Ch.4716. Who Are You, Mister?

I returned to that place only as the sun was about to set.

In Kariel’s eyes, he could faintly see the man he had observed earlier still standing there.

But that figure was merely an illusion visible only to Kariel himself.

Or perhaps a phantom.

“As you know, all of this is an illusion. I hope no one gets too immersed and becomes confused!”

Setting up a small barrier in the middle of the street and performing what appeared to be a suspicious ritual within it—this scene could easily be mistaken for a cult ceremony or demon summoning ritual if one wasn’t careful.

White powder was sprinkled to form a magic circle on the ground, with a pentagram drawn inside the circle, and mysterious items placed at each vertex.

In the center of the star, Saint Kariel’s old sword—said to have been used during his lifetime—was carefully placed on a cushion as they waited.

“It’s ready!”

Tension filled the air.

Kariel himself remained calm, but the anticipation felt by the others seemed much greater.

As Filbar began chanting several incantations and formulas, entering into a long-term spell weaving,

The world inside the barrier began to writhe.

Intertwined with the darkness of night, it created a deep blue scenery.

Then the view of the city streets disappeared completely.

The world brightened.

But what unfolded before their eyes was merely an unremarkable plain.

“Is this…?”

Perhaps it was somewhat shocking for the Baron and the Baronen brothers.

Looking around, their expressions revealed bewilderment at the unexpected scene.

“Is that the old Kariella?”

Nearby stood what could hardly be called a village—just a collection of shacks.

No fence, and nothing marking the entrance except for a single wooden sign.

A shabby cluster of wooden structures.

Even those appeared to be in poor condition.

In reality, it was just a small mountain in the center of Kariella town.

At its base, a few dwellings huddled together, barely forming what could be called a village.

“As expected, the location became distorted as Kariella expanded.”

Filbar remarked without much emotion, as if this were a common occurrence.

“It’s more… wretched than what I saw in the records.”

Baron Roia seemed quite shocked, stroking his beard while groaning.

“Some things are difficult to convey through writing.”

Alesia, perhaps because she had no preconceptions, accepted it calmly like Kariel.

“Are you drawing it properly over there? Remember to record even the cardinal directions in detail!”

Filbar’s impatient scolding followed. His servants, seemingly accustomed to this, continued recording the surrounding landscape through text and illustrations.

“Look over there.”

In the direction Luke pointed, a man on horseback along with hundreds of strong men were just entering the plain.

Their armor was a mismatched collection.

Helmets of various styles.

Even their weapons were all different.

But their physiques were uniformly imposing.

Their exposed forearms were thicker than a woman’s waist.

Wounds and scars adorned their bodies like tattoos.

Dressed primarily in leather, they appeared quite primitive by current standards.

Yet they exuded something beyond mere ferocity—an intimidating presence.

Like the fierceness one might see in predatory beasts of the wild.

Steam-like breath hissed from their mouths, rising like vapor from heated water.

Among them, the one mounted on a large brown horse was covered in particularly thick layers of leather.

His iron horned helmet looked especially vicious.

The helmet itself bore all manner of battle scars like badges of honor.

The horns protruding from either side were exceptionally thick and robust.

“The Ice Sand People were the predecessors of Dabas, Banus, and the Metran Kingdom, weren’t they?”

Though of the same human race, their temperament, language system, and religious beliefs were distinctly different from the humans of the continent.

Even after hundreds of years, when they had achieved rough equality, their unique culture and traditions still clashed with the current Empire in many ways.

“That man over there must be one of the distant founders of the current Banus royal family. Although he was reportedly deceived by the Fierce King of Dabas and died in battle, his reputation was formidable at the time. And historically, it’s worth noting that one of his brothers eventually established the Banus dynasty.”

Filbar began explaining like a historian.

“…I’m not interested in that.”

When Alesia responded indifferently while cleaning her ear, Filbar’s expression crumpled.

“This is YOUR history! How can you be so indifferent?! Aren’t you ashamed before your ancestors?!”

“Technically, I’m from the Empire, so…”

“That’s all the more reason to care! Saint Kariel was recognized even by them as the foundation and catalyst for knighthood and chivalry before the Empire was established…”

“Enough. It’s not that I don’t know.”

Alesia cut off Filbar’s words.

“In the end, they were deceived into coming here, lost troops and reputation due to Saint Kariel’s fierce resistance, and retreated to their base… only to be counterattacked and killed. That’s the story, right?”

“If you knew, you could have just said so!”

“No matter how heroic the deed, I simply can’t take pleasure in someone’s death. You know what my profession is.”

That must be why Alesia couldn’t get as excited as the Baronen family or Filbar, and instead felt somewhat conflicted.

“There! Could that be him?”

With Ludhi’s question, a man walked out from the village.

Ordinary clothing without any armor.

It was the kind of attire any village man might wear, with nothing extraordinary about it.

Only the two swords he carried out with him.

That was what made him special.

Luke frowned.

“Two swords?”

“According to records, only one remained in the end, so he must have lost one or encountered some unavoidable problem. Metallurgy was less advanced then, and there’s no record of him obtaining magically imbued weapons or blessed equipment during his lifetime.”

Ludhi added an explanation to address Luke’s doubt.

“Young Master Ludhi is correct.”

Filbar expressed his agreement.

Up to this point, truly,

There seemed to be nothing particularly special.

Although there were people watching with a sense of anticipation,

Kariel couldn’t join or insert himself into their ranks.

What could be the reason?

‘I…’

No matter how great that man might be,

Whether he was as great as my father… honestly, I’m not sure.

No matter how much he’s treated as a saint,

Whether he deserves to be called as great and holy as my mother…

Honestly, I don’t know.

Such great heroes they were.

Yet to Kariel himself, they were just parents he resented.

“……”

That’s when something strange happened.

“Huh?”

The scene before them, like paint washed away by water in a painting,

Became soaked and distorted in an instant.

“What’s happening—?”

“What—?!”

“How—!”

Not quite screams, but cries filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Like echoes resonating from somewhere far away.

They scattered into fragments.

====

“Kariel. Come with me and let’s turn this damned world upside down! Let’s change the world!”

The man who aspired to be a knight thus found his lord.

Sometimes driving away thieves, sometimes joining small battlefields and earning merit,

He began to build his reputation.

……

An old woman rubbed her cloudy eyes and muttered.

“How strange.”

“What is, ma’am?”

The old woman in rags observed the man in leather armor curiously before speaking.

“You had a spouse, but they’re gone. Is that so? Did the woman who was supposed to be your spouse find another partner?”

“…You’re quite perceptive, old one.”

The man, Kariel, agreed without much emotion.

“What? Is that true?”

A man who appeared to be his companion asked, patting his shoulder.

“…Yes. It’s all in the past now.”

It happened more than ten years ago.

To gain one thing, you must give up another.

To get firewood, you must chop and break trees.

To obtain warmth, you must burn the firewood.

Just as one drinks water when thirsty,

Just as one empties the water jar.

To become stronger, I set aside love.

To protect their home and their world.

The fortunate thing was that both of the people who had come together were, for the man, for Kariel, more precious than family.

“But looking at you, I see your children are as numerous as stars in the open night sky… how curious. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”

At this, the man beside Kariel grinned, seeing an opportunity.

“Old woman, perhaps your powers are failing? Maybe you should give up fortune-telling and stick to weaving cloth by the fire?”

“What! Do you think that’s easy?! If you’re going to insult me, at least do it properly!”

“……”

Watching the scene, Kariel smiled with his lips only.

“Just hearing your words brings me comfort.”

“Wait! I’m not finished yet.”

“You have more to say?”

The old woman cleared her throat with a cough.

“One of those many stars will come to you. I only tell what I see, so the rest is for you to interpret.”

“……?”

“Old woman, what about my love life? My marriage prospects?”

“It’s hopeless for a few more years, so be careful. Don’t go snooping around strange places and die an untimely death!”

“What kind of curse is that?!”

As Kariel’s companion and the old woman raised their voices at each other,

Kariel watched and laughed quietly, thinking, “I suppose so.”

……

“Look at this!”

With worn leather clothes and a face smudged with charcoal, Kariel vehemently confronted a middle-aged man in iron armor who glared fiercely from inside the tent.

“How dare you show such temper to me!”

“Why attack civilians who have no intention of resisting, let alone defending themselves?! If you needed food, you could have just asked!”

“But they wouldn’t give us everything.”

“They need to eat too, don’t they?!”

“They’re not subjects of our domain. Why should we care?”

“Are you saying they’re not people?!”

“Kariel!”

BANG!

The middle-aged man slammed his gloved hand on the desk.

With bloodshot eyes, he ground his teeth and struck out.

“Whose warrior are you?! Whose subject are you! Who is your master?!”

“I cannot serve a lord who harms the innocent!”

“If they were our enemies! They would have done the same in our territory! Why don’t you understand that! Haven’t you seen it countless times already?!”

“You! I believed you would be different. That’s why I willingly gave you my sword…”

“Ah! This is maddening!”

The middle-aged man kicked the desk.

“I didn’t want to do this either! But what am I supposed to do in a world like this?! If I don’t embrace evil, my family! My people will starve to death! Are you condemning me for this?! For this?!”

“Are you saying there truly is no better way?”

“If there is, tell me! If there is, I’ll try something!”

The middle-aged man declared.

“If I must abandon my humanity to protect us, I will do so! If I don’t do it, my enemies will, so should I just stand by and watch?!”

“…You’ve changed.”

“No! You just didn’t know my true nature! In this hell of a world, only the wicked survive! My sins will be judged by the Lord! And history will evaluate me! If not, then the Lord who created such a world is wrong! Why make us so miserable?! You call this a trial?! Even trials should be endurable!”

He was certainly a wise man.

Truly a compassionate person.

Rare in this era, he knew how to genuinely care for those beneath him regardless of status.

Even if he went hungry, he would willingly share bread and meat with a child.

…He was such a ruler.

But even he

Succumbed to the cruelty of reality.

“This is the last kindness I can offer you. If you don’t like it, at least don’t stand in the way of my actions.”

“…I cannot do that.”

“Then what about us who came all this way?! Are you saying we should return empty-handed?!”

“…Even if that’s the case, I…”

……

Returning to his hometown with an injured body, what he witnessed was

…a village reduced to ruins.

“……”

Just as his lord had said.

They too.

Thought exactly like his lord and carried out the same actions.

This was the result.

The village, which had been relatively comfortable if not abundant, was now nothing but ashes.

The faces of the few remaining people were filled only with sadness, grief, resignation, and despair.

He walked somewhere as if entranced.

“……”

And he saw.

At the edge of the forest entrance,

Where the small log cabin that Kariel himself had helped build for days with his friend once stood,

…only a pile of ashes remained.

Only partially burned remnants or scant remains were left in abundance.

The vegetable garden, the small storage shed they had built.

Nothing remained intact.

“……”

Dazed, as he looked around, he saw small graves made of stone under a tree.

He sat down there and for a while, silently endured the blowing wind.

As small raindrops began to fall,

“Mister, who are you?”

A young voice was heard.