The Most Ordinary (2)
Hans stared down at his own hand with a dazed look on his face.
Then he looked at the completely demolished training dummy.
"...What the hell."
Hans began to seriously consider what on earth had just happened to him. For the past few days he had been living as quiet as a dead mouse, resting and recovering.
Eat, exercise, sleep. In all of that, there had been nothing particularly unusual... no, wait. There was one thing.
"Candy?"
At some point Hans had started eating a rainbow-colored candy wrapped in a blue shell. Strangely enough, whenever he was just about to forget it existed, that candy would appear right in front of his eyes, and it boasted a mysterious, wondrous flavor.
It was sweet, yet at the same time salty and sour... in any case, it was a candy with a peculiar kind of addictiveness. Eating it sent a tingling, electric stimulation racing through his whole body.
For a farmer's son like Hans, expensive luxuries like candy were pure pie in the sky. And since there never seemed to be an owner around, he simply picked up and ate every single one he saw.
Hans pondered with a grave expression, then finally reached a conclusion.
"...Is this a demon's handiwork?"
In this world, there was no such thing as free power just lying around for the taking. It was highly likely some demonic something-or-other wearing the disguise of candy.
A sudden chill of fear ran through him, and Hans quickly scanned his surroundings. Fortunately he was in a corner of the training grounds, so no one had seen him.
If this really is a demon's trickery... I should report it, right?
There was a saying about putting a lid on something that stinks, but if you put a lid on it, bugs would eventually gather underneath. Hans knew perfectly well that hiding something like this would only make things worse later.
Who should I tell about this...
Hans swept his gaze across the training grounds. Far off, a head of hair as red as living flame caught his eye. It was the Hero who had fought the Lich alongside him.
They only exchanged greetings in passing, but she was a comrade who had stood with him against that evil Lich, and a good person besides. She wouldn't just brush him off.
"Um..."
As Hans carefully approached Kenis, he saw someone already speaking to her.
It was Demonic—the youngest paladin, idol of every holy knight.
"Ahem, ahem... so, Kenis. I was wondering how well you've been adapting to your body. When I saw you last in the Empire you seemed to be adjusting quite well, but one never knows, so I thought a light bout of training to check your condition might be in order. Of course, given your level of power we'd need a suitable partner so no one gets hurt, but if you wouldn't mind me, I have no objections. I happen to have nothing particular to do, and my body was feeling a bit stiff anyway. And as luck would have it I accidentally brought two practice wooden swords with me, so the timing is perfect. If you're free, I was thinking we might spar lightly and talk for a while."
Whoa...
The words poured out of Demonic's mouth like a machine gun. Hans had no idea what was going on. Something extremely long had just rocketed past at incredible speed.
Kenis looked flustered, her eyes slightly widened as she stared at Demonic. She didn't seem to have caught everything he'd said either.
"Pardon? Uh, no? Um— Fa— that is..."
Kenis's voice grew quieter and quieter toward the end, so Hans couldn't make out the rest. He wasn't sure of the details, but the Hero seemed to be in a difficult spot, so he decided he ought to step in and help.
"Ahem, ahem. Lady Hero? Are you... all right for a moment?"
"Hm? Oh, Hans? Of course. What brings you here? You're feeling well, I hope?"
"Oh, my body's so healthy it's practically a problem. Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you—hiiik?!"
"Huh? Hans! Are you okay?"
Hans had just seen a demon.
Behind Kenis, Demonic was staring at him with a demonic aura rolling off his body.
His face was completely expressionless, yet those eyes gleamed empty and glassy like glass marbles, reflecting Hans in their depths.
It felt exactly like locking gazes with a snake; a cold ache settled deep into Hans's heart.
That was a warning. A warning not to stick his nose in any further.
Hans had no idea why the man was acting like that toward him, but his life was precious, so he decided to flee at once.
"Ah, ha... haha! Ugh! M-my stomach all of a sudden!! I'll tell you later! Later, I promise!"
"What? All of a sudden?! What were you going to say? Hans?!"
"Pay it no mind, Kenis. It seems his stomach is suddenly giving him a great deal of trouble. That aside..."
Demonic lightly ran his fingers through Kenis's hair. The long red strands fell in soft waves, like gentle ocean swells.
"...Your hair color has returned."
"Ah, yes... the priests said it came back when my body was reconstructed inside the Cocoon of Light last time—"
Hans moved away quickly, letting their conversation drift past behind him.
Talking to the Hero was a failure for now.
"Haaah... who am I supposed to tell about this..."
Along with Hans's deep sigh, a bobbing head of pink hair came into view in the distance, scurrying along with quick little steps. It was Priest Ruel, who monopolized all the cuteness of the Pantheon.
She was on her way to the Grand Council Chamber on an errand for Great Priest Antonio.
"Hieek— hooik—"
Making those peculiar little sounds, Ruel paused to catch her breath. Then she carefully opened the door to the Grand Council Chamber and slipped inside.
"Regarding our diplomatic stance toward the Empire—"
"More important than that is the matter of the Emperor—"
"The Tree of Light that appeared in the Empire's capital—"
The Great Priests sat with dignified bearing, speaking in low voices, treating one another with respect in a solemn atmosphere as they conducted their meeting. Ruel tiptoed carefully across the floor and approached Great Priest Antonio.
"Great Priest. I brought the thing you asked for."
"Thank you, Priest Ruel. Heh heh. Today was supposed to be my turn as scribe, and wouldn't you know I completely forgot."
The thick book was packed full of dense writing covering the contents of previous meetings. Even at a glance, both its bulk and its contents were immense.
"Priest Ruel. If you have nothing else to do, would you like to sit and watch the meeting for a while?"
"Really? Is that all right?"
"Of course. Just don't make any loud noises."
Ruel's eyes sparkled with excitement. Antonio smiled with the fondness of a grandfather looking at his granddaughter, then turned his attention back to the meeting.
"We will move on to the next item. This one is... rather old. The matter of designating 'Yustella' as a holy site."
"Yustella...?"
"What sort of city is Yustella?"
A light murmur rose among the Great Priests. The chair of the meeting added a further explanation.
"Ahem. It is the name of the city where the 'Weapons of God' were first discovered. Because those weapons appeared so frequently in the dungeons around it, a proposal to designate Yustella as a holy site was raised long ago."
"Yustella... is there any real meaning in designating that city as a holy site at this point?"
"I agree. Between the Holy City itself and the Empire as well... there are already so many places where divine miracles have descended. I question whether a holy-site designation is necessary."
The Great Priests nodded. After all, even in the Holy City alone, was there not already the mysterious Gate bestowed by the gods?
"Even if full holy-site status is excessive, it is still the monumental place where the Weapons of God first appeared. I believe at least some form of memorial to honor that achievement is warranted."
"I agree."
"I feel the same."
Voices of assent rose from all sides. The chair nodded. It seemed the Yustella agenda would end there.
"Next item. The Empire has requested our cooperation in a military operation in the vicinity of the Holy City. They believe the mother of the Plague Rats that fled the capital may be somewhere near us."
"In that case, perhaps we could trial a unit composed of the Apostles who have received the Weapons of God—"
"In preparation for any unforeseen circumstances—"
...
"The final item concerns these suspicious drawings that have been spreading around the Holy City of late—"
"Good heavens, those grotesque pictures mixing human and beast—"
"Spreading rapidly among the people through underground channels—"
"Oh..."
As the meeting dragged on, Ruel's head began to bob up and down.
Her eyes slowly closed... her head drooped limply, then slumped forward with a soft plop—
—BANG!
"Hyaak!"
The door slammed open with such force that Ruel leapt into the air with a peculiar little scream.
"Auu... I'm so sorry..."
Blushing with embarrassment, Ruel hid her face behind her own hair. Of course the surrounding Great Priests only looked at her with fond amusement.
Then they turned sharp, piercing stares on the person who had just burst roughly through the doors of the Grand Council Chamber. Who dared treat this solemn and sacred hall so roughly—
"Great Priests! S-someone just came out of the Sacred Gate!!"
"What did you say!!!"
Antonio, who had been sitting beside Ruel, shot to his feet, vaulted over the conference table as if flying, and launched himself into the air.
Like an elegant swan taking flight, Antonio soared upward.
Thud—!
And landed in front of the door faster than anyone else. With blazing eyes he seized the shoulders of the priest who had opened it.
"Is that true!! Someone emerged from the Sacred Gate? Who!! How long ago!!"
"Did they meet the gods!! If so, did you hear what was said!!"
"They must have gone to the Holy Land, yes? We still need more detailed descriptions of the Holy Land!! We must bring this honored guest at once!!!"
"Uh, uhh... uh?"
The Great Priests surged forward behind Antonio in a frenzy, howling like a pack of starving ghouls.
In reality they were the most respected Great Priests in the land—but that was the impression they gave.
The priest, overwhelmed by the mad rush of Great Priests, stood frozen in panic. Just then, someone appeared to save him.
"No need to go far."
A man's voice came from behind the priest.
"I am the one who answered the gods' call and returned from the Holy Land."
The priest slowly turned around.
The first thing that entered his vision was a forearm. The thick arm looked as thick around as his own thigh... no, his waist. Veins pulsed violently in time with a heartbeat.
Skin tanned a deep copper was like a medal for all the effort and sweat that had gone into it.
The face belonged to a man of somewhat advanced years. The stern brows and firmly set lips spoke of stubbornness and tenacity.
"My name is Adam. Adam the blacksmith. As it happens, I already had business to discuss with you Great Priests."
Adam, master craftsman of the Holy City.
After a long period of training, he had at last returned to the Holy City.