Ch.2525. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (1)

I received a letter from George. It felt different from the previous summons I had received. Back then, I had carelessly torn it open with a letter opener, but this time I carefully opened the envelope to avoid damaging it. Sure enough, the document inside was written in a different handwriting. I unfolded the paper, which had been folded three times, and began reading the queen’s message.

To the Hero Ilroy,

The spring in the capital passes by all too quickly. Summer seemed just around the corner, and now it has already replaced spring. However, as the Queen of the Kingdom of Kairos, and as the chief commander sending out an expedition against the Calamity, I welcome the approaching heat of summer. It means favorable weather is coming for your conquest of the “Fourth Calamity.”

The departure ceremony will naturally be held on the day you set out for the conquest. I have considered what might be a good time, but shouldn’t we accommodate those who will be undertaking the mission? Please reply with your preferred date from early June. The palace will make all necessary preparations accordingly.

Evernode is a cold place in the north. Even in summer, they say there’s a boundary line at the northernmost point where blizzards begin to rage. Please make thorough preparations. I’ll end here.

Agnes Blanche Lumiere, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Kairos.

You have beautiful handwriting, Your Majesty.

The writing in the letter, likely penned by the queen herself, was square and dignified, just like her character. I read the letter bearing the royal seal once more, then carefully folded it along its creases and placed it on my desk.

“What did she say?” asked George, who had been watching me read with curious eyes.

“She said to choose the departure date ourselves. She suggested picking a date in early June.”

“I see. Her Majesty is being quite considerate.”

George nodded. As the Knight Commander, he must be impressed to receive a royal letter. Then he suddenly looked up at Marianne.

“So, what role will that person play?”

“Probably similar to the role Aryen used to have. Someone to stir up the battlefield from the front.”

George narrowed his brow.

“You mean she’s that strong. Not as strong as Aryen, I suppose. Well, I did feel we were somewhat short-handed, so I don’t think it’s bad to have reinforcements.”

“What’s this? You’re just accepting it without saying anything? Don’t you want to make a bet like last time?”

“…Ahem.”

George cleared his throat. Come to think of it, this guy seems to be trying to quietly forget about our bet. What did he say last time? ‘Then I’ll not only include Daphne Ephiphone in the party, but I’ll also never question your words again and just follow you without complaint.’ Since then, his acceptance of Daphne as a comrade has been like a father who didn’t want to bring a dog home.

“Anyway, it would be good to set a date in the first week of June. We’re going north, so it would be better to go when it’s less cold.”

Creak.

The sound of a door opening timidly reached our ears. A pink-haired head appeared in the doorway. Daphne peeked in shyly, then frowned when she saw Marianne standing next to me.

“…I’m here.”

“Welcome. We were just deciding on a date to set out for the Fourth Calamity.”

Daphne pouted her lips, then came over to stand beside me. She looked at the coffee on my desk and frowned again.

“…I’ll really come early from now on, so please let me make your morning coffee.”

Daphne said this while turning her gaze toward Marianne. I nodded with a bitter smile.

“Alright.”

As Daphne’s sullen expression returned to normal, I turned my attention back to the queen’s letter.

“So, our departure date will be in early June. We have less than three weeks left.”

George and Daphne nodded. Marianne quietly listened to my words.

“I think it’s best to leave as soon as possible. Let’s depart on the first day of June.”

George raised his eyebrows.

“You’re planning to leave much earlier than I expected. I thought you would want to leave as late as possible, citing preparations and such.”

I shook my head.

“No. There’s nothing to gain by staying in the capital any longer. At most, we might get some gray bear pelts? We can actually prepare more thoroughly once we reach the north. It’s not like we’ll immediately go hunting for the Fourth Calamity when we arrive. It would be much better to hurry and get there so we can adapt to the harsh northern environment as soon as possible.”

Right, Holy Sword?

“[For once, you speak wisely. Your training will also progress further once we reach the north.]”

The “for once” part bothered me a bit, but with the Holy Sword’s agreement, I smiled confidently.

“Any objections?”

“No, I’m rather surprised by your thoughtfulness. I was going to tell you that leaving early would be much better if you suggested leaving late.”

George nodded in agreement. Daphne also agreed with me, and Marianne… without even needing to ask, she gave a slight nod as soon as I looked at her.

Well, now that I had everyone’s approval, there was no reason to delay further. I immediately picked up a pen and began drafting a reply to the royal court. Should I start with ‘To Her Majesty the Queen’? After that, I suppose it should be something like ‘Hero Ilroy humbly reports…’ Honestly, the palace would probably prefer receiving a quick response to start preparations rather than a meticulously crafted reply that took days to compose.

I continued writing, forming each sentence carefully. George, who was peering over my shoulder, occasionally interjected to help correct my wording and expressions.

‘Therefore, I wish to depart for the north on June 1st. I humbly request Your Majesty’s approval.’

After completing the final sentence, I poured melted wax and pressed my seal into it. I handed the reply to George, who took the envelope with a somewhat disgruntled expression.

“I feel like a letter carrier.”

“Well, I can’t go myself.”

Despite my shameless response, George let out a dry laugh as he carefully tucked the letter into his breast pocket. The reply had left my hands. I closed my eyes and exhaled through the rising steam from my cup.

==

At an inn in a town three days by carriage from the capital.

Quite some time had passed since she left the party. Isis, who had left the hero’s party with the determination to accompany Aryen, had been wandering for weeks with the note Aryen had left, as if telling her to find him if she could. How many days had she traveled by carriage, sometimes walking, following cities and people? Isis had finally managed to get news of Aryen in one town.

Isis drank water from a wooden cup with slightly trembling hands. Today was finally the day she would meet Aryen again. Aryen’s base, which she had painstakingly found by asking around at the Adventurer’s Guild and from passersby. The innkeeper had told her that he would be late today as he was out hunting monsters.

“Aryen… I’m waiting for you.”

As the priestess murmured this, her rosary beads slipped down from beneath her chest. The priestess held the rattling rosary with both hands and let out a small sigh. She wasn’t sure what to say to him first when they reunited. That she couldn’t possibly remain in the hero’s party? That she couldn’t stay beside that hero?

“I’m not sure. Maybe I just wanted to follow you.”

As Isis quietly sipped her water, fragments of conversation from other people reached her ears.

“Did you hear about it?”

“Hear about what?”

“The conquest of the Fourth Calamity. They say an announcement has been made about the hero party’s departure ceremony coming soon.”

Isis’s eyes wavered. She strained her hearing to listen more closely to the adventurers’ conversation. A few weeks ago, she had heard that the hero had been summoned to a hearing at the palace, but since then she had hardly been able to get any news about the party. She had tried not to pay attention, but she couldn’t help being concerned.

“Really? I heard there was some trouble with the hero being summoned to the palace. What happened with that?”

“I don’t know the details either. Only the nobles at the palace would know. But seeing as he’s boldly appearing in public, it must have been resolved somehow.”

So the hearing was resolved well. Isis frowned. It seems they just let Aryen go and hastily formed an expedition with people who suited their taste.

“When is the date? I’d like to go see the hero’s face.”

“I believe it’s the first day of June. They should be departing tomorrow or the day after.”

“About that.”

At that moment, a new voice cut into the adventurers’ conversation. Isis widened her eyes, and the adventurers looked with puzzled expressions at the outsider who had interrupted their chat.

“Could you repeat that once more?”

Aryen Elmione. A mercenary with unkempt black hair had appeared at the edge of the adventurers’ table. The adventurers exchanged bewildered glances. As Aryen began to exude a subtle pressure, the adventurers startled and hurriedly spoke up.

“The hero successfully got through the hearing this time…”

“And they’ll be setting out soon to conquer the Fourth Calamity. They say the departure ceremony date has been set.”

A shadow fell across the bridge of Aryen’s nose. With an expression as if chewing on something, Aryen turned around and slowly headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor of the inn.

“…Aryen!”

Isis rose urgently from her seat and called out to Aryen. The mercenary, who had just set foot on the stairs, turned around at the familiar voice. Aryen’s eyes, which had been sharply on edge, immediately changed to surprise when he saw Isis’s blue eyes shining from beneath her hood.

“Isis…”

Before Aryen could react further, Isis ran to him and embraced him. Aryen looked down at Isis clinging to him, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders and patted her back.

“…You found me.”

Isis nodded with her face buried against Aryen. Sensing the stares from people around them, Aryen took Isis up to the second floor. After seating her in his room, Aryen sat in the chair opposite and looked at her.

“So you left the hero’s party?”

“Yes. After learning that they had driven you out, I immediately confronted the hero, but couldn’t get a proper explanation. They must have known you were the real backbone of the party…”

Isis’s voice trailed off. The mercenary bit his lip as he recalled his days with the hero’s party. The hero who disrespected his background and never listened to him. The hero who flirted with the priestess. The mage who sided with the hero, disparaging Isis and ignoring him.

“…No. I’ve decided not to worry about it anymore. I think my mistake was deciding to join their ragtag expedition in the first place.”

Aryen said this in a firm voice. Isis clasped her hands together.

“Such people cannot save the world. I thought perhaps your path of growing stronger might be closer to saving the world.”

It wasn’t that Aryen didn’t want to save the world. It was just a difference in methods, character, and ability. He felt that staying with an incompetent hero would either get him killed or force him to kill the hero before they could get anywhere near saving the world.

“What will you do now? Will you rejoin a mercenary group?”

“No. I’m done being a mercenary. For a while, I want to wander the world as an adventurer and see parts of it I haven’t been able to see before.”

At Aryen’s words, Isis slowly nodded. If she could practice her own salvation by wandering the world and helping those in need, that would be fine too. After a moment of silence in the room, Aryen tapped the chair and spoke first.

“They say the expedition for The Seven Calamity will depart on the first day of June.”

Aryen said with a sigh.

“I need to see with my own eyes what will happen to them before they leave. Don’t you feel the same?”

Aryen asked, nursing some kind of anger. Isis looked into his black eyes and nodded. She too needed to confirm if that hero could still arrogantly proclaim himself the savior of the world. She wanted to see if the kingdom would still foolishly acknowledge him, if the holy country would still recognize him as the hero.

“…Yes.”

Aryen and Isis’s eyes met. It was the moment when the mercenary and the priestess decided to return to the capital temporarily.