Chapter 56 - But Still (4)

Windhand and DeB's lips twitched the entire time we traveled on horseback. It was obvious they wanted to say something about the pearl.

Of course, after seeing me split a fallen tree—a massive one at that—with my bare hands for no reason along the way, they eventually gave up on flapping their tongues.

Exactly. Seeing someone not only shatter a tree but single-handedly lift and throw a chunk of wood that would normally require three adults to move would make anyone hold their tongue.

If there was a side effect, it was that the commander of Gamak Bay and his escort personnel clamped their mouths shut like clams afterward. The adventurers and pirates also put 'more' distance between us.

There was already a sense of awe and dread around me because I caught a dragon alone, but it felt like that had only been solidified.

Still, if we're just talking about my concept, it was the right thing to do.

It was a little lonely, but it wasn't bad.

Anyway, moving on. We sought out the Lord as soon as we arrived in Gruh Telz. It was to collect what we were promised.

Even after seeing the dragon's head, the Lord expressed his disbelief, asking if it was really a dragon, but...

"If you, Lord, disregard their sacrifices, the Temple will not sit idly by."

"If you think it's not a dragon, then I suppose you don't really need it? Can we take it?!"

Seeing the Priest who had stubbornly tagged along speak up, and the Mage whose eyes sparkled as he tried to lowball him, the Lord finally conceded.

Windhand wore a subtle expression, seemingly displeased by the interference from the Priest and the Magic Tower, yet grateful for it this time.

"Ah, right. You must not forget to pay a fair price to those who lent their strength to this matter."

Ah, for the record, the Priest from the Temple demanded the compensation we had been worrying about on our behalf.

I figured they were using us as an excuse to get their own share since the Temple suffered heavy losses, but if they were going to look out for my share too, I wasn't about to oppose it.

"Wouldn't it be right for half of the carcass to go to the one who contributed the most to hunting the dragon? I believe such a share must be guaranteed to the one who faced the dragon almost entirely alone."

Especially since they were properly securing my share.

"What?! Half? It was the Magic Tower that took responsibility for the ship's protective barrier!"

"Ahem, it was we who provided the ship, however..."

But things were bound to get complicated once it turned into a question of contributions. With greed and the reluctance to take a loss involved, a conclusion wouldn't be reached easily. It was obvious that they would be bickering for at least a few days.

"It doesn't seem like they'll reach a conclusion easily."

Perhaps that was why. Windhand lightly bit his lip and gauged my reaction. The stakes were incredibly valuable, and since leaving this place meant practically giving it up, he couldn't help but do so.

"We're leaving."

"Wait, are you okay with the reward?"

"Do you have the luxury to be worrying about me?"

But what could I do? A contract was a contract.

Besides, it was something I had already mentally prepared myself for yesterday, so it didn't bother me that much... No, it was a huge waste, but I just gave up on it.

I only wanted it because of my greed for gear. Honestly, a shop-bought sword was enough. It was true that the stats on shop items were trash, but the original longsword was a starter weapon, so its stats were just as bad.

"... If you do this, Sir Knight, I won't be able to get mine either. Hah, damn it."

I felt a little bad for DeB, but... if he wanted his reward, he could stay and get it. I wasn't going to wait for him.

"... Um."

"Don't say you're sorry. I know it can't be helped. Besides, I didn't expect to get anything in the first place. I didn't really do anything. I didn't say that because I actually wanted it."

"... We'll take care of your share instead."

"I won't refuse that."

"Thank you."

"That's something you should say to Sir Knight, not me."

Windhand also reached a compromise with DeB. I couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not that DeB wasn't as obsessed with rewards as I thought. That guy quietly took a lot of losses too, honestly.

... I'd expected the reward situation to end up like this, so I secretly pocketed a few scales and teeth. Should I gift them to him later? Though there probably wouldn't be many opportunities to give them to him while maintaining my concept.

"Hey, you guys figure out the distribution of the dragon's carcass or whatever on your own. I need to get what I was promised."

Moving on. When it seemed like I was giving up the carcass—more accurately, when Windhand declared he was leaving the city in a situation where I had said I would follow him—the Magic Tower and the Lord nodded as if saying, 'Perfect.'

It was glaringly obvious that they thought giving Windhand a single ship in exchange for the dragon's carcass was a highly profitable trade.

"Then let us conclude this meeting for now. I wish to see them off."

Thanks to that, the matters that seemed to be delayed started proceeding swiftly again.

The Priest walked with us for a moment to see us off as we left.

"Hey."

"Yes."

"I won't be thanking you."

"There's no need to."

The Priest with a cracked wound on his head replied drily with a parched tongue.

"Because I already know we don't have the right."

At this point, I was curious about what had happened between the Temple and the Yabad region. Just what kind of incident had occurred for there to be such one-sided hatred and one-sided, silent endurance?

This was even worse than Somon. Even when it was revealed that civilians were sacrificed there due to corrupt Priests, they didn't grovel to people who weren't directly involved.

Did something even worse happen here?

"Please take care of yourselves."

"Hmph."

Windhand and the pirates completely ignored those words.

"Hurry up and get on!"

They simply boarded the ship provided by the Lord. I didn't have any knowledge about ships, so I couldn't tell if it was a good one or a bad one. I could tell that it was well-stocked with supplies, at least.

"Everyone, this is the final stretch. You've all worked incredibly hard... let's push through just a bit more."

"You worked the hardest, Captain."

"Don't worry about us!"

"Kuahaha. We rested well the day before yesterday, so we're perfectly fine."

Windhand and his subordinates shared their final sentiments. The adventurers who had not only joined the dragon hunt but also come all the way here, along with DeB and myself, watched them.

"Man, I've been doing this line of work for nearly twenty years, but I've never taken on requests back-to-back like this."

"Taking back-to-back requests isn't the big deal. No one else gets to participate in something like this."

An adventurer next to me—the one who wielded a whip—giggled as he sipped his liquor.

"Hunting a Pirate King right after a dragon hunt. This is definitely worthy of a medal."

As someone who already had a medal, I couldn't really relate. DeB's eyes darted around.

"Come to think of it, why did you guys take this request? If you wanted a medal, this incident alone should be enough."

That was something I was curious about too. I had known for a while that the adventurers had joined, but I hadn't heard their reasons. And I wasn't in a position to ask.

It wasn't like I desperately needed to hear it, but there was no reason to refuse an opportunity to satisfy my curiosity.

"If you leave now, you won't even get your compensation."

"Uhahaha. As for the compensation, the Guild will collect and hold it for us, so there's no rush! Getting it when we come back is more than enough!"

"Above all, the dragon hunt... honestly, we didn't exactly do much."

One of the adventurers glanced at me as he said that part. My cheeks felt hot.

"Of course, just being there was the greatest achievement of our lives. No matter what requests we take from now on, it'll probably be impossible to top this, right?"

"What do you mean 'probably impossible'? It is impossible. When I quit being an adventurer, I'm going to spend the rest of my life bragging about this. About how I lent a hand to a legend."

"Same here. Just because I didn't do anything doesn't make this any less of a legend."

After saying that much, the adventurer shrugged.

"It's just... you know. Since we're already part of a legend, we want to see it through to the end? We can make money anytime, but the chance to travel with the adventurer who hunted a dragon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Their gazes were still directed at me. At least, I assumed so. Because my cheeks were still burning.

But even if they hadn't been looking at me, my face would have flushed anyway. Usually, protagonist characters accomplish feats like this and receive praise and admiration, but they rarely get put on a pedestal to this extent.

More often than not, they treat the real protagonist so poorly it feels unfair.

"... That's true."

"I'm actually more curious about you guys. How did you end up traveling together? It doesn't seem like he'd be easy to travel with."

"It is a bit difficult. But how did we end up traveling together...?"

Oh, this! I definitely need to hear this! I kept my ears peeled while pretending not to care. Hoist the sails! A shout signaling our departure echoed in my ears.

"I think it's a similar reason for me."

But the answer that eventually came was frustratingly vague. I clicked my tongue in disappointment. The ship began to cut through the waves and move forward.

* * *

"Hey, before we arrive in Zakrati, there's something we need to discuss regarding our course of action."

We'd had a filling dinner thanks to the fully loaded supplies.

Right around the time people usually went to sleep, Windhand quietly called out to me.

"I gave you the general rundown, but we skipped over the details due to time. I want to talk about that."

I wondered why he chose to say it now of all times... but he couldn't exactly wait until we reached Zakrati to talk about it either. Bringing it up now was already quite late, actually.

I stepped out of the private cabin Windhand had provided for me. The seasickness I had been ignoring by sleeping in the cabin instantly assaulted my stomach.

"Well then, since our final guest has arrived, shall we dive into it?"

But looking around now, it wasn't just me he had called. It was obvious, really. I wasn't the only one participating in this request.

"Everyone, gather around."

Windhand called the people scattered around the captain's quarters together. In the center of the gathered group stood a round table.

Click.

Soon, a map and a lamp were placed on the table.

I took a step back and leaned against the wall to watch the scene. The captain's quarters weren't very spacious, and thanks to everyone tactfully clearing my line of sight, I had no trouble seeing.

"This is the complete map of the Yabad region."

At Windhand's explanation, I carefully studied the map.

Filled with islands connected to islands, the landmass looked similar to the Philippines back on Earth. Overall, it resembled the letter Z.

"This is Zakrati."

With that, he pointed at a spot.

If you placed a dot in the empty space between the middle diagonal line and the bottom line of a Z, the position would be similar to where Windhand was pointing right now.

"And the territory Bipurit has taken over is Montata Island, which practically surrounds Zakrati right here."

Windhand then swept his finger over the cluster of islands surrounding Zakrati. If that was Bipurit's territory, then Zakrati was practically under siege.

I now understood why he said it was hard to receive help from other cities.

"Originally, I was going to form a group of purely skilled fighters and burn down Bipurit's base right here. If the gang stationed here falls, the troops from Ruwan Castle will be able to enter this area."

"Originally? Are you saying things have changed?"

At an adventurer's question, Windhand shrugged.

"That depends on your answers."

"So you have something else in mind. Let's hear it."

"The second option isn't much different. It's just a change in the location we strike."

Windhand tapped a spot with his finger. It was the exact center of Montata Island. The bottom vertex, if it were a Z?

"What happens if we strike there?"

"We can slit Bipurit's throat."

... So, he was just saying we should hit their main base directly, right?

"Of course, this will depend on your opinions. Whichever you choose, a path will open up for Zakrati."

I tried to mull it over for a moment while leaning against the wall of the captain's quarters. I would have, if everyone in the room hadn't been staring at me for my reaction.

I had no idea why even the adventurers were looking at me. I'd heard their sincere confession about wanting to be present where I operated, but shouldn't they still worry about their own lives?

Were they going to follow me if I said let's charge right in?

"Speak clearly."

Unbelievable. I don't know. You guys were the ones who stayed quiet.

"Whether what you desire is the salvation of Zakrati, or the death of Bipurit and his crew."

"... Doesn't that question lack meaning? In order to save Zakrati, we have to kill Bipurit."

"Wrong."

Ah, they say Vikings used to compose poetry and had high literary refinement, but Windhand was a pirate too and couldn't even understand this difference in nuance.

I grumbled internally, stepping away from the wall and approaching the table. Of course, my expression remained as icy as ever.

Thwack!

And my dagger pierced the map and embedded itself into the table.

The spot it pierced was the location Windhand had initially proposed we strike.

"If you speak of Zakrati's salvation."

In that state, I gently moved the dagger. When I infused a bit of mana, the table was gouged smoothly as if slicing a radish, and the map was cleanly cut.

The final destination the dagger headed toward was, of course, the main base where Bipurit resided.

"I will move this way."

Shnk.

The dagger was pulled out.

"If you discuss the death of Bipurit, it will be the exact opposite."

To put it simply, that was it. I was going to kill them all either way, but the difference was whether to clear the path for the reinforcements first, or crush Bipurit first.

One might think they were the same, but they were slightly different. With the former, there was a chance Bipurit would run away while I advanced. If he ran away, I wasn't going to go out of my way to catch him.

However, if he chose the latter... Zakrati would have to hold out a little longer while I caught Bipurit and advanced.

Either way, the choice belonged to Windhand.

"... This is driving me crazy."

As if he finally understood, Windhand's lips trembled. It wasn't like he hadn't expected me to handle everything, but it seemed he hadn't anticipated being given this kind of choice.

"There are hundreds of pirates."

"So?"

"They even built a water fortress."

"How laughable."

"Are you saying you're still fine with that?"

I acted offended by his repeated questioning. As if I had been insulted, as if asking how he could even dare ask such a thing.

My twitching eyebrows furrowed fiercely.

"Does a gathering of bugs cease to be bugs? I am not the one who will be unwell."

Saying that, I tossed the dagger lightly like a Yut stick. The blade bounced with a clinking sound, sliding smoothly until it stopped right in front of Windhand's hand.

"Choose."

At my urging, Windhand slowly reached out. His five fingers gripped the dagger, and then he squeezed his eyes shut.

Thwack!

The dagger pierced the map.

"If I had it my way, I'd rip off that bastard Bipurit's hide and hang it on the side of a ship, but..."

The spot where the blade struck down was the chokepoint that had to be cleared for the reinforcements to arrive.

"I feel like I'll be able to do that someday even without your help."

The decision was made.

「❖ The Fangs Aimed at Zakrati

∎ Move to Zakrati

∎ Destroy the Bipurit gang's base」

"Request accepted."

I snatched the embedded dagger back. The map I saw as I did so was in a somewhat tattered state... Well. Let's just brush this much off as a petty tantrum. Once I saved the city, a single map like this wouldn't matter.

"Is this all you had to say?"

"That was the main thing for now, but..."

"Then I will take my leave."

Above all, forget compensating for the map or whatever, the seasickness I'd been holding back was rising. I'd somehow endured it in the name of looking cool, but anything more than this was impossible.

I want to go back to bed.

* * *

Windhand stared blankly at the spot where the Demon Knight had left. He had wondered if the man might strike both places just out of pride, but this was a result beyond his imagination.

Thanks to that, he had completely forgotten what else he wanted to talk about today. They had a few days left, though not many, so he could pass it on next time... but he couldn't help feeling bewildered.

"Man, why did you even call us?"

In the meantime, the hooded young man slipped a remark. It wasn't a complaint; it was likely banter meant to refresh the awkward air. His tone held a hint of playfulness.

"Then let's hear a different opinion. If you make a better proposal than the Demon Knight, I'll consider it."

Windhand gratefully accepted the distraction. He had been overwhelmed by the Demon Knight and ended up agreeing to his assertion, but what he had told the adventurers earlier hadn't been a lie either.

Since they were the ones who would be carrying out the operation, he had intended to reflect their opinions as much as possible. Of course, he would shoot it down if they said they wanted to give up or stall for time.

"We didn't have a choice, did we?"

"What are you talking about? I gave you a choice."

He looked around at the other adventurers. It meant if they had something to say, they should say it now.

"No objections here."

"I'm good with it too."

One by one, the adventurers declared they had no objections.

"Do you guys really not have any complaints? How fascinating."

"Uhahaha. Complaints? Hah! Things like this are so common; if you hate it, you should just quit being an adventurer."

"When we take requests from high-ranking folks, we don't even get to attend meetings like this. Compared to that, this is much better."

"Exactly, exactly. In those cases, we often have to wait outside until the meeting is over and just receive one-sided orders. Even though it's a mission where our lives are on the line."

"You just received a one-sided order right now too, but I guess this one is okay."

"Taking orders from someone who won't even step onto the battlefield is completely different from hearing them from the person who'll be fighting at the vanguard."

"I guess that's true."

"Just by looking at you, I can tell you haven't taken many requests like this, huh?"

Windhand was definitely starting to understand why the Demon Knight tolerated that young man. His skill in subtly gathering public opinion through jokes was extraordinary. If he did that, even those who might have harbored slight inner dissatisfaction would naturally convince themselves with their own excuses.

"Above all, as long as we're with that guy, it doesn't feel like we'll die easily no matter what plan we go with."

Well... he couldn't deny that it was a level of combat prowess that made such groundwork unnecessary.

"Then I'll take it we're moving forward like this. It's late, so let's disband for today. I'll call you again if I have more to say."

Anyway, with the Demon Knight gone, it felt pointless to discuss things further here. He opened the door to the captain's quarters.

"Hey."

Then, suddenly. He stopped the hooded young man who was the last to leave.

"Even if I make a plan, do you think that guy will listen?"

The answer came right back.

"Just provide whatever information you have. He's not the type to listen to anyone."

Hearing that, Windhand burst into laughter.

"Will that be enough?"

"If there's someone among the enemy capable of stopping that man, then at that point, no plan you offer would be enough anyway, right?"

It was the perfect answer.