Episode 8

A forested area located some distance from town. With no dangerous monsters inhabiting it, it was an ideal hiding place. That forest, where people normally never came, was filled with tension.

“Calm down. I am not your enemy.”

“As if an enemy would say he’s an enemy.”

“What is your objective?”

Eris in her usual style, with short dagger and short staff. Kratz holding up his saber warily. Opposite them stood a middle-aged man who, perhaps to show he had no hostile intent, made no move to draw the sword at his waist. He wore no armor or other protective gear, but even through his clothes, his sturdy build was obvious. — He was clearly on a different level from the other two.

“I want you to let me meet Lord Zeke. If you do, you will understand who I am.”

“Zeke? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

If Eris’s memory was correct, they had passed this man on the road earlier. They had been heading for a nearby town to resupply, but for some reason this man had turned his carriage around and followed them. Sensing something was wrong, Kratz changed course and drove the carriage into the deserted forest, but just as expected, the man had followed them all the way here.

“That carriage is a custom-made one prepared for Lord Zeke.”

The man began talking in detailed and careful terms about the structure of the carriage. He went into both technical matters and more visible design features that even Eris and Kratz could understand. Somehow, the man knew information that only Eris and Kratz could know precisely because they had been using this carriage for over a month.

“Could it be… are you some kind of carriage maniac?”

“No. I arranged this carriage myself, under Lord Zeke’s orders.”

The man had a calm air about him. His replies were flat, yet somehow sounded proud.

“At this point, I do not intend to reproach you for using Lord Zeke’s carriage. I only want you to tell me. Where is Zeke now?”

“What should we do? He doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“That’s true, but the timing feels a little too perfect.”

He looked like a straightforward man with no hidden side to him. But from Eris and Kratz’s point of view, they only knew what was on the surface. They had no real basis to judge him.

“…Who exactly are you?”

“I am Simon Titan, commander of the Lagias private army. I was in the middle of searching for Lord Zeke, who had not returned to the domain.”

“You, by yourself? You just happened to spot a similar carriage and followed it all the way here?”

“That’s right. I reasoned that if the knight order’s defenses grew tighter the farther east one went, then Lord Zeke must be somewhere in that direction.”

Simon explained that he had been moving mainly around the east of the kingdom. He said that by looking at the expressions of the knights, it had been easy to determine that Zeke had still not been captured.

“I was searching while coordinating with other soldiers. Naturally, the main force is not here, because they have a duty to protect Lagias Domain.”

“He says he’s the commander of the private army. That sounds impressive, doesn’t it?”

“People can say anything they want. …And he’s a subordinate of that foul-mouthed Zeke. Anyone would get neurosis working under him.”

“Th-that’s true. If it were me, I might cry.”

Eris and Kratz consulted each other in hushed voices.

To be berated by a superior like Zeke with abuse and insults every day was practically torture. If this man was the commander of the private army, it would probably be even worse. Even if what he said was true, there was also the possibility that he had come to settle years of resentment.

“Then let me ask the reverse. What would earn your trust?”

“…If you’re his subordinate, then you should be highly skilled. All the more so if you’re the commander. — How about a match against the two of us?”

“Huh!? R-right. There’s no way his private army would be weak.”

At this point, Simon’s strength was not the issue. Nor was the credibility of his words. If this man was an enemy, then they would have to fight him regardless. Even if he was stronger, that was no reason to avoid it.

“I cannot injure Lord Zeke’s friends. Let this be my proof.”

Simon raised his right arm toward the trees. Mana began gathering in the bracelet he wore. It was an unusual shape for a magical catalyst.

“Nabla Cyclone.”

A violent gale erupted. The raging storm shredded apart even the trees that had been firmly rooted in the earth. Eris was left speechless at the sight of part of the forest turned into bare ground, while Kratz collapsed at the waist.

“My true profession is that of a swordsman. This is a gift from Lord Zeke’s instruction.”

Eris’s party began moving once more. With a new companion added, they switched carriages and continued on.

“…I understand the situation. First, let me thank you. For saving our lord.”

Simon bowed his head deeply. Though his speech was formal, there was no sign that he looked down on Eris and Kratz for being younger. His gratitude was sincere.

“It wasn’t because anyone asked me to. I only did what I wanted to do. Kratz too.”

“Even so. Considering Lord Zeke’s and House Lagias’s position, most people would hesitate. Even if their intentions were good.”

As a private soldier of Lagias, Simon had always been involved with Zeke and Lagias. That was exactly why the weight behind his words was different. He had seen Zeke far more closely than Eris and Kratz had.

“On top of that, I thank you for your cooperation as well. …The road ahead will by no means be an easy one.”

“I know. …I don’t want to become the kind of person who repays kindness with betrayal.”

“…I see. Then I’ll say nothing more.”

A smile touched Simon’s lips. He was probably kind by nature. Eris felt that once everything was over, she would like to talk with him about many things.

“I look forward to working with you. …It’s good to have such a dependable ally.”

“That’s right. He’s more reliable than Kratz.”

“!? Your reaction is different from when I joined!?”

With one more person, even their conversations became livelier. At first it had only been Eris, but then Kratz, and now Simon too — trustworthy companions kept increasing.

(This connection is one you created.)

Simon’s addition in particular was significant. Not only in terms of fighting strength, but also because depending on the situation, he could mobilize Lagias’s private soldiers. Being able to increase the very thing they lacked most — numbers — was a major advantage.

“A small number of my subordinates are deployed in various places. We should be able to coordinate through communication using magical devices.”

Rather than meeting up with them immediately, Simon proposed that his subordinates first check the knight order’s inspection points in advance and share that information with him. Based on that information, Eris and the others would avoid the checkpoints while heading east. Simon laid out a rational strategy.

“If it’s ordinary knights, I can deal with them myself. If the worst happens, I’ll act as a decoy.”

Showing them the bracelet on his arm, Simon explained what they would do in an emergency. Kratz’s plan was not without possibility, but Simon firmly stated that the treatment of Lagias in this country was worse than the two of them knew.

In the end, they agreed that if they were near the border, they would rely on Simon’s decoy plan, and if not, they would bet on Kratz’s diplomatic route.

“Yeah. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I feel like this will work.”

‘Feeling like it will’ isn’t enough. — We’re going to make it succeed.”

“An adventurer from the royal capital, a traveler from another land… and the private army. Perhaps our meeting was not a coincidence.”

Not much time had passed since they met. But they were able to believe in the same thing.

Their long journey across the royal capital region was drawing toward its final stage.

The provincial city of Apion. Up until two years ago, it had been nothing more than an ordinary town one could find anywhere, but because of the mass coma incident and the curse disturbance, Apion had ultimately gained notoriety. — And it was also known as the birthplace of the Silver Saintess, a city blessed by silver.

For Ciel, this was the city where everything had begun, and so Van’s party had come here.

“It was here that I worked alongside Zeke-san, his friend Luke-san, and the two of them as guards to help resolve the incident. …Though in truth, I could hardly do anything at all.”

Back then, Ciel had not been as positive as she was now.

Born as the duke’s concubine’s child, Ciel had been flawed from the very moment she came into the world. Even though she had inherited the mark more strongly than anyone else, she could not use holy arts. Combined with her standing as a concubine’s child, she had been regarded as unwanted by the ducal house.

“It was Zeke-san who showed me a way to live. That one’s birth does not matter. That a person can live as they wish.”

From Ciel’s point of view, being dispatched to Apion had been almost the same as a death sentence. She had no way to resist, since she could not use holy arts. Ciel herself had understood that and accepted it — but the same had been true for Zeke. Even though he had known there was a chance he too might lose his life, he had still helped Ciel.

“Apion is not part of Lagias Domain. He is someone who can risk his life to save people completely unrelated to him. — I can only think that there must have been some circumstance behind that.”

The people of Apion still bowed their heads whenever they saw Ciel. The reason every one of them could still smile in good health was because that day, that meeting, had happened. It had definitely not been meaningless. There truly were lives and ordinary days that had been protected. She did not want all of that to be denied by someone who knew nothing.

“Van-san. I am not rejecting your way of thinking. I only want you to know that that day was not everything Zeke-san is. I still believe we are at a stage where we can talk things through.”

Ciel did not blindly worship Zeke. She believed in him by her own will.
Given Van’s position, it was understandable that sorrow and anger had made him hostile toward Zeke. But right now, that was all Van could see. He was trapped by a single thing.

“…I want to know the truth too. Who killed Grandpa. And why Grandpa had to die.”

When she had first met him, he had seemed bright and energetic. A straightforward young swordsman who clearly loved the sword more than anyone and faced it with sincerity. But now that swordsman was hanging his head in grief. With no one around him who truly understood him, only people trying to remain neutral, the current situation had to be painful for Van.

“But he… never tries to talk about anything, does he? He’s always like that. He belittles people and pushes ahead on his own. No matter what I ask him, he never tries to answer.”

There was an adventurer from the royal capital named Eris. A somewhat strong-willed woman marked by pale pink hair, and someone Van also knew. When she had been there, things had still worked somehow. If Eris were here now, perhaps Van’s heart would still be calmer.

“Do you think someone like that would listen to reason? Leave me aside — he wouldn’t lend an ear even to any of you.”

Eris was the only one who had stayed by the side of a Zeke covered in wounds. She had upheld her own convictions without fearing the knight order as an enemy.

Why was it not she who stood beside Zeke? Why had she been unable to move at that time? She had wanted to be closer to him than anyone, and yet it was not her but another woman standing by his side. — She grew disgusted with herself for harboring such dim, ugly feelings.

(At a time like this, I’m still thinking only about Zeke-san. What a complete lie it is to call me a saintess.)

“No matter what we do, we need to chase after him. If talking fails, what will you all do then? — I’ll fight.”

Time had passed since then, yet the party’s atmosphere remained just as terrible. Looking at the group as a whole, there was still conversation, but whenever Van became involved, Selen would not utter a single word. She would not even meet his eyes, and at worst acted as though he were not there at all. Van, too, refused to yield, and a deep rift had formed between the two of them.

(Van-san and Selen. And the others too. Everyone’s feelings are all scattered apart.)

At this point, there was hardly any reason for them to keep acting together, but the presence of Glanz, the eldest among them, was what held the party together. He was their emotional pillar, and his strength was far beyond the others. No matter how bad their relationships had become, the place they were aiming for was the same. Everyone understood that without Glanz’s strength, they would never reach Zeke. That was why this twisted relationship still functioned at all.

“…And if you fight, then what? Will that satisfy you, Van?”

“You know me, don’t you, Atri. You know what kind of person I am.”

Atri looked at Van sorrowfully. Even though Atri herself was suffering, she was still able to care for others because she was kind at heart. Selen, on the other hand, had no intention of joining the conversation from the start, acting as though it had nothing to do with her. Glanz stood a little apart, looking over them all. As though he were watching to see how they would overcome this hardship.

Ciel felt she had to do something, but no good idea came to mind. Neither Stille nor Golton, both so dependable, were here. Thinking about it now, it was such an unusual group — those two, along with Zeke and Luke — that had come to Apion together.

As she turned away from reality and thought about the past, the area ahead grew noisy. A crowd of people and the shrill voices of women reached her ears. At the center of her gaze were two knights in the armor of the knight order and one mage who seemed to belong to the mage corps. It appeared that the one drawing the cheers was a blond knight with refined features.
Come to think of it, Luke had had a similar sort of presence. When he and Zeke stood side by side, they had drawn many women’s eyes.

“Excuse me, let us through.”

“…Damn it, why is it always Luke?”

“It can’t be helped. People are drawn to beautiful things.”

The three of them were distinctive in their own ways, but unlike Ciel’s group, they seemed united. Was it out of envy that they looked bound by firm trust?

“What’s wrong, Ciel? Do you fancy that knight?”

“That’s not it. Please don’t tease me. He simply resembles someone I know.”

As they passed by the three, Ciel’s eyes happened to meet those of the knight in question. The knight widened his eyes, as though surprised by something.

“Could you be… Lady Ciel?”

“Eh? Then… are you Luke-san after all?”

After two years, Ciel ended up reuniting with Luke in the land of Apion.