The Judge (2)
The Judge (2)
The judge said she would arrive in three days. I had things to take care of before then.
I asked Matier for a container capable of holding a Sacred Barrier—what they called transport equipment. Matier narrowed his eyes when he heard the request.
"...You mean transport equipment for moving magical tools or dangerous materials? What do you need something like that for? Are you... planning another business venture?"
"What other business? I just need it for myself."
I didn't know when I'd be back here, so I couldn't just leave Demon Sword Surtr behind!
And for what I wanted, Demon Sword Surtr was absolutely essential!
Matier closed his eyes, opened them again, then pulled out an abacus and began flicking the beads.
"I can get one, but...as you know, such items are expensive. They rarely come into a city like this. I could have one brought in from another city, but..."
Matier glanced at me.
"I've already heard. You're leaving for somewhere far away in a few days. Bringing in a proper one from another city would take at least a few weeks. By the time it arrived, you'd already be gone."
"Can it be faster?"
"The faster you want it, the more the price will rise—exponentially. Anyone in this city who owns transport equipment like that is either a collector or a specialist who actually needs it. Getting them to part with something valuable isn't going to be cheap."
I gave a small sound of admiration. He'd immediately started calculating the problem. Excellent.
I'd originally planned to leave him here as a figurehead boss, but... that changed things.
"Matier. Have you ever thought about running a merchant company of your own?"
"A merchant company...you mean?"
Matier blinked. Then he subtly averted his gaze.
"Well... that takes money, doesn't it? You can't build a proper merchant company with ordinary capital. You need connections with other merchants too. Someone like me is probably better off running a gambling den here."
"So?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't give me a long list of reasons. Just answer straight. Do you want to, or not?"
"...Dreams come with a price, don't they?"
"Dreaming itself is free. And the way I see it, you've got too much talent to waste your whole life in the back alleys. You'd make a better merchant than a common thug."
Matier's eyes went wide. For some reason, his voice trembled slightly.
"...No one has ever said that to me."
"So?"
"You're a strange person. Sometimes you seem far more mature than your age. Even your jokes feel like there's some intention behind them."
Matier flicked the abacus with a click.
"I do. Honestly, lately I've found moving money around more fun. I haven't even been spending much of it, but I feel more alive now than I ever did drinking after fistfights."
"Right? Same for me. I'm not going to live satisfied as some backwater priest."
I poured the liquor from his desk into a glass, handed it to him, then tapped the neck of the bottle against his glass.
"Now that two people who want to succeed are sitting together, shouldn't we start playing on a bigger board?"
"...Who's on top, and who's on the bottom?"
"What do you think?"
Matier let out a sigh. He stared at the glass for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"No matter how much I grow... I can't imagine ever beating you. Maybe this was my fate from the moment you beat me down in that tavern."
"As Ra wills."
"...Before we proceed, I'd like to ask one thing. What is it that you truly want?"
"Me?"
I lightly clinked the bottle against his glass. My first drink in this world.
Mm.
Sweet.
"World peace."
"......"
"Stop looking at me like that and let's make a business plan. Oh, and one more thing—get that transport equipment no matter what."
"Must I?"
"Of course. It's basically our business capital."
"Business capital...you don't mean we're going into transport..."
"What are you talking about? My body is the business capital! Investing in me is the shortcut to success!"
"......"
. . .
I turned the key in the quiet prayer room. I was in charge of the place now, so Mierkant wouldn't come in even if I made noise in the middle of the night. Neither would Irene.
I strolled through the secret entrance. I'd once worried about making too much noise at night, but those days were long gone.
Everyone in this church practically hung on my every word! In other words, this church was basically my kingdom!
【Stop it! You insufferable bastard!】
The moment it saw my face, the floating sphere bristled and flared with light. At its furious, animal-like reaction, I slowly stirred up my Sacred Power.
"Come on. You should've said so earlier. Want to end up covered in white fluid again?"
【A-augh! Y-you said that was enough already! You said you could stop!】
A tear dripped from the sphere.
【You demonic bastard...I-I won't yield! So please stop! No matter how many times you violate me, I'll never give my body over to you!】
"We'll see about that."
I clicked open the transport equipment. It was a large case shaped like a suitcase, empty inside and coated with layer after layer of magic.
It was equipment meant for transporting extremely dangerous objects—mana crystals that could explode from the slightest impact, or cursed items that corrupted the body on contact.
Matier's cheeks had looked hollow when he handed it to me. He'd also told me the rush order had multiplied the price several times over.
But what could I do?
It was a necessary expense!
I tapped the transport equipment. Immediately, the square bag compressed until it could fit in a pocket, dropping onto my palm.
Magic really was incredible. Seeing it with my own eyes made it obvious why wizards were so highly valued.
If this wasn't a miracle, what was? No wonder priests were dying out!
I enlarged the transport equipment again. I opened the lid and stared at Demon Sword Surtr.
【Wha-what are you trying to do...?】
"What does it look like I'm trying to do?"
【I-I don't know! I don't want to know! Whatever it is, stop! Please! Just leave me alone!】
Demon Sword Surtr trembled.
【I-I'll stay locked up quietly...okay? I said I'd stay here...I won't ask you to take me out...so please stop...】
It even sniffled. Well, well. For a demon sword, it was acting awfully human.
Then again, it had every reason to hate me. I'd poured Sacred Power over its body hundreds of times in the name of training, and Surtr had screamed horribly every single time.
I raised my hand. I carefully stroked the Sacred Barrier. Surtr flinched beyond the white light.
【Wha-what are you doing?】
"It's been hard, hasn't it?"
【C-carrot and stick! I know this trick! You think I'll fall for it?! Do I look like some easy woman who'll give in just because you make that sad face?!】
"No?"
But well.
I didn't care whether it hated this.
Actually, it was more fun when it got upset! There was no fun in tormenting it if it never reacted!
"It's going to get harder, so prepare yourself."
【Wha-what?! Hah?!】
"Now then...I'm going in...?"
【D-don't come in! Ha...ah...d-don't...come...in...!】
Just like always, I pierced the Sacred Barrier. Dark-red magical power crackled around my fingertips.
[Warning]
[Warning]
[Warning]
[Sacred Mark rejects the intrusion of 'Demonic Force'.]
[Erosion begins.]
[Your body is being corrupted.]
Surtr thrashed.
【Pull...! Pull it out...! Please...!】
"Why? Does it feel good here?"
【N-no...! I said...no...!】
"So it's here?"
【Ngh...haah...!】
Left three-three, right three-three!
I twisted my hand rapidly. My body already remembered the route through the Sacred Barrier all the way to Demon Sword Surtr.
On top of that, this Sacred Barrier was now as familiar as my own body. Using this power, I could easily push back Surtr's corruption.
[Your body is being rapidly purified.]
[The erosion stops.]
Whoever made this barrier had done one hell of a job.
And thanks to it, I could torment Demon Sword Surtr like this...
Thrilling.
Always new.
The Sacred Barrier is the best.
【You...of all people...this barrier...!】
Surtr, which had been desperately pushing my hand away, screamed.
【I can't take anymooooooore!】
"Time to finish!"
【Haaaaaaah!!】
Splatter!
Something splattered across my face. Surtr trembled. The black magical power that had been leaking out lost its strength and slumped away.
Was that magical power on my face? What a spectacular finish. Normally I'd stop here, but today I had something else to do.
Today's job wasn't training. It was dismantling the Sacred Barrier.
【I-I can't...go back...to how it was...anymore...】
"Heh heh heh."
I moved my hands quickly, stripping away the fixed frame piece by piece until only the core remained.
My goal was to compress it enough to transport and then reshape it however I wanted.
I focused. If I slipped even slightly, the form would distort and I'd have to start over from the beginning, so I couldn't treat this like a game anymore.
And so began hours of work that blurred together.
After a long while, I finally managed to confine Surtr's sphere inside a round Sacred Barrier—a reconstructed barrier that retained all its original functionality.
This was possible thanks to one of my perks, 'Sun God's Blessing.' The Sacred Barrier itself counted as a Sacred Relic, which meant it wouldn't resist me as long as I didn't break it.
I tossed the barrier containing Surtr into the air and caught it. Surtr let out a ragged breath.
【You...bastard...really...you're...trash...haah...haah...】
"How does it feel to be bitten by a bastard?"
【Shut...up...!】
Yeah.
I didn't have the energy to joke either.
Into the transport case it went. I shrank the case down and slipped it into my pocket.
That finished it. Now all I had to do was take Surtr to church headquarters and use it to retrieve the hidden Sacred Relic...
I flopped onto the floor. I gasped for breath and glared at the ceiling.
I'm going to strip you bare, church headquarters!
. . .
The judge arrived.
A carriage rarely seen in this city pulled up in front of the church. Someone hopped out of the carriage.
"Judge, you mustn't jump out of the carriage."
"You're overprotective. Honestly! Trying to control me when I'm a bishop? Outrageous! Come back after you've aged another ten years!"
"I am fifteen years older than you, Judge."
"Then come back when you're twenty years older!"
"Let's stop talking."
Sunlight sparkled. But even that seemed to lose its light for a moment.
A woman in formal uniform. Her playful movements seemed to sparkle. It wasn't simply because her clothes were ornate.
Her face beneath that radiant platinum-blonde hair could make someone stare in a daze. Her playfulness and cheerfulness alone couldn't explain it.
Beauty.
A woman like a doll brought to life, every bit as beautiful as Irene.
The bound Beverick drooled. Then he startled and came to his senses.
Soon he was even trembling.
"Wh-why, of all people, that infamous...Divine Judge Dimona...?"
Divine Judge Dimona.
She strode forward confidently, her steps light. Her crimson eyes were as beautiful as burning flames.
But the chill I felt had nothing to do with her beauty. Divine Judge Dimona.
I knew her. Of course I did.
She's one of the main NPCs, isn't she?
"Hmm."
Dimona reached us with her attendants in tow and glanced between me and Beverick. Then she grinned, flashing a canine.
"Apprentice Priest Beverick. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I-it has been a while...Judge..."
Beverick trembled like a mouse before a cat. Dimona turned to Mierkant. Unlike her playful attitude so far, she bowed politely.
"It's been a while. Priest Mierkant."
"Judge Dimona. Have you been well?"
"Thanks to you. You're the same as ever. I was a little surprised that you haven't changed at all."
"People don't change so easily."
"Exactly. People don't change easily. I suppose that's why once I dislike someone, I keep disliking them."
Dimona glanced at Beverick and smiled brightly.
"Since we're catching up anyway, I'd like to see that 'evidence.' Would you show me the way?"