Ch.77Blood-Soaked City. Fernheim (4)

After returning to the inn, we each ordered a beer to quench our thirst before diving into a serious discussion about the team competition scheduled for the next day.

The most important matter was how to allocate Simon’s spells, as he could cast a total of 10 spells per day.

When including simple verbal magic that barely qualified as spells, the possibilities of what he could do increased exponentially.

Therefore, Simon’s spells would play a crucial role in determining whether our party could win this competition or not.

“First of all, I can heal anything as long as arms and legs aren’t completely severed,” Simon said, wiping the foam from his white beard that had accumulated more foam.

“Specifically, to what extent?”

“Hmm… Assuming the bones are intact, I can heal flesh wounds almost perfectly.”

“Oh, impressive.”

Sage is a job class specialized in support.

While direct attack power might be weak, that “weakness” is only relative to other second-advancement classes. He’s still beyond the reach of spell casters below the metal rank, so at the very least, we can count on him to provide some resistance against enemy spells.

“Since I can use mark magic, we should focus our support on Raisha.”

“Hmm.”

The twelve mark spells were focused more on assistance rather than attack.

Even the most aggressive spell, Ignatus, was only capable of lighting a campfire. It wasn’t enough to block an enemy’s attack, so a battle-hardened warrior with strong endurance would still swing their weapon even if it meant getting their entire body singed.

“Then it would be best to focus on protection spells. Raisha’s movements are large, which means she’ll expose her vulnerabilities more frequently.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Besides her voluptuous figure, the main issue was that she was a spear wielder.

If she were using a pike that focused on thrusting, it wouldn’t be such a problem, but since she wielded a halberd—which primarily involved swinging and slashing—her movements naturally became larger.

My movements were large as well, but with my mark magic and experience in fighting multiple opponents at once, I didn’t have any particular weaknesses.

Unlike a sword that could maintain its power even at close range, a spear became worse than a staff if an enemy got past the blade. So it made sense to focus protection spells on her.

“Then what spell should I cast on you?”

“Well…”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure either.

I was so accustomed to solo play that the concept of receiving protection or help from someone else wasn’t something I’d internalized, and consequently, I hadn’t considered this kind of situation.

After all, who would have thought I’d suddenly have companions when I had engraved mark magic on my body intending to do everything myself?

“I’m not sure. For a battler, speed and strength are what matter most… but I already have ways to enhance both…”

By using Aksen’s power, I could obtain both.

Since speed translates to power, Aksen, which increased my body’s speed itself, was perfect for me.

“Hmm… I see…”

After I said that, Simon crossed his arms in contemplation, while Raisha, having nothing to add, just sipped her beer.

After several minutes of silence, Simon took another swig of beer to rinse his mouth.

Then he looked at me and asked with genuine curiosity.

“I’ve always wondered, don’t you ever get tired?”

“Huh?”

“I mean… you wear that heavy armor all day long and swing that two-meter sword around without showing any signs of fatigue.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Problem… well… hmm… I hate to sound boastful, but I pride myself on the experience I’ve accumulated at my age. I’ve been through plenty of labyrinths and dungeons, and I’ve moved through more than 30 different parties. And do you know what the most difficult type of person I’ve encountered is?”

“What type?”

“People like you. Those who excel at everything… what you might call the expert type.”

“Expert type…?”

As I twisted my mouth curiously, Simon drained what little remained in his glass and held up his fingers.

“Generally, adventurers fall into three types.”

“Explain.”

Simon waved his hand with his index, middle, and ring fingers extended as he began his explanation.

“First are the passionate ones. Young people full of vigor usually belong to this category. They prioritize intuition over reason, so they sometimes make irrational decisions, but when their passionate intuition hits the mark, they achieve the highest peaks. Second are the cautious ones. Those with good preparation belong here. They typically choose careful deliberation over bold choices. They may not achieve great success, but they also avoid major failures… pursuing long, thin adventures, so to speak.”

After saying that, he cleared his throat briefly before continuing.

“Third are the experts. People like you. Those whose courage is based on solid grounds and whose intuition is backed by insight.”

“Courage based on grounds and intuition backed by insight.”

I quite liked that description.

“These people typically use all their embodied knowledge and wisdom to extract maximum benefit. Due to this characteristic, they’re more commonly found among older adventurers rather than younger ones. Well, you seem to be an exception.”

“Isn’t that the best type, then?”

When I asked that, Simon immediately shook his head.

“I wish it were, but experts are all cursed in a way.”

“Cursed?”

“The curse of knowledge. Everyone’s life experiences differ, as do the trials they face and the solutions they find. However, most experts tend to regard only what they’ve personally experienced as truth. Therefore, cooperation becomes meaningless to them, and their dogmatism can provoke anger and hatred in others.”

As soon as I heard those words, I recalled the conversation I had with Seriya in Rascal.

She couldn’t understand my philosophy of killing, and I had unilaterally suppressed her questions and fears by asserting my authority as party leader and creditor.

“You said you were an orphan. And not just any orphan, but one without even relatives to find.”

I nodded.

“I can sense an extreme hatred for human relationships in your words and actions.”

“That’s…”

“Don’t try to deceive this old man. I didn’t earn the title of Sage just because my beard turned white.”

When I tried to make an excuse, he immediately dismissed it.

I wondered if Seriya had felt the same way when I was on my high horse back then.

“Wounds inflicted by people. The lack of love and recognition forms the foundation of your character. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“…No. I don’t understand at all. Weren’t we talking about spells in the first place? Why are you suddenly bringing up my character?”

“Because you are our party leader.”

That was his answer to my question.

“Viktor. I’m telling you to trust people.”

“I do trust…”

“Then instead of saying ‘I’m not sure,’ you should have asked ‘what spells can you use?'”

“…”

I couldn’t respond.

A dizzying feeling, like something pricking the back of my throat.

It was a pressure I had never felt before in my life.

This must be what they call “experience.”

“I can’t heal your wounds. That would be like saying you’ll replace only the cloth while keeping the painting on it intact because the cloth is dirty—it’s nonsense. But Viktor, how regrettable would it be if you built such a solid foundation only to achieve something that satisfies you alone?”

I looked at Simon.

There was no hostility in his eyes, and that made it hurt even more.

How does one deal with pain that comes from goodwill?

At least in my life, I never had the opportunity to learn that.

“Life is harsh. I’ve seen too many children filled with anger toward the world and hatred toward humanity. Viktor of Parcival, you are a strong person. Not just in the physical sense, but in the fact that you can show kindness to others despite never having experienced warmth yourself—that’s where I see your strength. That’s why I decided to follow you from Cavington.”

I closed my eyes tightly and sank into contemplation.

My head hurts.

I don’t want to think about it.

My purpose is clear, but if the foundation of that purpose stems from avoidance, what should I pursue after my adventure ends?

But as he said, I am a strong person.

I knew I couldn’t stop here, so after opening my eyes, I asked Simon.

“Simon…”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“What spells can you use?”

At my question, Simon smiled and readily shared his spells with me.

And when all that conversation was over, Raisha, who had been holding her empty glass tightly, hugged me and said:

“Do… do you want to touch my breasts?”