Dwain, Leader of the Crimson Bandits (2)
I straightened my back and turned my head, sweeping a look around.
A barren expanse. A plain whose only residents were the wind and the grass, not so different from the trial space where I had met Eluke—except that weeds grew sparsely here and there, leaving the whole place feeling hollowed out and empty.
How could anywhere feel this desolate? Even the wind that blew through seemed drained of life. Far from refreshing, it was just clammy and unpleasant.
"This place is always so stifling, no matter when I come."
There was none of that clean feeling of being one with nature. The stuffiness clung to my skin, and I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"It can't be helped. This land was swept up in the aftermath of war."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
We were standing in a region where the blood and screams of the Imperial Army and the Demon King's forces had once run like rivers. The so-called Devastated Zone. East of Serda, this ruined landscape stretched on without end. It was still too early to dream of restoration—the place could become a battlefield again at any time. A bitter stretch of earth where the long scars of war would not fade anytime soon.
"Still, wouldn't you say this area is in relatively good condition?"
"It's just that everywhere else is so much worse."
Perhaps it had only survived because no one had lived here to begin with. The cities and villages of the Empire's northern territories, where people had actually lived, had been reduced to complete ruins. That was why Serda had become the city closest to the front lines—everywhere else had simply collapsed. The result had been a massive refugee crisis. Ivar, the previous Great Warrior, had been one of the victims who'd lost his hometown to the Demon King's southward advance.
"How's your Ivar doing?"
His reliable bulk came back to me all of a sudden. A physique worthy of being called a born warrior. He'd been so tough he could turn even Liam into a meek little lamb.
"Ivar is currently serving as captain of the Evergreen Mercenary Group. He's raking in a fortune with his outstanding mission performance, which has Liam quite sick with envy."
A position that suited him perfectly. If our Ivar—the one whose head the Demon King had blown apart—were still alive, he probably would have ended up doing something similar.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
The condolence came out of nowhere. Even if she was "me," I hadn't said a word. How had she read my mind?
"He must have gone safely into the Goddess's embrace."
"I can only hope so."
After the talk about Ivar, no further conversation passed between us. A silence settled in that blended perfectly with the land around us—and that created a serious problem. Our final destination lay so far to the east that we'd have to cross the entire continent just to reach it. Until then, nothing awaited us but empty, unstimulating scenery. In other words, it was horribly boring. So boring that the occasional rocky hill felt like a welcome sight.
"Say something, at least."
In the end, the only solution was a healthy conversation with my traveling companion.
"Have you truly never ridden a Blackrock Steed before?"
Eluke opened her mouth as if she'd been waiting for the chance, gently stroking the back of the beast we were both riding.
"This is the first time I've seen one up close."
The Blackrock Steed. A domesticated monster that had chosen a stable food supply over the wild freedom of the plains. Sold as a mount at Serda's eastern checkpoint, it resembled a horse—except its bulk rivaled that of a rhinoceros.
"Well, during your Hero Party days you had magic and spirits. And after your excommunication, you traveled on foot."
So of course I'd never ridden anything, either. Which was why I was stuck clinging tightly to Eluke's waist from behind so I wouldn't fall off. I felt like a country bumpkin who'd just come up to the city. Even after spending quite a bit of time here, there were still so many unfamiliar things about this world.
"Keep running hard, okay?"
The Blackrock Steed seemed pleased by Eluke's touch. It lifted its head and snorted, and yet it didn't slow down. Was it being considerate so we wouldn't be uncomfortable? It seemed rather intelligent.
"I made sure to pick a well-behaved little one."
"It's a little big to be calling it a kid, don't you think?"
"Please look carefully. See how one of the horns on its head is distinctly shorter than the others?"
Four horns, each extending in a different direction. One of them was, in fact, smaller than the rest.
"It means it hasn't finished growing yet."
"Really?"
Truth be told, I wasn't particularly interested. What use was knowing about a monster's ecology?
"Huh. That's interesting. First I've heard of it."
Still, I played along so the conversation wouldn't die.
"Please try stroking its fur as well."
Her voice rose slightly, as if pleased by my reaction.
"It's still soft, is it not?"
"It's a little stiff, actually."
"Once it reaches adulthood, it becomes as hard as stone."
So that was why they called it a Blackrock Steed. This time I'd actually gotten some useful information.
"How do you know so much about this?"
"I used to ride them often, back when I would sneak out of the Sun Court to travel with Liam."
Liam again. A subject I really would have preferred not to explore.
"You two traveled a lot, huh?"
But I asked another question anyway. The scenery was far too dull to just sit there in silence.
"Whenever the following day was the Sabbath, we always went out."
"Sounds like you had a good time."
"It was enjoyable, of course. Though I was always caught by a high-ranking Holy Knight and brought back."
While I was abandoned by the Goddess and wandering alone, someone else had been building warm memories. We'd started from the same foundation, so why had things turned out so differently? I wasn't angry, exactly, but I did feel a little cheated. Not that I could take it out on Eluke. That stifling feeling of being lost and directionless swelled up like a balloon right where I sat.
"Lady Clitia, I'm detecting an uncomfortable mood."
"I know."
"How about some light exercise at a time like this?"
She had a point. I needed some healthy activity to untangle my knotted feelings. And besides, something that would require me to move my body was about to happen anyway.
"We should be arriving soon, right?"
"We're almost there."
I dismounted from the Blackrock Steed and did a few light warm-up stretches. Several presences had been approaching us ever since we'd started talking.
"I'll just watch."
"Thanks."
Then came the clamor of approaching hoofbeats. A group of about a dozen riders charged toward us and surrounded us in a rough circle.
"And where do you think you're headed?"
Faces covered in bright red masks, with only the eyes showing. Sloppy armament, not even a weapon in their hands. The rough way of life chosen by refugees who'd run out of ways to survive.
"From here on, this is our territory."
The Crimson Bandits, who ran rampant through the Devastated Zone.
"Come along quietly and we'll spare your lives."
The man who seemed to be the leader stepped forward, delivering a line that could have been printed in a bandit's handbook.
"Is it money you're after?"
"What a stupid question."
He should've at least hidden the sound of himself swallowing. I couldn't see his expression, but the desire he harbored was crystal clear.
"We don't have any money either."
I took off my robe. Every gaze locked onto me.
"A nun of the Church, are you?"
They didn't know who I was? Maybe rumors didn't travel well in this neighborhood. They showed no particular reaction even after seeing the red habit.
"That's a little disappointing."
Sun-bask, who secretly enjoyed her own fame, expressed her regret.
"What a windfall. We're going to have ourselves some fun."
Snickering laughter. It grated on my nerves. Classic death-inviting behavior.
"If you're a nun who works for the people, you ought to serve us too, don't you think?"
"Bandits talking about 'the people'? Give me a break."
Good thing their character was thoroughly filthy too. Meant I could fight without holding back.
"But you really shouldn't be so happy about this."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I slowly circulated the mana through my body and brought both hands together in front of my chest.
"The blood of a fervent believer like me is poisonous to your kind."
A small ripple of unease passed through the bandit group.
"You're talking nonsense."
"Was that too difficult for a bunch of stupid low-rank vampires to understand?"
"......"
The bandits' eyes began to glow a vivid red. The mark of a vampire. A color as clear as fresh blood.
"How did you know?"
"How much do you really think you can make robbing people in the Devastated Zone?"
A land with almost no people and almost no food. Ordinary humans wouldn't last long before starving to death. But becoming a vampire changed the equation—you could survive just by drinking the blood of the occasional passing traveler.
"And here I thought we were about to have our first real feast in a while. Guess we'll just have to kill you."
How laughable. It was broad daylight. Not their ally the night, but an hour ruled by the bright sun.
"I'll give you a chance."
I channeled Aura into my hands and let it flare up in a threatening bloom.
"Anyone who doesn't drop their hostility right now dies."
Nobody flinched. I even spotted one of them sneering.
"Fine."
Not a bad development. I preferred the intense approach anyway.
"You brought this on yourselves."
I wrapped Aura around my legs and burst forward. My first target was the man who looked like their leader. Before he could even react, I drove my fist into his face.
Blood sprayed. A satisfying crack of impact, followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the dirt. The man twitched on the ground, then went limp.
"It's still not too late."
I mercifully offered them another chance, but nobody opened their mouth. Looks of panic. All of them frozen stiff, as if they'd made a pact. Were they starting to get a sense of what the price of a bad decision looked like? Their eyes just glowed gloomily as they hesitated, letting the seconds slip by.
"Everyone attack at once!"
Flustered and cornered, the bandits ultimately made a terrible move. With eerie, unnatural movements, they slid from their horses and charged all at once. Low-ranks who couldn't even spread their wings. Calling them Aura Stage 2 would have been a compliment. Circulating mana was more than enough.
The first vampire rushed in from the front. I struck near his heart, and he crumpled. Next came two agile ones, swinging bloodstained claws. I caught one in the jaw and put him down. The other I casually backhanded across the face, sending him tumbling.
They were vampires, but to me they weren't much different from ordinary people—except I could hit them as hard as I wanted, which made them perfect for blowing off steam.
"Die!"
A fist for the bold vampire charging from the front. An elbow for the comrade who'd been sneaking up from behind in the meantime. No strong opponents here. I was certain of that, so I didn't bother getting my hopes up. I just took them down one by one.
"Lady Clitia, to your left!"
Following Sun-bask's warning, I turned my head—and found a massive bear charging straight at me. A form sculpted from earth. An earth spirit, no question. Why all of a sudden? I didn't have time to speculate. I smashed my fist into the bear's skull.
Hard, all right. My arm went numb more than the bear did. But the creature was staggering too. I didn't waste the opening. I wrapped myself properly in Aura and punched straight through its body.
"Guh!"
Whether from the shock of the reverse-summon or not, one of the bandits still on horseback collapsed. A vampire using spirit magic? Before I could even wonder, more spirits came flying at me. A mud frog and a gravel dog. Earth spirits again.
"Why would a spirit make a contract with the likes of a vampire?"
They didn't answer, just kept attacking, so I knocked them both down. Two more vampires fell weakly from their horses.
"I was going to leave one of you alive anyway."
Before I knew it, only the vampire who'd kept his distance remained. Even with his face covered, he had the look of a young boy.
"Come here."
I said it as kindly as I could. So he wouldn't bother putting up a fight.
"Aaah!"
He seemed to take my meaning differently, frantically yanking his horse's head around to flee.
"And where do you think you're going?"
The Blackrock Steed came running and blocked his path. The imposing presence of a monster. The startled horse reared up and threw its rider.
"I have a great many things I'd like to ask this fellow."
"That's right."
I walked over to the boy lying face-down in the dirt, crouched down, and gave his masked face a few light pokes.
"Don't worry. If you do as I say, I won't do anything to you."
I also lifted my fist slightly. A hint of what would happen if he kept his mouth shut.
"Spill every last secret about your bandit gang."
"I'll tell you everything, so please just spare me!"
As expected, even for vampires, violence was an effective means of communication.
A village reduced to crumbling bones, nothing left but bare frames. Low conversations drifted through the streets, where black cloths had been hung to block the sunlight. There was no liveliness here, but life itself still breathed. Even among the ruins, they were cultivating hope.
"Beautiful."
An elf looking down from the rooftop of one of the few intact buildings murmured calmly.
"Life shines beautifully even in the harshest of environments."
His tone was subdued, but his ears twitched—the only evidence that he was slightly excited.
"What do you think?"
"I don't really get it."
Meanwhile, the rock mole whose large body was blocking the sun for him just tilted its head.
"Wifilud, I still don't understand that sensibility of yours."
The elf called Wifilud patted the mole's body lightly, as if he understood.
"You'll understand someday."
"I'd really rather not."
The two of them almost never saw eye to eye. Even so, they were a spiritist and a spirit with surprisingly good chemistry. Especially when it came to their goal. Companions walking the same path, looking in the same direction. From the moment they formed their contract, they had understood they must never be parted.
"The ones who got reverse-summoned said the ones who went out blood-hunting on their own got wrecked."
"By who?"
"A nun in a red habit. Probably the Excommunicated Saintess."
"Oh dear."
The Excommunicated Saintess. A nickname that sent a chill down your spine just hearing it.
"They charged in without a shred of fear. Poor things."
For low-ranks, bloodlust governed the body. It even affected memory and the mind. They didn't know when to hold back, so they often just threw themselves at powerful enemies. That was why they needed a mid-rank or higher vampire nearby to keep them in check. Of course, they'd been warned and had gone out anyway—that was their own fault too.
"What should we do?"
"Go meet her."
"Is that all right?"
"She might even help us."
The corners of Wifilud's mouth curved into a faint arc.
It was a goal he had to achieve. Even if it meant abandoning his role as the guardian of the Hero Party.