I Want to Talk (5)
I’d left a tip, so that was truly the end of my business here.
I led Dev outside. Departure wasn’t far off, and people were just starting their day—we needed to move quickly.
“We’re heading to the harbor, right? I’ll come with you.”
Baramson, who had only meant to stop by briefly, joined us as well. Of course he did—without him the ship couldn’t leave.
“To the harbor.”
“Yes.”
“Aigoo, look at all the people already gathered.”
“They’re still keeping their distance, though.”
Word of my visit must have spread like wildfire; people were already peeking and craning their necks. None of them dared approach easily, and our guide carefully chose paths where crowds couldn’t easily form. The lord hadn’t assigned him for nothing.
So I checked my sword again without worry. It slid free of the scabbard, parting the light and revealing the matte elegance of its edge.
Truly beautiful.
And truly short.
“…Can you use it, sir?”
In answer to Dev’s question I sheathed the blade. This wasn’t something I could wield.
“Take it.”
What else was I supposed to do? I didn’t want to leave a fine sword unused just because I couldn’t swing it, and selling it felt wrong—so it went to someone else.
“Huh? Wha—??”
I tossed the sword to Meat Dumpling and soothed the bitter twist in my gut. I’d been planning to buy him a kukri replacement anyway, so the regret wasn’t as sharp as the fondness.
It almost felt fated. By eye it was nearly the same length as the kukri Dev had been using. Right after I’d smashed his old one, a sword perfect for him just happened to be forged. If that wasn’t fate, what was?
The only real regret was that it matched my tastes so well. But the materials still existed on the mainland—I could always have another made. No big deal.
I handed the sword over with a clean conscience.
“Y-you’re giving this to me?”
“Yes.”
Dev’s eyes went round as saucers. The way he stammered told me just how shocked he was.
“Really…?”
Who else would I give it to? Not Baramson, obviously.
I strode ahead without answering, and that seemed answer enough. Dev lagged a step, then quickly caught up beside me.
“Th-thank you, my lord.”
The look of pure gratitude on his face made giving the gift worthwhile.
“You’re here.”
Thanks to our competent guide we reached the harbor. The ship already rode the water, fully crewed and waiting.
“Everything ready?”
“Aye!”
“Then raise the anchor! We sail!”
Baramson was the last to board, waving a hand. The anchor came up and the oars bit into the water.
“Hey, look at this.”
“What.”
“The lord gave it to me.”
“……!”
“You didn’t get anything like this, did you?”
“Wh-wh-what are you talking about—”
On the deck the two dumplings bickered like elementary school kids; their voices drifted out over the gunwale on the wind.
“Wait! Wait!”
Just as the ship pulled free of the pier and the sails began to unfurl, a figure came bounding toward us from afar, leaping and waving.
The person who skidded to a halt on the dock held a single pouch.
“Hanta?”
“Heyyyyyy—!”
I straightened from where I’d been leaning on the rail, ready to leave the scene.
“You left way too much tip money—!!”
“Hmm?”
“Eh? Isn’t that the coin purse the lord left?”
“How much did he leave that this guy’s—”
“What kind of lunatic leaves seven million gal—!!”
“……??”
“…Seven million gal?”
…I know nothing about that. Absolutely nothing.
“My lord?”
Ignoring the stares locking onto me, I began walking calmly toward the lower deck. A second voice joined the shouting from the pier a moment later.
“Demon Knight! You left the bounty for killing Bipurit!!”
…Damn it! None of you have any sense of timing!!
Couldn’t you have shown up just a little later!
After leaving a threat that I’d kill anyone who wasted my time by turning the ship around, I ignored every soul who tried to speak to me and shut myself in the cabin I’d been assigned.
A private room—thank the gods. Otherwise I’d have been tormented endlessly.
“…Brought you food.”
Even the captain himself delivering meals in person, muttering “You really are something else…” on the way out—wasn’t that already a form of torment?
No—I’d said I couldn’t help if it broke character. I never said I wouldn’t help at all! If there was a way to help without shattering the roleplay, why wouldn’t I take it?
Of course they didn’t know that, so to them it was just “Why is that bastard’s mood swinging like a boiling pot of porridge?”
Either way I didn’t want to see their faces, so I finished every meal inside the cabin and never stepped out.
Honestly, the bigger reason was the seasickness. It was murderous.
Even now I felt like throwing up.
“Still asleep, are you?”
“…What.”
“We’ll reach the mainland soon, so I came to wake you.”
Spending every day sprawled out sleeping made time fly. Heading not to distant Gryu Telz but to the nearest mainland city, Canabes, certainly helped with the quick arrival.
Anyway, the moment I woke, dizziness hit. I pressed a hand to my forehead for a moment, then staggered out.
Archmage, whom I had barely seen these past few days, regarded me with the same lukewarm fondness as always—the look of a grandfather pleased with a grandson who had done something splendid.
“…Want your eyes gouged out?”
“Haha, hardly.”
This was exactly why I’d wanted to leave early.
I swallowed the surge of emotion. If Rage triggered now it would all be for nothing.
“Once we arrive, let’s stop by the Magic Tower first.”
Thankfully Archmage steered the conversation away.
I used the new topic to steady my heart as much as possible.
“The sealing tool is complete.”
Of course, for the character I still had to feign complicated feelings.
“…….”
In the past the mere mention of a sealing tool would have sent me ranting about loose tongues. After the last rampage, though, things were different. I’d already heard about it.
So instead of answering I turned my back on Archmage and gripped my right arm tightly. I relaxed my shoulders and hunched a little; from behind I must have looked thoroughly distressed.
In reality my mind was a chaotic swirl of What does the sealing tool even do? Ideally it permanently disables the Rage skill…
“Don’t worry too much.”
Actually I wasn’t that worried.
At most I wondered what the effects would be. Permanent deactivation of Rage would be perfect, but if it cut my stats that was another story.
…It wouldn’t, right? It couldn’t cut my stats, could it?
More than two months had passed since the start. No way the developers would drop a balance patch this late.
“It’s merely a precaution. Not because I don’t trust you…”
I started walking before he finished. Thud. My heavier-than-usual steps creaked along the wooden corridor.
“I know.”
Archmage’s words cut off completely.
Thump, thump.
I climbed the wooden stairs to the deck. The moment the hermit of the cabin appeared, every sailor and passenger turned to stare.
“You…”
Baramson was the most intense. He’d brought me meals, but I’d given him almost no chance to talk; his face looked ready to spill dozens of things at once.
“Turn those insolent eyes away before I pluck them out.”
My character’s mood was foul right now, after all. I growled and slowly approached the gunwale.
The wind tugged my hair across my forehead.
“Ah, Demon Knight! You’re out!”
Someone completely oblivious to my temper walked right up. Others recoiled, but she stood her ground.
“Have you eaten? You never left the cabin—I was worried.”
Had the Inquisitor always been this sociable? I stared coldly at the one chattering in front of me.
Whether she’d truly been that worried or had simply grown, I couldn’t tell.
One thing was certain…
“Demon Knight. Th-that is…”
Her eyes sparkled with unbearable expectation.
“That is…”
“My lord, you’re out!”
“……!”
Before the Inquisitor could finish, Dev cut in. The sword I’d gifted him hung proudly at his hip.
I wanted to ask if it felt good in his hand, if it suited him—but the roleplay kept me silent.
Sparks flew between Inquisitor and Dev. I’d thought they were getting along better; apparently not.
“It’s nothing. I’ll go help now!”
In the end Kimchi Dumpling withdrew first. She had a perfect excuse—a large crate still rested in her arms.
Yet her retreating back looked strangely lonely.
I glanced around for any problem. Nothing stood out.
Did I… do something wrong…? No, that wasn’t the look of someone who thought I’d messed up. But her eyes had been so bright…
“My lord.”
After a brief moment of thought, the Meat Dumpling who had driven Kimchi Dumpling away sidled up. “Prepare to dock!” The deck grew steadily busier as the mainland drew near.
“I, um. It’s not my place to say, but…”
I folded my arms and struck a cool pose while watching the bustle. Dev leaned in and whispered.
“Isn’t there… something you could give the thick-headed one too…?”
The whisper brought instant enlightenment.
Dev had received a gift, so she wanted one as well…!
A line from some parenting book I’d read during research flashed through my mind: You mustn’t raise children with favoritism.
“Nonsense.”
“Yeah, figures.”
The problem was that my character wasn’t the type to hand out presents freely.
I rejected him on reflex while desperately racking my brain. Dev had worked hard, but if I had to name the one who’d suffered most it was the Inquisitor—I couldn’t just ignore that.
Especially since my neck was still attached largely thanks to her.
I glanced at the dragon-scale sword I’d given Dev. He’d received something that fine, so whatever I gave the Inquisitor needed to match…
Unfortunately nothing she used overlapped with my gear. Making and giving her anything would break character instantly.
At the very least I wanted to feed her something she liked until she was stuffed… but that was impossible too, right? The conditions just weren’t there.
I felt even more wretched than when I’d first seen how short the finished sword was. There was so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to do for her, and the roleplay blocked every single path.
It was enough to make one weep.
“More importantly, the temple people are here to greet us?”
“They’re additional personnel.”
“Ah, Archmage.”
“Of course some have come to welcome the Hero as well. This incident was enormous. We submitted a written report, but many want the details in person.”
“…So that means more work?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle that side. You lot should rest and recover thoroughly in the meantime. Or decide which city to visit next—that would be fine too.”
“That’s a relief, at least.”
Who cared about the next city right now? I still had nothing I could give the Inquisitor…
I swallowed tears inside, wishing I could at least apologize. Treating my favorite character the most coldly—was that even real? Actual tears pricked.
“Alright, anyone getting off, get off already!”
We still had to disembark. Listening to Baramson, I leapt from the ship.
Sailors from trading houses like Gridana and Makarang could be glimpsed hauling cargo from the pier onto other vessels.
Thud.
Canabes
The moment my feet touched the pier, the unmoving earth felt briefly alien after so long at sea. The first warning of land sickness.
“My lord, let’s go together!”
While I stood still a moment to fight it off, Dev landed behind me.
He always cried that he wasn’t superhuman, but looking closely he was hardly an ordinary person either.
“Me too…”
“You can’t jump! You want to smash the pier to splinters?!”
“Hup.”
Meanwhile Kimchi Dumpling, about to follow us, was caught by a horrified Baramson.
Fair enough. I had no idea when she’d put full plate back on, but leaping in that gear would have pulverized the wooden pier.
Beside us Archmage’s face seemed to age ten years in an instant.
“Climb down the ladder like a civilized person!”
“Understood…”
Under Baramson’s watchful eye the Inquisitor finally descended the ladder with Archmage.
Cute as it was, I couldn’t take her side on this one.
“Do you even have a brain, or don’t you?”
“Sh-shut up.”
“Sheesh.”
Well, kids that age always want to copy whatever the people around them are doing.
…Or do they? I was twenty once too—I should remember—but more than ten years later it was fuzzy. Not important enough to matter.
“Wait!”
I began walking slowly, intending to leave the harbor. Baramson, who had come down after Archmage, called out to me.
“Damn it, I never thought I’d only get to say this at the very end…”
His words made me realize this was the last moment we would share.
Of course—he wasn’t a party member, and his combat value was too ambiguous to force into the group.
Unless we returned to Zakrati or somehow got tangled with the pirates of these waters again, I would have no further business with Baramson.
“…….”
So I gave him that one final moment. The gesture only seemed to make him more nervous; he couldn’t easily continue.
“If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving.”
My character wasn’t the type to treat someone specially just because it was the end. I turned my back coldly.
“Thank you. I really wanted to say that.”
Gratitude landed right after.
“Inquisitor too—I was rough on you at first, but you gave everything till the end, and I’m grateful… Hooded friend, and the Great Sage as well… I owe all of you a lot.”
“…It was only what needed to be done.”
“I didn’t even do anything…”
“You’re too kind.”
Once the dam broke the words poured out. The earnest thanks left the others looking awkwardly touched. My own roleplay, of course, kept me walking forward with a pure “do as you like, I’m going my way” mindset.
“And… Demon Knight, I’m most grateful to you.”
That part, though, I couldn’t ignore.
“For saving my hometown, my family… thank you, truly. No matter what anyone else says, you are Zakrati’s hero.”
Maybe it was because of the troll stunt at the end. My face heated for no good reason. The Inquisitor deserved to hear those words more than I did.
“You call me a hero after seeing that spectacle?”
With that feeling I lightly gripped my right arm and prodded him to take the words back.
“How ridiculously—”
“If you’re talking about the moment on the magic circle… didn’t that priestess already speak on it?”
What came back was a voice laced with laughter.
“I don’t know your circumstances. I never heard the details. But at least I agree with what the Inquisitor said then. The you I’ve seen never loses.”
I felt completely blindsided.
“So you are a hero. No matter what anyone else claims, to us you’ll always be one.”
And was that unpleasant? Well… like mother, like son—I didn’t mind all that much.
“Besides… we’re always ready to repay this debt.”
It was cringeworthy, yet it felt rather good.
“If you ever need our strength, call us anytime. Wherever it is… if you call, we’ll come running without hesitation. Got it, Sir Knight?”
No wonder boys’ comics were so popular. My face was genuinely hot, but still.
“Wait.”
Then the Inquisitor stepped forward. I had no idea what she intended to say, but the mood shifted thanks to her.
Alright—say anything except agreeing with him! I’ll use the opening to escape this overflowing sentimentality!
“I… I also have something I want to say.”
Just as I whirled around without answering, ready to leave, the Inquisitor took a deep abdominal breath and bellowed.
“Regardless of the relationship between Zakrati and the temple—crime is wrong!”
I nearly stumbled.
“Huh?”
“So give up piracy!”
“Wh-what…?”
“With your abilities you no longer need to remain a pirate to help others, do you not?!”
“……!!”
“Do you understand!”
I barely held back the urge to burst out laughing. I could practically picture the faces behind me that I couldn’t see.
“…Damn it, you know that to quit piracy I’d have to sit in prison for fifty years, right?”
“I don’t know! But I cannot call what is wrong right!”
“Bloody hell, of course not! Haha! Fine, fine! Next time I’ll greet you with a clean reputation, Hero!”
Ah, I’d thought we were escaping the boys’ comic vibe—instead it only got thicker. Still, I didn’t dislike it.
“Proxy!”
We left the pier to the pirates’ salutes. Priests waiting at the harbor came running in a flurry.
“We have been waiting for you.”
A flicker of anxiety that they might be here to arrest me crossed my mind, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. They offered a proper welcome, celebrating the Hero’s return.
“But why come out so early? Word was sent that we would visit the temple later…”
“About that…”
Just because a welcome looked proper didn’t mean no incident would erupt.
“Our apologies. A problem has arisen with the dragon carcass we were storing.”
My… my reward!!