Ch.6923. Intersection.

It still feels surreal that I’ve been away from the institution for a whole month already.

Though it might be later than planned, I find small comfort in the fact that I reached this place without any particular trouble.

The village of Somern, located in the southeastern part of the Metran Kingdom, seemed quite accustomed to welcoming outsiders despite being just a village.

That’s because this place houses the famous sword of Grandeus.

A rust-covered sword thrust diagonally into the ground.

…When I first saw it, my feelings were somewhat difficult to express.

“Though the village is less than 10 years old, it’s grown to a decent size now. Since it serves as a trading hub, while it may not be the premier destination for intermediary trade, it’s certainly a good second choice.”

And here too, there was a branch of the Edenlevan Alliance.

A woman who introduced herself as Ruslan, with blue skin, white hair, and a voluptuous figure.

She even had twisted black horns on both sides of her head, making it abundantly clear that she was a demon, flaunting it quite openly.

“Ru! You’re looking gorgeous today as always! Beautiful every time I see you!”

“That’s right~! I’m always beautiful! Thanks for the compliment. It feels fresh even though I hear it every day.”

“So, are you free tonight?”

“No can do! Today’s not my day, so check back later~!”

She’s explosively popular among men.

Surprisingly, she doesn’t face much wariness even from women, which was somewhat unexpected.

“Affection and attention. Before beauty and pleasure, everyone becomes gentle lambs. They’re all simple but cute, aren’t they? There’s a certain joy in taking care of them.”

She proudly lifts her chin, saying she doesn’t discriminate by race and, above all, doesn’t touch married men or women.

…I can understand not touching married men, but married women too? What exactly does “touching” mean here?

“In places where the Irenis Order operates, they call it promiscuous and lewd… but here, they’re open-minded about such things.”

As she says this, Ruslan subtly clings to Kariel, linking arms and leaning in.

“If you’d like, we could together…”

“Ru. Unfortunately, my master is a natural ascetic, like a monk, so he’s not interested in that sort of thing.”

“Don’t you know that those kinds of men are often the most obsessed with it?”

Luirin and Ruslan seemed relatively friendly with each other.

“Well. What would you know about seduction with that young body?”

“…I’m maintaining my virtue, you know?”

“My goodness. You’re the type of woman the Empire would love. Why don’t you keep your purity forever, enter a convent, and maintain your chastity for life? Perhaps the gods will welcome you with praise?”

By the way.

Her tone might be teasing like she’s talking to a child, but the content is quite scathing.

The village is built in a terraced style, formed on hills, valleys, and ravines.

Most residential areas are in the middle layer, between the upper and lower layers.

Overall, it could be considered as having four layers.

And the topmost layer is the cause and origin of this village’s existence.

…This place, where Grandeus’s sword is thrust, seemed to be treated as another sacred site within the Metran Kingdom.

Looking around, there was a considerable crowd.

“There are many street vendors too.”

Even the lines of people waiting are long.

“Merchants are busy setting up shop below, but anyone who wants to see the embedded sword, receive blessings, or whatever, they all come here without exception.”

The influence of the Irenis Faith extends here too, but there’s just one small chapel without a proper church or cathedral.

Considering that the chapel also serves as an orphanage… it might be seen as the Irenis Faith’s infiltration(?) under that pretext.

Originally, this must be a place where indigenous religions are firmly established.

The founder of the Metran Kingdom was from the Ice Sand People.

They have their own indigenous religion, but as they became part of the continent and time passed, the polytheism of the old great empire of Vera and various local indigenous religions joined in.

A truly unique religious culture has been established.

As a result, though they share similarities with Dabas, a nation of the same ethnicity with a common border, there are differences. The same goes for the nearby Vanus Kingdom.

…Unlike those two kingdoms, the Metran Kingdom has achieved harmony and balance between natives and various races, so while royal authority might be weaker than neighboring countries, the bonds are stronger.

This includes multiculturalism and the absence of discrimination against specific religions.

…The Empire’s focus on improving relations with Metran is partly to check Dabas Kingdom, but it can’t be denied that it’s also because it’s a primary target for the expansion of the Irenis Faith.

“While Dabas is obsessed with eternal blessings, Metran doesn’t have such things… but here, they have a polytheistic culture that venerates the God of the South Wind primarily, along with other gods, spirits, and indigenous deities. As long as one avoids debates about divine superiority, there won’t be major conflicts with anyone.”

“…It seems Irenis believers have caused some problems.”

“It’s a characteristic of monotheists. They proudly boast about things that aren’t even worth boasting about.”

She says this is a customary warning for those from the Empire who are Irenis believers.

“Anyway, if you need help, please visit our Somern branch. That’s the basic guidance for now… do you need anything else?”

“No, that’s been very helpful.”

“Go on now. Shoo, shoo!”

Luirin blew air as if chasing away a snake.

“You little brat!”

Perhaps displeased with Luirin’s attitude.

Ruslan, with her distinctive yellow eyes flashing and a frown, quickly changed her expression and gave Kariel a fresh smile.

“See you again! Cute little brother!”

I suddenly gained a big sister.

“Master, was this your goal all along?”

Luirin glances with disbelief at the stretched line, as if it’s ridiculous to wait just to touch a rusty sword.

“Well…”

I’ll have to experience it to find out.

The spaciousness around isn’t meant to accommodate many people.

Nor is it to allow street vendors and stalls.

However, looking closely, this place seemed to have its own set of rules.

Then my eyes met with a girl’s.

Not a street vendor, but a flower shop set up like a proper stall.

At first glance, I wondered what difference there was between a street merchant selling miscellaneous goods and a stall vendor.

“Is this your first time here?”

“Ah, yes.”

A girl with a refreshing smile greeted me with words close to a greeting.

Since I was already out, I asked.

“Everyone seems to be buying flowers.”

“I don’t know who started it, but… that’s how it became,” she said.

The girl, with striking sky-blue hair, smiled gently with snow-white eyes that matched.

A white dress, with a vibrant light-brown furry shawl over her shoulders like a screen, and on top of that, a scarf that looked like bundled wool.

…It looks quite thick.

Perhaps because of the high altitude, though not quite a plateau.

“Do you need some?”

“…I assume I have to pay for them, right?”

“Hehehe.”

I looked around at the various colorful flowers and asked.

“Do they all have different meanings or flower languages?”

“Of course.”

She explained each one.

“Plants don’t interest me much unless they’re medicinal herbs.”

Luirin was busy looking elsewhere, showing no interest.

Suddenly, my gaze fell on a staff-like tool placed beside the chair she was sitting on.

“Ah, this?”

Before she could rise from her chair, she gripped it with both hands.

“…As you can see, I’m like this.”

She barely managed to stand up with its support, and even after standing, she seemed to need to lean on the staff.

“I see.”

Kariel just nodded slightly.

“If it’s your first time, I recommend this flower.”

A flower with white petals and a distinctly yellow center.

Not knowing the structure of flowers, Kariel vaguely recognized that the yellow part in the middle was where bees would bury their faces.

Suddenly, a vivid memory came to mind: once, after picking some flowers, he had pressed his lips around them like a bee, sucking and then spitting out.

“It’s a common wildflower. They say Grandeus liked it the most during his lifetime.”

“…Is that so?”

“They say he often mentioned that his life was like a wild grass. I don’t know the details; it’s just something I heard.”

Wild grass, huh.

“Master, were you always this interested in flowers? Or were you drawn to a different kind of flower?”

“……”

Kariel had no choice but to hold a small wildflower in his hand.

“Thank you.”

That smile seems somewhat pitiful.

Though I’m not sure why.

Finally, I joined the line, but it would still be a while before my turn.

“Leo, do you know anything about the legend of Grandeus?”

“Me? I’m from the kingdom across, so I don’t know much.”

“…Yet you came all the way here.”

“What about Lusiri?”

“Listen. This is the story of when the dangerous demon king, known as the Golden Beast, was about to invade…”

Two young people in front of the line, a boy and a girl, are engrossed in conversation, unable to bear the boredom.

A plain boy with brown hair and black eyes.

A faded linen shirt and leather pants. Below, sturdy leather boots make an impression.

A small sword wrapped in layers of cloth at his waist caught my eye.

The girl, on the other hand, wore a black dress that seemed to come from a cold region, with the hem and top integrated with fur decorations.

Over it, she had a white cloak, though it showed clear signs of being exposed to dust for a long time.

In contrast, her golden hair with a subtle glow and balanced features naturally evoke the impression of a beauty.

Judging by attire alone, she’s certainly not of ordinary status.

“But that story is just a little over 10 years old, right? Why is it called a legend?”

Luirin, unable to bear the boredom, interjected.

“…To be precise, it’s the 18th year since the Golden Beast died. This year. Grandeus first appeared 23 years ago.”

“You seem to admire him.”

“Thanks to him, the Metran Kingdom and surrounding countries were saved from destruction.”

She placed her hand on her curved chest and said.

“We want to remember his dedication and effort. Because of that damned Rueld who dueled him over knightly honor or whatever… a precious person was lost. Still, he was the only… knight of his time who could face Rueld in direct combat.”

“It’s ironic. He’s revered in this region that values warriors over knights and chivalry, while the Empire, which upholds chivalry, ignores him.”

“That’s because the Empire is all about appearances.”

…I strongly agree.

Why do I feel a sense of agreement rather than anger when she criticizes the Empire?

And did she sense this?

She shifted her gaze from Luirin to me.

“You think so too, don’t you? From your eyes, it seems you agree with my thoughts.”

“…Yes, I do.”

“A comrade then! Nice to meet you. I’m Lusiri Olgoret.”

I found myself holding her black gloved hand.

Her light gray eyes were sparkling with unexpected camaraderie.

“I’m Riel.”

“Our master is from a noble family and is currently undergoing knight training.”

“…?”

Lusiri blinked twice, looking back and forth between Luirin and me, and asked.

“Are you from the Empire by any chance?”

“Yes, but the Empire is indeed hypocritical and disgusting, so don’t mind it.”

“……”

“Hahaha. You got her there, Lusiri.”

“Leo, you’re not one to talk! No, you’re not!”

Lusiri kicked Leo’s thigh, leaving the poor boy hopping on one foot while clutching the other.

“You’re undergoing knight training but criticize your own country? Isn’t loyalty the most important virtue for a knight?”

“That doesn’t necessarily have to be linked to patriotism.”

“Ah, I see you can think that way. Patriotism and loyalty are different? An interesting perspective.”

…Thanks to the two in front, the wait in line wasn’t boring.

“By the way, the little lady called you master, so is your relationship…?”

“As she mentioned, I’m undergoing knight training, but that’s just a pretext… the main purpose is travel.”

I showed the lute on my back as I spoke.

“She’s my guide, and somehow it turned out this way.”

“That’s an interesting relationship.”

The girl seemed very intrigued.

“The journey from the Empire to here couldn’t have been smooth.”

“It just happened that way.”

While the girl and I were talking.

“By the way… um, what’s your name, miss?”

“Don’t use such a strange way of speaking; just be comfortable. You clearly look older than me.”

“Oh, um… should I? I’m Leo. And you?”

“Luirin. You don’t have to remember it if you don’t want to. But with a name like Leo, shouldn’t you look more threatening?”

“Huh? Is that so?”

I refrained from sighing. That too would be impolite.

“Luirin. I told you before, it’s not good manners to pick on someone’s name, whether it’s me or someone else.”

“Pick on? A name is a testament to one’s soul. Isn’t it natural to shape and equip oneself to match that name?”

Lusiri asked with puzzlement.

“Isn’t that something from the demon… I mean, the Edenlevan side?”

“I did grow up there. I don’t have a mom or dad. Or should I say I don’t know them?”

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere was devastated.

“Luirin.”

Why does she always blurt this out as if she’s proud of it?

I know the reason.

She’s probably thinking that if someone’s attitude changes after hearing this, she’ll immediately cut ties or confront them.

“If you start with that kind of talk, how perplexed do you think these people will be?”

“But they should know in advance so they won’t complain later that they didn’t know, right?”

“……”

She might be good at confrontation, but when it comes to delicately improving relationships… she seems to have issues.

…Not that I’m particularly good at social interactions or human relationships to be giving advice on this matter.

But I do have knowledge about social conduct, so I might as well give advice based on that.

“She’s, she’s a unique child. Very straightforward.”

“You’ve, you’ve grown up strong. That’s admirable.”

Suddenly receiving sympathetic gazes and words.

“Huh, what?”

Luirin starts to get flustered.

“……”

Having only faced contempt and rejection, Luirin, who always struck first to avoid being looked down upon.

Such pure and innocent concern must have been quite perplexing for her.

“……”

But since they were viewing her positively and interpreting things favorably.

Thinking that such connections also exist.

Kariel quietly watched Luirin, who was at a loss amidst the sincere consolation and encouragement from the two young people, and silently clicked his tongue.

As the line shortened and diminished.

Finally, it was their turn.

There it was.

A rusty sword thrust diagonally into the earth.