Ch.102Chapter 102 – Clue

“The dragon is staying nearby.”

“It’s already destroyed a nearby village and has settled there, making it its base.”

After the meeting that had continued until evening ended, Rudger, who had called me up to the castle wall to talk for a moment, told me this.

Though Christina, Sera, and I were employed by the princess, we weren’t allowed to attend the meeting because we didn’t have positions that warranted offering opinions.

I had been planning to hear about the meeting from Beatrice since she attended, but Rudger was already explaining it to me.

“It seems to be controlling the surrounding monsters like its own limbs. Scouts say monsters are gathering at that village as if entranced.”

“What about the villagers?”

When I asked about what I’d been curious about, Rudger shook his head.

So we were too late after all.

“That beast really doesn’t leave a single survivor, thoroughly destroying everything.”

“It seemed to hold a grudge about dragons being hunted down in the New Kingdom before.”

When I offered what seemed like a reasonable assumption, based on how it had raged about how others had killed dragons, Rudger nodded.

“There are those who believe in their superiority everywhere.”

Rudger affirmed with those words.

“So, is our situation alright?”

“Thanks to some assistance from the mages of the Magic Tower, they say we have sufficient weapons and food prepared. What would have taken much longer with human power alone was shortened with magic.”

It seemed that even after sending Beatrice, Lucian and Violet were helping in their own way.

Of course, they had declared they couldn’t openly support us, but it was still significant help.

“Also, after anonymous reports came in about villages and cities being burned down, the Knights Order prepared in advance just in case, which helped shorten the time even more.”

“Is that so?”

“Whatever the case, the Knights Order moves assuming the worst. Though even they couldn’t have expected a dragon.”

The anonymous informant was Eve.

Getting the Knights Order to move faster meant they would have prepared more thoroughly.

Of course, I’m not sure if the knights’ strength would work against a dragon, but it was certainly better than nothing.

“At least it seems the Kingdom of Mikea has made all the preparations it can.”

“I see.”

Time-wise, it would be difficult to prepare any faster or more thoroughly than this.

What remained now was either to repel the dragon or to hunt it down.

One of the two.

‘But why did he call me here?’

While the information so far was helpful, it wasn’t necessarily something I needed to hear specifically from Rudger.

I had followed him out when he said he wanted to talk seriously for a moment.

“Kei. I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

Rudger pulled out a letter from his chest.

I frowned when I saw the writing on the envelope.

“You’re not old enough to be writing a will.”

“I felt like I should write something down anyway.”

Yet he was handing me a letter clearly labeled as a will.

“Just deliver it to my daughter, Jamie.”

‘So that was the main point.’

I wanted to tell him to use the time he spent writing a will on thinking of ways to survive instead.

But given the atmosphere, it felt wrong to refuse.

Rudger’s quiet manner suggested he wouldn’t accept a refusal.

‘I’ll have to return it to him later.’

For now, I accepted it, pretending to give in.

“I apologize.”

“For what?”

“I tried my best to keep you from coming here.”

Eve had explained this to me.

Forces within the Zeolei Order who disapproved of me had been influencing the royal family and others.

“It’s fine. As long as I make it back alive.”

“Quite confident, aren’t you?”

“Speaking of which, are all those holy knights here?”

I was referring to the Zeolei Order’s holy knights I had fought before.

Those guys who couldn’t beat me even when I had a handicap.

“They are. Talking about making achievements here and such.”

“That’s good.”

If I get the chance, I’ll beat them up with a bit of grudge.

Of course, if I get the chance. If I get the chance.

“…Beating them up is fine, but go easy on Kaal. He’s the only one who took my side, and he insisted on joining despite being told to stay out. He’s a good lad.”

“You said he’s going to be your son-in-law. I understand.”

“Yes. He also knows about this will.”

Surely that Kaal was planning to marry Rudger’s daughter.

So why ask me instead of him?

While I was lost in thought, Rudger quietly spoke to me.

“Kei.”

“Yes.”

“Listen to an old man’s request, and try to keep it if you can.”

I looked at Rudger’s face.

He had been looking tired for the past few days.

“No matter what happens, prioritize your survival.”

“I would do that without you telling me.”

“This time you really must. You say that, but you’re the type to fight until the end.”

Rudger was misunderstanding me.

I’m not that barbaric.

With the centipede, I had no weapon so I had no choice but to fight to the end.

With that skeleton golem in the ossuary, I had to fight to take Christina away, who was insisting on being bait.

The dragon was the same. I had to fight to find a way out.

…I really did fight everything to the end, didn’t I?

“…I don’t want to die either, so I’ll prioritize survival.”

“That’s right. Miss Seraphina and that merchant guild leader, many people would pray for your safety.”

Rudger looked at me and said:

“That’s right. Take good care of Miss Seraphina.”

“Why?”

“Well… it’s an old man’s regret.”

Rudger said quietly.

“Regret?”

“About Maria. My childhood friend. I care a lot about her granddaughter.”

“Was she an old flame?”

“Absolutely not. Honestly, Maria had some masculine traits, so I couldn’t see her as a woman.”

Rudger started laughing to himself, seemingly reminiscing about those times.

It seemed Sera’s personality was quite different from her grandmother’s.

‘Wait.’

There was something that came to mind about Sera’s grandmother.

‘The Philosopher’s Stone.’

Somnus was strangely confident about it, Sera didn’t know about it.

And Rudger was a childhood friend of the person who supposedly created it.

‘Maybe he knows something?’

I felt I should ask now while we were alone.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know about the Philosopher’s Stone?”

“I don’t.”

Rudger wasn’t helpful.

“What is that? Just from the name, it sounds like it might be related to alchemists.”

“I just heard that such a thing exists.”

I gave a vague answer, feeling annoyed, and Rudger laughed.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“Maria did send me a letter once saying she had created something amazing.”

“I see… wait, what?”

“She said she had restored a long-lost recipe and succeeded in recreating a legendary item.”

Rudger raised his head as if remembering something from the past.

“She was so excited that her handwriting was slanted to one side. She must have been extremely excited.”

Rudger looked up at the sky as he recalled the incident.

He quietly began to reminisce.

“Well, at that time I had just become a paladin and had a daughter, so I was busy with childcare… I didn’t really read the content properly and just thought, ‘She’s doing well,’ and moved on.”

“I see.”

It seemed like a chance to understand why Somnus was after it.

But it was a dead end.

“…Come to think of it, that’s when Maria’s letters started to change.”

“Changed?”

“The first one clearly showed she was happy to send the letter.”

Rudger spoke as if tracing his memories.

“From the second one, it was full of content suggesting she might have done something unnecessary, and the third one suddenly included questions about our hometown.”

“Hometown?”

“I told you we were childhood friends. She suddenly asked about playing in the mountains and fields there. Have you done this, have you done that. Things like ‘Those were good times.’ I remember answering that one.”

Lost in old memories, Rudger became more talkative.

“The next letter said her husband had died. That she needed to hide with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. That was all.”

Rudger sighed as he spoke.

“…That was the last letter.”

Rudger’s voice was slightly subdued.

“It’s been about 20 years since I received that letter.”

Twenty years ago, Sera would have been a baby.

‘…Could it be.’

A picture formed in my mind.

Sera’s sacrificed grandfather.

Her grandmother deciding to flee with the remaining family.

And the Emiris Order still targeting Sera.

It was just a hunch, but I felt the Emiris Order was behind it all.

‘…I should stop here for now.’

There was too little information to understand how the Emiris Order was involved or what actually happened.

Besides, there were other things I needed to focus on now.

“Hometown.”

“Hm?”

“Where was your hometown, if I may ask?”

It came up in our conversation earlier.

I needed to understand why Sera’s grandmother suddenly asked about it, and where it was.

“A small rural village in the northeast of the kingdom. You have to go well past Count Metis’s territory to reach it. If you go further up, you’ll reach Firenze or the kingdom.”

“I see.”

“It’s not a great place to live because there’s not much there… that’s right.”

Rudger smiled and said:

“There was a bent wisteria growing in her yard, so people called it the bent house.”

“I see.”

The bent house.

Perhaps there might be clues there.

“But why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Looking at Rudger’s face, I felt a bit guilty.

He had answered kindly, but I felt like I was deceiving him.

I quickly came up with a plausible excuse.

“Sera respects her grandmother a lot. I thought she might want to visit her grandmother’s hometown someday, so I asked in advance.”

“She doesn’t know?… Well, she might not. It’s a village that no longer exists.”

“It doesn’t exist?”

“When I became a paladin, I had a chance to pass through that village. They said all the villagers had left long ago because monsters frequently invaded.”

“I… see.”

That’s disappointing.

If nothing’s there, going might be meaningless.

“…But the buildings were still there. If you search, you might find something like a diary she hid long ago.”

“I see.”

I was reassured by Rudger’s words.

Fortunately, it seemed worth visiting even if it might be a wild goose chase.

Of course, the problem remained that I needed to survive the dragon first.

“……”

“……”

After that, neither of us spoke.

Perhaps because of the story about Sera’s grandmother, Rudger seemed momentarily lost in memories, and I had nothing particular to say.

“Kei.”

“Yes.”

“Survive.”

“Yes.”

Only then did I realize I was still holding Rudger’s will.

“Oh, this…”

“Heeeey, Toguuuu!! What are you doing thereee!!!”

A voice as loud as a boiling train engine.

Looking toward the source, I saw Aria and Beatrice with their arms around each other’s shoulders, shouting in our direction.

“…Why are they drunk?”

Rudger looked at Aria with disbelief.

“The wall is charging at us!”

“Dodge it~!”

Soon the two of them collapsed in place.

Seeing them staggering around with bottles in their hands, they were clearly intoxicated.

“Come drink with us!”

“…Go to bed!”

“So mean!!!”

They were so noisy that I vaguely saw the door leading into the castle wall open and shadows rushing out.

“Keep it down! It’s embarrassing!”

“The world hates me! I can hear all the world’s malice!!! Aria, comfort me!!”

“Sir Benefactor?! Please come help!”

Apparently embarrassed, Sera and Christina seemed to have rushed up at full speed.

Soon the shadows of the four began to mix as they started to scuffle.

“I should help.”

There were two drunk people over there.

If they cause trouble, someone could get hurt, so I should help quickly.

“Kei.”

Just as I was about to move, Rudger called me.

“Yes?”

“Including that guild leader, treasure your connections.”

Rudger was looking at me.

And without hesitation, my mouth moved.

“Yes.”

Satisfied with my answer, it seemed.

Rudger turned his back and disappeared in another direction.

“Ah.”

Only then did I remember and quickly checked my pocket.

I had meant to return the will but forgot because of the atmosphere.

“Toguuuu!!!”

Hearing the voice desperately calling for me, I quietly loosened up and rushed toward Beatrice.

I needed to silence that mage first.

Quickly tucking Rudger’s will into my chest pocket, I joined Sera and Christina in the battle to subdue Beatrice and Aria.

The two drunk women were truly formidable opponents.