Chapter 87

The Golem Car carrying us traveled toward the territory ruled by the Sorceress.

By using a dragon’s heart as its core, this vehicle stored an inexhaustible supply of energy. Originally, this function was intended for the high-consumption Powered Suit mode, but it functioned perfectly during normal operation as well. Thanks to that, we could keep driving without ever needing to refuel.

‘If it’s this convenient, maybe I should look into overhunting dragons…’

Not only could I gain massive amounts of experience points, but every single part of the carcass could be put to use. Dragons were truly wonderful creatures. On top of that, they were treated as pests—or rather, natural disasters—so no one would complain if I hunted them to extinction. If anything, people would be grateful and praise me as a Dragon Slayer hero. I’d heard there were regions where dragons lived in packs, so I wanted to visit them eventually.

I spent some time traveling while lost in those thoughts.

Shortly after noon, the sky began to grow noticeably cloudy, and eventually, it started to rain. The rain intensified until it reached a state that could only be described as a downpour.

“Man, talk about bad luck…”

I grumbled while manning the steering wheel. The tires were getting slippery in the mud. If I wasn’t careful, I felt like I might spin out at any moment.

“Do you hate the rain, Jack?”

“I don’t like it in general. The damp air feels disgusting.”

Not only did it dampen my mood, but depending on the job, the weather could be quite inconvenient. There were times when it worked to my advantage, but generally, it wasn’t desirable. Mostly, it just added extra chores.

“Sigh…”

At regular intervals, the wipers moved back and forth across the windshield. Silence filled the interior of the car. Only the sound of the rain outside echoed continuously.

After a while, I struck up a conversation with Mihana to kill time.

“Hey, why are you in Eurea? Even without coming to a dangerous country like this, couldn’t you have made it in the Empire?”

“…You probably don’t know this, but there’s no place for Summoned Heroes within the Empire.”

Saying that, Mihana began to vent her grievances. According to her story, it seemed that Summoned Heroes were hated within the Empire. This was because the enormous costs associated with the Otherworld Summoning were covered by the burden placed on the citizens. She said that due to forced tax hikes and the requisitioning of personnel, the people’s lives had become miserable.

That said, from the perspective of the nobles, the dissatisfaction of the commoners didn’t matter. Apparently, they had forced the summoning magic through by squeezing blood-taxes out of the citizens under the guise of winning the war.

Because of that history, the people held a negative impression of the Summoned Heroes. Certainly, from their point of view, we could be seen as the culprits who made their daily lives difficult. It was only natural that the social climate was harsh. Even the explosion of the Imperial Capital—which was recognized as an unfortunate accident—was rumored to be the work of a Summoned Hero. That wasn’t exactly wrong, which made the situation even more troublesome.

“On top of that, succession disputes are breaking out all over the place. The Empire isn’t in a state where you can live peacefully at all. There’s no future there other than being used as tools of war.”

“Is that why you defected to Eurea?”

Mihana nodded. She stretched with her hands clasped while gazing out the window.

“This country is the best place to live while hiding your identity. While I was active here in Eurea, the Representatives scouted me. This country was comfortable… until I met you.”

Mihana glared at me. It seemed she really did hold a grudge. The duel back then must have been quite traumatic for her. She let out a deep sigh.

“I wish I had a skill like Yamahashi-kun’s 【Time Stop A+】…”

If my memory served me right, Yamahashi was Minoru’s family name. Certainly, with an ability like that, one would never have trouble in any situation. I could understand why she’d be envious.

“Heh, so there’s a Summoned Hero who can stop time. That’s amazing.”

“What are you playing dumb for? The Chancellor announced everyone’s Skills in the audience chamber, didn’t he?”

“It was all just words that sounded like a video game; I didn’t really understand it well.”

Looking back, that was a mistake. I think I should have listened more seriously. In the situation of an ‘otherworld summoning,’ even I might have been a bit panicked.

“…By any chance, do you not know my Skill either?”

“Yeah, I don’t remember it. Would you mind telling me?”

“Absolutely not,” Mihana replied instantly.

For a Summoned Hero, their Skill was equivalent to a lifeline. It was only natural to want to keep it secret if possible. Moreover, she wouldn’t want to tell it to someone who might kill her.

“Ah—”

In the middle of the conversation, Mihana suddenly let out a small sound. When I peered at her profile, she was staring intently straight ahead. I checked where she was looking, but there was nothing there. Only the highway, muddy from the heavy rain, stretched out before us.

“What’s wrong?”

“No… it’s nothing.”

Returning to her senses, Mihana shook her head. She was clearly hiding something. I looked at Alice in the back seat through the rearview mirror. She was tilting her head slightly. She seemed to have noticed Mihana’s suspicious behavior, but apparently, she didn’t know the cause. Unfortunately, I didn’t know either.

‘For now, I guess I have to ignore it…’

Suppressing the urge to interrogate her, I focused silently on my driving.

Even if I pressed her persistently here, Mihana likely wouldn’t answer. I’d just have to find an opportunity to dig deeper later. Less than a minute later, I brought the Golem Car to a halt.

An overflowing river was cutting across the road ahead of us. The bridge meant for crossing had been spectacularly destroyed. Whether it had been swept away by the muddy torrent or not, only a jagged fragment of it remained.

“Hey, give me a break. I guess today really is just a run of bad luck.”

I lightly tapped the steering wheel. The Golem Car could probably force its way across, but we weren’t in that much of a hurry. It would be a problem if the interior flooded by some chance. I cranked the wheel and started moving again.

“Can’t be helped. We’re taking a detour.”

I put a cigarette in my mouth. Just as I was about to light it, I stopped. Because of the downpour, I couldn’t open the windows, which meant no ventilation. The car would just fill with smoke. Giving up, I put the cigarette back and exhaled through gritted teeth.

Alice looked somewhat bored. She was fiddling with a magic tool in the back seat. Mihana was leaning her cheek on her hand, gazing out the window. Usually, I wouldn’t pay her any mind, but I continued to observe her casually.

Her fingers were twitching minutely. Her leg was repeatedly tapping in a nervous habit. Her expression was slightly stiff.

Mihana was currently restless beyond measure. Each sign was trivial on its own, but these were behaviors she hadn’t shown until just moments ago. She was stubbornly trying to hide her agitation.

‘Why is she panicking?’

I pondered while maintaining an unbothered front behind the wheel. Given the timing, it likely had something to do with the flooded river. The fact that she had suddenly cried out right before that was also weighing on my mind.

There shouldn’t be many things Mihana would want to hide from me. The prime candidate was her Skill. In our conversation just a moment ago, the topic of Summoned Heroes’ abilities had come up. At that point, Mihana realized her own Skill hadn’t been exposed. She had learned that I didn’t know it.

It might seem like a casual thing, but this was actually a massive detail. Something she thought had been discovered was, in fact, still a secret. When that happens, a person inevitably becomes self-conscious and tries their best to keep it hidden. Since it’s the thing she wants to conceal most in the world, it only makes sense. That psychological pressure was making her act suspicious.

It was a mountain of assumptions, but the logic held up. If the cause of her agitation was indeed Skill-related, then the hint was hidden within the exchange of the last few minutes. In other words, a clue to unraveling Mihana’s ability.

Considering our future, this was a major step forward. Even if these inferences were wrong, there was no real downside for me. It would just end as a simple misunderstanding.

‘Either way, I should check.’

I began forming a plan in my head. Making hypothesis after hypothesis wouldn’t lead to any actual progress. As I thought, it would be faster to just test it out. If I didn’t take action somewhere, I’d never succeed in killing Mihana.

It might be a good move to set something in motion around here. Beyond the river was the town where we planned to stay the night. It was the perfect stage for a challenge. I’d need to consult with Alice and proceed carefully so as not to be noticed.