Encounter (1)
Two days had passed since Osera’s departure.
Duke Cabaro.
Of late, he had not seemed to be in a foul mood.
There were still mountains of documents to process. Countless territory residents and subordinate nobles to look after. It was the responsibility a noble had to bear; there was no helping it. He had no complaints. Destiny, after all, was an unreasonable law by nature.
And yet.
I never imagined the Spacetime Magic Tower would come seeking cooperation first.
The Spacetime Magic Tower. They took a keen interest in talent, yet maintained a closed-door policy toward everything else. One could call them arrogant, but their ability was beyond question, so every power wanted to deal with them.
That very tower had reached out first.
All because of a single person.
Evan Alcarte.
When it comes to talent, distinctions are meaningless. A brilliantly shining gift is valuable in and of itself, and the Spacetime Magic Tower desires that talent.
They were saying they did not care if it was a gift different from magic—alchemy. He had never heard of such a thing. If they had, they would have recruited knights into the Magic Tower long ago. The so-called knights currently in the towers were merely mages wearing the skin of knights.
And yet they were trying to recruit Evan, an alchemist?
The reason was obvious at a glance. His talent must be that outstanding. Greater even than the golden generation of Duke Cabaro’s own youth.
And an Elder of the Alchemist Tower is staying here as well.
The Alchemist Tower was no less closed-off. They did not approach every alchemist; contact only came after talent had been proven. Yet an Elder of that group had stepped forward in person.
Aegis.
The princess who had fled in search of freedom. Once the youngest alchemist to make a name for herself, a genius among geniuses—now showing interest in Evan.
There was nothing to feel sour about. No parent disliked their child’s achievements.
Until today.
Until Evan came to him in person and spoke.
“I wish to go out.”
“……Go out?”
“Yes.”
Going out. If it were nearby, he would not even be reporting it. The fact that he was seeking permission meant it required the Duke’s approval.
Not the south or the west, but farther still—
“I plan to go to the Knight Kingdom of Demicia.”
Abroad.
“……The Knight Kingdom of Demicia, you say…….”
Duke Cabaro drew out the words, tapping the desk with his fingers.
The Knight Kingdom of Demicia. It was so distant that even from the Empire it took a full month of hard travel at minimum. And it was not safe. Though they bore the name of knights, they were closer to warriors mad for combat. There was no telling what they might do to Evan.
Silence filled the office.
Eyes closed in thought, Duke Cabaro slowly opened them again.
“Why do you wish to go?”
“……There is something I can obtain. It will aid my research.”
“Did Elder Aegis tell you of it?”
“……Yes.”
Elder Aegis. She had mentioned the Knight Kingdom of Demicia? A nation that famously disregarded everything except martial prowess?
They’re hiding something.
Whether it was Evan or Elder Aegis. Most likely Elder Aegis. Evan resembled him, but he had never been good at this kind of lying. In the past he had been unable to hide his hatred and had openly shown hostility.
It was distasteful. Yet he could not simply refuse to send him. What to do…….
After long deliberation, the Duke finally spoke.
“……Go, then.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
In the end he granted permission to leave the country—along with the thought that if Evan were hurt, he would confront the Elder himself.
Whew! I made it!
Outside the office door, Evan clutched his chest the moment he stepped out. His heart was hammering. He had thought he would die of the trembling.
I was sure the lie would be found out…….
Fortunately it seemed he had gotten away with it. As expected of a first-year survival veteran. Well done, Evan!
The Duke’s original bluntness had helped as well. A normal father would have stopped him, saying it was dangerous. Yet this indifferent father had simply let him go. He had half expected a small escort to be attached.
Tsk, tsk.
Just as Evan was clicking his tongue inwardly—
“Evan. Did you get permission?”
“Yes. I received permission.”
“Oh! Great!”
Clap clap!
Aegis clapped her hands in delight.
A long journey that would take at least a week even at the fastest. A trip toward the Kingdom of Demicia? Under normal circumstances she would have been thrilled. Not now. There was something more important.
I have to sweet-talk him into the Alchemist Tower on the way!
These past few days, staying at the mansion, she had witnessed Evan’s talent with her own eyes. His potion-making already surpassed the advanced level. At this rate he was comparable to the old fossils of the Alchemist Tower.
And the golems? No need to even speak of them. An alchemy book she had obtained by chance in the underworld—cheap paper whose compiler she could not even guess, a book even Aegis herself could not fully understand—and with that single volume he had refined a golem.
Ugh, I really want to touch that thing. He won’t give permission, will he?
Golem No. 2, which melted into the shadows, was a masterpiece. He had never even shown No. 1; just how well-made must that one be?
It was not without flaws. Gaps born of missing information. He crafted golems superbly, yet was poor at auxiliary techniques such as Imbuement.
If she casually taught him that?
He might fall for it completely. The old fossils would grumble later, but what did that matter? Talent was what counted.
Someone of his caliber could even aim for Tower Master, couldn’t he?
The position of Tower Master of the Alchemist Tower had been vacant for quite some time. Count Gilles de Rais’s father had been the last. Even he had risen through “politics,” never truly recognized by the Tower of alchemists.
The core that ran the Tower. The Philosopher’s Stone. The crystallization of all alchemy, the once-in-a-generation masterpiece the first Tower Master had created by sacrificing his life. If one were recognized by the Philosopher’s Stone, one could become the true Tower Master.
If that happened, she would sidle up and quietly suggest they research the Philosopher’s Stone together……!
“When I received His Grace’s permission, I mentioned you, Lady Aegis. Is that all right?”
“Hm? Yeah. Of course!”
Aegis beamed and waved it off as nothing. Evan let out a breath of relief.
Whew. She won’t make a fuss.
He had casually sold Aegis’s name when asking for permission. If anything went wrong, it was now her responsibility. Too much of a scumbag move? He had no choice. He had to survive first. And she herself had said it was fine.
“Young Master! Everything’s ready!”
Dolf came running. A pack stuffed with enough supplies to last two weeks. Compression magic was cast on it, so capacity was no concern. Still, just in case—
“Give it to me.”
“What? But it’s heavy…….”
Swoosh.
“Ah!”
The moment Evan stored the goods in subspace, Dolf let out a belated cry of admiration. Evan felt an odd swell of pride and tapped his ring.
“Then let us…… set out at once.”
“Yes! Then I’ll come too……!”
“Dolf cannot come on this matter.”
“What?!”
At the bombshell, Dolf’s eyes wavered. Evan felt a twinge of conscience, but there was no helping it.
“It is your vacation period, is it not?”
Half an excuse. Vacation? Given Dolf’s personality he would simply return it.
“Young Master is more important to me!”
What mattered was whether Dolf could protect his own body. Beyond the border, Dolf had no ability to keep himself safe.
“I will be fine. More than that, beyond the border is dangerous. You would collapse.”
“B-but……!”
Dolf teared up in his usual crybaby fashion.
“You’re far weaker than I am, Young Master……!”
Hey.
His pride was stung for a second. Where am I weak?! I’ve become a man among men by now!
But he held it in. Not because it was a fact, but because he was broad-minded. He should be a little patient. Absolutely not because he felt guilty.
Swallowing the words that had risen to his throat, Evan soothed him as best he could.
“……It is my request, Dolf.”
“B-but…… All right…….”
Dolf nodded, looking dejected. There was no choice. With that, preparations were complete. He already felt drained. Surely nothing would happen on the way?
Something did.
Life.
If he ever met a real priestess he would have to get his fortune told. Why did everything keep going sideways?
“Hey! You there, stop!”
“Noble sir, this ain’t that fancy Empire of yours, is it? You’ll be paying the entrance fee, right?”
A band of bandits wearing hoods and carrying strangely curved swords. Their numbers looked to be at least a hundred.
Appearance rate: 30 percent.
Desert bandits.
My luck is absolute garbage.
The Desia Desert beyond the border. To reach the Kingdom of Demicia one had no choice but to cross this wasteland. Because of its irregularity, sand dunes, oases, monsters, and people appeared and vanished at random. Even during a stabilization period it was the same.
Bandits were people too, so they rarely showed up. That was why bandit groups had been hard to encounter in the game.
With numbers like that, are they even making a living?
The Kingdom of Demicia was not a prosperous nation. A country sitting in the middle of a desert. Thorough meritocracy. Without skill, even a noble’s child struggled to eat. Their king, Kyun-baek, was a man who had shattered bloodlines with pure ability and seized the throne.
He seemed to recall Imperial newspapers constantly complaining about shortages of food.
No Sin among the bandits, right?
Evan glanced them over carefully. Fortunately there was no Sin. No one who looked special either. Every last one of them looked like an extra.
Whew. He let out a breath and snuck a look at Lapis’s expression. She wouldn’t get angry just because they were blocking the road, would she? That would be seriously troublesome.
“???”
Evan doubted his eyes.
Lapis. Astonishingly, she was smiling. Looking thoroughly delighted.
Why is she smiling?
I knew it!
Lapis, not even noticing Evan’s gaze, kept letting out soft sounds of admiration.
They were on the road to meet the Priestess of the Night Sky. Why would Evan go out of his way to meet a priestess “in person”?
To read “fate” and save the Sins.
Would he want only to save them? No. Whether power or strength, he would want something. Anything was fine. What mattered was the fact of salvation itself.
This is the path of seeking the Way.
The path of seeking the Way. The road to becoming a true savior. As one who had been saved, Lapis had the duty to protect him at his side.
I just have to help from beside him!
Just as threads began to peek out from Lapis’s body—
That was when it happened.
“Pardon me.”
Not loud, yet a voice that struck the ear with perfect clarity. Every head turned.
A young man who looked not yet thirty, wearing a thick beige robe and a sword at his waist, had appeared at some point.
Why is that guy popping out over there?
The moment Evan saw the youth’s face, a sigh escaped him of its own accord.
“I would like to ask the way.”
“……Who the hell are you?”
“A wandering knight passing through.”
“Ha, these days there sure are a lot of lunatics, huh?”
The one who seemed to be the bandit leader sneered.
“Fine, I’ll kindly tell you the way. Want me to show you the direction too?”
“I would be grateful if you did.”
“I’ll carve it into your body myself! Boys!”
“Mm, I would prefer if you simply drew it on the ground.”
Aggro drawn in an instant. That, too, was an impressive talent.
Should I just run now?
While Evan seriously considered it—
Hum! Huuum!
The shadows trembled violently. No. 2. It was No. 2, which resided in the shadows—that is, underground. It was warning that something dangerous was rising from below.
And the location was……
“……Lapis.”
“Yes?”
“Would you please pull that gentleman back?”
“Yes!”
Lapis nodded and shot out threads, yanking the youth backward.
In that instant—
Ruuuumble!
The ground shook hard and something burst upward.
A gigantic larva.
A sandworm.
A creature that roamed the desert, threatening wanderers and bandit bands alike. The sandworm gulped down the entire bandit group in one swallow and vanished.