Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Please Take Care of Me This Time Too - 2
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The Martial King nodded and replied.
“It was Idria. Definitely.”
My thoughts seemed to freeze for a moment.
The reason I didn’t shout it out loud right here was thanks to my experience rolling as a mercenary.
Instead, I screamed inwardly.
‘Idria!’
[Idria!]
‘Don’t copy me.’
[Is that what’s important right now? Idria couldn’t possibly be the Demon King I’m thinking of, right?]
The Demon King of Lies and Deceit, Idria.
I thought for a moment before opening my mouth.
‘Can your Eye of Omniscience see the Demon King’s secrets too?’
[Yes. Basically, as long as the target has intelligence, it’s possible.]
‘Good. I’ll use the Eye of Omniscience.’
[O-Okay.]
Trail even stuttered as he activated the ability.
But.
[Error. The secret ‘Between Ters Kline and Idria’ is A-rank.]
[Readable from Eye of Omniscience Level 4.]
I had a feeling it wouldn’t work.
Sensing Trail’s dejection, I comforted him.
‘Don’t get down like that. This isn’t the first time you’ve disappointed me.’
[Is that supposed to be comforting?]
‘Anyway, why the hell is Idria’s name coming up here? Does that mean the Demon King has already descended at this point?’
I had subtly assumed the Demon King hadn’t descended yet.
According to historical records, the Demon King’s descent and the oracle happened simultaneously.
So I thought the Demon King descended at the exact moment the oracle came down and recognized Kaild as the hero.
But Idria already existed.
‘Is she laying the groundwork? Damn, with that much power, she’s awfully thorough.’
Was my expression that stiff?
Jenia matched my serious face and asked.
“Maide, what’s wrong? Do you know that name?”
“It’s a very famous name.”
“Famous? Even I, who knows all the bizarre incidents across the continent, am hearing it for the first time.”
It would become famous in a few years.
I just shrugged and asked Ters.
“Anything else you’re hiding?”
“Heh heh. Well, now that it’s come to this, what’s the point of hiding? Actually, I had a woman I loved. But she caught the lord’s eye and got engaged to him...”
“So nothing. Got it.”
“W-Wait! Hear me out to the end!”
“Not interested.”
“You’re not curious why I killed the sub-lord and plotted a rebellion?”
“Nope. The lord can figure that out through interrogation.”
“Th-Then why did you do this to me? Don’t you have a grudge against me!”
I tilted my head.
“Did I ever say I had a grudge against you even once?”
“Y-You definitely said it was to fulfill your comrade’s dying wish.”
“That doesn’t mean I have a grudge. I fulfilled that guy’s dying wish. That’s all I had to do.”
There wasn’t even such a comrade to begin with.
I smoothly exited the prison.
Neril and Jenia hurriedly followed.
Neril asked.
“I’ve never heard the name Idria either. What kind of guy is he?”
“You don’t need to know yet. You’ll find out soon enough while pretending to be the hero anyway.”
“A man full of secrets.”
“Doesn’t that make me charming?”
“You just had to say it.”
Neril shook her head.
Jenia, looking gravely thoughtful, asked.
“What will you do now?”
“My business in Rior Territory is done. Time to head to the next place.”
“......”
“What? Wanna come along?”
Jenia started to reply but clamped her mouth shut.
She hadn’t made up her mind yet.
Pushing her wouldn’t help, so I just headed toward the territory’s gates.
That’s when it happened.
“Ah! There he is.”
“It’s Maide! The Unyielding Sword Emperor Maide!”
“Wait. It looks like he’s just leaving?”
“Please wait! Just a moment!”
Suddenly, crowds of people started gathering around us.
Their eyes were filled with deep gratitude and admiration.
Even I, who had been through all sorts of hardships, couldn’t hide my bewilderment in this situation.
Surrounded by throngs of people in an instant, I was at a loss when someone who seemed like a representative stepped forward.
“Maide! Please forgive us.”
“I haven’t done anything that needs forgiving.”
“The Martial King... no, that bastard Ters deceived us and killed our beloved sub-lord. He even killed my subordinate to cover it up.”
“......”
“Since Ters was captured, we’ve all been overflowing with energy these past three days. Surely, our laziness over the years was because the sub-lord’s soul was trying to let us know of his grievance.”
So that’s the conclusion they reached.
Well, as far as I was concerned, it was a conclusion I should be grateful for.
I nodded deeply, as if in full agreement.
“Surely that’s the case.”
“Now we’ll all work diligently. The territory’s output will rise, and it’ll become a vibrant place fitting its size. This is all thanks to you, Maide.”
“......”
“Hey. Bring what we prepared.”
At the representative’s words to the person beside him, the man dragged over a sack as big as his torso, grunting.
The clinking sound from inside made it clear it was a money bag.
I couldn’t help but shout inwardly.
‘Oh my. I have to take that!’
[Calm down.]
‘Let go. While I’m asking nicely.’
[I’m not holding it. Anyway, think before grabbing it. What would help your reputation more?]
‘Huh?’
[The key to reputation is the maximum happiness of the maximum number of people, right? See that amount? For a poor territory like this to scrape together that much means they’ve emptied their coffers.]
Ugh.
I’d never agonized this much in my life.
But in the end, I had to admit Trail was right.
Taking the money bag would boost my reputation.
But showing an even more ‘heroic’ side...
I swallowed tears and made my decision.
“I can’t accept this.”
At my words, Neril smiled as if she’d expected it.
Jenia, on the other hand, stared at me like I was spouting dragon-level nonsense.
“Maide, please accept our sincerity.”
“No. I know Rior Territory’s situation well. It’s winter now—you want to work, but there’s nothing to do.”
“......”
“Other territories could hold out on stockpiled grain from summer and fall, but you didn’t have much of a harvest. You were so la... troubled by the sub-lord’s grievance.”
The representative and the territory folk reddened around the eyes.
I clicked my tongue and continued.
“At a time like this, isn’t that money your lifeline? Use it to pay passing merchants for food.”
“Sniff. Maide. To think you considered us that far.”
“This is the hometown of my dear friend. It’s basically my hometown too.”
“Waaah.”
“Live healthily, even for the sub-lord’s share. That’s what I want from you all.”
At my words, the surroundings suddenly turned into a sea of sobs.
“We said such harsh things to him.”
“He truly is great. Maide is a hero.”
“More than a hero! Maybe even the legendary hero.”
“Yeah, no doubt. Maide is the hero!”
That’s when it happened.
[Ding! Gained 1,000 Reputation Points.]
[Reputation Points needed for next level: 2,760/20,000]
[Your name will echo throughout Rior Territory from now on.]
[Total Reputation Points to be acquired from this incident: 5,000]
[Your name is echoing in Drucker Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Quelk Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Neril Slaine thinks of you as a ‘Man Perfect in Civil and Martial Arts.’]
[Jenia Side thinks of you as ‘Stronger Than Father.’]
......
Ahem. Ahem.
[‘Man Perfect in Civil and Martial Arts,’ huh. Is she praising your little scheme to boost reputation?]
‘Neril has better taste than I thought. I didn’t realize before regression.’
[......]
‘And Jenia thinking of me that way.’
Of course Jenia knew I was stronger than her father, Dame.
She probably acknowledged it.
But regardless of skill, in her mind, her father was still the world’s strongest and greatest.
Yet she thought of me as stronger than Dame?
‘If I asked her to join as a comrade now...’
The answer would probably be different this time.
Just as we procured a carriage and crossed the Rior Territory border, Neril snapped her fingers as if something had occurred to her.
Snap.
She handed it over—the Withering Jewel.
“All fixed.”
“For real? It’s not some fake that just looks similar?”
“You sure have a weird way of complimenting.”
“I’m just surprised. No trace of it being split in two.”
“It’s the real thing, so don’t worry. More importantly, how are you going to use it?”
Well.
It was a precious item, so I took it, but I had no concrete plans on how to use it this way or that.
Reading my expression, Neril sighed lightly.
“I figured. You just wanted to hold onto it first.”
“Right.”
“It’s originally a gem that absorbs vitality, but I tweaked it a bit while repairing.”
“Huh?”
“Ters hoarded 20 years’ worth of Rior Territory folk’s vitality in there. It’s an enormous energy source. Wouldn’t want to let it rot, right?”
Neril continued nonchalantly.
“So I made it so it can release as well as absorb.”
“Release? Oh.”
“Yeah. It can be a semi-infinite energy source. Human vitality is a collection of possibilities that can transform into anything.”
“Like an amplifier?”
“......Yeah, but saying it like that makes it sound cheap.”
Neril pouted slightly.
I smiled softly and said.
“Thank you so much, Neril.”
“Ahem.”
“Without you, I wouldn’t even know how to use it. Hell, I wouldn’t have gotten it in the first place.”
“Enough.”
“I’ll repay you someday. When I become the hero.”
“I said enough. I’m not someone who...”
She trailed off, just mouthing the rest.
Neril might not realize, but I can read lips.
‘I’m not someone weak to gratitude.’
[Do it often. She’s starved for thanks.]
‘Well, she’s probably only heard curses her whole life. Anyway, I can’t thank her enough for this.’
I wrapped the jewel in cloth and tucked it safely away.
That’s when Jenia’s voice came.
“You’re really taking that?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Ugh. But that’s the core of the Withering Demon King. The Knights of Light should be the ones keeping it.”
“Just let me have it this once. Even if you take it back now, when I become the hero, you’ll have to hand it over anyway. If the hero demands it to confront the Demon King in the hero’s name.”
“......Is the Demon King really descending?”
Jenia asked carefully.
Sorry, but the Demon King has already descended.
I recalled Idria, who handed the Withering Jewel to Ters—and who was plotting something somewhere on the continent even now.
“Definitely.”
“I don’t know what you’re basing that certainty on... but if it’s true, it’d be the fifth Demon King descent in continental history. We were born in unlucky times.”
“That depends on how you look at it.”
“Huh?”
“I become the hero, and with Neril here, Jenia, you become a hero’s party member... a hero.”
“......”
“And we all join forces to defeat the Demon King. Like the four previous heroes, your name, Jenia, will go down in history too.”
Jenia’s eyes wavered.
“I’m not really into that kind of honor.”
“Doesn’t matter if you say that. With your personality, if the Demon King descends, you’ll stand at the vanguard to fight regardless. Even without meeting me.”
“......”
“But since we’ve met like this, don’t you think? Now I want to hear your answer. Will you join us?”
Neril crossed her legs, looking a bit displeased, but didn’t interfere.
A person who could summon Agril and cast a barrier massive enough to cover an audience.
A person who could fully revive Ters on the brink of death.
Neril wasn’t the type to not know how huge a force such talent would be.
The issue was Jenia.
‘Before regression, the first time Jenia met Neril...’
She said if that woman joined the party, she’d leave.
I wondered how she’d respond this time.
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