Returning to the Trial
"Master."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It basically means teacher."
I lowered the sword I had been swinging. My path forward was decided, so there was no longer any reason to hesitate.
"If you mean teacher, just say teacher. Why use such a strange word?"
"Because it's about time I set off."
At those words, Libero's casual demeanor shifted.
"Have you finally accepted your limits?"
For some reason, he looked almost disappointed. I replied, "I just have something I need to take care of first. Once that's done, I'll be back."
The current issue with Absolute Obedience was not something I could simply overlook. That was why, although I was leaving for the Trial for now, I would definitely return. I felt there was still much left to learn from Libero.
And perhaps, through the Trial, I might even find the limits of my own swordsmanship.
Of course, expecting that much was overly optimistic. The Trial was, true to its name, a trial. The pain I would endure would likely far outweigh any reward. Even so, I had to go.
"When do you plan on returning?"
"I don't know. But since you have an infinite lifespan, Master, does it really matter?"
"It would be rather troublesome if you grew too old in the meantime."
Despite his gruff words, he seemed to care about me in his own way.
"I'll be back long before that happens."
The time required for a Trial varied wildly. At its shortest, it could be a mere instant; at its longest, it could take eons. But those were exceptional cases. Normally, it took a week at most.
I'll be back soon.
With that thought, I left the basement.
This is tricky.
Leaving the barrier in Sak was entirely different from doing so in Basil. In Basil, where there were no watching eyes, one could simply walk out. But not in Sak.
To guard against the Chaos Beasts that occasionally breached the barrier, Sak had erected watchtowers all along its perimeter. Consequently, anyone wishing to leave the barrier had to pass through one of these checkpoints.
To pass, one needed authorization from the Sak branch of the Holy Church. Fortunately, the Pathfinder identification token I had made back in Basil proved useful. I presented the token to the staff member.
"My name is Alan Flake. I'm a Pathfinder."
After examining the token and verifying its authenticity, the staff member asked, "What is your purpose for heading outside the barrier?"
"Ruins excavation."
"Are you familiar with the contract clauses regarding any acquired Holy Relics?"
"Yes, I am."
I answered readily, though it didn't really matter to me. Acquiring Holy Relics wasn't my goal anyway, and thanks to my inventory, I could easily hide any relics I did happen to find.
"Then please show me your Holy Relic," the staff member said, pointing to a relic measurement device on her left.
"Pardon?"
"We cannot allow anyone outside the barrier without a Holy Relic."
What should I do? I couldn't just open my inventory and pull out a Holy Relic here. While ordinary citizens might not know, a Holy Church employee would certainly recognize what an inventory was.
If I do that, they'll suspect my identity as a Pathfinder.
I had to maintain my Pathfinder cover for now. At least as long as I was associated with Libero.
Just then, a clause from the contract came to mind.
"Due to personal circumstances, I had postponed renting a Holy Relic."
Indeed, the standard policy for Pathfinders was to rent a Holy Relic from the Church. And during my registration, I had deferred that rental.
"Is that so? If you are found to have rented multiple Holy Relics at once, you may face a fine."
She began flipping through her ledger.
"Indeed, we don't have the name Alan Flake registered in our system. If you rented one in Basil where your certificate was issued, that's for the Basil branch to handle."
With that, she stood up from her seat.
"Please wait a moment. Since you don't have any notable achievements yet, I will lease you a 1-Star Holy Relic."
And so, after renting a 1-Star Holy Relic from the Holy Church, I stepped outside. The rented relic was in the form of a ring.
Type: Accessory (Ring)
Grade: 1-Star Holy Relic
The most common Holy Relic excavated from ruins across all regions. It slightly increases stamina and contains the bare minimum of divine power required for a human to survive outside the barrier.
It was a common relic that rolled around everywhere in the game. While the effect of increasing stamina might sound good, the text's "slightly" was meant entirely literally. In reality, even after putting the ring on, I didn't feel any noticeable difference in my stamina.
Well, it's just for show anyway, so it doesn't matter.
Of course, the money spent on the rental fee felt like a bit of a waste.
"I'm a Pathfinder. I have received passage authorization."
I presented the permit to the guard monitoring the barrier. He glanced at it and quickly looked away with an air of indifference. I naturally walked past the watchtower and headed toward the barrier.
Unlike Basil's red barrier, this one was pitch black. Even in the already dim city of Sak, the outskirts were exceptionally dark, but the stark color of the barrier made the boundary line clearly visible.
It's been a while.
Since I had traveled from Basil to Sak via the Gate, I hadn't actually stepped outside the barrier. This would be my first time venturing beyond the barrier since I defeated the 71st Demon King.
Don't let your guard down.
I recalled the very first time I had stepped outside the barrier. The world beyond was a place where you could lose your life at any moment, in any manner. Staying alert didn't guarantee survival, but letting your guard down meant almost certain death.
"Whew."
Exhaling a long breath, I took a step across the boundary of the barrier.
I hope the Trial is nearby.
Last time, Gwen had a rough idea of where the Trial was located, allowing us to reach it quickly. But this time, since I didn't know its location, finding it would likely take much longer.
Now that he's gone, it's actually a bit boring.
He needed neither sleep nor rest. For someone who lived a day much longer than others, teaching Alan had occupied about half of his daily routine. Now, that half had vanished once more.
What did I used to do during this time?
He thought to himself, staring at the empty basement.
He had only taught the kid for about half a year. Considering he had lived alone for far longer than that, it was a rather silly thing to ponder.
Right, I did absolutely nothing.
Reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship was impossible anyway. It wasn't as if he had anything else he particularly wanted to do. At best, he had some trivial hobbies. He was someone who spent most of his time sprawling about the streets.
This wasn't unique to Sak, either. He had simply wandered the streets aimlessly until he ended up here. Libero the Vagabond. That was his moniker.
A cozy place like this doesn't suit me.
He placed his foot on the stairs to leave the basement. Just then, a low murmur of voices began to drift down from above.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm telling you, he left the Holy Church and headed straight for the barrier."
"No wonder he was so ridiculously strong. Was he some kind of Hero?"
They were familiar voices.
Those punks.
Unaware that Libero was listening, they continued to whisper.
"Anyway, with that kid gone, there's only that old man left in the room, right?"
"Yeah, so let's take our hideout back. If we hold the old man hostage, that kid won't be able to do a thing even when he returns."
Libero reached his hand out into the empty air. Dark red particles coalesced at his fingertips, soon taking the shape of a sword.
As I thought, I belong on the streets.
He took a step up and out of the basement.
"You're back, pal."
He sat down without answering. Even though he hadn't ordered, a glass was placed in front of him. It was the same drink he had every day.
"Come to think of it, you didn't bring your nephew today?"
Libero nodded silently.
"A shame. Unlike you, he was quite good-looking."
Libero didn't particularly care. The bartender would eventually forget about the "nephew" over time anyway. That span of time was fleetingly short compared to the vast years Libero had lived.
As he held his glass, someone sat down at the bar counter next to him.
"Give me the same thing I had yesterday, please."
It was a man he had never seen before. He had no memory of encountering him while wandering around Sak.
An outsider?
It made sense if the man had arrived recently. While Alan was around, Libero had been cooped up in the basement during these hours. Their daily routines simply hadn't overlapped until now.
But this guy...
Without turning his head, he began to analyze the man solely through the aura he radiated. The power he felt wasn't particularly strong. Well, not overwhelmingly strong, but he definitely possessed a Stigma and a Holy Relic.
Is he a Hero?
Even if he was, there was no need to pay him any mind. Although Libero had never reached the absolute end of swordsmanship, he was skilled enough to conceal his own strength completely. It was thanks to this ability that he had been able to survive on the streets for so long.
"Thank you."
The man accepted his glass. Libero continued to observe him.
His Stigma is weak, but the martial arts he harbors are formidable.
It didn't take long. In a brief moment, Libero grasped everything about the man. His primary weapon was his fists. And his mastery of hand-to-hand combat was at a level that could not be ignored.
As he was sizing the man up, the newcomer took a sip of his drink and asked the bartender, "By any chance, do you know anything about the Demon Kings?"
The bartender replied casually as he wiped a plate, "Demon Kings? Aren't they the enemies of humanity outside the barrier?"
"I heard a rumor that there is a Demon King right here inside Sak."
Listening to their conversation, Libero thought, Well, isn't that interesting.
"Jinmu of the Baekho Faction greets the Demon King."
At The Company Headquarters, located in the center of Sak—the tallest skyscraper in the city—a man bowed deeply. Seated across from him was a black-haired beauty.
"What is it?"
Her face was etched with irritation. She already had plenty of annoying matters to deal with lately; if he had come to bother her with something trivial, she was fully prepared to make him pay.
"I came because I felt I absolutely had to report this. Recently, a man from Basil has been searching for the existence of a Demon King within Sak."
"Is that all?"
"The problem is the man's identity. I asked an acquaintance at the Sak branch of the Holy Church, and they said he is a Hero ranked 157th. He is exceptionally skilled, and they say he is highly likely to be promoted to a High Hero once he accumulates enough achievements."
At those words, the expression of the Demon King, Guineus, shifted.
"In other words, he came here to build up those achievements?"
If he possessed the strength of a High Hero, even she would feel threatened. However, from what she heard, the opponent didn't even know her true identity yet.
In that case, this is actually better.
She also had her suspicions about the man's identity. If he came from Basil and was exceptionally skilled, there was a high probability that he was the one who had slain the 71st Demon King. He was likely hiding it to avoid any interference with his promotion to High Hero, intending to reveal it all at once later.
I certainly made my intentions clear. I said what I would do if the slayer of the 71st Demon King came to Sak.
She smiled with deep satisfaction.
"And as it happens, we have another Demon King in Sak, don't we?"
She stood up and looked out the window behind her. The nightscape of Sak, the city where the sun never rose, stretched out before her. It looked beautiful, but the dark, lightless alleys harbored the worst public security imaginable. He was surely out there somewhere.
"I'll have to make that bastard run even wilder."