Existence (7)
“So you finally cleaned up the entire city. I can’t say I thought it was the wisest choice… but you’ve worked hard. Thanks to you, the sacrifices will be far fewer.”
The two of us had spent the entire night hunting down every demon left in the city center.
The rescue teams that joined later had managed to take down a few of their own, but nothing that could compare to our haul. Behind us stretched a mountain of demonic corpses and a sea of blood.
“Looks like no Great Demon showed up either. Fortunate, that. Things were so quiet on this side I half-worried they might be up to something in the rear.”
There was a simple reason for that.
My concept might not have been pure competitive spirit, but my pride still soared high enough to scrape the heavens. Add Berserk’s battle-lust and indomitable will into the mix, and the outcome was obvious.
We had raced each other the whole night, silently competing over who would kill the next demon and who would rack up the higher body count. That was how we ended up without a single moment’s rest until dawn.
“As for the troops, most of them—aside from the seriously wounded—have already dragged themselves out of their sickbeds. Next comes repairing the shattered walls and buildings… but thanks to you two, at least we won’t need any more demon-search operations.”
If anyone asked whether it had been hard, I would have been lying to say no. Still, if our exhaustion had lightened everyone else’s burden, that was enough for me.
Honestly, the real fatigue had come less from the fighting itself and more from having my ears assaulted all night by Berserk’s booming laughter and war-cries—Wahaha! Come at me!
“You’ve done well.”
I listened to the Archmage’s report and deliberately turned my head away. I hadn’t done any of that for his benefit, so I wanted none of his thanks. That was the gist of it.
Seeing the gesture, the Archmage did not smile fondly the way he used to; instead he let out a soft sigh. The slight change in his reaction felt new. Had he been that worried?
“Ah. The bodies are coming in.”
Just then the repair crews returned, their carts heaped high with corpses. They were all civilian volunteers, thick boots laced tight against the possible threat of gut-worms.
“What a mess…”
“That’s the problem with the rear lines. Nobody ever comes back looking clean.”
Most of the bodies had been torn apart or crushed by demons. Plenty had been chewed by gut-worms or flattened by sand leviathans; there was no helping the state they were in.
Those who had died after demon-energy erosion turned them into demons themselves… even when the limbs were intact, once the demonic transformation had set in they were hardly a pleasant sight either.
“Their faces are completely smashed. We’ll never even know who they were…”
…For the record, that one wasn’t on me. I’m not shifting blame—I really did kill them cleanly!
“It’s Muwang!”
“Muwang? What about him? Don’t tell me he’s dead?!”
“Muwang is dead?!”
From one of the carts they unloaded a corpse whose neck had been half-severed. A white-and-black Cueoty. I wouldn’t have known him from any other body, but from the reactions around me it was clear this was Muwang.
“You may not have heard yet, but it seems Muwang had made a deal with a demon as well. We already have eyewitness testimony that he used some strange power, so no one will be able to bury this.”
As the body was set down, the Archmage spoke again, apparently filling me in because he knew I hadn’t caught the details.
Well. Originally the plan had been to dig up Muwang’s dirt, ruin his career, and see him punished… but that’s just how the world works.
At least he hadn’t died a hero. After all the criminals we’d already sent packing, fretting over Muwang’s judgment felt almost silly—yet better some justice than none at all.
“With a demon involved, even the city lord won’t be able to dodge the investigation. Claiming ignorance won’t save him. I expect the cover-up of the murders will come to light in the process.”
Separately, I still wondered why he felt the need to explain all this to me. I had zero interest.
“The moment it becomes public, he’ll face a fine of at least half his estate, and talk of stripping him of his position entirely is likely. Anywhere else they’d simply dismiss him without a second thought, but this city has… special circumstances.”
Poetic justice was the kind of ending any human would cheer for—but it had nothing to do with my concept. Not my problem.
“That’s all, then?”
Ah. So he hadn’t been talking to me after all?
I shot a quick glance at Dev, who had suddenly cut in. The pre-symptoms of erosion that had been there after I left were gone; maybe he’d taken the medicine. His arm was still in a splint, but the Inquisitor would heal that the moment she had free time.
“People died and he covered it up, and you’re saying it’ll end with dismissal?”
“Concealing a criminal doesn’t carry that heavy a sentence. You know that.”
“Someone who helped hide murders wouldn’t have stopped at just that! There must be deeper collusion—if we dig into those—”
“There might be. But that is neither our jurisdiction nor something we have the leisure to pursue. You know this as well as I do.”
“……!”
The Archmage stroked his staff and spoke quietly.
“Our duty is to stop demon worshippers and destroy demons. Cleaning up corruption is not our task. That belongs to the people who remain behind.”
“…But still.”
“Yes, yes. Of course you’re angry. I understand. Believe me, I know nothing is more infuriating than having to walk past crime. Yet we cannot carefully tend to every city and every person.”
“…….”
“Didn’t you yourself once say it is easier to help when you clearly divide what you can do from what you cannot? You may not want to admit it, but accept it. Anything beyond this falls into the category of what we cannot do.”
“…Understood.”
Dev’s face said he was far from convinced. The city lord must have really gotten under his skin; knowing a thief’s sense of justice the way I did, I could roughly guess which nerve had been struck.
The Archmage wasn’t wrong either, so I couldn’t exactly take Dev’s side.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“…I don’t need that kind of talk.”
“Even so, thank you.”
At least the Archmage was good with words. Without him in the party we would have been in real trouble.
“More than that, it’s a pity. We came all this way hoping to recruit talent, and instead the city has been nothing but disasters. Everyone I considered promising turned out to be a turncoat. And we can hardly drag along someone whose skill is inadequate…”
As if changing the subject, the Archmage brought up something else. Given why we had come to this city in the first place, it was a conversation that had been overdue.
Knowing Berserk’s existence, I felt a little awkward about it.
Did Berserk not even register in the Archmage’s eyes? Leaving aside whether he welcomed her joining, there was no way her skill was “inadequate.” Was he ruling her out from the start because of her personality?
“Uh, well… there is one decent person, actually.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Dev spoke carefully. His expression rarely changed much, yet the complicated feelings underneath showed clearly.
“I mean… she did take down a sand leviathan by herself, right? Looking at that, her skill is definitely solid…”
“Oh-ho. A fighter who can solo a sand leviathan. And since you yourself are recommending her, we needn’t worry about the turncoat issue either. Is there some other problem?”
“Weeell…”
If I could already guess why he was hesitating, did that make me too narrow-minded?
“Mm, never mind. I’ll tell you once I’m sure.”
“If that is how you feel, then do so. Just don’t take too long—better to arrange a meeting. We plan to watch the situation a little longer in case of another invasion… though frankly that possibility looks low.”
“Yes, sir.”
Fortunately the name never left Dev’s mouth. Whether it would have been that name even I couldn’t say.
“Ah, right—speaking of rest, Demon Knight, you should rest as well. My thoughts were short-sighted. Go on now. If another invasion comes you’ll need the stamina to fight; if it doesn’t, you’ll need it to leave the city.”
For a moment I pictured Berserk, who had not only kept up with my stamina but never once fallen behind.
“Oh, and I’ve already passed word about the sealing tools. You’ll be able to pick up the spare stock before you leave, so don’t worry on that account.”
I had won our contest by a narrow margin… and that was exactly why I did not want to face Berserk again.
She would almost certainly declare the loss unacceptable and demand a rematch on the spot.
“There you are! I was wondering where you’d vanished off to!”
“……!”
“You…”
“Comrade! Let’s go! After a fight there must be meat and drink!”
Speak of the devil and she appears. Not even ten seconds after I wished I wouldn’t meet her, Berserk shoved her head into the conversation.
Unlike me—whose clothes had an automatic-cleaning function and were relatively spotless—she was still marinated in demon fluids from head to toe.
“This Berserk has already secured us a place! Come on!”
I made no effort to hide my disgust as she approached. Dev looked equally unenthusiastic.
“Get lost.”
“Ahaha! What a shy friend! No need to refuse!”
“…….”
“Whoa… an iron wall thicker than a fortress…”
“Oh! The little hunter is here too! You come as well! There are people who want to see you!”
“Huh? Me??”
Ah, this is exactly why I never wanted her in the same party. If I dropped the concept I could probably get along with her just fine, but the concept itself was completely incompatible with this kind of over-the-top energy.
I clenched my fist as Berserk completely ignored my words, laughing uproariously and pounding her chest.
“Worried the food might taste bad? No need! Kankan told me about the best cook in the village! I already hired him, so the meal will definitely be delicious.”
So even in this situation some restaurant was still open? No—she had simply hired the entire cook. Bold, I’ll give her that.
“…I said get lost.”
Either way I had zero intention of joining that gathering. Concept or no concept.
I tried making the warning sound even more menacing, as if it were the last one.
“Hmm. Ah! Was it that you felt burdened?”
It didn’t work.
“If that’s the case, no need to refuse. We spent the whole night back-to-back, didn’t we? A Nordah warrior does not lightly abandon even someone she fought beside for ten minutes. How much more so a comrade who shared a camp! There is not the slightest need to feel burdened! Same for the little hunter!”
“No, I’d really rather not…”
“Let’s go!”
“Would you please listen?!”
No, that’s not it.
The fact that she hadn’t immediately challenged me again just because I was the first person to beat her was definitely a good thing—but that didn’t mean I had wanted this kind of invitation instead…!
“Hold on a moment.”
The Archmage, who had been watching us, stepped in. His eyes were somehow sparkling.
“Last night, the two of you fought together? Meaning you went out to clear the remaining demons in the city.”
“Hm? That’s right! It’s been ages since this Berserk found a warrior who could match her shoulder to shoulder! Ah, the little hunter was good too. That kind of earnest hunting technique is rare even back home.”
…I had a bad feeling about this.
“…Leaving the hunter aside for now, when you say you matched shoulders, may I take that to mean you spent the entire night coordinating with the Demon Knight without rest?”
Wait—Archmage, stop. Stop right there!
“That’s right!”
Hwaaaaaah!!
“Is that so. Oh-ho. I see. Yes, I understand.”
I screamed inwardly at the Great Sage’s eyes, which were shining as if he had just discovered a treasure.
So that was why he hadn’t considered Berserk—he simply hadn’t known her strength…!
“Do you have more companions?”
“Companions? I travel with my sister.”
“Is she strong as well?”
“Wahaha! Extremely! But she’s shy, so she almost never shows her face. You’ll have a hard time meeting her.”
“Hooh. I see. Then do you have any particular purpose for your travels?”
“None at all! Wherever there is struggle against the strong—that is the path I must walk.”
Even that conversation looked for all the world like a recruitment interview. It was laying groundwork!
I had been relieved she showed no sign of joining us to the end, and now I was getting blindsided like this…!
“Uh, Mage-nim.”
Dev, face darkening, grabbed the Archmage’s forearm. Was he trying to stop him? Opposing it?! For a second hope seized my heart.
“The person I mentioned earlier is actually this one… but there’s something you really need to consider.”
“Hmm.”
Conscious of the sharp-eared people nearby, Dev whispered into the Archmage’s ear and, for good measure, wrote something on his forearm with tiny finger flicks. Even I couldn’t make out what he was writing.
“Indeed, this part will require further thought.”
“……?”
Yet it did not seem to have completely turned the Archmage’s heart away.
“You—when do you plan to leave this city? This old man finds he has a few things he would like to say to you.”
“Leaving? Hard to say. I have no plans to leave just yet. But talk with me? What about?”
“Oh, nothing bad for you, I assure you. Would tomorrow or the day after work for a conversation?”
“Hmm. Tomorrow or the day after? That much is fine. Any longer and I might leave first. I do not linger long in a city once the fighting is over.”
“It will not take that long. Do not worry.”
…I knew it. From the moment Berserk appeared, this fate was unavoidable.
Ugh…