Ch.233About Those Strange Companions (1)

Life should have a goal.

A life without a goal is boring, dull, and loses its vitality. Dieta truly empathized with this sentence she had once read in a book.

A clear goal makes life more beautiful.

Looking up at that high place while walking, Dieta finds each day enjoyable. Despite being overwhelmed with work, she feels joy rather than fatigue, and feels satisfaction when she sees the company’s stock price reaching new highs day after day.

But what brings her the most joy is…

“Back then, we promised, didn’t we?”

Dieta reached out her hand.

Her slender fingers hooked around the chain of Najin’s necklace. Then Dieta pulled on the chain.

“That we would meet again in that high place.”

The end of the necklace hidden under his clothes, a ring connected to the chain, was pulled out into the open. Dieta rubbed that ring with her fingertips.

“It’s not easy to follow you because you’re too fast, climbing too high.”

Dieta looked up at Najin and curled up the corners of her mouth.

“But I don’t intend to fall behind forever.”

It was a mischievous smile, a challenging smile.

Najin shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

“There are quite a few people who say they’ll follow me.”

“That means you have many competitors. Well, you are quite impressive. But still…”

Dieta took a step back. Then, pointing at her own face with her finger, she snorted.

“I’m the first one, aren’t I?”

The first to recognize you, the first to say I’ll follow you, the first to become your friend, and the first to confess to you.

I’m the first in everything.

Najin couldn’t help but smile at Dieta’s eyes that sparkled with a greedy light like gold coins. Indeed, how could he deny it? The girl before him was proving it not just with words but with her actions.

“Well then.”

“Yes, well then.”

There was no need for grand farewells. The two simply nodded to each other as a goodbye.

“See you next time.”

Next time, in an even higher place.

2.

Before returning to the Outer Continent.

Najin briefly stopped by the One Horned Tower. He had information to share with Gerd. However, Gerd wasn’t at the One Horned Tower, and it was Gerd’s adjutant who was waiting for Najin.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, we meet again, Sir Najin.”

Solace, a woman with such a name.

She was the one who had previously visited Najin in the Outer Continent to deliver Gerd’s letter.

“Where is Sir Gerd?”

“Sir Gerd is away. Normally, detailed information would be classified, but he ordered me to share information with you if you came looking for him…”

She adjusted her posture.

“Sir Gerd is currently on a mission to subjugate the Demon Lord of Mourning, Carpediem. He headed toward the Blue Forest, suspected to be Carpediem’s territory, and is currently… heading north.”

Did she have the ability to know someone’s location? Closing her eyes and nodding with a “hmm,” she spoke as if she knew Gerd’s location.

‘Carpediem…’

Najin recalled the information he had received earlier.

He had heard that the Empress of Bliss had four apostles called Jesters, and that the forbidden area created by these four protected the Empress’s territory.

Of these, two had been identified.

One was the Demon Lord of Mourning, Carpediem, and the other was Quixote, Star of Contempt. At that time, Gerd had said, “I’ll take care of the Demon Lord of Mourning,” and it seemed he was keeping his word.

“The personnel participating in the subjugation are Sir Gerd, Sir Entycles of the Seal of Annihilation, Sir Jakut of the Seal of Applaud, and Sir Charon, the master of the Order of the Sword. Four in total.”

The First Pillar of Empire, Gerd.

The Second Pillar of Empire, Entycles of the Seal of Annihilation.

The Third Pillar of Empire, Jakut of the Seal of Applaud.

The master of the Order of the Sword, Charon, Star of Sword.

Though there were only four participants in the subjugation, considering their caliber, it didn’t seem insufficient.

“That’s all the information. Ah, and Sir Gerd did leave a message before he left… but I’d like to hear the purpose of your visit first. What brings you here?”

Najin explained the information he had found. He had discovered information about La Mancha and was now heading there.

“I see.”

Solace nodded and spoke.

“Sir Gerd said that if you came during his absence, and if you brought information about La Mancha, I should tell you this.”

“Tell me what?”

“Take this and go to the Order of Blood and the Sacred Host. The conversation has already been had.”

Solace handed Najin a badge.

It was a badge with the symbol of the First Pillar of Empire.

“He said they would cooperate. I’ll send an official document in advance. If you wait a moment, I’ll call a carriage for you.”

Najin took the carriage that arrived shortly after and traveled.

The destination was in front of the main church of the Order of Blood, where high priests of the main church rushed out to greet Najin as if welcoming him.

Originally, each order and the Empire do not interfere with each other and respect each other’s domains as a principle… but that too depends on the situation.

Although branches of the Order are spread throughout the continent, the place with the most branches is undoubtedly the Empire, and no matter how influential the Order is, it cannot ignore the Empire’s stance. Also, about half of the transcendents belonging to the Order, excluding the Lighthouse Keeper, were beings belonging to the Empire.

Guided by the priests of the Order of Blood, Najin walked inside the Order.

“If you wait here for a moment, she will arrive soon. Just a moment…”

Who is arriving? Such a question was unnecessary. Najin seemed to know who would come. Not long after, footsteps were heard from outside the door.

Calm and steady footsteps.

And an eerie presence that could not be concealed.

Eventually, someone opened the door and entered the reception room. A woman with snow-white hair and blood-red eyes. A figure who competed for first or second place in the Empire with that appearance, but had a notoriety that didn’t match her appearance at all.

“Oh, it’s nice to see you.”

The executioner of the Order, the murderer Juel Lazian.

She waved at Najin with an expressionless face.

“Three months? Five months? I don’t remember the exact time, but it seems about that long has passed. From my perspective, it’s not that long.”

Staring intently at Najin, Juel spoke.

“But it seems it was quite a long time for you.”

The eyes of a transcendent can see many things. Juel, who stared at Najin, moved the corners of her mouth slightly. With a faint smile, she nodded.

“It will be soon. I’ll be waiting for that day.”

“…What do you mean?”

“The day you challenge me to a duel. Don’t you remember? You said that when you become strong enough to match me, you would challenge me to a duel. A life-or-death battle.”

Did I say that? I don’t think I ever said such a thing. Najin looked at Juel with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t remember saying such a thing.”

“…”

“…”

“First, regarding the content received from Sir Gerd, let me explain the Order’s position…”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Public and private matters should be distinguished. The personal conversation was too long. The remaining conversation can be continued after we finish discussing business.”

Her skill at changing the subject was remarkable.

3.

The conversation that Gerd had with the Order of Blood and the Sacred Host was simple. To cooperate in hunting the Empress of Bliss, and to actively collaborate on all matters related to the subjugation of the Empress of Bliss.

The Empress of Bliss was beyond being the Empire’s main enemy; she was humanity’s main enemy. Therefore, it was a high-handed attitude saying that naturally, you, the Order, should cooperate with us… but while the Sacred Host might not know, the Order of Blood didn’t feel any antipathy toward this fact.

“The Order of Blood is an order that hunts demons.”

The executioner of the Order of Blood.

Juel Lazian, the spokesperson of the Order, said.

“My deity, the Matyr of Thorns, is one who doesn’t hesitate to join hands with even the most heinous criminals if it means hunting demons. There’s no reason to feel antipathy just because the Empire took a high-handed attitude. Rather, he is pleased.”

Demons are beings that must be struck down by any means necessary.

And the Empress of Bliss was the most powerful demon currently existing in the Outer Continent, and a being who became the focal point of demons.

“Subjugating the Empress of Bliss. That has been the Order’s goal for a long time as well. Therefore, the Order accepts the request for cooperation.”

She placed her hand on her chest.

“I, Juel Lazian, the executioner of the Order of Blood and the great warrior of the Matyr of Thorns, promise to cooperate with you.”

The path to La Mancha, the place suspected to be the weakness of Quixote, Star of Contempt, would naturally be arduous. The Empress of Bliss was not a fool who wouldn’t prepare for her weaknesses.

“I will help with the path to La Mancha. If possible, I will also help with the attack on the place named La Mancha.”

It would not be easy for Najin alone to break through those preparations, so Gerd seemed to have prepared beings to cooperate with Najin. The executioner of the Order of Blood was one of them.

“And I assume the same document that arrived at the Order of Blood also arrived at the Sacred Host. Are you planning to head to the Sacred Host now?”

“I plan to depart immediately.”

“Let’s go together.”

Not long after, Najin arrived at the main church of the Sacred Host with Juel. A similar situation occurred there, and while waiting in the reception room, a figure who seemed to be a big shot of the Order arrived after a short while.

The one who opened the door and entered was a woman with blonde hair.

She appeared to be of a similar age to Juel, that is, in her early to mid-twenties. The moment Najin made eye contact with her, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, he sensed it.

‘This won’t be easy.’

Najin had met many people and interacted with all kinds of human characters in the underground city. Because of this, he could roughly guess what kind of personality someone had by looking at their face, eyes, or posture… but the woman before him truly seemed difficult.

An arrogant gait as if she was the best in the world. A haughty gaze that looked down on everything in the world. Her eyebrows were steeply raised as if she was even annoyed at the fact that she was being summoned, and she looked full of discontent.

“Sigh.”

And then a sigh for all to see. She was showing with her whole body, doing her best to make it clear that she was in a bad mood and that this situation was not to her liking.

And naturally, someone who could openly show such a reaction to a free knight supported by the First Pillar of Empire would be a big shot among big shots, a figure who would be the representative of the Order.

The highest being in the Sacred Host.

A being treated as an asymmetric force of the Order, along with the Lighthouse Keeper of the Order of Glory and the executioner of the Order of Blood.

The Sacred Host opened her mouth.

“I find this situation very, extremely displeasing. To be frank, it’s to the point of being unpleasant. Such a high-handed attitude? Originally, all orders are independently…”

She was frowning and speaking sharply when suddenly she lowered her gaze. It was because she noticed that Najin wasn’t sitting alone. And the moment she confirmed the face of his companion, her eyes widened.

“Inde… inde, inde, independently exist…”

And she began to stutter.

The expression full of discontent disappeared without a trace, and the Sacred Host’s eyes began to shake frantically.

“Huk.”

She swallowed her breath and stepped back with a start.

“W-why are you here?”

The Sacred Host quickly extended her hand and pointed at Juel.

Her fingertip was trembling.

It was an atmosphere where anyone could see she was wary of Juel, and if someone had any sense, they wouldn’t speak friendly to someone who was so wary…

“It’s nice to see you, Sacred Host. It’s been 17 years.”

But not Juel.

Not only did she lack tact, but even if she had it, she wasn’t the type of person who would care about others’ feelings. Her own feelings were always the priority, no matter what anyone said.

And Juel was genuinely happy to see the Sacred Host.

Not pretending, but sincerely.

Unlike Juel, who was waving her hand affectionately in greeting, the Sacred Host was trembling. Like a herbivore in front of a predator.

“It’s hard to see your face. It’s truly nice to see you after so long. Have you been well?”

Juel, who had risen from her seat, took a step toward her. As she took a step forward, the Sacred Host hesitantly stepped back. This was repeated several times until the Sacred Host’s back touched the wall.

Hiccup.

With nowhere else to retreat, the Sacred Host began to hiccup. Pressing her body against the wall, she screamed.

“D-don’t come! Stay there! Talk from there! From there!”

It was an expression of fear.