God's Weapon (6)
The moment I completed the purchase, a raucous fanfare blared out.
Ba-bam—!
'Adventurer Grand Expedition Package' purchase complete! Please check your mailbox!
"Does this make me a top-tier whale now?"
Three charges already into an idle game. For the sake of my future food budget, I really needed to start pinching the rest of my allowance. One lifetime experience of living on bean sprouts mixed with ketchup was more than enough.
"Guess I should check the mailbox."
Pushing aside the sudden, unpleasant memory, I opened the mailbox to inspect my newly bought package. A sparkling bundle-shaped icon waited for me. This time, at least, it looked like the game was actually going to hand over the items—unlike last time.
"Last time they gave me stuff, this time they didn't. What's the difference?"
Maybe it was the package contents? The previous package had already vanished from the shop, so there was no way to check, but the difference in what was included seemed the most likely explanation.
I switched the screen over to the empty lot and confirmed that the buff from the Adventurer Grand Expedition Package had been applied to the inn—currently so deserted that only flies were buzzing around. With nothing left to do, I dumped every last scrap of copper and iron into the smelter and shut the game off.
"Ugh—!"
I heaved my stiff body upright and stretched my back; every joint felt leaden.
"Seriously, why am I this sleepy all the time lately?"
It was still broad daylight, yet the second I closed the game, exhaustion crashed over me. Sitting around every day must have tanked my stamina. I should've started working out ages ago. Tomorrow I'd look into a gym, at least…
Consciousness flickered hazily under the rising tide of drowsiness, then snapped clean off.
Cale had been thoroughly chewed out by Demonic—especially for overstepping her authority as Kenis's senior Holy Knight.
"Haa… Holy Knight Cale."
"Yes, sir!"
"I have said enough. I will not repeat myself."
"Yes, sir! I'm sorry!"
Cale bent at the waist until her golden hair nearly brushed the floor. Overstepping authority was a serious offense that disrupted the order of any organization. The Holy Knight Order, which shouldered the Pantheon's military might, was especially sensitive about rules and discipline precisely because of that power.
Under normal circumstances the matter could have earned her a demotion, but ending it with a scolding was only possible because the incident itself was not catastrophic—and because Demonic had chosen to be lenient.
"Right… that adventurer. Hans, was it? When did you arrange to meet him?"
"Two days from now, at the Adventurers' Guild!"
"Haa, Holy Knight Cale. You must have mixed things up. The Herb-Picking Dungeon is scheduled for exploration a full week from now."
"Ah? I-is that so…?"
Cale's eyes wavered in open panic. He had told every single person present to double-check the exploration list, and this was the result.
These are supposed to be Holy Knights?
The moment he returned to the Pantheon, he would personally retrain the entire Order. Demonic let out a long, heavy sigh and rubbed his temples.
"…Two days from now we are scheduled to explore the Nest of White Death. Haa. This is inconvenient. Do you have any way to contact that adventurer?"
"Ah—no, I don't! But I know his name, so we should be able to leave a message through the Adventurers' Guild!"
"Hmm… No. Never mind."
Demonic's eyes flicked back and forth as he considered something, then he spoke again.
"Fine. This works out better. Holy Knight Cale and Trainee Holy Knight Kenis will explore the Herb-Picking Dungeon two days from now, exactly as promised to that adventurer."
"W-will that really be all right?"
"Yes. The personnel we currently have on hand can handle the original dungeon schedule without issue. If we have surplus forces, rotating a few of them through an easy dungeon separately is no problem."
Of course, heretical attacks always had to be anticipated. Both Demonic and Cale knew that well.
"The two of you should be more than enough for most opponents, but never let your guard down. Remember this: heretics and demons dig into the weak places in a person's heart."
"Yes, sir! Understood! No problem at all!"
Cale answered with a face full of confidence. She had smashed more demon skulls than she could count, and from what she had heard, Kenis could hold her own in a fight as well. Together, the two of them would make short work of ordinary heretics and demons.
Demonic watched the suddenly swaggering Cale and let out a short snort of laughter. A moment ago she had looked like the most miserable person alive; a little praise and she was already puffed up again.
"Still, take these just in case."
He drew two bracelets from his belt.
"These store holy power I have prepared. There is a fair amount in each. Using one will also send a signal to me. Keep them for emergencies—I will come at once."
"Ah, thank you!"
Cale accepted the bracelets and slipped one on. The remaining one was for Kenis, so she carefully tucked it into a pocket. Demonic watched her and spoke once more.
"I ended this with a reprimand this time. Do not assume I will let it slide again."
"Of course, sir! I'm sorry!"
"Good. I hope nothing like this happens again. You may go; I still have work."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
The door closed behind Cale. Demonic lowered his gaze to the chaotic scatter of papers and returned to his duties. The soft scratch of ink on parchment filled the quiet room.
How much time passed, he could not say.
"Huu… what a headache."
Preparing supplies for the expeditionary force, coordinating with the Adventurers' Guild, compiling advance intelligence on the dungeons, and now the Silver Twilight Order running wild nearby—Demonic felt as though his head might actually split open.
"…I need a short rest."
He rose from his chair, walked to the window, and stared silently at the glittering stars of the night sky. After a moment his hand rose of its own accord and brushed the area around his throat.
Click.
With careful fingers he opened the locket he always wore. Inside was a photograph of a woman with red hair, smiling brightly.
"…"
Without a word he gazed at the picture, then gently stroked it—as if he were touching the woman's cheek itself.
The man looked uncommonly small. The stars hanging in the night sky shone quietly down upon him.
Time raced forward until the day Cale and Kenis were to explore the Herb-Picking Dungeon. Both rose early and headed for the Adventurers' Guild.
Armed from head to toe, Cale and Kenis looked every inch the proper Holy Knights they were. Passersby watched them with open admiration and envy.
Kenis's mind, however, was anything but calm.
…That look in Demonic Paladin's eyes that day… what was it?
He had called her aside and spoken words she still could not decipher. The unreadable emotions in those silver eyes had lingered in her thoughts ever since, leaving her unsettled.
Why did Demonic Paladin look at me that way? Why me?
Kenis glanced at the bracelet he had given her and let out a complicated sigh.
Huu—
Beside her, Cale heard it and spoke up.
"What is it, Kenis? Nervous already?"
"Huh? Ah—yes. Haha, a little."
Still tangled in thoughts of Demonic, Kenis answered with an awkward smile.
"But having you with me makes me feel safer, Senior. And we even have these bracelets Demonic Paladin gave us himself."
Cale smirked.
"Well, true. From what I heard, that Herb-Picking Dungeon is just a place for gathering herbs. Probably no monsters at all—you can't live off herbs forever, right? So don't get too wound up."
"No monsters? That's a relief."
Kenis answered half-heartedly and looked down at the bracelet again. A bracelet personally charged and consecrated by a Paladin.
If a Paladin had stored enough holy power for practical use, it easily contained five times what either Kenis or Cale could muster on their own.
Demonic had handed them over as if they were nothing special, yet these were treasures no amount of money could buy. A bracelet crafted and filled with holy power by a Paladin himself?
Any wealthy collector would kill for one.
Why give something like that to the two of them? Truly just as a contingency?
…Or was there some other reason…?
Cale's voice pulled Kenis out of her spiraling thoughts.
"Kenis! Where are you going? The Adventurers' Guild is this way."
"Ah…! Sorry, Senior."
"You've been like this all morning. Are you sure you're all right?"
Cale eyed her with open concern. Kenis forced a bright smile.
"Come on, I was just thinking about the dungeon. I'm fine, really! Let's hurry."
"Yeah? If anything feels off, you tell me, okay?"
"I said I'm fine."
They walked on and soon arrived at the Adventurers' Guild. Hans, who had been crouching by the door, sprang to his feet and greeted them cheerfully.
"Ah, you've arrived!"
"Ah, sorry. Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all. I only just stepped outside myself—barely waited."
Kenis's gaze fell on Hans's fingers, flushed red from the cold dawn air. They had never set a meeting time; had he been waiting since before sunrise?
Cale looked him over and spoke.
"Hmm, it's still a bit early… Hans? The Herb-Picking Dungeon isn't far from here, right?"
"Yes, that's right. If we leave now we should arrive before noon."
"Good. Then let's grab a light breakfast and head in before lunch."
The three of them settled into the guild lobby and ate a simple meal.
Hard bread, bland soup, and a vegetable stir-fry with the occasional unidentifiable scrap of meat.
Better than the bread we used to get up north.
Remembering the days she had hammered nails with frozen loaves, Kenis finished her meal quickly.
"All right, let's head to the dungeon. Hans, lead the way."
"Yes, right this way."
They left the guild and kept a brisk pace toward the dungeon, trading light conversation along the way. Before the sun had climbed to its zenith, they stood before the entrance.
"One last check before we go in—weapons and gear. Everything good?"
Hans patted himself down, then drew a golden sword into one hand.
"I'm ready."
Kenis checked her sword, the buckler on her other arm, the armor covering her body, the potions at her belt, and finally the bracelet.
"I'm good too."
"Great. Then let's move. Hans, take point and guide us."
"Yes, this way."
Kenis, Cale, and Hans stepped into the wide-mouthed cave that formed the dungeon entrance.
How long after they vanished inside, a suspicious figure appeared, scanning the surroundings.
"…Found them."
Spotting the footprints left around the entrance, the figure followed the trail and slowly entered the dungeon.