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“This is nice.”

Daniel admired it purely as he clenched and unclenched the gauntlet.

That was not all.

Ono and Rena also equipped themselves with armor and weapons that fit them.

Rena, a mage, chose relatively light leather armor and a dagger.

Daniel chose full plate armor.

He had only removed and transferred the red ornament from his signature helm.

Daniel had, in effect, newly acquired almost all of his weapons and armor.

‘You’re excited.’

Hamel snorted and inspected the newly received equipment.

The master smith, owner of the forge, handed over the gear Hamel had collected and asked.

“How is it?”

It’s a sturdy dagger sheath.

Its design prevented the dagger from falling out even when running or hanging upside down; it was strong enough to resist scratches from most blades.

Moreover, each dagger in the sheath looked to be of a quality that wouldn’t be out of place as a primary weapon.

Using these merely as throwing weapons felt excessive.

But Hamel had no need for more since he already possessed the talisman as his main weapon.

Instead, he accepted armor made of leather and special alloys, and several pieces of combat gear.

‘Even this alone would require paying a year’s budget of Haidern for luxury items.’

Hamel gave a wry smile and thanked the master smith.

“Very good. Thank you. Noya.”

“If the hero makes good use of them, I am the one who should be thankful.”

The master was pleased that the items had found their proper owners.

Hamel bowed to him and left the craftsman’s armory.

The appearance of the party was markedly different from when they had come in.

“Waaaah!”

Children in the street gasped when they saw Hamel and his companions emerge from the forge.

Feeling their admiration, Hamel muttered softly.

“…This is somewhat embarrassing.”

Hamel felt unexpectedly embarrassed and got on his horse.

Rupert, who had been waiting outside, laughed as if Hamel’s reaction amused him.

“Only now are you dressed to suit your reputation.”

“What was I like before…?”

“Put it nicely, you were like a poor mercenary.”

So what would it be if put poorly?

Hamel suppressed that curiosity and nodded repeatedly.

For whatever reason, Hamel was the lord of Haidern’s domain.

And Daniel and the others were Hamel’s retainers.

It was clearly his fault that they had been made to look worse than mercenaries.

“I should pay a little more attention from now on.”

Ono, who heard Hamel’s resolve beside him, snorted in derision.

“Ha, you’ll just keep plunging into danger, so don’t pretend to care about such things. Aren’t you going to turn all this into rags before long anyway?”

Rena, unusually, nodded at Ono’s words.

“I don’t care much about outward appearance either.”

“Right. What use is all this? The important thing is that we are together.”

Daniel’s serious reply quieted everyone around.

“….”

“….”

“Er… Sir Daniel.”

“What is it?”

“It’s… nothing.”

Hamel held back what he wanted to say and shut his mouth.

From his new armor to the spear.

The cloak and accessories, and even the sword and daggers.

For someone who seemed to have brought out an entire armory, it felt a bit unfitting to say that aloud.

Hamel simply resolved that he truly must pay attention from now on.

Two days north of Sturnhelm.

They rode fast and arrived at Snowglume.

Locals called the village ‘Nunbitgol’, the translated name being ‘Eye-light Hollow’.

“Here we are.”

Hamel dismounted and looked around.

A small village with not even twenty houses.

People gathered by a small stream running through the village, as if to herald the coming of spring.

The residents, who had no real defenses against strangers, seemed thoroughly tense at the visitors.

Among them, an old man who seemed to be the village head stepped forward cautiously.

“Um… Knights, what brings you to a place like this…?”

Instead of stepping forward as usual, Hamel turned to Rupert and spoke.

“You, the Lord, should step forward here. That will reassure the domain residents, won’t it?”

“Would that be so?”

Rupert nodded and calmly stepped forward.

There was something slightly different from his usual demeanor.

There was a gravity to his words and actions.

“I am Rupert Glenval of the house Glenval, guardian of the North.”

“Ah, oh my. I failed to recognize such an esteemed person.”

It seemed somewhat cold, but Hamel did not take it too seriously.

After all, this was a region his family governed.

When the old man hurriedly bowed, Rupert waved his hand.

“Enough. Rather, tell me one thing. Have there been any strange occurrences in the village lately?”

“Um… By strange occurrences?”

“For example, a strange stranger appearing.”

“Ah!”

Only then did color return to the old man’s face as he answered.

“So that’s why you’ve come. Thank you!”

“Tell us.”

Rupert’s expression and tone were unexpectedly intimidating.

Hamel thought for a moment to interject but quickly dropped the idea.

He did not want to undermine that authority.

‘This too is an experience, I suppose.’

Hamel silently watched Rupert.

The old man, seemingly nervous, began to stammer out his words.

“That stranger came here about two weeks ago. He stopped in the village to buy some provisions, then went into the forest.”

“The forest, huh.”

“Yes, villagers say they’ve seen him going to and from the forest a few more times, as if he was staying there.”

“I see.”

Just then, as Rupert furrowed his brows.

The old man opened his mouth as if his story was not yet finished.

“Uh… and for a few days now, strange sounds have been heard from that forest.”

“Strange sounds?”

“Yes. At night you can hear a woman’s laughter going ‘kkiiik’ or the like.”

“Laughter you say…”

Rupert glanced at Hamel and muttered.

Hamel slowly shook his head.

That alone was not enough to draw a conclusion.

It was then.

A young woman stepped forward and spoke.

“Chief, please tell him that too…”

“Hey. You fool. It’s that you must be getting forgetful, that’s what it is.”

“Wait a moment. Let’s hear it.”

Hamel stopped the old man and said.

The old man replied, looking embarrassed.

“Well, this child is the newborn of a young wife who gave birth not long ago. The baby keeps being found in places different from where she left it.”

“…I see. Thank you for telling us.”

Hamel nodded slowly.

If it had been a year ago, he would have had no inkling, but now it was different.

A familiar déjà vu passed through Hamel’s mind.

‘Woman’s laughter and a newborn.’

Hamel calmly nodded.

He felt he knew what it was.

The only nameless tavern and inn in Snowglume.

Hamel sat there to pass the time.

The investigation was to start after sunset, so he needed to rest his body now.

The tavern, with Hamel and the knights inside, was quite noisy.

“Yes, coming through! One moment!”

The owner and his serving son, welcoming a large influx of customers after a while, ran about busily carrying food and drinks.

Hamel sipped his tea at the table, watching the scene.

─clatter

Someone came and sat at the table where Hamel was sitting.

It was a man wearing a brown hood pulled down.

He looked somewhat like a monk and addressed Hamel.

“It is a fine village.”

“…Yes. Indeed.”

For a moment, the tense body of Hamel relaxed slightly.

A deep, composed voice.

It sounded like the voice of a middle-aged man.

And the hair visible under the hood was brown.

At least it was not David.

By the way, it was a robe that hid his face.

‘An unusual outfit for a villager.’

While Hamel thought that, the man spoke.

“You don’t seem like an ordinary person. May I read a fortune for you?”

“No. That’s fine.”

“Wait, excuse me.”

Despite Hamel’s refusal, the hooded man reached out and snatched Hamel’s cup.

Hamel frowned slightly.

It was rude regardless of Hamel’s status.

Just as Hamel was about to say something, the man spoke.

“What you seek is to the north.”

“….”

Hamel paused and listened to his words.

The hooded man looked at the sediment at the bottom of the teacup and continued.

“What you seek isn’t here. Leave this to your companions and it would be best if you head north.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well. Fortunes are inherently hard to understand. Still, isn’t that fairly easy-to-understand advice?”

The man shrugged, then paused and clicked his tongue.

“Ah. I must be off now.”

The man pulled his hood further down and stood up.

“….”

He had a strange air about him.

As Hamel watched him for a moment, Daniel came over and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“No. It’s just…”

Hamel frowned for a moment, then caught the tavern owner’s attention and asked.

“May I ask something briefly? Do you know who the person who was talking with me earlier was?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean that hooded fellow who just left?”

“Exactly.”

“No. I’ve never seen him before. Wasn’t he one of the priest’s party?”

─Swish

Hamel quickly rose from his seat and headed outside the inn.

But outside there was already no one.

The hooded man had vanished as if in smoke.

“…I made a mistake.”

Hamel scolded himself and clicked his tongue.

He shouldn’t have let him slip away so easily; he had been careless.

Hamel slowly mulled over what the man had said.

He had said that what Hamel sought was not here but to the north.

North of here would mean….

Northwatch.

It was the place of a fortress built to guard against raiders.

Was he being told to go there?

Hamel pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

They had not yet resolved the matter here.

He could not move based on the words of someone whose motives were unknown.

Hamel waited for night with an uneasy feeling.

The world darkened and the white moon rose.

On a tranquil night when even the parents keeping watch beside the child had dozed off.

In the quiet, filled only with the chirping of insects, something moved within the darkness.

─clack

The window of the child’s room quietly opened.

A figure poked its face in from outside the window.

A monster with green skin and cat-like pupils that bulged out.

The red horns jutting from its head made it look at a glance like it wore a red cap upside down.

It was a demon commonly called a Redcap.

In one of its hands, the newborn slept softly.

The Redcap hid in the moonlit shadows and quietly slipped out of the house.

As the Redcap crept toward the forest, it was then that.

“I’ve been waiting.”

Someone blocked its path.

Why would a person be here at this hour?

The Redcap, confused, put down the child and attempted to flee.

The hand of the one blocking its way flashed.

The next moment, something sharp pierced the Redcap’s chest.

Its body was lifted and smashed into a wall; it didn’t even realize what had happened to it.

“…Kerk!”

The man stepped forward toward the vermin that was spewing green blood.

In his hand he held the child the Redcap had dropped.

Just then, the moonlight that had been hidden by clouds poured out and illuminated the man before them.

Beneath the man’s hooded robe, blue eyes and silver hair glinted and shone.

He murmured as if it had gone as expected.

“So it was indeed the work of a Redcap. Then the one in the forest must be the White Lady.”

At the man’s words, the Redcap blinked, seemingly not understanding.

The man looked down at the demon and spoke coldly.

“Because the same thing happened once before.”

“…?”

“Rest in peace.”

Hamel swung his sword without mercy.

With the fallen head behind him, Hamel turned around.

His gaze was already set on the next prey.