We were making steady progress through the demon race’s territory with Blacky. Thanks to the ample food supplies we’d packed, and Blacky’s incredible speed, stamina, and night vision, we could keep moving even during the night without stopping.
“Isn’t it dangerous traveling at night?” Well, I may look like your average Joe, but I’m a warrior, and Blacky here is at the top of the food chain among magical beasts. Unless there’s something stronger than Blacky lurking around, nothing would dare mess with us.
How much time had passed? Around the time when I began sensing that we were nearing the border between the Holy Kingdom and the demon race’s land…
“I’m exhausted.”
-Grrr…
Thanks to pushing ourselves nonstop to evade the Succubi’s pursuit, both Blacky and I were pretty worn out by this point.
“Yeah, good job, Blacky. You’ve worked the hardest. Great work.”
-Grrrr…
That big wolf is surprisingly cute sometimes.
Anyway, both of us felt we needed a proper rest at this point. We hadn’t exactly avoided camping altogether, but we’d mostly been running nonstop.
Fortunately, we hadn’t left demon territory yet, though we were closer to the border. Even if the Succubi are persistent, they wouldn’t expect us to have come this far already.
“There’s a town over there. Let’s rest there for today.”
Saying that, I pulled my robe tighter around me.
This is still demon territory after all, so as a human, living openly in a demon city isn’t easy.
Still, many demons don’t look too different from humans physically. Sure, there are plenty of beast-like ones, but there are also those who just have tails or horns sticking out from otherwise human bodies.
So, if I wrap myself up well, assuming I don’t wander outside, I should be able to stay in an inn for about a day without major issues.
Plus, with Blacky beside me, people won’t suspect me of being human since humans typically can’t control magical beasts. If I stay put for just one day, there shouldn’t be any problems. That’s what I thought…
“Halt! Don’t move! One step and you’ll become a pincushion! You and your beast!”
As soon as we approached the city walls, one of the guards shouted and aimed a ballista at us from atop the wall.
I remembered my earlier words.
‘If only no unnecessary problems arise, we can reach the Holy Kingdom smoothly.’
All my past statements scrolled before my eyes like a panorama. I wanted to tear my own mouth apart.
Looks like trouble has indeed found us.
Their reaction looked more like what you’d see in a wartime situation when guarding against outsiders.
No, actually, it was even more extreme. It felt like they might shoot us on sight without even asking questions.
It’s hard to imagine the city atmosphere is normal under these circumstances. Whatever we’re caught up in, it seems serious.
“Trouble… it’s always the mouth, isn’t it?”
Of course, we could run away with Blacky now, but fleeing suddenly without knowing what’s going on here could create unnecessary risks.
Besides, who knows if Lillian issued a bounty for me riding a magical beast across demon lands?
If she really did, and they’re suspecting me as the warrior because I’m with a magical beast, running might reveal my location to her.
Even if our mobility is fast, it can’t beat teleportation magic. Lillian knows if I flee, I’ll head to the Holy Kingdom beyond the border.
If she guesses I’ve reached this far, she could teleport near the border and surround the area tightly.
Though this is all speculation, and if time-stopping works on her like it did back at the castle, I might pass through without much trouble… but I’d rather avoid unnecessary risks. Better to assess the situation first before deciding whether to flee.
I raised my hands to show I meant no harm and spoke.
“Could you tell me why you’re acting this way? My friend and I are merely travelers. Your sudden hostility leaves me quite perplexed…”
“Shut up! Just stay still! Or do you want to die?!”
“…Could we at least hear the reason? If you explain the situation, we’re willing to leave quietly.”
“Hah! Leave? What kind of leaving are you talking about?! Who knows if you’re the cause of our city’s current state?”
‘Our city’s current state?’
From what I can see, everything looks fine on the surface. Though I haven’t entered the city yet, the walls don’t seem damaged by any external attack.
‘This isn’t related to Lillian issuing a bounty for me. The city’s condition suggests internal issues.’
Looking at the guard, he shouted.
“Inside the city, all the magical beasts we’ve been raising went berserk almost destroying everything! Do you know how many people died or got injured?”
“…”
“We managed to kill or imprison most of them, but do you know how severe the damage is?! There’s absolutely no way we can take in another magical beast! What if it goes berserk and causes more destruction?!”
Ah… This is getting harder to handle.
Now I understand why there’s just one guard stationed on the wall. They must be short-handed dealing with the current situation inside the city, leaving them unable to focus on external defense.
‘I need to help them.’
Suddenly, a voice seemed to echo in my mind. I unconsciously questioned internally.
‘Help? What?’
‘Them.’
At the absurd voice, I blankly looked upward for a moment.
“Right now, we don’t even know what caused this chaos! How can we not be suspicious when someone randomly shows up with a magical beast in times like this?! Eh?!”
“…”
Listening to the agitated guard, my inner warrior self started stirring.
Before becoming possessed by Saint John, I (Ain) was the epitome of a naive, overly idealistic warrior who helped everyone.
When faced with injustice, I got angry; when seeing desperate people, I wanted to help. Honestly, how disillusioned I felt hearing that warriors’ primary role was to fight demons—not to aid humanity.
One reason Ain’s expertise and achievements weren’t easily recognized was his hesitation in battling demons.
While excelling in rescue operations compared to other warriors, he often fought demons only when necessary, preferring to subdue rather than kill, which frequently led to others taking credit for his efforts.
Saint John’s ego thinks this is pathetic, but ultimately, I am still me. Mixing two personalities doesn’t change the essence.
‘Ain… snap out of it. This has nothing to do with us. Ignore it.’
On the other hand, Saint John represents the typical commoner. Injustice? Meh. As long as it doesn’t affect him personally, he doesn’t care.
Human conflicts will never end. Trying to fix them individually holds no real meaning.
Above all, the world doesn’t love humans. So why should humans love such a world?
Saint John knows this better than anyone. His mother—a supposedly kind woman who turned into a religious fanatic abusing her child with forced beliefs—eventually attempted a family suicide, dying alone while leaving him and his father trapped indoors for over a week after their father hanged himself.
The world didn’t love that woman, and neither does Saint John.
The world doesn’t love people.
During that time locked indoors with my dead father, I realized this truth more than ever.
Yet… sigh…
“Could I perhaps offer some assistance?”
“What?”
Here I was, extending a helping hand in something unrelated to me.
‘Ain… you’re a genuine idiot.’
Realizing how deeply flawed I am despite understanding my past life as Saint John, enduring ridicule daily, and eventually being abandoned by fellow warriors, my altruism remains intact.
Today, I’ve truly discovered how foolish I am.
***
Meanwhile, in Eden Holy Kingdom.
Not the capital, but within the Pope’s office in the holy city of Elia.
In what looked like a conference room, several people sat around a round table.
Among them were Sister Ellen, whom I met before speaking with the previous Pope, along with various men and women of differing appearances.
One of them, a blonde youth with tanned skin characteristic of the Southern Kingdoms, smirked and asked,
“So, Sister, why have you gathered us busy folks here?”
Golden Sun Netorian, the warrior known for his brash fighting style, said with a sneer. Several people frowned at his behavior, but…
“Warrior Golden Sun, your insolence is inappropriate. Show restraint.”
Most were irritated by his rudeness, not because he insulted Ain, but due to his overall attitude.
Representative of this was Brown-haired Warrior Ludwik Sageier, whose refined appearance stood out.
As the second son of the Sageier Dukedom, one of the pillars of the powerful Rubenion Empire, stronger even than the Holy Kingdom, he spoke, prompting Golden Sun to retort mockingly,
“Hey~ Duke’s son, calm down, plebeian from the Southern Kingdoms.”
“That mocking tone doesn’t sit well with me.”
“It’s mocking, sure. Frankly, what we’ve done isn’t much different, right? Both our groups split parties and took shares of the spoils. Who’s telling who to act properly? Know your place, trash. Am I your subordinate?”
“…You dare.”
“That’s enough.”
As the atmosphere grew tense, Sister Ellen mediated. Golden Sun mocked Ludwik, who remained upset but couldn’t ignore Sister Ellen’s words.
“Don’t confuse the important matter at hand. One of our warriors is missing. And currently, we have no clues to find him.”
“Maybe he ran off somewhere? That loser probably made some choice we all expected.”
Golden Sun chuckled, causing three women seated at the table to flinch. Sister Ellen shook her head.
“Even if Warrior Ain chose an extreme path, there should be a body left behind. Moreover, when one of the ancient warriors died long ago, the blessing bestowed by the goddess dispersed, causing a strong divine reaction and revelation.”
“So, he’s alive then.”
Around that time, Mark Patrick, a bald black warrior with a bulky build who had been silently listening, spoke. Ellen nodded.
“Yes, Warrior Mark.”
“But why tell us? Sister, we’re all busy too. Are you assigning the search to us? Didn’t the Church already start looking separately?”
“Indeed, but it hasn’t borne fruit.”
“If that’s the case, giving it to us wouldn’t make a difference…”
“Nevertheless, each of you bears responsibility. At least understand why this situation arose, don’t you?”
She said this while opening her eyes. Her blue gaze swept across the room, making some shift uncomfortably.
“I summoned only three of you warriors and your respective parties for a reason. You are responsible for this situation. If you realize the consequences of your actions…”
“Why is it our fault? He disappeared out of nowhere.”
Golden Sun brazenly countered, smirking.
“To begin with, didn’t you knowingly neglect him, Sister? Now you’re trying to blame us, which is pretty ugly.”
“…”
“Why? Did you get a word from His Holiness?”
He asked, but Ellen remained silent. Golden Sun chuckled.
“Ah, this is why I like you, Sister. When it benefits you little, you ignore us completely, but now that His Holiness gave a stern warning, you feel threatened, huh?”
“Warrior Golden Sun, your words are excessive.”
“Why? Did I say anything wrong? Looks like you got a serious warning from His Holiness. So now you think you need to care about that loser because you fear losing favor?”
“…”
“How amusing to call this a saint. Warrior, join my party instead. We’d get along great. Right?”
Golden Sun grinned mischievously, wiggling just his pinky finger. A flash of disdain crossed Ellen’s face as Ludwik spoke.
“That’s enough, crude man. What disrespect toward Sister.”
“Eh, it’s a joke, a joke. Anyway, imperial types are too stiff for my taste.”
Golden Sun raised both hands, standing up.
“Anyway, I’m not interested. You guys find that loser on your own. I’m leaving?”
Saying this, he draped his arm around a nearby woman with blue hair. Her eyes flickered, and she bit her lip.
Regardless, no one here cared about her feelings. To them, she was merely Golden Sun’s trophy, utterly valueless.
Just as he prepared to leave with his party members…
“The Trial of the Holy Blade.”
“…”
“If there is someone willing to search for Warrior Ain, I will, by my authority, grant them priority to challenge the Trial of the Holy Blade.”
At this, all the warriors, including Golden Sun, turned to look at Ellen. She continued seriously,
“Is this incentive sufficient?”
