"You idiot!!"
Slap–!
"Ugh! F-, father! Why am I in the wrong! That bastard was the one who insulted me! Why…."
"Because the one who insulted you is Callius of Jervain!"
"Callius? You mean that lunatic!? But his aura…"
It’d been stronger than even the average paladin.
Most of the knights hadn't even been able to move, pressed down by it!
"Viole. The reason I've been so tolerant of your ‘accidents’, is because you have a good eye for things. But if you can only see things but not people, I can’t leave you be anymore!"
"Why is that guy suddenly so important?! Why? Give me a reason!"
"When are you going to come to your senses? Even the biggest piece of trash in the kingdom is now properly doing his part, but you…"
Even such a maniac was doing his part?
"What do you…"
Count Artemion sighed.
"There was a great war in the North. The barbarian orcs invaded. Do you know who ended the war?"
"No way."
That’s right.
"The greatest idiot in the kingdom, Callius. He was the one who put an end to it. It might just be a rumour, but they say that he took the head of the orc warlord."
“No, that’s ridiculous! How….”
How could that guy have gone to war! And, killed a commander!!
"Afterwards, they say that he came to the South and cut down all the corrupt nobles in his way. They call him the Judge, or something."
"It can't be! That guy…."
But that aura he had showed had indeed been astonishing.
Was this truly the same man they used to call scapegrace, and maniac?
“There are many rumours, but if what you heard is true, then the price of that sacred stone must've been repaid with your life. Tsk.”
The debt Callius had owed Count Artemion was now gone.
Because of his useless son.
“Not everything has been ascertained yet. So be more discreet from now on.”
And from now on –
"Take care to not harm the family."
Bang!
Viole left the office, his fists clenched and his eyes bloodshot.
"Callius…!"
Viole ran straight ahead.
He ran and ran towards his own annex, and headed to the underground basement from there.
"I’m going to make you regret it, Callius!!"
In the basement, there were a number of demonic beasts, locked behind iron bars.
Callius left the tavern and walked down the streets of Karradi. Unlike the North, the weather was cool and quite comfortable. Since the weather was so nice, there were a lot of people on the streets.
Contrary to how it was called a ruined country, the people of Karradi seemed to be at ease.
"In the North, the castle almost fell not long ago, but it's so peaceful here."
"Hey, master. Are you all right? What if that count's son…"
Bruns seemed worried about messing with the son of a count. So Callius told Bruns one thing.
"I’m a count, too."
"Ah! That’s true! Heh heh I forgot!"
Helena cut in on the conversation, leaving Bruns and his pointless smirk behind.
"Even if you’re both counts, the meaning and weight behind your titles are different. The titles of the four nobles are fixed as counts, but their status and voice are equivalent to a duke."
The founding king of Carpe had feared that the power of the four nobles would grow too large, so he’d set things up this way.
It didn’t seem to have worked, though.
"By the way, Helena. How long are you going to follow me?"
"Who's following whom? You’re mistaking things. It's been a while since I've been to Karradi, so I'm just going to meet some friends and then stop by the Church."
"Then, let's break up here."
It was very easy to attract attention with Helena by his side.
That could indeed be helpful at times, but now Callius wanted to go somewhere quiet.
"What’re you going to do? There's nothing to do now that the letter of recommendation has been delivered, right?"
"I’ve got some work of my own."
“Uh… alright then. See you later.”
Leaving behind Helena, who had disappeared into the shadows, Callius moved on.
"Did she look annoyed, do you think?"
"Don't be silly."
Why would she suddenly be annoyed?
“But master, what’re you going to do?”
"I'm going to find a spirit crafter."
The first thing to do was to find a crafter who specialized in alchemy, to purify the troll’s blood Callius had on hand.
If possible, it’d also be good to extract the dragonblood essence from the blood of the thunder wolf dragon he’d gotten this time, and to transform the byproduct materials into an artefact.
If it was Karradi, there would be somebody decent here.
Callius was confident in finding them.
And just in case it didn’t work out, he needed to find the blacksmith of the Church.
He’d left his broken spirit sword behind, but he had to prepare a second plan in case Dexter failed to patch it up.
"I'll have to wander around a bit until I get a summons from the Church."
There were many open questions he needed answers to, like the seed of the defeated god, or the holy grail.
“It’d be good to investigate how far the kingdom has gone downhill.”
Come to think of it, Cedric of Tristar was also due to return soon, so it'd be good to prepare for that in advance.
If Cedric had found the relic as Callius had expected, he’d have to help him settle the Twin Gods down in Carpe, and if he came back without it, Callius would have to go himself.
In order to rebuild Carpe, several churches would be needed.
‘If it's Cedric –'
Now, unlike before, Callius wouldn’t just have to lie down and take a beating.
It might be a good match…
“But I have no intention of doing that.”
"Yes?"
"It's nothing. Let's go."
After a while –
His feet stopped.
He could feel someone's gaze.
"What is it?"
"About four, no, fourteen."
"Yes?!"
Considering the aura they emitted here in public, were they assassins?
What could be their purpose or motive?
"I can’t believe Viole would hire some assassins right away… then was it the nobles who’ve been on pins and needles[1] due to my actions?"
That might be the case.
Because he’d cut quite a few heads of corrupt people on his way to Karradi.
"Callius. Why did you have to come to Karradi? We'd all have been fine if you just died somewhere without ever showing your face."
In a deserted alley –
There were several people, wearing black hoods.
"Well…?"
However, Callius' expression changed when took a glance at the speaker.
The soft curves under the black cloth were telling him that she was a woman.
Were nobles hiring female assassins these days? While he was thinking something like that, more unexpected words came out of her mouth.
"Because of you, the sisters are still wandering around and struggling."
"Sisters?"
As soon as she finished her words, eyes filled with resentment appeared under the black hoods.
All the assassins, numbering over a dozen, were women.
‘Thirteen pilgrims, one paladin.'
They were all pilgrims and paladins.
They were all clergy from the Church.
"Didn't I tell you three years ago? Don't set foot in this place ever again!!"
Three years ago?
"Ah…"
Three years ago –
He’d almost died once.
『The Prodigal Son of the Order』.
Because of that damn trait.
"Master! Let me handle this! I specialize in lovers’ quarrels!"
"Do you want to get stomped on so bad, you bastard? Screw off!"
"Kkkgh!!"
Bang!! Bruns, who was now buried in the broken rubble that had been a wall, was out.
Looked like he got one-shotted.
"How useless."
Even after going through the war in the North…
As always, Bruns really was useless.
"Die!!"
Looking at the frenzied nuns swarming in –
"Haaah."
Callius couldn't help but sigh.
『Sects. 』
In the Order of Valtherus, acolytes were gathered into such a religious group from an early age, who had to then pass several tests to become monks.
The monks practiced swordsmanship, and underwent the process of becoming a pilgrim.
The process was full of hard, repetitive training, under the eyes of the Church, so they could devote their all to the service of God.
That's why…
The men and the women naturally weren’t supposed to be in contact.
Of course, it was impossible for there to be absolutely no contact, but that didn’t mean just anybody could end up being called a ‘prodigal son’.
First of all, the training for the men and the women were held separately, in different buildings.
The men trained in the far east side of the campus. The women, in the west.
It should’ve been hard for them to even see each other’s faces.
But… how did Callius pass that high hurdle?
In a sense, he was kind of a great man.
"I didn’t even go out of my way, you know."
It wasn’t Callius who had to take the trouble.
It was the nuns who crossed the wall at night instead. Just at a word from the man.
Anyway, this was all ancient history right now.
‘I really shouldn’t have put that setting in.'
But he couldn’t help it now. Even if he did regret it a bit.
It was already water under the bridge.
To be honest, even if it weren't for the setting, Callius would’ve still had no choice but to have affairs with other people.
With this handsome face of his, even if he didn’t bother to go out and look for girls, women would still be attracted to him like flies to honey.
This face was the root cause of it all!
‘Really, being handsome is a sin.'
He was just paying the price.
"Die!!"
"Enemy of all women! Die!!"
"Why couldn't you just love me!"
Whoosh! Crack!
Callius didn't even draw his sword.
He simply avoided their attacks with a perplexed look on their faces.
An attack hit a stack of boxes that stood before an alleyway store. Crack, they burst into fragments, and the pilgrims' swords swept in hidden among them.
But to him, the attacks just looked too slow.
‘Really.'
He’d grown so much that there was no comparison to how he’d been three years ago.
In the northern lands, he’d danced between life and death on the battlefield.
Facing innumerable orcs and orc warriors.
He who’d faced the warlord's axe couldn’t be cut with just this. Three years ago it would’ve surely killed him, but to Callius as he was now, it seemed like a child’s prank.
The sensation that he felt keenly as he fought –
‘Slow, and full of loopholes.'
They didn't co-ordinate with each other, either.
They just expressed their emotions through their swords, and swung at will.
They were pilgrims indeed, but their levels weren’t that high.
Should he call this luck? But it was true that something was missing from the fight.
Besides, the reason behind the fight was also somewhat awkward.
It was difficult for Callius to draw his sword.
So he grabbed the handle of a long, round vase that’d been thrown around, and struck the attacking pilgrim on the head.
Thump, claaang–! Clink!
"Ouch!"
Thump! The pilgrim stumbled and fell.
As Callius lowered his torse and instantaneously stepped in, the startled pilgrim stabbed out with her sword.
Seeing that she was holding a rapier, she seemed to be good at thrusting.
Turning his head to avoid it by a hair, Callius hit her abdomen with an open palm.
Bump!
"Kaha!!"
Baaang!
Even if he didn't use any divine power, his body that had been strengthened by the purity of his spirit, quickly overwhelmed the female pilgrim.
"Stop being annoying."
"Ugh…!"
Embracing her from behind, he spoke with an annoyed face, and his breath ruffled her hair.
Then the nuns, who had all been about to charge him, blushed and stopped in place.
"Again with that face!"
"Don't seduce us with that voice!"
"Come on, sisters! You all swore to God that you’ll kill him!!"
“…”
The situation was getting worse.
If things went on like this, he’d only start seeing more things he never wanted to witness.
So, for now –
"I think it's best to avoid it."
"This motherfucker is kidnapping our sister!!"
Whish! Clang–!
He grabbed the pilgrim's hand, controlled her sword, and swung.
She tried to shake him off, but to no avail.
As if dancing a waltz to the tune of a soundless symphony, he repelled each pilgrim one by one as they came.
"Stop struggling."
"Uh, what…"
She blushed.
Even in this situation, she wasn’t sane.
I see. Since these are the people who offered their hearts to somebody like Callius, none of them are normal.
"Maria! What are you doing!"
"Sister Maria! Have you forgotten our oath!?"
"I can't help it either! And he smells so good!"
"We know! You, you devilish bastard! Give Maria back!!"
As he listened, Callius felt that even his own mind was starting to rot.
He just wanted to use this woman as a shield and quickly get out of this place…
That was then –
Whoosh–!
Claaaang! Screeeech! Creeeeeak!
Sparks fluttered from where the single sword that had flown in like the wind struck Callius’ blade.
‘A paladin is a paladin, after all.'
Unlike the pilgrims –
She had exquisite timing.
A surprise attack and a sharp edge.
The aura contained in the sword was different.
"Callius. You're still playing with the sisters, I see."
A paladin in a black hood blocked Callius’ path, and lifted her blue-hued blade. It was absurd to be criticized for what he hadn’t done, though, so Callius had no choice but to respond.
"I've always stayed quiet. They're the ones who eagerly came to me."
"Don't insult the sisters, you bastard."
Whiiiiiiish– claaaang!!
Her strength, speed and technique differed from the pilgrims who’d been attacking him so far.
Callius nudged the wrist of the sister he was holding, apparently named Maria, and let the paladin's sword pass by.
He’d learned this method of parrying in his last fight with the orc warlord, while in the throes of enlightenment brought by Death Verse Composition. He hadn't had many chances to test it thus far, but this was a pretty good opponent.
"Maria, relax."
He hugged her tight.
Maria's face was red as a tomato that looked like it was about to burst, and she answered with a hazy expression.
"Yes…"
.Editor's Notes:
[1] 발 저린 (lit. numb feet), to be anxious about something, to have an uneasy conscience.