Ch.48Chapter 48 – Connections

I can’t feel any strength in my body.

I tried to force myself to get up, but I ended up collapsing.

My body falls, and dust rises.

I look ahead with eyes that seem about to close.

A platinum-haired man stands before me.

[Damn it.]

As my mouth opens, words come out.

[Do you even know what you’re doing?]

I said that to him, but he approaches me without stopping.

He raises the sword in his hand and strikes down at my eye.

Blood splatters.

Blood stains his body.

As he pulls out the sword, I see the clean blade along with the blood.

[Damn bastard.]

And then, something reflects on the side of his sword.

I see bloody scales.

Scales…?

‘Huh?’

I don’t have scales.

What is this?

+

“Damn it.”

I had a dream, and it was a bad one.

Thinking that I’d had a strange dream, I tried to recall the last memory that came to mind and looked around.

“So you survived there.”

I sighed softly in relief.

Seeing the familiar surroundings of my inn room, it seemed certain that at least I hadn’t been taken by the Emiris Order.

If I had woken up to see a strange ceiling or a world that was green, I might have truly gone mad.

As I tried to get up, something fell slightly from the bed.

Looking closely, it was Sera.

She had brought a chair next to the bed and was sitting there, but she must have fallen asleep without realizing it, leaning her body over the bed.

‘She must have been nursing me.’

Judging by her quiet breathing and slight movements, she seemed to be in a deep sleep.

‘She’ll catch a cold.’

After carefully getting up, I gently covered her with the blanket and quietly left the room.

As I quietly closed the door behind me, I felt thirsty.

I needed to drink some water.

When I came downstairs, I saw a white figure slumped over in the dining area.

‘She’s here too.’

It seemed Christina was also here.

I don’t know why she was sleeping here when she could have slept in a room.

Someone had already covered her with a blanket, but it had fallen to the floor.

‘Must have dropped it while tossing and turning.’

I picked up the blanket, covered her with it, and went outside to look for water.

After drawing water from the well and drinking it, I took a slight breath in and out.

Then I moved my body.

‘At least there’s nothing wrong with my body.’

Except for something heavy feeling on my side, I was fine overall with no pain.

I checked my side slightly.

It was bandaged.

‘That’s strange.’

Clearly, my side had been pierced through.

Christina had given me first aid at the time, but in the end, the wound had reopened.

Could such a wound heal so quickly?

After thinking for a moment, I prepared myself for possible pain and unwrapped the bandage.

There was a small scar where I had been pierced, but that was all.

“What could it be?”

It could be that the healing arts of this world are remarkable.

If not that, then…

My heart strangely pounded.

I remembered the dream I had earlier.

+

After returning to my room, I sat on the bed with my eyes closed, resting quietly for a few hours until someone entered the room.

“Seraphina, good morning…”

Christina entered the room with sleepy eyes and raised her hand in greeting.

“Yo.”

“Aaaah, Benefactor! You’re awake!!!”

“Ack!!”

Christina came charging at me.

Sera collided with her and ended up falling to the floor, but Christina didn’t seem to notice.

“We were worried because you showed no response for three days!”

“Three days?”

I was unconscious for that long?

“Yes, wait—the bandage? Why did you remove it?!”

Christina exclaimed in surprise as she checked my side.

“It’s not fully healed yet! Are you crazy? Let me see quickly. Quickly…”

And then she couldn’t continue her words.

“It’s completely healed though.”

“My goodness.”

As if she had seen something impossible, Christina touched the wound.

Naturally, it didn’t hurt at all.

“There’s a scar, but in just three days…”

“This wasn’t your doing, Christina?”

“I, I just used healing magic to close the wound and wrapped it with bandages, and Seraphina gave you medicine. That’s all. This shouldn’t be a wound that heals so completely this soon…”

It seemed the “remarkable healing arts” option was off the table.

This body of mine was becoming quite monstrous.

“…Lady Evgenia…”

While Christina quietly offered a prayer, Sera got up.

She was holding her head as she rose, suggesting she had hit it quite hard.

“That hurts…”

“Did you get a bump? Why don’t you ask Christina to check it?”

“There’s no bump. But.”

Sera also looks at my side.

“…Just like with the burn, really…”

“You said before that the burn on my face was severe enough that blindness wouldn’t have been surprising.”

“Yes.”

Sera nodded quietly when I spoke.

She seemed lost in thought for a moment but soon spoke again.

“Anyway, Ive said to let the trading company know when you wake up.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She apologized for not being able to nurse you herself and said to charge all the nursing expenses to her account.”

As expected of a rich person, she’s generous.

Money is the best.

‘Still, I didn’t expect her to come all that way to save me.’

I felt like I’d incurred an excessively large debt.

For now, I thought it would be better to go and tell her in person that I was safe.

After thinking that far, I got up and tried to put on my armor…

“Ah, damn. It’s all smashed up.”

I remembered that everything had been destroyed in the fight with the test subjects.

The helmet that had been left in a corner was dented all over when I picked it up.

I would need to either repair it or get new equipment.

“…Sigh.”

Last time it was my weapon that cost me money, and this time all my armor was destroyed.

Maybe I should be more careful next time.

With no other choice, I put on the coat I kept as casual wear.

“Where are you going?”

“Lavenza Trading Company. I think it’s better to show my face in person.”

Hearing my words, Sera thought for a moment and then spoke.

“I’ll come with you.”

Soon, the two of us got up and headed outside.

“Huh? Wait, I’m not done with my prayer!”

As we naturally walked out, we could hear Christina rushing out from inside shortly after.

‘You should know when to cut those things short.’

I had that thought as I heard the sound of her tripping over something.

+

I passed by people who were surprised to see the burn on my face, with a field of vision wider than usual.

‘This feels a bit unfamiliar.’

I had been wearing a helmet for so long that I was too accustomed to the view through it.

I also felt somewhat embarrassed.

Soon the destination came into view.

“Welcome…”

The employee who usually greeted me cheerfully was surprised to see my burn scars.

“I’m an acquaintance of the trading company owner.”

“Ah, are you Mr. Kay?”

“Yes.”

Had she been notified in advance?

The clerk guided me upstairs.

‘…I really need to cover my face.’

The difference between having a helmet and not was significant.

Though unintentional, people would hesitate or react when they saw the burns.

Sera said they had improved a lot, but they still seemed quite unsightly.

Sera and Christina followed quietly behind me, and soon we arrived at Ive’s office.

-Knock knock.

“Come in.”

When I opened the door, I saw Ive with bandages on her arms and head.

She was in the middle of signing something, but she looked up in surprise when she saw me.

“My goodness, Kay?”

“It’s been three days.”

She seemed very surprised, as if she hadn’t expected me to come so soon, her eyes wide.

A little later, Ive brought out tea for everyone.

“How are you able to move around when your side was pierced through?”

“Well, it’s completely healed…”

At my words, Ive reached out her hand in surprise.

Her hand passed over the scar on my side, and her expression darkened slightly.

“You really are completely healed.”

She sat down with an expression that mixed relief and concern.

Everyone was quietly sipping their tea when…

“So…”

It was Ive who broke the silence.

“Kay, are you…”

Unlike her usual self, she was having difficulty bringing up the subject.

She must have heard what that Hudson or Hush or whatever his name was said toward the end.

‘No reason to hide it.’

She had done me the favor of saving me.

I felt it would be impolite to hide it.

“I was a test subject of the Emiris Order.”

“And you came from another world, right?”

I nodded quietly.

“Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand…”

Christina spoke cautiously.

“To summarize, Benefactor is not from this place, but was brought here from another world by the Emiris Order, right?”

“Rather than brought, I was abducted.”

“And really as a test subject?”

“Yes.”

Christina spoke in confusion after hearing my words.

“Even so, for clergy who believe in God to do such terrible things…”

“They did. To make puppets.”

I took a sip of tea and continued.

“For reference, the burn on my face was also from when I was escaping from them.”

Christina’s expression darkened.

Soon she began to pray quietly.

“What kind of things did they do to you there?”

Ive asked cautiously.

“I’m not exactly sure what they did to me either. My memories are fragmented.”

“Fragmented?”

In response to Ive’s question, I looked at my teacup as I answered.

“I remember some things from the past, but others I can’t remember at all. Things I should naturally remember, I can’t.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean by things you should naturally remember…”

I laughed lightly at Sera’s words.

I admit my explanation was a bit inadequate, but it was hard to express it differently.

Still, I could explain what it was like.

“I remember family members, but I can’t remember the family name. I remember where my hometown is, but I can’t remember what it’s called. That kind of situation.”

I spoke self-deprecatingly.

“Because of that, I don’t even know my real name.”

“Kay.”

Ive called my name with a worried expression.

Sera, who had been silent for a while, spoke up.

“So that’s what you mean by fragmented?”

“Yes.”

I looked at Sera as I spoke.

“Even what remains are just fragments, and the rest feels lost.”

Everyone seemed at a loss for words.

Apart from Christina quietly praying with her hands clasped, there was no sound.

I took another sip of tea and continued.

“I should warn you in advance that it’s better not to talk about this conversation elsewhere.”

“Why?”

“Because I think those guys trying to eliminate me were trying to cover up everything we just discussed.”

In other words, I meant don’t spread unnecessary talk.

“Well, it would be politically inconvenient if it got out.”

Sera nodded in understanding.

“Could I hear about what happened from when you escaped?”

Ive quietly asked.

“Of course, if you don’t want to tell us, you don’t have to…”

“No, I’ll tell you what I remember.”

I began to speak.

About when I regained consciousness, when I escaped.

From having my face burned by the holy knight to meeting Ive and fleeing abroad.

“…That’s all. So that’s how I’ve been living as an adventurer here.”

After I finished speaking, everyone was silent for a moment.

Christina was quietly praying.

The others seemed to be thinking various thoughts.

“I’ll step out for a moment.”

With those words, Ive rose from her seat.

“Ah, me too…”

Sera followed her outside.

Only Christina, still offering prayers, and I remained in the room.

‘What should I do now?’

The fact that the test subject had taken Hudson and run away was a big problem.

If I had eliminated him for certain, it might have been better time-wise, but if Hudson had left any hint, it was obvious that the Order would send someone else, test subjects as assassins.

Even assuming the news hadn’t reached them yet, it was still worrying.

‘It would be good to contact the Magic Tower quickly somehow.’

The best thing would be to escape from this world before they attack.

To get any hints about that method, I needed to contact the Magic Tower.

‘Is there no shortcut?’

Until now, there hadn’t been any particular method besides raising my rank, but I didn’t think I had that kind of time anymore. I considered whether there was any possibility of contacting the Magic Tower at my current rank.

Then something suddenly occurred to me.

‘I haven’t properly thanked them yet.’

I missed the timing to express my gratitude while telling my story.

They risked their lives to save me, and I couldn’t even thank them properly.

‘I’ll have to do it next time.’

Just as I was about to return to my original train of thought, the door suddenly burst open.

“Kay! You’re safe!”

“Why are you here?”

Somehow knowing where I was, Rudger appeared.

“When you weren’t at the inn where you were staying, I wandered around and saw that young lady who was with you before, so I came-“

It seemed he had seen Sera and rushed in thinking I might be here.

‘I don’t think Ive or the other employees would have let him in, so how did he get through?’

Well, I suppose even they couldn’t stop a muscular old man charging in recklessly.

Meanwhile, Rudger, who had been making a fuss, stopped speaking when he saw my face.

“How did you…”

“Ah.”

This was the first time Rudger had seen my face without the helmet.

“I was injured a while back.”

“Hmm, it’s fortunate you didn’t go blind.”

Rudger sat down in front of me.

And then.

“I’m sorry.”

He quietly bowed his head.

“No, why are you suddenly doing that?”

“After Rich disappeared, I rushed down and saw you barely climbing up, looking almost like a corpse.”

Rudger spoke softly.

“…I thought if I had stayed with you, it would have been better.”

There seemed to be something bothering him, as Rudger looked dejected.

“By the way, did you see a huge gem down there?”

“That was recovered and is being examined by the Order for now.”

Rudger nodded and said.

“Aria strongly insisted that it needed to be investigated because she felt a strange energy from it.”

“I see.”

“Judging by the fact that you ask about that first, did you know something?”

I briefly considered whether to tell Rudger about the Emiris Order.

While there was no need to talk about my identity, it seemed appropriate to tell him about the culprit and what I had heard.

“That gem is connected to the Emiris Order.”

“Tell me more.”

It’s not difficult. I just need to relay the conversation with Hudson or whatever his name was.

After I finished speaking, Rudger furrowed his brow.

“…Those damn Holy Kingdom people.”

“So you think the Holy Kingdom is connected to this.”

Rudger nodded at my words.

“Actually, the Emiris Order in the Mikea Kingdom isn’t much different from other orders.”

“If it’s not different?”

“They might be a bit politically cunning, but as believers, they act diligently. They’re a perfectly normal order, is what I’m saying.”

It sounded like nonsense to me.

But considering Christina’s reactions so far, it might not be wrong.

If the order had been strange from the beginning, it wouldn’t have such strong influence.

“The problem is the Holy Kingdom.”

Rudger spoke.

“Whenever we investigate something the Emiris Order has done, the Holy Kingdom is always connected to it, perhaps because it was built on the land where Saint Emiris supposedly descended directly.”

“You mean…”

Rudger made a slightly angry face.

“They’re despicable people, but I never thought they would go so far as to burn someone like this…”

‘Huh?’

…It seemed Rudger thought my burns were from this recent incident.

‘Let’s just leave it.’

It’s too bothersome to explain.

I decided to let him continue with his misunderstanding.

Rudger looked at me pitifully for a moment, then spoke again.

“For now, I’ll take your testimony into consideration.”

“What do you plan to do with it?”

Rudger thought for a moment and then slightly lowered his head.

“Unfortunately, we can’t pressure the Order with just this testimony. The Emiris Order in the Mikea Kingdom probably knows nothing about this.”

“Is that so?”

“Their branch leader also strongly agreed with Aria’s opinion that the gem should be investigated. If they were connected as you say, they would have insisted on destroying it first. To destroy evidence, you know.”

I nodded silently, and Rudger continued.

“Each order has examined the gem, but nothing more has come up, so we plan to send it to the Magic Tower for appraisal.”

“The Magic Tower.”

Finally, someone else mentioned the Magic Tower.

“Aria said she knows a magician there. We plan to request an appraisal from them. If that doesn’t work, I’ll also ask someone I know.”

From Rudger’s explanation, I felt like I had finally found a path.

“In other words, both Lady Aria and you have connections to the Magic Tower?”

“That’s right. Impressive, isn’t it?”

Rudger smiled happily, seemingly wanting to boast a little.

“Indeed, you were quite remarkable during your adventurer days, so it makes sense.”

“Right? I was pretty amazing.”

Rudger laughed loudly, pleased.

I smiled a little as well.

The person who could connect me to the Magic Tower was right in front of me.