The townscape of Cork was similar to Griad of the Allied Nations.
The only difference, if any, was the scarcity of adventurers and explorers. Naturally, without a labyrinth, there were fewer people who made a living from rough work. However, the converse was that there were many people who appeared to be garrison soldiers; perhaps it was because the battlefield was nearby.
And, as befitting a port town, more people seemed to make their living through trade.
It was reasonably lively and reasonably vibrant.
However, I was slightly dissatisfied with the appearance of the town.
“It’s quite a somber town… But I heard it was the ‘Mainland,’ so I imagined it would be livelier, but it’s not really like that.”
I had foolishly expected the kind of excitement one feels when moving from the countryside to the city, but I was disappointed that there wasn’t such a dramatic change.
“Well, the Allied Nations aren’t exactly the countryside either. It’s natural for it to resemble the ‘Mainland.'”
Dia, who seemed familiar with the area, was leading the way as our guide. Incidentally, Rustiara, who always wanted to walk ahead, was useless at the moment, looking around with curiosity. As expected of a sheltered girl who was only three years old, she was restless.
“However, although it resembles it… the air is a little different.”
“Ah, it’s because this is a frontline region of the war. Everyone living here is aware that the fires of war could reach them at any moment. The tension must be different from a frontier where there are no enemies.”
My sensitive ‘Sensation’ picked up on the prickling, biting air.
If you looked closely, there was a slight shadow on the faces of the lively people. Just that alone made me understand the weight of war’s existence.
“…This is my first time coming to a country at war. …I wish I hadn’t come.”
“Kanami, is this your first time dealing with war? That’s rare nowadays.”
“In my previous world, I was born and lived in a country without war, and in this world, I’ve continuously been in the Allied Nations, which are without war. So, I truly don’t understand what war is like.”
“…I think that’s a fortunate thing.”
Dia gave a faint smile upon hearing my words, then her face contorted as she continued.
“—But you can’t remain ignorant forever. There will come a time when you have to pay the price for your ignorance, so you should be careful, Kanami.”
“The price of ignorance?”
I felt a sense of unease as Dia suddenly started using difficult words.
“Ah, it’s the debt you incur for not trying to know.”
Then, Dia spat it out with disgust. Her words struck me deeply.
I understood she was talking about war. In fact, right now, I was already disturbed by the lives of those suffering from war, simply by lightly expanding my ‘Dimension.’ It felt as if every word I picked up was blaming me, who had lived in a lukewarm world.
But it seemed like Dia was saying that to herself, not to me.
Just talking a little about actual war created a somber atmosphere.
However, as if to break through it, the high-spirited Rustiara shouted out.
“—And so! First, let’s gather information at a tavern or guild!? Ah, that’s the classic adventurer’s route! The beginning of a hero’s tale! I’m getting excited! Um, where’s a tavern—!”
While grateful for her inherent cheerfulness, I sternly dashed Rustiara’s hopes.
“No, there’s no information gathering. I’ll just pick up Palinkron’s trail with ‘Dimension,’ so we’re looking for an inn. Anywhere is fine as long as it’s a place where I can relax.”
“Huh? Huh, you’re really not going to a tavern? Kanami, you owe so much to the taverns in Griad, don’t you? And you’re not going to a tavern?”
“The taverns I feel indebted to are in the Allied Nations’ Griad. Not the taverns in this town.”
“No, since we’re here anyway, let’s gather information as part of sightseeing… Let’s actually walk around and look…”
“Let me tell you, as soon as I deal with Palinkron, I’m leaving the Mainland immediately.”
“Eh, eeh… How boring! Kanami, your methods are so boring!!”
“It can’t be helped when ‘Dimension’ is the most reliable…”
“It’s these small accumulated efforts that make an adventure exciting! Kanami doesn’t understand anything! Don’t you understand my hard work either! When I compile this into a story, what am I supposed to write!?”
“Wouldn’t it be fine to just write, ‘Found Palinkron’s location with my companion’s magic, “Dimension”?'”
“The story progresses too quickly! There’s more to it! Like getting caught up in trouble during information gathering, or having to complete this request if you want to know Palinkron’s whereabouts, or various other things!”
“How could trouble conveniently occur like that? I intend to deal with Palinkron with the shortest, fastest, and most zero-waste method.”
Kanami and Rustiara continued to clash over their claims, as usual.
While we were having this seemingly pointless but necessary conversation, we reached our destination.
“Kanami, Rustiara, we’ve arrived at the inn…”
Dia, who had been leading the way, turned around. It seemed she wanted us to stop arguing before entering.
“See, we’ve reached the inn while you were wasting time talking.”
“It’s not waste, it’s important! If it continues like this, Chapter 2, ‘The Palinkron Legacy Subjugation Arc,’ will end in a few more pages. This is bad, bad, bad…”
We finished our conversation and entered the inn.
Using a suitable alias, I spoke to the receptionist. It made me feel a little sad that I was getting used to using different names.
Then, I rented two of the most expensive rooms. I figured I wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore, so I decided to splurge.
According to the receptionist, this inn, like the one in Fuziaze, included meals. Since I was a generous patron, they explained everything very politely.
We decided to have an early lunch and headed to the inn’s dining hall without hesitation. It was fortunate that Dia, who overslept, hadn’t eaten anything yet.
The dining hall looked similar to the inn we stayed at in Fuziaze before.
We got our food and sat down, talking as we ate.
“Hmm, I wonder if those who stayed behind are making lunch and eating it properly… I’m scared that if I leave Snow alone, she might get so lazy that she starves to death.”
“I told Sera-chan to make it, but in the end, Reaper will probably end up making it. You know, Reaper is good at everything, just like Kanami.”
“Well, since my emotions and experiences are flowing to Reaper, it’s natural that we’d be similar.”
“Is that the ‘Connection’ thing? We refused because even private emotions would leak, but Kanami kept it, right?”
“Reaper and I are best friends. It’s fine if we share a little emotion.”
“No, normally people would refuse even with best friends…”
“It’s also because I have the ulterior motive of making labyrinth exploration more advantageous. The ‘Connection’ is convenient for many things.”
“Oh, r-right. If that’s the case, then it’s fine…”
Rustiara stopped questioning with a strained expression. Dia and Maria next to her had similar looks. It seemed that, by common standards, sharing emotions was a crazy act.
I understood that with reason too.
However, I had no intention of stopping.
Since I promised Rowen that I would protect Reaper, I have to keep an eye on her when she’s in danger. Also, I need to a way to share my strength with Reaper through me as much as possible. It might be a superficial growth, but having direct combat power wouldn’t hurt.
The price for that, my private life as Aikawa Uzunami, is a trivial matter.
There are many more important things right now.
One of them.
Without rest, I activate ‘Dimension’ to search for Palinkron.
“Well then, since time is precious, let’s search for Palinkron while we eat.”
Seeing me begin my search, Maria conjured a small fireball.
“I could do it if I wanted to, but…”
Like Arti, Maria can gather information about her surroundings with fire. Dispersing flames should yield the same effect as ‘Dimension.’
“It’s fine if I do it alone. Maria’s flames are too noticeable.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“–‘Dimension – Multiple Expansion’.”
While bringing food to my mouth, I expand my perception range with ‘Parallel Thinking.’
I inject magic power to increase the density of ‘Dimension’ and pick up people’s conversations. Of course, unlike Snow’s Vibration magic, the accuracy for sounds is low.
However, this time, I don’t need to read lip movements to catch conversations. It’s easy because I just need to find someone saying the six letters “Palin kuro n.” I expand the range from the inn to surrounding houses, taverns, and government offices.
“—Huh? What?”
Along the way, I spot a familiar face. At the tavern closest to this inn, a boyish Knight was interrogating the people around him.
“R-Rainer is here…!”
There’s no doubt it’s him, with his abundance of wind-attribute magic tools and the broken magic sword ‘Ruf Bringer’ at his waist. Without even needing to check his Status, I’m certain he’s Rainer Helvirshine.
“By the way, he’s so close. Oh, dangerous…!”
He’s in the very next building. If the timing had been just a little different, we might have encountered him. Rustiara reacts to the name that slipped from my lips.
“Eh, your younger brother is here? But even with amateur navigation, isn’t it strange that he arrived faster than us, who came straight to the mainland? Did he come straight by land?”
“He probably came without caring about appearances. His hatred was immense, you know.”
“So, what is Rainer doing? Is he looking for us, after all?”
“Yes, he’s looking for someone. Good, I didn’t have to gather information at taverns or the Guild…”
“S-See! I told you! If we had gone that way, an event would have triggered! It would have been more interesting!”
“I don’t want to do something like a Skirmish. If possible, I’d like to persuade him and make him a Companion.”
“Eh, aren’t you going to beat him up? We found him first, so why don’t we surround him when he’s alone on the outskirts of town and attack?”
“If you do that, the misunderstanding will never be resolved, you idiot… If possible, I want Rainer to be a Companion—at least an Ally. So, absolutely not.”
“Eh, you want to make him a Companion? Someone so troublesome? Wouldn’t it be easier to beat him up and send him back to the Allied Nations?”
“No. I will definitely make Rainer a Companion. That’s why I provoked him by name at the end of ‘Valfala’.”
“Ehh… your younger brother, huh…”
Rustiara makes a clearly displeased face.
“I’m against it. I dislike him more than his sister, Fran.”
“I only have the image of him as an Enemy…”
I can even sense killing intent from Dia and Maria. Strangely, the favorability from other members was desperate. Perhaps the scene after the ball was fatal.
However, I will not give up.
In my personal opinion, I believe Rainer and I can reach an understanding if we talk.
Above all, he is a talented person who can break the current situation in our Party, which is 1 male and 6 females. If I had at least one comrade of the same gender to share hardships with, my stomach condition would be completely different.
I tried to persuade everyone by thinking of Rainer’s good qualities.
However, I was despairing because I had few good memories of him. Every time we met, he was either dying or trying to kill me.
Still, I think the reason I feel favorably towards Rainer is his family-oriented personality.
I can really empathize with how Rainer treats his family.
Alright. I’ll appeal to them as a kind-hearted boy who cares for his family. Then, they’ll surely understand his good points.
Then, as I began to plan how to present Rainer, “Dimension” noticed something strange.
Rainer’s coat swayed as he walked through the tavern. To my surprise, he was wearing handcuffs on both hands visible under the coat.
The strangeness continued.
The content of Rainer’s conversation was completely different from what I expected.
“—Huh? Rainer isn’t looking for us?”
He was looking for someone, but their name wasn’t us. If my lip-reading wasn’t mistaken, he said “chestnut hair,” “petite and noisy,” and “Shira Legacy.”
“Huh? Who is he looking for…?”
“That girl I met the other day, Shira Legacy. Why would he be looking for her?”
“Oh, so we’re not his objective. In that case, should we all go meet him?”
Rustiara’s tone was light.
However, this lightness stemmed from her confidence that she could easily defeat Rainer in a fight. If things got complicated, she would surely drag Dia and Maria along and beat Rainer up as she declared.
I quickly rejected the idea.
“It’s not a good idea to intimidate him with a large group. First, I want to meet him alone and talk.”
“Hmm. I feel like it would be better to just attack him all at once and capture him.”
Rustiara and the others were completely prepared for combat.
To protect Rainer’s life, I absolutely had to meet him alone.
“If we’re going to capture him, I’m more than enough alone. I only escaped last time because Rowen was there. The difference in strength is obvious.”
Right now, that Rowen is in my possession. I won’t lag behind in a fight.
“That’s true, but…”
Rustiara looked displeased. From her expression, I could tell she was trying to forcefully drive him out of the mainland.
“I’ll propose a joint front to defeat Palinkron, but of course, there’s a possibility of conflict. If you feel like you’re short-handed during combat, I’ll unleash a great magic. If you see it, come and help.”
I presented a compromise and convinced everyone.
I got up from my seat alone and left the inn. Since I gave them enough gold coins, payment shouldn’t be an issue.
Then, I walked through a new town where no one knew me, feeling a bit like a tourist.
It felt refreshing to be alone after so long.
No one watching, no one eavesdropping, and no threat to my life. Just that alone made my almost empty stomach feel better.
I expanded “Dimension” and located Rainer, who was dejected after not getting much information at the tavern. It had been several days since I last saw his face, but he looked like an old friend I had been waiting for.
It was clear how much he had been cornered by myself and the party I had assembled.
I welcomed the petite knight as he came out of the tavern.
I raised my hand slightly and called out to him as casually as possible.
“Yo, Rainer.”
“—W-w-what, Christ!?”
Rainer looked surprised and reached for the sword at his waist. My appearance was clearly unexpected. As expected, he wasn’t looking for me.
“Um, what are you doing here…?”
I understood the situation quite well from “Dimension.”
However, I wanted to confirm it from him directly.
“…It’s none of your business. But if you want to fight, I’m ready.”
However, Rainer wasn’t inclined to listen.
He was in a stance where he could draw his sword at any moment.
Still, I approached him without hostility. It might be the arrogance of a strong person, but it would be easy for me to defeat him now. Judging by the difference in Status, there was no danger.
That’s precisely why I sought a better outcome.
Not only for his help in fighting Palinkron, but there would be times when the Helvirshine family’s power would be necessary on the long path to the 100th floor of the labyrinth.
Of course, choosing Rainer over my sister Franryure is my preference.
Rainer possesses a “sternness” that others lack. Perhaps I want that.
…Or, it’s simply because I’ve had my fill of companions of the opposite sex. I won’t deny that.
“If you’re in trouble, I wouldn’t mind helping…”
So I tried to get on Rainer’s good side.
“Who asked for your help…—”
But Rainer adamantly refused to reveal his situation.
With no other choice, I brought up the main subject.
“—No, that girl you’re looking for, Shira. She’s not a stranger. Is something wrong with her?”
“…Wait. How do you know about the Legacy family’s ‘human sacrifice’?”
“It’s a long story… I was introduced by someone named Hairi.”
As soon as Rainer heard the name Hairi, his expression softened.
“Ah, so that’s how it is. You’ve met her too, huh? That ‘Magic Stone Human’.”
“Does that mean Rainer too?”
“Yeah, I met him.”
“That’s good… In that case, you’ve heard about Mr. Hein from Hairi, right?”
If I could hear about Christmas festival from the person involved rather than untrustworthy parties like Fuziaze priests or Fedelt, my misunderstanding should be cleared up.
But unlike me, who felt relieved, Rainer’s voice grew rough.
“What’s good about it, nothing’s good! I heard the story, but that doesn’t mean I’ll forgive you! First of all, what guarantee is there that the ‘Magic Stone Human’ accurately inherited Hein-niisama’s memories! I don’t believe it! It was Palinkron who performed the procedure!”
Rainer’s words were truly empathetic. I felt the same way.
“Um, then how do you treat Hairi, Rainer?”
“How do I treat her? I treat her as she asks to be treated, as a different person. A ‘Magic Stone Human’ with a short lifespan, who holds some of my brother’s memories. Nothing more, nothing less. Isn’t that how you see her?”
“No, I see her the same way. That’s what she told me.”
It seems Rainer doesn’t see Hairi as his brother.
I admired his caution, but the misunderstanding not being resolved was troublesome.
“So, about you– ”
“–Um, Shira, I’ve already found her.”
Therefore, I judged that it was time to earn his trust. He wouldn’t be convinced by suddenly saying “it was all a misunderstanding, won’t you be my companion?” and overwhelming him with words.
I knew from our short interactions that Rainer needed to be convinced by emotion, not logic.
While talking to Rainer with Parallel Thinking, I was also deploying Dimensional Magic.
His missing person, Shira Legacy, had already been located.
“W-Really…?”
“With my Dimensional Magic, I can easily grasp an entire town.”
Rainer made a grimace and pondered for a few seconds.
Then, seemingly resigned, he bowed his head politely.
“…I know this is a convenient offer. Please, tell me. Where is she?”
“At the port… She’s just about to be sold abroad.”
According to the information from Dimensional Magic, her situation was dire, a race against time.
She was being loaded onto a ship along with other kidnapped people by shady-looking men in a corner of the suspicious harbor.
Shira, the girl with chestnut hair, seemed unaware of what was happening and was being passively carried along.
“Ah, you damn idiot leader! As I thought! How could you possibly run into such bad luck at such breakneck speed, damn it!”
Rainer took his hand off his sword and tried to leave me behind.
I hastily called out to him.
“Wait, Rainer!”
“Ah, I’m grateful, though it’s annoying! But it looks like we’re out of time, so I’m going!”
Dutifully bowing his head once more, Rainer sprinted off.
However, I didn’t want his gratitude. I ran after him, shouting back.
“No, I’m helping too! You know the port, but you don’t know which ship!”
“…Do as you please!”
After making another grimace and thinking hard, Rainer relented.
I ran alongside Rainer, showing my willingness to cooperate with a smile. This was a chance to mend our relationship. I wouldn’t let it slip away.
Leaving the tavern, we wove through the crowds of the town.
Running like the wind, my coat billowed behind me. The inside of my coat became exposed, revealing Rainer’s hands. Just as I had sensed with Dimensional Magic, his hands were in handcuffs.
The handcuffs caught my eye repeatedly. They were made of wood. They looked like they could be easily broken if Rainer applied strength. However, it was immediately clear they were specially made, imbued with magic power. They were likely unbreakable by brute force.
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked.
“–By the way, what happened with those handcuffs?”
“G-G-G-Gah! D-Don’t mind these…! Something happened to me, something!”
Rainer tried to hide his hands from me, his face turning red.
His expression showed that he wasn’t wearing them willingly.
Thinking this was another opportunity, I offered my help.
“Rainer, if you’d like, I can help with that too…?”
“It’s fine. I’m not troubled.”
“Not troubled? When you can’t use both your hands?”
Once we reached the port, a fight was inevitable. Being unable to use both hands would be fatal in combat. Yet, it was strange that Rainer claimed he wasn’t troubled.
As I kept looking at him with questioning eyes, Rainer finally couldn’t stand it and shouted.
“You’re so persistent! Fine! I’ll explain! Someone in my Party has a bondage fetish, and they just put these on me! I can’t take them off unless that person does it!”
“Eh, a companion did that to you…? What a terrible Party. But why did you join such a Party?”
“They dangled my brother’s memories as bait!”
Since he’s looking for Shira, he’s probably in the same Party as Hairi.
However, his expression showed that he was in that Party reluctantly. Rainer began to complain as if a dam had broken.
“And then! Even though Hairi-san is down, none of them are useful! I’m being forced to go help the leader with these handcuffs on! Ah, what am I even doing!”
“That sounds like a rather difficult party…”
“Don’t look at me with pity! Tch, your party must be nice, being surrounded by a princess and ladies from good families! They all look so kind!”
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Hmm? …No, that’s not really the case, you know?”
“My party’s a whole different story — it’s about bondage! And they keep trying to step on me at any opportunity! They enjoy tormenting newcomers! They’re definitely sadists!”
Seeing Rainer, who looked like he was about to spit blood, I started to feel a sense of kinship. His expression convinced me that he was someone who could truly share my hardships.
“That sounds tough. But it’s not easy for us either… Listen, our party is always on the verge of blowing up. And small things can put our lives in danger. Honestly, their magic is so vicious, just looking at them makes my legs tremble…”
“Huh, blowing up? Lives in danger? Uhm, are you companions, then? You cooperate with each other, right?”
“You’d think so… I’m constantly being eavesdropped on, and my companions tell me they’ll stab me eventually. I can never relax…”
“W-we’re not that bad…”
Seeing me tremble with trauma, Rainer’s bravado faltered. Now was my chance to gain his sympathy and recruit him.
“That’s why I want you, Rainer, to join our party and be my confidant!”
I flashed him my best smile, trying to lure him away.
“You’re in a tight spot, Christ… But hearing what you just said, there’s no way I’d want to join your party. I’ll just endure this sadist party…”
“Please, just consider it…!”
“No, I came here to kill you! There’s no way I can join!”
“That’s fine in our party! That kind of thing is acceptable in our party!!”
“No, that’s not acceptable! That’s messed up!?”
“Just a little! Just give it a try for a bit!? As an experiment—”
Rainer and I ran off, arguing.
Even as people we passed gave us strange looks, I didn’t stop trying to recruit him.
Faced with my persistent persuasion, Rainer gave a wry smile. It was similar to the expression he had when we first met in the labyrinth. No, it was even more natural than that.
“Ah, this is throwing me off, already…”
Rainer harbored no ill will. We weren’t in some dangerous relationship where we were trying to kill each other. If anything, we were like senior and junior explorers.
“I, for one, am feeling at ease for the first time in a while…”
I didn’t have to worry about my life-threatening mistakes. Thanks to Rainer’s exquisite control. That alone made me happy.
Looking at my face, Rainer sighed in exasperation.
“Haa… As I thought, Christ Eurasia, you’re not a bad person. Just like my first impression of you…”
By talking about trivial things rather than grudges or battles, Rainer and I were beginning to understand each other’s character. Not all misunderstandings were resolved, but a thread of connection had undoubtedly been created. It was the right decision to approach him alone.
“But don’t get me wrong. I have no intention of becoming close with you until I’ve confirmed everything!”
Realizing he’d spoken out of turn, Rainer bashfully looked away.
“But you’re not planning to attack me until you’ve confirmed everything, right? That’s enough for me.”
“That’s right… I’ll confirm it, absolutely. Not through someone else’s words, but with my own eyes—”
Still looking away, Rainer vowed forcefully. His oath was something I wanted to emulate.
And then, we finally left the town and reached the sea. Under a sky where countless seabirds soared, several massive ships, comparable to the Living Legend, were docked. Sun-tanned, burly sailors walked around. It was a vibrant port, filled with unceasing hustle and bustle.
“—We’ve reached the port, Christ! So, which ship is it!”
The moment Rainer reached the port, his entire being surged with fighting spirit. However, the information coming from ‘Dimension’ was not good.
“Ah, it’s already set sail.”
The ship Sia was on had left the port.
“Damn it, it’s your fault for talking about weird things!”
“No, you’re the one who dragged out the conversation!? —No, never mind that, let’s catch the ship that’s already left!”
“Right! —’The King of Wind does not choose his path,’ Magic: ‘Wind Wanderer’!”
With an incantation I’d never heard before, Rainer leaped into the sea. Then, a magical wind flowed from beneath his feet, allowing him to run on the sea as if it were land. I was amazed by his exquisite control over his magic power. He had clearly become stronger since the ‘Martial Arts Tournament’.
I also used Ice Magic to step onto the sea. Taking into account that Rainer could move on the water, I gave him instructions.
“Alright, just follow me closely. First, Rainer, I want you to block the ship’s bow and cause a commotion. Under the cover of that chaos, I’ll use Dimensional Magic to search for Sia.”
Rainer nodded and ran. His speed was literally that of the wind. As a wind mage, he had entered a new realm. His power was already beginning to surpass that of his older brother, whom Rainer respected.
