Grabbing that young man and asking for directions was a good decision. My expression grew exhausted as I watched him navigate through various narrow alleys.
The bookstore’s building didn’t even have a sign. All the windows were covered to prevent any sunlight from coming in. If there hadn’t been anyone to guide me, I would have never found this place.
I silently thanked whatever made this coincidence possible and patted myself on the back for making that quick decision.
“It’s a bit rare for customers to come here on their own… to the shop, I mean!”
Clatter!
“…It’s a bit of a mess. I’m sorry.”
After the young man unlocked the door, he invited me inside. After that, he lit a candle, probably because there were no unblocked windows to let in natural light.
Candles placed among paper books? That seemed kind of dangerous to me, but it couldn’t be helped. Electricity didn’t exist in this place, and Arcane lamps were expensive.
“So, what kind of book are you looking for?”
“…There are more books here than I expected.”“I’m doing this kind of work because I love books, after all.”
The young man chuckled as he pointed at the various piles of books one by one. “These are romance novels, over there are erotic novels, those are books about the Arcane arts, the stack next to it has books about knights, and…” His explanation went on.
Thanks to this neat organization, it seemed that finding whichever book I wanted to read would be pretty easy.
“Feel free to look around for what you need. Ah, you can read, right?”
“Yes, I can.”
Rather, was he just letting me read without any compensation? Well, none of the other bookstores I’d visited had objected to me reading either, though some did grumble a bit when I left without buying anything.
Ting.
But that didn’t sit quite right with me. I handed the young man the same amount I usually paid whenever I visited a bookstore.
“Oh, if you just want to read, you don’t really need to pay… Whoa.”
Once I sold the Skyflow Tiger’s corpse, I would have more than enough money again anyway.
I silently chose a book. There were a few on Demons, so I grabbed one of those first.
“Erm, there’s a spot with a window upstairs. Would you like to read there…?”
Perhaps shaken by the amount I’d just given him, the young man pointed upward with a trembling finger. I accepted his offer without objection.
I did have my own light source, but nothing beat natural light.
Creak.
“I’ll be getting back to work now, so feel free to walk around as you please.”
He went up to the upper floor first after pulling down what looked like a ladder, similar to what you might use to get into an attic. As I followed after him, I noticed he was busy tidying up some blankets and dishes scattered over the floor. ṝ𝖆₦òʙЕ§
“Hehe… It’s a bit messy, isn’t it?”
Well, at least the window was clean.
I sat down in the spacious area by the window. I had taken a few books I’d skimmed through with me, so I probably wouldn’t need to go down any time soon.
I unconsciously pressed the bridge of my nose, right between my eyebrows slightly, as I began turning the pages one after the other.
* * *
Bang, bang, bang!
Jacob was someone who often lost track of time and his surroundings when he started working.
He was in the middle of working when he heard a sound coming from his door, to which he quickly raised his head.
Bang, bang, bang!!
“Hey!! Jacob!! Lunch!!”
“Aaah! Hold on a second!”
It must have already been lunchtime. That’s why his younger sister was knocking at the door of his store like that.
The guest, who’d apparently noticed his sister’s presence before he had, was looking down at the alley through the window.
Thud!
He felt embarrassed somehow—there was no helping it, as all siblings inevitably embarrassed each other—so Jacob hurriedly climbed down the ladder.
“You lazy bum, come out already!”
“Just wait a minute, I’m coming, I’m coming!”
“Why can’t you ever get rid of that bad habit of yours? How can you forget lunch every single day?!”
“I said, I’m coming!”
Creak!
“You seriously—!”
“Aaah! Eva, please! There’s a guest upstairs right now!”
“Every single time you… What?”
When would her boisterousness ever die down? Clicking his tongue, he took the food his sister had brought him. Meanwhile, she was glancing up at the upstairs window.
“Wow, he looks cool! How classy! You idiot, you should have told me earlier!”
“You didn’t give me any time to talk, did you…? No, wait, why would I tell you whether a customer came anyway?”
“Because he looks cool!”
Honestly, that bratty little sister of his saw her older brother as nothing more than air.
Adjusting his glasses, which had gone crooked in all the rush, he shooed her away as if swatting a fly.
“Enough with these rude remarks. Just go. He seems like a knight, I think.”
He even gave her a little warning as a bonus.
Between tipping a week’s worth of the store’s earnings, his fancy clothes, and the Zweihänder strapped to his back, which couldn't be wielded without formal training, this guest seemed to be someone quite distinguished.
In other words, he wasn’t someone you should treat carelessly.
“What? A knight?! That’s amazing!!”
…He hadn’t expected this would only make her even more interested, though.
“Can’t I just get a little peek at his face before I go?”
“Go away.”
“Ah, just a small peek. In return, I’ll sneak in some extra meat tomorrow without telling the chef.”
“How much more are we talking… Ah, no, still no.”
“Has the guest eaten yet? Did he eat before coming here? Oh, if not, I could bring some up!”
“Ah, jeez.”
This was really going to drive him crazy. Jacob smacked his forehead.
His willingness to step into such a messy place without a single word made the guest seem pretty friendly, but Jacob wasn’t sure that meant he would forgive even this level of rudeness.
“Eva, knights are a lot more…”
“Whoa!!”
Dangerous than she thought. Jacob, who was about to finish saying that, shut his mouth as Eva grabbed his collar and jumped around excitedly.
Step, step.
Meanwhile, he heard the distinct, even footsteps of someone who’d undergone military training coming from behind them.
“A restaurant worker?”
“Yes, yes!”
The guest was standing right behind him. The intensity of his restrained, controlled movements was bearing down on Jacob’s shoulders.
He was a knight. No matter how he looked at it, this person couldn’t be anything other than a knight.
Jacob realized the saying about experienced warriors who’d spent a long time on the frontlines exuding a powerful presence even while standing still was absolutely true. While he never really considered experiencing it himself, it was a unique experience.
“Where’s the store you work at?”
“It’s right at the intersection over there, called ‘Happy Day’…”
Evaaaaaaa. How could you just talk to him like that?!
Worried about his objectively pretty sister, although he’d die before admitting that out loud, he covertly nudged her behind his back.
Putting aside that the guest was of the Middle race and they were of the Shaggi, meaning their views on beauty differed, the elegance and sharpness that came from discipline and the liveliness that came from youthful energy were universal appeals regardless of race.
Thump.
“Urgh!”
Of course, oblivious to her big brother’s deep concerns, his younger sister elbowed him in the ribs before immediately rushing toward the knight.
‘You idiot, what will you do if he hacks you into pieces?’ Jacob shouted on the inside.
“Do you have any dishes without meat? Fish is fine as well.”
“Without meat? Hmm… Ah, we have tomato soup with fish.”
“I’ll take that. Do you have salad?”
“Yes! We have one with cheese and another with fruit.”
“With cheese.”
Fortunately, the guest seemed to be someone normal…
There were just too many people who looked completely different from how they acted. Jacob continued watching the guest warily to protect his little sister, who was still far too reckless.
“So that’s one loaf of rye bread, a cheese salad, fish tomato soup, and some stir-fried vegetables. Is that right?”
“…And one meat dish as well.”
“A meat dish as well? Uhm, which one…?”
“Whatever you recommend. The price doesn’t matter.”
“Got it! Then we’ll just go with our store’s most popular dish, Bang-Bang Chicken! Then, adding everything up, that will be, erm, uhm.”
“…23,600 Gal. Didn’t I tell you to at least learn how to add and subtract?”
“Who cares, as long as someone else does it?!”
He’d memorized the prices of all the dishes at the restaurant where his sister worked.
Jacob gave a pitying look to his sister, who was trying to calculate using her fingers, and quickly added up the total in his head. His annoying little sister only gave him a thumbs-up and collected the money from the knight.
“Huh, 30,000 Gal?”
“Keep the change.”
“Whoa! Really? Thank you so much, Sir Knight!”
…Still, wasn’t this person actually a really good guy?
He hesitated a little, watching his sister receive a day’s wages as a tip.
However, he quickly shook his head to dismiss the thought. Succumbing to money like that was very low-class.
“It’ll take some time for the food to be ready, so please wait inside.”
The knight hadn't done anything strange to his sister so far. He didn’t appear to be looking at her with any ulterior motives either.
Jacob led the guest back inside, leaving his own meal alone for now. It just didn’t feel right to eat while ignoring his guest.
“You eat first.”
“Ahaha, that’s fine. It’s just a sandwich.”
Moreover, based on experience, his food should be ready in about ten minutes. The salad was pretty quick to make, and the soup could be served immediately after being brought to a boil.
The stir-fried vegetables and meat would take a bit longer, but they didn’t have the personnel to deliver everything in one go anyway. His sister would have to make multiple trips to bring everything over.
He wouldn’t have to wait that long.
* * *
“Oops, I almost forgot.”
It was far too little time for him to dive back into his work, so he prepared a spot for all the food instead. He normally just ate at his workbench, but with a guest here, he decided to bring out a table.
“Ah, if you’re finished with any of the books, just set them aside. I’ll put them back later.”
He also pulled out a chair for the guest to sit on, sneakily checking the list of books the guest had been reading.
Books about the history of the East, Bergard, knight schools worldwide, the essence of knighthood, powers wielded by Demons. There were many different ones.
“Did I even have books like that?”
But the title of the last book was entirely unfamiliar. He blinked for a moment as he looked at the book. He just couldn’t remember seeing it before.
“Is there a problem?”
“Ah… Just a moment.”
Sometimes, when he brought books in large quantities, one or two slipped past his review. It usually wasn’t much of an issue, but… that book was about Demons. If it contained even the tiniest bit of praise toward Demons and this guest reported it to the Temple, he might get accused of heresy.
“O-Oh no. Did he read it?”
Fortunately, it seemed the guest hadn’t opened that particular book yet.
Jacob discreetly took a glance at the book's first few pages.
[Demons offer power through contracts and take souls in exchange. They nourish their own souls with those they take…]
It contained some basic information anyone could quickly find with a bit of research on Demons. Any book regarding Demons and their abilities usually mentioned such things, with only slight variations in their wording.
Flip.
[…Here, the author wants to present a new theory: Demons do not exclusively take people as offerings. They can also accept other Demons as sacrifices.]
However, about a third of the way into the book, it started introducing ideas that set itself apart from those common books.
“Oh…”
[Furthermore, there are actually two types of Demonic Energy: the first is the power we are already familiar with, and the second is a power even Demons themselves may not be aware of…]
The problem was that the theories presented in the book were just speculations by the author unsupported by any sort of evidence.
It practically reeked of a forbidden book.
This was dangerous.
“…?”
“Ahaha, it seems I’ll need to check over this book a bit more. Why is something like this even here? Ahaha.”
The moment Jacob made up his mind, he snapped the book shut with a loud thud. Although the guest was looking at him strangely, there was something more important he had to do now.
“Just a moment!!”
He quickly ran downstairs, unlocked a hidden room, and retrieved a small furnace he kept hidden there before throwing the book inside without a shred of hesitation.
“Good, it’s burning well.”
Roooar!
The hastily lit flames engulfed the book entirely. It perfectly destroyed any evidence of its existence.
“…?”
“Ahahaha.”
Well, except that the knight was now eyeing him suspiciously when he returned to the upper floor. So, maybe not that perfect.
“Lunch is here, Sir Knight!! Jacob, you come down too! There’s a lot!!”
“Oh, Eva!!”
For once, that usually unhelpful sister of his did something useful.
He avoided the knight’s piercing gaze and went downstairs again.
“Why that face? You look like badly kneaded dough.”
“Pl-Please, just shut your mouth.”
“What are you on about? Anyway, where’s Sir Knight?”
“…You’re fast.”
“Sir Knight!!”
“…So, she’s your little sister.”
Any gratitude he felt toward her evaporated in an instant. But anyway.
“Just serve the food and leave, will you!”
“Aw, how can you just send your adorable little sister away like that?!”
“Did you actually just call yourself adorable? Wow, wooow. Stop ruining my appetite like that and leave!”
“Someone really doesn’t know how to show their sister any appreciation, huh!!”
Ignoring his sister kicking up a fuss, Jacob took the trays of food from her hands. While ignorant of many things, he knew he shouldn’t let his guests eat cold food.
“I hope you stub your little toe on your way in!!”
“Are you serious?! You’re impossible!”
“Bleeeeh.”
“Just go already!”
“…You seem to get along well.”
“I-I… What? Huh? Ah… Well, you’re rather positive. Did this look like we were getting along?”
“If you really didn’t get along, you wouldn't even be talking to each other.”
“Well… that’s true.”
He scratched his head. Although he was a bit embarrassed, he didn’t think it was bad that the knight saw it that way.
“She’s fifteen years younger than me. I practically raised her while both of our parents were working. Though now that ungrateful brat does nothing but jab her brother in the ribs.”
Still, he’d rather avoid showing the knight such a scene a second time. Next time, he’d just come down alone and tell the guest to stay upstairs. That was more than enough for that ungrateful sister of his.
“Cherish her.”
“Pardon?”
“Having your family around you like that is a blessing.”
“Right…?”
However, why did the guest suddenly make such a serious statement? He scratched the back of his neck again, looking at the guest’s gaze, which seemed to contain indescribable emotions.
Embarrassment aside, Jacob didn’t want to make light of this advice. It somehow felt… so desperately sincere.
“Take it.”
“Huh?”
“For providing me with this place.”
But just then, the knight placed the meat dish his sister had brought before him, acting as if he hadn’t ordered it for himself, and only took the vegetable and fish dishes.
Jacob completely forgot the knight’s sincere advice at that point.
As someone who’d yet to experience the weight of loss, he found a single plate of meat he only rarely came across far more significant.
* * *
『Also, what I need is not your pathetic sympathy or understanding, but absolute and merciless judgment.』
Deathbringer couldn’t hide his bewilderment as those words echoed in his ear, the clearly bloodstained pillow beside him.
“I knew… I already knew…”
It wasn’t anything unexpected. He’d witnessed the Demon Knight attempting to stab himself in the Great Forest, so it shouldn’t be anything new to him.
However… even if it wasn’t unexpected, it still shocked him to his core. Maybe even more so because of the additional sense of futility.
He realized the words he’d kept throwing at the Demon Knight had never reached him, and they probably never would.
“…”
But if things continued like this, the Demon Knight would surely collapse. That was the problem.
There was no way to stop him, but if he didn’t do something, it felt like the Demon Knight would die at any moment, which was the biggest dilemma he was grappling with.
“…What should I do now?”
What could he even do? He had no reason, excuse, or means to stop the Demon Knight.
Just what was he supposed to do…?
“What else?! Keep searching! Stop moping around and keep looking!”
At that moment, the iron wall’s loud voice rang in his ears, which made chills run down his back.
He remembered how she’d shouted, “That’s not right!” at the Archmage, who had euphemistically expressed that the Demon Knight wanted to keep his distance. Although, those forceful words weren’t exactly enough to lift his spirits at the moment.
Deathbringer, feeling a dull pain like an aching bruise, was about to snap back but instead chose to crouch down.
His heart was simply too damp to be lit with anger.
“…And once we find him, then what?”
“There is no way he got a nosebleed without any reason! We’ll need to check right away whether the injury that caused this has worsened!”
“Didn’t Madam Archmage also tell us not to look for him?”
“That was before she knew the Demon Knight had been bleeding all night. When I informed her, she told us to find him immediately.”
“…Well, that’s true. But what do we do then? What if he really is sick?”
“Then we’ll cure him!”
“What if he refuses to be cured?”
“…Why would he refuse treatment when he’s sick?”
“Exactly. Why would Mister do that?”
When ordinary people were faced with death, they’d instinctively try to avoid it. So why did that knight ignore that instinct?
“…It’s probably because we don’t mean anything to him.”
Ironically, he already knew the answer.
『If not for my goal of killing all Demons along with their King, you and I would never have shared the same space to begin with.』
“To him, if our goals didn’t align, he wouldn’t see any value in us being together.”
The Demon Knight had already stated that clearly.
Deathbringer’s eyes darkened.
____
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