Ch.151151. Wanted (1)

“What nonsense is that?”

A sharp voice rang out. Hostile gaze. It reminded me of the old days. But it felt different from the hostility of the past. I smiled with satisfaction at that fact. George, seeing my smile, twisted his face in irritation and opened his mouth again.

“Say it again, Ilroy.”

His clenched fist was trembling. I raised my gaze from that boulder-like fist to look at his boulder-like face. The same place as when I first possessed this body, at a similar time. The conversation was somewhat similar too, in a way. I took a deep breath and exhaled.

“You should sit this one out. It has nothing to do with the Calamity, and it’s something His Majesty personally asked me to handle. If the entire hero party mobilizes, it will only increase people’s anxiety.”

“That’s not a good enough reason. There are plenty of ways we could all go quietly, so why are you insisting on going alone?”

George slammed his hand onto the desk as he argued. At that moment, I wondered if he had thrown that at me when I first possessed this body, could I have returned to my original world?

“It’s easier to resolve this alone. Capturing that guy is different from confronting a Calamity.”

“You think I don’t know that, Ilroy? Do you think I don’t understand why you’re trying to stop us?”

Thud. His left hand joined his right on the desk. I looked up at George with calm eyes, while his eyes burned with fury.

“It’s because it’s dangerous. You don’t want to send us because you might die if you face him alone. Because you don’t know what might happen.”

That’s correct. But I neither confirmed nor denied it.

“Do you think we’re idiots or fools? Or do you just see us as burdens that need protection? I thought you had started to trust us, but you’re betraying us in a different way.”

“Don’t cross the line, George.”

In situations like this, I needed to be firm. I deliberately raised my aura slightly as I cut off George’s words. George, who had been pressing in on me, backed away.

“Since when did you become a whining child? Look at the situation and think.”

BANG-!! George struck the desk hard. I could hear the grinding of his teeth. He was trying to force back my aura, but George’s abilities weren’t enough. No one could have managed it, really.

“Fine. So that’s how you want to play it. As you wish, I won’t accompany you this time.”

George turned to leave. The flames that had been burning in his head seemed to have died down to ashes. I watched his heavy footsteps. He wasn’t blaming me, but rather himself, I suppose.

“If you die out there, don’t expect to see my face at your funeral.”

The door closed. I sighed, releasing the tension. Silence filled the room after George left. The edge of the desk he had struck was splintered and tattered. I’d never seen him so emotional before; he must have been quite troubled.

“…I don’t know what to say.”

I heard Daphne’s voice, tinged with a sigh. She had been quietly watching me throughout the argument. Her face showed an indescribable sadness.

“I understand why George is acting that way, and I understand why Ilroy is saying what he’s saying.”

“It can’t be helped if you all come to despise me. This is, in a way, a secret mission from His Majesty, and it’s better for me to go alone than to advertise that our entire party is mobilizing.”

Daphne pressed her lips together.

“That’s not wrong, Ilroy, but are you really not going to take me with you? I think I could be of help. It would be difficult for anyone to harm me now.”

“Yes. But this isn’t about whether you’d be helpful or not.”

Daphne seemed more puzzled than sad at my firm refusal. It meant she had gained confidence in her abilities. It would be strange for a 7th Circle mage to lack confidence.

“I know why George is so anxious…”

“I know. But I still need to go alone.”

Daphne let out another deep sigh. A flicker of anxiety crossed her face.

“This isn’t like the fog incident. I’m not acting emotionally, and I’m not trying to solve something impossible on my own.”

“I suppose so. You wouldn’t have come to tell us if you were planning to leave secretly.”

Daphne stood up first and gazed at me intently.

“Just as Ilroy trusted us during the comet operation, I trust Ilroy too.”

Trust and faith. Trust is firm but not deep. Faith is deep. And because it’s deep, it’s precarious. It becomes deeper because it’s precarious, and it’s precarious because it’s deep.

“Marianne will be very worried. If you happen to visit the Holy Kingdom, please say something to her.”

“She must be busy. The Holy Kingdom must be in a complete state of emergency.”

Perhaps it’s better that she’s busy. If Marianne had insisted on coming along to find Bishop Andre, I wouldn’t have had any grounds to refuse her.

“I’ll be leaving today. Isila will give you the details. How is she doing?”

“She’s stable. Seeing her so calm makes me feel a bit sorry for her.”

Daphne glanced out the door as she spoke. Her pink hair fluttered in the breeze from the corridor. A pale pink like cherry blossoms or lotus flowers, growing deeper toward the tips. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at that hair.

“…Hey, Ilroy.”

Suddenly, Daphne called out to me. I blinked, snapping out of my daze. Daphne had already approached and was standing next to my chair. The scent of an unidentifiable flower tickled my nose. Without saying anything, Daphne embraced me.

“Don’t go too far away.”

I nodded, holding onto Daphne’s arms. She held me like that for a while, then stepped back with a flushed face. I awkwardly smiled and waved, and Daphne smiled back before closing the office door behind her.

After the door closed, I let out a long sigh and sank into the chair. The Holy Sword’s voice, which had probably been watching me all along, reached my ears.

“[Do you think it’s right not to take them with you, Ilroy?]”

The Holy Sword’s question seemed more like a genuine inquiry than an accusation. I nodded. There was no doubt. According to the reports, no one knew how dangerous Aryen might be right now. He might be as dangerous as a Calamity, or even more so. I flipped through the notes where my knowledge as a possessor remained. The records I had written back then were of no help now.

“The current Aryen is likely an extremely dangerous opponent. I don’t know why he changed like that, but I’m probably the only person on the entire continent who can subdue him one-on-one.”

Perhaps Duke Quenore or Agnes might be evenly matched or even stronger. Especially the Duke, who would probably win with more than a 50% chance… but we don’t even know how strong Aryen is right now.

“[Is that really the only reason?]”

I didn’t answer. Of course, it wasn’t just because Aryen was dangerous. Beyond such rational and logical judgment, a different sense was warning me not to bring others on this pursuit. Perhaps that judgment came from my desire to hide my identity as a possessor.

“[So, what are you planning to do? What do you want to do with him?]”

The Holy Sword broke the silence. I gathered my thoughts and closed the notebook.

“I’ll capture him alive. If that’s possible.”

And if it’s not possible? If I ‘have no choice’ but to kill him? I pushed away the question that naturally arose in my mind and got up from my seat.

“If I can’t capture him…”

I didn’t want to think about what might happen next. I left the office and walked toward the room where Isila would be waiting. Sensing my approach, the door opened carefully. Isila, dressed in a blood-stained priest’s robe, stood at the doorway to greet me. Her movements didn’t suggest she was injured at all.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Hero.”

“Please guide me. I’ll depart immediately.”

Isila didn’t hesitate. I frowned slightly as I watched her step onto the windowsill rather than going through the door. Isila looked at me as if wondering what was wrong, and I shook my head without answering. I didn’t have time to convince her right now.

“Let’s go.”

Isila stared at me blankly before launching herself out the window. She landed skillfully on a lower roof, showing that this wasn’t her first time doing such a thing.

“[Are all inquisitors like this, Ilroy?]”

“Marianne does weird things like this sometimes too, so probably.”

I groaned as I put my foot on the windowsill. Just placing my foot there made me feel like a needle of guilt was pricking my conscience.

“[You look like a thief making an escape.]”

I know that without you telling me. I can’t escape through windows as skillfully as she can.

I launched myself while complaining to the Holy Sword. By now, I could demonstrate physical abilities beyond those of an average aura user without specifically reinforcing my body with mana. Isila opened her eyes wide in surprise as she watched me land cleanly.

“The mana…”

“Let’s go. Where did this happen? Judging by how quickly you were able to get here, it seems like it happened somewhere relatively close.”

Isila cleared her throat and composed her expression.

“Yes. They were probably constantly moving without settling in one place. They have no holy sites or relics.”

“The perfect environment for cultists. No fixed address, and wherever they go becomes their church.”

“That’s why it was harder to track them. If it weren’t for the disturbance at the magic tower, we wouldn’t have even dreamed of catching them.”

We lightly jumped across rooftops until we reached the western gate of the royal city.

“…At the very end, when we had their leader right in front of us.”

Isila stopped in place as she spoke. Her eyes trembled as she said this.

“The mercenary, in place of the bishop…”

What?

==

“Are you Aryen Elmione, the man with a nationwide bounty on his head?”

Adventurer and bounty hunter, Hunter Spen smiled as he blocked the path. This was the road leading away from the royal city’s influence, the fastest way to cross the border. This village was the only place fugitives would come to, and this was the only route. Having captured dozens of major criminals and spies with his own hands, he saw this as a golden opportunity.

“Aren’t you the one they used to call the Mercenary King? You got kicked out of the hero party, and now what have you been doing to make the royal palace issue a direct bounty for you?”

The man called Aryen didn’t answer. With his hood pulled low, he simply stood still, facing Hunter Spen without moving. The eyes shadowed by the hood gave no indication of where they were looking, nor could one tell what expression his mouth was making.

“Just so you know, I didn’t come alone.”

The bounty: 8 million gold. Enough money for ten people to live comfortably for a lifetime. Well-known mercenaries and adventurers from across the continent emerged from every alley and corner.

“No matter how much they call you the Mercenary King, you can’t handle this.”

Aryen raised his head.

The last thing Hunter Spen saw was Aryen’s eerie smile, baring his teeth.