Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Old Stories - 2
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Jenia and Serein had collapsed from the aftermath of the grand purification ritual.
Even in their delirium with raging fevers, they had insisted on treating me before finally passing out.
I thanked the two as they slept.
"If it weren't for you two, I don't even want to think about what would have happened. Thank you, truly."
" Heavenly god... give me meat......"
"Mmmnya. Ehehe. A tree that grows gold coins."
What kind of dreams were they having?
I stretched languidly and turned around.
"Let's leave today be."
Adwin replied.
"Yes. Judging by the color of their souls, they'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
"Oh, you can tell that too?"
"You should be the one resting today, brother. You really went swimming in the Redby River."
"It wasn't as deep as I thought, so I'm okay. More importantly......"
I hardened my expression.
As if on cue, the rest of the party straightened up.
"To put it simply, I killed Kaild."
"Ah!"
"I knew it."
"But there was no body?"
"Yeah. Idria took it."
Thud.
It felt like a heavy boulder had dropped.
I decided to skip the parts about the oldest demon king or the oldest hero for now.
In short, I explained that while I was down and unable to move, a rift opened in space, and Idria snatched Kaild's torso and head before fleeing.
Offens asked.
"As much as I hate to say it, why didn't Idria just kill you right there?"
"Because I'm the hero?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Think about it. The demon kings in history must have had plenty of ways to kill the hero before they got strong."
Everyone fell silent.
I continued.
"But not a single demon king took that 'easy path.' Wasn't it because they had no choice but to avoid it—not out of complacency or arrogance?"
"Demon kings can't kill heroes."
"Frankly, if that's not the case, I can't explain why Idria left me alone and ran."
What I said wasn't just about Bion and Idria.
Wasn't it the same for the heroes from the first to the fourth generation?
......
No point dwelling on it now; no answers would come.
Anyway, everyone nodded.
Neril asked.
"Why would the demon king take Kaild's body?"
"It's definitely not to give him a proper burial."
"......"
"The demon king could even kidnap Repia's soul from the afterlife. Whatever it is, she's undoubtedly up to something with Kaild's corpse."
"So that means......"
"Yeah. The fight isn't over yet."
My conclusive words made the mood heavy.
I quickly waved my hands to lighten it.
"But don't worry. We'll get through it just like we always have."
"You're always so positive."
"Haha. Anyway, with that in mind, how about we take today off? Jenia and Serein can't move anyway."
Come to think of it, we'd been running nonstop until now.
A full day of rest before a fresh start wouldn't hurt.
Offens spoke up.
"Good idea, but even with a sudden vacation, there's not much to do."
"Want me to show you around the sights?"
"You didn't even know a good inn around here."
"I might not know inns, but I know the scenic spots. I wandered these mountains a lot as a kid. My dad was a hunter."
"Hmm. Tempting, but......"
Shhwing.
He spread his cloak.
It was packed with so many hidden weapons dangling from it that it was a wonder how he carried the weight.
"I need to inspect my hidden weapons."
"I see. What about you, Risel?"
Risel thought for a moment before answering.
"I'll look after Serein. She sleep-kicks, so she might boot Jenia out of bed."
"That sounds more like surveillance than nursing."
"You're right. And please speak casually to me, Maide."
"Huh? But......"
"You talk casually to everyone else in the party. It feels weird being the only one honored."
I chuckled and nodded.
"Got it. And thanks again—better late than never."
"Sure! Same here."
I turned to Adwin next.
"You?"
"I'll go with you...... Ngh."
Suddenly, Offens clamped a hand over his mouth.
"You help me."
"What can I do for you, old man? I don't know how to handle hidden weapons."
"I need your ability."
"......! Heh. To borrow these hands of mine? You've got an eye for talent after all."
What were they up to?
Anyway, I turned my gaze to Neril last......
"I'll go with you."
"You're answering before I even ask."
"I don't have any other plans. And......"
She glanced away before continuing.
"I want you to show me your hometown."
And so, Neril and I wandered around the territory.
At the base of the mountain, Neril said.
"Huff huff."
"......"
"Whew. The view really is something. Thanks for showing me, Maide."
"We're barely at the entrance."
"Let's head down. The sun sets early in the mountains."
"It's not even noon yet."
Neril glared at me.
Well, these rugged mountains must be tough for her frail body.
"It's walkable, right?"
"Huh? You read my mind?"
"It's written all over your face. And I think strolling through the bustling town would be more helpful, so let's go down."
"Helpful how? There's nothing worth restocking here."
"We sealed the Jewel of Destruction yesterday and saved a ton of villagers on the brink of death. Aren't you curious how they've mythologized us?"
At that, I clapped without thinking.
Honestly, I should have thought of it first, not Neril.
"You're right. You always catch what I miss better than anyone."
"We've traveled together the longest."
"Jenia's only a week or two behind......"
She cut me off.
"We've traveled together the longest."
Yes. You're right.
The territory entrance was completely ruined by the divine power.
Houses, trees, wells—it wasn't just collapsed; they were crushed flat.
I clicked my tongue.
"Rebuilding's going to be a pain."
"But their faces look bright."
"People here are positive like that. As long as their lives were saved, they can laugh off the rest."
"Similar to you."
She looked around with a fresh smile.
That was when it happened.
"Ah? Could it be!"
"It's the saintess!"
"The Compulsive Saintess!"
"Please wait just a moment. Just a sec!"
A huge crowd rushed toward us.
Enough people that I wondered if the territory even had this many residents.
Saintess?
I looked at Neril, but she looked just as baffled.
Then one of the villagers spoke.
"Saintess! It was you who saved us yesterday, right?"
My jaw dropped.
From what I'd heard, Neril had used magic to create invisible hands and flung the villagers to safety one by one.
Risel's spirits caught them as they fell, Adwin soothed those on the verge of shock death.
Offens saved the ones Neril missed.
But overall, no denying Neril's feats stood out the most.
So they must have burned into the villagers' memories.
Neril answered.
"Ah, yeah. That's me."
"It really was...... Sob sob."
"Thank you so much for saving us."
"What exactly happened?"
"Did others besides the saintess help us too?"
"I've heard of her. Isn't the saintess in the 'hero' Unyielding Sword Emperor's party?"
Neril panicked, utterly flustered.
I stepped forward to smooth things over.
"That's right. I'm Maide Mohan."
"Ooh! Hero!"
"The hero's visiting our territory."
"Where are you staying? Come to our inn!"
"No need to sharpen your weapons? I'll do it for free."
I waved them off.
"No, we have a place......"
"Wait. You're really Maide Mohan?"
"Ah! Uncle Ben."
There was Uncle Ben, who ran the butcher shop—a great buyer for my dad's hunts.
His massive muscles had shrunk, his straight back now hunched, but that kind smile was unchanged.
"I knew it! I heard the Unyielding Sword Emperor's name was Maide and thought, no way!"
"Long time no see."
"Haha. Listen up, everyone! This is Maide, the only son of the Mohan family. Our territory's pride."
The villagers' expressions shifted.
They buzzed.
"Maide? That troublemaker kid?"
"No way. A hero from our territory!"
"You came at the perfect time. It's been forever."
"Arald must be happy up in heaven."
The tactless last comment stiffened my face.
But luckily, Uncle Ben deftly moved past it.
"So, what happened this time?"
"Hmm. Well......"
I started to explain in detail, then changed my mind.
'Trail. You said Idria took Kaild's body, right?'
[Yeah. Said she had a use for it.]
'Even Idria can't revive the dead, no matter how strong, right?'
[Uh. Not sure exactly, but I don't think she was bluffing.]
'So Kaild's still in play?'
Trail consented with silence.
I racked my brain.
'I was going to let it slide thinking he was dead, but no can do.'
Time to use this chance to tarnish his reputation.
I gathered my thoughts and spoke.
"I can't go into details right now. I need to see the lord of this territory."
"The lord?"
"Yes. I'll explain what happened to him first. You can verify later."
"Whew. Got it. Can't pry too much into what a hero's up to."
Uncle Ben nodded and asked.
"So, you busy right now?"
"Not particularly......"
"Then join us for lunch. You remember Uncle Trigger?"
"Of course. The richest guy in our territory."
I omitted 'barely.'
"That guy's stocked up booze and meat after talking with the lord. I was getting depressed thinking about the rebuild, but perfect timing."
"You must've profited too, Uncle."
"Heh. Whose meat do you think they're using for the feast? Anyway, join us? Got a lot I want to hear."
Before answering, I glanced at Neril.
Her eyes sparkled with interest—a look she'd never shown before regression.
"I'm in. I want to ask why they're calling me saintess too."
"Compulsive Saintess."
"Saintess."
"Compulsive Saintess."
A vein bulged on Neril's forehead.
"You're dropping 'Unyielding' and just going with Sword Emperor too."
......
Damn, that's logical.
No countering that.
The reason "Compulsive Saintess" stuck before Neril's epithet was simple.
Her rescues were too forceful.
It was a race against time; she couldn't politely warn each villager, "Hang on, I'm tossing you now."
'Though with Neril's personality, she probably wouldn't have warned them even if she had time.'
Compulsion in that sense.
It suited her perfectly.
Neril seemed to love her new epithet too—her face flushed without a drop of alcohol.
"I'll make this my official title. I'm ditching Witch of Atrocities."
"......"
"If the hero introduces me like that a few times, the rumors will spread on their own."
"You're really okay with it?"
"From witch to saintess? What a dramatic turnaround. I love it."
She conveniently filtered out the "compulsive" part.
Anyway, Neril and I ate and drank late into the night.
As we prepared to leave, Uncle Ben spoke.
"Heading out?"
"Yeah. My comrades are waiting."
"Where you staying?"
"......My house."
Ben's face hardened.
Thud.
He set down his glass.
"Is that place even livable?"
"......"
"You left right after Dian got arrested. Some friends and I maintained it the first few years, but......"
"It's fine for a few days. Thanks for looking after it."
"Ahem. Nothing to thank. We gave up eventually."
"It's been years since I left. Natural. Anyway, see you."
Creak.
Neril and I stood.
Uncle Ben hurriedly said.
"Before you leave the territory, visit Arald's grave."
"......"
"I'm still maintaining that one, unlike your house. It won't be a mess."
My chest tightened; I bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you."
"Come back."
"Yes. Next time, after beating the demon king."
"Kehhehe. I'll wait."
Uncle Ben turned to the group.
"Listen up! Maide's back! Fill the glasses."
"Ooh!"
"That snot-nosed kid's a hero now. Gotta celebrate. To Hero Maide, Compulsive Saintess, and the other legends!"
"To them!"
Everyone clinked glasses vigorously.
I toasted too, spilling liquor on my hands.
That was when it happened.
[Ding! Obtained 5,000 Reputation Points.]
[Reputation Points needed for next level: 90,760/100,000]
[Your name will echo throughout Hasfil Territory henceforth.]
[Total Reputation Points to be acquired from this incident: 8,000]
[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 Avis Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name echoes in Reynus Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name echoes in Tetra Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name echoes in the Capital. (All points collected!)]
[Neril Slaine thinks of you as 'The Real One Who Killed the Fake.']
[Jenia Side thinks of you as 'Someone to Protect with My Life.']
[Offens Daik thinks of you as 'A Person with Overwhelming Fame.']
[Adwin Ain thinks of you as 'Someone Who Can Save My Father.']
[Risel Vaint thinks of you as 'Someone on Gray's Level.']
[Serein Magnus thinks of you as 'A Promising Investment for the Future.']
My mouth stretched to my ears.
Gulp. Gulp.
"Keu."
The booze tasted sweet.
Then Neril said.
"The alcohol's gone."
"You've been syncing with my thoughts a lot lately?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Didn't know you drank."
I thought she didn't like alcohol much.
Neril flashed a rare playful smile.
"Why? Can't a saintess drink?"