Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Beatrice Sol Maria
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"I took the sword."
It's a plain sword that quite resembles that woman named Maria.
An utterly ordinary sword, but the hilt is heavily worn.
It looks like it's been around for quite a while, but it's been well-maintained—there are scratches here and there, but the balance is solid, and the edge is sharp.
Well, even so, it's just a carcass sword.
"Maria..."
A name I don't remember.
Maria is such a common name, but among the ones in my memory, the Maria isn't Carpe...
Anyway.
She's a vaguely memorable woman, given how sloppy a pilgrim she was.
"I'll just deliver it to the Church."
I stored Maria's sword in my Subspace and looked around.
The air stung my nose with the smell of chemicals and musty mold.
No one was wandering about, yet the place was strangely noisy.
This was the district called the Forbidden Zone, densely packed with Saint Alchemists.
Civilians were strictly forbidden from entering, and it was heavily guarded everywhere.
"Who are you?"
"A pilgrim."
Kallias's official status in the Church right now was pilgrim.
"Pilgrims aren't allowed in here without special orders."
Of course, I was refused.
I'd expected as much up to this point.
What power does a pilgrim have, after all?
So Kallias pulled something from his pocket.
"Even this won't do?"
"That's...!"
The guard's eyes widened.
An eye symbolizing the North.
And a wolf representing Jerban.
A crest where eye and wolf blended together.
Embroidered over it was the sword insignia denoting noble rank.
Three swords. The mark of a count.
And moreover.
'The sword insignia is made of sapphire.'
This marked it as the count's emblem of House Jerban, one of the four great nobles.
"Ah! My apologies."
The soldier guarding the place had heard that Count Jerban was a middle-aged man, yet the count before him looked quite young. It was puzzling.
But there was no falsehood in the emblem, so he couldn't dare question it.
"One question."
"Ask away."
"Doesn't a woman named Beatrice live here?"
Beatrice.
"Sigh... Well, the Saint Alchemists rarely come out, so I don't know the details. Shall I fetch the roster? All the Saint Alchemists residing here are listed."
"Fetch it."
"Yes! Right away!"
The roster in the arms of the guard who came running back panting had no Beatrice listed anywhere.
'Maria's on here too.'
But probably not the same person.
Maria's a common name, after all.
"My apologies."
"It's not your fault. Mind if I look around inside a bit?"
"Of course. Shall I guide you?"
"No, I'd like to walk alone."
"But there could be dangers. Houses sometimes explode from failed Saint Alchemy..."
No need to put the soldier in a tough spot.
No reason to sneak around either.
'Too bad Beatrice isn't here, but can't be helped.'
Beatrice wasn't even a character Kallias had created in the first place.
So he didn't know her backstory in detail.
The world was so vast, and with fine-tuning every character, there were bound to be some with settings he hadn't made. Games weren't written by a single author setting everything, after all.
'Should I go to Sullivian after all?'
That would be the straight shot.
She might be on her last legs, but Sullivian was still the top Saint Alchemist right now.
The reason he'd excluded her from the start was because her life really was hanging by a thread—he didn't want ties to someone about to die.
'Can't just meet her casually either.'
An archbishop, and of royal blood.
Not someone you could see just because you wanted to.
'Can't just turn back because Beatrice isn't here.'
I need a Saint Alchemist.
Even without troll blood, I still needed advice on turning brain dragon byproducts into artifacts.
If none were available, I'd have to make do.
"Then guide me."
"Yes, this way."
A short while later.
"Sorry. The Saint Alchemists are mostly like that..."
"No. I know their temperament well, so don't worry."
I got turned away at the door.
This was already the third one who'd yelled through the closed door not to interrupt their experiments.
I'd known Saint Alchemists had eccentric personalities, but not to this degree.
I wanted to smash the door and shove my sword in their face, but I held back.
No benefit in making enemies of Saint Alchemists, and more importantly, from the moment I'd shown my count's rank, my actions now represented the North.
"What about this Maria?"
He recalled there was a Maria on the roster. No special meaning.
She just kept sticking in his head.
"Ah, then let me guide you there."
It was a long walk.
The farthest, most remote corner of the district.
A shabby ordinary plank house.
The kind that looked like it'd collapse if you bumped it.
Knock knock.
He knocked, but silence.
Waited a good while, but same.
"Seems like no one's home. What now?"
"Hm."
What to do.
As he pondered.
"The flowers are blooming already. Amazing. It's still cold out."
Looking at the plank house yard at the guard's words, flowers really were blooming.
"Odd flowers."
"Yeah. The white and purple mix is unique."
There were plenty of other flowers and herbs too.
Probably growing them herself, but as expected of a Saint Alchemist's plants—they were a bit different from ordinary ones.
The aura they gave off.
Their distinctly alien appearance.
And.
"Amazing."
Most of the herbs were growing atop bones.
Animal skulls and such.
"This is..."
He brushed away some soil, revealing a sword.
Low quality, poor condition, but a sword infused with human soul.
Flowers blooming over a carcass sword.
The flowers on the sword bloomed fuller than those on beast bones.
Strange. And Saint Alchemists who cultivated such things were rare.
'Eccentric, huh.'
Kallias's lip curled up.
Growing herbs meant high chance of a potion specialist.
"Not just beast bones."
Judging by the bone shape and the demonic energy seeping out, these were monster bones.
Studying demons was taboo, yet she grew them without a care.
Gutsy. He liked it.
"What'll you do? Another place...?"
"No, we'll wait."
A Saint Alchemist like this was worth waiting for.
"Want this at least? It's my lunch..."
A bread from his pocket.
Hard-looking bread.
Come to think of it, it was lunchtime.
He'd unintentionally stolen the guard's lunch.
"What's your name?"
"Pedro."
Kallias pretended to reach into his pocket and pulled ten gold coins from his Subspace.
"Pedro, fetch some food. Stew to go with that bread would be better."
"Ah! Got it. For stew, Spezzatino Manzo beef stew is perfect—dip this bread in it, and it's delicious!"
"Looking forward to it."
"Just wait a moment. I'll be right back. Ah, but..."
Ten gold for one meal was overkill. Pedro tried to return them, as if one would suffice.
"I eat a lot, so make it plenty. Use the rest as you see fit."
"Understood!"
Guard Pedro took a bit of a liking to the northern count.
* * *
Meanwhile.
"Stay still! If I forget about you now, it's my head... Ack! Stop biting, you damn mutt!"
Whoosh, whoosh.
Brans looked around, wondering if anyone was nearby after his outburst.
Only after confirming no one was there did he exhale in relief.
"Ow! Quit biting, you brat! Master doesn't bite, just licks, so why do you keep chomping me! I'll smack you one! Just. One good whap."
Vivi thrashed in Brans's hand, clearly hating him.
-Grrrr!
Zap zap zap!
"Eeek eek eeek!!!"
It used to be just static shocks, but now the current she spat was decent.
"Ack!"
He let go from the lightning and biting combo, and Vivi shot off like an arrow.
"Come back! If I lose you, Master might kick me out!"
Vivi ran on regardless.
Sniff sniff.
A smell.
Getting closer.
"Hi there, little one."
Smell from a woman.
But faint.
Long hair. Not him.
"You're a magic beast. Not an ordinary one either. Dragon-blooded maybe? Lucky day."
Vivi ignored the woman and bolted somewhere else.
"Where!"
She tried to block, but no chance.
Vivi unleashed currents from her whole body.
"Ah!"
The moment the startled woman recoiled, Vivi shot forward.
A thicker smell.
"Huh, what's this dog..."
Vivi stopped before a soldier holding a pile of food.
She tilted her head—the smell was faintly there.
"Want some? Didn't buy it with my money, but this much is fine. Bought plenty. He seems generous, so he won't mind."
The soldier tore off some bread and tossed it to Vivi. But Vivi didn't even glance, just growled.
"What's wrong? Hurt somewhere?"
Not this one either.
Vivi ran again.
A place stinking of foul odors.
"What's that? Some stray mutt."
"Not a stray, sir."
"Block it! Block it! You know it can't come in here!?"
The soldiers awkwardly tried to stop Vivi's charge.
Fat chance.
Vivi zigzagged at lightning speed, toying with the soldiers and breaking through.
Stale weird smells.
But amid them, a scent.
His scent.
His unique thick fragrance.
"Hm? Vivi? How'd you get here?"
-Woof!
Vivi leaped straight to him.
"Where's Brans, coming alone?"
Vivi ignored that fool and busily licked everywhere.
Kallias soon gave up, smiling as he petted Vivi.
"You know this dog?"
It was Pedro.
His arms were packed with wrapped food.
"Yeah, sort of. Met her on the way?"
"Yes. Tossed her some bread, but she ignored it. Looks like she was searching for you, my lord."
Was that it?
I'd thought she was with Brans.
But where was Brans?
No sign even after waiting a while.
Did he lose Vivi?
"Useless. Let's eat first."
"Me too?"
"You haven't eaten either."
"Then... thank you. I'll gratefully accept."
That was when.
"Mind if I join?"
A third party cut in.
The woman with her deep purple-black hair loose had an ordinary face at a glance, but her vibe was extremely serene.
"If you're starting a meal in someone else's house without permission, you prepared for the owner too, right?"
"You're..."
For a moment, he thought it was another woman.
But no.
"Maria?"
The atmosphere was different, though.
She was definitely the Maria who'd charged with the pilgrim group earlier.
Pilgrim Maria.
But her speech, gestures.
And above all, her eyes were completely different from before.
Her whole personality seemed like a different person.
Kallias's eyes narrowed.
"Your name."
At his question, her eyes curved like a crescent moon.
"Beatrice. Beatrice Sol Maria. May I eat now?"
Her deep purple-black hair cascaded like a waterfall as she tilted her head.
Kallias stared at her silently, then chuckled softly and nodded.
"...Of course."