episode_0017

The village was surrounded by a wooden fence.

If you think the village looks safe, you’re mistaken. Those who don’t immediately realize that the security around is not good enough to warrant a wooden fence are good at getting into trouble on the streets.

As if to prove that fact, the guards who were guarding the front of the village immediately shouted in surprise when they saw me, and soon more guards came rushing in.

Seeing that they hadn’t locked the door and entered defensive mode, it meant that the enemy hadn’t arrived yet. Not wanting any trouble, I slowed down Sancho’s speed.

As I reached for the door handle, the guards who were observing us intently gradually relaxed when I didn’t charge at full speed, and by the time they were close enough to see our faces, they let go of their weapons.

It was because of the guards who rushed out in front of me that I met Lycia, who didn’t understand a word and was just blinking her eyes.

The guards grumbled about being dragged out in the middle of the night and dispersed.

I approached the gatekeeper, who was scratching his head awkwardly after getting off the horse.

“I’m looking to stay the night.”

“Where are you from? And where are you headed?”

“I’m on my way to the Papal Palace in the south. I came from Volle, they call me Lavent.”

“Oh, are you the one who survived the ‘Plague of Volle’?”

“That’s right… but…”

The guard gave a reflexive answer. He should change his nickname soon.

But that wasn’t an easy task. The only way to change a once-spread name is to build a bigger reputation and cover it with something new. The need to arrive at the Papal Palace as soon as possible only grew.

“I’ve heard of that reputation. They say there’s a knight responsible for the northern barbarians.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Maybe if I just change the nickname a little. The tone is a bit off.

Still, the reputation was good. People need to rise in the world.

The guard didn’t ask me anything else. The strict inspection that would have been in a city ended as quickly as it started. Lycia didn’t say anything and just passed by, calling me her guardian.

After entering the village, I looked for an inn just in case, but the village was too small to have one.

“No save point…?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I need to find a place to stay. Hmmm…”

Travelers were rare on the road, and even rarer in such a small village. It was hard to find an inn in a place with no demand.

In times like this, there were two options besides sleeping on the street.

One was to knock on a normal household and ask to stay, and the other was to knock on a normal church and ask to stay. I first looked around to get an estimate.

“Eek!”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

As I wandered around the reasonably spacious house, people avoided eye contact.

Of course, if I reached out to scratch my stomach and ask for food, they might let me stay, but there was no need to make a fuss.

I had no choice.

I decided to choose the latter. It’s on my way to the Papal Palace, they should be able to accommodate me.

I didn’t worry about there not being a church. Even if there’s no hotel, there’s always a town hall.

I stopped a passerby and asked for directions to the church. As I could see light seeping out from inside, indicating that it wasn’t closed, I knocked on the door without hesitation.

-Knock, knock, knock

“Trick or treat.”

“I’m not sure who you are this evening, but please wait a moment.”

The locked door soon opened, and an elderly priest peered out. He examined the faces of me and Lycia before asking.

“First time seeing your face. Are you a traveler?”

“This is the way to the Papal Palace, can I stay for the night?”

“It’s unusual to have pilgrims during these ominous times. The church has no reason to turn away such people. Come in.”

The priest opened the door wide.

It seemed like he thought we were here for a pilgrimage to the sacred land of the Papal Palace, so I decided to let the misunderstanding slide, as there was no need to correct it in a village where we would only stay for a day.

There was no proper stable nearby, so I loosely tied the horses in front of the church.

We have a sense of camaraderie that we have built up over countless battlefields, so I believe they won’t run away during the night. Even if they do, there’s no one else who can handle the consequences except me, so I’ll take good care of them.

And it’s only natural to give and receive.

Although the priest didn’t mention it, I put a few coins in the donation box near the entrance. The priest saw that and led me and the girl to a room inside the church.

“Where are you coming from?”

“If you follow the road north, there’s a city, isn’t there? That’s where we came from.”

“You’ve come from a far place. You must be tired from spending the whole day on the road.”

There was a small room where the priest led us. There was a window above, and although it was less luxurious than an inn, there was a makeshift bed.

It was understandable that they didn’t receive many guests, and it was better than breaking into a family’s house during dinner and sleeping on the floor.

“This is a room we offer to pilgrims who occasionally stop by. It was vacant for a while due to thieves causing trouble nearby. But we’ve cleaned it regularly, so it shouldn’t be uncomfortable to stay in.”

“This is more than enough. Thank you.”

“I’ll be staying in the room across, so if there’s anything, come find me there. Rest well.”

The priest bid us good night and left casually.

Once the door closed, I took off the armor and put down the weapons that I had been carrying all day. After giving them minimal care, I neatly arranged them in a corner. There was no need to worry too much since we would be leaving again in the morning.

Arriving at a place where we could relax, Lycia seemed to relax as well.

She seemed fine until a while ago, but now she started yawning quietly and returning to her morning state.

“Yawn…”

“Are you tired?”

“Yes…”

“There’s nothing to do, so let’s sleep.”

We had roughly eaten on the road for dinner anyway.

After getting permission, Lycia crawled into bed, and I extinguished the candle that was slightly illuminating the room.

It was time to end another ordinary day.

*****

It was a time closer to night than dawn, with darkness thickening and silence filling the air.

It was also a time when good children were playing in dreamland.

“…Are you awake?”

“Ugh…”

The certified good child of the new world, Raven, had no choice but to wake up because of the priest’s shaking. It’s hard to grow taller like this.

Seeing that I had regained consciousness, the priest let go and stepped back.

I slowly got up and sat down. My head was still not functioning properly due to sleepiness.

“Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night, but it’s urgent.”

“What’s the matter?”

At a moment when my remaining fatigue and wavering faith were about to collapse.

I could see the urgency on the priest’s face.

My half-asleep mind suddenly became alert.

I could tell from the hurriedly dressed and disheveled priest that something was not right outside the window. The village was far from the peace of the night.

“Have you woken up all the guards?!”

“Yes, I sent them all to the walls. I told the hunters to grab their bows too. By the way, where are the weapons?”

“Everything is ready! Everyone who can fight, please gather here. If you don’t have enough weapons, even a stick will do, so bring it with you!”

“Have you gathered all the people outside the wall? Then close the gate!”

“Wait, please wait! I haven’t gone in yet! Waiiiit!!”

The church was slightly distant from the road, so the noise wasn’t too loud.

But if you listened closely, you could hear words that couldn’t be easily ignored.

Occasional screams, urgent footsteps, and the torches flickering outside the window illuminated the street, giving a hint of the situation. It was something I had experienced countless times, how could I forget.

Although the sound of clashing metal and breaking wood had not yet been heard, I could tell from experience that it would happen soon.

For some reason, the journey seemed unusually peaceful.

Feeling extremely tired, despite the chaos erupting, I turned my gaze towards Lycia, who was still deeply asleep.

The necklace seemed to be comfortable, as it hadn’t been removed. After confirming this, I carefully left the room to ensure the girl didn’t wake up.

“I’ll be back soon, so don’t come out and stay hidden safely.”

She probably couldn’t hear me, but I felt the need to say it. She’s a smart girl, so she should understand.

The priest who followed me out was holding a book. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it emitted a faint light in the darkness, indicating it was a relic.

If the situation has come to this point, it’s obvious what has happened. If I still don’t know what to do, I won’t be able to finish the seed life safely, and I’ll be disqualified as a knight.

Without delay, I began to put on my armor, and the priest said to me,

“Thieves have come to the village.”

“Let’s go.”