Volume 2, Part 3, The Demon Lord Quest
Chapter 0316 Archbishop Graham
-x-X-x-
Five days after leaving the Holy City of Marlomar, 'Room 10', 'Room 11', and Ryo's search party arrived in Bacirta, the capital of the Eastern Kingdom of Lasha.
Of course, since the search party was carrying the 'Holy Seal', they were able to enter the city with virtually no checks.
Bacirta is a fairly large city, being the capital of the Eastern Kingdom.
The Eastern Kingdom itself is an above-average power in the Western Countries.
It may not be considered a major power, but it is certainly not to be underestimated as a middle-tier power.
The search party headed to the Bacirta Church before finding lodging.
After all, they were not sure if they would be forced to leave immediately after meeting Graham.
The Bacirta Church was easy to find.
In the center of the city was a huge building.
It was so large that it was worthy of being an archbishop's parish….
It was certainly larger than the Central Temple in the royal capital of the Knightley Kingdom.
"Heating costs during winter is sure to be tremendous."
No one responded to Ryo's muttering.
But Ryo wasn't about to back down!
"We go in and all of sudden we are surrounded by soldiers. And then the captain of the soldiers comes out and says: Kukuku, you foolish adventurers of the Central Countries, you have fallen into our trap. We've already got our hands on Graham. So give up any thoughts of struggling."
Ryo's ad-lib conspiracy story… the three from Room 10 just shook their heads.
The three from Room 11 looked on in slight surprise.
They were surprised but did not look impressed….
Maybe it was too short a story!
Better carry on!
"And there we are. Trying to resist, but then the enemy brings out their trump card. The trump card turns out to be a golem! And it is an angelic golem and it attacks us! It has magic resistance to all attributes, armor that cannot be damaged by swords, beams from its eyes, rockets on its arms, and finally, a self-destruct function. One after another, we get knocked down…. Niels gets pummeled, Niels gets done in, Niels runs out of juice…"
"Hey, how come I'm the only one being targeted."
The other five laughed at Niels' retort.
There were some words mixed in that they did not quite understand, but they decided not to care….
Since the person in question was Ryo.
Inside the church was a surprisingly large cathedral.
"Shit… I should have reserved the saying that the heating bill during winter is sure to be massive here… dammit, what a blunder."
Whose muttering that was needed no mention, obviously.
That said, the room was so spacious and the ceiling was so high that it was not surprising that Ryo muttered so.
The ceiling and its surroundings were covered with stained glass, and the light that poured down from the ceiling was extremely brilliant.
The surrounding walls were decorated with sculptures, perhaps representing the missionary activities of saints in the past, or perhaps legends of the same kind.
However, the space was as solemn as it was glittering.
There were several benches inside, and a total of about ten believers were sitting on them with their eyes closed.
Some of them were muttering something, others in tears….
Not even one of them paid any mind to the search party.
With Niels in the lead, the group went further inside.
Deep inside the chapel, before them, stood a sculpture of a man with a benevolent expression on his face, his arms outstretched as if to embrace all.
"It's probably the founder of the Western Church, New-sama."
Priest Etho explained in a low voice.
"Not a god, but a statue of the founder?"
Ryo asked.
"Yeah. In the Western Church, it is forbidden to represent God in statues or drawings."
Etho nodded and answered.
Etho is a priest of the Central Countries, and at the same time, seems to have been educated in the doctrines of the Western Church.
"Exactly."
With that word, a man who appeared to be a priest came out of a side door and approached the group.
The priest bowed and continued speaking.
"By the looks of you… are you a priest from the Central Countries?"
"Yes. I am Etho, a Priest of the Central Church. We've come to visit His Excellency Archbishop Graham. Could you please take us to him?"
Saying that, Etho showed him the 'Holy Seal'.
When the priest saw the Holy Seal, his eyes widened for a moment, but his expression quickly returned to normal and he said:
"I understand. Let me show you to the bishop's residence. Please come this way."
With that, the priest led the way as they walked.
The group was told to wait in the dining room of the bishop's residence.
In some instances, the dining room is also used as a meeting room or a reception room.
They must have waited for about two minutes.
Archbishop Graham opened the door and entered.
"Ohh…. I was told you are guests from the Central Countries but… as I recall, the name of the party is 'Room 10', isn't it? Niels, Etho, Amon, and Ryo. We haven't seen since the time we defeated that vampire if memory serves."
Graham, breaking into a smile, looked a little gentler than he did three years ago.
Dressed in the green and white vestments of the archbishop and holding the staff that he had carried three years ago, his appearance had not changed at all.
Judging from the flesh on his face and neck, his body tone was still the same, and hadn't taken in any excess fat.
He must still be exercising his body regularly, just as he did when they traveled together back then.
Ryo took the liberty of interpreting it that way.
"Your Excellency Graham, it's been a while."
When Niels said that, Graham chuckled.
"Nah, it's very embarrassing to be called Your Excellency by old acquaintances. Please call me Graham, as before."
After a pause, Graham continued.
"So, are you here on orders… from Master McGrath or something?"
"Oh no. I have heard that you have been in contact with the Grand Master, but our visit is not directly related to that matter. However, we have the Grand Master's permission, of course."
Niels then explained the details of the visit.
"I see, you're searching for the Demon Lord…"
Graham nodded slightly, as he muttered that.
"I don't know the whereabouts of the Demon Lord either. As for someone who might have a clue… I really can't think of any."
"Is that so…"
Niels nodded in reply to Graham's words.
"Could you tell us how the Hero party got to the Demon Lord the last time he was defeated? That might be of some help."
It was Etho who asked that.
It would be worth knowing how many of them noticed Graham's expression hardening just a little the moment he asked that.
A really, very slight facial distortion.
Or perhaps, a tremor in his expression.
"Let's see. That way might seem roundabout, but might also be your best bet. I'll show you a map of it later. But first…"
Graham said, then looked at Harold and continued.
"So, you're Harold. I understand you're under the 'Rupture Spirit Curse', may I 'examine' your body with magic for a moment?"
Harold looked at Niels.
Seeing this, Niels gave a small nod.
"Sure."
"Then, if you'll excuse me.
Graham chanted, lightly stretching his right hand forward.
"Indeed, it's the 'Rupture Spirit Curse' alright…"
Saying that, he opened his eyes wide, looked at Niels and continued:
"Niels, Etho, Amon… actually, even Harold and the other two? All of you except for Ryo? What in the world happened to you?"
"Eh?"
The six other than Ryo uttered in unison.
They didn't quite understand what Graham was talking about.
"Recently… have you experienced anything strange or unusual?"
When Graham said that, something finally pooped into Etho's mind.
"We may… have been temporarily teleported by a supernatural being."
"Ah~"
Niels and Amon nodded as Etho explained.
He was talking about the 'priest'-like man who showed an unusual obsession with the concept of the 'Fallen'.
When he thought of the word strange or unusual, that occurrence was the first thing that came to mind.
"I see…a supernatural being who uses teleportation at will. Then, perhaps the residue from that encounter is stuck on the six of you."
"Stuck…"
Ryo muttered to Graham's words.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. There is a smoke from consecrated incense called 'Holy Smoke', which can scrub it off when you bathe in it. We'll do that later, too."
As expected of the archbishop, he truly is a man of many talents.
"Truth be told, I'd have loved to ask Maurice, who was the scout of the Hero party, to show you guys the way, but unfortunately, she is currently all over the Western Countries on missions…. Instead, I'll give you a portable map."
"Is that really okay?"
"But of course. You possess the 'Holy Seal' after all. It is only natural for me, one of the priests of the Church, to give my full cooperation with such people."
After parting with Graham, the party left the church.
And then, they noticed right away.
"We're being watched."
"There are… three of them."
Niels and Amon attested in murmuring, low voices.
"But… this sensation?"
"Almost like, they're not trying to hide it."
"It's a creepy sensation."
Harold, Zeke, and Gowan also felt it.
"Oh, you guys feel it too, uh. They weren't here when we entered the church, so they must have come while we were inside…"
Niels muttered.
"You're right… there's a Rindo Bakery here."
"Ryo, I don't think that's the point here."
Ryo pointed out the Rindo bakery on the other side of the plaza, and Etho disproved him with a wry smile.
"I can't really pick out other things more significant than the Rindo bakery here, do you?"
To Ryo, the Rindo bakery was more important than those who seemed to be lurking around the church and monitoring the seven and the church itself, who were not likely to attack anyway.
But then, the situation was rather unavoidable.
Soon after the group left.
Graham was helping clean up the dining room of the bishop's residence when three men came in.
They were wearing cloaks and looked like knights.
"Archbishop Graham, I want you to tell us what you just told those adventurers from the Central Countries."
One of the knights spoke in a high-handed manner.
To an archbishop no less.
"And if I say no?"
Graham replied with a smile. His usual staff already in his hand.
"How dare you, a mere archbishop, just so you know we can do whatever we want, if we, the Templar Knights, are so inclined!"
With that, the men drew their swords and pointed the tips at Graham.
"Funny you should say that…"
A moment later, a devilish smile appeared on Graham's face.
"Ughh."
"Ugh-ha!"
"Ugh…."
Literally, 'in the blink of an eye', two of the Templars were in agony, clutching their stomachs, and the remaining one had a sword… Graham's sword incorporated into his staff, at his throat.
"Do you know my other name?"
Graham asked quietly.
"…"
The man didn't answer.
Graham moved the sword slightly, and a red line formed on the man's neck.
Blood oozed out.
The sword had lightly cut the skin of his neck.
"Do you know my other name?"
"…Vampire Hunter… Master Graham."
The man answered when Graham asked again.
"Not Master, Doctor."
Graham corrected him without a change in emotion.
"I'm someone who has dealt with vampires before, you know? And you now think that I'd be done in by some measly Templars? Fools."
The man could not reply to Graham's words.
It was only natural, having been shown the overwhelming difference in strength.
"Now then… who the hell sent you guys? Or, more to the point, which Cardinal? Adolfito? Or Camilo? Or is it Sacharias?"
He took a breath there. And continued.
"Ohh, Cardinal Sacharias, huh."
"! "
"To make a move at this particular time… interesting, Cardinal Sacharias. No, very interesting indeed…"
"Ar-Archbishop Graham, if you don't release me immediately, you will be making enemies of the entire Knights Templar Order."
Hearing Graham's words, the man put up his final bravado.
"If I let you go, you'll just go running to Sacharias, which isn't any better, right? I guess I'll have to rewrite your memories. Oh, don't worry, you will live."
The man shuddered at Graham's cheery words.
Then he remembered.
The position Archbishop Graham held before.
And rewriting memories was but child's play to him….
After all, he was the head of the Inquisition.
-x-X-x-
Question: How does one go about finding the Demon Lord?
Answer: By asking the people who might know…
That's the only way.
There is no such thing as 'seven jewels that will lead you to the Demon Lord if you collect them'.
Nor is there 'an alchemy tool that will always point you in the direction of the Demon Lord'.
You also can't 'barge into the Demon Lord's castle'. Since there isn't one to begin with…
If the Demon Lord's army were running amok now, things would be a whole lot easier, but no such luck.
Since that's the case, they had no choice but to ask around steadily…
"Though we're going around the territories of those who were high-ranking executives of the Demon Lord's Army…those territories aren't ruled by humans… so this is kinda crazy."
Etho said, shaking his head.
"I guess…. Even if we ask them nicely, I'm pretty sure they won't spill…"
"I suppose we'll just have to ask their bodies nicely then!"
"What do you mean by asking their bodies nicely…?"
"Torture!"
Ryo answered Niels' question.
Hearing this, Niels made a blatantly disgusted face.
"Stuff like that… is a little… you know."
"So you're playing the good guy here huh, Niels? Valuable intel doesn't just drop on your lap, you do know that right?"
"Yeah, I know that, but…"
Niels may look like those bully stereotypes with his build, but he's not good with torture and stuff like that….
"Well if you're going to torture anyone, just do it far away from me…"
"Me? I'm not torturing anyone. I don't do that."
"What? Didn't you mention something about asking their bodies nicely just now?"
"Yeah, just saying, but you'll be the one carrying it out of course!"
"Why me?"
"Because you're a swordsman!"
"Okay, now that's totally irrelevant…"
It appeared no one wanted to step up to the role.
Well, it would be a little scary if it was right up the alley of any of them.
"Still… do the executives of the Demon Lord's Army even understand human language?"
"Oh…"
Niels and Ryo raised their voices in unison at Amon's valid concern.
In the northern end of the Western Countries.
The northern border of the Northern Country of Arjeplog.
Although it is the northern end, it is neither a place constantly covered in ice nor a region of heavy snowfall.
However, due to the incredibly steep mountain ranges, the north has never been dominated by humans.
The topography also makes it impossible to mobilize a large army for military operations.
This mountain range has long been known as:
The 'Demon Lord Mountains'.
The seven members of the search party arrived at Onge, the northernmost town in the northern country of Arjeplog.
Because of the steepness of the Demon Lord Mountains, they could not ride in on the carriage as they had done thus far.
They left their carriage in Onge and challenged themselves to cross the mountains on foot.
Thanks to the 'Holy Seal', they were lucky to be allowed to leave the carriage and their luggage at the Onge church.
The horses would be housed separately from the carriage, but the carriage, on the other hand, might not escape the clutches of some unscrupulous people.
Even if they were allowed to leave it at the church, it didn't mean that church members would always keep watch over it.
They would have to rely on themselves to protect their property.
"Okay, this should do it."
In front of the group was a carriage that had been completely frozen over.
It reflected the sun's rays, shimmering amazingly and revealing a beautiful sight….
The water-attribute magician who created it, with a satisfied voice, was tapping the block of ice.
"Hey, Ryo, by doing this, won't it flood the inside of the carriage?"
"Oh you don't have to worry about that, Niels. It's ice magic, so it won't get wet. Of course, even after it thaws, it will appear completely dry."
Ryo confidently answered Niels' question.
He had done that tens of thousands and millions of times before, so it was only natural that he was so confident.
Now, even if the Onge Church were to betray them and try to seize their carriage, they would have nothing to worry about.
Graham said that the Western Church is not monolithic either, and there is always a fierce internal power struggle.
And asked them to be careful since one faction of the church may take radical actions.
On a whole, the church welcomed the group bearing the 'Holy Seal' with a smile.
Which was not surprising, since the Holy Seal is like a letter of guarantee issued by the Papacy.
That being the case, the church's assets ought to be used as effectively as possible.
In this case, as a free luggage storage facility….
Three days after leaving the carriage at the Onge Church, they arrived at the foot of the 'Demon Lord Mountains'.
There wasn't even a small village around those parts.
And not because hordes of monsters were attacking from beyond the Demon Lord Mountains…
Just as the human army cannot cross the Demon Lord Mountains, it seems that monsters have never crossed the Mountains to their side… as far as the records show.
Why?
The group learned the reason when they stepped into the Demon Lord Mountains.
Cliffs that barely allow a single person to pass through them…deep, gaping grounds impossible to jump over…slopes where one must always be conscious of falling rocks….
And then there are the strange female-looking creatures with wings in these steep mountains….
"Harpies again…"
"
Clang, clang, clang, clang.
An ice wall completely shielded the party, preventing them from taking any damage, but that didn't make them feel at ease.
"Harpies, boars, bears, rabbits, and even snakes…"
"The diversity of the monsters is quite astonishing."
Niels was stunned by the number of monsters that appeared, and Ryo expressed it in plain words.
"Who cares about their diversity!"
Niels said in a low voice.
"But thanks to Ryo's magic, it's much easier to walk on the cliffs and stuff."
Etho commended.
Ryo's use of
Even the ground with the gaping maw … although with a bridge of ice on top was a sight that would make one's knees go weak looking down, but they won't fall.
As long as Ryo's ice doesn't break that is….
"I know, right? This is a good opportunity to experience the grandness of water-attribute magic!"
Ryo said happily.
No one dislikes being praised.
The party's smooth exploration plunged into crisis on the third day after entering the Demon Lord Mountains.
"
A fireball hit the ice wall that was put up almost reflexively.
"What the hell!?"
Niels screamed.
The attack had occurred without anyone noticing.
That's inherently impossible.
After all, 'Room 10' is a B-rank party.
Considering that A-rankers are a rarity, it is no exaggeration to say that this is practically the pinnacle of adventurers.
There's no way that these people would fail to recognize a magic attack until it hit them.
And then, there's Ryo.
In the mountains, where one never knows when monsters will attack, he has his
The attack bypassed it and reached them.
Even Niels had to exclaim, "What the hell!?".
The most surprised was Ryo.
The reason was the power of the fireball.
It was incredibly powerful.
It was so powerful that even Ryo's current
The only fire-attribute offensive magic he could think of that surpasses it would be that of Akuma Leonor or that guy from the Empire….
An attack like that in the mountains?
"It's quite a formidable foe."
Ryo warned in a serious tone of voice.
Understanding that Ryo was not joking at all, the six of them braced themselves.
Then they hear footsteps.
"They don't sound like human footsteps."
Niels, the swordsman, muttered.
"It's coming from a single creature, but… there's something strange about it."
Swordsman Amon sensed something strange in the footsteps.
"It's a quadruped, but it doesn't sound like it's putting much force on its paws."
Priest Zeke guessed the reason for the awkwardness.
"To begin with, there are rarely monsters that use fire-attribute magic, right?"
Priest Etho pointed out the abnormality of the fireballs.
"Usually, monsters on the ground and in the air are of the wind or earth attributes."
Swordsman Harold affirmed.
"I've never fought a monster that uses fire-attribute magic."
Not only Harold and Zeke, but also Niels, Etho, and Amon nodded at the opinion of twin swordsman Gowan.
Even the three veterans from 'Room 10' have not, in fact.
Only Ryo had a grim look on his face.
Wondering whether Akuma Leonor could be considered a monster or not… was far from what was going on in his mind, but rather, it reminded him of the Devils he had fought on the dungeon's 40th floor.
(But those were fully bipedal.)
Then what the heck is approaching now…?
The sound was getting closer… and the monster that appeared before the group was…
"A red…"
"Bear…"
"What the hell is that thing…?"
Amon, Etho, and Niels were speechless after saying just that.
-x-X-x-
Nobody uttered a word.
Only the sound of the Red Bear's footsteps approaching could be heard.
The Red Bear then stopped at a distance of about 25 meters from them.
It was about two and a half to three meters in height.
Since it was on its four legs, it was difficult to tell precisely.
The height of the Greater Bear, a higher species of Bear, is said to be about three and a half meters.
It appeared to be slightly smaller than that.
But more than anything else, what stood out was its body color.
Or was it the color of its fur?
Bright red.
So red that it looked like a cardinal red or red pepper.
So imagine that on a bear… anyone would be dumbfounded.
"GOOOAAAAAAAHHH!"
The Red Bear roared.
And not just an ordinary roar.
Harold and Gowan fell to their knees.
It was a roar filled with magic power that struck the minds of those who hear it.
"Harold! Gowan!"
Niels yelled heatedly.
With that, Harold and Gowan came to their senses.
But the Red Bear wasn't dawdling either.
It unleashed a series of fireballs.
"
Ice walls were being created in succession.
Two shots of the Red Bear's fireballs broke through the
If so…
"I'd just beat it by generating more!"
In total, ten fireballs were released, but five ice walls held them off.
Ryo had noticed.
All the fireballs were aimed at the group's faces.
The Red Bear probably intended to blow them up from the neck up and leave their bodies as food.
To begin with, fire-attribute magic is ill-suited for hunting.
Too much firepower would scorch the flesh, or even blast it apart altogether, rendering any spoils useless…
Salamanders, known as monsters that use fire-attribute magic, may defeat their enemies with fire-attribute magic, but that is because they do not eat the target of their attacks in the first place.
The salamander's staple food is lava…
It is not exactly herbivorous… but at least it is not carnivorous.
However, the Red Bear in front of them seemed to be carnivorous… even though it is a monster that uses fire-attribute magic…
Using fire-attribute offensive magic in the forest is difficult in many ways.
Since there's a possibility of the fire spreading to the trees and causing a fire.
Even though the area is rocky and mountainous, it's not entirely devoid of trees.
Does the monster even take that into account…
Ten fireballs were unleashed again, which were again fended off by five ice walls.
After assessing the number, Niels made a judgment call.
"Okay, once the next ten fireballs are unleashed, Amon and I will charge in."
"Got it!"
Amon replied to Niels' instruction.
Ryo acted as the 'shield' to block the opponent's attack, while Niels and Amon attacked the opponent as the 'swords'.
That is a very classic method of counter-attacking as a party.
If this were the old 'Crimson Sword', Warren, the shield-bearer, would receive the attacks, and Abel, the swordsman, would attack the enemy at the same time.
Ryo had anticipated this, so instead of using
If it were to see through the counterattack, charging in too hastily may narrow down their options…
And then.
Came the Red Bear's third fireball attack.
"
Ryo staved it off with a series of
At the same time as the tenth fireball flew in, Niels and Amon each jumped out from both ends of the
Then they ran toward the Red Bear simultaneously.
But…
The Red Bear generated and unleashed fireballs again!
It wasn't limited to just ten shots at once.
"Sure enough."
But Niels muttered and slashed the fireballs that came toward him with his sword.
Amon, too, slashed at the fireballs coming his way with his sword.
As expected of B-rank swordsmen.
The Red Bear was already close at hand.
Finally, Niels and Amon simultaneously closed in on the Red Bear from both sides and swung their swords…
And struck air.
Both of them.
Whether it was a trait of having four legs, or what other reason…
The Red Bear backstepped and dodged, faster than Niels and Amon could blink…
A bear capable of dodging two B-rank swordsmen's deadly sword strikes…
It then instantly unleashed two more fireballs.
Creak. Creak.
They hit the newly generated ice walls in front of Niels and Amon and were deflected.
The
Niels and Amon kept their swords at the ready without letting their guards down.
The distance between them and the Red Bear, which leaped far back, was about 10 meters.
Though neither of them could move hastily…
The Red Bear was backing away, little by little, really little by little, on all four legs.
Niels and Amon glanced at each other, darting glances, just for a moment.
That was all it took for them to understand each other.
The point was not to hunt the Red Bear.
The goal was not to defeat the Red Bear.
If so…
The Red Bear, which had been slowly backing away, turned around and started running all of a sudden after putting a distance of about fifteen meters between them.
The Red Bear ran away.
When they had completely lost the sound of its footsteps, Niels and Amon joined Ryo and the others.
"We somehow drove it away, but… what was that all about?"
Niels asked the group.
But no one there could give a clear answer to that question.
"I was actually taken aback at the fact that it was a Red Bear, but even more so that it uses fire-attribute offensive magic. I've never heard of such a bear monster."
Even Etho, who boasts himself as the brains of Room 10, was clueless about the monster.
"At least, once it realized that it couldn't beat us, it ran away… so I guess it's a creature with common sense and good judgment."
Harold and Gowan nodded to Zeke's words.
Yes, wild creatures, unless they're absolutely confident, will run away once they realize they're at a disadvantage.
The only ones who don't run away… are perhaps foolish humans.
"In other words, the Red Bear just now knows defeat. And it has probably experienced it before. Its tactical retreat back there was brilliant. Meaning that something in these mountains made that Red Bear experience the bitter taste of defeat."
Ryo's words left the group wide-eyed and speechless.
"Whatever that thing is… I never want to run into it…"
Everyone, including Ryo, nodded in agreement to Niels' words.
"Experiencing the agony of defeat makes you stronger… So, Niels, you should try experiencing defeat too… ah, then again I guess you're not new to experiencing defeat, uh."
"Screw you. There are a lot of guys who are way stronger than me! I know that much! Maybe you should be the one to experience that bitter taste of defeat, rather than me, don't you think, Ryo? You hardly know what it feels like, anyway?"
Ryo made a joke, to which Niels responded in kind.
In either case, they're both joking?
Since they're close, right?
If such an exchange was carried out between strangers, it would surely lead to a fight, right?
"Allow me to enlighten you then, Niels, since you're clearly ignorant, that I've experienced defeat every day. Even in the Rondo Duchy, I get struck down with a sword every single day, and to begin with, I am the weakest creature in that place."
What Ryo had in mind was his days in Rune City, where he had been defeated in mock battles with Sera.
And the days when he was beaten by Dullahan, his sword master, in the marshland of the Rondo Forest.
And then there are the Behemoths, Griffons, and Dragons that live in the Rondo Duchy….
Although they hadn't defeated him, they are existences he wouldn't dream of getting into a fight with.
Without any doubt, Ryo is the weakest…
The six were surprised by Ryo's words.
"Who do you expect to believe that you're the weakest?"
Niels said with a look that seemed to say it was his usual lie anyway.
"Niels… Someday, when you visit my territory, I'll show you… ah, but there's a chance you might end up being a snack… Since you have a lot of meat on you. And if my neighbors try to eat you, I can't prevent them from doing so. As I said, they are all stronger than me."
"Ryo… you're a lord, right…?"
"Yeah, that's right. But I only call myself, 'a lord!' when among humans… it has absolutely nothing to do with my neighbors, just so you know? Since I'm the only human in the Rondo Duchy, to begin with."
In response to Niels' words, Ryo stated the facts.
"What in the world is this Rondo Duchy…?"
Harold, the future duke, muttered something that did not reach Ryo's ears.
-x-X-x-
The end of the Demon Lord Mountains came into view for the group on the morning of the day after the battle with the Red Bear.
"Finally…"
Then Ryo responded to Niels' muttering.
"There's a saying that goes, one who travels a hundred miles must consider the last ten miles as their second half. Another goes, there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip. Don't let your guard down, Niels."
"I-I don't really get it… but I'll be on my guard…"
Somehow, Niels felt that Ryo had said something very decent, so Niels answered honestly.
Of course, he had no idea what a hundred miles or 'twixt meant….
"Wow, it's a pretty big expanse of land…"
"Um, what are those things lined up in rows…?"
"They look like horsemen…"
"No, those are probably…"
"Centaurs…"
Ryo marveled at the land, Amon found something, Niels gave his first impression, Zeke suggested it was something else, and Etho hit the bullseye.
"Centaurs!? Hooray for the world of fantasy!"
Ryo exclaimed in surprise.
Harold and Gowan, by the way, were stunned and speechless….
Naturally.
Centaurs are monsters rarely seen in the Central Countries.
Rather, it was much more common running into wyverns….
That, too, was frightening to think about.
"I see. So this is why Archbishop Graham asked us to stop by here first."
"Etho?"
Ryo asked Etho after hearing his words.
"Centaurs are wise monsters. They are no doubt monsters since they have magic stones in their bodies, but it is said that they can communicate with people. Rather than military spirit… they are a race that is all about power. And as long as you go through the 'Battle Festival', it is said that you can get any information you desire."
"Battle Festival…"
Etho added, and Ryo muttered a little excitedly at the name.
"But, these Centaurs are also a part of the Demon Lord's Army, right? And we came here in the first place to meet with the top brass of the Demon Lord's Army, right?"
Zeke questioned.
"Well, all that will naturally become clear once we meet up with them. They've already noticed us anyway… so we have no choice but to go."
Niels decided as the leader.
Even Ryo admired Niels' boldness and decisiveness at times like that.
As the party descended the mountain and emerged onto the plain, a group of Centaurs, numbering well over two hundred, lined up ahead of them.
Then one of the Centaurs, armed to the teeth, stepped forward and said:
"This is our land. None shall trespass."
Niels, from the party, replied.
"We don't mean to trespass on your land. We've come here to seek the whereabouts of the Demon Lord."
The Centaurs gasped as Niels' words echoed.
An exclamation so to speak.
And started buzzing….
Chink.
The murmur subsided when the well-armed Centaur struck the ground with his spear's butt end.
"Very well. If there is something you want to know, ask with your sword. That is our way."
With that, he turned around and called out.
"Chiron!"
"Aye!"
The Centaur called Chiron answered and came forward.
Looks like he'll be doing the 'fighting'.
"So this is the so-called 'Battle Festival'… How do you want to do this?"
Zeke asked Niels.
"Hey, can you guys let me have a go at it?"
"Eh…"
"Niels?"
Surprisingly, Niels offered to go himself, Amon was absolutely mortified, and Ryo called out to him with a question mark above his head.
That was very unusual.
Niels still had that punk-stereotype vibe, looked like a muscle brain, and had a muscular physique, the very epitome of a vanguard swordsman.
But he doesn't often opt to participate in this kind of mock battle.
Not that he's bad at them, of course.
However, in such cases, it is usually Amon who represents 'Room 10'.
This is probably the reason why Amon was so excited.
He had expected that he would be the one to go, but the party leader suddenly announced that he'd do the honors.
Of course, he has no complaints about that, but…why?
Under the gaze of the six, Niels poked his cheek with his finger and said shyly:
"No, you see…Centaurs are like the pinnacle of monster warriors…and you don't often get a chance in your lifetime to fight them with all you got. So I thought I'd take this opportunity…"
Niels is a boy, too.
He wants to fight the strong.
No, not quite, even girls love to fight the strong, for example… Sera, or Leonor… mm, well, neither of them are exactly 'human'….
Anyways, it doesn't seem to matter if it's a man or a woman….
"Good luck, Niels!"
Amon encouraged him with a big smile on his face.
He probably understood Niels' feelings.
Since they're both swordsmen from 'Room 10'.
"The 'Battle Festival' is not about winning or losing. Of course, if you win, all the better, but even if you lose, as long as the Centaurs acknowledge you, it's all good."
Etho said and patted Niels on the shoulder.
Harold and Gowan were just nodding over and over again, without a word.
They were probably glad that Niels, whom they admire, was so motivated.
"As I recall, I heard that magic is not permitted in the 'Battle Festival'."
Etho nodded in agreement with Zeke's words.
It is a 'battle' with swords.
"Niels… in situations like this, Abel would surely pull it off. And now Abel said. 'Niels will do just fine'. So go out there and give it your best shot."
"!"
Ryo conveyed the words that Abel had spoken to him through 'Soul Resonance'.
There was no way that Niels would not be inspired by the encouragement from Abel, whom he admired.
His body was teeming with motivation.
"I'm off!"
Thus, Niels threw himself into the greatest 'battle' of his life.
-x-X-x-
"Name is Chiron."
"I'm Niels."
The two men shook hands and then moved a short distance apart.
Centaurs have the body of a horse from the waist down and human from the waist up.
Therefore, their upper bodies are especially elevated.
Yet, they seem to be able to bend their bodies quite a bit, and shaking hands with Niels, who is a human, does not seem to bother them…
Chiron held a spear in his hand and a large sword suspended at his waist.
Niels was holding a sword… over one meter long with both hands and wore gauntlets over his hands.
He used to equip a small shield on his left hand, but not anymore, and if necessary, he could rely on the gauntlets.
If he were an experienced swordsman like Abel, he would have established his fighting style, but both Niels and Amon were still growing…
The referee, it seemed, would be the splendidly armed centaur from earlier.
"No dealing of finishing blows. If I deem it impossible to continue and that the match has been decided, it's over. The match will also be brought to a close if either side surrenders. Are both sides ready?"
"Aye."
"Anytime."
Both Niels and Chiron answered.
"Then, begin!"
Niels spread his legs firmly and held his greatsword sturdily in front of him.
In the first place, the Centaur's head and heart are almost at the same height as a person on horseback. Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to deliver a fatal blow.
Of course, since it was a mock battle, killing was not allowed… but ultimately, he couldn't ignore the height of the Centaur if he was going to place a sword to his throat or something.
That being the case, charging head-on was out of the question for Niels from the very beginning.
Chiron's arms were higher than Niels' head, who is one meter and ninety centimeters tall.
Plus the three-meter-long spear he wielded.
A battle of cavalry versus infantry so to speak.
The advantage of attacking from a higher ground is the same in both individual and group battles.
From the start, the battle was not in Niels' favor.
Still, that didn't bring Niels down.
He raised his hand, saying he wanted to fight.
Knowing full well that he'd be at a disadvantage.
"It's fast…"
The one who muttered that was the dual swordsman, Gowan.
Next to him, Priest Zeke also nodded.
Chiron's spear was fast.
Whether thrusting, jostling, or striking, the spear's characteristics were sufficiently displayed, approaching Niels' body from all directions.
But…
Niels carefully parried all of these attacks.
Since he was using a large sword, it was not a good idea to swing it wide against a swift opponent.
He stirred his sword with faint movements, parrying the thrusts, dodging the jostlings, and receiving the strikes.
A classic demonstration of how a swordsman defends against a spear-wielder's attack.
His performance also drew admiration from the Centaurs.
Even an amateur could tell the ferocity of those attacks.
A discerning eye could appreciate the rock solid defense.
Niels sword technique was definitely that of a B-rank swordsman.
However… even though his attacks were being handled so perfectly… Chiron wasn't feeling at all agitated.
His expression was one that seemed to say that he expected as much.
Since he'd grasped some measure of Niels' strength from the moment they first met.
Just as Niels was an excellent swordsman as a B-rank adventurer, Chiron was also an excellent warrior among the Centaurs.
He had a wealth of combat experience and is quick-witted.
(Looks like he's calculating the timing of my spear. Contrary to his appearance, he is a smart and calm man.)
Chiron muttered in his mind and braced himself, more than ever.
Their 'Battle Festival' was becoming more and more competitive.
Ten minutes later.
At first glance, it appeared to remain competitive.
However, there was a slight difference from when the 'battle' began.
The composition of the battle remained the same, with Chiron attacking with his spear and Niels defending with his sword.
However, Niels's handling of his sword changed gradually.
He parried Chiron's thrusts, dodged his jostlings, and received his strikes…with the gauntlet on his left hand.
Then, closed the gap a little.
Of course, Chiron, too, would fall back when those gaps close up, thus maintaining the distance between the two of them.
And those with discerning eyes were beginning to sense it.
The changes.
The change the spectators were looking for happened suddenly.
Niels received Chiron's spear strike with his left hand… not only did he receive it, but repelled it back forcefully.
After which he closed the gap at once.
Taking a large step with his right foot, he wielded the great sword with his right hand, and struck at Chiron's waist…where he could neither turn his upper body nor dodge with his legs, or even move!
Clang.
Chiron twirled the spear, which was forcefully repelled by Niels' left hand, around with the same momentum, and flicked Niels' thrust with the hilt, in other words, the butt of his spear, from below.
He then spun the spear around once more with the same momentum and unleashed the tip from below to attack Niels.
But that was within Niels' expectation.
Before the spear could turn up from below, Niels took another half step forward with his right foot, stomping on the spear.
Thus completely exposing Chiron to his sword range.
And once again, he made a thrust!
Clang.
The metallic clash sound echoed again.
Chiron had pulled out the great sword at his waist with his left hand and caught Niels' thrust with the side of the sword.
The spear had already been discarded, and it had become a sword fight.
Niels was connecting a series of thrusts, sweeps, diagonal slashes, and then rounding up with reverse diagonal slashes….
A complete reversal from defense to offense.
The sword fight began with Niels attacking and Chiron on the receiving end.
Both were wielding great swords.
However, the swordfight unfolded at a speed that didn't seem like they were wielding very large swords.
Moreover, the sword fight, which began with Niels attacking and Chiron receiving, somehow switched to Niels being on the receiving end, and Chiron attacking.
Then, before you know it, Niels is back on the attacking side and Chiron on the receiving end.
The sword fight progressed, with offense and defense switching violently.
With both fighters using similar great swords, with no significant difference in skill, and with ample stamina, it was the most basic aspect of the fight that determined the winner.
As stated at the beginning.
An attack from a higher position is more advantageous on many fronts.
The sword that Chiron strikes down has gravity as its ally.
While the sword that Niels receives has gravity as its greatest enemy.
The most basic law of physics.
Objects are pulled by gravity and fall from top to bottom….
Niels' stamina was slowly being drained as he continued to receive Chiron's force-ridden strikes.
Three years ago, beginning with Ryo's guidance, Niels had been working diligently to increase his stamina ever since.
However, as a human, he naturally has his limits.
He probably has more stamina than most B-rank adventurers.
However, the longer one wields a great sword, the more fatigue accumulates… that's simply inevitable.
Even so, he has never cut corners in training.
He's always trained to his limit.
In actual combat, he may take extra precautions for safety reasons, but in training, he challenges himself to the very limit.
To be able to wield the great sword longer than anyone else!
Chiron also wields a great sword.
Which he swung downward.
Niels dodged the sword, which he had been receiving or fending off until now…
He was utterly exhausted.
Chiron thought he would parry it, but he didn't.
His great sword was now weighed down by gravity.
He hurriedly tried to pull it up, but….
Niels took a big step forward, stepped on Chiron's sword, and stretched out his arm in one smooth motion.
As if thrusting his sword into Chiron's heart!
"Halt!"
The referee's voice resonated.
Niels emerged victorious in the 'Battle Festival'.
-x-X-x-
That evening, a welcome banquet was held for the party in the centaur settlement.
Of course, it was Niels who was the prime focus of the party, made to drink one cup after another.
Harold and Gowan were watching him from behind, as if he was an idol.
Niels' fans, No. 1 and No. 2….
Etho, Amon, and Zeke were watching with wry smiles as Niels continued to drink the liquor being poured one after another.
While feasting, of course.
Ryo crossed his arms in a pompous manner and nodded repeatedly as he looked at Niels.
Mumbling something like, "Looks like Niels too is beginning to shape up".
The person with whom Niels had fought came to him.
Carrying with him, a bottle of liquor.
All eyes around him widened in surprise when they saw the bottle.
It seemed to be a very rare liquor…
"Niels, care for a drink?"
"Sure, Chiron. I'll have some."
And they drank.
And even the Centaurs who had been pouring drinks around Niels excused themselves when Chiron showed up.
Although Chiron was defeated, the look in the eyes of the Centaurs doesn't seem to contain any ill feelings.
On the contrary, he seemed to be even respected more now by those who give off the aura of an expert.
They must have appreciated his performance during the 'battle'.
"You're strong, Niels. We had a good match. Thank you."
Chiron said, as he emptied his cup for the second time.
"I was lucky. I won this time, but can't say about next time."
Niels, too, replied, emptying his cup in a single gulp.
"Don't be modest. I lost to someone stronger. We, Centaurs respect the strong."
"I-I see? Oh, and just because I won doesn't make things difficult for you or anything like that right, Chiron…?"
"It's alright."
Chiron said with a laugh and continued.
"Although victory brings honor, there's no shame in defeat."
With that, he took another drink and downed it.
"Each defeat makes us stronger. And we Centaurs know this. So there is no shame in defeat."
Saying that, Chiron laughed.
His smile looked so dazzling to Niels.
Because even though it's true, he knows that it is not easy to say so openly.
"True… looks like you're going to become stronger."
"Oh, you think so too?"
They both burst into laughter.
Etho, Zeke, and Ryo were visited by the splendidly armed Centaur…though now, of course, he had taken off his armor…
"I am Cenlautr, the chief."
"I am Etho, and this is Zeke and Ryo."
"I thought I'd tell you before I get too drunk."
Chief Cenlautr smiled as he said that.
"First of all, I'm sorry, but we don't know where the Demon Lord is currently."
"Is that so…"
Cenlautr said apologetically, his expression changing from a smirk to one of apology.
Etho, who replied, also looked disappointed.
Then Etho asked, resolutely.
"But… but if you knew where he is, would you have told us honestly?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Since that information would allow us to locate the Demon Lord."
"Oh, now I see what you mean."
Cenlautr replied with a laugh.
"It doesn't matter, I still would have told you. If the Demon Lord raises an army, we will follow him. That is because of the 'Demon Lord Elements' that we have, regardless of our will. We have no choice. However, now that the Demon Lord has yet to raise his army, it can be said that we have absolutely no relationship with the Demon Lord. We could care less about what happens to the Demon Lord, the rest of the top brass, or his close associates."
"The Demon Lord Elements…"
Ryo muttered.
Yeah, it's similar to the mysterious word, 'Fairy Elements' that came up previously… related to Ryo…
"The Demon Lord is currently not raising an army… In other words, he has no intention of invading mankind?"
"Well, I guess so. In the first place, there has been no conflict between the Demon Lord's army and humans for more than a hundred years."
Hearing that, Etho and Zeke were surprised.
For the past several hundred years, most of the Demon Lords and heroes born in the world had been born in the Western Countries.
And, on a semi-regular basis, announcements had been made by the Western church that the heroes had succeeded in defeating the Demon Lords.
Therefore, it is fair to say that people in the Central Countries do not know the exact relationship between the Hero and the Demon Lord.
However, from the Western Church's announcement, they vaguely inferred that the Demon Lord's army and humans clashed and the Heroes overthrew the Demon Lords.
People's impression of the Demon Lord.
He is the king of monsters. And the eternal enemy of mankind.
But the reality may be totally different…
Ryo was thinking about such things in silence.
"We don't even know who the current Demon Lord is or what kind of monster he is, but… quite frankly, we hope he doesn't raise his Demon Lord's army."
Cenlautr muttered with a slightly forlorn expression on his face.
"You don't even know what kind of monster he is?"
Ryo wondered and muttered about Cenlautr's words.
And then decided to ask anyway.
"I heard that the Demon Lord is an evolution of one of the Devil's… the Demon Princes."
"Hmmm. I'd say you're half correct. In fact, there are some Demon Princes who become Demon Lords through that route. But some are born Demon Lords."
"Wow…"
Ryo was surprised by Cenlautr's answer.
Etho and Zeke were also stunned, with their eyes wide open.
Considering that Rihya had said earlier that in the Central Temple, they were taught that one of the four Demon Princes would evolve and become the Demon Lord, they must have heard that as well.
After all, there are too many things about the Demon Lord and the Demon Lord's Army that people in the Central Countries today do not know.
"But then… how do we now go about finding the Demon Lord…?"
Zeke frowned and pondered.
Seeing this, Cenlautr said:
"Right, Sir Harold is under the spirit curse of a Fiend."
Shortly after the 'Battle Festival', they explained why their party was looking for the Demon Lord.
Hence why Cenlautr said that.
"Indeed, the only way to break the Fiend's spirit curse is to put a drop of the Demon Lord's blood on the victim's forehead… For that purpose, the church must have kept some of the former demon lord's blood, but I heard that it was lost or something like that. Which means… it's only a matter of time before the church starts hunting for the Demon Lord."
"Demon Lord hunt…"
Etho frowned upon hearing Cenlautr's words.
By 'hunting'… the only fate that awaits the hunted is a cruel one…
Then again… would a being called the Demon Lord simply resign to the fate of being hunted?
Wouldn't this be the impetus that revives the Demon Lord's army, starting a war with mankind once again?
Could those who attacked the storage facilities of the Western Church be plotting to provoke a war?
Such thoughts were popping into Ryo's mind.
That is if the objective of the raiders was the 'Demon Lord's Blood', of course.
In the end, there was too little information to come to a proper conclusion.
That's right, and you can only do one thing in such a situation.
Don't think!
Ryo took a bite out of the delicious-looking grilled meat in front of him.
Delicious food makes one's mind go blank!
Ryo stopped thinking, but Etho and Zeke had one last question for Cenlautr.
"I understand that you don't know the whereabouts of the Demon Lord himself. Then, could you please point us to anyone you think might know the Demon Lord's whereabouts?"
He must have anticipated Etho's question.
Cenlautr nodded several times, but after pondering for a while whether or not he should disclose it, he spoke.
"Perhaps… there is someone who knows the whereabouts of the Demon Lord for sure."
At Cenlautr's words, Zeke raised his face and asked.
"Who is it!"
"The Demon Lords who raise the Demon Lord's army always have one advisor by his side. His name is Merlin. I don't know what kind of monster he is, but apparently, Merlin was at the negotiation table with the humans. And that he takes the form of a human in every one of those occasions."
"Always…?"
Zeke muttered.
"That's right. Always, for thousands of years. And probably the same individual. He must be from a species with a long life span."
Cenlautr, who must have heard Zeke's muttering, nodded his head and replied.
"If he was at the negotiating table with humans, it means that he can communicate with humans. And the fact that he was always by their side means that he must have some means of sensing or locating the very presence of the Demon Lord. Merlin, perhaps, would also know the current whereabouts of the Demon Lord…but…"
Then Cenlautr hesitated.
"Where is this Merlin now?"
Zeke asked, leaning forward.
Can't fault him. Since Harold's life is at stake.
"Well… My grandfather apparently heard this from Merlin personally…"
Cenlautr was still hesitating.
Zeke did not say anything, but still leaning forward.
"I'm not even sure if you guys can make it all the way there."
"Make it?"
Ryo, who had just devoured the grilled meat, muttered.
"To the depths of the western dungeon, in the Holy City of Marlomar."
-x-X-x-
After leaving the Centaurs, the search party returned to Onge, the northernmost town in the northern country of Arjeplog, after a three-day journey.
They didn't encounter the Red Bear on their way this time.
Perhaps it deliberately avoided them.
However, the harpies attacked them again.
And once again, they were protected by ice walls.
They left the carriage at the Onge church.
Around the carriage, which Ryo had frozen to prevent any mischief, were knight-looking men hanging around.
"They're back!"
One of the men shouted, and from all around, the knight-looking men started gathering.
In the distance, the priests and deacons of the Onge church were looking at them, trembling.
They were looking toward them and bowing repeatedly. They seemed to be apologizing.
It looked like they were terrified of the knight-looking men…
Then a man, presumably the leader, came forward and said:
"We are the Knights Templar. I am Andre de Bachelet, commander of the third detachment."
(Templars!)
A certain water-attribute magician was feeling elated inwardly after listening to the self-introduction.
The Knights Templar… a knight order of the same name exists in Earth's history.
The Knights Templar on Earth was founded in 1119, after the First Crusade, to protect pilgrims to Jerusalem.
Subsequently, their assets, including land donated to the Knights Templar, became enormous.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, they conducted international financial services in Europe and were so powerful that the royal families of various countries, as well as the Vatican, opened accounts with them.
In the end, however, the Knights themselves were subjected to the Inquisition and destroyed by King Philip IV of France, who wanted to seize the enormous fortune of the Order.
Ryo recalled the history in his mind.
He might have been grinning a little because of that.
And Niels was giving him a sideways glance,
"Ryo is up to no good again…"
He muttered.
Etho then stepped forward to ask.
"So how may we help you Templars?"
He was courteous in the way he addressed them, but the look in his eyes and words were authoritative.
Normally, Etho is a gentle and quiet priest, but his three years as an adventurer and his ability to rise to the level of a B-rank adventurer as a priest is no joke.
It was, at the same time, a competence as a servant of God, something that the members of the Knights Templar, who are knights but also clergymen of the church, could feel well enough.
But the commander, Andre de Bachelet, said:
"Give us the information you've obtained about the Demon Lord."
"We refuse."
Etho declined instantly.
"Wha…"
He probably wasn't expecting to be refused so openly.
The commander, Andre, was absolutely mortified.
The other knights, who had been overwhelmed by Etho's presumed aura as a priest, came to their senses and grew angry.
"Son of a… do you know what will happen if you offend us?"
Saying that, Andre, the commander, took a step forward and…
"Ughoo."
He slipped and fell.
It was so sudden that no one uttered a word.
But Zeke, instantly, understood what had happened… or rather who had done that.
He glanced at Ryo beside him.
Almost simultaneously, Niels, Etho, and Amon also realized it.
But they didn't look at Ryo.
They just gave a small sigh.
"This…"
Andre tried to stand up while saying that….
"Whoa."
He slipped and fell again.
"You scoundrels…"
Seeing this, all twenty members of the group who started rushing toward them… slipped and fell.
The scene was quite spectacular…
And all of them, just as they were about to get up, slipped and fell again…
Their nightmare had begun.
Zeke glanced at Ryo at his side, but Ryo looked the same as usual. The same look as always.
Unbelievable, no one could tell that he was generating magic…
So naturally.
For all twenty-one people,
The timing of their attempts to stand up, of course, varied, yet the instantaneous generation of magic captured everyone's situation in real-time.
It was amazingly precise magic control.
Being utilized to create such an astonishingly ridiculous situation…
The technique behind it lay in ultimate precision.
Harold and Gowan, not understanding what was going on, were shaken at first, but when they saw that Niels and the others were acting normal, they finally got it.
Ryo was behind it.
Then they looked at Zeke.
And Zeke nodded silently.
They, too, said nothing and decided to continue watching.
As the scene continued for a while, Etho walked over to the priest and deacon of the Onge Church, who were huddled together on the other side of the Templars, and called out to them.
"Priests, we will be taking our leave then."
"Eh…oh, okay… Um, what about…these knights…"
The priest then asked the most logical question in response to Etho's words.
"Right… I'm not sure what's wrong with them… but it could be a disease or a curse… Perhaps they'll recover in a few hours, but there is nothing a lowly priest like me can do about it. If you know a larger city nearby that happens to have a high-ranking priest, you might want to call them?"
"I-I see… There is a bishop in the neighboring Dune City. I'll call for him right away… and ask him to come see you, Sir Andre, so please hold on!"
The deacon called out loudly, and Andre, the commander who kept slipping, nodded and waved his hand, "Go".
After asking the deacon to prepare the party's horses, the priest quickly mounted the carriage and rode out of town.
By then, the knights who kept sliding had given up on getting up.
Waiting for the bishop to come.
They had already accepted that this was a supernatural phenomenon and that the bishop would have to do something about it.
Seeing that the Knights Templar had given up on getting up, the search party of Room 10 and 11 left Onge City.
Inside the carriage.
"The issue was solved in a rather smart way, wouldn't you say."
Niels gave a small shake of his head to Ryo's words.
Etho and Amon chuckled.
While Harold and Gowan looked at each other.
And Zeke…
"Ryo-san, did you try tripping us over at the 'Café de Chocolat' in the royal capital before?"
He asked in a surprisingly straightforward manner.
Ryo was most surprised by the directness of the question.
"Can't say I know what you are talking about."
"Um…"
Ryo was being evasive, and Zeke interrupted him… taking the initiative.
"Perhaps if I were to come across an adventurer that says stuff like, I'm a C-rank adventurer just so you know! And I'm going to inherit a dukedom in the future! I can do whatever I want to a place like this! I just might try to trip them over, who knows."
"Eh…"
Zeke was absolutely mortified, and Harold's face turned bright red.
When someone you respect finds out about a past you don't want them to know about, your face tends to do that.
Hearing this, Niels shook his head slightly.
Etho and Amon laughed more emphatically than before.
"Yeah… that was my bad."
Harold admitted his fault, though in a soft, really soft voice.
He'd grown up a lot since then.
Ryo thought he was a very nasty guy when he first met him, but he admits that he has grown since then.
Of course, admitting wrongdoing and growing up does not erase the mistakes of the past.
But those who admit their mistakes are much better people than those who don't… or so he believes.
"Harold. If you make it back safely to the royal capital, you should apologize to the waiters at the 'Cafe de Chocolat' for the trouble you caused."
"Yes…"
Ryo said something very decent, Harold nodded, and the party approved.
Admitting one's mistakes and to keep progressing.
Perhaps that is the way to grow as a person.
-x-X-x-
"Hmm~m, as expected of the Silverdale Knights. Quite impressive."
"Indeed, they are, but… we can't just stay impressed."
"Even if you say so, you can't deny the legacy. I'm really glad that they didn't turn against us during the Liberation War."
The central training ground of the royal capital.
It is a huge training ground used for training by the royal knights, court magician order, and the nobles' knights.
There are four other huge training grounds outside the royal capital, but this central training ground is often used by the king and others when they conduct military inspections.
It's a newly built training ground on the site of the former residences of the nobles who were in Raymond's camp during the Kingdom Liberation War that the royal family confiscated, and it is said to have plenty of the latest alchemy equipment…
The Silverdale Knights of the Silverdale Duchy were currently conducting exercises at the central training ground.
The Duchy has its territory in the central region of the Kingdom where the royal capital is located, and is known as one of the most prominent military families in the Kingdom.
During the Kingdom Liberation War, the head of the family, Lawson, who was trapped in the royal castle, was imprisoned and was originally supposed to join Raymond's camp.
Apparently Prince Raymond was also counting on the formidable Silverdale Knights, but all the Knights disappeared without a trace.
They were not only gone from the Silverdale domain but also from the royal capital.
The Silverdale Knights numbered about 300 at the time, which was not a large number.
However, their skills as Knights in assault, shooting, and riding were said to be on par with those of the past Royal Knights in their heyday.
When Raymond learned that he could not recruit them into his forces, he threw the cup in his hand…
When Lawson, the head of the family, heard the report, he laughed uproariously…
The anecdote of him laughing so hard when he could lose his own life became a well-known tale in the royal capital after the war.
Rumor has it that the vanished Silverdale Knights hid out in the west and cooperated behind the scenes in the recapture of eastern Wingston.
Wingston was traditionally the eastern base of the Silverdale Knights, and their familiarity with the geography of the area led to such rumors.
While that was true, the Silverdale Knights were not proud of it.
Rather, it was said that they were ashamed that they could not join King Abel.
It was inevitable since the head of the family was inprisoned…
Watching the drill exercises of the Silverdale Knights were Imogen, the leader of the Valkyrie Knights, and Camilla, the deputy leader.
Imogen and her team were former adventurers of the C-rank party, 'Valkyries', operating out of the royal capital.
They were the core of a new all-female knight order formed after the Kingdom Liberation War.
At the time, the official name was undecided, so it was commonly known as the Valkyrie Knights, which then became the official name.
The Valkyrie Knights is officially a knight order directly under the queen.
After three years, their number had risen to 500.
The Valkyrie Knights include divisions like 'Magic Corps', 'Scouting Party', and a 'Rescue Team' within their ranks, and the Order alone is capable of independent operations.
Therefore, not all 500 members are knights, of course.
Still, it has 400 knights.
But….
"To put it bluntly, we still can't beat even these three hundred."
Imogen muttered.
Half of the Silverdale Knights were conducting exercises in front of them.
They were half of the Silverdale Knights which grew to six hundred after the war, and even against them, the five hundred Valkyrie Knights were no match.
This was the current impression of the captain, Imogen.
"We still have a long way to go…"
Camilla, the vice-captain must have felt the same way.
She nodded and replied.
"That Lady Faith, too, is one brilliant commander."
Imogen commended the instructions of the silver-haired beauty who leads the Silverdale Knights.
"And she is only nineteen years old, isn't she? She is indeed from a prominent military family. She must have gone through all kinds of training since childhood."
Camilla answered with a nod.
Whenever Imogen sees other knights' exercises,
She is reminded of her inexperience.
Especially in commanding group battles.
Therefore, she's been conducting drill exercises as often as possible….
But, experience is not something that can be gained overnight.
She's confident in her ability at a party level.
Even three-party coordination won't pose a problem.
But, precisely for that reason, she's struggling with commanding dozens or hundreds of people.
"Don't rush it. I'm still not very good at commanding group battles either"…she recalled her Lord's face smiling broadly as he said so over and over again.
"Your Majesty…"
Imogen didn't become despondent.
But rather, looked up decisively, figuring out where she was lacking.
Accepting and acknowledging it in earnest.
Deciding the way forward while believing in herself and her comrades.
Since she has friends who believe in her.
She will be fine!
The next day, a part of the Valkyrie Knights departed for a training expedition.
Composed of the middle ranks in the Knight Order.
Fifty knights, ten magicians, five scouts, and five rescue workers. A total of seventy people.
Led by Captain Imogen.
Aided by the Magic Corps Captain Miu, and the Scouting Party Captain Abigail.
Vice-Captain Camilla and Rescue Team Captain Scarlett would remain in the royal capital.
The purpose of the exercise was to improve the teamwork of the entire group.
Their expedition outline also included going to the southern part of the kingdom to defeat monsters in a large forest.
For training purposes, their nights were to be spent out in the open.
And as expected, no one protested against it.
Even though it's a knight order directly under the queen, there are no children of great nobles. Except for Miu.
Half of them are commoners, and the other half are mostly second and third daughters of families below the rank of viscount.
These women were the ones who didn't give up or run away from the rigorous training.
The grueling training left even Zack and Scotty, who had come to support them from the Royal Knight Order, to break out in cold sweats.
It was only natural.
To begin with, the five core members were C-rank adventurers.
They were famous adventurers who had been through many ordeals!
So, the training they came up with would, of course, be anything but half-hearted.
And they were sometimes life-threatening. Since relaxed training would defeat the purpose.
And those who endured these drills… are the Valkyrie Knights.
Though Imogen was not yet satisfied, they were by no means weaker than the other territorial knights in the Kingdom.
Considering that they had come this far in only three years, they should be highly regarded.
They had reached such a high level of competence.
The Knights arrived in Rune city in five days, a journey that would normally have taken seven days.
In Rune, they stayed at the lord's mansion.
Because they thought they would learn a lot from the elite and renowned Rune Frontier County Knights, and because as a knight order under the queen, it was important to maintain ties with Rune, one of the key cities in the south.
Then again, both the current king, Abel I, and Queen Rihya, were based in Rune as adventurers for a long time, so the ties were still very strong.
As proof of that, a statue of when King Abel I made his speech at the inauguration ceremony was displayed in the town square of Rune city, and flowers were still placed there every day…
"Captain Imogen, welcome to our city."
"It's been a while, Sir Alfonso."
With that, the two shook hands.
Alfonso Spinazola had officially become the Count of the Rune Frontier.
The previous lord, Carmelo Spinazola, had gone into seclusion, living out the rest of his days in a mansion a short distance from the lord's mansion.
"I see you've also arranged a mock battle with our Knights. I'm looking forward to it."
"We'll be picking up a few pointers from you, Captain Neville."
Neville Black, knight captain of the Rune Frontier County, also shook hands with Imogen.
The following evening. After the mock battle.
"They are unbelievably strong…."
"To think that everyone in the entire Order can 'cut' magic…"
"The scouts were just sitting on their hands, you know?"
Captain Imogen gave her honest opinion, Magic Corps Captain Miu was surprised by the performance of the Rune Knights during the mock battle, and Scouting Party Captain Abigail, who had nothing to do because she was a scout, said something totally irrelevant.
"Fairly strong, right?"
The three of them jumped up in surprise when a voice suddenly called out to them from behind.
"Sire Neville!"
"Whoa, my bad… I didn't think you'd be that startled…"
Neville Black was more surprised than the three of them.
"Oh, no… and thank you very much for the mock battle experience."
"Oh please. I know it sounds supercilious to say this, but don't be too discouraged."
Imogen thanked him, and Neville said with a wry smile.
The gap was that big.
To put it bluntly, they were stronger than any knight order they'd ever seen… in the Kingdom.
"Only C-rank adventurers with considerable skill can cut through offensive magic with a sword, but… are all of the Rune Knights capable of doing so?"
Magic Corps Captain Miu asked.
"Yeah. Pretty much. The inexperienced ones can be a little clumsy… but those who have been around for more than three years can all do it. Since that's how they were trained."
Neville replied, thinking back on something.
"They were all confident during the one-on-one sword fights, too. Even the person who served as my opponent wasn't intimidated at all…"
Imogen said.
Imogen also fought and eventually defeated a member of the Rune Knights, but her opponent did not flinch at all.
"That was Nash, wasn't it? He's in his fifth year. Well guys like him already witnessed it after all…"
"Witnessed it?"
Imogen tilted her head at Neville's words and asked.
"They've witnessed the ultimate sword fights between swordsmen. And were trained by them too. Sorry to say, but they probably wouldn't feel intimidated facing you after being trained by those monsters. They certainly don't feel intimidated facing me."
Neville said with a wry smile.
"The ultimate sword fight…"
Imogen muttered.
"We only have one now, but the Rune Knight Order once had a second swordsmanship instructor. One was an elf. And the other, a magician. The funny thing is, even though he's a magician, he's one hell of a master with a sword. Sword fights between these two took place every day on the training grounds. I even went to see it. And I was fascinated. I was mesmerized, watching these two extraordinary swordsmen… fighting right in front of me, with such exquisite swordsmanship that was out of this world, you know? Of course, I couldn't even see through half of their movements, but that didn't matter. I was mesmerized, full of admiration, and wanted to get as close to them as possible… Even an old-timer like me felt that way, so you can imagine the impact it must have had on the active guys, right? We now have those people training with that goal in mind… see what I mean?"
Neville's words were passionate.
For he, of all people, was one of those who were fascinated by them….
"Having been trained by those monsters… I hate to break it to you, but our members are the strongest in the Kingdom."
Captain Neville Black stated clearly.
"Excuse me, Sir Neville. Who exactly are these two…?"
Imogen asked.
"One is Sera, an Elf who is a B-rank adventurer. She is the next head of the Western Forest and the representative of the elves in the Kingdom."
"I see… I know of Lady Sera, though only by name."
Imogen nodded.
The story of the defensive battle in the Western Forest had become a classic tale sung by bards.
"And the other?"
Imogen asked again.
"The other is a C-rank adventurer, a water-attribute magician. He is a close friend of King Abel and the premier duke of the Kingdom. His powerful and matchless water-attribute magic has earned him two names: Silver Duke, and Ice Fall…"
"Is that not…"
"Oh yeah. It's Lord Ryo, the Duke of Rondo."