Chapter 61 - If There Is a God (4)

‘Is this right?’ The Inquisitor couldn't bring herself to open her mouth as she faced the old Sage.

Was it truly the right thing for them to march into the Yabad region when its people hadn't even asked for it? Her mind was simply a mess.

"Forty years ago, the Yabad region forced the Temple to withdraw completely and banned our religious order from entering."

She rolled the price they had to endure, born of history, over her tongue.

"However, we cannot simply spectate the demons that have appeared there. If left unchecked, everyone in that region will fall into misery. As a Priest, and as a hero, I cannot just stand by and watch."

Then, she murmured her calling.

"Therefore, I... I, I mean..."

And yet, all that remained was confusion. Two absolute propositions clashed, throwing her mind into disarray.

It felt as though she should follow the word of God and exterminate the demons, yet the teaching to always kneel before those harmed by self-righteousness caught heavily in her heart.

Naturally, the word of God came first, and reducing harm to the people was more important, and yet.

"Inquisitor."

As if understanding her turmoil, the old Sage carefully placed his hand on the back of hers. The furry hand of the Shaggy race was both soft and warm.

"Is it right to save those who hate our order, or is it right to understand their feelings and not go? There is no correct answer to that dilemma. There is no right or wrong."

"But..."

"The only ones who can judge the outcome of a choice are not the ones who made it, but the survivors. Only the people who have accepted and experienced the consequences can criticize our choices."

"In that case, what am I—what are we supposed to do?"

"You must do as your heart guides you."

"... Pardon?"

"Isn't that the only way to find an answer to a problem that has no correct answer?"

"But what if the choice I make turns out to be wrong, what do I do then?"

"How can there be a wrong answer when there is no right answer? There might only be a choice that future generations would consider slightly better. But that is the perspective of the future. We, who cannot see even an inch ahead, cannot know the judgments of the future."

Pat, pat. The Archmage patted the back of her hand. The smile on the Sage's lips was incredibly soft and gentle. It was hard to believe he was someone who had sat in his sickbed and processed all the accumulated work since waking up.

"Therefore, Inquisitor. Choose your own best option. Whether it be saving people even if you must face hatred and contempt, or spectating while understanding their hearts. Or any other path among all the rest."

"... Will the people of Yabad welcome us?"

"Well. I think, first of all, they simply did not wish for it. Regardless, yes. I do believe there is a high chance they will act hostile."

"I see."

Was there no clear answer in the end? The Inquisitor slowly clenched and unclenched her fists over a problem even the Sage couldn't resolve.

"I cannot just stand back like this."

However, her choice was already made. She simply lacked certainty in it.

"Is that so."

"Yes."

But she had never possessed certainty. She hesitated slightly, yet simultaneously gave her answer without hesitation.

"I cannot overlook them."

According to the Magic Tower's investigation, the dragon's corruption was revealed to be caused by a massive ritual of impurity. After the Temple traced the cause a bit further, they discovered that the starting point of that ritual of impurity was the Yabad region.

In other words, while they didn't know exactly what was happening in the Yabad region, one wrong move could mean the entire region falling into the hands of Demon Contractors.

She... she could never allow that to happen.

"Criticism might fly our way. They might resent us, or perhaps even attack us. Will you still go to save them despite that?"

"... That is the price of the sins we committed in the past, is it not? I do not believe that is a reason to turn our backs on them."

The corners of the Archmage's eyes deepened. It was an expression that made it clear even to the still-inexperienced Inquisitor's eyes that it was a good sign.

"In that case, Inquisitor, keep this in mind. You must never repeat the events of the past."

"That goes without saying."

She did not know if this was truly the right choice. But it was the best one. Having gained such certainty, the Inquisitor stood up.

The moment the sun rose tomorrow, they would deploy.

* * *

After beheading seven ships, I took care of one more ship at dawn.

Only one came at dawn; they likely sent one more out to assess the situation since none of the ships were returning. Though only the bastards sinking to the bottom of the sea would know for sure.

"You asleep?"

I had been keeping my eyes closed atop the castle walls so I could launch myself out the moment a ship was spotted at sea. Windhand approached me.

DeB was also sleeping peacefully next to me, but this guy's stamina was on the level of steel. He must have had a lot of work to do, reporting to the Lord and grasping the situation, but I've barely seen him sleep.

"You're awake."

‘I woke up because of you, though.’ I swallowed my complaints and watched him sit down near me. Heave-ho. Letting out such a sound, Windhand took a seat.

"Anyway, didn't you get a blanket or something? It's the south here, but the nights can still be a bit chilly."

Then suddenly, Windhand's eyes widened as he saw me without a single blanket draped over myself.

"These crazy bastards. Sure, you're an outsider, but they didn't even give a single blanket to the guy helping their city? Seriously, these guys..."

‘No, that's a misunderstanding. I did get something to cover myself with. I just wasn't cold, so I gave it to someone else.’

"Piss off if you're just going to make a fuss."

"... I really don't know whether you have any pride or not. Damn it. Think of how much you're doing for them, at least enjoy that level of comfort."

‘Ah, I'm telling you I got one?’

I gave Windhand a slight glare. Windhand eventually let out a sigh and took a step back. At least it seemed he wouldn't protest about this anymore. Phew. Thank goodness.

"... Here, take this at least. If you didn't even get a blanket, you probably didn't get anything to eat either. Tsk."

Instead, Windhand reached out his arm and handed me something. He was holding something with a glossy surface in his hand.

"It's gwamegi, but I'm not sure if you've ever tried it."

‘... What? Gwamegi? I love that stuff!’

"It's half-dried fish... It might not fill your stomach, but it'll at least be a snack."

‘Hey, who eats gwamegi just as a snack?’ I took the gwamegi with hand movements that didn't break my concept, and put it in my mouth.

The fishy smell was a bit strong, but it was chewy and stuck right to my tongue.

‘It'd be perfect if I had garlic, chives, peppers, and cabbage right now. It's also great wrapped in seaweed or kelp.’

Barely swallowing my regret, I tore into the long piece of fish. Hunger truly is the best seasoning. The gwamegi, which I already liked anyway, tasted exceptionally delicious. Yum yum good.

"Whoa, you're eating it well? Most landlubbers can't really stomach it because of the fishy smell."

Windhand chuckled and handed over his own share. I didn't refuse. I had received some food earlier when I got the blanket, but it hadn't been enough to fill me up completely.

"..."

‘Most importantly, the gwamegi is delicious.’

I mashed and tore the oily, chewy meat with my teeth before swallowing. My gloves were slippery from the grease, but I didn't care since they would clean themselves anyway.

"Anyway, um. Thank you. For everything."

But when I swallowed all the fish meat in my mouth, the restless Windhand awkwardly opened his mouth.

"... On a separate note, could I slightly alter the request? I'll make sure to pay you for the changed parts too."

‘Altering the request. What exactly does he want to change?’

"The changes aren't much. I want to add the protection of Zakrati before what I originally proposed."

"Exactly, what kind."

"First of all, I'd like you to eliminate all the demons within the city. And like earlier, make sure approaching ships can't invade Zakrati by sinking them or doing whatever... and once Zakrati is completely safe, we'll proceed with the original plan."

I felt a strange mood at that proposal.

‘I was originally going to do that anyway, even without you asking. More importantly, now that we've arrived in Zakrati, shouldn't the Lord be handling this instead of Windhand?’

The person I contracted with was indeed Windhand, but strictly speaking, Windhand brought me in as the Lord's proxy.

"And on top of that, you're doing all this of your own volition."

‘Oh... Windhand isn't in charge of me on their behalf; this was just Windhand acting alone.’

"I'm not asking you to do it truly out of your own goodwill, so don't misunderstand, alright? I just want you to pretend that way to the Lord. I'll take care of the compensation on my end."

Now I felt an entirely different sort of strange.

‘He kept singing about his brothers, his brothers, but he hasn't even mentioned his brothers since coming here. And a privateer captain trying to pay the price out of his own pocket instead of the Lord at that.’

"Acknowledged."

However, no matter how curious I was about the hidden circumstances, what could I do with a concept of not caring about others? I just decided to let it be. As long as I get paid, it's fine.

"Great."

The awkward atmosphere began to fill the air once again.

"... You don't happen to have any more Demonic Energy Antidotes left, do you?"

"None."

"Right."

So, once again.

STEP, STEP.

At that moment, the sound of shoe heels echoed in succession as a group came up onto the castle wall.

Looking at the faces caked with exhaustion, included among them was the Lord, whom I had met when I rescued her earlier and hadn't had a chance to see since.

"I couldn't catch a glimpse of you when I was searching so hard, but here you were."

The Lord cast a glance at Windhand—who rolled his eyes away in avoidance—and soon fixed her gaze on me.

"Stand up right this in—"

"Stop, what kind of disrespect is this to the savior of Zakrati."

For reference, I was currently sitting leaned against the battlements in a rather delinquent posture. Not getting up even after seeing the Lord coming was a bonus.

Windhand? Windhand hurriedly stood up and shot me a 'please' look, but he didn't glare at me like the knight just did. Right, after experiencing my temper for a few days, there's no way he could.

"I was too flustered to properly introduce myself earlier. Let me formally greet you again. I am Piuon. I may be lacking, but I am the one leading this land."

Lord Piuon wisely came only to a distance where I didn't need to strain my neck much. In other words, she stopped at a distance where I could meet her gaze just by lifting my eyes a bit while seated.

Thanks to that, I could face her without the sensation of looking up.

"There are truly many things I wish to say, but this must take priority above all else."

And then, the Lord slowly dropped to her knees. "My Lord!" The knights, soldiers, and everyone else present gasped in shock, but they couldn't stop her knees from touching the freezing stone floor.

"I convey my gratitude on behalf of everyone. Truly, thank you."

‘... I suddenly feel like a massive sinner. She looks older than my original body, and yet, not only is she kneeling to me, my posture receiving her greeting is completely crooked...! Roleplaying concept aside, the strict Confucian inside me is throwing a fit!’

"There is no need for gratitude. I merely moved according to the request."

‘But my life takes priority over Confucianism.’

I chewed up my manners and swallowed them whole with a side of rudeness. It tasted worse than the gwamegi.

"Even so, how could I withdraw my gratitude? If not for your dedication and hard work, we would have suffered even greater casualties than we have now."

‘On a separate note, I kind of regretted it. If I knew I'd be stuck in such an uncomfortable conversation, I should have just gone out to hunt zombies.’

‘As I swept through the city districts hunting zombies and hidden Gargoyles, the number of secured survivors kept growing.’

‘Since I had suffered like a dog due to Fatigue before, I decided to just sleep for two hours while dropping the people off and checking for approaching ships, but I didn't expect a situation like this to unfold.’

"Despite my shamelessness, there is one more thing I wish to ask of you. Please, the demons remaining in the city..."

‘Wait. Can't I just go now? With 74 Fatigue, I can still hold out!’

‘If I want to lower my Fatigue, I can just sneak into a house and take a quick nap. If I'm hungry, I can just scavenge some empty houses for food, and that'll be that.’

‘Of course, I'd feel a bit sorry for the homeowners, but there's a high chance they've turned into zombies anyway, so I shouldn't have to worry too much, right? Is that too insulting to the deceased?’

‘But the living have to live. If they haven't turned into zombies, I'll eat up, gain some strength, and save them.’

Anyway, I shot to my feet. My sprawled coat tails fluttered up, and the sword I had leaned against the battlements fell into my hand, serving as a brief support.

"Prepare a ship."

"...?"

"Tomorrow, I will behead every last bastard who dared join hands with demons."

"...!"

As if he understood what I meant, Windhand straightened his posture. I mean, probably. It would've been more certain if I'd seen his expression, but my body was currently facing the battlements with my back to Windhand.

"Wait—"

‘Come to think of it, why do I jump off from here so much? But walking all the way around is too annoying. Jumping shortcuts are what make a god-tier game.’

* * *

RUSTLE.

"Does that man never get tired...?"

Had he momentarily lost his wits at a scene that felt like he'd just seen it earlier? Windhand snapped back to his senses at a voice that had become familiar over the past few days. It was the voice of the young man who had been curled up sleeping beneath the battlements.

"Yaaawn."

Even in the southern regions, the nights were quite cool. Thus, the young man who had been sleeping peacefully, relying on a blanket, stretched his body.

"... What's with this blanket?"

Then, a question mark popped up as he noticed the extra blanket covering him on top of the one he had rolled himself into. He scratched his head, spotted Windhand, and offered a nod of greeting. After that, he looked around, spotted the Lord, and completely froze.

"... Why is the Lord here at dawn?"

The young man stood up with a bewildered voice. He was better than the Demon Knight, but his complete lack of manners was about the same.

Well, thanks to that, my own tension eased up a bit.

"You heard him, right, My Lord? The hired adventurer said he'll take care of all the zombies by today. So please don't worry and send word to the people."

He playfully chimed in before the knights could pick a fight with the young man. Of course, he made sure to absolutely avoid making eye contact with the Lord.

After all, what was the reason he had been sending messages through his surviving brothers all this time? Was it not because he had no confidence whatsoever to face her directly?

"You probably received the report already, but the people have formed a defensive line at Ramchaban Pier and are holding out. Besides that..."

"Suriya."

Windhand flinched.

His name, which he had been called so often a long time ago, yet hadn't heard a single time since becoming an adult, dug into his ears.

"You've worked hard. And... thank you."

He froze exactly as he was, having turned his body to feign composure. He didn't have the confidence to properly look at the face of the Lord—no, of Piuon.

"Back then, and even now. Truly."

If he looked at her now, he felt like the teardrops pooling heavily in his eyes would come tumbling down.

"W-Why would you thank a pirate bastard? I obviously only did it for the pay, you know?"

He forced out his cracking voice. He thought he heard a retort from the side saying, "That's my way of talking..." but he couldn't care less.

"I only helped because if this city falls, my home base disappears too. Got it? So hurry up and get the city back in order. I'm going to go take care of those Bipurit bastards just as I was hired to do."

Maybe in front of his subordinates or his brothers, but he had no intention of showing his tears in front of the Lord and her knights.

He grabbed the Cutie young man—who seemed even grumpier than usual—and hurriedly hurried down the castle walls via the stairs on the opposite side. The young man looked incredibly displeased, but he still refrained from protesting while in the Lord's line of sight. It was a thankful act of consideration.

"Argh, why are you grabbing the back of my neck so hard?"

"Ah, sorry."

Had they hastily moved to a place where the Lord could no longer see them? He immediately squatted down and buried his face in his hands. His palms quickly grew damp.

"I'm sorry..."

"... Sigh."

He was truly sorry to the young man. However, the tears he shed right now were filled with emotions closer to joy than guilt.

"Ah, damn it. This is embarrassing..."

You damn brothers. To my older brothers, older sisters, and younger siblings who passed on before me.

Did you just see that? Did you? Did you see Mother—the same Mother who told us to never show our faces again once we became pirates—did you see her actually call out my name?

"What's embarrassing about crying?"

"Seafarers aren't supposed to cry... You wouldn't understand since you're a landlubber."

"Bullshit."

"Did you just curse at me?"

"You're not the Demon Knight, so what reason do I have to watch my mouth?"

"Look at this discrimination."

Windhand thought of the brothers who had sacrificed themselves for him so far, the ones who died to save Zakrati. And he recalled those he couldn't save because he had been too late.

He was so damn sorry. Yet, at the same time, he wasn't sorry at all.

"... I'm going to tell the Demon Knight."

"Are you a kid? Running off to tattle like that?"

"You punk, seafarers don't forget things like this."

"That's just you being petty!"

Because the Lord calling out his name was no different from her calling out all their names.

Because the moment their names were called, the dead would have been satisfied beyond measure.

"... Thank you."

"Say that to Sir Knight, not me."

"That guy doesn't accept gratitude."

"Exactly, so tell him and get rejected."

Such was the unrequited love of those brothers toward the Lord of this damn city.