A dwarf with a thick braided beard and a bell attached to it jumped up and shouted at the men sitting on either side of him.
“I knew something was fishy when I heard there was a mercenary who took on notorious and cheap quests left and right! Am I right? It smelled like Nightmare!”
He rolled his feet in delight, ignoring the dwarf behind him. A man with a smile on his face approached him. He had a sturdy physique and a shield on his back, and he wore a shiny armor that looked like a high-quality product at a glance.
Ruon scanned him up and down and asked.
“Did you get knighted or something?”
The man, Kyle, laughed heartily. His eyes and mouth showed no signs of pretense.
“You’re still the same, Ruon.”
“What else would I be?”
Kyle licked his lips for a moment and then pointed his thumb behind him.
“It’s not something we can talk about standing up. Let’s sit down and chat.”
“Let’s finish the business first.”
Ruon went straight to the innkeeper. His eyes, which had been listening to the conversation of the group from afar, lost their focus.
“I never dreamed you would be a knight of the church. Please forgive my rudeness.”
The innkeeper bowed his waist in half and tried to show the utmost courtesy, but Ruon pushed his shoulder lightly and stopped him.
“I’m not a knight. So don’t make a fuss and take this.”
The innkeeper was startled by the large hand that came towards him, and he gasped when he saw the crushed lion’s head in it.
Ruon put it on the nearest table and asked.
“I got the reward, but I’d appreciate it if you could prepare some drinks and food generously. Is that okay?”
“Y-yes, of course. I’ll get it ready right away.”
Ruon finished the conversation and headed for the table where the group was sitting. As soon as he sat down in the empty seat, Tarwen, who was sitting next to him, whispered with her hand over her mouth.
“…I was forced to join them.”
Ruon chuckled and looked at the man in priest’s robes sitting across from him. He smiled and loosened his fingers as their eyes met. It was Igor.
“Ruon, long time no see.”
Then the dwarf came up with his short arms spread out.
“Enough with the chit-chat! The joy of reunion is shared with a warm hug, not with words!”
What a pain.
Ruon pushed Strabo’s forehead with his palm and retorted.
“You’d think we haven’t seen each other for years. The season hasn’t even changed yet.”
Strabo, who seemed to have lost his interest in his strange attitude, pouted and returned to his seat. Kyle, who had been shaking his head, opened his mouth.
“I never imagined we’d meet here. Didn’t you say you were going to the Grand Cathedral of Ganax?”
Ruon looked around the group and asked.
“What are you guys doing here?”
Kyle scratched his head with an awkward expression and stared at the priest next to him. As if to say, you’d better explain.
Yeah, that guy was not good with words.
Ruon thought so, but Igor opened his mouth naturally.
“After we parted that day, we went straight to the Grand Cathedral. And we told them that Belducius was dead.”
He pulled his chair closer to the table and leaned forward.
“There was a lot going on, but since you don’t like long stories, Ruon, I’ll just tell you the main point.”
Then Tarwen suddenly started coughing as if she had a fit. Did she feel guilty?
Igor waited for her cough to stop and opened his mouth again.
“We all had the honor of receiving the blessing of the Mother. Thanks to that, I became a high priest, which was more than I deserved, and Strabo could use the druid’s magic without feeling much strain on his body.”
He closed his mouth after saying that. It looked like he was pausing for a moment before the most important part. There was only one person left, so Ruon looked at Kyle, who had his arms crossed. As soon as he saw the deer ornament engraved on his shiny armor, Igor continued.
“The biggest achievement was Kyle’s. Amazingly, he was chosen by the Mother and became a champion.”
At the following words, Tarwen, who had been silent, interrupted with a surprised look.
“You’re the Sword of Mercy of this generation?”
Kyle scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression. The iron glove on his back made a clinking sound. He said.
“Well, yeah.”
“…You’re one of the people I should be most wary of in the world.”
She suddenly remembered something and turned her head to look at Ruon, who had a bright expression.
“Weren’t you the one who was called the champion of Tivella?
“I was called that. But I never said I was. I never spoke on behalf of the goddess.”
“Huh?”
Strabo giggled and said.
“It was a mess back then. Kyle was yelling at the bishop, asking why he was the goddess’s representative… Ruon, you should have seen Igor’s face then.”
Kyle protested with a flushed face. His eyes were on Ruon.
“How can I accept such a title so easily? I’ve seen what kind of beings those who had similar nicknames before me were.”
As he said that, a plate of steaming meat dishes was brought to the table. The owner didn’t stop there, but started to pile up bottles of pale orange liquor. He soon moved all the honey wine bottles that exceeded ten and said.
“These are the ones I brewed around this time last year. The taste is just right, so you can drink them without any burden. Please enjoy them comfortably.”
He bowed politely and hurried to the kitchen. Kyle, who was watching him, turned his head.
“Anyway, Ruon. I didn’t want to sit in this place either. How would I know what the goddess’s will is? Frankly, in a place where there are paladins stronger than me…”
He looked like he wanted to grumble some more, but when Igor glared at him with his eyes wide open, he quickly swallowed his words.
“Kyle, if it’s the mother’s sword, you have to show a serious attitude that suits it. Light words will only make your powerful holy power look pathetic…”
“I know, I know, so stop nagging.”
Kyle sighed deeply. He looked tired, as if he had heard this kind of speech more than once or twice.
The sight of a champion and a high priest of a sect having such a conversation was absurd, but it was amusing to the observer, so Ruon laughed out loud for the first time in a long time. He’s still the same.
“I know you’ve each taken a seat. What’s next?”
At that question, Igor, who had been scolding Kyle, turned his head. He continued with a serious face.
“All three of us received overflowing love in a short time. But none of us felt comfortable. Isn’t that obvious? We couldn’t accept being treated as heroes when we knew very well that Ruon was traveling the world to unravel a bigger darkness.”
A bigger darkness? You’re giving him too much credit.
Ruon chuckled and took a sip of honey wine. He liked the sweet scent that filled his mouth.
Meanwhile, Igor’s words continued.
“So we all left the grand church with one mind. Officially, we said it was a journey to spread the mother’s words to the people and raise the church’s prestige, but in reality, our main goal was to reunite with Ruon. We never imagined that it would happen so soon. It must be the mother’s mercy.”
Then Strabo cut in. He seemed to have a restless mouth.
“We didn’t originally plan to stop by this village. But we happened to hear a rumor that a monster appeared here and harmed the people. We didn’t know, so we just listened and passed by. But our hearts were too hot to do that, right?”
He pounded his chest and added.
“But you know what? When we arrived at the village, what do you know? There was a mercenary who had gone ahead of us to subdue the monster. We wanted to help him right away, but this fairy stopped us. She told us not to waste our time.”
The story that followed was this. Strabo, who didn’t understand the relaxed attitude of Tarwen, who seemed to be the mercenary’s companion, ignored her words and tried to climb the mountain. And the fairy threw a word at him.
‘He’s a warrior who killed a great demon. You don’t have a chance to step in, do you?’
Anyone else would have dismissed it as nonsense, but the three people there didn’t.
They felt a strange sense of familiarity from Tarwen’s tone of voice, and they immediately showered her with various questions. And as a result, they were able to confirm that the mercenary who climbed the mountain was Ruon. It was a blatant and childish story.
Tarwen closed her eyes tightly as she recalled that moment.
“He suddenly ate dirt and screamed that he smelled the nightmare after I told him not to waste time… You thought he was a lunatic, right?”
Strabo opened his eyes wide and shouted.
“A lunatic? I’m Strabo! A dwarf who knows the romance of adventure. Ruon didn’t tell you about me?”
“He didn’t.”
“How can that be!”
As he watched the fairy and the dwarf bicker, Ruon sighed. Igor asked him.
“I couldn’t ask you earlier because you were busy, but who is that fairy?”
It’s my turn.
Ruon, who had been drinking six bottles of honey wine by himself, put down the empty bottle on the table and opened his mouth.
His low and firm voice began to explain what had happened.
From the human hunters to the cradle and the abyss, and to the new great demon.
The people sitting at the table focused on his story without blinking. Finally, when Ruon finished his story and picked up the seventh bottle of honey wine to moisten his dry mouth, they all took a breath.
Strabo looked at Tarwen with his eyes glistening. He was clearly impressed.
“You were ready to implant such a horrible magic circle into your body… You’re really, really amazing.”
Tarwen was flustered and backed away.
“Why, why are you crying? It’s not like that. I just did it for personal revenge…”
“What’s wrong with personal revenge? Anyway, thanks to you, the birth of the great demon was delayed. Don’t you know how great that is?”
I knew this would happen.
Ruon snorted as he watched the excited dwarf grab the bewildered fairy’s hand and talk about this and that.
Then Igor said.
“I’ve heard of the cradle a few times. They are a group that covets all kinds of evil arts, and they will do anything for their achievements. They are finally heading to the end. They are trying to become great demons themselves.”
Kyle, who had his elbows on the table and his chin on his palm, frowned and took over.
“We can’t know exactly how much sacrifice the cradle has gathered so far… But it’s certain that it’s more than Belducius, right?”
Tarwen answered that question.
“It’s impossible to compare directly, but I’m sure the cradle has a lot more. Not to mention the witches who will be mixed in. There’s not a single mediocre one among them. Just look at Fleur. She’s unrivaled. She has a power that surpasses even the apostles of the great demon.”
Strabo smiled and retorted.
“We have Luon, who killed the great demon, right?”
“I know. That’s why I bet everything on it.”
She added, scanning the faces of her companions with a newfound look.
“With the champion of Tivela, the high priest, and even… a dirt-eating dwarf, we have a much better chance. By the way, it’s an honor to meet the party that killed the great demon.”
Everyone except Strabo laughed loudly at her words. Strabo, who had become a dirt-eating dwarf in Zolji, tried to explain the reason with a raised voice, but no one paid attention to him.
The innkeeper, who was listening to their conversation from afar in the kitchen, was speechless with shock. He had never seen such amazing people in his 50 years of life.
In the Crow’s Head Village, a small village, the party that had killed the great demon reunited once again.
