The Cursed Blind Woman (8)
"Kali...?"
Kali was the name of our inn's dog... no, not that. Kali was the god of the hunt. That's why we'd given that name to our hunting dog, Kali.
The first time Celereja visited our inn, she'd screamed at me that calling a dog by a god's name was blasphemy, heresy, and all that nonsense.
Worshipping Kali wasn't heresy. Most folks on the continent believed in the Goddess, except for a tiny few, but not every human was a formal devotee of the Goddess Church. Naturally, there were people who followed Kali or other lesser gods. It wasn't illegal or anything.
Anyway... so were those guys a band of hunters? But no matter how I thought about it, the weapons they carried didn't seem suited for hunting.
"What exactly are they?"
"Those men... they're demon hunters."
"Demon hunters? Them?"
I'd heard of them before. People who specialized in tracking and hunting monsters, demons, and the like.
Come to think of it, back in my hero days, there were always those crow-like bastards who showed up late after I'd cleared an area, rummaging through the corpses. Maybe they were demon hunters.
But since I didn't know much about them, it seemed they hadn't accomplished much.
"So, they're hunting you, Kosa, branding you a demon?"
"Yes. At some point, they started following me. Thanks to you hiding me, Mr. Bertrand, I survived."
So... these guys who couldn't even properly fight demons were chasing down an innocent blind woman like that.
"Kosa. For now, stay here at the inn and recover. You're in no shape to hit the road right away anyway."
"Thank you for your kindness. Then I'll impose on you a bit longer."
"Just... absolutely do not remove your eyepatch."
"Understood."
Having talked at length must have worn her out—Kosa's breathing grew a little ragged. I left the room so she could rest.
I gathered all the employees and explained everything about Kosa. They all already knew about her unusual ability anyway, so I laid it all out plainly.
Kosa would stay a few more days, and if those black-clad guys from earlier showed up, deny knowing her and fetch me immediately.
"So that's what you meant. Demon hunters."
"Seems like it. Did you hear anything about them back in the Demon King's army?"
"I've heard of them. But they were nobodies. Humans charging at monsters or demons? The outcome's obvious."
Pelle replied indifferently.
Then they really were just flashy small fry. I'd thought maybe a special mage or saintess was mixed in.
"Idi, you ever hear of them?"
"Uh... first time..."
Marim, Della, Francois—they'd lived relatively normal(?) lives compared to Idi and Pelle, so of course they wouldn't know. Ukun shook his head too.
"Anyway! If those bastards come back stirring trouble, call me right away! I'll line their skulls up with their shoulders!"
Ukun brandished his hammer dramatically, bellowing bravado.
I pulled Celereja aside after she got off from the temple and repeated the story to the staff. She slowly nodded, as if she knew something.
"Demon hunters who worship Kali... They really got bit by the hunting dog, huh."
"You know something?"
"I've heard whispers in the church. They're one of many demon hunter factions. Blind zealots, they say. So extreme even the inquisitors tread lightly around them."
"Hm... I see. But do they actually hunt demons or monsters? I've never heard of them doing so."
Celereja smirked at my words.
"From what I hear, they mostly drag in people they think are possessed, like that woman on the third floor. Occasionally they catch a monster, sure..."
That wasn't entirely wrong. Ordinary human fights couldn't explain the massive scars on their bodies.
Anyway... they were shitty assholes, that much was clear.
"But Mr. Bertrand... honestly, I don't get it. Can we just leave her be? We can't take her word at face value."
"True enough."
I decided to ask the Goddess about Kosa while it was on my mind.
After parting with Celereja, I went straight to Kosa's room. With her permission, I retrieved the Holy Sword from under the bed and took it to my room.
I placed the Holy Sword on the desk and prayed. The Goddess responded promptly.
"Goddess. Sorry to bother you, but what's the deal with this woman Kosa?"
The Goddess replied.
"No... I know she's human. Is she an orc? A troll? What I'm asking is... is she possessed by a demon?"
The Goddess replied.
"Ah, yes. Not that. Then what's with those eyes? I've never heard of a human with a death gaze."
The Goddess replied.
"Aha. Yeah... You were curious too... Yeah... Sigh. Totally useless when I need her."
I chuckled and opened my eyes. The cute Goddess always dodged important stuff, claiming she didn't know or it'd spoil the fun.
If she came down again, I'd give her a real scolding.
After that, the demon hunters never returned to the inn.
The antidote must have worked—Kosa recovered her strength quickly and could now bathe and change clothes on her own.
"Mr. Bertrand."
She called me as I cleared the empty plates after her meal.
"I've recovered enough now. I won't impose on the inn any longer—I'll be on my way."
"Oh, already? Stay a bit longer. No rush now, right?"
"True, but bards are always strapped for cash. After paying for lodging, I have to wander to the next city, singing, playing, and reading fortunes to get by."
I glanced at her worn, tattered boots.
"No charge for the stay. Can't take money after dragging you here myself."
"Thank you."
"But the sun's already set. Leaving now?"
"Night and day are the same to the blind."
True enough. No sight, so walking at night or day made no difference.
"Still, autumn nights are cold. Stay one more day and leave at dawn."
But I wanted to keep her at the inn somehow. A blind woman traveling alone tugged at my heartstrings, and this bard who had memorized thick tomes of astrology and epics whole—surely the inn needed someone like her.
At my earnest plea, Kosa nodded.
"If you insist, I'll leave tomorrow morning. But accepting kindness empty-handed is rude..."
She turned her head toward me.
"I'll read your future, Mr. Bertrand. Come when you have time."
"Ah, that'd be great. I'll come up after closing."
Kosa smiled faintly.
Late evening, Marim returned from deliveries, grumbling.
"Ugh, rain outta nowhere."
She shook off her wet clothes, muttering as she approached.
"Boss. It's raining outside."
"Yeah?"
"Lemme wash up in hot water. Gonna catch a cold."
"Sure. Go ahead."
Marim dropped her bag and headed upstairs. Looking out the window, a drizzly autumn rain was indeed falling.
Already moonless and dark, the rain turned the windows pitch black, like a curtain of black magic curses.
Rain like this lasted at least two days this time of year. And when it stopped, it'd get much colder.
Rosens, nestled between mountains, probably saw winter come early...
If Kosa left tomorrow, she'd walk all day in that rain. North or south, no city on foot in a day.
If she insisted, better to drop her off on a hell horse.
Hm... A bard and fortune teller... The inn could use an exclusive one.
I eyed the mercenary at the corner desk by the entrance, taking commissions and drafting contracts from guests.
Yeah. Inns should have... mercenary brokers and troubadours. Especially late autumn with long nights—after sunset, some old tales would liven things up.
Better to keep Kosa around.
For now, go up and check her skills, then decide.
I knocked and entered. Kosa sat on the bed, waiting. No tarot cards or similar in sight. Only a flickering candle on the desk dimly lit the room.
"You've come, Mr. Bertrand."
I pulled up a chair and sat facing her.
"Then... I'll peer into your past, Mr. Bertrand, and divine your future from it."
Mystical power laced her low voice. Her white hair and black eyepatch with its mandala heightened the aura.
Kosa asked my birthdate and various details. I answered fully, and she fell silent. What was she doing? Then I noticed her fingers ceaselessly moving.
Like flicking an abacus, her ten fingers danced in complex, varied patterns.
No way... calculating in her head?
The astrologers I knew pored over books, charts of star cycles, scribbling massive computations with pens...
She'd memorized it all. No bluff.
Soon, her fingers stilled.
"Mr. Bertrand..."
She called my name in a trembling voice.
"Who... who the hell are you...?"