The day of the ascent finally arrived.
Though I couldn’t discern his true intentions, Perry readily permitted our company. In fact, he seemed pleased to have a reason to persuade Ria.
I had already heard the news.
Previously, Perry had invited Ria to the ascent.
Ria was holding a massive quantity of monster corpses. He seemed to want to escort her to the Shylock Company to discuss various business matters.
It was a plausible excuse.
Ria came over to me with a big smile.
“Are you perhaps jealous?”
“Not really.”
I answered in a rarely dry voice. I don’t know how she interpreted it, but Ria burst into laughter.
“You’re so transparent… Don’t worry too much, big brother.”
She leaned in close, her lips almost touching my ear. Soon, a moist whisper brushed past my eardrum.
“I won’t go anywhere.”
Regardless of what she said, a soft groan escaped my lips.
My eyes casually scanned the surroundings. The party was already bustling with preparations to leave.
Celin and Yulen were chatting away while carrying their respective bags, and Senior Elsi had a sullen expression as she listened to Mr. Raymond’s lengthy speech.
It seemed like she was suffering from a hell of nagging.
I felt like I had to go help.
As I took a step forward, the corner of Ria’s eyes traced a peculiar arc.
“Hmm, looks like there’s still someone you need to greet?”
“It’s just that Elsi seems pitiful. She’s been enduring that for already an hour.”
Ria, who had her arm draped over my shoulder, let out another peculiar sound.
Just for a moment.
With a resigned smile, Ria detached herself from me, but I could sense a hint of dissatisfaction in her gaze.
“You’re too soft on Rainelle.”
“She’s pretty.”
With that, I concluded our conversation and stepped toward Senior Elsi. She was now squinting her eyes shut with an expression of utter annoyance.
Her patience seemed to be reaching its limit.
I decided to intervene to prevent any conflict between cousins.
“Another thing I’ve learned during my time as a mercenary is to never trust people carelessly…”
“Mr. Raymond.”
At my soft call, the middle-aged blue eyes turned toward me. Though his expression still showed little emotion, the fleeting glimmer that passed through his retina was impossible to miss.
It seemed I had become quite a welcomed guest.
“Are you here, my dear nephew? Just in time. I was about to tell you the precautions for escorting a large-scale ascent…”
Of course, Mr. Raymond’s wish wouldn’t be fulfilled.
Taking advantage of my opening, Senior Elsi attempted a desperate escape.
“W-Well, you two talk! I’m leaving now!”
“Elsi, Elsi! Where are you going… Huh, I guess I can’t stop her.”
Once, Mr. Raymond tried to catch Senior Elsi, but as if realizing it was futile, he let out a long sigh.
I smiled as I watched the distance between the two of them shrink.
“Let’s leave it at that. Sometimes, a single experience is more valuable than a hundred words, don’t you think?”
“That’s a fair point, but…”
The trailing off left a peculiar resonance in the air. Fearing that he might bombard me with unsolicited advice if I left it as is, I quickly shifted the topic.
“By the way, you were planning to chase after that black-haired girl, right?”
“Hmm? Ah, yes… I suppose I have some debts left unpaid.”
At that moment, Mr. Raymond started rummaging through his pockets as if he just remembered something. Moments later, a small orb came into his middle-aged hands.
“If you come across any related information, please let me know.”
“What is this item?”
At my puzzled inquiry, Mr. Raymond merely waved it off as if it were nothing.
“Think of it as a talisman. Then, please take good care of Elsie for us.”
With that farewell, Mr. Raymond departed without hesitation.
He was indeed a free spirit, like the wind, effortlessly moving in and out as he pleased.
I watched his retreating figure for a while before shaking my head and turning my gaze elsewhere. Looking around, the person I was really waiting for had not shown.
It was the Lady Virgin Saint.
Perhaps she didn’t want to share even a greeting, as she did not attend the farewell. I couldn’t help but feel a bit bitter about it.
Even after I had asked Yulen to explain the situation, it ended up like this. For a moment, I regretted being too severe.
But it was already too late.
It wouldn’t be too late to clear up past grievances. Just as I was about to glance at the orphanage, the figure of a little boy caught my eyes.
He was the boy who had asked me to save his younger sister.
After hesitating for a moment, I walked toward the child. It felt like just the right opportunity.
His tearful eyes looked up at me. The scenery reflecting in those pupils was wavering.
I gently placed my hand on the little boy’s head.
“Don’t worry too much. Everything will be alright.”
“R-Really?”
I nodded emphatically. Then, I produced a silver rosary from my pocket.
“Instead, I’d like to ask you for a favor… Could you hand this necklace to the Lady Virgin Saint?”
It was an item that looked expensive at first glance. The little boy’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the silver necklace.
“W-How could I accept such an expensive thing…?”
“I trust you.”
Giving the most harmless smile I could muster, I gently patted the boy’s shoulder.
“So you should trust me too. A true knight never tells a lie.”
Though I had no idea if this boy dreamed of becoming a knight.
It was a matter of little consequence.
Lasting just a moment, the boy’s dazed expression was the last sight I saw before we set off on our journey.
The ascent was peaceful.
Neither more nor less than expected. The size of the personnel on duty was large, and at a glance, there were surely capable individuals making up the escort.
Even the monsters were cowed. There weren’t any thieves bold enough to provoke us.
Of course, several incidents had occurred over the past few days.
Our party, including myself, had set up camp separate from the merchants. We didn’t want to create a feeling of unease.
As a result, there were many nights where our group had a chance to bond.
For example, with the excuse of how well we knew each other, they would ask quizzes about me.
Celin and Senior Elsi, in particular, were quite enthusiastic.
Driven by their competitive spirit, the two would tackle challenging questions one after another. However, given the time spent together, Celin inevitably held a slight advantage in this contest.
Celin’s triumphant demeanor and Elsi’s clenching teeth created an interesting atmosphere.
The tone shifted dramatically when Yulen posed the next question.
“Alright, then for the final question. How big is I-an’s… uh!”
What should have been a light-hearted comment might have been interpreted as harassment. I had to kick Yulen’s side in a mockingly dramatic manner.
But it was already too late.
Celin and Senior Elsi’s faces turned beet red. I could almost see a vapor rising from the top of their heads. To add insult to injury, Yulen had the audacity to feign innocence.
“Why are you kicking? We were having fun!”
“Are you insane? How can you ask that as a question? Who would ever guess…?”
At that moment.
Senior Elsi, with cheeks flushed, timidly raised her hand.
Everyone, including Yulen, froze.
In the silence, Senior Elsi cautiously measured the gap between her hands.
“…Is it this much?”
Yulen stared in disbelief, alternating between looking at Senior Elsi and me.
“Y-You bastard! How dare you flirt with our sister?!”
With veins bulging in his neck, he started punching me.
As a result, I hurriedly tried to explain.
“Wait, no! It’s a misunderstanding!”
But when the furious Celin joined in, that night, I found myself on the receiving end of quite the beating.
The next day, Ria looked at my bruised face with a pained expression.
“…Did you have fun last night?”
“Maybe.”
With a huff, Ria’s jealous glare shot toward Celin and Senior Elsi, which was remarkably telling.
Of course, the joyful time didn’t last long.
As we separated from the company mid-journey, our true mission finally began.
Ria began to provoke me on purpose as she followed the company.
“Oh no, what do I do? Perry keeps showing interest in me lately. It’s troublesome; I only have eyes for someone…”
As she glanced sneakily in my direction.
A dry laugh escaped my lips.
“Stop talking nonsense and go.”
“Tch, you idiot!”
Sticking out her tongue, Ria expressed her annoyance at me and hurried off to catch up with the ascent.
Our pursuit began from that moment.
Silently, we followed the procession, aware that this journey was tedious. It would have been even more challenging without our tools.
Though Yulen still wore an uncertain expression.
“Is that order sheet really effective?”
“I got it from the Empire’s Intelligence Department. If it’s cast on a specific object, it can track its position for at least two weeks.”
And it was just as expensive.
But that wasn’t my concern. After all, the Imperial Court was overflowing with money.
Before long, the red sun was about to set over the mountain summit. Due to the intense march over the past few days, Celin and Senior Elsi were taking a moment of rest, while Yulen and I were the only ones tracking.
In the distance, I caught a faint presence. It was Perry and his group.
Yulen and I were more nervous than ever. The path leading to Perry’s ascent was narrowing further.
The company had no reason to avoid the main road.
Only if there was a compelling reason would they venture onto such a narrow path.
I really wanted to know what that reason was.
However, as the ascent delved into a secret route, the vigilance was sure to heighten.
Yulen and I could only quietly observe the jammed flow of the ascent. It had been several hours since we started this.
Unable to endure the boredom any longer, I initiated conversation with Yulen.
“…I wonder if the Lady Virgin Saint is doing okay?”
With a scoff, Yulen let out a derisive laugh.
“With all the reinforcement, she should be fine. My sister enjoys the love of the gods… It’d be better for her to be worried about us, though.”
I nodded a few times but suddenly turned my gaze to Yulen’s face, which reflected the lack of any reverence or respect. This was entirely different from the Virgin Saint.
She always expressed profound faith whenever mentioning the Heavenly Deity.
“Are you really a holy knight?”
In response to my jest, Yulen tapped his sword sheath with his finger.
“Want to test it? I could show you the swift swordsmanship known as ‘Siendel’s Lightning.’”
“No, no… You hardly ever use words like ‘Emmanuel.’ You never really talk about the teachings of the Heavenly Deity Sect either.”
Hmm, Yulen showed an openly disinterested look at my follow-up question.
His gaze returned to Perry’s party, distant and far off.
“I-an, orphans… it’s tough for them to survive.”
Though his tone was the same as always, his words strangely resonated with weight.
It was something I had heard before.
Had the Virgin Saint mentioned something similar last time?
“Children often go missing and disappear. Where do all those kids go? I’ve always hated the fact that I was an orphan since childhood.”
“Does that have anything to do with faith?”
“Of course. Would you thank the gods when you’re resentful towards the world?”
That was a valid point.
I chose silence instead of retorting. In the meantime, Yulen’s lament continued.
“Only a few can do that. Those who are mentally strong and unyielding… My sister was one of them.”
Yulen’s eyes dulled with nostalgia. His vision was likely drifting somewhere in the past.
“She said she would create a world where orphans like us wouldn’t suffer. I thought it was impossible for me, but I felt that my sister could pull it off.”
“So?”
“You need to consider my sister’s perspective too.”
With that, Yulen gradually lifted himself. I also shifted my gaze sharply beyond.
Finally, something was about to happen.
“The sacrifice of the cow for the greater good… sometimes, it’s an unavoidable choice.”
I snapped my fingers sharply.
A faint vibration traveled through the strings of mana resting on the ground. It was a signal that successfully reached Celin and Senior Elsi.
“…That’s a sentiment I can resonate with.”
The ascent Continued.
Deep within the forest, a secluded cabin came into view.
“For the sake of the world, I think those friends need to die.”
A scent of blood pierced my mind like a needle.
It was the Dark Cult.
