Touring the Territory, A Clue to Kahloom?!

By the time the afternoon had grown full and heavy, I paid a long-overdue visit to the hero candidates at the lord's manor. Of course, I had a stop to make ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first.

I went back to the chicken place I'd hit before and put in a massive order — fried chicken, booze, and enough drinks to drown a barracks.

The owner flashed a set of pearly-white teeth.

"Now this is a customer! You're not gonna cancel this, right? For real?"

"Just get it there. Money's right here."

"Ohhh hell yes — a bulk order like this? I live for this! Boys, get ready!"

"Yes, sir!"

A pack of burly, musclebound bald men in matching uniforms materialized from god-knows-where and fell in like a strike team.

Huh. So those were the guys who'd be delivering the chicken.

Anyway, I headed for the lord's manor. Around now, the brutal training ought to be wrapping up. It felt like I hadn't set foot here in ages. Being a hero candidate myself came flooding back.

Sweating through drills, building camaraderie. Those were good times.

The stretch itself hadn't actually been that long, but these guys had the real thing in their chests — they genuinely wanted to become great heroes. I at least thought of them as my classmates.

"Hey, Captain. How's it going?"

"Huh… you're Lashu Leonhart?!"

"Wait — Lashu's here?!"

The Guard Captain and every last hero candidate turned to look at me. There were a lot fewer of them now. Some must have quit along the way.

Ten people, tops. Where's Big Sis Jaira?

This was the reality of it. Plenty of people aspired to become heroes, then folded — no talent, or life just wouldn't let them. I knew how miserable that looked from the inside. I'd been there myself.

But then…

Abeiru, at least, was exactly the same as ever. He was throwing his weight around at the candidate next to him.

"Your voice is too quiet, no. Keep this up and the captain's gonna wreck you, no!"

"P-please, Abeiru hyung…!"

Sigh. Guess I had to save this kid. That human garbage.

The moment I walked over, Abeiru picked a fight all on his own.

"Well, well, look who it is. The guy nobody ever sees around anymore, no?"

"Still talking like that, huh."

He looked me up and down and sneered.

"Heard you actually became a real hero, but you haven't even left on an adventure, haven't done a damn thing. You even got any companions, no? Just a mediocre hero, aren't you, no? What makes you any different from these wannabes, no?"

I shrugged.

"I'll be heading out on an adventure soon enough, and I'll do what I need to do whether you run your mouth or not. And I'll be adventuring with drop-dead gorgeous women. What about you — you got a single female friend, let alone a companion?"

"Wha—?!"

"I said, do you even know any girls. Oh — besides your mom."

"Pfft—!"

The hero candidates around us all burst out laughing at once. Abeiru looked around, then started trembling. He ground his teeth and stormed off.

Idiot. Why pick a fight you can't even break even on. I should pay that bastard's mom a visit one of these days. Time to put my stamp on her.

"Why're you leaving? The good stuff's about to arrive."

"Good stuff?"

The captain asked, curious — and then we heard heavy footsteps coming our way.

Here we go. Chicken.

"Guys, today's on me! Eat and drink as much as you want! Today's a chicken day!"

I thrust a fist toward the sky and shouted. At the same time, the chicken-shop staff were filing in with the food, postures respectful as a honor guard. The captain hurriedly cleared space. Felt a little bad about that.

"Wooow, for real? Thank you!"

"Lashu, you're the only one. This is insane."

"Abeiru's complete trash compared to Lashu."

"Smell that chicken — I'm dying, hnnngh!"

The hero candidates lit up as the seats filled with chicken, drinks, and beer. I told them:

"Our statuses may have split apart, but I still think of us as the same people. I don't forget my classmates. Come on — you trained hard, so eat and drink!"

"Thanks so much! Digging in!"

"Lashu really is the best!"

"W-WOOOOOHOOOOO!"

Cheered on by everyone, a good time kicked off. We spent a while shooting the breeze and having fun. We were in the middle of eating and drinking when I realized Jaira still hadn't shown.

"Where's Big Sis Jaira?"

One of the candidates shook his head at the question.

"You didn't know? Lady Jaira's about to become an official hero too."

"Holy crap, really?"

"Yeah. She'll probably take a baby wyvern's head and be back around tomorrow."

Tomorrow, of all days. Shame. I was planning to leave today. I had things to do with the Goddess.

I nodded and kept eating and drinking. The feast of crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside meat, followed by the cold snap of beer — the harmony was phenomenal. After eating, drinking, and catching up, I quietly stood and slipped out first.

Just in case, I walked the territory looking for anyone suspicious. There was a chance Lao might have planted some of his faithful. But I didn't see a single one.

Renata Maman, you really are a force of nature.

To make the territory this pleasant. What an incredible woman.

I came out of an alley onto the street and glanced to one side.

Should I put a Beastly Hero Foundation office over there someday?

I turned it over for a moment, then shook my head.

I could just do it inside the ring anyway, right? Eh, I dunno.

I hadn't even drunk that much beer. My head just wasn't working. I really was hopeless at this kind of thing. I'd have to ask Renata Maman or my aunt for advice later.

I kept walking and somehow ended up at Dinora's house. I scratched my head and was about to turn back when I heard signs of life from inside. A man's voice, at that.

A man's voice? And it's not just one.

I approached the door and started to draw my sword — then flinched.

Do I really need to?

I shrugged and walked in. Three dark-looking men had a fire going. If that thing spread, we were all fucked.

"Hey kid, who the hell are you?"

"Ain't that the hero?"

"A little shrimp like that? Even for a backwater territory, they'll take anyone these days."

All three men stood up. I asked them what they wanted.

"Who are you people? Why are you here?"

"Us? Detectives."

"Who do you work for?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Why should we tell you?"

Honestly, it was obvious.

"Those Who Recite Sins, no doubt. You maggot pieces of shit."

The men startled when I sneered at them. They were way too jacked to be calling themselves detectives. What, combat detectives or something?

"Hah, this little brat's got a mouth on him…!"

"Why'd you come here. The owner of this house already paid off all her debts."

"Paid off, my ass. The more we thought about it, the weirder it got. She suddenly pays off her debts? And then the pastor vanishes too. We've been coming by to ask around, but the homeowner's never here."

Getting Dinora out of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here had been the right call. Hyena bastards.

"That so? You didn't take her yourselves?"

"Don't give me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that shit… Where'd that bitch go? You know, don't you, kid?"

"Why should I tell you?"

I threw it right back at them. The men glanced at each other, then grinned hideously.

"Guess we'll have to chop off your limbs before you start talking."

They charged. Dealing with them wasn't hard, of course. These maggots weren't even Runner Mid. Calling themselves detectives with skills like this was a joke.

Thud, crack! Crunch!

I dropped them all in hand-to-hand. Then I drew my sword and killed every last one of them except one — and I made a point of stabbing them brutally.

These guys seemed weaker than goblins, honestly.

The last remaining man was shining his bald head and trembling.

"H-huhh! What kind of kid…"

"You know, right? I'm a hero."

"D-damn it — please, spare me, spare me, sir!"

"Is your life actually worth that much begging? Anyway… you know, don't you?"

"K-know what?"

"Kahloom."

One word was enough. These bastards hadn't come all this way just because a debt had been paid off overnight and a pastor had vanished. That pastor had been holding Kahloom — and if even a scrap of something that unholy leaked somewhere it shouldn't, that was a loss on their end too.

The man's face changed in an instant. I sneered at him for it.

"Your cult leader's already dead. So what the hell are you strutting around for?"

"Our Cult Leader? So the rumor was true…!"

I made a point of showing him the necklace, too. His eyes went wide.

"Word travels fast, huh? Let me ask you one thing. Kahloom — where do you get it? Who's handing it out?"

The Lord of Weverpool had said as much. Something bigger was distributing Kahloom. It originated from that thing. Which meant I had to find the source.

"I-I can't tell you!"

I shrugged, reached out, and took the man's right hand. His middle finger, specifically. And snapped it on the spot.

Crack!

"GYAAAAAAAAH!"

He thrashed and howled, trying to wrench free of my grip. I didn't let go.

"Fine, don't talk. The less you say, the more fun I get to have. Index finger's next."

I took his index finger. The man shook his head with everything he had.

"I-I don't know either, I swear!"

Yeah, right. One more finger, coming right up, Lord.

Crack. Snap!

"GHHHAAAAAH! I really don't knooow!"

"Bullshit."

"Hhuh, hhhk — b-but…"

"But what?"

"O-our Cardinal — His Eminence might, m-might know…"

A laugh slipped out of me. A cardinal? In a cult? You've got to be kidding.

"Cardinal, my ass. Just some preacher bastard who's been railing goddesses left and right, I bet. What's his name?"

"James… a man of faith every bit as deep as our Cult Leader…"

"JMS? ZMS? Christ, even the name sounds like a scam. Where is the bastard?"

"Th-that's…"

This asshole was hesitating again. He should have learned by now that hesitation came with pain. I reminded him. I snapped his pinky.

Crrrack!

"GHHKAAAAH! Ah, hhahhh — the c-capital! He's in the capital!"

"The capital? Your fortune-telling's suddenly pretty sharp, huh?"

I asked him a few more things on top of that. What James looked like. Where he usually went. I got just about every answer I needed. Catching a guy like this — lucky me.

And then a familiar name came out.

"…Hhhk. He often goes to lecture at Legion Academy's Crusade Society."

"Alright. You did good. Sleep well."

"Huh?"

Shhk!

I drew my sword and killed him in a single stroke. Trash like this didn't get to walk away.

I started to stand, then tilted my head. Crusade Society. I'd heard that somewhere. What was it?

Crusade Society? Where did I hear that name? Were they important to the story? No, that's not it.

I turned it over for a moment — and then Abeiru, the one who'd picked a fight with me earlier, floated up.

Ah. Right. That.

Someone had said Abeiru's weird way of talking was the Crusade Society's influence.

"So the academy that bastard studied abroad at was Legion Academy, huh?"

And the Crusade Society would be some kind of organization that existed there. A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it. It wasn't a PTA, at least. Probably.

"This… is going to get pretty fun once I hit the capital, isn't it? I should check whether those bastards talk as broken as Abeiru does."

I clicked my tongue with interest and stepped out of Dinora's house. Time to loosen up.

"But the Goddess comes first."

I wanted to enjoy myself with her for the first time in a while. And I had things to tell her, too.

"Kihihiiing!"

I summoned Lin, swung into the saddle, and tore out of Gailwards Fief at a dead run.