Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Haunted Territory - 1
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My next target territory was a bit of a distance away.
And referring to my memories from before regression, I needed to hurry a little to time it right.
So we paid the coachman extra and were racing along the road even in the middle of the night.
“Sorry. We’re in a bit of a rush.”
“Haha. No problem. The horses are strong, and the carriage is sturdy, so it’s not that tiring.”
When we left Aebis Territory, we bought the finest (and most expensive) horses and carriage there.
In short, we’d acquired a dedicated carriage for the Maide party.
Neril spoke up.
“The coachman’s working hard. How about we just take Agril instead?”
Jenia jumped in right away.
“We agreed to call Agril only when absolutely necessary.”
“Running low on meat?”
“That’s not...!”
I answered Neril in Jenia’s place.
“Agril is dangerous for anyone without divine power to ride. It’s the divine carriage granted only to holy knight heroes in the past.”
Aside from Jenia—or Serein, a former comrade from before regression—no one in our party had divine power.
Neril said,
“I was fine with it.”
“Not you—Agril would be in danger.”
“Huh?”
“If you keep letting people without divine power ride it, Agril will eventually lose all its innate abilities. That much is even recorded in history books.”
Of course, if Jenia poured her divine power into it again, it wouldn’t be a big issue, but her divine power wasn’t infinite, so we needed to conserve it.
Neril seemed to remember now and looked out the window, pretending otherwise.
For that reason, even before regression, we avoided using Agril unless it was absolutely necessary or truly special.
Jenia nodded gratefully at me, as if thanking me for defending her.
Then she teased Neril.
“If you’re worried about the coachman, why don’t you take the reins, Neril?”
“I don’t know how to drive horses?”
“Huh? What have you been doing for 200 years... No, never mind.”
“Saying it halfway and then backtracking doesn’t help.”
I waved my hand to mediate.
“He needs work too. Most transport guild members who just drive without owning their own carriages get low pay.”
“Hmm.”
“Besides, if our party members are holding the reins, we can’t discuss our in-depth future plans.”
“That means you’ll tell me the next plan?”
“Yeah.”
That was when it happened.
A bluish light emanated from my chest.
A contact in the middle of the night. I had a feeling who it was.
Sure enough, it was Offense.
- Isn’t this too late at night for contact?
“It’s fine. We’re on the move too.”
- Busy, huh. Well, you should be.
Offense lowered his voice.
- Kaild is almost at the fourth hero’s tomb.
“After the fake hero’s sword, I suppose.”
- Yeah. I was wondering why he’d bother seeking it out when he knows it’s fake, but I have one guess.
He was probably thinking the same as me.
Jenia asked on my behalf.
“What’s the guess?”
- Maide and Kaild’s patterns are always about building fame. That fake sword is definitely a tool to boost Kaild’s fame. Little miss pheasant.
“Who’re you calling pheasant? Why pheasant?”
- My thought is... Kaild probably won’t tell the higher-ups it’s fake.
I nodded along.
“The higher-ups would be the emperor, right.”
- Mm.
“The emergence of a hero in the empire is the imperial family’s top priority. They’d be deeply concerned: Is he really a hero? If so, when will the oracle come? When to announce it to the continent, and so on.”
- Probably.
“So he plans to gain the emperor’s trust by revealing the sword is fake. No doubt about it.”
Offense asked in a strange tone.
- You predicted that far, yet your voice is so relaxed. Oh right, you said you’re moving in a hurry?
“Yeah. We’re handling something huge that makes announcing the fake sword look trivial.”
- Looking forward to it. No need to tell me now. I’ll hear it leisurely later.
“Yeah. Just stay careful, as always.”
- Don’t worry.
Click.
The communication cut off.
Neril opened her mouth with a pleased smile for some reason.
“That kid’s fully on our side now. Honestly, I considered he might betray us later.”
“Nothing but admiration for my abilities and character.”
“Look at you saying that without changing expression.”
“Anyway, hold on a sec.”
I called Trail.
[What. I was just about to sleep.]
‘You sleep too, huh.’
[I do everything except go to the bathroom.]
“Anyway, show me the screen.”
[Fine.]
[Reputation points needed for next level: 17,760/20,000]
[Your name echoes in Drucker Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name echoes in Quelk Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name echoes in Rior Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name echoes in Aebis Territory. (All points collected!)]
Even Aebis Territory’s points were fully collected.
Next, I requested the map.
The northern part of the continent map now showed a respectable marked area.
Meanwhile, Kaild was still sluggish.
In concrete numbers:
[Maide Mohan: 17,760]
[Kaild Wake: 21,090]
Good.
I rubbed my hands and grinned.
‘Handle this cleanly, and we’ll overtake that score.’
Then Neril’s voice came.
“So what’re you planning? In the next territory, Raynus.”
“You know Raynus Territory’s fame?”
“Of course. Home of the continent’s second hero, Lepia Odgar, who slew the Demon King of Greed.”
Lepia Odgar.
Among the four past heroes, she was the sole woman, a legend who reached the pinnacle of the sword despite her female body.
Raynus Territory was where she was born and raised.
But that wasn’t what I meant.
“As expected from someone old, dredging up old info.”
“Leave the grandma jabs to Jenia.”
“No, I haven’t called you grandma this time either... Anyway, Raynus has two famous figures. One is your Lepia Odgar. The other is.”
I recalled a somewhat distant memory.
“The empire’s greatest summoner, Mariana Ain.”
“Mariana? First I’ve heard of her.”
Not surprising, since Neril didn’t even know Martial King Ters.
“Mariana is the pinnacle of summoning. You know what summoning is?”
“Don’t underestimate me. People who call down the souls of the ancient dead into their bodies to borrow their knowledge, memories, and power.”
“Yeah. You know there was a summoner in one of the past hero parties? They’re a pillar of the empire. Mariana stands out even among them.”
It was when the current emperor ascended the throne.
The previous emperor died mysteriously without naming a successor.
Rumors flew: poisoning, natural decline, etc. Mariana resolved it cleanly.
She summoned the previous emperor’s soul into her body and revealed every detail of his death to the world.
Neril showed interest.
“Summoning’s far from magic, so I don’t know much... But they say souls summoned by amateurs just babble nonsense before leaving. She revealed it clearly and rationally?”
“That’s why she’s an outstanding summoner.”
“Hmm.”
“For that merit, the empire granted her the seventh rank despite her lacking martial prowess. And she’s the one I’m going to meet now.”
Neril’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t tell me you’re eyeing her as our next party member?”
Haha. As if.
A mere seventh rank daring to join us?
[Sometimes I wonder if common sense even applies to you guys.]
‘Thanks.’
I expressed honest gratitude to Trail for the rare compliment.
Then I told Neril,
“The one I’m meeting is Mariana’s son.”
“Her son?”
“Yeah. A summoner hundreds of times better than his mother.”
Kaild’s sixth party member before regression.
The kid recruited just before me, as the seventh.
Unlike Neril calling everyone kids, I reserve it for actual kids.
‘Around fourteen now, probably.’
Adwin Ain.
Commonly known as the Friend of the Dead.
Somehow, he could even summon souls of past heroes—truly one of the great heroes.
It had been a while since I’d heard stories about that guy, regrettable in so many ways.
Neril stretched.
“Well, you haven’t told everything yet, so I’ll hear later. Getting sleepy.”
“Yeah. We’ll arrive by morning, so sleep well.”
“Right. Jenia, you too.”
Jenia wasn’t listening to us.
She kept tilting her head and mumbling.
“Why pheasant?”
Kaild arrived at Padania’s Tomb with his companions.
The other party members felt reverence standing before this legendary hero’s tomb...
And Kaild outwardly feigned the same expression, but in truth, he was lost in other thoughts.
‘Maide Mohan.’
Kaild recalled his recent conversation with Offense.
It was when Offense returned to the inn where Kaild’s group was staying after finishing in Aebis Territory.
Kaild asked, shifting in his seat.
“You’ve had a rough time. Back quicker than expected.”
“You called urgently.”
“Hmm. Anyway, sit here.”
Kaild pointed to the chair across from him with a friendly demeanor.
Offense sat without showing any tension.
“Where are the others?”
“Serein and Risel? They got bored lounging in the capital and went out playing. Those two are like real sisters.”
“I see.”
Kaild continued with a smile.
“They both asked me the same thing. Where’s that Offense guy hiding? Haven’t seen him.”
“Mm.”
“This matter is a secret between just you and me from start to finish. Make up something vague for them.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a pro at excuses.”
Kaild narrowed his eyes at Offense.
‘Special-grade assassins are different. Can’t read a thing from his face.’
Well, reading anything from Offense’s ‘average’ face was impossible anyway.
Unless he was disguised as someone else.
In the end, Kaild spoke first.
“I got reports via communication orb midway, but that doesn’t paint the full picture. Give me a detailed report on Aebis Territory.”
“Well, here’s the thing.”
Offense explained in a light tone.
Exactly as pre-arranged with Maide.
He’d found Ariena in time and prevented the war.
But he hadn’t gained as much fame as hoped; most territory folk just focused on Ariena’s safe return and rejoiced...
Kaild crossed his arms and asked.
“Wasn’t Ariena the one you were supposed to kill?”
“Failed. Clashed head-on with Maide.”
“You shouldn’t let an assassin fight a special-grade mercenary upfront.”
“Yes. I didn’t plan to originally, but interlopers showed up. The Witch of Atrocities and God’s Proxy.”
“......”
“Honestly, returning with all limbs intact after fighting them is a miracle. This request was too much, I must say.”
Kaild demanded more details on the battle.
This too had been coordinated with Maide, Neril, and Jenia.
Offense described the fight nonchalantly, enough to convince Kaild.
‘Circumstantially, no issues...’
But he hadn’t dropped his suspicions yet.
Not until Offense said this.
“Oh, but they had an interesting conversation.”
“Hm?”
“The hero’s sword.”
Kaild’s eyes lit up instantly.
“The one in Padania Buruk’s Tomb. He’s after it.”
“......”
“But that tomb—isn’t it in your territory, Mr. Kaild? He’s wary of you just like you’re wary of Maide.”
“......”
“He needs that hero’s sword quickly but hesitates because you might interfere. Still, looks like he’ll decide soon. What should we do?”
At that moment, Kaild felt a tickle in his chest.
No, more like a refreshing release of pent-up tension.
Just as Maide predicted, Kaild’s doubts and wariness melted away like snow.
Kaild ended the recollection.
Then one party member, Serein, spoke.
“Finally getting the hero’s sword.”
“Mm. This will widen the gap with Maide to an irreversible degree.”
“That guy pretending to be a hero up north? Mr. Kaild, you’ve been paying him extra attention lately.”
“Not anymore.”
His answer puzzled the party members except Offense.
But Kaild didn’t explain at length and continued his thoughts alone.
‘Maide... He was a bit concerning, but not hero material. He doesn’t know the sword in Padania’s Tomb is fake.’
Of course not.
No matter how capable, how could he imagine that sword was fake.
Without ‘this.’
Kaild closed his eyes quietly.
When he opened them again, Kaild saw a completely different world.
[Next quest. Claim the hero’s sword from Padania’s Tomb.]
[Inform the emperor that the hero’s sword is fake.]
[The emperor will have no choice but to recognize you as the hero upon realizing the sword is fake.]
Kaild hailed from a rural village.
Occasionally, when the lord made major announcements, he’d post official documents on the village hall’s bulletin board for dissemination.
Those official documents.
A massive one, written in continental common tongue on an omnipresent scroll, began floating around Kaild one day.
At first, he thought it a hallucination.
But no matter how much time passed, it didn’t vanish. It only drew closer and clearer.
Kaild still remembered exactly the first line on that document from long ago.
Recalling his very first quest, he grinned.
[First quest. Kill Bion Kunze.]
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