60
Chapter 60
"So, what were you planning to buy?"
"This!"
Silon lifted the hunk of metal he had been holding for a while.
At first glance, it looked like a crude chest guard.
Forget about the weight balance, the leather straps were tangled, and it blatantly looked like secondhand junk scavenged from the battlefield.
"Who's supposed to wear that?"
"Um... Hyungnim should wear it- Ack!"
"Ugh!"
Unable to hold back any longer, I finally gave Silon a smack on the head.
He was really just picking up whatever since it wasn't his money.
"I'd die from suffocation before I even fight if I wore this."
"But isn't it better than nothing...?"
"You wear it. You don't have any decent armor anyway."
"Eh? Being light on my feet is my advantage...!"
As I sighed and turned my head, Eileen was quietly smiling.
"We don't need things like this. Focus on finding some light armor and a sturdy helmet."
"A helmet? That sounds too uncomfortable..."
Silon grumbled under his breath.
I replied shortly and firmly.
"Suit yourself, if you want your head blown off."
"No, no. I'll look for one."
Seeing him change his attitude so quickly, he clearly still wanted to live.
Eileen chuckled at our exchange and turned her gaze elsewhere.
She wordlessly scanned the nearby stalls, her attention leaning more toward medicinal herbs and small daily necessities rather than weapons.
Well, to each their own needs.
It seemed that most of the goods had already been requisitioned.
There was hardly anything useful left, and the only things that caught my eye were a single iron helmet and a few bottles of weapon maintenance oil.
Maybe this place could stay open precisely because there was nothing useful to take.
The helmet looked a bit old on the outside, but it still seemed somewhat usable.
I carefully placed it on Eileen's head.
It seemed to block her vision a little due to her small head, but it was still much better than nothing.
Curious about its durability, I lightly tapped it with my fingertips. Clank, clank.
"Ugh...."
A small, groan-like sound leaked through the helmet.
Startled for a moment, I quickly stopped my hand.
But she soon gave a light nod as if to show she was fine.
"It's good. I think this should be fine."
I packed the helmet into a small box and shoved the oil bottles into my pouch.
Eileen and Silon also seemed to have gathered some simple emergency rations and bandages in the meantime.
Their expressions were still lighthearted, but the items in their hands somehow added a sense of reality.
It seemed everyone already knew it in their heads.
That something truly dangerous was about to happen soon.
"Let's get going. We have to drop by the infirmary first."
"Yes!"
"Yep!"
Watching the two answer as brightly as always, I quietly let out a very small sigh.
...I hoped their brightness wouldn't fade, even after this was all over.
***
"Cough! Cough!"
"H-Here, this one first."
As soon as we approached the makeshift infirmary, the stuffy smell of herbs clung to the tip of my nose.
It wasn't just a simple medicinal scent.
It was damp, stuffy air, feeling as if death itself was seeping out.
The priests threw sharp glares our way as we approached.
One of them paused his work and walked over warily.
"Are you patients?"
"No. We came looking for Lady Luna. Is she here by any chance?"
Before I could even finish speaking, the priest turned his head, glancing sideways as if to check on something.
He was so busy that there was no time to get a proper answer.
We used that opening to quietly slip inside.
The wounded lay on every cot.
Broken limbs, haphazardly wrapped bloody bandages, and pale faces.
This place was still no different from a battlefield.
Eileen furrowed her brow slightly, and Silon inhaled sharply while shrinking his shoulders.
In one corner, a priest with red blood caking the back of his hand raised his head.
He looked at us and asked carefully.
"What brings you here?"
"Is Lady Luna here? We came to report on a commission."
The priest's eyes wavered for a moment, but he soon nodded and gestured silently.
As we followed his direction, a small, separate space inside the tent caught my eye.
It was roughly partitioned by a tent draped over cramped fabric, and inside sat a makeshift desk and a single chair.
Luna was sitting at the desk.
Haphazardly wrapped white bandages were visible over her white robe, and faint traces of dried blood stained her wrists and the hem of her clothes.
Her complexion was pale, heavily tinged with exhaustion.
Despite that, her eyes shone clearly.
Amidst the neatness characteristic of the clergy, there was the quiet fatigue of someone who had stayed up for days.
But even through that fatigue, her sense of responsibility never wavered.
Creak.
As we approached, she quietly stood up from her seat.
The voice that soon followed was low and soft, yet the strength within it was firm.
"You're here, Riv. The commission... did you complete it safely?"
"Yes."
At my brief reply, her gaze drifted to my wrists.
I could feel her glancing at the bandages wrapped around my wrists.
"...It seems you weren't completely unharmed. I'd like to heal you, but... I've run out of divine power."
"It's fine."
It was already getting better, and I would naturally recover once I leveled up a bit.
That aside, to have used up all her divine power... she must have been incredibly busy.
"...And these two?"
"They are my party. This is Silon and Eileen."
The two awkwardly exchanged greetings with Luna.
"I can guess what brings you here."
Luna nodded and pointed to a seat inside.
We stood carefully in front of her.
"I delivered the letter safely."
"Who received it?"
"Sir Rusein of Riverton received it personally."
"...Right. You did well."
Luna's expression relaxed for a moment.
Was it relief, or just sheer exhaustion?
"Did he say anything when you met him? Anything suspicious?"
"He was also attacked by demonic humans."
"...I see. Understood."
"Also, he asked me to pass this on to you."
I pulled out the envelope I received from Sir Rusein and handed it over.
Luna stared at the envelope for a moment before quietly opening her desk drawer.
She took out a small pouch and handed it to me.
"This is the reward for the commission. It contains one gold coin. Please check it."
Luna held out the small pouch.
One gold coin... that's not bad.
...Or is it? Is it a bit lacking considering what we went through?
I'm still confused by the currency concept in this world.
How many bronze coins make a meal, or how luxurious of a life one gold coin can afford.
My body belongs here, but my senses haven't quite escaped from my past life yet.
She soon lifted her gaze and looked at me.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
"Would you be willing to take on another commission?"
I looked at her in silence for a moment.
I knew she was serious, but I also had a lot to think about.
"For now... let's just hear you out."
At my words, Luna took a short breath.
"A holy relic was stolen during this ambush. A separate tracking squad will be formed, and if you have any intention of joining-"
"I'm sorry, but I'm on the standby squad."
I shrugged and cut her off.
My tone sounded like a passing joke, but it clearly carried the intent of refusal.
You have to draw the line when necessary.
No matter how I thought about it, this order was incredibly incompetent.
The last commission seemed to have internal issues, and now they were ambushed again?
Besides, after only hearing a few words, a string of unsettling terms came pouring out.
Ambush, holy relic theft, tracking squad.
It was a clear sign that dangerous work was waiting.
And right now, I wasn't in the mood to volunteer for hardships.
If I meddled for no reason this time, it was obvious I'd end up dead.
Luna stared at me in silence before eventually nodding.
"...Understood."
Luna let out a small breath.
"Still... if you happen to obtain the holy relic and could deliver it to the church, I would be truly grateful."
Her tone was cautious, sounding somewhat drained.
She didn't look noticeably disappointed, but she seemed somewhat disheartened.
"Yeah, that much is fine...."
I replied, giving a light nod.
Seeing her look disheartened made me feel slightly guilty.
...No, let's just let this one slide.
***
We left the infirmary and headed straight toward the castle gate.
As we lingered in front of the castle gate for a while, nearby soldiers approached us.
"Hey, you there. What are you doing?"
"We were told... we're part of the standby squad."
The soldier's expression changed at my words.
"Ah, so you're the standby squad. Come this way."
Softening his attitude, the soldier gave a brief chuckle and led us inside.
Following him along the castle wall next to the castle gate, a rather tall stone building revealed itself.
"This is the watchtower. It's also where the guards stand by."
The building was solidly built with stone, and at the top, there were small windows and a wooden roof stretching outward.
Positioned to look down at the castle gate, anyone could tell it was meant for surveillance.
"Go inside. The standby squad just needs to wait on the second floor for a bit. The others will be coming soon anyway."
He opened the door for us as he said that.
The inside was narrower than expected but neatly organized.
There was a weapon rack near the wall, and a worn wooden table occupied the center.
There were stairs on one side, and faint voices could be heard from the second floor above them.
As we climbed the stairs, the heat of the crowd hit my face with a whoosh.
People were already bustling and gathered on the second floor.
There were more standby squad members than I expected.
Fully armed, their expressions were a mix of tension and fatigue.
'At this rate... it seems they've put quite a bit of effort into the city's defense.'
The sound of weapons being maintained, voices calling out the roster, and people resting quietly with their eyes closed.
Even without speaking, it could be felt in the atmosphere.
"Huh? Some more arrived."
"With these numbers, the city side shouldn't have any problems."
A soldier sitting in the corner lifted his head, looked our way, and spoke.
As if seeing our party for the first time, he showed brief interest before looking away again.
I quietly leaned against one of the walls.
Perhaps because we didn't look particularly strong, no one paid us much attention.
"Rookies, over here. You can put your names on the standby squad roster here."
"I'll go do it."
Eileen walked over to the roster check table as if she were used to it.
She was calm whenever I looked at her. Both her face and actions.
I looked around for a moment before narrowing my eyes at a familiar face.
'......Huh?'
Not far away, a man with disheveled blond hair was quietly inspecting his weapon among the crowd.
His peculiarly short and solid build gave me a familiar sense of déjà vu.
He raised his head, and finally feeling my gaze, our eyes met.
"......Riv?"
A face I thought I'd never see again.
It was Baldic.
"...Baldic?"
He paused for a moment before striding over with an expression of unmistakable gladness.
"Haha, it seems God is helping me! How long has it been."
"Baldic!"
His tone was exactly the same as before.
His armor looked to be in much better condition than before, but the short and solid torso characteristic of a dwarf remained the same.
Although his outward appearance hadn't changed much, he still looked noticeably exhausted somehow.
After a brief handshake with the approaching Baldic, I spoke cautiously.
"Don't tell me, did you come all the way here alone?"
"Yeah. I got separated from the mercenary group I originally belonged to. Things got a bit twisted."
"......I see."
He replied nonchalantly. I nodded.
"Anyway, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to head to the Magic Tower?"
"No. I plan to visit the Magic Tower later. Just like you, Baldic, things got a bit twisted, so I ended up staying in this city."
Our conversation was brief, but many emotions passed between us.
Anyway, it seemed Baldic was still working as a mercenary.
Come to think of it, there aren't many things we can do in this world.
Whether wielding magic or holding a sword, in the end, we have no choice but to use our bodies.
"How did you end up joining the standby squad?"
"Ah, I passed out from drinking, and when I woke up, everything was already settled. They said they were short a few people, so I just tagged along."
"......."
I chuckled in disbelief.
This guy, he's the same even in a place like this.
"Then why are you in the standby squad... Ah, right."
"Well, given my profession...."
A magician belongs in the rear, after all.
"Tsk, I'm jealous. I'm just here to make up the numbers."
"Then... do you know what happened here?"
When I asked, Baldic nodded with an overly excited face.
"Huh? Of course I know! I got here before you did."
"Really? Then... were you here when they attacked?"
"You bet! The city was a total mess!"
His tone sounded like someone recalling an entertaining heroic tale.
"It was that evening. Suddenly, a huge explosion went off near the church. I was drinking early in the morning, and I was so startled my hand holding the glass was shaking."
"At the church?"
"Yeah. At first, I thought the military or the order was training. You see that often enough. But it was strangely quiet. Soon, smoke started rising from all over the city, and that's when it finally hit me."
I suddenly remembered the story I heard in Riverton.
They said the church there was attacked first, too.
A similar method, the same pattern.
'Could it be... the same guys?'
While I was lost in thought, Baldic continued talking.
"Everyone rushed out in the middle of the night. But when we went out, it wasn't what we expected. There was a bloodbath right in the middle of the street. And it was by guys moving systematically."
"Were they thieves?"
"Yeah. But they weren't just simple petty thieves; they felt trained. Their formations were somewhat organized, and their weapons were uniform."
His tone was outwardly calm, but I could feel an accumulated sense of fatigue in his words.
"The fact that guys like that hit the church first means they had some kind of purpose."
"Then those thieves weren't just simple looters."
"Right. That night, fires broke out simultaneously all over the city, and multiple attacks happened at once. That's not something clumsy thieves can pull off."
I quietly nodded.
That night, the city faced a thoroughly prepared attack by someone.
"Anyway, how did you guys get here?"
"We were on a commission and got trapped in the Black Forest...."
"Huh? Don't tell me you broke through that forest?"
"Yeah, well... it just happened by chance."
"Hah, you're something else. You call yourself a magician, but weren't you an adventurer in your past life?"
Baldic laughed hollowly.
I laughed it off too, but inwardly, I wasn't exactly in the mood to laugh.
He glanced sideways at my arm.
What his gaze landed on was my wrist wrapped in a bandage.
"Are you badly hurt?"
"It's not a major injury. I can still use it."
"That's a relief then. In a world like this, who's perfectly fine anyway."
Then Baldic's gaze brushed past me.
It was Eileen, who was quietly filling out the roster.
He turned his head back and asked.
"But, who is that young lady traveling with you?"
"That's Eileen, we've been traveling together for a while due to some circumstances."
"I see."
He didn't really pry.
Just... a feeling that he didn't have much interest.
That aspect was rather typical of Baldic.
We paused our conversation for a moment.
Beyond the second-floor hallway, the bustling crowd spoke of the city's tension.
An atmosphere where a battle could break out at any moment.
No one knew who would survive or what would be lost.
But even amidst all that, having one familiar face was definitely a small source of strength in this unfamiliar world.