Rune User (1)
A book that inscribed itself with writing amid a bright light. Witnessing this mysterious spectacle, the high priests around it were on the verge of turning somersaults.
"Sixth God, have mercy!! Sixth God, have mercy!!!"
"O Sixth God, who is as a Father unto us, when darkness falls upon me, light my path with sacred radiance—"
"Is this—is this the script the God Himself created?! This is the sacred writing of the God—!!"
"P-Priests, please, calm yourselves first..."
Adam strained with all his might to soothe the high priests. His efforts proved futile; their boiling fervor showed no sign of cooling.
In the end, Adam simply left it to time and gave up.
How long passed after that?
Antonio, the first to regain his composure, looked at Adam.
"Heh heh, what a disgraceful display we put on."
"Hah... Never mind."
"We have all devoted our entire lives to the faith... I hope you will understand."
"I've spent my whole life before the forge myself, so. Not like I can't understand."
"Heh heh, truly the passion of a master craftsman called by the God Himself."
The exchange between Antonio and Adam softened the atmosphere for a moment. Adam did not let that brief peace slip away.
"In the book the God bestowed, the words 'Hans, Rune of Courage' appeared. Seems the God has given me my first task."
"Th-The God Himself...?"
At the mention of a divine mission, the high priests stirred once more. The air in the room heaved like a storm-tossed sea, the mood heating by the second.
Adam hastily pressed on.
"So!! I need the Pantheon to find this man named Hans for me! It seems the God intends to bestow the Rune of Courage upon him."
"Hoo—... Hooo—... I see. Understood. We shall search for this Hans."
"Good, that's a relief... Once you find him, send him to Adam's Forge at the crossroads just ahead."
Fortunately the conversation wrapped up somehow, yet as Adam made to leave the grand council chamber, one of the high priests caught him.
"My good man! Might I ask one more thing?"
"...What is it?"
Adam's expression looked faintly weary, whether from imagination or not.
"At the start, you said you had something to tell us. I am curious what that was."
"Ah—that wasn't anything major, really..."
Scratching his head, Adam spoke.
"I just figured I ought to mention that I'd been to the Holy Land—"
"Tell us at once!"
The moment the Holy Land was mentioned, the high priests swarmed him like a pack of hounds.
Adam had no choice but to recount everything that had happened in the Holy Land in exhaustive detail.
"They called themselves Dwarves, and the eldest brother was Opus Fallac—"
"Ooooh!!! Even the name itself sounds sacred!!"
"Since the God Himself named him, it must hold a sacred and magnificent meaning!!"
...
"I spent quite a long time in the Holy Land, yet only a few days had passed here—"
"Indeed!!! Just as High Priest Antonio said, the flow of time differs!!!"
"This is a matter of the utmost importance! Ooooh!! Great Sixth God!!"
...
"The ground split open and buildings rose from it, and in the Holy Land that was simply natural—"
"Buildings growing from the earth!!! Good heavens, High Priest Antonio!! Why did you not speak of such a thing!!"
"I did not know either!! Ooooh, what a truly mysterious and blessed sight it must have been!!"
...
And so, only when the sun was sinking low did Adam finally manage to escape the Pantheon.
"One—!"
— ""Hah!""
"Two—!"
— ""Hot!""
Bright sunlight bathed the training grounds. In one corner, under the guidance of a senior paladin, the adventurers who had received the God's weapons were deep in training.
In the early days of operating a unit composed of Apostles who had received divine arms, there had been no small amount of friction. Relations between adventurers and the Pantheon had never been particularly warm to begin with, and a fair number of the adventurers had been uncooperative.
Free-spirited, uncontrollable adventurers and a Pantheon that held restraint, endurance, and humility as virtues were, in a sense, natural opposites.
Yet the adventurers had witnessed the God's wrath and miracles with their own eyes. They had seen divine punishment strike down the wicked, and they had seen the sacred gate descend upon the Holy City.
And so they converted. They swore to devote their lives to the weapons and the mission the God had given them.
...Are these really the same humans who used to be adventurers?
Hans swung his sword in time with the cadence while secretly glancing around. Men pouring sweat as they earnestly swung their blades.
Their expressions were endlessly serious.
Who would ever believe these had once been adventurers?
Drinking themselves into a stupor by day, harassing women as a matter of course. When they ran out of money gambling, they would shuffle off toward a dungeon—that was the life of bottom-rung adventurers.
...Even their own parents wouldn't recognize them now.
Hans gave a small shake of his head. Bottom-feeders who had hovered on the border between man and beast were finally living like people. Was this not also the God's salvation?
"You've all worked hard—! That concludes today's training! Those who wish to rest may rest; those who wish to train further may continue!"
"Uwaah—! Thank you for your hard work!"
"Good work, everyone!"
Unlike those who collapsed in puddles of sweat, Hans had not shed a single drop. Since that was hardly the look of a man who had only recently been convalescing, he cast a furtive glance around and carefully sat down on the ground.
Sitting on the dirt and pretending to wipe away sweat, he spotted someone cutting across the training grounds from afar.
Who's that?
The others were still too busy catching their ragged breath to notice. Hans narrowed his eyes and focused.
The blurry figure gradually grew sharp. Focus settled, and what was far began to look as if it were near.
...Have I really taken the devil's power into myself?
Hans fretted inwardly. He needed to tell someone about this soon... If he kept it hidden and got branded a heretic, it would be thoroughly unfair.
Wait, that's...
The approaching figure grew clearer by the moment.
Silver hair streaming in the wind stood out vividly. It was that foul-tempered man who had spoken with the Hero last time.
What's that bad-tempered guy doing here?
Even if he meant to train, he was heading straight toward Hans. The silver-haired man strode closer.
He was looking directly at Hans as he approached. A bad premonition stirred in Hans.
Something was happening. Something that had nothing to do with his own will was coming for him.
Before he knew it, Demonic stood before Hans and spoke.
"...You are Hans, correct?"
A tone as cold and blunt as frost. He observed formal courtesy, yet his eyes were as freezing as a blizzard. There even seemed to be an inexplicable hostility in them.
"Y-Yes, that's right."
"There are people looking for you, Hans. Please come this way."
Having said only what he meant to say, Demonic spun on his heel. Bewildered, Hans nevertheless followed after him.
All the while, his mind raced furiously.
After thinking until his head nearly seized up, he reached a conclusion.
Looks like I'm screwed.
That was the verdict Hans arrived at after careful deliberation.
I'm screwed.
Trailing Demonic as the man strode unhesitatingly down the corridor, Hans thought.
He had fallen for the devil's scheme and come to use an evil power, and the Pantheon had discovered it and was summoning him for interrogation.
Sixth God, have mercy!! Almighty Sixth God, I am truly innocent!!
While Hans screamed inwardly, Demonic halted before a massive door. After briefly straightening his clothes, he knocked—thud—thud—.
An elderly voice answered from within.
"Enter."
Demonic gave the great door a light push, and it opened without a sound.
Beyond it sat a great many people. Most of them were aged elders, yet the fierce light gleaming in their eyes made it clear they were no ordinary men.
What is with these old men's eyes...
Hans swallowed hard under the elders' piercing stares. Look at those ominous eyes. They looked ready to shout "Heretic!!" and drag him away at any moment.
The one seated in the highest place slowly opened his mouth.
"Hans. The reason we sought you out is—"
First strike wins! Now!
Hans moved by instinct rather than by what his head told him.
Knees slightly bent, gaze angled a little downward. Both hands loose before his torso, legs coiled with power as he leaned forward as if to spring.
This was—
—Thud!
"Please spare my life!!"
Dropping to his knees and begging faster than light!
Before anyone could stop him, Hans slammed his forehead to the floor and cried out.
"Because the God has marked you, Hans— Pardon?"
"I was ignorant and fell for the devil's scheme. But I swear by the almighty Sixth God... Pardon?"
Hans, who had been spitting out excuses like a machine gun, lifted his head in a daze. Antonio, seated in the place of honor, also stared blankly at Hans.
What had the other just said?
"...The devil?"
"...The God has marked me?"
A brief silence settled over the grand council chamber. Hans's mind was spinning as he tried to grasp the situation, while Antonio and the high priests were momentarily stunned by the mention of a devil's scheme.
Shiiing—
The cold rasp of steel rang out behind Hans. Demonic had quietly drawn his sword.
"Forgive my discourtesy. However... I must ask you to explain this 'devil's scheme' you mentioned in detail, and in a manner I can accept."
And if he could not accept it—
"A certain amount of 're-education' will be required."
The killing intent pressing against his back set Hans's teeth chattering. Why had this silver-haired man been so desperate to tear into him from the start!
"Paladin Demonic! What is the meaning of this insolence! Sheathe your blade at once! To doubt one marked by the God is to doubt the God Himself! Offer an apology for your discourtesy!"
Antonio barked at Demonic. After a moment of silence, Demonic sheathed his sword. Hans caught the words Demonic muttered under his breath. Perhaps they were meant to be heard.
The thief who hits on my daughter...? When did I ever do that to his daughter!
Hans's indignant cry never made it past his lips. Antonio and the various high priests were regarding him with grave expressions.
"Then... would you explain in detail? We request a thorough account of this 'devil's meddling' you spoke of."
"W-Well, you see..."
Hans explained desperately. The mysterious candy that appeared before him at some point, and the power he gained after eating it.
The high priests listened to Hans's story with serious faces, then murmured among themselves for a moment.
A mysterious candy and inexplicable superhuman strength? They would have to consult the ancient texts, but for now they sensed none of the distinctive aura of demons from Hans.
Besides, to doubt one marked by the God was itself an act of impiety.
Demonic bowed deeply to Hans.
"I apologize, Hans. My shortsightedness led me to commit a discourtesy. Please forgive the offense."
"Ah, no. Goodness, it's fine. Of course you would react that way."
When a paladin who, in his farming days, he would not even have dared meet eyes with now bent at the waist toward him, Hans hurriedly stopped Demonic.
The high priests, who had been murmuring among themselves, spoke to Demonic.
"It does not appear to be the devil's work, so you may rest easy. As for the candy, we shall investigate it ourselves."
"Paladin Demonic, as punishment for your discourtesy, you are sentenced to five days of confinement. Escort Hans to Master Adam, then proceed immediately to your self-reflection."
"Understood. Hans, this way, please."
"Ah, yes..."
Hans wore a dazed expression as things kept progressing without him understanding a thing.
...Where am I going?
And as for what it meant that he had been marked by the God—no one explained a word of it to him.
Suddenly, Hans felt a little like crying.