The traces left by the brief battle were horrific.
The open space, torn apart in various places, was an ugly sight, with piles of dirt and gravel scattered haphazardly. It would no doubt take a considerable amount of money to restore it.
Of course, this was a problem to be dealt with later. For now, I managed to restrain the agitated Liya and decided to carry the unconscious Raymond on my back. There was the ominous feeling that if left as is, I might have to dispose of a corpse.
For someone who had earned the title of ‘Archmage’ to fall in such a meaningless manner…
It was a national loss. As a noble of the Empire, I had the duty to preserve Raymond’s life. Only after returning to the orphanage and borrowing a bed did we finally have the leisure to converse.
After hearing the general circumstances from me, Liya cleared her throat awkwardly. Her inability to meet my gaze directly indicated that she was aware she should be apologetic. To be fair, it was a situation where Liya could easily have misunderstood.
For instance, imagine this:
Out of the blue, an explosion sounds near your ear. As I was just returning to the orphanage from downtown, I found my beloved older brother panting, covered in dirt. And to make matters worse, there stood on the opposite side a middle-aged man who was evidently casting an ominous spell.
There was every reason for her to panic.
Nevertheless, it was still a misunderstanding. Though morally it was right to apologize, I deliberately did not try to comfort the deflated Liya.
Gratitude could be expressed later.
If that spell had been completed, the one lying on the bed might have been me.
And even if that had happened, there was still a part of me that wanted to witness what lay ‘beyond’.
But dwelling on it now would be meaningless. I shook my head a few times to sort through my complicated thoughts. There was a question I needed to ask Liya immediately.
“Liya, who is this gentleman…?”
My vague voice startled Liya back to her senses.
Seated beside her was a young man in glasses, awkwardly smiling. Judging by the unfamiliar face, he was clearly a guest, and it was rude not to introduce him.
Realizing her mistake, Liya quickly spoke up.
“Ah, this gentleman is the in-charge person sent by Shailock Company. His name is ‘Perry Cuars’…”
“Nice to meet you, Sir Ian Percus.”
The man extended his hand with a genial smile.
His slightly bowed head indicated respect, neither excessive nor lacking, showcasing just how much he recognized me.
Truly, a businessman. A person inherently adept at social graces.
Which was precisely why I disliked him more.
The more eloquent a man’s tongue, the lighter his conduct—especially if he was a merchant or politician, there was no doubt about it.
I could already foresee a future where he’d smooth-talk his way between several women and later placate an aggrieved partner with a feigned expression of unfairness.
What a waste of air.
With my sharp instincts, I immediately rejected him as a potential suitor for Liya. There was no way I could hand her over to a second-rate merchant.
While I was thinking all this, Perry continued his smooth talk, oblivious.
“For a long time, I have heard tales of your heroics, Sir Ian. You’ve always been someone I admired, and meeting you even in this brief chance…”
“Did you come here alone with Liya?”
While shaking his outstretched hand, I pressed the question with emphasis.
Perry looked bewildered and glanced at Liya, who was equally clueless.
Of course, the silence didn’t last long.
Thinking my question was casual, a friendly smile returned to Perry’s lips.
“Yes, though it’s truly an honor, that is how it became.”
“Staying at the orphanage…?”
Controlling the urge to leap up in protest, I managed to inquire in what seemed a composed manner, though my furrowed brows betrayed my concern.
Unfazed by me, Perry simply chuckled.
“Yes, it’s a place where I often owe favors anyway.”
Before I could ask what he meant,
Liya subtly caught my eye and spoke up.
“Big brother, didn’t you know? Mr. Perry was dispatched here from Shailock Company. Of course, there’s a connection with the orphanage~”
Her voice dripped with affection. To an onlooker, it might have seemed like a heartwarming sibling conversation.
But I understood.
The way Liya clenched her teeth subtly, and the uncommonly serious look in her eyes directed at me—it was a clear message.
To ease off a little.
That’s when a piece of information struck me.
‘Shailock Company’—I had heard that name somewhere before. Hadn’t I received intelligence about them from the military camp of the Holy Kingdom during the group appearance of the monsters?
They were the large trade house sweeping up monster corpses across the Holy Kingdom.
Additionally, they hadn’t appeared near the hellhole where the monsters had shown up en masse.
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
I had just been about to investigate. And here they had come to me without needing me to act first. Naturally, it was an event that should be welcomed with open arms.
Yet, why did it feel so unwelcome?
A groan involuntarily escaped my lips. Perry blinked his innocent eyes at me.
The feigned innocence of a merchant was absolutely nauseating.
The only purely innocent merchant in this world was our Liya.
Resigning myself, I let out a heavy sigh. The choice between personal feelings and official duty was crystal clear.
“Then, please take care of us during your stay.”
“Honored to have your support, Sir Ian… I hear that a Lady Virgin Saint is also staying here. It’s truly humbling to meet two heroes of humanity.”
What about Elsi or Celin…
I grumbled inwardly but refrained from voicing it. It was crucial to avoid provoking any suspicion in the other party.
Instead, I resolved to give a stern instruction to Liya.
“Liya, come to me for your sword exercises before sleeping every day.”
“What nonsense are you… Or rather, Brother, what do you mean?” Despite her forced smile, Liya’s lips trembled conspicuously.
She clearly exhibited her dissatisfaction, but I had no intention of retracting my statement. Instead, I turned my head slightly and smirked.
Just then, as Liya gritted her fists in frustration,
“Grghh….”
A heavy moan came from somewhere.
Liya and I jumped up immediately upon hearing it.
On the bed, the middle-aged eyelids began to flutter.
It was the sign that he was regaining consciousness. First, I signaled to Liya and Perry to keep quiet and then cautiously asked with a subdued voice,
“Raymond, are you regaining consciousness?”
“I… what on earth…”
Then Liya’s apology followed, and I excused them both to delve into the situation.
While Liya could be excused, Perry was from Shailock Company. There was no reason to reveal our secrets to a member of a dubious organization.
As I explained the sequence of events, Raymond’s expression hardened step by step.
At one point, he even sounded irritated and bewildered.
“Whoever came up with such reasoning… How dare you think of me as…”
“The Fifth Imperial Princess.”
Hearing the title, Raymond’s mouth snapped shut. Thereafter, a long sigh escaped him.
“Guess I was quite suspicious, wasn’t I?”
Only then did Raymond fall silent and start listening to my elaborations.
The timing of joining the faceless fiend’s party.
The inexplicable reason for visiting the Holy Kingdom precisely now.
Moreover, the fact that the only capable thunder magic user in this vicinity was Raymond.
As my explanation went on, the middle-aged magician appeared increasingly astonished. But perhaps realizing how truly suspicious the reasons were, he refrained from reprimanding me again.
He simply shook his head.
“Ah… I was wrong… If only I had clarified it earlier.”
Clutching his arms, Raymond submerged himself into his pillow. It wasn’t long before his hesitating lips opened again.
“Did I ever tell you why I ended up as a mercenary?”
I quickly recalled. The memory of that day resurfaced immediately.
“Because you were broken up with by your beloved lover…”
“That’s right. But the truth is, there was another reason.”
By this point, the middle-aged magician’s expression had become melancholy. His eyes seemed dim, reflecting faded memories.
“I was stubborn. I desperately wanted to marry the woman, so I ran away from home and started a mercenary life with her.”
The revelation made my expression turn subtle.
If that were true, the argument I used to persuade Senior Elsi at the Percus Manor sounded foolish. Didn’t I insist then that she should choose the family over love?
But the young Raymond had chosen love.
Afterward, he might have regretted it and returned to his family, yet judging from his present expression, it didn’t seem so.
“It was happy… The brightest time I’ve ever had. But, its end…”
I recalled the scar I had heard Raymond mention not long ago.
Witnessing an unknown girl, he lost all his comrades to the monsters.
All of them.
Realizing this truth, my silence grew even heavier.
“It’s close to being the anniversary.”
With a rueful smile, he pulled out a jet-black baton from his bosom, the very item used during our previous confrontation.
It appeared to amplify magical power. There was no doubt such a treasure was hard to acquire.
“It was the last gift she gave me. Until recently, I couldn’t bear to take it out every time I saw it… Then, I suddenly realized something.”
Click, Clack.
The middle-aged magician repeatedly tossed the jet-black baton up into the sky and caught it again, as if only then could he find peace of mind.
He had once introduced me to an old cane, claiming it to be from his mercenary days. Apparently, he cherished another item secretly.
No, it was probably so precious that he couldn’t even bring himself to look at it.
“…That I still had past issues to resolve.”
It was a calm statement, yet one could feel the firm determination beneath it.
Ha ha, and the grand magician chuckled at himself, finding his behavior comical.
“Perhaps meeting you was the trigger.”
Confounded by this unexpected confession, I stared at him questioningly. Raymond’s eyes gazed at empty space.
“Seeing you risk your life in a battle with no chance of victory, and Elsi who cares not if she dies a meaningless death… It reminded me of myself a long time ago. A pathetic man who was afraid and reluctant to confront his wounds and chose to ignore them.”
Thinking of what comforting words I could say,
I chose to remain silent. No form of speech would heal his wounds.
Vengeance was the only remedy.
He had come here to end the nightmare that had haunted him for so long.
“Please, let it stay secret from Elsi.”
Because it’s embarrassing.
His expression as he said it was uncommonly bashful.
The next day, I was caught in repeated anguish with a fatigued face.
So, who exactly was the mask-clad fiend?
My instinct alone told me Raymond wasn’t the masked fiend. After all, we still don’t know the tricks the masked fiend utilizes.
There was no reason to suspect all thunder magic users.
The only comforting fact was that Senior Elsi’s complexion brightened noticeably.
It seemed she was very delighted that the wrongful charge against her uncle was cleared.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that her uncle had been less suspected.
It was difficult to fully trust Raymond’s testimony completely. The story could be tailored to fit the circumstances, and he had displayed an unusual symptom whenever he spoke of the ‘girl’.
Perhaps I should get in touch with the princess again.
Just then, an incident occurred.
That night, as I sat hunched on the chair lost in thought, no conclusions came even after tirelessly organizing the information. Perhaps I should consult with the Lady Virgin Saint too. Just as I rose to do so,
A faint scream brushed past my ears.
Though the volume was merely residual sound, I immediately recognized the owner of the voice.
It was my younger sister.
Without hesitation, my body shot out toward the sound, channeling all my magical power into my legs. I arrived at the scene of the scream in just a few seconds.
And there, I saw it.
A young man dripping with blood stood motionlessly.
And directly opposite him was the masked fiend, standing silently.
Liya trembled and collapsed on the spot.
The moment I saw the scene, a peculiar premonition gripped me.
He’s going to die.
The masked fiend was truly attempting to kill the young merchant sent by Shailock Company. The reason might be unknown, but one thing was clear.
I had to stop this.
An immediate roar of anger came out of my mouth.
“So this is the real culprit!”
My battle axe tore through the air, scattering beams of light in its wake.
