Champion of Tibella. The title that was proven in the form of the Holy Sword he wielded at his waist flowed from the lips of the woman in blue robes. Ruon’s gaze turned cold.
“You know me, but I don’t know you.”
“It’s only natural. I happened to learn about your whereabouts by chance.”
“By chance?”
“Yes, by chance. If it weren’t for the rumors of you spreading from the Deer Village to Relizan and the Holy Sword at your waist, it would have been a difficult task for me to find you.”
At that moment, Kyle approached Ruon quietly.
“Is she one of those guys’ comrades?”
“No, she is not.”
Ruon slightly relaxed his posture. But his hand remained on the hilt of his sword as he asked.
“So, why were you looking for me?”
“I was chasing after the man you encountered at the monastery. His name was Salvator. Do you remember him?”
Even for Ruon, who rarely remembered the names of his slain opponents, the name Salvator was quite familiar.
It was because Salvator was the name of the first demonic follower he had faced after coming to this world.
Ruon nodded his head.
“I remember him.”
“That’s enough then. I want to have a conversation with you about that incident. Will you allow it?”
Ruon let go of the hilt of the Holy Sword and replied.
“Very well.”
***
The three of them sat around a small table in Kyle’s house. Outside the window, a crimson dusk was shimmering. Kyle scratched his head, perplexed by the unusual situation, receiving guests while preparing for the funeral of the innocent villagers.
“Um… Shall I bring some tea at least?”
“I prefer warm milk. Is that okay?”
“I don’t have it here… but the neighboring house might have some.”
In response to the woman’s question, Kyle stood up from his seat.
Behind the closing door, he muttered, “Damn, is this robbery? Well… it’s going to rot anyway. I guess they’d understand.”
The woman spoke.
“Fighting against evildoers and holding funerals for the innocent villagers who died at their hands… I felt it while chasing your whereabouts, but you are someone with a heroic side, aren’t you?”
“What nonsense,” Ruon muttered under his breath.
“No matter what your intentions are, sometimes people only remember the results, and those results stack up and form an impression of a person.”
“I didn’t call you to discuss such matters.”
The woman shrugged her shoulders.
“Right, let’s put these trivial matters aside and get to the proper introductions. Nice to meet you, I’m Amelia.”
Shaking the long, white hand extended to him, Ruon replied.
“I am Ruon.”
Although it was a brief greeting, Amelia smiled. Her blue eyes, perfectly matching her clothes, drew a soft crescent shape.
“You don’t know how many times I’ve heard that name. Do you know how often your name is spoken in Deer Village?”
“I’m not interested.”
In response to Ruon’s nonchalant answer, Amelia continued.
“Fine, let’s get to the point. Adding to what I said outside, I am a mage dispatched from the Tower of Magi, chasing after Salvator. I have been tracking him for quite some time, aiming to eliminate him after he betrayed the Tower and became a follower of demons.”
‘So, he really was a member of the Tower of Magi?’
Ruon, who had read the parchment detailing Salvator’s story, remembered that he was a student of the Tower who had killed his own classmates and made a pact with a demon. Therefore, when Amelia mentioned that she was chasing after Salvator, he had a faint suspicion that she might be affiliated with the Tower. As he was contemplating, Amelia continued.
“Tracking him wasn’t easy. He was skilled at covering his tracks, but luckily, as his actions became bolder and more daring, I began to close in on him. I became certain that I had caught him when he was at the monastery of Tibella, as you already know.”
Indeed, Salvetor’s actions in the prayer room were far from cautious, so Ruon nodded in agreement. Amelia continued her explanation.
“However, something unexpected happened. When I went fully prepared, everything had already concluded. When I asked the villagers, they proudly answered that the champion of Tibella, named Ruon, had dealt with the demon in the monastery.”
Ruon replied, “There were some circumstances that prevented me from correcting their misunderstanding, but I’m a mercenary who acts for money. I’m far from being Tibella’s champion.”
“That’s alright. I didn’t come after you because of the title of Tibella’s champion. As I mentioned before, my interest lies in Salvetor.”
Amelia’s words made Ruon raise an eyebrow.
“Did you come to hear confirmation that Salvetor died by my hand?”
At that moment, Kyle entered the room. He placed three cups filled with milk on the table and sat down hesitantly. After thanking him, Amelia, who took a sip of milk, finally spoke.
“No, Salvetor’s trail was completely cut off at the monastery. The descriptions of the bodies provided by farmers who were responsible for the aftermath matched what I know. I’m convinced Salvetor died by your hand.”
Amelia’s expression as she spoke was enigmatic. It was a mixture of various emotions like joy, anger, regret, and sadness, making it difficult for Ruon to gauge what she was feeling.
“So, why did you come looking for me?”
Amelia slowly opened her mouth, wrapping her hands around the cup and feeling its warmth. By now, she had regained her original expression.
“I am interested in the items you obtained by defeating Salvetor. More precisely, it is the interest of the Tower of Magi.”
The interest of the Tower. From Ruon’s perspective, it was quite an intriguing phrase. The Tower, a group shrouded in layers of mystery, was a place he had never been involved with before.
“I do have a few things that I’ve kept, but I’m not sure if they’re what you’re looking for.”
“Can you show them to me?”
“Before that, there’s something I want to confirm. What can I obtain as a condition for providing the items?”
Amelia promptly answered, “Assuming we are talking about the items we are searching for, anything within the reach of the Tower’s abilities.”
It was not a bad answer. Although Ruon couldn’t be certain of Amelia’s position within the Tower, she didn’t seem like a deceitful woman. He took out two sealed parchments and a palm-sized stone tablet from his pocket and placed them on the table.
As he took out the parchment, Amelia showed no particular expression. However, when she saw the stone tablet, she leaned forward and placed her hand on it. As her palm touched the tablet, a sinister black spark flickered.
“Ah!”
Startled, Kyle jumped back, tripping over his feet and falling to the floor.
Amelia quickly withdrew her hand, gritting her teeth, and muttered in a low voice.
“That madman Salvetor, what the hell…”
Curious, Ruon asked her, “What was that just now?”
Amelia replied, clutching her hand and speaking in a muffled voice.
“Salvetor used this stone as a vessel to contain the power of Belducias. It could have caused a major disaster if mishandled.”
“Belducias?”
“The name of the demon Salvetor made a pact with. It’s a powerful entity known as the Deceiver of Darkness.”
Ruon looked down at the stone tablet and asked, “Is it possible to contain the power of such a being in an ordinary stone?”
Amelia fell silent for a moment before answering.
“…This is not an ordinary stone. It is a fragment of the Philosopher’s Stone. It was stolen by Salvetor when he fled from the Tower. It is also the real reason I pursued Salvetor.”
‘The Philosopher’s Stone? Like the omnipotent item from movies and games?’
Amelia asked Ruon, who had a surprised expression, “Was it an unexpected item?”
“Somewhat. When I hear ‘Philosopher’s Stone,’ I imagine a crimson red gem rather than a plain stone.”
“A crimson gemstone would be a ruby.”
Perhaps thinking it was a trivial conversation, Amelia continued.
“Anyway, retrieving this fragment safely is my mission. Thanks to you, the process has become easier.”
“I haven’t agreed to give it to you yet.”
“What are you planning to do with a cursed stone? And don’t you want the help of the Tower?”
It was a valid point. If the tablet was a cursed item, there was no need to keep it. However, Ruon didn’t feel like handing over an item that could potentially be connected to a high-ranking demon without a second thought.
So, Ruon wondered what could serve as a condition for handing over the tablet, something tangible that could be a starting point for escaping this world. Slowly, he spoke up.
“There are rumors of a sage within the Tower who is skilled in prophecies and divination… If they’re true, could I have my destiny foretold by him as a reward?”
Amelia didn’t answer the question right away. Instead, she poked her lower lip with her index finger, lost in thought. After a while, she organized her thoughts and spoke.
“It won’t be easy… but it’s possible. However, it can only be fulfilled if you accompany me to the Tower. Is that acceptable?”
Ruon nodded his head.
“That’s fine. After all, I planned to move to another city after this incident.”
“Good. I feel much more secure knowing that I’ll be traveling with Tibella’s champion.”
“But until we reach the Tower, I will keep this tablet in my possession.”
Amelia chuckled softly as she watched Ruon tuck the tablet into his armor.
“Sure.”
At that moment, Kyle, who had been dozing off, raised his hand and spoke up.
“W-Wait a minute. What’s going on here? Tibella’s champion? Tower of Magi? Demons? And what the heck is the Philosopher’s Stone? Seriously, who have I been sitting with all this time?”
“Just a regular mercenary.”
“I’m a lumberjack, the most ordinary—“
As Kyle was about to say more, he pursed his lips. Ruon and Amelia silently observed his face, which seemed deeply lost in thought.
After a moment, Kyle spoke up.
“Can I come along too?”
While Ruon’s face remained expressionless, Amelia looked intrigued and asked, “Why would a lumberjack go to the Tower of Magi?”
“Everyone from my village has died… I feel like I need a place to settle, wherever it may be. Ah! I’m not saying I’ll settle in the Tower, but if I can find a suitable place while following you two, I’d like to make a fresh start there…”
Amelia tilted her head.
“I understand your sentiment, but the Tower is farther away than you think, and if you perceive the journey as just an ordinary trip, it would be troublesome. How about seeking a new haven for yourself separately?”
With Amelia’s firm words, Kyle glanced towards Ruon.
Seeing Kyle’s pleading gaze for help, Ruon scratched his head.
‘What’s gotten into him all of a sudden?’
Kyle’s talk of wanting to settle in a new place sounded like an excuse, but Ruon still judged that taking him along wouldn’t be a bad choice.
Ruon said, “It’s your decision, and it doesn’t seem necessary to stop you. If we’re talking merely about fighting, he’s quite useful. Plus, he has a decent shield.”
“A shield?”
Amelia finally noticed the shield placed behind Kyle and widened her eyes. Her expression, which had looked bored when she first glanced at the plain-looking shield, stiffened slightly.
“Hold on…”
Amelia reached out her arm towards the shield and pursed her lips. Then, a faint beam of light emanated from her fingertips. The wavering beam of light, swaying anxiously as it approached the shield, eventually dissipated weakly into the air.
Amelia muttered softly, “An item that disrupts magical frequencies… Where did this come from, exactly?”
“All the people in this village died because of that shield.”
Upon Ruon’s response, Amelia alternated her gaze between the shield and Kyle’s face, then let out a small sigh.
“Well, it’s an item that would interest the old heads at the Tower. Fine, you can come along too. However, you’ll have to find a new haven after visiting the Tower.”
After saying that, she added briefly, “A mercenary wielding the Holy Sword and a lumberjack holding a shield that blocks magic. What kind of combination is this?”
