Y-yes, sir!"
At Yohan's word, Billy carefully mounted the other horse. His movements and the way he held the reins were incredibly awkward, likely because he had rarely had the opportunity to ride a horse like ordinary people.
The two horses, carrying Yohan, Falco, and Billy, set off again at a leisurely pace.
"By the way, where were you two heading?"
"Yawn... Junk Town."
Billy, riding quietly alongside Yohan, asked. Yohan let out a wide yawn before replying.
"Ah, I think I've heard of it. From a traveler who stopped by my cabin once."
"Is that so? Well, that's actually where she and I came from."
Yohan nudged his chin toward Falco, who was sitting comfortably behind him on the horse's rump, leisurely taking in the surrounding scenery.
"Our carriage got smashed to pieces, and we lost half our horses. If we keep heading north like this, we'll probably starve to death. So, we're heading back for now."
"Yeah. And we have to tell Wilhelm what happened."
"Oh, absolutely."
Falco nodded in agreement. Come to think of it, the main reason they had ended up in this region in the first place was because of Wilhelm's provocation. I'm going to rub our heroic triumph over the man-eating trolls right in that muscle-brained sheriff's face and knock him down a peg. Yohan smirked at the thought.
Flash! Just as he turned his head back to look forward, a bright light suddenly flashed above him. At the same time, something heavy dropped onto his shoulders.
"Ack!"
Startled, Yohan let out a pathetic shriek. The Goddess had materialized out of thin air and was now riding piggyback on his shoulders.
"I have important news!"
The Goddess announced, patting the crown of Yohan's head with her palms. With Yohan's vision completely blocked, the other two immediately turned their eyes toward her.
"Dammit, you could've just said it normally! What is it?"
"Fufu. Thanks to the massive increase in believers worshipping me, my divine power has been greatly restored."
"Oh."
The annoyance on Yohan's face instantly vanished, replaced by a bright grin at the welcome news. For divine entities like the Unnamed Goddess, the sheer volume of faith from their worshippers directly translated into their power. In other words, this meant that the faith of Billy and the other villagers was incredibly genuine. If they had only been pretending to believe, her divine power wouldn't have recovered like this.
An increase in the Goddess's strength meant that Yohan, who channeled her authority, would also become stronger. To think they actually believed so sincerely—this was an unexpected jackpot.
"Hell yeah."
Yohan clenched his fists, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"And that is not all. Your Apostle's Authority has also evolved to a higher level."
"Now we're talking. That's what I like to hear."
The Apostle's Authority was a mighty power that manifested the user's deepest desires. It wasn't just limited to unleashing powerful beams of light or divine flames to purify evil; it could also heal severe wounds.
"Alright. Since we're talking about it, let's give it a test drive."
"Do as you wish."
Yohan pulled his horse to a stop. Naturally, Billy's horse stopped as well. The four of them immediately dismounted and gathered around Yohan, while the two horses plopped down onto the dirt road to rest.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Hehe. Just watch. I've actually been wishing for something like this lately."
This situation... wasn't it exactly like grinding a ton of experience points and unlocking a brand-new skill? The thought made Yohan grin from ear to ear.
"Huuup—!"
Yohan immediately channeled his divine power. What I desperately want right now... is a cozy shelter where we can escape the wind and rain of the wasteland. He repeated the desire like a mantra in his mind.
"Oh."
Soon, a Dimensional Portal about two meters tall materialized right before Yohan's eyes. At the sight, not only Yohan but the other three gasped in awe.
"This is..."
"What else? It's a magical space where we can escape the elements and rest comfortably anytime, anywhere."
Yes. This was what a true cheat ability looked like. Yohan puffed out his chest and snorted with pride. Billy and Falco, well aware of how incredible it was to have a place to stretch their legs and rest at any point during a long journey, stared in genuine admiration.
"The dream of homeownership I so narrowly missed... I shall achieve it here."
Yohan muttered quietly to himself and stepped through the Dimensional Portal. The other three followed closely behind him.
Flash! The moment they crossed the threshold of the portal, a sight unfolded that left not only the other three but even Yohan utterly dumbfounded.
"T-this place..."
"Wow, it's an actual indoor room! This is amazing."
"Yeah. I've never seen a place shaped like this before."
Falco and Billy chatted excitedly. The Goddess didn't say anything, but she looked around with an intrigued expression.
"Sigh..."
Yet, for some reason, Yohan couldn't join in their excitement. He let out a heavy sigh that sounded more like a lament than admiration or surprise.
The wallpaper was a dingy, yellowish hue. A square window sat on the wall opposite the entrance. The floor was covered in wood-patterned linoleum tiles, chipped and peeling in places. And sitting right in the middle of the room was a square folding table, one of its broken legs wrapped in layers of green duct tape.
"I see. So this is the 'cozy resting space' you envisioned in the deepest recesses of your heart."
The Goddess said, looking up at Yohan. He squeezed his eyes shut, his lips trembling. Seeing his reaction, Falco and Billy quickly picked up on the heavy atmosphere.
"It is... cozy, in a way."
"Y-yes. It's a bit cramped, but it definitely feels secure."
The Apostle's Authority was an all-powerful force, which meant it was heavily influenced by the user's imagination. The Goddess had once advised him to picture an image familiar to him, and Yohan had followed her advice to the letter. This was the result. How long had it been since he had suddenly tumbled into this fantasy world? At a moment he least expected, Yohan was reunited with a place so achingly familiar it cut him to the bone.
"Let's sit down for now. There's even a table."
At Falco's suggestion, everyone sat down in silence. Yohan kept his mouth shut, his head hanging low. Falco hesitated, completely at a loss for words to comfort him.
"This place..."
In the middle of the awkward silence, Billy tried to break the ice and placed his hands on the folding table.
CRACK!
"Argh!"
Unable to withstand the raw physical strength of the half-troll, the table leg snapped with a loud, splintering crunch.
"No... My fucking table..."
Yohan's miserable lament echoed through the small room. While everyone else froze in shock, Yohan could only bury his face in his hands.