Return to Rivil
"I'm back."
"You're not even a holy knight from the church, and you didn't even take a request to deal with those evil god followers, yet you're the first to get tangled up with them so consecutively in such a short time."
"I'm frustrated too."
Clang! Clang! After a light check-up at the temple Karen dragged me to, the fastest way to confirm if there was anything wrong with my body was a spar under the guise of training. I responded indifferently as I crossed swords with her.
Even I thought my luck had been rotten beyond belief lately. From now on, I should avoid caves or ruins and stick to open areas with lots of people around.
Whoosh!!
'Whoa.'
As I casually mulled that over, I smoothly deflected Karen's strike— which had suddenly curved in mid-air to smash down on my crown— with the flat of my blade. Thanks to surviving yet another brush with death, my skills had improved to an unrecognizable degree compared to before Ogi in Palos.
'Hard to just be happy about it, though.'
It was all thanks to risking my life in battles, so pure joy was hard to come by... but at least I hadn't come away empty-handed. Small mercies.
"That's enough for today. No issues with your body, it seems."
"Didn't the temple say the same?"
"It's not just about physical wounds. Mental issues could crop up too— like instinctively flinching or closing your eyes in a crisis."
Even with my growth, the spar ended without me so much as grazing the hem of Karen's clothes. She sheathed her wooden sword, took a swig from her waterskin, and surveyed the training ground where we'd honed our swordsmanship during our stay in Palos.
"This place is the last stop now."
"Can we head back already? What about those matters you mentioned?"
"Mostly wrapped up. Besides, with Erna swamped by the succubus incident, sticking around would just be a nuisance."
It had been about two days since the fierce battle with the succubus. With most of her business in Palos concluded, Karen was ready to return to Rivil.
"You okay with that? If you have stuff left to do, you could stay longer."
"I'm good."
I hadn't seen Laila since then, nor taken a single request, so I had no reason to linger in Palos either.
'I wouldn't mind seeing Laila one more time before leaving...'
Whatever. I had the communication crystal, so I could reach out anytime. And though she'd said to chalk it up to an accident and forget it, things had felt awkward with Laila right up to parting.
"I was surprised back then. I knew you took guild requests, but I didn't expect Erna's disciple to be an adventurer too— let alone partying up with you."
"Come to think of it, I never asked... Are you close with Laila's master, Lady Erna?"
"A bit, from my active days. Guild requests often include ones from the Magic Tower."
Fair enough. I'd met Laila through a request myself, so it made sense that Karen, with far more adventuring experience, had connections.
"Still, you two seemed closer than just request acquaintances."
"She helped research my body once."
"...Your body?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Research on her body? Like human experimentation? It piqued my curiosity, but Karen shut it down, saying research details couldn't be shared externally.
Erna had already made me uneasy by suggesting we meet separately later... I wasn't about to become a test subject, right?
'Laila said she'd keep it secret, but if her master investigates the succubus powers or the cave traces, she might notice something off...'
Erna treated Laila with a closeness more like mother and daughter than master and disciple. For her to suggest a private meeting with the man who'd laid hands on her precious "daughter"...
"...Anyway, no big deal. Let's head back to Rivil quick."
"Got someone waiting in Rivil? No need to rush."
A strange chill ran through me as I urged Karen to hurry back. She gave me an odd look.
"Anyway, Erna authorized it— if you ever visit Rivil again, you can use the portal for half price."
"Really...?"
"Yeah. Maybe because you saved her disciple? She said you get the discount too, not just me. Only for round trips between Rivil and Palos, though."
"........"
Was it just me, or did that discount feel like pressure to come back?
"Anyway, once we're back in Rivil, I'll take requests more sparingly. After all those incidents..."
"Hm. Speaking of... Er..."
I steered the conversation to plans for adventuring again in Rivil, but Karen eyed me strangely, as if reviewing my physical state and the skills I'd shown in the spar.
"...Hm. Still too soon? But at this rate, you'll keep getting dragged into things..."
"Master?"
"Ah, nothing. Not urgent. Let's head to Rivil first."
"...?"
With Karen lost in thought, we made for the Magic Tower branch. Even though the demons had been found in distant mountains, the discovery had restarted cleanup efforts, leaving the tower buzzing with unusual activity.
"They look swamped. I get that evil god followers are a bad sign, but does the Magic Tower really need to mobilize like this?"
Why would magic-obsessed tower mages, not nobles ruling the city or church zealots purging evil gods' remnants, get so fired up?
"Because these evil god followers are Demon God devotees— demons. That's why."
"Why does that...?"
"Wings or horns from captured ones make great materials for magic tools or reagents. Useful for magic research, so they're hunting eagerly."
"Ah."
"If you'd secured that succubus corpse properly, you could've sold it to the tower for a fortune."
"...Is that so."
A twinge of regret, but there'd been no time to worry about a body amid the chaos.
"The church frowns on exploiting evil beings, so the tower and church clash over this stuff often."
"I see."
"Keep it in mind. As you climb to higher adventurer ranks, you'll tangle more with tower and church folks."
Noted: rocky Magic Tower-church relations. Karen explained they even issued conflicting requests for the same target sometimes.
"Once, a demon appeared. Tower wanted it captured alive; church wanted it killed."
"Captured?"
"Yeah. Not just demons— no one complains about human experimentation on evil god followers, so they post capture requests often."
One example, and the bad blood made instant sense.
'Hm. If I get one of those requests...'
Personally, I leaned toward the tower over the church— Clarice the inquisitor had detained me forcibly, while the tower gave me Laila and Erna connections. But I also thought evil god followers were better off dead... Tricky.
"What did you do in those cases, Master?"
"Whichever paid more."
"Oh."
Straightforward answer that clicked.
"...Wish it were that simple. Depends on the situation each time— can't say for sure."
"Got it."
"...Truth is, requests involving evil god followers start at C-rank at least. Was gonna tell you later..."
Karen stared at me, then sighed deeply.
"...Feels like you'll keep crossing paths with them— and tower or church folks— no matter what."
"......"
For some reason, I couldn't deny it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After portaling back to Rivil and parting with Karen, I first found new lodgings. My old place's two-week contract had ended while I was in Palos...
'Luxury inn... on another level.'
My body, spoiled by Palos's top-tier inn, rebelled at returning to the old dump. Not just indulgence— I'd realized quality sleep's importance from those comfy beds.
'Rest matters too.'
Plus, testing replication at night had drawn complaints from neighbors before. Needed better soundproofing.
Even I'd lost sleep from hookers next door.
"D-rank earnings are decent, so time for better digs..."
After scouring Rivil on foot and recalling R ikar's advice, I found a suitable inn.
"Grrr! Got a beast fur allergy, move along."
"Nope."
Run by a furry dog beastkin, it was cheap due to fur in rooms or food— but otherwise solid: good soundproofing, security, comfy beds.
"Beastkin senses are sharp. Skimp on soundproofing, can't do business."
"Perfect. Long-term single room."
Mainly for beastkin, but it suited me. I booked immediately. The bed, stuffed with sheep wool instead of prickly straw, welcomed me; faint beast scent, but clean.
'Close to Karen's place too... Nice.'
Sleep quality would improve, and nighttime replication practice would be easier.
And... so far, lust-driven replications of just Karen and Laila.
'Time to diversify and train the ability properly.'
Against the succubus, replication had been my trump card again. I'd use it steadily ahead.
In that sense, this inn...
'Fur shedding? Bring it on.'
Only humans so far... Time to try beastkin. Other races too.
"Does the owner clean personally? Ask later... Or befriend neighbors..."
Planning to collect beastkin fur and build understanding of its owner, I succumbed to fatigue on my first night.
The next day, like in Palos, early morning sword training. I warmed up en route to Karen's.
'Grab some of Karen's hair while I'm at it... Hm?'
Nearing her house.
"I told you, I already have a disciple."
"I can't accept that! Why not me...! And there's no rule saying one disciple only!"
'...?'
In front of Karen's house, a burly dark-skinned man knelt before her.