Table of Contents
Table of Contents Page
Copyrights and Credits
Chapter 2: Demonic Monkey Dogs
Chapter 3: Claritist Doctrines
Side Story: Witch and Mercenaries
Bonus Story: Impatient Patient
Newsletter
Color Gallery
Characters
Chapter 1: Grinding Gears
Chapter 1:
Grinding Gears
“I CAN’T DO IT. IT’S TOO DANGEROUS.”
Zig shook his head. The job sounded easy when he first heard of it, but failure would come at a great cost. His two-meter-high body resembled a tree planted in the ground, his head shaking slowly like branches swaying in the wind.
An ordinary person would hesitate before saying anything to a man of his stature. However, as his client pointed out, he had already agreed to take the job.
“Come on, don’t be like that. You can’t just go refusing to do work you’ve already accepted. I’ll make sure your working conditions are reasonable.”
And he was right.
Mercenaries weren’t choosy. They had to make sure the job fit their schedule and would be compensated according to the level of danger, but that was about it. They didn’t get to cancel a job once accepted.
“But this kind of dangerous work is…”
“Too much for you? I’m not buying that. I already gave you the details going in. Maybe you misunderstood some of the terms, but you still took it on without asking for clarifications.”
“I…can’t argue with you there.”
He knew there was no getting out of this the second he said yes.
The client smiled, no longer pressuring the now-silent Zig. He went to his cart and handed Zig the cargo.
“Take good care of it, Mr. Mercenary. I expect a safe delivery.”
“All right.”
Zig regretted his decision. He had been lied to, but it was his fault to begin with.
The world had a cruel end in store for those who neglected to do their homework. He wanted to kick himself for casually accepting the job, since things had been going so well lately. Danger was always imminent once you get complacent. It was the most common mistake among new recruits.
***
Sunlight traced the outlines of the buildings and ran through the alleys. The air was misty, giving the impression that the whole place was a ghost town. The illusion was finally broken as sleepy citizens opened their old wooden doors to begin their day.
Man was a creature who rested when the sun went down and began his day at sunrise. There was no going against this instinct even with the magical advancements of nocturnal lighting. This morning was business as usual for the people of Halian, oblivious to the things stirring in the shadows.
Zig Crane was a man who made his living from the stirrings in the shadows. He was silent, looking more focused than usual as he went out for his morning run.
Chain mail was draped over his thick clothing. He chose to wear a chest plate so his limbs could move easier, allowing him to make the best out of his weapon. However, Zig was missing his signature weapon even if he was geared to be dispatched at a moment’s notice. Instead, he was carrying a tin can the size of a child. Its contents splashed within, something he couldn’t afford to spill. If he did, there would be casualties.
Zig remained silent, cautiously looking at the can on his back like he was carrying a bomb and adjusting his steps so he wouldn’t disturb it. He wasn’t slow, but he wasn’t shaking the can either. The contract would be considered a failure if he didn’t reach his destination in time.
He had to be careful but quick. Zig scrunched his face at the conflicting predicament he was in. The sweat on his forehead wasn’t a product of his running.
“Almost there.”
Fortunately, he was still able to perform up to snuff thanks to his years of hard training. Zig had his sights on a church in the distance—a landmark. He knew he was making good time thanks to the familiarity he had with the landscape due to his morning runs. In fact, he was going faster than usual.
His steps were light despite the not-so-minor injuries he got from the other day’s job. Zig carried on, telling himself that he had just a little bit more to go.
“Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.”
The shopkeeper greeted Zig with a cheery tone and showed him inside. He had been waiting all morning for his courier to come to the front of his shop.
“I made it, all right.”
Zig heaved a big sigh as he lowered the can to the ground. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this mentally exhausted.
The shopkeeper examined the contents, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Man, how did you carry this thing? I was prepared for some milk spillage since I made an express call.”
Milk. That was the liquid Zig had been carrying. Cow’s milk, to be precise.
Milk was a nutritious drink by itself, but it could also be processed into other dairy products or used as an ingredient. An important material, each region had its own version of it—some even used goat’s milk. It truly was an important foodstuff that had been with humanity since the dawn of time.
And it was incredibly stinky if spilled.
The disadvantage of having high nutritional value was that it easily spoiled, and the strongest detergents couldn’t get the stench out even after multiple washes. Carrying it around in a tin can with suboptimal sealing and then running to deliver it was an incredibly dangerous job.
“This is the last time I’m doing this.”
As used as Zig was to the smell of blood and guts, milk was where he drew the line.
He had been looking for a weight to replace his broken twinblade when someone told him he had just the thing and needed it delivered. Zig considered himself lucky at the time. He would get paid (even if it wasn’t much) and he got to keep up his training routine. It had been the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Zig returned to his hotel, the load off his shoulders, as the shopkeeper went to the kitchen to prepare his goods.
Some people were already awake as he was making his return run. Restaurants swept up their storefronts while prostitutes walked the streets, stifling their yawns from a hard night’s work.
Zig stood out somewhat from the crowd, his intimidating form catching their attention. This was business as usual.
“Hmph.”
However, Zig sensed a gaze that was out of the ordinary. It felt like someone was probing him. He followed the stare and was met with the eyes of an old man walking through the residential area. There was nothing unusual about him, and he lacked any defining features. Although, an ordinary person wouldn’t return Zig’s stare, and this old man kept his gaze locked on him without blinking. A chill ran down his spine at the sight of this ordinary citizen doing something so out of the ordinary.
When the old man noticed Zig’s awareness of his actions, he turned around and walked away.
“What was that about…?”
Zig had been through a lot this morning, but that didn’t give him an excuse to slack off on his routine. He practiced with a longsword while his twinblade was broken. Obviously, he didn’t start off using a twinblade—the weapon wasn’t meant for foot soldiers, as it was primarily designed to be used on horseback.
Weapons being lost or broken on the battlefield was a daily occurrence. That’s why a soldier needed several basic weapons on his person. Longswords, spears, and quarterstaffs were all solid choices. However, none fit a new recruit as well as the longsword.
He held the longsword over his back. He kept his right hand in a relaxed grip to manipulate the blade while clutching the pommel with his left hand.
“Think about the beginning and end when you swing a sword.”
Such were the basics of sword fighting drilled into him by his instructor. The experience was carved so deep into his bones that he wouldn’t forget it.
He made a diagonal cut with his sword, producing a sharp, whooshing sound. Zig was relieved that he hadn’t lost his touch with the longsword and proceeded to the next movement.
He ran through each of the basic movements, making sure he was paying particular attention to his legs. The weight transfer between a long and heavy weapon like a twinblade and a longsword was very different. He was a little rusty and had a hard time working through the drills. As a result, his training session ended later than usual.
“Whoops.”
He was drenched in sweat by the time he was done. A cold bath would cool his burning body, but he didn’t have time to enjoy that right now. He quickly finished up and returned to his room.
He knocked on the door of the room next to his and opened it once he knew that no answer was coming. The room felt cramped despite being the same size as his. The stacks of spellbooks and magic items were the culprit. However, an invisible presence eclipsed both. It was a presence that wasn’t quite human but another level entirely.
A figure with black, lustrous hair lay sprawled out on the bed, wearing a thin negligee that exposed soft white skin so enchanting it would drive a man insane. A sweet womanly scent comparable to perfume tickled the nostrils. Large dome shaped breasts rose and fell with her breaths.
Zig dispelled the witch’s charm, still so potent even after all this time, and shook her shoulders.
“Siasha.”
She groaned. “Huh…”
Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes. They looked so innocent now, compared to their usual intelligence, that he felt guilty just gazing into them. Her deep azure eyes slowly focused when she noticed Zig. A goofy grin appeared on her lips.
“Zig… Good morning.”
“Morning. Sorry, but we’re running late. We should hurry.”
“’Kay.”
He returned to his room once he made sure she was wide awake. Seeing any more of her in that state was dangerous.
A fully awakened Siasha showed up the moment he was in his room and preparing himself.
“Let’s go, Zig! A new day awaits!”
The sound of adventurers shouting as they fought over requests could be heard from outside the guild. Zig turned to Siasha, feeling nostalgic over the atmosphere; he had been busy with other requests lately.
Noticing his look, Siasha casually stroked Zig’s arm and narrowed her eyes like a cat.
“You’re going to spend the day with me today.”
“Client privileges.”
Siasha smiled, satisfied with his answer. She opened the door, her captivating black hair swaying in good humor, and entered without fear. The corners of Zig’s mouth rose slightly as he watched her act like a full-fledged adventurer, but he said nothing more.
He had the thick longsword he used for his morning workout hanging from his waist, since he was still without his twinblade. It was loaned to him by the armory because crafting a new weapon took time.
“The rental expense is covered by your purchase but you’ll need to pay extra if you break it.”
Gantt had a wicked smile on his bearded face as he handed the sword to him.
Zig felt a twitch on the side of his head at the insinuation that the rental sword was as good as broken. Still, he knew himself well enough that he couldn’t promise the weapon would be returned in one piece. However, he did feel consoled when Maya smacked the grinning Gantt upside the head.
The versatile longsword was made in reluctance when the store owner asked Gantt to help meet demand. It was tough and reliable, though it had no special gimmicks about it. A showcase of Gantt’s skill, the simple longsword’s grip and balance were exceptional. The overall quality of the weapon was impressive. It would be in great demand if it were made to suit the buyer’s needs… But that was part of Gantt’s abilities.
Adventurers were choosing and preparing for their contracts as he followed Siasha into the guild.
“I’ll go get a request for us.”
“Thanks.”
He sat down after he saw Siasha off. That was when two adventurers approached him as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Again?” Zig said under his breath.
It seemed like someone else was trying to talk to him every time he walked into the guild. He was surprised by who they were, but not at the fact that they were trying to jump him. He had noticed their stares from the time he walked in.
Elsia and Bates were glaring at each other. Both were trying to get the other to stand down.
“Look here, Blindfold. I was here first,” the Wadatsumi adventurer said through narrowed eyes.
He had a tough face and an even tougher body. The average adventurer would have backed off without a word because of his years of experience. If things got hairy, he could make them back off.
“Are you blind, baldie? I got here before you did,” the blindfolded third-class adventurer, wearing robes sculpted to her voluptuous body, scoffed. This was Elsia Armet.
Veins bulged on Bates’s head. “I’m not bald, I shave my head, fake nun!”
“Who said anything about being a nun? The gods can eat shit for all I care!”
Thus, the back and forth went. The surrounding adventurers scurried, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of elite adventurers.
Zig sighed at seeing the nonsense he had to put up with this early in the morning. “What do you guys want?”
Even with a blindfold, he could tell that this staring contest was going nowhere. Zig reached into his pocket, took out an indigo adamantine coin, and tossed it. The ringing sound snapped the two out of it, forcing their attention on the coin flying through the air and landing on Zig’s palm.
Zig looked at the two with the coin in his hand.
“Call it.”
The coin toss came out of nowhere. They both answered.
“Heads.”
“Tails.”
Zig opened his hand to reveal—
“Lucky me, I get to go first.” Elsia celebrated her victory.
Bates clicked his tongue. “Tch…”
She straightened up and looked Zig in the eyes, much like how she was staring at Bates earlier.
“Thanks for the other day. My teammates are in the hospital now.”
She wasn’t directly accusing him of anything, but it was clear that she was talking about their bout not too long ago. At least she was being reserved about it.
However, Zig didn’t seem to mind her insinuations.
“You’re welcome. I had a hard time sleeping too.”
“Are you saying we’re in the same boat?” Elsia gritted her teeth at him brushing off her injured friends.
“‘Dead men tell no tales’ is a saying I agree with.”
She had no choice but to shut up at that point. Elsia had realized sarcasm would get her nowhere with this man.
“I’ve looked into the incident. You really were just a mercenary hired for protection.”
“That’s a reasonable conclusion to come to. Things would’ve been resolved much quicker if you reached it sooner.”
Elsia’s eyebrows twitched at the provocation. “I won’t deny that. You people were right in the end.”
She wasn’t mad at Zig. Her friends wouldn’t have gotten hurt if she had been more careful. She was furious at how poorly she handled the situation.
The guild had worked to bring the truth to light when they came between the two mafia gangs. Fifteen adventurers were involved over the course of the incident. Nine were either captured or buried over the course of the war.
The remaining six were nowhere to be found. They left no bodies, belongings, not even blood, aside from the stuff the guild had already confiscated. If they escaped out of fear of the guild’s wrath, they left no tracks either. It was doubtful that they could survive, since they weren’t smart enough to. Someone had probably eliminated them before the guild could apprehend them.
However, even this theory had problems.
They were pawns of the mob, attracted by the drugs. They didn’t have any reason to be erased since they didn’t have any worthwhile information. The mob didn’t have any obligation to help them escape either. The motive just wasn’t there.
Now, Elsia couldn’t care less about the things the guild heard. Low level adventurers getting caught up in drugs was not worth her time. She was more concerned about the man sitting in front of her.
Elsia casually looked around. Everyone was watching them with fascination but were discreet enough to avoid listening to their conversation. They were curious about Elsia, not repulsed by her.
“You didn’t tell anyone about my eyes, did you?”
Dragon Eyes were a strange ability that could read people’s minds. They could see the future, see through people, see through everything. Hence, the name. People would find it difficult to be around someone they knew could read their minds. Everyone had secrets and repulsion was an obvious response to Dragon Eyes.
If Zig had told anyone about her Dragon Eyes… She might have to leave town. The country.
“You didn’t tell anyone about me either, did you? We both know about each other’s secret weapons… I’m guessing that’s what you wanted to talk about.”
“I’d rather not cross the line either, but it looks like you and I can work out a deal.”
His drugs were illegal, but he could deny the whole thing as long as she didn’t have evidence. The substance he had used were small pills. They didn’t stand out like the liquid stuff and could easily be hidden.
Zig laughed at the suspicious look Elsia was giving him. There was no malice behind it, he was just pleased at the unexpected windfall.
“Well… You gave me that stick from you the other day. Went for a pretty good price. Karma would get on my ass if I asked for more.”
Zig was beaming, very pleased with himself.
I didn’t give you my weapon, you took it from me! Elsia broke out in a nervous sweat before she could give him a piece of her mind.
“W-Wait… Where did you sell my weapon?!”
“Pawnshop.”
“Which one?!”
“The biggest one. South end of downtown. They gave me two million for it when I showed them certificates from a blacksmith.”
“T-two mil…”
Elsia’s head was spinning at the amount of money he laid out. It took five times that amount just to make that thing. I have to get it back before it gets sold off!
“I just remembered something I had to do! But we’re still cutting a deal! See you! I’ll remember this!”
She got up and ran away, her robes fluttering behind her. Bates rubbed his bald head, flabbergasted and confused.
“The hell was up with her…? Something happen between you and that fake priestess, Zig?”
“Hmm…”
Zig thought about what he should say, putting his hand on his chin. There really wasn’t much he could say considering the confidential nature of his request and the deal he would make with Elsia.
But for now… “Let’s just say we had an unfortunate run in.”
Bates’s eyes went wide, and he burst out laughing. Zig laughed along with him.
“Ah, yeah… Okay. Same thing that happened with us, huh?”
Zig only smiled quietly as Bates winced at the recollection.
One of the Wadatsumi had been attacked with a strange weapon—a strange weapon which looked strangely similar to Zig’s own twinblade. It then led to a misunderstanding with disastrous results.
Bates sighed and tossed a resentful look at him. “You know, it’s kind of your fault for inviting misunderstandings.”
“I won’t say I’m completely blameless,” Zig said. “I got involved in a job I shouldn’t have gotten into. But someone else always throws the first hit. The level of bloodlust in you people…”
He couldn’t deny the idea of actively going after suspicious people, especially in this day and age. However, to him, if you ended up getting hurt as a result of your twitchy fingers, that was completely on you.
Zig shrugged in exasperation. Bates decided to let the matter go.
Siasha returned after accepting a request. She tilted her head when she saw Zig and Bates looking less than energetic. She dragged a chair next to Zig and sat down, then gave him the request papers. Zig continued to lean on his hand and cast his gaze at Bates after reading them.
“And why are you here today?”
“Yeah, so about that…” Bates paused, then pointed to the request papers and grinned. “Let me guess what’s on those papers—An extermination request for monkey dogs.”
“Oh.”
As Bates said, the request was an extermination of monkey dogs. He went on to explain smugly before Zig could ask him how he knew.
“It’s all very simple. I could tell from the requests she’s been taking that she prioritizes ratings over payout. From what I’ve seen, monkey dog extermination is the best rating boost for a seventh-class adventurer. That’s it.”
“Wow, you really are a veteran.”
Bates puffed out his chest at Siasha’s compliment. “Of course!”
Being able to pinpoint what request she would take out of a myriad of others was actually quite impressive. It was proof of his knowledge and years of experience. He was a third class but looked after the younger adventurers in his own clan, so they might have given him the lowdown.
While Zig was still looked impressed, Bates leaned over and tapped the request papers.
“So, here’s the thing. Our young’uns are also going on a monkey dog extermination… Don’t suppose you mind helping out?”
“You’ll have to ask Siasha that. What kind of a monster is a monkey dog anyway?”
“Allow me to explain.” Siasha stepped in with the encyclopedic knowledge she had gained from days of reading books. “The monkey dog is a monstrosity with the body of a monkey and the head of a dog. It’s about as large as an adult male, but its forward lean suggests more weight and volume. Individually, it isn’t very strong with its average strength and inability to use magic. Its real danger lies in its tendencies to form packs.”
Zig quietly listened and nodded.
There was always danger in numbers, but it wasn’t uncommon as far as monstrosities went. Though small, the pouch wolves they had fought before did exactly that.
Siasha acknowledged Zig’s puzzled look.
“They do not form ordinary packs, of course. This monstrosity can form packs with other monstrosities.”
“Other monstrosities?” he echoed.
“Monstrosities usually stick with their own kind. You get some rare occasions of interspecies breeding, but that’s about it. However, these monkey dogs are kind of intelligent. I don’t know how they do it, but they’re able to communicate with other monstrosities. They team up with stronger monstrosities for protection to hunt down prey. They have nimble hands and an excellent sense of smell, making them excel at hunting.”
Symbiosis, though a strange one.
Now he understood why the monkey dogs were so dangerous. Their threat level couldn’t be determined since it depended on what creatures they showed up with. Adventurers, always eager to prepare for a particular sort of enemy, wouldn’t like going up against them. No wonder they came with a huge rating boost.
“Monkey dog materials are also notorious for being useless. Their skin quickly decomposes after death, their meat stinks, and their claws and fangs aren’t particularly sharp compared to other monstrosities, among other things. They’re not good for money.”
“The guild rewards huge ratings for them because we can’t have their population go unchecked,” Bates said. “They have a particularly big swarm this year compared to other years too.”
With so many young adventurers in Wadatsumi, a wild card such as the monkey dog couldn’t be left unchecked. However, Zig and Siasha couldn’t just keep working with them. They had been neglecting their other requests lately.
Zig stopped. Something wasn’t right. “Hm…?”
“Zig?” Siasha asked as she looked at him. Her azure eyes and lustrous black hair brought Zig back to himself.
“An enemy?” Bates immediately put up his guard at seeing Zig notice something amiss.
“It’s nothing,” Zig said. “It was probably just me.”
“If you say so.”
Zig discreetly looked around him. Guild staff were moving around and working as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. He had just been paranoid.
“I’m with Siasha today. I can’t cover for you.”
“Ha ha ha!” Bates laughed. “I’m not asking for that much. Just need a little cooperation. I just want to know what your positions are so we can look out for each other. Keep us out of each other’s way too. And then maybe we can help each other out if things go south. Just need your word for it.”
“My word?”
Zig, a stickler for contracts, wasn’t happy about that. Especially when Siasha and Bates exchanged wry smiles.
Zig’s brows furrowed when he saw their grins. “What’s with you two?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Yep, nothing.”
Bates straightened up and cleared his throat to explain himself further. “I’m not forcing you to do anything. I won’t complain if you abandon us, and the reverse is also true. It’ll make me rethink our relationship, though.”
“So, what’s the point?”
Bates seemed surprised that Zig was still doubtful about all this vague talk. He looked kind of childish with how awkward he was with the workings of society.
“A man’s word isn’t something to be taken lightly, you know.”
Should he help him or not? The scales could shift at any moment. Even Bates had experienced this moment more than once.
Which was why…
“An ironclad rule among adventurers is to cover all your options. Not that people actually follow it, though. I’ll send someone your way to keep in touch.” With that, Bates left.
“Bastard. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
Your word wasn’t something you needed a formal agreement for, but Zig was not entertained with the way Bates just ended the conversation. Siasha only smiled, no complaints coming from her. If his client was okay with it, Zig guessed he was okay with it too.
“Ha ha.” Siasha pulled on the dejected Zig’s arm. “Let’s go, Zig. I’m sure today will be an exciting day.”
“Yeah… You’re right.”
Zig gripped the sword at his waist as Siasha dragged him out of his chair.
Chapter 2: Demonic Monkey Dogs
Chapter 2:
Demonic Monkey Dogs
AFTER DOING A FINAL CHECK ON THEIR SUPPLIES, Siasha charged the dolly with magic to make it float. She had purchased the hovering dolly with the money she had saved up. Food and equipment were stacked on it. Owning a personal dolly was a sign that you had made it as an adventurer and was an absolute necessity to being a professional.
Adventurers still stuck on their rental dollies looked at the brand-new dolly with envy. It seemed weird that they were looking at the dolly instead of her weapons and armor, but carrying goods home was a legitimate dilemma for adventurers. Everything you brought home could be sold, after all. Having to carry your goods manually would slow down how you react during a monster attack. Having more people in a party would split the spoils to insignificance.
Though cheap, a rental would still eat up part of the budget. At a certain level, they would no longer be allowed to rent the cheaper dollies for beginners.
Siasha was a rare instance because she already had her own floating dolly, despite not having been an adventurer for very long. She had also splurged on an automated model, further deepening the envy of those around her.
It took half a day of agonizing and negotiating at the magic item store, but she bought it. She got the deal after trading some crystalline lizard eyeballs from her last extermination request.
“The decision made me feel like I was coughing up blood,” she recalled.
The dolly cost two million orth. Zig was at a loss for words when he heard the thing cost several times more than his weapon. It was little wonder that Siasha had a pep in her step as the two made their way to the transportation stone.
The pack of monkey dogs were reported to have been seen somewhere further from where they fought the double-horned blue beetle.
As they walked through the tall trees of the forest, they soon encountered other adventurers who had taken the same request. There were two, maybe three, parties, and they were all in close proximity to each other while keeping their distance. This was the informal cooperation Bates had mentioned.
Zig and Siasha went on until they were a good distance away from the rest. It wasn’t that the two were trying to isolate themselves, but rather, everyone else was staying out of their way.
“Is it just me or are we being avoided?”
“That could be the case.”
The other parties weren’t being shy about it either. Zig could think of plenty of reasons for their behavior and decided to let it slide. The Wadatsumi’s influence kept the other adventurers off their backs. The clan’s veterans probably told them to stay out of their way because of how dangerous they were. Milyna and Scecz, the young but talented members of the Wadatsumi, echoed this sentiment.
Maybe things would’ve been different had Siasha been alone. She was a very attractive woman, after all. However, Zig’s face had danger written all over it and kept the other adventurers away. Not everyone was avoiding them, though.
Two parties approached them.
“We warned our clan members about you. Not many of them know about the details of what happened that day.”
Both were Wadatsumi adventurers. One was headed by Cain and the other by Scecz.
“It might be awkward but give us some slack,” Cain said, slightly bowing his head. “Wadatsumi would be done for if someone like me or Kasukabe went crazy again. Not getting involved would be best for all of us.”
These were the contacts Bates had mentioned. Zig shrugged to show that he understood the situation.
“You stay out of our way, and we stay out of yours,” he said. “Besides, I’m just a bodyguard today. You can talk to my client for anything related to the request.”
“Got it.”
Cain nodded and faced Siasha.
“Again, my name is Cain. Nice to meet you, Siasha.”
“Scecz,” Scecz said. “Pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
The three had met before but had never actually talked to each other. Scecz was visibly wincing—probably because she had seen how Siasha had terrified Bates and even Zig. Fortunately, Cain was knocked out at the time.
Cain then began to discuss strategy once the introductions were out of the way. Zig didn’t interrupt and listened while throwing glances at the Wadatsumi party.
They weren’t avoiding him, possibly because they had already met Zig in the past. They also didn’t receive a beatdown like Cain did and were, in fact, the ones who received this request from Bates.
The adventurers he made eye contact with bowed slightly, some even casually waving. They were young and still naive, but they were competent enough considering their age. Their eyes were nothing like the seventh-class adventurers who were their perpetual competition.
As Zig admired the young Wadatsumi adventurers, he felt someone else’s eyes on him. He traced it back to Cain, who was looking at Zig’s weapon.
“Where’s your double-edged sword?”
He was wondering where Zig’s signature twinblade was.
“It broke.”
Cain’s eyes widened at his immediate answer.
“That thing? What happened?”
“Work. An adventurer split it in half.”
“Dude…”
Cain had had the pleasure of carrying Zig’s weapon to the doctor’s office. It had been too heavy for him to swing even if he managed to carry it by himself. A thing that heavy must have had the durability to match.
It was shocking to hear Zig say it had been split in half—and not by a monster either, but by an adventurer. That detail only added to his shock.
“What kind of gorilla were you fighting?” Cain asked.
“I’ll let her know what you said,” Zig replied. “It was a woman who looked young.”
“Forget what I said.”
Cain didn’t press the matter further. Still, he couldn’t hide his doubtful looks.
“Relax. I know how to handle a sword,” Zig said, clearing up any misgivings about him being unable to fight without his twinblade.
Cain and Scecz sighed, both sporting wry grins at their misunderstanding.
“Well… We’ll take your word for it.”
Cain could’ve kept going, but he gave up and let the matter rest.
“Ha ha ha…”
Scecz gave a dry laugh and stepped in to replace him. Her hair, a distinctive blue, swayed in the wind.
“Last time we met, it was the bounty incident. Thanks for that.”
“Tell that to Bates.” As far as Zig was concerned, he had only been fulfilling a request.
Scecz smiled. Bates had told her how Zig would respond.
“You really said what Bates said you would.”
“That’s just like him. Where’s your partner?”
The red one wasn’t here today.
“She’s on another request. It’s not like we’re together all the time.”
“Is that so. I see her a lot during my morning runs.”
“So, you’re the one who got her into it. She’s only started lately.”
Scecz knew that the scuffle they were involved in was what induced her partner to start running. She didn’t ask her for her reasoning, but she knew it had something to do with the fight with Zig. Scecz herself had been focusing on her swordsmanship ever since then.
“Does running help with anything? I feel like you should just focus on swordsmanship if you want to get better at the sword.”
“I don’t know. But there might come a point where you get stuck with the sword, whereas stamina can always be increased. It’s not useless, that’s for sure.”
“I see.”
Scecz looked Zig up and down as they spoke. She couldn’t find anything about him that looked unhealthy, and his joints also seemed limber enough to function properly.
She patted her chest once she was done with her inspection. “Good. It doesn’t look like you’re still hurting from the injuries from that day.”
“Which one?” Zig asked, rotating his shoulders. “Oh, you mean the one on my back. Dr. Dorea is a good physician.”
As relieved as Scecz was, she furrowed her brows at Zig’s roundabout statement.
“Do you get hurt all the time?” she asked.
Zig nodded, folding his arms. “One of my ribs broke the other day and my side got cut right open. Good thing my guts didn’t spill everywhere.”
It hadn’t been that long since the bounty incident. Scecz and Cain considered Zig to be a freak since he could get back to work so quickly after suffering so many horrible injuries.
They now turned their horrified looks to Siasha. Realizing what they meant, she waved her hands frantically.
“Oh no, I’m not durable at all. You really can’t put me on the same level as Zig…”
The two looked relieved at seeing her flustered.
“W-well, at least we won’t have a problem carrying this request out… Anyway, let’s get to work.”
The parties began their search, spreading apart just enough so they were still within earshot of one another.
A little while later, Siasha spotted something and squatted down.
“Monstrosity tracks. We might come into contact with them sooner than we thought.” She looked up, noticing the droppings on the ground. Zig followed her gaze to the branches above them, but there were no monstrosities to be found.
Siasha pointed. He followed her finger and spotted some scratch marks and branches that looked like they snapped unnaturally. They had entered the monstrosities’ territory.
Zig checked his equipment while gripping the hilt of his longsword. He tightened the straps on his gauntlets and greaves, readying the throwing hatchet he pulled out.
“The monkey dog’s primary attacks are…” he said.
“Biting, scratching, striking,” Siasha replied. “They’re like ordinary animals. They also throw rocks.”
“The rocks are going to be a problem,” Zig said under his breath.
Siasha turned around. “But they’re just rocks.”
“To you. But they can be dangerous in the right hands. It’s one of the most ancient weapons of warfare.”
A basic tenet of war was to fight your opponent outside of their effective range.
Unlike bows or magic, rocks could be used by anyone since they needed no special training. They also didn’t cost anything and were lightweight. A rock the size of a fist was enough to kill a man if thrown hard enough.
I guess it’s not much of a problem for the locals thanks to their defensive abilities.
While the rocks might lack human precision, monstrosities had more than enough power to make them dangerous.
Although…they might as well be peashooters to the girl who could control the ground.
“Hmm, I see. By the way, Zig?”
“What?” Zig asked, walking while he kept an eye at the branches above.
Siasha walked in front of him with her hands crossed behind her back. She turned to him and smiled. “What’s this ‘bounty incident’ I’ve been hearing about?”
Zig remained quiet and looked away. He remembered Sian the receptionist warning Siasha not to get involved with the bounty. She reluctantly gave up after Zig himself told her not to be reckless. Now, she realized that he had gotten involved with the incident after the conversation with Scecz. Zig couldn’t make up an excuse fast enough even though he wanted to mislead her.
“I want a full report later, okay?” Siasha said.
“Right.”
Zig pushed away thoughts of deception and gave her a heavy nod. Siasha was impossible to read with that smile on her face. He would just have to give it his best later.
“There! The monkey dogs!”
An adventurer finally encountered a monkey dog several minutes after they stepped into its territory. Sounds of fighting broke out from the right side of their arrowhead formation. Zig and Siasha were on the left and still couldn’t find any monkey dogs in the trees.
“They’re quite far from us.”
“Yeah. But it’s only a matter of time before they reach us… In fact, here they come.”
Zig whistled, straining his eyes at the forest depths. The Wadatsumi adventurers readied themselves at the shrill sound. Rocks of all sizes came flying out of the forest while the whistle still echoed through the trees.
Siasha stepped forward to cover for Zig. The ground rose up in front of them as an answer to Siasha’s incantation. The rocks collided with the wall and fell harmlessly to the ground, leaving the two untouched. Those rocks would’ve hit hard. They made a heavy noise when they crashed into the wall.
Zig used the wall as cover and peeked out from its side.
Six monkey dogs hung from the trees. They were waiting for the adventurers to approach, showing no indication of coming down themselves. Shrill screams came out of their dog heads, filling the forest.
On the other side, Scecz and Cain spotted more monkey dogs. Scecz took point and started casting magic at them.
“They’re quite troublesome when there’s this many of them.”
Siasha started preparing a new spell behind the cover of the dirt wall. The stones around her lifted, forming blocks with pointed ends the size of a woman’s arm.
The monkey dogs sensed danger and let out shrill cries to warn their allies. Siasha launched around twenty rocks right at the pack of monkey dogs. The stone spears split the air as they shot toward their target.
The monkey dogs scattered to avoid the countless spikes, using their hands and feet to get out of the way of the projectiles’ trajectories. One of them was too slow and was run right through. Another’s head was split open as a spear burst through the tree it was hiding behind.
Four remained, managing to escape using the lack of visibility and landscape to their advantage.
Zig rushed forward a beat after Siasha hurled the stone spears. He drew the longsword at his hip and rushed at the surviving monkey dogs with a speed that rivaled the stone spears.
He cut the legs off of one of them as it let its guard down and tried to pick up rocks after surviving the salvo of stone spears. The monkey dog let out an ear-shattering scream as it lost the legs it expected to land on.
Zig continued to his next target, not bothering to finish off the wailing monkey dog. Realizing that they wouldn’t be able to counterattack, one of the monkey dogs started escaping on all fours. However, Siasha was ready with her next attack. The monkey dog curled up to defend itself, but it was useless. A stone spear slammed into it, turning its body into a bloody mess.
Zig kept running, not bothering to watch the monkey dog die. He switched the longsword to his left hand, grabbed the throwing hatchet with his right hand, and flung. It was difficult to hit the monkey dog with its limbs intact as it swung between the trees, but Zig was aiming for the branch it was headed for. The creature was shocked at losing the branch it was grasping, but it quickly used its other arm to latch on to another to avoid falling. However, even if the monkey dog wasn’t on the ground, it had stopped moving just enough…
…To make it a perfect target for Siasha.
Zig ran past the monkey dog with a hole in its back and was ambushed by the two monkey dogs hiding in the shadows. They came at him from the left and right. Zig quickly stopped in his tracks and jumped to the left. Dodging the monkey dogs’ attack, he lined himself and the monstrosities up in a straight line.
The monkey dog on Zig’s left turned around, aiming two right hooks his way. He immediately backstepped, avoiding the fast and powerful punch. Strong as it was, the trajectory was too obvious. The monkey dog immediately reacted by throwing a right backfist. It wasn’t a feint, but the monstrosity could forcibly shift its attack. It timed it to Zig’s dodge so there was no way of avoiding it.
Zig put up his right elbow to block the punch coming for his head and stomach. A dull clang rang out as the monkey dogs’ attack collided with his armor. The strength of Zig’s body and his rainbow mantis shrimp gauntlet shrugged off the monkey dogs’ claws.
The monstrosities, flustered at him being unphased by their attack, swapped to their other arm. However, Zig’s longsword was faster. He primed his longsword like an arrow in front of his chest and thrust forward.
The side was a weak point for any creature, and the same held true for monkey dogs. The blade pierced the monkey dog between its right bicep and forearm, slipped through its bones, and went right for its heart and lungs. Blood bubbled out of the monkey dog’s mouth as it lost the ability to breathe.
Zig pulled his blade out of the dying monstrosity and faced the remaining monkey dog. It came at him with both arms raised in the air. Zig half knelt and stepped to the side, holding his longsword in his left hand.
The monkey dog attacked with its other arm. Zig raised his right gauntlet up like a buckler to block it. He deflected the first blow with his arm before moving closer, timing his step with the monkey dog’s second attack.
“Hmph!”
He calculated his timing, waiting until the monkey dog’s arm reached its peak momentum before flicking his wrist. The monstrosity’s arm was blown away, leaving it completely defenseless.
Now the longsword behind his back made its play. His hands moved simultaneously, not allowing the monkey dog’s other arm to attack him after he deflected its initial attack. The sword swung in a half circle, cutting off the monstrosity’s deflected and powerless arm right through the middle. The monkey dog’s arm flew in the air, spraying jets of blood everywhere.
It screamed, flailing its remaining arm at Zig. He took a step back and assessed the situation, waiting until the arm came down at him before chopping it off too. The monkey dog went into a frenzy, but a monstrosity suffering that much blood loss was too slow to be a threat.
He took a big step to slip into close quarters. Holding the longsword with both hands, he stomped on the ground and swung diagonally. The powerful attack went through the monkey dog’s arm and chest, killing it instantly.
“Pretty strong,” Zig said, analyzing the monkey dog’s strength and keeping his guard up. “No wonder they’re a problem in a pack.”
The monstrosity had been stronger than he expected, possibly because of their ability to move so well. There was also the fact that Zig couldn’t use magic. Considering it could also attack from a distance, it was little wonder people hated them so much.
Zig flicked his longsword to get the blood off it and surveyed the battlefield. Cain and Scecz’s parties had no problems dispatching the creatures. There was no need for assistance. Scecz controlled their movement with her ice spears, allowing her to close in on them to finish them off with her saber. Unexpectedly, Cain had also managed to take care of the monstrosities. It was probably rude of Zig to think of such things.
They weren’t that much stronger compared to their peers, but their situational awareness put them a cut above the rest. They assisted their comrades when the situation called for it, laying the groundwork for them to finish off their opponents.
Zig might have had a hard time fighting them if he hadn’t gotten his weapon back in time. He continued surveying the area, impressed by their talent. The other adventurers were helping each other out. No one had major injuries, though some got hit by stray rocks.
He examined his weapon once he had verified no one was in need of assistance. He had gone for the monstrosity’s side, a common weakness, but due to them not being human he had felt his blade brush up against bone. However, the edge showed no signs of wear.
Gantt really was talented.
Zig then looked up and put his longsword back in its sheath. He spotted the throwing hatchet he had used to keep the monkey dogs in check. He wasn’t rich enough to leave it behind since the thing hadn’t come cheap. He was thinking about retrieving it, but it was higher than he expected.
Siasha walked toward him as he pondered this conundrum.
“Good work. You looked like you were having fun.”
“Why do you sound disappointed?”
Siasha’s face betrayed her emotions. She cast a spell, tracing a zigzag with her fingers in front of Zig. A stairway of soil popped out of the ground, leading to the tree with his hatchet.
“It would’ve been more fun if something unexpected happened,” she said.
“It’s also riskier. And we might get casualties.”
Zig thanked her with a gesture of his hand and climbed the steps to get his hatchet. He put it back on his belt and climbed down where Siasha was waiting for him. Her azure eyes were filled with excitement.
“And that’s how we can get more favors!” she declared. “Two birds with one stone.”
Zig stopped to look at her as he examined his gauntlet for damage. She did not look like she was joking.
“That…might be a valid way of thinking.”
“Right?” Siasha was happy that he agreed with her.
He scratched his head, unsure how to react to her joy, when he heard a scream in the distance. A strong scent attacked his nose, possibly from the surge in offensive magic. The fight against the monkey dogs was heating up.
Zig braced himself, but Siasha was ecstatic.
“That’s what I’m talking about!”
That is not the correct response to this situation. Zig wasn’t sure what to say, since adventurers could very well get killed.
“Don’t say that in front of other people,” he chastised.
“Huh? All right.”
Siasha had a hard time understanding, though she followed Zig’s command. Zig felt like she still had a long way to go, judging by her tilted head and look of wonder on her face.
“One step at a time. Let’s get going.”
“Yes! Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”
***
“Zei!”
A halberd pierced through the torso of a monkey dog. It immediately expired from the brutal force of the heavy weapon, still hefty even with physical enhancements.
Heinz lunged toward his next prey without even looking at the dead monkey dog.
“Who’s next?!”
Another monkey dog threw a rock at him with a loud screech, but he deflected it with the blade of his weapon and closed in on it. The monstrosity braced itself and tried to get away, but a crossbow bolt from Heinz’s ally stopped it in its tracks. He complimented his friend on the oddly timed assist and swung his halberd at the monstrosity.
The monkey dog was on its knees, having lost its balance. The halberd sliced toward its undefended neck like it was presented on a silver platter.
“Raaaah!”
The weapon lopped off the monkey dog’s head right at its shoulders.
“Okay, that’s four. Whaddya think about that, Riza?”
“Heinz, you’re running around too much. We don’t know what monstrosities the monkey dogs might bring with them.” Riza’s blonde hair swayed as she loaded up another bolt in her crossbow, keeping her eyes on their surroundings.
Heinz pulled the bolt out of the dead monkey dog and tossed it at her. It was made out of monstrosity materials, light and powerful, but they were too expensive to be expendable.
Riza wiped the blood off it and put it in the collection pouch on her waist. She only used it in case of emergencies, since blood and grime could affect the performance of the bolt. It all depended on their current conditions, of course.
“Looks like everyone’s doing all right. We should get ready for the next—never mind, here comes another one.”
The scout-shooter spotted a monstrosity coming out of the woods and readied herself. It was still far away, but it was closing in fast, its large form zipping through the forest.
“That looks pretty big to me.”
“It’s not a monkey dog…?”
As Heinz pointed out, the shadow of the creature was too big to belong to a monkey dog.
Although its appearance was concealed under the shadows of the canopy, it was holding something that looked like a club. Definitely not a monkey dog.
Having made the decision, Riza raised her voice and shouted to alert everyone in the vicinity.
“Careful, Heinz! I think this is what the monkey dogs are teaming up with!”
She wasted no time and blew the whistle hanging from her neck. Two short whistles followed by three long ones. That was the signal to alert the squad of newcomers. Heinz fumbled to get himself ready.
The monstrosity shook the earth as it appeared before them.
“This thing is…!”
A cold sweat ran down Heinz’s back when he saw the strange creature.
It towered at three meters, about twice the size of a monkey dog. However, its bulging muscles suggested strength beyond its already impressive size. The club it wielded was gigantic—over two meters, but it looked like it weighed nothing in its hands.
Its face was what made it unique. It had two big eyes stacked on top of one another; imagine human eyes but rotated ninety degrees. Between them was a slit which was actually its mouth. It lacked ears and a nose, though there were vertical eyes where its ears should have been. On its forehead were two twisted horns.
This monster was a real freak.
“A three-faced ogre?!” Riza let out a shocked cry when she turned to face the monstrosity. Its twisted face shook as its right eye rolled around.
She shot a bolt right for its eyes, trying to hold back her disgust. The three-faced ogre put up its club to block it and ran toward them. Though it wasn’t particularly fast, it had an incredibly long stride. Riza panicked at the sight of the three-faced ogre heading their way. Heinz stepped in front of her as the monstrosity was closing in.
“You’re with me today, buddy!”
Heinz used the length of his halberd to its full extent. The three-faced ogre slowed down as the halberd swung toward its legs. It let out a vicious roar from its mouth in the middle and swung its club, annoyed that it had been forced to slow down.
The monstrosity’s roar was so close and loud that it made Heinz’s legs tremble.
“Shut up!”
Heinz shook off his shakes and lunged at the monstrosity with a roar of his own. He tried to remain calm even as he amped himself up. He wasn’t about to try to match the monstrosity’s strength even if he had slowed it down. He feinted right and dodged left. The club let out a loud boom as it slammed on the ground, missing its target.
Heinz thanked his lucky stars, shortened his grip, and slashed at its arm. He managed to make a deep gash even if he couldn’t completely chop it off. The three-faced ogre’s eyes became bloodshot with rage at being cut and brought down its club while dodging more attacks. It continued its assault, ignoring the wound it just received.
One of its eyes then noticed a flash of light. It stopped its attack and produced a shield of ice in its left hand to block it.
Riza’s burning bolt only managed to melt the shield.
The three-faced ogre’s eyes weren’t just for show. It gave the creature an expanded field of vision. However, Riza smiled despite her unsuccessful attack.
“Sorry. That was a decoy.”
The three-faced ogre noticed something wrong with its left leg and found a bolt sticking out of it. It had sunk into its thigh when it was preoccupied with the light of the fireball. Though not lethal, the bolt was still a setup for something else.
The magic seal carved into the bolt activated a moment later. A blinding flash of electricity ran from the wound and up into the three-faced ogre’s body. The monstrosity howled from the sudden pain and paralysis. It fell to its knees, incapacitated. However, there was a lot of work to be done before they could take it down. At least it stopped moving for the moment; its left leg was paralyzed.
That was all the time Heinz needed.
“Searyaaaa!”
He brought his halberd down on the creature.
The three-faced ogre held up its club, but it was next to impossible for a one-legged monstrosity to gain any footing.
The halberd broke through its guard. Riza started casting a spell for one final push, but it happened just when the battle was almost won. Something gigantic came out of the forest, knocking down some trees along the way.
“Huh?! Heinz, get out of there!”
“Wha—?!”
Riza stopped her incantation to warn her friend, but he was in no position to move while his halberd was in the middle of an attack. But he showed his skill, managing to fend off the thing coming in from his side. Heinz shifted the shaft of his weapon to the side, deflecting the incoming attack. Although he blocked the brunt of the attack, he couldn’t absorb all of its impact.
“Gah?!”
The shaft of his halberd rammed into him, flinging his body sideways. His body rolled on the ground until he no longer knew which way was up.
He couldn’t hear anything because of the ringing in his ears. Blood poured from his mouth, making him gag from the pain and discomfort. He tried to prop himself up with his right hand, but the pain was overwhelming.
In fact, his right arm was twisted at an impossible angle.
“Shit!”
Blood was filling his nostrils and he couldn’t let out a string of curses even if he wanted to. He got up using his relatively fine left hand, the ringing finally fading away.
“…inz! …einz! Heinz!”
He finally noticed his name being called. Looking up, he vaguely perceived Riza firing off magic bolts at a second three-faced ogre, trying to hold it off.
Yes, there were two of them now. The second three-faced ogre was the thing that blindsided Heinz earlier.
“Gyaaaa!”
Screams echoed through the forest. But not from monkey dogs. Human screams.
Something flew and fell beside Heinz. A sword…along with the arms still holding it. He turned to the direction of the scream and saw an armless man being held up by a three-faced ogre. The man desperately tried to escape, but he looked like a pitiful maggot with his armless state.
“L-let go! Let go of me!” The man begged and pleaded as the three-faced ogre’s mouth opened up. Jagged teeth lined the unsettling mouth. The man went insane as its hot breath caressed his face.
“St-stop! Nononono!”
The man continued struggling until the ogre ate him face first. His legs spasmed violently for a few moments before going limp. The three-faced ogre chewed on its fresh meal.
An image right out of hell.
A party of five adventurers had been desperately fighting against several three-faced ogres. However, they stumbled on some tree roots and were overwhelmed. The moment one of them went down, the rest followed suit.
The other parties noticed and started assisting them. Riza ran toward Heinz, having spent most of her bolts. The three-faced ogre slowly approached them, probably cautious of her attacks.
“Heinz!”
“I hear you.”
He blew blood out of his nose and got up with much effort. The injuries to his right arm and chest were severe. Breathing gave him immense pain.
Riza squinted, seeing Heinz’s body racked with pain. The wounds were awful. Though not immediately fatal, they were severe enough to make it difficult for them to escape. They couldn’t ask the other adventurers for help either, since they had their hands full.
“We’re getting out of here. Come on.”
Heinz cut her off. “Never mind me. Just go.”
The three-faced ogre was getting more aggressive with its approach. It probably realized that Riza was running out of bolts. She now used the few bolts she had left to hold it off.
“What are you saying?” she said.
Riza knew exactly what he meant.
Getting them both out—or rather, getting Heinz out—would be difficult. They would both end up dead if they tried to force it. Better to have one of them make it out in one piece.
Riza scrunched her face, knowing that it was the only option.
“No time for second guessing. Count from three, okay?”
“Got it!”
Riza fought through the pain. She thanked her partner’s better judgment as blood flowed from the corner of Heinz’s lips.
“Get to it.”
Heinz then began his incantation. The three-faced ogres were closing in on them.
“Three.”
Riza fired her last bolt at their legs. The ogre produced an ice shield and charged on.
“Two.”
The bolt bounced against it and began to glow. A flash of bright light blinded the three-faced ogres.
“One.”
They closed their eyes in an effort to fight against it. It lasted for all of one second. The ogres used their other sets of eyes and kept charging.
“Zero,” Riza said and started running.
She didn’t look back, out of respect for the one who allowed her to escape. She kept on running as the sound of Heinz’s magic went off behind her.
***
Three blows of a shrill whistle sounded as they were fighting.
“That’s…the sound of a new enemy?”
“Yes. It looks like the monkey dogs’ allies are here.”
Zig and Siasha had rendezvoused with the Wadatsumi party to share information. They approached Cain just as his party had finished dealing with their share of monkey dogs. Cain pulled out his sword from a monkey dog’s skull and wiped it down.
“You’re done too, huh?”
“What happened?”
“We’ll talk on the way. Guys, we’re going to help the other parties out now!” Cain commanded, his sword still drawn. “We’ve got several big monstrosities in the area! Stay sharp!”
Zig and Siasha ran with them toward their destination.
“It seems like the monkey dogs are partnering up with three-faced ogres. There’s several of them. It’s a small pack.”
“Three-faced ogres… How do they communicate with them?”
“I don’t know. But things just got a lot more dangerous. There aren’t that many instances of monkey dogs bringing along an entire monstrosity pack. I think they’re using them as an insurance plan instead of security.”
Zig remembered reading about three-faced ogres. It was still fresh in his mind since he had just seen it in the Encyclopedia of Monstrosities. They had big bodies and the strength to go with them. A powerful enemy, it possessed several eyes for an enhanced field of vision, along with being able to use cold magic. Most dangerous of all was their tendency to form packs of around four to six ogres. Although, supposedly, they only lived in colder climates.
“The recent prevailing theory is that they are families instead of packs. There is always a male and a female seen with younger specimens.”
“I guess we’re hunting a family. It’s a lot of work, but it’s better than being hunted.”
Scecz joined them along the way.
“Have you fought against a three-faced ogre before, Scecz?” Siasha asked.
“One stray once. It’s on the same level as a male double-horned blue beetle.”
“I see.”
Upon hearing the approximate power level of the ogre, Siasha started thinking.
“Then we’ll focus on wiping out the monstrosities,” she said. “Can you help the other adventurers?”
“I was just about to suggest the same thing. I’ll leave you guys to it.”
Zig and Siasha were strong, but they were only two people. Their abilities would be limited if they had to split their attention to help people.
Cain had the same idea since he knew what they were capable of.
“That would be a great help,” he said. “We’ll be sure to split the favors from all the people we help.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do we really have time to argue?”
“Point taken.”
Cain and Siasha ended their short negotiation. She then turned around and smiled at Zig.
“Let’s do our best, Zig.”
“Priority: Extermination of monstrosities. Affirmative.”
With that decision, he could now formulate a game plan.
The area where the adventurers were fighting the monstrosities was quite close. Those on the request prepared for the unexpected backup of the monkey dogs. However, the fact that they were ready and were still having a hard time was proof that things did not go as expected.
Adventurer and monstrosity clashed as screams and roars sounded from both sides.
There were seven three-faced ogres that were visible. Two had been defeated, but the adventurers had also suffered heavy casualties. The adventurers took turns fighting the ogres in order to help their fallen comrades. Among them was a lone adventurer fighting off a three-faced ogre and some monkey dogs.
“I’ll take that one, Siasha. You handle the rest.”
Zig didn’t wait for a reply before jumping into combat.
Siasha watched him go, with a smile on her face, before she turned her gaze to the side. Adventurers were desperately fighting off the monstrosities. Cain was helping the injured. Scecz was helping the adventurers fight back.
“What a mess. I’m not in the habit of helping humans… But I should take what I learned from Zig and do my job.”
She was still a witch, despite having more contact with people recently. Why was she doing anything for these humans, this race that had persecuted her on that other continent? She still mused on that fact, even though she would be helping them now.
But she had an answer for that question now. She hated humans.
They warred with each other because they had numbers on their side, refusing to accept things they didn’t understand. They were tiny and yet terrifying all the same.
“But there are some people I’ve grown to like.”
She would help the humans for the sake of her relationship with them, and for the sake of the man who went out of his way to forge her relationship with them. Even if she didn’t want to, she thought it would be all right if she did.
“Yes… We’re only helping each other because we know each other.”
She was helping them just to get along with them. A mercenary who worked for money and a witch who helped others to get along… She didn’t think the thought was contradictory.
“I think we make quite a good match,” Siasha said, beaming to no one in particular as she charged up her magic.
The breadth of her mana drew the attention of both monstrosity and adventurer. She formed a long and sharp stone spear out of her palm. It was more like a straight line than any other ones she had made. She continued pouring mana into the spear until the stone turned black from the sheer volume of it.
A three-faced ogre roared out of caution and faced Siasha, forming an ice shield.
“They’re just monstrosities in the end. They don’t know what’s coming to them.”
She sighed as she watched the three-faced ogre hold up its ice shield. It was trying to defend itself against her attack. Ignorance is a terrible thing.
After charging the stone spear, she hurled it at the three-faced ogre. The force of her throw caused her long black hair to whip about behind her. The impossible speed of the giant spear zoomed toward the ogre, now holding its shield up with two hands. The spear broke through the ice shield like it was paper, creating a shrill breaking sound as it went right through the ogre’s arms and into its chest. The ogre screamed, its four eyes widened in shock. Blood gushed out of its vertical mouth. It fell to the ground twitching before it finally lay dead.
Siasha looked at the corpse with a bored expression before casting her gaze at the remaining three ogres. Her black hair waved about as mana continued flowing through her. The monstrosities took an instinctive step back.
The witch smiled, preparing another spell.
“Come, monsters. Give me a taste of your power. No ordinary man can touch me. Mere monsters like you don’t have a chance.”
***
The adventurers were relieved at Siasha’s aid for only a moment. However, they could stand it no longer. Her anomalous presence made them doubt whether they had really been saved.
Scecz shouted to snap them out of it. “Stop gaping and get moving!”
“R-right…”
The adventurers began their retreat, taking their injured allies with them.
Scecz attacked a nearby three-faced ogre to help them out. She rushed in front of the ogre, drawing its attention, and slashed at its legs.
“Tsh!”
The blade easily cut through the three-faced ogre’s legs, as it didn’t have a chance to prepare its cold magic. By the time the monstrosity realized what was going on, she was already gone.
Scecz had been able to come to her senses so quickly because she had already been in Siasha’s presence before. It had been much more frightening the first time she saw it—intimidating to the point that even Bates was frozen.
We shouldn’t get hurt as long as she’s not pointing it at us. Remembering that experience, Scecz started fighting again.
She drew the attention of one of the monstrosities after inflicting a great amount of pain to it. The club it was swinging was frightening and powerful. However, she wasn’t afraid of its raw power—not after going through the double-horned blue beetle bounty and fighting the spellweaver mantis.
“There’s just no artistry to it.”
She dodged and countered with a powerful cut. The three-faced ogre reacted and tried to catch her with its fist, but she easily ducked to avoid it, reading the monstrosity like an open book. With her being the bait, her allies then attacked the ogre with a lightning spell, slowing its movements down. The Wadatsumi adventurers were very efficient in taking down the monstrosity, and the results spoke for themselves.
***
Zig reached the adventurer being hounded by a three-faced ogre and some monkey dogs. He rounded behind a monkey dog, taking its head off as a greeting, and kept on running. The dog head flew through in the air with a dull sound. The adventurer, Riza, turned around in shock.
“Switch,” Zig said.
Another monkey dog came at her, exploiting the opening she created when she turned around to look at Zig. He drew closer, his longsword deflecting its claws. Using his momentum, he attacked with a left uppercut into its jaw. The battle glove’s magic seal activated, blowing the monkey dog’s head into bits.
“Eh?! Take it!”
The adventurer immediately fell back. Zig stepped backward into the empty space after taking out the monkey dog. She’s fast. Must be a pro. A backliner, judging by her equipment. Being able to fend off so many monstrosities in spite of being a backliner was proof of her skill.
Zig avoided the rain of monkey dog blood and surveyed the battlefield. Three remained along with one three-faced ogre. One of the monkey dogs cast its gaze behind Zig’s back. He took a coin out of his pocket and flicked it at the monstrosity, ridding it of any ideas of pursuing the fleeing adventurer. The monkey dog howled after taking the coinage to its nose. The other two took to the trees to get to high ground.
The three were coming after him now.
Zig kicked off the ground, calculating his timing. He avoided the monkey dog coming right at him and learned forward, accelerating his movements. The two monkey dogs swung their arms in a panic, but they didn’t time their attack properly. Their claws missed Zig completely.
Zig passed the third monkey dog and ran for the three-faced ogre. The ogre roared to intimidate him and slammed his club down on him. Zig stepped diagonally to the left to avoid the attack and sliced at the monstrosity’s arm. A shield of ice formed around the ogre’s right arm just as the longsword was about to make contact.
However, Zig followed through with his attack. His sword stopped, the momentum absorbed by the ice shield. Nonetheless, he managed to hurt the ogre and break its shield.
The three-faced ogre swung his club sideways in a rage. Zig stepped backward and narrowed his eyes.
“Better reflexes than I thought.”
It had been able to see through his dodge and counter with an ice shield in time. He could’ve cut right through its arm if he used all his strength, but the surrounding monkey dogs made doing that difficult. As sharp as the sword was, he couldn’t deny that it lacked power. Even if he could finish it off with his battle glove, the difference in reach made that approach far too risky. He would eat a fatal counterattack if his attack wasn’t fatal.
Zig looked around for something that he could use.
“That could work.”
He spotted something behind the three-faced ogre. However, it was stuck in a bad spot. He needed a distraction, but the other adventurers already had their hands full.
“What shall I do?”
Zig could take the monstrosity down with a thousand cuts. It would take a lot of time, but he could do it.
He didn’t have the time for that, though. He would have to force himself through its guard. His strategy decided, Zig lowered his stance and waited for the right opportunity.
That was when the monstrosity roared. It was a rumble which came deep from the ogre’s belly, a different heaviness from the screeching of the monkey dogs. It came from the same place that Siasha had gouged open with her black stone spear. To the ears of man, it was a strange and unsettling roar. To the ogres, it was a cry of lamentation. It was so terrifying that even the other monstrosities were taken aback.
Zig was the only one unfazed by it. He maintained eye contact with the creature at all times.
“Hah!”
His right foot kicked the ground underneath him the moment the ogre took its eyes off him. A loud crack pierced through the air as the impact shattered the soil beneath him. He took a second step to adjust his trajectory, and a third to reach full speed.
The three-faced ogre’s numerous eyes kept it from being completely distracted from Zig. The same couldn’t be said about its focus. Once broken, its reaction was delayed. Its concentration was only broken for a second. Zig took full advantage by gaining a lot of ground. The three-faced ogre brought down its club once it returned to its senses, but it was too late. It slammed onto empty space, failing to cause Zig to change direction.
Zig was now up close, longsword in hand.
Sensing danger, the three-faced ogre swapped to defense. It let go of its club, using both arms to protect its neck, reinforcing its limbs with ice shields.
That was the perfect opportunity for an attack. However, Zig ignored it and ran past the monstrosity. Threatening with a longsword had been a feint. What he really wanted was now in his hands.
“I’ll be borrowing this.”
Zig smiled as he pulled a weapon out of the ground—a halberd.
He changed his grip many times to get comfortable and gave it a test swing. The sound it produced when it cut through the air was a lower pitch compared to the longsword.
He nodded, satisfied at the reliability of its weight.
“Nothing better than a polearm.”
He lowered the longsword in his left hand and rested the halberd on his right shoulder.
The monstrosity roared, narrowing its vertical eyes in fear. Zig looked puzzled at its reaction.
“Huh… Did you have a bad time with this thing?”
The three-faced ogre responded by generating an ice spear. Zig moved once he smelled the magic. He sidestepped the spell and deflected it, holding the halberd near the blade. He closed in on the ogre.
The monkey dogs made their move as the three-faced ogre fired its ice spear. Learning from their previous mistakes, the three monkey dogs ran on all fours. Zig handled them in a very simple manner. He slid the halberd’s handle down his hand, increasing his reach, and brought the weapon down with increased speed. A monkey dog who wasn’t expecting the sudden change in speed and reach was obliterated by its blade. It was split in half, its attempt to defend itself by raising its arms in front of it useless against the powerful attack.
The halberd slammed into the ground as if he had been wielding it two-handed.
“Seah!”
Zig summoned his strength and channeled it into his muscles. He pulled the halberd out of the ground with the sheer might of his arm and catapulted himself forward. The axe head functioned as an anchor as he closed in without losing momentum. He used the rigor of his power attack to slide toward the monkey dogs.
The longsword in his left hand decapitated one of the monstrosities, and he crouched to avoid the claws of another. He backed up toward the halberd and kicked the axe head with his greaves, launching it out of the ground.
The monkey dog had long arms, but they weren’t as long as a halberd. He proceeded to stab its chest with the spear end. The monkey dog swiped at the air as its body was being skewered. The axe head prevented the spear from completely going through it, but it was buried all the way to the hilt of the spear tip. Zig drove the weapon down into the monkey dog’s body and dragged it down, cutting its crotch in half. Before the monkey dog took its last breath, he had already jumped away.
The three-faced ogre’s club came down on the monkey dog, crushing it and missing Zig completely. The monstrosity didn’t think of the monkey dog as its ally. It disdainfully swung its bloodied club after crushing its meddling pawn.
“Not much heart in that big body of yours.”
The foul stench was replaced with a metallic one. The three-faced ogre held its left hand in front of its body, now covered in a shield of ice. It waited for Zig’s next move with its club in its right hand.
Zig frowned at its humanlike movements. “Playing human?”
The ogre growled while slowly approaching him.
A club and a halberd. Their reach was about the same, but his opponent had the upper hand considering the length of its limbs.
The provoked three-faced ogre made the first move. Knowing that its attack wouldn’t land easily, it swung its club sideways, starting from its feet. The attack meant that Zig would be forced to back away. It started its offense thinking that it would be advantageous if its opponent reacted like that. It repeated the same motion two to three times, but Zig made his move when he saw the slightest bit of imbalance in the ogre.
He flicked a coin, which he had taken out of his pocket at some point, right at the ogre. The three-faced ogre held the shield over its face to protect its eyes. However, the sword which he had flung at the same time stabbed the ogre in its thigh.
Zig charged now that he had slowed the ogre down.
The three-faced ogre swung its club wildly, wary of the halberd he was holding.
Zig rotated his body and brandished his weapon. The halberd sparked across the ground as he charged it with power. He jumped in the middle of his charge, transferring the momentum from his hips to his upper body. He catapulted himself from the ground, concentrating the full weight and force of the halberd on a singular point.
“Haaaah!” Zig roared.
His body hurled through the air before colliding with the three-faced ogre’s club.
The club shattered into pieces.
***
“Who is this man…?”
Riza stared at the incredible scene unfolding before her eyes. The man had come out of nowhere. His body was so large that his longsword looked like a toothpick in comparison. The man had secured an escape route for her after dealing with the monkey dogs. If he had just been another skilled adventurer, her curiosity would have been satisfied. However, the man was fighting a three-faced ogre without using the slightest hint of magic.
Depending on the particular species, three-faced ogres were stronger than most monstrosities. Even if they weren’t, trying to face it head on would be beyond reckless. She couldn’t figure out who the monstrosity was at this point. She racked her memories for an adventurer that fit his description but came up empty. She thought he was an elite adventurer she didn’t know about, but she doubted that. There was no way that kind of physique and fighting style wouldn’t go unnoticed.
Not to mention…
“There’s no adventurer dumb enough to fight like that. One wrong move and he’s dead.”
The man’s fighting style was a danger to himself.
It would have made more sense if he were fighting with a party to help him. Although, being careful and using projectiles and magic made more sense when fighting alone. He was like a newbie trying to do everything by himself—undeveloped as an adventurer, but his knowledge of the battlefield seemed unmatched.
That was the contradictory picture the man formed in Riza’s mind.
***
Zig’s fierce attack blew the three-faced ogre’s club to bits. Splinters burst in every direction like shrapnel. The three-faced ogre stumbled forward, losing its balance after the attack. Zig brought down his halberd to finish off his now-unarmed opponent.
“Tch!”
He clicked his tongue and swung sideways before he could break the three-faced ogre’s head. The club of another three-faced ogre blocked the side swing of the halberd. It roared through its vertical slit of a mouth as it pushed against him with its club.
Zig noticed that the ogre was smaller than its comrade as both fought for dominance. The three-faced ogre he had been about to kill had been so gigantic that he had to look up at it. However, this one was smaller than Zig. He recalled what Siasha had said before the start of this battle.
“Family.”
A monstrosity trying to protect its fallen parent. These might be the smartest monstrosities he had seen by far.
“But you’re the ones who picked this fight,” Zig said with a blank face.
He slackened his grip, letting his body slide along with the halberd. The small ogre lost its balance and fell forward, switching positions with Zig. He moved to also dodge the punch the adult threw from behind him. The big one stopped its fist before it could hit the child.
Zig kicked the pommel of the sword stuck in its thigh. Blood gushed out as the sword was driven to its hilt.
It’s red, Zig thought.
He switched directions and kicked the handle with his other foot. The force his foot generated caused the deeply embedded longsword to rip through the leg, the sound of muscle fibers pulling apart filling the air. The three-faced ogre howled and fell to its knees. Its calf meat was hanging by a thread while its shin was barely connected by a piece of skin.
The other three-faced ogre approached Zig to scare him away from its parent. Its multiple eyes were bloodshot, and they darted about wildly while its vertical mouth quivered. They were just desperate to survive. If anything, he was probably the villain in this situation.
The ogre child pushed away its fears and lunged at him. It was powerful, but much weaker compared to its parent. Zig caught the scent of magic coming from the parent. There was so much blood that it would’ve died of blood loss had it been human. The monstrosity never lost its will to fight. The ogre launched an ice spear as its last stand, but Zig already knew it was coming.
And he felt no remorse.
He deflected the dying ogre’s attack and parried the desperate ogre’s suicidal one. He redirected the child ogre’s club into the ground without losing speed. It tried to lift its weapon, but the club remained on the ground. It looked down in bewilderment and found its amputated arm attached to the club. The child ogre opened its mouth to howl in pain, but its vision started spinning before it could speak. It glimpsed its decapitated and armless body before its vision faded to black.
The parent ogre screamed as it watched its offspring be mutilated before its very eyes. It forced itself to get back up despite its damaged leg and lashed out to exact vengeance on its enemy.
“Don’t worry. You’ll see it again soon.”
The halberd cut its scream, filled with sadness and rage, short.
***
Siasha’s earthen arms had two three-faced ogres in a deadlock. There was no getting out of their prison, though they struggled to escape. “They’ve got some spirit in them,” Siasha said to herself, regenerating her earthen shield.
The three-faced ogres were captured after trying to break through her shield again and again. They went through ten of them, but they were also ignorant about the trap she was setting up. It was par for the course for the monstrosities on both counts.
She squeezed her hand, and the earthen arm responded in kind, doing the same to the three-faced ogres. The crushing sound was loud and audible. They frantically moved their heads, the only part of their bodies left they could control. They eventually stopped as blood came gushing out of every pore.
“Last one.”
Siasha jerked her hand, squeezing it suddenly to end their misery. The increase in force yielded immediate results. The ogres’ eyes burst out of their faces, blood spraying everywhere like a fountain. She shifted her shield overhead to use it as an umbrella and turned her attention toward Zig.
“It doesn’t look like Zig is facing any issues. Good.”
She wasn’t worried at all despite what she said. She was just more concerned with his situation instead of checking if the other adventurers were safe.
The three-faced ogre Scecz’s party was facing was already dead. The only things left to deal with were the remaining monkey dogs. They didn’t escape and continued trying to help the three-faced ogres, perhaps out of duty.
“What a pack of loyal dogs…monkeys? These monstrosities might have a stronger sense of duty than I thought.”
She started her incantation, tilting her head in wonder. However, she couldn’t fire multiple stone spears because adventurers were in the way.
“How annoying. I would really prefer to destroy them in one fell swoop…”
Still, she had enough common sense to know that she wasn’t supposed to do that. She fired at some monkey dogs she knew she couldn’t hit. They easily took to the trees to avoid her shots. The monkey dogs started clapping and howling like they were laughing. Siasha stayed silent, creasing her brows, and continued her assault. The monkey dogs easily dodged those too.
They were light and agile, dexterous enough to start throwing things at her as they avoided her attacks. The stuff they threw splattered against her earthen shield. They were not rocks and brought with them a horrendous stench.
Looking at the shield, it was now smeared in brown mud.
It was shit.
“Heh. Heh heh heh.”
The shield trembled as her hair floated, charged with energy. Her mana shimmered the air in a haze, looking for an outlet.
“You’re the first one that’s made me this angry!”
Stone spears flew at her rage, but the agile monkey dogs avoided them and took cover behind the other adventurers. The shrill laughter of the monkey dogs irritated her ears.
“Urgh!”
Siasha halted the spell, trying to gather her senses.
Trembling, her eyes widened and started weaving her magic once more.
“Take this!”
Siasha fell to her knees, her anger at its peak, and slammed her hands to the ground, activating her spell.
***
Zig kicked the halberd to pull it out of the three-faced ogre’s cranium.
As he cleaned the blood off it, he noticed small scratches here and there, but there were no warps or bends on the blade.
“Good weapon.”
He would’ve had a lot more trouble if it weren’t for the halberd.
Zig looked around, making a mental note to thank the owner later. The adventurer from earlier made her way back to him. The woman had blonde hair in a side ponytail and a crossbow strapped to her waist. She bowed to him.
“Thank you. I’m Riza.”
Zig didn’t immediately respond and continued surveying his surroundings. Siasha had finished all of the three-faced ogres, the exception being the one Scecz’s party was dealing with. The battle was over now that the monkey dogs had lost their trusty bodyguards. Zig relaxed his shoulders, deciding that he could take a well-deserved break.
“Zig. Are you hurt?”
“Not really, but I’m out of bolts and mana. I can’t fight anymore.”
“I see. I’ll deal with any monstrosity that comes our way.”
“Thank you,” Riza said with a sigh. “A backliner without ammunition isn’t much use.”
Zig then thought of something he could ask her. “By the way, do you know who owns this thing? I’d like to give it back to them after I’ve borrowed it.” Zig showed her the halberd. Riza turned away, her eyes full of pain.
Zig understood and mouthed, “I see.”
He held the weapon in front of his chest and offered prayers for the man he never knew. He extended the same sentiment to Riza.
“What was his name?” Zig asked after a moment of silence.
Riza opened her mouth to say the name she could no longer mention—
“Me. Heinz Romano. Twenty-six.”
The voice came from above. Zig looked up and saw a young man caught between some branches. He was stuck, to be precise, but he was so hurt that his presence was unnoticeable. Zig thought he resembled a squashed bug with the way his limbs were bent and bloodied.
“Heinz?!” Riza cried out in shock and ran toward him. Zig took off his cloak and laid it on the ground. Riza nimbly climbed the tree and winced when she saw her wounded comrade’s condition. She carefully took him down, Zig helping her to keep the injured man’s body from moving too much.
They began emergency treatment once they laid him on the cloak. The man’s condition was pretty bad despite his jovial introduction. His right arm had been bent in an unnatural angle and had multiple lacerations all over his skin. His ribs were broken, inflicting pain every time he breathed. However, he still smiled despite everything his bloodied body was going through.
“Heh heh heh… Put a bit too much into my wind spell… Blew myself away…”
Riza then chided him for attempting to talk with so much blood in his throat. “Shut up! Damn it, I don’t have enough mana… Zig, do you know healing magic?”
“I don’t, but my client should have enough mana left over. Let’s take him to her.”
“Please!”
Zig nodded and got up as the woman continued to treat her comrade. As he was about to call out to Siasha, Heinz caught his attention with a dry croak.
“Hey, man… Thanks for saving my partner. Appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it. Part of the job.”
“Yeah, still… Just let me thank you.”
Zig looked at Heinz and Riza over his shoulder. Riza was desperate to keep her partner alive while Heinz looked happy that his partner was in one piece. He scoffed and shrugged at the expressions they wore—complete polar opposites. “I’m not in the mood to hear sleep talk. Come and thank me later when you can walk again. I’ll let you buy me a drink.”
Heinz grinned as the big man started running, wincing as the pain announced itself again. “Sleep talk, he says…”
“That’s what you’re doing. Worry about that later. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
Even his partner was chewing him out for it, though her words reassured him despite their bite. She was as sharp-tongued as she usually was.
Riza smiled, blood on her cheek. “You want him to buy a drink? You better prove it if you don’t wanna be a loser.”
“When you put it that way, guess I can’t die yet,” Heinz replied with a smile at his partner’s clumsy attempt to cheer him up.
***
“Take this!”
An angry Siasha slammed palms to the ground to activate her spell. The earth roiled as charged up mana ran through the soil. There was a silent pulse, and then it began to quake. Trees started shaking as the intensity slowly increased. She controlled the ground, creating a localized earthquake that shook everything in the vicinity. It locked the monkey dogs in the trees as the spell focused mainly on the tree roots. A monkey dog fell as it lost its grip on the branch it was holding on to.
The adventurers were initially shocked by the rumblings, but the quake wasn’t intense enough to make them lose their footing. They started to move once more monkey dogs fell to the ground. They surrounded a fallen monkey dog, brandishing their weapons. Meanwhile, a hail of spells and arrows came after the other ones who still managed to hang on to their trees.
“Oh, so that’s what it’s come to.”
Siasha pulled back the earthen spike she had prepared for the monkey dogs. The adventurers would definitely catch some friendly fire since they were crowding over them. Fortunately, the aggravating monkey dog earlier was already dealt with, leaving her satisfied.
Someone approached her as she cleaned the dirt from her hands, their footsteps fast and heavy. It could only belong to one man.
“Good work, Zig.”
“You’re done with your end, Siasha?”
She turned around to see him somewhat anxious. She tilted her head wondering what had happened when he suddenly took her hand. It wasn’t something he usually did. He scooped up her knees with his other hand before she could process what was happening.
“Wah! Zig…?”
“It’s an emergency. You still have mana left?”
“Y-yes… It doesn’t feel like I spent any, to be honest.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
He was moving before she even got to answer, and he was quick. Siasha was startled at how fast he could go while carrying another person. He was also pretty agile on top of it. He avoided dips and roots, using them to go faster.
Siasha quietly looked at Zig’s face. His speed wasn’t the only thing that surprised her. She had held Zig’s hand and linked arms with him in the past, but this time something felt different. She felt a certain heat coming from the hands on her back.
Warmth. Perhaps a clichéd way of putting it, but she could find no other word to describe the feeling. She looped her arms around his neck, yearning for more.
“Hrm…”
Siasha buried her face in Zig’s neck. The creases in his forehead deepened as her hair tickled his nose. She had a womanly scent, sweet and soft. Not like the perfume of a prostitute. Zig could feel his desire rising. He had been consciously ignoring this scent for a while now. He should really try to resolve it at some point.
Zig had a thought. She got in a foul mood the last time I went to a whorehouse… He didn’t know how she knew, but she was definitely cross the last time he went to deal with his urges.
“Be careful around women. They’re incredibly sensitive to that stuff,” a drunken veteran had once told him. He never really understood it, though. Why would he put off his own satisfaction in the name of her good mood? He thought it had been strange the way his feet hesitated when he wanted to go to the brothel.
Zig did his best to ignore the bundle of warmth in his arms and focused on his destination, trying to think of a way to solve his predicament.
***
The adventurers were getting ready to go home after exterminating the monkey dogs. They suffered unexpected casualties, although the mission itself had been successful.
“Eight dead, five injured, two of whom are beyond hope. And all of this from a monkey dog extermination…” Scecz frowned as she recounted the situation. The sweat on her forehead wasn’t just from the battle.
The adventurers were busy watching out for other monstrosities as they also cared for the wounded and collected three-faced ogre material.
Siasha, Zig, and the Wadatsumi had defeated six adult ogres along with the juvenile. The other adventurers got two. All parties were claiming rights over the kill, none of them letting up. The mood was getting sourer by the moment. They were desperately trying to recover from the sudden losses.
Cain returned and shook his head in exasperation at the situation. “We’ve got some clear winners today.”
“Yes.”
Adventurers would usually find some sort of balance when they fought in large groups. However, things were a little different this time round, which made splitting the spoils more difficult.
“Siasha massacred, no—exterminated three ogres. Zig got two. You and your guys got one… Not much cooperation between the parties.”
They could give two kills to the other adventurers since it looked like they were about to deal with them before they made it to the scene…
“But even that won’t be enough.”
There were four parties currently arguing. Selling all the materials from a three-faced ogre could get you around three hundred thousand dren. And that was before transportation and processing fees. That made thirty thousand dren across twelve people of four parties. Each party got three hundred thousand in rewards from the guild, adding up to a total of about ninety thousand dren. Take away medical, maintenance, and equipment fees, and that made for terrible losses.
“Hey, cut open its stomach first!” shouted one of the adventurers. “It ate one of our guys, and his equipment is ours!”
The belongings of dead comrades went to their families. Otherwise, it would get split between their party members. He was right. And yet…
“Ugh…”
Watching people shouting over the dead’s property made Scecz’s head hurt. It was only a matter of time before they started scavenging the gear of the parties that were completely wiped out.
“It’s a difficult situation for sure.”
Zig watched Cain and Scecz rub their foreheads as he drank water. He went over to assist Siasha in collecting materials, thinking about how adventurers fought over spoils like everyone else. The horns were of the highest value. Next were the eyes. Its bones and flesh could also be sold, but not many adventurers bothered to carve the monstrosities on the spot.
He got started on another three-faced ogre before deciding to ask Siasha if she needed help. He reached into the ogre’s eye socket and pulled out its eyeball, using a carving knife to carefully cut through all the sinew. It felt like the eye was glaring resentfully at him, but he paid it no mind and put it inside his pocket.
The horns were fused into the cranium, so Zig used the jagged end of his carving knife to saw though the bone. The blade looked menacing thanks to being made of ghost shark teeth, but its sharpness was top notch.
“Pretty convenient,” Zig said, impressed with the tool’s make.
He had bought the knife on Cain’s recommendation. It was a bit expensive, but it had all the reliability he needed. The sawteeth would wear with time, but its modular design allowed him to simply change them out. The knife was tough and built to last, perfect for how Zig treated his equipment. He wiped the blood off the knife once he was done and strapped it to his waist. A useful tool made all the difference.
He made a mental note to thank Cain later. Glancing at him, Zig saw that they were still clutching their heads in dismay.
“Hm…”
The air surrounding the adventurers was worsening—no party was willing to give up their spoils.
Zig didn’t think less of them for arguing about the dead’s equipment. Being unable to cover their losses and injuries would get in the way of their next job. It might cost them their lives. Everyone was just desperate to protect their own pack.
“Siasha!” Zig called out.
Having finished treating Heinz, Siasha turned to him, her hair swaying as she tilted her head quizzically. “What is it?”
He pointed to the three-faced ogre carcass behind him with his thumb and then pointed to the bickering adventurers with his other hand. Siasha looked at the carcass and then at the adventurers. She made a motion with her eyebrows, indicating that she understood. She put her finger to her chin in a thinking gesture and then nodded.
Having gained her permission, Zig went over to Cain and the others. He then addressed the arguing adventurers.
“Let’s leave it at that.” He didn’t raise his voice, but its depth was enough to grab their attention. The tension between them interrupted, the adventurers all directed their hostility toward Zig.
One of the men glared at him angrily. “Sorry, but stay out of this. I don’t mind you guys getting a haul out of this hunt, but this is a matter of life and death for us.”
Cain panicked and stepped in at the sight of him trying to intimidate Zig of all people. “Z-Zig! This isn’t the time. Everyone’s a little tense right now…”
Zig put his hand on his shoulder and nodded to tell him everything would be all right. He motioned to the carcass behind him with his chin and explained his proposition in the clearest way possible. “I got the go-ahead from my client. She doesn’t mind if you take the remaining carcasses.”
Their eyes lit up at the unexpected windfall. “R-really?!” However, the first man looked doubtfully at the carcasses.
“Only one’s really viable, it looks like.”
“Hrm?”
Zig turned around. Among the three Siasha had taken out, the only one in decent condition was the one in whose chest she had blasted a hole through. The remaining two were a mess of blood and gore. Neither would exactly fetch a decent price on the market.
Zig looked at the adventurers, his shoulders slumping. He paused for a moment before pointing to another carcass in the distance. “There’s another one I killed over there. Do what you want with that. I hope you don’t mind me taking the horns and eyes, though.”
The adventurers looked at the carcass to check its condition. One of them fearfully asked Zig, “Are you sure?”
“I’ll pay anything to get you to shut up. But… Let’s see.” After thinking for a moment, Zig pointed to Siasha. She was innocently eating some bread, oblivious to the ongoing conflict.
“Put a good word in for my client. Just a little. That’s all I need.”
“That’s awfully vague. What if we don’t say anything?”
“Well, I’m looking forward to what excuses you have for me,” Zig replied, not changing his expression.
The man tried to see through his poker face, but his comrade put his hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s a good deal. We’re getting a carcass for free.”
“You’re right,” the man said. “Sure, man. We’ll do it.”
He called over his comrades to start the carving process. Cain and the others put their hands on their chests in relief, the explosive atmosphere finally defused.
“It’s not really your problem. They’re not in your clan.”
“I know. But we still work in the same business, you know?”
“We had a lot of arguments like that before we joined Wadatsumi,” Scecz recalled intently. Newbies had it tough no matter what industry they were in.
“But are you sure about this?” Cain asked as he watched the bickering adventurers now working together to carve the ogre carcass. The horns and eyeballs were the most valuable, but materials from five ogres could still make a decent profit.
Zig shrugged and gave a nonchalant answer. “I’m not about to carve those things with just the two of us. I’m just making things easier for myself.” He patted the knife on his waist. “Consider it a thank you for the recommendation.”
“Right. Thanks.”
Cain bowed, recognizing that this was his way of showing his gratitude at being recommended a great tool.
Zig waved him off and returned to Siasha’s side.
Usually, whichever party had finished the carving process could leave. However, in instances where the group was worn out, the adventurers would wait for each other. It would take some time before they finished carving up all the meat and bones. Zig and Siasha were under no obligation to wait, of course, so they made themselves ready to head home.
Riza didn’t partake in the carving process either. She had Heinz on her back and just put whatever she could find on the dolly. With her frontliner down and herself out of arrows, she would have to rely on Zig and Siasha to fight for her.
“You’re not going to heal him anymore?” Zig wondered as he put his collected materials on the dolly. Heinz was still a long way from a full recovery, though his major wounds had been treated. Hospitalization was necessary.
Siasha answered him with a wry smile. “He’s going to die from emaciation if I heal him any further. Large wounds take a lot of energy to recover from. A broken bone is one thing, but hemorrhages tend to get worse over time. Bleeding is a loss of energy from the body, after all. Too much healing magic while you’re bleeding could become life threatening.”
“I see.”
Zig remembered his old physician as he listened to her explanation. He didn’t really pay attention back then because he was hungry.
He looked around as they spoke and noticed Riza not moving. The cause of it seemed to be the halberd Zig returned. Heavy and bulky, it was hard to carry with her diminished mana and her comrade on her back. Putting the weapon in with all of the monstrosity material might overload the dolly.
“Urgh.”
She decided to bring the weapon after realizing she could only take one.
An adventurer’s weapon could be very expensive based on the materials used. She still needed some money to pay for the medical bill.
Zig lightly tapped Siasha on the shoulder before going over to Riza.
He stepped in just as she was about to put down Heinz and picked up the halberd. He tapped the sword on his waist as Riza gave him a look of surprise.
“I don’t feel good without my primary weapon. I’ll be borrowing this until we get back to the guild.”
“Thanks.”
Riza bowed her head, understanding what Zig was trying to do.
“What?”
Siasha was looking at him in a particular way when Zig returned. He could feel a certain level of heat coming from her eyes.
“Oh, nothing. I just think that she’s taken.”
“You’re mistaken,” Zig corrected her as she began to look quite upset. “I’m not so thirsty to start hitting on women in a situation like this. I just thought it’d be good to get a competent adventurer to owe us a favor.” He was only transporting a weapon. Not really something that was even worth a favor.
Zig changed the subject. “I’m only saying this based on instinct… But it feels like there were a lot of surprises today.”
He hadn’t been working in the adventuring field for very long. Still, he started with the ghost shark and then went on to fight saber-clawed insectoids, spellweaver mantises, and now three-faced ogres. Spellweaver mantis aside, over half of the requests Siasha had taken had an unexpected and dangerous turn. With how often it was happening, he was beginning to wonder whether it was all coincidence.
Siasha folded her arms, thinking about what he said. “It has been quite odd lately…” she said. “And I’m sure the guild knows about it too if we can notice it.”
Zig’s eyebrows furrowed. “I feel like they can do a better job if they know what’s going on.” Either the guild was incredibly optimistic about the anomalies, or they knew that sacrifices would have to be made.
“There’s a lot of adventurers… Maybe they don’t mind a few casualties along the way?”
As they threw out theories as to what the guild was thinking, Riza caught up to them. “Allow me to explain.”
Backliners were known for lacking stamina, but she had no problem keeping up with a large grown man on her back. With how little mana she had left, this strength was probably a result of her training.
“The guild isn’t stupid. It has, in the past, increased the required level for certain areas and issued warnings to adventurers. I’m sure you’ve heard them before…”
Riza looked at Siasha with a slightly troubled face. “Yes, I suppose they tell me that every time I take a request.”
“Good grief…”
The girl lacked an overall sense of danger. She was probably used to hearing the same warning over and over again. Zig knew where she was coming from.
Riza gave them a wry smile and continued.
“The guild gives out warnings, but it’s up to adventurers to heed them. Some don’t learn their lesson until they get hurt, and sometimes things just go wrong and we come underprepared like today. Besides, not a lot of adventurers have enough money to be turned off by danger.”
The more you invested in your adventuring career, the more you ended up spending. It took a lot of money just to maintain your equipment.
“I know the guild sends survey parties too. That’s why a lot of the elite adventurers are usually out of town.”
“Elite adventurers…”
Zig thought about tracking Isana down for information. She wasn’t the talkative type, but steering a conversation with her wouldn’t be too difficult. As Zig plotted his next move, Siasha asked Riza for her opinion.
“You’ve been on this kind of request many times. What do you think?”
“These monstrosities are appearing outside of their usual habitat. There’s no set pattern and there are no changes in the ecology of their own habitat. They should have enough food.”
Riza put out some examples as she gave the matter more thought. However, settling on one answer was difficult. Perhaps the monstrosities were driven from their homes by stronger species, but for it to happen to so many monstrosities from different areas was hard to fathom.
“Sorry. I’m not sure myself.”
“I see.”
Siasha wasn’t disappointed. She knew that there were limits to what one person could know.
Fortunately, they didn’t run into any more strange happenings on their way home. The scent of blood in the dolly attracted some monstrosities, but Siasha took them down with her spells before Zig could even do anything. They made it back to the transportation stone and returned to the guild.
“We’ll pay you back for this,” Riza said as the stone stopped glowing.
She then carried Heinz off to the doctor. She alerted the guild staff and someone with medical knowledge tended to Heinz and took him to the infirmary. Riza followed after them. He would be sent to a proper physician once they got a diagnosis.
Zig and Siasha let them go on about their business and went to report to the receptionist.
Chapter 3: Claritist Doctrines
Chapter 3:
Claritist Doctrines
SIASHA’S EXPRESSION SOFTENED WHEN SIAN, THEIR usual receptionist, smiled at her.
“Good work today… Did something happen?” Sian asked.
Siasha had been on the same mission as Heinz. Sian looked concerned as she watched him being carried away.
“The monstrosities accompanying the monkey dogs ended up being more dangerous than we expected.”
“And what were they?” Sian asked.
“A pack, a family? Of three-faced ogres,” Siasha reported with little to no concern. “Eight of them in total.”
Sian scrunched her face. “Eight, you say…” She whispered something to a nearby attendant who then quickly went to the back office.
“You don’t have to go into the details, but how many were hurt?”
“Some dead… How many was it again?”
Siasha put her hand under her chin, but her impressive memory was doing her no favors here. Of course it didn’t. She thought nothing of human deaths considering how many people she had killed over the years. They were like rocks in the dirt to her.
“Eight dead, five injured,” Zig said.
“You have such a good memory, Zig.” Siasha gave him an innocent smile as she complimented him.
“Hmph.”
“Thank you.”
Sian took note of the numbers with her quill pen.
Zig killed just as many people as Siasha had but numbers were important to him. His body count determined the amount he would get paid. Keeping track was all in a day’s work. The inhuman pair smiled at each other as Sian’s expression worsened.
“Which reminds me…” Zig said. “Could you give this to that adventurer just now?”
“Heinz’s weapon. We’ll hold on to it for safekeeping.”
Zig handed the weapon to the receptionist, since he probably wouldn’t have time to return it to Riza. Sian gave the halberd to a male staffer. He took the heavy weapon to the back office easily despite its weight. His steps didn’t waver, indicating that he was used to handling this kind of equipment.
Even the guild staffers have some chops.
The guild probably needed people like him because of how violent adventurers could get. He followed Siasha and left the reception area. That was when a familiar voice called out to him.
“Hey, Zig.”
He turned to see a lizard’s face covered in green scales. “Urbas. It’s been a while.”
“Indeed. I don’t think it’s been that long since we last spoke, though.”
The verdant scalefolk curled his right hand into a ball and held it in front of Zig. He responded in kind with his left, rubbing it up and down. A special sort of handshake.
“I guess you’re right. There’s been so much going on that it just feels that way.”
“You’re killing it, as you always do.”
Urbas narrowed his eyes, his tongue flicking out of his mouth. Zig couldn’t quite understand his expression, but he thought he was smiling.
“Are you guys done for the day?”
“Yeah.”
“How about lunch? My treat for last time.”
“I don’t mind,” Zig said, turning to Siasha.
“Sounds good,” she said. “I hope you’ll take us somewhere tasty.”
“Of course.”
At her grin, Urbas pulled his tongue back in. He might’ve been slightly afraid of her—his nod was somewhat stiff. Perhaps it was because he remembered her splitting a crag drill dragon in half.
Zig smiled wryly as he quickly led them to the restaurant.
The place was a mid-range establishment which catered to adventurers. Alan and the others had visited it before. Although, even if it served adventurers, you had to be at least a fifth-class and above if you didn’t want the menu to break your bank.
“I don’t like formal restaurants even if I had the money to spend…” Zig said. “There’s a lot of people here.”
“I see,” Siasha said. “So, it’s like a cafeteria for high-ranking adventurers.”
“I appreciate places like this since there are some restaurants that turn away demi-humans like me.”
“You scalefolk have it tough.” Zig said.
Urbas responded with a shrug that said, “I’m used to it.”
A waiter came up to them. After being told the number of people who would be eating, he said, “Make yourselves at home.”
Urbas headed to the second floor, more than familiar with the restaurant’s layout. As they made their way up the stairs, Zig noticed several eyes on him. Hateful ones. He remained quiet as he casually scanned the area as they climbed the steps, being careful to move only his eyes and not his head. He traced the gazes back to some adventurers who were actually glaring at Urbas instead of Zig. Urbas himself had noticed, judging by the twitch of his tail. He remained silent.
Siasha…didn’t seem to notice at all. To her, a hateful gaze without killing intent was little more than a breeze. Especially when it wasn’t aimed toward her.
Urbas took a table in a quiet corner on the second floor. They made their orders and began to talk.
“So, what were you up to today?”
“Monkey dog extermination.”
“Monkey dogs… What did they bring?”
“Three-faced ogres. A whole pack of them.”
Urbas’s large eyes blinked, transparent membranes briefly covering them to get the dirt out. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. I thought they lived in different habitats…”
“We got some great materials out of them though.”
Cold habitat monstrosities sold for a lot more, compared to their warm climate counterparts, because they were just much harder to find. There were magic items to make hunting in hot climates more tolerable, but the same could not be said for cold climates. Covering your entire body in warming magic items was necessary for hunting in the cold, but it came at a cost of making you less agile. You also needed to prepare a lot of food to maintain your body heat, and the snowfall made movement and visibility much more difficult. Hunting monstrosities in frigid areas was simply too much work, which was precisely why their parts fetched such a high price.
“You’d be in for a bad time if you were only prepared for ordinary monkey dogs. Did anyone get hurt?”
“A lot of people died. Uhh… Ten, was it?”
Urbas nodded as Siasha searched her memory for the body count. The restaurant was beginning to fill up now, though there were still a lot less people compared to a regular eatery. As diners began to fill the seats, Zig noticed something odd about them.
So that’s what it is. His suspicions of what he saw on the ground floor were now confirmed, and he shifted his gaze back to Urbas.
Their food came and was laid out on the table before them, and they paused their conversation to eat.
“Mm, this is good! You really do have to pay for quality. But…there’s something else about the flavor.” Siasha tilted her head, not sure how to put her feelings into words.
Zig answered her as he put food in his mouth. “Now remember, Siasha. Food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it.”
“That’s a wise saying.”
“You’re not wrong, but it’s not exactly a good lesson to learn.”
They kept on eating while making light conversation. “You’re by yourself today,” Zig said, having finished his food.
Urbas had also already finished his meal, his eating speed a product of either being an adventurer or a scalefolk. The two of them were now relaxing and taking sips of tea.
“Yes. My friends are at a different restaurant. A demi-human friend of ours owns it.”
“Do the other races eat different things?”
“We’re not that much different in the things we eat, but we do prefer different flavors.” Scalefolk apparently loved bold flavors with a lot of spice. So much that humans really needed to have a taste for it to enjoy the meal.
“And I’m sure you’ve noticed by now.” Urbas stopped and pointed down.
“Huh.”
There was something unique about the second floor. Most of—if not all—the people on the second floor had a certain look to them. They were demi-humans. All the diners on the first floor, on the other hand, were humans.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Zig said. “What is Claritism?”
He felt several eyes dart to him immediately. He didn’t shout the question, but he wasn’t keeping his voice down either. The races with sharp hearing probably heard the word that came out of his mouth.
Claritism. Mentioning it had been enough to catch the attention of everyone around him. Everyone was silent, tension in the air. He purposely didn’t keep his voice down to see the reaction it would get from the people around him. However, he didn’t expect this. They weren’t looking at him with hostility or malice. Rather, with caution and curiosity. How would the scalefolk respond to what the human asked? That was the question in their eyes.
Urbas washed his throat down with more tea before speaking.
“She seems to know about it. Have you asked her?”
Meanwhile, Siasha was struggling with a crab claw without caring about the stares being tossed their way.
Zig quietly took the claw and cracked it between his thumb and index finger before returning it to her. “Siasha knows about it from a book. I want to know your perspective.”
“Why?”
Urbas’s tongue slithered in and out as if in wonder. “I’m a mercenary. Today’s clients are tomorrow’s enemies; I’ve worked for several kingdoms like that. I’m not stupid enough to believe everything my clients say without hearing the other side of the story.”
There was once a kingdom who was proud of their equality. A small farming village along the border burned down, destroying the village and all its food. A war broke out to protect their citizens. The farming village then produced a lot of illegal substances, one of which the attacking nation dealt a lot in. They continued their dealings despite repeated warnings, and the nation only took a stand once they were beginning to fall apart from within.
“There are many ways to warp the truth without outright lying,” Zig continued. “I don’t want to hear some official talk about it. I want your side of the story.”
Urbas’s reptilian pupils stared at Zig. There was no fire in his eyes. Human, demi-human, Zig was just an observer of all that happened. All he wanted was to hear Urbas’s opinion. He wasn’t interested in helping the demi-humans, nor in making enemies of the Claritists.
His eyes were cold and impartial. The same look he had when he had asked Urbas what he wanted to be called.
“If you insist.”
A burst of laughter exploded from the first floor. The alcohol had started flowing, drunken voices echoing up the stairs. Meanwhile, the second floor was comparatively silent. It wasn’t that they couldn’t talk, but their conversations were almost in whispers.
They were holding back talking so they could listen in on Urbas and Zig. The other diners who came in after were dragged into the same atmosphere. They raised their eyebrows when they listened to the hushed conversation of their peers and tuned in to what the human and scalefolk had to say.
The table of three had the attention of the whole floor. Well, Zig and Urbas did, anyway. Siasha just watched them as she continued eating her crab claw.
Urbas plopped his tail to the floor before saying, “Claritism… In a word, they are human supremacists. They call all of us demi-human. Fallen humans.” Creatures born out of a union of men who committed supposedly great sins in the past with non-humans. Though they possessed human intellect, they were believed to be evil to the core, possessing the great sinners’ blood in their veins. They were seen as dangerous and a bad omen.
Everything Urbas said lined up with what Zig had read about Claritism.
“But I suppose you didn’t need to know all this superficial stuff. Claritism is popular around these parts and has many followers. Most people don’t convert to it, but they can’t help but take their teachings in because of how long they’ve been around.”
On a continent where magic and monstrosities ran rampant, few things were truly attributed to the gods. Waters and mountains being split could very well be the work of a terrible monstrosity. Naturally, religion took on a different form where Zig was from. The religions of his continent focused on an almighty god who created all things. Here, faith was mainly based on abstract things such as laws and principles. The latter had much more flexibility and understandability, and people needed order to live in society.
“There are various degrees of their faithful,” Urbas said. “Extremists who think demi-humans are the source of original sin and must not be allowed to exist, all the way to the people who just don’t like us because they’re afraid of us.”
“How are you the source of original sin if a human was the first one to commit it?” Zig sighed, recognizing the great irony. He thought that sin was the responsibility of the one who committed it.
Urbas stuck his tongue out without a word. Zig couldn’t read what he was feeling.
“I cut you off there. Continue.”
“There are very few people who identify themselves as Claritists because of the reasons I’ve stated. But…”
Urbas paused and looked away. There are many who sympathize with their human supremacist views. “Take the shops for a more concrete example. Half of them hate the sight of us, and one in four turn us away. Word about these shops go around so we don’t patronize them anymore.”
Demi-humans were in a weird spot. If most of the shops turned them away, they would be better off moving out of town. But in Halian, they could live a comfortable life as long as they were careful.
Zig then remembered about the diners below.
“What about this place?”
“Like I said, they don’t really discriminate. The first and second floor split just kind of happened.” There was no hidden meaning behind what Urbas said, and it wasn’t as if a tacit understanding had ever been reached either.
“Adventurers don’t really look at your race since your skill is all that matters. Some do, can’t leave them out. But it’s bad for the business if we get into fights about race.”
“I see.”
It was a mature response to avoid creating friction because of personal differences.
“The adventurers who become Claritists are generally—”
“Naive fools or useless failures, correct?”
A calm voice entered the conversation. Siasha had finished battling the crab claw and was now licking her fingers. She looked satisfied, the food being to her liking.
“That’s right,” Urbas said. “You’re very perceptive.”
She took a napkin from Urbas, wiped her hands, and sipped her tea. “Most religions are like that. People want salvation, something to believe in. That’s why they make religions, isn’t it?”
Urbas smiled wryly at her biting commentary. “I’m not sure if those are the only reasons…”
“But people who know they are worthless need something to hold on to, and so they go on demonizing other races,” Siasha continued. “How very human—ergh!”
Before she could reveal that she wasn’t human, Zig jabbed Siasha in the side. Perhaps he was being overly cautious, but there was no telling what the Claritists knew. He couldn’t afford to let them find out Siasha was a witch.
“Hm?” Urbas asked.
Zig gave Urbas a look that told him it was nothing. “She’s had a bad run in with some religious people too.” Zig said, making something up on the spot. “She can get a little bitter.” Siasha was rubbing her side as he continued. “Religion isn’t all bad. If anything, it’s quite beneficial to most people.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “Really? How so?”
Zig indulged her and spoke about the benefits of religion.
“Let’s say there was an animal which was poisonous or had parasites in it. Poor and ignorant people would eat them out of desperation, even if it did cost them their lives. Now let’s say that this particular animal was a messenger of the gods and therefore forbidden to eat. They would view it as a danger to approach, let alone eat.”
“I’m not sure if that’s ever happened… But it sounds plausible.”
It all sounded too convenient for Siasha, though she conceded the point. Zig carried on, noticing that she wasn’t completely convinced yet.
“Another obvious benefit is when it comes to war. People are born with a great aversion to killing their own kind. You would need to have powerful reasons to overcome that aversion. Religion is one of them; we say it was a ‘just war’ or a ‘righteous killing.’ Brainwash somebody enough and you get a soldier who won’t feel mercy or guilt. If you get lucky, you might even get someone who’ll sacrifice himself for the cause. I know I don’t like fighting suicidal maniacs on the battlefield. Even if they aren’t very skilled, they keep fighting if you chop their legs off. You know, I remember this one guy who literally crawled toward me even after I…”
Siasha tapped him on the shoulder just as he was really getting into it. For once, she actually cared how other people were looking at them. “Zig. Zig! Everyone’s getting creeped out.”
“Huh?” He looked around the area.
Their table now felt isolated despite the evenly spaced layout. The other races who had been so captivated by their conversation now refused to even look at them. Even Urbas seemed somewhat taken aback, pulling away in his seat with his tongue tucked in his mouth. Zig quietly crossed his arms and looked away.
“I heard that from one of the boys.”
“Right.” Urbas didn’t press him further. Whatever the factual details were of Zig’s story, he was content to take his word for it. However, that did remind him of the dangers of religion.
“Getting back to the subject,” Zig said. “This Claritism is pretty widespread at a superficial level.” His eyes were looking in various directions because of his failure to read the room.
“I’m surprised some adventurers fall for it,” Siasha said. “I thought they were all about accomplishments.”
“You have to accomplish something first to get accomplishments,” he replied.
“That is true.”
Siasha was reminded of some of the adventurers she had encountered in the past. They got along as well as soil and fertilizer but as Zig said, they were really stuck on their pride of being human.
“The weak ones aren’t the only ones who go Claritist,” Urbas said.
“Figures.”
They remembered the gazes they got when they entered the shop. That was proof enough that some high-ranking adventurers loathed the other races.
Urbas paused before deciding to ask Zig and Siasha a question. He wasn’t sure if he should ask, but he had to go with his instinct.
“So, what do you two think after hearing all this?”
Their answer was straightforward. “I am a man without a homeland. I’ll respect the traditions of the land but don’t expect me to buy into them.”
“They can do whatever they want, I guess.”
“I see.” Urbas gave them an obvious smile as they gave him the answer he was expecting. He had been right. He didn’t want their sympathy, empathy, or pity. All he wanted was to be treated as an equal…as corny as that might sound.
Lunch ended and just in time too, since they had been talking for a while. It was a good time to call it, and Zig got up. Siasha followed suit.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“It was great.”
“Yeah, see you around,” Urbas said.
Saying their goodbyes, the two turned from Urbas and headed down the stairs.
***
A few days passed after lunch with Urbas. Zig got word from Ernesta Armory that his weapon was finally ready.
“Kept you waiting, huh? Here you go. Made to order.”
The thing on the table didn’t look like a weapon made for humans. It had dark red blades the color of blood and a streamlined shape. Though it looked like it was shorter compared to the double-horned beetle model, this wasn’t the case. The width of the grip was the same diameter with slightly longer blades.
Zig took the ominous weapon in his hands. He examined the blades while holding the weapon with one hand, which normally would give someone trouble trying to lift it with both hands. The dark red color had an indescribable charm to it.
“The blade’s made from the horns of a bloodcrystal-clad dragon.”
“Dragon?” Zig gave Gantt a cautious look.
“Don’t worry, this one’s a real dragon.”
Zig breathed a sigh of relief. He was still feeling the embarrassment of mistaking a shrimp for a dragon.
He wanted to test out its balance right away, but Gantt was stroking his beard as if he had something to say. The blacksmith’s eyes were shining like a little kid, so Zig waited for him to speak.
“The bloodcrystal clad dragon is a third-class dragon believed to be a descendant of the crystalline lizard.”
The crystalline lizard was a monstrosity Zig had fought with Siasha before. It was an interesting creature that manipulated crystals to strengthen its body.
“I remember those crystals being mana activated. Wouldn’t it be a bad fit for this weapon?” Zig was interested in regenerating weapons, but heavy ones took a lot more mana than the average saber or short sword.
“The thing’s a dragon, after all,” Gantt said as Zig inspected the handle. “They’re more than slightly stronger lizards. The bloodcrystals on these dragons develop over many years, the sturdiest among which are its horns. They work great as weapon material.
“The crystals aren’t just attached to the head; they’re actually part of the creature’s skull and are just as tough. The handle is made of an alloy which contains filings from the dragon’s skull.”
“So no problems with durability.” Zig didn’t quite catch everything that Gantt said, but he got all the important bits.
However, Gantt leaned close to Zig’s face, not satisfied with his understanding. “I can’t believe you! How could you downplay my accomplishments like that!”
“Fine, sorry. You can keep going, just back off.”
Gantt got dangerously close to the sharp end of the weapon he just made.
“Calm down, Gantt.”
Sciezka yanked his hair to pull him away, but Gantt wasn’t fazed and kept explaining the weapon’s features. “Now, listen up. The blade is incredibly durable because of all the years of mana that’s been put into the material. That’s why it has the ability to scatter unstable mana.”
“Unstable mana?”
“Meaning it can cut through a few spells or two.”
Zig was unable to hide his surprise. “Are you serious? Then it’s like indigo adamantine?”
Gantt shook his head. “It’s not that strong. Like I said, it scatters mana. Indigo adamantine dissipates mana. Besides, an indigo adamantine weapon that size would cost you ten times more.”
Scatter. Not dissipate. Like blowing on a fire instead of throwing water on it. It would be able to erase smaller spells, but the more mana put into a spell, the weaker the effect would become.
“You’ll be able to deflect some high intensity spells as long as they’re small. Don’t go around trying to bat a huge fireball, though.”
“Got it. Four million like we agreed? It sounds like I’m getting a pretty good deal from what I’ve heard so far.” Zig was told that there could be slight fluctuations in price based on the manufacturing cost.
Sciezka smiled and nodded.
“It will be four million. It’s the least we can do for your continued patronage. We look forward to doing more business with you in the future.”
“Thanks.”
Sciezka kept her smile as she waited to close the deal.
Gantt elbowed Zig from behind. “She’s saying you’re a cash cow.”
“I know that, dumbass. But I’m sure there are customers who buy more expensive stuff than I do.” Zig turned to Gantt before he could go any further. Gantt smiled when he saw the confusion on the big man’s face.
“Adventurer equipment is made of sturdy stuff. They don’t break often.”
“Yes, obviously.”
“So, you’re a very important customer considering how often you break your gear.”
“Oh.” Zig nodded, slightly conflicted.
Adventurers didn’t buy new equipment often because of their robustness. The more expensive the equipment is, the less likely it is to break. The less they break, the less they buy. Zig regularly bought expensive equipment, broke them, and still managed to survive after. He was a golden goose of a customer.
“Personally, I’d rather you not break the weapon I went through so much to make, but life does become easier if you get a new one… What do you think I should do?”
As Gantt debated between pride and money, Zig turned around to leave. That was none of his business.
The weight of the twinblade was apparent as Zig slung it over his shoulder. He was a natural soldier, comforted by the weight of heavy equipment. Twinblades didn’t come with a sheath. They were originally made to be used on horseback, cutting down enemies left and right. At most, the blades were wrapped with cloth which stayed on and came apart when the weapon was used.
Zig put his right hand on the handle underneath his cloak, sensing someone tailing him.
“Already?”
He stopped by a store with strange knickknacks and pretended to be an interested customer, examining what was for sale. He picked up a random glassware and inspected it, exposing his back in the process. After confirming who it was, he entered a shop a little further down the road. It was an expensive café, one that he wouldn’t usually go to but had visited for the sake of work.
He ordered a coffee like last time and waited. His stalker approached him, no longer concealing her presence.
“No wonder you came here again. How did you know?”
The sharp-eyed woman wasted no time and sat across from him. Katia was wearing some rough clothing and looking slightly annoyed. Maybe it was because he managed to sniff her out.
In any case, she ordered a cake set.
“Nothing special. You just get used to being watched if you fight for a living, that’s all.”
Zig ordered himself a lunch set for the lesson he had just given. Katia glared at him but didn’t stop him. Rather, Katia was interested in the twinblade at his side.
“You got a new weapon.”
“Yeah, I thought I could give it a test run when I knew I was being followed,” Zig said as he caressed the blade. “Oh well.”
Katia put up her hands. “Give me a break and stop being a creep.”
“Then you should consider your targets more carefully. Shit like that would get you killed in some places.”
“What? I did,” Katia said smugly. She knew that Zig wasn’t the type to kill random strangers. On the flip side, he would absolutely kill someone for a quick buck. With her ties to the mafia, she knew plenty of people like him.
Zig didn’t point out her naivety and carried on with the conversation. “Hmph… So, what do you want?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering what you were up to these days. Get a feel for your routine, you know?”
“As you know, I’m not at liberty to talk about my client.”
“I’m not asking for that kind of detail. I just wanna know more about you. Would make future negotiations a lot easier, don’t you think?”
It was an odd way of putting it. She didn’t look like she was just here for casual conversation. She wasn’t lying and did seem genuinely interested in him. Getting dirt on everyone they were dealing with wasn’t limited to the mafia, of course. They knew everything about the city, so they should know about his client…about Siasha. However, they shouldn’t be able to find out anything about their past. They had only arrived at the continent recently. The mob must have found it odd that they could find no information on them, which was why Katia took the direct route.
“All right. However…”
“I’m paying. I know, I know. I can tell you’re broke from that giant weapon of yours.”
He didn’t know what lengths the mafia would go to if they kept on getting nothing about them. Might as well tell them some superficial stuff to make them happy.
***
A day passed. Zig and Siasha were at the guild to pick up a new request after taking a short break from the three-faced ogre encounter.
Like Katia pointed out the other day, he was strapped for cash. His savings plus the two million he got from pawning off Elsia’s weapon had been drastically dented.
He wasn’t completely broke, but he definitely couldn’t afford to break another piece of gear.
“Let’s get to work, Siasha.”
“Ooh, I haven’t seen you this motivated in a while.”
The two headed to work to defeat their greatest enemy: poverty.
As her usual routine, Siasha went to look for a request while Zig took a seat at his usual round table. Something was different today. He looked around silently, trying to find the source of the unrest. He was used to people staring at Siasha. She was a beautiful and competent adventurer, after all. However, this time, people were looking at Zig. Not completely out of the ordinary; he was big, got in trouble with a lot of adventurers, and probably had a lot of people talking behind his back. Though, these were all speculation on his part. The stares he was getting today were a lot more persistent.
He shifted his feet to be on his toes while still sitting down, ready to go at the drop of a hat. He scanned the area until he spotted some adventurers looking in his direction. Surprisingly, they caught his gaze, as well. Zig stayed silent. They were skilled adventurers; he could tell by the way they carried themselves. They were probably around Alan and Urbas’s level.
He felt for the twinblade on his back. While they weren’t hostile, they were strong enough to make him think about his weapon.
One of them scowled, holding his intense stare.
The guild doors opened behind him. Someone had come in. What they did made the people around them scream.
Zig turned to look at the entrance. Just then, he noticed a crossbow aimed at his head. Zig crouched down, knocking his chair and table over. The bolt flew past the side of his head and embedded itself in the wall behind him. Zig kicked the fallen table up and took cover behind it. A flurry of crossbow bolts fired into the wood, making it look like a dartboard.
So much bloodlust and Zig hadn’t even had a chance to breathe following the initial attack.
One of the attackers was pointing his crossbow at the table where Zig was hiding. He was in no position to dodge, and he didn’t have his gauntlets with him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the man pulled the crossbow’s trigger.
The bolt came flying for Zig’s head. He couldn’t dodge since he was on his knees. That left two options: defend or attack. Zig chose the latter.
“Hng!”
As the attacker fired the bolt, Zig took a knife from his waist and threw it wildly. He took the bolt with his left arm. He groaned, lacking the magical enhancements to protect himself, but at least the projectile had gone through his arm instead of his head. Still, the mechanically propelled bolt was lodged deep into his left arm despite how short it was. Blood flowed out of the wound from bolt’s penetrative force. Zig winced as the presence of the foreign object and delayed pain finally caught up to him.
“Gah!”
While Zig remained silent, the man on the other side of the room screamed in pain. The knife that Zig threw had cut through the crossbow strings and plunged itself deep into the man’s left shoulder. Zig was off the mark; he had actually been going for his neck. Nevertheless, disarming the projectile weapon was a huge advantage. The man reflexively tried to pull it out, but he screamed louder as the jagged teeth of the knife dug deeper into his wound.
Zig was finally able to get a breather.
Young guild staffers and adventurers started screaming once they saw what was going on. The adventurers scattered, noticing that the invaders were only going for the man behind the round table. The slower ones put up barriers to prevent themselves from getting caught in the crossfire. The older staff pulled the younger employees under the reception desk, showing how excellent they were at dealing with the situation.
Siasha was trapped where she was as adventurers flocked to reception for protection.
“Enemy of mankind! Sinner sympathizer!”
The man was shouting something, but Zig paid him no heed. He made sure Siasha was all right before peeking out the table to look at his enemy. Another bolt came right at him after he peered out.
There were six that he could see, plus the one he had incapacitated with his knife. They were all equipped with crossbows and swords at their waists. They were about fifteen meters away. Zig could close that distance in a flash, but he still wasn’t faster than a crossbow bolt. Other adventurers would use some kind of protection spell to bridge the gap, but Zig couldn’t even use basic magic. Six was too many to take on all at once indoors.
This is bad.
Numbers and projectiles were Zig’s primary weaknesses, and this party brought both.
The other adventurers watched from the sidelines, not wanting to get involved. His enemies didn’t approach him to maintain their distance, but he could tell that they were about to flank him. Charging forward with the table would be bad for him if they had more firing angles.
“In that case…”
Zig rolled out of his table shield.
The crossbows locked on to him immediately, but the crossbowmen weren’t skilled enough to catch him. He evaded three shots and grabbed a different table to block the remaining three. Three of the crossbowmen were already reloading their weapons. He wouldn’t have time to approach them.
But that’s all I need.
Zig grabbed the edge of the table and braced himself. It was made with wood and was infused with mana during its lifetime as a tree. It creaked under the pressure of his five fingers. He lifted the table—which would have taken six men to transport—and threw it at his attackers.
“Hunh!”
The table flew toward the men, spinning to cut through the air.
“Waaaah!”
The giant wooden frisbee crashed into the reloading crossbowmen, flinging three of them at the wall. Several onlookers were also hurt in the process, but they weren’t dead, so all was well.
“Accursed heretic!”
His attackers were quick to recover despite the blow they had just suffered. Three of them angrily fired their crossbows at Zig. However, they were no match for him with only half of their forces remaining.
Dodge, block, deflect.
Zig drew his twinblade while dodging the first bolt and blocked the remaining two with his weapon. He rushed toward them, the wooden floor groaning beneath him. The attackers fumbled to switch to their melee weapons, but it was too late. Zig’s upper blade plunged into the chest of a man reaching for his sword.
He moved on to his next opponent, not bothering with the victim struggling on his weapon. He used his lower blade to decapitate another since there was someone occupying his upper blade. The bloodcrystal-clad dragon twinblade was incredibly sharp, cutting clean through his opponents instead of tearing through them. A smile formed on Zig’s lips as he admired the clean stump the blade left behind.
The last man came at him screaming. “Monster!”
Zig held the headless body by the chest and tossed it at him. The impact stopped his charge, and a dark red blade finally pierced through him, along with the headless corpse.
“Gah!”
The twinblade had three bodies hanging off it now. The blood flowing from them made the dark red blades an even deeper crimson. The final man was still breathing, having been stabbed in the stomach.
“S-subhuman filth… Wearing the skin of a human!” The man cursed Zig with his dying breath. “Retribution…will come!”
Sadly, he was too far on the skewer that was Zig’s weapon for him to be intelligible. He only heard stifled groans from the bit of protein on his shish kebab.
Zig planted his foot on the first corpse to peel it from his twinblade to the floor. He stacked the bodies before they fell like dominoes.
Zig shrugged in exasperation. “To attack someone in broad daylight. In the guild, at that. These guys must really hate me.”
Siasha cut through the sea of people and rushed to him.
“Zig! Are you all right?”
“No major injuries. I’ll need you to heal me, though.”
“Of course. What is this?”
The bolt had jagged teeth, making the wound worse when pulled out. Zig tapped the bolt on his left arm to push it through, pulling it out after plucking off the fletching. As soon as it was removed, Siasha cast a healing spell on him before the bleeding could get worse. Zig could finally breathe once the pain subsided, a warm sensation replacing it.
“Never seen them before. Though I can guess where they came from.”
His attackers screamed words like “heretic” and “sinner,” so it was obvious who they were. That’s why the other adventurers chose to sit back and watch.
A guild employee approached them once Zig was healed. He was a middle-aged man with glasses and slicked back hair. Zig was unconscious at the time, so he didn’t recognize him, but this was the man who took care of him when he was hurt after the spellweaver mantis fight.
“My name is Kirk Wright, vice president of the Halian Guild. I know you’re hurt, but can we talk?”
“Zig Crane. Mercenary.”
The man observed Zig with a meticulous eye. “A mercenary, you say?”
Kirk wasn’t shaken by Zig’s occupation despite looking like he belonged behind a desk. He wasn’t a fighter but was unfazed by the massacre around him. He was definitely worthy of being vice president.
Kirk picked up a head from the floor and turned to Zig. He looked into its eyes as blood dripped from its neck.
“How do you know him?”
“I don’t.”
“Any idea why they attacked you?”
“No.”
That was a lie. He definitely had a hunch.
However, he didn’t want to deal with all the hassle that came with saying it out loud. Besides, he wasn’t directly related to them, so he thought he was pretty convincing with that lie.
Kirk put the head on top of the dead body and quietly adjusted his glasses.
“I see… Let’s talk upstairs. We can have a little more privacy there.”
“Sounds like a good idea, but it’s not my decision to make.”
Kirk seemed to have seen through his lie. Zig wasn’t too surprised, considering Kirk’s position. He shrugged and tossed a glance over to Siasha. He inspected his healed arm and wiped the blood off of his weapon with one of the dead men’s clothes.
Their conversation over, Kirk watched as Zig immediately began to take care of his weapon. Knowing that he had nothing more to say, he turned to Siasha.
“Siasha, was it? I’ve heard about you. You’ve got real potential as an adventurer. Do you mind if I talk to the two of you for a while?”
She looked up, as if thinking about it, and then smiled. Her smile was beautiful, but it didn’t reach her azure eyes. “And why would you take up the time of such a promising newcomer?”
Kirk’s voice became heavier. “It’s not much, but I’ll make sure you’re compensated for it. Well?”
Siasha nodded, satisfied with the situation. She had gotten stronger. Zig felt a surge of pride as he wrapped his blades with some cloth.
The attackers’ bodies were stacked and carried off, their blood mopped off the floor. The guild hall looked like the whole attack didn’t even happen by the time they were done cleaning. Some of the adventurers who got caught in the crossfire were also assigned to help. Kirk ordered the disposal of the dead bodies and the arrest of the survivors before heading to the second floor.
“Right this way.”
The two followed Kirk.
The adventurers bruised by the flying table tossed a hateful glare in Kirk’s direction, but a single glance from him made them get back to their duties.
Maybe I’ll apologize to him later.
Zig spoke to Kirk as he looked at the situation around him. “What will you do with the survivors?”
“We’ll hand them over to the military police,” Kirk said matter-of-factly without showing a hint of concern. “I’ll try to get someone to see who sent them, but I doubt we’ll find anything.”
They climbed the stairs and entered his office, a room designed to host meetings. Kirk went over to a tube on the wall and activated it. Mana flowed through the mechanism. The smell of rust filled the air, along with the sensation of stuffiness.
“It’s a magic item for soundproofing. No one should be able to hear us now. Magic wouldn’t work, and races with enhanced hearing wouldn’t be able to overhear.”
“Uh-huh…”
The scent had a very defensive aroma to it. Siasha’s eyes lit up at the sight of a rare magic item, but there was a lot they had to discuss.
Kirk sat and rested his chin on top of his hands before motioning for them to sit down. “Now, where to begin… Some clarification would be nice from you two. From Zig, in particular. Are you at all related to the Claritists?”
“No.”
Kirk was prepared with his follow-up question as soon as Zig answered. “But you have a feeling as to why they attacked you today… Am I right?”
His glasses glinted ominously as if they could see through lies.
“I have a guess.”
“Oh? You weren’t so willing to say that before. Why the change of heart?”
Kirk’s eyes narrowed, as if scrutinizing Zig’s earlier claim.
Zig returned his gaze and answered dispassionately: “Because you said you’d pay us, and I want the best for my client. This is now work. I have no intention of making false claims when it comes to work.”
“I see.” Kirk racked his mind to see if Zig was lying but decided that he still had more questions to ask.
“It seems that the guild suspects the Claritists of being involved in this incident also.”
“Of course,” Kirk answered Siasha. “They’re the only ones stupid enough to do that kind of thing without pay.” His straightforward answer was accompanied with plain distaste. It told them everything they needed to know about how he felt about the Claritists. “This isn’t the first time this has happened. Some low-level adventurers caused some trouble last time and it was very similar to what happened today.”
Zig and Siasha silently traded looks, recalling the incident. Aoi had mentioned that she would report it to her superiors; it was plain that Kirk was involved. The two remained quiet, communicating only with their eyes. They agreed that Kirk didn’t need to know about this. Fortunately, Kirk didn’t notice their silent exchange.
“So, what was your hunch?”
“Those adventurers probably had a bone to pick with Urbas.”
Perhaps their lunch the other day got on Claritists’ nerves.
Kirk shook his head at Zig’s theory.
“They don’t?” Zig asked.
“They do, but they have rules of engagement when it comes to that kind of thing. A simple meal wouldn’t warrant an offensive response.”
Kirk then told them more about the Claritists that Urbas had left out.
“It all depends on the location, but public sympathy is difficult to win through violence. Demi-humans already work at a lower rate compared to humans, making it difficult for anyone to turn them down. But Claritist doctrine talks about making demi-humans pay for their past sins. Very convenient. I’m sure you can see where this is going.”
“Pay for their great sins.”
That was a clever way of putting it.
They were against non-humans but not against using them, planting a subliminal temptation in their followers. It was a different philosophy from Zig’s continent, which focused on destroying enemy kingdoms with extreme prejudice. However, this just made Zig even more confused as to why he was attacked.
“Are you sure there’s nothing else?” Kirk asked.
“I’m not sure what to look for…”
“Well… Did you do or say something to empower the other races?”
“I haven’t been acquainted with the scalefolk for very long. I don’t know much about them…”
“That’s it,” Kirk pointed out, stopping Zig short.
Zig tilted his head quizzically, giving it some thought. His eyebrows furrowed as he searched for an answer.
“I see. You really did come out of the sticks, huh? I guess you’re not totally at fault.”
Siasha and Zig were at a complete loss, while Kirk had already arrived at a conclusion.
“What are you talking about?” Zig asked.
“Just to make sure, scalefolk is their actual name, right?”
“Yes…” Zig replied, feeling that something was off. Why would the vice president of the guild with tons of experience feel so satisfied hearing the name of a race?
“First off, the other races are obviously not ‘demi-humans.’ They don’t call themselves that; that is a name we humans gave them. In fact, I almost forgot myself.”
The term “demi-human” had been around for a long time. Zig only noticed because he lived on a different continent. It was home to different people of different skin colors and languages, each called by the kingdom they belonged to. With the diversity he was used to, he wanted to know the proper name for Urbas’s people.
“I’m sure it started off as people not wanting to learn the names of the other races. But that word became a slur as more and more humans populated this continent. Children who grow up hearing that word begin to think that demi-humans are less than human. And so, the bias spreads…”
Claritism. An insidious evil carving prejudice into the minds of men.
Siasha couldn’t stifle her giggles. “Heh. Ha ha ha… They’ve got quite a way with names.”
The circumstances of their birth and the irony of their name was so funny that she felt that destiny had a hand in it. Her black hair swayed as her azure eyes narrowed with laughter.
Her beautiful yet cruel expression scared Kirk. A bloodied corpse failed to make him flinch earlier, but now beads of sweat were forming on his brow. There was a striking discrepancy between the face of the young woman before him and the expression she wore.
“Meaning…”
Zig’s voice brought Kirk out of the trance induced by Siasha’s azure eyes.
“They didn’t like the fact that I called Urbas ‘scalefolk’… Is that it?”
Zig couldn’t believe it even as the words left his mouth. He didn’t expect someone would try to kill him just over a race name. He understood if they wanted to fight him because of it, but Kirk’s demeanor suggested something different. Zig only fought for money and profit. This way of thinking was something he could not understand.
“You’re not the only one they’re after. They want to erase the very word itself.”
“The word…?” Zig echoed.
Kirk got up and took a tea set off the shelf. He warmed the pots and cups, weighed out the tea leaves, and used a magic item to brew it. He brought the tray over and sat down, continuing as he waited for the tea to steep.
“They want to erase their race because they refuse to recognize them as a race, to recognize them as equals. And that applies to all the others. They do this by categorizing all of them as demi-human—humans whose souls have been tainted in sin. Not like humans whose souls have stayed pure, clear. That is why they refuse to recognize ‘scalefolk’ as a word.”
With those words, Kirk swirled the contents of the teapot twice before pouring the tea into cups. The three-minute brew produced a full-bodied serving of brownish-red liquid, filling the room with an exquisite aroma. “This has no need for a name,” Kirk pointed out as the last drop of tea fell to the cup. “As long as it can hold tea, it doesn’t matter what color or shape it is. The height of barbarism.”
He was treated to two opposite ways of enjoying tea. Siasha took her time to inhale its fragrance while Zig immediately gulped it down. Zig’s eyes widened as the tea went down his mouth and decided to take slower sips.
“So, we figured out why I was attacked. What will the guild do about it?”
“They’re crazy fanatics, but they’re not dumb. I know we won’t get anything out of the remaining survivors.”
“Figures.”
The organization they were dealing with was used to not leaving trails.
“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to do anything since you were the one that got attacked. The best we can do is charge them for the cleanup cost.”
“That’s a weak position to take. The guild was attacked in broad daylight.”
“It would be a different story if one of our own was attacked. But you’re not one of us.”
Kirk was right, Zig wasn’t with the guild. He was just someone who went with Siasha every time she went out for a job.
“But you’re not a regular civilian either. I’m sure you’ve done some things to get on their nerves.”
This was also true. Today’s attack might have been a coincidence, but Zig could get attacked again while on a job.
“The guild will do nothing as long as we are not harmed. Not that we intend to let this happen in our halls again.”
“I see.”
Zig said nothing more, ending the conversation.
“Are you all right with this, Zig?” Siasha asked.
“Kirk’s right. This is my own problem.”
“Hrmph…” Siasha didn’t look too happy at that but said nothing else. They rose from their seats.
However, Kirk wasn’t done. “Hold on.”
The two turned to look at him. As they focused their gaze on Kirk, he took a deep breath and made his statement.
“Zig Crane, you are hereby banned from entering the Adventurers’ Guild.”
And so, it was official.
Zig and Siasha reacted in completely opposite ways. Zig’s shoulders slumped, having foreseen the conclusion. But Siasha…
“What?!” Her mana surged, her emotions barely contained. It caused Zig’s hairs to stand on end, making him feel like he was standing next to a ballista that just went off. With a shrill sound, the soundproofing magic item on the wall exploded. Several items flew around the room, breaking on contact with the wall or floor. The magic item used to boil the tea water shattered, leaving nothing but scratches on the table. The explosions were caused by the sudden rush of excessive mana, breaking the seals of the magic items instantly.
Zig was the only one surprised by the breakage. Siasha was unfazed. Kirk, on the other hand, was in no position to bemoan his broken goods—he was too busy feeling the pressure of all of her anger and indignation.
“Why?!”
Siasha’s excessive mana caused her black hair to float. Though she only used that one word, her question was simple enough to understand.
“The kind of trouble he brings would hurt the guild,” Kirk answered, feeling like his lungs were being crushed. “We can’t risk him entering the guild hall as long as the Claritists have their eyes on him. I told you we wouldn’t let it happen again.”
The woman’s azure eyes looked at Kirk like he was an insect. The more he looked into them, the more they induced an unspeakable fear within him. He had negotiated with great figures in the past, but this otherworldly power was nothing like what he was used to.
“He is my protection.”
“We can get you competent adventurers. You can have your pick.”
You don’t need them! Kirk wanted to yell.
He offered Siasha a concession, his fear suppressing his urge to argue. However, that wasn’t enough to placate her. She crossed her legs and raised her eyebrows, her gaze sharp.
And you expect your weaklings to protect me? Is this some kind of joke? It was a bad one, if it was. The post was already filled.She felt like throwing up just imagining anyone else standing beside her. She bit her lip, suppressing the image in her mind.
She wanted to ram Kirk with all her mana but stopped as she looked into his eyes. The noncombatant had enough resolve to not crack under the pressure. She felt like she owed him some respect.
“It has to be him.”
“He can’t be allowed in.”
“Even if I quit being an adventurer?”
“It would be a loss, but less of a loss than an all-out war with the Claritists.”
“This is going nowhere. Are you actively trying to provoke me?” Siasha’s fury rose with each question she asked.
Zig got up as her voice began to crack. He threw Kirk a lifeline as the man began to sweat profusely. “Siasha, wait.”
“I will not. Quiet.”
His attempt was immediately met with refusal. Despite being naturally docile, she became incredibly obstinate once her temper was lost. Her frenzied mana snapped the handle of a teacup with a dry crack.
It’s a good thing my gloves are in for maintenance.
He didn’t want to think about what would happen if his gauntlets exploded while he was wearing them.
“Calm down. You can rip him to shreds all you want, but this man can’t change the outcome.”
She grew silent and looked away from Kirk as Zig tried to talk her out of it. He could finally breathe again once the massive pressure that seemed to bear down on him weakened.
Her quiet, steady gaze was now directed at Zig. Along with all her unbridled, immature fury. Unlike Kirk, who had the luxury of being a table away from Siasha, Zig was right next to her and took the full brunt of her rage. Despite her extended age, she had only recently begun to interact with other people. She couldn’t help but focus her fury even on someone she held dear. She was irritated by the idea that someone else would be assigned to her. Could anyone blame her?
If it weren’t for his ego, he could have used her trust to force her into calming down.
However, as he took in her gaze, Zig narrowed his eyes. It didn’t feel right to him to force her to just grin and bear with her emotions. The ability to go through upsetting circumstances was important in life. Except…she would snap if she had to do that every time. When her fury erupted, who knew what Siasha, the witch, would do? She, who had a completely different set of values than humans… He didn’t want to think about it.
I should allow her to vent some of her frustrations. Zig looked right into her piercing azure eyes. He knew what to do now: what was necessary.
“You could take it out on Kirk…but are you sure that’s good enough?”
“What do you mean?” Siasha asked, maintaining her gaze. Her rage and mana were still running amok, but Zig managed to get her to listen, if nothing else.
“There’s no need for the vice president to issue a ban on outsiders. He could’ve just told one of his people to do it. I don’t think he brought you here just to anger you.”
Zig looked over to Kirk. He adjusted his glasses, his head tilted with a smug look now that he had regained the ability to breathe.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say…” Kirk said, feigning ignorance. “I’m only saying that Zig is banned as long as he is targeted by the Claritists. But if the matter were to be dealt with… Then the problem would cease to exist.”
Despite Kirk making it as obvious as possible short of spelling it out, Siasha still didn’t get it. “And how do you propose we deal with the situation?”
“That is not my problem. I am but an outsider, after all… But I will say that violence is never the answer. One should always seek to understand the other party.”
Zig nodded in agreement to Kirk’s matter-of-fact solution.
“Yes, that could work. Do you have more advice on how the situation could be handled?”
“I will always put the guild first, but…”
Kirk reached for the teacup. Failing to grasp the handle, he took the cup by the rim. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. “If I could see those brain-dead fanatics get their fucking comeuppance… Ooh, that’d be sweet.” The calm and collected eyes were gone, replaced by a look that was wild and animalistic.
Zig smirked at how Kirk’s politeness disappeared.
“Aren’t you getting a little too personal here?”
“Listen up, kid. Your personal feelings only matter if they hurt the bottom line. You’re free to do whatever you want with them otherwise.”
If Zig succeeded, the guild—and Kirk himself—would get to punch the Claritists in the nose. If he failed, the guild wouldn’t be blamed for whatever mess Zig left in the process. Win-win for the organization.
The guild was unable to officially retaliate because they lacked evidence. An offensive in a similar manner would allow the guild to make the same claim.
Now Kirk had been presented with the perfect weapons.
Zig inwardly gave the man props.
Kirk’s flow had been interrupted by Siasha’s sudden outburst, but everything was going as he had planned. It was little wonder that he made it as the guild’s vice president. He was as cunning as the office needed him to be.
While Zig didn’t appreciate dancing in the palm of Kirk’s hand, he wasn’t about to complain since he could still do his job. “And what about the Claritists among the adventurers?”
“Everyone is free to believe whatever they want. But the guild has no need for people pushing their insane beliefs on others, so we reject that outright. It’s in the terms and conditions when they sign up.”
Removing shady characters who failed to uphold guild policy and could become enemies at the drop of a hat would be in the guild’s best interests. Kirk’s cold gaze suggested as much. Basically, he didn’t care what Zig and Siasha did. In other words, people wouldn’t make a big deal if certain figures were to meet with an unfortunate accident.
“I see… Yes, I think I understand.” Siasha finally saw what Zig and Kirk were getting at. She smiled, her fury now having a clear target. She returned to her usual politeness, gathering her mana back to herself. However, Kirk only found her more menacing because of it.
“By the way, where is the biggest Claritist church in Halian? I’ve gained a sudden interest in their teachings.”
“Out west, where all the rich people are. Try to be discreet. Wouldn’t want to disturb the neighbors, after all.”
Receiving her thinly veiled instructions Siasha smiled and stood up. Zig followed her out of the office, her black hair flowing down her back. He paused, remembering something.
“One more thing.”
Kirk looked toward him, urging him to continue as he cleaned up the tea set.
“How do they know of the word ‘scalefolk’?”
Even a guild official didn’t know that word. It suggested that despite not liking being called demi-humans, the other races didn’t refer to themselves by their own name. So, why did the Claritists in the restaurant react to that word when Zig only mentioned it in passing?
Kirk looked somewhat let down at Zig’s question.
“They need to know what words to look for if they’re going to play word police. That’s why they know more about race names than anyone else. Funny, isn’t it?”
They looked to the first floor, already bustling with busy adventurers. More time had passed than they expected. They felt several glances at them as they left the office and climbed down the stairs. They were the talk of the guild after what had just happened. As much as people didn’t want to get involved, their curiosity couldn’t be contained.
Zig’s eyes were more cautious than usual. He positioned himself to best protect Siasha. He had put his gauntlets back on. He usually didn’t wear them in the guild, but the attack reminded him what could happen if he didn’t.
I’m losing my edge. He had been in this protection job for a while, and the guild was a familiar place. He had started to think that nothing bad could possibly happen while they were there.The environment was far too different from that of a battlefield, making him duller than before. If his masters knew that he got jumped by a squad of greenhorns…
Zig paused.
They probably wouldn’t say anything, but he would likely be forced to spend the next few days on the training grounds. Being made to practice as the sun rose and fell… The mental image was clear in his head. He enjoyed his nostalgia for only a moment. Zig steeled himself and looked back at the curious crowd as it parted.
A large adventurer walked down the makeshift road to meet the two. A scalefolk of verdant scales. Urbas. He bowed his head deeply.
“I’m sorry for getting you involved, Zig. I got careless.” His tail was limp, likely feeling guilty of Zig’s attack.
“You knew about them wanting to wipe out your race name?” Zig asked, paying Urbas’s apology no mind.
His nose twitched as his tongue slithered in and out of his mouth. Zig didn’t know what that meant. “I know that the Claritists hate the names of the non-human races,” Urbas said weakly. “And I know that they forbade us from referring to ourselves with our own race names in the past. With you…it was the first time I’d used it again.”
Urbas shook his head. “I never expected them to get so violent by a mere mention of the name… I’m really sorry.”
“I see.”
No one had ever asked for Urbas’s race name before. The Claritists wanted to wipe the very idea of it from everyone’s minds—that there was really no diversity between the demi-humans aside from their appearance. They wanted to impress this notion to the masses. In that sense, they had mostly succeeded. Even guild officials were unaware of the non-humans’ native names.
“Then there’s no need for you to apologize.”
“But you were attacked because of me…” Urbas attempted to restate his case, but Zig shook his head. He lifted his head to meet Zig’s gaze. What he saw caused him to swallow hard.
“No, you don’t get it, Urbas,” Zig said, trying to convince him. “If I had known about this shit, I wouldn’t have bothered asking you for your native name.”
He took another step. Urbas unknowingly took a step back in response.
“If they had come to me with threats, I might have started avoiding you, so I wouldn’t have to get involved in this mess.”
Another step.
Urbas stepped aside as if to make way for Zig. However, Zig put his hand on his shoulder.
He wasn’t one to make unnecessary enemies. He would rather talk and negotiate as long as those options were available. Killing outside of work hours was a waste of energy, after all.
“But they crossed the line and tried to put their hands on me. The message is clear. They want to be enemies.”
He looked past Urbas and toward the other adventurers behind him. Some of them immediately got up and left the guild; they were reminded of some very important business that needed attending. Zig didn’t pursue them and turned his attention back to Urbas.
“There’s only one thing for me to do now. The root of the cause doesn’t even matter anymore, Urbas.”
Urbas held his tongue and stepped back without a word.
Zig passed him with Siasha following suit. They left the guild and returned to the inn. He needed to change to his anti-personnel gear, but there were other things they needed to do.
“First, we’ll get ready at the inn. Then, there are some places I would like to stop by.”
An unprovoked attack would put a bounty on their heads immediately. He needed to do some groundwork, figure out where they were in the power structure of Halian. For that, he needed information and connections; all in a day’s work for a mercenary.
Siasha had a bounce to her step as she looked at his face. “You look like you’re having fun, Zig!”
He smiled wryly. “Do I?”
Her fiery azure eyes looked like she was having as much fun as he was. “Of course!” she said with a nostalgic tone. “It reminds me of the time we first met.”
Her black hair flowing with her steps was a sight that was now part of everyday life for Zig. He wondered how he looked back then. Though he searched his memories, he didn’t even know what he looked like right now. His features had stopped maturing several years ago, but that probably wasn’t what Siasha was talking about.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.”
Zig gave her a nonchalant answer. She gave him a satisfied smile.
Chapter 4: Remitter
Chapter 4:
Remitter
THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD VARIED IN DOCTRINE, faith, and rituals, but they had some things in common. First was their ability to produce miracles. Healing the sick, bringing incredible fortunes, rainfall in the middle of a prolonged drought… Such incredible feats were the foundation of many a religion. Humans were mercenary creatures, eager to worship anything that would benefit them.
The second was their ability to create alliances. Holding the same system of belief deepened empathy and loyalty, strengthening the bonds between people. There was no need for the doctrines to be reasonable; if anything, the more nonsensical, the stronger the ties became. The resulting camaraderie could actually become an excuse to exclude outsiders—even giving cause to attack other nations and religions.
These were two of religion’s most usual traits, but perhaps most common of all was the formality of its places of worship. The western district was home to beautiful roads and beautiful buildings. The church was located deep inside it and covered a large area. It was made of white stone, decorated so brilliantly to inspire solemnity even in nonbelievers.
The sun had begun to set after Zig and Siasha returned to the inn to prepare and make the necessary rounds for their visit. The church basked in the beautiful glow of the sunset.
“So, what shall we do?” Siasha said, winding up her arms.
Zig cracked his neck and tapped his foot to check the flooring. “Like Kirk said, we’re just going in there to talk.” As he spoke, he unwrapped the cloth around his twinblade. The cloth fell to the ground, exposing the dark red blades. “Remember what I taught you when you first visit someone.”
Zig motioned toward the church with his chin, telling Siasha to show him what she could do. Siasha smiled. An intense scent immediately filled the air.
“This is my first time so I might mess it up. Just laugh it off if I do, okay?” A stone spear came out of her palm. It was the length of a regular spear but much, much thicker. “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” The stone spear increased in size until it was covered in black energy. Its tip pointed to their target.
The center of the solemn church. The doors.
Siasha heaved her arms.
“Good evening!”
With that somewhat silly battle cry, she sent the spear flying. Its speed and straight trajectory more than made up for the absurdity of her words.
The large door’s protective spell activated before the spear made contact. A regular church wouldn’t have such features, of course, but the Claritists were prepared for this kind of thing happening to their place of worship. Three mighty barriers appeared to bar the spear’s way.
The spear ripped through the first like paper. The second managed to slow the spear down. The third succeeded in cracking the tip of the spear, but that was all it did.
The barriers broken, the spear tore through the church. Screams could be heard from inside.
“How was that?!” Siasha balled her hands into fists, proud of her first attempt at a forceful entry.
Zig put his hand on her head and stepped forward. “A+.”
He ran toward the door, which now sported a large hole, and kicked it down.
***
The church was lit up by magic items. The congregation were seated in the pews, intently listening to the sermon being delivered by a man who looked like the pastor of the flock. His voice was calm and affirming, and the congregation was captivated by him. The tasteful décor and the pastor’s reverberating voice created a solemn atmosphere. However, a sudden explosion interrupted the sacred ambiance.
The sound and impact felt like a hammer to the brain. A giant spear was hurtled toward the pastor. The faithful screamed, fearful that they were about to witness a massacre, but the large door had succeeded in diverting the stone spear’s trajectory. It skewered a large statue behind the pastor’s head, destroying its torso. The door was left hanging by its hinges after the spear went through it. Pieces of wood flew everywhere, but miraculously no one was hurt thanks to what remained of the door’s protective spell.
The faithful slowly stood after they had taken cover from the attack.
A loud bang followed, and they saw the doors flying toward them. They crashed into several people, knocking the wind out of them before they could scream.
The solemn atmosphere was now replaced with pandemonium.
“Excuse me.”
“Excuse us.”
Two people walked through the doorway, their backs lit by the sunset.
They were opposites of each other. One was a giant of a man with short gray hair, standing two meters tall. He was decked out in gauntlets, greaves, and a chest plate to protect himself. A long twinblade hung from his back. The rays of the sinking sun gave its dark red blades an ominous glow.
The man scanned the church with sharp eyes. Next to him was a breathtakingly beautiful woman with flowing black hair, azure eyes, and an otherworldly air about her. She was tall for a female but looked absolutely adorable next to the big man. Although she could mesmerize you with her beauty, her eyes struck fear and dread in those who stared at them. She was wearing a mage’s garb; the robes traced the lines of her body. The spear was definitely her doing.
She tilted her head as she looked over the congregation. “How far can I go?” she asked the big man.
“Like I said, we’re just here to talk.” The man looked like he had zero interest in talking but turned his attention to the figure at the altar.
“You in charge here?”
The man at the altar gave Zig a courteous bow. His peaceful expression remained despite having narrowly dodged death only seconds earlier. “Yes. I am Yaesar Burlon, remitter of the church in Halian. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
He looked to be in his late thirties, with blond hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. The man gave them a gentle smile. This was definitely the man who had approached Zig that night. He had known he was no ordinary person, but he hadn’t been expecting him to be a pastor for the Claritist Church.
“It would seem that you failed to heed my warning,” Yaesar said regrettably.
“We could’ve talked this out if you gave me some kind of notice, you know. You people are way too jumpy.”
“I’ll remember that for next time. How may I help you today?” Yaesar asked, treating Zig like he got lost and was asking for directions.
“Some of your followers attacked me this morning. I’ve come to file a complaint, pastor.”
“Oh no… No, you misunderstand.” The pastor called Yaesar shook his head and corrected Zig. “You see, we Claritists do not worship some kind of vague deity. We are in service of our pure ancestors, carrying out their wills to save sinners.” Yaesar pointed to the sky as if delivering a sermon to his flock. Apparently, a pastor wasn’t the same thing as a remitter, and he began to explain the distinction. “I have been given the honor of enforcing the remission of sins of these great sinners.”
“Thus ‘remitter.’”
Yaesar gave Zig a satisfied nod.
Zig didn’t bother asking what the remission of sins entailed. The details would probably bore him.
Yaesar the remitter kept his genial visage as he posed a question. “You claim that some of our Claritists enacted violence on you… Do you have any proof?”
“Probably. We’ll get proof soon enough. The matter is being investigated.”
Nothing directly connected Zig’s attackers to the Claritist church. The survivors were tight-lipped and probably wouldn’t talk even under the most gruesome torture.
“Well, that’s unfortunate… So, you’ve resorted to such barbarism without a single cause?”
“Well, let me think. One of the guys who attacked me was spotted around here. He’s got my knife still stuck in his chest. That knife is kind of unique. You can’t just yank it out.” It hadn’t been hard to find information about the escaped attacker. He left a trail of blood everywhere that even a child would be able to spot.
“Yes, I received word that we were sheltering someone who was hurt in the streets,” the remitter admitted. However, he raised an objection. “He said a bad man attacked him.”
“That’s what he said. I’ve got several witnesses who can place him at the guild this morning. He put a hole in my arm too.”
Yaesar put on a look of sympathy. “I see. You must have had a rough day, but aren’t you jumping to conclusions by implying he’s connected to us? We are only helping those in need.”
Zig kind of figured his case wouldn’t have been enough.
Yaesar owed his eloquence to his profession as a preacher. In other words, he was a master of deception. He wasn’t about to be defeated by a mercenary.
“Is that all you have to say?”
As Zig wondered how the rest of the evening would go, a clear voice rang out.
Time’s up. At least we got some information out of him. He shifted gears. The time for talk was over.
Yaesar turned his attention to Siasha for the first time.
“What do you mean, Miss?”
“I mean what I said, child.” The chill in Siasha’s voice echoed through the church. The insult didn’t faze Yaesar, and he kept smiling with his mask of geniality.
The remitter lowered his head. “I suppose I have much to learn if such a young woman would call me ‘child.’ Perhaps you would care to enlighten me?”
Siasha scoffed and took a step forward. “Your appearances, your schemes, your so-called ‘remission of sins’… Foolishness, all of it. Why can’t you be honest and say, ‘We kill anyone we don’t like’?” Principles, systems, instruments of humanity—Siasha’s single statement covered all of it.
Yaesar struggled to find words to deflect her. “Oh dear… You are quite direct. I am merely here to remit the sins of demi-humans—”
“Scalefolk. And you don’t like that word, so you tried to kill him. Don’t lie to me, child.”
“Uh?!”
For the first time, Yaesar’s expression changed. His face twisted with undeniable hatred in his eyes. And it wasn’t just him. The trembling congregation’s fear turned into fury when they heard the forbidden word.
Zig noticed the presence of professionals in violence and slowly adjusted his position. He had seen their faces in the guild before. They probably knew that he was coming to attack them and had prepared accordingly. He now understood why the mafia left the Claritists to their own devices.
Yaesar’s face was an expression of abhorrence despite his polite words. “How dare you mention that unclean name in this place? You will become a sinner yourself if you associate with such filth.”
“Then I’ll tell everyone about the name,” Siasha said with an indomitable expression. “Humans and all the other races can be united in sin.” That kind of thing would cause the Claritist Church to lose all its reason to exist.
Yaesar’s shoulders trembled with fury and rage. “Such foolishness!”
Everything was going according to plan. The Claritists would be forced to attack Zig and Siasha. They knew that the Claritists wouldn’t allow them to refer to the demi-humans by their proper names. Simple knowledge about these names was a grave sin for the Claritists, and they would be compelled to punish the sympathizers.
Yaesar raised one hand in anger. “Beloved Claritists! These people have abandoned their humanity and become grave sinners. And so—”
Zig moved as Yaesar was giving his speech.
A shrill sound pierced through the air. Crossbows fired at Zig, hidden behind the remitter. A red trail knocked the bolts aside.
“I’ll give you props for not being picky with your approach. But you already tried that this morning and failed.” Having deflected the bolts with his twinblade, Zig took to protecting Siasha.
They were back-to-back now, readying themselves to fight the congregation.
Zig looked at them without any emotion. “You’re making my job difficult. Die.”
The witch smiled at her mercenary’s steadfast figure. “Now that’s the Zig I know.”
“Claritists, grant death to these fallen sinners!” His face betraying no emotion, Yaesar declared his hateful degree. As his hand fell, swords and bolts rained down on Zig and Siasha. There was strength in numbers, and combat was all about kinship. As skilled as Zig was, he couldn’t handle all the swords coming at him.
The two made their move, their backs to each other. Zig did a half turn from his pivot foot. Siasha crooked her finger as they switched positions. A stone wall emerged from the ground to block the incoming projectiles. Siasha used her opposite hand to make a sweeping motion, turning the defensive wall into an attack. The stone exploded and scattered in all directions. Some of the Claritists put up defensive spells to protect themselves, while others dropped to the floor to avoid the attack.
She used the time she bought to put together another spell.
Siasha tapped her foot on the floor, smiling at the wealth of familiar material at her disposal. “Very impressive masonry.”
The stone floor cracked and rose to the air, splitting into three stone shields, large enough to cover an adult male. The shields surrounded her, floating weightlessly in the air.
The faithful rushed toward her, knowing that they were at a disadvantage against a mage at long range.
Siasha turned to them and brought her hand down.
The full weight of the stone shields fell on the congregation, crushing them and driving away the survivors. The shields then attacked the others, blood and gore still dripping from its surface. The quality of the stone, further enhanced by mana, made quick work of whatever half-hearted defense they mustered.
The victims of the impact flew through the air like rag dolls, making for a comical sight. Blood scattered every time Siasha moved her hands, the screams and splashes amplifying her performance as a conductor of mayhem.
“You step on these stones every day. I wonder if you’ve ever been stepped on by a stone.” The witch cackled beautifully as a bloodied head rolled to her feet.
Zig stepped forward as he and Siasha switched positions. He had no intention of paying attention to the exchange behind him. There was no need to. He made a beeline for the altar where Yaesar was.
Several faithful armed with heavy-looking flails stepped in to protect their remitter. Zig swung his twinblade without slowing down. The momentum-powered horizontal slash sliced through the bodies and flails of the congregation. Severed torsos sailed through the air. Projectiles flew toward Zig as he kept moving. He parried a bolt aimed at his head with his gauntlet while deflecting fireballs and icicles from his feet with his blade.
Like Gantt said, the bloodcrystal clad dragon blades made quick work of this level of magic. He quietly thanked the blacksmith for his craftsmanship as he cut someone down.
Only three faithful were left to protect Yaesar. He thought about rushing in, but something didn’t feel right. Their movements seemed amateurish and restless. Non-threatening. That couldn’t be right. The show of ineptitude was too obvious. There was no way they let these chumps protect their VIPs.
Zig trusted his gut and stopped in his tracks, halting the momentum he had built up with his legs and soles. The half-assed longsword swings suddenly turned into a razor-sharp slices, cutting through the area Zig would have been if he hadn’t stopped.
His nose felt the pressure of the swing. “Tch.”
With his surprise attack failing, Zig’s opponent lowered his hood.
Zig had seen their faces plenty of times today, though he couldn’t remember exactly where. A party of two men, one frontline and one backline, and one woman, another frontline.
The woman used a spear. Her weapon was medium length, easily manageable, with a thick handle and longer-than-average blade. The backliner was inexplicably watching the battle unarmed. He had a dagger strapped to his waist but showed no signs of wanting to draw it.
The man with a longsword gave Zig a hateful scowl. “I can’t believe a human would associate himself with the demi-humans!”
“You’re wrong. I’m not being buddy-buddy with them at all.”
“I’ve seen you!”
His opponent made his move—an inscrutable thrust hidden by his shield.
Zig read his opponent’s shoulders. He took a step back to hit his enemy’s sword before he could pull it back. He successfully knocked the longsword away and went for his opponent’s wrist.
However, the spearwoman got in the way. He blocked the spear thrust with his lower blade as the longsword flew through the air. He tried to deflect her the same way, but there was a huge difference in the stability and speed of a one-handed longsword and two-handed spear. The spearwoman pulled her weapon back, controlling Zig’s pace from a safe distance.
Smelling a pungent odor, he quickly stepped back. A lightning bolt struck his feet, sparks scattering all over the floor.
Strong. Clever, rather.
The party was quite coordinated despite their barbaric speech. This was an anti-personnel strategy, and it wasn’t their first time running it. They weren’t average adventurers.
“Hold, spread!” The backliner barked out orders as he prepared his next spell. More lightning bolts shot toward Zig’s eyes and legs. He dealt with them by dodging, not wanting to take the risk of being boxed in by his opponents.
The backliner wasn’t using powerful spells, but he was doing an excellent job at pinning Zig’s position. His casting speed was also incredibly fast. The man was a nuisance.
Zig secretly grabbed one of his coins as he avoided the spells. He dashed forward as the magic died down and feinted with his twinblade by doing a big swing. He fired the coin right between the frontliners as they backed away.
“Huh?!”
The man jerked his arm to block the indigo adamantine coin, but that was all Zig wanted from him. With his magic disrupted, he now had time to cut the others down. Zig kicked the other man’s shield to put distance between them.
His first target was the spearwoman. He avoided her downward slash and blocked it with his lower blade, controlling her weapon with his to pin her down.
“I won’t let you!”
“Oops.”
The woman pushed back with all her might to free herself, but Zig had been waiting for that move. He pulled back his blade. The point of her spear flailed wildly from the sudden loss of support. Zig knocked the spear away with an upward strike of his twinblade.
“Urk!”
The spear shot up with a metallic sound. Though the opening was momentary, it was a fatal one.
Just as he was about to strike at her exposed torso, a pungent smell struck Zig as he braced his feet. The mage had already recovered and was casting magic again. He was in a bad position to avoid the spell. He shifted the trajectory of his twinblade to cut down the three lightning arrows.
“Sha!”
Having escaped her predicament, his opponent brought her spear down to strike him. Zig managed to defend himself, quickly bringing his weapon to block the spear after dealing with the spell.
“Gotcha!”
“Tch!” He blocked an incoming longsword from the side with his gauntlet but was hit by the follow-up shield bash. Holding back a groan, Zig used the momentum of the blow to put distance between him and the spearwoman. However, his opponent was skilled and quickly twisted her spear to deliver a light thrust to his side.
Zig wasn’t at a complete loss from the exchange. He managed to pick up a corpse to defend himself from the onslaught of crossbow fire coming from the congregation.
Though his vision had been rattled from the shield blow, it slowly recovered.
They got me. He had underestimated the enemy mage. He hadn’t been expecting him to be able to cast that quickly.
The mage probably had magic seals carved into his body, a well-known practice. Siasha had talked about it before, having read it in a book. They had been eating, but he remembered the gist of the conversation. Magic seals automated their user’s attack spells, giving them unparalleled casting speed. The user would have to rely on magic items for defensive spells, but that was about its only weakness. At least, that was what Zig remembered, anyway. The man was unarmed but wore rings and bracelets with strange markings.
“Why don’t you give up so you can atone for your sins?” Yaesar said with a cold smile. He stood behind the adventurers as they glowered at Zig, weapons pointed at him.
Zig couldn’t help but smile at his words.
“You wanna talk about my sins, huh? I’ve been piling them up before I even stepped foot in this church.” It was far too late for that kind of talk. He had amassed hundreds of corpses by now.
But that was why…
“I made it here on a bridge of countless corpses. Even if I could accept being killed, I can’t bring myself to choose death.”
Zig wouldn’t go so far as to claim that doing otherwise would be disrespectful to the dead. Though, he did wonder what the point would be if he stopped doing what he did best: taking the lives of other people.
The remitter looked at him as if he was shit stuck to the sole of his boot. “You are truly a terrible sinner.”
“Not news to me. I know that better than anyone else.”
His statement made, he charged forward. Zig anticipated another incoming spell and tossed the corpse he had been using as a shield at the mage. The dead body left a trail of entrails as it flew through the air, turning into an indescribable lump of meat when it was hit by the spell.
The two frontliners pincered Zig as he made his approach—a coordinated attack of a downward longsword slash followed up with a spear thrust. He blocked the longsword and deflected the spear’s thrust to the side. The woman flipped her spear to its flat end and slid it down Zig’s weapon, aiming for his fingers.
“Ugh!”
Zig immediately let go of his weapon. The man saw a chance at victory once he saw his opponent unarmed and stepped forward.
Right into his death.
“Wah—”
The backliner called out a warning, but it was too late. Zig ducked under the horizontal slash and took advantage of his opponent’s own shield to create a blind spot.
“Idiot!”
The man pushed his shield out to bash him right in the face, but this was exactly what Zig wanted. Zig shifted his weight to his kicking leg and shoulder-tackled his opponent.
“Gah!”
The shield bash stopped, its impact making a dull sound. The man didn’t feel the sensation of breaking the sinner’s face with his shield. Zig had caught the shield, holding it down by its top and bottom. The backliner tried to help but couldn’t without accidentally hitting her own teammate.
Shields came in all shapes and sizes, but those of a certain size had something in common among them. The grip. Or rather, the straps. The heavier a shield was, the more difficult it became to hold with one hand, leading to the development of straps which used the fighter’s arm to support the shield. This man’s medium shield sported such a design.
“Hmph!”
Zig braced himself and twisted the shield in his hand, and with it, the man’s arm holding on to it.
“Hah!”
The man’s arm bent at an impossible angle along with his shield. The man screamed as a sound like a bundle of twigs being snapped filled the air.
“Guaaaaaah! Gaaaaaaaah!”
The man’s left hand reacted with his longsword even as his body was rocked by excruciating pain. An excellent choice by his enemy. Any slower and Zig would’ve succeeded in ripping his right arm right out of its socket.
The spearwoman stepped in between them as the man backed off and let go of his shield.
“Bastard!”
Zig ducked and swayed around the spear as the woman let out a furious roar. He stepped gracefully to put distance between them. The backliner fired more spells at him, but these failed to control his positioning. Zig ducked to make himself a smaller target and deflected the remnants with his rainbow mantis shrimp gauntlets.
The man’s right arm was incapacitated. Straightforward cuts and fractures could be healed easily, but complex injuries took up more time and energy. His shoulder was safe thanks to his quick thinking, but recovering from his broken elbow would be tricky. His shield was still attached to his broken arm since he had no way of taking it off, and sword fighting was difficult when you had deadweight on your other arm. He also couldn’t risk putting his sword down to take the shield off.
Unarmed, Zig made his move. He stepped forward while protecting his head. His long, strong legs allowed him to cover much more ground with a single step compared to a regular human. A stab aimed for Zig as he closed the distance without moving his upper body too much. The powerful attack made a whipping sound through the air.
Thrusts were fast and powerful, difficult to gauge by its defender since all of its energy was focused on one point. On the flip side, it was equally as hard to be accurate with them, and when the attacker was the only one on the offensive, it covered too little ground to control their opponent’s movements.
Zig shifted his body with minimal effort to avoid the spear aimed at his head. He caught the surface with his gauntlet to deflect it to the left.
Only dodge when you need to. It was a simple concept, but putting it into practice against an experienced spearman was a totally different story.
“No!”
The spearwoman’s eyes widened in surprise at the level of skill he exhibited while still closing in on her.
“Tsh.”
Zig exhaled sharply before he used the same left hand to attack. He kicked off the floor to put more power on his punch. Though compact, his fist had enough force to kill an adult male.
“I won’t let you!”
The mage used his magic item just as Zig’s counterattack was about to make contact. The defensive spell engraved into his bracelet activated, blocking his fist. A chill ran down the spearwoman’s spine as she narrowly escaped death. She ducked out of reflex and felt something pass through her. She looked back to see strands of her hair disintegrate.
She dodged that?! Zig clicked his tongue at his opponent’s reflexes and intuition.
Having avoided the shock wave of his battle glove, the spearwoman mounted a counterattack. With her spear, she did a horizontal sweep. It was too close to his body to avoid, and there was no time to duck. Zig lowered his left gauntlet to block the attack and jumped right to absorb the impact. The spearwoman tracked his movement, trying to time another attack. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was really after.
“Shit!”
Zig grabbed his abandoned twinblade and flicked another coin. The coin struck the backliner’s lightning spell, redirecting it to the wall behind Zig. It only managed to singe his shoulder.
Zig smiled, breaking out of his recovery roll. He prepared himself for the offensive. He leaned forward from his mostly upright stance, shouldering his weapon and becoming more conscious of his kicking leg.
“Hah!”
Zig shot through the air. His giant body flew like a cannonball, his footsteps landing on the flooring so hard that it might crack.
The spearwoman had nowhere to go with her injured comrade behind her and was forced to stand her ground, building up mana in her body.
Three lightning spears zoomed toward Zig. However, they fizzled in vain because she misread Zig’s acceleration.
“Get out of there!” the mage shouted, but the woman refused to abandon her teammate. Zig closed the distance in the blink of an eye and brought his twinblade down on her like a guillotine.
“Seaaaah!” the spearwoman roared, using everything she had to block the attack.
She held her spear with both hands and planted her left foot behind her. She activated all her defensive spells and physical enhancements to protect herself.
Their clash produced a loud rumble that rocked the church. The spearwoman felt like her whole body was being ripped to shreds. The floor beneath her right foot cracked as her arms began to bend, blood bursting from her flesh.
“Urgh…” She was coughing blood now. Because the impact came directly above her, it had nowhere to go and began to break her bones and organs aside from her arms. Her defensive barrier cracked open and her specialized spear started to bend like a cheap toy. However, she refused to fold. Her body was in shambles and her weapon battered, but she was determined to keep Zig at bay.
He had to admit, it was an impressive display of spirit. But…
“You could’ve won if you abandoned your friend. You adventurers care too much.” Defending your friend was pointless if you both went down in the end.
Zig raised his twinblade to finish off the spearwoman who had sunk to her knees.
“Raaaah!”
Just as he was about to bring it down, a man rushed from the woman’s side to swing at Zig.
“Huh?!” The shield on his right arm was no more. Actually, his entire right arm from the elbow down was no more. Zig saw his bloodied longsword and knew what had happened. It would’ve taken too much time to remove the shield from his broken arm. Zig was caught off guard, not by his carelessness but by his opponent’s unexpected resolve. The man’s desperate attack managed to nick Zig’s neck.
“Excellent.” He couldn’t help complimenting him. If the man had been using his dominant hand, the sword would’ve gone right through.
Nonetheless, this was how the tree fell.
The twinblade spun. One blade lopped off the man’s sword arm, while the other sliced off his head. It rolled across the floor leaving a trail of blood.
“Ah…”
The spearwoman reached out for her comrade’s head but all she could manage to do was fall to the floor. As her hand desperately reached for her friend, Zig crushed her neck beneath his boot with a dull, dry sound. Her hand fell to the floor, and Zig kicked the motionless body away. Red fibrous material coated his boot. He turned his gaze to the last man standing.
The man’s face was wrought with anger at having lost his friends. “I’ll kill you.”
Zig tilted his head quizzically at the man for his strange statement. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do this whole time.”
However, the man was past reasoning. Now his hatred did the talking. “My friends… How dare you!” He used his seals to quickly launch one spell after another at Zig.
“I’m getting bored of that.”
Zig could predict when the spells were activated no matter how fast they were cast. All of them being cast in succession only made it much easier for Zig to memorize the mage’s timing and habits. Zig swayed, blocking with his twinblade and deflecting with his gauntlets. He used the flat of his twinblade to pick up a corpse and hurl it at the man. One of the spells directly hit on the body, severing its barely connected head from its torso.
The man reflexively caught the spinning head. His gaze met the severed head’s, its eyes wide open in agony. He gasped upon seeing what had been his comrade just moments ago.
“Eeegh!” His gasp stopped his casting.
Zig quickly closed the gap and cleaved the mage in half, including the decapitated head in his hands. “Guess you weren’t ready to die,” he quipped.
The last adventurer fell dead. Zig flicked the blood off his twinblade and turned to the man at the altar.
“Sorry I took so long, remitter.”
Yaesar slowly opened his eyes as if emerging from prayer.
“Not at all. I was just finishing my prayers.”
***
“It’s a single woman! Wear her down!”
The congregation had dispersed after Siasha’s opening attack. A flurry of projectiles could quickly spell their end. However, there was no fear in their movements even as they faced great danger. The ones that had combat experience took point. Despite the group’s overall inexperience, they were organized enough to split themselves into offensive and defensive units.
“Wow,” Siasha said under her breath. She couldn’t help but be impressed.
It wasn’t her first time facing resistance after her show of strength. She had gone up against trained soldiers. Reckless men—the same type of humans who stood in the face of overwhelming odds. These were the exceptions, of course; most ended up running away. Very few people chose to fight without fear, and Siasha had a large sample size to pull from due to her years of slaughtering humans.
“Very impressive.”
No wonder Zig said religion shouldn’t be taken lightly. It had the power to make people fight to the death out of loyalty.
She scanned the area, moving the stone shields to block the flaming arrows. Ten had already been crushed, and there were thirty people left. More than half of them were green, but there should be enough experienced fighters mixed into the fold. However, there were too many for her to figure out who they were at a glance.
“I should weed them out.”
Weed them out. Not kill them all. Siasha said her words like a farmer about to do some field work. She cast her spell and planted her foot on the ground. Magic spread from beneath her.
“Eh?” One of the faithful felt a rumbling beneath him and looked down. The next moment, the flooring beneath him burst into stone stakes the size of a young tree. A stake pierced the Claritist through his back and out his chest, ignoring the barrier he had put up in front of him.
“Huh?” He didn’t register what was going on until it was too late. He stared at the stake poking out of his chest and started coughing up blood. “It’s… It’s coming from below!” The Claritist warned as he aimed his defensive spell downward. A stone stake went through his face before he could do anything further.
Faced with attacks coming from in front and beneath them, chaos descended on the believers. They started screaming at each other.
“How is she able to use this powerful magic all at once?!”
“Never mind that, why isn’t she running out of mana?!”
Through the chaos, Siasha spotted a fast-moving shadow out of the corner of her eye. She was using her stone shields to block some desperate spells, though doing this blocked her line of sight. Taking advantage of this opening, a man lunged at her from the shadows of her shields. He wielded a magic dagger that seemed to be covered in water. Aiming the dagger at Siasha’s belly, he plunged the whole thing up to its hilt…
Right into a stone stake that emerged between the two.
“Wha—?!”
The water surrounding the dagger worked its magic, but it was fighting against Siasha’s reinforced stone stake. She herself was unhurt from the whole exchange.
The man poised to jump away after failing his ambush.
“That wasn’t a bad attempt…”
A stake pierced his boot just as he let go of the dagger.
“Gaah!”
While only losing a bit of his balance was impressive, it was still fatal against a witch. He should’ve sacrificed his leg to get away from her.
“…But you’re going to need a lot more strength than that.” Siasha raised her hand and twirled her finger, summoning rocks around the man to hold him down. She slowly squeezed her hand shut, and the stones followed her command, creating pressure.
“Ahh—” The man tried to scream, but the rocks had covered his mouth. The sound of cracking bones filled the air, followed by ripping flesh. Finally, it ended with a wet squelch. Blood dripped out of the cracks like a juicer.
“I made a mess last time because I had to leave the head intact, but I think I’m going to be tidy today.” She closed her hand tightly as people gasped. Just as she declared, bits of flesh scattered everywhere, leaving nothing of the man. The only thing left of him was a child-sized rock, coated in blood, bone, and flesh.
“Who’s next?” the witch asked with a lovely smile. Witnessing this enigma of a weapon, the faithful felt fear for the first time that evening.
She took a step forward. They took a step back.
Siasha pouted before casting another spell.
The congregation readied themselves, but nothing happened. They thought it strange when, suddenly, the lights went out from around them. Curiously, the church was still lit.
“Th-the exit!” someone shouted when they realized what was going on. The rest of the congregation turned to them to find a gigantic stone looming over the entrance. The sunset had been blocked off. The same was true for all the windows. All the exits had been cut off.
No one was walking out of here alive. Understanding dawned on the congregation at what Siasha’s actions meant.
“You weren’t thinking of actually running away, were you…? I’m just helping you uphold your religious obligations.” She held her index finger to her lips with a mischievous smile. The gesture was so charming that it could bewitch men and women alike.
“I came all the way here to meet you. Won’t you allow me to have some fun?”
And so, the festivities began.
***
The church had darkened, now only being lit up by magic items. Yaesar descended from the altar, crozier in hand.
“You were praying, huh?” Zig asked, keeping a watchful eye on Yaesar’s every move. “What for?”
Yaesar’s footsteps were slow but firm. He stopped, blond hair swaying, his expression unchanged. “That I may remit your sins.”
The two faced each other, ten meters apart. No one stood between them. There was no need for Zig to check on Siasha. He had been hearing the battle going on behind him, screams and ripping flesh adding to the soundscape.
“Will your ancestors forgive me?”
“Of course they will,” Yaesar answered with a smile as he readied his crozier. “That’s what I’m here for. To remit sins.”
Yaesar would settle Zig’s sins…with his life. Zig shrugged and examined himself.
His stomach was bruised from the shield bash, but it wouldn’t hinder his performance. The cut on his arm was shallow enough that it had stopped bleeding. His shoulder wasn’t doing so great, though. The lightning spell that grazed him had left a burn, leaving behind a painful numbness. He wasn’t in the worst condition, but he wasn’t in the best either.
The adventurers he fought earlier were real professionals. He was probably fortunate to have gotten away with so few wounds. Zig quietly thanked his lucky stars. However, the situation still wasn’t favorable.
Although he was an expert in anti-personnel combat, that only held true against the people of his home continent. People here used magic, sure, but the biggest difference was their ability to physically enhance themselves. They could instantly increase their physical strength or speed by manipulating their mana output. However, mismanaging their mana would result in immediate burnout.
The people back home couldn’t enhance their physiques, but they had much higher attributes, so it wasn’t that one was superior to the other. However, it was obvious that the two continents had different styles of combat. Not much difference in the fundamentals, but the folks here had sudden bursts of speed and unpredictable spikes of power thanks to their abilities. Zig was only getting used to that.
“Your name.” Yaesar pointed the question at Zig as he finished making one final check on his condition.
“Huh?”
“May I ask for your name? I engrave all the names of the sinners I remit in my heart.” Yaesar sounded like he was taunting him, but he seemed genuine. Zig couldn’t understand, but it was his way of doing things. His doctrine.
“Zig. Zig Crane.”
“Thank you.”
Yaesar put his hand to his chest, mouthing Zig’s name as if he was chewing on it. His face was full of sincerity, and, for the first time, he looked like an actual member of the clergy. When he raised his head, his gentle smile had returned.
“Let us begin.”
“Yeah.”
They faced each other and readied themselves. Zig bent his knees and placed his twinblade behind him. His right hand was on the handle with his left to guide it. Meanwhile, Yaesar lowered his hips into a stance. His right hand was behind his back, his left loosely holding his crozier aloft, decorative end down.
They took a moment to read each other’s movements. Zig made the first move, and Yaesar responded.
Mercenary and remitter. Sinner and executioner.
They launched themselves toward each other in a clash of convictions.
***
The guild was packed with adventurers wrapping up for the day. Urbas was in a state of confusion, unsure of what to do after Zig and Siasha left.
“Oh no… Oh no…” His tongue slithered restlessly in and out of his mouth while his tail swung from side to side. It was a rare behavior for him since he usually did his best not to bother humans. He was that stressed out.
Unaware of the people he was annoying with his tail, a heavy voice called out from behind him. “Hey, Urbas! What’s eatin’ ya?”
Urbas stood out, being taller than the average demi-human. His unusual level of concern compelled Bates to talk to him. Despite Bates’s intimidating look, he walked over to Urbas with a friendly vibe. He was alone today, his partner Glow absent. Urbas’s eyes shone when he saw him.
Bates was renowned for being considerate to everyone, in spite of his rough appearance. The Wadatsumi clan had first dibs, of course, but many adventurers, big and small, had received help from him in the past.
Desperate for support, Urbas sought his wisdom. “Bates, good timing. Something bad happened today.”
“Well, that sounds serious.”
It wasn’t every day that Urbas was this concerned about something. Sensing his urgency, Bates motioned him to sit at an empty table. Why is this thing full of holes? And the edges are all cracked. He shook his head; he’ll worry about the state of the guild’s furniture later. “Let’s start from the top.”
“All right. You see…”
By the time Urbas finished his explanation, silence descended on the two. Bates had been holding his head in his hands halfway through the conversation. The only sound he made was a low groan.
“How the hell did it come to that?”
It was like that man couldn’t help but invite trouble. Bates had been the cause of said trouble once, but the frequency at which conflict gravitated toward Zig was flabbergasting.
The lizard demi-human hung his head apologetically. “It’s because I got careless…”
“No, that’s not really your fault. Zig just happened to mention a taboo word for those human supremacists, right? No one even knows that shit’s supposed to be taboo. Man, I’ve been an adventurer for a long time, and I didn’t know!”
Urbas refrained from using the word “scalefolk” to avoid causing another backlash, leaving it out of the story. He essentially summarized that Zig was attacked because he used a word they were trying to erase.
Bates crossed his arms, knowing that this could only get messy. “I know I owe Zig a favor and all… But going up against the Claritists is a different thing.”
The Claritists didn’t have that many adherents in Halian. Most were apathetic human supremacists with a distaste for demi-humans, but there were, at most, a few hundred devout enough to attend church. Of that number, even fewer could actually fight.
“We can’t beat them in numbers, and an all-out war between factions is just bad for everyone.”
He didn’t mind lending Zig a hand, but his position as a high-ranking member of the Wadatsumi meant that there would be repercussions for the clan. They could get disbanded by the guild.
“Then I can—”
“Calm down, dummy!” Bates chided, trying to avoid the worst possible outcome. “Things’ll turn into a real bloodbath if you get involved. A lizard demi-human attacking a Claritist church? You’ll cause trouble for the rest of your race. You want that?”
As much as the Claritists hated demi-humans, they didn’t go around killing them at random. Demi-humans were peaceful by nature and would rather avoid conflict than fight back. If a demi-human were to instigate a fight, not only would the Claritist church gang up on them, but the more nonconfrontational demi-human society as well.
Urbas’s tail drooped as Bates scolded him for his shortsightedness. “I… No…”
“What’s done is done. I’ll try to gather up some adventurers to help, but I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.” Bates had a few people in mind he thought would be willing to help with the Claritist situation, but actually getting their help would be back-breaking work.
Just as he was about to head out, a calm voice interrupted them. “Looks like someone’s gotten themselves in an interesting predicament.” The voice wasn’t loud but was clear enough for the two to notice.
A woman had joined them at the table at some point. With green eyes and sharp features, she had stunning white hair running down her back and a braid hanging down the side of her face. She wore a kimono embroidered with the unique designs of her people and a haori draped over her shoulders.
Isana Gayhone took the empty seat, one hand placed on the katana hung loosely at her waist. She had a look that said she was hungry for battle.
“Wh—Isana?! What are you doing here?”
“The Princess of White Lightning…” Urbas had heard stories of Isana, though they had never spoken to each other. The second-class adventurer was the talk of many of their kin, and whispers circled about her—from her skills to where she came from.
“Why are you butting in?” Bates asked.
“I heard that a man with a strange weapon was involved in a violent incident today. Sounded a lot like someone I knew. And you guys were kind of loud.” Isana’s ears twitched to prove her point.
“Not you too…” Apparently, the big, boorish man also had ties to the sword prodigy. Bates kind of saw it coming, but Zig really had a wider network than he let on. Especially considering he hadn’t been in town for very long.
“Where are your manners, second-class?” Bates scoffed nonchalantly. “You can’t go eavesdropping on people’s conversations like that. Sorry, but we don’t have time to—”
“Want me to help?” Isana’s speed wasn’t just limited to her sword, and Bates was caught so off guard that he was at a loss for words. He soon snapped out of his shock and started calculating the odds, taking Isana into consideration.
“Your help would make things a lot easier. But are you sure? You know what might happen.”
If she, a non-human, were to go up against the Claritists, that would place a target on the rest of her race. The Princess of White Lightning smiled. “The Jinsu-Yah owes that man a favor. With me, it’s personal.”
Urbas felt a difference in weight between the two statements.
Isana slowly caressed the hilt of her sword. She looked like a girl obsessing over her first love. Her smile deepened, turning more aggressive. “Our people repay all debts. Good and bad.” There was no need to ask which debt belonged to whom.
A highly motivated ally suddenly making an appearance was unexpected but welcome. Bates felt the tides shifting.
“All right, you’re in. But I have a feeling that you won’t be enough, good as you are. I’d like another vet if possible…”
This wasn’t just about beating the Claritists. Zig and Siasha did nothing wrong and were acting in self-defense. If people didn’t know that, it would be difficult for them to continue adventuring in Halian. Isana had a lot of firepower, but she didn’t really have a wide network of connections at her disposal since she worked alone.
Bates, on the other hand, had a lot of connections. However, there was only so much that one man could do. We need at least one more person whose name is as good as their arm if we want this plan to work…
That was when a figure stepped into Bates’s view. He called out to that ray of hope. “Yo, fake nun! Come over here for a sec!”
The person walked over to them, robes flowing, and sat on the chair opposite Isana. “What do you want, baldie? Don’t make me pull out your remaining hair follicles.” Elsia, the silver haired woman in robes, glared daggers through her blindfold. “Why are you all gathered here? What’s Isana doing here?”
“Put simply, it’s a gathering of people who’ve got ties with Zig,” Bates said, scratching his head with a wry smile as he recalled what happened in the past.
Elsia rubbed her forehead and groaned, somewhat getting the gist of what was going on. “Urgh… I see. It’s about what happened this afternoon.”
“That’s it. Why don’t you help us out? You probably owe him a favor too, don’t you?”
Bates grinned. He had caught wind that Elsia was in a similar scuffle with Zig the way the Wadatsumi had. Understanding the situation, Elsia flipped her silver hair and turned aside.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ve struck a deal with that man. It took over two million for me to get my weapon back!”
While Elsia was lamenting the fact that she had to spend more than she expected, Urbas leaned over to Bates and whispered: “Why did you get her here?”
“Huh? Oh, I guess you didn’t know. She used to be a Claritist, see.”
“Huh?!” Urbas let out a shocked gasp, freezing at Bates’s sudden revelation.
Meanwhile, Isana’s ears twitched with interest and prodded. “Really? News to me. Guess those robes aren’t just for show.”
“Tch… You need to stop running your mouth, baldie.”
“Come on, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Bates cackled as Elsia glared at him. She eventually heaved a resigned sigh. “Well? What do you want me to do?”
Elsia was already square with Zig; the man had said so himself and he wasn’t the type to go back on his word. For better or worse, he was unusually honest about his work. There weren’t a lot of his kind nowadays. She also understood who he was because she fought him. He didn’t even crumble when he had to go three-to-one against her party. Getting him to owe her a favor might not be a bad idea… Theoretically, at least.
“Thank you for being so understanding,” Bates said. “It’s real simple. Zig and Siasha went to the Claritist church to beat them up.”
“Why?!” Elsia cried, banging the table at the outlandish statement. She immediately regretted her decision. She hadn’t been expecting to be asked to conduct peaceful mediations between the injured parties, but that was too much for her to take in.
“Actually…” Urbas then calmly gave her the same explanation he gave Bates.
“Right… I see,” Elsia sighed as she played with her hair. “Yes, that would be bad.”
“You know what the taboo words are?”
“For the most part. I won’t tell you what they are since you might mention them by accident, though.” From the ex-Claritist’s perspective, this was quite a mess.
“What kind of person would even go to enemy headquarters and start beating people up? He’s out of his mind.”
“But that’s just like Zig, isn’t it?” Isana smiled, recalling the time Zig visited the Jinsu-Yah.
“What’s the big man got to do with you, Isana?”
“There’s too much to talk about. Let’s just say I owe him a favor.”
Another one? Elsia sighed again. Every time that man came into a conversation it was always about favors or work. Seriously, what is his problem?
“Do you know what we’re up against, Elsia?” the battle junkie asked, wide-eyed and caressing the hilt of her sword, ready to go.
“Most of them are inexperienced fighters. There are adventurers mixed in, but their power level varies from region to region. Most should be below fifth class… That’s about all I know.”
“Huh… Fifth class? Zig should be able to handle that by himself.”
“If that’s all they had for a fighting force, a couple thugs or adventurers would be able to handle them, sure…”
However, the Claritists had more than that. There was a reason why the mafia steered clear of the Claritist church. It wasn’t just because of their connections from being widespread all over the country.
“The Claritists have a section dedicated to raising warrior monks.”
Bates’s eyebrows furrowed at the ominous phrasing. “Warrior monks I get, but raising them…?”
“They raise them. Devoted members of the faithful would offer their children to the church as a sign of piety.”
Isana and Bates looked at each other wordlessly; they knew where the conversation was going.
Urbas broke the silence for them. “What happens to the children?”
“They are indoctrinated and trained in the art of war. They are taught about the evil sins of the demi-humans and the perfection of man from an early age, weeding out all doubt to the contrary. They don’t want them to feel guilt when dealing with sinners, after all. I was there once. Got out, though.”
Bates swallowed, realizing she had carelessly blurted out her past. “Sorry.”
“Stop frowning, baldie,” Elsia teased the regretful looking Bates. “Your idiot smile suits you best.”
“Hmph, get off it,” Bates spat back, catching on to what she was trying to do. “I just got carried away by your fake nun vibes is all.”
Elsia had buried her past. She had no problems talking about it. “These warrior monks are powerful even if there aren’t many of them. They deal with a lot of disputes, but they also have a wealth of interpersonal experience.”
“We’ve run into some Claritists before, but I’ve never heard of a warrior monk,” Urbas said.
“That’s just proof that you live an upright life, Urbas.” Urbas tilted his head, blinking at the sudden compliment.
Under his innocent gaze, Elsia closed her eyes behind her blindfold. The old guilt of bringing down judgment on sinners assaulted her. She had been truly blind in those days. “The Claritists publicly proclaim demi-humans as sinners, but they rarely ever attack them. They’re an important part of the labor force, after all.”
The nation wouldn’t sit idly by if the Claritist Church started going around killing demi-humans. No nation had the luxury of eliminating all its cheap labor. There had been exceptions, though. “The rule is suspended for demi-humans who actually commit crimes. There is a silent expectation that the Claritists will take care of them.”
“I see. So that’s the warrior monks’ primary task. Dealing with disputes is like a side thing.”
“That’s how it is. Most demi-humans are physically stronger and take up professions which take advantage of their strength, like adventuring. Dealing with them requires enforcers with at least as much strength.”
A specialized task force that hunted down demi-human criminals… Those were the warrior monks of the Claritist Church. The stories were no exaggeration considering Elsia’s strength, herself a former warrior monk.
“I see. Sounds fun—uhh, dangerous.”
“Zig would be in a bad spot if he had a mob of those guys pile up on him.”
“Copies of Elsia running around… I don’t even wanna think about it.” Urbas and Bates nodded grimly.
Elsia then eased their worries; they seemed to be taking the situation too seriously. “That won’t happen. The warrior monks are few and far between. They’re few enough that the Claritists can’t afford to deploy several in one place. Not to mention the runaways. But… There is something more dangerous than a warrior monk.”
“What could possibly be worse than them?”
A question no one wanted to ask but one which had to be. So, Urbas threw it out despite already being weighed down by his anxieties.
“A warrior monk showing excellence will be granted a special office. A title granted to he who has slaughtered many demi-humans and made them pay for their sins—Remitter.”
***
Sparks flew as the sounds of an intense sword fight broke out in the church.
Two shadows crashed and collided with each other without ceasing. They made the spacious church seem cramped due to the speed they were running, utilizing even the walls to fly through the air.
“Haaah!”
“Hmph!”
A red twinblade and a golden crozier. Both weapons clashed fiercely, trying to defend their owner’s life and take the other’s instead. The exchange was locked in a stalemate until the scales finally tipped—
—Against Zig.
Zig and Yaesar crashed into each other again.
“Not bad, Remitter… You’re actually making me sweat!”
“I’ve remitted the sins of many sinners, you see!”
They pushed at each other’s weapons, Zig being the stronger between the two. Yaesar struggled against his herculean strength, being forced to fight back by putting both hands on his crozier.
“Why didn’t you come at me with your cronies?” Zig said as he suddenly relaxed the pressure he had been putting on his opponent. He was expecting Yaesar to stumble from the sudden lack of pressure—
“I thought you were better at handling that situation.”
—But he saw right through him.
“Ugh!”
Yaesar stepped into Zig as he let up without losing his balance. Putting his entire weight on his crozier, he used its tip to sweep Zig’s left foot. He then flipped his weapon to bring the ring down on his head.
Zig blocked the low attack with his twinblade and the downward strike with his right gauntlet. At close range, both defensive moves were good enough to fend off the crozier since it couldn’t reach its full momentum. However, he had overcommitted to his defense from the sequential attacks. It was a small gap, but one that this opponent was all too ready to exploit.
Yaesar’s left leg slithered like a snake and struck Zig’s right side. Zig’s left hand was holding his weapon, and his right was fending off the crozier. He had no hands left. Zig quickly shifted his body to receive the blow with his chest plate, but it was far more forceful than he expected. He jumped back to absorb some of the momentum and catch his breath.
Yaesar did not pursue. His robes fluttering, he brought down his foot and exhaled, resetting his battle stance. “You have the advantage in a chaotic battle. Isn’t that right?”
“Good question.”
Zig tried to give him a vague answer. However, Yaesar had seen right through him.
One-on-one fights were impossible on the battlefield, necessitating one to be fluid and adaptable. That was how Zig got so good in chaotic battles; it was how he made a living. His area of expertise was one-against-many, and he was competent enough to go up against powerful opponents. Yaesar had gathered that information by watching him fight earlier and let his followers wear Zig out first.
Clever bastard. Zig cursed inwardly, trying not to let the dull pain in his chest show.
“And it shames me to admit this,” Yaesar said, “but I’m not very good at working with people. I’ve always worked alone.”
“Yeah? That makes two of us.”
Zig analyzed Yaesar’s movements as the two made conversation. He was stronger. They were about even in speed, though Yaesar was more technical. His estimates shouldn’t be off by much even if his opponent hadn’t shown all his cards yet. Yaesar probably had the endurance to last too.
After seeing him move and clashing with him, he could tell that his robes veiled a well-trained physique. He could see clearly from his movements that Yaesar mostly fought using his training instead of relying solely on physical enhancement magic. That kick from earlier had the core rotation and weight transfer of a skilled athlete. He was trained in martial arts on top of his weapon.
Meanwhile, his opponent already had a good read on him. Yaesar hadn’t even begun to use magic yet. Zig was silently considering using his combat drugs but dismissed it as a bad idea. Yaesar had the upper hand in technique; it was not something he could brute force his way through.
I’ll need to see what other cards he has.
“Huff!”
Zig let out a sharp exhale and attacked. He swung his twinblade relentlessly with immense power. His slashes had the force of a monstrosity, each as lethal as the last. He rushed at Yaesar without catching his breath, tearing up the pews like paper.
Before the tremendous show of power, Yaesar remained calm and shifted his body. The tip of his crozier had a loop with four smaller rings attached to it. They rattled as he shook it. Yaesar shifted his weight backward and changed his pivot. He turned and stepped back, his crozier meeting Zig’s slash. The clash shifted Zig’s twinblade as the weapons met at the peak of his momentum.
However, missing an attack wasn’t going to stop Zig.
Zig turned and continued spinning his twinblade. Like before, Yaesar stopped his weapon before it could reach peak momentum. As long as Zig kept twisting to swing his twinblade, Yaesar kept parrying his attacks while taking a step back.
No deflections, just parries. With a minimum amount of effort, he had nullified Zig’s monstrous power. All of this was much easier said than done, of course. Especially against a seasoned mercenary like Zig.
Seeing his attacks getting quashed, Zig changed his approach. He used one arm to stop his rotation and shifted from a circular motion to a linear one. He stomped on the ground to accelerate and thrust the twinblade to Yaesar’s side. The sound of the air splitting filled the church as the heavy blade flew toward Yaesar’s torso.
What would he do now?
Unlike vertical and horizontal strikes, thrusts were difficult to dodge even if they could be deflected. Zig’s thrust left little room for deflection.
Yaesar kept his cool and rattled his crozier. He raised his hand and narrowed the trajectory of his weapon as he swung in a wide arc. He was aiming for the tip of the twinblade.
Zig thought he could push through, and so he did. He didn’t have enough momentum, though he doubted Yaesar would be able to stop him.
The remitter punished him for his naivete. “Such a violent fighting style.”
“Huh?!”
The tip of the crozier caught the cutting edge of the twinblade. It didn’t just knock it away. The twinblade’s edge was now caught in the large loop at the tip of the crozier. This was peak precision, catching another weapon’s cutting edge at high speed in a loop that was the size of a fist.
“Sei!” Yaesar countered once he had Zig’s weapon under control.
Zig tried to resist by pulling his weapon up and back toward his shoulder. However, Yaesar had taken advantage of the force of his own thrust and he stumbled forward, leaving himself completely exposed.
A chill ran down his spine. He had felt this many times in the past—a signal of impending death.
Yaesar pulled the twinblade out of the loop and thrust his crozier into Zig’s stomach like he was doing a shoulder throw. He didn’t even look at him and let the force of his momentum do all the work. His crozier sank deep into Zig’s core.
“Gah!”
Zig’s body crumpled. Then came the shock waves. Thrown off balance and the impact having nowhere to go, the wind was knocked right out of him, sending him flying right into the pews. The pain in his chest kept him awake. He got up on reflex before registering what had happened. His eyebrows knitted in pain. Zig coughed, forcing himself to breathe after the strike to his stomach. He prepared himself for another attack, but Yaesar just stood there, still in stance.
“I thought that would be the end of you,” Yaesar said, looking at Zig’s gauntlet. “You’re quite hardy. Good reflexes too.”
The fight would’ve been over if he hadn’t put his gauntlet up in time. His left gauntlet had taken the brunt of the force before it passed into his chest. His left gauntlet was in pieces, his chest plate cracked. If it weren’t for his equipment, he probably would’ve had a broken arm by now. As miserable as it was, this was the best possible outcome of that exchange.
With his opponent at rest, Zig took the time to take off his gauntlet and undo the clasps of his chest plate, letting it fall to the floor. He didn’t speak.
Yaesar was strong. He was stronger and had speed on top of that. His ability to deliver lethal blows accurately was top class.
Aside from all that—
He licked the blood from the corner of his lip as he thought.
—He’s more technical than Isana.
Isana Gayhone was the strongest fighter he had faced since he came to this land. The remitter’s skills surpassed the Princess of White Lightning.
“What about it?” Zig scoffed at Yaesar’s statement.
There were plenty of people more resilient than he was. However, survival was more than just luck or strength. Although he had suffered several injuries, it did little to dampen his fighting spirit. Zig swung his weapon to check his body’s status.
“What a rare sight!”
Yaesar’s eyes grew cautious… Not because of Zig but the person behind him. At some point, the commotion behind them had died down.
A question rang out from behind Zig. “Do you need my help?”
A soft, collected voice. It reminded him of the first time they met. An emotionless tone, asking if he needed help with some errands.
Zig let out another scoff. “That won’t be necessary.”
“I see.” She sounded disappointed at his rejection but satisfied nonetheless. Her voice returned to its regular tone as she stepped away from the fight.
“Are you sure about this?” Yaesar asked, unsure of what to make of the strange woman behind Zig. He had much the same misgivings about her as Zig did when he asked why didn’t he come at him with his cronies.
“Yeah. I can take you by myself,” Zig said.
“May I ask why?”
A strange light seemed to gleam in Zig’s eyes—he who didn’t like fighting people one-on-one. Zig shrugged as if to say, It’s nothing special, really, to a puzzled Yaesar. “She’s my client. Can’t afford to look bad in front of her. She might stop trusting me.”
“I see… Ha ha ha! You are a funny man.”
Yaesar showed his first genuine smile of the evening. The two combatants circled the church, looking for an opening to take advantage of. “It is truly regrettable that you became a sinner!”
The atmosphere was tense and close to snapping, when Zig’s foot scrapped against a broken pew. He felt a prickle at his nape, followed by an offensive smell. It’s coming.
Yaesar fired three stone bullets at staggered timings before rushing toward Zig.
Zig also made his move. He avoided one of the bullets by moving out of its line of fire and deflected another one with his weapon. He ignored the last one since there was no way it was going to hit him. Zig closed the distance with the intention of delivering a powerful blow.
Yaesar gained a sudden burst of speed and swung his crozier. He was still out of reach, and it didn’t look like he was activating any magic items.
His crozier hit one of the stone bullets, forcefully changing its trajectory. Now faster, the bullet sped toward Zig. He was altering the effects of a spell he had already cast.
Zig didn’t see it coming—he wasn’t expecting the man to space out his own attacks so he could control his opponent’s movement. He swung his twinblade, blocking the bullet with the opposite blade along with the crozier being swung at him. An explosive sound ripped through the air, sparks flying as the weapons clashed.
“You could have gone down a different path with so much power!”
Zig straightened out his knee as his twinblade gouged the crozier from under it to switch positions. Using his pivot leg, he twisted his upper body, scooping up the crozier, and flung it and Yaesar at the wall.
Yaesar hurtled straight toward the wall. There was no way for him to cushion the impact; the damage would be fatal.
If only Zig wasn’t up against a remitter. Yaesar folded his legs as he flew through the air. Conjuring two thin barriers to absorb some of the momentum, he spun and faced his feet to the wall. Before he made contact with the stone, he extended his legs and bent his knees to kill the impact. He threw some stone spears Zig’s way to keep him at bay as he tried to sprint toward him. He channeled more magic into his body before gravity could take over, gathering energy in his legs.
Yaesar went from slow to fast in a second, activating his physique enhancement spell with perfect timing. Using the wall as a springboard, Yaesar now raced back at Zig, faster than when he threw him earlier.
He activated his crozier’s magic seal. Yaesar charged in a straight line, his crozier leaving a trail of light and glowing like a meteor.
“Wha—”
Zig was taken aback but immediately prepared to meet Yaesar head-on.
There was a loud crash upon impact. Unable to stop Yaesar’s momentum, Zig’s feet skidded across the stone floor of the church. The wall-assisted charge had been powerful enough to make up for their difference in strength.
“Urgh!” Zig gritted his teeth and braced himself. Yaesar was on the offensive now, having used technique and magic items to overcome their power gap.
“I’ll make you eat those words!”
Zig whipped out his still-numb arm to fend him off, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop the charge.
The blow struck his side. His breathing grew ragged at the impact and the dull pain that followed.
“Why did you waste your potential on becoming a mercenary?! You could’ve had anything! Money, fame, anything!”
Zig stepped once more into the fray. Yaesar’s attack grazed his forehead by mere inches. One wrong move and his skull would’ve been blown to bits.
Zig weakened his grip and made an upward slash from below. By sliding his weapon, it disguised the reach of his attack, making it as long as possible. Realizing this, Yaesar arched his body, but it still managed to nick his side. The defensive spell engraved on his robes activated upon contact with the blade, but the blood red blade tore through the spell, eating into Yaesar’s flesh.
“Huh?!”
Yaesar felt shock run through him. The pain and the surprise of the attack caused him to lose track of his crozier.
Zig slashed in an X shape with his upper and lower blades. Yaesar’s body shook as he endured the heavy and powerful strikes of the twinblade.
“Tch!”
Regaining one’s balance against a powerful and multi-bladed weapon like the twinblade was difficult. Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Yaesar put up a stone wall between the two to buy himself time. The wall blocked the combatants from each other’s view.
His opponent would now be forced to choose his next angle of attack. However, as Yaesar recovered, a shadow loomed over his head.
This is what you get for thinking too fast!
He thrust out his crozier toward his defenseless opponent who had foolishly climbed over the wall. The ritual implement, glowing in the light of slain sinners, pierced its target…
…Zig’s abandoned cloak.
“Huh?!”
Yaesar pulled back his crozier, cursing himself for being tricked so easily. He looked around for his opponent, but he was nowhere to be seen. As if taking advantage of him being distracted, the wall in front of him shattered. He immediately jerked his body backward to avoid the shock wave produced by the magic item, but couldn’t put enough distance between him and the stone wall.
Rocks flew at him like shrapnel. His robes protected his body, but his head was a different story. Covering his eyes against this mercenary was too dangerous. He had no choice but to take the rocks coming for his head. They whizzed by his cheek and forehead, ripping through his skin, but at least his eyes were in one piece.
Zig now charged at the bleeding Yaesar, having blasted through the stone wall with his battle glove. “This is the only life I know! I’m not smart enough to make the switch to something more convenient!” He had lived by taking countless lives. He had mountains of corpses beneath him. He no longer felt that he was guilty of any wrongdoing, and he wasn’t about to turn his back on who he was now.
“I can relate—that makes two of us!” Yaesar welcomed Zig with a brilliant smile as he licked the blood from his cheek.
Twinblade and crozier clashed again. The crozier was glowing now, increasing its power to match Zig’s twinblade.
“I’ve lived like this for as long as I can remember! It’s too late to go down a different path now!”
He had believed the teachings, sacrificed himself for them. If the demi-humans weren’t sinners, he would just be another murderer. However, he had no intention of saying he was afraid of what he would become. The Claritist Church’s designation of “sinner,” the definition of “criminal”… These were all standards made to maintain a functional society. For Claritists, demi-humans were sinners. His duty was to protect the flock he belonged to, that’s all.
Even then…
He chose to believe, chose to sacrifice himself. He would not allow himself to turn his back on that.
Yaesar added more magic to his physical enhancement and items. He wanted to avoid a prolonged battle due to his dwindling mana. However, this was not an opponent he could hold back against. The remitter would not make such a foolish mistake. He could worry about what came next later. He would end this man. If he couldn’t overpower him, then he would out skill him.
With magic added to the mix, the scales began to tip in Yaesar’s favor.
He traded blows with Zig, looking for an opening as he kept his incantation up. In an incredible show of skill, he was threading the proverbial needle with his eyes closed, something he had picked up after countless battles.
An earthen spike sprang up from beneath Zig.
Since he couldn’t let up for a single moment, the attack should have been lethal. Zig’s ability to smell magic allowed him to dodge the attack, but he couldn’t nullify the opening it created.
The crozier exploited this and met with the twinblade, one weapon entwined with the other. The crozier wound around the twinblade, scooped it up, and tossed it upward.
However, two weapons flew through the air. Zig made the quick decision to let go of his weapon and kicked the crozier up with his right foot. He brought his foot down again and stepped inside.
Both combatants were unarmed now. There was no stopping either of them. Neither paid any attention to their weapons as they moved. Because they attacked simultaneously, their attacks landed at the same time.
Yaesar’s left leg slithered like a snake. Zig’s left leg swung like a battering ram. Both aimed at the other’s head.
A loud cracking sound tore through the church, and then impact. A kick from the left leg was blocked with the right arm. Though they had differing approaches, both attacks landed at the same time with the same results. Yaesar’s sharp kick would have snapped Zig’s neck if it had landed instead of only sneaking slightly through his defense. Meanwhile, Zig’s heavy kick would have shattered Yaesar’s neck as it blew through his guard.
“Gaah!”
They both shook their heads and delivered a front kick, making some distance between them before they could fully recover from the near concussion.
Their weapons dropped before them. Without looking at each other, they grabbed them and slowly got back on their feet.
“Your technique is unrefined… But not bad.”
“You’re pretty strong yourself… For being malnourished.”
Despite the lighthearted exchange, both looked heavily beat up. They could tell from each other’s gaze that the next attack was going to be the last. No draws, no time extensions—the end would be decided here and now.
They both took deep breaths to prepare for what they were about to do next. Zig took a deep, slow breath, while Yaesar took a light, long one.
They readied themselves.
Zig leaned forward, assuming an offensive stance for maximum power. Yaesar lowered his center of gravity, focusing on defense so he could launch his counterattack. The two opposing postures depicted the combatants’ different approaches.
“I will control your strength with my softness,” Yaesar declared, trusting his game plan.
“Then I’ll break your softness with my strength,” Zig countered.
These were the last words the two exchanged, but they were enough. Neither of them would stop until one of them was dead. No negotiations or compromise. Just a battle where a victor and loser would emerge.
The silence lasted for what felt like an eternity. Zig was the one who broke it.
A crackle of fire—such was the force of Zig’s step. His footfalls exploded across the floor, making it seem like the church itself was shaking.
Zig flexed, releasing the pent-up energy he had stored like a spring. It took time for his giant body to reach top speed, but it rivaled that of Isana’s lightning-clad enhancement.
Yaesar’s eyes widened. He was two meters away now. A giant red arc was approaching him with ridiculous speed. Yaesar focused, trying to see everything in slow motion. His mind was going so fast that he could count every pebble and dust particle Zig had kicked up. It took forever just to breathe out.
“Haaah—!”
His polished, lethal sight and his counterattacks—the strengths he had gathered over his years of experience—would be tested in this single moment.
Zig swung his twinblade in the time it took to blink. His feet landed on the flooring so hard it felt like the earth would break. He did the motion over and over again without hesitation, adding the momentum from his charge to his slash.
No fancy techniques, just a raw culmination of what he had learned over the years.
Being faster. Stronger. Straightforward goals pursued through dogged persistence. Counterattacks were the height of gentle strength—the ability to receive violence, convert it, and turn it against its owner. It was a highly effective combat method against much more powerful demi-humans. It was what made him a remitter.
Yaesar made cold decisions with fiery emotion. His opponent’s speed and power were out of the ordinary. Focusing on his weapon wouldn’t give him enough time. He had to read his whole body. Even with his accelerated mind, he still found it difficult to calculate the speed of Zig’s blade. However, he was overjoyed that he was fighting his most powerful opponent so far and wanted to rise to the occasion.
He shifted his body in an arc, his crozier following suit. He could do nothing to stop the blade coming down on his head; stepping into the attack might lead to his death.
All Yaesar needed to do was shift the trajectory of the twinblade. With that understanding, he rushed forward.
Crozier and twinblade finally clashed. He had correctly calculated its trajectory, the timing perfect. And yet…he failed to change the twinblade’s trajectory.
“Huh?!”
The crozier lowered as the blade increased in speed at the last moment to overpower it, making a straight line with the intent to cut its target in half. The dark red blade ran through Yaesar’s left shoulder, eating through the protective spell and all the flesh and bone underneath.
Yaesar reacted with his own attack, albeit a little late. He forcefully thrust his lowered crozier in an attempt to gouge Zig’s stomach. Blood sprang like a fountain, then flowed in a steady stream. If Yaesar pressed on, Zig would die.
“Urgh—”
Their eyes met, a momentary glance at each other. They exchanged savage smiles like they were longtime friends.
Press on and die? No. Press on and he would kill the other man.
Neither man stopped. Their weapons dug into each other’s flesh, neither of them relenting to the other.
And so, the curtains drew to a close in the battle to the death between two men, leaving only one survivor. The winner turned his back on the defeated, adding another to his body count. There was no glory or joy in the victory. He just carried his weapon and walked away.
A woman came to greet the victor—bewitching with her black hair and terrifying power. His client.
“Got him,” he reported.
He spat out blood as more gushed from his body. He had narrowly avoided death and would join those he defeated in the grave soon without treatment.
And yet Zig won, so he maintained his composure.
“Yes. I knew you would.” The witch, Siasha, caressed his bloodied face and smiled gently at him, not minding the mess it would leave on her hand.
Now his body—that was the real mess. The crozier was left in his stomach; removing it carelessly would cause him to bleed out. Several ribs were clearly cracked. The other injuries he picked up along the way were not to be taken lightly. He probably would’ve died if Siasha hadn’t been there to heal him.
Removing the crozier buried in his stomach was the most difficult part. Siasha had been ready with her healing magic, so they managed to pull it out in one go and wrap it in a clean cloth. Zig still felt like he was about to pass out as she stopped the bleeding. The procedure ended as soon as they stemmed the blood flow.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Zig waved his hand, telling her not to worry about him. His insides were still far from perfect, but he probably didn’t have enough stamina to withstand her treatment. More healing magic would leave him immobile because of the intense battle he just had. It couldn’t be helped, really. He slapped his sagging feet to wake them up and stood.
“Let’s get going,” he said. “Open the door.”
“Okay.” Siasha waved her hand, the boulder covering the door crumbling.
Zig had his hands on his weapon in case of reinforcements, but his worries were unfounded. Night had already fallen beyond the boulder. The moon was full, the night bright under the magically lit lights.
They highlighted the half circle of corpses right near the entrance. Cause of death: laceration by sharp object. The cuts to the torsos and necks were severely sharp, going through flesh with little to no resistance. Whoever did this had an extremely sharp blade.
It was all in a day’s work for the artist who produced this massacre. She stood in the center of the corpse pile.
“You’re late.” Isana turned to face them, silver hair gleaming in the moonlight.
“What are you doing here?” Zig asked, somewhat cautious.
She didn’t seem to mind his wariness and wiped the blood from her cheek, flicking it to the ground. She took a deep breath to calm herself from the battle high and said, “I’m here to repay a favor. That’s all.”
Zig’s eyebrows furrowed at her nonchalant statement. “You’re an idiot. One wrong move and you would’ve made an enemy out of the whole Claritist Church.”
Isana narrowed her eyes, somewhat annoyed. “You did that too once.” Although Zig had a working relationship with the mafia now, he could easily turn them against him the moment he took up a job with the Jinsu-Yah.
“We’ve got different loads on our backs. Do you really want to wreck the peace you’ve built up with this idiotic stunt?” Zig was unusually disapproving for once.
“You could’ve just said ‘thank you’…” Isana had been hoping for words of gratitude, if not a simple bow. When she received neither, her ears drooped like a disappointed dog.
“Huh?”
It was then that Isana’s sharp hearing picked up on some footsteps. Her drooping ears perked up immediately as she cast a cautious eye in its direction. Several figures appeared from the corner of a building. Their shoulders were hunched, violence radiating from them. These weren’t ordinary townspeople out for an evening walk.
Somehow, Isana slackened her expression. “You’re from Bazarta.”
“Lady Isana? What are you doing here?”
Albano, the tough guy with a scarred face, looked visibly surprised. Neither expected the other to be here, so both had confusion written on their faces. However, there was no time for deliberation considering Zig’s condition.
“Sorry, but you guys can have this conversation another day,” Zig interrupted and looked at Albano. “As promised, we left the building mostly intact. The door and furniture inside are pretty much gone, though.”
Albano couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You really did it… Just the two of you?”
Zig tossed the thing in his hand over to him. Yaesar’s crozier fell on the ground with a rattle.
Albano’s eyes widened in shock and recognition. “That’s…”
“I killed Yaesar the remitter.”
That was all the evidence they needed. There was no way its previous owner would let go of his weapon without a fight.
“Take care of the rest,” Zig ordered.
“R-right…”
Albano turned to his men and motioned them to enter the church.
“That’s it. Not bad for prep, huh?”
Isana could imagine what kind of deal Zig struck with Bazarta. He had promised to sell the church to the mafia after claiming its territory, solidifying their grip on the area.
That was why he went to see them this afternoon. “They laughed at first. ‘You’re welcome to try,’ they said.”
Isana shrugged, Vanno’s slimy smile popping up in her head. “I can imagine…”
No matter how good you were, claiming an entire Claritist Church was not something two people could reasonably do. She was very interested in seeing how the snake would react to the report, but that was a luxury only his men would get to enjoy.
“I wasn’t expecting you to bring Siasha, though. I thought you were supposed to be protecting her.”
“Trust me, I wanted to leave her behind too.”
Isana followed them after they left the church. She was perfectly right, but there was more to tonight’s incident than just getting even. The church had made an attempt on Zig’s life and he had been banned from the guild. Siasha’s anger had been at a boiling point. If she hadn’t let it out tonight, it would have blown up elsewhere. He didn’t want to think about the damage she could have done then.
“It couldn’t be helped, really,” Siasha said. “Zig wasn’t allowed to set foot in the guild as long as those people had their eyes on him. All I wanted to do was to make it as a proper adventurer. Don’t you think it’s awful?”
“Uhh, I guess?” Isana said.
“So, I thought why not just do everyone a favor and exterminate them as quickly as possible?”
“True…”
Why is she agreeing with her? Zig knew Siasha wasn’t well adjusted, but this other woman definitely had some screws loose. He recalled her earlier question.
“So why are you here?” he asked.
“Look, I said I was repaying a favor.”
“Yeah, I got that. Who told you about what happened?”
“Urbas and Bates… Elsia too, I guess.”
Word had spread further than he thought. Understandable considering the scene that broke out at the guild earlier today.
“Urbas felt awful about it. He thought he got you dragged into this mess.”
“I already told him he had nothing to do with it…” Apparently, Zig’s explanation had not been enough for the scalefolk, who valued debts of gratitude highly.
“Bates and Elsia are going around to clear your names too.”
“They really didn’t have to.”
Zig realized he was getting a lot of help with this incident—even Isana had helped to take care of reinforcements. He would have to thank them later.
“Ugh.” His knees went out from under him.
“Zig!” Siasha immediately caught him, but his weight was too much for her to bear. Isana stepped in to help just as he was about to squash her.
“Hey, you doing okay?” Isana asked.
“Sorry. My legs got hit a lot worse than I thought.”
“It’s all right. Siasha, you take that side. We’ll take him to a doctor Bates knows.”
“All right.”
They walked together, both supporting Zig.
“Sorry about this,” he said.
Isana swallowed at hearing how weak he sounded. She could only imagine how difficult the battle had been. She couldn’t tell how bad his injuries were earlier, but now that she was up close, she could see they were terrible. The wound in his stomach was particularly deep; it was a wonder Zig was still able to walk.
Isana was silent, her ears twitching in wonder as she examined his wounds. The strength of this mercenary was extraordinary. Even though she was considered a master of war amongst the Jinsu-Yah—a people known for their ferocity—she had never seen a fighter like him. How fierce his opponent must have been to fight him until he was so heavily injured.
She felt a smile forming on her face. “So… How tough was that remitter?” She knew it wasn’t the time, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Plenty tough.”
“Tougher than me?”
“Tougher than you, than me… He was really strong.” His reply was more than what she expected.
Isana’s smile deepened. She couldn’t hide the surge of emotions welling within her.
“Stronger than you? But you won, though?”
Zig remembered the sensation in his hands as he killed Yaesar. He balled up a fist, letting blood that wasn’t his drip to the ground.
“He was stronger than me. I just happened to beat him, that’s all.”
Chapter 5: Aftermath
Chapter 5:
Aftermath
THE TWO CARRIED ZIG TO BATES’S DESIGNATED DOCTOR. The Wadatsumi clan were frequent patients of the small clinic where Zig had been treated before. Although it was past operating hours, Dorea, the head doctor, accepted him without complaint.
“Thanks, doc. I’m in your care again.”
“All part of the job. It won’t be cheap, though.”
“Please go easy on me.”
Dorea let out a soft belly laugh while Zig winced at the thought of the impending medical bill. “You’re still in good shape if you can worry about your wallet. I’ll take care of him.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Siasha rented an empty room so she could stay the night, while Isana readied herself to report to Bates and the others.
“Thanks for all the help, Isana.”
“Hmph… Just get better. The two of us will have a problem if your skills get rusty.”
With that, she turned around and left the clinic.
“My, my, quite a mess you got yourself into. Folks usually die from this even with healing magic.” Dorea was both impressed and exasperated as he inspected Zig’s injuries. After performing the necessary treatment, he examined Zig’s complexion, then looked into whether he would lose any of his existing bodily functions.
“I’m tougher than average because I’m bigger.”
“Even so. Here.” Dorea gave Zig what looked like a plate. “It’s a little too early for you to have solid food, but you did say you were exceptionally hardy.”
“What’s this?”
“Special patient food. Healing magic takes a lot of energy, but so does digestion. This is solidified paste, highly nutritious. Easily digestible and a complete meal.”
As he listened to the doctor, Zig tore through the wrapper and inspected its contents.
The pale biscuit smelled somewhat medicinal. He nibbled at it.
“Hmm.” It was hard, crumbly, and incredibly bitter. Grainy like sand and scratchy going down. Yet, an oily sensation filled his mouth as he chewed.
In a word, it was horrible. “Tastes awful,” Zig grumbled.
“And yet you’re still eating it. No one likes this stuff, you know.”
“Mercenaries can’t afford to complain about food.” Mercenaries would eat rats and drink sewage if they had to. This hardtack was at least nutritious, so it was a luxury by comparison.
“It’s made of monstrosity offal.”
“It doesn’t matter if it was made out of their reproductive organs. I just need the nutrition.”
Dorea laughed with amusement. He could tell Zig wasn’t putting up a front. It was refreshing to see him eating the highly nutritious food without flinching. It was the same food that made his previous patients beg for death instead.
“Excellent. It’s actually quite pricey so it’s nice not seeing it go to waste.”
Zig’s eyebrows twitched, though he stayed silent. Seeing a man who didn’t care about taste yet was highly worried about price was quite comical.
Dorea held in his laughter, said, “Get well soon,” and left the room. As he walked away, Zig gave him a bitter look, and it wasn’t just from the food. He wasn’t completely satisfied, but he knew he should prioritize his recovery and get some rest. His enemies certainly wouldn’t wait for him to get better.
He was all right for now, but the world was a dangerous place.
Turning off the lights, he settled in to get some sleep. However, he sensed someone outside the door. Realizing who the figure was, he smiled wryly to himself and called out to her.
“Did you need something?”
She seemed surprised but slowly opened the door. The back of Siasha’s hand slowly slid into view through the crack. She took a small stone from her pocket and charged it with mana. The stone began to glow faintly. It was a magic item she bought the other day to read books by. She stopped charging it with mana so it wouldn’t be too bright for Zig and set it on his bedside table.
She sat on the chair at his bedside, the one Dorea had occupied. “How are you feeling?”
“Not great, but I’ll manage. Apparently, healing magic works great on me.”
“I know you respond to it better than I do, and I’ve always thought it was because of a difference in physical strength, but it’s still surprising. Heinz barely got better when I healed him the other day…” Heinz was the first time she had used healing magic on anyone other than themselves. Zig had also thought it was due to a difference in physical strength, but it wasn’t a complete answer.
“Why does it work so well on me?” he asked.
She leaned in to share her hypothesis. “The people here heavily rely on magic. They recover faster than you do, but they’ve built a resistance to healing magic. I read the other day that because the body relies on it to recover, it stops trying to heal itself.”
As an unused muscle would atrophy, so did the natural healing ability of people who relied on healing magic to get better. They probably wouldn’t last long if they only relied on their body’s natural way of recovering. Discarding unnecessary functions and enhancing the ones that were needed… These were the principles of evolution.
“So, my ancestors decided they didn’t need magic?” Zig’s ancestors took to training their bodies instead of using magic. That still left some questions, though.
Although it had its shortcomings, magic was still widely useful. Starting fires, making water, blocking off storms; using magic outweighed not using it. Even with his naturally powerful recovery, the people of this land still recuperated faster because of their healing magic. As strong as the human body was, it would still get blown to pieces if a spell hit it directly.
Zig couldn’t imagine the circumstances that led to his ancestors deciding magic wasn’t necessary for survival.
“I don’t know. There is such a thing as atavism. Really, this is the first time I’ve seen humans use magic.”
“So, we didn’t have it to begin with?”
“That’s one possibility.”
Either they never had it or they lost it. Was it really such a drastic change from merely moving continents? It was an interesting thought, but he wasn’t smart enough to keep thinking about it. “Guess we’re back to square one. But I’m guessing that’s not what you wanted to talk about.” Zig urged her to get to the point.
She looked down and said with a low voice, “That man… Yaesar. You don’t usually talk that much when you’re fighting.”
“Yeah…” Zig’s gaze seemed to look far away as he recalled what had happened. After Isana told him the origins of the remitter, a thought had formed in his mind.
Yaesar the remitter. He was strong. Just purely strong.
And Zig barely got out alive. One wrong move and he would’ve been the one to join the corpse pile.
“He was me in a different environment.” His thoughts found the words and spilled out of him. Never had he found ones so appropriate. “Awful upbringing, little to no options.”
One was an orphan led into warfare. Another was a tool presented by his parents to serve the faithful.
“Even so, he chose to fight.” He wasn’t a product of his environment. No one forced the choice on him. He, and no one else, chose to walk a path littered with corpses. He brandished the blade of his own volition.
“He looked so happy when he was dying.” He had accepted his own death with no regrets. He held no remorse for what he had done but did not turn his back on his actions either.
“I… I wonder if I’ll be that happy when I die?”
Those were the words that left Zig’s lips. Aimed at no one in particular, the words evaporated into the air like smoke. In the ear-piercing silence, Siasha spoke up with a quivering voice, desperate to hold down her emotions.
“Zig… You won’t die.” Her hand held his finger. “I won’t let you.”
The warmth of her wavering voice was enough to bring Zig back to reality. He turned his unfocused gaze toward Siasha, toward her trembling shoulders. He didn’t see a witch. He saw a little girl who was afraid of losing what she had.
What the hell was he getting all sentimental about? So, he almost went down into the abyss. So what?
I’ve got a lot to learn if I’m making my client worry this much. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Within the darkness, the firm grip on his fingertip became that much clearer.
He opened his eyes. The old mercenary had returned. “My job isn’t finished. I’ve got no plans of dying until I’m done.”
“Oh…”
He placed his palm on Siasha’s head and felt her trembling through his warmth. His fingers fell through her black hair and he stroked her cheek. Taking comfort in the softness of her skin, he then brought up the ever-prominent subject of their schedule.
“You can get to adventuring again now that that mess is out of the way. Wait for me to get discharged and stay sharp.”
“Okay.”
***
Midnight—the time when people were asleep.
Several shadowy figures surrounded a small, privately owned clinic. They glared at the building, hate filling their eyes. It was clear at first glance that they weren’t after its money or belongings.
“Barbarians who refuse the true teachings!”
“Unforgivable… That man is undeserving of mercy or compassion!”
They were remnants of the Claritists. Living a hidden life among the townspeople, they were tasked with observing the demi-humans. In other words, spies. Though they weren’t openly religious, their devotion was genuine, and they had a deep loyalty to the remitter Yaesar.
They couldn’t believe their ears when they heard the news of Yaesar’s defeat. Impossible. He had indomitable faith and indomitablestrength. His feat of defeating a group of thirty-strong demi-humans from Striggo by himself was still talked about to this day.
And a mere mercenary defeated him?
“For Lord Yaesar!” A man at the head of the group raised his hand to signal the rest of the group—
“That’s as far as you go.” A deep voice echoed through the night.
“Huh?!”
Two shadowy figures suddenly appeared before the faithful: a large man, an adventurer whose bald head shone under the moonlight, and a silver-haired woman in robes.
“Just like you said,” the bald man laughed as he rested his battle axe on his shoulder. “This kind of cunning is what makes them so dangerous.”
The woman had a blindfold on and yet seemed to be able to see them perfectly. She had a club at her side. “I see. So, these are the guys who snitched on Zig. What a pain in the ass… You really do have to watch your words.”
Bates and Elsia. The two had been on the lookout, prepared for would-be assailants to attack Zig while he was asleep. A former Claritist herself, Elsia’s prediction had been proven right when the assailants appeared under cover of night.
“Are you friends of the sinner?!” The man barked at them, confused by their sudden appearance and annoyed at being ignored. The mercenary was said to have many enemies after causing trouble left and right. No one should be around to help him.
However, the two weren’t exactly who the man thought they were. “I wouldn’t say we’re friends exactly…” Bates said. “Maybe close acquaintances?”
“Hah! What a bad joke. We almost killed each other the other day,” Elsia quipped back.
“Then stay out of the way. That sinner must die!” The leader pulled out his sword, and the others followed suit. A fight was about to break out.
However, Bates and Elsia remained calm and stood there with dubious expressions on their faces.
“Well, we can’t have you do that. I owe him a favor.”
“What he said. I need to pay him back for picking up my blindfold.”
“So, you’re going to make enemies out of us?” That was a threat and not a question. A matter of whether all the adventurers wanted to turn the Claritist Church against them.
“What are you talking about? We’re just defending an innocent physician from heartless bandits.”
“That’s right. We’re just passing by. Besides…did you really think you’d walk out of here alive?”
A beautiful yet menacing glint shone under her blindfold. The assailants froze like frogs under the snake’s gaze as their lives flickered like a candle in the wind.
***
It had been three days since Zig’s hospitalization. The days had gone by peacefully without any trouble. In fact, Glow and Urbas had dropped by to visit the other day. They left after Zig promised to fill them in once he got better. He was therefore able to focus on his recovery.
With his strength returning, his injuries healed and most of his large wounds knitted back together. His appetite grew to compensate. His diet was such that it made you rethink the definition of food.
“This is a hospital, you know,” Dorea said through a strained smile, but there was no getting through to him. Zig’s hunger was so intense that he ate like he was perpetually starving, consuming all the food laid before him. He seemed to be digesting whatever he ate indefinitely.
He ripped into a whole slab of bacon and tore into a loaf of bread without breaking it into bite-sized pieces. He gobbled things up so fast that it was unlikely he was chewing any of it, then moved on to his next prey: a bowl of soup to wash everything down.
“You really need to chew your food…” Dorea’s shoulders slumped as he watched his patient exhibit a never-before-seen degree of culinary violence.
Zig paused for a moment, feeling bad that he was ignoring the person who had been taking care of him for the past few days. “Don’t worry,” he said, grabbing another head of leafy greens and sticking his carving knife—which the Bazartas had recovered for him the other day—in it. Although the knife had previously cut into human and monstrosity flesh, Zig didn’t seem to mind. “I’m eating my vegetables.” He ran his knife through it, slicing it in half, and scarfed it down without a grain of seasoning.
“I…see.” Dorea decided to let it go since Zig was at least taking some of his advice.
Zig continued to eat, with a defeated Dorea at his side, when the door to the room opened.
“I’m back… Whoa!” Siasha stumbled from the weight of the bags of food in her hands. “Your extra orders.” She laid out the food in front of him. Zig put down his empty bowl and gave her a satisfied nod.
“Thanks.”
Siasha refilled his bowl of soup and offered him an awkward smile. “There goes all the food in the neighborhood…”
This injury was the biggest one Zig had ever suffered. He needed more healing magic channeled into him, and because of those treatments, his hunger increased. He had already devoured all the food from the nearby stalls, causing stores to stop operations by lunchtime. In fact, Zig wasn’t even eating finished products; he was gobbling down ingredients.
He wanted to get every bit of nutrients in his body, and cooking took too much time. However, Dorea insisted on having at least a little bit of seasoning, and so Zig had some salt, pepper, and mustard on the side.
Siasha’s soup was the main staple while he was undergoing treatment, and they bought whatever bread, bacon, and other foodstuffs the stores had in stock.
“You’ve been eating so much food that the military police came over to investigate,” Dorea said. “They suspected me of harboring a monstrosity…”
“A ha ha… Sorry for the trouble.”
“Oh, it’s all right. It’s for the patient, after all. I’m just not used to this kind of progress.”
It was all worth it because Zig was taking extraordinary steps into his recovery. Injuries that would normally take half a year to mend were almost fully healed. Food expenses were a small price to pay for treating damage that would normally take medical experts and specialized equipment.
It did bear repeating: Healing magic is not all powerful. The bigger the injury was, the more energy it would take to mend it. The inability to withstand healing magic would create an endless loop of trying to fix a wound that wouldn’t close. Not a rare occurrence. Things would go differently if highly nutritious foods and specialized medicines were available, but those cost a lot of money and were not available to the public. Zig’s circumstance was unique because of his zero reliance on magical healing and incredibly robust body.
This is good. Zig never stopped chewing, but his thoughts had shifted from satisfying his hunger to enjoying his food. He was feeling that much better.
Eat rats and drink sewage if you have to. Such was his motto, but he absolutely could enjoy delicious food if the situation allowed. Sure, he was eating ingredients instead of actual meals, but they were enough for him.Currently, he was very much satisfied with the saltiness of the bacon he had in his mouth. The stale bread he was eating had the texture of a hardened rock, but he was content with every bite he took. The raw vegetables were freshly picked, leaving a crisp and moist aftertaste as he swallowed.
It is said that hunger is the best seasoning, and that saying was being put to the test today. He kept eating for an hour.
“Well, I’m full.” His hunger was finally satisfied after several rounds of food and a full pot of soup. While he rubbed his stomach, Siasha poured him a cup of tea for him to drink.
“I was getting nervous,” she said. “I thought your stomach might burst.”
“Me too, actually.”
The food he ate felt like it was instantly used by his body, and it scared him somewhat. “I know this is helping me get better, but blowing the budget on this every time I get hurt…” He was afraid to even think about the food expenses he had racked up over the past three days.
Because of his brand-new weapon, Zig’s wallet was on its last legs. He probably would be down to pennies after paying Dorea for his treatment and hospitalization. They had several gems they could trade for money, but those were for emergency purposes only.
“I have to get right back to work once I’m out.”
“You really don’t have to… I can lend you some money if you need it.”
“What kind of a bodyguard borrows from his client? But I appreciate the sentiment.”
As they talked, Zig sensed a presence approaching his room. Judging by the footfalls, it wasn’t Dorea. A knock came, and the door opened before Zig could turn whoever it was away.
“Hey there. You’re looking better than I thought.” Inside stepped a man wearing a beat-up trench coat and a grimy smile, and a woman with a dagger at her waist. Vanno and Katia, both Bazarta officials, entered his room. They looked at Zig, eyebrows furrowed.
“The boys said you were incredibly messed up.” Vanno looked up and down at Zig since it sure didn’t seem that way to him, but got nothing out of the inspection. All Zig did was eat and sleep.
Katia seemed worried but also exasperated. “You sure you’re okay?” she asked. “You just got beat up the other day.”
“You’re exaggerating. As you can see, I’ll be out soon. What do you want?” He doubted that the Bazartas were making a social visit. So, he urged them to get to the point.
Vanno took out a cigar but pocketed it again when Katia reminded him they were at a hospital. “The remitter Yaesar Baron is dead. Most of the congregation is wiped out, little to no survivors… Can’t believe you actually did it.”
“They came after me, so I killed them. That’s all.”
The fact that Claritists attacked Zig in broad daylight was pretty well-known. Zig and Siasha went to put in a complaint, and they were attacked again, at which point they defended themselves. They just happened to wipe out the local Claritists in the process.
That was the gist of the whole incident. Nothing more, nothing less.
“‘That’s all,’ after all those folks you killed—well, whatever. Thanks to that we have free reign over the place now. All we had to do was talk to the military police and ‘convince’ them that it was all self-defense. Not a bad deal.”
Vanno chuckled at the killing he had just made. Katia smiled wryly.
“Our younger guys will take care of that church. We’ll keep the facade but use it for our own purposes.”
With the religious nutjobs out of the way, the Bazarta was swimming in profit. The church was located in an area that was very strategic for business. The split of the city’s territories had already been set in stone, so chances like this were few and far between. Each faction eyed each other’s regions, waiting for an opening to engulf their enemies. The opportunity to take a whole chunk of real estate was too good to be ignored.
“Probably wrecked the power balance a bit, though.”
“The Cantarella will start bitching at us if we’re too flagrant about it.” Vanno smiled as he thought about profits and how panicked his enemies would look.
“As promised, we’ve made sure that your line of work will not be disrupted.”
“Good. Is that all?”
Vanno’s gaze wandered, landing on Siasha who sat next to Zig, innocently sipping her tea. “By the way, aren’t you going to introduce us to this lovely lady?” Vanno said as he inspected Siasha with his slimy gaze.
The lady in question only tilted her head and set her cup down. “My name is Siasha and I’m an adventurer. Zig is my bodyguard and assistant.”
“Oh, and so polite! The name’s Vanno. I’ve had a few business transactions with that guy in the bed.”
“Katia. Zig took care of me once.”
Pleasantries exchanged, Vanno turned an interested eye toward Zig. “Bodyguard… You don’t say?”
Zig knew exactly what he was getting at.
Vanno had looked into them, but the information he got from reports and from people varied. Seeing Siasha stay by Zig’s bedside as he recovered told him that theirs was no ordinary client-bodyguard relationship. If she was more than a client, she could be Zig’s weakness.
Or so Vanno thought. Zig knew how dangerous he was and how people like him always wanted to be in control. Katia herself had investigated him the other day, leading him to think that the mafia couldn’t help but want dirt on everyone they met.
“Vanno,” he said.
“Yes, sir?”
He didn’t like wasting his time on pointless battles. Especially when his pockets were empty. A simple warning would be enough. If Vanno didn’t catch it, well, that was his problem.
“Look at Siasha’s eyes.”
“Her eyes?” Vanno tried to read between the lines but could tell from his voice that he wasn’t hiding anything. He turned his gaze toward Siasha. Black hair like spilled ink. Flawless pearl white skin. Curves in all the right places, classy without being obscene. The perfect balance between girlish and womanly charms that made her all the more enchanting.
“Hmm…” Yes, she was a looker. No wonder the mercenary fell for her. He had no trouble with women considering his position, but one like this was rare. And her beautiful eyes…
Azure eyes that seemed like bottomless pools. He felt chills run down his spine. It was like those eyes were sucking him in.
More. He wanted to see more. His brain ordered it so, and his body followed. He saw chaos deep within.
“Eh?!”
His body tensed like it was being paralyzed. An instinctual fear took over as realization came over him. Why didn’t he notice sooner? It was like his head had been dunked with cold water. It was too late now. Chills ran down his spine. Alarms were blaring in his head, his instincts screaming.
Why didn’t he notice sooner?
“Vanno?” Katia threw him a puzzled look. He wanted to scream at her, Why aren’t you seeing this?!Divert your eyes! Now!
His body wasn’t following his commands. Suffocation. He tried to breathe but failed.
It was Zig’s voice that saved him.
“Siasha.”
Siasha turned away. “Yes?”
“Gah! Huff… Huff…”
Just like that, he was free. Like a bad dream, the cold and paralysis were gone. However, the pressure he had felt was all too real. Sweat dripped from his forehead down to his chin.
“Now look here, Mister.” Vanno gave out a croak. It sounded like he hadn’t had a sip to drink all day.
He didn’t even care about that now. This thing…
“What the hell did you bring over here?”
This monster!
“I’ll work for anyone and anything if they pay me enough,” Zig said.
Siasha pouted, displeased at the fact that she was being called an “it,” but Vanno didn’t care. He was still sweating, and the room wasn’t even warm. One could only imagine the state of his mind at that point. He tried his best to conceal his rising tone.
“There’s a limit to working for things. The Jinsu-Yah aren’t even close to this thing…!”
Vanno understood perfectly the danger Siasha posed. He had come across many dangerous people due to his line of work. Drug addicts who would randomly lash out at you. Thugs who ended you as soon as you crossed them. Killers who took lives as naturally as breathing, treating people like chattel.
The mercenary before him had the airs of a killer, but even he was on a different level. This man was also something he had never seen before, but he wasn’t very different from someone in the underworld. After all, he was still human.
No matter how much of a loose cannon you were, no matter how insane, even if you behaved like little more than an animal, it didn’t take away from the fact that you were still human.
But the woman before him? She could speak, could think. She wasn’t breathing heavily nor were her pupils dilated. Her hands weren’t shaking, and she was perfectly sane. Yet she didn’t feel the least bit human.
She was like…an insect. An insect that spoke human words and wore human skin to look human. No matter how much it tried to be human, the disguise would never be perfect. His instincts, beyond all reason, rejected her very existence—this thing that looked human yet wasn’t.
If one were to name the emotion he felt toward this unspeakable creature, fear would be the most appropriate.
“Wow… You really are good at judging people.”
Zig was genuinely impressed at Vanno’s assessment. Vanno had been reading people for a long time. All Zig wanted to do was warn him that his life would be in danger if he tried anything with Siasha. Apparently, he saw something much more than that.
“Vanno, what—” Katia began.
“Don’t you feel anything with this thing?” Vanno said in a husky voice, ignoring Katia. “You know about it and you’re just walking around with it?”
He would understand if no one noticed. Even he didn’t until he really looked at her. However, this man was different. This man knew about her from the very beginning and always accompanied her on top of that.
Vanno couldn’t believe it. Hanging around with enemies and monstrosities, that he could understand. They were predictable to a point; you knew what was dangerous about them.
“Well?” Zig remained silent and stretched his hand toward Siasha, placing it on top of her head. Siasha, still annoyed at being called a thing, slowly softened, allowing herself to be petted. The scene was heartwarming to anyone else except Vanno, who silently looked at it like something out of a horror novel.
He couldn’t read them. He couldn’t tell what this woman was thinking or what she would do next. He couldn’t read her. He wouldn’t be surprised if she ripped him to shreds the next second. She was inscrutable. And yet this mercenary was petting the head of this human-shaped thing like it was the most obvious thing to do.
“I’ve got no problems with that. Money and work. Those are the only things a mercenary wants.”
“You’re out of your mind,” Vanno said sincerely.
“So, what’ll you do?” Zig answered with a wry smile like he was used to that response. “Personally, I recommend against messing with her.”
“Thank you for the warning.” Vanno stood up. Katia, still confused, followed him.
“I’m a straightforward kinda guy. I can take the advice of other people without complaint.”
“Smart.”
“In exchange…” Vanno turned to him with one hand on the door. “Please, oh please, don’t bring that thing anywhere near us.” With that request made, he was gone.
“What a rude man. Calling me a thing and ‘it.’ But he was quite sharp.”
“Yeah. A lot of the people here are kind of dense, but he’s a special case.”
Other races…
Perhaps the humans here had just gotten used to living with demi-humans. Vanno was different with how fast he realized what Siasha was.
“The people back home called me a witch without me ever saying a word. Happened a lot too. Is it so easy to tell?”
“Kind of. Even if they don’t identify you as a witch properly, they can tell without looking at you that you’re not normal.”
In a sense, she was on a different level in the food chain. As a lamb fears a wolf, so humans were afraid of witches who were much stronger than them.
“Does the same apply to you?” Siasha asked, giving him a worried sideways glance.
Zig thought about how to answer her but decided to be honest.
“I don’t know.”
“Whaaa?” Disappointed as she was, Siasha sounded like she was half relieved. She wanted a more concrete answer, but she could understand if that was Zig’s honest reply.
“Besides, we were at each other’s throats the first time we met,” Zig continued. “I was scared then, sure, but that might have been me being scared of your powerful magic.” A battle against an unknown opponent and the new sensation of smelling magic had been equally confusing. Overcoming them both was Siasha’s powerful magic. “I didn’t have time to be afraid of a witch. I barely won that fight in the end. Why would I be afraid of someone I already beat?”
She nodded, not all the way convinced. “I suppose you have a point…”
Zig remembered what she had said back then—“I’m so tired.” The witch had given up. Even with all her power, her lonely, evanescent smile made her look so small.
“Hmm…”
Sleep began to creep within him. He had used a lot of energy, so his body requested rest so it could get back to healing itself. “Sorry… But I think I’m going to sleep for now.”
“Of course. Good night, Zig. I hope you get well soon.”
“Yeah.”
Zig nodded to her before immediately dozing off. He didn’t fight to stay awake and surrendered to the sweet release of sleep.
“He he.”
Siasha smiled as she watched him sleep. She got up, reached out to him, and put her hand on his cheek.
Zig, who would usually wake up at the mere presence of someone else in the room, showed no sign of waking. Either his slumber was that deep or he allowed himself the luxury of sleep when in her presence.
Siasha hoped it was the latter.
She moved her hand, tracing her fingers along his scars. She caressed them gently with her index finger, making sure they were there. She then brought her finger to her mouth.
Putting it against her cherry blossom lips, she puckered them and licked her finger with a red tongue.
“He he he.”
Siasha giggled to herself and left, closing the door to the room gently so as not to wake him.
Side Story: Witch and Mercenaries
Side Story:
Witch and Mercenaries
SCHWEIGEN WAS A LAND LOCATED IN A BASIN SURROUNDED by mountains. Its geography made it a natural fortress, a peaceful country in its remoteness. Aside from rivers, there were plenty of forests nearby, meaning there was no shortage of wood and other resources. It was a compact, well-behaved, backwater country with little development potential.
Such was Schweigen. As long as you stayed out of the deep woods, that is.
This land also had mercenaries. Some of them turned to banditry after they went broke fighting wars for the kingdoms over the mountains. Other times, neighboring kingdoms would kill them just so they wouldn’t have more mouths to feed.
Maintaining an army still cost a lot of money. The nation’s small standing militia meant that there would always be demand for temporary fighting forces.
There was a run-down hole-in-the-wall bar here famous for its cheap liquor. Mercenaries and unsavory types frequented the place, turning it into an information hub for those in the underworld.
“Thanks for the tip.”
“Just hope the silence doesn’t eat you alive.”
In the corner of the bar was a scruffy bearded man who worked as a sleazy informant. Today, he had managed to sell questionable information that could be used dubiously.
Giving the large mercenary a moody warning, he watched him leave the bar.
“Heh.” He thought about the big man as he sipped his watered-down drink. It’s only redeeming quality was that it was safe to imbibe.
That had been a strange customer. Definitely a mercenary, but he was decked out in gear that made him stick out like a sore thumb. He paid well and certainly looked like he could crack some heads, but the informant was unfamiliar with the rougher way of life and was therefore a bad judge of that sort of stuff.
However, none of that actually mattered. All he wanted was the thrill of getting paid for ripping someone off.
With the gaze of a passionate lover, he looked at the gold coin at the bottom of his cup. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw one.
“Someone’s in a good mood. Just make a good deal?”
He must’ve been really ogling that coin. He wanted to give himself a pat on the back for not jumping or squealing in joy. He emptied his cup, hiding the coin as he turned to the familiar mercenary. However, the mercenary wasn’t even paying attention to him, instead looking at the one who had just left the bar.
“That merc… Was he a demon?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“The Hundred Demons, man. Come on, you’re an informant. Act like one.”
“Can it, bum,” he spat out, embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. “I specialize in local information.”
He wasn’t about to let this merc tell him he didn’t know his stuff.
“Hey, I’m no bum! I just pick the safe jobs. But the Hundred Demons are famous. Think they’re officially called the Hundred Wings Brigade. Everyone just calls them the Hundred Demons, though.”
How was their nickname more popular? Out of interest, the informant ordered some cheap wine and had the bartender slide it in front of the mercenary. He could afford it, he was rich. For today anyway.
“Shiiit, you’re in a real good mood, huh? That deal must’ve been huge.”
“Just get to talkin’. I’ll have that if you don’t want it.”
The informant made a display of displeasure, masking his true intent. The mercenary greedily grabbed his glass before the other man could take it away from him.
He downed half of it in one gulp as if to underscore that the informant couldn’t take it back. He burped loudly, his stinky breath billowing around the counter. It was a disgusting gesture, but no one in the bar batted an eye.
“They’re a medium-sized brigade but they’re all top notch. I don’t know who’s in charge, but they’ve put a king’s standing army to shame with how they march. I’ve seen them myself too. Monsters, every last one of them. That’s why they call them demons on the battlefield.”
“So… Hundred Demons?”
“Gya ha ha! At least they don’t have wings coming out their backs!”
With an alcohol-inflamed laugh, the mercenary drained his cup to soothe his dry throat. He signaled the bartender for another round, prompting him to tell the mercenary to pay his tab.
“Damn it… Anyway, those guys have eagle emblems on them. That big guy you were talking to had one on his chest, so they’re the first thing I thought of.”
The informant looked at the mercenary, waiting for him to continue, but that seemed to be the end of the merc’s knowledge.
He didn’t know whether his information had been legit, but he did know that no mercenary from these parts would just fork out a gold coin like the big man had done. What would a big shot like that be doing in the sticks?
“He was asking about the Silent Forest,” he said, telling him about the information he just sold. He had no qualms violating his customers’ privacy as long as he got money out of it. Besides, the big man hadn’t paid to keep his mouth shut.
“What? Again? Hang on… The local lord’s son didn’t go on a witch hunt last year, huh?”
The lord of the land had two sons. The twins were well-versed in combat and neither wanted to yield their right to the throne. Disputes kept breaking out, so the brothers started doing all they could to impress their father. Finally, the elder brother went to hunt a legendary witch.
“It was a huge army of private soldiers, local militia, and mercenaries.”
“You didn’t go?”
“I wasn’t invited.”
The mercenary hung his head, his rusty leather armor so pitiful that no one even knew what it was made of at this point. It was a bit understandable why he hadn’t been invited. It was a wonder the merc still had a job.
“Hey, it’s not all bad. At least you’re not dead.”
“Yeah…”
The witch hunt had failed, the hunting squad exterminated after putting up a lukewarm fight. The few survivors that remained left the business for good.
The battle changed a portion of the forest’s landscape, reminding the people of the terrible power of witches. The local lord forbade entry into the area after losing his son. Any violation was punishable by death. The local lord also boldly claimed that he had fought the witch to a stalemate, but no one bought it.
“I guess that explains it. Someone from the Hundred Demons must’ve died there.”
“Guess even a demon’s no match for a witch.”
Crows echoed within the forest, but they couldn’t be seen through the trees. Despite the lush greenery, not a single animal could be spotted. It was all quite eerie, as if walking into another world.
Within the unsettling silence, two men walked through the woods. Their cautious habits and decent pace made it look like they were marching more than walking. The two showed no signs of fear despite having noticed the strangeness of the forest.
One of them had hair that resembled a lion’s mane. He was nearly two meters in height with the stockiness to avoid looking lanky. Trained more in endurance than speed, his movements weren’t sluggish at all, judging from his steady pace through the deep woods.
A large warhammer was strapped to his waist. Although it looked like an ordinary warhammer because of his size, it was actually twice the size of an ordinary one carried by regular foot soldiers. A single swing from the big man could generate enough strength and force to kill a heavily armored soldier in one hit. His faulds were heavy and covered his thighs, but he showed no signs of struggling with the weight.
An old and worn warbow was also strapped to his waist. It was small, about the length of an adult male’s shoulders, but its size allowed for excellent maneuverability in battle.
Daebaltos Crane. Captain of the Hundred Wings Brigade and seasoned mercenary.
“Are you sure she’s here?” Daebaltos said, using a hatchet to clear away some vegetation getting in his face.
The two had been walking through the forest for half a day. The big man was never one for patience and was already bored. A military march was one thing, but he was looking for something that might not even exist. He couldn’t help himself.
“I’ve been in this business a long time, and I’ve never actually seen one for myself. These witches… Are you sure they exist?”
As the big man kept talking to himself, the other man sighed. He knew that there was no shutting up his partner when he got like this and decided to humor him.
“They do. I’ve seen one. It was really far, though.”
If the other man could be described as big, he was sharp. He had eyes as piercing as a finely honed blade, and posture as straight as a weapon’s edge. The vertical scar across his eye made him look all the more imposing.
Though he wasn’t as large as the big man, he was only a mere ten centimeters or so shorter. His body was built and had little body fat. Although he was thinner than the big man, he was just as reliable, giving the air of a steep mountain or an old tree.
He held a pike in his hand. A pike was unfit for environments such as a forest, but the way he handled it made it look like his weapon was just an extension of himself. His expertise was clear from how precisely he held it. The grip of the iron sword at his waist was also worn with age, indicating that it wasn’t just a spare he had just in case.
Viktor Crane. Vice-captain of the Hundred Wings brigade, widely known as the Invincible Mercenary in some regions and the Ultimate Mercenary in others. He was also Zig’s master and taught him everything he knew.
Daebaltos actually made up the Crane name for those who didn’t have surnames or couldn’t use their surnames for one reason or another. It did not indicate a blood relationship. Still, the name was bloodstained all the same since it was taken by those who abandoned their own to become a mercenary.
“I could tell from first glance that that thing was a monster. Even if it looked and talked like a human, it was not human.” Viktor recalled seeing a witch from a distance when he was just a young soldier. The witch had struck an instinctual fear into him, especially when he saw her destructive power. And those bottomless eyes… A mere man would lose his mind just standing next to a witch. The difference between the two species was so great that there was no comparison between man and witch.
“Really? Well, now I’m excited.”
He was eager because he either heard him or he didn’t. Daebaltos scratched his chin with a look of interest as they ventured deeper into the forest.
“The monster that killed a whole squad of the local lord’s army and Zig… You think we can beat this thing if it’s real?” Daebaltos poked at his partner, perhaps finding the whole thing amusing.
Viktor gave him a curt reply, voice laced with cruel reality. “Don’t think of it as human. It’s not something that can be beaten with sheer numbers. More soldiers wouldn’t even make for a decent meat shield. If anything, they’d just get in the way… But yeah, I don’t know if we can beat it.”
He had only seen the witch for an instant, but that had been enough for him to understand her strangeness and the danger she posed. The witch turned a hundred men into ash with a wave of her hand and disappeared before they could register what had happened.
That was not how a man should die. There were many ways to die on the battlefield, and Viktor had seen his fair share of degrading deaths. Even he thought the witch went too far.
Viktor went silent after recalling the scene. Daebaltos gripped his warhammer; his partner didn’t usually act like this. The silence of the forest was deafening.
“Damn it, Zig, you really had to poke your nose where it didn’t belong,” Daebaltos joked, attempting to lighten the mood. He was still half serious.
“You can say that again.”
With that, the two continued wordlessly deeper into the forest.
Eventually, they came across a clearing where a small house was standing. This was probably the witch’s abode where the extermination squad was wiped out.
Everything besides the house was in disarray, with dried up corpses scattered left and right. There were gigantic, gaping holes through several heavily armored soldiers like they were hit by a ballista. One of the dead men was wearing luxurious armor—probably the unit’s commander.
“Talk about a mess… It’s like a hurricane came through here,” Daebaltos said dryly as he took in his surroundings.
The battlefield would have typically been looted by scavengers by now, but the local lord’s strict ban had left everything intact. Then again, the scavengers would’ve probably left the dead alone in this case. Even they weren’t greedy enough to set foot into this strange forest.
“They said the witch was killed in the fight… I don’t know about that, but it definitely looks like she’s no longer here.”
Daebaltos scratched his lionlike hair. The disarray didn’t make sense. The witch seemed to have the ability to manipulate the ground. She should’ve at least tidied up her front lawn.
“Earthen pillars… Spikes? No point in wearing armor if one of those went through you.”
Daebaltos touched a crumbling cone of soil. It disintegrated on contact, returning to whence it came. Viktor frowned at the unsettling scene.
Strange. The spike was powerful enough to pierce heavily armored infantry, yet it had deteriorated so much in a single year. As he was about to voice his musings, Viktor sensed a new threat that he hadn’t encountered before.
“Dael.”
“Right. Yeah, that is something.”
There was no need to elaborate—Dael had noticed it at the same time he did. A savage smile crept on his face. He shouldered his warhammer ready for battle, his body an even balance of tension and ease.
Viktor tightened the grip on his spear as if to make sure it was there, then relaxed. He lowered its point and squeezed it against his side before turning to the source of the presence.
“Oh, do we have guests?”
A woman stood before the lone earthen house. She looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her curvaceous body was succulent like a ripe fruit. Her deep crimson hair looked like a river of blood, with beautiful waves flowing to her hips, the tips sharp as if expressing her aggression. What caught their attention most of all were her eyes. They were red and fiery, and had a hint of purple that made them look like rubies.
Their instinctual alarms continued to blare.
Looking at her—no—being around her was enough to let them know that she was a witch.
She walked elegantly toward them, her eyes like swirling fire. She tilted her head and pressed her hand to her chest.
“I’m sorry, I’m not the owner of this house.”
The woman was tall, but nowhere near as tall as the two mercenaries. Despite their larger size, the woman didn’t seem the least bit afraid of them.
“Yeah? Is the lady of the house out on some errands?” Daebaltos quipped, cold sweat running down his chin. The muscles in his arm tensed at the presence of this superior life-form.
“Why, yes she is! I actually came to pay her a visit myself. Perhaps she moved out.”
She happily answered Daebaltos with a bright smile. They weren’t expecting a witch to be so talkative. Seeing the joy displayed by a predator, her beauty only inspired fear.
“I have a favor to repay the girl who lived here… Would you happen to know where she went?” She tilted her head and took a step forward. A strange pungent scent filled the air when she mentioned having to repay a favor.
A pillar of flame erupted between Viktor and the witch, instantly melting the weathered earthen spike between them.
“What was that?!” Daebaltos’ frown deepened at the sight of the mysterious magic and the inexplicable scent. His eyes darted around for its source. Viktor did the same thing.
It had been a strange, striking aroma. Although their senses registered it as a scent, it didn’t feel like they smelled it with their noses. However, the source of it was clear. It was standing right in front of them.
“Answer the question, human,” the witch said, angered at the lack of a response. Whatever she was, she wasn’t patient.
“We also have some business with the witch who lived here,” Daebaltos said placatingly, scratching his chin with his left hand.
“Do you, now? So…”
“We don’t know where she went, sorry,” Daebaltos continued. He then tried to get as much information as he could. “Is she still alive? The lord of the land said he exterminated the witch of the forest.”
He had never heard of witches interacting with each other, but this witch said she owed the other a favor. Although he couldn’t discern the nature of the favor, he could tell they definitely knew each other.
The witch looked quizzically at him before bursting into laughter.
“Heh… Aha ha ha! That is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day! Aha ha ha!” Her sudden outburst caught the two men off guard. She held her stomach, caught in the absurdity of his statement.
“He he he… You really think humans have a chance against us? That’s a good one!”
Deciding she was done for the day, the witch began whispering something. A strong, pungent smell wafted through the air, causing Viktor and Daebaltos to turn pale.
“Anyway… Goodbye.”
As the witch said her farewell, a gigantic flaming snake rose up to swallow the two whole. The snake shot straight for them, burning everything down in its path. It left behind a scorched trail, melting down iron armor until there was nothing left.
And there was no trace of the two humans who entered the forest.
“What a colossal waste of time.”
The crimson witch turned her back on the two, not bothering to see what would become of her handiwork. She heaved a lazy sigh and frowned, disappointed at not finding who she was looking for.
“I thought I’d kill that girl since she was getting weaker… But where could she have gone? Don’t tell me some human actually killed her.”
The witch who could control flames was feared throughout the land for her power. Known as the Witch in Crimson, she wielded her powers to burn human and witch alike. She had also burned down an entire kingdom on a whim.
Despite being feared by humans and her own kind, one person had once managed to defeat her. She then stopped fooling around with her powers for decades, choosing to live in a quiet place instead—all for the sake of growing in strength to seek revenge against the witch that got the best of her.
“But where am I supposed to start… I guess I can start by burning the local lord alive for chasing her out of this place.”
Her schedule set, the crimson witch smiled. It had been a long time since she took center stage. It was unfortunate that she had to do a show in the middle of nowhere, but it would make for a nice bonfire. She would do her nickname justice and make a huge spectacle of it. The humans were so quick to forget.
“I’ll start by burning down three towns and then—”
“So, the stories of you being ruthless monsters are true.”
The witch stopped as a man’s voice called out from behind her. She flipped her deep crimson hair and saw two men unscathed. The tips of their clothes were slightly singed, but neither had fatal burns.
“Oh my, you actually managed to avoid that… Too bad, though. You would’ve survived if you had kept your mouths—”
Daebaltos cut her off before she could finish. “I’ve never talked to someone this crazy before. We’re communicating, but it’s like I’m not getting through.”
“I told you they’re a different species. She’s not someone who abides by our norms.”
The two no longer had anything to say to the witch. There was no point, and their lives would be in danger if they thought they were actually having a conversation with her. They had narrowly escaped with their lives.
Daebaltos flexed his shoulders and took a step forward. “We’re not exactly heroes, but this is your last day on earth.”
“We have a strict rule against doing jobs for free, but this dangerous beast has to be put down.”
Her pathetic prey was making such insolent statements before her, their bold words enough to anger the short-tempered witch.
“I feel bad for your lack of self-preservation. Very well. I am also to blame for being too impatient with my prey. I will carve the fear of witches into your bones.”
A strong smell that could make a face wrinkle filled the air. The Witch in Crimson was now clad in flames, facing off against the two feeble humans. However, these humans were no ordinary prey.
“Demon and witch. Let’s see who’s stronger.”
“Show me the strength of the creature that defeated my pupil.”
Witch and mercenaries clashed within the desolate forest.
Bonus Story: Impatient Patient
Bonus Story:
Impatient Patient
SOME TIME HAD PASSED SINCE ZIG’S HOSPITALIZATION. The progress he made over a short time considering his heavy injuries was astounding. Dorea was at a loss for words.
Still, the fact remained that he hadn’t fully recovered and would need some additional rest. And yet…
“Zig’s gone.”
Siasha was greeted by an empty shell of a bed upon entering his room.
She started looking around for Zig’s escape route. There were no windows and he was too large to sneak out. He probably went outside to the courtyard on the roof. Zig was still recovering, but getting there would be easy for him.
“My goodness…” Her tone was deadpan, though there was a hint of annoyance, as if fully expecting that sort of behavior.
She had a feeling that he was going to do that sort of thing—he was a mercenary who never skipped out on training. Be it sword drills or endurance, he would always make time for exercise. She knew that being stuck in bed would bore him out of his mind. He needed a large amount of food to maintain his body and stimulation to keep his mind going.
“If only he could stay still until he was fully healed,” Siasha smiled wryly as she made his bed. She was like a mother with a troublesome child. Though, their age gap made it impossible for her to be his mother, and she was usually the one under his care.
“I have to tell Dr. Dorea, at least. He probably went out to eat, but he’s definitely eating again once he comes back.”
Zig probably didn’t enjoy hospital food because the meals were bland. However, Siasha had noticed that as much as Zig enjoyed delicious food, he was at his happiest when he could fill his stomach.
Not women, not gambling, not drinking—he was completely satisfied with a full belly. Kind of childish, but she found it strangely fitting. Though, he still felt uneasy about nourishing himself with an empty wallet.
Having fixed up his bed, Siasha left the room.
“Zig can be quite childish despite being an adult most of the time… Huh?”
Just as she was about to go see Dorea, she remembered something else. Did Zig leave with his wallet? And if he did, how much was in it? He still had some money left after paying his medical fees, but he had eaten a violent amount of food that morning. Siasha went shopping for Zig since he was incapacitated, but he should have little to nothing left after his buffet.
In fact, Siasha was the first one to notice that Zig’s inhuman hunger was outpacing his wallet. She didn’t mind lending him money because of the unpayable debt she owed him, but he had firmly refused. So, she took the liberty of paying for some of his meals. He wouldn’t be able to keep track of the expenses with the amount of food that she got him.
She remembered seeing a few copper coins left in his purse the last time she saw it. That might not be enough to get him some harder-than-a-rock rye bread.
“O-oh no, Zig would be so sad…”
The worst-case scenario would be if he didn’t have enough money to pay for the food he got. It was doubtful whether Zig would realize his wallet had dried up since he hadn’t been out in a while. Some of the shops had you pay up front, but others would only bill you after you were done eating.
“He might end up stripped of everything he has!”
While the military police wouldn’t be called to respond to something like a dine-and-dash, he might still get kicked out after getting his valuables taken from him. While forcibly getting his gear off of him would be difficult, he was surprisingly honest. He definitely would sell some of his gear off to pay for lunch.
“This won’t do. I have to find him!”
With the impending doom looming over Zig, Siasha left the clinic with determination, her robes trailing after her. She also forgot to inform Dorea that his patient was missing.
She couldn’t find Zig in the end, though he eventually returned that night with alcohol on his breath. Siasha gave him a proper earful, but that was a story for another day.
Afterword
Afterword
THIS IS CHOUHOUKITEKI KAERU. THANK YOU FOR your continued support!
How did you enjoy Witch and Mercenary Volume 5? Zig is doing a lot of thinking after clashing with a powerful opponent with a similar background to himself. Also note Zig and Siasha’s inner monologues. They’re changing, slowly but surely.
It has been a year-and-a-half since the release of the first volume and we are now up to Volume 5 of the light novel and Volume 3 of the manga. I never expected my life to be so busy. I was lamenting… But it’s a happy lament. You really don’t know what life is going to throw you.
I’ve even gotten a writer’s song down perfectly: “Oh, the manuscript… The manuscript!” I think I can finally call myself a proper writer.
I’ve never dedicated so much time to one thing in my life before, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment. I intend to make even greater strides with Witch and Mercenary,and I appreciate the support of all my readers!