Chapter 25

I suddenly opened my eyes, bothered by a bright light hitting my face.

The source of the light was sunlight streaming through the window.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I checked my knight-issue watch; the time was in the middle of 7:00 AM.

In a normal life, that’s a standard time to wake up, but for a member of the Knight Order, it was about two hours late.

Wait… why did I sleep until this hour?

Normally, I’d either be awake by now or have been hammered awake by a colleague around 6:00 AM. Thinking that, I sat up, only to realize I wasn’t on a cheap bed but sprawled out on a hard carpet.

As I lifted my upper body, the scent of alcohol and a loud chorus of snoring echoed from all around. Scattered liquor bottles, chairs, tables with leftover cold food… and then, seeing a spear with familiar decorations leaning against the wall, my hazy memories finally snapped into focus.

“Crap… did I stay out all night? Even if I rush back, I won’t be able to talk my way out of this. This is bad.”

My absence had likely already been discovered. Returning would mean a pay cut, a formal apology, and being assigned to chore duty for a while. No matter how much I functioned as the “poster boy” for the Knight Order, rules were rules. I had to take my punishment.

By the way, the details of “chores” usually didn’t mean cleaning… it meant helping Nonoka-san at the purification plant or assisting the Tool Creation Squad with fundraising. Helping Nonoka-san was famous for ruining one’s appetite, as it involved handling Orc innards or using magic to forcibly rot Orcs. As for fundraising, working with the nightmarish Kijim Triplets had a reputation for guaranteed mental collapse.

I personally thought the former—handling the familiar Orc corpses—was easier.

…When I said that, everyone around me recoiled in disgust. I wonder why.

When you hack open an Orc’s belly, the guts spill out sometimes; shouldn’t they be used to it?

…When I said that, everyone around me just silently shook their heads. I wonder why.

“U-Um…”

Suddenly called from behind, I turned to see a timid-looking girl staring at me, holding a tray with medicinal pills and water. She looked to be around ten years old. I couldn’t tell if her downturned eyebrows were just her natural face or if she was wary of me.

The girl held out the tray with a thin voice.

“Medicine… it helps with hangovers…”

“Ah, right… I’m okay. Give it to the others instead. Like those guys over there.”

I felt a bit sluggish, but I didn’t have a headache, so I urged her to prioritize the pathetic, serious cases among the men sprawled everywhere—the ones who smelled most of booze and were groaning through beads of greasy sweat.

“Ugh… abaaah…”

“Stop groaning… it’s echoing in my head…”

A few of them were awake, but they remained slumped over the tables, likely due to massive headaches. Looking closely, the man who had spit on the wooden sword yesterday was among them.

However, the moment the girl looked toward them, she shook her head.

“Those people have an unpaid tab… no service for them.”

“I-I see… are you from this shop, by any chance?”

“I’m not ‘you,’ I’m Baum. My papa is the manager… I just help with the morning cleanup. By the way, are you Knight Varna? You were in the newspaper, and Papa and the others were talking…”

“…It’s rare for people in the provinces to read the newspaper. Yes, that’s right. I’m Varna.”

Since this country’s newspaper companies are concentrated in the Royal Capital, it takes time for transport to reach the provinces. The content also rarely concerns local affairs, so subscribers are few. Perhaps they bought it to check on the exploits of the town’s pride, Senior Garmon.

As I thought this, the girl furrowed her downturned brows even further and muttered under her breath.

“They said you’re a bad person who puts on a big face even though you stole Garmon-san’s credit at the Imperial Matches.”

“Dynamic trash-talk!? And it’s a false accusation!?”

I had absolutely no idea what she meant by me taking the senior’s credit. Was she perhaps referring to the title of Top Knight? It was true that Senior Garmon had more match victories this year, but I couldn’t very well be blamed for that. It was the King, after all, who decided the Top Knight.

“Listen, Baum-chan. I have never once in my life claimed the senior’s credit as my own, okay? Also, it might not have been in the newspaper, but the senior received a medal as an elite knight too, you know?”

“Liar. Papa said so. He said the knight Varna loves women, slacks off, drinks all day, and must have climbed the ranks by bullying knights he didn’t like. He said you’re called ‘The Decapitator’ because you get rid of troublesome senior knights one after another, right?”

“The factual errors are so massive I don’t even know where to start correcting them!?”

An “evil knight” so perfectly depicted would be hard to find even if you searched the dungeons. The rumors had grown so many fins and feathers that even my nickname and its meaning had been transformed; people’s gossip truly is a terrifying thing. Or rather, if this was the information reaching a child, I might already be hated by a significant portion of the townspeople.

As I held my head at the shocking situation, Baum-chan suddenly laughed as if she found it funny.

“Actually, I don’t really believe Papa’s stories.”

“Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard all year…”

Apparently, she had been half-teasing me. Who was it that said once a girl can talk, she’s already an adult woman? Completely fooled by the girl’s mischievous acting, I slumped my shoulders and sighed. Her downturned eyebrows seemed to be natural, but I felt no wariness or hesitation in her smile.

“Nagi-niichan said you were a good person too, so I’ll believe in Varna-san.”

“…Then I’ll have to produce results worthy of that trust. If I’m thought of as an evil knight, my name as a knight is ruined.”

“We don’t believe that anymore. Not after seeing that yesterday…”

“Ah, Papa…”

From behind Baum, the stern shop master I had seen yesterday appeared. His face wore a bitter look, as if he were somewhat ashamed of himself, and he grumbled while clearing the tables.

“Interfering in a one-on-one fight is a man’s shame, but someone who can boldly repel that interference like you did is no ordinary man. Besides, your resolve regarding the fight with the Orcs… your ‘speech’ yesterday fully conveyed your sincerity.”

“…Speech?”

“Why and for what purpose you fight Orcs. For what purpose you protect the pride of a knight. The principles you must follow even if you have to suppress that pride… it’s frustrating. If you had been born in this town, maybe this militia would have been different.”

“…Varna-san, you talked about stuff like that?”

Baum-chan turned a curious gaze toward me. In her own way, she seemed to have a fair amount of interest in what it meant to be a knight.

I dearly wanted to live up to that secret expectation and recreate that “speech” from yesterday, but unfortunately, that was impossible.

“Master. How much had I been drinking?”

“They kept pouring it for you because your face didn’t change color at all, but you stayed awake until the very end. You’ve got a high tolerance for your age.”

“Wow, you’re strong with alcohol as well as the sword. Varna-san is cool…”

“No, I get drunk easily. When I gave that speech, I was probably hammered—it just didn’t show on my face.”

“…”

“…”

The warmth rapidly drained from the gazes of the tavern father and daughter.

“You really don’t remember? After giving such an eloquent speech?”

“When I get drunk, my memory vanishes completely. I don’t remember a shred of it.”

“Varna-san is uncool…”

O young girl, forgive me for shattering your dreams. This is the reality of the kingdom’s strongest knight.

I have a bad habit where I get drunk quickly, and then keep drinking while I’m drunk. According to those around me, when I drink, I become a “justice man” who is so incredibly idealistic that it’s embarrassing to listen to. I say “according to them” because, needless to say, the next day I completely forget everything I did while intoxicated.

To top it off, my body processes alcohol ridiculously fast, so I’ve never even had a hangover.

“I can’t tell if that constitution of yours is a blessing or a curse… Well, want to grab some breakfast before you go?”

“I’ll take you up on that. How much do I owe you?”

“Nagi said yesterday’s tab was on him. I’ll throw in the breakfast as a courtesy. Let’s just call it even for all the trash-talking I did, yeah?”

“I wasn’t worried about it. Still, I should go thank Nagi later… Oh, come to think of it, I don’t see him. Is he awake already? Hey, where does he usually hang out?”

Woken up by my conversation with the master, the surrounding drunks began to pipe up.

“Ugh… if it’s the leader… he’s doing laps by the river in the morning…”

“No, he’d go drop off supplies to the guys watching for Orcs first… Ow, my head!?”

“Dammit, between this knight and Nagi, what is the youth’s liver coming to these days…?”

…The hostility from yesterday is gone. Is it because I blabbed about so much while I was drunk?

It wasn’t exactly a dignified way to handle things, but I suppose you could call it a blessing in disguise. There’d likely be a lecture and punishment waiting for me when I got back, but putting my body on the line had served a purpose of sorts.

There are people in the places where Orcs appear; there are lives being lived, and people with feelings. If we just exterminate them and call it a day, things will eventually fall apart. That’s why we need to get to know each other.

Better to take the long way around and understand than to let a tragedy happen through ignorance. At least, that’s how I see it.

The town of Cliffia had suffered heavy damage due to the Orc sightings. While there was damage to crops, the most fatal blow was the closure of the quarry. This town, which had built its fortune on the shipment of high-quality stone, relied on the masonry industry for fifty percent of its economy.

For Cliffia, the stone industry was its financial jugular.

That was why the Cliffia Militia was so anxious; they knew that if the halt in quarrying dragged on, it would lead to catastrophic losses for the town.

“Tch, those Knight Order guys scurrying around in their fancy boots… They’re tirelessly prowling the same spots we already searched.”

“I don’t think they’re going to find anything no matter how many times they check places the locals already cleared.”

“Quaaa… I’m sleepy. We’re out of emergency rations; is the food and the shift change not here yet…?”

The young men, who were pulling all-nighters as part of the general consensus to monitor both the Orcs and the Knight Order, were understandably unable to hide their exhaustion.

“But hey. Is it really okay for us to just watch them? Shouldn’t we be looking in more places if we want to outdo them?”

“Don’t you ever say that in front of the seniors. Apparently, when we tried to expand our search to get the jump on them, the Knight Order was already scouting even further and more thoroughly. They’re pretty ticked off that their pride took a hit.”

One youth sighed with a look that was far from pleasant.

“I think it’d be better to cooperate with the Knight Order, but I guess that’s impossible…”

The Knight Order and the Militia currently showed no signs of a cooperative structure. The reason was that the Militia, starting with their leader Nagi, had been combative toward the knights even before talks began. Since it was obvious they would clash during negotiations, Mayor Ricky had arranged for a policy of mutual non-interference from the start to avoid trouble.

Nagi, who had met with the mayor beforehand, had agreed to it.

Whether that clever leader did so out of a personal grudge or because he judged it impossible to persuade his rowdy comrades remained unclear. Either way, the older members of the Militia interpreted the decision as “rejecting them for the sake of the Militia’s pride.”

The new recruits could somewhat understand the reasoning behind it.

“I don’t care if there are Orcs; this is our town. Who knows if the ‘dogs of the state’—who just take our taxes and give us nothing in return—will even do a proper job? Does anyone in this world help for free? What if they demand some exorbitant fee for their work later?”

“I mean, sure, but… Garmon-san is in the Knight Order too, you know? Would it really get that bad?”

“Ugh, well… but Garmon-san isn’t the most important guy in the order, right? Who knows what the rest of them are thinking!”

“I know that, I’m just saying reality doesn’t work out that smoothly.”

The hot-blooded youth bared his blatant wariness, but the calmer one couldn’t quite bring himself to agree. It was true they couldn’t trust them completely, but the other side was an elite group gathered from across the country—a group of professional monster hunters who had been fighting Orcs for nearly a century. Unlike a bunch of strong village men gathered for monster defense, their skill at killing Orcs was surely the real deal.

“What do we do if we find a nest? We can take down a few stragglers, but if amateurs charge into a whole pack of Orcs, people are gonna die.”

“So you’re saying we should just leave it all to them? That’s like letting them snatch the credit away from us after we’ve been the ones desperately protecting this town!”

“I want the credit, but I don’t wanna die… My head hurts.”

The youth who had been watching the knights through binoculars even while the other two were engrossed in conversation muttered in a thick dialect. The other two stopped talking immediately.

“If I die, I can’t get a wife, and I won’t be able to eat my fill of tasty food. Nothin’ good about it.”

“…I’d hate to die a virgin.”

“…Me too.”

Coincidentally, both of them remembered the first time they faced an Orc and shuddered.

Those bloodshot eyes bared with wicked, cruel intent, and sharp teeth that could easily crush bone. Furthermore, the first Orc they had encountered was carrying a large axe—wherever it had gotten it. It was far more powerful and terrifying than the stories suggested—an aberration that signaled a very clear “death” in a way they never expected from the “small-fry monsters” in tales.

The fear of death is something humans can never escape as long as they live. The giant wall separating a commoner from a knight lies in whether or not they can overcome that and fight.

“When I realized the shields we made for Orcs were just wood, I understood for the first time how it feels to be a log being split in two.”

“We only avoided casualties because Nagi-senpai hacked that axe apart, but even the seniors clearly had ‘I didn’t hear about this!’ written all over their faces, didn’t they?”

“They just laughed it off later, though.”

“…”

“…”

What would happen to them, caught between the pride of the seniors and the presence of the Knight Order? If ordered to head into a place of death, would they be able to fight without running away?

As an endless anxiety weighed down on the three of them, a familiar, cheerful voice broke the silence.

“—Don’t look like criminals being sent to an island! Am I really that untrustworthy?”

“Eh… C-Captain!?”

Standing there was the strongest warrior of the Militia they all admired, the younger brother of the town’s pride—Nagi.

“Yo guys, I brought food! The relief shift is coming soon too, so let’s eat while we wait!”

“The Captain himself brought it!? For recruits like us!?”

“Duh? You guys are doing the hardest job; what kind of Captain would I be if I couldn’t show you some appreciation?”

Grinning as he laid out a mat, Nagi opened the basket he was carrying and spread out the sandwiches inside. The young men, who had tasted nothing but water since late last night, stared at them, swallowing hard. At the sight of the colorful breakfast filled with fresh vegetables and meat, their suppressed hunger suddenly exploded, causing saliva to gush from the back of their mouths.

“Savor it so you don’t choke, alright?”

“Thank you very much!!”

“Thanks for the food!!”

“Yeah, eat up! I haven’t had breakfast either, so I’m joining you!”

Nagi possessed a charisma that was different from mere dignity or intimidation—a greatness of character that made people want to be drawn to and respect him. It felt good to be near him. The gloom from moments ago vanished, and the area was quickly warmed by the atmosphere of a lively meal.

He earned the respect of the older crowd through his skill and boldness, and he was popular with those his own age or younger for his friendly and considerate personality. The fact that the Militia—which hadn’t been of very high quality originally—had begun to pull together was largely due to Nagi’s efforts.

“Munch, munch… Oh, and about that stuff you guys were talking about earlier.”

“Ugh, you were listening!?”

“No, well, it’s not that we were being cowards or anything—”

Nagi cut off their desperate, prideful bluster with a hand. Swallowing his sandwich, he looked at the three of them with sincere eyes.

“Listen up, okay? …This is the Militia I lead. I won’t let a single one of you die in vain. No, I can’t let that happen.”

“—!!”

“…And that’s that. Got it?”

With only that, Nagi gave a sharp grin and went back to his meal. He made them certain that he felt that way from the bottom of his heart, as naturally as breathing.

During the fight with the stray Orc, it was Nagi who was the first to leap out and fight while the rest of the Militia stood frozen. It was always Nagi who put a stop to reckless plans. It was Nagi who encouraged everyone and raised their morale. And it was always Nagi who delivered a cool line and provided a strange sense of security, making them think, “Ah, I can’t compete with this guy.”

There was a charm to him that went beyond the label of “Garmon’s brother.” He was childish and far from the word “dignified,” yet his back looked large to them. That was why everyone in the Militia relied on Nagi.

‘*…What I just said wasn’t a lie. But, dammit. There are just too many things in this world that don’t go right with just me alone.*’

The fact that this trust was a heavy pressure on Nagi was something no one else—other than Nagi himself—needed to know.