Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Way Back -1-
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This criterion couldn't be called definitive or absolute.
It's not everything either. But the reason people treat it like fact is because there are undeniable truths hidden in between.
Visible conduct is often called the footprint and mirror of one's life.
Humans come in all varieties, but how does the daily grind of knights, mercenaries, and adventurers—those who stake their lives on brutal work—differ from that of ordinary citizens?
They cling especially hard to tales of their past experiences, pretending otherwise while obsessing over the present.
The anxiety of a tomorrow where their very existence might vanish. The farther into the future time stretches, the thicker the fog of uncertainty.
It's hard to envision a clear, peaceful future.
That's why they all boast about whose ambitions are grander, proclaiming dreams too vast to challenge.
To pierce beyond that hazy fog of a future where survival itself is uncertain—making their own future visible to the eye.
A future that surely exists for them.
Cutler Due had been utterly defeated by Roman, with no room left for excuses.
Pfshaaa—!
Blood erupted from the body split open along the trail of pristine white flames.
Blood splattered across the mask as the severed corpse collapsed.
'Roman...'
Thud!
I descended from the tree overseeing the mansion's landscaping and approached him carefully, step by step.
As a knight watching this adventurer, what did I feel?
A platinum adventurer. This was my first time witnessing Roman in combat firsthand.
He possessed the ability to achieve those legendary feats I'd heard reports of, and I understood why the Imperial Knight Order kept him under surveillance.
How could he be so ferociously strong? How many cards did he have left up his sleeve?
And what was that bizarre mask that appeared out of nowhere? Questions piled up like mountains, begging to be asked.
But an unspoken rule: don't pry into it for his sake.
"Roman...?"
Whoosh—!
The mask and sword vanished like a mirage, and his gaze turned to me.
He smiled with that same innocent grin as always.
"Let's head back."
A miraculous calm settled over my heart.
I suppressed the upward tug of my lips, reminding myself the journey back to the capital wasn't over yet.
"No. Healing your wounds comes first. There's a Church branch in Limno—let's go there."
"I'm good~ I have potions, so no need to drag it out to the Church... Though I should buy some new clothes on the way back. Too many sword marks; it'd worry people."
He pulled two vials of red liquid from his leather pouch—one he drank, the other he poured over his body like a shower.
Thud!
Roman staggered mid-pour and sank to the ground. Seeing his form crumble made my heart drop.
"A-Are you okay?!"
"Ah—used too much mana, maybe. Head's spinning. Didn't even need to use Form... Efficiency's still crap..."
I didn't understand what "Form" meant, but after an explosive burst of aura not meant for prolonged fights, plus skills on top...
It would have been weirder if he wasn't exhausted after that all-out sprint in such a short burst.
Since it wasn't from his injuries, I relaxed.
"...I sent the signal earlier. The cleanup informants will arrive soon, and they'll have something to restore your energy."
Roman swept back his blood- and potion-soaked hair and forced himself to his feet.
"Complications are getting old. Let's just go. No need for us to stick around, right?"
"Yeah... We can report separately. Here, let me help you."
As I moved to support him, Roman took an awkward step back with unsteady feet.
"Hey, hey—blood'll get on your clothes. I can walk."
I grabbed his arm firmly, ignoring his ridiculous words in this situation.
"Don't be stubborn and fall. Come on. A little blood on me will at least make it look like I did some work."
He didn't resist much when I tugged lightly, and his massive frame was dragged along.
Despite our height difference, my superior physical prowess let me half-carry him as we left.
We unexpectedly ran into the incoming informants from the opposite direction, but it was actually a relief.
No need to return to the Limno inn—we got the location of the prepared carriage instead.
We had to return once more to the territory with the gate. We boarded a carriage driven by a different coachman than last time.
His skill with horses was comparable, so Roman didn't seem to mind.
A wriggling urge to somehow express my gratitude stirred as I watched him stare blankly out the window.
He was unique in many ways, but not some bloodthirsty lunatic obsessed with slaughter and duels.
He wasn't the type to seek out the strong just to pick fights, nor had he stepped in purely to cover for me.
The brilliant lights of Limno faded into the distance. Gazing at the city, Eclair spoke softly.
"...Limno's finally behind us."
"Doubt I'll ever come back. Not my scene."
"Agreed. My ears are still ringing from the noise."
Roman chuckled as if understanding, but his eyes stayed fixed outside.
I'd learned by now that bluntness worked better with him than evasive chatter wrapped in clumsy rhetoric.
"...Roman."
"What's up, Kitty?"
Here I was, trying to set a serious mood... My eyes narrowed.
"Can't you drop that name already?"
"Oops. Feels stuck on my tongue."
His cheeky grin and laughter melted away the atmosphere I'd built.
"Hah—knew you'd just let it go in one ear and out the other..."
"A secret signal or sign just between friends? Handy to keep around. I'll be careful in public."
"...Do whatever."
"So, what'd you call me for?"
Seeing he was at least willing to listen, Eclair stilled her fidgeting fingers.
"Even if it was framed as a commission, I want to thank you for taking down Cutler Due."
"Thanks... That was the deal, right? And I got something out of it too."
"Even so, you didn't need to step up first against an opponent of unknown strength. It would've been natural to send me ahead to gauge him."
Roman finally tore his gaze from the window, meeting Eclair's eyes.
"Eclair."
Her name after so long, spoken in his serious tone.
Tension rippled unconsciously through her body.
"W-What?"
"An adventurer buddy once told me: 'Not knowing you're weird is the weirdest thing.' Make sense?"
"Not really..."
It was a vague statement without context.
"Might not be fun, but better than silence, yeah? Mind if I tell a story?"
I crossed my arms and nodded. Truth be told, my heart raced with anticipation over what he might share.
Roman had sides like a lifelong scholar buried in books despite being an adventurer. Sometimes, he even seemed like a sentimental novelist.
He absently traced the scar on his chin out of habit, then spoke.
"—When I first came to the capital as a kid to become an adventurer, I wanted to live harder than anyone. Then there was that phase where it all cooled off, and I didn't care what happened."
"..."
"Maybe it was rebellion. I took a job where I might actually die, no second thoughts... In the end, that stubbornness paid off—made me platinum or whatever. But honestly? Felt nothing."
"Why?"
"Always thought what I wanted was that yawn-inducing pastoral peace. Being an adventurer's tough but fun, friends are a riot... but can't keep it up till I drop dead. The power I've got? Just a means to that end. Can't even dream of serene peace on this continent without something to your name."
"...True enough."
Even now, sitting in this carriage, farmsteads and nameless villages were probably being raided and trampled by bandits or rotten mercenaries.
A little thought showed Roman's dream of quiet simplicity wasn't achievable under normal circumstances.
Did anyone actually live like that? Who knew.
Have power or wealth, and villains swarm like maggots smelling blood. Have nothing, and you're the prey.
No middle ground—that was the Empire today.
"Thought about the right time to quit adventuring. But... as you know, not yet."
"Not a lifelong gig. Neither knighthood nor adventuring."
"Right. And lately, I've been feeling something."
"What?"
He chuckled softly and offered a chocolate, which I took.
"That whole 'not knowing you're weird is weird' thing... Lately, I've felt like I'm the weird one."
I peeled back the chocolate wrapper, lips curving up.
His stories always brought unexpected thrill and fascination.
"Roman. Bluntly, no malice... You're one of a kind, even to me. Far from ordinary. So I'm curious—what made you feel 'weird' about yourself?"
"You said there's no reason I'd step up first against an unknown like that, right?"
"Yes."
He swept back his black hair and murmured to the air.
"Weirdly? Yeah... Felt weird. Couldn't just leave it alone."
"Seeing Cutler Due's atrocities in Limno? Couldn't stand it? Something like that?"
He'd smashed two branches before heading to the mansion, so he'd likely witnessed the horrors firsthand.
But no—Roman shook his head.
"Nah. I don't have that kind of grand righteousness."
I waited quietly, and he met my eyes as he lowered his gaze.
"No matter which of us went first, that old viper was dead. I'm sure of it. But I just... didn't want to hand off killing him to a friend."
"...Why?"
"Even a little. Didn't want to see a friend get hurt."