Ch.395Chapter 395 – Information Gathering (2)

‘The First Sword Saint?’

There was someone who immediately came to mind when I heard these words from the beastman I was seeing for the first time.

‘Could it be….’

While eyeing the man suspiciously as I recalled that person, the man who introduced himself as Noah smiled and said.

“Hmm, I see the term ‘First Sword Saint’ doesn’t ring a bell? Then let me phrase it differently….”

“Helmet. Who the hell is this guy?”

Behind the man who was about to say something stood Beatrice and Sarah.

Their previously cheerful chatter was nowhere to be seen.

Sarah had her hand inside her garment, ready for anything, while Beatrice was extending her hand toward Noah with a fierce expression.

The beastmen behind them looked like they wanted to voice complaints, but they remained silent and even stepped back.

Thanks to that, a strange circle formed with us in the middle.

“I’m asking you. Who are you? Why did you approach Helmet?”

“I have business with this person, that’s why.”

The man smiled as he placed his hand on the staff.

I immediately prepared to draw my sword when I saw a thin crack in the staff and something glinting between it.

I was ready to draw and transform it into an axe to strike if necessary.

And then, the very next moment.

Suddenly, a beastman with wolf ears and long red hair appeared, pushing through the crowd.

“Don’t threaten Noah, human!!”

It was a wolf beastman growling with raised claws.

The wolf beastman immediately charged at Beatrice, who was pointing a magic circle at the sheep beastman called Noah.

Just as I was about to help Beatrice, I heard her voice.

“Don’t take your eyes off this man, Helmet.”

With those words, Beatrice moved her leg.

With a speed almost invisible to the eye, Beatrice’s leg struck the charging wolf beastman’s abdomen. The wolf beastman briefly hung in the air before crashing head-first onto the ground.

As she tried to get up again, Sarah threw a ball-like object at her.

With a cute “poof” sound, a magical net fell right on top of the wolf beastman, trapping her.

“Eek, let me go!!”

The wolf beastman tried to tear the net with her sharp teeth and claws.

But it wasn’t just any ordinary net, and its maker was Sarah.

She wasn’t the type to make something that would tear so easily.

“Why is this… so tough…!”

“By my calculations, that won’t cut even with most magic spells.”

Sarah said as she pinned down the wolf beastman’s back with one hand while quietly aiming her staff with the other.

Soon the wolf beastman cried out in surprise.

“What kind of… power…!”

“If you keep making noise, I’ll shoot a magic missile at you.”

Perhaps sensing the intensity in Sarah’s words, the wolf beastman stopped talking in confusion.

Beatrice’s magic circle was still aimed at the sheep beastman Noah beside me, and Noah slightly erased his smile as he raised his hands.

“You’re quite composed.”

“No. I was just a bit surprised. Sonya may not look it, but she was once a candidate for great warrior.”

“Though she falls quite short,” Noah quietly added.

“I hate to impose, but would you listen to my request? Oh wait, I mean…”

Noah, who was about to say something, seemed to realize he had forgotten something and looked at me with a slightly apologetic expression.

Since I knew what he had forgotten, I answered directly.

“Kay.”

“…Excuse me. Mr. Kay? Would you release Sonya?”

“She attacked us, though.”

“She simply rushed in out of concern for me. Even knowing she had no chance of winning if I was subdued.”

Noah said apologetically.

“I’ll keep her in check. …Please stop harming her.”

While still aiming my weapon at him, I looked at Beatrice and Sarah.

After a silent conference through glances, Sarah quietly moved away from the wolf beastman called Sonya, who began approaching Noah while still tangled in the net.

“Noah, I’ll immediately…!”

“I’m sorry, Sonya, but please stay still. The conversation was about to become extremely complicated.”

When Noah spoke to Sonya with a somewhat stern expression, the crawling Sonya deflated.

A slightly apologetic look appeared on Noah’s face, but he soon narrowed his eyes and addressed me.

“…I’d like to continue our conversation, but my hands are getting tired. Honestly, there are too many eyes on us now.”

Indeed, the commotion we caused had started to draw attention again.

I could feel the gazes of beastmen watching me with suspicion and other beastmen looking at the sheep beastman with contempt.

And then Noah, as if reading my mind, smiled and said.

“Ah, don’t worry about those contemptuous looks directed at me. That’s just the ‘back in my day’ type of scorn for losing to a human.”

And Noah added, narrowing his eyes.

“In reality, it means they’re worthless words from riffraff who don’t even know who’s superior to whom.”

For an instant, I felt something like a sharp aura emanating from him.

“Eek!”

The slumped wolf beastman flinched at the sudden pressure and lowered her gaze significantly.

At the same time, several beastmen retreated in terror or began fainting.

“Oops.”

The sharp aura disappeared again as his face showed he had made a mistake.

“Oops. I’m not angry at you, Sonya.”

He quickly changed back to a smiling face and began calming the wolf beastman.

‘…He’s no ordinary person.’

I could tell that he had surrendered simply because he didn’t want to fight, not because he was weak.

As I grew more wary of Noah, he smiled and said.

“My legs are getting tired, so could you please guide me to a suitable place?”

He smiled and extended his hand.

“If you wish, you can tie my hands. Let’s sit down somewhere and talk. Come on, come on.”

Noah was smiling as he held out his arm toward Sarah.

+

A little later.

Unexpectedly, we returned to the carriage with two beastmen as prisoners.

I needed to investigate how Noah knew I was from another world, and he had also offered to share useful information, claiming to know a lot about Bestia.

And the wolf beastman named Sonya had voluntarily come along.

“I always move with Noah!”

“You really should become independent at some point.”

Despite saying this, Noah seemed to secretly enjoy being with Sonya.

As they chatted while being led away, I was beginning to think that these two weren’t evil to the core when suddenly—

‘…The smell of blood?’

There was a smell of blood near the carriage.

As I prepared to rush forward in alarm, the wolf beastman named Sonya suddenly spoke.

“Oh, this is the scent of bear beastmen? Did they come to attack but got beaten instead?”

“Bears?”

More slave hunters?

Just as I was about to rush to the carriage with them, Sonya spoke again.

“But judging by the smell, there’s only bear beastman scent and blood? Were they one-sidedly beaten after coming to attack?”

“One-sidedly?”

“If not, I can’t imagine why there wouldn’t be other blood mixed with this much blood.”

“Despite appearances, Sonya used to work as a mercenary in Bestia. You can trust her judgment on these matters.”

Noah added with a smile.

Still half-doubting, I walked a bit faster to the carriage where Sia was wiping blood from her hands. She looked up at us and raised her hand.

And a short distance away stood what appeared to be a bear beastman and Ive and Chris.

They immediately waved at us.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Kay.”

“Did you have a good outing?”

Ive and Chris approached with smiles.

Sia also waved her hand and continued.

“You’re back quickly. I was just trying to clean everything up before you arrived.”

Sia casually mentioned that she was in the middle of cleaning up when we arrived.

Nodding toward Sia, who appeared completely uninjured, I asked.

“You’re unharmed.”

“Who do you think I am?”

Sia said with a grin.

“They couldn’t defeat me with those numbers. I captured one bear beastman as a prisoner and beat the rest before chasing them away.”

“Beat them and chased them away?”

“We already have friction with the lizardmen. I thought it best not to make more enemies if possible.”

So it seemed Sia had spared the others except for one who might have information.

“I almost made a mistake out of disbelief, but I controlled myself, so they shouldn’t be in mortal danger. They’ll bleed a bit, but beastmen are tough, so they should be fine.”

“The one we captured is currently unconscious. I’ve healed his wounds, and he’s tied up over there.”

Chris mentioned that they used the rope Sarah had made.

As Sarah was telling Chris it was fine with a smile, I spoke.

“You must have fought well. I’m glad everyone is safe.”

“Actually, Chris and I didn’t even have to step in.”

Ive quietly corrected my statement.

“Sia took care of them all, saying they underestimated her.”

“It was boring.”

If Sia was calling it boring, then it must have truly been a one-sided fight, just as the wolf beastman had said.

“As you said, we must acknowledge that beastmen have sturdy bodies. If they just lost some blood, they’ll be healthy again after a good meal today.”

Noah slipped into the conversation.

Ive immediately addressed Noah.

“Who are you?”

“Noah. A harmless beastman who ran away from a sheep tribe village long ago.”

“Kay isn’t the type to bring in harmless people like that.”

As Ive spoke quietly, Chris nodded and stood beside her.

And when Sia narrowed her eyes at Noah, he quietly bowed his head and said.

“Unfortunately, I’m no match for you. Please refrain from testing me, noble and powerful one.”

“Noble?”

Sia questioned Noah’s words.

With narrowed eyes, Noah continued.

“Despite appearances, I’m someone who imitates swordsmen. I can tell from your hands, movements, and eyes that you’re no ordinary person. If I could, I’d like to request your teachings, but…”

For a moment, that sharp aura emanated from Noah again, just like before.

But soon the aura disappeared, and Noah smiled as he said.

“…I shouldn’t disturb your mood. I’ll behave as a weakling should.”

“Unlike the bears, you know your place.”

Sia nodded and said.

Then she looked at me and asked.

“But, Kay. Where did you bring this fellow from?”

“He approached me first on the street.”

At my answer, Sia’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“Despite appearances, I came here because I have business with this person. My companion was rude, so it looks like I’ve voluntarily been captured.”

Noah said with a smile.

“I’ve traveled all around Bestia, so I have a lot of information I can share with you.”

“That’s fortunate. We were planning to spend today gathering information anyway.”

Even as she said this, Ive narrowed her eyes again.

“But what matters is the substance. The question is how much of your information is actually useful to us.”

“I believe it is.”

Noah quietly nodded and said.

“I already know your destination. And that’s why I came.”

Opening one eye a bit wider, Noah spoke.

“Deep in the snowy lands. The seal of Evgenia beyond it. Correct?”

Instantly, everyone’s eyes sharpened.

Sia immediately looked at me.

“Kay. Did you tell him by any chance?”

“No.”

I glared at Noah and spoke quietly.

“I truly met him for the first time today. But he knew my identity, which is why I brought him for questioning.”

“And he even knows our destination….”

Sarah looked at Noah without hiding her tension.

Sia also quietly spoke while looking at the staff Noah had on his back.

It was something he had insisted on keeping when he volunteered to be tied up, saying he couldn’t drop it.

“And he’s hiding a weapon too.”

“Ah, this is just me imitating the First Sword Saint out of respect.”

Noah explained that he had no intention of hiding it.

Sia narrowed her eyes and said.

“Imitating?”

“The First Sword Saint was originally a shepherd. Shepherds often hid weapons inside their staffs, and she kept her favorite blade inside. Normally she would wield the staff, but when it mattered, she would draw it to cut down demons.”

Noah said quietly.

“She deliberately tried not to leave records of herself, but you all have probably heard of her somewhere.”

Noah was right.

‘…Rubrum definitely mentioned it.’

Rubrum had briefly mentioned a woman also called the Sword Saint.

Another title for the Star-Gazing Priestess.

That was the Sword Saint.

“…What did the Star-Gazing Priestess leave behind?”

“I’ll explain. But before that…”

Noah smiled and said.

“The story will be a bit long, so shall we sit down to talk?”

“……”

I nodded quietly, wary of Noah with his inscrutable smile.