Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Close Aide (2)
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"My lord."
"What is it, Dietrich?"
"Do you plan to keep fighting forever, my lord?"
"Have you had too much to drink? You're suddenly saying strange things."
"All the discontented factions within the Dialogue Church have been eliminated by your blade. The Holy Knight Order has taken a major blow and fallen back."
"And?"
"Haven't you fought enough already? Wouldn't it be better to withdraw and rest now?"
"I can't do that on my own whim. Unless the Pontifex commands it, that is."
"Come on, is the Pontifex's command really that important?"
"An archbishop is subordinate to the Pontifex, so of course it is."
"Truly... frustrating."
"If you're the one who's tired of fighting, then withdraw from the front lines and take a break. I'll permit it."
"No. How could I rest while leaving you behind, my lord?"
"If I rest, will you rest too?"
"Yes, I'll rest by your side, attending to you."
"That hardly sounds like resting..."
"For me, serving you brings the most peace of mind."
"You... don't care about anything else?"
"No."
"..."
"..."
"Hey, Dietrich."
"Yes, my lord."
"Suppose... I were to die. What would you do?"
"What kind of talk is that all of a sudden?"
"I could die suddenly one day. What would you do then?"
"I would follow you in death..."
"I would never allow that."
"..."
"Alright, Dietrich. Let's imagine this instead."
"Imagine what?"
"We've wiped out the Holy Knight Order, and the Dialogue Church has replaced the Holy Spirit Church to rule the world. I no longer need to fight, living leisurely alone in some peaceful place."
"You're suddenly making up a story..."
"You no longer need to fight or serve as my aide. On that day, what would you do?"
"You're curious about that?"
"It just crossed my mind. What our lives would be like when that day comes."
"My lord..."
"Well? Does anything come to mind?"
"...Yes."
"What is it?"
"My lord, I haven't told anyone this before, but actually, I..."
* * *
During my time as Archbishop Hausel, I had subordinates who could be called my 'personal guard.'
They were trusted aides who followed only my orders, pledging loyalty solely to me.
I had been constantly worried about what became of them.
[Half went under Archbishop Gateus, and the other half fled over the Winter Mountains, right?]
'Yeah, though I haven't confirmed if that's accurate yet.'
Learning of their fates after over a decade was shocking.
It was fortunate they hadn't been purged like me, but I hadn't expected half to go under Archbishop Gateus.
'For them to join the archbishop who killed me... Considering their personalities, that's hard to understand.'
[Hmm, is it?]
'They were the type to stake their lives on revenge against Gateus.'
Honestly, it was difficult to comprehend them joining him.
[Did they have some ulterior motive?]
'Who knows. I have no idea.'
Contacting them now was impossible anyway.
Archbishop Gateus was far away at the Dialogue Church's main headquarters.
'So, the ones I need to investigate now are those who fled over the Winter Mountains.'
It seemed half had left the Dialogue Church after my purge.
The Dialogue Church branded them as traitors and hunted them, but hadn't caught a single one yet.
[Do you think you can find them? The Dialogue Church has been searching for over ten years without success.]
'It won't be easy. But...'
I looked around the city streets spread out before me.
I was currently in Redenburg, a small city south of the Hermel region.
'If my guess is right, at least one of them is staying here.'
[I don't see the basis for that.]
'It might be evidence only I know about in the world.'
Yes.
If my memory served, that guy had only told me about it.
So... the chances were high he was here.
[Fine, but how do you plan to find him?]
'It won't be hard.'
[What?]
Searching everywhere one by one would be inefficient.
It'd be like finding a needle in a desert.
'First...'
I used my assassin skills from back in the day to climb onto a tall building.
After settling into a spot overlooking the entire city, I spoke to Igzard.
'Igzard, detect mana.'
[Mana?]
'There'll be someone with strong mana. Someone who doesn't fit in a small city like this.'
[Ah, I see!]
The demon sword Igzard had the ability to sense mana.
People could hide it against others, but not against Igzard when he focused on detection.
[Found him.]
In less than a minute, Igzard located the target.
[Truly impressive. In such a peaceful-looking town... someone with 9-star mana.]
9-star mana.
That had to be him.
* * *
[Mana's coming from that building... but something feels off.]
'No, that's the one.'
The 9-star mana Igzard detected came from a small restaurant in the corner of the market.
It was in a spot where few people passed by, so business looked poor.
[You think your subordinate is hiding there? Doesn't seem like a suitable hideout.]
'That's the place.'
I wandered around pretending to be an ordinary resident for a while.
It wasn't mealtime yet, so no customers entered.
Even at mealtime, I doubted it would be much different...
[Hey, how long are you just going to watch?]
'Wait a bit.'
As I did, dinner time approached.
I could sense preparations starting inside.
'Going in.'
[Finally moving.]
I decided to enter the shop.
The interior was quite shabby. But it was clean—no dust in sight.
As I sat at a nearby table, someone emerged from the back kitchen.
"Oh, hello there."
He was a plump middle-aged man.
Sweating profusely from cooking over a fire, his sweat even reached me.
[Hey, that guy...]
'Be quiet.'
Cutting off Igzard mid-sentence, I looked at the man and spoke.
"Food served here?"
"Yes, of course."
"First time at this place. What's good?"
"We specialize in beef stew. Simmered for a long time with good ingredients for a rich flavor."
"Then that. Any sides?"
"We have kebabs. How about those?"
"Those too."
"Yes, just a moment."
The man waddled back to the kitchen.
[Something's off.]
Igzard spoke up again.
[No matter how you look at him, he's no fighter. Every movement screams ordinary civilian. So... why the 9-star mana?]
'That's the man.'
[What?]
'That's him.'
The man sweating buckets in the kitchen, preparing food.
That was Dietrich, my former right-hand man.
[That fatty was your right-hand man? For real?]
'Yes.'
[Not what I pictured...]
I ignored Igzard's grumbling.
I simply sat with my mouth shut, waiting for the food.
"Here you go. Enjoy."
The dishes came out one by one.
Beef stew with a spicy aroma, and kebabs of well-grilled meat and vegetables.
They looked appetizing.
"I'll dig in."
I savored each one.
Honestly, they weren't that great.
The ingredients were good, but overcooked to mush. The broth should have been rich, but heavy spices masked the natural flavors.
The kebabs were overdone—tough meat, charred veggies.
Still, not bad quality.
The ingredients were solid, and the owner had put effort in.
Just... lacked fundamental cooking skill or sense.
"..."
I ate in silence.
Pausing only to drink water, I finished without stopping.
"And done."
"Oh, thank you."
The man bowed, still sweating.
I paid and left.
Then, walking away, I looked to the sky and sighed.
Not from fullness.
[Hey, what the hell?]
'It was his dream.'
[What?]
'He said once fighting ended, he'd return home and run a restaurant like his mother.'
Beef stew and kebabs.
Specialties from his mother's restaurant.
[So you came straight here because...]
'Yes, this is his hometown.'
When Dietrich was five, his mother was killed by thugs.
Orphaned, he wandered until joining the Dialogue Church, eventually becoming Archbishop Hausel's close aide.
Only I knew this story within the church.
'After my death, no reason to fight for the Dialogue Church... so he returned home and opened a restaurant.'
[Hiding his identity?]
'Yes, in that form, no one would suspect.'
Indeed.
No one would look at that sweaty, fat middle-aged man and think of Archbishop Hausel's right-hand man, Dietrich.
[So, what now?]
Igzard asked.
[He left the Dialogue Church and started a new life. Though customers are scarce.]
'...'
[Why'd you come all this way for him?]
As I prepared to answer Igzard's question.
"Uh, excuse me! Wait!"
The fat man came rushing out.
"Th-that... You might think this strange, but..."
"What's wrong?"
"Sir, may I have your name?"
"My name...?"
"S-sorry. But you remind me of someone I know's associate..."
"..."
As I stared silently, he scratched his head awkwardly.
"The way you ate my first trial dish... exactly the same."
"The way I ate...?"
"Yes, down to not leaving a scrap. Identical."
This was unexpected.
It was true I'd once devoured a test dish Dietrich made.
But... he remembered how I ate it too?
"Sorry. Sounds ridiculous."
"..."
"But it was so exact... I couldn't help myself."
From some point, his voice changed.
Earlier, it was breathless with a nasal tone. Now, excited but clear and strong.
"What nonsense I've spouted."
"..."
"Sorry. Forget it."
As I stared, he scratched his head sheepishly.
As I slowly opened my mouth while watching his face.
"Oh dear!"
"...?"
I saw people flooding into the restaurant.
At first, I thought they were diners—'At least some customers.'
But no. Their vibe wasn't that of customers.
[The type we saw endlessly when first entering the Hermel region. Thugs.]
Following the urgently returning man, I hurried back to the shop.