26
Chapter 26
A woman in white clothing emerged from the Village Chief's house.
"Lady Luna, have you finished the investigation?"
"Yes. Let's go to the forest where the Demonic Human appeared."
Watcher Luna nodded and walked along the Village path.
The sky was crystal clear, but her heart felt heavy.
That Magician. Was his name Riv?
He was suspicious in many ways.
It was strange enough that a rare Free Magician was acting as a Mercenary in a border Village.
The fact that such a person defeated a Demonic Human all by himself was even stranger.
It simply didn't make sense.
Every little detail overlapped in a bizarre way for it to be considered a mere coincidence.
And decisively, that question.
'Do you think the Demonic Human was targeting you?'
The question was simple.
But his eyes had wavered.
It was the reaction of those trying to hide the truth.
She had seen those kinds of eyes far too many times.
Lost in thought for a moment, she looked up at the voice calling from beside her.
"Lady Luna, we've arrived."
"...So this is it."
An abandoned Cabin at the edge of the forest.
It had already lost its function as a structure; the walls were leaning and the roof had collapsed.
Traces of battle remained around the area.
Deeply gouged footprints and broken branches.
As she approached, the distinct, metallic stench of a rotting Corpse pierced her nose.
There was no Corpse inside the Cabin, but blackened, dried bloodstains remained on the floor.
"You said the Village youth's Corpse was found here?"
The one who fell victim while searching for the hunter.
May the God's peace touch his soul.
She offered a short prayer and looked around the Cabin, but there were no clear clues.
Stepping straight out of the Cabin, she stood exactly where the Demonic Human had supposedly fallen.
She slowly surveyed her surroundings, then closed her eyes.
At that moment, holy energy gradually spread throughout her body.
It felt like transparent waves rippling along her skin.
[Demonic Energy Tracking]
Opening her eyes, a faintly trembling blue light washed over her vision.
Soon after, dark and dreary traces revealed themselves in the shadows.
The traces led away from the Cabin and deeper into the forest.
It was glaringly obvious that someone had intentionally lured the Demonic Human or provoked its birth.
"A suspicious flow of Demonic Energy has been detected. This needs to be officially reported."
Luna slowly raised her head.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Demons, and Demonic Humans.
Human hands were always involved in the birth of a Demonic Human.
They... have started moving again.
She furrowed her brow and declared in a low voice.
"The Demon Worshippers have returned."
***
"Ah, this is so nice."
How long had it been since I had such a sweet rest?
I was rolling around on the Bed, bathed in just the right amount of sunlight.
Worried someone might notice I came back early, I had carefully snuck back to my Inn room.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart sank at the sudden knocking on the door.
Should I pretend I'm not here?
Don't tell me... that Old Geezer Brigan came looking for me again?
"Sir Riv. Are you there?"
I could finally breathe after hearing the voice.
Thankfully, it wasn't Brigan. However, it was definitely an unexpected guest.
I grabbed the doorknob and carefully pulled the door open.
"Milen, what's going on?"
"You are here. You asked me to deliver the Herb."
He carefully held out a small bundle.
A strong scent of crushed grass wafted from inside the cloth wrapping.
It was a familiar smell. I wrinkled my nose.
"Ugh... I'm always grateful, but does this actually work? The smell is pretty potent."
"It's not like you're eating it, you just apply it. Besides, it hasn't gotten infected, right?"
...I had nothing to say to that.
I applied it to my arm after every training session, and strangely enough, the bruises faded quickly and the wounds didn't worsen.
It was impossible not to believe in it.
"Have they left?"
"They? Oh, if you mean the Priests... they just headed into the forest."
I see.
That means they are still staying in the village.
It would be annoying to run into them if I went outside for no reason, so it's better to just stay quietly in my room today.
Anyway... it was about time to find some new work.
I received quite a few silver coins from the last request, more than I expected, but there wouldn't be much left after buying equipment.
I couldn't just laze around forever.
"Milen, is there by any chance... any work to do in this village?"
"Work? Hmm... Oh!"
Milen seemed to think for a moment before nodding.
"Could you investigate the lake in the forest that I mentioned before?"
"The lake?"
It sounded like something I was hearing for the first time, but as I searched my memory, a faint recollection surfaced.
Ah, right.
The day before I went into the forest, did he mention something about being careful around the water?
"Yes, there's a sort of superstition in Delhar. They say that on clear days without rain, a monster appears by the lake."
"A monster?"
This sounded like something straight out of a children's fairy tale.
"It's no laughing matter; there are quite a few people who claim to have actually seen it. It's just that there haven't been any reports of anyone being attacked yet."
"Then is there no need to get rid of it?"
"Since there hasn't been any damage so far, you could say that. Hiring a mercenary costs money, so everyone is just letting it slide and being careful."
...At those words, the corners of my mouth twitched.
This... wasn't this the exact same approach I saw all the time back when I worked at a company?
'Don't spend money until a problem erupts.' And then later, it would always blow up into something huge.
People are the same wherever you go.
"Hmm, alright. I'll go take a look when I have time."
"Really? Thank you. We're always receiving help from you, Sir Riv."
Milen bowed his head in thanks.
I gave a slight nod and closed the door.
"A monster in the lake... Well, it wouldn't hurt to check it out."
Muttering to myself, I placed the herb on the desk and flopped down onto the bed.
Because when it's time to rest, you have to rest properly.
Lake or whatever, for today... a nap comes first.
***
I didn't head straight to the lake in the forest.
It didn't seem like I'd get a reward anyway, and my body was already exhausted from training every day, so there was no reason to go out of my way to waste more energy wandering around.
Then one day, Mr. Brigan suddenly spoke up out of nowhere during training.
"Why are you trying to learn swordsmanship?"
"Huh?"
It was so sudden that I ended up asking back.
Didn't I tell him before? Was he trying to bring up something significant?
"Because I need to be able to at least defend myself when my mana runs out."
"No, I'm asking why 'swordsmanship'."
Ah.
Come to think of it, that wasn't entirely a random question.
Besides the sword, there's the axe, spear, hammer, bow... there are plenty of options.
The reason I specifically chose the sword....
I wondered how to answer, but ultimately decided to be honest.
"Well... swordsmanship looks cool, doesn't it?"
Mr. Brigan looked at me wordlessly, then declared with a straight face.
"Crazy bastard."
Ah, did I just get cursed at?
He furrowed his brow deeply and continued.
"You have no talent for swordsmanship."
Those words stung quite a bit more than I expected.
To be honest, it wasn't like I didn't know.
At first, I couldn't even swing it properly, and it took months before I could barely manage my footwork.
Even so, my win rate had been slowly going up lately.
So I thought I was finally starting to get the hang of it...
But then came this sudden declaration of having no talent.
This is quite a blow to my mentality....
"Huh? Then what should I do?"
"What do you mean, what should you do? You need to look into a different direction."
At those words, cut off so plainly and without hesitation, I almost laughed but stopped myself.
Which way should I turn to next?
If the sword is out, what's next?
"Hmm...."
After thinking for a moment, Mr. Brigan wordlessly walked around to the back of the cabin.
Then he reappeared, holding something.
Thud.
The thing placed in front of me was...
"Is this... a mace?"
A simple weapon with a heavy weight attached to the end of a long wooden stick.
Anyone could see that this was a mace.
"A mace? You're telling a magician to use a mace?"
"What's the problem? Does it make sense for a magician to use a sword, then?"
...To counterattack with such a valid point so cowardly.
I had nothing to say.
Mr. Brigan crossed his arms and looked down at me as he continued.
"A sword is a harder weapon to handle than you'd think. Slashing and thrusting aside, keeping distance, balancing, speed control... It's complicated."
"Then is a mace on the easier side?"
"Of course it's easier than a sword. You just smash things. It's intuitive."
...He really wasn't wrong.
Come to think of it, to cut with a sword, you need the exact angle, and sometimes it just bounces off.
But a mace is just, just wham.
You hit them and that's it.
"Besides, don't you use some magic that creates a shield or something? What kind of shield was it?"
"Yes, well, I do, but it tends to break easily..."
"It still defends, right? Then it'll pair well with a mace. Block, and strike."
Aha.
Block with the shield, counter with the mace.
Not bad.
It's a much more realistic combination than I thought.
"...I'll think about it."
I wasn't sure if this was the right choice.
But at the very least, Mr. Brigan hadn't given up on me.
He was trying to find a path that suited me.
That fact alone made me feel a bit more at ease.
I picked up the mace and gave it a swing.
A heavy, dull feeling.
In a way, this might be closer to my reality.
"The weight is nice. I could really beat someone up with this."
"Hey, don't say that while smiling."
Mr. Brigan sighed and swept a hand through his hair.
"Practice with that starting tomorrow. If you really need it, I'll make a practice one to help with your balance."
"Yes, thank you."
And just like that, I accepted my new identity as a mace magician.
...Something about that sounds weird.
***
After accepting the new weapon, my win rate in sparring began to rise bizarrely.
Of course, the first three days were just days of getting beaten up.
I wasn't used to the center of gravity, and due to the short range, it was awkward to thrust or keep opponents in check.
At first, I was too busy swinging it ignorantly.
I accidentally landed a hit once or twice, but counterattacks came immediately, and I frequently tasted the dirt floor.
But on the fourth day.
As if a switch had been flipped, my vision changed.
The angle, distance, and timing of the opponent's sword coming in.
It all fit together perfectly in my head like a puzzle.
I started tapping them with the mace.
It was literally just a 'tap'. I didn't even put strength into it, but the heavy mace dealt enough of a blow.
When holding a sword, there were many things to pay attention to.
Lowering the body, adjusting the angle, calculating while looking at the opponent's wrist and eyes at the same time.
But a mace was different.
You just swing it and it's over.
It was simple.
And that simplicity suited me well.
"Mr. Brigan, should I switch to a mace too?"
A bronze token mercenary asked, dropping his shield after getting hit by the mace.
He didn't get hit head-on, but his eyes were quite serious.
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
Mr. Brigan replied as if it was absurd.
"Do whatever you want, punk!"
"Haa, I didn't think even I would lose..."
I shrugged at him as he grumbled while rubbing his forearm.
Magic is not used in sparring.
It was a rule set from the beginning.
Instead, saying he would help with my training, Mr. Brigan lifted the restriction on using a shield.
That came into my hands today.
A crude wooden board that wasn't even fully nailed together. It was a shield with nothing special about it.
Even so, combat became much more comfortable.
Block, and strike.
It's a really simple combination, but I won more spars than when I fought with a sword.
Perhaps because of that, the way people looked at me changed too.
Before, I was just a guy who couldn't do anything without magic, but now I was considered a fairly useful mercenary.
Of course, my magic is still under a seal.
Because I can't use it in the sparring grounds.
Instead, while watching the spars, I habitually imagined deflecting a Water Bullet and raising a Water Barrier in my head.
Strangely enough, those imaginations seemed to help with my actual Magic sense.
...But that was a story for outside the training grounds.
Right now, holding my Shield, I was waiting for Brigan's next words.
He looked down at me with his arms crossed and said.
"Alright. Shall we take things a bit more seriously starting today?"
"...Are you saying you weren't serious until now?"
"Yeah. I didn't view You seriously."
I almost laughed but held it in.
I gripped my Mace again.
I liked the heavy feeling in my hands.
Mr. Brigan brought someone over.
A loud and familiar voice was heard first.
"Oh! It's been a while."
It was Tral.
So he was alive. That was my first thought.
I didn't ask where he had been or what he had been doing.
We weren't close enough to ask such things.
It was still, as always, awkward.
His brief way of speaking remained the same.
I was confused whether that was just arrogant or if he just didn't think much.
Lately, I've just been thinking it's the latter.
"You want me to fight him?"
As I furrowed my brow, Mr. Brigan spoke.
"He uses a Weapon similar to yours. You'll have something to learn."
Certainly, his performance in the battle against the Thief was impressive.
Tral pulled a short Club from his waist and strode closer.
Seeing as it didn't have any nails, was it a training Club?
Without a word, he took off his outer coat, threw it aside, and loosened his wrists.
Then he pointed at me and said.
"Until someone falls, no points. One match."
He charged in as soon as he finished speaking.
Really. There was no warm-up or anything.
The Club came flying in, bending swiftly.
It was faster than I expected, so I couldn't block it and took a clean hit to the wrist.
Whack!
"Ugh...."
My wrist went numb. It was heavier than I thought.
The Weapon was short, but it felt like he was pushing in with a long Weapon.
Was he pressing down with his elbow to deliver the blow?
After taking a hit, my competitive spirit flared up.
'It's hard to deflect. It's better to flow with it.'
I lowered my upper body and slipped to the side.
I dodged the Club by a hair's breadth and simultaneously raised my Mace.
Whack!
This time, I landed a hit.
But Tral didn't even flinch.
"Harder."
A short word. His eyes changed.
Clang! Whack! Thwack!
We both clashed holding only our Maces without Shields.
It was a spar focused on flow and evasion, while allowing strikes.
Taking hits and dodging, I continued to learn.
Tral didn't use raw strength, but rather angles and his center of gravity.
Strikes created by the whole body, not just the arm.
The Club drawn from behind his head flew in like a Whip.
Even though it didn't seem like he was using much strength, it was incredibly threatening.
I tried copying him.
My timing was a mess at first, but after a few tries, I got the feel of it.
After about three or four attempts, I managed a similar imitation.
Whack!
I eventually struck Tral's shoulder accurately once more.
Of course, I took a few more hits after that and ended up rolling on the floor.
It was a total defeat.
"...Not bad."
Tral said, looking at me.
Was that a compliment?
I nodded my head.
"You too. You're more delicate than I thought."
"I just hit."
I couldn't tell if he was being serious or just spitting it out out of habit.
But strangely enough, this spar was quite fun.