Derck, the Holy Knight of Evil's Bane (2)

An unfamiliar ceiling.

And a dingy, dilapidated one at that — the moment I opened my eyes, a wave of distaste washed over me.

Where was I?

I clutched my throbbing head and sat up, taking in the small room at a glance. The walls and floor were every bit as shabby as the ceiling overhead. The bed was somehow both damp and stiff. An inn, most likely. The sort of room you'd only stay in after giving up on a proper rest in exchange for a cheap rate.

Why the hell am I in a place like this…

I'd figured out where I was, but the question of why still lingered. To shake off the stuffiness, I opened the window first and let the warm spring sunlight wash over me. Then I put my still-groggy, half-asleep brain to work.

The goal: assess the situation and analyze the cause.

My somewhat staggering speculation dragged last night's fog-shrouded memories into the light.

"Ah."

Yesterday I'd gone out drinking with Giph, and we'd wandered the streets of Serda thoroughly hammered. I'd been so drunk I could barely stay on my feet, but my mind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been crystal clear. Excommunicated or not, a Saintess was still a Saintess. I wasn't about to be pushed around by a mere buzz.

The queasiness from overdrinking, however, had pushed me around plenty. I'd rather not recall the carnage I'd left on the roadside.

I sighed heavily, feeling a twinge of embarrassment as I pictured Giph's ordeal of stuffing me into this inn. It was a situation a little too guilty-feeling to just brush off.

I clasped my hands before my chest and closed my eyes.

"Even I have to admit I made a complete spectacle of myself this time. I'm sorry."

I paused, then opened my mouth again.

"But I'm already excommunicated, so can't I do as I please? And if perhaps You find this version of me so distasteful, I would humbly ask that You take me back."

I waited, just in case. Of course, no noble reply ever came.

"You're awake."

A deep, low voice came from outside the door. I hadn't been waiting for him, but since it was a useful orc, I opened the door right away.

"You look like hell."

Giph clicked his tongue the moment he stepped inside.

"Go wash up, will you? This inn has a washroom, I'll have you know."

I glanced at the mirror hanging on the wall and locked eyes with a pale, hungover woman. Holy shit. Even I had to admit I looked like an absolute mess.

"I just woke up. I was about to wash."

"When it comes to failing to live up to that face of yours, you might just be the strongest on the continent."

A criticism built on a compliment had a peculiar way of twisting your mood. But I couldn't think of a comeback, so I just roughly smoothed down my tangled hair.

"The smell of booze is practically screaming."

Giph pinched his nose this time.

"Change your clothes."

"Did you come here just to nag?"

What was he, my parent? I grumbled, thoroughly fed up.

"At least try to live with a minimum of dignity."

"……"

"Don't make that face. I'm saying all this for your own good."

"Fine."

If I showed any more dissatisfaction, he'd just keep going, so I nodded quickly.

"I figured as much, so I brought you a change of clothes. Wash up and get changed."

Looking over, I saw a plain linen shirt and cotton trousers laid out beside the bed.

"You didn't have to go that far."

"That outfit of yours is far too conspicuous as it is."

"Well, that's true, but…"

The nun's habit I was wearing wasn't ordinary clothing. It was Sun-bask, a holy relic of the Church crafted for the Saintess.

"Take this chance to switch to something ordinary."

"No. This is the only proof I have left that I was ever a Saintess."

I gave a bitter smile and dipped my head slightly.

"Nice try. Be honest — you just don't want to take it off because it's comfortable."

"Ah, I told you about this before, didn't I?"

The truth was, it was useful in so many ways that I didn't want it off my body. The design itself was no different from an ordinary nun's habit, except that a deep crimson had been used where black would normally go. But its convenience was anything but ordinary. Mental stabilization, automatic repair, sturdy defense — it had performance that wouldn't lose to most magical equipment. That was why, when I was excommunicated, I hadn't returned it. I'd slipped away with it in secret.

"The Church has been desperate to reclaim their holy relic lately."

"Is that so? Perfect timing."

"What's so perfect about it?"

"Did you forget what I said yesterday?"

"...Good heavens."

His reaction was steeped in alarm. I could see his pupils trembling with unease.

"That wasn't just drunken talk? You're actually going to fight Derck?"

Derck, the Holy Knight of Evil's Bane.

He'd already been famous even before I became the Saintess. I'd never met him in person, but I knew exactly what kind of person he was. Back when I was living at the convent, my fellow nuns had made him a regular topic of conversation.

Nobly radiant Holy Power. An incorruptible heart. The diligence of someone who never neglected his training. He was said to possess every virtue a holy knight ought to have.

A hero who was both a good man and a powerful one. Which meant he was perfectly suited to defeating the evil known as the Excommunicated Saintess.

"Judging by that look, talking you out of it would be a waste of breath."

"So what's it going to be? Get in my way or help me. Pick one."

I'd prefer the help, but even interference wouldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be so bad. If the difficulty went up, so would the odds of losing, right?

"I'll help. There's no telling what you'll do, so I'd better keep an eye on you."

After a long deliberation, Giph chose to become my ally.

"However. If you commit meaningless slaughter, I will turn against you immediately."

"You'll hate me?"

"Of course. Instant severance."

That would be a problem. I wanted to lose — I didn't want us to drift apart.

"I only take out the ones who act like complete assholes, so don't worry."

"...I'd also appreciate it if you fixed the way you talk."

"I'll think about it."

I cut off the nagging before it could start up again and pulled on the robe that had been neatly folded beside the bed. I was privately relieved he didn't say something like wash up first.

"Let's go."

I pulled the robe's hood down over my head and shoved at his enormous, orc-sized back.

"Take me to the adventurer's guild you belong to."

Apolis Tales was a game that felt familiar even to first-time players. Viewed through a more critical lens, it was also called "a typical mass-produced game that borrowed so heavily from everywhere else that it lacked any originality."

Frustratingly, that was a fact. There was no logic that could refute it.

If I were to defend it, at least it didn't feel like a patchwork rag stitched together from random scraps. More like stained glass, perhaps. A dazzling masterpiece in which differently colored pieces came together in exquisite harmony.

...If you then mocked me for saying even that was well-copied, I'd have no comeback.

Regardless, for me right now, that very triteness was something to welcome. Living in an unfamiliar world, I'd rather have something familiar than a situation that felt completely alien.

"Keep your voice down as much as possible, just in case."

"Cut it out. I'm not a child."

The adventurer's guild Giph led me into was, as expected, similar to the scenes you commonly saw in other works of fiction. Adventurers gathered around tables, talking. A lively atmosphere that reached you through your eyes and ears. I'd never been here before, and yet it didn't feel strange at all.

The unexpected part was Giph's popularity.

"You were this big a deal?"

"You underestimate me far too much."

Admiration, awe, fervor. Gazes loaded with all manner of emotions poured toward Giph as he walked ahead. It was so overwhelming my skin practically stung. Just watching people hesitate from a distance, unable to approach, told you how respected he was.

"So that alias wasn't just for show? What was it again? Gale something-or-other."

"Gale Winter Wolf."

I almost laughed.

"Uh... cool."

"I didn't come up with it, so don't compliment me."

"If it were me, I'd have tracked down whoever named me that and beaten them senseless."

"My late master gave it to me."

"……"

This damn mouth of mine. I clamped it shut before I could blather any further.

Meanwhile, we'd arrived in front of a wall plastered with uniformly sized sheets of paper. You could tell just by looking — it was a request board where quests were posted.

"What do you plan to do now?"

"Hold on."

I quickly scanned the text written on the various request forms. A summary at the top ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠briefly indicated the difficulty and contents, so it wasn't particularly laborious.

From fairly troublesome jobs to trivial chores, requests of every stripe were waiting for an adventurer to take them on.

"Found it."

Before long, I discovered a request that matched the conditions I had in mind.

"That one."

Giph, pulling down the request form in my place since I couldn't reach, examined the contents carefully. After reading it through, he wore a somewhat dubious expression.

"This is an easy request suited for novice adventurers."

Earth goblins looked vicious but weren't particularly strong monsters. By my standards, they didn't even rate a 5. Weaklings that only became somewhat dangerous when they swarmed.

"It's fine, just handle it. I'll wait outside."

"Wait—"

I didn't wait for an answer and headed out. Staying too long in a place this packed with people ran the risk of my identity being exposed. It absolutely was not because of the long line stretching in front of the reception desk.

It was packed like a subway during morning rush hour...

It looked like it would take a while, so I bought some chicken skewers from a street stall and chewed on them. I was waiting without a thought in my head when Giph emerged from the adventurer's guild.

"Done?"

"...I'm already starting to regret agreeing to help."

"Too late. Shall we go?"

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shoved the leftover skewer sticks into my pocket and started walking.

"Could you at least explain before we go? What are you trying to accomplish by hunting earth goblins?"

"I don't care about the earth goblins. I need the dungeon."

The kind of fierce battle I was hoping for didn't happen easily. It needed sufficient pretext and heightened emotion to finally break out. And if something was lacking? You just had to create a situation where they had no choice but to go all out.

"He'll definitely want to execute me."

The Excommunicated Saintess, a symbol of terror. She was more than enough to become the target of a justice-filled hero.

"So if a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' presents itself, he won't let it slip by."

"Don't tell me you..."

I smiled faintly.

At the end of the dungeon, I would greet the Holy Knight of Evil's Bane.

By becoming the boss monster myself.