Chapter 69: Intersection

It still feels surreal that a whole month has already passed since I left the capital.

I might be behind schedule, but I feel a small sense of relief simply because I reached this place without any major mishaps.

Somern Village, located in the southeast of the Metran Kingdom, seemed surprisingly accustomed to welcoming outsiders for a small village.

That was only natural, as the famous Sword of Grandeus was embedded here.

A rusted sword, plunged diagonally into the ground.

…I can’t quite put into words how I felt when I first saw it.

“The village hasn’t even been around for ten years, but it’s grown quite a bit. Since it serves as a trade hub, it’s a decent alternative, even if it’s not exactly a hotspot for brokerage trade.”

And here, too, there was a branch of the Edenrevan Regiment.

A woman who introduced herself as Ruslan—an adult with blue skin, white hair, and a voluptuous figure.

She practically screamed that she was of the Demon Race, especially with the twisted black horns protruding from both sides of her head.

“Ru! Your beauty is stunning as always! You’re gorgeous every time I see you!”

“Right~! I’m always beautiful! Thanks for the compliment. It feels fresh even though I hear it every day.”

“Then, do you have time tonight?”

“Nope! Today isn’t my day, so ask me later~!”

She was explosively popular with the men.

It was somewhat surprising that she didn’t even draw much suspicion or wariness from the women.

“Affection and interest. Everyone becomes a gentle lamb in the face of beauty and pleasure. They’re all simple, but cute, aren’t they? It’s rewarding to take care of them.”

As she said this, she proudly tilted her chin up, claiming that she didn’t discriminate by race and, above all, never touched married men or women.

…I can overlook the married men, but she doesn’t touch married women either? What exactly does she mean by ‘touch’?

“In places where the Order of Irenis is active, they call me promiscuous or lewd… but people here are more open to that sort of thing.”

With that, Ruslan subtly clung to Kariel, linking her arm and leaning into him.

“If you’d like, we could together…”

“Ru. Unfortunately, Master is a natural ascetic, almost like a monk, so he’s probably not interested in that.”

“You don’t know that men like that are actually the ones who go craziest for this, do you?”

Luirin and Ruslan seemed relatively close.

“Well. I wonder who someone with such a young body could possibly seduce.”

“…I’m just maintaining my chastity, okay?”

“Oh my. You’re exactly the type of woman the Empire would love. Why don’t you keep guarding your purity and then enter a convent later to keep it for the rest of your life? Maybe some god will welcome you for your admirable effort?”

By the way.

For someone speaking in a tone meant to tease a child, the content was quite caustic.

The village was built in terraces, as it had been formed across hills, valleys, and canyons.

Most of the residential areas were in the middle layer between the upper and lower levels.

Overall, it could be seen as consisting of four levels.

And the topmost level was the very reason and origin of this village’s birth.

…It seemed that this place, where the Sword of Grandeus was embedded, was treated as another Holy Site within the Metran Kingdom.

Looking around, the crowd was considerable.

“There are a lot of stalls.”

And the lines were long.

“Merchants are busy settling at the bottom, but anyone coming to see the embedded sword, seek protection, or receive a blessing will visit here without fail.”

The influence of the Church of Irenis reached here as well, but there was no proper church or cathedral—only a single, lonely chapel.

Seeing as that chapel also served as an orphanage… it might be fair to say the Church of Irenis infiltrated (?) under that pretext.

After all, these were places where indigenous religions were firmly established.

The founder of the Metran Kingdom was from the Ice Sea Sand People.

They had their own indigenous religion, but as time passed after joining the continent, the polytheism of Bera from the old Great Empire and the indigenous religions of various regions merged.

A unique religious culture had essentially been established.

Because of this, while they seemed similar to Dabas—who shared the same ethnicity and bordered them—they were different, and they also differed from the Vanus Kingdom located nearby.

…Unlike those two kingdoms, the Metran Kingdom had achieved harmony and coordination between the natives and various races. Consequently, while the royal authority was weaker than in neighboring countries, the bonds between the people were that much tighter.

This was evident in their multiculturalism and the lack of exclusion toward specific religions.

…The Empire’s eagerness to improve relations with Metran was partly to keep Dabas Kingdom in check, but it couldn’t be denied that it was also because Metran was a primary target for the expansion of the Church of Irenis.

“If Dabas is obsessed with eternal protection, Metran doesn’t have that… but they have a polytheistic culture that focuses on the God of the South Wind while upholding other gods, spirits, and indigenous deities. As long as you avoid arguments about which god is superior, you won’t have major conflicts with anyone.”

“…It seems the followers of Irenis have caused some trouble.”

“That’s a characteristic of those who believe in a single god. They boast about it proudly, even when it’s nothing to be proud of.”

She said this as a customary remark and warning to anyone from the Empire or a follower of the Church of Irenis.

“Anyway, if you need help, please visit our Somern branch. That’s all for the basic guidance… is there anything else you need?”

“No. This was helpful enough.”

“Go on now. Shoo, shoo!”

Luirin blew air as if chasing away a snake.

“You little brat!”

Perhaps dissatisfied with Luirin’s attitude, Ruslan glared with her characteristic yellow eyes, but quickly changed her expression to give Kariel a refreshing smile.

“See you again! Cute little brother!”

Out of nowhere, I had gained an older sister.

“Was that the Master’s goal after all?”

Luirin glanced at the long line with disbelief, wondering if he had come all this way just to touch a rusted sword.

“Who knows…”

I’ll find out once I experience it.

The surrounding area being empty probably wasn’t for the purpose of accommodating many people.

Nor was it to allow stalls and street vendors.

However, if one looked closely, there seemed to be a certain rule to this place.

Then, my eyes met those of a girl.

It wasn’t a street stall, but a flower shop properly established.

At a glance, one might wonder what the difference was between a merchant selling sundries on the street and a stall owner, but…

“Is this your first time here?”

“Ah, yes.”

The girl with a refreshing smile spoke softly, almost as a greeting.

Since I was already there, I asked.

“Everyone is buying flowers.”

“I don’t know who started it… but that’s how it became.”

The girl, whose pale blue hair resembling the sky was striking, smiled brightly with white eyes that looked like snow.

She wore a white one-piece dress with a shawl—a thick, lively light-brown fur covering her shoulders—and a scarf that looked like it was woven from clumps of wool.

…She looked very bundled up.

Perhaps it was because the altitude was high, even if it wasn’t quite a plateau.

“Would you like some?”

“…I assume I have to pay for them?”

“Hehehe.”

I looked around at the various types of colorful flowers and asked.

“Do they all have different meanings or flower languages?”

“Of course.”

She explained them one by one.

“Unless it’s a medicinal herb, plants aren’t really…”

Luirin seemed uninterested and was busy looking elsewhere.

Then, his gaze suddenly fell upon a staff-like tool leaning against the chair she was sitting on.

“Ah, this?”

Before she rose from the chair, she leaned on it with both hands.

“…As you can see, I’m like this.”

Only after relying on it did she manage to stand up, and even then, she seemed to need the staff for support.

“I see.”

Kariel gave a small nod.

“If it’s your first time, I recommend this flower.”

A flower with pure white petals and a distinctly yellow center.

Since he didn’t know the structure of flowers, Kariel only vaguely perceived the yellow center as the spot where honeybees plunge their faces.

A vivid memory suddenly surfaced—of picking a few flowers long ago and sucking on the center, mimicking a bee, before spitting it out.

“It’s a common wildflower. They say Lord Grandeus loved it most during his lifetime.”

“……Is that so?”

“They say he often mentioned that his own circumstances were like a wildflower. I don’t know the details; it’s just something I’ve overheard.”

A wildflower.

“Master. Were you that interested in flowers? Or is your interest drawn to a different kind of flower?”

“……”

Kariel had no choice but to hold a single small wildflower in his hand.

“Thank you.”

That beaming smile looked somewhat pitiful for some reason.

Only then did we join the line, but there was still a long way to go before it was our turn.

“Leo, do you know anything about the legend of Grandeus?”

“Me? I’m from the kingdom across the way, so I don’t know much.”

“…And yet you managed to come all the way here.”

“What about Luciri?”

“Listen. This is a story from when the dangerous Demon King, known as the Golden Beast, first invaded.”

Two youths at the front of the line, unable to bear the boredom, were deep in conversation.

An ordinary boy with brown hair and black eyes.

He wore a faded linen shirt and leather pants, with sturdy leather boots that left an impression.

A small sword, its hilt worn and wrapped in layers of cloth, peeked out from his waist.

On the other hand, the girl looked as if she came from a cold region; despite her black dress, the hem and top were heavily decorated with integrated fur.

She wore a white cloak over it, but the traces of long exposure to dust and dirt were clearly visible.

In contrast, however, her shimmering blonde hair and balanced features naturally evoked the impression of a beauty.

If status could be distinguished by clothing alone, she certainly wasn’t of an ordinary background.

“But isn’t that a story from just over ten years ago? Why call it a legend?”

Luirin, unable to resist the boredom, cut in.

“…To be precise, this year marks the 18th year since the Golden Beast died. Lord Grandeus first appeared 23 years ago.”

“You must respect him.”

“Because many countries and domains in the Metran Kingdom and surrounding areas were saved from destruction thanks to him.”

She spoke, placing her hand over her chest.

“We wish not to forget that devotion and effort. Because that damn Lueld fought a duel over the honor of knights and such… only a precious person ended up dying. Still, he was the only… knight of that era who could face Lueld head-on.”

“It’s paradoxical. He’s respected here, where they value warriors over chivalry, but ignored in the Empire, which worships chivalry.”

“That’s because those Empire bastards are all flash and no substance.”

…I deeply empathize.

Why is it that when she insults the Empire, I feel a sense of camaraderie rather than anger?

And perhaps she sensed that feeling.

She shifted her gaze from Luirin to me.

“You think so too, don’t you? Looking at your eyes, you seem to agree with me.”

“…You’re right.”

“A comrade! Nice to meet you. I am Luciri Olgoret.”

Unexpectedly, I took her gloved black hand.

Her light gray eyes sparkled with an untimely sense of camaraderie.

“I’m Riel.”

“Our Master is the child of a Great Noble and is currently undergoing knightly training.”

“……?”

Blinking her eyes, Luciri looked back and forth between Luirin and me and asked.

“Are you from the Empire by any chance?”

“I am, but since the Empire is indeed full of hypocrites and filth, you don’t need to worry about it.”

“……”

“Hahaha. You got hit, Luciri.”

“That’s not for you to say, Leo! I did not!”

Thanks to Luciri kicking him in the thigh, the boy called Leo had to hop around on one foot, clutching his bruised leg.

“You’re undergoing knightly training, yet you insult your own country? Isn’t loyalty the most important virtue of a knight?”

“There’s no reason for that to be linked to patriotism.”

“Ah, I suppose one could think of it that way. Patriotism and loyalty are different? That’s an interesting perspective.”

…Thanks to the two of them, standing in line wasn’t boring.

“More importantly, that little lady said you’re the Master, so is your relationship…?”

“As he mentioned, the knightly training is just a pretext… the main purpose is actually traveling.”

I spoke, subtly showing the lute slung over my back.

“She is my guide, and things just happened to turn out this way.”

“That’s a fascinating relationship.”

The girl was extremely intrigued.

“The road from the Empire to here couldn’t have been smooth.”

“It just happened.”

While the girl and I were speaking.

“By the way… uh, what’s the young lady’s name?”

“Stop with the weird way of speaking and just be casual. You clearly look older than me.”

“Uh, um… should I? I’m Leo. And you?”

“I’m Luirin. It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember, though. More importantly, with a name like Leo, shouldn’t you look incredibly threatening?”

“Huh? Really?”

I didn’t dare sigh. That too would be rude.

“Luirin. I’ve told you before that picking fights over names—not just with me—is a bad attitude, right?”

“Picking a fight? A name is proof of one’s soul. Isn’t it natural to refine and equip oneself to match that name?”

Luciri asked, puzzled.

“Isn’t that something the Demon Race… no, the people from Edenrevan say?”

“I did grow up there. I don’t have a mother or father. Or rather, should I say I don’t know them?”

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere was completely decimated.

“Luirin.”

Why does this child always blurt this out as if boasting?

I know the reason.

She probably intends to cut ties or clash immediately if their attitude changes after hearing this.

“If you say it like that from the start, how flustered these people must be?”

“But they should know in advance so they won’t complain later that they didn’t know, right?”

“……”

She’s good at clashing, but when it comes to delicately improving relationships… there’s definitely a problem.

…Then again, am I someone with enough social skills or interpersonal experience to offer advice on this matter?

Not really.

But I do have knowledge of social conduct, so I have no choice but to give advice based on that.

“S-she’s a unique child. Very outspoken.”

“S-she grew up strong. How admirable.”

Suddenly receiving looks and words of pity.

“Uh, huh?”

Luirin began to panic.

“……”

Having been despised and excluded, Luirin had always struck first to avoid being looked down upon.

Such pure and innocent, worried interest seemed to be quite overwhelming.

“……”

Still, since they viewed her kindly and interpreted her actions positively.

Thinking that such connections exist.

Kariel silently clicked his tongue as he watched Luirin, who was flustered by the shower of sincere comfort and encouragement from the two youths.

And so, the line shortened and shortened.

Finally, their turn arrived.

Right there.

The rusted sword, plunged diagonally, was embedded in the earth.