Ch.134134. A Companion

I could see the mountain village that the Marias tribe had made their base from a distance.

The royal army’s tents stretched out in a long line, clearly visible. There were sentries standing guard and sturdy barricades made from locally sourced materials.

The base was impressively elaborate and solid, hard to believe it had been constructed in just a few days.

However, the soldiers’ morale was noticeably low. Those who came to greet me had haggard eyes and seemed drained of energy.

At first glance, they reminded me of an army without food, but since the royal forces were fighting on their own territory, supplies shouldn’t be an issue.

“You’re here.”

Gloria Grace, the red-haired captain of the royal guard, greeted me with indifference. Her aides simply bowed their heads briefly without any grand welcome ceremony.

Actually, seeing her face reminded me that we had agreed to speak informally during the drinking party at the royal palace last time.

“I heard there was an assassination attempt on your way here. Are you alright?”

“It was sent by the traitors who fled to the forest. Nothing to worry about.”

At my words, several knights gritted their teeth as if shuddering. The news that the betraying nobles who had escaped to the Marias Great Forest had gone further by sending assassins was enough to fuel their anger.

“I’d like to get straight to the point. I heard you were defeated by the Great Warrior.”

The knights, especially Gloria, flinched visibly. Those around her made no attempt to hide their discomfort.

This is a battlefield.

They should understand military hierarchy better than I do, but they seemed not to recognize that I was a special entity authorized by His Majesty.

[KIEEEEEK!]

[KUAAK! KUAAAK!]

[SAVE ME! PLEASE SAVE MEEE!]

I manipulated my mana to make the ghosts’ screams audible only inside this tent. It was an application of necromancy I learned from the Dark Spiritmaster—a kind of atmosphere creation that only I, who could see all the dead, could use.

The Dark Spiritmaster called this my “technique for pretending to be an ominous man.”

The knights trembled at the sudden screams echoing inside the tent and looked at me.

“Is defeat so shameful that I need to be considerate of your feelings?”

It was a warning of sorts. A firm declaration not to overstep my position. The royal guards were certainly perceptive enough to notice this, and they bowed their heads deeply without saying a word.

“I’ll apologize. I’m sorry. We warriors are naturally sensitive about victory and defeat.”

Gloria, who had done nothing wrong, stood up and bowed deeply to me. Seeing this, the other knights flinched again and averted their eyes as if witnessing something uncomfortable.

‘She did that on purpose.’

Gloria had deliberately taken the initiative to prevent the knights from treating me carelessly. She demonstrated through her actions that if they failed to show proper respect, she would bear the shame.

“Alright, I accept.”

Gloria raised her head after I smoothly moved past the issue. I thought she would begin her explanation immediately, but that wasn’t the case.

“Saintess Lucia will be arriving here in about two hours. I’ll explain everything then. It might take quite a while.”

“…I understand.”

“We’ll provide a separate tent for you, but we can’t give individual tents for your maid and the boy.”

“I wouldn’t expect that much. They can stay in the same tent with me.”

“Then Valter will guide you right away. Please wait there for a bit.”

A knight named Valter stepped forward, saluted dramatically, and then politely escorted me.

“Please follow me, Spirit Master.”

The treatment had clearly changed.

I followed him to a large tent that had already been set up for me.

I called for Findenai and Owen, who had been waiting, to join me.

After guiding us to the tent, Valter saluted again and carefully backed out of the tent.

“Their discipline is impressive, huh?”

Findenai clicked her tongue in amazement. While Findenai and Owen unpacked, I went back outside the tent.

I couldn’t see the enemy base from here, but I could feel a strange energy.

A sense different from mana. The feeling of being watched by a vast natural force was similar to the pressure exerted by the mountain spirit of the Norsweden mountains.

‘So the guardian deity Horua is indeed involved.’

Though similar in power to a mountain spirit, it wouldn’t be as powerful outside the Marias Great Forest. I suspected it was joining forces with the man called the Great Warrior.

‘Then what is their objective?’

They claimed to be seeking revenge for the chief and the people of Setima, but that seemed flimsy. They wouldn’t have decided to fight against the massive beast Griffin just because of the sweet talk from former nobles of the kingdom.

I felt there must be another reason behind this war, though I couldn’t quite grasp what it might be.

Time passed.

She had said two hours, but it was already late, and soon the sun set and night fell.

Finally, a carriage carrying the Saintess arrived at the base.

And then.

“Wooooow!”

“It’s the Saintess!”

“Saintess Lucia!”

“God is with us! We will win this battle!”

Crowds welcomed Lucia with enthusiasm. The soldiers who had been dejected, exhausted, and hardened by the cruelty of war just moments ago were now cheering for the Saintess.

This made it clear why King Orpheus had specifically dispatched Lucia here.

“Wow, completely opposite from my master.”

[The difference in treatment is honestly ridiculous.]

“I-I think Spirit Master is the best!”

Findenai, the Dark Spiritmaster, and Owen each had their own reactions. Though the Saintess and I held similar positions, the way we were treated was worlds apart.

Not that I felt slighted by it.

Suddenly, I thought of Stella sleeping inside me. She must still be resting peacefully. I only hoped that the heat of the battlefield and the screams of the dead wouldn’t disturb her sleep.

“This will take a moment. Let’s wait at the command tent.”

Gloria, the knight captain, awkwardly guided me away from the commotion.

Since I didn’t particularly care, I followed Gloria, instructing Findenai and Owen to return to my tent.

Shortly after…

Lucia entered, smiling awkwardly after receiving the soldiers’ cheers.

“It’s been a while, Deus. And Gloria.”

Saintess Lucia, with her striking silver hair, greeted us with a graceful smile. Her hair color was similar to Findenai’s, but their auras were complete opposites.

If one was like a beast, the other was like a young girl.

That was the simplest way to describe it.

“Especially you, Deus. Thank you for what you did at the Eliya Convent. I heard everything from the Mother Superior.”

“Sure, put it on my tab.”

Gloria looked exasperated at my response, but Lucia just smiled as if it was expected. She stepped closer to me and whispered, though everyone in the tent could still hear.

“Has Lady Stella found peace?”

“Yes, she must be quite tired and needs a long rest.”

“I see. That’s good.”

Lucia bowed her head slightly in gratitude, smiling. I accepted it without attaching much significance, but…

Thump.

‘Hm?’

For a moment, I felt something surge in my chest. It wasn’t that I had changed in any way.

It felt like someone else’s emotion had suddenly washed over me.

And it seemed like a kind of jealousy.

‘…Is she getting jealous because they’re both Saintesses?’

Not being completely oblivious, I distanced myself slightly from Lucia to avoid disturbing the sleeping Stella further.

Lucia tilted her head in confusion, wondering what the problem was, but anyway…

“Now I’ll begin explaining the situation.”

Gloria’s explanation finally started, though a bit late. The situation itself was actually simple.

They had fought against the Marias tribe for subjugation but were defeated, so they established a base at a distance from the enemy’s stronghold.

Simple, but the implications were weighty.

“Actually, most of their forces aren’t that threatening. They’re skilled warriors, but laughable compared to our side. However, the core problem is… Great Warrior Balkzar.”

Gloria’s voice cracked and lowered. It was clear they had struggled significantly.

“That man is truly an anomaly. Even I couldn’t properly exchange more than a few blows before being defeated. I’ve never met anyone who so perfectly embodies the term ‘one-man army.'”

“One-man army…”

Lucia repeated the words with a complex expression. Though she was a novice in combat, she knew Gloria’s strength well, and it must have been her first time seeing her friend so demoralized.

“Strategies and tactics become useless before him. He wields a power different from mana, and the mobility he gains when those red wings on his back spread is beyond imagination.”

Horua’s wings.

It seemed that Horua, having abandoned the Marias Great Forest, had directly descended upon the Great Warrior.

“…!”

[Huh?]

“Wait.”

Suddenly, the Dark Spiritmaster, the Saintess, and I all turned our attention outside the tent. The knight captain noticed a moment later.

Then came the sound of tearing screams.

Stepping outside the tent, we were greeted by a man with bronze skin covered in fierce tattoos.

Flames like hot waves surrounded him, and burning wings reminiscent of Icarus from mythology spread from his back.

Their owner, Great Warrior Balkzar.

Behind him, warriors riding lizards engaged the knights in mobile combat.

Balkzar’s thunderous voice echoed throughout the camp.

“Which among you is Spirit Master Deus Verdi! Come forth and face my spear!”

Being specifically called out, all three pairs of eyes turned to me.

[W-wait. Don’t react and hide for now.]

“You should retreat with me. You’re not a warrior, so you don’t need to fight.”

“Get behind me.”

The Dark Spiritmaster and Lucia tried to hide me, while Gloria drew her sword to become a barrier protecting me.

Findenai, who had just emerged from the tent, was also approaching, but…

I gently pushed Lucia aside and answered.

“I am the Spirit Master, Deus Verdi.”

The hunter’s gaze locked precisely onto me. As our eyes met, Balkzar snorted and struck the ground with his spear.

“If you are as skilled as they say! Let us duel! This Great Warrior will gauge your abilities!”

“That’s absurd!”

Gloria was alarmed by his challenge to a duel and tried to stop me, but…

My gaze was fixed solely on him, and he was looking only at me.

I stepped forward, ignoring the cries of the Dark Spiritmaster and Lucia, and assured Gloria it was fine as I passed her.

Finally, Findenai.

She ran up to me, considered for a moment, then sighed and threw her axe, embedding it in the ground.

It was a signal that she wouldn’t interfere.

“You’re confident you can win?”

At her question, I glanced at Balkzar and snorted.

“He’s just a weakling borrowing power.”

My assessment seemed to please Findenai, who laughed “Khahat!” and nodded impressively.

“Says the one who’s just a weakling himself. I’ll give you a massage when you come back, master. Let’s tell Owen to sleep outside the tent.”

“…Please refrain from saying such things in front of Owen later.”

Strange gazes poured from behind. Gloria and Lucia, who had been concerned for me just moments ago, were now looking at me oddly.

“And in front of others too.”

“But this is my joy in life!”

I already felt my morale crumbling. Ignoring her, I strode purposefully toward the stage and…

Stood before Balkzar, who was glaring at me with his fiery wings spread.

“The souls of ancestors, guardian deity Horua. You walk with quite impressive companions.”

“…”

Standing before him, the atmosphere suddenly reversed.

Balkzar’s eyes, which had been confident until now, began to tremble slightly.

I didn’t need to do anything.

The ancestral souls clinging to Balkzar were already trembling with fear and trying to escape, and Horua’s power was weakening and receding.

Perhaps it was because he was in the position of borrowing power. Or perhaps it was due to his beast-like sense of smell developed from living in the Great Forest.

Balkzar seemed to notice something, and biting his thick lips, he asked:

“And what exactly do you walk with?”

“Nothing special.”

I had separately captured the soul of Dina, who had been a monster tamer, but someone of her caliber would hardly impress Balkzar.

However.

“A former Saintess who became starlight and…”

A being that no one present could approach. The sleeping monster who, by coincidence, now resided within me.

Balkzar has good intuition.

Too good, in fact.

Having received Horua’s energy, he had developed a sense bordering on precognition.

But that became his downfall.

“And I suppose a deformed great demon.”

That’s why he could sense the energy of the great demon Vellica sleeping inside me alongside the Saintess.