Chapter 243 |
The Archmage sighed as she watched the Mountain Lord’s departing figure. At her feet were a few letters that it had laboriously scratched into the ground with its tail.
Those letters also served as both an explanation for its departure and a request to not stop it from leaving.
“It’s gone…”
“Really…?”
However, even if it couldn’t be kept from leaving, that didn’t mean that people wouldn’t be incredibly shaken by this event.
Even the soldiers who’d escorted her through the storm wore despairing looks on their faces. The favor the Mountain Lord had shown them had been a major support, so its absence hit them all the harder. Even the one knight who’d accompanied them couldn’t hide how gloomy he felt.
“Madam Great Sage, the conversation…”
“It said it never meant to stay for long. It only intervened because it took pity on the people, and the time for it to leave had simply come. At the very least, know it didn’t leave because it was angry at us.”
What was done was done. She couldn’t do anything about it. Honestly, they’d originally meant to get through this situation without relying on the Mountain Lord’s grace.
“Let’s go back.”
Having realized that, the Archmage let out yet another soft sigh. Every time this damn situation seemed to improve slightly, it just plunged right into a pit. It was insanely frustrating.
“Just when will things get better…”
It at least needed to reach the point where they could leave without worrying about these people anymore, but would there ever come a day when that would be the case? What if the conditions here didn’t improve after a month or two, but after half a year or more?
…By then, would they still be able to catch up with that person they’d lost?
Unable to be sure of anything, the Archmage trudged through the rain. Although her oilskin cloak covered her entire body, it couldn’t protect her hands and feet from getting wet. Needless to say, the wind forcing its way through the collar opening didn’t make things any better.
She carried on in silence, aware of her dropping body temperature.
“…?”
But just as they returned to the edge of the tent village, the Archmage spotted someone just outside the golden barrier. And since it was a familiar face, she couldn’t just ignore them.
After hesitating for a moment, the Archmage, seeing the platinum-blonde woman standing at a distance, motioned to the knight beside her.
“You can head back without me.”
“I’ll escort you.”
“Shouldn’t you report to the lord that the Mountain Lord has left? I can explain the details later, but the fact it left remains the same either way.”
“…I’ll leave two soldiers with you.”
“There’s no need for that…”
What wrongs had these soldiers committed for them to be left behind in the rain with her? Just because their bodies were trained didn’t mean they couldn’t feel the cold.
Still, the knight insisted on leaving two with her. The Archmage felt a little guilty about them as she moved toward her changed destination.
“Why are you out here?”
“Wizard.”
Having seemingly spaced out, Berserk raised her lowered head half a beat later. The strangely calm atmosphere around her since the fight sometimes made her seem like someone entirely different from the Berserk she knew.
Like the person she’d been calling her older sister, but younger and more worn out. Just like that.
“I found the turtle.”
While the Archmage refrained from voicing this sentiment she couldn’t quite place, Berserk suddenly spoke up. The turtle. The Archmage realized what she meant a second later.
“Ah, you found it?”
She’d thought Berserk didn’t particularly care about it, considering she’d only briefly searched for it after it disappeared. But could she have been mistaken? Had she perhaps secretly looked for it alone all this time? Had she been worried she might trouble others if she asked for help?
The Archmage found herself feeling a bit melancholic at that thought. She hadn’t realized just how much Berserk cared about that little turtle.
“But…”
But if she’d found it, why wasn’t it in her hand? It wasn’t on her shoulder, in her pocket, or inside her clothes, either. Why?
Could it be?
Just as the Archmage’s mind reached the worst possible conclusion, Berserk opened her mouth again.
“It returned to where it’s supposed to be.”
Fortunately, the answer was different from what she’d expected. Although, those words could still be interpreted rather… negatively.
“I… see.”
If those words came from someone standing blankly in the rain, didn’t that almost make it sound like the turtle had died?
If it were the Berserk she’d come to know, she would either state it straightforwardly or remain completely silent…
But the Archmage wasn’t good at reading people. Just like with the Demon Knight, there was no guarantee that Berserk wouldn’t do the unexpected.
“It’s not dead.”
“Ah.”
Maybe she’d been overthinking. The Archmage felt relieved.
“Then… did it return to the sea?”
“I don’t know. But I’m sure it went somewhere nice.”
But one thing still didn’t make much sense to her. Didn’t Berserk find and release it? Or did she simply spot it leaving for somewhere and just told her this…? If she’d released it herself, she wouldn’t have said she didn’t know.
“…It’s good that it left safely. So, then… Did you come out just to see it off?”
“Hmm…”
How truly strange. As the Archmage tangled herself up in too many thoughts, Berserk, who’d trailed off, finally agreed.
“I guess you could say I came to see it off.”
In her hand was a piece of metal the Archmage had never seen before.
“Why are you out here, Wizard?”
“I stepped out for a bit to ask the Mountain Lord something.”
“Is that so?”
“Right.”
Before the Archmage could look at it properly, Berserk turned around. The heavy, amber eyes that didn’t fade even in the rain turned to look at the barrier shining in a light different from their own.
“Are you heading back?”
“The conversation is over, after all. And you?”
“I have no more business here, either.”
“Then let’s go back together.”
She’d only stopped in this place because she saw Berserk.
If Berserk was heading back, there was no more reason for her to stay here, either. Feeling a bit sorry for the soldiers who’d been further drenched in rain because of her, she waited for Berserk’s answer.
“Sure.”
Fortunately, she didn’t refuse. She’d secretly been a little worried she’d get rejected—not that she really had a reason for it—but was relieved she wasn’t. Even if they’d only be walking together for a short while.
“Are you going back to work?”
“No use lazing around.”
“I don’t think anyone would even dare to think you’re being lazy just because you rest a bit… So, are you working right now?”
“I’m just helping dig some drainage channels in the outskirts.”
“I see…”
Of all places, why must she choose the most dangerous? She undeniably had the strength to easily lift what even a few grown men together couldn’t, not to mention her stamina, but as her Companion, the Archmage couldn’t help feeling worried.
After carefully laying out her words, the Archmage finally asked her not to overdo it.
“Be careful not to catch a cold. Make sure to take some breaks.”
Berserk only listened and didn’t answer. Whether that silence meant she’d accepted or refused her words would probably reveal itself later.
It was about time they split up to head to their destinations.
“Right. Do you happen to know where Meister is? Or have you seen him anywhere?”
Just as one was about to return to their workplace and the other to where the Temple’s and the lord’s forces were gathered, the Archmage asked one last question.
She asked out of a sense of responsibility stemming from both the chance Surging Azure Lake had given her and the obligation to let him know his grandson was safe.
“Should I look for him?”
“His grandfather is just worried about his well-being. If you don’t know, you needn’t go out of your way to look for him. If you see him, though, just let him know I’m looking for him.”
“Alright. I’ll pass it on if I see him.”
Berserk didn’t refuse her request.
As such, the two parted ways. They walked on, unaware of what awaited them at their respective destinations.
* * *
* * *
“Why are you back so soon? Could you not find him?”
“I did find him.”
Meanwhile, Daniel bowed his head to his senior, who’d taken on more work so that he could act freely.
He was here as part of the reinforcements. If his senior hadn’t picked up his slack, he wouldn’t have been able to ask around about the black-flame Demon or talk to the Envoy’s Companions when he decided that line of inquiry wasn’t bearing fruit.
“He just said he had something to take care of… and told me to come back later.”
“Figures. Still, it’ll probably be hard to get time to talk with him later, though.”
“We agreed to meet again in the evening. You don’t have to show me any more consideration.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
However, the short time he’d gained thanks to this senior’s consideration had ended up somewhat wasted due to the other party’s refusal. It hadn’t been entirely meaningless since they’d managed to make an appointment, but still.
“Thank you again.”
“Don’t mention it. Just don’t let the captain catch you. I told him you went to the bathroom.”
“…Yes.”
Had he known that things would turn out like this, he would’ve just waited until his designated free time in the evening. Ultimately, there was no guarantee that the Demon that had appeared here was the same one he considered his sworn enemy.
However, Daniel knew just how unrealistic that was. Before making that appointment, he’d kept shaking his legs, unable to calm down.
In that sense, the appointment had at least helped relieve some of his anxiety. Even if people might say it had been a waste of time, at least that effect was of some help.
He just felt sorry for his senior who’d lent him his time.
“Don’t worry too much. You think I can’t understand how you feel?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
It was a good thing his senior was a genuinely generous person. Grateful for his boundless lenience, Daniel focused on the task he’d originally been assigned.
Since the relief supplies had all been delivered, the only thing that remained was setting up tents for them to stay in. The Temple’s forces had already put up most of them, so only a few new ones had to be pitched.
“Once the tents are set up, we’ll have a meal and receive the handover.”
“We’re really short on people, huh?”
“I guess so.”
Still, the senior shook his head, saying they’d never be asked to do high-intensity work right after braving the wind and rain coming here. Even the famously resilient and sturdy inquisitors would burn out quickly if forced to march while drenched in rain, so it was a reasonable prediction.
“The security is mostly stable, so you’ll probably be assigned guard duty or security management.”
Digging ditches or repairing and reinforcing tents were more physically demanding than maintaining security. Those could be handled by mobilizing residents instead of high-level personnel—provided they were compensated with rations.
So, they’d probably be assigned tasks that civilians couldn’t do.
“They might even put us in charge of ration distribution. I hear there are still many disturbances around that.”
“You’re already well-informed on the situation here.”
“As if. You would’ve heard these things as well if you’d just stayed here, you punk.”
The senior gave him a light smack on the back that didn’t really hurt and handed him what he needed for his task. With the frame already set up, they just needed to secure the tent cloth.
“If you’re not going to give us food, at least let us eat the horses!”
“Yeah, there are dozens of them!”
But not long after starting their work, they learned the Mountain Lord had left. Consequently, hungry people began to gather in the streets.
“Why are you hoarding them when just one horse could feed dozens?!”
“This…”
The place they were setting up tents happened to be near the area under the control of this city’s Temple. And since the people had gathered around the Temple, the voices drilled right into their ears, whether they liked it or not. Eventually, a few of the workers finishing up their tasks paused and turned toward the loud people.
“…Once the weather clears, they’ll be used by the hunters.”
“If everyone had the mental capacity to think about that, they wouldn’t be kicking up a fuss like this.”
“True.”
They both knew the value of horses and the desperation of those driven to the edge of a cliff, so instead of rebuking them, they only expressed their sympathy. It wasn’t much, but that was all they could do.
“Martin, Daniel. Go give them a hand over there.”
That, however, changed slightly when they finished setting up the tents and were assigned different roles—mealtime included. Daniel and his senior were assigned to manage the horses.
Although unlikely, it would be a serious problem if someone actually decided to target the horses.
“Four inquisitors are being deployed to guard the horses…”
Including the eight soldiers, that would mean twelve people were guarding the horses. Daniel reflexively frowned at this apparent excess.
“Don’t be too upset. It’s up to those who can see the bigger picture to bear the burden.”
“Yes.”
Still, this shouldn’t be a pointless task. Animals hunted by soldiers who mounted warhorses and the firewood and supplies carried by pack horses far outweighed what they’d gain from butchering a single horse.
Daniel firmly believed that as he waited for his handover. One of the two current guards inconveniently had to go to the toilet at the exact same time—despite not even being time for a shift change—so all he could do was wait.
“How’s the situation?”
“It’s not bad, I’d say…”
Then suddenly, his eyes fell on a familiar horse. It was while his senior and the inquisitor they were replacing chatted.
“That horse…?”
It had the large frame of a warhorse, a glossy coat, a slightly curly mane, an eye-catching appearance that even those unfamiliar with horses would describe as proud, and a nasty temper that had already driven off the other horses around it. And the moment it recognized Daniel, it began to stamp its hooves in discomfort.
No matter how he looked at it, this was definitely the horse he knew.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No… It’s nothing. I just happened to see a horse I recognize.”
Why was that horse here? Daniel pondered for a moment before realizing how foolish that question was.
Of course, that horse’s owner was traveling with the Envoy, and the Envoy was still here, so wasn’t it rather stupid to ponder over something like that?
It was a little strange that he hadn’t heard anything about the Demon Knight since coming here, but given the circumstances, maybe it wasn’t too odd. It wasn’t like the Demon Knight was the type to go around talking about his every little move.
“You recognize it?”
“It has such a distinct appearance that I can’t help doing so. I apologize for causing you to worry.”
“I don’t think this is something you have to apologize for, though…”
That was probably why he hadn’t heard anything about the Demon Knight while attempting to gather information from the Envoy and her Companions about the black-flame Demon.
Maybe he was acting too far outside the range of the citizens for anyone to know.
“Wait, by any chance… Are you talking about that horse? The one standing alone over there?”
“Huh? Yes. That’s the one…”
“Then do you know its owner as well?”
But Daniel’s hopes were soon shattered in a different sense.
“I wouldn’t say I know him that well… but we’ve talked before. Why are you asking…?”
“You’ll have to come with me.”
An ominous feeling, the same one he’d felt when he first heard the news about the death of one of his comrades, struck Daniel all of a sudden. And it wouldn’t take long for that feeling to turn to rage.
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