A Plea Beneath the Dust
Piolo.
A toll? Seriously? It's not even a tourist spot, Roan muttered to himself.
He simply couldn't believe it.
"How much is it?"
"Two silver coins."
It was an absurd amount—enough to rent a decent room to sleep in for the night.
They said it's for the prosperity of the kingdom. Who is the king right now again?
Roan had never cared much for history, but this particular ruler was memorable enough that the name came easily.
Jercoil Lionheart.
Neglect.
That single word perfectly described the kingdom's leader.
In his past life, Roan hadn't crossed paths with him much. They had both been far too busy with their own affairs.
Did I pay this toll in my past life? I don't think there was one back then...
"Hey, you!"
As Roan was sorting through his old memories, a harsh shout echoed from a short distance away.
Then came the heavy clanking of armor.
A knight clad in gold-plated armor, far more ornately decorated than the average guard, made his appearance.
"Ugh! C-Captain! No issues to report on patrol, sir!"
"No issues? I saw you extorting a toll from a civilian with my own two eyes."
After scolding the two guards, the captain turned to Roan and readily offered his hand.
It seemed to be a gesture of apology.
"My apologies. It seems their training is still lacking, leading to such rudeness."
Roan took his hand.
Squeeze...
The handshake was laced with an unusual, crushing amount of force.
Yet, Roan's grip didn't yield in the slightest.
"...Go on in," the captain said after a brief silence, granting him entry into Piolo.
Stepping inside, Roan took in the sights of Piolo.
A tavern where the villagers gathered.
A small eatery.
A building that looked like the guards' barracks.
And the adventurer's guild...
The guild! There it is!
Spotting it, Roan dashed toward the building.
"Hello! I'm here to take a quest—"
Roan flung the door open and shouted confidently, but the only things greeting him inside were spiders and thick cobwebs.
Well, that makes sense. Hardly anyone visits this town.
The villagers probably handled most minor issues themselves. That was how they had always survived.
This complicates things a bit... Should I just walk into some shop and ask for work?
Or perhaps he could hunt some monsters around Piolo that might fetch a decent price.
When he thought about it, there were plenty of ways to make money.
Before leaving, Roan scanned the guild hall one last time.
It was a habit of his—checking his surroundings to ensure no hidden threats remained.
It really is desolate in here.
It didn't look like it had fallen into ruin naturally over time; rather, it felt as though someone had intentionally trashed the place.
"Huh?"
As his eyes swept across the room, something caught his attention.
Beneath a sofa so shredded and tattered that no one could possibly sit on it, the corner of a piece of paper peeked out ever so slightly.
Amidst the rotten wooden planks and cobwebs of neglected time, it was the only thing that seemed to catch the light.
Roan pulled it out.
The people of Piolo do not want the guards.
Under the guise of taxes and protection, they seize our livestock and crops. They break into the homes of those struggling to survive and strip them of their remaining possessions.
They even destroyed the adventurer's guild to deter any passing adventurers from staying.
Please, to whoever finds this request, we beg of you to hear our voices.
The handwriting was rough.
The letters had been pressed down with desperate force.
There were spelling mistakes scattered throughout, and a faint trace of iron filings clung to the paper.
It read more like a desperate plea for help than a formal quest request.
Yet, to Roan, it felt more urgent and sincere than any official quest he had ever seen.
Help those in need.
He might not have cared in his past life, but this time, he wanted to act differently.
Leave no room for regrets.
That was the most important rule of Roan's current life.
Holding the plea, he stepped outside.
Almost immediately, he ran into the guard captain patrolling the streets of Piolo.
"...It seems you paid a visit to the guild. Were you looking for work?"
"Yes," Roan replied to the captain's question.
"But there was nothing there."
With those words, he held up the paper in his hand.
"Except for this."
The captain took the paper, fell silent for a moment, and then scanned his surroundings.
"Are you saying you found this inside the guild? Haha, what an amusing joke."
The captain dismissed it as a mere prank.
How did Roan respond to that?
"...Everyone! Citizens of Piolo!"
He roared.
His voice shook the entire village, loud enough for every single person huddled inside their homes to hear.
His vocal cords were incredibly powerful; even with his helmet on, the captain felt an urge to cover his ears at the deafening shout.
Naturally, the villagers couldn't ignore such a commotion.
"W-what is it...? Wait, is that a traveler?"
"Where did he come from? I didn't even notice him..."
As people began to peek out one by one, Roan raised his voice even higher.
"Everyone! Is what this paper says true? Are these guards draining your money and food under the guise of taxes and protection? Have these men been tormenting you?!"
A man in shabby attire, screaming at the top of his lungs.
A shield made of tree bark.
A crudely carved wooden sword.
Even the clothes on his back...
Everything about Roan's appearance utterly shattered any sense of credibility.
It was true that they had secretly begged for help, and it was true that every villager desperately wanted to be saved.
But...
He looks a bit...
They couldn't help but think he wasn't up to the task.
"Haha, you see? Your courage is admirable, but sticking your nose where it doesn't belong will only get you killed. Just stay quiet and—"
"He's right!"
The captain flinched.
A youthful voice had cut him off mid-sentence.
The captain's brow furrowed beneath his helmet. He shifted his gaze toward the source of the voice.
It was a young boy who had been born and raised in the Piolo workshop.
"That man tormented us! He beat us if we didn't pay! He stole from us! He even tried to take everything from my dad's workshop!"
The child's pure, unvarnished shout sent ripples through the hearts of the other villagers.
"H-he's right... We just never spoke up..."
"And, well... they only act nice to visitors to avoid making a scene..."
A few voices chimed in agreement.
Spurred by those voices, others began to testify.
The chain reaction rippled through the crowd, quickly transforming into a collective, unified cry for help from the entire village of Piolo.
Listening in silence, the guard captain drew the sword from his hip.
The cold, sharp blade gleamed in the sunlight, instantly silencing the crowd.
"Shut your mouths, you peasants! How dare you squawk the moment you think you have a chance! Do you honestly think the man standing before you is your savior?"
The captain sneered, recalling his first impression of Roan.
"Look at his beggar-like clothes! Those toys he's holding like he's playing make-believe! Saving you with those? Don't make me laugh!"
As he swung his sword through the air, four guards stationed at the entrance and exit came rushing over.
Though few in number, they were more than enough to keep the villagers suppressed.
Gathering his men, the captain glared at the residents of Piolo.
"...It seems we need to start your education all over again."
Muttering loud enough for everyone to hear, he turned his gaze back to Roan.
Nothing had changed. Roan still wore his tattered coat and worn-out shoes, his arms covered in scratches and scrapes.
"I believe I just told you that sticking your nose where it doesn't belong will cost you your life," the captain threatened, tapping his blade against his shield.
Yet, Roan didn't even flinch.
As if he had been waiting for this exact moment, he simply raised his crude shield and wooden sword.
...Strangely, the gesture carried a subtle, heavy pressure.
"...Get him!"
At the captain's sharp command, his men charged.
Hmph, he was just putting on airs. He can't even react.
The captain didn't even bother to turn and watch.
No one in Piolo had ever defeated his men before.
But then—
Thud!
Crash!!
"Argh...!"
"Aaaargh!!!"
The screams that echoed through the air did not belong to Roan.
Startled, the captain spun around.
All four of his charging men had been sent flying, sprawling across the dirt.
...All four of them? With those toys?
For a split second, the captain doubted his own eyes.
But he quickly shook it off.
So he has a bit of strength. It doesn't matter. Those guys were just meant for intimidation anyway.
The captain locked eyes with Roan, sizing him up.
Then, he lunged forward, unleashing the orthodox swordsmanship he had once learned in the kingdom's service.
Clang!
Screech!
The heavy scraping of steel armor against the ground echoed menacingly, but—
"...Huh?"
Roan didn't budge.
He didn't waver even a fraction of an inch.
And he wasn't simply blocking with that bark shield, either.
He... deflected all of them?
He was parrying every single strike.
It was a technique far more difficult than simple blocking.
The captain's bewilderment grew.
He deflected them. He knows the kingdom's swordsmanship.
The captain gritted his teeth.
No.
Whoosh!
He couldn't allow himself to be pushed back by some country bumpkin.
I said, no!
Swish!
He screamed internally, pouring more power into his strikes, but even those were effortlessly swept aside.
The exact moment his attack failed, his pride shattered along with it.
Boom!
With a violent impact, the captain's entire body was thrown backward.
It was a simple shield bash.
Yet, the sheer force behind it was devastating.
"Cough!"
The impact felt as if it had collapsed his lungs.
He tumbled across the dirt several times before slamming hard into a wall.
Clatter...
The sword slipped from his weak grasp and fell to the ground.
To make matters even more humiliating, Roan casually picked up the fallen weapon.
As if silently saying, I'll put this to good use.
Through his ringing ears, the captain could faintly hear the villagers cheering.
But none of that mattered anymore.
This is impossible... What is he...? How could a country bumpkin from the sticks—
Through his blurry vision, the captain looked up at Roan.
He stood solid, unyielding.
"A wall..."
Experiencing utter defeat, the captain's heart froze.
It was the exact moment he realized that the strange pressure and foreboding presence he had felt earlier were entirely real.
The captain remained silent, and the guards withdrew.
Now that their oppressors were gone, the adventurer's guild would function once more.
With the guild active, adventurers would visit, and they would naturally serve as a makeshift militia.
For a small village, that level of self-regulation would be more than enough.
Of course, things might not go perfectly. But these people will probably find a way to grow stronger on their own, too.
Roan thought to himself, jingling the pouch of silver coins he had received as a reward.
It wasn't particularly heavy, but it was more than enough to fund his journey to his original destination: the Magic Tower.
I wasn't really looking for a reward, but...
If they were offering, he wasn't about to say no!
Saving himself the trouble of taking on more quests, he hummed a cheerful tune.
As Roan headed off to catch a carriage, someone came running toward him, panting heavily.
It was the blacksmith from the workshop.
"S-Savior!"
"Come on, 'savior' is a bit much, don't you think?"
After all, he had failed once before in his past life.
Brushing aside the bitter thought, Roan looked at what the blacksmith was carrying.
It was a mysterious object wrapped tightly in cloth.
"I'm so sorry for doubting you, Savior. I never imagined someone would actually find the request I left behind and fulfill it... It might not be much, but I prepared this for you. I figured I could at least help you with your gear..."
The blacksmith unwrapped the layers of cloth.
When Roan saw what was inside, his eyes widened.
"Whoa."
It was a shield.
A beautifully crafted shield of high-quality iron, meticulously hammered and polished to a clean finish.
The pure white gemstone embedded in its center gleamed with a brilliant luster.
"Wait, this is way too..."
"I felt this was the only way I could ever repay you! The gemstone in the center holds great meaning in Piolo. Legend has it that it repels evil and darkness...! Please, I would be honored if you used it!"
Before Roan could finish saying it was too much, the blacksmith forced the shield into his hands.
A reward born from pure gratitude.
Though he hadn't acted with any expectation of gain, Roan had ended up with an excellent piece of equipment.
...Of course, he had absolutely no intention of turning it down!
Gratefully equipping his new gear, he set off once more to catch his carriage.
His next destination was the Magic Tower.
It was time to meet Debi Jane.