Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ruby
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: One
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Diaz slowly looked around at the scenery of Gilad.
I asked her.
"Have you been here before?"
"......Yes."
Diaz nodded slightly.
She told me a bit about her past that I didn't know.
"When I was young, after Sir Rohan saved me. I left Sanpet Village. Several adults from nearby villages looked after me, but......I had only one determination to become strong. So I thought I shouldn't live under their protection."
Sanpet Village could be briefly visited even in the main story, which took place three years later.
Of course, it had already become completely ruined with nothing left.
It only emphasized the gloomy atmosphere nearby.
"I wandered here and there without any fixed destination. Naturally, there were several times when I nearly died."
Diaz raised her gaze to the sky.
"Then one day. While injured, I encountered a wild wolf. I had overcome the previous crises on my own, but that day I had a premonition that real death was approaching. Just like that day in the past when demons turned our village into a wasteland."
I quietly listened to her words.
"When I faced death like that......Sir Leanoah, who was around the same age, saved me."
Ah.....then she must have been a really old friend.
No, I thought she might even be family rather than a friend.
On Diaz's lips hung a small smile that had bloomed while remembering the past.
"Leanoah was also from this Gilad. So I was led by her hand and settled in Gilad. Leanoah said this. You have skill and are similar in height, so you'll make a good sparring partner. I was purely a friend for sparring purposes. Huhu."
Before long, Leanoah's title had also changed from 'Sir' to just Leanoah.
"From that time, Leanoah was already making a fuss about becoming one of the Seven Knights. A tiny little kid being so bold. She was only one year older than me."
"She ultimately achieved that goal."
"Yes. She did it. At first I also dreamed of the Seven Knights together......but it wasn't easy. So I became a paladin so I could at least protect the side of the Seven Knights."
"Paladins are also absolutely not weak. Especially you, since you're someone I chose, have pride."
"Thank you for the words of comfort."
It wasn't particularly comfort.
I often forgot because she was always by my side, but Diaz was a named character among named characters.
That's why she was an ally I deliberately went out of my way to secure.
"I spent many seasons here. Until I grew enough to really travel. And when we became adults, we finally departed toward another paladin order. It seems like the first time I've come back since then."
I had thought she could know this region since it was the country where she was born, but it seemed she had spent a much longer time here than I thought.
"But nothing has changed."
I too turned my gaze to face Gilad.
It was the appearance of that slum exactly as I knew it.
That didn't mean the Baltras Kingdom itself was a poor country.
Rather, if calculated on average, it could probably be called a wealthier nation than even the Laderun Kingdom.
Just the wealth gap was extreme.
Since it was one of the countries that possessed the most alchemists and mages.
I remembered that this Baltras Kingdom had large disparities by region even after the Great Invasion.
The cities of the wealthy class who held wealth and power in one hand were surprisingly establishing defensive lines without much damage.
The slums where those who had nothing gathered had either already been swept away by demon legions, or only a few barely survived and maintained a life no different from beasts.
When entering such regions, you could encounter vicious people while the apocalyptic atmosphere wafted strongly......
"Hey. You're faces I've never seen before, who are you?"
A voice was heard from behind.
'Right. It was exactly this kind of feeling.'
Like you'd get hit before you could even answer.
Feeling memories freshly surfacing, Diaz and I turned around.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Where did you bastards come from?"
One man stood crookedly, staring at us with a blunt weapon hanging on his shoulder.
Then.
Diaz answered his question.
"I don't think you're faces I've never seen before?"
"Do I look like I'm playing word games?"
"Not at all. Oakley."
The man frowned.
"......? How do you know my name?"
"Why? Because we've met before. Don't you recognize me? I'm Diaz."
"Diaz? If Diaz......no way......you, no way? That Diaz!"
His eyes became round as he extended his finger toward Diaz with his mouth wide open.
Diaz chuckled at that sight.
"Right. That Diaz who always beat you up. Oakley."
"Ha, haha! Hahaha! Hey, shit! How many years has it been? I couldn't recognize that tomboy at all!"
"You actually didn't recognize me."
"Hahaha. How could I recognize you? You've changed this much."
"Are you still picking travelers' pockets?"
"Picking pockets? I'm scaring them to leave because it's dangerous. On purpose. I'm living with my mind settled now too."
"Sure."
"If you can't believe it, go ask the master."
'Master? Did Diaz have a master too?'
At that word, Diaz's expression became distant.
"Master......is he well?"
"Well. There were various things. But since you came this far, you'll pay your respects, right?"
Diaz looked back at me.
With a face asking if that would be okay.
Of course I nodded.
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"Master! Master! Please come out for a moment!"
"What's all the fuss about again?"
"A welcome person has come to visit."
"Oakley what nonsense are you on again......Diaz?......"
The one called master walked out from the shanty house.
A large old man with white hair tied tightly back appeared limping, and his appearance seemed somehow familiar.
Meanwhile, he too froze for a moment upon recognizing Diaz.
It was Diaz who broke the silence first.
"It's been a long time."
"Huh, huhuh......I'm confused whether this is a dream or reality."
"I should have come to visit sooner, I'm sorry."
"No, no. I'm grateful that you didn't forget me like this."
While their conversation proceeded for a while, I realized.
That master's identity.
'Fighting King Romain?'
The fighter class character was Romain's direct disciple.
'It seems we've come to the right place.'
But to think Diaz was also Romain's disciple.
I had only ever seen her use a sword, so I hadn't expected it at all.
'No wonder. Her overall movements themselves were good.'
There seemed to be a reason for everything.
While I was flustered and impressed by a person I hadn't expected.
Romain's gaze turned to me.
"But. Who is this person? Could it be......a marriage partner, mmph!"
Diaz flew in at tremendous speed and blocked Romain's mouth.
She spoke to Romain almost in a whisper.
She had blocked his mouth, but she couldn't stop her own ears from turning red.
"The fact that I'm a woman is a secret."
"What?......"
A secret.
Did she really think I didn't know all this time?
Well, I had never particularly said I knew......
Romain, who glanced at me, cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Hmm hmm. Th-then who is this friend?"
"Ah, yes. This is also Sir Rohan, a member of the paladin order."
"Paladin order?"
"Yes."
For now, we were going around with the paladin title most prominently displayed.
It was because when we put forward the title of Seven Knights, tiresome welcoming events like the one in Siforeo followed us around.
It wasn't a direction I particularly liked, as someone who wanted to move quietly.
"I see. Ah, but what about Leanoah? Is that kid doing well?"
"......"
Romain asked brightly, but Diaz's expression rapidly darkened.
At that, Romain seemed to have a premonition that something had gone wrong.
"Did something......happen?"
"Leanoah is dead."
"......How did it happen?"
"There was a battle with demons. While protecting me......"
To Diaz, who had a face that looked like it would crumble at any moment.
Romain approached with a limp.
And then slowly embraced her.
Pat pat.
"Do you think it's your fault?"
"......"
"It's not at all. Don't blame yourself. That kid made a huge fuss about becoming one of the Seven Knights. And ultimately did it. I didn't say it, but......that path is originally that kind of path. A path where it wouldn't be strange to die at any time. I was expecting a day like this to come someday."
"Still......"
"Still? There's no such thing, Diaz. What was bound to happen ends up happening. It would have happened even if you weren't there, and it would have happened even if it was someone else instead of you."
"......I'm sorry."
"Haha......"
At their appearance, truly like father and daughter, I too kept my mouth shut for a while.
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After a brief time passed like that.
After Diaz had calmed down.
Romain smiled again and asked.
"Either way, since you've come this far, I can't just let you go. Let me at least prepare some food."
"No. We have other schedules, but Sir Rohan gave us some time. We should be going......"
I cut off Diaz's words.
"I have business with you. Romain."
At that, Romain's gaze turned to me.
"Hm? What business do you have with this old man?"
"I want to receive recognition from you as a fighter."
"......?"
He became full of question marks.
That was understandable.
I had been introduced as a paladin, but suddenly a fighter.
Even I wouldn't understand.
"Huhu. This old man threw some punches around in his younger days, but receiving recognition from me won't change anything......"
"Javeron. If it's recognition from the one who beat that bastard to death with fists, it's enough."
"......"
Romain made a surprised expression at my words.
"How......do you know that?"
"It would be stranger not to know."
"Generally, it's stranger to know."
Javeron was a name you learned when proceeding with the fighter class story.
A high-ranking demon among demons.
He didn't hold a position like legion commander, but he was a demon known for wandering alone and ravaging the human world.
Of course, in the main story, he had already been killed by Romain and only his name appeared.
'That leg was also injured by Javeron at that time.'
I recalled how he always taught the player fighter to be careful when fighting demons.
Anyway.
It was wise to see that among humans who engaged in bare-handed combat, there was no monster like Romain.
If such a person gave recognition, wouldn't the fighter class come into my hands sufficiently.
That was my conclusion.
Before Romain's answer could be heard, Oakley approached with large strides first.
"Hey. I don't know where you've been rolling around, but if you're going to say such things to master, you first have to get through me......"
If he wanted it, it would be right to deal with him first.
I lightly extended my left arm.
Tap, thud.
Oakley lay down comfortably on the ground.
The eyes of Romain, who watched that scene head-on, shone with an unusual light.
"Talent......is not lacking. But with just that much, it's still insufficient to receive my recognition."
"Are there more people I need to lay down? I can do it all day."
"Haha! You're confident. Your spirit is more than, not less than, Leanoah's."
He held up one finger and continued speaking.
"Let's do this. I'll throw exactly ten stones."
The moment I heard those words, my eyes flashed.
'This is exactly the same as the fighter tutorial......!'
And I also knew what words would follow next.
'Surely he'll say if I dodge seven of them, he'll recognize me......'
"If you catch eight of them, I'll recognize you."
Huh?
This......the context is a bit different from what I know.
Still, it didn't seem impossible.
As I was about to accept.
Diaz stepped forward.
"Isn't that too much? To catch eight of master's stones. Even Leanoah could only dodge seven......"
Was the difficulty level that much?
'Then the fighter character must have been impressive.'
In the fighter tutorial, they didn't catch them, but they could dodge all ten.
Of course, this was reality, not a game, but......
I was confident.
'Because the pattern is set.'
And that pattern was already well inputted in my head.
If I just grasped the first two positions well, catching all of them would be nothing.
Since I'd be blocking them knowing where they'd come anyway.
I extended my hand to stop Diaz, who was trying to stop me.
"Haha. You're confident? But I also have some fame, so I can't just guarantee it. Let's make a bet. If you fail, what will you wager?"
I drew my sword from my waist.
The black blade flaunted its cool appearance.
"I'll wager this. The sword's name is Lasgalon. It's definitely valuable."
Romain gazed at Lasgalon with interested eyes.
"Although I don't know much about swords......it's not bad."
"Is that all for the conditions?"
"Ah, I forgot one thing. With only one hand. Will you still do it?"
"Fine."
If not with the left hand, I wouldn't be able to block them anyway.
It was a proposal that didn't matter.
However, Diaz's eyes widened upon hearing that proposal.
"Sir Rohan! This is really......"
Instead of answering, I patted her shoulder.
"......"
Romain, seeing that sight, had a smile on his lips.
With his toes, he kicked up a stone.
"Shall we start right away?"
"Anytime."
"Then here I go!"
Fwaat!
A stone that flew in at a speed that felt like it disappeared for a moment.
Trusting the third eye and the Left Arm of Colossus.
And trusting my memory, I extended my hand.
Tap!
Got it!
Looking at the stone that came into my hand as expected, I counted.
"One."