Episode 13

Rent Domain lay beside the Lagias Domain. It was a territory with a good balance—neither packed with people like the royal capital, nor depopulated like a farming village. Glanz and the others traveled to one of its towns.

Van and the others received treatment from Eris’s healing magic, but that did not erase the fact that their bodies had been injured. They came this far to rest, just to be safe.

“Hm, it’s quiet compared to the royal capital, but it’s a pretty nice place.”

“It felt like a comfortable land, and it also had energy.”

“Of course it does! The hottest Adventurers Association branch right now is the Rent Domain branch.”

Among the townspeople passing by, there were also figures who looked like adventurers. They wore fine-looking swords and lavish armor.

In the sunlight, small nicks and scratches stood out. It was not decorative showpiece gear. You could tell they were adventurers who had built experience and results.

“For you, Eris-san, Rent Domain had a strong adventurer image. For me, I thought of a famous father-and-son pair of knights.”

“…A father-and-son pair of knights? Who?”

Atri asked Glanz in a flat voice. Her lack of emotional fluctuation had not changed since long ago.

“Wait… Luke Hartmann? If it’s him, I know him too. The royal capital was buzzing about the youngest knight.”

“I often worked with his father, Brink-san, as well. …Time passes quickly.”

Glanz narrowed his eyes with nostalgia. He stared off into the distance as if recalling those days.

“…Who?”

“You seriously don’t know anything… Listen. Luke Hartmann joined the knight order as the youngest ever, then got promoted to squad leader in just two years. He’s a genius.”

Eris explained proudly. Living in the royal capital, she was sensitive to the kingdom’s trends.

“He’s also sincere, and ridiculously handsome. He even has a fan club—people line up to see him off when he leaves the capital on a mission.”

“…Are you a fan too?”

“He’s a handsome ‘model student’ type, but I feel like he’s a bit… not enough for me. I want that outlaw vibe!”

Maybe she was happy to talk with a girl close to her age. Eris’s mood lifted, and her enthusiasm naturally rose. Perhaps because of that, she did not notice Atri’s small mutter: “Danger… eliminate.”

“Hm… Van-san and the others might be waking up around now. Shall we return to the inn?”

Glanz and the others had been walking around town while the two rested. Eris simply wanted to see the town, but Glanz had another purpose.

“Yeah. We can sightsee anytime.”

The group returned to the inn where Van and the others were staying to recuperate. When they entered the room, they saw Van sitting up in bed.

“Van, you’re awake. Thank goodness. …So what happened to Feluart?”

“…Dunno. When I noticed, he was gone.”

Van answered weakly.

His wounds were healed, but his body felt heavy. His head felt fogged over. Frustration, misery, shame—so many emotions mixed together that he could not sort them out.

“It’s still weird. That guy is hiding something.”

“…The weird one is Zeke. He rejected us without explaining anything.”

He had seen Zeke for the first time in two years. Zeke was taller, and his presence felt more mature… which was only natural, but still.

Zeke’s looks, his movements, his words—everything about him kept nagging at Van. He could not help but fixate on him. His voice grew harsh without meaning to.

“Sure, he didn’t explain. But he didn’t attack us either. The one who started it was you, Van. You did.”

It had been the same two years ago, and the same this time. Everything he had done was denied. He could not forgive that.

“So if I don’t do anything, you can say whatever you want? If something important gets denied, am I supposed to just go, ‘Yeah, you’re right’?”

“Van, what you’re saying is the same as a kid whining after losing an argument. Think about it. His mouth is foul, but he proves things with actions.”

Eris told him what had happened during the royal capital attack.

How Zeke had single-handedly suppressed monsters when a crowd of citizens was about to be slaughtered. How, while many high-rank adventurers ran away in front of monsters, he handled it alone. There were countless testimonies from citizens too— that a black-haired boy had saved them.

Van himself remembered it as well. Right in front of him, Zeke had saved people who were about to be offered as sacrifices to a magic circle.

“He’s not the kind of guy who moves out of goodwill. …He’s Lagias, isn’t he?”

“Van, you…”

A desperate excuse.

He knew. He understood it in his head. But he could not admit it.

“Rumors spread because there’s something behind it. That’s why he stays alone. He doesn’t trust anyone, and he doesn’t need anyone.”

“Why are you acting like you know Zeke? If you decide things on your own and deny him, you’re no different from what you’re complaining about.”

“Everyone, let’s end this here for now. We need time to cool down and think.”

Glanz’s words loosened the air in the room. Eris looked dissatisfied, but she seemed to lower her spear.

Led by Glanz, everyone filed out. Atri did not say a single word.

Left alone in the room, Van slumped, powerless.

“What am I supposed to do? What do I… want?”

He used to swing his sword with pure focus. He admired strength and wanted to become someone who could protect something. He had chased only the back of his grandfather, who had been praised as the strongest swordsman. But that grandfather had fallen ill, to the point where even holding a sword was difficult. The “strongest” title was fading.

“Tell me… Gramps.”

A ducal mansion stood within the Royal Special District. Zeke visited the building, whose presence overwhelmed the area. Since two years ago, he had come here many times, one way or another.

“That’s rare. You asking me to clear the room.”

“For me, either way is fine.”

Several days had passed since clearing the Lagias Dungeon. After thinking it over in his own way, Hiroto concluded there was only one choice, and he visited the Astera Ducal House.

“I’m giving this to you. What you do with it is up to you.”

“…This wasn’t made with modern technology.”

The object he pulled from his pocket—a golden, perfectly cubic shape—floated gently in place the moment it left Zeke’s hand.

There was no magical mechanism, and Zeke was not controlling it. The object itself hovered, held aloft by some alien force.

“This is the core of what they call the alternative plan. The key’s blueprint.”

“—‘Spearize.’ I only knew it was mentioned in documents, but I never imagined it truly existed.”

For years, the royal family and the ducal house had investigated and pursued it: the “Key,” the “Guide,” and “Spearize.” Zeke returned with one of them in hand in a short time.

To Actol, Zeke felt more threatening than the hostile faction stirring the kingdom.

“If you’d wasted time on something that didn’t exist, you’d have ended as nothing but fools… lucky you.”

“…Whatever you do, don’t say things like that in front of the king.”

Actol felt a sense of crisis—slowly, but surely, something was beginning to move.

“With this, we’ll duplicate the key. If that happens, there’ll be no need to go out of our way to gather the ‘keys’—including that woman.”

“From the enemy’s perspective, it increases their options. Is it impossible to destroy it?”

With Zeke, a powerful existence, at Ciel’s side, it was easy to imagine the enemy gave up on Ciel and turned to “Spearize” as an alternative. That was likely why Zeke had rushed to the Lagias Dungeon.

“If I could do that, I wouldn’t need you.”

“…As expected. Still, it’s ironic. To think it was found in the Lagias Domain.”

Considering Lagias’s connection to things, neither the “Key” nor “Spearize” would leave a good taste. Actol could not measure Zeke’s true intent in securing it and bringing it here.

“Hah. Then why don’t you do it instead? I’m not interested. So… what are you going to do with it?”

“It isn’t wise for you, a Lagias, to hold it. But for me to hold it, either…”

He had no intention of overestimating his own strength. He had some martial training, but with the enemy’s full scope unknown, he had no desire to stand on the front line himself.

“There is someone we could count on as fighting power, but… their personality is a problem.”

“…Do what you want. That’s your subordinate, isn’t it?”

Zeke frowned, as if he immediately understood who Actol meant. His intent—he had no desire to get involved—came through clearly.

Zeke stood up. With his business done, he looked ready to leave.

“Wait a moment. …There is information you should hear.”

“Say it already. Unlike you, I’m not free.”

Actol felt inwardly exhausted by Zeke’s constant foul mouth.

“About that squad leader you’re ‘friends’ with… it seems he’s been sent on a rather troublesome mission. A nail that sticks up gets hammered down, I suppose?”

“Hah. Have you lost your mind? I don’t have friends. I’ve got no intention of getting cozy with anyone.”

Zeke left the room.

Left behind, Actol stared at “Spearize” and muttered to himself.

“…Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

As the sun tilted, the town gradually dyed itself crimson. Looking at the Rent Domain town where time flowed slowly, Glanz felt a faint nostalgia.

“When your thoughts won’t come together, taking a walk isn’t a bad idea.”

“…I never had time for walks.”

Glanz brought the withdrawn Van outside. Eris and Atri were not here.

People moved through the streets: residents finishing work, adventurers, a mother returning from shopping with her child, soldiers on patrol. The everyday life of this town filled their view.

“You said you traveled various regions as a peddler, didn’t you? …Is your body all right now?”

“You’re making it sound bigger than it is. It wasn’t a serious wound.”

Van did not look like he was forcing himself. Between Eris’s treatment and Zeke likely holding back, Glanz judged Van was physically fine. By contrast, he felt Zeke had shown no mercy toward Feluart, who had disappeared.

On the opposite side of the road, a man and a boy—likely father and son—ran past. The boy wore a pure, innocent smile as he looked at his father. Seeing them, Van wore a sad expression, as if something stirred inside him.

“…Are you going to lecture me? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Ho-ho. Once you get old, it’s human nature to want to say a thing or two.”

“You’re not that old, are you…?”

Compared to Masfelt, Van’s grandfather, Glanz looked somewhat younger.

“In the sense that I have a grandchild, I’m a grandpa too. Now then, we’ve arrived.”

“…? This is an empty lot?”

Guided by Glanz, they arrived at a small vacant lot. No one was here—an unremarkable patch of open ground. Glanz walked into it.

“It seems soldiers sometimes use this place for training. I already obtained permission, so don’t worry.”

“Permission…? What are we doing?”

Smiling, Glanz began constructing magic. A sphere appeared in his palm, and he plunged his hand into it without hesitation.

After a gesture like he was rummaging through a bag, he pulled out a training sword with its edge blunted.

Glanz tossed it to Van with a “here you go.” Glanz held the same kind of sword himself.

“Wait—what are you doing?”

“As you can see, I thought we’d have a bout.”

Van understood the words, but confusion dominated him. He had expected some lesson from experience—he never imagined a sword match.

“That’s not normal. You’re a mage, aren’t you, Glanz-san? Why with a sword…”

“Hm. Are you saying you can’t compete with a mage using a sword?”

Glanz asked with a cheerful smile. Van felt apologetic, but he could not exactly go all-out and injure him. He decided to answer honestly.

“Is that so? But, Van-san—didn’t you slash at Zeke-san when he was unarmed?”

That one line violently shook Van’s emotions. His grip on the sword tightened on its own.

“…Fine. Then I won’t hold back.”

“Yes, that’s fine. Please go first.”

At Glanz’s signal, Van stepped in fast. A single strike that prioritized speed, denying any opening for a counterattack.

There was no way he would lose to Glanz, a mage, in his own profession—swordsmanship. He intended to show him up and end it in one decisive exchange. No—he thought he had ended it.

“—Huh?”

“Match decided.”

He had swung to knock the other sword aside, but instead his own sword was batted away. Glanz’s blade pointed at the tip of Van’s nose.

“Van-san. It’s a serious mistake to assume mages only handle magic. Mana is finite, after all.”

The Glanz in front of Van no longer wore a cheerful smile. A warrior with a tightened expression stood there instead.