Ch.28Heresy Inquisition Office (2)

“There’s no need to make excuses.”

The words that reached my ears while I was contemplating whether to deny it or not reminded me of what kind of person Melody was.

Melody was a typical good-aligned companion, but she was more practical than idealistic.

She would offer opinions based on the protagonist’s choices, but what usually increased her affection were realistic good choices.

She was an experienced adventurer.

I had no way of knowing how much time had passed since the second installment of the series, but even back then, Melody was a seasoned adventurer who had seen and experienced all sorts of things.

Despite being just a minor, she was like that. How could she have become less experienced now?

Realizing that denying anything to her would be meaningless, I let out an internal sigh.

Melody chuckled with amusement.

The question of how she knew could wait. There were more urgent matters that concerned me.

“Is the Guardian Knight a homunculus too?”

Melody tilted her head in confusion.

“You didn’t know?”

Should I say I didn’t know?

The truth was that I knew a year ago, but I had forgotten it over the course of that year.

When my sister disappeared.

The save file left on the computer, my sister’s last character, was definitely a homunculus.

I had forgotten that for a long time.

No, I think the impression had remained vaguely.

When the vampire mentioned that all homunculi are disposed of after a certain period, wasn’t that why I became angry?

Why I despaired and mourned? While feeling the effects of a year’s worth of memory erosion, I listened carefully to Melody’s next words.

“I thought you’d know since she’s famous. ‘Big Sis’ is renowned for having the greatest physical strength in the Empire~”

She has equally impressive skills too, she added. Her additional comment helped me form a rough picture of who Lucilla was.

At the same time, I could understand what she was trying to say.

“But at first, strength was her main attribute. Watching her crush enemies with her homunculus power, overcome adversity, and keep getting back up was truly…”

She clasped her hands together and tilted her head dreamily, resting it on her hands. Her whispered words made me contemplate the time I had missed.

“After I helped her with her swordsmanship, she was fine, but before that, she was just like you. Strong and sturdy. Impressive to watch, but…”

“So that’s why you thought I would know. I see.”

“That’s right. Because you’re a homunculus too.”

Only then did I understand why she thought I was a homunculus.

“Based on rumors and information I gathered on my way here… oof, I deduced that you were an escaped homunculus.”

“How did you know the other things?”

The girl removed her boots and wiggled her toes. She glanced up at me.

What I saw were golden irises. Eyes so vivid they seemed to emit light.

Those eyes held deep curiosity.

“Curious? Interested in the Intelligence Department?”

“I can’t say I’m not. Please, tell me.”

Even Isla, who was wary of Melody, seemed intrigued as she stared at her.

Melody stopped wiggling her feet and spoke.

“I found out the basics in the city. I also received information from Intelligence personnel who were following you.”

Ah, so that’s it.

‘Why was this new continent abandoned?’

‘Why did the Empire leave?’

‘Do you know anything about the Justicars?’

Back when I was trying to draw out the dark mage, I had nothing left to ask, so I just said whatever came to mind.

She must have overheard somehow.

“You’d fail as a spy! You know.”

Melody pointed at me with an outstretched finger as if I were in a job interview. I shrugged.

I never had much interest in stealth, assassination, or espionage anyway.

“As a warrior?”

“Perfect score. Though you have the same problem as Big Sis.”

Melody, the right hand of Guardian Knight Lucilla. She told me I had a problem.

It was probably the same problem I was suspecting.

“How about I show you until dawn?”

She generously offered.

“Show what?”

Even when Isla interrupted, she answered kindly.

“Weapon techniques.”

That was it.

The exceptional physique of a homunculus and the weapon proficiency granted as a Mourner didn’t harmonize well.

My monstrous body was a shackle in itself.

Techniques designed for humans couldn’t be properly executed with the monstrous physical abilities that didn’t match them.

With time and multiple battles, I might become proficient, but…

Whether I would live that long remained uncertain.

“…Well then.”

The mayor, who had been quietly listening until now, moved aside, and other soldiers of the Inquisition made space. In that newly created space, the girl quietly stood up.

With bare feet on the ground, she smoothly drew the longsword at her waist.

It was a gentle draw that didn’t let the blade touch the leather and wooden scabbard even once.

The longsword that rested in the darkness without making a chilling sound was familiar to me.

Overall dark, with a steel blade forming a peculiar wave pattern, like an awl-like longsword.

An estoc classified as a thrusting longsword, commonly considered the ultimate weapon for a Melody build.

Commonly known as Scale Splitter.

I stood up as I looked at the beautiful estoc that had been drawn.

“You might get hurt.”

“Of course I’ll get hurt. That’s the kind of world we live in.”

“Ruvellin is really strong.”

“If you even manage to graze me, I’m willing to give you a reward in advance?”

Melody didn’t seem to mind Isla’s words.

Rather, she seemed to hope for it. She removed her outer garment to reveal her breastplate.

“I’m not joking, so I hope you’ll try your best.”

She had what could be described as a skinny build.

Different from Isla’s sleek and trained body, it was a frail physique reminiscent of an impoverished childhood.

A body that anyone would see as that of a minor. Even if her actual age was older, she looked young.

She was probably quite light in reality. I stood straight, thinking about Melody’s race.

“You’re a new beastkin. Are you sure you can handle my strength?”

“Oh my.”

Melody’s eyes widened at my words. Though they soon narrowed again, she laughed as if quite surprised.

“It’s fine. It would be good to hold back to some extent, but even if something goes wrong, I won’t blame you.”

Though she said that, it didn’t feel like she truly believed it.

And I could tell that fact. As the estoc gripped in both her hands was pointed at me, I could feel a chill run down my spine.

It was understandable.

My opponent, Melody, was level 20.

Even if her job was a bard, she couldn’t be taken lightly.

Instead, I drew my sword to learn as much as possible from her.

The weapon I had was a single estoc.

Hidden weapons included a short sword, several daggers, and a hand crossbow, but right now I was using just the estoc.

But that didn’t mean I could let my guard down. I gripped the longsword with both hands and followed the stance that had been etched into my brain at some point.

There weren’t many steps left.

Stomp the ground, charge in, and swing the sword.

My overflowing strength made it possible.

Despite my novice-like stance and unbalanced distribution of power, the attack was sharp and would have been a powerful strike that an ordinary warrior couldn’t block, but…

CLANG!

The longsword I swung was blocked by the estoc. The force I had put into it flowed through, destabilizing my stance.

As I forcibly stomped my foot to regain my balance…

“One.”

I saw the estoc aimed at my Adam’s apple.

An attitude that seemed to know exactly where a homunculus’s weakness was. I tried to hide my frustration as I retreated.

“Again.”

Melody, a new beastkin with a light weight and small build, blocked my subsequent attacks without any trouble.

When I struck down with force, she elegantly spun to avoid it and then thrust downward, aiming for my neck.

When I desperately used my momentum to dive in, she somehow ended up behind me, placing the tip of her sword at the nape of my neck.

It felt like fighting an illusion.

She clearly couldn’t match my speed and strength, but she was keeping up with overwhelming skill and experience.

She didn’t confront my strength head-on, didn’t match my speed but guided it.

It was the same even when I tried to use the sword as bait to induce grappling, with what little knowledge I had.

Before I knew it, I was on the ground, watching as her sword stabbed into the dirt right next to my neck.

“Six.”

There was hardly any strength felt in Melody’s slender limbs as she countered my grappling.

It was a terrible disadvantage against a homunculus.

But her senses and reflexes overwhelmingly surpassed those of a homunculus.

That was my downfall.

Overwhelming reflexes, experience, and technique.

Something I didn’t possess.

At the same time, it was what the Blood Knight I first fought had.

The fact that his body had changed to female and he hadn’t adapted was a blessing in disguise. If that hadn’t been the case, I probably wouldn’t have made it this far.

In other words, facing an adapted Blood Knight next time wouldn’t be so easy.

I accepted defeat cleanly.

“I lost.”

“You’re an honest child. I like honest children.”

The girl smiled with satisfaction. She immediately withdrew her sword and extended her hand to me.

When I grasped it, I could feel the calluses embedded in her hand.

It was the hand of a swordsman who had worked hard until reaching level 20.

At the same time, she could be a mentor who could advise me on the aspects I lacked.

So I immediately confessed another truth.

“I fought a Blood Knight.”

She paused in the middle of helping me up. I remained seated, still holding her hand.

“I won with strength and cunning, but I don’t think I can do it again. I was overwhelmingly defeated in terms of technique.”

Without strategy, evil and brute force, and a monstrous body, I wouldn’t be here. I would have been cut to pieces and died.

The next time that person comes, they would surely be prepared. The next time we meet, I too needed to be able to respond with technique.

No, it wasn’t just the Blood Knight.

When fighting the Star Blade, when fighting the Cannibal Baron.

Even when fighting the dark mage, I vividly felt my lack of technique.

My body didn’t move as I wanted, so I couldn’t block attacks that could have been blocked, and I couldn’t use opportunities that I had managed to grasp.

I needed help.

“So…”

“Alright.”

I was prepared to even kneel, but Melody readily accepted.

Rather, making a sound like “nngh,” she lifted my heavy body and slightly furrowed her brow.

An attitude suggesting that even sitting down was a waste of time. The small woman, rolling her shoulders to loosen up, said:

“It’s just one night, but I’ll teach you everything I can!”

Of course, her job was a bard.

It was a supportive role that persuaded people with words and wielded basic magic derived from melody and rhythm.

But that was only limited to basic and traditional bards.

I knew.

Melody’s basic build and recommended build wasn’t just a simple bard.

It was a sub-job that had been passed down since before the Empire was an empire, when it was still a kingdom.

A professional proxy for duels widely used as a means to resolve political conflicts or differences of opinion in the Senate.

And also a term referring to those who were professional advisors to the elders until they disappeared when it became an Empire.

Master of combat and excellent bard.

Duel Scholar.

And Melody was probably the highest-level Duel Scholar in this world.

I accepted her tutelage, deliberately ignoring Isla’s gaze fixed on Melody.

Until morning came and I collapsed on the ground.

“Before I go, I have two tasks for you.”

Her words lingered in my ears.

“One, when the Blood Knight comes next time, you must win.”

And one more. Along with her smiling eyes, the remaining words circled in my mind like a quest.

“Two, head to Marsio, the only port in the New Continent, and find out the truth about the annihilation of the Imperial Intelligence Department.”

With a joking “I’ll give you a kiss if you complete them,” she disappeared like she was melting into the rising sun.