Guidance of the Stars
“What exactly is this so-called guidance of the stars?”
“Child servant of the goddess, the guidance of the stars is not something that can be explained in words. One simply listens to the whisper and feels the current. Close your eyes and see what cannot be seen. The stars are always watching over us.”
The elder sister continued in her cryptic fashion.
“What must rise at the proper hour will surely rise. The fact that a child servant of the goddess has come to this place may be called a miracle, so for this moment, focus on the flow of the stars.”
She tapped the table.
On it sat a crystal sphere that seemed to hold the dark night sky within it.
“Now then. Shall we look at the flow of stars that surrounds you?”
“Please do.”
There was no visible hand.
Long sleeves that looked ready to spill over the edge brushed over the crystal sphere.
Was this some kind of magic?
One by one, stars began to appear in the dark sky.
Before long, the star-sparkled night transformed into a scene that deserved to be called a sky of stars.
“This is... astonishing. To think the child servant of the goddess has drawn the stars’ interest.”
Looking at the image reflected in the crystal sphere, the elder sister spoke.
“Do you perhaps know the spirit god?”
For a moment, a pair of red eyes flashed through Lawrence’s mind.
What the boy knew best were the gods of the Spirit World.
But he would not be foolish enough to say that outright.
“People become soil and return to the earth. We live by eating what grows from that earth. I’ve heard that the spirit god is the cycle of nature itself—the great Mother Nature.”
That was the concept of spirit gods Neil had spoken of.
If one compared it to beings of the Spirit World, they were not fairies but spirits.
At Lawrence’s answer, the elder sister seemed slightly surprised.
“Unexpected. I had not imagined that those of you who shun spirit gods would see our mother so clearly.”
“You flatter me. I only heard it from the native people of the swamp.”
“The swamp... you mean the Sultaniya Kingdom?”
“No. Ulbazar Swamp.”
She nodded as if she knew it well.
“Come to think of it, I heard a strange story from that one.”
“That you drove out the altar where the spirit god was worshiped, and raised countless idols in its place. I suppose that is the story you wish to tell.”
Before Lawrence had even opened his mouth, the elder sister went on speaking.
“It is true. You have committed such acts in many lands. And yet we, who see the flow of stars, do not resent you. We know it was an unavoidable choice.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“There is no need for me to answer. You will understand that doubt naturally by the end of your journey, child beloved by the stars. Go on without wavering.”
In that instant, Lawrence’s body trembled.
He had not expected to hear the words beloved child here of all places.
“Today, thanks to you, I was able to see more revelations than usual. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my thanks.”
“I didn’t really do anything.”
It already felt as if the conversation was being brought to a close.
So when should he bring up the matter of traveling with them?
“I permit your companionship.”
“…Thank you.”
He had been caught off guard.
How curious. It was almost as if she had read his mind completely.
“Then you may go now.”
Without a word, Lawrence bowed his head.
To the back of the boy leaving the room, the elder sister’s voice fell.
“Remember this well. Those who see more, bear more, pass on more, hear more, and understand more are the ones who take on greater dangers. I pray that the guidance of the stars will remain with you on the road you walk.”
“I’ll remember the kindness you showed me today.”
That was all he could say.
And then the door filled with starlight saw the beloved child off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“The elder sister was struck by a terrible fever when she was young. Many people died, but she barely managed to survive. She was left with a large scar on her body, which is why she always keeps herself covered in front of others, as you saw. I heard that it was from that day on that she began to hear mysterious revelations.”
Later, the story Elvira told Lawrence sounded strangely familiar.
A vicious fever. Lawrence, too, had first touched the dreams of the Spirit World on that very day when he awakened to cognitive concepts.
He recalled Acheron’s words.
“However, the fact that it has been carved into the soul means that even humans who will never come into contact with the Spirit World possess cognitive concepts. Unfortunate, indeed.”
The elder sister was clearly a human who had awakened to cognitive concepts.
Could the whisper of the stars mean the whisper of the Spirit World?
If that was true, then it was nothing short of astonishing.
Acheron had said that nine times out of ten, those afflicted by the whisper of the Spirit World lost their minds and could no longer remain whole.
And yet the elder sister had not gone mad even at her age.
Clack!
At the sound of the quarrel, Lawrence snapped out of his thoughts.
Luca’s crossbow bolt struck the target dead on.
“I hit it!”
“Yeah. I saw it. Good job.”
Behind the inn.
Lawrence was teaching Luca how to use a crossbow.
Just as the boy had once learned from Lenard.
Now the girl used her foot to load a quarrel into the crossbow.
“If you learn how to use it, it won’t hurt to have it on hand. If you can hit your mark, you can take down even a small monster—or a grown man.”
The real question was whether she could pull the trigger when a real person stood in front of her.
That much could only be learned in actual combat.
It was the same as when a mercenary went out on their first job and life or death hung in the balance.
If you can cut, you live. If you can’t, you die.
He did not know what path would lie before Luca.
But at the very least, it could not hurt to learn a weapon she could use to protect her own body.
She likely understood that as well, which was why she practiced crossbow drills so quietly and obediently.
“Don’t neglect maintenance, and keep the crossbow within easy reach at all times.”
“Is it really all right for me to use this?”
“Of course. Don’t I have this?”
Lawrence indicated the sword and spear at his waist.
Honestly, he had no idea how often he’d actually need them, but if he could lull an opponent into lowering their guard, that was enough.
He had never really used the sword to begin with, so it never quite felt natural in his hand.
And he had not handled the spear much lately, either, so it had grown unfamiliar as well.
If he were to make excuses, it would be because of his studies and his spellbook.
Thanks to the relentless effort he had put in after that, he had finally graduated from the five books of literacy study. Once he began devouring Water, which he had long awaited, the time for spear drills or sword practice had become a luxury.
At least, that was what Lawrence believed.
The two of them finished their practice and returned to the inn.
Not long after they sat down at the counter, Anne came over.
“What do you want to order?”
“The usual—two. Bacon, please.”
“All right. Luca?”
“A stew is fine with me.”
“You heard her.”
At her question, Lawrence smiled.
“Bring bacon sausages for both of us. We won’t be able to eat them soon.”
“Y-you really don’t have to go that far.”
“Quit talking and eat.”
“Do you have to say it like that? I’m going to choke if I keep eating.”
“N-no, it’s all right. I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“……”
Before they knew it, the day they would leave Rombamel had become tomorrow.
The gypsies, usually busy preparing for performances, were now busy moving luggage instead.
“I don’t see Cedric around.”
“Cedric?”
“Yes. He was out yesterday, but he’s gone again today.”
“Yesterday was the odd day. You probably won’t see him until the performance starts today.”
Lawrence said this while looking at the noisy guest room on the first floor.
That place was overflowing with women who had come after hearing that Cedric would be leaving tomorrow.
There were even sounds of people sobbing, which made the whole thing hard to describe.
“Do you like Cedric too?”
“Hmm... He’s an interesting person.”
“No. I asked whether you like him, not whether he’s interesting.”
“He’s an interesting person.”
The same answer came back.
Luca was smiling, but somehow Lawrence thought that smile was different from her usual one.
“I like you, Lawrence.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”
The ordered food arrived soon after.
There were not two portions for a meal, but three.
Anne seemed to have decided to eat with them, so she sat down beside Lawrence.
“So, it’s tomorrow.”
“Looks like it.”
Now that he thought about leaving, he felt a little wistful and a little relieved at the same time.
When he first came to Rombamel, he had never imagined staying this long.
It wasn’t as if the Church had its hands on him there, and on the first day something unsavory had even happened, so if he were being honest, he had wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
And yet somehow that had turned into finding a holy site, and then into the fragment of a goddess statue. One truly never knew how life would turn out.
“You’re really going? Rombamel may not be good even by polite standards, but it’s still a livable city.”
“As you know by now, I’m a mercenary, but I’m also a pilgrim of the order. I can’t stay in one place for too long. There are still many holy sites I have to visit.”
The only key to the Spirit World still in his possession was Lemegeton.
He had no idea how many holy sites he would need to travel before finding the remaining keys of the Spirit World.
“Thanks for everything during this time. I think I was able to stay here comfortably because of you.”
“You really know how to talk.”
Her voice sounded a little stuffy.
At some point, Anne’s spoon had stopped moving.
“Write me a letter sometime.”
“How is a traveling man supposed to receive letters?”
“Use the mercenary guild. It may take a while, but the messages get shared. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Friends...”
Anne wiped at her eyes.
“Fine. Then if your friend’s ever having a hard time, you’ll come find me, right?”
“Wouldn’t you need to think about that first?”
She smacked Lawrence on the back.
A sharp sound rang out.
Anne rose from her seat and stalked off.
“Are you all right?”
“…I’m not all right.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration. It hurt like an orc’s blow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Before leaving Rombamel, Lawrence made one last visit.
The magic shop.
Even now, it felt as though she might still be there at the counter, reading a book.
But in that place, only a male clerk was standing watch.
He knew why.
She was no longer here.
The male clerk was attending to a customer.
At the counter stood a black-haired maid.
A pure white headdress and a black-and-white dress with frills.
Somehow, her graceful movements were visible even through the window.
It was the first time Lawrence had seen a maid.
She must surely be a servant in the employ of some noble, he thought.
After watching the magic shop for a moment, Lawrence turned away.
The gypsies had finished preparing for departure.
The hired mercenaries numbered five, Lawrence included.
All of them were Bronze Plate mercenaries.
Luca, who had been talking with Elvira, spotted Lawrence and hurried over.
“Did you finish what you went to do?”
“Yeah. Nothing happened, did it?”
“If you can call it something. Cedric got hit.”
“Cedric got hit?”
It was Elvira who answered Lawrence’s question.
“Jealous fights are common enough. If you mess with a woman who already belongs to someone else, of course the other man’s going to come looking for you.”
“Ah...”
He understood immediately.
Luca was wearing what was almost a smile.
Apparently she had seen the whole thing herself.
So the poor kid had been made to witness an ugly scene.
“Is he alive?”
“Nothing’s broken, so don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t worrying. I’m just glad it won’t interfere with our departure.”
He had brought it on himself.
Given Cedric’s usual behavior, Lawrence might even have to count himself lucky the man hadn’t been slashed.
Leaving Luca in Elvira’s care, Lawrence headed for the wagon.
There, the mercenaries were gathered, each tending to their equipment.
“Looks like the last one’s here.”
“Then are we done preparing to leave?”
Lawrence bowed slightly and apologized for being late.
The mercenaries waved it off as if it didn’t matter.
“There are twenty-seven people to escort. On top of that, there are only five mercenaries escorting them. We do have a few people who can fight if things go south, but since this is an escort request, I’d rather the clients never have to lift a hand.”
“Agreed. Everything will be reported to the guild in full. I’d rather there be no trouble over this.”
“Then the only issue left is the leader. Who’s taking charge until we reach Frang?”
At the voice of the mercenary with the great axe on his back, the group fell silent.
Everyone seemed reluctant to step forward.
Lawrence was no different.
He had no desire to take on an annoying burden just for a few extra coins of pay.
“If we’re talking reputation, wouldn’t Raul be the best choice?”
“Me? No, no. There’s Ulik here, who’s older than me, isn’t there?”
“I’m not doing anything troublesome. Let’s just vote. It looks like that’ll settle it quickly.”
The mercenary called Ulik was right.
The moment they began voting, Raul was chosen as leader.
As if he’d expected exactly that, he sighed.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll take the lead.”
“We’re counting on you.”
They exchanged simple introductions and discussed which weapons each of them used.
It was to clearly define everyone’s role during the request.
Perhaps because they already knew one another, the conversation moved along quickly.
The last turn was Lawrence’s.
“I’d feel terrible if I’m forgetting something, but what was your name again?”
“I’m a Bronze Plate mercenary, just like the rest of you. Lawrence.”
“Lawrence?”
Raul looked around at the other mercenaries as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard right.
But the situation was no different there.
Among the mercenaries shaking their heads, one man spoke up.
“Now I remember. I didn’t recognize you because your clothes are different. Aren’t you that mercenary who went out alone to exterminate orcs?”
“Alone against orcs? And he’s a Bronze Plate mercenary. That’s impressive.”
“But I don’t remember ever seeing what weapon he uses. What do you usually carry? A spear? A sword?”
He looked at Lawrence’s waist as he spoke.
“No. Those are both just secondary weapons.”
The boy raised his hand.
The moment he muttered the syllables of a spell, dark red flames surged upward.
“I’m a mage.”
The mercenaries’ eyes widened.