Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: A Friend Like That (1)
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Before long, the seasons had slipped into the boundary between late summer and early autumn.
A tender chill, soft as a newborn's breath, had begun to seep into the scorching winds that swept the surroundings. Even the fields cloaked in lush green had taken on a faint yellowish tint. As the diligent migratory birds abandoned their cherished nests and departed, the impatient autumn insects, thinking their time had come, began rubbing their wings together with fervor.
At a lake—or perhaps better called a spacious, serene body of water—a lone man sat. Duncan, the merchant with the goatee beard, was intently studying a map.
Under a night sky where crescent moons and faint stars twinkled brightly, he had lit a fire after dusk to make it easy for his companions to find him. Of course, his companions could probably spot a lump of coal fallen into pitch darkness, so it wasn't all that meaningful...
About two hours later, his companions returned. Kadim, the giant whose bulk was growing ever closer to that of a monster than a man. Duncan sprang to his feet to greet him.
"Oh, welcome back, my lord! But... where have you been?"
"...I left a record for the Arch Paladin we met before. She asked me to bury it under a large rock in southern Vesta, but I got confused about which one, so it took some time."
Kadim brushed the dirt from his hands. Duncan nodded repeatedly, then after a pause, thrust the map toward him.
"My lord, take a look at this for a moment. As you can see, our destination, Moltana, is right here in the central lower part of the alliance territories. Most people take this route south then veer west, but if you want to go faster, you could cut straight diagonally across the rough terrain like this..."
"Enough. From now on, you handle the routes. No need to check with me or follow my orders."
"..."
Duncan blinked vacantly. He seemed utterly unaccustomed to this sudden freedom. Scratching his head furiously and fidgeting with his fingers, he hesitated before glancing sideways and asking quietly.
"M-my lord...? Could you at least tell me your next destination? What if we need to head somewhere else and end up taking a detour because of me..."
"I'm going to the Great Forest. It's south anyway, so the direction's about the same."
"The Great Forest? That forest where the elves are said to hide? Why there all of a sudden..."
"The person I'm looking for is there, they say."
"..."
The Great Forest was an enigmatic land tangled with all sorts of bizarre rumors and mysteries. No place for an ordinary person to linger. Duncan, reviewing Kadim's actions carefully, arrived at a sudden realization.
"Then... the person you're looking for, my lord... is the First Lord of the Magic Tower, Melissa?"
"..."
A silent affirmation came amid the chirping of crickets. Duncan's narrowed eyes widened like saucers.
"Heavens, really? That legendary archmage is still alive? Was it written in the records in the lowest level?"
"..."
"Well, I'll be... Amazing, truly. The legendary archmage who built the Magic Tower over 200 years ago, still alive... Well, the current Lord of the Magic Tower lived about as long, so maybe mages of that caliber have lifespans beyond ordinary reckoning..."
The air grew heavy. A deep shadow fell over the barbarian's face. Duncan knew to change the subject immediately in such moments, but he couldn't help pressing on with his concerns.
"B-but, my lord... if she's been hiding there for over 200 years, wouldn't her mind be a bit... off? Like that old lady we saw in Agon last time. Those types can snap suddenly and do who-knows-what... Better to prepare just in case... And the Great Forest paths are insanely complicated too..."
"..."
"Ahem, well... isn't it too dangerous for you to go meet her alone, my lord...?"
There was no malice in his words. Quite the opposite—it was genuine concern for his companion. But sometimes, ignorant goodwill can breed worse outcomes than cunning malice.
Those questions shattered the dam Kadim had built in his mind, unleashing a flood of twisted illusions.
Kuddrduk, kduk, kuddrduk...
Duncan's flesh crumpled like mud dough and was reassembled into mangled figures from the past. Grudges-laden whispers overlapped, buzzing in his eardrums.
- ...Why, why did you abandon us and leave?
- No matter how much I begged you to leave, you absolutely mustn't go... You have to stay by my side forever...
- By now, that mind might be as twisted and rotten as one possessed by a demon or driven mad...
- To forge steel unbreakable even after a thousand years, there must be an unquenchable 'fire' by its side...
"..."
Kadim stiffened his limbs like iron weights. At least he retained the wits to recognize them as delusions—a small mercy. Feigning calm, he squeezed the words from his chest.
"...I'll handle that myself, so don't worry. More importantly, we're low on firewood. I'll go gather some."
"Pardon? No, no! I'll handle menial tasks like that!"
"No. I'll go."
"..."
He rose, drawing Judgment of Atala. Anxious gazes prickled his back the whole way.
Once out of sight, he recited a prayer. A yellowish aura settled, soothing his unstable mind. He waited for the visions and voices to fade, steadied the divine relic's backlash, then set out for firewood.
Atop a sandbar, he spotted a suitably massive tree. A bit much for one load of firewood, but better than too little.
But as he swung to chop it, a knothole split open, and a mouth spewed nonsense.
- Where did you go? When will you come back? Why leave without a word? How much longer must I wait? It's too painful... I don't want to live like this... It's all your fault... All your fault... All your fault... Hehehehehehe...
...The mania lingered still.
A surge of disgust rose, and instead of the axe, he swung his bare fist.
―――――― Pergeok! - !
Kugugugu... Ku - Woong!!
That sufficed. The trunk's innards burst hideously, and the mighty tree snapped like a young sapling.
Kadim gazed at his firmly clenched fist. Slaying another high demon had boosted his physical prowess past half his first playthrough's peak. At this rate, he might surpass it soon.
Yet the mania and heart demons grew apace.
Past truths emerging one by one stabbed his mind like spearheads, arrows, and awls.
He hoped his old comrades lived. But not that they endured endless pain and despair. He knew otherwise, yet such thoughts persisted. Perhaps all of this playthrough's woes stemmed from him abandoning them without a word...
Kadim had always believed: All problems could be solved with strength. If not, it just meant lacking strength.
But what if he faced a problem strength couldn't solve?
Even with power to slay the great demon atop all others, topple Atala who bestowed endless struggle, rip apart false Elga who observed the world, and crush the origin that dropped him into this game world—even then, an unsolvable problem.
What then must I do?
What must the great warrior, sworn to eternal struggle, do?
What must the outsider, lost from home, do?
"..."
Steel tempered a thousand times in pain and despair, hammered through tens of thousands of trials without breaking... would shatter if cracks spread from within...
Kadim looked up at the sky with a face cracked like shattered metal, desolate.
A waxing crescent drifted languidly across the black ocean of night; the shadow cloaking its glowing face gazed quietly upon the tormented warrior.
*
Enrico Turis, the missing commissioner of Remtana, was found alive beneath the drawbridge at Delutana's north gate after several days' absence.
His brother, Pellico Turis, without giving him time to rest, immediately brought him in for questioning.
Pellico's brotherly love wasn't shallow. But too much rode on this scatterbrained sibling to let it slide. After a thorough debrief in the mansion's study, Pellico sighed wearily, rubbing his throbbing forehead.
"Hoo... So, to sum up... Archbishop Erensko kidnapped you, already knew everything, threatened you'd help detain the 'Demon Slayer,' then released you?"
"Yes, brother. And he swore he'd dispatched one of the 'Decagram.' It didn't sound like an empty threat, so we should prepare thoroughly..."
"...Too late. Erensko left the same message at the council. Reports already came in hours ago of a 'Radiant Horse' sighted at the border and over Untana."
"...!"
'Radiant Horses' were granted even to Arch Paladins, but flying ones were practically the 'Decagram's' exclusive domain. Enrico's face paled like a man on his deathbed.
Yet oddly, his brother seemed unperturbed. As Enrico stared, Pellico shrugged nonchalantly.
"But the rider on that horse did nothing and turned right back the way it came."
"..."
"Checked all other territories—no damage reported. If the 'Decagram' had truly attacked, traces would remain. No one saw the 'Demon Slayer's' corpse either..."
"..."
Relief on the surface. But Enrico thought otherwise. Meeting his brother's sharp gaze, he realized Pellico shared the notion.
"Then... that act itself was the message."
"Hoo, yes... I think so too. Can't rejoice when a blade grazes your neck and doesn't kill. Having broken the rules once, now the 'Decagram' invading alliance lands anytime wouldn't be strange."
"..."
Deep incursion into alliance territory, then nothing.
That alone fulfilled the 'Decagram's' purpose. The implication to the alliance was clear: The empire can enter your lands anytime and bring your end. Don't mistake mercy and calculation for your own survival. A stark warning.
...Though 'Star Piercing Truth' Hendark's intent wasn't that, they could only interpret it so.
Responses to the warning: two. Bare your belly to the empire and yield everything, or sharpen teeth and claws for all-out war.
The former was impossible for the Turis brothers, already at odds with the empire and saddled with the 'Demon Slayer' card.
"...Hoo, what madness. Risking war with the empire just to protect one outlander mercenary..."
"No, brother, it was bound to happen someday. The empire only feigned retreat because of the demons—they never abandoned their ambitions toward the alliance. Even without the Demon Slayer, they'd find some pretext to reclaim control."
"..."
True enough. Pellico agreed with his brother. Instead of groveling, they began plotting for war.
Winning over, coordinating, and militarizing Delutana's council fell to Pellico, the heavyweight veteran councilor. But Delutana alone was impossible. Without cooperation from Galentana and Vesta, the two great cities, standing against the empire giant was out of the question.
"Galentana took heavy losses from the Golden Highway rampage—they'll bite at hefty aid funds. Of course, hide the war prep intent. Vesta's the real issue..."
"Don't worry about that. During backchannel talks this time, I connected with a high mage named Cecilion. I'll use him to open doors with the Magic Tower somehow. Cover up Ymir's death more thoroughly..."
Even full war wasn't hopeless. The church couldn't instantly mobilize all scattered holy knights and 'Decagram,' and they had an ace up their sleeve.
The 'Demon Slayer' Kadim.
If agent Feldric delivered the message to Vesta safely, they might deploy him against the Decagram.
But a more pressing issue loomed. War wasn't a brawl ending with one slaying thousands or just killing foes.
"Brother, most urgent is Delutana's defense. Closest major city to empire lands, and our standing forces are just council guards? We need watchmen to bolster defenses now..."
"..."
Pellico wore an enigmatic expression—not frustration at a dilemma, but like recalling a most useful headache.
"Wait... Actually, Enrico. While you were missing, some guests arrived. If we handle them right, that worry might vanish..."
"...?"
"...No, better to show than tell a hundred times. Follow me."
Enrico trailed his brother curiously.
They reached the mansion's annex for honored guests. Normally deathly quiet, it buzzed like a festival. Flinging open the banquet hall doors revealed the visitors.
Enrico stopped, doubting his eyes.
Warriors with bronzed skin etched in sharp tattoos, and a giant with bushy beard and piercing eyes.
Sharp gazes and sudden silence brewed tension, but Pellico ignored it. Waving at the giant and pointing at his brother.
"Hey, the man you were looking for is here. This is my brother, Enrico. You said you had something to show him, right?"
"...!"
The giant shot up. Enrico fought the urge to bolt, steeling himself with feigned calm.
Thud thud, the heavy footsteps shook the floor. Before Enrico, the giant spoke surprisingly courteously.
"Found you at last. Pleased to meet you, Commissioner Enrico. My sender said showing you this would make you recognize and help us."
He proffered a crumpled document stamped with the council seal.
The Golden Highway pass. Unmistakably the one he'd issued Kadim months ago. Enrico's eyes widened hugely.
"H-how do you have this...? Who are you...? What's your connection to Lord Kadim...?"
The giant declared solemnly, as if swearing by a war god.
"I am Goltaran, leader of the Indomitable Legion and bearer of the relief mission."
"..."
"...A name I no longer use, but once called 'Agon’s Furious Horn.'"
Enrico's already bulging eyes swelled further, like proofing dough.