“Wait…!”
“Priest, stop.”
“What?”
“The Demon Knight has already refused.”
“B-But Berserk. The Demon Knight…”
The Inquisitor was looking between the back of the one walking away from her and the one holding her back.
“Respect his choice, Priest.”
Berserk spoke bluntly.
“You have no right to interfere with him. Because you're weaker than him.”
She couldn't understand that statement.“…I know I'm lacking in many ways. However, being weaker doesn't make me unqualified to reach out to him!”
A person’s strength shouldn’t dictate their rights. Moreover, hadn't she already made a promise to that troublemaker earlier? She wasn't planning on just giving up like this.
However, when she shouted out like this, Berserk only tilted her head slightly.
The amber eyes, which usually resembled a beast’s or the sun, glowed with a golden hue. It was a gold that had somewhat changed in color after being hidden underground for a thousand years.
“You’re wrong, Priest. The weak have neither the qualifications nor the right to act.”
“The qualifications or right to reach out to another is granted by courage alone. It has nothing to do with strength.”
“Priest.”
Under the Inquisitor’s gaze, Berserk seemed to have aged in an instant.
Not in the sense of her face growing more wrinkled or her hair turned gray.
In a single breath, the weight behind her gaze had changed drastically, as if the thousand-year-old gold had sunk to a depth where its glow could no longer reach the surface. ℞áŊОʙÈ𝙎
“It’s not like I don’t understand what you’re saying. I also admire those who can summon the courage to fight. However… there are some things in this world that cannot be resolved through sheer courage, perseverance, and earnestness alone. These things require strength to tie up loose ends… like what is happening now.”
The hot gold had turned into cold steel.
“Why… why is this something that can only be solved with strength? Why? The Demon Knight is suffering—”
“If the Demon Knight were to lose control and go on a rampage, could you subdue him?”
“I-I would try. I would find some way to subdue him…”
“Can you put this ‘some way’ into clearer words? Words that would convince not just you but also the Demon Knight?”
“…”
“Priest, you can try to save someone even with limited strength. Holding their hand and perishing together might even be a form of salvation for some. But protecting someone is different. Protecting someone is a different matter entirely.”
With each deliberate word Berserk spat out, a chill ran down the Inquisitor’s spine.
“When protecting an old woman from a thug, you need strength. When guarding a child chased by loan sharks, you need strength. Even when trying to save someone prepared to die in a duel, you absolutely need strength. Whether it’s financial power, physical brawn, or authority, there are times when only strength can get you the answer you want.”
Her voice was colder than a blade and harsher than the snow on a mountain peak.
“That is why neither you nor the young hunter have the right or the opportunity to protect the Demon Knight. With your abilities, you cannot protect him. In fact, you probably wouldn’t even be able to save him.”
At least, that was how it felt to the Inquisitor. A blade could at least be blocked, but even if she covered her ears, Berserk’s words would still reach her, which made them even more unbearable.
“…Then what about you, Miss Fighter? I know we’re weak, but if it’s you…”
“Young hunter.”
But the saddest part, what made the Inquisitor’s heart ache the most, was this.
“Don’t think you’re the only one pained by the limits of strength.”
The expression on Berserk’s face as she spoke those words was truly heartbreaking.
“If I could have acted, I would have done so. The Demon Knight is a rare, interesting opponent, and I want to keep fighting him.”
Knowing Berserk also didn’t want to just stand down like that… made the Inquisitor incredibly sad.
“…Still, I won’t give up.”
But instead of shedding tears, she shouted, her eyes reddened.
“So, in other words, if I become stronger, I can make a difference, right? Then, instead of giving up, I’ll just keep trying harder. That’s what I need to do.”
Because an inquisitor was meant to break but never be broken.
“…Do as you wish, Priest. However… No. Just, don’t be too late. Fate won’t wait for you.”
Berserk encouraged her with a tired expression. Her face still showed doubt, resignation, and regret, but at least she wasn’t trying to stop the Inquisitor’s endeavor.
That was enough. She was someone who could act even without another’s support.
“Hey, troublemaker, are you going too?”
“…Going where?”
“To follow the Demon Knight! Regardless of whether he’s willing to rely on us, we should at least check if there’s anything wrong with his health!”
“…Ah, right. We should.”
However, she decided she would definitely have the troublemaker join her. Seeing him become all gloomy after hearing he was weak, she slapped him on his back.
Smack!
“—!!!”
And like that, after just one small hit, he fell and flopped around like a freshly caught fish!
She looked at his pitiful figure on the ground, forgetting she was used to carrying around an average of thirty to forty kilograms.
“We’re just getting started, so don’t make yourself sound so weak! Are you just fooling around when you’re around the Demon Knight?!”
“…”
“Answer me!”
“…”
“…Erm, Priest.”
“What is it?”
“I think the young hunter fainted.”
“What???”
* * *
[Urgently seeking a Demon Knight for a health checkup at the manor]
[Looking for a Demon Knight willing to receive a gift and an apology]
What was with those two signs?
Those were the phrases I saw as soon as I came downstairs to eat some breakfast after waking up from a refreshing night’s sleep at an inn.
“Demon Knight!!”
“Mister!!”
I was at a complete loss for words as I looked at those two people holding signs outside the inn. Seeing them here in a way I’d never even dared to imagine, I felt so shocked that my hair almost turned completely white.
…What were those two even doing?
“Erm, customer. Do you happen to know those people…?”
As I stood there staring at them blankly, an employee of the inn quietly approached me and asked…
“I don’t.”
“Got it.”
I really didn’t want to respond to that. Regardless, being shocked was one thing, and being embarrassed was another. This was absolutely mortifying.
After sending away the employee with a far fiercer and grimmer demeanor than usual, I gathered my Arcane Power.
Crash!
“Gasp!”
“Whoa.”
A small [Arcane Spear] shattered the signs held by the Inquisitor and Deb, making them vanish from existence. The people passing by looked slightly surprised, but I had no time to be considerate of them. Phew. Those damn embarrassing things were finally gone.
“Demon Knight, since you destroyed our signs, does that mean you’re willing to talk to us—!”
…No, it looked like it wasn’t over yet.
As soon as the signs were shattered, I saw those two burst into the tavern on the inn’s first floor. They almost seemed like wild dogs… no, like madmen the way they rushed toward me.
“Your order—Uwah!”
“Urgh!”
I reflexively kicked the nearest table toward them. I noticed the customer seated at said table and the server about to place down their food were both clutching their chests in shock, but they weren’t harmed.
“Whoa!”
The table flew straight at the Inquisitor and Deb, about to hit them. The Inquisitor managed to grab it, spun it around, and safely put it down, but anyway.
Meanwhile, I slipped into the kitchen. I knew there was a door in there leading outside.
“Customer, you’re not supposed to enter… No… Erm, actually, go right ahead.”
It was truly fortunate that I always kept my luggage in my Inventory.
I passed the flustered cook and went out of the kitchen’s back door—should it be called a side door since it was located on the side of the building?—entering a narrow alley between the inn and the next building.
“Ah, Demon Knight!”
“Mister, wait for us!!”
Those lunatics. I slammed the door shut and quickly made my way through the alley. Since many people were walking around the main street, I thought it would be best just to merge into the crowd.
“Demon Knight!!”
“Mister!!”
Stop shouting so loudly! It’s embarrassing!
I quickly walked, not ran, through the crowd of people.
The reason I didn’t run was because it wasn’t like I was a fugitive. That was all. It wasn’t like I had anything to be guilty about. I was simply trying to avoid them, not fleeing for my life.
“Demon Kniiiiight!!!”
“Mister, I know I’m not qualified to do so, but… I really feel like I need to do this! Ah, hey, just wait a minute!”
Fortunately, those guys didn’t run either. It was probably because of all the people around us.
Tak, tak, tak.
Anyway, I went back into an alley. My destination was the bookstore I had gone to yesterday.
Originally, I had planned to visit the manor to check if the lord’s schedule had opened up and then search for a decent blacksmith’s shop… but I couldn’t exactly do that with those two chasing me around.
“Mister, you’re seriously fast…”
“Demon Knight! Where are you going? Are you going to the Temple? Ah, you can get your checkup at the manor! Madam Archmage said she wanted to do it there instead!”
But eventually, they caught up with me. Although I was walking briskly, they were half-running, so it couldn’t be helped. They stayed a few steps behind me, chattering away.
“Erm, so, mister. I mean…”
“Stop stammering and spit it out.”
“…I’m sorry. I know it’s far too late to say this, and I don’t even think I’m qualified to do this… but I still have to apologize to you…”
“Get to the point!”
“You, stay out of this! Ah, I’m not trying to joke around here! Mister, I know it’s far too late, but… I really mean it. I’m sorry. For what happened back then… for attacking you. I’m really… truly sorry… I didn’t mean for that to happen, I swear. I-I just… no, not just… What I’m trying to say is back then…”
Then, when that apology I thought would never reach me entered my ears, my mind went blank for a second.
“So… Ah, damn it, I’m sorry. I’m really… really sorry… if I hurt you, somehow…”
“Damn it? Stop that ‘damn it’ already! Do it properly!”
“Urgh! Could you please stay out of this already?! I-I want to say it properly, too, but the words just aren’t coming out right!”
So it wasn’t that he’d grown to hate me.
…It wasn’t that he was afraid I would kill him.
“This is my first time actually apologizing like this… S-So I… Urgh, I-I’m not asking you to forgive me or anything! I j-just wanted to tell you that I’m really sorry… Y-You don’t necessarily have to acknowledge it, but I still wanted you to know… I-I really messed up back then… S-So I’m really sorry for having been such an idiot…”
I barely suppressed the urge to turn my head away as I listened to Deb’s trembling voice.
“It’s not much, but I-I bought you a longsword… Could you maybe… take it, perhaps? I would never dare think it would mean you forgave me if you took it or anything…”
“I know it’s pretty stupid that he can’t even apologize properly, but Demon Knight! This guy has truly been repentant. While it’s not my place to interfere in this, and I would never presume to ask for forgiveness on his behalf, would you at least give him a chance to apologize properly?”
There was no helping it. His apology was a little late. Actually, it was very late. Or perhaps it was just inevitable.
“…”
I opened my mouth when I realized what the longsword Deb had been carrying for some time was for, then quickly closed it again.
There was no point in saying anything anymore.
* * *
“…Mister?”
“Demon Knight, did you hear us?”
I concentrated on finding my way, even if it meant tuning out their voices. Soon, I spotted a familiar alley.
Knock, knock.
“Where is this?”
“…There’s only one window.”
I knocked and focused on even the slightest sounds coming from inside. It seemed I’d come here too early. I couldn’t hear anything. Of course, it was still morning, so maybe there was still some time before he opened the store.
“Oh, customer?”
“Hmm?”
“…?”
“…Huh?”
Luckily, the bookstore owner showed up not too long after. His gaze briefly shifted to the two people behind me.
“Erm, why are people from the Temple…?”
Mister Bookstore Owner, were you not on good terms with the Temple? I nodded toward him, noticing his very place face.
“Open the door.”
“Erm… Customer, I think there might be some misunderstanding…”
“Demon Knight! Who is that man?”
“Erm, he looks like a scribe… Is that right, mister…?”
“…??”
What should I do about this collective confusion? And why was the bookstore owner acting so strangely today? What was that about a misunderstanding?
“…Erm, Miss Priest, are you here to inspect the store?”
“…? Not at all?”
“A-Aah! Is that so? Then are you here for a transcription request…?”
“A transcription?”
I exhaled slightly and knocked on the door firmly. Thud.
“If you’re not opening it, I’ll just leave.”
“No, no! Just a moment!”
The store owner, who had been distracted by those two behind me, quickly unlocked the door. Rattle. The old door creaked open.
“Please come in. I might not have many types of books, but all of my transcriptions—”
Thud!
“Huh.”
“What, mister!”
“Demon Knight?”
The moment I entered the shop, I shut the door before the Inquisitor and Deb could follow. The store owner, who had just lit some candles, and the two left outside made startled sounds.
“Erm, are the two outside not coming in…?”
Clink.
“Do not let them in. Under any circumstances.”
“Understood.”
A slightly heavier purse landed in the shopkeeper’s hand. Naturally, his face lit up with a bright smile when he saw the silver coins shining through its opening.
“In that case, I’ll assume you’ll be reading upstairs again today?”
Of course, this promise could be broken if they offered him a larger amount… but Deb was quite stingy, and the Inquisitor rarely carried any money with her. They probably wouldn’t be able to pay the store owner more than me.
『It’s not much, but I-I bought you a longsword… Could you maybe… take it, perhaps?』
…Even though Deb was usually so stingy.
Grumble.
A sound pulled my attention from that thought. Ah, I’d skipped breakfast, so now my stomach was rumbling.
After some thought, I took out an additional 30,000 Gal from my Inventory and handed it to the shopkeeper.
“And this is?”
“I wanted to order what was delivered here yesterday again. Could you handle that? You can keep the rest.”
“Ah, of course!”
I wondered if it was appropriate to burden this young business owner with such a trivial errand… but he didn’t seem too offended by my request. Feeling relieved, I simply headed upstairs.
“Erm, excuse me, but could you leave now…?”
“Um, we’re kind of Companions… so isn’t there some way…?”
“Since when did we start calling a relationship where a door gets shut on you a ‘companion’? I don’t recall the definition changing.”
“Now, well…”
“Th-That’s…”
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you guys, nor is it my business, but… I can’t let you in right now. He was the first customer here, and he was also the first to request this of me. If you’re truly companions, you’ll have to work it out later when you are alone.”
“Ah, well, actually. That’s why we’re here. To work things out.”
“I came here because I want to apologize… And also this…”
“That’s not my concern. Now, please go. Frankly, from my perspective, you're kind of acting like stalkers here—”
“A-A request! Right, we’re here to make a request! Yes!”
“Is that so? In that case, let’s head to the front of the store. It’s too dark inside to hold a proper conversation.”
“No, that’s…”
“Is there a problem?”
The shopkeeper sure was doing a great job and was well worth the money he’d received.
I’d have to tip him a lot more when I left later.
* * *
The Archmage sighed as she looked at the sliced-up remains of the Skyflow Tiger.
Despite the Demon Knight telling her to keep a distance between them, he still left these kinds of tasks to her.
Could that mean he had some degree of trust in her, even if it wasn’t necessarily a bond, or had the Demon Knight made her do it simply because he considered this task unimportant?
It was probably the latter.
“Will you buy it?”
“…It probably won’t last long in the Temple.”
“I see. Then the Magic Tower will buy all of it.”
Still, considering the dedication he’d shown, her next step was more than clear.
The Archmage inspected the butchered remains once more, thinking of a way to sell them for the highest price possible.
“Hmm?”
Then suddenly, a thought occurred to her when she looked at the Skyflow Tiger’s thigh bone: it would make a pretty decent sword.
Although they’d already bought a longsword for the Demon Knight, it was nothing more than a regular iron sword. It would break in no time.
“Perhaps I should buy this one myself.”
Since she was fairly ignorant about weapons, she would likely have to seek advice from Berserk or the Inquisitor… but she had a hunch they wouldn’t advise against using this.
“Now that the formulas have stabilized, if I do well…”
She mentally estimated her funds and considered who to commission for this task.
Fortunately, someone she had recently been in contact with for some formula refinements and crafting was available.
“If the timing is just right, this could work out really well.”
While she felt slightly guilty for piling even more work on top of her existing commission, she knew there was no better alternative in terms of skill.
Thinking there was no better opportunity than now to use this connection, she made her decision.
“Madam Archmage…”
“Miss Archmage…”
“…Inquisitor? And you too?”
Of course, whether this gift would reach the intended recipient was another matter.
Hearing the two’s report after they came back almost crying, she rubbed her forehead.
How could mending a single relationship be so much harder than hunting a Great Demon?
____
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