277

Chapter 277: Tell Me (7)

For an instant, I swallowed my breath at the heavy presence caught at the edge of my senses.

So even that bug bastard has started moving.

No.

This wasn't something I'd discovered first.

That thing had simply announced itself before I could.

I'm here.

I have descended upon this place.

Now that I've come here, turn your attention here at once.

Looks like the Exile has drawn a blade.

Was I afraid?

If you asked me that, well.

I wasn't.

I didn't know why, but I genuinely wasn't afraid.

There was neither basis nor evidence for it, yet confidence kept welling up endlessly inside me that even if that thing came right before my nose, I would be fine.

What are you going to do now?

But there was something else I felt certain of.

If things continued like this, I might be fine, but Mr. Richa wouldn't be.

At this rate, your hometown will be destroyed.

…Münmund wouldn't be fine.

“You'll probably get a little dizzy… I apologize in advance.”

Ignoring the way my body had begun to burn with pain, I hoisted Mr. Richa onto my back and gathered strength in my legs.

I had to pretend to be a mage.

That premise was still firmly in mind.

“Here we go.”

But honestly.

If I had to pretend to be a mage, didn't that simply mean whatever I did only had to look like magic to other people?

I dyed the surroundings pitch-black with lines of Mana, then began breaking through the forest at high speed.

Anyway, it was magic.

* * *

Emerald placed a hand over her stomach as sudden hunger gnawed at it.

Her throat was dry and rigid, as though dozens of days of drought had descended upon it.

“How absurd.”

But all of this was nothing more than an illusion.

Emerald swung her sword at the Orc charging toward her.

The instant the blade, nearly the size of an average adult, cut through the air, several lives were extinguished and blood sprayed wildly.

Slash!

Blood painted over the stones forming the city wall.

Meanwhile, the light of dawn was laying a golden veil across the world, as if trying to cover all of it once again.

“Lower the rope.”

“Y-yes!”

“Jardin, you go up first.”

“…Yes!”

Those atop the wall hurriedly lowered a rope.

Having abandoned all their luggage, Jardin grabbed it and began climbing.

With battlements protruding on either side of him, the only direction he had to worry about was behind him—or in front, depending on one's perspective.

ROOOOAAAR!!

Naturally, the demons had no intention of politely allowing a human to escape.

Orcs and other demons began charging toward Jardin.

“I shall pray for you, lowly things.”

But at present, Jardin was the only one climbing the rope.

“May you at least be born knowing your place in your next life.”

The moment the mages unleashed their spells and slaughtered the demons at the rear, Emerald reversed her grip on Bernstein's hilt and let the sword hang loosely downward.

The blade, amber-colored in accordance with its name, absorbed Mana and began glowing like molten lava.

A faint blue aura started rising from her entire body, reinforced with Mana.

One step.

Her waist twisted sideways, and the right arm holding Bernstein folded inward.

The blade rotated counterclockwise along with her arm and knocked aside an Orc's axe.

Slash!

Not even a full second later, Emerald expertly altered her grip and swung.

Held normally now, the sword passed cleanly through the Orc's neck.

Two steps.

The severed Orc head was still flying off to her left when her sword swept rightward and intercepted another demon.

A Goblin.

Adjusting for the short demon's height, her sword drew a diagonal line.

The Goblin's forearm and half its head were sliced away.

Three steps.

The hand that had pulled Bernstein's hilt to the left thrust the arm back toward the right.

Thud!

The second Orc's skull was pierced through.

Emerald pulled the sword upward from that position.

The blade split the skull apart from the inside as it emerged, shoved aside the Orc's weapon just as gravity began claiming it, and traced a circle.

Three and a half steps.

Thanks to precise control of force, the weapon caught upon her blade without either being cut apart or sliding free, and followed the sword to smash into the space before Emerald's left side.

Its victim was the Three-Eyed Hound standing there.

As the axe came down from above and struck the Three-Eyed Hound, Emerald's heel lifted.

Four steps.

Her body spun like a dancer, and the blade—rather long for a longsword—blossomed into a flower alongside her.

Slaaash!

The blood spraying outward was the paint decorating the flower she had bloomed.

Rustle.

The hem of her clothing, which had spread in a circle with her movement, settled softly back into place.

Not a trace of red stained the pure white fabric, almost unnaturally so.

“Otherwise, every breath you creatures take and exhale would be nothing but a waste.”

Flick.

With a single motion of her hand, all the blood gathered on the blade flew away.

Though she had advanced four steps, one light backward jump returned her exactly to where she had begun.

“Burn them!”

“Die!”

At the same time, the mages unleashed fire once more.

The demons trying to catch up to her either burned in the flames or abandoned pursuit in order to preserve their lives.

The spell might not have incinerated every demon, but it had fulfilled its purpose as a deterrent.

“……!”

Yet the instant the magic forced the demons back, Emerald's expression instead hardened.

Her blue hair rippled as she turned her head.

“What in the world is this Demonic Energy……!”

The Priests atop the wall screamed as well.

“Priest?”

“We need to ring the bell immediately—!”

But Emerald had no interest in the Priests' shouting.

She adjusted her grip firmly on her sword and straightened her posture.

Grrrrrr.

Perhaps realizing her attention had shifted elsewhere, the demons that had been hesitating began growling needlessly.

Whether they mistakenly believed whatever was approaching was an ally, or simply lacked the intelligence to comprehend fear, she could not tell.

“You lowly things…….”

Still, it was ridiculous.

And irritating.

At the sight of such worthless creatures trying to strut beneath another's authority, Emerald's graceful brows drew together.

BOOOOM!

“……!”

“An earthquake……?!”

At that moment, an invisible wave began rolling toward them from the forest.

It could hardly be called an earthquake, because no vibration came through the ground.

Yet neither could it be called an explosion, because there was no burst of light or scattering debris.

If anything, it was pure pressure.

An oppressive force carrying intent, like the roar of a dragon.

“…Gone again.”

And despite all that, it did not remain for long.

The threat that had been vivid enough to make her fingertips tingle vanished in an instant.

The demons hunched down.

Emerald's fingers loosened around her sword.

“…Ominous.”

“W-what in the world was that……?”

“Everyone, quiet…! No unnecessary chatter!”

“Dame Emerald, now!”

The demons, apparently terrified by the Demonic Energy that had vanished, showed no further intention of attacking.

Emerald firmly grasped the rope that had been lowered.

A knot tied near the bottom allowed her to stand on it.

Her sword remained unsheathed just in case, keeping the demons in check.

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“It seems hunger and thirst aren't the only reasons I have business in Münmund.”

If Emerald climbed the rope herself, there would be no way for her to block attacks from behind.

Therefore, the soldiers pulled the rope themselves, slowly hauling Emerald upward while she merely held on.

Neeeeigh!

GRRRAAAH!

Of course, the price was that the packhorse left behind without either Emerald's or Jardin's protection immediately began being torn apart by a Three-Eyed Hound.

It was a loss they had no choice but to accept.

“Congratulations on your return to Münmund……!”

“Yes.”

Still, she had safely reached the top of the wall.

That alone meant the packhorse's life had served a sufficiently valuable purpose.

With that, Emerald put the animal's death out of mind.

“Emeeeerald!!”

Instead, a new presence came rushing toward her.

Emerald extended Bernstein's blade forward.

Golden hair beginning to gleam brilliantly in the rising dawn skidded to an urgent stop before its tip.

“Whoa! What the hell is this?!”

“What does it look like, Topaz?”

“We haven't seen each other in a year, and you're going to act like this?”

“I assure you, I will act exactly the same even after a hundred years.”

“Cold… You're so cold!”

How had someone like that ever been granted a knight's gemstone name……?

Ignoring the whining knight, Emerald tossed Bernstein away.

Jardin, who had been waiting nearby, hurriedly caught it.

Apparently he'd been drinking water, because several droplets flew from the waterskin in his hand.

“Soldier, where is the Lord?”

“On the wall near Stern Tower.”

“Very well.”

Breaking through the demons' encirclement had left her considerably fatigued, but as a knight she could not delay her report.

Especially because she had confirmed on her journey here that the demons' encirclement was already complete.

Leaving the whining Topaz behind, Emerald started toward Stern Tower.

“I'm hungry…….”

“I'm thirsty too…….”

She passed numerous soldiers complaining of hunger and thirst.

“You're still terribly rough with that sword.”

“…Young Lord.”

She also encountered Münmund's Young Lord.

According to Münmund's laws, he was a man who would someday become her direct superior.

Well, unless she left this place before then.

“I know it was a sword you inherited unexpectedly, but it saddens me to see you treat it so carelessly.”

“…I will correct myself.”

“Please do.”

Regardless, Emerald narrowed her eyes at the admonishment she'd received immediately upon returning.

“If you hate seeing the sword of someone dear to you in another person's hands so much, you could simply ask me to give it back…….”

“Knight…….”

“Let's go.”

At least there was one fortunate thing.

She would likely never have to serve under that as her superior.

Emerald glanced toward the demonic territory beyond the army of demons.

Her blue-green eyes gleamed coldly.

.

.

.

“That knight leaves a bad impression every single time.”

“Young Lord…….”

“Yes, yes. I know without you saying it. I shouldn't behave like that toward a knight, much less the Chief Knight.”

Meanwhile, Günter, Münmund's Young Lord who had let Emerald leave, scratched his head.

His dark navy hair, a shade rare across the entire continent, shifted between his fingers.

“But what am I supposed to do when she gives me such a bad impression?”

“The basic courtesy would be not showing it.”

“Damn it. I treat everyone except that woman properly.”

“And what good is that when you're coldest toward the person you ought to value most?”

Günter scratched his head again at his guard knight's words.

“That is also an unbecoming habit. It makes you look undignified.”

His guard knight, stricter even than his father, struck him with another rebuke.

“Damn it, doesn't it make you angry too? Bernstein isn't a sword that deserves to be treated like that!”

“What sort of treatment does a sword need? A sword is simply a sword. If it can cut down an opponent, that is enough.”

“But still!”

“Young Lord, be honest. You don't hate seeing the sword Bernstein treated like cold stew. You hate seeing Knight Amber's keepsake treated like cold stew.”

“…Damn it. You know that, and you're still taking Dame Emerald's side?”

“Public and private matters are separate.”

But his guard knight was never wrong.

That was the problem.

Günter knew perfectly well how stupid his own behavior was.

“…That sword was supposed to pass down to Atya.”

“Yes. It was.”

“If Knight Amber was gone, naturally Atya should've inherited it. Or Alya. No, Alya doesn't use swords, so Pasha should've inherited it instead.”

“Under normal circumstances, yes.”

“But… but, damn it…….”

“…Young Lord.”

After all, what was strange about a sword whose original owner and intended inheritors had all vanished passing into the hands of someone capable of using it?

What was wrong with a keepsake that had lost its destination being placed in the hands of someone who fought for others rather than buried beneath the earth?

Furthermore, Dame Emerald possessed enormous Mana, like Knight Amber, while also being an exceptionally skilled knight.

In other words, she was the person capable of making the fullest use of Bernstein's unique traits.

Therefore, it was only right that she had inherited Bernstein.

Truly.

It was the right thing.

Truly… truly…….

“…Do you really think they're dead?”

“Who knows.”

“Sir Sapphire, answer me. Do you think they died?”

“…….”

Günter pressed his guard knight for an answer.

After a long silence, the guard knight finally spoke with a grave expression.

His long blue hair, from which the name Sapphire had been taken, looked almost like cascading tears.

“If they were alive, there is no reason they would not have come here.”

Günter's expression collapsed.

“Yes… you're right. If they truly were alive, there's no way they wouldn't have appeared by now.”

“…I know there are many suspicious aspects to their disappearance. But, Young Lord. You are not someone who can cling forever to one or two dead people. It is time to think about the future.”

“…Right.”

But he was the Young Lord.

A man who would someday have to become the commander protecting this land.

Unable to hide his emptiness, Günter slowly took in the wall with his eyes.

The wall from which his idol, his friend, and the younger siblings he'd taken in as his own had vanished was nevertheless filled with people.

“…The soldiers are complaining of hunger and thirst more than usual.”

Yet when he examined their complexions carefully, the situation did not look good.

Günter frowned as he thought about how hungry and thirsty he himself had been for some time.

No matter how he considered it, this many people—including himself—experiencing the same thing simultaneously was not normal.

“You too?”

“…Yes. It is still bearable, so I hadn't mentioned it. Are you experiencing the same thing, Young Lord?”

“It may be a curse.”

“I'll investigate.”

It was something that had never once occurred in Münmund.

But if one looked elsewhere, the cause was unexpectedly easy to identify.

“…I sincerely hope it isn't.”

“It is too early to conclude.”

“But you're already half convinced too, aren't you?”

“…….”

One of the two Great Demons fighting on the Northern Front.

The scavenger that lay beneath lotus leaves and lurked in the shade of reed beds, feeding upon corpses.

Or the beast that swallowed rivers, dried the earth, and brought famine.

The Plague-Bearer, Erysichthon.

“We'll need to assign guards to the food stores and wells.”

Whenever Erysichthon appeared on a battlefield, everyone in the surrounding region suffered inexplicable hunger and thirst.

Giving them food and water changed nothing.

A need that could never be filled.

A craving without end.

Eternal gluttony.

That was Erysichthon's curse.

“It seems so.”

“Though knowing my father, he's probably already given the order.”

Erysichthon's curse could be lifted through Divine Power, but only briefly.

The moment a Priest's touch left the victim, hunger returned.

Thus, if one wanted to escape the curse, there was only a single solution.

Endure until Erysichthon departed the battlefield.

Until then, food stores and wells would become the highest-priority locations to protect.

Günter pressed firmly at his temples.

“…I'm worried even the guards may eventually lose their reason and rush for them.”

“It cannot be helped. We'll have to select those with the greatest patience.”

“Damn it. When we ask the north for reinforcements, we'd better request veterans who have experienced this before.”

“Why not stand guard yourself, Young Lord?”

“Hmm. Do I look capable of that to you? I don't think I am.”

Günter knew himself well.

If he were assigned to guard them, sooner or later he would lose his reason and charge straight for the well or empty the food stores himself.

Even by his own estimation, extraordinary willpower was not among his strengths.

“A-a person!”

“……?”

But while he was mocking himself, one section of the wall suddenly became noisy.

The soldiers on watch were shouting in alarm.

“What happened?”

After ordering the guard knight who tried to follow him, “Go determine whether it truly is a curse,” Günter headed toward the commotion alone.

The soldiers looked flustered when a superior suddenly approached.

“Th-that is…….”

“…The reconnaissance party has returned.”

“What?”

What did they just say?

The reconnaissance party had returned?

Through the very encirclement of demons that even the Chief Knight had barely managed to break through?

Unable to describe what he was feeling, Günter pushed through the soldiers.

The return of a living scout was certainly good news.

But the fact that someone had survived that horde of demons and returned was difficult to believe.

“…Atya?”

Yet the instant his head emerged beyond the wall of soldiers, he doubted his own eyes even more.

Beside the returning scout hung the face he had longed desperately to see all this time.