From the Beginning (6)
We failed to capture one of the ships in the end, but the Kraken was dead and the harbor stood unharmed.
On top of that, thanks to Baramson sailing out to retrieve me, I had successfully made it back to solid ground.
That ought to be enough. Even if we hadn’t scraped together every last benefit, overcoming the crisis without casualties meant we were fine for the moment.
“Think you can climb up?”
“I can see you will not manage the ascent yourself.”
“…I came to save you. Can’t you cut me a little slack?”
I gripped the rope he handed over and put some strength into it; Baramson edged back a half-step. He was exactly like Dev that way—probing carefully right up until the moment things turned deadly.
And yet, from the main body’s perspective, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Leaving the flinching Baramson behind, I hauled myself onto the deck of the ship that was still blocking the bay.
Until we could clear the three vessels properly, we would have to keep climbing up and down this rope for a while. Even the small boats had to be hauled up and lowered on the opposite side just to move around.
“Hah, I’m impressed.”
The moment I reached the deck, someone strolled toward me with easy leisure. It was the fellow who went by Outlaw or something of the sort.
“Not only did you sink those ships single-handed, you even silenced a sea monster… Ever thought about taking up the pirate’s life?”
“Chimawa.”
“Oh dear, big brother already has his eye on him? What a shame.”
“That’s right. I claimed him first, so give it up.”
“Mmm… but big brother, a pirate never surrenders! And above all, in matters like this the man’s own will is what counts most, is it not?”
The Outlaw traded banter with Baramson, then tossed a wink straight at me.
My face twisted into something awkward the instant it landed. That sort of gesture only looked cute coming from a lover or some soft-cheeked kid under twenty-five. No matter how pretty the face, when a black-hearted pirate did it…
“If you ever change your mind, just say the word. We always welcome strong ones like you.”
“Enough. The ships? You have vessels ready for the return, I take it.”
“Haha, of course.”
“Then go prepare them, you bastard.”
Thankfully Baramson shoved the Outlaw’s head aside and herded him away. Chimawa cackled and waved for us to follow.
“How does it feel—conquering the Sea Dragon and then a sea monster right after?”
Baramson murmured the question close to my ear. I had no idea why he was asking, and nothing useful came to mind for an answer.
Saying I never wanted to do it again, or that it had been exhausting—those would break character, so out. Complaining that at least the Sea Dragon had left me half a skull while the octopus left me nothing—also a break, so pass. Leveling up was only natural, and even if I set the stat gains aside, I still had no spare skill points to spend, so that was a wash too.
In the end I had no answer left. I shot him a sidelong glare and swung a leg into the small boat Chimawa had readied.
“…Demon Knight?”
I had been wondering where she went; the red-haired passenger was already aboard.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even notice you arriving…”
More than that, the girl looked terrible. Where had the dumpling’s usual blankness gone? She wore the bone-deep exhaustion of a twenty-year office worker.
Well, she had passed out for days after overusing holy power during the dragon hunt, so if this was the same pattern it made sense.
“Then we cast off at once.”
Before the Inquisitor could finish apologizing—there had been nothing to apologize for in the first place—Chimawa and Baramson each seized an oar and began to row.
The boat was small enough that passenger space was limited, but still, putting two captains to work as oarsmen felt a little extravagant.
Of course, when you tallied the gains and losses, their side still came out overwhelmingly ahead!
“Hah! Big brother and me rowing together! Even the lord of the castle never gets this luxury!”
“That man doesn’t fail to enjoy it—he simply chooses not to.”
“True enough!”
They had clearly noticed the same thing I had and raised it lightly as a joke. The Inquisitor’s eyes rolled this way and that; she quietly asked whether she ought to take an oar as well.
“…You even know how to row? Don’t. We don’t hand oars to landlubbers.”
While I stared at her as if she were the densest creature under heaven, Baramson answered in the same dumbfounded tone. Whatever about it struck Chimawa as funny, he burst into loud, cackling laughter.
“Still treating her like a person, though? Ahahaha! Well, if you hadn’t, you never would have brought her along.”
“Want me to put a hole in your lung?”
“Already got one, so no worries.”
The man truly lived life with joy. I wouldn’t have minded being able to do the same.
With that useless envy riding me, we reached the pier. Maybe because the battle had jacked my fatigue up by nearly twenty points, my legs went soft the instant they touched the planks. I didn’t stagger hard enough to lose balance, but the brief hitch was obvious to everyone. The skin around my eyes felt tight.
“H-hurk—Demon Knight, are you all righ—urk!”
The Inquisitor, climbing down right after me, was even worse.
Whether she lost her footing or simply misjudged the height and caught her toe, she nearly pitched straight over.
“Whoa—what are you doing?!”
Nice catch, Dev. Even if he complained constantly, he still looked out for a comrade when it counted.
“Are you an idiot? You can’t even climb up something this simple!”
“Sh-shut up.”
Oh, how cute they were being.
I barely managed to swallow a lukewarm smile and started walking farther onto the pier. I would have kept going if the crowd hadn’t been packed so thick it blocked the entire dock and spilled beyond it.
“You lot…”
“I thought you were strong, but…”
“Hah. Words fail me.”
What was this? And every single person in the front rank looked high-ranking. Their clothes alone said as much, and a few even wore medals on their chests.
“…From the left: Redbeard Ames, Lame Wailan, West Wind Kato. All three are pirates. The bald one is the garrison captain of Ayu Hin; the mustache behind him is his lieutenant. Front and center is Ayu Hin’s finance officer. Beside them more pirates—the old woman is their boss, Rahong, and…”
Luckily Dev had slipped up beside me and murmured the rundown straight into my ear.
He spoke too fast and my head wasn’t ready to memorize everything at once, so all I managed was a vague “Ah, right,” but it was still better than nothing. At least I now knew who belonged to which job and which faction.
“First of all, allow me to offer our thanks.”
Knowing the man who stepped forward was a city official rather than a pirate helped a little. Not that I would have changed my reaction either way, but still.
“Thanks to you…”
“Spare me the empty formalities. I came here for the island’s current situation, information on the enemy, and Bipurit’s location.”
While I kept my concept locked in place, half my mind wandered elsewhere. Was this stretch of sea warmer than the waters farther north? It wasn’t particularly cold, yet I suddenly craved a bowl of hot soup.
“Y-yes, of course. But we are still in your debt…”
“If you wish to repay that debt, bring me the information.”
Something like sundae-gukbap, maybe? The kind with thinly sliced head meat floating generously in the broth.
The more I thought about it the more I missed it. Why did every soup dish in this world have to be stew or cream soup?
“Second—get out of my way.”
Ah, I want gukbap.
Deathbringer pressed both temples and stared at the consistently headache-inducing man.
That guy’s definitely got a bounty out for “contempt of authority” or whatever they call it in every city he visits. No doubt about it.
“Wahahaha!!”
The Outlaw’s delighted roar only made him more annoying. After looking into the man, Deathbringer had confirmed he belonged to exactly the sort of type he disliked most.
He himself treated certain laws lightly and had committed his share of crimes, but he had never been the kind of scum who casually harmed civilians the way the Outlaw did.
“What are you doing? Hurry and follow him.”
Still, they were allies for the moment. And he also had a certain air-headed cleric to look after.
“Huh? I-is that really all right?”
“The only way your neck stays attached is by sticking close to His Lordship, got it? Do not leave his side until I catch up.”
Deathbringer used the moment when everyone was still overwhelmed by the display of power and hustled the wall-like cleric after the Demon Knight. Once the crowd regained its wits, the first thing they would focus on was that woman’s affiliation.
After everything they had done—and after witnessing the Demon Knight’s overwhelming strength—surely no one would try to kill them… but you never knew.
Besides, that empty-headed girl was far too easy to pick a fight with. Parking her right beside the untouchable knight was the safest option.
“Th-that man!”
“Hah, hahah! What a monster! A real monster!”
“A splendid fellow. Yes—every true hero needs that kind of pride.”
“Cheeky little brat for someone so young.”
“Khh, we didn’t even get a chance to speak to him. Hey, Baramson, tell us the story!”
At the same time Deathbringer kept careful watch on every face in the crowd.
Who resented the Demon Knight’s attitude (though none would say it to his face), who prioritized gratitude, and so on.
The information he had gathered while those two were busy fighting rolled smoothly across his tongue.
“Don’t take it too hard. His Lordship is strong, true, but fighting a monster of that size still took a toll. The conditions were terrible on top of it. His nerves are just a little raw, that’s all.”
How did I end up cleaning up after these people? Of course, they hadn’t invited him along purely for his combat power…
Still, information work and this kind of damage control weren’t exactly the same thing. He tucked a faint sense of emptiness somewhere near his chest and waved a hand. The gazes of those who had been about to chase after the Demon Knight swung toward him instead.
High officials he disliked, and criminals who plundered civilians purely for personal satisfaction—every last one of them.
“He’ll be like that for a while, so why don’t you talk with me instead?”
When is the mage getting here? Deathbringer missed the Archmage—who always handled this sort of thing—more than he could say.
“Well then, first your identities…”
“No—there’s something more important than that.”
He hadn’t even done anything yet, but the pirates were already glaring at him as if they wanted him dead, so he felt it even more keenly.
“Why is a member of the Order here?”
Ah, just let it slide for once. How many times have I had to explain this already?
Somewhere no one could see, a vein stood out on Deathbringer’s temple.
I checked that Kimchi Mandu was scurrying half a step behind me. Dev seemed to have stayed behind; I felt no sign of him following. Same for Baramson and the others.
“Where are we going?”
Hell if I know. I only left because I didn’t want to stay there. Where should we go?
Answering her question only in my head, I swept a glance across the harbor. The overall shape of the port—something I had been too rushed to notice earlier—finally registered.
It reminded me of Sorrento, the cliffside harbor city. Only this version was wrapped in an extra layer of cliffs.
Grrrrooowl…
More importantly, where was that sound coming from?
“I-I’m sorry.”
I hadn’t even turned my gaze, yet the culprit confessed on the spot.
There was nothing to apologize for. How long had it been since we last ate?
My own stomach was scraping the bottom of empty as well. In short, it was time to eat.
The question was whether this hidden place even had somewhere to serve a meal.
I dragged the dejected Inquisitor along and scanned the denser clusters of people. Secret harbor or not, a settlement of this size ought to have at least one tavern.
“Ah—Demon Knight, there’s a tavern over there.”
And that judgment proved correct enough. I spotted a building marked as a tavern.
Judging by the look of things it was currently being used more like a soup kitchen… but we were outsiders. We didn’t know that, so it should be fine, right?
“It’s not mealtime. Get out.”
Apparently not fine…
“Are you closed for business?”
“What are you talking about? Ration distribution hasn’t started yet.”
The Inquisitor’s face immediately fell. She already looked as dried-out as a dehydrated dumpling; seeing her like this made me feel unnecessarily sorry for her.
“I wish to purchase food.”
“For heaven’s sake. You two must be new arrivals. Food is non-negotiable. We measure out fixed portions per person and hand them out, so no matter how hungry you are, you’ll have to wait until evening—”
“Aaaargh!!”
I had even tried the purchase option just in case, but it seemed that was off the table too—until someone came bolting out of the kitchen and clamped a hand over the first speaker’s mouth.
“Of course you can! Absolutely!”
“Have you lost your mi—mmph!”
“Is there anything you would like? I’ll prepare whatever you desire!”
Excuse me, but the face of the person you’re currently strangling is turning purple.
“Is it not allowed after all?”
“Nonsense, you two are perfectly fine! Please, order anything!”
“…Anything at all will do, so long as it’s edible.”
The Inquisitor placed the order with a doubtful expression. The man still muffling the cook turned to look at me next.
“Nothing that contains meat.”
No—food isn’t the issue right now. That man’s face has turned the color of a tomato. Shouldn’t you let him go?
“Pwah! You crazy bastard!”
Fortunately the captive freed himself. His scarlet face and thick hand then proceeded to pound the order-taker’s back with meaty thuds.
“Why would you take their order?!”
“Ah—ah! I’ll explain, just—ow! Stop hitting me!”
“You nearly asphyxiated a man!”
“My bad, my bad. Ah, please take a seat and wait just a moment. I’ll bring the food myself—stop hitting me already!”
Still, somehow we had managed to get a meal without producing any corpses… so I supposed it was fine?
“…Is this really all right?”
…The Inquisitor’s complete lack of social awareness was making me question it all over again.
Thud.
I didn’t know anymore. I kicked a shoved-aside table back into place and set the chair upright. Then I dropped into it. My salt-crusted, filthy body settled onto the seat with a soft creak.
The Inquisitor, eyes still rolling, immediately took the chair beside me. Compared to the bustle outside, the interior of the shop was almost deserted and quiet.
“Those people…”
“Wait—isn’t that the Order’s crest?”
“They killed the monster…”
Correction: only the inside of the shop was quiet. Outside, the noise level skyrocketed at once.
However they had learned we were the ones who had fought, people were packing themselves in so densely that it really did seem they had come just to stare at us.
“…!”
And then the Inquisitor shot to her feet, staring hard in one direction. A tingling sensation ran down my arm at the same moment a heavy pulse beat in my ears.
“A demon…”
We just ordered food. Now there’s more work.
A sigh I could never voice aloud rose in my chest.
“Demon Knight, that…”
“Where.”
With a heart that wanted to cry, I gripped my weapon and rose. The sounds of breathing outside seemed to stop all at once.
“From what I can sense, it is not a complete demon.”
A demon is a demon—what does “not complete” even mean?
“From what I remember… zombies in the middle of infection give off this exact sensation. To be certain I would need to observe more closely at short range.”
…If the infection was still in progress, wasn’t that good news? Or was it?
“Is this… a matter I am permitted to handle?”
I spun my thoughts quickly. There were still people here who vividly remembered the massacre the Temple had carried out forty years ago—when they had burned humans and zombies alike without distinction.
With that history hanging over us, if a priestess suddenly announced, “Oh, one of you humans is turning into a zombie—mind if I check?” how would they take it?
Even after everything we had done, to them it would sound exactly like a declaration of war.
“Location.”
“Location? Outside, among the gathered crowd. That is where I sense it.”
But do you know what the bigger problem is? The moment she not only consulted me but also gave me the location, my concept would force me to act without a single second of hesitation!
“The food is rea—wait, where are you going?!”
Can’t I just drop the concept for once? But if I really drop it, she’ll cave my skull in with that mace, won’t she? I know…
“Move.”
I shoved the shop door open and growled at the crowd, hand tight on the sword hilt. People recoiled in shock and scrambled to open a path.
“Location.”
“You must not harm them recklessly.”
“I will not leave a demon be.”
“I agree with that, but…”
The Inquisitor fretted back and forth between “Is this really all right?” and “But it is a demon, after all.” If she had possessed any flexibility she might have found a compromise; the lack of it left her in exactly this state.
“Promise me you will not resort to force immediately.”
In the end the dumpling made her decision. Those green eyes sparkled as they fixed on me.
“I came to this land prepared for that possibility, and because I swore it, I was granted this chance.”
She might not care much for my concept, but the words themselves weren’t bad at all.
“Even if you are the Demon Knight, I cannot yield this point.”
Hah. Before the dragon hunt this kid used to just wait for me to tell her what to do. Now she wasn’t only following my lead—she was digging her heels in.
She’d grown up well.
“Promise me.”
“…You.”
She really had grown well—so when is my concept going to grow? I’m too scared of cracking the pot with any sudden change to try. Am I allowed to cry?
Is gripping a sword hilt and twisting my face into a scowl really the right concept for a moment like this?
“Hey, why do the two of you look like you’re about to fight again?!”
Thankfully Dev appeared to mediate. For a second I almost saw a halo behind his head.